Twin Cities Marathon Training - Week 2

As you will recall, last week, I ended up skipping three workouts (including my first speed intervals workout).  So, my primary goal for Week 2 was to get all of my run workouts in... and I achieved that goal.  I still missed both of my cross-training workouts, but I'm hoping to get back into those next week (including a swim workout with my new toy)

Mon. June 25 - Rest - Another Monday, another skipped cross-training workout.  However, after the disastrous long run the day before, I couldn't bring myself to do anything.


Tues. June 26 - 4x800 m Intervals (3.79 mi, 37:13, 9:49/mi avg) - My first speed workout of the training program, and this one was actually pretty easy.  Only four 800s go by pretty quick.  My goal for each 800 m interval was 3:37
Splits
1) 800 m - 3:35
2) 800 m - 3:32
3) 800 m - 3:31
4) 800 m - 3:33 

Twin Cities Marathon Training - Week 1

It's finally here... I'm now (sort of) officially training for a marathon.  And it wasn't a great start to my training.  Oh well, that's why the program is 16 weeks long.

Mon. June 18 - Rest - I ran 11 miles on Sunday, so this is was a rest day (alright!  First day of the training program, and one workout skipped already!  Great job, Mike!)


Tues. June 19 - Rest - This was supposed to be a 3x1600 m interval workout... but a HUGE storm hit the South Metro of the Twin Cities (where I live)... and it hit just before I was about to go out for my run.  This storm ended up flipping FREAKIN' PLANES over just a few miles from my house, so it's probably good that I didn't run.

Wed. June 20 Rest - OK, so I could have worked out this morning... and I don't really have an excuse not to... but I couldn't really bring myself to make up the previous day's missed interval workout or the cross training workout I was scheduled to do this morning.  Ugh.  Three days in, and I've missed ALL three workouts so far.

Thurs. June 21 - 2 mi Short Tempo (5.60 mi, 51:24, 9:14/mi avg) - phew, I finally got out for a run... and for a very tough and fast tempo run too.  Thankfully, the "tempo" part of this workout was only for 2 miles.  My goal for the tempo portion was 8:05/mi
Splits
Warm up - 2 mi, 18:48, 9:24/mi
2 mi Tempo Run - 15:45, 7:52/mi
Cool Down - 1.6 mi, 16:52, 10:32/mi

Fri. June 22 - Rest - This was actually a scheduled rest day.

Sat. June 23 - Rest - My wife and I have been busy getting the house ready for guests next weekend, and after a long day of yard work and other chores around the house, plus playing with the kids, I decided to push this workout to Sunday morning... BIG MISTAKE.

Sun. June 24 -10 mile Long Run (reduced from 13) (10.32 mi, 1:44:24, 10:07/mi) - This was a TERRIBLE RUN.  It started out OK, with the first four or five miles being right on target, or even a little faster than my goal (9:29/mi)... but then the hills started coming, and the temperature and the humidity started rising.  I ended up cutting the run short and calling my wife to pick me up along the route.

Total Running Miles for Week 1: 15.92
Total Running Time for Week 1: 2:34:58
Total X-training Time for Week 1: 0:00:00 
Total Training Time for Week 1: 2:34:58


Total Running Miles for TC Marathon Training: 15.92
Total Running Time for TC Marathon Training: 2:34:58
Total Training Time (Running + X-training) for TC Marathon Training: 2:34:58

Workout Summary - June 11-17

Another week with a couple runs.  Nothing too major, but I'm slowly getting back out there.

Mon. June 11 - Rest - yep, another week starting off resting (although this time because I ran a 9 mile long run the day before) 

Tues. June 12 - 5 mi Easy Run (5.19 mi, 47:41, 9:11/mi) - I need to rebuild some of my endurance base, so this week was all about longer, slow runs.  This actually turn out to be a bit faster than I wanted (I wanted to stay in around 9:30/mi), but I felt good.

Wed. June 13 - Rest 

Thurs. June 14 - 6 mi Easy Run (6.07 mi, 55:57, 9:13/mi) - Another pretty solid longer run at a relatively easy pace.

Fri. June 15 - Rest

Sat. June 16 - Rest - Initially I had planned on doing my long run on Saturday, but we were going to have breakfast with my parents to celebrate Father's Day with my dad, so I decided to push it to Sunday.

Sun. June 17 - 11 mi long run (11.38 mi, 1:46:37. 9:22/mi avg) - FINALLY!  A long run that felt decent.  In fact, for the first 7-8 miles, I felt like I was going slow, but kept clocking miles right around 9:00/mi (I had to practically force myself to go slower).  The last couple miles weren't so strong (more like in the 9:30-9:40 range), but I don't mind that.  Next week starts Marathon Training!

Total Running Miles for Week: 22.64
Total Running Time for Week: 3:30:15

Workout Summary - June 4-10

Another week with a couple runs.  Nothing too major, but I'm slowly getting back out there.

(Check out the workouts after the jump) 

Workout Summary - May 28-June 3

I finally had a week where I ran a few times, so I figured I'd write up a quick summary of what I've been up to.  It isn't much, but it's a start.

(Check out the workouts after the jump) 

Lincoln Half Marathon - Race Week

Race week finally arrived.  Here is a summary of the final workouts and the race (full recap to follow later this week).

Mon. Apr. 30  - Rest - Rest day after the previous days' 8-mile tune up run   

Tues. May 1 - 6 x 400 m Intervals (4.31 mi, 42:56, 9:58/mi avg) - Basically just a chance to get the blood pumping hard for one last time, but not so much that it was a huge workout.  My goal for each interval was 1:43.

Splits
1) 400 m - 1:36
2) 400 m - 1:37
3) 400 m - 1:36
4) 400 m - 1:35
5) 400 m - 1:38
6) 400 m - 1:39      
(Check out the rest of the week after the jump)

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 17

This week was pretty much the last week of "training" for Lincoln.  I have a couple runs for the final week, but they are both considerably easier workouts, so it is really just a taper week.  I'm glad to be in the home stretch, because my body is falling apart a bit, and I'm going to need some time to rest and recover before I pick back up and start training for the Twin Cities Marathon in October.

(Check out the workouts after the jump) 

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 16

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you just kind of hold on and hope for the best... yeah, last week was one of those weeks.  I had a business trip to Indiana through most of last week, so there was a lot of just fitting in workouts wherever I could.

Regardless, I'm now officially in my taper!  My last "true" long run was yesterday (Sunday), and I only have a short 8-mile tune up run this weekend.  I am definitely needing this taper, since my left plantar fasciitis and my right knee are hurting, so I'm hoping the easier days will help heal them in time for Lincoln

(Check out the workouts after the jump) 

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 15

This was a crazy week, because I had a 5K race this week, and at a weird time too (Monday evening... which is normally a cross-training or easy run day for me).  I had another PR with this race (that's four for the year!).  I also bumped up my target paces (er... technically, bumped down, since they all got faster) based on my kick-ass 15 mile long run last week and the nice 5K time from Monday.

(Check out the workouts after the jump) 

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 14

After this week, I'm now entering the home stretch, so to speak.  I have now had my longest long run of the training program (15 miles), and there is only one more "true" long run left (a 12 miler in two weeks).  There's still some pretty tough speed work and a couple tough tempo runs, but from here on out the long weekend runs are gravy.

(Check out the workouts after the jump) 

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 13

Another really good week of workouts. Work has been crazy, but the strong workouts have made things alright.

(Check out the workouts after the jump) 

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 12

Another really good week of workouts.  I've been hitting all my paces, and had a really good long (LONG) run.  I think I'm setting myself up well for a PR, but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

(Check out the workouts after the jump) 

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 11

Last week was a good week.  It was my second consecutive week with a "good" long run (e.g., hitting, and even exceeding, my pace goal).  I felt strong in all my runs, and I did my cross training (although one of them is going to be a substitute for this week's missed Monday workout) 

Mon. Mar. 12 - Rest - There was a work event on Sunday night that went very late, so I could not get myself out of bed early to hit the gym.  But, since I had swam yesterday (Sunday from the week before), I don't feel too bad about missing this one.

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 10

After a week filled with some lows (three skipped workouts) and some highs (FINALLY a good long run), I am ready to KICK ASS this week.  I also decided to shift my weekly schedule by one day.  The new schedule until Lincoln will be:

Mon - Cross Training; Tues - Speed Workout, Wed - Cross Training, Thurs - Tempo Run, Fri - Rest, Sat - Long Run, Sun - Rest (or Cross Training if feeling good) 

Mon. Mar. 5 -Cross Train - 35 min stationary bike (10.94 miles) - My first cross-training in awhile, but I want to make sure I get in at least 7 cross-training workouts this month (per my March goal).  One down, six to go.

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 9

Now that Week 9 is done, I am past the halfway point of my training for Lincoln.  That means I really only have a 6 weeks or so to build endurance before tapering.  Uh oh.  I hope my long run woes turn around soon. 

Mon. Feb. 27 - Rest Day
 

Tues. Feb. 28 - Rest  - Another skipped cross-training workout.  I really need to quit doing this.

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]

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)

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)

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)

Lincoln Half Marathon Training - Week 4

I had planned on having a full training week, but I am pretty sure I strained the soleus muscle in my right calf, so I ended up just scrubbing two workouts completely.  (The full summary of Week 4 is after the jump)