I decided to give some thoughts on my season. Since Good Friday, I had only 7 races, which included one relay that was more of a time-trial than a race. I did four 5ks, none of which were fast, but I finished with two 1500s that I felt were great. The times were close to what I ran in my last track season in 2004, and I felt as though I had fantastic race tactics. I am certain that if I had another race with solid competition, I would have gone another two seconds faster.
In one of my first track workouts of the year, I said to myself partway through an interval "Wow, how I love the track." It felt great to be racing on the track again. There is something special about running hard for just over four minutes, always with people near you, and then beating them.
What went right? It is hard to say. I felt as though I was in great shape when I left for QUBS, but while I was away, I did only one workout. I ran about five days a week, but had a lot of cross training through swimming. I came back trying to hang on to Nathan and Rob, but I very quickly got my speed back. Running a 400 in 58 seconds felt like a big turning point. It gave me confidence, and helped me control both of my races. Even though I had stopped going to the gym, I felt strong through every interval. Perhaps it is telling that I was able to run good 1500s but struggled with the longer races. I had pretty good aerobic fitness from all the exercise I got at QUBS, yet my results in the 1500 versus the 5ks suggested a 'crash course' in getting into race shape. That was odd.
I think the workouts prepared me very well. As I get older, I find I need more time to warm up properly. Steve often set workouts with short repeats (200m) at the same pace as the longer repeats to come. While other guys were running 1-2 seconds faster than me on these short repeats, by the end of the season I was only a step behind on the longer repeats, running the same pace. In previous years, I might have tried to kill the 200s, then be left tired for the longer repeats, which would be of no benefit to me. I tried to train smarter, asking Steve about the purpose of the workout. If the point of the workout was to run race pace but I felt good, I would still try to run just race pace. If the point of the workout was the run fast, I would run fast.
It was great to finish the season on a high note. I have run well the past two summers. I have not yet decided what to do with my fall racing season, but I am already looking forward to next summer. Next year I want to have a longer track season, and make a serious attack on my 800 and 1500 PBs.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
July 21 - 27
This is going to be a very short week running-wise. I have my last race of the summer track season on Wednesday, and after that, I am taking a short break from training. My body feels healthy, but there is no harm in resting.
Monday (12km)
A nice tuning workout at Mother Teresa. Rob Watson was the only other guy doing the workout with me, but Bethany and Katie started with us on the repeats, and Katie was aiming for the same pace. We did 2x200m in 31/32.5 to get the feel of a 64-second pace. Had a good long rest before a 600, aiming for 1:36. We were almost perfect throughout - finishing in about 1:35.5. The last set was 2x300, accelerating every 50m, and 4x50m all-out. I like finishing with the 50s - it makes me feel fast. A pretty good workout - feeling good about the race on Wednesday.
Tuesday (cross training)
Another ultimate frisbee day. We had two games to make up on the schedule, but the second was canceled because of rain. We lost the first game, but it was against a team we should have destroyed. That was disappointing.
Wednesday (race - 12km total)
My final track race of the year - a 1500. Like last time, something happened during the day that made me upset and motivated to prove myself, but I will not elaborate. I was in the second of three sections. I had spectators out for this race - some friends from the Hugh Henry lab - and there were a few people there that I had not seen in a while, including Joe Turner and Nick Thomas (who was in my race). Joe introduced me to the top seed and his coach. I told them that I was aiming to go out in 65s laps, and the top seed's coach said he was probably going to go for 64s. Um, his seed time is 4:05, which is actually slower than 65s. Do they know how to run a 15? From the gun, I sat back in 4th for the first 200 before deciding to take the lead because I sensed the pace was lagging. We hit 400 in 65. I led the entire next lap, feeling strong and relaxed, but I slowed, hitting 800 in 2:11. Where was that guy aiming for 64s? Oh, there he was. He made a move to pass me with 600 to go, and I let him get a step on me on the curve before I pulled up on his shoulder for the straightaway. When we hit the bell (in 3:00), I made a huge surge, gapping him in the first 30m. I sensed my pace was quicker than I could hold for a full lap, so I let up slightly after hitting 1200 in 3:15. I really should have kept the pressure on and just went for it. I was unchallenged the rest of the way, and I won in 4:06.55. I was 0.44s off my personal best from 2004, and I won by 2.44 seconds. I really need a group running 4:01-4:08. I know that I have at least two more seconds in my legs.
Thursday (OFF)
Resting
Friday (OFF)
Resting
Saturday (OFF)
Resting and getting fat.
Sunday (OFF)
I went to the gym for the first time in a couple of months and did 15 minutes on an elliptical, then some weights and core work. It was really quiet at the gym, which was nice.
Total - 24km. Easy week. Resume running next week.
Monday (12km)
A nice tuning workout at Mother Teresa. Rob Watson was the only other guy doing the workout with me, but Bethany and Katie started with us on the repeats, and Katie was aiming for the same pace. We did 2x200m in 31/32.5 to get the feel of a 64-second pace. Had a good long rest before a 600, aiming for 1:36. We were almost perfect throughout - finishing in about 1:35.5. The last set was 2x300, accelerating every 50m, and 4x50m all-out. I like finishing with the 50s - it makes me feel fast. A pretty good workout - feeling good about the race on Wednesday.
Tuesday (cross training)
Another ultimate frisbee day. We had two games to make up on the schedule, but the second was canceled because of rain. We lost the first game, but it was against a team we should have destroyed. That was disappointing.
Wednesday (race - 12km total)
My final track race of the year - a 1500. Like last time, something happened during the day that made me upset and motivated to prove myself, but I will not elaborate. I was in the second of three sections. I had spectators out for this race - some friends from the Hugh Henry lab - and there were a few people there that I had not seen in a while, including Joe Turner and Nick Thomas (who was in my race). Joe introduced me to the top seed and his coach. I told them that I was aiming to go out in 65s laps, and the top seed's coach said he was probably going to go for 64s. Um, his seed time is 4:05, which is actually slower than 65s. Do they know how to run a 15? From the gun, I sat back in 4th for the first 200 before deciding to take the lead because I sensed the pace was lagging. We hit 400 in 65. I led the entire next lap, feeling strong and relaxed, but I slowed, hitting 800 in 2:11. Where was that guy aiming for 64s? Oh, there he was. He made a move to pass me with 600 to go, and I let him get a step on me on the curve before I pulled up on his shoulder for the straightaway. When we hit the bell (in 3:00), I made a huge surge, gapping him in the first 30m. I sensed my pace was quicker than I could hold for a full lap, so I let up slightly after hitting 1200 in 3:15. I really should have kept the pressure on and just went for it. I was unchallenged the rest of the way, and I won in 4:06.55. I was 0.44s off my personal best from 2004, and I won by 2.44 seconds. I really need a group running 4:01-4:08. I know that I have at least two more seconds in my legs.
Thursday (OFF)
Resting
Friday (OFF)
Resting
Saturday (OFF)
Resting and getting fat.
Sunday (OFF)
I went to the gym for the first time in a couple of months and did 15 minutes on an elliptical, then some weights and core work. It was really quiet at the gym, which was nice.
Total - 24km. Easy week. Resume running next week.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
July 14 - 20
So I put the wrong dates on my last blog entry. They are fixed now. I hope that I did not lose a lot of readers because they thought I had not updated my blog in a while.
Monday (workout - 12km total)
A pretty good workout to kick off the week. My legs felt tight today, but I guess I can get through a workout with tight legs - it is dull legs that I struggle through. Started out with a 1200 (in 4:07) trying to help Bethany with her 2k tempo, then had a nice break before starting 4x400 in faster than race pace (63/62/61/62). My first 400, even though it was slower than the others, was my best of the lot. I went out too fast on the other three and positively split from 200 to 400. It is nice to feel the legs move fast, though. Finished up with 4x200m at stride effort, not timing any of them. I felt nice and strong on these. My days have felt really boring, but I have been running with more confidence since my 1500.
Tuesday (13km)
55 minutes with Chris. My legs felt a little tired today, but better than I might have expected after yesterday's workout. We went through Gibbons down to the west branch of the Thames (on the Terry Fox Parkway), turned around and came back. John Ferguson's group was running through Gibbons when we went past the first time, so I got to enjoy saying hello to some familiar faces.
Wednesday (workout - 12km total)
A nice light workout to lead up to my race on Friday. Did 4x300m downhill with a jog recovery, then 4x a 430m loop as a partner relay. I was aiming for tempo effort on the first two, but got into a race with Eric Barry and Ben Procter in the last two. I pulled even with Eric in my last loop, and Chris narrowly outkicked Ben at the end of his loop. The young guys put some fear into us!
Thursday (8km)
An easy 38 minutes with Chris. It was really hot. I did not want to tax myself very much today, with the race looming. I had leg spasms through the day, which is a bit disconcerting. I hope they resolve themselves overnight.
Friday (race - 15km total)
A really hot day, but I felt well-prepared and eager to run a fast time. I jogged down to the start from my apartment, then added on to make sure I was thoroughly warmed up - about 6k running. I got in some good strides. They felt comfortable, but I felt as though I was missing some zip. Even though my left lower leg was giving me problems during the day, I elected to wear my lighter, less supportive shoes in the hopes that I would run a faster time. I was aiming for sub-16 today, but I said that I would be happy with anything under 16:15.
I went out hard, but was sitting in about tenth when we made the turn down the hill, and hit 1k in 3:07. After the water station, I moved up on some more guys, going from 7th at 1k to 5th by 1.5. Looking at the guys in front of me, I knew that Chris Smith and I were going to pick them off. They were starting to struggle. My splits were getting slower, too: 2k in 6:23. I passed Chris at 2.25k and told him we were going to catch the others. I was in third at the turnaround, and got up on the guy in second's shoulder at about 2.8k. He tried to surge on me, but put less than a step on me, and I slowly increased my pace so that I had passed him for good by 3.2k. My 3k was in 9:42 (again, slower). I felt rough heading up the hill out of the park, and Chris caught up to me at the bottom of the Talbot St. hill (about 600 to go). He said that we were clear, but he had nothing left, so I should go ahead. I told him that I was pooched, too, and we should just work on our time. He suggested that we split the prize money, and I said sure. He checked that we were clear just before we crested the hill, and I increased my pace on the finishing straight. I really did not want to be over 16:30, but I was: 16:31. About 15 seconds slower than I realistically thought I would have run today. Chris was another 9 seconds back of me. After giving $25 of my prize to Chris, I got to keep $125 to myself. In the money! Sweet!
I did a 4k cooldown after my massage. The massage therapist really did not work me very hard. I wish I had someone else, but at least she was attractive.
Saturday (14km)
A really slow 63-minute 'junk run'. I had a lot of waste in my legs to clear out. I went from my apartment to the bike path, then up to just beyond Ross Park and turned around to come back. It was bloody hot.
Sunday (18km)
In the race on Saturday, I heard a young boy cheering for Tim about 400m into the race. I shook it off, not thinking it was for me, but he cheered "Go Tim!" again with 400m remaining, and I was the only Tim around. I wonder who it was cheering for me? Who is this mystery fan?
Today I went for 18k, much of that with Chris. It was humid, but much less hot than it was yesterday. It was 78 minutes total running, out on Sarnia and through the subdivisions through Brescia and home.
Total - 92km. A decent week mileage-wise. I was disappointed with my time on Friday, but I'm pleased with second.
Monday (workout - 12km total)
A pretty good workout to kick off the week. My legs felt tight today, but I guess I can get through a workout with tight legs - it is dull legs that I struggle through. Started out with a 1200 (in 4:07) trying to help Bethany with her 2k tempo, then had a nice break before starting 4x400 in faster than race pace (63/62/61/62). My first 400, even though it was slower than the others, was my best of the lot. I went out too fast on the other three and positively split from 200 to 400. It is nice to feel the legs move fast, though. Finished up with 4x200m at stride effort, not timing any of them. I felt nice and strong on these. My days have felt really boring, but I have been running with more confidence since my 1500.
Tuesday (13km)
55 minutes with Chris. My legs felt a little tired today, but better than I might have expected after yesterday's workout. We went through Gibbons down to the west branch of the Thames (on the Terry Fox Parkway), turned around and came back. John Ferguson's group was running through Gibbons when we went past the first time, so I got to enjoy saying hello to some familiar faces.
Wednesday (workout - 12km total)
A nice light workout to lead up to my race on Friday. Did 4x300m downhill with a jog recovery, then 4x a 430m loop as a partner relay. I was aiming for tempo effort on the first two, but got into a race with Eric Barry and Ben Procter in the last two. I pulled even with Eric in my last loop, and Chris narrowly outkicked Ben at the end of his loop. The young guys put some fear into us!
Thursday (8km)
An easy 38 minutes with Chris. It was really hot. I did not want to tax myself very much today, with the race looming. I had leg spasms through the day, which is a bit disconcerting. I hope they resolve themselves overnight.
Friday (race - 15km total)
A really hot day, but I felt well-prepared and eager to run a fast time. I jogged down to the start from my apartment, then added on to make sure I was thoroughly warmed up - about 6k running. I got in some good strides. They felt comfortable, but I felt as though I was missing some zip. Even though my left lower leg was giving me problems during the day, I elected to wear my lighter, less supportive shoes in the hopes that I would run a faster time. I was aiming for sub-16 today, but I said that I would be happy with anything under 16:15.
I went out hard, but was sitting in about tenth when we made the turn down the hill, and hit 1k in 3:07. After the water station, I moved up on some more guys, going from 7th at 1k to 5th by 1.5. Looking at the guys in front of me, I knew that Chris Smith and I were going to pick them off. They were starting to struggle. My splits were getting slower, too: 2k in 6:23. I passed Chris at 2.25k and told him we were going to catch the others. I was in third at the turnaround, and got up on the guy in second's shoulder at about 2.8k. He tried to surge on me, but put less than a step on me, and I slowly increased my pace so that I had passed him for good by 3.2k. My 3k was in 9:42 (again, slower). I felt rough heading up the hill out of the park, and Chris caught up to me at the bottom of the Talbot St. hill (about 600 to go). He said that we were clear, but he had nothing left, so I should go ahead. I told him that I was pooched, too, and we should just work on our time. He suggested that we split the prize money, and I said sure. He checked that we were clear just before we crested the hill, and I increased my pace on the finishing straight. I really did not want to be over 16:30, but I was: 16:31. About 15 seconds slower than I realistically thought I would have run today. Chris was another 9 seconds back of me. After giving $25 of my prize to Chris, I got to keep $125 to myself. In the money! Sweet!
I did a 4k cooldown after my massage. The massage therapist really did not work me very hard. I wish I had someone else, but at least she was attractive.
Saturday (14km)
A really slow 63-minute 'junk run'. I had a lot of waste in my legs to clear out. I went from my apartment to the bike path, then up to just beyond Ross Park and turned around to come back. It was bloody hot.
Sunday (18km)
In the race on Saturday, I heard a young boy cheering for Tim about 400m into the race. I shook it off, not thinking it was for me, but he cheered "Go Tim!" again with 400m remaining, and I was the only Tim around. I wonder who it was cheering for me? Who is this mystery fan?
Today I went for 18k, much of that with Chris. It was humid, but much less hot than it was yesterday. It was 78 minutes total running, out on Sarnia and through the subdivisions through Brescia and home.
Total - 92km. A decent week mileage-wise. I was disappointed with my time on Friday, but I'm pleased with second.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
July 7 - 13
Monday (workout - 11km)
This was a nice tuning workout, but I had a lot of trouble getting my legs to find the right pace. I was aiming for 2x400 in 66, but I hit the first 200 in 34 and had to pick it up to get to 67. On the second, I went through 200 in just over 31, and slowed to hit 66. We had a good long recovery before running a 400 at 95%. I ran it in 58, which I was quite happy about - I believe it was my fastest 400 in three years. Finished up with 6x50m all-out. That was satisfying. On the first four, I felt as though I could have been a sprinter, but I was not as quick on the final two. I did not bother to time these.
Tuesday (cross training)
I had two ultimate frisbee games scheduled for tonight, so my only dedicated 'run' was the jog over from my office to the fields (call it a kilometre) Partway through the first game, we were delayed because of lightning, and it was ultimately postponed because of heavy rain. I had not got a lot of exercise today, but it felt like a fine light workout. My hamstrings felt especially sore after yesterday's hard 400. I rested up for the race tomorrow.
Wednesday (1500m race; 12km total)
Such a great race! I was reminded why I love the track so much. I had been having a lousy day, so I left school twenty minutes early to rest and fuel up before my race at 8:30. I had an oatmeal bar at 5:30, Gatorade to wash it down, and a can of Ensure half an hour later. I jogged over to the track at 7:40, then added on a bit to get to about 6k of warmup. On my run over, a guy approached me orthogonally and looked like he was going to mock me. Just before he had a chance to do anything I turned to him, stopped, and firmly asked "What are you doing?" He flinched and said "Running." "Sure..." I replied, and started to run again. When I was 30m off, they called some derogatory things after me. What douches. The incident made me feel tough, though, which was a good thing heading into a race.
I was in the second-slowest section, seeded at 4:10. I had not done a 1500m race since 2004; in fact, I do not think I had competed in an individual track race at any distance since 2004. I thought any time between 4:10 and 4:20 today would be acceptable. When the gun went off, I let myself settle into the middle of a pack. The leaders hit 200 in 31-high, with me about a second back, in fifth place. The leaders hit 400 in 64 seconds, which was faster than any of them thought they could run for the whole race (I was the fastest seed). I was two seconds back, in 66. I let them lead us through the next lap. At 700, someone made a move to take the lead, which allowed me to tuck behind someone on the rail for the curve. The leaders hit 2:12 for 800, representing a big slowdown for them, and I was 2:13, which was fairly even. I was no longer comfortable sitting and waiting, so I moved up on the outside, unsure of where I wanted to settle in: second for the curve (in which case I would have to slow down from my surge), or to take the lead (in which case I would have to speed up just a bit more). I decided to take the lead. I felt awesome being in the lead on the main straightaway, and hit 1200 in 3:18 (a slight increase in pace). I felt myself slow a bit on the backstretch as I ran into the wind, but I still felt strong, and I sensed I was clear of the field. I needed to motivate myself to hit a good time. In the final 200, I picked up the pace again and hit the line in 4:08.95. It was exhilarating to run away from the field like that. I know I had more in my legs, and could even challenge my 4:06.11 PB, but I am happy I had a race like this with people I felt I could run with so that I could work on my race tactics. This is exactly how I like to run a 1500. I was delighted.
Thursday (13km)
56 minutes with Chris. My stomach was giving me trouble again, so I was pretty slow in the last fifteen minutes. My legs were tired today. It was not that fun a run.
Friday (OFF)
A scheduled day off. I took it.
Saturday (workout; 12km total)
A pretty good track workout. Much of it was at my 1500 goal pace, but I also had some work faster than goal pace. Did 3x200m in 30-32, followed by 500 in about 77; which was half of what Rob Watson did; I was trying to pace him to a 2:33 kilometre. That felt good; I felt strong throughout. Then did 3 sets of 300/200, with a 30 second rest between the 300 and the 200, with the 300 at goal pace, the 200 faster than that. I felt quite tired after that, but still did 6x150m accels. My last two were rough - I was wheezing. It was nice to start the workout later than usual for a Saturday (10am versus 8:30), but it was quite humid by the end. I went through all my water by the time I had finished.
Sunday (16km)
An easy 70 minutes on my own. I went up Wonderland to the Brescia trails, then came back along Western Road, adding on in my neighbourhood to get to 70. My legs felt quite tired from yesterday. I was sleepy tired all day because I had not gotten enough sleep - I was up early to watch Chris's run and help Steve time.
Total - 65km. A low mileage week. I meant to get more in on Tuesday, but it did not happen. My race was the big highlight and left me feeling optimistic for the race next Friday (5k downtown) and for the 1500 the following Wednesday to finish up the track season.
This was a nice tuning workout, but I had a lot of trouble getting my legs to find the right pace. I was aiming for 2x400 in 66, but I hit the first 200 in 34 and had to pick it up to get to 67. On the second, I went through 200 in just over 31, and slowed to hit 66. We had a good long recovery before running a 400 at 95%. I ran it in 58, which I was quite happy about - I believe it was my fastest 400 in three years. Finished up with 6x50m all-out. That was satisfying. On the first four, I felt as though I could have been a sprinter, but I was not as quick on the final two. I did not bother to time these.
Tuesday (cross training)
I had two ultimate frisbee games scheduled for tonight, so my only dedicated 'run' was the jog over from my office to the fields (call it a kilometre) Partway through the first game, we were delayed because of lightning, and it was ultimately postponed because of heavy rain. I had not got a lot of exercise today, but it felt like a fine light workout. My hamstrings felt especially sore after yesterday's hard 400. I rested up for the race tomorrow.
Wednesday (1500m race; 12km total)
Such a great race! I was reminded why I love the track so much. I had been having a lousy day, so I left school twenty minutes early to rest and fuel up before my race at 8:30. I had an oatmeal bar at 5:30, Gatorade to wash it down, and a can of Ensure half an hour later. I jogged over to the track at 7:40, then added on a bit to get to about 6k of warmup. On my run over, a guy approached me orthogonally and looked like he was going to mock me. Just before he had a chance to do anything I turned to him, stopped, and firmly asked "What are you doing?" He flinched and said "Running." "Sure..." I replied, and started to run again. When I was 30m off, they called some derogatory things after me. What douches. The incident made me feel tough, though, which was a good thing heading into a race.
I was in the second-slowest section, seeded at 4:10. I had not done a 1500m race since 2004; in fact, I do not think I had competed in an individual track race at any distance since 2004. I thought any time between 4:10 and 4:20 today would be acceptable. When the gun went off, I let myself settle into the middle of a pack. The leaders hit 200 in 31-high, with me about a second back, in fifth place. The leaders hit 400 in 64 seconds, which was faster than any of them thought they could run for the whole race (I was the fastest seed). I was two seconds back, in 66. I let them lead us through the next lap. At 700, someone made a move to take the lead, which allowed me to tuck behind someone on the rail for the curve. The leaders hit 2:12 for 800, representing a big slowdown for them, and I was 2:13, which was fairly even. I was no longer comfortable sitting and waiting, so I moved up on the outside, unsure of where I wanted to settle in: second for the curve (in which case I would have to slow down from my surge), or to take the lead (in which case I would have to speed up just a bit more). I decided to take the lead. I felt awesome being in the lead on the main straightaway, and hit 1200 in 3:18 (a slight increase in pace). I felt myself slow a bit on the backstretch as I ran into the wind, but I still felt strong, and I sensed I was clear of the field. I needed to motivate myself to hit a good time. In the final 200, I picked up the pace again and hit the line in 4:08.95. It was exhilarating to run away from the field like that. I know I had more in my legs, and could even challenge my 4:06.11 PB, but I am happy I had a race like this with people I felt I could run with so that I could work on my race tactics. This is exactly how I like to run a 1500. I was delighted.
Thursday (13km)
56 minutes with Chris. My stomach was giving me trouble again, so I was pretty slow in the last fifteen minutes. My legs were tired today. It was not that fun a run.
Friday (OFF)
A scheduled day off. I took it.
Saturday (workout; 12km total)
A pretty good track workout. Much of it was at my 1500 goal pace, but I also had some work faster than goal pace. Did 3x200m in 30-32, followed by 500 in about 77; which was half of what Rob Watson did; I was trying to pace him to a 2:33 kilometre. That felt good; I felt strong throughout. Then did 3 sets of 300/200, with a 30 second rest between the 300 and the 200, with the 300 at goal pace, the 200 faster than that. I felt quite tired after that, but still did 6x150m accels. My last two were rough - I was wheezing. It was nice to start the workout later than usual for a Saturday (10am versus 8:30), but it was quite humid by the end. I went through all my water by the time I had finished.
Sunday (16km)
An easy 70 minutes on my own. I went up Wonderland to the Brescia trails, then came back along Western Road, adding on in my neighbourhood to get to 70. My legs felt quite tired from yesterday. I was sleepy tired all day because I had not gotten enough sleep - I was up early to watch Chris's run and help Steve time.
Total - 65km. A low mileage week. I meant to get more in on Tuesday, but it did not happen. My race was the big highlight and left me feeling optimistic for the race next Friday (5k downtown) and for the 1500 the following Wednesday to finish up the track season.
Monday, July 7, 2008
June 30 - July 6
Monday (7km)
A long day spent in the car traveling to Brockville. I arrived just early enough that I could fit in a 30 minute run before dinner. My legs felt sore and tight from the drive, so this was a pretty slow shakeout.
Tuesday (race - 16km total)
I did a nice long warmup and an extended cooldown to give me 16k for the day. The race did not go as well as planned. I took the early lead, but was passed within a half kilometre. At about 900m, I knew I was racing for time: Kevin Beatty was not coming back to me. My legs still felt unhappy. My hips were tight, as if my whole body was swinging when I took a stride. I had enough left at the finish for a decent kick, finishing in 16:51. I had hit the turnaround halfway in 8:16, so this was a terrible positive split. I was unhappy that I had traveled this far for a bad race.
Footnote: my picture made the front page of the Brockville newspaper's sports section. The article said that I was "easily outdistanced" by Kevin Beatty, which is true but still humiliating.
Wednesday (OFF)
I thought I would run in the evening, but my legs were still unhappy from the long drives and the race. I decided to rest and try to make up for the missed miles by adding on later in the week.
Thursday (19km total)
I tried to double today. It felt good.
AM - I did 30 minutes before school, not at any fast pace, but something to get the legs shaken out and to boost my miles for the week.
PM - 54 minutes, much of it on the bike path. I felt great. Kicked in the last three kilometres. It was a bit hot.
Friday (OFF)
I realized that yesterday was a huge mistake. My legs felt dead - worse than after my big run to Elgin at the end of the field season. I chalked that up to the shortened recovery, but it made me wonder how I was able to do three races within 24h at the end of May?
Saturday (workout - 11km)
This was good as just my second track workout back. Jamie, Rob and I ran it - Rob did an 800 where Jamie and I did a 400, and Rob ran 6 x 300 where I ran 5 and a 200 instead of the final 300. Jamie did three 300s at a faster pace. Did 3x200 in 31-32, then a 400 in 62, and finished with 5x300 starting at 51 and cutting down about a second for each until I did my last in 46 and finished with a 200 in 30. This was all right.
Sunday (17km)
A long run (71 minutes) with Chris Smith. It was not all that fast. I was feeling sore from yesterday's workout and a late night without a lot of sleep. It was a hot one, so I felt pretty dehydrated afterwards and needed a lot of water to recover.
Total - 70km. From this week I learned that I am not ready to try to make up miles by doubling. I am better off running longer warmups, cooldowns, and adding an extra kilometre or two to each run during the week.
A long day spent in the car traveling to Brockville. I arrived just early enough that I could fit in a 30 minute run before dinner. My legs felt sore and tight from the drive, so this was a pretty slow shakeout.
Tuesday (race - 16km total)
I did a nice long warmup and an extended cooldown to give me 16k for the day. The race did not go as well as planned. I took the early lead, but was passed within a half kilometre. At about 900m, I knew I was racing for time: Kevin Beatty was not coming back to me. My legs still felt unhappy. My hips were tight, as if my whole body was swinging when I took a stride. I had enough left at the finish for a decent kick, finishing in 16:51. I had hit the turnaround halfway in 8:16, so this was a terrible positive split. I was unhappy that I had traveled this far for a bad race.
Footnote: my picture made the front page of the Brockville newspaper's sports section. The article said that I was "easily outdistanced" by Kevin Beatty, which is true but still humiliating.
Wednesday (OFF)
I thought I would run in the evening, but my legs were still unhappy from the long drives and the race. I decided to rest and try to make up for the missed miles by adding on later in the week.
Thursday (19km total)
I tried to double today. It felt good.
AM - I did 30 minutes before school, not at any fast pace, but something to get the legs shaken out and to boost my miles for the week.
PM - 54 minutes, much of it on the bike path. I felt great. Kicked in the last three kilometres. It was a bit hot.
Friday (OFF)
I realized that yesterday was a huge mistake. My legs felt dead - worse than after my big run to Elgin at the end of the field season. I chalked that up to the shortened recovery, but it made me wonder how I was able to do three races within 24h at the end of May?
Saturday (workout - 11km)
This was good as just my second track workout back. Jamie, Rob and I ran it - Rob did an 800 where Jamie and I did a 400, and Rob ran 6 x 300 where I ran 5 and a 200 instead of the final 300. Jamie did three 300s at a faster pace. Did 3x200 in 31-32, then a 400 in 62, and finished with 5x300 starting at 51 and cutting down about a second for each until I did my last in 46 and finished with a 200 in 30. This was all right.
Sunday (17km)
A long run (71 minutes) with Chris Smith. It was not all that fast. I was feeling sore from yesterday's workout and a late night without a lot of sleep. It was a hot one, so I felt pretty dehydrated afterwards and needed a lot of water to recover.
Total - 70km. From this week I learned that I am not ready to try to make up miles by doubling. I am better off running longer warmups, cooldowns, and adding an extra kilometre or two to each run during the week.
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