20.02 miles
Garmin Link
Target: 18 miles @ 8:30/mile
Actual: 20 miles @ 7:57/mile
Got my fifth Friday 20-miler in a row done, but it might not have been such a good idea. Left knee has been hurting ever since, and it looks like I'll have to take a few more days off. Did my usual route; Chris came along for about 5 miles, then I continued on the river path and turned around after 10. Knee didn't really start hurting until after mile 15, and there wasn't much I could do about it then short of walking back. Been icing it since - couldn't run with Paul on Saturday. I think this is an IT band problem so I've read up on some stretching exercises, and I'm going to be better about warming up.
On the positive side, I'm really glad to have had a stretch of 20-milers over the past five weeks. Three of the five, including this one, were at or under the Boston qualifying pace, which is a good sign, as long as the knee recovers soon. There are eight weeks left of the 16-week program, and nine weeks until Boston, so maybe it is a good time to take a break, then be more careful for the second half of the training.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Week Minus 9 - Tempo (10 miles)
10.16 miles (7:39/mile overall pace)
Garmin Link
Target: 2 miles easy, 3 miles @ 7:14/mile, 1 mile easy
Actual: 2 miles easy, 3 miles @ 6:41/mile, 5 miles easy
Skipped my first workout of the program Monday. Got out on the street, but after about a quarter mile my left knee was hurting. Probably could have run through it, but decided it would be wiser to skip the workout and give it a chance to heal properly. I was paying the price for overdoing the the Friday workout last week.
Felt much better on Wednesday. After the two-mile warmup to get down to the river trail, was able to keep a good pace of 6:41 average for the three tempo miles. Turned around and did the five miles back all within a few seconds of 8:00 pace. Had to stop at the post office and stand in line for 15 minutes with about a mile to go, so was a bit stiff for the last mile.
A few hours later Doug and I went out, grabbed some good burgers and saw a sneak preview of Cedar Rapids. I think he enjoyed it a lot, but after a lot of walking in the cold, standing in line for nearly and hour, and two hours sitting in the theater, the knee was really throbbing on the way home. Feels better this morning - hope it will be OK for the 18-20 miler tomorrow.
Garmin Link
Target: 2 miles easy, 3 miles @ 7:14/mile, 1 mile easy
Actual: 2 miles easy, 3 miles @ 6:41/mile, 5 miles easy
Skipped my first workout of the program Monday. Got out on the street, but after about a quarter mile my left knee was hurting. Probably could have run through it, but decided it would be wiser to skip the workout and give it a chance to heal properly. I was paying the price for overdoing the the Friday workout last week.
Felt much better on Wednesday. After the two-mile warmup to get down to the river trail, was able to keep a good pace of 6:41 average for the three tempo miles. Turned around and did the five miles back all within a few seconds of 8:00 pace. Had to stop at the post office and stand in line for 15 minutes with about a mile to go, so was a bit stiff for the last mile.
A few hours later Doug and I went out, grabbed some good burgers and saw a sneak preview of Cedar Rapids. I think he enjoyed it a lot, but after a lot of walking in the cold, standing in line for nearly and hour, and two hours sitting in the theater, the knee was really throbbing on the way home. Feels better this morning - hope it will be OK for the 18-20 miler tomorrow.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Week Minus 10 - Distance (20 miles)
20.12 miles
Garmin Link
Target: 13 miles @ 8:15 pace
Actual: 20 miles @ 7:36 pace
Got this picture of my running buddies at work - Team SOMIS - just before leaving for the run this afternoon. That's me, Raminder, Chris, and Susan. Chris went with me; Raminder and Susan had gone out earlier.
Chris and I started out relatively slow, then sped up after two miles. Chris turned back at 4.5 and I continued along the trail, crossed the Falls Bridge, and turned around at 7.5 as there were some treacherously icy spots on the west side. Passed the 13 mile point back at the start of the path, then turned around again for a few miles so that I would end up twenty. Had originally planned to do only 15 - the two warmup miles, plus the 13 for training, but succumbed to the temptation to overdo it again. I figure that the more 20-milers under my belt before Boston the more confident I'll be.
This was my fastest 20-miler ever - by quite a bit, I think. Even the 2009 Philly marathon pace was only 7:50-something. If I can maintain this pace in Boston, I will be thrilled. Probably my challenge will be to keep from starting at an unsustainable pace. In a race situation, full of adrenalin and surrounded by fast runners, it can be hard to hold back.
Left knee was aching badly afterward; I iced it and took some ibuprofen, and now a couple of hours later it seems fine.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Week Minus 10 - Tempo - 11 miles
11.14 miles
Garmin Link
Target: 1 mile easy, 6 miles @ 7:44/mile, 1 mile easy
Actual: 2 miles easy, 6 miles @ 7:10/mile, 3 miles easy
It was icy and sprinkling early this morning, but the forecast half inch of rain never materialized and by lunch it was foggy with not rain. Decided to take my chances with the river path rather than run 8-10 miles at the track, which is a little tedious. The trail was in pretty good condition for the most part, very wet with a few stretches of ice and packed snow.
I've been aiming to do the tempo and distance runs at 30 seconds/mile below target, so exceeded that goal by a few seconds. Friday's distance run will only be 13 miles (will probably do 15 as that is the distance of the loop out to East Falls from work) but I'll try to pick up the pace to below 8:00/mile.
Garmin Link
Target: 1 mile easy, 6 miles @ 7:44/mile, 1 mile easy
Actual: 2 miles easy, 6 miles @ 7:10/mile, 3 miles easy
It was icy and sprinkling early this morning, but the forecast half inch of rain never materialized and by lunch it was foggy with not rain. Decided to take my chances with the river path rather than run 8-10 miles at the track, which is a little tedious. The trail was in pretty good condition for the most part, very wet with a few stretches of ice and packed snow.
I've been aiming to do the tempo and distance runs at 30 seconds/mile below target, so exceeded that goal by a few seconds. Friday's distance run will only be 13 miles (will probably do 15 as that is the distance of the loop out to East Falls from work) but I'll try to pick up the pace to below 8:00/mile.
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