Filed under: cycling, running, swimming, training update | Tags: FIRST 5K, running, training
T: Trainer ride 45:00.
W: Swim. KW#1: WU: 1 mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 6×800 w/ 1:30 RI. WD: 1mi easy.
TH: Rollers ride 45:00.
F: Swim. KW#2: WU: 1 mi easy. WO: 2 mi @ ST; 1 mi easy; 2 mi @ ST. WD: 1 mi easy.
SA: 30mi fixie ride
SU: KW#3: 7mi @ LT.
Track workout felt tough because of the layoff from working out, but this is why I backed up a week to get going again. IT WAS A TOTAL WINDY DOWNPOUR DURING LUNCH! I got through it without cutting it short and had no odd pains as a result, so good stuff! I started swimming this week, which I’ve typically done at 5:30am. So, this moved my run to lunchtime at work. There’s a track just 1.25mi from the office, so this works perfectly as a warm up and warm down jog.
I enjoyed some nice weather for the tempo run and nailed my paces. I also nailed my paces for the long run on Sunday. So, though I was tired from adding swimming to the mix and actually getting in a full 9 workout week, I’m performing OK on the running side of things. I did a 30mi ride on Saturday on my fixie, which is a good workout for my cycling.
Filed under: running, training update | Tags: FIRST 5K, running, snow!, training
KW#1: WU: 1 mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 4×1200 w/ 400 RI. WD: 1mi easy. (abandoned)
KW#2: WU: 1 mi easy. WO: 3 mi @ ST. WD: 1 mi easy. (abandoned; tried 4 miler on treadmill: ended with ITBS knee pain)
KW#3: 7mi @ LT. (3 miler ended with ITBS knee pain)
Snow week. I bussed it to work all week. I didn’t get on the trainer. I didn’t run in the snow. I didn’t want to go to the gym. I’ve been avoiding it, but it became inevitable this week due to the lack of outdoor time.
On the good side: only three days of work (…it’s Christmas, dammit!). We had a great Christmas Eve and Christmas as a family with snow falling and sledding and all! I shoveled snow (and tested my back’s recovery). And one night I walked home from work because the buses were so few and far between. It actually felt good to exercise those few days. It’s amazing how the body misses the work.
I did get to the gym on Saturday just to get in a 4 mile treadmill session. Not having run regularly for the last two weeks; not having been stretching or using the foam roller; not doing any cross training…I’m a little depressed about my training. It’s not overtraining depression. It’s lack of continuity and lack of focus (no goals other than the 5k program).
I’d forgotten how boring the gym can be. It was not a good outing as I had hoped it would kickstart my psyche back into my swimming routine, and maybe even provoke an interest in lifting some weights or a core class. No excitement generated. But, it’s getting to be time to get back in the pool soon…to get back the lost base.
I ran with my family at the local high school track…my wife ran with me…my son rode his bike. It was good to be outside, but it ended sourly since my knee pain returned.
My goal for this next week is to run 5 days for short runs and then hop back into the FIRST program where I left off. Hopefully this will ameliorate the transition back (I thought I was done with the knee pains!!!).
Filed under: running, training | Tags: FIRST 5K, running, snow!, training
KW#1: WU: 1 mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 6×800 w/ 1:30 RI. WD: 1mi easy.
KW#2: WU: 1 mi easy. WO: 2 mi @ ST; 1 mi easy; 2 mi @ ST. WD: 1 mi easy.
KW#3: 7mi @ LT.
Due to continuing super icy weather, I missed the track workout(KW#1). I didn’t want to drive to the gym. I bike commuted to work one day out of the five. I didn’t even get up to get on the trainer for my cross training. I felt like a total slug. I was sleeping badly and eating office holiday treats like nobody’s business. So, I resolved to run Friday no matter the weather. Even though it was too icy to commute by bike, it was fine to run at lunch. It was gorgeous out! Cold, but beautiful skies with passing clouds and sun breaks and light flurries! What a great outing!
I’m not a misanthropic hermit, but I realized how peaceful my bike commutes are after riding the bus all week. A pair of shameless recovering druggies on one ride chatted loudly about their counselors, the economy, how Disney compared to Nazi Germany, Portland drivers in bad weather, and other things that none of the other riders cared about. What a treat! It made me wish I owned an Ipod!
KW#3, otherwise known as the long run, was abandoned due to weather. The plan had been to get to the gym, but my wife urged me not to drive as she had just been out and had the windshield freezing up on the outside reducing the visible area to a little hole. ARRGH!
Filed under: running, training | Tags: FIRST 5K, running, snow!, training
Not a great week, not a terrible week…I got my track workout in and then missed my tempo run due to a ridiculous over-late site visit for work. I made it up Saturday and was set to do my long run Sunday when an arctic storm pummeled the Portland area. My wife got her run in first thing in the morning. She went out in flurries and came back with the ground covered, temps in the 20s, and a blustery wind beating on her. My planned run time was at lunch [we trade so that our son is not left alone] but it was pretty bad by afternoon. So, the long run was abandoned. Unfortunately, this was the peak distance of the long runs. The forecast for the following week was highs in the 20’s with snow/ice/rain. This is VERY unusual Portland weather. Usually, we have overnight lows in the high 30’s with occasional rain.
KW#1: WU: 1 mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 10×400 w/ 1:30 RI. WD: 1mi easy.
KW#2: WU: 1 mi easy. WO: 4 mi @ MT. WD: 1 mi easy.
KW#3: 8mi @ LT. [abandoned 
]
KW#1: WU: 1 mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 1600, 1200, 800, 400 w/ 400 RI. WD: 1mi easy.
KW#2: WU: 1 mi easy. WO: 1 mi @ ST; 1 mi easy; 1 mi @ ST; 1 mi easy; 1 mi @ ST. WD: 1 mi easy.
KW#3: 6mi @ LT.
This week, Key Workout #1 had these splits:
1600 (8:01); 400 RI (2:59); [goal: 8:13]
1200 (6:11); 400 RI (2:52); [goal: 6:03]
800 (3:50); 400 RI (2:54); [goal: 3:58]
400 (1:42). [goal: 1:57]
This was an improvement in hitting the correct pacing and made my day! They are still a tad fast and make me wonder if I shouldn’t bump up my recommended paces from the chart.
Key Workout #2 went seemingly well too, but was way off on pace. My ST pace should be 8:46/mi. Easy pace should be 10:21/mi, but I just jogged slowly to whatever felt barely above walking. Looking back on my historical running paces, my “barely above walking” paces are remarkably close to my old run paces. I realize it’s too early to judge, but improvement is definitely happening…if only that I’m being held to a new standard.
1mi @ ST (7:31); 1mi easy (9:54); [I knew this was too fast and slowed down...]
1mi @ ST (7:52); 1mi easy (9:45) [I knew this was too fast and slowed down...]
1 mi @ ST (8:11). WD: 1mi easy (10:04).
I noted in my log, “…didn’t feel as hard it looks by the times…need to check on how this fits the plan…” Clearly about a min/mi too fast…it was a nice day out: sunny skies in November in Portland is a rare treat!
Saturday I skipped my bike ride to clean up leaves. After spending my day outside bending over picking up leaves, my hamstrings were talking to me for Sunday’s long run…loudly! I noted the mile splits in my log: 10:17, 9:37, 9:07, 9:00, 8:50 & 8:54. This was a 9:18/mi for the whole run and basically nailed my LT pace: 9:16/mi! …at least in average! (I think that’s OK from the text describing how to do the Long Run.) The run felt hard, and my HR was pretty high for me (hitting a max of 178bpm, usually about 160bpm for these runs). I can only attribute that to my new bending-over muscles.
Overall, a pretty successful week for running. I’m halfway through this program and seeing general success.
KW#1: WU: 1 mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 4×1000 w/ 400 RI. WD: 1mi easy.
KW#2: WU: 1 mi easy. WO: 3 mi @ ST. WD: 1 mi easy.
KW#3: 7mi @ LT.
I missed the track workout KW#1 (sloth!). The tempo run and long run went well, though my pacing is still wonky. I have treated the pace goals as a worst case and always run faster instead of hitting them dead on. I got a nice 30 mile bike ride on my fixie in between the tempo and long run. My legs were a little tired for the long run, but in a good way. On the long run, I did have a guy pacing me during miles 2 & 3 which was annoying and pushing me too fast. But I finally slowed waay off, and let him go. Luckily he was able to keep going and didn’t stop up ahead of me. I had been fearing the longer long days, but my body seems to be handling the 7milers OK. Next week has an 8, so still keeping fingers crossed.
This whole effort is intended to build some base for me to be more durable as I approach the half mary distance. So far so good; all success so far! Next week is the halfway point in this program.
KW#1: WU: 1mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 200 (200 RI), 400 (400RI), 600 (400 RI), 800 (400 RI), 800 (400 RI), 600 (400 RI), 400 (400 RI), 200. WD: 1 mi easy.
KW#2: WU: 1 mi easy. WO: 4mi @ MT pace. WD: 1 mi easy.
KW#3: 6mi @ LT pace.
From the book, I’m supposed to be nailing the track paces within two or three seconds, but with no real repeats this week, that was a little tough to do. Previously, I wrote the individual paces required on my hand. But with a ladder workout this week, my hand would have been harder to read than ever. So, I just ran by feel.
I’m realizing that I’m not really nailing the paces on KW#2 or KW#3 either. I’m getting close. But, I have no idea, perceptually that is, whether I’m running at a Short Tempo (ST), Medium Tempo (MT), or Long Tempo (LT) pace. These paces are separated by +/- 0:15/mi each. So to be off by 0:05 or 0:10 per mile sort of throws off the different levels of effort that have been requested by the plan. I will try to improve this but I can only check my pace at each mile split, unless I start doing my runs all at the track (unlikely for reasons of schedule, location, and sanity).
I’m hoping that by at least getting close to the suggested paces, I’m following the spirit of this program. I’d be very interested to find out what others experiences have been with this program, especially “non-runners” new to pacing.
KW#1: WU: 1mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 2 x 1600,1 x 800 w/400 RI. WD: 1mi easy.
KW#2: WU: 1mi easy. WO: 2mi @ ST pace, 1mi easy, 2 mi @ ST pace. WD: 1 mi easy.
KW#3: 5mi @ LT pace.
Missed my track workout because of sloth and heavy rain. Then was horrified that my tempo run (Key Workout #2) was actually 7 miles total distance! But, I did it! I broke it into the intervals, and it was no big thing. Yes, I was tired, but I was very happy to have recorded such a long run pain free only a few weeks into this plan. Clearly, I will have easily covered the requisite distances many times over before it’s time to retest my self with a 5K race. I’m looking forward to a new PR already for this distance. Meanwhile, I’m hitting the paces indicated, even on the long days, and feeling great about it!
Filed under: running, training, training update | Tags: FIRST 5K, running, training
KW#1: WU: 1mi easy; 4×100 strides. WO: 5×800 w/ 400RI. WD: 1mi easy.
KW#2: WU: 1mi easy. WO: 3mi @ ST pace. WD: 1mi easy.
KW#3: 6mi @ LT pace.
Thankfully, there have been no recurrences of the ITBS problems in my right knee. I had been worried that a more intense program of running might provoke a relapse, but it seems my 4 weeks of 5 days of running worked well to establish some strength prior to upping the speed. Fundamental in that prep was incorporating 4:00 run + 1:00 walk for all the runs in the first two weeks.
The only anxiety about this week was doing the 6 miler so early in the program since I really hadn’t yet run that distance in a while. Happily, I had no problems with it, and even with a pace higher than I’ve run in the past.
I still am having trouble with hitting the paces. The longer runs are easier in that regard. The track workouts (Key Workout #1) are still feeling like I could go a lot faster, but, with reestablishing a 5k TT time, I at least feel more confident about seeing the program through with the recommended paces. I’m on board for the duration, and I’ll see how it turns out. 2 weeks down, 10 to go!
Filed under: running, training, training update | Tags: FIRST 5K, running, training
To start the program, I found my pace numbers from the tables based on a 28:00 5K. This was a projection from my HIM half marathon time and was probably slow but not way off the mark.
Track, tempo & long days…those are the three Key Workouts. The plan has two other days of some other activity. Mine was going to be cycling.
Wednesday morning at the track, my first workout was scheduled to be: 10:00 warmup; 8×400 on 400 rest interval at 2:05/400; 10:00 cooldown. I arrived at the trackat 5:30 a.m. unsure of how things would go. There was little light on the track, and I couldn’t even see my watch for the splits. (I managed to brainfart on how to work the watch light.) I ran hard, but not so hard that I couldn’t finish. When I got near a lamppost, I saw the splits were nowhere near the right pace. I was hovering around 1:35/400. So, if I could go this fast for the requisite workout, shouldn’t I reset my 5K time from the tables?
I looked up the pace differences for the various distance runs based on a 1:35/400. That suggested a 21:40/5K; which suggested a long tempo run pace of 7:45/mi. Not there yet, my friends! Most of my longer runs to date had been 9:30/mi or higher.
So, I stuck with my 28:00/5K estimate.
Friday lunchtime tempo run: 1mi warmup; 2mi short tempo at 9:22/mi; & 1 mi cooldown. I was faster at 9:03/mi but figured it was a good start.
Sunday morning long run: 1 mi warmup; 3mi long tempo at 9:48/mi; 1 mi cooldown. Given my starting paces, I decided the long tempo run would be a 5K time trial since I didn’t really have a good time to rely on. This would set the bar for using the tables to follow the program. Drumroll! 26:27, which is 8:32/mi. Who’d a guessed? Here was real data to reset my paces! And, as I expected, not really that far from 28:00.
