Freethinker ~ Freerunner

Nice 12 mile run today at a real easy pace of 9:09 per mile.  I did not want to overdo it since I start official marathon training on Monday.

Time: 1:49:57

Pace: 9:09

First 6: 54:22, pace: 9:03

Second 6: 55:35, pace 9:15

I'm super excited to get my Garmin 110 on Wednesday.  Only a couple more runs using mile markers and timing my own splits with my stop watch. 

Today marks the official start to my Route 66 Marathon Training.  I ran 4x1 mile cruise intervals.  

Splits:

6:20

6:20

6:40

6:55

I ran 1.5 mile to warm up and 1.5 mile to cool down.  My recovery between each interval was about a quarter mile walk.  My goal for this training session was to run the mile repeats in 6:20, which I was able to do for the first 2.  The last two left me feeling a little fatigue.  It looks like I've got more work to do. 

Ran 4.5 miles this morning at an easy 8:00 minute pace with 4 striders at the end.  I still felt a little sore from yesterday mornings interval training.  My thighs were burning a little from those 6:19 mile repeats.  Hopefully I recover by tomorrow,  because I have a  little bit of a harder workout tomorrow morning.  Then I get to rest on Friday.  

Time: 0:35:59

Pace: 7:59

Splits:

8:15

7:47

8:01

7:57

3:59 (half mile)

I got my Garmin Forerunner 110 today!  I had to test it out tonight by going for a night run.  I ran 1.49 miles on sore legs and a full stomach.  

Data:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43208806

I am still a little fatigued from my Tuesday speed training.  I may have to re-evaluate this training plan, or I may just be tired.  I haven't gotten much sleep this week.  

My schedule today called for 7 miles with 2 to 3 at a 6:39 pace and the other 4 at a 7:00 pace.  I only made it 2 miles after my warm up mile, and did not even hold up the 7:00 minute pace.  I'll see how I feel after this weekends long run.

Splits:

7:57

7:15

7:42

Time:                           22:55

My schedule called for 45 to 60 minutes of easy running.  I ran an 8:16 pace for only 35 minutes and 57 seconds.  I felt really good for the first two miles, but somewhere at the start of mile 4 I could really feel my legs wearing out.  It probably didn't help that I was thinking ahead to my 10 mile run tomorrow.  I started thinking that another 15 minutes of running might just wear me out.

Time: 0:35:57

Pace: 8:16

Splits:

8:33

8:14

8:04

8:18

2:46 (.33 miles)

I over slept this morning by about an hour.  I usually leave the house at about 6:00 AM just before the sunrise.  This morning however I didn't make it out the door until about 6:50.  Having to run with the sun up from the beginning did not make it any easier running with slightly sore legs.  The result was that I ran 10 miles today at about the same pace that I ran 12 miles last week.  I'm really looking forward to relaxing the rest of the day, resting tomorrow and fully recovering so I can hit it hard again on Tuesday.  

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/43642189

Distance: 10:02 miles

Time: 1:31:11

Average Pace: 9:06

Splits: 

8:30

8:22

8:33

8:45

8:41

9:26

9:48

9:52

9:44

916

I ran 4 cruise intervals this morning.  I left the house at 5:45 before sun up.  It is so much better to get a 30 minute jump on the sun rise than to wait.  My area has a high today of 102 with a heat index of 112.  This morning it was only about 76.  I think I did much better this morning as opposed to one week ago.  Here are my splits:

6:20

6:27

6:20

6:46

My goal time was 6:19.  Not only did I get a little closer to hitting all four miles in my goal time, but I have to say that so far my legs feel much better post workout.  I was really worn out after last week, and I felt that the workout sent shock waves throughout the rest of the weeks workouts. 

In total I ended up running 6 miles.  1 warm up mile and about a half a mile to cool down.  Then I ran a little between each mile in recovery. 

I took it easy this morning.  Five miles at a an easy 8:32 pace with 100 meter strides in between each mile.  

Splits: 

9:33

8:48

8:11

8:06

8:10

2:50 (.35 mile cool down)

I'm having a little trouble keeping up with my Thursday schedule.  I felt a lot better than last week, but my legs are feeling a little too burnt out to keep up with the pace goal.  

Distance: 7:42 mi

Time: 1:01:36

Splits:

9:47

7:24

7:36

8:24

8:30

8:11

8:15

3:26 (.42 mi)

I ran nice and easy 9 minute miles this morning.  It was a good recovery run.  I think I need to spend a little more time warming up, because I noticed my muscles were pretty stiff feeling for the first two miles, and the I was able to open up and run a little faster for the last two.  I would have kept going but my schedule only called for 45 to 60 minutes today.  

I ran in a pretty heavy down poor for the first two and half miles.  It felt really nice.  It just sprinkled for the most part after that.  I also got my shoes totally soaked running through some moving water on a low spot on my trail.  All in good fun right.  

Distance: 

6:13 miles

Time: 0:57:24

Average Pace: 9:17

Splits:

9:30

9:26

9:37

9:39

9:11

9:00

I felt really good this morning.  I left at 5:50 AM about 45 minutes before sun rise, but thanks to the cloud cover in the west today the sun did not show itself until about an hour and ten minutes in to my run.  There was a nice breeze of the east today at about 15 mph that helped keep me cool on two of my last four miles.  I had a nice ten minute ice bath when I got home.  

Time: 1:42:07

Distance: 12.01 miles

Pace: 8:30 min/mile

Splits:

9:00

8:37

8:30

8:13

8:12

8:06

8:27

8:35

8:36

8:27

8:01

8:06

I left the house at about 6:00 AM.  The temperature was only 72 degrees.  Absolutely awesome conditions for this time of year.  It is certainly a nice break from the sweltering heat and high dew point factor.  

Since I was feeling strong and the conditions were nice for running, I easily maintained an 8:16 pace throughout my 10 mile run with hills.  My goal for my workout today was to run at least ten minutes semi-vigorously up hills.  My usual training route includes lots of hills, so I know I accomplished the ten minute part.  I just adjusted my workout so that I did not slow down and conserve energy while on the hills like a usually do.  

Time: 1:22:48

Distance: 10.01

Average Pace: 8:16 per mile

Splits:

8:49

8:53

8:22

8:10

8:05

8:11

8:03

8:12

8:03

7:53

I stepped outside this morning to cool breezy conditions. My weather app said it was 72, but it felt a lot cooler to me.  It would have been nice if that lasted.  I was sweating bullets by mile two.

Distance: 4:78 miles 

Time: 0:38:41

Average Pace: 8:05

Splits:

8:26

8:06

7:51

6:29 (.78 miles)

I ran pretty hard for much of my run on hills today.  

Distance:  7

Average Pace: 7:48 per mile

Time: 0:55:06

Splits:

8:50

7:25

7:27

7:22

7:22

7:27

7:35

8:55

I ran 7 miles this morning at an easy 8:21 pace on moderate hills.  

Time: 0:58:56

Distance: 7.01

Pace: 8:21

Splits:

9:11

8:28

8:23

8:11

8:28

8:06

8:03

7:51

I ran 12 miles today.  I'm feeling really good because I ran it 1 minute 23 seconds faster than my 11 mile run one week ago. 

I also met a new friend who has recently moved to Oklahoma from Texas.  He is a marathoner, triathlete, and iron man participant.  We talked as we ran along for about 2 miles together before he reached his car and dropped off.  Hopefully I will get the pleasure of training with him again sometime.  We immediately clicked on a personal level, and our pace seemed to be about the same.  

Time: 1:40:44

Distance: 12.01 miles

Pace: 8:23

Splits:

8:29

8:26

8:11

8:22

8:09

8:06

8:20

8:23

8:14

8:45

8:39

8:32

I left the house early in a nice cool 74 degree temperature with a mild breeze.  I ran under a nice full moon.  Absolutely beautiful.  I felt really good today.  Ran an easy 8:07 pace for 10 miles.  I was home almost before the sun came up.  

Pace: 8:08

Time: 1:21:27

Splits: 

8:27

8:32

8:08

8:04

7:57

8:18

8:03

8:05

8:01

7:43

I overslept this morning by about an hour and half.  I usually leave the house before 6:00, but this morning I did not leave until 7:30.  Fortunately for me a nice cool front has pushed through my area.  The temperature was 66 when I left the house.  I is only 67 now that I'm back and writing this blog entry.

Pace: 8:07

Splits:

8:19

7:54

8:01

8:07

2:19 (.27 mile cool down)

Nice and cool temperature at 56 degrees this morning.  The moon was up and almost still full.  

Time: 1:11:07

Pace: 7:49

8:32

7:23

7:28

7:37

8:16

7:56

7:50

7:56

7:50

7:56

7:20

I signed up for this race at the last minute.  I got an email on Thursday from my local running shoe store about the Alzheimer's 5K race.  This was the first year that this race has been held.  So I decided to sign up and see if I was ready to break the 20 minute mark.  Well I did not end up hitting that goal yet, but I'm quite happy that I won my age division anyway.  Not that there was major competition today, but I feel like I get the bragging rights none the less.  

I think I could have done a little better had I been a little more familiar with the course.  Near the end both I and the runner in front of me thought we were headed on a straight away to the finish.  So both of us opened up wide only to realize that we had several hundred meter loop to make before we would eventually get to the end. 

I had a lot of fun in the end spent most of my time trying to keep up with two veteran runners in their sixties.  I finished 6th overall and 1 of 8 in my age division.  I'm happy.       

I had a good run this morning with my new running buddy.  It sure makes 13 miles go by a whole lot faster with someone to talk to.  We had a good conversation about politics, our respective families, and Atlas Shrugged.  He is not just a marathon runner, but also an Iron Man participant.  I told him he is crazy, but that he might end up talking me into it someday.  I think for now I will continue to focus on the marathon.  My longer term goals at this point include trail running and ultra running.  I need a new inspirational running book to read.  I think I'll pick up Ultra Marathon Man by Dean Karnazes.  My new friend told me it is a good running book.     

Distance: 13.01

Time: 1:49:39

Splits:

8:11

8:00

8:12

8:15

8:08

8:31

8:23

8:17

8:17

8:34

9:03

8:48

8:52

I had to convert my tempo run this morning into a recovery run.  I got out of bed and realized my legs were pretty sore from the weekends activities.  I think the 5k race on Saturday followed by the 13 mile hard run with my new running partner on Sunday gave my legs a metaphorical 1-2 punch.  

Pace: 8:45

Splits:

8:56

8:39

8:33

8:29

8:39

8:32

8:45

9:01

9:24

8:59

9:27