Running For My Life

I would classify this morning’s 12-mile run as a recovery run.  I ran a hard 22 miles on Saturday, then took yesterday off (except for a 3-mile walk), but my legs today were rusty so I stuck to an 8:45-9:00 pace.  Some would say that these are wasted miles since there really wasn’t much of a purpose to this run.  But when you are in training, there is no such thing as junk miles (or junk food).

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/15/2010
• Time: 04:45:00
• Total Time: 1:45:16.00
• Calories: 1524
• Distance: 12 miles
• Average Pace: 8:46.32/mile

Workout:

• Type: Walk
• Date: 03/14/2010
• Time: 07:00:00
• Total Time: 00:48:09.00
• Calories: 380
• Distance: 3 miles
• Average Pace: 16:02.57/mile

The old saying “no pain, no gain” holds true for marathon runners.  This morning I had a perfect opportunity to pick up some speed, and took full advantage of it.  I spent the first 14 miles going at an easy 8:35 pace, then picked it up for the final 8 miles.  Some of those were done around 7:15-7:30.  I did not find any extra energy during those final miles; I reached deep down and gutted them out.  At that point, my legs were spent.  But it’s a perfect way to replicate how the final 5-8 miles of a marathon feel.  However, at my level the only way I can replicate that feeling is by running a lot of miles during the week, which is what I did this week.  These kinds of runs are great; you can literally feel yourself getting faster.  No interval workout or tempo run can help you this much.

A couple other points of interest: 1) It rained during the first 20 miles of the run.  Thank goodness for my Craft base layer because I would have been miserable.  There were 20 mph winds out of the northeast, so the final 11 miles I was heading straight into a driving drizzly wind, and was soaking wet at the time. 2) We have had a major thaw this past week and nearly all of the snow is gone.  That means I have my running trail back!  My legs were most grateful for that; the soft gravel is much better than the pavement.  However, the trail was so soggy that at times I felt like I was running in quicksand.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/13/2010
• Time: 05:30:00
• Total Time: 3:04:39.00
• Calories: 2795
• Distance: 22 miles
• Average Pace: 8:23.5/mile

Yesterday and today I ran 12 miles at nearly the same pace.  My time yesterday was 1:38:41, and today it was 1:38:19.  So why was today’s run light years better than yesterday’s?  Because I finished strong.  Yesterday I struggled the final 4-5 miles and was nearly crawling at the end; today I was full of energy and able to run at nearly any pace, especially at the end.  The only reason this morning’s run wasn’t faster was because I was holding back for tomorrow’s 22-mile run.

Training runs are much like marathons: you judge their success on how you finished.  Two years ago I ran a 7-minute marathon PR and was disappointed because I slowed considerably over the last 5 miles.  Yesterday’s run (and Tuesday’s for that matter) were much the same; I slowed at the end and, despite the decent pace, considered them poor training runs.  But there was nothing poor about this morning’s run!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/12/2010
• Time: 04:45:00
• Total Time: 1:38:19.00
• Calories: 1488
• Distance: 12 miles
• Average Pace: 8:11.8/mile

The day off yesterday did not seem to make a difference.  I felt just the same today as I did two days ago: lethargic.  I felt like I was running in a trance.  I am having a hard time telling if it’s physical or mental, but either way I seem to be exhausted.  Whenever I tried to increase my pace, I didn’t have it in me.  I am actually surprised that I covered the 12 miles at an 8:13 pace because I felt like I was going a lot slower.  I tried to go under 8 (which shouldn’t be a problem) and just couldn’t sustain that pace.  My comfort zone is normally around 7:45-8:15, but this morning it was 8:30-8:45.  Let’s hope I feel a little fresher the rest of the week, but not sure what to do for now.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/11/2010
• Time: 04:45:00
• Total Time: 1:38:41.00
• Calories: 1494
• Distance: 12 miles
• Average Pace: 8:13.15/mile

That sound you just heard was of me falling and hitting the pavement.  Okay, not really, but my legs just gave out on me at the end of this one.  Not sure what happened. I was doing 10-minute miles at the end.  I think it’s time for an unscheduled day off.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/09/2010
• Time: 04:15:00
• Total Time: 1:38:00.00
• Calories: 1483
• Distance: 12 miles
• Average Pace: 8:09.8/mile

I did the Wind Lake 10K route this morning, which goes around the lake and is exactly 6.2 miles.  The run from my house to the start/finish line is just under 3 miles, so it’s a perfect 12-mile course.  It was so hard to see on the east side of the lake since the roads are more “country” and the fog was so thick.  I had a couple of cars sneak up on me.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/08/2010
• Time: 04:45:00
• Total Time: 1:43:02.00
• Calories: 1560
• Distance: 12 miles
• Average Pace: 8:35.02/mile

I didn’t have much going for me this morning.  I had a big “party day” yesterday where I was drinking beer for about 10 straight hours, not eating much, not drinking water, and then came home and slept for just 4 hours.  So when I woke up this morning tired and dehydrated, I said “this is going to be interesting”, and then left for a 20-mile run.  Not only did I finish the run, I finished strong.  The front 10 miles I did at around an 8:15 pace, and the back 10 at 7:35.  Where I got the energy to run that fast I have no idea.  My legs were not even fatigued when I finished.  Sometimes our bodies surprise us, and this was one of those times.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/07/2010
• Time: 05:45:00
• Total Time: 2:38:33.00
• Calories: 2609
• Distance: 20 miles
• Average Pace: 7:55.56/mile

I was going to take today off, but instead did an easy 2-miler with my oldest son, who is starting to get in shape for track season.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/06/2010
• Time: 10:00:00
• Total Time: 00:19:14.00
• Calories: 253
• Distance: 2 miles
• Average Pace: 9:36.92/mile

Despite doing double-digit miles in each of the past four days, my legs felt fresh and fast this morning.  I did a 2.5-mile warmup, then 6×900 meter intervals, and finished with a 5-mile cool-down, for a total of 12 miles.  There were no aches and pains, no fatigue.  I felt great!

I have moved my long run from tomorrow to Sunday.  Now I am feeling another 100-mile week coming next week (my first since last summer).  Right now I am planning 20 on Sunday, 12 each day Monday through Friday, and 20 on Saturday.   That would get me exactly 100 miles.  I know it sounds crazy, but it’s really not much of an increase in my planned miles, I am just shifting my long run back one day.  It’s actually kind of motivating to do 100 miles in one week.  It makes getting out of bed at 4:15 a.m. a little easier.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/05/2010
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:33:02.00
• Calories: 1531
• Distance: 12 miles
• Average Pace: 7:45.12/mile