Penny

Best workout so far. Completely awesome. I had a 5-mile tempo scheduled. Did two easy miles, around 8:30 pace.

Tempo splits were: 7:23, 7:09, 7:09, 7:01, 7:04, 7:08. Cool down for an easy mile.

So the average here was a little bit slower than last week's 5 mile tempo, but what made it so awesome was how it felt. Completely controlled. The splits were a little bit uneven in places because of wind, but the effort felt very sustainable, even and even easy. The last two miles flew by, and for the first time on a tempo run, I was not counting the minutes til I could stop. I was only supposed to do 5 miles at effort, but decided to add an additional mile because my first mile was a bit slow (takes my legs a while to warm up in 30 degree weather).

Average overall pace was 7:09 with fuel left in the tank. I was starting to think my goal marathon pace should be closer to 7:30 instead of 7:15, but I feel like I could sustain 7:15 pace for quite some time.

Easy miles, 8:30 to 8. Leg locked cos I didnt stretch - ugh. 

 A wee bit of strength, then called it a night.

First time I have achieved 45 miles though - nothing compared to some people, but it has taken me over a year to build up to this mileage! 

Hard run because I was cold and unfueled; legs felt a bit dead but when I looked back over the last week, I realized I got some really quality running in; so dead legs will happen!

 Goes to show the benefit of having a training log, rather than following a plan ad hoc. 

8:15 avg pace.

other half of Iron Strength workout from Sunday

Easy dreadmill miles on a runch (run-lunch) break from work. around 8:30min/miles moving up to 7:50. 1% incline. 

Speed. Hardest one I've done so far.

Warmup (1.5 miles), then 5 x 1K at 6:22min miles (5K pace - 9.4mph) at 1% incline, with 400m jog recoveries.

I nearly didn't finish this workout. Jog recoveries, instead of walking, really made it a lot harder, even though the jogs themselves were really slow (10min/miles).

Happy that I completed it....just.

Yoga

Yay, a nice little PR for the half, and some more information about my current fitness levels. Plus, my first cash prize as third lady :)

 Recap on running blog HERE

 Figured I'd throw in the splits if you don't want to read the whole blog post: :) Aim was to go 5-10 seconds slower than what I think my half pace is (6:55-7 or so), to get a PR and have a more accurate HM time for determining marathon pace for NJ marathon. I wanted to push myself, but have a generally even effort without trashing my legs (legs were not even sore the following days!)

 Splits: 7:04, 7:04, 6:50 (oops - tail wind) 7:04, 7:03, 7:02, 6:57, 7:02, 6:52, 7:08, 7:15, 7:01, 7:19, 0.1=7:09 

Average pace: 7:04min/miles 

Legs not at all sore after the race, but it was hilarious how slow this run was. About a 9:30 average pace (felt like 8:00!)

Very very pleased at my recovery time. It tells me that I didnt run all out (and trash my legs) and I am getting a lot stronger. 

8 easy miles on treadmill. Still feeling good, but taking it easy, just in case. No speedwork til next week. 

40 mins easy elliptical. Short leg/butt/hamstring strength session. 

Treadmill run; very easy (around 8:30-9:30 min miles) at 2% incline. 

Very easy miles around Central Park. Explored a few more trails, including the North Woods. Around 8:30 pace.

 Legs still feel tired and a little achey in places, but no major niggles or anything. I know I just ran a PR, but I am actually more proud of the fact that I got through a tune-up half and did not experience any soreness or injuries after the race. I have been waiting, paranoid, all week to feel something awful, but it hasnt happened. Perhaps my legs are finally becoming stronger and more conditioned. So touch wood, I can continue training (carefully)!

8:06 avg pace. Wanted to run the last two miles at MGP (7:20) and started to, but I felt a pull in my hip flexors and immediately backed off. Having run a fast race just a week ago, I knew not to push my body and be vigilant about not getting injured now. 

This was the first long long run in preparation for NJ marathon. I am doing Hansons plan, and the long runs from that plan do not exceed 16 miles. I understand the science and method of the Hansons plan; and I think it makes sense. But as a first time marathoner, I must admit to just being a little fearful of not having a few really long runs in my preparation. So I decided to try about 3 or 4 18-20 milers before I finish the cycle to just give me some mental confidence in being on my feet for that long.

 Still up in the air about pacing strategy.

am: 8 miles easy

pm: light leg strength + yoga

Marathon pace tempo. 1 mile easy, then 8 miles at 7:18 avg pace. Splits were:

7:22, 7:24, 7:18, 7:17, 7:14, 7:18, 7:20, 7:14

1 mile easy cool-down.

 I was not happy with the run. I guess the splits are fine - they are my present MGP. But I felt like complete rubbish from the first tempo mile, and nearly quit at mile 2 (yay for mental strength development!)

 I would've liked to have run 7:10-15 pace like I did on my last tempo, or at least have a nice progression up to just slower than HM pace...so I was a bit disappointed. But I'm gunna go ahead a make few excuses for myself:

1. 5.5 hours sleep. Not enough.
2. Just got off  a 6 hour flight from NY- San Diego.
3. Ran my longest run ever (18.5 miles) just a few days ago on Sunday.
4. Ran a half marathon 10 days ago (this was my first "effort" session back).
   
5. Suddenly running in 65 degrees with warm sun, after running outside in 30-40 degrees for several months.

Oh, I am the queeeeeen of excuses :)

Come to think of it, looking at all of those things, I'm relatively pleased to have just finished the run at roughly goal pace. It may not have felt good or easy, but it wouldn't be marathon training if you didn't feel like a dogs breakfast occasionally, right? :)

Edited to add: the splits were a little uneven because of some wind coming off the oceans - [7:22, 7:24, 7:18 (into wind)  7:17, 7:14, 7:18 (wind at back) 7:20 (into wind) 7:14 (wind at back)] - but because they were really consistent with the wind direction and I felt my effort level was the same, I think I can safely say I was hitting the right paces.

XT for 15 mins on elliptical. How the hell did I used do that for 60 mins at a time. Hooray for increasing to 5 runs a week.

 leg strength + core work.

Threshold (tempo?) intervals at around half-marathon pace or roughly 10 seconds slower than goal marathon pace. 6x1 miles with 400m jog recoveries:

6:56, 6:55, 6:52, 6:56, 6:57, 6:54

Based on my goal marathon pace (7:20), Hanson said I should have been running these at 7:05, but the description called for around half-marathon pace, which for me is a little faster. I think my estimate for this was correct, because these intervals felt hard, but comfortably so. I was not wiped out at the end of the workout. It was actually a bit of a confidence builder.

Some very easy miles (around 8:50 pace) on a trail through Balboa Park in San Diego (here for 10 days of work).

And THAT makes my first >50mile week! Woot!

Easy miles at 8:30 pace with Kristen around Mission Bay, San Diego. Definitely aerobic; we talked the entire time :)

Easy miles around 8:15 pace

Woosh, this was a good workout. 4x1.5 miles at HM pace with 800m recoveries. I cheated on my last two recoveries a little because I needed the bathroom, and then accidentally switched off my garmin. I dont think the workout was too greatly impacted though.

 Splits were almost the same as last week's mile repeats, which was encouraging:

6:53, 6:54, 6:55, 6:55.

Felt a bit harder than the mile repeats, but that might have been because it was a morning effort and unfueled, which is always a little harder for me than the afternoon hard workouts.

3 very easy treadmill miles (probably around 9:30 pace)

 Iron strength workout: core, plyo, leg strength, arms

Tempo run.... ahhh, this felt tough. Not as tough as last week... but it seems like marathon pace should feel easier. Or maybe Im wrong. I remember reading that Ryan Hall was lamenting he couldnt even hit one mile at marathon pace a few months out from his Boston marathon. 

Anyway, I hit the target, which felt good... didnt feel good doing it, so much. 

The avg pace was 7:18 - exactly the same as last week. Splits were a little wonky again because of the wind. Again my first mile was super slow (7:25 - is it normal to take that long to get into a groove?) and had a few 7:15-17s in there. Overall pace, outside of that first mile, would have been 7:17, so not too much of a difference.

Note to self: sometimes you just gotta get it done. It ain't pretty, it ain't a walk in the park. But its done.

I am definitely feeling the effects of my highest mileage ever. Easy run at about 8:45 pace, on legs that felt like lead!

Easy trail run with my buddy Kristen at around 9:00 pace... covered nearly 2000ft in elevation gain and drop, including the infamous torrey pines hill.

This run kicked my ass, but it was great to get the aerobic stimulus without pounding my legs on concrete. Woke up this (Monday) morning feeling a little tight in the calves, but otherwise like I hadnt even run yesterday!

Cant wait to head back to New York tomorrow - its springtime finally!