Smash!
I've been so busy hunched over, shoveling, shoveling. Another load of coal into the furnace, 1 mile at a time, 100 miles a week. Over and over, shovel, shovel, shovel.
Getting hot in here.
Then it appeared up ahead on the tracks. I didn't notice.
Another shovel.
The train raged.
Another shovel.
SMASH!
I felt the thump and heard the clang of debris clatter off the sides of the engine as the train smoked on through. We just broke through the first wall.
18.1 miles in 2:12:49 (7:20 per mile). HR 150.
And it was easy.
****************************************************
A history of Fridays:
8/18 18 miles 8:44 pace
8/25 18 miles 8:28 pace
9/1 18 miles 8:07 pace
9/8 18 miles 8:25 pace
9/15 7 miles (busted 18)
***October (marathon recovery)***
11/10 6 miles (busted 18)
11/17 18 miles 8:53 pace
11/24 18 miles 8:32 pace
12/1 18 miles 7:53 pace
12/8 10 miles (busted 18)
12/15 18 miles 8:40 pace
12/22 18 miles 7:20 pace
Generally, by Friday I am just tired. Worked over, accumulated mileage, and the daunting distance of this particular workout usually does me in. I suffer through, thinking of all the benefits I might one day enjoy. However, today I jogged out there and got moving early and never let go.
Over the past few weeks I have noticed a steady drop in the heart rate on my easy days. My easy 138 now is an easy 129 and so on. But today I was able to run up at a 150 average HR with no stress, pain, or fatigue for the distance. My modus operandi has been to run MP style runs at the high aerobic level (80 - 90% maxHR) and then run recovery efforts on the off days (65-70% maxHR). I couldn't "handle" running my easy days in the low aerobic zone (70 - 75% maxHR) because I wasn't recovering fast enough. This might be changing.
Not long ago, I paid a heavy fatigue toll for my 100 mile sins. But I pressed on into the fog and have been enjoying clearer days. Granted, there are still patches of fatigue to go through and injuries to avoid or tend, but it is getting over one of the most limiting factors in distance running that is producing these benefits - getting through the fatigue.
Now to keep building.
Getting hot in here.
Then it appeared up ahead on the tracks. I didn't notice.
Another shovel.
The train raged.
Another shovel.
SMASH!
I felt the thump and heard the clang of debris clatter off the sides of the engine as the train smoked on through. We just broke through the first wall.
18.1 miles in 2:12:49 (7:20 per mile). HR 150.
And it was easy.
****************************************************
A history of Fridays:
8/18 18 miles 8:44 pace
8/25 18 miles 8:28 pace
9/1 18 miles 8:07 pace
9/8 18 miles 8:25 pace
9/15 7 miles (busted 18)
***October (marathon recovery)***
11/10 6 miles (busted 18)
11/17 18 miles 8:53 pace
11/24 18 miles 8:32 pace
12/1 18 miles 7:53 pace
12/8 10 miles (busted 18)
12/15 18 miles 8:40 pace
12/22 18 miles 7:20 pace
Generally, by Friday I am just tired. Worked over, accumulated mileage, and the daunting distance of this particular workout usually does me in. I suffer through, thinking of all the benefits I might one day enjoy. However, today I jogged out there and got moving early and never let go.
Over the past few weeks I have noticed a steady drop in the heart rate on my easy days. My easy 138 now is an easy 129 and so on. But today I was able to run up at a 150 average HR with no stress, pain, or fatigue for the distance. My modus operandi has been to run MP style runs at the high aerobic level (80 - 90% maxHR) and then run recovery efforts on the off days (65-70% maxHR). I couldn't "handle" running my easy days in the low aerobic zone (70 - 75% maxHR) because I wasn't recovering fast enough. This might be changing.
Not long ago, I paid a heavy fatigue toll for my 100 mile sins. But I pressed on into the fog and have been enjoying clearer days. Granted, there are still patches of fatigue to go through and injuries to avoid or tend, but it is getting over one of the most limiting factors in distance running that is producing these benefits - getting through the fatigue.
Now to keep building.
posted by Andrew at 12:20 PM
4 Comments:
Good run and list of Fridays. I see this Friday looks like an outlier when posed up against the others. Wheaties?
Smokin'! The running gods are smiling upon you.
You had me worried while reading the post. I thought you got hit by the training train again but not so. This is very good news. Run on!
You know my philosophy on paces, so you know I love a run like this for a 2:45 marathoner. Great work after a strong run yesterday.
The decrease in heart rate on the easier days coupled with feeling comfortable in the 150's bodes well also. Enjoy the holiday and thanks for all the thoughtful comments over the past year.
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