For over a month now I have been doing consistent workouts, incorporating speed work and distance training with the hope that I'll be fast enough to run steady seven minute miles.
This morning again, I did a tempo run, one of the last before the half marathon that will determine whether or not I am improving with this training program. I (perhaps unrealistically) expected these tempo runs to get easier and faster. But I'm not feeling it. I managed to average 7:08 min/miles for five miles and a 6:45 min/mile for the last mile...but felt like I was going close to all out effort for most of the run.
That is somewhat deceptive because if indeed I was going "all out" I could only hold the pace for a very short distance (like one, maybe two miles). In fact, I got faster as I progressed:
Mile 2...7:10
Mile 3...7:13
Mile 4...7:02
Mile 5...6:56
Mile 6...6:45
So I held the pace fairly well...but I want it to be EASY! I want to COMFORTABLY run a Boston qualifier. Is that human nature or just my lazy side? Is it possible to work and train hard enough that carrying the seven minute pace is comfortable? Or (more likely) do I simply need to come to terms with the misery of the marathon. As Bruce Denton told Quenton Cassidey (see Return to Carthage by John Parker), "It can be done...but it will hurt like hell" (paraphrased).
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Family Walking Night: March 6th, 2017
The elementary school has a wonderful program called Family Walking Night. Once a month, the PE teacher and her helpers open the track to the kids and their families after the school day. For one hour, students, teachers and families do laps, counted with a magic marker dot on the hand. At the end of the night, the laps are logged under the student's teacher. The class with the most miles at the end of the year wins a special prize.
I love the concept of encouraging life long fitness goals and wholeheartedly support Family Walking Night. I applaud the teachers for encouraging a program to get families off the couch and spend quality time together.
My run for the day called for an easy 55 minutes. I tried to arrive early to have time to do at least some of the run before the other students arrived and the track got crowded. But due to demands at work, I only had 20 minutes to run before the masses arrived.
It would have been easy to continue the run and reach my 55 minutes. But I've always felt, believed and tried to live like I am a Husband and Father first, and a runner second. My son has tried very hard recently to be consistent in his running. He is only 8, and not really athletic, but he has a goal to run at least 50 miles during the school year (another really great program sponsored and tracked by the PE Teacher). He wanted someone to run with him and I felt like it was the best use of my time, despite the training plan's requirements.
So I ran with my son. We ran one mile then walked one lap (1/4 mile), and repeated the process. By the end of the night, we had run 4 miles...which I might add, for an eight year old is pretty darn good. I finished just over six miles (including my 20 minutes before Family Walking Night) and an average pace of about 14 minutes per mile but I enjoyed every minute of it and wouldn't change a thing.
I love the concept of encouraging life long fitness goals and wholeheartedly support Family Walking Night. I applaud the teachers for encouraging a program to get families off the couch and spend quality time together.
My run for the day called for an easy 55 minutes. I tried to arrive early to have time to do at least some of the run before the other students arrived and the track got crowded. But due to demands at work, I only had 20 minutes to run before the masses arrived.
It would have been easy to continue the run and reach my 55 minutes. But I've always felt, believed and tried to live like I am a Husband and Father first, and a runner second. My son has tried very hard recently to be consistent in his running. He is only 8, and not really athletic, but he has a goal to run at least 50 miles during the school year (another really great program sponsored and tracked by the PE Teacher). He wanted someone to run with him and I felt like it was the best use of my time, despite the training plan's requirements.
So I ran with my son. We ran one mile then walked one lap (1/4 mile), and repeated the process. By the end of the night, we had run 4 miles...which I might add, for an eight year old is pretty darn good. I finished just over six miles (including my 20 minutes before Family Walking Night) and an average pace of about 14 minutes per mile but I enjoyed every minute of it and wouldn't change a thing.
Heart Break: March 6th, 2017
A friend of mine ran the Woodlands Marathon last weekend. He, too, has been training to qualify for Boston. He's faster than I am and I always believed he had a really good shot of getting in. When I saw a Facebook post of him standing next to the finish line with the clock reading 2:56: (and change), I could only imagine the joy, pride and exhaustion my friend would be feeling at that moment.
But then devastation hit. News reports came out the next day stating that the leader car, a motorcyclist hired by the race committee, had missed a turn, taking runners down the wrong path and shaving about 0.90 miles from the course. While the race director was in process of reaching out to the Boston organizers, it was uncertain whether or not those who ran a qualifying time at the Woodlands Marathon would be able to use that time as a Boston Qualifier.
For those who did not qualify or attempt to qualify, it probably wasn't a big deal. But those who pushed themselves (as I'm sure my friend did) to the limits--leaving heart, sweat and (possibly) blood on the race course, Runners burn an estimated 2,600 calories while running a marathon. The recovery time can amount to several weeks. All the effort is worth it when you cross the finish line and achieve your goal. But to cross the finish line and find out that your efforts don't count toward your goal?!?! How would you cope? It's not like you can just do another one next week...Marathon training is generally a process that spans several months and after the race, your body is left so depleted that it takes several months to recover and be fully prepared to begin training again.
But I guess sometimes that's the hand life deals you and you just have to make the best of the situation.
But then devastation hit. News reports came out the next day stating that the leader car, a motorcyclist hired by the race committee, had missed a turn, taking runners down the wrong path and shaving about 0.90 miles from the course. While the race director was in process of reaching out to the Boston organizers, it was uncertain whether or not those who ran a qualifying time at the Woodlands Marathon would be able to use that time as a Boston Qualifier.
For those who did not qualify or attempt to qualify, it probably wasn't a big deal. But those who pushed themselves (as I'm sure my friend did) to the limits--leaving heart, sweat and (possibly) blood on the race course, Runners burn an estimated 2,600 calories while running a marathon. The recovery time can amount to several weeks. All the effort is worth it when you cross the finish line and achieve your goal. But to cross the finish line and find out that your efforts don't count toward your goal?!?! How would you cope? It's not like you can just do another one next week...Marathon training is generally a process that spans several months and after the race, your body is left so depleted that it takes several months to recover and be fully prepared to begin training again.
But I guess sometimes that's the hand life deals you and you just have to make the best of the situation.
Testing the Waters--The Tempo Run: March 2, 2017
With my target race about three weeks away, its time to pull it all together and see if the training is working, how everything works together and just what are my chances of survival. In this training plan, that comes in the form a tempo run.
A tempo run is basically a longer run (though shorter than a long run) at or very close to race pace. Specifically, I would do 8 miles at race pace (7:00 minute miles) followed by 1 mile at 10K pace (slightly faster than marathon pace). Doing the last mile faster ensures that you're not draining the tank completely during the tempo run. It is also great training because in a race, you want to be able to accelerate through the last portion of the race to finish strong.
It was dark when I went out for this run, after sunset, so I chose to run on the track. Most runners hate the track because there is no change of scenery. Because it is often dark when I run (either before sun rise or after sunset) the track does not bother me. I despise having to avoid dogs and cars...both of which have historically bad effects on runners. So the track works for me. The only draw back, is that the track is flat...which may be an issue due to the hills on the race course. We'll see.
I found the 7:00 minute miles to be fairly comfortable. The actual splits started close to 7:08 and worked down a couple to four seconds a mile to 6:55, and 6:50ish. The last mile was done at 6:30, which was faster than my targeted pace, leaving me to wonder: can I go faster than 7:00?
For now, I'm going to stick with 7:00s for my tempos and target race pace and do speed work as fast as reasonably possible.
Epilogue
While I felt really good about the work out, the recovery took longer than expected. My calves were super sore even a couple days after. Part of that I attribute to the shoes. I wore my Newtons--which I plan to wear in the race. The Newtons have lugs on the forefront of the shoe which is supposed to help with running form and give you an added spring to your step. But the lugs also keep me of the rear of my foot which strains the calf muscles a little more. I don't think it's unhealthy...just need to wear them more to strengthen my calves and be ready for race day.
Over the weekend, I did 14 miles for the long run. I kept the pace steady but definitely bonked. I feel like I'm still recovering from the combination of the tempo and long run. However, the next couple weeks should get easier as I start to taper and build into a perfectly energized condition for race day.
A tempo run is basically a longer run (though shorter than a long run) at or very close to race pace. Specifically, I would do 8 miles at race pace (7:00 minute miles) followed by 1 mile at 10K pace (slightly faster than marathon pace). Doing the last mile faster ensures that you're not draining the tank completely during the tempo run. It is also great training because in a race, you want to be able to accelerate through the last portion of the race to finish strong.
It was dark when I went out for this run, after sunset, so I chose to run on the track. Most runners hate the track because there is no change of scenery. Because it is often dark when I run (either before sun rise or after sunset) the track does not bother me. I despise having to avoid dogs and cars...both of which have historically bad effects on runners. So the track works for me. The only draw back, is that the track is flat...which may be an issue due to the hills on the race course. We'll see.
I found the 7:00 minute miles to be fairly comfortable. The actual splits started close to 7:08 and worked down a couple to four seconds a mile to 6:55, and 6:50ish. The last mile was done at 6:30, which was faster than my targeted pace, leaving me to wonder: can I go faster than 7:00?
For now, I'm going to stick with 7:00s for my tempos and target race pace and do speed work as fast as reasonably possible.
Epilogue
While I felt really good about the work out, the recovery took longer than expected. My calves were super sore even a couple days after. Part of that I attribute to the shoes. I wore my Newtons--which I plan to wear in the race. The Newtons have lugs on the forefront of the shoe which is supposed to help with running form and give you an added spring to your step. But the lugs also keep me of the rear of my foot which strains the calf muscles a little more. I don't think it's unhealthy...just need to wear them more to strengthen my calves and be ready for race day.
Over the weekend, I did 14 miles for the long run. I kept the pace steady but definitely bonked. I feel like I'm still recovering from the combination of the tempo and long run. However, the next couple weeks should get easier as I start to taper and build into a perfectly energized condition for race day.
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