If It Looks Like Marathon Training...

3/3-3/9:
98 miles
4 doubles
3 workouts
20.5 mile-long run

2/24-3/2
82 miles
4 doubles
2 workouts
19-mile long run

If last week represented my first tentative steps onto the big-girl diving board, then this week was the headfirst plunge into the mileage abyss. Not only did I complete three workouts (well, one of those was a mini-workout--more on that in a minute) and a 20+ mile long run, but I actually felt strong and healthy and pretty darn good the entire week.

The week started out strong (and chilly) bright and early on Tuesday morning with another near-single digit road workout with Larissa. I was a bit apprehensive about this, both due to the temperature and the fact that I'd completed my longest run in months less than 48 hours prior, but we somehow managed to stay warm and positive enough to take care of business. (At least until my body temperature plummeted on the aptly named cooldown, rendering my extremities totally numb and my fingers incapable of even grasping and inserting my housekey into the door without Larissa's assistance.)

Workout #1: 2x1.5 mile progression w/2 min. jog, each 800m @3:10, 3:00, 2:50; 4x600m @5:20 pace (2:00) w/2 min. jog = 9 miles total

My next (mini-)workout took place during Thursday's lunch hour with my boss and two coworkers. They're all training for a late spring marathon and had 6x800m on tap at 5k pace. The problem is, they're fairly new runners and rarely race 5k's, so the pace was approximated to be 6:30 although I suspected they could go faster. Sure enough:

Workout #2: 6x800m w/3 mins. jog in 3:10, 3:10, 3:07, 3:07, 3:00, 2:59 = 7 miles total

From my perspective, it felt great to open up the legs a little bit without being too taxing, and I loved helping my comrades achieve the feeling of triumph that comes with exceeding your expectations and physical limitations. (Seriously, when's the last time you thought, "Well golly, I just couldn't seem to run slow enough during that workout!" Yeah, me neither. But I'm happy that such a euphoria apparently exists for others.)

But without a doubt, and like a true American weekend warrior, my two biggest days of the week took place on Saturday and Sunday. I'd planned well in advance for a long run on Sunday with Sarah Cummings, who was making a quick trip to Boston, and then I somehow found myself getting roped into (read: eagerly volunteering for) Sarah Bard's lengthy Saturday workout as well. On an unseasonably warm morning (or perhaps only unseasonable relative to the rest of the week/month/year), Sarah and I joined Kevin and another BAA male escort whose name escapes me for some 4-3-2-1 mile action on the Charles.

Workout #3: 4 mile (6:03, 6:02, 6:05, 6:08), 3:30 jog, 3 mile (6:00, 6:07, 5:57), 2:30 jog, 2 mile (5:50, 5:45), 1:30 jog, 1 mile (5:43) = 16 miles total

Takeaways from this workout were:

1. Sarah is really fit.
2. There may be hope for me yet.
3. I love seeing happy, active people enjoying the river on a Saturday morning--except when they're in my way.
4. 50 degrees is, indeed, warm enough to comfortably slam a post-run Frappuccino.

Though I questioned my weary body's ability to move, I somehow managed to remain bipedal and reasonably functional for an "easy" 20-miler (2:30 and 20.66 miles to be exact, not that I am enslaved to my new Garmin or anything) with the Sarahs and a few different male BAA escorts on Sunday. During that time we saw over half the Boston course and a 60-year-old man running shirtless wearing khaki pants and oven mitts, so I can't help but consider it a win.

Will I be able to walk tomorrow? Debatable. Am I officially training for some sort of spring marathon? It sure looks that way... 

Read More

Losing the Battle(s), Winning the War

Tues, 10/1
AM: 5 miles easy
PM #1: 4 miles + strides
PM #2: 7 miles moderate

Wed, 10/2
AM: 3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 4x400 @80 w/60 sec. rest; 4x800 @2:44 w/90 sec. rest; 4x1000 @3:30 w/2 min. rest; 4x400 @78 or faster w/60-90 sec. rest
Actual: 79, 79, 78, 79; 2:44, 2:44, 2:44, 2:42; 3:27, 3:27, 3:27, 3:27; 76, 77, 76, 74
1.5 mile c/d
Total: 11 miles

What is it they say about the best laid plans?

Attempt #1 for this workout was Tuesday at lunch. I jogged an easy warmup to the Beverly High track, did some strides and drills, and was just about to rip into my first interval when the track was swarmed by a PE class the approximate size of my high school. Unruffled, I waited around for a few minutes to see if the melee would at some point amalgamate into some semblance of order, but instead it seemed they were just planning to run around all over the track and infield and everywhere in between to their heart's content. I shuffled back to the office, fuming, but at the same time resolving to stay the course and try again after school business hours.

Just before 3pm, my boss headed out for the day. Knowing he would drive right by the school, I asked him to let me know if it was open. A few minutes later I got the all clear and, seeing as how I hadn't so much as changed shirts since my jog a few hours ago, I was off to the races again. This time I decided to skip the extended warmup entirely, so less than three minutes from leaving the office (which couldn't have been more than eight minutes after my boss's text) I was literally back on track and ready for action.

And then, hell intervened again in the form of a field hockey game. I shit you not, less than thirty seconds after I stepped up to begin my first stride, two separate teams of girls (and their coaches, and parents, and big sisters and other extended family members) descended upon the track, tossing their luggage-sized backpacks here and there without a care, strewn haphazardly across lanes one and two like it was their own respective bedroom floors.

Needless to say, I gave up--for the time being. Discouraged, downtrodden, defeated in this battle, I vowed to come back and win the war at 6:30am the following morning before school work. Sure enough, come Wednesday morning those little delinquents were still tucked soundly in their beds and I had the entirely facility to myself. At long last, I win!

Oh yeah, and as for the workout itself, I nailed it. Trying to hit 10k pace and faster, solo, early in the morning isn't necessarily a recipe for success, but I got it done fairly comfortably. Perhaps I was fueled by yesterday's rage.  

Read More

Number of 800 Repeats > Number of Hours of Sleep

2.5 mile w/u
Target: 6x800m @2:38-2:40 w/2 mins. jog
Actual: roughly the above
2 mile c/d
Total: 8 miles

From Charlotte I headed straight to Austin on Monday morning, and never have I been so thankful to be in Texas. The weather was absolutely perfect every day--low 40s and a spectacular sunrise easing into upper 60s and sunny with no humidity (a particularly rare treat for this section of the Lone Star State). All of this plus the proximity to one of my favorite running buddies, Allison, meant I solidly frontloaded my weekly mileage and enjoyed almost every step.

The same could not be said for my workout on Thursday morning--but to be honest, I'm just proud of myself for making it happen. A late flight home on Wednesday night meant I didn't get into bed until almost 1am, and the promise of an exceptionally busy workday on Thursday necessitated getting up no later than usual if the workout were to have the slimmest chance of happening. Fortunately my partner in crime was game for dragging me around the streets of Salem, keeping the pace honest over the undulating terrain--"This is no Dilworth Speed Loop," he remarked at one point--and though I intentionally didn't start and stop my own watch, I know we were close enough to the prescribed splits for me to earn a semi-enthusiastic "nice work" at the end of it all. For today, I'll take it. 

Read More

12x800 Success

2.5 mile w/u
Target: 10-12x800 @2:35-36 w/2:30 rest
Actual: 2:36, 2:36, 2:36, 2:34, 2:36, 2:35, 2:35, 2:34, 2:36, 2:34, 2:35, 2:34
Average: 2:35.1
1.5 mile c/d
Total: ~10.5 miles

After several underwhelming race performances in a row, Coach Jordan and I decided to take an analytical look at my training and try to fill in the missing pieces. It's obvious that months of marathon and half-marathon training have made me strong, but what seems to be lacking is a comfort level with sustaining a quicker race pace. In Jordan's opinion, the best way to achieve that is simply by running harder, faster intervals. Sure enough, if you look back at my training under Coach Simmons in 2010, during which I set all my current track PRs, my log is riddled with sessions like 12x800, 20x400, 25x300, etc. I can't even remember the last time I've done 20 times anything, so needless to say my training has changed drastically since then. But if I'm really going to try to throw down a fast track time this spring, then we both agree that's what it's going to take.

Despite our newly steeled resolve, the workout got off to a decidedly inauspicious beginning. We left work a little bit early on Wednesday afternoon and jogged to the Beverly High track across the street...only to discover a high school meet in progress. Refusing to be deterred, we immediately hopped in the car and drove home, then jogged over to the Village School track...where another track meet was taking place. At this point we were out of options and time, so we just acknowledged that it was not meant to be our day and set off for a few easy miles instead. Thursday morning we were out the door early, this time finding the Village track completely quiet and deserted. Perfect conditions.

From the outset, my plan was simple: Latch onto Jordan. Stare at his back for two laps. Rest. Repeat. I can tell he's getting back into shape as he's recently started adding on amidst his queenmaking duties, and today was another example of that. I'd stop after 800 while he continued on for another lap, which meant the 2:30 rest was more like 1:15 for him. I'm ecstatic that he's getting back in shape, but on days like this I'm even more grateful that he still deigns to drag me around for a bit at girl pace. I can't expect these days to last forever, but you can bet I'm going to take advantage of them for as long as possible!

As should be expected, it took me a while to ease into a pace I'm seldom accustomed to running. It wasn't until the end of the third interval that I finally settled in, only to be thrown for a loop when Jordan dropped the pace seemingly significantly on number four. Seeing 2:34 on the watch sent me into a mini-panic, and I immediately asked that we back off a bit for the next few. (Mind you, at this point I still thought we were stopping at 10. I would've probably had a full-blown panic attack if I'd known we weren't even close to halfway through. I guess sometimes ignorance really is bliss.) The middle section of the workout felt the most comfortable, and I breezed through intervals four through eight with minimal discomfort. Then, Jordan dropped the bomb: 12 is the new 10. Ugh. Mini-panic #2 ensued, and admittedly I backed off way too much on the ninth repeat to compensate. This snapped me back to reality, and I closed out the final three with strong, if unremarkable, splits.

In order to put this workout into perspective, I think it's worthwhile to reflect on the two times I did something similar in the spring of 2010. On April 6th, I completed 12x800 with two minutes rest and averaged 2:36.7. This was several weeks after I ran 34:37 at Stanford. Just over a month later--in what is widely touted (by me, the only person who cares about it) as the best workout in the history of my entire life--I ran the same workout with 2:30 rest and averaged 2:33.3. Several weeks later I would run a tactical 34:50/16:35 double to earn All-American honors at D2 Nationals. Today I didn't come close to that average, or to the 2:30 I hammered for #9 and #12, but I still surprised myself with how close I came. With another month of work I might even be able to better that 2010 workout, which would be no small boost for my confidence. I'm excited at the prospect, and excited to learn that perhaps my fitness is (almost) there after all.   

Read More

BAA 5k Pre-Race Workout

PM: 2 mile w/u + strides
Target: 1600 @5:22-25, 2x800 @2:40, 2x400 @75 all w/2 mins. jog
Actual: 5:21, 2:37, 2:36, 72, 70
2 mile c/d
Total: 7 miles

Yes, I'm behind on my blog. Yes, I have multiple entries to catch up on. (Though I'm back-dating this entry for the sake of consistency, I'm actually writing it a full week later. Shhhh, don't tell.) I'll do my best to accomplish this in the next few days, but for the entire past week I've been caught up in Boston Marathon fervor. The agony, the ecstasy, the heat stroke...none of those words describe my own personal Marathon Monday experience, but I'm pretty sure I saw a little bit of all three out there on the course.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Last Wednesday, before the weekend craziness ensued, I ventured out to the Beverly High School track on my lunch hour to knock out a light, fast pre-race workout. Jordan and I invited several of our co-workers, most of whom dabble in running but are decidedly categorized on the cycling side of the industry, and it was actually quite fun fostering a group atmosphere even if we weren't all literally running together. For my part, I tucked behind Jordan and let him block the wind and set the pace. I was pleasantly surprised with my splits, particularly the 400s which felt completely relaxed. It was always a running joke (pun intended, obv) at Queens that I could never break 70 seconds for the quarter regardless of where it fell during my training cycle or within an individual workout, even when I was in 16:30 shape. I didn't do so today either, but I also wasn't trying to. I actually see this as quite an encouraging sign and indicator that I might be in better shape than I think. I'll have my first chance to prove that on Sunday at the BAA 5k.

Read More

Pack Mentality

4 mile w/u
Target: 3x1k @3:30 w/3:00 jog; 3x800@2:44 w/2:00 jog; 3x600@2:00 w/1:30 jog; 3x400 @78 w/1:00 secs jog
Actual: 3:28, 3:30, 3:31; 2:42, 2:44, 2:43; 1:58, 1:59, 1:58; 78, 77, 74
2+ mile c/d
Total: 12-12.5 miles

Unlike last week, the objective of this workout wasn't necessarily to see how far I could push myself or how fast I could go, but rather to practice running comfortably hard with an increasingly short amount of rest. With my trusty coach and newly healthy pacesetter at my side, Jordan and I set off for the soft surface of the Marblehead rail trail/bike path. Although straight and almost completely flat, the terrain runs somewhat slow due to the dirt and rocks and occasional uneven footing. Given today's goals and my desire to limit the pounding on my body, it was the perfect choice.

Despite the pedestrian starting pace, I initially struggled to settle in. I found myself checking my watch every few hundred meters, worrying about whether the pace was too fast or too slow and projecting my finishing time based on different landmarks on the trail. In fact, for almost the entire first half of the workout I missed the point completely. Finally Jordan reminded me to pretend like I was midway through a 10k race on the track, tucked into the pack and completely focused on the person in front of me. In that situation you're rarely worried about pace or splits; all that matters is remaining relaxed and controlled and expending as little energy as possible. Once I readjusted my mindset, stopped looking at my watch and simply locked into step behind Jordan, the entire tone of the workout shifted. In the end I actually surprised myself by recovering almost immediately after the 400s, to the point where a minute of rest almost seemed excessive. I finished feeling strong and confident thanks to Jordan's help and encouragement.

And now for some optimal post-workout recovery...a four hour drive to New York! Big Apple, here we come.

Read More

Piedmont Park Workout

2.5 mile w/u
Target: 2xmile @5:30-35 w/3 min. jog; 3x1200 @4:08-09 w/3 min; 2x800 @2:40 w/2:00; 2x600 @2:00 w/2:00
Actual: 5:29 (3 min jog), 5:26 (3:00); 4:00 (3:00), 3:59 (3:00), 4:01 (3:00); 2:40 (3:00), 2:35 (2:30); 600 @1:58 (1:30); 400 @73
1.5 mile c/d
Total: 11+ miles

I don't really have time to write about this right now, but I'll have even less time until Monday so I want to at least jot the details down. A few quick points:

• Did this on a ~one mile road loop in Piedmont Park. I'd planned to use the crushed gravel Active Oval but upon arrival we found it was quite muddy with several ankle-deep puddles.We made a game time decision to switch to the road.
  
• The loop was relatively flat and fast. First 800m was gradually uphill with a sharp, almost 180-degree turn at 600m, while the second 800m was slightly downhill to flat.
• From the first interval, I was running hard. Really hard. I had to augment the rest and change the last two intervals because I didn't think I could do another 600 at the same pace. I took advantage of the slightly downhill section and cranked out a hard 400 instead.
• This was likely the first, last and only time I've ever dropped Jordan in a workout. Clearly he is coming back from injury and hasn't worked out in several months, but that doesn't mean I won't give him a hard time about it.
  
• I'm still light years away from where I need to be in May, but today's effort gives me hope. Everything was done at my current 5k pace or faster.
• I'm glad to have my workout buddy back!
  

Read More

Longest Track Workout Ever

3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 3200, 2000, 1600, 1200, 1000, 800, 600, 400, 200 all w/400m jog
Actual: 11:50 (5:55/5:55), 7:14 (5:46 through mile), 5:44, 4:14 (2:49 through 800), 3:30 (2:48 through 800), 2:44, 2:01 (79 through 400), 76, 35
Total time: 58:17 for 14.2k/8.8 miles (11k workout plus 3200m jogging)
3k cooldown
Total: ~14 miles

Any way you dice it, this workout was destined to take up a large chunk of time. Jordan and I were up well before 6am to prepare, and after firing off a few work emails we put on our costumes and headed out the door. Continuing with the past week's trend it was unseasonably warm this morning, and I was already sweating in my light windbreaker by the time we reached our destination at Village School. (This is the track that eluded me several weeks ago which I erroneously thought was located at Marblehead High. Turns out it's not that far away, and Jordan and I have been using the adjacent grass fields for some of our evening shakeout runs ever since.) The warm weather also brought with it a prevailing wind which would prove especially obnoxious on the top curve of the track, but fortunately my trusty coach and pacer would be front and center to provide me with a significant drafting opportunity throughout the workout.

Last night when we were discussing this morning's details, we revisited the blog archives to find a similar effort that took place when we were visiting my parents for Thanksgiving last year. This time around I wouldn't necessarily be shooting for drastically faster times, but rather increasing the total workout volume from 8k (6 miles including jog recoveries) to 11k (8.8 miles including jogs). Two weeks after that session last year I ran 21:05 for 6k at USATF Club XC Champs, so I certainly wasn't in terrible shape at the time. With all that in mind, I was interested and not just a little bit eager to see if I could sustain similar paces today for a longer duration.

As is often the case with me, the first half of the first interval felt uncomfortable and a bit choppy. It took well over a mile for me to settle in and allow my limbs and breathing to relax. I quickly learned that checking my watch after each lap would make for an extremely long morning, so I decided just to glance at key markers in each interval and otherwise simply focus on tucking in behind Jordan. There was a point midway through when I had a minor mental freakout--for some reason I thought the sequence went "1600, 1200, 800" and I had no idea there was actually a bonus 1000 tucked in there--but otherwise I grew more comfortable and confident as the workout progressed. Once the 1000 came and went, I knew the most difficult sections were behind me. While Jordan added on an extra 200 meters hard after each of my intervals, I tried to keep the 400-meter jogs between 2:15 and 2:25. This seemed to be just the perfect amount of time to allow my legs and lungs to recover, maybe even a bit long as the interval length decreased. I may or may not have run blades out for the final 200, which was more of an homage to my training with Tanya at Queens than an actual attempt to muster up more speed; either way, the lighthearted moment indicated that I hadn't completely drained my energy or gone to the well.

Overall I was satisfied with my execution of the workout, especially compared with the November 2010 workout, and I could tell that Jordan was as well. I cannot stress enough how much of a help he was from start to finish--I literally could not have done this, physically or mentally, without him. So often he sacrifices his own training to improve mine, and I try never to take that for granted. His efforts certainly did not go unnoticed today. I know Caitlin and I both are already looking forward to him doing the same for Friday's tempo. It will be just like old times! Just a few easy runs between now and then before the band gets back together again. Can't wait!

Read More

Threes

2.5 mile w/u + strides
Target: 10-12 x 800m @2:40 w/90 sec. rest
Actual: 2:40, 2:42, 2:40, 2:41, 2:39, 2:40, 2:40, 2:40, 2:40, 2:39
2.5 mile c/d
Total: 10+ miles

After Saturday's workout debacle in Central Park, I was feeling less than confident about hitting even faster splits for just a slightly shorter distance today. It also didn't help that Jordan is busy changing lives in upstate New York all week, which meant I would be rolling solo. The section of trail I'd selected along the Marblehead dirt path, which is flat as a pancake and almost as straight, is great for training but not necessarily conducive to blazing fast times due to the nature of its dirt and gravel surface. Still, I resolved to approach the session with a positive outlook and made a conscious decision up front not to allow any negative thoughts to permeate my mind. Success was attainable, but only with the right outlook.

From the outset, I could tell this was going to be difficult. The brisk pace and early hour made for a rude awakening for my entire body, and 90 seconds of rest simply isn't much. I tried to make the most of it by walking for the first minute, then jogging for 30 seconds to ease into the next interval. Halfway through I came to the realization that while things certainly weren't going to get any easier, they didn't seem to be growing much harder either, and I knew that if I stayed calm and focused I could hit the remaining goal times. I didn't exactly knock it out of the park or produce any extraordinary splits, but in the end I hit the goal that Jordan prescribed. On the one hand it's easy to get discouraged when I look back on much faster 800m workouts that I did while at Queens, but I have to remind myself that I was deep into 5k and 10k track training then, not preparing to race 26.2 miles. For today, the goal was met.

If successfully completing the workout was the first positive thing to happen this morning, the second was learning that Caitlin had booked a flight to come visit us next week. We started talking a few days ago about the possibility of an impromptu trip, then after finding some reasonable fares online it looked like our idle conversation might become reality. Sure enough, next Thursday night I'll be picking her up from the airport for a weekend of hanging out, exploring my new town (which is still largely uncharted by Jordan and I), eating good food, cuddling with Weezy and, of course, running. I can't wait!

Since it's common knowledge that all good things come in threes--or is it bad things? I can't remember--then I knew it wouldn't be long before getting more good news. Sure enough, later in the morning I received an email from the president of Bonk Breaker letting the Bonk Breaker team members know that they would be launching a yummy new flavor, Apple Pie, just in time for Thanksgiving. I absolutely love Bonk Breakers and eat at least one per day, so needless to say I'm abundantly grateful for their sponsorship and thrilled to learn about a new flavor. So far my favorite is PB&J, followed in close pursuit by Espresso Chip, but I have high hopes for Apple Pie.

With all this good news coming before 10am, it's hard to believe the day could get any better. In reality, it probably won't. Either way I should get back to work.

Read More

Good Old-Fashioned Southern Road Trip

3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 200m-300-400-500-600-700-800-700-600-500-400-300-200 w/60-90 sec. rest
Actual: Above, starting at 5:30 pace down to 5:15-5:10
2 mile c/d
Total: 9 miles


Charleston's Cooper River Bridge

After a few hectic weeks of work and travel, I was beyond excited to spend a few days relaxing with my parents and Jordan in Charleston, SC. Though Jordan frequently visits accounts there (and was actually in town the previous week), neither my parents nor myself have ever been. After receiving what turned out to be a fabulous hotel recommendation from a friend and a vague idea of some touristy things we wanted to do, our trip began to take shape. Once my parents touched down in Charlotte on Sunday afternoon we set off for our riverside peninsula destination.


Ma mere et mon pere

In short, though the trip was wonderful from almost every perspective, one area that proved less than pleasant was running. With lows barely bottoming out at 80 and highs cresting the mid-90s (with humidity percentages following suit in the inverse), finishing a run with shorts that looked as though I'd fallen into the Cooper River was pretty much the norm. On Monday morning's easy run with Jordan and my pops I didn't mind it so much. The pace and conversation flowed easily and we were able to steal a few patches of shade, plus it's hard to complain about the gorgeous view with the Battery to our right and the harbor to our left.


Enjoying some R&R on the pier near our hotel

Tuesday morning was a different story.

At Jordan's suggestion, we rose before the sun to venture across the bridge to Mt. Pleasant for a track workout. He's worked out once or twice before with Irv and his crew from On the Run, so we hoped to meet up with them for a few laps together around the oval. As we exited the car and eased our groggy legs into a long warmup jog, I remarked to Jordan that even at 6am the conditions were reminiscent of the sweltering 13.1 Chicago from several weeks ago. An auspicious portent it was not. Even though the workout Jordan had prescribed (read: made up during our jog) didn't sound terrible, my already sweat-soaked shirt indicated that it wouldn't much matter. With a burgeoning bad attitude rising quicker than the sun, I rather petulantly whined to Jordan that he should have to pull me along, just like old times. Though I'm pretty sure he hasn't done so much as a stride in the past few months, he agreed without hesitation. I had my old partner back in action and just in the nick of time. Within the first few intervals I could tell that my breathing was unusually labored and my heart rate quicker than normal. The hot, damp air seemed utterly devoid of oxygen as I struggled to gulp enough down in between intervals. After the first few I stopped clicking my watch and instead concentrated on not falling off Jordan's hip or, worse, dropping out. I overheard Jordan saying that the 800 was 2:40 and the second 400 was 75, but other than that I honestly don't know many splits. It's been a while since I felt quite so terrible during a workout, and that's saying something. It wasn't my finest hour, but thanks to JSK I got it done.

Though the workout conditions weren't ideal, our recovery protocol certainly was. The expansive whirlpool tub in our room and easy access to the hallway ice machine made a post-workout ice bath a no brainer. I replenished (possibly over-replenished) my lost calories with pumpkin french toast at breakfast at our hotel, the Vendue Inn, and a huge burger from Pawley's in Columbia on the drive home (as seen on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives"). Not surprisingly, a few good meals proved to be a great way to cap off our trip and erase any lingering disappointment from my workout! I can't wait to travel to Charleston again--only maybe I'll wait until autumn next time.

Read More

Not-So-Speedy on the Dilworth Speed Loop

30 min. w/u (4 miles)
Target: 8x3 mins. @2:45 per 800m and getting faster w/2:30 jog
Actual: 7x800m: 2:45, 2:44, 2:44, 2:41, 2:39, 2:39, 2:39
35 min. c/d (4.5 miles)
Total: 13.5-14 miles

Given the unexpected but delightful upturn in the condition of my ITB, I woke up before the sun on Tuesday morning excited to take on my first workout in several weeks. I would be meeting Caitlin, Jay, Alice and potentially a few others for some 800s on the Dilworth Speed Loop, which meant that I would simply run there from mi casa for my warmup. (As a side note, does anyone know who named the Dilworth Speed Loop? And/or who presumably wheeled the course and spray painted the 200m markers on the road? These are the questions that consume my thoughts.)

For some reason, despite the fact that it invariably takes me about 30 minutes to reach the "start line" of this course, I always head out the door thinking it will only be 20. That miscalculation, coupled with a brief but exceptionally unladylike delay that involved me forcibly dry-heaving on the side of the road in an attempt to dislodge an intrepid yet ill-fated bug from my throat, meant that I arrived several minutes late and one interval behind the rest of the group. Drat. I'd planned on easing into the ungodly early start with some stretching and a few strides, but due to my own time mismanagement I literally had to sprint to catch up with the group and start my first interval (their second) in one awkward movement. Predictably, I felt terrible. My left hamstring seemed tight, which was concerning but not quite as much so as the realization that: I. Felt. Terrible. From the outset I was summarily dropped by Caitlin and Jay and breathing waaaay too hard to be running an uninspired 2:45. I tried to fight through it by reminding myself that I never work out this early and that it always takes me a few intervals to ease into the pace, but unfortunately I just never found my groove out there this morning. It's funny; last night when a group of us were at the JCSU track doing some gait analysis with Mark Hadley, I halfway joked that I wanted to sprint in the direction of the starting line and just bang out the workout right then and there. Granted, I wouldn't have gotten home until about 11pm, but I guarantee that I would've felt much better and run faster had I done just that. Instead, this morning I felt tired, sluggish and dehydrated.

Though I was able to narrow the gap between myself and Caitlin and Jay, I was never quite able to match them on any of the intervals. This was a new experience for me, and quite a humbling one. However, as Caitlin and I often remind each other during moments of frustration, having a bad workout does not necessarily indicate poor fitness. And even if it does, sometimes you have to accept the reality of where you are at a given time and appreciate the workout for what it is, not what you think it should be. The fact is, I'm still getting over the hump of a quasi-injury and haven't put in many substantial quality workouts in the past month. I'm not where I want to be right now, but even "bad" workouts like this one are a step in the right direction of taking me where I want to go.

Platitudes aside, things went from bad to worse on the cooldown. Despite drinking what felt like a gallon of water from Rebecca's front porch, the warm air and cloying humidity had Caitlin and I hurting as we slowly meandered back through Dilworth and Freedom Park. We parted ways with another two and a half miles to run, equally dejected about having to cover that distance solo. My spirits were briefly lifted when I spotted Justin Breland (outfitted in his Craft bandanna and Karhu shoes, of course) loping toward me on the bike path. I picked up my snail's pace as we jogged together for a few minutes, then promptly started walking once he turned around. I guess it all evens out. Regardless, I was utterly exhausted when I finally made it back home, having completed my longest run in several months with a workout sandwiched in the middle. These are the days that make you tougher, despite how discouraging they might seem at the time. I'll take the discouragement any day of the week over a nagging ITB, which uttered nary a peep of objection during the entire 13+ miles. Don't call it a comeback, but, well, I think I'm ready to stage my comeback.

Read More

McMullen Workout

4 mile w/u + strides
Target: mile (5:40), 1200 (4:10), 800 (2:44), 400, (80), 400, 800, 1200, mile all w/2 mins. jog
Actual: 5:42, 4:08, 2:44, 75, 76, 2:40, 4:07, 5:38
1.5 mile c/d
Total: 11.5 miles

For the second Wednesday in a row, I had the best possible weather scenario for my mid-day workout: sunny, 70 degrees, breezy and low humidity. We may only get a few weeks of springlike weather in Charlotte, but it's amazing while it lasts. For the second time this week I ran skins (plus sports bra), so I fully expect my runner's tan to be in full awkward bloom by the weekend.

Looking for a change of pace, Jordan suggested we venture down to McMullen greenway for this workout. I was pleasantly surprised--to be honest, I sort of forget that this venue exists, though it's located a mere ten minutes' drive from our front door--and was definitely excited about the prospect of running somewhere other than the Booty Loop or McAlpine. The few workouts I've done at McMullen have gone really well, so I felt optimistic that today would continue that trend. It also helped that Jordan designed (read: come up with 20 minutes before we left the house) a ladder workout with splits that should be relatively easy to hit, albeit with a short rest. My longer tempo workout will come this weekend in the form of the Race Fest 10k, so today would serve as an opportunity to hit some faster-paced, shorter intervals instead. After a longer than normal warmup (coach's orders) and a few strides, I was ready to begin.

From the first few steps of the initial interval, I could tell the pace felt easy. Turns out it was a bit too easy, as Jordan took me through the 800 in a pedestrian 2:53. We worked a bit harder the second half to make up the deficit, but in the end decided to let the gently rolling and winding terrain dictate the pace. If a few intervals were a second or two slow and others were a second or two fast, I wasn't going to stress about it. In the end this wouldn't matter as the leadoff mile was the only "slow" section. In fact, the middle 400's were quite a bit faster than the prescribed pace (5:00 vs. 5:20) due to the fact that Jordan made me lead these and apparently I decided it was time to sprint. Oh well. To be honest I'm surprised I can even run sub-80 pace right now so I'm definitely not complaining. Once he took over again for the final ascent up the ladder we maintained a controlled tempo, if slightly quicker than on the way down. I felt relaxed on every interval except for the final mile, when the dirt terrain and the uphill finish had me laboring quite a bit the final 400 meters.

Since I know you're all wondering, I'm happy to report that my knee/ITB was a non-issue during the workout itself. Predictably, it tightened up immediately upon finishing, but after stretching and walking around for several minutes I was able to cobble together a relatively comfortable cooldown. This is a marked improvement from last week and hopefully an indicator that this injury is headed in the right direction. In addition to a regular dose of ART and acupuncture with Dr. Greenapple, I have also begun seeing Caitlin's massage therapist Byran Bullock. Tomorrow he will be bringing the hurt with a 60-minute lower body massage designed to flush out my legs and break up all this pesky scar tissue around my knee and ITB. This ain't your grandma's massage, but it's absolutely what I need right now to rejuvenate my legs and bring me back to good health.

Read More

MPHS Track Workout

2.5 mile w/u + strides
Target: 2400, 2000, 1600, 1200, 800 w/400 jog; start @6:00 pace and cut down
Actual: 8:55 (5:57 through mile); 7:20 (5:52); 5:43; 4:11; 2:42 = 37:20 for 6 miles
2 mile c/d
Total: 10-10.5 miles

Just before bed last night, no doubt wrapped snuggly in a tryptophan-induced haze, my dad asked Jordan and me if we'd like to accompany him to the Mt. Pleasant High School track in the morning. Pops is gearing up for a five-person relay at the White Rock Marathon next weekend and was looking to put the finishing touches on his speedwork. While I'm a tad embarrassed to admit I probably wouldn't have come up with the idea on my own, I was actually happy to acquiese. I'm finally beginning to shake the grips of my cough and cold, so I might as well try to salvage the week of running if at all possible. We said goodnight early and agreed to an 8am departure time.

In contrast to the preceding days in Texas, Friday dawned crisp and startlingly cold. Since our 70-degree rainy run yesterday, temperatures had fallen steadily toward the 30-degree mark, which is where the mercury was hovering this morning. For my purposes, the chilly air meant it wasn't sensible to attempt any short, speedy intervals; instead, Coach Jordan advised a backward ladder starting at just six-minute pace for a mile and a half. It sounded pretty doable.

From the outset, I could tell things would be okay. Not great, not groundbreaking, but fine enough given my slight chest congestion and the residual Nyquil still lingering in my system. Jordan agreed to set the pace, which meant that save for a few laps I wasn't required to do much thinking. It also meant that I wouldn't have to fight the headwind on the backstretch, as his ample girth was more than sturdy enough to block it for me. Those two factors were no doubt the strongest contributors to my comfort level during the workout today, as only on the final two intervals did I ever feel like I was laboring. I was surprised to see that the entire workout totaled just over 37 minutes, which means that even including the four easy "recovery" laps I managed to average sub-6:15 pace for six miles. Active recovery isn't something I did much of while working out at Queens, but Jordan has emphasized it in all my recent workouts. It makes things tougher, but I can definitely see the potential benefits.

Read More

Worst Idea Ever

AM: 3 mile w/u
Target: 2xmile @5:20; 2x400 @faster
Actual: 5:21, 1200 @4:00; 800 @2:38; 2x400 @73, 72
2.5 mile c/d
Total: 9-9.5 miles

Initially my schedule had dictated mile repeats for today, but since I want to be somewhat rested for Greek Fest I decided to craft a pre-race workout instead. A nice, easy, confidence-boosting pre-race workout. I'd entertained the idea of meeting Pezz, who was running a similar workout, at McAlpine in the morning, but opted instead to jog from home over to the AG track. Since I irritated my foot doing some harder running at McAlpine on Sunday, avoiding the loose gravel seemed prudent. I hadn't set foot on a track since my failed duel with Tim at the Myers Park All-Comers meet two months ago, but for some (naive) reason I didn't think the layoff would be too big of a deal.

I was wrong.

From the first lap I felt awkward and uncoordinated. Oh, and winded and hopelessly out of shape. I didn't expect 5:20 pace to feel like a jog, but I certainly didn't plan to be seriously laboring halfway through the first mile. It was so bad that I realized immediately I would have to adjust the workout on the fly and focus on maintaining the same pace for shorter intervals. Even still, I wasn't able to relax and certainly never felt comfortable, despite taking full recovery (a lap jog plus some stand-around time) between each. If there was anything positive to take from the workout--and believe me, I'm reaching here--it's that I was able to negative split every interval. Otherwise I felt hopelessly locked in to 80+ pace from start to finish.

Needless to say, this was a rude awakening for CVS. Recent workouts have proven I'm fit for longer distances, but if I want to avoid embarrassment at the 5k champs in a few weeks I need to get my rear in gear.

Read More

Spinning Our Wheels

AM: 3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 8x800 w/2 mins. rest
Actual: 2:43, 2:43, 2:42, 2:42, 2:40, 2:41, 2:40, 2:39
2.5 mile c/d
Total: 9.5-10 miles

The only thing that makes me happier than working out with Caitlin is coming home from working out with Caitlin and discovering that she's already done a stellar job recapping the workout on her blog. Though one could argue that it's cheating, this development means that I get to be lazy and defer to her description of today's efforts. The one thing I will say, which she touched on briefly, is how much more difficult this felt versus doing a similar workout on the roads a few weeks ago. Today I felt like we were pushing just as hard but only managing 3-5 seconds slower per interval than we were that day. I guess that's the tradeoff for affording the body some time on soft surfaces, and to be honest it's a tradeoff I'm willing to make on occasion to avoid (or postpone) getting injured.

Read More

Double the Workout, Double the Fun

Early AM: 3 mile w/u
Goal: 8x800 @2:45 w/250m recovery
Actual: 2:36, 2:36, 2:36, 2:38, 2:38, 2:37, 400 in 73.5
1.5 mile c/d
Total: 9 miles

Later AM: 1 mile w/u
Drills, 5x30m "high knees" uphill
5x2:30 hill circuit
~3-4 miles

If you ever want to make the morning feel like an entire day, try cramming in two workouts and no meals into the span of four hours. That just about sums up my Tuesday.

To be fair, I brought it upon myself. I'd already planned to do 800s with Caitlin this morning when I agreed to help out at a middle school cross-country camp. I guess I just didn't realize how closely in time these two events would occur or how drained I'd be after the first workout. In the end, however, both sessions ended up being a lot of fun and made me appreciate my breakfast/lunch all that much more.

For starters, let's discuss the 800m workout. Caitlin, Justin and I planned to do this on a loop in Dilworth that is apparently widely used for this sort of thing, so much so that it actually has markers spray painted on the ground every 200 meters. When we rolled up to the Dowd at 6am we found that Alice Rogers, Pete Brown and Lat Purser were planning to do a similar workout. This was a pleasant surprise and an opportunity to team up with a few new people for what promised to be a difficult session. Caitlin had prescribed a 2:45 clip for these, but it became pretty obvious during the first 200 meters of the first interval that we would not be running that slowly (mostly because Caitlin and I were sprinting after Lat, who proceeded to demolish us throughout the workout despite not wearing a watch or being remotely aware of his pace). Ultimately we ended up rewarding ourselves for the faster tempo by cutting the workout a bit short, which panned out just as well for me since I'd promised to be at McAlpine by 8:30 to assist with the camp. (Also, here's a special shout out to Rebecca Thomason for mixing Gatorade for me and Caitlin on her porch pre-cooldown despite the fact that we were practically watering her plants with our sweat.)

Driving out to McAlpine I was already tired and hungry but also excited at the prospect of running with the kids at the camp. I knew little about the setup beyond the fact that most of them were future cross-country runners at Holy Trinity Middle School. Turns out there were 10 of them evenly mixed between genders and grades, all possessing an enthusiasm and boundless energy that I would love to bottle up. After a warmup mile and some drills we did a few high-knees exercises up the hill before dividing up into groups of two for a series of hill repeat loops. I ran with a tall eighth grader named Darvy and a small (but oh so spunky) sixth grader named Tyler, both of whom were determined to "beat" all the other groups on the hills despite the fact that we weren't really being timed. They made sure to do one more repeat than everyone else for good measure as well. It was a lot of fun to see them pushing themselves so intently and soaking up the training advice like a sponge.

Needless to say, by the time I returned home just after 11 I was starving and exhausted. Fortunately I had the rest of the day off work to rest and recover and squeeze in a badly needed nap. This may not have been the most conventional of workout days, but it was definitely time well spent.

Read More

Controlled Burn

AM: 3+ mile w/u
Target: 8 min., 6 min., 4 min., 2 min., 1 min. all faster than the one before
Actual: 8 (5:56 through mile), 6 (5:37 through mile), 3 (~2:40 through 800), 2, 1
2+ mile c/d
Total: 10 miles

After some debate about whether to do this on the roads or brave the muddy postdiluvian trails at McAlpine, we opted to hit the trails and hope for the best. While completing our warmup it became clear that while there were certainly some treacherous sections, the first 3k of the course was more or less dry and runnable. So, while we knew it might be lacking a bit in the way of excitement, we decided to run the workout portion of the run on that 3k loop (minus the hill). Today the "we" consisted of myself, Caitlin and Spada (plus Justin, who arrived just in time for our second interval), while our cheering squad of Paul, Jay and Aaron were content to put in a few recovery miles instead.

Though Caitlin had only prescribed 6:05ish pace for the first interval, the first few minutes out the gate felt fast; too fast, it seemed, for the early hour in my mud-caked trainers. I've come to expect that the first uptempo attempt of these early morning runs will feel pretty sluggish, but today I made a mental note to at least start doing a few strides to wake up the body going forward. My body gradually began to respond as we finished the eight minutes, and we were all pleased to see we'd split sub-6 at the mile marker. During the rest, which was equal in length to the previous interval, we decided to pick up the pace slightly for the sixer and come through the mile around 5:50. Clearly we misjudged what that slight effort increase would feel like, because my watch read 5:37 as we passed the marker. It actually felt better to me than the slower paced 8-minute section, and I knew that my body was finally ready to get in gear and respond to the effort increase for the rest of the workout. We accomplished our goal, steadily inching down the pace, until the final minute interval felt like an all-out sprint. On the drive out here I'd thought this workout would be a cakewalk, but pushing as hard as we did made it a much more rigorous effort than I'd anticipated. That is precisely why I enjoy working out with people, because I know that by myself I certainly wouldn't have gone as hard.

The best part? With the mileage totaling 10, that meant there was no need to double in the evening. Instead Caitlin and I congratulated ourselves on our awesomeness and went to Yo-yo-yoforia instead.

Read More

Nationals Pre-Race Workout

AM: 3 miles
PM: 3 mile w/u + strides
Target: mile @10k pace, 800m faster, 2x400 faster (all w/full recovery)
Actual: 5:26, 2:36, 70, 69
2 mile c/d
Total: 7-7.5 miles

Tonight was Tanya's and my final pre-race workout before Nationals. It almost felt surreal to stand on the track where we've been dozens of times before, feeling the familiarity yet knowing that in a few days the energy there would be unlike anything we've previously experienced.

The workout itself was uneventful. Neither of us felt spectacular, but I rarely do on pre-race workouts. I'd almost be more alarmed if I felt good than if I felt the way I did tonight. Not tired, really, but not exactly fresh either. I should also note that we traded our flats for spikes after the mile. Unlike the last time I attempted the switch, my calves seemed thoroughly unbothered, which was a relief. I will definitely wear flats for the 10k and probably even for the 5k prelims, but if/when the finals come around I'm definitely spiking up.

Three more days.

Read More

Post-Bedtime Workout

AM: 3 miles
PM: 3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 12x800 w/2:30 rest faster than last time; hammer #9 and #12
Actual: 2:35, 2:35, 2:34, 2:34, 2:34, 2:33, 2:35, 2:34, 2:30, 2:33, 2:33, 2:30
(Average: 2:33.3)
1 mile c/d
Total: 10 miles

For a workout that was almost over before it started, this ended up turning into arguably my best track session of the year. I say it almost didn't happen because when we arrived at JCSU around 7:30pm, we discovered that a youth track meet was in full swing. It's not uncommon for the Charlotte Flights youth track program to be practicing while we're there, but seeing an official meet taking place was new for us. We had no choice but to start jogging our warmup and hope that things would be drawing to a close by the time we got back.

Unfortunately, the meet was still in action when we returned, but not for long. We had just enough time to witness the hard fought and highly entertaining 4x100m relays before people started clearing out. At this point it was almost 8:30, and the JCSU coach had already informed us that the lights would be shut off shortly. We knew we were running on borrowed time before the entire track would be shrouded in darkness. With little incentive to dilly dally, we got started right away.

For better or worse, I've come to believe that you can usually tell how a workout will go within the first few intervals. If you're feeling great, chances are the rest of the workout will be solid. If you're already struggling to hit goal pace, well, then it's probably going to be a long night. (Want a great example of the latter? How about last Thursday.) Much to my relief, I ascertained almost immediately that tonight would be indicative of the first scenario. I hit 2:35 out of the gate feeling very comfortable and relaxed, only a stride or two behind Tanya (and Jenna, who was running 400s on the first lap of our 800s). Last time I did this workout I started at 2:38s before settling in at 2:36, but tonight I would not run slower than the opening 2:35. I was also able to gauge the improvement in this workout based on my proximity to Tanya; last time we did 800s I was almost 10 seconds behind her for the entire first half of the workout, but tonight I would stay within a few meters of her the whole time (except when she hammered a blistering 2:20 on her final interval, but I'm getting ahead of myself).

Halfway through the sixth interval, the track suddenly went dark. Only the uptown Charlotte skyline and a well-lit billboard kept the lane markers marginally visible. I've gotta be honest, it was pretty badass (and probably dangerous, knowing my propensity for clumsiness). Fortunately everyone stayed bipedal and in one piece for the rest of the workout, which I suppose is a success in itself. At any rate, shortly after the lights went out I began to feel the early pace take its toll. Our first hammer was slated for #9, and I honestly doubted I could run faster than the pace I was already hitting. Jenna gamely agreed to jump in for my second lap instead of the first, so I tried to stick with her to the finish. It paid off and I ran 2:30, but it would be an outright lie to say I wasn't completely gassed afterward. This is where staying mentally tough became absolutely crucial, and I willed myself to take things one interval at a time until the finish. Sean came in and paced Tanya for her sick final interval, while Jenna jumped in with me again and I just tried to hang on. It wasn't pretty, but I finished just about as fast as I could've hoped for. We cooled down and departed the track just after 10, which everyone knows is dangerously close to my bedtime. Obviously this is later than I would've liked to be out there, but I'll take it given the positive end result.

More than anything, I was stoked to have such a good workout after my lackluster effort on Thursday. Last time I averaged high 2:36s for what was, at the time, my best track workout ever. I remember thinking then about how hard I pushed at the end and how I couldn't fathom running the workout any faster. After tonight I feel the same way. But seeing the improvement from then to now, who's to say that I won't be able to average 2:30 or faster a year from now or even a month from now? One of the biggest hurdles to my success is limiting myself to what I think I can and can't do, being intimidated by workout times and race goals. Nights like this, when I surprise the hell out of myself, give me hope that I might become halfway decent at this whole running thing after all.

Read More

Payton Jordan Pre-Race Workout

AM: 3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 2x200m; mile, 800, 400 @race pace (~5:25-5:30); 2x200m fast
Actual: 2x200, 5:22, 2:41, 71, 31-high, 31-low
2 mile c/d
Total: 8 miles

As far as pre-race workouts go, this one was pretty standard. By that, I mean I came away from it thinking, "Oh crap, I have to run that pace for 5 more miles?!" Don't get me wrong, it's not that I was straining for the pace today, but to say that it felt like a jog would ring false. I'm attributing it to the wind, to the hard long run Sunday, to the workout being at 10am, yadda yadda yadda. Tanya felt pretty sluggish too, which I suppose provides a bit of consolation.

Also of note, I decided to switch from flats to spikes between the mile and the 800 and immediately regretted it. Halfway through the interval my right calf started tightening up like crazy--possibly residual soreness from the 5k at Penn?--and I knew the smartest course of action was to put the flats back on as soon as the interval was over. I was able to get through the rest of the workout fine, but I'll definitely need to keep an eye on it over the next few days. This late in the game I can't afford for anything to go wrong.

Read More