Week 9 Key Run #1

Well I tried to take advantage of my day off and head to the track, but turns out the track doesn't open on holidays? My goal was the following workout:

• 20 minute warm-up
• 4 x 800 m (1:30 RI)
• 10 minute cool-down

My track intervals are supposed to be approximately 2:00/400m, which is pretty tough for me. Turns out its even tougher without a track. I tried to keep up this pace running on paths through GGP, but it was tough. I doubt I was on my pace much, but at any rate it was interval training, so that's still some good, I guess. I also walked half of my 10 minute cool-down. So guess I'm tired? I did discover later that I was really thirsty, so perhaps I had some dehydration going on. Leg feels pretty good though.

Week 8 Summary

This week I accomplished:

• 2 Key Runs totaling 22 miles
• 1 Key "Run" on the elliptical totaling over 4 miles
• 1 XT session: cycling
  

Week 8 Key Run #3

Today I decided to go to a TNT Alumni Run, but since I had 13 miles on my plate, I had to get up early enough to run 6-7 miles before I got to the run. Luckily it was in GGP, so I could do one of my usual routes down to Ocean Beach. However, I didn't really get up early enough, so I found myself running much faster than I should have been in an effort not to be late. I clocked 6.75 miles at around a 9'30" pace.

Then after a several minute intermission (maybe up to 20 minutes), I headed out for a 7 mile run with the group. I was lucky enough to run with several different running buddies for a good chunk of the route, finishing supposedly 7.5 miles at around a 9'45" pace. The course markings are usually pretty good, so I'm pretty confident that my Nike Plus is indeed now over-inflating my distances and therefore my paces. Never should have calibrated.

Anyway, I had a great time even with all the rain. Because of the rain, after the run, I ran about 0.5 miles to the train and then had to run home from the train as well. So wet! I'm guessing I totaled at least 14 miles for the day. My goal pace had been PMP + 15 (10'07"), so I was probably fast, but maybe not as fast as recorded because of my technical issues. Overall, good run! My IT band bothered me a bit the rest of the day, so I probably need to head back in for some body work.

Week 8 Key Run #2

This week's tempo run:

• 1 mile easy
• 7 miles at tempo pace

Are you kidding me? Good grief! Luckily, ever since running Kaiser, I have had trouble running slowly. I actually didn't have much problem setting a quick pace for the whole 7 miles. I haven't downloaded the Nike Plus, but I think the 8 mile run total was about 9'45", so it's possible I wasn't quite at tempo pace the whole time I was supposed to be, but it's close enough for me.

However, after the run it started raining and it took me 1.5 hours to get to work. I didn't get in until 10 am! Oops. And I was pretty exhausted the rest of the day.

Week 8 XT#1

I am getting boring on my XT workouts. This week I did the 45 minute bike at 95-100 with 8 minute warm-up, 30 minute moderate to hard, 7 minute cool down. I entertained myself my doing 1 minute intervals of sitting up and leaning over which at least gave my mind something to think about. Overall, it was a pretty intense workout.

Week 8 Key Run #1

So I cheated this week and I don't really remember why, other than with this commute it's hard to go running in the daylight. I did my key "run" on the elliptical at the gym:

• 10 minute warm-up
• 5 x (2 min fast/ 2 min easy)
• 10 minute cool-down

Definitely a good cardio work-out, but the muscle movements are just not the same.

Week 7 Summary

This week's accomplishments:

• 3 runs (including a 5 mile beer run) totaling 23 miles
• 1 XT session: biking (a little short)
• And of course, no strength training

And some well deserved post-race rest!

Now someone please start forcing me to do strength training!

Week 7 Key Run #3

Today's goal: 12 miles at PMP + 45-60. I thought that sounded great, as I planned to go slow and easy to continue recovering from my race. I tried not to look at my Nike Plus most of the run to get back into learning my paces myself. I headed through Golden Gate Park on my normal route, but tried to do something a little different on the way back - luckily I found a shaded bike path I had never used before - it was pretty hot today.

I in theory completed just over 12 miles at a 9'58" pace (I think 12 miles might be a slight stretch though. Might need to calibrate again - should have just left it alone so at least I was running too much!). Whoops. That is about a whole minute per mile faster than I was supposed to go. But I felt like I was taking it easy.

Week 7 Key Run #2

So there was no Key Run #1 this week as I took rest, so I went with the tempo workout - 1 mile easy, 4 miles at tempo pace, 1 mile easy. I calibrated my Nike Plus after my race since it said 12.5 and I'm pretty sure I ran 13.1 miles, but it seems to have overadjusted and therefore I can't trust the pace too much.

I think I did pretty well hitting tempo - I actually felt pretty good on this run. I completed just over 6 miles at a 9'45" pace (possibly).

Week 7 XT#1

I took two whole days of rest after the rest, and today I checked out the 24 hour fitness by my new job. Not impressed. The bikes were very old, none of them had foot straps, and only 3 had TV views - and of course these bikes were taken. I tried to do the 45 minute workout at 95-100 rpm, with 8 minute easy, 30 minute moderate/hard, and 7 minute easy, but I think I maybe totaled 35 minutes. I was so bored without the TV, the bike was uncomfortable, and I had to switch programs half way through because I could only set it for up to 30 minutes and the last part was cooldown that I couldn't get the resistance high enough on. So anyway, pretty crappy workout.

Week 6 Summary

Accomplishments this week:

• 4 runs (including a 20 minute jog the day before the race) totaling 25 miles
• 2 XT workout - Rockport walk test and cycling
• Probably no strength training. Oops again.

On the plus side, I did PR although running a terrible race.

Kaiser Half Marathon Race Report

Instead of Key Run #3, today I ran a half marathon. It really fits more into the Key Run #2 category, as my overall pace was 9'14" - faster, actually, than my tempo pace of 9'22" - 9'37". I did, in fact, PR, finishing in 2:00:55 - approximately 3.5 minutes faster than my previous PR at this same race last year.

But boy, did I run a terrible race! The temperature forecast for today had been climbing all week, reaching 67 Friday, 74 Saturday, and has since been revised to 77. However, it seems to actually be approaching 80. It was 62 degrees one hour before the start of the race. According to one of my marathon books, you lose 1-2% efficiency for every 1.5 degrees over 60 it is, and this decrement increases with race distance. You should take this into account when pacing yourself during a race. Did I do this? No.

I started squarely between the 2:00 and 2:15 pace leaders, as I was hoping to PR (under 2:04:24). I kept the 2:00 pace leader in my sights throughout the entire race. However, it was hot. There was some shade during the 2 mile downhill stretch through the park, but I arrived at Ocean Beach at mile 7, knowing there was no shade for the rest of the race, and not a breeze in sight. I knew there was no way I could keep my pace that whole time in the heat. I was pressing on at about 9'45" according to Nike Plus (which I now know was incorrect, based on the final mileage of 12.5). But the 2:00 pace leader was still within about 30 seconds in front of me. Luckily after a few miles on the shore, I finally entered a marine layer that provided some relief.

I was an unhappy camper by mile 9. Nothing was wrong. In fact, my massage therapist taped my hip Friday night and it felt great the whole race. I just knew I had gone out to fast and was struggling to keep up. I also over-consumed fluids. Somewhere between mile 8 and 9 I got some water when I really knew I needed gatorade, but I didn't think there was any at that stop (should have looked at the course map). Found the gatorade about 100 yards later, and had some because I needed to replace my salts. But then I could feel all the liquid in my stomach. Bleah. This prevented me from every being able to eat my food, which likely contributed to my tiredness.

Miles 10 - 13.1 were a struggle. I gave Matt the thumbs down at about Mile 11, and when he tried to run with me the last mile, I told him to leave me alone. There were runners collapsed on the side of the road in numerous places. In the last mile, when I usually pick up the pace, I was dropping to over a 10 minute mile. I knew I would PR by this point, so I had little motivation to push it. And I'm not sure I could have, frankly. Going uphill to the finish line the last half mile or so, I was dragging. People were passing me all over the place - and this never happens to me at the end of races. I really thought for awhile that my legs might stop working. I wondered why I had subjected myself to this misery. Finally I saw the finish line and managed to get there. As soon as I crossed I saw someone giving a runner CPR in the finishing chute.

I knew I had PR'd but was too tired to be very excited, and too shaken by all the medical emergencies. I am unclear how a person feels before collapse, so I have no idea how close I have ever been. I assume not close at all, but you never know. I really hope that everyone out on that course survived.

I am thrilled to have PR'd, but I think for my next race, I should try to figure out somewhere it won't be 80 degrees and sunny on race day. And I should learn not to push so much at the beginning of a race. Never having had a goal to PR before, I am usually very disciplined in my races with negative splits. I should have taken it easy. And I better learn to do so before my first full marathon May 1st! Otherwise that event will not be fun at all. Kind of like this one, and I would have traveled further and spent more money.

Week 6 Key Run #2

Okay, well this wasn't the key run off the schedule, but it did involve 4 miles of tempo pace, so I'm going to count it anyway. This was the taper week run I had scheduled for Kaiser last week, so it sounded good. Here's the workout:

• 10 minute warm-up
• 2 x 20 minute at goal race pace with 5 minute recovery between
• Stretch

As I've been discussing, I was hoping to PR this race, but I'm not sure it will happen, for all the reasons I've discussed previously. In addition, the high Sunday is supposed to be 68, so depending on how early it warms up, the run might be a little on the toasty side for running speediness. At any rate, in order to PR I have to run faster than a 9'30" pace, so I decided to run a goal pace today of 9'25". Funny thing, I haven't been training at this goal pace exactly, so I had trouble finding it. My tempo paces are generally between 9'22" and 9'37", so you'd think I could find it, but no.

I ran the first 20 minutes at a 9'13" pace and the second at a 9'16" pace. Not so good that I slowed down for the second one, but the course I ran was not exactly the same. I discovered (I think), that heading down the pandhandle towards GGP, there is a slight incline. Likewise, heading back into the city there appears to be a decline. I am assuming this based on the fact I could much more easily run faster one direction than the other. In fact, I suspect I ran about 9'30" one direction and 9'00" the other. Oh well. Anyway, my hip was bothering me a bit towards the end, but otherwise I felt pretty good. Maybe there is still hope for a PR after all!

Week 6 Run

So I finally decided to taper according to last year's final week of the training plan for Kaiser. On the plate for today: 3-5 miles easy. I went with the high end to keep in some semblance of shape for marathon training. But it's not a key run because there were no tempos or intervals.

At any rate, I now apparently consider 66 and sunny too hot for running. For about 2 miles I was in the shade of back roads and single track in Golden Gate Park, which was lovely (and amazingly didn't feature any creepy people). But the rest of the run, particularly the last 1.5 miles heading home, I found hot! I know you AZ people will make fun of me, but I guess you get used to your conditions.

Anyway I finished 5 miles in a 10'07" pace and feel pretty good about it, although apparently allergic to something, which doesn't bode well for the race since it's pretty much in the same location. Also my TFL/glutes were bothering me, and I felt the twinge of shin splints near my right ankle. Isn't tapering fun? So many aches and pains. (I was running without tape today.)