Well today I skipped my first run since my marathon training began at the end of July. I still have lingering soreness in my groin and hamstring and thought the rest would be a big help with the half marathon coming this weekend. Both occurred on my right side and doing hill sprints up a curved hill to the right probably didn't help the injuries. I was originally planning on an eight mile run today, but wisely backed off. It's certainly not the end of the world.
I could've battled through these injuries, but at this point, I'd rather be safe than sorry. It's kind of ironic because after reading a book where the author commented that hill sprints help prevent injuries, I decided to mix those into my routine. I probably did too many though and now I'm injured and have missed my first day. I never really planned on not missing any days, but I had a nice streak going. I also don't mind missing days to rest a sore body. It's missing days because of laziness (as I have done in the past) that bothers me.
Tomorrow, I'm going to take it easy with a flat four mile run. Hopefully skipping the long run today will act as a taper before the half marathon. We'll see how I feel after that race. I might take it easy again next week too. Getting these injuries under control before my most intense training period is going to be a big key.
The good news is that at least the injuries haven't bothered me while running. I should be able to complete the half marathon. Hopefully, it won't add too much additional stress. I still need to find ways to do some hill work or more runs with hills anyways. Even though the marathon course is flat, I want to be stronger.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Belmont Plateau
I ran this morning on the Belmont Plateau cross country course. It's really the only course for runners in the city. Last week, I was at the Catholic League meet there. I checked out the course and although it looked a little difficult, it ended up being much harder than I anticipated.
It was definitely a humbling run. I planned on taking it easy, but the course was too tough to really do so. I went slow, but still had to work hard. The course is interesting because it starts and ends with a grass loop. In between though, it winds through a wooded trail. This is the area Will Smith referred to in "Summertime" (a place called the Plateau was where everybody goes). There are a lot of empty beer bottles around and when I went there on summer afternoon, it was a ghetto hangout.
Anyways, back to the run. The course starts on grass and has a steep hill early on. My groin and hamstring were both quite sore when I initially started. That went away within a couple tenths of a mile. Although grass is more forgiving that roads, it took some getting used. I never ran cross country and don't venture much on anything other than pavement. It was also very windy today out in the open grass portion and that was very tough.
The wooded area was where things got really difficult. I had wandered back there last week and the parts I encountered were pretty stable. There was a big hill and that was difficult to get up. Even tougher though, ended up being the descent. It was very fast and hard not to slip on rocks or the acorns that had fallen from the trees.
I had trouble throughout the run with my footing. I was running in my regular shoes. Some sections were smooth with small gravel, but others had large rocks. Making it equally difficult was that it rained the night before and there were still some very muddy sections.
I didn't know quite where I was going when in the woods. There are multiple routes in there. They have been marked off for the cross country meets, but I initially missed the one turn. I wound up on a nice, smooth path. I had no clue where it was going though. I ended up at the Philadelphia Recycling Center. After that point, I decided to head back and find the rest of the high school course.
That part was very tricky as it was winding, narrow and muddy. There's actually no room to even pass another runner in this portion of the run. I eventually make it out and back onto the main path. I was exhausted when I came out of the woods. I ran the remainder of the grass route, which included another run up the hill. I finished at cruising speed.
My legs and hips were immediately sore afterwards. All of my recent minor injuries are on my right side. They don't bother me during running, only afterwards as I'm walking. Things aren't getting better though. It isn't serious pain, but it is nagging and seems to be getting worse. I used a heating pad quite a bit tonight.
Because of the soreness, I skipped the hill sprints today. I'm going to attempt to run the remainder of my runs very easy this week. Hopefully, that'll help me recover before Saturday's big race. I really don't want to miss any training runs, but I may have to. So far, I've kept a perfect record since I started marathon training. My cross training is the only thing that has slacked at all.
I'm back at my parents house now and will stay here for the remainder of the week. I have an 8 mile loop in mind tomorrow, but it does have some tough hills. I think for my 4 mile run on Thursday, I'll probably just cruise around the high school track at an easy pace. We'll just have to see how things go.
~3.5 miles - 34:18
It was definitely a humbling run. I planned on taking it easy, but the course was too tough to really do so. I went slow, but still had to work hard. The course is interesting because it starts and ends with a grass loop. In between though, it winds through a wooded trail. This is the area Will Smith referred to in "Summertime" (a place called the Plateau was where everybody goes). There are a lot of empty beer bottles around and when I went there on summer afternoon, it was a ghetto hangout.
Anyways, back to the run. The course starts on grass and has a steep hill early on. My groin and hamstring were both quite sore when I initially started. That went away within a couple tenths of a mile. Although grass is more forgiving that roads, it took some getting used. I never ran cross country and don't venture much on anything other than pavement. It was also very windy today out in the open grass portion and that was very tough.
The wooded area was where things got really difficult. I had wandered back there last week and the parts I encountered were pretty stable. There was a big hill and that was difficult to get up. Even tougher though, ended up being the descent. It was very fast and hard not to slip on rocks or the acorns that had fallen from the trees.
I had trouble throughout the run with my footing. I was running in my regular shoes. Some sections were smooth with small gravel, but others had large rocks. Making it equally difficult was that it rained the night before and there were still some very muddy sections.
I didn't know quite where I was going when in the woods. There are multiple routes in there. They have been marked off for the cross country meets, but I initially missed the one turn. I wound up on a nice, smooth path. I had no clue where it was going though. I ended up at the Philadelphia Recycling Center. After that point, I decided to head back and find the rest of the high school course.
That part was very tricky as it was winding, narrow and muddy. There's actually no room to even pass another runner in this portion of the run. I eventually make it out and back onto the main path. I was exhausted when I came out of the woods. I ran the remainder of the grass route, which included another run up the hill. I finished at cruising speed.
My legs and hips were immediately sore afterwards. All of my recent minor injuries are on my right side. They don't bother me during running, only afterwards as I'm walking. Things aren't getting better though. It isn't serious pain, but it is nagging and seems to be getting worse. I used a heating pad quite a bit tonight.
Because of the soreness, I skipped the hill sprints today. I'm going to attempt to run the remainder of my runs very easy this week. Hopefully, that'll help me recover before Saturday's big race. I really don't want to miss any training runs, but I may have to. So far, I've kept a perfect record since I started marathon training. My cross training is the only thing that has slacked at all.
I'm back at my parents house now and will stay here for the remainder of the week. I have an 8 mile loop in mind tomorrow, but it does have some tough hills. I think for my 4 mile run on Thursday, I'll probably just cruise around the high school track at an easy pace. We'll just have to see how things go.
~3.5 miles - 34:18
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Why Am I Alone?
On most Sunday mornings, I head out the door on the bike for an hour ride. Even if I'm riding at a decent pace, I'm usually blown away by cyclist after cyclist. So where were they on this day?
Sure, it was raining pretty hard and it was still early in the morning. Regardless of the treacherous conditions, I expected encounter more than 2 cyclists on my 10 mile journey. I only saw two of them the entire time and both were riding the opposition direction. Not one passed me the whole time.
The number of runners out was greatly diminished when compared to normal too, but I at least came across 10-15 of those in my journey. Why were the cyclist afraid to come out? Are they not that dedicated in their training?
I certainly don't consider myself a cyclist. I'm slow, not efficient on the bike and don't know what I'm doing. Today, I was more of a cyclist though than all those usual cyclist who were at home comfortably in their beds.
I probably looked goofy riding along with my cheap jacket and with fogged up sunglasses that I wore because I don't have cycling glasses. With no one there to see it though, I guess it didn't really matter.
I actually felt smooth and very efficient. I tried using some of the form that I learned about in the book that I read. It might've helped me be more aerodynamic, but it wasn't very comfortable. I had a solid ride though. Certainly didn't break and time records, but I got a nice workout in. Most importantly, I toughed it out when others didn't.
This week will be my usual week of running with the hill sprints removed on Thursday. I'm still slightly sore from yesterday's 15+ mile run, but I should be well recovered by tomorrow. I am very eager to test myself in Saturday's half marathon. Unlike in shorter races, I have more time to recover if I make any mistakes in that one. I really love that.
Sure, it was raining pretty hard and it was still early in the morning. Regardless of the treacherous conditions, I expected encounter more than 2 cyclists on my 10 mile journey. I only saw two of them the entire time and both were riding the opposition direction. Not one passed me the whole time.
The number of runners out was greatly diminished when compared to normal too, but I at least came across 10-15 of those in my journey. Why were the cyclist afraid to come out? Are they not that dedicated in their training?
I certainly don't consider myself a cyclist. I'm slow, not efficient on the bike and don't know what I'm doing. Today, I was more of a cyclist though than all those usual cyclist who were at home comfortably in their beds.
I probably looked goofy riding along with my cheap jacket and with fogged up sunglasses that I wore because I don't have cycling glasses. With no one there to see it though, I guess it didn't really matter.
I actually felt smooth and very efficient. I tried using some of the form that I learned about in the book that I read. It might've helped me be more aerodynamic, but it wasn't very comfortable. I had a solid ride though. Certainly didn't break and time records, but I got a nice workout in. Most importantly, I toughed it out when others didn't.
This week will be my usual week of running with the hill sprints removed on Thursday. I'm still slightly sore from yesterday's 15+ mile run, but I should be well recovered by tomorrow. I am very eager to test myself in Saturday's half marathon. Unlike in shorter races, I have more time to recover if I make any mistakes in that one. I really love that.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Second Longest Run
Today was the 2nd longest run of my life. I ran almost 15.5 miles, mostly along Kelly Drive and through to Manayunk. I ran the final 14 miles of the Philadelphia Marathon, all the way to Green Lane in Manayunk and back. This is great prep for the race in November.
I got out very early, starting off at 6 AM. I didn't think anyone else would be crazy enough to run at that time, but sure enough I passed someone on West River Drive. I started out there and ran to the 12 mile marker of the marathon course and back.
Yesterday, I bought a Nathan's fuel belt. I really didn't like the hand held bottle, so the belt was a relief. It took some getting used to though as it probably weighs a good 5-10 pounds. It definitely slowed my pace down. I also had to adjust it a couple times to make sure it fit more comfortable.
It was dark for the first half of the run so the temperature was nice and cool. I felt good throughout, although I probably should've tied my one shoe a little tighter. The slower pace that I was running because of the belt, kept me at a nice slow pace early on.
I tried running on the roads as much as I could when I got to Manayunk. That was a big help and I wasn't dizzy this time around. The road was sloped some though, so that was annoying. I think drinking properly and eating GU energy gels was a big help to my wellness.
I took one gel about 35 minutes into the run and another between Manayunk and Falls Bridge on the way back. That kept me fueled and fresh. I drank all my Gatorade, but two of the bottles were filled with water that I just ended up dumping them. I won't fill them up as much next time.
Although the belt is a bit of a pain, one nice thing is that it gets much lighter as you drink. That allows you to be significantly faster towards the end of the run. I ran very well and relatively fast from Falls Bridge back to the Art Museum. I'm getting so used to this route.
One guy passed me and I just didn't have enough to stay with him. I ran my own run then and passed a lot more people. I finished very strong and didn't realize how hard I had worked until I finished in a little over 2 hours on the road. My legs haven't had a workout like that in a long time.
After being sore earlier in the week, I felt very fresh today. The slowed paced run on Thursday really allowed me to recover better. I need to learn how to slow down on easy days with more regularity.
It's funny because I ran for over 2 hours, but it dawned on me afterwards just how focused on the run I was. In the past, I would often daydream. Today, I couldn't think of what thoughts passed through my head other than thinking about the run itself.
It's crazy to think that this was one of the longest runs I ever did, but elite runners do this all the time and it's often an average day. It's equivalent to what a four mile run is to me. Eventually, I'll get to that level. For now though, I'm just very exhausted and sore.
In a lighter moment, I walked by an older lady with a cane after the run and realized that I walked as poorly as her now. I was limping along as I tried to recover by walking to Dunkin Donuts.
It's so rewarding finishing up a long run like this. It's an excellent way to start the weekend. Even better, is starting so early. It was nice at 8 AM when I was finishing up my run and most people were just heading out to start their workout.
I checked with the Philly Runner store yesterday, but they aren't hiring yet. He told me to send my resume because they should have some openings in a few weeks. I don't have much running experience, so I'm not sure what to really include. Hopefully, I can get a job there. That would certainly be a huge help me get to the elite level that I'm hoping for.
Tomorrow will be an easy hour recovery bike ride before I head off to the Eagles game. I'm definitely feeling ready to run the half marathon next Saturday. I will run easy with hill sprints on Tuesday if my body feels good. Wednesday will be a hard day again. Thursday will be easy with no hill workout.
I'm excited to see what kind of time I can put up at the Lancaster Half Marathon. I'm hoping to run a 7:30 pace. The hills will make it a little tougher. We'll see what happens.
15.46 miles - 2:12:28 (8:34 pace)
I got out very early, starting off at 6 AM. I didn't think anyone else would be crazy enough to run at that time, but sure enough I passed someone on West River Drive. I started out there and ran to the 12 mile marker of the marathon course and back.
Yesterday, I bought a Nathan's fuel belt. I really didn't like the hand held bottle, so the belt was a relief. It took some getting used to though as it probably weighs a good 5-10 pounds. It definitely slowed my pace down. I also had to adjust it a couple times to make sure it fit more comfortable.
It was dark for the first half of the run so the temperature was nice and cool. I felt good throughout, although I probably should've tied my one shoe a little tighter. The slower pace that I was running because of the belt, kept me at a nice slow pace early on.
I tried running on the roads as much as I could when I got to Manayunk. That was a big help and I wasn't dizzy this time around. The road was sloped some though, so that was annoying. I think drinking properly and eating GU energy gels was a big help to my wellness.
I took one gel about 35 minutes into the run and another between Manayunk and Falls Bridge on the way back. That kept me fueled and fresh. I drank all my Gatorade, but two of the bottles were filled with water that I just ended up dumping them. I won't fill them up as much next time.
Although the belt is a bit of a pain, one nice thing is that it gets much lighter as you drink. That allows you to be significantly faster towards the end of the run. I ran very well and relatively fast from Falls Bridge back to the Art Museum. I'm getting so used to this route.
One guy passed me and I just didn't have enough to stay with him. I ran my own run then and passed a lot more people. I finished very strong and didn't realize how hard I had worked until I finished in a little over 2 hours on the road. My legs haven't had a workout like that in a long time.
After being sore earlier in the week, I felt very fresh today. The slowed paced run on Thursday really allowed me to recover better. I need to learn how to slow down on easy days with more regularity.
It's funny because I ran for over 2 hours, but it dawned on me afterwards just how focused on the run I was. In the past, I would often daydream. Today, I couldn't think of what thoughts passed through my head other than thinking about the run itself.
It's crazy to think that this was one of the longest runs I ever did, but elite runners do this all the time and it's often an average day. It's equivalent to what a four mile run is to me. Eventually, I'll get to that level. For now though, I'm just very exhausted and sore.
In a lighter moment, I walked by an older lady with a cane after the run and realized that I walked as poorly as her now. I was limping along as I tried to recover by walking to Dunkin Donuts.
It's so rewarding finishing up a long run like this. It's an excellent way to start the weekend. Even better, is starting so early. It was nice at 8 AM when I was finishing up my run and most people were just heading out to start their workout.
I checked with the Philly Runner store yesterday, but they aren't hiring yet. He told me to send my resume because they should have some openings in a few weeks. I don't have much running experience, so I'm not sure what to really include. Hopefully, I can get a job there. That would certainly be a huge help me get to the elite level that I'm hoping for.
Tomorrow will be an easy hour recovery bike ride before I head off to the Eagles game. I'm definitely feeling ready to run the half marathon next Saturday. I will run easy with hill sprints on Tuesday if my body feels good. Wednesday will be a hard day again. Thursday will be easy with no hill workout.
I'm excited to see what kind of time I can put up at the Lancaster Half Marathon. I'm hoping to run a 7:30 pace. The hills will make it a little tougher. We'll see what happens.
15.46 miles - 2:12:28 (8:34 pace)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Garbage Train
I was hoping to run the Belmont cross country course, but that changed because it rained last night. I knew the grass and trails would be wet. I instead elected to run the Schuykill Banks from Lloyd Hall and then add on a short out and back to the Art Museum.
For once, I did a good job of taking it easy. I went out nice and slow and maintained that pace. Oddly, there weren't as many runners out as usual. One guy that was walking, did start running right before I got to him. I think he might've been trying to push himself. I paid him no attention though and didn't pass him before the turnaround. I easily could have though.
One thing that really sucked was that there was a train filled with cars full of garbage next to the trail. The smell was pretty bad. It's bad enough that we have to breathe the usual city air, but then you add the smell of garbage to that.
Running a slower pace than usual really did help my legs recover. The muscles worked in a different way than they are used to and thus weren't sore. It was actually kind of hot so that was a bit of an issue.
I've been drinking tea too close to bedtime lately and haven't been able to get to sleep easily the last two nights. I guess I need to drink it earlier. This problem caused me to get up later the last two days and thus battle some more heat than I'm used to.
After the run, I decided to run hill sprints on Lemon Hill. I did 5 repeats on the short, but steeper hill. The only thing I don't like about it is that the hills curve. The hill is basically U-shaped so it puts odd stresses on the legs. To counter it, I'll run the other side of the hill in the opposite direction on some days.
It is really nice because there are few cars. The hills were certainly challenging and I actually pushed hard, but not as hard as I could've. On the last one, I kicked it into another gear. I'll have to do it at that rate next time around. They definitely seemed more productive than the Art Museum hills. It would still be nice to have a straight hill though.
For awhile now, I've been weighing myself after runs. Obviously after losing water, this is the lightest that I'll be. Just for fun, I kept watching to see if my weight would drop under 160 lbs. It finally did last week. After the intensity of this week and last, it has now stayed under 160, even after eating.
Initially, I was hoping to get down to 155 lbs, thus losing 25 lbs. I'm really surprised with how fat I still am though at 160. I actually have to get under 150 lbs now and maybe even under 140. That'll happen over time obviously. I'm happy with what I've lost, but disappointed with how much fat still remains.
Tomorrow is an off day and Saturday morning will be my longest run to date. Hopefully my knees recover for the 15 miler. I'm going to try to do the final 14 or 15 miles of the marathon course. This time, I'm heading to Manayunk with a water bottle and GU gel though. I'll be more prepared than my last long trek into that town.
4.1 miles - 34:45 (8:29 pace)
For once, I did a good job of taking it easy. I went out nice and slow and maintained that pace. Oddly, there weren't as many runners out as usual. One guy that was walking, did start running right before I got to him. I think he might've been trying to push himself. I paid him no attention though and didn't pass him before the turnaround. I easily could have though.
One thing that really sucked was that there was a train filled with cars full of garbage next to the trail. The smell was pretty bad. It's bad enough that we have to breathe the usual city air, but then you add the smell of garbage to that.
Running a slower pace than usual really did help my legs recover. The muscles worked in a different way than they are used to and thus weren't sore. It was actually kind of hot so that was a bit of an issue.
I've been drinking tea too close to bedtime lately and haven't been able to get to sleep easily the last two nights. I guess I need to drink it earlier. This problem caused me to get up later the last two days and thus battle some more heat than I'm used to.
After the run, I decided to run hill sprints on Lemon Hill. I did 5 repeats on the short, but steeper hill. The only thing I don't like about it is that the hills curve. The hill is basically U-shaped so it puts odd stresses on the legs. To counter it, I'll run the other side of the hill in the opposite direction on some days.
It is really nice because there are few cars. The hills were certainly challenging and I actually pushed hard, but not as hard as I could've. On the last one, I kicked it into another gear. I'll have to do it at that rate next time around. They definitely seemed more productive than the Art Museum hills. It would still be nice to have a straight hill though.
For awhile now, I've been weighing myself after runs. Obviously after losing water, this is the lightest that I'll be. Just for fun, I kept watching to see if my weight would drop under 160 lbs. It finally did last week. After the intensity of this week and last, it has now stayed under 160, even after eating.
Initially, I was hoping to get down to 155 lbs, thus losing 25 lbs. I'm really surprised with how fat I still am though at 160. I actually have to get under 150 lbs now and maybe even under 140. That'll happen over time obviously. I'm happy with what I've lost, but disappointed with how much fat still remains.
Tomorrow is an off day and Saturday morning will be my longest run to date. Hopefully my knees recover for the 15 miler. I'm going to try to do the final 14 or 15 miles of the marathon course. This time, I'm heading to Manayunk with a water bottle and GU gel though. I'll be more prepared than my last long trek into that town.
4.1 miles - 34:45 (8:29 pace)
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Found the Limit
Well much like yesterday's run, today's was a struggle. It was the same long 7 miler that I ran last Wednesday along Kelly Drive. Of course, last week I was actually helped out by some bathroom breaks that gave me rest.
Today, my legs were sore early on, but at least they didn't feel as dead as they had on Tuesday's shorter 3 mile run. Despite that, I went out pretty hard and pushed the envelope. I struggled, but made it to the turnaround at about the same time as last week. One thing that is really tough is staying focused and pushing so much early on. At least on the way back, I can sense the finish. On the way out, all I can work towards is the turnaround, knowing that over half the route is yet to come.
I knew even before the turnaround, that I would be using a 2 minute walk break. After running for about 5 minutes past the turnaround, I decide to walk and conserve energy. It helped my legs recover a little, but not as much as I had hoped. I did still feel okay when pushing to the St. Joe's Prep boathouse.
It went downhill from there though. I tried to focus on segments again, but this time it didn't work so well. My legs just had nothing. I even tried to tell myself that I need to get tougher in a run like this if I truly want to be elite.
I still pushed to the grandstands, but really just died after that. I tried to walk again, but to no avail. My legs were just so dead. I was passed by a runner and had nothing for him.
I sputtered home. I was able to get enough energy to close out the last half mile strong. Even with two walk breaks, I still nearly ran an 8 minute pace. The hardest thing with the walk breaks is getting going again and really getting into a rhythm.
The hill sprints and the extra intensity are obviously causing me some trouble now. I'm definitely going to try to back off in some way next week. I doubt I'll do any Thursday hill work and possibly none on Tuesday either depending on how I feel. While I don't want to taper for the half marathon, since it's not my goal race, I still want to be somewhat fresh.
I was disappointed with how the run went, but also satisfied too. You don't know what your limit is until you reach it and try to go beyond. I obviously found out where it was today. That should make me stronger, provided this extra work doesn't continue to be a problem. Too often, I have felt like I left too much in the tank during a race. The more I can know my limits, the closer I can come to those limits.
I decided to attend the Philadelphia Catholic League cross country meet today. I wanted to see where they actually run on the Belmont Plateau course. Some of it is on grass and some is stone trail. I'm going to run it tomorrow. There are some steep hills, so I might not do any hill workouts afterward. The run will be an easy 4 miler. I'm always excited to find a new course.
Hopefully my body will recover well on Friday. I have a big 15 mile run to cover on Saturday. My legs were sore as I rested in bed today, but once I got to the meet and got them moving, I recovered better. My groin continues to bother me after every run. Hopefully it'll get better at some point. At least it isn't bothering me during my runs yet. At least with the soreness I'm feeling now, I know I'm working hard.
7 miles - 56:18 (8:03 pace)
Today, my legs were sore early on, but at least they didn't feel as dead as they had on Tuesday's shorter 3 mile run. Despite that, I went out pretty hard and pushed the envelope. I struggled, but made it to the turnaround at about the same time as last week. One thing that is really tough is staying focused and pushing so much early on. At least on the way back, I can sense the finish. On the way out, all I can work towards is the turnaround, knowing that over half the route is yet to come.
I knew even before the turnaround, that I would be using a 2 minute walk break. After running for about 5 minutes past the turnaround, I decide to walk and conserve energy. It helped my legs recover a little, but not as much as I had hoped. I did still feel okay when pushing to the St. Joe's Prep boathouse.
It went downhill from there though. I tried to focus on segments again, but this time it didn't work so well. My legs just had nothing. I even tried to tell myself that I need to get tougher in a run like this if I truly want to be elite.
I still pushed to the grandstands, but really just died after that. I tried to walk again, but to no avail. My legs were just so dead. I was passed by a runner and had nothing for him.
I sputtered home. I was able to get enough energy to close out the last half mile strong. Even with two walk breaks, I still nearly ran an 8 minute pace. The hardest thing with the walk breaks is getting going again and really getting into a rhythm.
The hill sprints and the extra intensity are obviously causing me some trouble now. I'm definitely going to try to back off in some way next week. I doubt I'll do any Thursday hill work and possibly none on Tuesday either depending on how I feel. While I don't want to taper for the half marathon, since it's not my goal race, I still want to be somewhat fresh.
I was disappointed with how the run went, but also satisfied too. You don't know what your limit is until you reach it and try to go beyond. I obviously found out where it was today. That should make me stronger, provided this extra work doesn't continue to be a problem. Too often, I have felt like I left too much in the tank during a race. The more I can know my limits, the closer I can come to those limits.
I decided to attend the Philadelphia Catholic League cross country meet today. I wanted to see where they actually run on the Belmont Plateau course. Some of it is on grass and some is stone trail. I'm going to run it tomorrow. There are some steep hills, so I might not do any hill workouts afterward. The run will be an easy 4 miler. I'm always excited to find a new course.
Hopefully my body will recover well on Friday. I have a big 15 mile run to cover on Saturday. My legs were sore as I rested in bed today, but once I got to the meet and got them moving, I recovered better. My groin continues to bother me after every run. Hopefully it'll get better at some point. At least it isn't bothering me during my runs yet. At least with the soreness I'm feeling now, I know I'm working hard.
7 miles - 56:18 (8:03 pace)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Not as Strong
Well after a great week last week, I figured things could go downhill. Today wasn't a terrible workout, but I was clearly feeling the effects of last week's higher intensity. I ran an easy four miles on West River Drive and followed that up with five hill sprints behind the Art Museum.
Early on, my legs didn't feel strong. I figured they'd come around, but they never did. They felt sluggish all day. Hopefully it was just a bad day. More likely, it was due to putting in a tough week last week. I thought with all the recovery I allow myself, by only running four days a week, that it wouldn't be a problem.
I'm not going to change my plans this week, but will monitor it into next week. I will only do one session of hill repeats next week (early in the week). Hopefully my body will adjust to the training and I'll be fine. I need to be cautious now with the half marathon just around the corner.
I was surprised at how many people were actually out running on West River Drive this time. I saw a guy up ahead on the way out and tried not to focus on catching him. Eventually I did catch up though, right before the turnaround. I elect not to pass him.
Shortly before the turnaround, I saw a college age girl and older guy running near each other. I didn't try to too hard initially to reel them in, but as I got closer I just had to. The girl looked like she was running a tempo run or something because she sped up to catch him and then fell behind him and then passed him again. The second pass happened right as I was making my move. It was the final half mile. I opened up my stride and cruised on by her. I think she wanted to follow, but quickly realized I was too fast. I finished at a decent speed, but still never felt good.
After some walking, I jumped into the hill repeats. I might actually have to find some steeper hills to use. It just seems too gradual and my legs don't really hurt until I get to the much steeper portion of the hill at the finish. I don't feel like I'm going hard enough, but I can't get my legs to really go any harder either. I got a little light headed too. Maybe I'll try the repeats on Lemon Hill later in the week instead.
I didn't have it today, but I'm still happy to get through the run. I'm really starting to focus on the half marathon now. I'll be camping near there and will drive the course the night before. Initially, I was hoping for a 8 minute per mile pace, but now I'm looking more towards a 7:30 pace. We'll see how it goes. Clearly the hills out there will be tougher than what I typically face around the river here.
Because of the photos I took at the Philadelphia Distance Classic, I found a good running club. One of the top female runners had on a singlet for it. It's for post college runners and looks very competitive. I have a long way to go to get to their level, but it gives me something good to aim for. They are sponsored by Philly Runner.
3 miles - 23:44 (7:55)
Early on, my legs didn't feel strong. I figured they'd come around, but they never did. They felt sluggish all day. Hopefully it was just a bad day. More likely, it was due to putting in a tough week last week. I thought with all the recovery I allow myself, by only running four days a week, that it wouldn't be a problem.
I'm not going to change my plans this week, but will monitor it into next week. I will only do one session of hill repeats next week (early in the week). Hopefully my body will adjust to the training and I'll be fine. I need to be cautious now with the half marathon just around the corner.
I was surprised at how many people were actually out running on West River Drive this time. I saw a guy up ahead on the way out and tried not to focus on catching him. Eventually I did catch up though, right before the turnaround. I elect not to pass him.
Shortly before the turnaround, I saw a college age girl and older guy running near each other. I didn't try to too hard initially to reel them in, but as I got closer I just had to. The girl looked like she was running a tempo run or something because she sped up to catch him and then fell behind him and then passed him again. The second pass happened right as I was making my move. It was the final half mile. I opened up my stride and cruised on by her. I think she wanted to follow, but quickly realized I was too fast. I finished at a decent speed, but still never felt good.
After some walking, I jumped into the hill repeats. I might actually have to find some steeper hills to use. It just seems too gradual and my legs don't really hurt until I get to the much steeper portion of the hill at the finish. I don't feel like I'm going hard enough, but I can't get my legs to really go any harder either. I got a little light headed too. Maybe I'll try the repeats on Lemon Hill later in the week instead.
I didn't have it today, but I'm still happy to get through the run. I'm really starting to focus on the half marathon now. I'll be camping near there and will drive the course the night before. Initially, I was hoping for a 8 minute per mile pace, but now I'm looking more towards a 7:30 pace. We'll see how it goes. Clearly the hills out there will be tougher than what I typically face around the river here.
Because of the photos I took at the Philadelphia Distance Classic, I found a good running club. One of the top female runners had on a singlet for it. It's for post college runners and looks very competitive. I have a long way to go to get to their level, but it gives me something good to aim for. They are sponsored by Philly Runner.
3 miles - 23:44 (7:55)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)