2010 Chicago Training – Week 4

July 4th, 2010

Four weeks down 14 to go.

My routine changed this past week.  We left middle Tennessee on June 25 heading East for a week of vacation.  It was great to have all the girls with us.  We stopped in High Point, NC, and picked up Mom before heading to the North Carolina coast to meet up with my brother and sisters.

One of the good things about being off work was that I was able to run early in the morning.  I know I will have to reacclimate to the afternoon heat this coming week.

Sunday, Amy and I ran 5 miles to the North Carolina Aquarium and back.

0714080709 Monday, I ran 10 miles to the end of the island.

Tuesday, was a repeat of Monday with Amy followed by 5 x 100m strides.

Wednesday was another 10 miler.

Thursday and Friday were travel days.

Saturday, I opted to not run the Firecracker 5k but instead ran 17 miles. By chance, I ran in to Chris and Keith at mile 5.  Chris split off at mile 7 but Keith ran with me through mile 15.  It was great to have some company.  It made the miles go by faster.

Total for the week: 47 – not bad for a vacation week.

Chicago Training – Week 3

June 27th, 2010

Another hot week as I have settled into the training for Chicago in October. One question that keeps coming back to me is at what point do you slow down so much for the heat that you are actually training yourself to run slow?

Since I had some vacation time this week, I was able to put in some morning runs this week. Even though it was still hot, I did log some faster times. That was good news.

Monday’s run was 5 miles in the neighborhood after work with 5 short hill repeats.

Tuesday was a long hot 10 miler. I usually done run with my iPod except in the summer to distract me from the heat. But Tuesday the battery died with 4 miles left to go. So I was left to suffer in silence.

Wednesday was a rest day.

Since Thursday was a vacation day, I ran my long run for the week. Was out the door by 4:30 for a 17 miler. It was still hot but I followed the pattern I set last Saturday continuing to increase the amount of water I drink during the workout. I still lost 6 pounds!

Friday was a travel day.

Saturday was another early morning 10 miler. But it was the best time I had log at that distance in several weeks.

Total for the week: 42 miles

2010 Chicago Training – Week 2

June 20th, 2010

It has been a tough start to this training cycle.  The weather is the biggest factor.  It is either the heat or storms. Either way the challenges have been related to the the unseasonably hot weather for the last month. With temps in the 90s and the heat index over 100, summer can’t be any worst. If this keeps up, it will be one sloooow run in Chicago.

Monday was a recovery run of 5 miles with short hill sprints at the end.

Tuesday was a VERY slow 10 miler.  I just took my time and lingered over the water stops.

Wednesday was a rest day.

Thursday’s schedule called for another 10 milers but I only got in 3 miles before a heavy thunderstorm moved in and drove me inside.

Friday I was able to run in the morning an easy 5 miles with hill sprints at the end.

Saturday, I was out the door by 4:30 to beat the heat. Refilled my water bottles every chance I got.  Drank more water during that 16 miler than I ever had on a long Saturday run.  I was determined to stay hydrated. I was slow but finished strong.

Total for the week: 39 miles

Hot Summer?

June 15th, 2010

If the last few weeks are any indication, it is going to be a hot summer. Ran a slow 10 miles this afternoon. With the temperature in the low 90s and the heat index above 100, I had no choice but to go slow. Kept a watch on my heart rate to keep me for pushing the pace. Glad to have just logged the miles.

Recovery

June 11th, 2010

After yesterday’s scorcher, I only ran 5 easy miles.  It was still 90 degrees but taking it easy helped.  Finished the run with a few hill sprints.  Also, was able to go to the Y at lunch for some core work.

Daily Run

June 10th, 2010

It was another hot afternoon to run 10 miles. I went out the alternate route but since the greenway appeared to be open I took the shaded route back to the house.  Not a fast time by any means but at this point in the training it is all about the miles.

Detour

June 8th, 2010

I had to take a detour today.  My normal 10 mile route through on the greenway was closed.  The city is repairing the trail due to the damage from the flood in early May.

So my detour had more hills  than usual. In addition, the heat and humidity returned today.  The only saving grace was a strong South wind.

Starting Easy

June 7th, 2010

Today was a recovery run of only 5 miles.  Went to the Y at lunch and did some core work. After the run, I did some hill sprints.  Luckily, the humidity was down today and there was a nice breeze from the North. Hope I am so lucky tomorrow.

126 Days

June 6th, 2010

The count down begins. It is 126 days to 10/10/10, the Chicago Marathon.

It is now 18 weeks away so it is time to get serious about training.

I feel good about going into this training cycle with an average of 40 miles per week base but not looking forward to training in the heat and humidity.

Snow Day

January 30th, 2010

image

Six inches of snow and ice mean no long run outside this morning. Hope to go to the Y later and sweat on the treadmill.