VT Dad’s fight vs. inertia & flab

Last week was a hectic one, I spent the first half running around the east coast, and the second half cleaning.  I found time for 3 runs, including yesterday’s 8.5 mile race race, where I cut my time from last year by 2:08.  The coming week is my most intense week of training mileage wise.

Propricoeptive Cue: Butt Squeeze
Monday: Off
Tuesday: Base Run and Drills: 10 miles at base pace, 2×20 seconds stiff legged running & running no arms.
Wednesday: Mixed Intervals: 1 mile warmup and cool down.  3K at 1/2 marathon pace (8:39 miles), 2 minute recovery, 2K @ 10K pace (8:13 miles), 2 minute recovery, 1K@ 5K pace (4:56), 2 minute recovery, 800m @ 3K pace (3:44.)
Thursday: Recovery Run: 2-6 miles @ recovery pace.
Friday: Tempo Run @ Half-marathon pace: 2 miles warmup and cool down, 8 miles at at 1/2 marathon pace (8:39 miles).
Saturday: Recovery Run: 2-6 miles @ recovery pace.
Sunday: Long Run: 20 Miles @ base pace.

It was ~52F, 11C, with steady tail wind for today’s 8.5 mile race.  I chose to wear shorts, a short sleeve t shirt, hat, and gloves.  I made a perfect choice for my clothing.  I warmed up within the first quarter mile, and took off my gloves, about half way through the race.  The steady tail wind helped everyone run a bit faster today.  

I tried to stay relaxed at the start, I clocked an 8:17 for my first mile.  After that I tried to pick up the pace, passing a few people each mile during miles 2-6.  One girl that I passed began to use me to set her pace, as she sat on my shoulder.  This was a course that gained 300 feet of elevation throughout the race.  My pace was uneven, averaging 7:50s for the flatter miles, and 8:30s for the uphill miles.  Throughout miles 2-7 the girl was always on my shoulder, whenever she surged, I was able to match her surge.  Together we picked off a dozen runners.  I reached mile seven in 57:44.  If I could maintain 8 minute miles, I’d finish sub70 minutes.  With about a mile to go, she surged, and I couldn’t respond.  I kept chugging along, but I was no longer running fluidly.  I finished in 1:10:47, 2:08 faster than I did in last year’s race.

It’s 2 hours before the Sap Run, an 8.5 mile race from Swanton, VT to St. Albans, VT part of the St. Albans maple festival.  This will be my third time running this race.  It’s a relatively flat course, that gains 300 feet of elevation over the 8.5 miles.  I want to relax at the start, and then run consistently.  Last year only the even miles were marked on the course, and I averaged 8:35 miles.  This year I’d like to run ~8:24 miles, cutting ~90 seconds off my time.  Last year I ran a 72:55.  A perfect race for me would be sub70:00, but that would require 8:14 splits.  In my last 10K, I averaged 8:13 miles, so I don’t know if sub70 is possible.

The most relaxing part of my day came early.  I was contemplating options for a short run, since I have an 8.5 mile race tomorrow.  I decided to go for a run with my dog Mookie.  He was so happy.  Together we ran with unbridled joy, reveling in the chance to run free, enjoying a fabulous day.  

My run fueled the rest of my day which including buying an ’07 Prius to replace my wife’s totaled CRV, and 4+ hours cleaning out my garage.  It’s amazing how much junk accumulated over the years.  We’re trying to give away the stuff first, but if we can’t that junk will nearly fill the 10 cubic yard dumpster we rented.

The college trip I took with my son and youngest daughter was grueling.  Day one I drove from 4PM to past midnight.  On day two I drove from 9PM to past midnight, and on day four it was from 4:30 to 10:00 PM.  Six colleges in three days, was quite a grind, and add in all the late night driving, well, I was exhausted, and failed to run taking three unplanned additional rest days.

Today was a gorgeous day for a run, and I chose a run I hadn’t done in over a year and a half, a hill run in Montpelier.  My son had a 9:20 oboe lesson, so I chose to run during that lesson.  It was ~47F, 8C, when I set out for my run.  I was overdressed in tights and long sleeves, as it was ~5 degrees warmer than what I had read as the forecast.  The run started off with a nice 1/2 mile warmup, then the first hill.  It began as a steady uphill grade, then when I turned left, a wall of a hill was there to greet me.  That first hill lasted ~ 1/4 mile, it was followed by ~1K of gradual up hill, then hill #2.  The second hill started at a steep incline, and never really crested.  The slope decreases, but the hill keeps going and going and going.  I turned around after ~2K of that hill, but I hadn’t reached the summit, I had to turn around to insure that I got back before the end of my son’s lesson.  To show how severe the hills were, I ran the inbound leg nearly 4 minutes faster than the outbound leg.  It felt great to be running on the road again.

My marathon is one month away, I have one more tune up race on Sunday, an 8.5 miler.

Later today I’m heading on the road with my 11th grade son and youngest daughter.  We’ll be visiting some colleges on the east coast.  I was happy with my 1/2 marathon yeasterday, 5:49 faster than the same course last year.  The biggest difference this year was that I ran a smarter race.

My training schedule for the coming week is as follows:  Proprioceptive Cue: Floppy feet.
Monday:  Off
Tuesday: Base Run & drills.  6 miles @ base pace.  20 seconds high knees and bounding
Wednesday: Tempo Run: 1.25 Mile warmup and cool down.  5.5 miles at Half marathon pace. (8:39 miles)
Thursday: Recovery Run: 2-6 miles @ recovery pace
Friday:  Mixed intervals: 1 mile warmup and cool down. 1×2K @ half marathon pace (8:39 per mile).  1 mile at 10K pace (8:13), 1K@ 5K pace (4:54), 800m @ 3K pace (3:48)
Saturday: Recovery Run: 2-6 miles @ recovery pace
Sunday: 8.5 mile Race

Today was ideal day for a race, cloudy and overcast with temperatures ~46F, 8C.  Rain was forecast for the day, but we never saw any on the course.  Today’s race was a 1/2 marathon through a rural area with rolling hills, and mostly on dirt roads.  It was a challenging course.   Rolling hills at the start, a 1 mile descent from mile 5 to 6, to the lowest part of the course.  Nearly 700 feet of elevation gain between miles 5 and 9, with a brutal hill at mile 6, and more challenging hills at miles 8 and 9.  I had never cracked 2 hours on this course, my best time was last year 2:01:38.

I started the race at the back and ran relaxed for miles 1 and 2: 9:13, and 9:20 respectively.  The third mile was a down hill mile, and I clocked a 7:48.  The next mile was uphill, and I was 9+ again.  I ran a blistering mile 5: 7:11, and was ready to climb.  I ran the next mile, an uphill one, sub9.  Someone was on my shoulder as I hit the hill, that was more like a wall than a hill.  I attacked the hill, dropped him by over a minute, and passed 2 other runners.  Durin miles 7-9, I did great, passing more runners.  I reached mile 10 at 88:20, ~8:50 pace.  I still had energy, and continued to run hard.  I was faltering some down the stretch, as 4 runners passed me. With about a mile to go I could hear another runner breathing down my neck.  I surged, clocking a sub8 last mile, and powered to the finish line in 1:55:49, beating him by 11 seconds.  I finished 5:49 faster than last year.  It was such a great race.

I’m up with the sun rise this morning, eating my pre-race breakfast, and visualizing today’s 1/2 marathon.  The temperature should be ideal, ~50F, 10C, but there is a 50% chance of race.  I am at the start, and today, I move to the back of the pack.  I’m taking this first mile slowly.  It is an uphill mile.  I hope to hit the mile mark at 9:07.  Slow, relaxed, 9:07.  Miles 2-4 are rolling hills.  Concentrate on my form, relax, start getting a reliable, economical cadence.  3 miles in 25 minutes, reaching mile 4 in 34:07.  Here’s where things get interesting, a downhill 5th mile and then an uphill at mile 6 that looks more like a wall.  Steady through both they’ll even themselves out.  25 minutes for the next 3 miles, reaching mile 7 in 59:07.  By starting slow I hope to be passing people throughout the race.  Use this as motivation as the uphills continue at miles 7, 8, 9, and 10.  3 more miles 26 more minutes.  10 miles in 1:25:07, 8:31 pace.  The rest of the race is downhill.  Have I conserved enough energy to explode to the finish line?  Miles 11, 12 in 19 minutes: 1:44:07.  The last mile is downhill to the start/finish line.  Surge on the downhill.  Running fast, still passing people.  Hit the tape at 152:37.

Let’s see how the race stacks up to my visualization.

This morning I was up ~5:30, and ran a peaceful recovery run.  I ran on the same dirt road that my wife had had her accident, Monday.  If was a spectacular day for a run.  the sun was just beginning to rise.  It was 31F, -1C and calm.  I ran at a relaxing pace, just enjoying being alive on this glorious morning.  I ran past where the accident was twice, but as a runner, I couldn’t tell where the accident had been.  Tomorrow, I have another 1/2 marathon race, on a grueling course.

Today’s run was an illustration just how important one’s mind is.  I planned my run today so that I’d start slowly, and then try and finish hard, and see if by doing this if I could improve my time for my base run.   It was a glorious day for a run 31F, -1C and calm as I set off predawn for my run.  My early was accompanied by the wonderful melodies of birds in my neighborhood.  I eased into my first mile at 9:20, and then a 9:26 second mile.  I proceeded to push up my pace for a 2.2 mile stretch.  I was hoping to nail that split in 18:00.  When I clocked an 18:56, I was disappointed, and my brain shut down.  The goals for my run went out the window.  I slowed from ~9 minute pace to 10+ minute pace.  It took a while to regain my form, and when my mind regained its focus, my form improved, and I ran the last 3 miles at ~10 minute pace.  I tried to shut everything else out, and concentrate on my form.  During those last 3 miles I was finally able to find peace.