Thursday Tempo run

Tonight was a tempo run after Coach Harley killed me at TNT practice last night. 6 miles - 2 easy, 3 @ 8.44 and 1 easy. Usually I do not know the meaning easy running my warmups and cool downs at regular running pace. I watched Greenie very carefully for the first 2 miles.

Warmup - just under 11 minute average - awesome - I went slow.

3 mile tempo @ 8.44

Mile 1 - 9.16.21 - hhhmmm?? I struggled, I had doubts and it shows

Mile 2 - 8.37.87 - I think I can, I think I can

Mile 3 - 8.35.26 - I really can. I eat lactic acid for a snack

tempo average - 8.49.44 - very close to scheduled run. awesome

Cool down - 10.22.09 - nice cool down pace

Overall, a 9.47.16 average for 6 miles.

That is a great run for me. Especially great considering it is the thrid day in a row running. The last 2 days of intervals were tough. I made it through and hopefully there will be no pain tomorrow.

That's it peeps.

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Purple Rain, purple rain

Yea, I know 80's. Went to TNT training at the track and cam e home and watch the last 30 minutes of Purple Rain. I miss the 80s. But Prince is/was a great musician, and yes, I liked his music and I saw him in concert.

Ok, now that I am done waxing over my past, back to running. I told the coach I was tired and not to kill me. Afterall, I am an alumni just showing up for moral support. I am not officially training for a TNT event. I go for moral support for the official trainers. I was tired from the mile repeats yesterday.

So he gives us 1200m repeats. Only 3 thank goodness. I warmed up. Not exceedingly fast, I am learning to slow down. 9.24 mile for a warmup. Still need to slow this down to 10 or 10.15, but I am getting better.

repeats -

1 - 5.02.98 - WTF??!! I am not a 6.45 miler. Repeat I am not a 6.45 miler. Slow down fo the next one.

2- 5.28.38 - ok, slower, but not anywhere near 6 minutes. Where it should be.

3 - 5.26.54 - I give up. What is wrong with my body. It doesn't listen to the brain anymore. The last 400 was 10 seconds faster than the first two. I am not trying to prove anything.

But damn was I pleased

and hurting

and severely out of breath

all that with 3 minutes rest in between the repeats.

I think my tempo run at 8:44 pace is really going to hurt tomorrow. But I wll give it a go. Note to self - the 2 easy miles that I have to run before the temp should be SLOOOOOOOOOOWWWW!!! At least a 10.30 pace.

let me leave you with this link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8fjo9JYrjc

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Catch Up

Hi friends,

It has been a week. I haven't exactlyslacked off, but I have been remiss in writing to you. Maybe, not all of you have missed me, but I have missed you. The images I have of you, coming to my blog and eagerly anticipating what I might write here. Well, I will not try to disappoint.

I have run. I ran tonight. Intervals. Mile repeats. (why is the theme to "The Beverly Hillbillies" running through my mind?) Tonight I had 3 x 1 mile @ 8:11 or better with 1 minute recovery. To be honest, I usually cheat the recovery and give myself some extra time. Normally this would be about a 3 minute recovery. But tonight I thought I might try to be true. True to you and true to myself. I was close. About 1.5 minute recoveries. It was tough.

Last time (4 weeks ago) I went out fast and ran 7:47 for the first 2 repeats. I suffered on the third. This time I purposely looked at Greenie (my green Garmin) at every quarter beep. I slowed down or sped up as needed to try and stay right at 8 minute pace. As seen above, I was close. I kept my recoveries down as well. I am really happy with the workout.

I just might become like all of you and some day be a runner. I am trying.

Saturday I ran with some TNT alumni. Very slow conversational pace. 8 miles. But good. On the 25th I ran 3.68 miles. Really a hard (physically) run. Just wasn't feeling it. On the 23rd was intervals again. 5 x 1000m repeats in 4:59 with a large recovery. I made them all in time, but I was beat.

Tomorrow is TNT training (if I make it back from Indy in time), then Thursday is a tempo run of 2m easy, 3m @ 8:44, 1m easy. And a long run on Saturday. 18 miles is scheduled for that. I want to at least make 13. I really need to bite the bullet and get going. With Boston in the back of my mind I need to train.

And train hard.

Train some more.

Then train a little harder again.

It is going to be tough to drop 92 minutes of my marathon PR. But that is the goal. With a half in August and a full in October, I will have an idea if it is feasible. I have a few around me that say I can do it, but what do they really know. They will support me in the challenge, but it is up to me to make it happen.

More like it is up to my body. I'm not young anymore. I never ran in high school. I never seriously ran at all. Races from time to time, but no training, no running in between them. I have really set a daunting task.

A task that I will give a try until at least the end of the year. I have lost weight this year - almost 16 pounds. That I believe is due to a little better eating and more serious running. If I can drop another 10 pounds (175), I think that will be ideal to hit my goal and run faster longer.

On another note, there was a new baby goat at the farm again today. Another boy. That gives the farm, 4 boys (Valentino, Lucky, Thor and Rump Roast), 5 girls (Momma, Brownie, Lily, Lightning, Thunder). Recently Velvet left us due to bloat. Of course, the hens are doing well and laying more eggs than I can eat.

Consider yourselves now caught up.

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FIRST Interval workouts

DAMN ITS HOT!!!

And humid and hot.
It was 89 degrees with about 59% humidity when I started running and it 89 degrees and 59% humidity when I finished training.

I lost 5 pounds of water from sweating but I think I drank 10 pounds of water.

It was miserable, but there are worse things.
I ran the intervals under the scheduled time (barely) and then I walked the recovery interval.

No jogging, just walking.
Way to nasty to try and push anything.
I found a pretty flat loop that was about 980 meters around and about half of it in the shade. So I ran it and just a little farther until the Garmin beeped again.

Then brakes.
And walk.
And water.
Then another 10 seconds mentally preparing for the next interval.

But I made all 5 sets. I even took a 400m cool down.

Schedule –
5 x 1000m @ 4:59 with 400m recovery interval.

I made it.
Intervals were all below 4:59 and giving me a 24:33.54 5k or a 7:55/mi pace. With recoveries (and the way it has to be counted) 4.36 miles in 53:29.54 or a 12:17 pace.

I am still happy. It is still a good time.

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I want free shoes

Hurry up and go here to be entered for free shoes from OnlineShoes.com . Onlineshoes is using Steve (pour Steve - always being used) to give a $75 gift certificate away for shoes. So hurry up and get your juke box money (and a chance at some shoes).

TNT training

Tonight was the TNT group midweek training. This is usually an interval run. And it was again. Due to the heat and humidity we ran timed intervals.

1600 warm up

2 minute run, 2 minute rest
8 minute run, 3 minute rest

8 minute run, 3 minute rest
2 minute run, 2 minute rest
800 cool down

Wasn't sure how I would do after running my hard interval on Tuesday, but did well.
7:43 pace on all runs, adding in warm up and cool down still paced at 8:27

I really ran faster than I planned because of the hard run yesterday. But when you get out there in group man-pride takes over and you give it your all. This will just make tomorrow's tempo runeven harder.

If I remember right tomorrow is 7 miles(5@ 9:14). If I run at home, half of it is uphill, if i go a mile north I have much flatter ground. Hmmm!!?? It is also going to be92 and humid so around 6 when I run it should be 85 and humid. Hmmm??!! Flat or hills??

Vote peeps!!!

Interval workouts

Today was interval time for my ‘Boston will be my Bitch’ training. I am using the FIRST training schedule for this at a 4:15 marathon pace. It is fast. It is hard. I hope it works. I am still having issues with my long runs and I believe it is mostly mental.
Hush!!! I can hear what all of you are thinking.
Ok, ok, ok – I am not mental!!!

Today interval schedule -
1200m @ 6:02
1000m @ 4:59
800m @ 3:58
600m @ 2:57
400m @ 1:57
all with 200m recovery walk

Actual -




You’ll notice the 200m (0.13mi) are exactly 55 seconds. I had the Garmin set for miles on a meter track. That is probably ok. It is damn close. But when I stop it for the end of the set, it keeps counting distance as I walk the 200m recovery to the other end. It then starts the preset interval with 200m and lots of time already going. I think for track workouts I need to turn off the auto interval setting. I am going to try this tomorrow with the TNT interval workout tomorrow.
Now for a little bragging – take all the rest and recovery periods out and the intervals averaged out to a 7:21 mile pace with my last 400 at a 6:56 pace.
STUD!!!
Ok, respond and bring me back to the real world.

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Weekend Report

Well my training sucked. But the TNT group that I ran with did very well. I was supposed to do 15 miles or so at a 10:29 pace. BTW, what is it with with these weird paces that training programs want you to run? Why couldn't they say 10:30?

Anyway, I visited with friends on Friday night (my invitation was contingent on fixing a pc) and had a few brats and beers. Home in bed, fast asleep by 11. I did not feel bad in the morning, but my legs, chest, lungs all felt otherwise about 1.5 miles into my run.

It was humid. It was windy. It was humid. And I wasn't feeling it. I managed to barely squeeze out 8.5 miles when the group was at the meeting point (finsihed) and discussing breakfast options. That was all my mind needed. I called it a day.

Granted I did a little work around the farm that afternoon. But I miised. I am still feeling a little weak/tired this morning. Maybe vitamin supplements are needed. Maybe extra protein supplements. Maybe I should just quit whining and do it.

WWMFRBD? (what would my fellow running bloggers do)
What do you gals/guys think?

This week's scheduled runs are -
Tuesday - 1200m @ 6:02, 1000m @4:59, 800m @ 3:58, 600m @2:57, 400m @ 1:57 (all with 200M RI)
Wednesday - TNT track practice (I take this easy. I go to support TNT)
Thursday - 7 mile - 1 easy, 5 @ 9:14, 1 easy
Saturday - 17 miles @ 10:29

So there you have it

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Thursday Tempo Run

Week 2 of FIRST training and workout 2 – tempo running.
scheduled run – 1 mile easy, 5 miles @ 9:44, 1 mile easy
actual run – awesome, fantastic, sweet, tiring, phenomenal
warm up mile 9:57.08 - fast for a warm up, need to slow this down to about 10:30 or higher
Tempo miles -
1 - 10:04.45 – a little slow from fast warm uo
2 - 9:23.11 – fast, downhill mile
3 - 9:45.81 – uphill mile
4 - 9:16.74 – again downhill mile
5 - 9:24.94  - gutting out the last won
tempo average - 9:35.01 - quicker than scheduled, but felt pretty good
cool down mile 9:37.56 - obviously elated about tempos and just kept going
total time for the full 7.01 miles 9:38.44 - faster even than scheduled tempo
AWESOME!!!!

This is also the first time in RunningFirst history that 3 days of running in a row has every happpend.
Real running
Not running to the bathroom or running to get the last beer before your boys do
That is awesome for me. Of course you may not see 3 days in a row again, but if I keep going to TNT on Wednesday track it could happen again
But my running schedule is Tue, Thu and Sat
TNT trains as a group on Wed and Sat
Who knows – 3 days in a row could happen again and again

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TNT track practice

Tonight was TNT track practice.
Hot and humid
No breeze
Good people
Awesome – that’s all I need

Mile warmup as usual. As usual I run it fast. 8:30. Fast for me anyway.

Stretch

8 sets of 200m with 200m walk recovery. No rest. Keep moving.

Of course, alum Allyson (speedster) comes back to push the 200m pace. But we made a pact and took it kind of easy. Probably 40 – 45 seconds per 200. And then we blasted the last one. Even with all the walking involved we did 3.32 miles in 35 minutes. Not bad. Really good for me considering I did 4 x 800’s in 3:58 or less yesterday.

Tomorrow is another day of running. 7 miles with the middle 5 @ 9:44. If I keep this up I am sure to get in better shape. Boston is still looking viable.

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Get off yer ARSE and do it

That’s what I was told by Marlene and Ken when I complained about falling off the wagon. Of course the gf was her always ‘You can dooo iiitt’ (apologies to The Waterboy) attitude.

So I looked at the P90X training and my FIRST training and helping with TNT, I revamped my schedule. I am still running my3 days with the FIRST program, a second interval workout with the local TNT team and P90X. The P90X is a 7 day workout for 90 days, but I am probably stepping that back just a little to not wear myself out so much for my runs.

The first time I tried it, plometrics in the morning and running at night was just too much. I gots ta get in some shape first.

Tonight was a fairly simple routine but still hard (for me). It called for the normal warmup and cool down, but in between that they stuck some intervals.

Can you believe it?
WTF!!??
Who puts intervals in between a nice, easy, warmup and cool down?
Oh, yea! All us runners out there.
Intervals – 4 x 800m @ 3:58 pace with a 2 minute recovery interval

I thought I would be a stud and run them in my west pasture. It is hilly. It has foot high grass. It was rough as hell. It was tough. My dog gave up after one lap (400m) and went and lay down. I was so jealous.
So the other 3 were through the yard, out on the road, into a smooth grassy area and back on road. Still hilly. But a run I might continue. We all need hills.

Set1 – 3:53.57
Set2 – 3:49.93
Set3 – 3:44.88
Set4 – 3:48.45

Average – 3:49.21

I feel good. It was hard, but hey, if it was easy everyone would do it.

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Falling off the wagon

Help! I've fallen and I can't get up. 

I have fallen off the training wagon in the first week of making Boston my Bitch. I haven't run in 5 days. I haven't cross trained in 4 days. I haven't done shit.

Hopefully, Monday will be the start of my second new beginning. 

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Damn Goats

I was all set for my 6 mile run and I get a flustered and worried gf about one of our goats, Velvet. Her name, not mine. Anyway, after looking it up in our goat manual, it was decided the goat had bloat. 

Bloat is where the rumen (like a stomach) gets full of gas that the animal cannot pass. This gas continues to build pressure and puts pressure on the lungs and heart. If not treated death is a likely end. 

So off the the U of I large animal vet clinic. They stuck a tube down her throat - no release of gas. They stuck a bigger hose down - no release of gas. Back in goes the little hose and they put a mixture of water and drug down her throat that is supposed to less the gaseou bubbles and hopefully, make her fart or burp. Goats are naturally fartty and burpy unless bloat occurs. 

Velvet stays the night, gets an IV, we go home and get her kid (that's what ya call baby goats) to spend the night and nurse. She is in mild pain (they gave drugs) but still standing andnursable. 

Tomorrow morning will be my 6 mile run. 2 easy, 2 @8:44 and 2 easy. Shouldn't be that bad. 

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Yesterday's Daily Double

Yesterday evening I had my mile repeats to perform.

3 of them @ 8:11

Did I do them?

Of course.

Did I do them correctly?

Of course NOT!!!

Did I hit the 8:11 avaerage?

Yes, just under at 8:09

Mile 1 - 7:47.10

Mile 2 - 7:47.78

Can't ask for much more consistency than that.

Mile 3 - 8:34.43

Slow, because I walked twice, cussed myself out and started again. Might have... never mind. Might haves do not matter when you didn't do it.

Then it starting raining so I took a slow mile walk back to the car. I got thoroughly drenched, but enjoyed.

The gf had her women's training run as well and she finished in the top of her group again. Going to have to move her into the intermediate running group.

This morning I did P90X again. More cheating though. I have no dumbbells (why do they call them dumbbells?). GF had some 5 lbs things that I used, but far too light. So basically I went through the motions of the routine. I am going to buy some dumbbells for when this routine hits again next week. The morning routine worked on biceps and triceps. Both places I am sorely lacking.

No running tonight with TNT as I have the great VMWare user meeting. So junk food, soda and a bunch of tech people trying to bullshit each other about their data centers.

Thursday, I have a 6 mile run (2 easy, 2 @8:44, 2 easy) and Saturday 13 miles @10:14. Plus P90X every day.

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