Cutback blues

No hills meant no Eric today.  I got tossed out with the garbage when he met me with: “Sorry Andy. I knew you were going easy today so I put in a really hard 12 yesterday!”  That boy’s into the hard stuff and my turtle pace reports scared him off.  I’ll have to come up with an extra hard workout tailored made for him next week.  That’ll make him smile.

 

But he missed some nice drills today.  No video, I’m sorry.  But I do admit it’d give us all a good laugh.

 

Let’s see… after two days of crawling around town, today I spent the time doing bounding, high knees, striders, quick short bursts and one 800 meter pace test that I failed.  While I feel better about loosening up, and while I feel like my legs are recovering, and while I know this was the right workout to do today, I still came home with an odd feeling of disappointment.  I feel well enough to do a longer run tomorrow at a relaxed pace.  That should pick up my spirits a little.

 

~4 miles? / 45 minutes

Listening

I had enough creaks and groans to be a haunted house after Saturday’s workout.  Fatigue is in check but the legs were talking.  Everything from the knees to the hamstrings.  No real pain but a soreness that I know can develop into something worse if I don’t tend to it.  So with next Sunday’s race in mind, I’ve started the recovery three days earlier than originally planned.  Yesterday’s recovery run just wasn’t sufficient, so I went out again this morning for a nothing run.  Felt sluggish due to the run being over before I even woke up.  But I got some blood flow in there and just crawled around town for 48 minutes.

 

I didn’t enjoy this morning’s run really but had to be done.  I was feeling slow and the weather was unsettled with some strong wind gusts out of the east.  The ocean was choppy and I saw part of one tree down.  The pain is diminishing as expected and I think by next weekend I’ll be ready to roll.  Looks like tomorrow’s hill workout will have to be changed into something a little more civilized.  I wonder if Eric will do the hills solo?  It’d be fun to watch and yell commentary.

 

4.5 miles.

Afternoon Recovery Run

Starting the mileage slide as I get some good recovery from the recent high mileage and hard workouts. The plan was today was to wait until the afternoon before I went for a short recovery run. Did 4.8 miles at a super slow pace to get some kinks out. Feeling the recent work.

These cut back weeks are not only great but necessary. I'm looking forward to hitting some fast miles next Sunday. I'm planning on the crash and burn method of racing - start hard and push until the pieces start flying off. It's a rush.

4.8 miles @ 10:46 pace. High knees, stretching, leg shaking (?? I know it looks weird, but it makes the legs feel better).

Killer Cooldown

The hardest part of today's workout was the 4 mile cooldown. It came after a really smooth 20 miles @ 7:04 pace. After a short stretch I finished out the time with some really slow form building miles. But I could feel every fiber in my legs as the cooldown massaged the legs. It took more work than I thought it would. I had to avoid the temptation to let the form falter and paid close attention to proper foot fall and posture. By the end of the cooldown the legs felt good but getting there took awhile.

The main portion of the run felt good. It was really foggy and I couldn't see very much. The miles slid by without much effort. I straddled 7:00 pace depending on the mile and any hills. Didn't push up any of them to avoid straining the hamstrings that are still a little tight from the recent hill work. The average pace was steady with the second half just slightly faster than the first. Aerobically I felt really good. Structurally I have a few weaknesses that the hill phase is bringing out to the forefront. Looks like ice and ibuprofen will be necessary going forward to successfully get through the next phases of the training regimen.

I took a warm soak in the tub to soothe the legs post-run and then a short nap. Will try to sneak in another nap later on this afternoon. Looking forward to cutting the mileage back next week as I prep for the 7 mile race next Sunday.

Total: 24.15 miles / 3 hrs.

Recovery Day!

Love these days… 1 hour on the schedule at a slow jog.  Eric was all for this one and he joined the fun.

 

Purpose of the run was to get some blood flow and gently massage the muscles.  It felt good to take it easy and let things heal.  Plus I got to sleep in.

 

Got in 6.4 miles @ 9:44 pace.

Where Eric takes a new tone

Scene: Bottom of new hill.  I am attempting to explain what we are going to do.

 

Me:       Up to Franklin, left, and then up over the knoll.

 

Eric:     You’re saying we go up and turn left and then keep going?  How far?

 

Me:       Up over the knoll.  You know, where hill actually crests.

 

Eric:     You fool!

 

Eric had lots more to say during our hill workout.  He kept quoting Mr. T.  Nevertheless, he powered up each time with me right behind him right to the end.

 

First we did 10 x bounding up a gentle rise on Custom Street then we attacked the super steep Bingville Street one block over.  Unlike the bounding drills, the Bingville portion required a walking return in order to recover.  Got 5 in before we were spent.

 

A nice cooldown finished out the time and I got a total 9 miles in.

 

I did a 5 mile warmup before meeting up with Eric.  I took my time - putting in some striders, high knees, downhill windsprints, and lots of stretching.  Felt good to loosen up before the hill workout.  Tomorrow’s an easy day!

 

Endorpholicious

Went out for an easy aerobic 2hrs 15mins this morning and I felt great.  The pace was easy, the body in tune, and the miles just slid by.  The pace fell into that sweet spot – cruising altitude.  The first 10 were a breeze and mile 11 and mile 12 and mile 13 and then mile… euphoria.  Without preamble, a flood of endorphins entered the bloodstream and the world became a very wonderful place.  All fatigue and effort just melted away.

 

I came back down to earth around mile 14.5 but the effects lingered as I buzzed home.  Wow, I like running.

 

18 miles @ 7:09 pace and then cooled down for .7 to finish out the time.  Good run, 18.7 total.  Still feeling good.

Something new

Beginneth the hill phase.  My particular weak point.  Did a 4.4 mile warmup, some strides, then met Eric for some hills.  We did a short hill / loop over and over.  At first we did bounding which didn’t feel that hard but I had trouble keeping proper form.  Then after some sorbet striders to cleanse the legs, we did some traditional climbs which certainly felt hard.  Some more striders followed and we were spent.  Another 5 miles to cooldown and I’m guessing the mileage was around 12.85 based on time.  Two hours total.

 

Wouldn’t want to do that everyday.

Recovery run makes a new peak

Tomorrow starts a gentle slide down the slope for six days and then the cutback week.  I look forward to those.  But amazingly, today’s ultra slow 10.5 mile run at 10:30 per mile still made the moving average peak at 111.62 miles for the last 7 days.  Probably won’t see a peak like that again until the end of July.  Feeling fit with no aches or pains.  The moving average should dip to 90 and back near 100 just before the cutback.  Then a beautiful plunge below 60 as I prep for the Charles E. Davis Memorial 7 mile race on July 5^th.

 

This race is on my training course.  Sometimes that’s a good thing.  Other times I can’t picture myself running all out across those causeways.  And I know what those hills feel like while on a tough pace.  Sometimes it’s better not to know a course so well.  The race itself is point to point from one end of my ‘highway’ to Eastport’s downtown.  The first mile is flat with a downhill which makes for a very fast split.  Then it’s up ½ mile and then down ½ mile to the first causeway.  And then you can expect wind.  Either from your left, your right, or in your face.  I don’t think I’ve ever run the race with a tailwind.  That would require a north wind and those seem to be reserved for winter.

 

At the 3.5 mile mark you climb to the course’s highest point near mile 4 and then down what I think is horrible decline.  It’s not too steep but steep enough that when you get to the bottom at 4.5 miles it takes the wind out of your sails.  A deceptive rise precedes a long gentle incline to the 6 mile mark.  By this time you are toast.  But if you’re not, the final mile is downhill.  I shouldn’t think about this.

 

Tomorrow starts the hill phase.  Eric, I’ll be at the bottom of Boynton Street at 5:15 if you’re reading this.

 

 

Father's Day Weekend Update

Sat: 10.35 miles @ 8:42
Sun: 24.1 miles @ 7:29

108.42 miles for the week.

Just how many Sundays will Michael make me run alone? I hate it when he's got a good excuse. And today his excuse is doubled with the Father's Day 5 Miler he helps organize. I swore there would be a deluge for his party and they'd have to rename the race - "The Father's Day Scramble for the Ark". But he sent me this message via twitter on Friday:

@downeastrunning rain? it never rains on my parade/St. Andrews Fathers Day race

And guess what? It didn't rain - at least not on this side of the bay. He must be some sort of wizard.

But it did rain yesterday. And I got soaked. I decided that I would do my recovery run on Saturday and the long run on Sunday per the original schedule. The deciding factor was the girls couldn't wait and gave me my Father's Day gift on Friday night - a new pair of running shoes!



These are the Saucony Grid Sinister shoes. They are lightweight but a little heavier than the Saucony Fastwitch 3 shoes that I have been wearing - about 3 ounces. That is ok. I got into the Fastwitch model a little while ago and loved them until the #3's came out. I did like the 3's because they were lightweight (6 oz) and they felt good on the foot - until you stepped on anything that wasn't smooth pavement. Rocks and pebbles were the bane of any run and I avoided what I could. But you can't avoid all of them and every run would have a few pinches of pain as my foot landed on a small rock. Dirt roads were the worst.

My upcoming marathon has half the course on a 'well maintained' dirt road. But how well is 'well maintained' and did it even matter? I have been thinking about changing my model soon to take care of this pebble problem.

I run all of my shoes into the ground. Wineglass' PR was run on soles with 2000 miles on them. And my current shoes were in a sorry state. 




Notice the the toe. Ouch.

The new shoes have a better sole which accounts for the additional weight. Trade-offs for everything.



The old shoes are retired and the new shoes got their first 10.35 miles on Saturday during a recovery run in the pouring rain. 8:42 pace, felt sluggish, but I usually do on a recovery run.

This morning was the long run. I felt pretty good and ready to do a healthy workout. But it was my first 3 hour run this training cycle so I was a little apprehensive. Just 15 minutes longer than my other long runs but sometimes the final quarter hour can make all the difference.

I consider this workout my "over-time" workout. No plans to run 3 hours in the next marathon if it can be helped. The purpose of the run is to build endurance and get deep into those unused muscle fibers and make them work. I made them work today.

The workout was a 1 mile warmup, a 22 mile minor progression run, and a 1.1 mile cooldown for 3 hours.

Mile 1: 8:35 pace
Miles 2-12: 7:30 pace
Miles 13-23: 7:14 pace
Mile 24.1: 8:47 pace

7:29 pace overall w/22 miles @ 7:23 avg pace.

No rain, thanks to Mike, but certainly breezy. I imagine his racers had a headwind into the final mile of the race. I felt good throughout except for needing to focus a lot more during the final miles. Three hours is a long time to run by oneself. I sure could use some company.

And I did at the very end. I saw Eric at mile 22.5 and he joined me for the final 1.5 miles before he went off and finished out his mileage for the day.

And that's it. A good one in the books and now off to see Dad. Happy Father's Day.

Smooth

Smooth running this morning.  Felt good throughout and did my 2hrs 15mins per the schedule.  Ran at a steady pace averaging 7:40 for the duration.  Surprised at how good I felt.  Relaxed, confident.  The pace seemed perfect.  I like these types of days.

 

Can’t decide if I want to run my long run on Saturday or Sunday.  I don’t think I’ll know until tomorrow.  The original schedule calls for it to be on Sunday, but being Father’s Day, I thought it might be nice to sleep in.  On the other hand, if I’m dragging tomorrow, I might need to run short.  What to do, what to do.  One way or the other, I’ll be sleeping in on one day this weekend.

 

The weather was 53 degrees and overcast.  I thought it might rain on me but it didn’t.  I startled a fox and two deer startled me.  And that’s it.  Just piling up some miles to do something with later on.

 

17.64 miles, easy.

Time Domino

I like to have six hours of sleep if possible so I got up at 3:30 instead of 3:00.  But that didn’t give me enough time to start my run at 4:00.  So I started at 4:15.  Which got me back to the house at 6:45 instead of 6:30.  Which shortened my breakfast and work prep time down to 30 minutes instead of 45.  But I couldn’t do it in 30 minutes so I started my 1 hour commute late.  Which made the Kawasaki purr.

Two and a half hours was on the schedule this morning.  Nice and easy @ 9:03 pace.  Ran an 8+ mile loop twice around town and got in 16.6 miles total.  Beautiful sunrise and the birds were singing.  I felt ok but not great.  Even going slower, I feel the extra 15 minutes.  The 2:30 and 2:45 workouts are tougher than they first appear.  And I have a 3:00 long run scheduled for the weekend.  I might run that one a little faster than 9 mins/mile as I find I’m a little smoother somewhere in the eights and I feel a little better over the length of the run.

The head cold is slowly abating.  Remnants are a stuffy nose and irritated throat.  But my energy level seems to be back except for the normal end of the week fatigue I feel.

Two hours

Today I ran comfortably hard at a steady pace for two hours.  Netted 17 miles @ 6:51 pace and another .3 cooldown to finish out the time.  When I got up I felt pretty good so I decided to do a harder workout today.  The pace was steady except for mile 1 (8:05) and mile 12 (5:55).  Mile one is always slower and I just love mile 12 on my course.

Nothing to see here

Too foggy.  My glasses misted over early and I was blind for the next 2 hours and 15 minutes.  I felt better this morning but I baby-stepped it out the highway taking it really easy for the first part of the run.  Averaged a 9:30 pace or so.  After an hour I saw Eric’s form looming out of the fog and he joined me for rest of the run.  The pace quickened and the final average paces was 8:54.

 

Just the standard run of the mill 15 miler.  It’s these workouts that create a good base from which to work.  It was easy but of a length that adds to the mileage account that earns interest until I close it out in October.

 

The faster pace on the 2^nd half was brought to my attention by Eric.  And when we found ourselves with five additional minutes to spare he got his revenge by making me run the McDugal hill on Estes Head.  Thanks Eric.  Nice embed.

 

The recovery run on Sunday is working its way through the average.  The 7 day moving average dropped below the 30 day average this morning and most likely will drop a hair or two more before the rest of the week’s mileage brings it back.  It is interesting to see how one good recovery run works its magic graphically.  Mike would be so proud.

 

Speaking of Mike, he is back to running.  I am anxiously waiting for this morning’s twitter update to see what he did today.

 

Total miles: 15.2

The Best I'll Feel All Day

Woke up with this nasty cold still hanging on to me.  Keeps me in a cloud.  But while I’m running, the passages clear and I feel great.  If only I could just keep running all day.

 

Another easy one – 7.3 miles / 1 hour.  8:14 pace.  Ran in town and it was very beautiful.  At one point I was on top of a hill looking down onto the bay which was hidden beneath a fog bank.  Neat to look across at Campobello in the bright sunshine while the water between is beneath a cloud.  Almost like flying.

Embedded recovery

I embedded a recovery run into the schedule today to bank the benefits of yesterday's workout. A three hour long run would have set me back, I could just tell. Instead of the long run, I opted for 45 minutes easy. Got in 5.1 miles. Another easy one is scheduled for tomorrow so it looks like I'll get some good recovery running in.

I knew that if I went with the 2 hour high aerobic workout, it would put the long run out of schedule. Two hours at a harder effort are too long to combine with a long slow run the next day. A shorter hard workout the day before should be ok but not these 2 hour runs I like. When the schedule puts these back to back I'll have to decide which way to go. When I wrote the schedule it was with the understanding that I would embed recovery where needed (in addition to the scheduled cutbacks). So far this is my second embedded recovery day. A success for me for sure as my history will attest.

I felt good on my run today. Not much soreness and the run did wonders for this massive head cold I am suffering from. In fact, it was the best I felt all day. My sinuses cleared and I could breathe. Thirty minutes after I finished I was back to my stuffy self. The cloud is so thick I had to take a nap and I'll probably take another later on.

Finished the week at 98.75 miles. My 7 day moving average peaked at 103 yesterday and should drop for the next couple of days as my Monday & Tuesday's scheduled workout time is less than the week before.

Work it until the work gets done

18 miles @ 6:36 pace

Got in a wonderful marathon training workout this morning. Today's schedule called for two hours and after yesterday's fatigue I was wondering which way I would run this one: easy or hard. But everything seem to align for me today and I opted for a harder effort.

I got an excellent sleep - going to bed early and not getting up until 6am.  The kids have their last day of school today (some Saturdays are required in the spring here due to the many snow-day school cancellations we have in the winter). This meant the morning was free.

With a good sleep and a good breakfast I was feeling positive about today's workout. The workout: high aerobic work at a steady pace for 2 hours.

I started out quicker than normal to get the tempo into my legs and went through mile one in 7:11. After that it was easier to maintain a decent pace. The pace varied according to whether I was going up or going down but overall it was a steady effort with no progression. The first half and second half were pretty much an even split - the 2nd half faster by 30 seconds or so.

The temperature was warmer than I like but that was the trade-off of running at 8am instead of 4am. There was a slight breeze that cooled me off now and then. You have to love the frigid Atlantic. By mile two in 13:30 I knew that today would be a fun workout. The effort was comfortable and it felt so good to be running smoothly.

The goal of the workout was to work at the higher aerobic level evenly for a long period of time. This work is deceptive as it is fairly 'easy' for many miles. The real work is maintaining an even effort, pace, and form as the workout progresses. At first I had to be careful not to start a progression while I was feeling fresh, and then by the end it was balancing pace and effort as I tired.

I can report a really comfortable 14 miles. But after this, the real education began. I hit an energy 'low' that last about 1/2 mile but then it disappeared. A few more lows hit sporadically. The final hills were difficult requiring focus in order to maintain proper form and breathing and relaxation. Surprisingly though, the pace stayed pretty much true and as long as I kept correcting my form to stay fluid I was doing fine.

It sometimes is too bad that a comfortable run needs to turn hard but that is where the long term work gets done. So even though the last four miles weren't as enjoyable as the first fourteen, the reward is finishing knowing it was a good run. With proper easy days to follow, I can put the benefits in the bank.

18 miles in 1:58:42 with another .1 jog to finish out the time. Happy with this one.

Workweek Fatigue

I was tired this morning for today’s workout.  2hrs 15mins on the schedule in the pouring rain.  The body felt ok but the end of the workweek is the toughest part of the week as the sleep deprivation catches up.  I’m looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow and running in the late morning.

 

The 7 day moving average bumped me back into the stimulus zone today marking 95 miles.  These 135 minute runs are an interesting workout.  Slightly too long to tempt any tempo style pace and slightly too short to really fatigue the body.  Add in the elements this morning and it could be rated tougher than normal.  When the time came to leave the house the rain was coming down in buckets.  I wore my Gortex jacket knowing full well that I might be too warm.  But the thought of getting soaked in the first 60 seconds didn’t appeal to me.  So off I went.

 

I felt snug in my jacket and hood and wasn’t overly taxed with the heat as I was running easily.  But when I got back to the house after 10 miles I opted to shed the jacket and change my shirt so I could feel fresh for the final part of the run.  It worked.  The last 6 miles were done much quicker and I felt a ton better.  Plus the downpour had changed to drizzle which is a lot easier to deal with.

 

Tomorrow is a 2 hour workout which I really like.  Sometimes I can throw a few good miles in there.  But we will wait until tomorrow to see if I feel fresh or if I need another slow one.

 

~16.15 miles total.  8:22 avg pace.

7 meets 30

The 7 day average equals the 30 day average today as I climb back up through.  Recovery pace this morning @ 9:04 for 105 minutes.  Misting out but it was a nice run.  Ran with Eric for the final 70 minutes.  11.6 miles total.  Eric was punchy today.  He is operating on no sleep.  Had me laughing about bananas.

Another good run

The climb back up is going well.  2 hours on the schedule this morning.  Got to 3:33am before I toppled out of bed.  Nothing like sleeping in to make one fresh.

 

Ran nice and steady for the length of the run and averaged 7:46/mi.  Rain stopped before I got out and I had to remove and stash my outer layer at mile 1 because I was too warm.  Felt great.  ~15.47 miles.

Making the turn

The moving average turned a hair upwards today as we made the turn back toward normal training mileage.  105 minutes on this morning’s schedule which is the maximum time allowed for Mondays due to work constraints.  As we near the longest day of the year it is interesting to leave the house at 3:50am and be in sunlight in a manner of minutes.

 

Ran the highway again nice and easy to keep the legs from working any tough terrain.  Early miles were over 9/mi but the pace dropped after mile 6 and the average came in at 8:33 for the run.  12.3 miles.

Last day of the cutback

90 easy minutes this morning in the beautiful sunshine. Temps were cool. Felt good with not much soreness from yesterday's race. The results of the race can be found here.

Finished the week with 55 miles. Next up: 23 days of normal training until the next taper begins. Hills enter the program in this next section around the 22nd.

2009 Cobscook 10k Race Report

2nd place in 36:37.

A beautiful day today for a race. I awoke to a lot of fog but it cleared out and the sun was shining brightly by the time it was race time. I got in a 3 mile run at around 6:20am to freshen the legs and then I was off to Pembroke to enjoy my first race of the season.

The race was a repeat performance place-wise of the 2007 race but I ran and felt much better this year (in 2008 I was recovering from an injury). I beat my 2007 time by 1:28 (about 14 seconds per mile).

In Pembroke I warmed up by jogging around, sipping some water and finally just standing in the shade of a building while I waited for the race to start. I get sunburned easily - especially on the first few warmer days of the summer. Then it was time to line up and get down to business.

The Race

There were some new faces in the crowd this year. A contingent of Aroostook County runners made their way to Washington County. You have to admire (and thank) them for making such a long drive to boost the attendance of this race. I think there were about 80 runners this year which is a good crowd for Washington County.

The horn blew and we were off. One runner went out to the front and I joined the chase pack of three or so. We were running steadily and even though we were gapped by the lead runner, he wasn't getting any farther away. We caught him fairly soon and then he ran with us. I was feeling really good and we hit the first mile in 5:25.

The first thing I noticed about this pack was its tendency to surge up the small hills. The course is a rolling one and there seemed to be an effort to keep the pace honest at each uphill. I was glad, however, that once we crested, the effort would ease back to a steadier rhythm. I surged at each hill with them and wondered how this would affect me in the later miles. But for now I was recovering well from the hill surges and stayed with them without mishap.

The rolling hills slowed the initial pace and we hit mile 2 around 11:25. I might be a little off on this split since I was a little slow looking at my watch. Mile 2 was a water station and I found I am not very coordinated at getting and drinking water at this pace. Something to work on.

The pace stayed steady as the 5k finish came into view in the distance. Mile 3 around 17:23 and 18:00 flat as we crossed 5k. Up to this point there were still the four of us and we had been battling a slight headwind. Nothing drastic but it was certainly noticeable. One nice thing about running in a group was that it seemed easier to run the tangents. The course is open to traffic but with four guys crossing the road at once the cars pulled over until we got by. Traffic isn't really an issue on these country roads but there were times when the road would curve and a car or two had to wait for us to complete our straight line.

After the 5k mark the course continued for .6 miles than made a hard right. This hard right would take us out of the wind and I was looking forward to it. We were on a soft climb but the right hand turn takes you up at a steeper incline and I gathered myself for the expected surge. It came and this time it broke the pack.

When we made the turn, the leader hit the accelerator. I surged with him, we dropped two, and the race was on. This time there was no recovery and the surge continued through mile 4, crossing at 23:08 - a 5:45 mile. The next mile was just as hot in 5:51 crossing mile 5 at 28:59.

Then it turned ugly.

If you're going to run hard and fast during this race it better be in the first 5 miles. After that the course is a pace killer. The road turns to dirt and there are two very steep hills in the last 1.2 miles. They are short, twisty, rocky, and vertical. And it overwhelms you with leg lactate. The pace drops precipitously and after having run 5 hard miles there is nothing left to do but put one foot in front of the other.

I wasn't alone with this problem. There was no surge from my companion on the first (and worst) of them. We baby-stepped up it the best we could and tried to recover on the subsequent downhill. He did a better job with the recovery and gapped me by a few yards as we raced down the other side. My legs felt like lead.

He got to mile 6 before I did at the start of the last hill - and he handled it better. With what looked to me like some sort of hidden freshness he pulled away in the last .2 to lengthen the gap to 20 seconds by the finish. I was just glad to be on the last hill and was very happy to cross that finish line. The last 1.2 miles was at a 6:23 pace for me.

I think it was a good race. One always wishes one could run strong right to the end but that's not how they generally play out for me. Now I have a baseline and will continue with the training program to see if I can extend my endurance at these paces.

The post-race picnic was incredible as usual. I got a 2nd place award and a prize (I chose a hat). One of the highlights was meeting Trevor and his wife. What a very nice couple. I hope Trevor comes down to run with us for the Sunday long run this summer.

Ozzie (who runs Sundays with us sometimes too) and I didn't have a ride back to the start. So we hijacked a lady and her car. She was surprised but gave us a ride anyway.

Same miles different pace

Ran another easy one just quicker.  7.5 miles again, 1 hour.  Looking forward to tomorrow’s 10k race.

Dropping like a rock

Today the 7 day moving average dropped below the 30 day moving average as I continue to cut back for the current 6 day cycle.  Ran super easy today with Eric for 75 minutes probably getting in around 7.5 miles.  I had to walk through the new growth to get around the airport fence.  In past outings, I’ve been able to run through the bushes etc but now it is too grown up.  Will probably avoid this little cross country section until fall as it was rather difficult to navigate.

 

The 7 day average stands at 78 miles now and will drop further until the cycle picks back up again beginning on Monday.  I am estimating the average will drop as low as the mid 50’s before it starts to climb again.  Balancing solid mileage with proper rest and recovery has never been my strong suit.  But this year I’ve got 4 scheduled cut back cycles that coincide with some local races that I want to run.  Add any additional recovery days that are necessary and I am hoping for improvement by October.

Loosening up

45 minutes on the schedule this morning.  Went out for a short run to loosen things up and get some blood flowing.  I did 2 x 1 mile pickups at for miles 2 and 4.  Mile 2 in 5:18 (net downhill) and mile 4 in 5:23 (net uphill – same hill, other direction).  Did some short striders during mile 5.  Got in 5.7 miles total and felt pretty good.

Losing Track of Time

Today begins 6 days of a cutback cycle for recovery purposes coupled with a 10k race on Saturday.  This means almost a week of some good sleep.  This morning’s schedule was 60 minutes which I ran with Eric.  Mileage came to about 6.45 miles in 65 minutes.  We got talking and we hit an hour about a ½ mile from the house.

 

Don’t know what I’m going to do with all this time.  Tomorrow I run 45 minutes.  Wow.  I should be rested up by next Monday when I start up with the higher mileage again.

Easy easy easy

Slow 90 minutes to recover from yesterday’s long run.  By the end of the day yesterday I was feeling very fatigued.  After mowing the lawn and marking the Cobscook 10k course I felt like I didn’t have any energy left.  But after a good night’s sleep I was ok for this morning’s workout.

 

I purposely went out at a very easy pace with a focus on my form.  I just let the minutes click away.  I saw Eric around mile 2.  I was tempted to run with him but he was going faster than I needed today.  I’ll meet up with him tomorrow.

 

~9.1 miles.