Mon 5/21 - Long work day, didn't get any running in, but boy was I drained!
Tues 5/22 - Travel day. Spent all day in airports. Worst flying experience ever, having over 5 delays on a single flight.
Wed 5/23 - Finally home. Ran the typical Lejeune gravel tank trail out and back for 4.57 miles in 38 minutes. 8:21/mile average pace. It was VERY hot outside, but it still felt good to have an easy run after two days off.
Thurs 5/24 - Same Lejeune gravel out and back. Very hot again today. Today is day two of taper week before the race next weekend. 4.5 miles in 40 minutes for a 8:51/mile pace.
Fri 5/25 - After realizing I have been getting a little lazy with speed work, I went out for a tempo run. Ran first 3 miles @ 7:20/mi pace, followed by two miles @ 8:00 pace. Hope that I can keep that pace for race day, but after being a little lazy with speed since the last race, I don't see that happening.
Sat 5/26 - Easy run around the home area for 5.12 miles in 43 minutes for a 8:28/mi pace. Heat and humidity have been very draining this week. But...such is the North Carolina summer.
Sun 5/27 - LSD on the Neusiok Trail. Today was not quite as long, but a little slower than usual. Totaled 9.17 miles in 1 hr 39 minutes for a 10:46/mi avg pace. Some of that was faster, and some was slower. It rained right before I got to the trail, and then promptly jumped up to near 90 degrees outside, basically turning the forest into a giant sauna. I had planned on going longer, but this was one run that I feel like was a better idea to cut it short than to risk injury.
Weekly totals:
Miles - 28.37 miles (not bad for a taper week)
Time - 4 hr 19 min
Pace - 8:21/mi avg
Coming up....
Well, race week is finally upon us. Sunday 6/3 is the North Face Endurance Challenge Trail race in D.C., and I'm looking forward to it. I don't think I'm going to run as fast as the last one, mainly because I have slacked off on the speed work. To be honest, I've kind of slacked off on my pace in general over the past 6 weeks.
As I looked over my training log (dailymile) from the past 6-8 weeks, I noticed my average pace has kind of slowed down, even if my weekly mileage has increased. I thought about it for awhile, trying to figure out why I am slowing down (not much, probably 15-20 seconds per mile average), so I started going back to look at individual workouts. I think I am currently being held back by the social aspect of running. During the week, most of my runs are with friends, and a lot of conversation takes place during those runs. The fact is, that while some of them may be faster than me over shorter distances (3 miles and less), I know that just through sheer numbers and time on two feet that I can push myself harder over distances of 5k and more, which is 99% of my runs.
By no means am I saying that I'm better than anyone else because of that. I just know that by making 90% of my runs lately more social affairs, than training runs, I've caused myself to slow down. So after this race, I need to re-focus my efforts, and increase the average intensity of my training. Mileage is going to increase. Intensity is going increase. Speed, endurance, and fitness will increase also; not because it has to, but because I want it to be so.
I'm going to incorporate more structure into my training schedule. I've not always been a big fan of structure, but I think in this case it's going to hold me more accountable. Right now, part of the problem is the only "structured" part of my training is a long run on the weekend. The rest of the week I just kind of wing it, and see what I can fit in. That's going to change. From now on, I'll make more time to train, as opposed to just fitting in what I can when I can. Looking back at my logs from the last month, I feel lazy. Not because of what I did, but because I realize how much more I could have done. Starting next Monday, June 4th, that changes.
I'm going to incorporate two speed/strength runs a week from now on. Whether it be intervals, tempo runs, hill work, track repeats, fartleks, whatever, I'll be doing it twice a week. I'll change up every week what I'm doing for speed work to add a little variety, but I need to keep it up. By the end of the summer, my goal is to drop my average training pace to sub-8:00, while increasing to a 55+ mile per week average. Doing one without the other would be easy, but trying to do both is tougher. I'm not going to make those hard numbers to hold to, because I'll listen to my body first and foremost, but that's at least something to work towards.
As for the race this weekend, it is going to be whatever it is going to be. I'm just going to go out and enjoy this one, even though it's probably not going to be a PR. But, you can PR everything, so I'm not too worried about it. I'll have fun, get to spend some good time with the family seeing some of the sights in D.C., and enjoy myself. I need to push beyond 10k's at this point, so that will start happening after this race too. I'm not going to say I won't do anymore shorter races like a 10k or 5k, but I'm not going to taper for them anymore. I'll use them as training runs and just train right through them if any pop up that I'm interested in.
Soon I'll review the Nathan HPL 020 Hydration vest that I got, after I get some more miles on it. Initial impressions are good, as it seems very comfortable. I think I'll also give my impressions of my New Balance MT10s and what issue I've had before with the shoe, and why I think it corrected itself.
In the meantime, Keep Running!!!
Tues 5/22 - Travel day. Spent all day in airports. Worst flying experience ever, having over 5 delays on a single flight.
Wed 5/23 - Finally home. Ran the typical Lejeune gravel tank trail out and back for 4.57 miles in 38 minutes. 8:21/mile average pace. It was VERY hot outside, but it still felt good to have an easy run after two days off.
Thurs 5/24 - Same Lejeune gravel out and back. Very hot again today. Today is day two of taper week before the race next weekend. 4.5 miles in 40 minutes for a 8:51/mile pace.
Fri 5/25 - After realizing I have been getting a little lazy with speed work, I went out for a tempo run. Ran first 3 miles @ 7:20/mi pace, followed by two miles @ 8:00 pace. Hope that I can keep that pace for race day, but after being a little lazy with speed since the last race, I don't see that happening.
Sat 5/26 - Easy run around the home area for 5.12 miles in 43 minutes for a 8:28/mi pace. Heat and humidity have been very draining this week. But...such is the North Carolina summer.
Sun 5/27 - LSD on the Neusiok Trail. Today was not quite as long, but a little slower than usual. Totaled 9.17 miles in 1 hr 39 minutes for a 10:46/mi avg pace. Some of that was faster, and some was slower. It rained right before I got to the trail, and then promptly jumped up to near 90 degrees outside, basically turning the forest into a giant sauna. I had planned on going longer, but this was one run that I feel like was a better idea to cut it short than to risk injury.
Weekly totals:
Miles - 28.37 miles (not bad for a taper week)
Time - 4 hr 19 min
Pace - 8:21/mi avg
Coming up....
Well, race week is finally upon us. Sunday 6/3 is the North Face Endurance Challenge Trail race in D.C., and I'm looking forward to it. I don't think I'm going to run as fast as the last one, mainly because I have slacked off on the speed work. To be honest, I've kind of slacked off on my pace in general over the past 6 weeks.
As I looked over my training log (dailymile) from the past 6-8 weeks, I noticed my average pace has kind of slowed down, even if my weekly mileage has increased. I thought about it for awhile, trying to figure out why I am slowing down (not much, probably 15-20 seconds per mile average), so I started going back to look at individual workouts. I think I am currently being held back by the social aspect of running. During the week, most of my runs are with friends, and a lot of conversation takes place during those runs. The fact is, that while some of them may be faster than me over shorter distances (3 miles and less), I know that just through sheer numbers and time on two feet that I can push myself harder over distances of 5k and more, which is 99% of my runs.
By no means am I saying that I'm better than anyone else because of that. I just know that by making 90% of my runs lately more social affairs, than training runs, I've caused myself to slow down. So after this race, I need to re-focus my efforts, and increase the average intensity of my training. Mileage is going to increase. Intensity is going increase. Speed, endurance, and fitness will increase also; not because it has to, but because I want it to be so.
I'm going to incorporate more structure into my training schedule. I've not always been a big fan of structure, but I think in this case it's going to hold me more accountable. Right now, part of the problem is the only "structured" part of my training is a long run on the weekend. The rest of the week I just kind of wing it, and see what I can fit in. That's going to change. From now on, I'll make more time to train, as opposed to just fitting in what I can when I can. Looking back at my logs from the last month, I feel lazy. Not because of what I did, but because I realize how much more I could have done. Starting next Monday, June 4th, that changes.
I'm going to incorporate two speed/strength runs a week from now on. Whether it be intervals, tempo runs, hill work, track repeats, fartleks, whatever, I'll be doing it twice a week. I'll change up every week what I'm doing for speed work to add a little variety, but I need to keep it up. By the end of the summer, my goal is to drop my average training pace to sub-8:00, while increasing to a 55+ mile per week average. Doing one without the other would be easy, but trying to do both is tougher. I'm not going to make those hard numbers to hold to, because I'll listen to my body first and foremost, but that's at least something to work towards.
As for the race this weekend, it is going to be whatever it is going to be. I'm just going to go out and enjoy this one, even though it's probably not going to be a PR. But, you can PR everything, so I'm not too worried about it. I'll have fun, get to spend some good time with the family seeing some of the sights in D.C., and enjoy myself. I need to push beyond 10k's at this point, so that will start happening after this race too. I'm not going to say I won't do anymore shorter races like a 10k or 5k, but I'm not going to taper for them anymore. I'll use them as training runs and just train right through them if any pop up that I'm interested in.
Soon I'll review the Nathan HPL 020 Hydration vest that I got, after I get some more miles on it. Initial impressions are good, as it seems very comfortable. I think I'll also give my impressions of my New Balance MT10s and what issue I've had before with the shoe, and why I think it corrected itself.
In the meantime, Keep Running!!!
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