Thursday quality workout (4 x 1600 in 6:39, 6:50, 6:53, 6:49)

I only do two hard workouts a week. Thursday is quality/speedwork day and Sunday is long run day. The rest are "easy" runs, which at this phase of my training are 9 miles at 8:40/mile pace. I always dread the speedwork especially fast interval training. I am afraid that I won't hit the times. It takes a lot to run until you feel you can do no more. Weight lifting is easier. If you max out on the bench press you just have your spotter put the bar on the rack for you, but running is different you don't want to collapse to the ground because you can't do anymore (or do you?).

Today I went to the track with the intention of doing 4 by 1 mile intervals at 6:50/mile pace. I have to say that I don't feel very fast right now because all I seem to do is run long distances. I went to Bowie State University after work today to put in the workout. This was first for me and I was very pleased to run on a well cared-for collegiate track. The campus was fairly empty and I had only one runner with me who left after my first mile.

I warmed up one mile and started my intervals. Each mile hurt a little bit and I took my time during my 800m rest laps in between. I made good use of my arms when I wanted to finish the laps strong. The best part was that I had the marching band practicing and stomping by the track on my last interval. They were playing "Cold-hearted Snake" by Paula Abdul and "Yea Ya Know" by T.I. and the drum lines were rocking. I used their tempos to push me through to the end of my workout.

7.85 miles in 1:05:34 (4 x 1600 in 6:39, 6:50, 6:53, 6:49)

Perfect training week (57.20 miles)

Everything just clicked today. I had a challenging 20-mile training run with a projected 8:40 pace scheduled for Sunday. I have had three scheduled 20-milers thus far in my build-up to MCM and it was my fifth 20-mile training run of my young running career. This one was by far my best. My average pace was under my target (8:38/mile) and I negative split.

Splits - 9:23, 9:02, 8:49, 9:20, 8:46, 8:32, 8:36, 8:36, 8:32, 8:53, 8:34, 9:16, 8:12, 8:35, 8:58, 8:01, 8:07, 7:39, 8:07, 8:30

What did I do right? I woke up early enough to have cup of coffee and some peanut butter toast and then sit around a while to let that "soak in." Next I drove to a spot in the middle of the WB&A trail where I placed my spare energy gels and water bottles. I did not carry them. I planned to run a 10k then have a gel then have a gel every 5k from them on. I also started off slow and gradually picked up the pace. I planned to run the final 5 miles at marathon pace (~7:50/mile).

Things went really except for the running jump roper who nonchalantly skipped down the trail with her dog off the leash I encountered at mile 17. Though the dog did not appear aggressive it did pay too much attention to me so I had to really slow down so I could be sure I would not be attacked. I then ran into two dogs and their owners on leash but on a narrow bridge at mile 19. Again I was attempting to run a fast closing pace and had to slow down so I wouldn't get bit.

In looking back on the run I find that I can will myself to run fairly fast over a long distance. I also did get to know what marathon effort will feel like after running 20 miles this year. During the Baltimore Marathon last year I went through 20 miles in 2:52:19, but that was in a race, after a taper, and with full training. I am still four weeks away and this run came at the end of my heaviest running week ever:

• Tuesday - 9.11 miles in 1:18:04 (8:34/mile)
• Wednesday - 9:08 miles in 1:18:28 (8:38/mile)
• Thursday - 10 miles in 1:22 (8 miles tempo at 7:41/mile)
• Friday - 9 miles in 1:17:36 (8:37/mile)
• Sunday - 20 miles in 2:52:44 (8:38/mile)

Total - 57.20 miles

Iron Man training (not really, but I do stick to my training)

This week's runs took place mostly along the piers and boardwalks of The Embarcadaro in San Francisco. I had to maintain my training regimen even though I was completely out of my normal environment, diet, and time zone. I have to say that the flat bayside running had me feeling like an Ironman.



Running on a steady diet of free beer and free concerts by the Black-Eyed Peas when you're given free carnival food and staying up 20 hours on West coast time is not the Spartan existance of a marathoner.



All I can say is distractions aside I ran 4 times for 27 miles while I was away and had some decent splits:

Day 1: 7:52, 7:48, 7:52 - 3.02 miles @ 7:52/mile
Day 2: 8:31, 8:16, 8:13, 8:08, 8:10, 8:37, 8:15, 7:46 - 8.05 miles @ 8:15/mile
Day 3: 9:11, 8:38, 8:12, 8:15, 8:27, 8:07, 8:27, 7:32 - 8.09 miles @ 8:21/mile
Day 4: 8:41, 8:05, 8:02, 7:57, 8:14, 8:18, 8:28, 8:18 - 8:01 miles @ 8:15/mile



I gained less than 50 feet of elevation running while San Fran, though I probably gained more than a thousand walking the hills, like all the way up Powell Street. But, when I came home I gave my regular home run an easy 8 mile run on Sunday and gained 301 feet of elevation over 8.7 miles. The good news I still was able to crank out 8:23/mile without spiking over an 160 bpm heart rate. Progress is being made.

Week 17 recap - Schedule change leads to dead legs on the 20 mile slogfest

Schedule change have me seriously altering my training plan for the first time in the MCM build-up. I will have my lowest mileage week in quite some time, but I went out yesterday to keep the long run streak alive. My training 6 weeks out from the marathon went like this:

• Monday: rest
• Tuesday: 8 miles at easy run pace 8:34/mile
• Wednesday: Speedwork - 7 mile tempo run at 8:04/mile (off my goal of 7:36/mile)
• Thursday: rest
• Friday: Long run - 19.28 at 9:49/mile (way off my goal of 8:46/mile)
• Saturday: rest
• Sunday: rest

Weekly total: 35.35 miles

I tried to run a new route on at a different time than my normal long run time (11:30 am as opposed to 6:00 am) on a different day - too much change. I had to move my long run or likely not do it at all, which would've probably been a worse choice. Because of the time I ended up running it was full 85 F degrees so a slower than expected time was already expected. However, I was unprepared for the complete deadness of legs I developed around mile 14.

Mile 1 - 8:10, Mile 2 - 8:34, Mile 3 - 8:36, Mile 4 - 9:20, Mile 5 - 9:03, Mile 6 - 8:45, Mile 7 - 9:13, Mile 8 - 08:54, Mile 9 - 08:55, Mile 10 - 08:42, Mile 11 - 09:18, Mile 12 - 10:10, Mile 13 - 09:35, Mile 14 - 10:59, Mile 15 - 11:53, Mile 16 - 11:33, Mile 17 - 10:54, Mile 18 - 11:02, Mile 19 - 12:58, Mile 20 - 09:20

My back was a little unhappy with the amount of sidewalk running I did. Believe it or not the concrete sidewalk is a lot more hard to run on than asphalt. Other than that my slow down was merely a lack of energy. I willed myself to go faster several time from mile 16 on, but I couldn't go more than a few steps before I slowed to walking again. This kind of positive split cannot happen on marathon day. I will have to learn to conserve more energy at the beginning.

I did two laps of Lake Artemesia and College Park, which caused me to run through the Greenbelt Metro station twice. I guarantee the people there saw more strange things than a sweaty, salt-caked, shirtless man wandering around the train station, but I few crazy looks.

Oh well... not the performance I was looking for, but I learned a few lessons. One, if it is hot when the marathon is going on I will have to adjust my expectations. Two, NEGATIVE SPLITS! I have to save the energy to have more left in the second half than the first half.

Talking marathons

Training is going well. This week I ran 48.06 miles broken down as follows:

• Monday - rest
• Tuesday - 9 miles
• Wednesday - 9 miles
• Thursday - 6 miles, 3 x 1600m intervals @ 6:38, 6:37, 6:57
• Friday - 8 miles
• Saturday - rest
• Sunday - 16 miles, progression run last 5 miles approx 7:53/mile

I have been listening to a new running podcast that may just be my favorite. The Marathon Talk podcast is a well organized and entertaining running podcast, but what distinguishes this one from my other long form podcasts is that it is more focused on accomplished marathoners either still competing professionally or just really good. There is nothing wrong with the back-of-the pace or beginner running focus, but I am looking for advance techniques. The hosts are two British gents who are sub-3 hour marathoners and because one of them is married to a UK Olympian marathoner they get access to luminaries like: Ryan Hall, Sammy Wanjiru, and Catherine Ndereba.

One of the things I have gleaned so far from them is that I need to get a hill workout in every so often, With 7 weeks until the MCM I am looking for workouts that will give me confidence and strength for a serious hard effort. I know just the hill I want to hit up. I just have to pick a day.

Finally fast...

I hit the track this morning to put in this week's quality workout: 1 mile intervals. I hadn't hit the track since training for my May 5k and it felt good. I found it easy to hit my target paces due to the flat surface and the presence (at least for one interval) of another fast runner who I used as a rabbit without their knowledge. I also think the hours of base mileage I am working on are beginning to payoff in the delay of fatigue. Amazingly my heart rate was well under 90% of my max even at 11 mph!

Thursday quality workout:

• plan: warm; 3x1600 in 6:54w/800 jogs; Cool - 7 miles
• actual: 1 mile warm; 6:38/6:36/6:55, 1 mile cool - 6.01 miles

Week 15 Recap (August 30 - September 5)

Weekly mileage: 47.60 (long run: 20 miles)

This was a good week of running. No knee pain that lasted and I can only credit my new shoes. I did my second 20 mile run of the year, though it was the first of this training cycle.

I don't intend to sell myself short, but I am going to set my marathon goal by targeting my heart rate at least through the final mile or so kick. I plan to just run at 150 bpm effort. Since my averaged maximum heart rate is 210 (I threw out my high value of 223) 150 represents 71% of my max heart rate. I'll go for between 65 and 75% and leave my kick for miles 25, 26, and 0.2.

At this point, it is impossible to predict how fast this will be, but I can say I averaged 150 bpm for my 20 mile effort this Sunday at a 9:21/mile pace. The reason this is incalculable is because I get more fit and the same effort measured by heart rate can be a faster pace. For example I ran 18 miles the week before at a 9:25, but was a 155 bpm effort.

This week I ramp up to 49 miles while stepping back the long run to 16 miles.