Week 6 Totals

3 runs totaling 19.9 miles.
1 Sufferfest.

Saturday January 12: Long Run

I spent ten minutes scraping ice off my car this morning. The first two miles off run my feet were painful and then numb. Frost on all the plants, a little slick in spots on the path. I ran 4 loops around the 2.75 mile Lafayette Reservoir path. Total  11 miles with a time of 1:41:47 or 9:14 pace. My first loop was too fast as I always run too fast when I am cold.

My hip flexors were a bit sore as the route is hilly. Strava claims only 476 of gain but garmin says 1300. Guess which one I like better.

My toe was pretty good - I didn't even feel anything around around mile 9 and I think it went away. Which is good because the chiropractor worked on it last night and got it working pretty well. It seems some of my metatarsal bones like to move.

My arch didn't start hurting until around mile 6. I am worried that it will keep getting worse, and I hope my body worker can solve that problem this week.

At one point my lower back started hurting, I think from running down hills in the cold so I could not really feel any feedback from my feet and was probably landing too hard.

Other than all my aches and pains, I felt pretty good about the run. Cross your fingers that my body holds up!

Thursday January 10: Hill Run

Same TNT workout as last week, only list time I remembered to record my run home as well. In addition, we ran two of the hill loops in the opposite direction, which turns out to be much more difficult. It kind of puts the hill all in one place rather than spread out.

4.87 miles in 45:09 for a 9'16" pace.

This is my second run with my new shoes. My right big toe has not bothered me (it was previously causing me discomfort in my old shoes), but my left arch is a wee bit painful. I have a chiropractor appointment tomorrow and bodywork next week, so hopefully I can nip these problems in the bud.

Wednesday January 9: Speedy Demons

Coach Al invited me to his Wednesday morning track workouts, Speedy Demons. I showed up for the first workout of the new year, which was an easier "comeback" workout with tempo pacing. After a mile warm up we ran 400, 800, 1200, 1600, and every lap had to be the same pace as the first 400.

I fell in with a couple of other runners and ran a 1:55 400m. We proceeded to knock out nearly every lap exactly on clockwork. We finished the 800 in around 3:50, the 1200 in 5:45, and the 1600 in 7:34 - we were allowed to go faster at the end, just not slower.

That's probably my fastest mile time every (at least in my adult life), but alas, I forgot my Nike+. I don't do well mentally speaking at 5:30 in the morning.

It felt pretty comfortable, and I should hope so. If I can hold 7:54 for 6 miles, I should be able to go much lower for a single mile.

I will ignore the fact that I was one of the slower runners in the group.

Monday January 7: Cross Training

I purchased and completed Angels from the Sufferfest. This is an hour long hill-climbing workout with three 8-minute climbs. I enjoyed it, although I definitely didn't suffer as much as in the Downward Spiral. I also have no idea how to pedal 100rpm while standing. I think this might be a core problem. I enjoyed the video variety though, and I think I can push harder next time.

I also walked home from work - 3 miles.

Week 5 Totals

3 runs totaling 22.1 miles.
1 ice skating session.

Saturday January 5: Long Run

TNT workout at MLK Shoreline in Oakland. According to Nike+ I ran 9.2 miles, but according to the map it was 9.6 miles. Time was 1:26:08, so 9'21" per Nike, or slightly under 9 per mapping. I might have to start wearing a GPS. This was faster than I generally like to do my long runs, and I could feel my legs tiring toward the end. I need to stop following peer pressure and run at my own pace. I don't need to be ahead of nearly everyone.

Also 1.5 hours of ice skating.

Thursday January 3: Hill Run

TNT workout - we ran a short warm-up loop and then 4 loops of a supposedly 0.5 mile course with some small hills that I run up often on my hilly route home. I only recorded 3.4 miles including my 1.5 mile run to the workout, so not quite sure about that. I also forgot to record my 1.5 mile run home. Total workout was nearly 5 miles, but only 3.4 recorded.

Total time: 33:14 and 9'40". Included a break between getting there and the workout.

Tuesday January 1: Long Run

I had planned to run a trail half marathon today but Matt was sick the night before so I didn't sleep much, and opted instead to sleep in and go run in Redwood Park.

I picked up somewhere between 7.5 and 8 miles, with a total time of 1:26:37. Approximately 11 minute/per mile pace on a route with 1100 feet of climb.

I ran West Ridge to Stream to Prince (?) to East Ridge.

It was gorgeous but very, very cold.

Week 4 totals

1 run totaling 3.8 miles
1 XC ski day totaling 9 miles

Sunday December 30: Cross Training

9 miles of skiing in Bear Valley. Gorgeous!

Friday December 28: Run

3.8 miles around the neighborhood, 38:49, 10:07 pace. Not good.

Week 3 totals

2 runs (or 3 depending on how you count) totaling 12.5 miles
1 strength workout.

Sunday December 23: Double Road Race

I signed up for this new thing where you run a 10k followed by a 5k that starts 100 minutes later.
I accidentally PR'd the 10k, running it in 49:07. So then I had a good long break before the 5k, which I also PR'd in 24:38. It was cold, raining, and a head wind. Miserable. Three laps in a business park, perfectly flat, impossible to tell the difference between buildings. Sooo boring. I really think trails are my thing. I am happy about the race outcome though. My hip flexors were sore!

Thursday December 20: Circuits

I drove to track because I needed to bring some things. I did some warm up running and then took part in the circuit workout. This time the runs between circuits included hills.

Total: 3.2 miles in 32:22 for 9'55" pace.
Exercises: squats (one and two legged), pushups, crunches, supermans, leg extensions, probably something I am forgetting.

Week 2 Totals

3 runs totaling 13.7 miles
2 strength sessions

Saturday December 15th: Long Run

Team run today in Walnut Creek, leaving from Arbolado Park. I had never been there before. It was cold and beautiful, a path bordering some green hilly open space. Without thinking too much about it, I just ran the max marked distance today of 6 miles, rather than trying to add extra to conform with my Runners World Smart Coach. I ran with people the entire way, so ran much faster than I typically would for a long run. However, I felt totally okay, particularly breathing wise and was able to carry on limited conversation. I did discover that a lot of people go out too fast and then slow down - not good for pacing practice. I could feel my toe again today. Nothing bad, but still there. This is part of the reason I did not want to push the mileage today; I will try some relative rest.

Coach Al told me today that he has run 38 marathons and he thinks he ran 37 too many. He said the first is where you feel all the accomplishment. After learning that I had trained for 3 marathons and been injured, he suggested that maybe my body is not meant to run that far, as my physical therapist has suggested. Well I will give it at least this one more try. If I can finish it once and get that sense of accomplishment, I certainly do not need to run 37 more.

Totals:
5.7 miles (rumored to be 5.85; supposed to be 6)
9'13"
52:27

Thursday December 13: Circuits

Ran from the lab to the track. Then ran in between strength exercises. Tried to run at interval pace but likely didn't make it. I was having trouble breathing again. Also, I could feel my toe. It did not hurt, but I was aware of it, which I guess means discomfort. Iced it and rolled the foot when I got home. After circuits, I ran home.

Totals:

4.7 miles
9'28"
Strength: squats, crunches, push ups, super mans, one legged squats, reverse leg raises

Tuesday December 11th: Easy Run

Ran home from work on a partial hilly route. It was cold at first! Tried to work a bit on my form, including leaning from the ankle, increasing my cadence, and picking up my feet. A few times I was having trouble breathing. Not sure if it's asthma (I hope not since I'm fully medicated) or my anemia (probably since I've failed to take my iron for quite some time). Thought I was running fairly fast, but my pace does not indicate that by any means - ended up almost at the recommended easy pace.

Came home and did some stretches (shocking) and some strength.

Totals:
3.3 mile run
9'53" pace
Strength: wall slides, single leg squats, calf raises, wall push ups, bridges, crunches

Week 1 Totals

2 Runs totaling 10.3+ miles
1 Sufferfest video
1 strength day: squats, pushups, crunches, supermans