After running pretty hard yesterday, I wanted to do an easier run today. I did want to run a little longer. I didn't work this morning, but I still waited until mid afternoon to head out. I decided to go to the Saucon Rail Trail.
I haven't run the whole trail often, so I was hoping to do that today. I think the only time I actually did that, I ran from the park near DeSales. From the Water Street Park, I've never gone more than 3 to 3.5 miles.
It was very warm and humid. After cutting the grass, I finally made it out to run. By then, the temperature was nearing 80 degrees. I knew I'd have to take it easier and slow down. I wore a singlet and some ligthweight shorts. That was a big help. I did have some chafing under my arm because it was actually quite breezy.
I still wore my watch, but it was only to occasionally see where I was at from a distance standpoint. I would check my pace too, but that didn't matter. I don't often go out and just run and enjoy it. I need to take in my surroundings more often and run free. Usually, I'm too focused on the run and/or how my body is reacting. Sometimes, I just need to let my mind wander. I was at least somewhat successful at that today.
The trail was busy as usual, although I thought even more people might be out on such a nice afternoon. While my legs felt good pre-run, I was worried that last night's hard effort might have taken a toll. I was very happy when I started out easy and felt pretty good. There was still some soreness in the legs, particularly in the calf area, but it is still much better than it has been. Resting more this week has surely helped.
The first mile was so slow in fact that I finished it up at 9:01. The second mile sped up and was an 8:27. That would actually be perfect. If only my legs were feeling great right now. Then, I could slow down and still feel good. The problem is that slowing down doesn't make the run feel easier. Often times, if feel worse with more footfalls and more impact with the ground.
I did try to just cruise along comfortably. Some sections have leaves on the trees, but others are still developing. Shade would have definitely been nice. Near the country club, they paved a parking lot of the trail recently. I could smell the fresh tar and feel the heat coming off of it. Not exactly what I had in mind for taking in the surroundings.
I felt pretty good around the 2 mile point when I hit the Upper Saucon section of the trail, but I felt even better when I got on that part. They use more stone there and it felt softer for my legs. I wasn't feeling bad, but it sure did seem like awhile until I made it all the way to the end. It was kind of a slow grind.
I turned around right near the park, where the trail turns to pavement. That was just under 4 miles into the run. I was feeling alright at this point, but I was also getting thirsty. I think there is a water fountain at the park. Maybe I should've run to there.
Coming back was so awesome. I didn't run any harder, but now I was going downhill and I was just cruising. I love the feeling of coming back on this trail. The first half is a little bit of hard work, but the second half makes it all worth it.
I tried to just focus on each upcoming mile. First, mile 5. My legs felt good during this one. I just let them and gravity pull me along. That mile was a solid 7:59.
I think I slowed some after that. Still, I don't think I slowed as much as my Garmin said. It stated that I ran mile 6 at an 8:55 pace. The last quarter mile seemed off and it was a little cloudy, so that might've messed with the signal.
Although my legs were feeling pretty good, the humidity was getting to me. I decided that I would cut the run a mile shorter than I had planned. I would just run 7 miles. That would still be a solid day in these conditions.
I passed a woman that I had passed earlier on the way out. I did it just before a road crossing. I saw one car, so I bolted across the crossing. However, I didn't see the first car. Luckily, it had already stopped. When I was coming the other way, I saw two young ladies walking. They were now running back the other direction. That was good to see. I always like to see new runners.
When I got into the final mile, I was feeling good, so I picked it up a little. I really began cruising and was working pretty hard. I certainly wasn't in top gear, but it was a good pace nonetheless. I passed two guys just before finishing up. The final mile was a 7:09. It was another good finish just like yesterday.
I would definitely benefit a lot if I could run on fresh legs. That would make many of my workouts more productive. That is a big goal for me this coming summer. I just need more quality sessions, not quantity. My endurance is already pretty good. It is my speed that is lacking.
I walked back to my car and I saw a young girl walking a dog. I thought it looked like Saucon Valley's star runner, but I was wondering why she wasn't running at that time. I always wondered why I never see the team there. I'm there a lot around the time they would practice. After passing her, I saw a couple high school age guys and then in a nearby park was their coach and the rest of the girls. It was definitely their team. I'm still not sure why the fast girl wasn't running though.
I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do tomorrow. A lot of the BCR people are running a 5K. I may watch. The rest of the BCR is meeting elsewhere. Then there is the T-Rex Group Run. I also thought about going out to preview my half marathon course. I will be do some running, just not sure yet where or when.
7.01 miles - 58:18 (8:19 pace)
Friday, May 10, 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
A Better Run Today
After two terrible days in a row, today was at least a little better. It was the usual LVRR Group run. I've done it alone the last couple weeks. I was walking back to the car because no one showed up again . Then, my friend Aaron appeared in his car. At least I had someone to run with. I'm pretty sure that I'm just going to make this the final run. The turnout has been terrible.
We decided to head out to the canal towpath along the Lehigh. I haven't run there much. Since no regulars have been coming to this group run, I've mostly just run the same route through town every week. It was good to do something different for a change.
The weather was nearly perfect. Of course it was a little humid and I was sweating. I couldn't complain though. It was still good.
We headed out and ran together. I'm trying to run faster and he's trying to slow himself down a little, so we kind of mesh fairly well together. I ran with him for the 1st mile. That was tough because I usually need a good warmup before I can run hard.
The pace was interesting for me. It was consistently just under a 7:30. I'm not used to running this hard for long. Usually, I run longer and slower or faster and shorter. This was a good in between.
I struggled up the Hill to Hill Bridge. I just tried hard to stay with Aaron though. I didn't think this pace would be this challenging, but it was. Maybe my body just isn't recovering from last week. Next week's half marathon could be very interesting.
We got onto the canal path and I just felt terrible. I tried hanging on as long as I could. After an opening mile of 7:26, I ran the 2nd mile at 7:35. After 2 miles, Aaron took off a bit. It was good to have company for awhile. We were going to 2.5 miles and turning around.
Aaron waited for me at the turnaround. We ran together for awhile, even though I was struggling. It was good to talk with him about training. I always seem to be on the edge of overtraining or I even go over it. He's overtrained before, so he knows where I'm coming from. He's had some health problems as well.
We ran together for half a mile. Then, he took off again. He waited for me at the entrance to Sand Island. This time, we were running to the Fahy Bridge. Originally, I wanted to go to that bridge, but I wasn't paying attention, so we had to go to the Hill to Hill Bridge.
Trying to find the Fahy Bridge, we went the wrong way and had to turn around and come back. We needed a little extra distance anyway. Finally, we got to the stairs. Running up them was difficult. It seemed very steep.
Aaron took off up the steps and then was long gone. I was feeling so crappy, so I just cruised along. He was so far ahead when we came off the bridge.
I came around the last turn and for whatever reason, I began feeling great. I looked at my watch and the current mile pace was 7:38. I just decided to push really hard for the final half mile. I watched the pace go down and down and down. I was breathing hard and all the people walking through Steel Stacks were looking at me funny. The pace went under 7:30, then 7:20 and finally under 7:10. The last mile was just under 7:10.
The last mile was a great end to a kind of terrible run. I thought I could run better than I did, but it was still good to push hard and run strong. Aaron and I discussed training for quite a few minutes after the run as well. Apparently he still goes to the Emmaus Run Inn a lot for their runs, but wasn't there last week when I showed up. I might start joining them to run faster. I really need to work on my speed over the summer.
Tomorrow, it will be back to an easy run. I think I might drive out to where my half marathon is and run part of the course. I want to get a feel for it some time. It is an hour and a half drive though. I may join the T-Rex run with Aaron on Saturday, but I'm not sure. A lot of friends are also racing at J's Run. There is a lot going on this weekend, but I haven't committed to anything yet. Regardless, I'll be busy.
5 miles - 38:02 (7:37 pace)
We decided to head out to the canal towpath along the Lehigh. I haven't run there much. Since no regulars have been coming to this group run, I've mostly just run the same route through town every week. It was good to do something different for a change.
The weather was nearly perfect. Of course it was a little humid and I was sweating. I couldn't complain though. It was still good.
We headed out and ran together. I'm trying to run faster and he's trying to slow himself down a little, so we kind of mesh fairly well together. I ran with him for the 1st mile. That was tough because I usually need a good warmup before I can run hard.
The pace was interesting for me. It was consistently just under a 7:30. I'm not used to running this hard for long. Usually, I run longer and slower or faster and shorter. This was a good in between.
I struggled up the Hill to Hill Bridge. I just tried hard to stay with Aaron though. I didn't think this pace would be this challenging, but it was. Maybe my body just isn't recovering from last week. Next week's half marathon could be very interesting.
We got onto the canal path and I just felt terrible. I tried hanging on as long as I could. After an opening mile of 7:26, I ran the 2nd mile at 7:35. After 2 miles, Aaron took off a bit. It was good to have company for awhile. We were going to 2.5 miles and turning around.
Aaron waited for me at the turnaround. We ran together for awhile, even though I was struggling. It was good to talk with him about training. I always seem to be on the edge of overtraining or I even go over it. He's overtrained before, so he knows where I'm coming from. He's had some health problems as well.
We ran together for half a mile. Then, he took off again. He waited for me at the entrance to Sand Island. This time, we were running to the Fahy Bridge. Originally, I wanted to go to that bridge, but I wasn't paying attention, so we had to go to the Hill to Hill Bridge.
Trying to find the Fahy Bridge, we went the wrong way and had to turn around and come back. We needed a little extra distance anyway. Finally, we got to the stairs. Running up them was difficult. It seemed very steep.
Aaron took off up the steps and then was long gone. I was feeling so crappy, so I just cruised along. He was so far ahead when we came off the bridge.
I came around the last turn and for whatever reason, I began feeling great. I looked at my watch and the current mile pace was 7:38. I just decided to push really hard for the final half mile. I watched the pace go down and down and down. I was breathing hard and all the people walking through Steel Stacks were looking at me funny. The pace went under 7:30, then 7:20 and finally under 7:10. The last mile was just under 7:10.
The last mile was a great end to a kind of terrible run. I thought I could run better than I did, but it was still good to push hard and run strong. Aaron and I discussed training for quite a few minutes after the run as well. Apparently he still goes to the Emmaus Run Inn a lot for their runs, but wasn't there last week when I showed up. I might start joining them to run faster. I really need to work on my speed over the summer.
Tomorrow, it will be back to an easy run. I think I might drive out to where my half marathon is and run part of the course. I want to get a feel for it some time. It is an hour and a half drive though. I may join the T-Rex run with Aaron on Saturday, but I'm not sure. A lot of friends are also racing at J's Run. There is a lot going on this weekend, but I haven't committed to anything yet. Regardless, I'll be busy.
5 miles - 38:02 (7:37 pace)
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Two More Wasted Days
After skipping the long run and resting more than I have lately, I was hoping that I could bounce back midweek. That sure hasn't happened. If anything, the two attempted runs this week have been pretty much worthless. I tried to squeeze runs in between work and going to track meets on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
I was hoping to run a tempo run and get one more quality run in before my half marathon. After taking Sunday off and going easy on Monday at Trexler, I figured that I would try a tempo run on Tuesday.
I headed out to the Cementon Trailhead of the D&L. I used to do repeats there often, but I haven't run there in awhile. It was humid out. I had on a singlet, but that didn't help much. I got out of the car and started walking and the legs just felt awful. I knew I wasn't going to accomplish much that day.
I figured that I owed it to myself to at least start running and see how it felt. I did that and it was terrible. I didn't even run a tenth of a mile and I just decided to pack it in. My legs would benefit from some added rest anyway.
After the day off, I decided that I would try again today. It was raining off and on as I headed to the Ironton Rail Trail. This is another place where I often ran repeats last summer, but don't go to much any more. I wanted to run here because I figured that a stone trail would be too soggy, so I could hit this paved trail.
I started from Saylor Park. I didn't feel as bad as I did yesterday, but I still wasn't strong. I kind of like this place because you get a lot of downhill after initially climbing. The problem was that the initial climbing took its toll.
My legs struggled as I went uphill during the warmup. I got to the caboose and was feeling sore. My calf wasn't quite as bad as it has been, but right near it, my shin was hurting. The usual sore spot is on the inside of my leg. This was more like behind the bone.
I continued on, hoping it would get better as I got faster. The warmup was actually a pretty solid 8:08. I then began the fast part of the run. Because I wanted to try to run 4 to 6 miles of moderate to hard pace, I started conservatively.
I began around a 7:15 pace. I don't run this pace too often, so it was different. I'm used to running shorter and faster or longer and slow. This pace is kind of interesting for me.
Even though I wasn't killing myself with the effort, things didn't get any better. The shin area was still bothering me. Maybe the uphill had already done too much damage. I tried to keep going.
It wasn't bothering me enough that I couldn't run through it, but it was affecting my performance and slowing me down. I crossed a couple roads. After the 2nd one, I just decided that I had enough. I slowed down and ran the next third of a mile to get to 2 total miles. I then quit and had a pretty long walk back to the car.
I'm trying to be smart with less than two weeks until my half marathon. I was hoping for a faster workout, but if my body doesn't want to do it, than it is really better not to do anything. I more likely would do damage than make progress at this point. At least I'm finally listening to my body for a change. Maybe I should've tried that recently.
It was a disappointing two days, but it is what it is. I just have to take it and move on. I guess I'm really paying for the 50 mile week last week. The good thing is that my quad feels better than it did earlier in the week.
Tomorrow is the LVRR Group Run. If I end up running alone again, I'm just going to kill the run I think. That would be a third week in a row. Since no one is showing up, I'm considering running on a track in the afternoon. If I don't do any fast running now, I won't bother doing any before the half marathon. I might be able to run better on a soft, flat track. I don't know. Regardless, it is going to be light week of running.
I was really hoping to bump my mileage up even more over the summer, but with the way it is going, it looks like I'll have to be very cautious. I haven't run too many weeks over 50 miles, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that my body doesn't like it.
I built up very carefully and slowly in the winter and it worked well for a while. Then, I got a little more aggressive with increasing mileage. I still didn't break the 10% rule, but I guess I did a little more than my body wanted to.
I will take it easy this week and next and then after the half marathon, I'm going to try to jump back into upper 40 and 50 mile weeks. I then will just hold my mileage in that range for a few weeks. I need to get my body to adapt and start running on fresh legs.
I get too caught up in total mileage. It is more about getting quality workouts in and a good long run, rather than just putting in miles. I need to run fast and hard once a week and run long another day and be smart and conservative the rest of the time. That will allow me to run much better and reach my goals.
I think another thing I have to look at are my shoes. I think I'm landing on the outside of my foot now. My shoes are wearing in that area too. I think I might be more of a neutral runner now, instead of the overpronator that I once was. That could certainly explain some of the lingering soreness.
Wednesday 2 miles - 15:57 (7:59 pace)
I was hoping to run a tempo run and get one more quality run in before my half marathon. After taking Sunday off and going easy on Monday at Trexler, I figured that I would try a tempo run on Tuesday.
I headed out to the Cementon Trailhead of the D&L. I used to do repeats there often, but I haven't run there in awhile. It was humid out. I had on a singlet, but that didn't help much. I got out of the car and started walking and the legs just felt awful. I knew I wasn't going to accomplish much that day.
I figured that I owed it to myself to at least start running and see how it felt. I did that and it was terrible. I didn't even run a tenth of a mile and I just decided to pack it in. My legs would benefit from some added rest anyway.
After the day off, I decided that I would try again today. It was raining off and on as I headed to the Ironton Rail Trail. This is another place where I often ran repeats last summer, but don't go to much any more. I wanted to run here because I figured that a stone trail would be too soggy, so I could hit this paved trail.
I started from Saylor Park. I didn't feel as bad as I did yesterday, but I still wasn't strong. I kind of like this place because you get a lot of downhill after initially climbing. The problem was that the initial climbing took its toll.
My legs struggled as I went uphill during the warmup. I got to the caboose and was feeling sore. My calf wasn't quite as bad as it has been, but right near it, my shin was hurting. The usual sore spot is on the inside of my leg. This was more like behind the bone.
I continued on, hoping it would get better as I got faster. The warmup was actually a pretty solid 8:08. I then began the fast part of the run. Because I wanted to try to run 4 to 6 miles of moderate to hard pace, I started conservatively.
I began around a 7:15 pace. I don't run this pace too often, so it was different. I'm used to running shorter and faster or longer and slow. This pace is kind of interesting for me.
Even though I wasn't killing myself with the effort, things didn't get any better. The shin area was still bothering me. Maybe the uphill had already done too much damage. I tried to keep going.
It wasn't bothering me enough that I couldn't run through it, but it was affecting my performance and slowing me down. I crossed a couple roads. After the 2nd one, I just decided that I had enough. I slowed down and ran the next third of a mile to get to 2 total miles. I then quit and had a pretty long walk back to the car.
I'm trying to be smart with less than two weeks until my half marathon. I was hoping for a faster workout, but if my body doesn't want to do it, than it is really better not to do anything. I more likely would do damage than make progress at this point. At least I'm finally listening to my body for a change. Maybe I should've tried that recently.
It was a disappointing two days, but it is what it is. I just have to take it and move on. I guess I'm really paying for the 50 mile week last week. The good thing is that my quad feels better than it did earlier in the week.
Tomorrow is the LVRR Group Run. If I end up running alone again, I'm just going to kill the run I think. That would be a third week in a row. Since no one is showing up, I'm considering running on a track in the afternoon. If I don't do any fast running now, I won't bother doing any before the half marathon. I might be able to run better on a soft, flat track. I don't know. Regardless, it is going to be light week of running.
I was really hoping to bump my mileage up even more over the summer, but with the way it is going, it looks like I'll have to be very cautious. I haven't run too many weeks over 50 miles, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that my body doesn't like it.
I built up very carefully and slowly in the winter and it worked well for a while. Then, I got a little more aggressive with increasing mileage. I still didn't break the 10% rule, but I guess I did a little more than my body wanted to.
I will take it easy this week and next and then after the half marathon, I'm going to try to jump back into upper 40 and 50 mile weeks. I then will just hold my mileage in that range for a few weeks. I need to get my body to adapt and start running on fresh legs.
I get too caught up in total mileage. It is more about getting quality workouts in and a good long run, rather than just putting in miles. I need to run fast and hard once a week and run long another day and be smart and conservative the rest of the time. That will allow me to run much better and reach my goals.
I think another thing I have to look at are my shoes. I think I'm landing on the outside of my foot now. My shoes are wearing in that area too. I think I might be more of a neutral runner now, instead of the overpronator that I once was. That could certainly explain some of the lingering soreness.
Wednesday 2 miles - 15:57 (7:59 pace)
Monday, May 6, 2013
Trexler Wins Again
I knew when I embarked on heading to Trexler every week, it wouldn't be easy to conquer the hilly course. I expected it to take time. Still, I couldn't have imagined that progress would be this slow nearly 4 months later.
There are two big hills in the back that I never expected to run, but by this point in time, I figured that I would be able to run all of the rest of the course. I can do that by running each half, but that is really all that I can muster when I try to put it all together. It is very frustrating.
There are few times when I really get pissed off after a workout. I am usually positive. Even when things don't go well, I usually try to learn from them and move on. Today, I headed to the car, really bothered by how poorly I was doing. I thought by now that I would be working on my speed on the course, instead, I'm still working on endurance.
After running 50 miles in 6 straight days (and biking over 20 more), I decided to force myself to rest yesterday. I have a half marathon in two weeks and at this point, I'm more than ready. I could use another solid speedwork session, but I certainly have plenty of endurance built up. A 13 mile run on a beat up body would not have accomplished much.
Taking a day off left me hungry. I decided that since I'll be busy on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, I should run Trexler today. I headed out there after work. I had no lunch. Just a Powerbar and some Gatorade.
I still haven't run the entire loop there on my own. That was my goal for today, even if I had to run/walk it. I wanted to run the actual Quadzilla course, so I headed to starting area near the zoo.
My right quad is still a little sore, so I took it very easy on the downhill early on. I got on the main trail shortly and it was a climb uphill. I'd really love to practice running this beginning section fast at some point. Going up, I could tell this wasn't going to be a great day. I thought after a day of rest, I'd feel strong. I wasn't feeling terrible, but I certainly wasn't strong either.
The weather also wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. It was in the 70s and humid. The big problem is that a lot of this course doesn't have shade. Plenty of it is open and where there are trees, a lot of them are still developing leaves. The weather wouldn't be so bad if we gradually made our way into the 70s, but it seems like we went from the low 40s almost right into the 70s. I still haven't adjusted. All the pollen on the trees isn't helping much either.
I went up and down in the first mile. The time was a nice 9:12. It was pretty solid for an easy pace over this terrain. I'm finally starting to get to know this opening section much better. After the road crossing, there is long uphill that is slightly challenging. It isn't killer, but it does get the lungs and legs working.
I cruised along. I knew the tough hill was coming. Eventually, after heading over the bridge above the creek, I was to the bottom of the hill. This hill is just so deceptive. A lot of the hills here are kind of out in the open and you can really see them and you know how monstrous they are. This one, is close to a quarter mile long. It is fairly steep too and hidden amongst the trees, so you can't see the top.
I focused on getting to the curve. Once I did that, I knew I was close to the summit. There still is a bit of a hill after that, but it is much more gradual. At the end of the steep section, I was really sputtering. I tripped over a root near the top and that hurt my foot. I actually have a bruise on my foot. As I am writing this, I just now realized why. I got up the hill for only 2nd time, but it sure took a lot of work.
I was then out of the woods and on to the maintenance road. This goes uphill right away, before coming back down. It runs near KidsPeace. I was then on to the rolling hill section. Even with the tough hill and the rolling hills, miles 2 and 3 were 9:30 and 9:27 respectively. I scared some deer and they ran alongside the trail up ahead of me for a short while.
I was happy to make it to the hill before the Environmental Center again without any walking. That is the 2nd time I did that recently. This time, I wanted to get up that hill though and over the bigger hill after it. I couldn't do either of those things last time. Not only were my calves sore, but my right foot has been bothering me too on trail uphill sections lately. I think it hurts because I push off with my toes.
Again, I made it up the tough part of the hill to the Environmental Center. It is short, but steep and you can see the top. At least you think so. After that, it gradually continues on. I made it to top of the steep part, but was so exhausted from that that I had to walk again on the gradual part. I was hoping this walking could save me though and I could run much more of the route.
I made it to the Environmental Center and then cruised down some hills. I made it to the big hill after the Environmental Center. This hill isn't too bad when I start in this area, but after almost 4 miles of hills, it is a killer. The sun was blazing down on me too and that didn't help. Still, I tried to climb. Sadly, I only made it about halfway up. I didn't even make it 2/3 of the way, like I thought I could. I started walking. I figured that I could at least continue on and finish the loop.
I was exhausted even with walking at this point. I'm sure some water could've helped. I then thought about the rest of the course. I knew once I got to the top of this hill, I might be able to run for several miles, before I'd have to quit at the two biggest hills. What really did me in was realizing that I would have to walk up those hills and how near impossible that would be in my exhausted state.
Again, I quit short of my goal. I made no progress at all from the last time I ran this way. That is what had me so frustrated. Even when I wasn't doing much running here during the winter, at least I saw some progress, even if it was slow.
I just feel that if I could get up these two hills on each side of the Environmental Center, I could run most of the course without walking. That would be a big plus. Sometimes, knowing the course and what is up ahead is mentally challenging. I really do just need to focus on what is right ahead. Maybe next time I'm there, I can take the mentality that I need to run to these Environmental Center hills and then over them as well. If I can run after that, more power to me. That would be some progress.
I headed back down the hill after quitting. I kept running and hit 11:16 for this pathetic 4th mile. I cut across the trail and then back down on to the road. I headed to the Covered Bridge Trail and ran a short portion of that on an out and back, to make it a 5 mile run. That final mile was run at 9:14.
I guess I shouldn't get so down on myself, because I can run this course faster than most people and I also can run more of the hills than most. A lot of people walk them too. It is just that I hate to walk and with all the time I've committed there, I feel like I should be able to run more. I'll just keep fighting though and one day I'll make it over the whole course or most of it anyway. I do only have 2 months until the Quadzilla race, so that day may not come until after that event.
Tomorrow, I might try a tempo run if I can get up in the morning. I'll be busy most of the afternoon at the LVC league track meet. A day off wouldn't hurt, but then I'd have to run on Wednesday. The problem with that is that it is supposed to rain and they are having the 2nd day of the meet too.
5 miles - 48:39 (9:44 pace)
There are two big hills in the back that I never expected to run, but by this point in time, I figured that I would be able to run all of the rest of the course. I can do that by running each half, but that is really all that I can muster when I try to put it all together. It is very frustrating.
There are few times when I really get pissed off after a workout. I am usually positive. Even when things don't go well, I usually try to learn from them and move on. Today, I headed to the car, really bothered by how poorly I was doing. I thought by now that I would be working on my speed on the course, instead, I'm still working on endurance.
After running 50 miles in 6 straight days (and biking over 20 more), I decided to force myself to rest yesterday. I have a half marathon in two weeks and at this point, I'm more than ready. I could use another solid speedwork session, but I certainly have plenty of endurance built up. A 13 mile run on a beat up body would not have accomplished much.
Taking a day off left me hungry. I decided that since I'll be busy on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, I should run Trexler today. I headed out there after work. I had no lunch. Just a Powerbar and some Gatorade.
I still haven't run the entire loop there on my own. That was my goal for today, even if I had to run/walk it. I wanted to run the actual Quadzilla course, so I headed to starting area near the zoo.
My right quad is still a little sore, so I took it very easy on the downhill early on. I got on the main trail shortly and it was a climb uphill. I'd really love to practice running this beginning section fast at some point. Going up, I could tell this wasn't going to be a great day. I thought after a day of rest, I'd feel strong. I wasn't feeling terrible, but I certainly wasn't strong either.
The weather also wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. It was in the 70s and humid. The big problem is that a lot of this course doesn't have shade. Plenty of it is open and where there are trees, a lot of them are still developing leaves. The weather wouldn't be so bad if we gradually made our way into the 70s, but it seems like we went from the low 40s almost right into the 70s. I still haven't adjusted. All the pollen on the trees isn't helping much either.
I went up and down in the first mile. The time was a nice 9:12. It was pretty solid for an easy pace over this terrain. I'm finally starting to get to know this opening section much better. After the road crossing, there is long uphill that is slightly challenging. It isn't killer, but it does get the lungs and legs working.
I cruised along. I knew the tough hill was coming. Eventually, after heading over the bridge above the creek, I was to the bottom of the hill. This hill is just so deceptive. A lot of the hills here are kind of out in the open and you can really see them and you know how monstrous they are. This one, is close to a quarter mile long. It is fairly steep too and hidden amongst the trees, so you can't see the top.
I focused on getting to the curve. Once I did that, I knew I was close to the summit. There still is a bit of a hill after that, but it is much more gradual. At the end of the steep section, I was really sputtering. I tripped over a root near the top and that hurt my foot. I actually have a bruise on my foot. As I am writing this, I just now realized why. I got up the hill for only 2nd time, but it sure took a lot of work.
I was then out of the woods and on to the maintenance road. This goes uphill right away, before coming back down. It runs near KidsPeace. I was then on to the rolling hill section. Even with the tough hill and the rolling hills, miles 2 and 3 were 9:30 and 9:27 respectively. I scared some deer and they ran alongside the trail up ahead of me for a short while.
I was happy to make it to the hill before the Environmental Center again without any walking. That is the 2nd time I did that recently. This time, I wanted to get up that hill though and over the bigger hill after it. I couldn't do either of those things last time. Not only were my calves sore, but my right foot has been bothering me too on trail uphill sections lately. I think it hurts because I push off with my toes.
Again, I made it up the tough part of the hill to the Environmental Center. It is short, but steep and you can see the top. At least you think so. After that, it gradually continues on. I made it to top of the steep part, but was so exhausted from that that I had to walk again on the gradual part. I was hoping this walking could save me though and I could run much more of the route.
I made it to the Environmental Center and then cruised down some hills. I made it to the big hill after the Environmental Center. This hill isn't too bad when I start in this area, but after almost 4 miles of hills, it is a killer. The sun was blazing down on me too and that didn't help. Still, I tried to climb. Sadly, I only made it about halfway up. I didn't even make it 2/3 of the way, like I thought I could. I started walking. I figured that I could at least continue on and finish the loop.
I was exhausted even with walking at this point. I'm sure some water could've helped. I then thought about the rest of the course. I knew once I got to the top of this hill, I might be able to run for several miles, before I'd have to quit at the two biggest hills. What really did me in was realizing that I would have to walk up those hills and how near impossible that would be in my exhausted state.
Again, I quit short of my goal. I made no progress at all from the last time I ran this way. That is what had me so frustrated. Even when I wasn't doing much running here during the winter, at least I saw some progress, even if it was slow.
I just feel that if I could get up these two hills on each side of the Environmental Center, I could run most of the course without walking. That would be a big plus. Sometimes, knowing the course and what is up ahead is mentally challenging. I really do just need to focus on what is right ahead. Maybe next time I'm there, I can take the mentality that I need to run to these Environmental Center hills and then over them as well. If I can run after that, more power to me. That would be some progress.
I headed back down the hill after quitting. I kept running and hit 11:16 for this pathetic 4th mile. I cut across the trail and then back down on to the road. I headed to the Covered Bridge Trail and ran a short portion of that on an out and back, to make it a 5 mile run. That final mile was run at 9:14.
I guess I shouldn't get so down on myself, because I can run this course faster than most people and I also can run more of the hills than most. A lot of people walk them too. It is just that I hate to walk and with all the time I've committed there, I feel like I should be able to run more. I'll just keep fighting though and one day I'll make it over the whole course or most of it anyway. I do only have 2 months until the Quadzilla race, so that day may not come until after that event.
Tomorrow, I might try a tempo run if I can get up in the morning. I'll be busy most of the afternoon at the LVC league track meet. A day off wouldn't hurt, but then I'd have to run on Wednesday. The problem with that is that it is supposed to rain and they are having the 2nd day of the meet too.
5 miles - 48:39 (9:44 pace)
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Trexler 4 and French Creek 8
After pounding the pavement for 4 straight days, it was good
to get onto some trails. On Friday, I
ran 4 miles at Trexler and today I explored French Creek State Park with an 8
mile trail run. My legs are still beat,
but they feel a little better after those two runs. It has been a tough week, with 6 straight
days of running. I put over 50 miles in
during that stretch.
I was still pretty beat after the climb up South Mountain
Drive on Thursday evening, so heading out to Trexler around lunchtime Friday
was a challenge. I probably wouldn’t
have even bothered going there if I wasn’t trying to keep my weekly streak
alive. I also doubt I would’ve been
running on a Friday either.
We are spending the weekend camping in French Creek State
Park, near Reading. I’ve never run here
until today. I love being able to run
and explore new places. Trail running
can be a lot of fun and I’m usually pretty good with directions. The plan was to run 8 miles to hit 50 miles
total for the week. I had a loop sort of
mapped out, although it looked like it could be 12 miles or more.
I came back and it was at least a little more enjoyable in
this direction. At least I was going
downhill. It was still uncomfortable
with all the rocks and loose stones. I
just looked forward to getting back near the campground. I’d be around 5 miles at that point.
I was still pretty beat after the climb up South Mountain
Drive on Thursday evening, so heading out to Trexler around lunchtime Friday
was a challenge. I probably wouldn’t
have even bothered going there if I wasn’t trying to keep my weekly streak
alive. I also doubt I would’ve been
running on a Friday either.
I was sunny and warm, although still a little breezy at the
start. That died down quickly
though. I saw a horse trailer in the
parking lot and was hoping I wouldn’t run into them.
With somewhat dead legs, I took it nice and easy in the
beginning. I don’t think I’ve ever run
up the big hill by the Environmental Center with any less effort. It was still a little challenging in the top
third, by then I was going so slowly that it was much easier. That seemed more consistent than a lot of my
runs up the hill.
I now had a lot of recovery time. I went by the bison pen, but didn’t see the
newborn bison. That was a little
disappointing. I continued along at an
easy rate. At some point, I should
consider running a little harder at Trexler.
I know this whole section inside and out by now.
When I got out of the gate and to the road crossing, I saw
the horses waiting to cross the road.
That was great. It was a perfect
time to encounter them. It wasn’t on a narrow
section or anything like that. I slowly climbed up
the hill, sore legs and all. I ran past
a guy that was hiking.
The plan was to at least get out 2 miles and turn around for
a minimum of 4 miles total. I ran up the
hill and the dogs weren't out to bark at me from the nearby houses. It was nice to have peace for a change.
I felt okay as I hit mile 2, so I went on. I figured that I would turn around at 2.5
miles. If I tried going 3 miles, the
trail would start heading downhill and I would have to climb back up. When I turned around, I was on the sloped
part of the trail. That section is one
of the most annoying parts of this loop.
I headed back downhill, but it was into quite the
breeze. I’m used to the breeze being in
the other direction. It was that way all
winter. Although I went downhill, I
didn’t feel great. I think my quads
really took a beating the other day.
I wasn’t sure how much more I had left in the tank. I knew some tough hills were yet to
come. I went over the rocky section and
started the climb on the pavement. This was
getting hard and I was closing in on 4 miles.
I figured that I wouldn’t be pushing that extra mile. I ran up the short, steep part of the
trail. I hit the 4 mile point and
stopped my watch. I then continued the
short distance to the top of the hill.
I walked the remaining mile back to the car. I didn’t want to completely trash my
legs. They already felt quite dead. When I went past the bison area and I saw the
young bison, but it was way up on the hill.
It was still cool to see.
Hopefully, I’ll get a closer glimpse in the next couple weeks.
We are spending the weekend camping in French Creek State
Park, near Reading. I’ve never run here
until today. I love being able to run
and explore new places. Trail running
can be a lot of fun and I’m usually pretty good with directions. The plan was to run 8 miles to hit 50 miles
total for the week. I had a loop sort of
mapped out, although it looked like it could be 12 miles or more.
I headed out from near the campground. The trail started as a fun wooded trail. Then I got to a fork in the trail. Even though I saw the map earlier and thought
I should go left, for some reason I decided that going right was the correct
way. That was a big mistake.
This short section of the trail was nice. It was downhill and through the woods. The whole area is a lot of up and down. Although I enjoyed the run very early on, it
was short lived. I crossed a small road
and I had a feeling it was the park road and not the main road that I was looking for. I came out to Hopewell Furnace
National Historic Site and realized that I was correct in my assessment of the situation. It was cool running through there. It is an old area where they used to make
iron and they kept some old buildings. I
guess they have actors there in the summertime.
Since I didn’t have a map, I didn’t quite know where to
go. I decided to run north up the road
to the original trailhead that I was looking for. This section really sucked. It was up and up and up on the pavement. My legs weren’t enjoying it at all and I was
cursing under my breath.
It seemed like forever and ever to get up the road. The hill was a gradual climb for almost a
mile. I didn’t need that, but if I was
going to climb like that, I’d rather it be on a trail. I was so frustrated.
Finally at the top, I found a parking lot. I stopped and looked at a map. They did have a lot of maps around and I
stopped often to either look at them or adjust my GoPro camera on my head. With that on, my head was very sweaty. It was actually a cool and relatively
comfortable day though.
I finally found the trail I was originally hoping to
do. That didn’t improve my spirits
though. I was hoping for a fun
singletrack through the woods. Instead,
it was a wide and straight doubletrack.
I think it was likely an old road.
Near the trailhead, it was a lot of stone. It wasn’t even crushed stone. It was medium sized stones that rolled under
my feet and provided no traction. I
wasn’t even 3 miles into the run and I was a very unhappy camper.
My trashed legs weren’t enjoying the run either. I was climbing and climbing again on this
section. I continued cursing, this time,
often aloud. Luckily, no one heard
me. I did pass a few people on this
trail, but not many. Not only was my
left calf bothering me, but now my foot was acting up. That happened a little yesterday too. I haven’t had that occur recently, but
sometimes in my past it bothered me going uphill on trails. I'll have to monitor that.
The trail did finally venture off to the left. It was now more of a singletrack through the
woods. It was still climbing some, but
not as much. I ran on that for a
while. I started going downhill and
didn’t want to do that for very long. I
think I turned around at 3.5 miles. I
knew the loop would be downhill and then back up and I wasn’t sure if I could handle
it.
I came back and it was at least a little more enjoyable in
this direction. At least I was going
downhill. It was still uncomfortable
with all the rocks and loose stones. I
just looked forward to getting back near the campground. I’d be around 5 miles at that point.
When I got back to the main road, I crossed over and found
the connector trail that I was initially going to use. It was amazing. I was going uphill now, but it was a soft
dirt path with few rocks. I enjoyed it
and so did my dead legs. They really
started to come around. They didn’t even
mind that I was going uphill.
The trail continued on past the campground road. I ran over there as well. It was more of the same and the trail was
outstanding and I could enjoy it. It was
more in and out running too, instead of just straight ahead.
I ran for a while, but then I hit a rocky stretch. I didn’t want to keep going, so I turned
around. I went back through the trail
from where I came. I was then out onto
the road into the campground.
I had no idea where I wanted to go and I still needed about
2.5 miles to get to 8 miles. I ran
downhill on the pavement and hoped I could find a trailhead somewhere. I never did.
Eventually, I came to the 2nd lake road. I had not been there yet, so I ran towards
it. That was first uphill and again not
fun. A small access road to the lake
went downhill, so I elected not to go there, because I didn’t want to run back
up.
I found a trail that looked like it would go to the
campground. It was going uphill, but I
only had less than half a mile from the finish.
I should’ve stopped and looked at a map.
Instead, I elected to turn around and run back down the hill to the map. I finished up there at just past 8 miles.
I saw the map did go to the campground area. I then walked back and saw a couple that I
had passed quite a while ago. I thought
it must be far to the campground, so I started running. I only could make it .15 miles up the
hill. I didn’t want to kill my legs
anymore. They were already hurting.
Walking back to the site wasn’t as bad as I thought it would
be. I was there in no time and could
finally refresh myself with a drink.
I’m unsure if I’ll run tomorrow or not. My body definitely needs the rest. I would rather try to run tomorrow and rest
Monday though. If I do run, I might
drive to the nearby Schuylkill River Trail.
That is flat and would be much faster.
I am going to cut back my long run distance. I’m hoping to run 13 miles. That could take some time on a trail. I’ll decide whenever the sun rises.
Trexler 4 miles – 36:45 (9:12 pace)
French Creek 8 miles – 1:25:18 (10:36 pace)
French Creek .15 miles – 1:31 (10:32 pace)
Thursday, May 2, 2013
South Mountain Drive Solo Run
Today was the usual LVRR Thursday evening group run. Some young lady asked about it on facebook and said she was going to come tonight. I waited and waited and waited and just like last week, no one showed. It is so frustrating. There was some kind of dinner at ArtsQuest with a lot of women dressed up, so that was entertaining to watch them all come in. The area was buzzing with activity. There was just none for the run.
The weather was perfect. It was in the 70s with a slight breeze. The weather excuse no longer holds water. Actually, some weeks we had more people in the dead of winter. I don't know why we can't get anyone to show up with a club that is so big. If this continues over the next few weeks, I'm just going to kill the run. I'm getting tired of being frustrated. I didn't think we could draw worse than we did in Parkway, but we are currently smashing that.
I didn't really want to run around that area, since I was running alone. As usual, I decided to head to the Saucon Rail Trail. My friend Jessica was talking about a big hill in Polk Valley Park, which is nearby. I found the park, which was really nice and a street behind it had a nice hill. I'm not sure if that is it. This could be run from the Saucon Rail Trail, but I didn't feel like doing that today. Since I wanted to get around 8 miles in, I decided just to leave the park and head to the Saucon Rail Trail.
I got to Water Street, parked the car, and changed my mind again. I love running this trail, but at the same time, I do it so often that I'm starting to get sick of it. I needed to do something new. I thought why not be crazy and run up South Mountain Drive to Lehigh's Mountaintop Campus. I haven't done that in some time.
I just ran right from Water Street Park. I still figured that I had over an hour of daylight. There are some short hills on Water Street that are difficult. My left calf and right quad were so sore early on. I had to sputter along slowly. I biked this afternoon and rode 20 miles in the last two days, in addition to all my running. All of that was taking its toll.
Still I battled on. After some of the short, steep hills, things started feeling a little better. This first mile was slow, but I knew the toughest parts would be yet to come. I ran along the road for awhile. I've probably been on roads way too much this week. That is where I have done all of my runs.
Around mile 2, I got to the entrance to Lehigh's Goodman Campus. Some people were out front in the grass, playing with their dogs. They must've thought that I was crazy to be running towards the mountain. Lehigh's track is setup and looks fancy. I didn't realize it, but apparently they are having the Patriot League Championships there this weekend. Too bad I'll be camping. I would love to see that.
From the Goodman entrance, it is a gradual uphill until the base of the mountain. It isn't hard, but it sure isn't easy either. It was a slow go. Eventually, I made it to the main portion of the mountain. I always run the direction of the uphill traffic, so that cars don't come flying down the hill and have to avoid me.
I climbed and climbed and climbed. In reality, the mountain isn't quite a mile in length. However, it does go up from around 250 feet to over 800 feet (at least from the Goodman Campus area). That is some serious elevation change and a good workout.
I just focused on getting to the curve in the road. I knew that from there, I wasn't too far away from the top. I didn't feel too bad. I was breathing a little heavy and my legs were beginning to get sore. It sure wasn't easy, but it didn't kill me as much as it had in the past.
I am in good shape, but I still don't do climbs like this. Most of the hills I run are rolling hills. This one is very long and seems never ending. I do love running this route, I'm just not crazy about worrying about the traffic.
The final quarter mile to the top is really what did me in. That's where I started feeling the burn. I was finally breathing heavy, sweating a lot and my legs were hurting. Before I knew it, I was to the top. I actually ran about a tenth of a mile into Lehigh's Mountaintop Campus. That gave me 3 miles.
The 3rd mile was certainly slower, but at 9:34, it wasn't too bad. I climbed almost 300 feet in that mile alone. One thing that is amazing, is how good you feel once you are at the top and can cruise. My legs recovered quickly and enjoyed the flat ground.
Normally, I open up my stride and let myself just fly downhill. However, with my quad sore, I took it easy. Ever since I've started running Trexler, I've been taking it a little easier downhill. The legs didn't feel too bad. I wasn't going downhill fast. I was thinking that maybe I should train for the South Mountain 10 miler and run it next fall. I'm not crazy about the idea that they leave the road open though.
I headed down the mountain and the legs didn't feel that great, but they weren't bothering me either. That is, until the very steep bottom of the mountain. I wasn't in pain, but my legs just began to feel dead. They had no pop in them.
After the bottom of the mountain, I came across a biker going up the mountain. He said, "it looks much more fun that way." I yelled back, "yeah, I've already run up it." I ran through the Goodman Campus. There were a bunch of bike riders there. They must've met for some type of group ride. That does seem like a rather nice area to ride in.
I went out along a quiet country road this time. There were some farms and stuff. I then came out right by Water Street Park. With my legs feeling dead, I knew that I wasn't running 8 miles. I started shooting for 6.5 miles. That was also how far I ran yesterday.
I came out to the Water Street Park and then went on the Saucon Rail Trail. My quads and legs felt instantaneously better. I ran much harder and flew by a woman who was running. I only planned to go out about half a mile. Whenever I hit 6.5 miles, I'd turn around and walk back. I did just that.
It was a productive run, but my body clearly could use some rest. I'll be on the trails for the rest of the weekend. Maybe that will help. I should finish with over 50 miles of running this week and at least 20 miles of riding. It has been a good week.
I might have to start backing off the next few weeks. I wasn't going to taper for my half marathon since it isn't really a goal race, but I might have to. My body is struggling now. I haven't had an off day to recover from Monday's 18 miler.
One fun thing I did do, was put together a group run at Jacobsburg for National Trails Day. It will be on Saturday June 1st. I just created the event today and already have around 20 people committed to it. It might be huge. I probably should contact the park at some point.
Tomorrow, I work early. Hopefully, that will be my only order. I'd like to get a 5 or 6 mile Trexler run done. Then I can head to French Creek State Park near Reading. I'm going to camp there and explore some of the trails. It should be a fun running weekend.
6.5 miles - 57:49 (8:54 pace)
The weather was perfect. It was in the 70s with a slight breeze. The weather excuse no longer holds water. Actually, some weeks we had more people in the dead of winter. I don't know why we can't get anyone to show up with a club that is so big. If this continues over the next few weeks, I'm just going to kill the run. I'm getting tired of being frustrated. I didn't think we could draw worse than we did in Parkway, but we are currently smashing that.
I didn't really want to run around that area, since I was running alone. As usual, I decided to head to the Saucon Rail Trail. My friend Jessica was talking about a big hill in Polk Valley Park, which is nearby. I found the park, which was really nice and a street behind it had a nice hill. I'm not sure if that is it. This could be run from the Saucon Rail Trail, but I didn't feel like doing that today. Since I wanted to get around 8 miles in, I decided just to leave the park and head to the Saucon Rail Trail.
I got to Water Street, parked the car, and changed my mind again. I love running this trail, but at the same time, I do it so often that I'm starting to get sick of it. I needed to do something new. I thought why not be crazy and run up South Mountain Drive to Lehigh's Mountaintop Campus. I haven't done that in some time.
I just ran right from Water Street Park. I still figured that I had over an hour of daylight. There are some short hills on Water Street that are difficult. My left calf and right quad were so sore early on. I had to sputter along slowly. I biked this afternoon and rode 20 miles in the last two days, in addition to all my running. All of that was taking its toll.
Still I battled on. After some of the short, steep hills, things started feeling a little better. This first mile was slow, but I knew the toughest parts would be yet to come. I ran along the road for awhile. I've probably been on roads way too much this week. That is where I have done all of my runs.
Around mile 2, I got to the entrance to Lehigh's Goodman Campus. Some people were out front in the grass, playing with their dogs. They must've thought that I was crazy to be running towards the mountain. Lehigh's track is setup and looks fancy. I didn't realize it, but apparently they are having the Patriot League Championships there this weekend. Too bad I'll be camping. I would love to see that.
From the Goodman entrance, it is a gradual uphill until the base of the mountain. It isn't hard, but it sure isn't easy either. It was a slow go. Eventually, I made it to the main portion of the mountain. I always run the direction of the uphill traffic, so that cars don't come flying down the hill and have to avoid me.
I climbed and climbed and climbed. In reality, the mountain isn't quite a mile in length. However, it does go up from around 250 feet to over 800 feet (at least from the Goodman Campus area). That is some serious elevation change and a good workout.
I just focused on getting to the curve in the road. I knew that from there, I wasn't too far away from the top. I didn't feel too bad. I was breathing a little heavy and my legs were beginning to get sore. It sure wasn't easy, but it didn't kill me as much as it had in the past.
I am in good shape, but I still don't do climbs like this. Most of the hills I run are rolling hills. This one is very long and seems never ending. I do love running this route, I'm just not crazy about worrying about the traffic.
The final quarter mile to the top is really what did me in. That's where I started feeling the burn. I was finally breathing heavy, sweating a lot and my legs were hurting. Before I knew it, I was to the top. I actually ran about a tenth of a mile into Lehigh's Mountaintop Campus. That gave me 3 miles.
The 3rd mile was certainly slower, but at 9:34, it wasn't too bad. I climbed almost 300 feet in that mile alone. One thing that is amazing, is how good you feel once you are at the top and can cruise. My legs recovered quickly and enjoyed the flat ground.
Normally, I open up my stride and let myself just fly downhill. However, with my quad sore, I took it easy. Ever since I've started running Trexler, I've been taking it a little easier downhill. The legs didn't feel too bad. I wasn't going downhill fast. I was thinking that maybe I should train for the South Mountain 10 miler and run it next fall. I'm not crazy about the idea that they leave the road open though.
I headed down the mountain and the legs didn't feel that great, but they weren't bothering me either. That is, until the very steep bottom of the mountain. I wasn't in pain, but my legs just began to feel dead. They had no pop in them.
After the bottom of the mountain, I came across a biker going up the mountain. He said, "it looks much more fun that way." I yelled back, "yeah, I've already run up it." I ran through the Goodman Campus. There were a bunch of bike riders there. They must've met for some type of group ride. That does seem like a rather nice area to ride in.
I went out along a quiet country road this time. There were some farms and stuff. I then came out right by Water Street Park. With my legs feeling dead, I knew that I wasn't running 8 miles. I started shooting for 6.5 miles. That was also how far I ran yesterday.
I came out to the Water Street Park and then went on the Saucon Rail Trail. My quads and legs felt instantaneously better. I ran much harder and flew by a woman who was running. I only planned to go out about half a mile. Whenever I hit 6.5 miles, I'd turn around and walk back. I did just that.
It was a productive run, but my body clearly could use some rest. I'll be on the trails for the rest of the weekend. Maybe that will help. I should finish with over 50 miles of running this week and at least 20 miles of riding. It has been a good week.
I might have to start backing off the next few weeks. I wasn't going to taper for my half marathon since it isn't really a goal race, but I might have to. My body is struggling now. I haven't had an off day to recover from Monday's 18 miler.
One fun thing I did do, was put together a group run at Jacobsburg for National Trails Day. It will be on Saturday June 1st. I just created the event today and already have around 20 people committed to it. It might be huge. I probably should contact the park at some point.
Tomorrow, I work early. Hopefully, that will be my only order. I'd like to get a 5 or 6 mile Trexler run done. Then I can head to French Creek State Park near Reading. I'm going to camp there and explore some of the trails. It should be a fun running weekend.
6.5 miles - 57:49 (8:54 pace)
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Attempted Tempo
After a decent group run last night, it was time for a harder workout today. My speed sessions this winter and spring have just been 800 repeats. I wanted to try to sustain a hard effort for a longer period of time, so I decided to try a tempo run. The plan was to run 8 miles with the middle 4 miles at tempo pace.
The weather was beautiful. It was in the low 60s, pretty much a perfect spring day. It was a little humid and actually kind of breezy. It seemed like the breeze was in both directions too. Still, I couldn't ask for much better weather. I'll be dreaming of days like this in a couple months when the temperatures are in the 90s.
I wore shorts, my compression socks and a singlet. I headed out to Mill Race Park. After an 18 mile long run on Monday and a 7 miler yesterday, my legs were feeling pretty beat up. I didn't work, so I ran around lunch time. My body could've used a later run, but I wanted to get it out of the way. Normally, I will have a day off before my hard runs.
I started off heading towards Tatamy. That section has some stone and I didn't want to run that while I was going hard. I planned for an easy mile out and another easy one back before getting to the start of the meat of the run. After just a few steps, I knew it could be a tough day. My legs were stiff and didn't want to move.
I hoped that they might come around by 2 miles. I figured I had to at least start the hard segment of the run and adjust accordingly. That's just what I did. I could only get .75 miles out before the path ended, so I turned around at that point. It worked out good because I could cross Newlins Mill Road while I was running easy.
I started going hard after 2 miles. I tried not to go too hard, but I sort of just ended up in my 800 repeat pace range. Ideally, I would've gone about 10-15 seconds per mile slower, but that is kind of a tough area for me to hit since I don't run that pace. My pace is usually just under 8 minutes for a slow run or around 6:40 for faster shorter bursts. I don't run much in between.
That's what this run was aiming to accomplish. As I neared the first 800, I could actually feel my legs slipping. The pace was just under 7 minutes for the first mile. It was tough. I knew at that point that I didn't have it in me to sustain a hard effort for 4 miles. My body just isn't used to it. I do love running hard for 800 meters and then recovering. I need to teach my body how to love something that I don't enjoy, which is sustaining a hard effort over several miles.
I just plugged along. They still haven't open the new part of the trail officially. That is really annoying. I don't know what they are waiting for. It is completed and it is already the beginning of May. Let people enjoy the trail. Of course, I still run on it anyway. The annoying thing was that I had to run around the gates that weren't opened and my pace slid. I felt like a lot of this 2nd mile was uphill. I'm not sure if it was.
I crossed another road and finished up mile 2 just after that. That mile was a 7:03. I knew a 3rd mile would just be so difficult. I decided to head back and this point and throw in a recovery mile. I hoped my legs and lungs could come back. It was a combination of both that was limiting me today, but probably more so my lungs.
My legs just felt horrible and weren't recovering at all. It seemed like I was running against the wind too. Still, I figured I had to at least try another hard repeat. I had hoped that I could at least run another mile with that type of effort.
I started off cruising and was again around a 6:40. After a tenth of a mile, it was getting very hard. I tried to mentally stay strong. I pushed myself and thought about getting to Boston as well as the victims of the Boston bombings. That got me farther along than I normally would've gone.
I just didn't have a full mile more in at that effort though. Finally, when I reached .5 miles into this fast effort, I stopped and started to cool down. That was enough. I wasn't going to beat myself up any more. Maybe if I was rested better I could've done more. I don't know. I finished up with an easy mile. Even that seemed kind of hard on my legs.
I was happy to string together back to back solid hard miles. I should be able to break a 7 minute pace for a 5K right now anyway. I'm happy with that. I was hoping that I could be closer to 6:45, but I guess I won't know until I get into an actual race. I might do that next week.
I've been running well lately and this was a good run to bring me back down to earth. If anything, I tend to get overconfident at times when it comes to my running. Still, I'd rather do that than have it be the other way. While I am running well overall, this run allowed me to see how much further I need to go.
If I really push myself right now, I can only run 2 or 3 miles at most at a 6:51 pace. That is the pace I'm shooting for for a full marathon in 4 months. It might be unrealistic, but I'll know that awhile down the road. For now, I'll keep working at it. I just signed up today for the VIA Marathon, so now I can really focus on it.
I might throw in some biking this afternoon. Tomorrow, is my usual evening group run. I'd like to get to Trexler sometime too. Maybe I'll meet up with Flo in the morning. That could be kind of tight with my work schedule. I need to get there at some point.
6.5 miles - 51:25 (7:55 pace)
The weather was beautiful. It was in the low 60s, pretty much a perfect spring day. It was a little humid and actually kind of breezy. It seemed like the breeze was in both directions too. Still, I couldn't ask for much better weather. I'll be dreaming of days like this in a couple months when the temperatures are in the 90s.
I wore shorts, my compression socks and a singlet. I headed out to Mill Race Park. After an 18 mile long run on Monday and a 7 miler yesterday, my legs were feeling pretty beat up. I didn't work, so I ran around lunch time. My body could've used a later run, but I wanted to get it out of the way. Normally, I will have a day off before my hard runs.
I started off heading towards Tatamy. That section has some stone and I didn't want to run that while I was going hard. I planned for an easy mile out and another easy one back before getting to the start of the meat of the run. After just a few steps, I knew it could be a tough day. My legs were stiff and didn't want to move.
I hoped that they might come around by 2 miles. I figured I had to at least start the hard segment of the run and adjust accordingly. That's just what I did. I could only get .75 miles out before the path ended, so I turned around at that point. It worked out good because I could cross Newlins Mill Road while I was running easy.
I started going hard after 2 miles. I tried not to go too hard, but I sort of just ended up in my 800 repeat pace range. Ideally, I would've gone about 10-15 seconds per mile slower, but that is kind of a tough area for me to hit since I don't run that pace. My pace is usually just under 8 minutes for a slow run or around 6:40 for faster shorter bursts. I don't run much in between.
That's what this run was aiming to accomplish. As I neared the first 800, I could actually feel my legs slipping. The pace was just under 7 minutes for the first mile. It was tough. I knew at that point that I didn't have it in me to sustain a hard effort for 4 miles. My body just isn't used to it. I do love running hard for 800 meters and then recovering. I need to teach my body how to love something that I don't enjoy, which is sustaining a hard effort over several miles.
I just plugged along. They still haven't open the new part of the trail officially. That is really annoying. I don't know what they are waiting for. It is completed and it is already the beginning of May. Let people enjoy the trail. Of course, I still run on it anyway. The annoying thing was that I had to run around the gates that weren't opened and my pace slid. I felt like a lot of this 2nd mile was uphill. I'm not sure if it was.
I crossed another road and finished up mile 2 just after that. That mile was a 7:03. I knew a 3rd mile would just be so difficult. I decided to head back and this point and throw in a recovery mile. I hoped my legs and lungs could come back. It was a combination of both that was limiting me today, but probably more so my lungs.
My legs just felt horrible and weren't recovering at all. It seemed like I was running against the wind too. Still, I figured I had to at least try another hard repeat. I had hoped that I could at least run another mile with that type of effort.
I started off cruising and was again around a 6:40. After a tenth of a mile, it was getting very hard. I tried to mentally stay strong. I pushed myself and thought about getting to Boston as well as the victims of the Boston bombings. That got me farther along than I normally would've gone.
I just didn't have a full mile more in at that effort though. Finally, when I reached .5 miles into this fast effort, I stopped and started to cool down. That was enough. I wasn't going to beat myself up any more. Maybe if I was rested better I could've done more. I don't know. I finished up with an easy mile. Even that seemed kind of hard on my legs.
I was happy to string together back to back solid hard miles. I should be able to break a 7 minute pace for a 5K right now anyway. I'm happy with that. I was hoping that I could be closer to 6:45, but I guess I won't know until I get into an actual race. I might do that next week.
I've been running well lately and this was a good run to bring me back down to earth. If anything, I tend to get overconfident at times when it comes to my running. Still, I'd rather do that than have it be the other way. While I am running well overall, this run allowed me to see how much further I need to go.
If I really push myself right now, I can only run 2 or 3 miles at most at a 6:51 pace. That is the pace I'm shooting for for a full marathon in 4 months. It might be unrealistic, but I'll know that awhile down the road. For now, I'll keep working at it. I just signed up today for the VIA Marathon, so now I can really focus on it.
I might throw in some biking this afternoon. Tomorrow, is my usual evening group run. I'd like to get to Trexler sometime too. Maybe I'll meet up with Flo in the morning. That could be kind of tight with my work schedule. I need to get there at some point.
6.5 miles - 51:25 (7:55 pace)
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