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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

February Totals

I've started keeping a little bit better track of my workouts, so I know my workout totals for February (having run my last workout this morning).  Here we go... I'm sure you cared.
  • Total Miles Run - 87.36
  • Total Time Running - 14:18:42
  • Average Pace (for the whole month) - 9:50/mi
  • Total Miles Biked (All on a Stationary Bike) - 21.89
  • Total Time Biking - 1:10:00
  • Average Speed -  18.8 mph  

  • Total Time Swimming - 0:35:00
  • Total Workout Time for February - 16:03:42
So there you have it.  Data!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 8

As I mentioned in last week's training summary and in my March Goals post, I've been struggling to keep up with the paces that I was trying to hit for my training plan (or at least for the tempo and long runs), so I decided to pull back a bit and slow down my paces.  I'm still faster than I was at this point in my training for the Disney Half, so I figure I can still be on pace for a PR, but now I won't be killing myself on Friday to hit a tempo pace that is too fast, which burns me out for my long run on Sunday.  We'll see how it works out. 

Mon. Feb. 20 - Rest Day
 
Tues. Feb. 21 - Rest Day - Still trying to fight off a cold, plus my wife and one of my kids were in the end stages of a fairly nasty stomach flu (that I was thankfully spared).  [The rest of the training summary after the jump]

Friday, February 24, 2012

March 2012 Running Goals

Back in December, I posted my overall goals for 2012, and I've actually been doing pretty good.  I've already got two down (a sub-two hour Half, and a PR in the 5K), and I'm sort of doing an OK job at meeting some of the others (I'm putting on miles toward my "1000 miles in 2012 goal" and I'm cross training a bit more than I had been toward the end of 2012).  In order to keep a bit more focused throughout the year, I want to start doing some monthly goals too.  Some of these will probably look similar to the 2012 Goals I wrote in December.

1. Run at PR 7K - On March 17, I'm running the Get Lucky 7K race in Minneapolis.  I ran this race previously in 2010, but I was pretty out of shape then (my time was 44:19, or 10:11/mile).  This time around, I'd like to me more in the 37 min. range (about 8:30/mi)), or even as fast as 35 minutes (8 min. miles).

2. Run Over 100 Miles - My training program has over 100 miles scheduled, so this should happen unless I get injured or sick.  I'm hoping to top out at around 110-115.

3. Cross Train At Least 7 Times - I'm supposed to cross train 9 times for my training program.  I've been missing a few workouts here and there (mostly because I've been sick and trying to shake a cold), but this has been unacceptable.

4. Run at Least One Long Run at faster than 9:20/mi. - based on my time at Disney, and under my training program, I'm supposed to be running my long runs at about 9:07/mi or 9:17/mi (depending on the length of the run).  So far, I've been WAAAY off (my last three long runs have been, in order, 10:03/mi (9 miles), 9:55/mi (11 miles), and 9:37/mile (10 miles).  Part of the reason for my slow down is I took a few weeks off after Disney with little or no running, then I injured my calf in late January and took almost two weeks off from running (I still did some cross training).  This may be a really tough goal to hit (Note: my long run on April 1 is a 10 miler (which is one of the "shorter" long runs of the program ever other week, alternating with escalating long runs up to 15 miles).  If I hit this goal during the April 1 long run, I'll count it toward the March Goal)

5. Increase my Goal Paces At Least Once During the Month - As I described when I reviewed the Run Less, Run Faster book, the program I am using has set paces based on recent race performance.  And, as I mentioned above, I have been struggling in hitting the paces that would be prescribed based on my Disney time (at least with the long runs, and a bit with the Tempo Runs too... so, starting this week, I actually decreased my target paces for all my runs in the hope that I will (a) be able to better hit the goal paces, and (b) be fresher for my long runs (I think since my tempo runs were a bit too fast, I was burning my legs out for my long runs two days later).  BUT, I'm hoping that after two or three weeks at the reduced paces, I will start improving and actually be able to increase my target paces (maybe not all the way up to the targets that Disney dictated, but at least faster than the current targets).  Ideally, I'd like to raise my pace twice during the month... but while training for Disney, I almost never increased my target paces more than every other week (so that I could be sure past performance had been more than just one good day).

I think that's a realistic set of goals.  Two of them should be relatively easy to achieve (the 7K PR and the 100 miles); one SHOULD be easy to hit, but has been an Achilles heal for me (the cross training); and the last two are goals that, although achievable, will require some good work and may not happen (a good kind of goal to have).

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Product Review: Races2Remember Pace Bands

From time to time, I'm going to offer up a review of a product that I use while running.  Obviously, my opinion doesn't really matter that much.... but I figure someone out there might want to hear a real person's actual experiences with some products, particularly when there are usually several, and often dozens of options for you to chose from for every conceivable product category.  These reviews will necessarily be few and far between, since I don't have tons of money to buy and test everything that comes out (at least until companies start realizing that I am witty, insightful, funny, and just an all-around great guy and start giving me test models of their products... Garmin, I'm looking in your direction... Vibram too... Newton shoes, don't think I don't see you over there)

Anyway, the first product that I wanted to review was a product that I didn't even know existed until last summer... the pace band.  (Continued After the Jump)

Monday, February 20, 2012

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 7

I'm still struggling a bit, so I think I'll pull my paces back a bit starting next week. 

Mon. Feb. 13 - Rest Day
 
Tues. Feb. 14 - Rest (Sick) - I got a pretty nasty cold starting on Monday, so I decided that the extra hour to hour and a half of sleep was more important. (See the rest of the week after the jump)

Monday, February 13, 2012

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 6

This was my first week where I really did a full week of training since Disney, although I still missed a cross-training workout.


Mon. Feb. 6 - Rest Day
Tues. Feb. 7 - Rest Day - I was feeling run down, so I just slept in instead.  I know this is no way to shake off the blahs, but whatever. (see the rest of the recap after the jump)

Monday, February 6, 2012

"Get to Know Me!" Monday Part III - The Most Anticipated of 2012

Last week, I outlined my own personal "Best of 2011."  This week, I outline the things I'm looking forward to in the coming year.

Most Anticipated Event

Right now, there is no question... the Twin Cities Marathon.  I officially registered for this last week, so there is no backing down.  The farthest I've ever run is just over 15 miles, so it will be interesting as I gear up to run 11 more miles beyond that!  Look for a lot of posts about marathons starting around July.
(More "Get to Know Me" After the Jump)

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 5

I still had lingering issues with my calf during the early part of the week, so I took it slow early in the week.  I did get in two running workouts toward the end of the week, and I could definitely feel the effects of not having run for over a week (plus donating blood earlier in the week).

Mon. Jan. 30 - Rest Day - initially I had planned on trying to get in an extra cross-training day Monday morning, but I had too much to do at work, so I just got into work early. (See the rest of the recap after the jump)

Thursday, February 2, 2012

I'm running the Twin Cities Marathon

I just registered today.  Eeeeeeek!