Change in plans keeps me home

Thursday

The scheduled workout was this: 12 miles w/embedded medium-fast progression run. Target paces: 6:40 - 6:02 [95% - 105% MP]. 2 mile w/u, 45 minutes progression, final miles recovery. Purpose: Aerobic resistance.

Results: After a 2 mile warmup I got in 45 minutes progression which turned out to be 7 miles. Here are the progression splits:

Mile 1 6:57
Mile 2 6:33
Mile 3 6:22
Mile 4 6:23
Mile 5 6:21
Mile 6 6:06
Mile 7 6:24

I finished out with a 3 mile cooldown for 12 miles total. Miles 1, 4, & 7 I think are a little long but Gmaps Pedometer begs to differ. So I'll be conservative and list them as a mile. Mile 1 I went a little conservative to set the tone. Mile 2 is uphill, mile 3 I got the pace on and mile 4 I thought was a little long. Mile 5 is uphill, mile 6 is down and mile 7 I was toast. Nevertheless, I felt ok about the progression.

These resistance runs seem harder than the aerobic power runs due to the length of the progression run. After awhile I just get tired. I think later on these will get easier but right now let's just say I'm glad the marathon is not tomorrow.

Friday

I had the day off today so plans were made to go with my sister and my parents while they chopped down their Christmas tree.  Unfortunately, the planned departure from Eastport was scheduled for 7am! This meant an 18 mile workout had to be complete by 6:15. Ugh.

Scheduled workout: 18 miles easy. Target pace: none. Purpose recovery/volume.

Results: 18 mile progression. 6 x 3 mile loop. Average pace 8:32, avg HR 134. Pace splits for each loop:

Loop 1 9:24 pace
Loop 2 9:04 pace
Loop 3 9:03 pace
Loop 4 8:39 pace
Loop 5 7:58 pace
Loop 6 7:04 pace

I had to wake at 3am and be out the door by 3:30. Accomplished. Some quick toast and coffee and I was out the door. I took along a little radio for company and that lasted 2 loops before I got tired of that. I hardly ever train with a radio or MP3 but sometimes I just need the comfort in order to get out the door. It's similar to when I wear an extra warm layer of clothing that I know I won't need after a mile or two but I wear it anyway just to feel cozy until I warm up. The radio kept me company this morning and that is what I needed at 3:30am.

The first two loops were slogs. A bathroom break at mile 6, then the 'halfway done' lap to finish out 9, and then I finally woke up. My pace dropped and I felt a little more alive. This motivation continued as the the final 9 miles slid by with less and less effort. By the final lap I was cruising right along enjoying the new fuel source in those newly recruited fibers.

I was very happy with this 18 mile workout. It's a tough run to do and I guess I am more pleased that I was able to work around my time constraint by getting up and out early. I'll have to go to bed early, that is for sure. I am glad I avoided the temptation to 'hope' for some time later on in the day - since that rarely happens. Especially when the workout on the schedule takes two hours and forty five minutes to do.

And finally, poor Mike. He's got a pain in the neck. And no, it is not me. He's tired and cranky and he needs a plan. I told him it's time to do something drastic.