As a youth, I ran, yet I did not exist in a sense. 19 years passed. Today, I exist in one sense because I must run. Perhaps I run to escape the futility of my existence. Perhaps not. In either case, this blog, or whatever it is, will serve to chronicle my training as a runner, my development as a man, and ultimately my demise as a human, because all things pass, fade, retreat into the horizon--and while we run, as we run, the mirage that is the shimmering, glimmering future continues to assert itself just out of reach. And yet, as this picture up above connotes, it may still be beautiful. And so the question may be what is IT? What is it? What is IT?

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

7.26-8.1

7.26 9 miles (64 minutes) This felt great. My first 5.5 miles were in about 41 minutes and then the last 3.5 were in 23 with very little increased effort. Im tinkering with my stride and leg speed in order to create a more efficient running style. I'm feeling good.

7.27.10 7 miles total.
1.5 warm up then track workout with 400 recovery in between (2:30) 2000m, 1600m, 1200m at 6:35,5:13, 3:51. 1.75 cool down. I was a little bummed by this workout, but I have been doing a lot of speedwork lately--and this is probably pretty good, but Im being hard on myself. All in all, this is a definite improvement over what i could have done a couple weeks ago.

7.28.10 6 miles (AM) in 44 minutes...9 Miles PM (66 minutes)

Im heading on vacation today for 10 days, so I hope to be able to ramp the mileage up a bit. I need to lighten up on the track workouts to maybe just 1 per week. Ill cross train, too, in the coming 10 days with some mountain biking. Im starting to feel a real groove and working through the feeling of tired, heavy legs.

7.29.10 6 miles total 42 minutes. Im on vacation now so running in strange places. I ran loops around the campground. Each loop was .4 miles. I ran .8 miles slow and then .4 mile in roughly 2:05, which is about 5:10 mile pace.

Stowe, VT

Im doing trail running now while on vacation.

7.30.10 10 miles in 75 minutes. Massive hills.

7.31.10 4.5 miles in 35 minutes (am). 6 miles in 45 minutes.

8.1.10 6.5 miles in 44 minutes (am---2.5 miles warmup, 2 mile temp in 11:30 (very rough trail), then2 miles cool down). 7 miles in 54 minutes (pm)

71 miles this week! All-time record! I broke my weekly record by 10 miles!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

7.19-7.25.10

7.19.10 6 miles in 39:34 with 8 strides. I ran this at about 6:50 pace when I wasn't doing the strides, so this was a solid workout and taxing. I strided between 30 seconds and 60 seconds at nearly full speed.

7.20.10 10 miles total. 1 mile warm-up then 8 by 1,000k with 400m recovery (2:30).
3:17, 3:15, 3:16, 3:15, 3:16, 3:14, 3:18, 3:16. 2 miles cool down with 4 100 meter strides at top speed. This was a great workout.

7.21.10 6 miles at a nice pace in 41:59. It poured rain every second!

7.22.10 7.5 miles in 48:43--6:29 pace. I'm trying to run harder (faster) during my longer runs this week.

7.23.10 Off (although I went mountain biking).

7.24 15.5 miles (1:49:59) 7:06 pace altogether---One 6 minute surge at fast pace at 14 minutes and then 5 minute surge at 40 minutes--both at 5:40 pace or faster per mile. I was dead at the end of this one. 1 minute surge at 70 and 85 minutes. First 8 miles were in 55:00. Last 7.5 were in 54:59. I went mountain biking afterwards, too!

7.25.10 2 mile warm up. Then 2 sets of one 400 followed by 200 recovery (1:05), then 200 meter; 400 recovery between and after each set. Then half mile recovery--then 4 200's with 200 recovery.

65,32; 66,31; 30,30,31,30. 2 Mile cool down. 7 miles total.

52 for the week

I also mountain biked beforehand, so this was a pretty hard workout and a tough week. I'm pleased overall.

7.12-7.18.10

7.12.10---47 minutes (6 miles)

7.13.10---this was a killer workout and I cant believe I did it--1 mile warm up---12 by 400s with 200 meter jog recovery (average of about 75 seconds) 75, 73, 74, 74, 75, 72, 73, 73, 75, 73, 73, 71--1.5 miles cool down.
I had originally thought I could maybe average 77 or so with this workout--but the first lap felt so easy I decided to push it--Im psyched! Total of 7 miles

7.14.10--6 mile progression run--first 1.5 miles at 7:20 pace, then 1.5 miles in roughly 5:40 pace, then the same thing repeated--tough run but worthwhile--6 miles in 39:24.

7.15.10 11 miles 82 minutes---

7.16--1 mile warm up--very humid so I had to change this workout a bit to accomodate for the heat---4 by 800 with 400 recovery (2:15) 2:35, 2:35, 2:34, 2:34; half mile recovery; 2 by 400's with 200 recovery (75) 69, 69; half mile recovery; 4 by 200's with 200 recovery (75) 31,31,32,30; 1.25 mile cool down. 8 miles total.Very warm and muggy and this week is a pretty hard workout week, so I'm somewhat pleased.

7.17---5 miles--recovery run --40 minutes

7.18.10--OFF

43 Miles total for the week

7.5-7.11

7.5.10 1 mile warm up; 2 800's with 90 seconds rest (jogging 200) 2:31, 2:32; rest 2 minutes (jog 200) then 2 400's with 90 seconds rest (jogging 200) 72,72; rest 2 minutes then 4 200's with 90 seconds rest (jogging 200) 33,33,33,32. 2 miles cool down

It was 90 degrees and blazing, so Im happy with workout--I need to back off a little this week. I have been running hard!

7.6.10 6 miles easy (49 minutes)

7.7.10 OFF

7.8.10 OFF

7.9.10 Off

7.10.10 AM--Race day--5k in 17:07--1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down--pm--7.5 miles in 52 minutes----

7.11.10--11 miles in 80 minutes

total for week 35.5

6.28-7.4.10

6.28.10 9.3 miles in 67 minutes--fair amount of hills, too

6.29 1 mile warm up 8X400's with 100 recovery in between (about 36 seconds) 78,77,79,78,78,78,80,77--jog half mile then 4 by 200s with 200 jog in between (65 seconds) 36,34,34,33

6.30 11 miles in 1:15:53--about 6:54 pace--lots of hills in this route, but it felt easy. I ran within this run 2 ten minute surges at about 75 percent. Im really surprised at how much stronger I am feeling. Consistency would seem to be the key with training and it is starting to really pay dividends.

7.1.10 5 miles in 41 minutes. I felt dead tired, as I have been training pretty hard.

7.2.10 11.2 miles in 1:25. I felt pretty decent here.

7.3.10 OFF

7.4.10 11 miles in 1:14:39--about 6:47 pace--I mixed in about seven 2 minute surges here. It was very hot while I ran

53.5 miles this week

End of June report on previous training

I have been running semi seriously for the past 3 years--probably averaging 20 miles a week with the occasional week up to 60 miles and some as little as 10. In the past few months, however, I have gotten more serious and have been averaging around 35 miles with the last month about 45 miles per week and finally with some interval training.

I'm ramping things up now and looking to run a marathon for the first time in October and will start to race about 2 times a month in preparation to go along with more strategic works outs.

2 week ago, I did an interval work out as follows:

1 mile Warm up

1 mile 5:20, rest for 2 minutes, 1 mile 5:21, rest two minutes; 800 in 2:37, rest for 1 minute, 800 in 2:35, rest one minute; 400 in 76, rest 35 seconds, 400 in 76, rest 35 seconds, 400 in 74, rest 34 seconds, 400 in 74, rest 35 seconds.

This past week, I did 6 times 800 with 400 jog in between (2:20 rest) as follow: 2:33, 2:32, 2:31, 2:31, 2:31, 2:29--this was done on a treadmill, so most likely is not accurate at all

Today, I ran 7.5 easy miles in about 57 minutes this morning and then 4.75 miles in the evening in about 38 minutes after 10 miles yesterday, including a 5 mile race in 28:38. The course was hilly and I was not as prepared as I wanted to be, but I am very happy with the result. I feel very good today. I will look to get up to an average of between 50 to 60 miles by the end of july. My goal is to be able to run sub 16:30 for a 5k this summer and maybe sub 2:50 for a marathon. Honestly--I have no idea, but these goals do not seem outrageous. My ultimate goal is to break my 5k personal record I set when I was 15 years old, which was 15:47!

Mile log last 4 weeks

40 miles, 41 miles, 44 miles, and this week 32. I tapered a bit for yesterday's race.