Freethinker ~ Freerunner

General aerobic run.  Today was supposed to be a doubler, but I have way too much on the plate for that to happen.  I was supposed to do 6 this morning and 4 this afternoon, but I decided to compromise on the miles and run 8 this morning and skip this afternoon.  The time saved from not having to change clothse, shower, log mileage, etc for a second time today will save me an enormous amount of time. 

My legs are feeling really great right now.  I only ran 15 on Sunday, but I ran the last four miles at 7:14, 7:18, 7:11, 6:36.  I'm feeling like my recovery time is definitely in a good place right now.  I have a 15 MLR tomorrow, 6 on Thurs, followed by an important tempo run on Friday for 12 with 7 at a tempo pace of 6:20.  I'll be curious to see how well I can do since I was injured two weeks ago and had to miss my last tempo that was the building step to this one. 

Alisha and I just finished our October budget, she is now at the salon, and I am on my way to get my oil changed.  After we pick up Ty from school she will still need to make a big grocery shopping trip before we go to back to school night tonight at Ty's school.  A lot is going on today. 
 

Mid-week MLR.  8:17 AP.  I ran into Shane about 8.5 miles in and he ran back to 81st with me, which worked out ot about five miles. 

The humidity was dreadful this morning.  I felt completely drained of energy and my sore throat is not making this any easier.  That's my complaining for the day.  Other that that I had a good run.  There was a nice cool breeze from the South that felt awesome at times. 

This was to be a tempo run, but my legs were too tired and the temperature was too hot for me to make this a successful work out.

At 76 degrees and 88 percent humidity it was a hot October morning.  I got the three mile warmp in and one mile at 6:37.  About half way through the second mile I knew I wasn't going to make it all the way so I turned around.  I felt like I was completely out of gas.  I think the 15 MLR two days ago took a lot more out of me than I realized.  I wish I could do this one over. 

A weird thing happened this morning near the end of my warmup.  I was passing Hillcrest South Hospital when I saw a body cureld up and completely covered under a white blanket.  At first I thought it was just a white blanked crumpled up on the ground, but when I stopped to look closer I realized it was a body.  You hear weird things about people finding dead bodies near the woods, so I was a little freaked out when I stepped in close and realized what I was looking at.  I thought I better not touch it, so I jogged up to the ER and told the receptionist.  I told her I didn't know if someone had just passed out or possibly worse.  She called security and and walked him over the the spoth.  Keep in mind it's about 5:45 in the morning and very dark still.  He shined his phone light near the head and within about a minute the person started stirring and woke up.  The security guard said 'thanks anyway' and began walking back to the hospital.  

I guess since the person was not dead he is perfectly within his rights to take a nap near some trees beside the trail.  I was just concerned that I might have happened upon a dead body or possible someone who needed medical attention, and since the hospital was right there I figured they would want to know about it.  

It was a weird morning.   
 

Recovery run.  My legs still felt a little tired from Wednesday and Friday.  The temperature changed drastically over night as only it can in Oklahoma.  Yesterday morning was hot, humid and in the upper seventies.  This morning was cold, windy and in the low fifties. 

22 mile long run this morning.  7:51 AP. 

I threw in a few marathon pace miles near the end with my final five splits at: 7:31, 7:17, 7:04, 6:56, 6:38. 

My legs felt really good as I was able to finish strong.  The only weird thing I felt was a little soreness on the ball of my left foot.  I'm still feeling it slightly as I walk around the house.  It's probably something that will heal up on my rest day tomorrow. 

I felt like adding some faster miles at the end because of my tempo that totally failed on Friday due to the strangely warm weather we've been having this week.  I think it just took too much out of me from Wednesday to Friday and I just didn't have it in me. 

9 miles with 5x600's. My second 600 went a little long at 659 meters...LOL. 2:17, 2:24, 2:11, 2:13, 2:12. 5 mile WU and about 2 miles CD. This workout felt really good.

MLR - 14.  52 degrees.  7:38 AP. 

I wanted to run this one faster, but I held back.   Pace was not the objective and I have a 10k race coming up this Saturday.  Since my last tempo run bombed I feel like I need to work a little harder on the MLR's and LR's going into the taper.  I also feel the need to save some energy for my first tune up race this weekend, which is a 10k in Owasso. 

6:00 AM.  Recovery - 6 w/6x100's.  56 degrees. 

The 100's felt good.  This was one of those mornings I slept in about 30 minutes since I only had 6 miles to run.  I got to the end of the 30 minuts and had to fend off the voice that kept telling me to just stay in bed and skip this 'unimportant' recovery run today.  I finished the run and thought back on that moment while I was still laying in bed contemplating whether or not to get up.  I'm always so glad I decided to run anyway.  I thought forward to my 10k race this weekend and felt better about myself for getting this run done.  I think that even though it was a short effort the 100's provide the right amount of stimulation a few days before a race to keep my muscles performing well. 

Tonight I'm going to sneak in an easy four miles before dinner. 

6:00 PM.  Recovery - 4.  79 degrees and a little windy.  7:52 AP. 

Easy 5 thismorning.  My Garmin was dead when I woke up because I left it plugged in to my computer.  It used to just charge up and then be good, but for the past few months my computer no longer charges it and sometimes zaps it.  I now have to remember to plug it into the wall to charge it.  It's become a little annoying.  So I ran out to a point that I knew was two and a half miles, then I relized I could have used map my run or strava on my phone.  So I turned on map my run and logged the pace and time on the last half. 

Last half of this run 20:28 at and 8:05 pace. 

Tomorrow is my first ever 10k, which I'll be running as part of my training for the marathon in November. 

I will come back and post a more detailed report tomorrow time permitting.  For now here is what I've got. 

Official results just posted. Hance Henry 10k. I finished in 40:47. First split 20:27 followed by 20:21 on the second. I'm 3rd overall and first in my division. The results were a little wacky and had to be corrected a few times because someone posted a 4 minute second half. Mile splits according to my Garmin: 6:10, 6:15, 6:18, 6:18, 6:19, 6:18, 3:06.

I'm feeling really good about the negative split even though I didn't go sub 40. 

LR - 16 miles completed this afternoon. 7:57 AP. My legs felt a little shot from the race yesterday and camping last night, but I think with tomorrow off I should recover nicely. 

I'm going to sleep hard tonight.  I just hope I can stay awak to watch the Cowboys play the Redskins. 

9 miles with 6x1000's. 2 WU and 3 CD. 3:49, 3:45, 3:52, 4:04, 4:08, 4:15. 50 second jogs. The fourth one was up the hill by Grace Church. I never fully recovered as my splits show. My legs still feel a little smashed from the race and long run over the weekend.

15 - MLR.  48 feels like 45.

I ran all but about 6 or 7 miles with Shane this morning.  I started out feeling a little tired.  I bumped into Shane at about 3.5 miles in.  It's always easier running with somebody else.  My average pace was 7:58.  My last two miles were 7:49 and 7:34.  I feel good. 

Recovery 6.  7:49 AP. 

I was supposed to run 6 this morning and 4 this evening, but I could not get out of bed this morning.  The 15 mile MLR yesterday and and lack of sleep the night before had caught up to me.  I feel nice and rejuvenated now. 

MLR - 12  46 degrees.  7:37 AP. 

My legs felt pretty good this morning.  I threw in a few faster miles at the end including the last one at a little faster than marathon pace.  My final three splits:  7:31, 7:19, 6:50.   

I encountered another runner who had about 4 or 5 different colored blinking lights at various places on his chest and shoulders.  Bear in mind it was still dark so I felt like I really needed a laser tag gun as I passed him.   

My turnaround point was about a quarter miles past the brand new water fountain, which would have been perfect except that the brand new water fountain had run dry this morning.  What gives? 

Recovery - 5

It got cold yesterday.  It was 36 degrees this morning.  Fortunately tomorrow morning should be pretty perfect with temperatures in teh forties for my last pace run of this cycle. 

Marathon pace run this morning. 7:07 AP overall. I ran 18 in 2:08:14 with a 4 mile WU followed by 14 at slightly faster than marathon pace. I'm feeling good because I just set a PR on this distance on a training run. Last five splits: 7:00, 6:55, 6:52, 6:54, 6:40.

My 14 miles at marathon pace averaged 6:56 pace. 

VO2 Max: 9 w/ 5x600's.  I ran 5 miles before starting the 600's.  I had about 2 miles to cool down.  It was 36 degrees.

I ran the first 5 at about an 8:00 minute pace.  600's Splits:  2:17, 2:13, 2:14, 2:16, 2:20.    My legs felt a little sore from the marathon pace run on Sunday, but I felt good by the time I got to the cool down. 

MLR - 14.  7:45 AP.  I have to be honest and say my legs are still feeling pretty sore.  I think that is to be expected after running 14 at sub marathon pace on Sunday followed by a VO2 Max run on Tuesday.  That said I threw in a few faster miles at the end of this run.  My final four splits were:  7:23, 7:33, 7:20, 6:58.  I'm looking forward to a couple days in a row of recovery runs to let myself recover for the Tulsa Run on Saturday.   

6 recovery miles with 10x100's at the end.  It was low forties and windy this morning.  My right quad is feeling a little funny like it needs to be stretched.  I noticed this a few minutes after I got back home.  It might be the 100's.  I feel like I usually feel weird muscle issues in my legs a few days before a race. 

Recovery - 5.  A cold 36 degrees.  I'm feeling sufficiently tapered for the Tulsa Run tomorrow.   

The Tulsa Run is one of my favorite races.  I have run this race 6 times now, which means I have run it more times than any other race.  Each time I have achieved a PR including this year.  I bested last year by 1:14, but I was really hoping to go sub 60 minutes this year.  I unfortunately missed it by 34 nauseating seconds.  I will most definitely get it next year. 

1st 5K split: 19:56 6:26/M

2nd 5K split: 39:02 6:09/M

Finish: 1:00:34 6:57/M

The first 5K included a little bit of down hill.  The second 5K was perfectly flat with about half of it into the wind and the other half with the wind.  The last 5k included a wicked long incline on the last mile.  It was during the 2nd 5k that I was overtaken by the 1 hour pace group.  The came up behind me and I could hang with them for about 2 miles.  Had I realized there was going to be a 1 hour pace group I probably would have gone out with them.  I may have been able to go under an hour if I had run just a little slower in the first 5K.  I believe you have to run the 2nd 5k faster than the other two because of the hill on the last mile.  It looked like most of the faster finishers ran the 2nd 5K faster than the last.  The last mile is going to slow you down to some degree, so I will try to make up for it in the middle of the race next year. 

I ran an easy 10 with Kevin.  Yesterday was the Tulsa Run so I adjusted what was supposed to be an 18 mile run into an easy 10 today.  I want to make sure I taper smart this time and go into the Route 66 feeling as strong as I can. 

Today's data: 8:17 AP, 48 degrees. 

Recovery - 6.  65 degrees.  88% humidity.  It is felt strangely warm and muggy after having gotten used to the cooler weahter.  I'm supposed to run an easy 4 tonight.  I'm not really sure how much good that will do, but I'll probably do it anyway.  I have a pretty hard VO2Max workout tomorrow of 5x1200's, of which I'm going to attempt about a 6:10 mile pace. 

This was supposed to be 11 with 5x1200's at VO2 Max pace.  70 degrees.  Humid. 

I started out feeling my left quad a bit from the Tulsa Run, which I had noticed aggravating me a bit since Sunday.  I'm not sure what it is, but it feels a bit more than just sore.  I was feeling a little fatigued overall and I considered calling it quits, but I decided to at  least try 5 miles and then at least one 1200 to see how I feel.  I felt dehydrated by the time I got to that point, but fortunately there was a water fountain.  The only problem was that I had to add an extra mile to get to it.  I felt beat after the first 1200 and each of my succeeding 1200's were slower than the previous one.  Oh, and it began lightning and pouring rain on me between miles 8 and 10.  I was soaked and exhausted by the time I got home.  I'm just wasn't feeling it today.  

1200's:  5:00, 5:11, 5:16, 5:26, 5:32