dedication, perseverance, self-discipline

I slept a bunch last night.  I needed it after that race yesterday and then working until 11:00pm.

I met with the same basic group as always this morning, plus Matt.  We ran out to the lake and back for a total of 10.1 miles in 1:14:59.  The arch in my right foot has been feeling slightly sore since yesterday, but I didn't really even notice it while I was running, so I think it should be fine.

PM:  ran 4 more miles in 29:53.  Ended at the car place to pick up the car after an oil change so I didn't run back up the hill to the house, which probably gives me an aided time for my run today.  Oh, well.

I ran with Sasha, Daniel, and Mary Ann this morning.  Daniel turned around after 4 miles, while the rest of us ran 10.1 miles in 1:20:32.  In the middle of the run I did 5x400 in 1:10, 1:11, 1:10, 1:10, 1:10.  Sasha ran half of each 400 with me on all but the last repeat when he ran the full 400.  I felt good running them, but I could tell that I have not done anything like this in quite a while as I had to put in a little more effort to push off of the ground than I normally should need to do. Basically, the muscles in my shins felt a little weak because I am not used to this.

PM:  I ran 4 more miles in 31:28.  I felt good, but a little tired, so I kept the pace slightly slower than I normally do.

I ran with Sasha and Mary Ann this morning.  I was really dragging because I only got 6 hours of sleep last night, and we met at 5:15 in the morning.  I know that some people on the blog get up that early every day, but I am just not used to it.  It also doesn't help that I work until 10:00pm most every night.  Anyhow, we ran 10.1 miles in 1:23:13.

I ran with Sasha, Mary Ann, and Daniel this morning.  Daniel turned around after 4 miles, and the rest of us finished 10.1 miles in 1:18:17.  In the middle of the run I did one mile hard in 4:58.  Sasha did the first half of this with me.  Quarter splits: 1:13, 1:16, 1:16, 1:13.  I would have been right at 5:00 which was goal pace, but I sped up a little the last 50-100m or so to dip under 5:00.

PM:  4 more miles in 30:04.  I came back in the same time it took to go out.  That is actually somewhat odd for me, since going out I am heading downhill, and coming back I go up.

10.1 miles this morning with Sasha, Daniel, Mary Ann, and Matt.  I took a vpb in the middle of the run and ran about half a mile fast to catch up.  I timed 400 in 1:15 during the catch-up.  Total time of 1:18:38 for 10.1 miles.

I ran on my own this morning because Sasha had to run earlier in the morning, and Mary Ann was running a race.  I needed to do a hard long tempo run anyway, so I was probably going to end up running alone regardless.  So, I drove to the start of our 5 mile tempo run, and after a 1 mile warm-up in 7:48 I jumped into the tempo.  My splits were as follows:

1 - 5:52 - right on goal pace, but the pace throughout the mile was very uneven.

2 - 5:55 - my shins are starting to tighten up and hurt a bit

3 - 5:59 - the shins are hurting pretty bad now and are slowing me down.  Hit my first turn-around during this mile

4 - 5:57 - I started focusing on pushing off more from my toes and it helped stretch out my shins

5 - 5:53 - 29:36 for 5 miles.  In the pace range I wanted, but slightly slower than expected.  Second turn-around at the end of this mile

6 - 5:55 - the shins are finally starting to feel normal and I can run without pain

7 - 5:52 - now that I am feeling better the quarter splits are starting to yo-yo as my body is telling me it wants to go faster, and I accidentally would run too fast for one quarter, and then overcompensate and run too slow on the next.  This went on for a few miles

8 - 5:50 - I hit the third turn-around during this mile

9 - 5:55

10 - 5:53 - 29:25 for the second 5 miles, 59:01 for 10 miles.  fourth turn-around at the 10 mile mark

11 - 5:47 - After 10 miles I was sick and tired of trying to force myself to stay at 5:52 pace, so I just decided to run and not worry about pace anymore

12 - 5:52

13 - 5:47 - 5th turn-around during this mile

14 - 5:51

15 - 5:47 - 6th turn-around at the 15 mile mark.  29:04 for 5 miles, 1:28:05 for 15 miles

16 - 5:47

17 - 5:51 - I purposefully slowed a bit this mile since I knew that at the 17 mile mark I was going to be running all out to the finish.

18 - 5:12 - As soon as I started this mile I took off, and I pushed it hard to the finish.  Quarter splits for this mile were 76, 80, 79, 77 with my last turn-around coming half-way through.  The 80 second quarter was slowed by some wind, and the turn, while the 77 was probably slightly wind-aided

19 - 5:12 - quarter splits of 79, 77, 79, 77.  I was working pretty hard by the time I finished this mile

20 - 5:17 - quarter splits of 81, 79, 79, 78.  I lost concentration a bit during the first quarter, otherwise I probably would have run a 5:15 for this mile.  I was really hurting by the end of this mile.  15:41 for the last 3 miles, 27:19 for the last 5 miles, 56:23 for the last 10 miles, 1:55:24 for 20 miles

So, the results of this tempo were very encouraging.  First, it lets me know that I am getting over the fuel issues that I have had in the past, as I did not feel like I was running low on fuel at the end of the tempo.  Second, it lets me know that I can run close to my all out 5k pace after running 17 miles averaging 5:52 per mile.  I still feel that I have some work to do, as I was hoping to hold 5:12 pace through the finish, but overall I think that the results of this are very positive.

I felt more rested than I thought I would after yesterday's nasty workout, which was good.  On the negative side I am pretty sore from running the longest tempo run I have ever done, and from running the most overall distance I have ever done other than the marathons.  I am mainly sore in my calves and in my shins, which is to be expected considering the tightness I felt early on in the tempo, so I am not really concerned.  I just need to take it easy this week. 

My calves were still sore this morning, although my shins are feeling a lot better than yesterday.  We kept the pace pretty easy for the most part, and we finished 10.1 miles in 1:22:16.

On a side note, I was looking at some of the times from the Run For Red 5k that was held near where I ran my tempo run on Saturday, and I thought it was somewhat amusing that the last 3 miles of my 20 mile tempo were run at a faster pace than the winning time in that race.  On the women's side there was some good competition, however on the mens side there was nobody.

I ran alone today.  10 miles in 1:16:18.  I felt a pinching sensation in my left knee over the last 3-4 miles.  It is probably nothing, but I am going to pay more attention to it just to be safe.

10.2 miles this morning in 1:08:16.  I ran in the neighborhood of a 1:06:40 for the normal 10.1 that we do every day, plus we added a little more at the beginning.  We had to keep the pace faster today because Sasha needed to leave at 9:00 to go somewhere and we got started late.

PM: 4 more miles.  I haven't actually run them yet, but I am heading out the door as soon as I get this posted.  I will probably run the 4 miles in about 31:00.  Ok, so I just finished and the total time was 30:58.  My estimated time was pretty close (and I wasn't purposefully speeding up or slowing down to hit it either).

This morning I ran with the same group as normal, plus Steve Ashbaker.  We did the normal route to the lake and back.  I threw in a few 400's during the workout; three on the way out to the lake in 1:05, 1:06, 1:05, and two on the way back in 1:08, 1:10.  Total time of 1:23:07 for 10.1 miles.

PM:  4 miles in 32:09.  I kept things really easy and slow today because I want to be careful so that I do not get injured with the little nagging pains that I am having right now.

I ran with Sasha, Mary Ann, and Matt this morning.  I was not sure exactly what time we would start at, and I needed to get back earlier than normal, so I ran around the block a couple of times before we started so that I could make sure that I got my entire run in.  It ended up that I didn't need to do it because everyone showed up on time this morning, so I got in 10.1 miles with the group in 1:15:00 plus an extra .7 miles alone in 5:25 for a total of 10.8 miles in 1:20:25.

I ran with Sasha today and after a short warm up of less than 1.5 miles, we jumped into a 10 mile tempo run.  Sasha was kind of testing himself to see if he is getting better after the ear infection, while I was just wanting to do a shorter tempo than last week. I finished the tempo in 57:44, while Sasha fell back the last couple hundred meters and finished in 57:48.

Mile splits are as follows: 5:47, 5:49, 5:49, 5:50, 5:52, 5:49, 5:47, 5:48, 5:39, 5:34.

2.5 miles splits: 14:30, 14:37, 14:31, 14:06.

5 mile splits: 29:07, 28:37.

After the tempo we finished up with a long cool-down, speeding up near the end and hitting the last half mile in about 2:55.  Total time for 20.1 miles 2:12:12. 

It is interesting to gauge how I felt today compared to how I felt last week.  The pace felt easier last week than it did today (maybe I am still recovering a little?), but today I felt less shin tightness and pain than I did last week, and it went away sooner (from doing less speedwork this week?).  Also, I noticed that my legs felt much more tired last week after I was finished with the run, however I felt like my fuel levels were worse today (did I not eat enough the last few days?).  Anyhow, a nice long run.  I might keep my long run easier next week as well.  I will just have to wait and see.

Good day at church today.  We had ward conference so we got to hear from the stake president, as well as our bishop.

I ran with the same basic group as normal, minus Daniel.  We ran to the lake and back for a total of 10.1 miles.  I finished in 1:16:06.  I took a standing vpb in the middle of the run, so I did pick up the pace for a little over 300m in order to catch up.

PM: 4 miles in 29:52

We ran 10.2 miles total in 1:22:06.  I ran a hard mile in the middle of the run in 4:42.  The goal was to run a 4:40.  I started off hitting the first 200 in 34, so I slowed down to a 36 for the second 200 (400 in 70) which was perfect, however I relaxed a little too much and I went through the next 400 in 72 (36, 36).  I then sped back up and hit the last two quarters in 70, 70 with almost even 35 second 200's.  So, all in all I was pleased.  The last 800 was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but it was not unbearable so I am happy.

I felt really drained last night, so I got to bed a little earlier than normal, which was good. 10 miles this morning with the normal group, plus Mary Ann's friend. We ran 4 miles with the friend and then 6 more to finish up with a total time of 1:24:07.

PM: 4 miles. I am leaving to get it done right now, then off to work.  I ended up running the 4 miles in 29:26.

I basically did the same workout today that I did on Tuesday; I went to the lake and back, and I threw a hard mile in the middle of the run.  I ran the mile in 4:42 again.  This time however, I felt drained almost from the beginning, and I had to work much harder in order to finish in the same time.  My splits were: 70, 71, 70.5, 70.5 (the last two quarters are approximate because obviously I can't measure that exactly while on the run, but I know they were about the same based on my watch, and the cumulative time for the second half was a 2:21).  If I felt good I was going to take 4:40 pace to a mile and a quarter, but after 1 mile I was spent, so I packed it in and called it a day.  Total time for 10.1 miles was 1:20:13.

10.1 miles in 1:16:27.  I am a little tired because I had a late night at work last night, but I feel better than I thought I would considering how tired I was at about 9:00 last night.

PM: 4 miles in 31:41.  Nothing special happened, but I did feel a little tired.

I did my long run with Sasha this morning.  We just did the normal 10.1 like always, but we did it twice.  5.05 mile splits were 32:18, 31:37, 30:06, 29:38.  Total time for the run was 2:03:39.  We started off at about 6:40 pace and quickly sped up until we were running sub 6:20 pace.  We then held this until after we were over half way finished.  We then sped up and started hitting miles in the 5:50 range.  At the end I sped up a little more and got down to about 5:40 for the last mile or so (last half mile in 2:49).

Good day.  Kimia and I went to church and then to the Draper Temple dedication.

I felt pretty good today.  Normally I feel a little worse on Mondays, so I am happy that I seem to be recovering better after my 20 mile long runs than I used to.  There was a big group of us this morning, but by the end it was just the regulars.  Total time was 1:19:27 for 10 miles.

PM: I ran 4 miles in 30:51 and then ran to Kimia's work right after i finished to get in another .5 miles for a total time of 34:47 for 4.5 miles.

I woke up late this morning on accident, so I missed Josse and Carolyn, but the others waited for me.  We ran about 2.5 for a warm-up and then ran 1.25 in 6:42 pacing Mary Ann, I then attempted to run 4:40 pace until failure.  My problem was that I couldn't push myself hard enough to really fail.  I made it through 400 in 1:10, but could not go faster than 1:15 for the last 800 until I stopped.  It did not hurt that bad, but I just could not push myself to go any faster.  Afterwards we ran a cool-down to finish with 11.35 miles in 1:26:43.

PM:  4 miles in 30:38.  My stomach has been bothering me all day today.  Maybe I have a little bug of some sort.

I ran 10.1 miles this morning with Sasha, Mary Ann, and Matt.  We ran to the lake and back like always.  Total time was 1:18:12.

We ran our normal route this morning, and during the middle I threw in a couple 400s. I ran them in 66 and 65. I would have run more of them, but it was really windy and it was snowing some. The wind also slowed the repeats down, otherwise they would have been a little faster. With about 2 miles left in the run I took a vpb and then sped up some so that I could catch up to Sasha, and Mary Ann. Total time was 1:18:11 for 10.1 miles.

PM:  4 more miles in 30:34.  There was a lot of wind this afternoon, but fortunately for me I had it at my back at the beginning of my run when I typically go the slowest.

Last night was miserable.  I am sure that most people don't want to know the details, so don't read any more unless you want to read some gross stuff.  I have had a stomach bug for the last few days, and it started getting worse yesterday afternoon.  I had all kinds of gas coming out of both ends, and it stunk.  I think that the gas from my mouth was especially gross.  Anyhow, I woke up a number of times in the middle of the night with stomach cramps and bad diarrhea.  I ended up spending a good portion of the night on the toilet, and now my bum is sore.  On the plus side I do not feel physically sick, so my running should not be affected, at least in the way of total mileage.

So, due to the late night, I accidentally slept in this morning so I ended up just meeting Sasha and the others on the trail this morning.  We paced Carolyn through a tempo at just under 8:00 pace for 8 miles, followed by a rest mile in 9:12 before speeding up again.  Total time for 10.65 miles was 1:25:31.

Since I have had a stomach bug, I knew coming into my long run today that I was going to be starting the run low on fuel.  I decided to use it as a test of sorts to see how long I could run at 6:00 pace with no fuel.  I made it through the first 10.1 (9.1 at 6:00 pace) and I was struggling.  I was dizzy and just feeling downright lousy.  I could have gone farther at 6:00 pace, but I didn't want to mess myself up at all.  So, I got a drink to fuel up at Sasha's house and then I ran another 6 miles at 6:00 pace before slowing down.  We then picked it up again with about 1000m to go.  I finished with a total time of 1:50:14 for 18.1 miles.

I felt pretty good today.  obviously I didn't run, but I felt better than I normally do on Sundays.  Probably because I went a little shorter and didn't run as hard as normal yesterday, due to the issues I have been dealing with.

I ran 10.1 miles this morning in 1:19:37.  I did a post vpb pick up to marathon pace for about a mile in order to catch up to Sasha and Mary Ann that brought me under 1:20:00 for the day.  My stomach is getting better, which is a plus.

PM:  4 miles in 29:52.  I went out in 14:07 going downhill with the wind at my back, then came back much slower, mainly because I had a stiff wind in my face the entire time.

I ran with Sasha and Mary Ann for most of the run, and with Daniel for a little over 2.5 miles. 

After a warm-up we ran 1.25 miles in 6:40, hitting almost all of the splits dead even.  After 1.25 the goal was to keep going, speeding up to 4:48 pace (72 second quarters) for up to 1.25 miles more.  I hit the first quarter in 73, but I started out slow the first 100 so I figured that I was fine.  However, I learned something interesting after that.  I thought that I could just maintain the same intensity and stay at the same pace, however I continuously increased the intensity from about 600 on in an attempt to speed up, yet I was not speeding up.  I think now that once I get going at faster speeds I need to keep increasing the intensity if I want to maintain pace.  I need to learn to make myself more uncomfortable during races in the 5k range, because I think that I actually have more in me then I have previously shown. 

I ended up making it to 2.25 miles total before I stopped because I was not hitting my goal pace, although I was still not running all out.  Anyhow, my splits for the entire workout were 1:20, 1:20, 1:20, 1:20, 1:20, 1:13, 1:14, 1:14, 1:14.  Total time of 11:35 for 2.25 miles.  I then finished the workout with a long cool-down.  After Sasha and Mary Ann caught back up we ended up doing another 1.75 miles in two segments at just under 6:00 pace.  I ended up running about 11.9 miles total in 1:26:19.

PM:  I don't want to get in too many miles this week, and I ran farther than normal this morning, so I decided to cut my afternoon run a little shorter than normal.  The fact that I was a little short on time also aided in my decision.  Anyhow, I only ran 2.5 miles, and I did it fast, finishing in 16:54.