Week's plan

No run today

Sleep: 5.25 hours RHR: 47

T- 6 miles fartlek- 3*3 minutes, 3*2 minutes with 2 minutes 'off' between each
W- 8 plus striders
Th- 7
F- 6 including 5k race
Sa- 8
Su- 10 (last 2 @ 6:00)

Hoping to get some new shoes today. Planning to move to a heavier neutral cushioned shoe away from the 'lightweight performance' shoes I typically wear.

Have a good week!

Soccer Sunday

10.5 miles @ 7:00. Nice chilled out road loop. Nothing to report at all from the run, just your bog standard 'nice' run.

Sleep: 6.5 hours (better) RHR: 47 (better)

Amusing to see ABC calling today 'Soccer Sunday' with two games live to watch today. Beckham's Galaxy up at noon followed by the Euro 2008 final after. Plenty of sport around with the US trials on too. I have a feeling the 100m record may go today! Enjoyed the womens' 10k , what a run by the third place girl, Katie Mcgregor looking on in hope from 4th place that the time wouldn't be met. Oh well when you leave it out of your hands that's the risk you take

Enjoying a nice chilled out weekend with the family (including the new addition). Nice to not have any plans at all for once, don't get many weekends like this so making the most of it!

Spinning the wheels

6.8 miles @ 6.12 pace. First workout of the cycle this am. Coach had assigned 4 miles at 6 min pace, 1 mile easy, 1 mile at 5.30.

Hit 5.54,5.53,5.50,5.53, ran a 7.20 recovery mile and then hit 5.21 for the last mile. I ran with Coach. The 4 mile tempo felt pretty smooth and the last mile was okay, although 5:21 is probably about my 5k pace at the moment! I was trying not to strain on the last mile and keep it under control and i think i did. Good to get out there and spin the wheels a bit again...

Rest day tomorrow

Sleep: 5.5 hrs (ouch!- Lisa has prescribed me an earlier wake up call so I can let the dog out first thing) RHR: 50 Weight: 150.5

Looking forward to the weekend, it's been a busy week

Symmetry

6.45 miles @ 6.47 (arrived back home at 6.45!). Changed my workout to tomorrow so can do it with Tim. Ran out of the back of the neighbourhood and took a new shortcut back to Sardis through Folger- more nice hills discovered! Felt pretty good, temps nice.

Sleep: 6 hrs. RHR: 52

So when i get home tonight there will be a dog running around my house (or a 'shit machine' as Dad so nicely put it when I told him we were getting one- now you can see why I never grew up around dogs!). Emily is so excited

Slowing down

6.75 @ 7.07 pace. That's better! This morning's run in 60 degree, low humidity weather was so much more enjoyable than yesterday's! First little workout of the cycle planned tomorrow

Sleep: 6 hours. RHR: 52. Sophie seems to have decided she wants to play between 2 and 3 am this week.

Heating up

6.5 miles @ 6:38. Ran after work, finished off with 8 100s at the track. Felt a bit more fluid and coordinated on the 100s today than on Saturday, hitting 16s rather than 17s and 18s. Had a great massage yesterday so my legs felt pretty good for the rest of the run too. I need to incorporate a regular massage into my plan for Richmond. However at $100 a pop it's pretty steep and I haven't got any more certificates to use!

Sleep: 6 hours (interrupted by Sophie who decided that playing with her new Teletubbies would be much more fun than actually sleeping). RHR: 51 (still v high for me)

So a nice run, but jeez it was hot! It's been unseasonably 'cool' the last couple of weeks but the heat is back with a vengeance this week. As I was walking between my 100s I was contemplating the fact that in a few weeks I'll be doing proper workouts in these conditiions. Ouch!

Also need to slow down my runs, starting tomorrow morning! I always find it difficult to hold it back in the base phase when I'm not doing any workouts and I'm feeling fresh every day!

Back in the groove

5 miles @ 6.41. Ran home from Independence Library down Monroe and across Mcalpine. Afternoon run but there was a nice breeze so okay. Feel I'm getting back into the groove.

Sleep: 6.25 hours RHR: 49 Weight: 150.5

Plan for next week

M- Nada
Tu- 6 plus strides
W- 6
Th- 7 including 3 @ 6 min pace (MP), 1 mile easy then 1 mile in 5:30
F- 6
Sa- Nada
Su- 10

We adopted a dog. She's a golden retriever/shetland mix, very calm and quiet. Emily is going to call her Goldie. We're bringing her home after she's had her 'surgery'

Tomorrow night I'm getting a massage that I won a while back.

One for the team

8.5 miles @ 6.47. Ran 7 miles around Mcalpine to Charlotte Christian track. Did 8*100 striders and then home. Felt a lot smoother today although felt a bit sluggish doing the 100s. Trying to incorporate 'strides' into the training a couple of times a week this time round.

Sleep: 6.5 hrs RHR: 52

Just about to head to the Charlotte Humane Society and look at a dog to adopt. As Tim put it, it looks like I'm 'taking one for the team' and letting my girls get their way! I've never ever had a pet before apart from fish!

Recession

5.3 miles @ 6.45. Same loop as Wednesday, pushed it harder today, probably a bit too hard

Sleep: 5 hrs (rubbish!) RHR: 48

So the recession is hitting hard here. My Company announced yesterday that as part of a drive to cut overhead because of the current economic climate, our staff cafeteria will be closed and the free fruit we enjoy will no longer be provided. That's going to cost me a fortune in apples and bananas- seriously!!

New format

5.1 miles @ 6.58. Lower legs tight to start, felt much better as run went on. In Tusca's words, stretched like a mofo afterwards.

Sleep: 6 hours RHR: 52

So this is the new format. Brief description of day's run to start. Some other stats and then any other blurb that comes to mind. I need to get the sleep up to 7 (though to be honest I seem to surive on 6) and the RHR to come down. It will do in the next few weeks I hope!

It's good to be back

5.3 miles @ 7.20 pace. Great to be out there again! Great temps too (won't last so i'm not fooling myself). Legs felt the usual kind of weird feeling they have when I haven't run for a while.

Quick update

Notice how the posts dwindle when I'm not running. I guess I only write this blog because I'm a runner (let's not start that whole "why do you write a blog?" debate again though). If I didn't run I wouldn't be writing a blog named 'Life with Mainers' after all!

That being said (and for the purposes of friends and family out there who couldn't give two hoots about my latest tempo run, etc.) I did have a great weekend. Saturday my Company organized tickets for us all to go to Carowinds Theme Park. This was great, despite the heat and vast numbers of fellow visitors because a) we had never been before and the kids had a blast and b) we were able to use our free tickets as credits towards the purchase of season tickets which means we can go back whenever we want now. Next time we'll try and get a babysitter so that Lisa and I can go on 'After Burn' rather than 'Dora the Explorer's Train Adventure' mind....

Then Sunday i had a great Father's Day topped off by watching Emily at her end of session Ballet Recital on the big stage!

Other than that I have been resting up nicely, no doubt hoarding some extra calories for the hard training ahead (will see the damage when i weigh myself on Wednesday). I was itching to run at the weekend but was good and didn't, only one and a half more days to go...

Richmond, we have a plan....

So Coach Tim and I (mainly Tim!) Coach Tim have mapped out a schedule for the rest of the Summer/Fall leading into Richmond. When I start training again next Wednesday, there will be 21.5 weeks until the big day.

The plan is basically split into 3 phases. Seven weeks of easy/base running, building up to 60 miles per week by the end of July, throwing in the odd race and tempo workout to remind the legs and lungs about speed. I will also adding 'strides' into the mix for the first time and being strict about taking Monday as a rest day every week- I always seem to do better with a day off each week.

The second phase will be the next 5 weeks building up to my only other goal race of the cycle, a Half in Cleveland the first weekend of September. This phase will see me cranking up the mileage and adding a second workout for each week, mainly LT work, but also some long interval workouts working the VO2. I will get up to 70 miles per week at this stage and my long run will hit 20 by the end of August.

After the Half (goal big sub 1.13 pr) I will have a couple of cut back weeks to hopefully freshen up again before the final push towards Richmond. Mileage will get up to 75 during this phase (doing doubles where necessary so I can keep the rest day) and a few of the long runs will incorporate goal marathon pace (6.00 at this stage) and faster, to get used to running race pace on tired legs. Workouts will continue to be geared mainly towards the LT but still working the VO2 as well. The last 4 weeks I will come down from 75 to 70 to 50 before the week leading up to the race. My last race will be a 15k 4 weeks out (hopefully with another chance of a pr), the last big workout will be a 17 mile run 2 and a half weeks out, with 12 miles at marathon pace.

Obviously this is all very up in the air at the moment but it's great to know I've got some sort of plan together and I know why I am doing what runs when.

Any comments from the experts out there will be very much appreciated! Current cautious goal for Richmond is to run sub 2.40, ambitious goal 2.35.

In the mean time I am enjoying my few days off. The only thing I have to do is remember to shower now! I associate showering with exercise so when I'm sitting on my arse all day I have to remind myself to take one!

So there you have it, it all starts next week Wednesday 18th June with an easy five mile run and a huge 30 mile week

DONE!

Well my taper theory didn't pan out! Ran a very poor race this morning, coming 4th in 16.32. Marchinko took it out as expected on his own, leaving me to try and set the pace for the second group of three. I wasn't feeling great during the first mile and when I saw 5.17 I knew I was in for a long morning! Second mile I was still leading the group of three and we went through in 5.19. I continued slowing down, Cody and Robert took it on and I couldn't do anything about it, just feeling really tired and obviously feeling the effects of my cold still. The 85 degree temperatures (at 7.30 am!) didn't help either! Once I could see that I wasn't going to get a good time or catch up with Rob or Cody I just shut it down and pretty much coasted in, to avoid further damage. In the last 800 meters I was already thinking ahead to not running for the next ten days or so!

So this cycle comes to an end with a whimper. Ironically my best race of the Spring was my 16.10 effort in England which I ran after about two weeks training and the day after wining and dining at my friend's wedding! Not too concerned about today though. I gave it all I could I am still just not recovered enough from my cold. Feeling fine now and ready to recuperate and get back at it in a couple of weeks.

The year so far

So today was the last training run of this cycle. 5k race tomorrow and then all of next week off. Decided I would have a look back at the log for the year so far and it basically told me what a frustating injury/illness filled 6 months it has been!

In a little over 5 months I have had 32 non run days- that's one month of doing nothing! In that time I have run just over 1,000 miles at an average of 44 per week and a paltry 6.3 average miles per run. That last stat was the most telling for me as it shows that even when i haven't had time off, a lot of those days have been very low mileage days.

Anyhow, the past is past. I am feeling healthy, no injury concerns and can't wait to start on the plan for the rest of the year leading up to the goal race at Richmond. Tim and I were bouncing ideas around this morning and we are putting the plan together as I speak. Tim has got some pretty cool ideas about how I should train this summer/fall and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all works out. I'll post further details of the plan once it is nailed down.

In the mean time I have one last 5k race tomorrow. I'm actually feeling pretty good for it as a result of the enforced taper, but I'm sure the conditioning I will have lost over the last few days will hit me hard in the race. Weather likely to be a factor too, forecast to be 80 degrees with the humidity making it feel 85. But we'll see. I can safely put it all on the line, nothing to lose- and I don't even have to worry about doing a warm down afterwards!

Brutal!

Only one word to sum up the weather here this week! Had forgotten how bad it gets. I leave my air conditioned office and by the time I get to my car 30 seconds later I'm drenched. And then on my way home I see people out running! Very strange, I don't see so many out there in the spring when it's cooler! For my UK readers it is in the high 30s here and VERY humid

9 miles today, nice slow pace, at 6 am, just shorts and shoes required.

Booking our vacation today. Renting a cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for a week. Dollywood here we come! We were originally planning on going to the Beach for a week but last weekend we discovered that the kids weren't too interested in the sand and sea anyway!

Back at it

Headed out this am for my first run for a week (not counting the Saturday disaster). I'm still not 100% but thought I had better test the waters at some stage if I am to even contemplate racing on Saturday! So met up with Tim and ran an easy 7. No dramas, felt okay, nice to be out there again- even if it was 75 degrees with dew point of 70 (at 6am)!! As long as the next couple of days go okay I'll be on the start line on Saturday for my last race of this cycle. then it's a week completely off and start thinking about Richmond.

I went to the docs on Monday as was still feeling awful. he checked me over and all was fine and said just keep resting and hopefully you'll feel better soon. Woke up Tuesday morning actually feeling refreshed by sleep for the first time in a week so hopefully I'm over this now. they also ran some lab tests so we'll see if they turn up anything. I tell you on Monday night I was starting to get a bit concerned. 5 days with no energy at all was getting a bit worrying