Wednesday Mile Repeats (6:58, 6:52, 6:58)

Today I got a run in outside on the WB&A trail 3 one-mile repeats at 10K race pace. 1 mile warm up, .25 rest between repeats, 1.8 mile cool down. I spent the time trying to feel out the 10K pace, which will be 10 - 15 seconds faster than my targeted 10-mile race pace. I was definitely working hard to make the paces today, but I can manage a 6:55 min/mi pace.

Splits (rest periods not shown)

• Warm up - 1 mile, 8:29
• Mile Repeat 1 - 6:58
• Mile Repeat 2 - 6:52
• Mile Repeat 3 - 6:58
• Cooldown - 1.8 mile, 13:50 (7:41 min/mi)

Totals - 6.56 miles, 51:19, 7:49 min/mi

Saturday Hill Run Workout (5.83 mi - 49:34 - 8:30 min/mi)

The reason I run is mostly due to my interest in analyzing data. This blog was started to deliver my report on analyzing OPM data for interesting vocational trends and patterns in my Data Visualization grad school course. I got a Nike Plus kit after seeing its capability for capturing your running data using an accelerometer. My wife bought me a more Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS watch for Christmas last year and this wonderful device captures running data such as elevation gain and loss, geo-location data, and speed. I have always been interested in how the data it provides can answer questions I have, such as if "I do a hill workout what percent grade is some of the lengths of my running course?"

Using my watch's collected data I determined that a hill I have been eying for a long time is 0.30 miles long and has a rise of 130 feet over that distance. That equals have the data I need to calculate the percentage grade - rise over run, remember Pythagoras? The grade formula is: grade percent = rise / run. This yields a grade length of 8.228%. Now the days when one has to pull out a pen and paper to calculate this may be forever over using the Wolfram Alpa knowledge engine. Just phrase your question properly and the answer is yours and the formula if you want it (see - http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=1580+feet+run+130+feet+rise).

So, as far a running goes I did four hill run ups. I ran up the hill at a steady pace, jogged back down and repeated it. I did only four because it was getting dark and fairly cold for what I dressed for.

Cheers


Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Saturday Hill Run Workout (5.83 mi - 49:34 - 8:30 min/mi)

Wednesday Key Workout (6.01 mi - 51:09 - 8:30 min/mi)

One mile warm up followed by 3x1 mile repeats at 10K pace (7:03 min/mo i) with one lap walks in between. Finished up with a 1.25 mile cool down lap (at 8:00 min/mi). Not too hard a workout. I don't really believe that I am at that 10K pace, but I'll try to prove it soon.

Thursday Interval Workout (6 mi - 49:15 - 8:13 min/mi)

It's time for me to get serious about a goal time for this 10-miler. I have toyed around with 8 min/mi pace for the 10 miles, but since I've already done faster in training I'll have to pick a faster goal. I think I've settled down on 7:30 min/mi, which will give me a 1 hour 13 minute race time. So, now I have got to figure out how to train for that.

I think I need a key workout each week to test out my running strength. I am going to do it based on training interval distances at my goal race pace until it becomes easy. Today, I planned to run a warm-up followed by three 1 mile intervals at goal pace followed by a minute and a half of jogging. I managed to do the intervals. Next key workout has to be on a Saturday where I will go for seven 1 mile intervals with a jog break.