Running The Race

This past week was the first week of the taper but the mileage was the only thing that was reduced.

Monday was 8 miles with 5 x 600m intervals. I did fine until the fourth set. It was dark and I was running in Crockett Park. During the recovery, I strapped on my head lamp and didn’t hear my watch beep to start the next set. So, my times and distances were off a little bit.

Tuesday was a 5 mile recovery run

Wednesday was a rest day.

Thursday I ran 4 miles with 6 x 100m strides.

Friday was my last “tune up” race. I raced against my Garmin. Of the three faux 10k races this cycle, this was the slowest. I just felt like I was plodding with my pace dropping off during the fifth mile.

Saturday’s run was 15 miles. It was 15 degrees when I headed out the door. It was a beautiful morning to run but a little on the nippy side. It was a good run at an encouraging pace.

Training for the week
Sun: Rest
Mon: 8 miles w/5 x 600m intervals – 1:08:58, 8:36 pace
Tues: 5 miles – 42:54, 8:34 pace
Wed: Rest
Thur: 4.15 miles w/6 x 100m strides – 36:00, 8:40 pace
Fri: 6.2 miles – 50:05, 8:03 pace
Sat: 15 miles – 2:16:47, 9:07 pace

Total for the week: 38.35 miles

This has been a “transition” week. The weather has turned colder. The days continue to get shorter. I have officially transitioned to the taper. And the real true sign of winter, the parks folks have stored the water fountains for the winter which made for a long dry run on Thursday.

Monday I ran 10 miles with 4 x 1200m intervals (5:36, 5:42, 5:41, 5:42). It was a good run at a good pace. The target for the intervals was 5:44 to 5:51. A little fast but close enough.

Tuesday I had a late meeting so I just ran 5 recovery miles mostly in the dark.

Thursday was a general 10 mile run (without water).

Friday was an easy 4 mile recovery run.

Saturday was my last 20 miler before the St. Jude Marathon.

It was raining when I got up Saturday morning so I didn’t get out the door until after 6 am. It appeared that most of the rain had passed to the east. It was windy with the temperature around 50 but dropping. By mile 7, it started raining again and showered off and on for the next 13 miles. It was never a hard rain but the wind is what made it unconfortable.

Had a decent run and was just glad to get it over with. Now it is less than three weeks to Memphis.

Training for the week
Sun: Rest
Mon: 10 miles w/4 x 1200m intervals – 1:28:09, 8:44 pace
Tues: 5 miles – 44:03, 8:48 pace
Wed: Rest
Thur: 10 miles – 1:27:32, 8:44 pace
Fri: 4 miles – 35.14, 8:48 pace
Sat: 20 miles – 3:05:58, 9:17 pace

Total for the week: 49 miles

I do not like week after the time changes, in the Spring nor in the Fall. But I seem to have more trouble adjusting in the Fall. I just seem to be tired until my body clock adjusts to Standard Time.

Monday was interval day. Ran 8 miles with 5 x 600m intervals.

Tuesday was a 11 mile run. It was dark by mile 5 so I had to use my head lamp while running in the park.

Wednesday I made it back to the pool. That makes 3 times in 6 weeks. Not good. But this may have contributed to my lack of energy by the end of the week.

Thursday was a 4 mile recovery run with 6 x 100m strides.

Friday was another 10K “tune up” race where I raced the Garmin guy. Didn’t do as well as I did two weeks ago but still a respectable time.

Saturday was the last of the 17 mile runs. I think the week and the time change were catching up with me an by the end I was just glad to be done.

Training for the week
Sun: Rest
Mon: 8 miles w/5 x 600m intervals – 1:09:37, 8:43 pace
Tues: 11 miles – 1:40:35, 9:08 pace
Wed: Rest/Swim
Thur: 4.15 miles w/6 x 100m strides – 37:08, 8:57 pace
Fri: 6.21 miles – 48.55, 7:53 pace
Sat: 17 miles – 2:42:04, 9:32 pace

Total for the week: 46.3 miles

After the high mileage last week, I almost felt like this past week was a rest week.

Monday was 8 miles with 5 x 600m intervals.

Tuesday was an 11 mile run.

Wednesday was a rest day and I did make it back to the pool. I could tell I had only swam twice in the last four weeks….not good.

Thursday was four miles with 6 x 100m strides.

Friday was a “tune up” race. Since there were not any Friday races, I ran against my Garmin. The McMillian chart, said I should aim for a 7:44 pace. I came in at 48:49, a 7:51 pace, an unofficial PR.

Ran 17 miles Saturday morning. Only one more Saturday run before the time changes.

Training for the week
Sun: Rest
Mon: 7.95 miles w/6 x 600m intervals – 1:09:42, 8:46 pace
Tues: 11 miles – 1:36:42, 8:47 pace
Wed: Rest/Swim
Thur: 4.15 miles w/6 x 100m strides – 36:20, 8:44 pace
Fri: 10k Tune Up Race – 6.22 miles – 48:49, 7:51 pace
Sat: 17 miles – 2:37:17, 9:14 pace

Total for the week: 46.33 miles

In many ways this was “hump” week, the highest mileage week in the Pfitz plan, 55 miles.

I was tired going into the week from the Middle Half last Saturday, but very encouraged too.

The plan called for two 12 mile runs, two recovery runs and 20 miles on Saturday.

Saturday morning the temperature was in the upper 30s and provided a great morning to run. My time was seven and a half minutes better than three weeks ago and that was with two bathroom stops.

My one regret for the week was not making it to the pool but I felt like I need the rest day more than the swim.

Training for the week
Sun: Rest
Mon: 6.05 miles w/6 x 100m strides – 54:17, 8:58 pace
Tues: 12.02 miles w/7 @ tempo – 1:43:25, 8:36 pace
Wed: Rest
Thur: 12.01 miles – 1:50:33, 9:12 pace
Fri: 5 miles – 44:39, 8:56 pace
Sat: 20 miles – 3:06:40, 9:20 pace

Total for the week: 55 miles

This was the week of the eights, three eight mile runs each with a different goal.

Monday was an general aerobic run. Tuesday was a VO2 Max run with 5 x 600m intervals at 5K pace. Thursday was another general aerobic run with 8 x 100m strides thrown in for good measure.

Training for the week
Sun: Rest
Mon: 8 miles – 1:11:24, 8:55 pace
Tues: 8 miles w/5 x600m intervals – 1:10:04, 8:47 pace
Wed: Rest/Swim 800m
Thur: 8 miles w/8 x 100m strides – 1:12:47, 9:05 pace
Fri: 5 miles – 46:09, 9:13 pace
Sat: Middle Half Marathon, 13.1 miles – 1:47:11, 8:11 pace

Total for the week: 42.1 miles

I know, what happened to week 5? Well, I just got busy last weekend, went to the Titans’ game on Sunday and before I knew it, I was well into this week.

Gayle and I went to MTSU Monday night to see Sara inducted into an honor society. So I moved Monday’s run to Sunday.

The sixth week of the Pfitz plan is the first fall back week. With the temperatures back in the 90s, it was good to have a little bit of a break on the mileage.

Training for the week
Sun: 5 miles – 48:51, 9:45 pace
Mon: Rest/Swim 800m
Tues: 8 miles w/10 x 100m strides – 1:11:55, 8:59 pace
Wed: Rest/Swim 800m
Thur: 8 miles – 1:15:06, 9:22 pace
Fri: 4 miles – 37:38, 9:23 pace
Sat: 13 miles – 1:58:40, 9:07 pace

Total for the week: 38 miles

Week 2 is now history. The temperature was only in the 80s this past week and the humidity had dropped to a comfortable level, very uncharacteristic for August. This made for a great training week.

Also, completed week two of one hundred pushups. I have been doing them before I run but I need to find a better time.

Had my annual physical Friday. The doctor call yesterday and said all the lab work looked good. That is always nice to hear. It is motivation to keep running the race.

Training for the week
Sun: Rest
Mon: 8 miles w/ 10 x 100m strides – 1:11:03, 8:53 pace
Tues: Rest/800m swim
Wed: 10 miles – 1:33:18, 9:19 pace
Thur: Rest / Swim
Fri: 5 miles – 45:27, 9:04 pace
Sat: 13 miles – 2:01:35, 9:21 pace

Total for the week: 36 miles

Sometimes I think the hardest part of running is starting. I was ready this week to start training for St. Jude but with for forecast for the first of the week to be some of the hottest days of the summer, it took some of the luster of the training. Needless to say, I made it through and by the end of the week it was hard to believe it was still August.

A “cool” front came through Thursday and dropped the temperature and the humidity making Friday and Saturday great days for running.

Training for the week
Sun: Bike 18 miles
Mon: 7 miles w/ 10 x 100m strides – 1:06:43, 9:32 pace
Tues: Rest/800m swim
Wed: 9 miles – 1:29:45, 9:58 pace
Thur: Rest / Bike 10 miles w/Amy
Fri: 4 miles – 34:59, 8:43 pace, swim – 800m
Sat: 13 miles – 2:02:56, 9:27 pace

Total for the week: 33 miles

I work downtown about a block away from the Downtown Y. It is really handy to be able to go to the Y during lunch. Ever since I hurt my ankle in February and was forced to take off from running for two weeks, I have been going to the Y to swim any where from two to four times a week.

During the winter it was really nice. I never had trouble getting a lane and it was never really what I would consider busy.

Now that is has warmed up, you can hardly get a lane most days. And it always seems that folks are waiting.

What am I missing? I would have thought, being an indoor pool it would just be the opposite. Maybe it will change after Memorial Day when all the outdoor pools in the area open. Or maybe it is just folks trying to get from for tri season .

I don’t know but it just seems backwards.