Workout: 6 Mile Long Run

Distance: 6.13 miles (click for route & details)
Time: 1:01:52
Avg. Pace: 10:05/mile
Type: Long Run
Weather: Warm (low to mid 70s), very humid
Summary: Simple out and back run. My pace stayed sub-10 minutes for the first half, but I couldn't really keep that up, and for the second half it was more like 10:30.

Still way too humid. It was considerably cooler tonight as I ran this (didn't even start the run until 9:00 PM... running in the dark is FUN /sarcasm), but still very, very, very humid. I was drenched by the time I was done. Overall, this is about the best I could have hoped for under the situation after yesterday's horrible experiment with pace running in the heat and the humidity tonight. Plus, I did get the miles in and I ran the whole way, so that's a plus.

Next Planned Workout: Tuesday (8/11) Threshold tempo run (planned 10 min. and 7 min. intervals in 40 min. workout)

Workout: 2 Mile Walk

Distance: 2.05 miles
Time: No idea
Type: Walk
Weather: Hot (upper 70s to lower 80s), very humid

Just a short walk with Steph and Andy to a restaurant for dinner and then to the park for some swingin' and slidin'.

Workout: 3.2 Mile Pace Run

Distance: 3.24 miles (click for route & details)
Time: 30:29
Avg. Pace: 9:24/mile
Type: Pace Run
Weather: Hot (mid-80s) and very humid, sunny
Summary: First 1.5 miles, about 8:45/mile, last 1.75 miles sporadic (alternated between running @ about 9:00/mile and walking @ about 15:00 to 20:00/mile)

Very hot and humid today. Clearly I wasn't hydrated enough, and I should have brought a bottle of water with me. I started out going at a very good pace for about 1.5 to 1.75 miles (between about 8:45 and about 9:00 per mile, right at my goal pace), but then the heat and hills (I was running near my parents house while they watched Andy, and they live in a much hillier area than where I live) got to me, and I had to walk a few times (2 times for a short period, usually only 15-30 seconds to finish up a hill, but 2 more times for 2 minutes or more). Hopefully tomorrow's long run is a little easier at a slower pace and with constant hydration.

Next Planned Workout: Tomorrow (8/9), 6 mile long run

Workout: WiiFit Free Step and Strength Exercises

Time: 1:05:00
Summary: 30 min. WiiFit Free Step aerobic exercise; 15 min. strength (pushups, crunches, bicep curls, shoulder raises); 20 min. WiiFit Free Step aerobic; 5-10 min. extended stretching

Friday is normally a day off, but I decided to do a low intensity aerobic workout to get the blood flowing a little and burn a few extra calories, and also to do some light strength training.

Next Planned Workout: Tomorrow, Sat. Aug. 8, 3-3.5 mile Half-Marathon pace (8:45-9:00/mile) run

Workout: 5x400m Speed Workout (Week 2)

Main Workout Distance: 1.25 miles (5x400m speed intervals)+1.22 miles recovery walk/jog between intervals
Main Workout Avg. Pace: 6:20/mile (for intervals only)
Warmup/Cooldown Distance: 2.61 miles
WU/CD Avg. Pace: 10:47/mile
Total Distance: 5.09 miles
Type: Speed Intervals
Weather: Overcast, warm (upper 70s to lower 80s), humid
Summary: 1.45 mile warmup (including 4 stride drills) (avg. pace 11:35/mile), 5x400m intervals (Interval times 1:32 (6:11/mile), 1:32 (6:11/mile), 1:34 (6:18/mile), 1:38 (6:34/mile), and 1:39 (6:38/mile)) w/ 0.3 mile recovery walk/jog between each and a short 0.18 recovery walk/jog after last interval (avg. pace 13:22/mile), 0.98 mile (9:18/mile)

Like last week's speed workout, this week's intervals were too fast, although much more consistently paced. I do think its OK that I run these a little faster, because I have more natural speed than endurance, so I might as well try and develop my top speed a little bit in the hopes of compensating slightly for my weaker endurance.

I decided against doing these as hill intervals, partly because the hill I would need to run on is farther away that the place where I do flat intervals, but also because I don't feel the need to be too gung ho. I'm already doing speedwork despite this being my first long-distance race... I think trying to be too hardcore about it is a little much.

Next Planned Workout: Sat. Aug. 7 (Friday is a rest day), 3-3.5 mile goal Half-Marathon pace run (i.e. between 8:45 and 9:00/mile).

Workout: 3.7 Mile Easy Run

Distance: 3.69 miles
Time: 34:00 (on the nose!)
Avg. Pace: 9:13
Type: Easy Run
Weather: Cool (mid 50s)
Summary: Standard easy run. I attempted to keep a constant pace, but I'm pretty sure it fluctuated quite a bit (although probably only between about 8:45 and 9:45... maybe as much as 10:00).

I probably went a little fast, which is probably why I only feel alright. My stupid arch hurt again (although that is to be expected for a run this early in the morning with little stretching beforehand). Oh well, I still got the miles in.

Next Planned Workout: 5x400 speed intervals, Tomorrow evening (Thurs. 8/5)

Workout: 40 min Tempo Workout

Distance: 4.41 miles
Total Time: 40:00
Avg. Pace: 9:04/mile
Type: Tempo Run/Threshold Workout
Weather: Cooler (low to mid 60s) but very humid, windy
Summary: 10 min. slow warmup pace (approx. 10 min/mile), 5 min slow buildup, 10 min threshold pace (approx. 8 min/mile), 5 min slow recovery jog (10 min/mile or slower), 5 min threshold pace (approx. 8 min/mile), 5 minutes cooldown (between 9 and 10 min/mile).

Overall, I felt pretty good. No lingering effects from the weekend race. My right shin still had a little twinge, but nothing too bad. The tempo intervals didn't seem as bad as last Thursday's either, although the first 10 min. interval was still pretty tough toward the end. I think it helps a lot that I did these on Tuesday after a full day of rest, instead of last week on Thursday after two straight days of workouts and a speed workout only two days previous. I also think that the 2x10 min intervals I did last week was a little too much for my first week of training, so I backed it off a little today and shortened the second interval to only 5 minutes. Next week, I'll try increasing the second interval (maybe to 7 min.). Hopefully by race day, I can get up to 2x15 min. tempo intervals, or even better 3 total intervals (maybe 15, 10, 10). I should also probably try just a long tempo run (maybe 25-30 min at a slightly slower pace). So many choices!

Next Planned Workout: 3-3.5 mile easy run, Tomorrow (Wed. Aug. 5)

Weekly Total July 27-Aug. 2

Running: 21.92 miles, 3:12:20, Avg. Pace 8:47

Other: Walk/recovery jog - 1.27 miles

Workouts: 1 speed interval workout, 2 threshold workouts, 1 easy run, 1 long run

Total Miles: 23.19 miles

A fairly big mileage jump from the past few weeks (about 30%), so I will have to be careful this week to avoid injury. I'm very happy with the week, I had two really tough workouts on Tuesday and Thursday, and I had a 5K race where I hit right in the middle of my goal time. I don't know if I could ask for a much better start to my training schedule.

Workout: 5 mile long run

Distance: 5.19 miles
Time: 51:58
Avg. Pace: 10:01/mile
Type: Long Run
Weather: Warm/Hot (mid 70s to low 80s), Sunny
Summary: Fairly consistent pace (around 9:55-10:00 min/mile), walked for a short period uphill at around 1 1/2 miles

I definitely could tell that I ran a 5K race yesterday. I felt pretty crappy, slow, and sore (especially my quads and shins). Thankfully, tomorrow is a rest day.

Next Planned Workout: 40 min tempo workout, Tuesday 8/4

Workout: 5K Race (Courage Center's 5K Your Way)

Main Workout Distance: 5 km (3.107 miles)
Main Workout Time: 25:42
Avg. Workout Pace: 8:16/mile
Cooldown Distance: 1.27 miles
Total Distance: 4.38 miles
Type: 5K Race (Threshold)
Weather: Coolish (low to mid 60s), windy, sunny
Summary: 5K race at between 7:55/mile and 8:30/mile; 1.27 mile cooldown walk/jog

I kept a mostly constant pace (I heard someone else say to her running mate that we crossed the 1 mile mark at 7:55, and I finished the entire race with a 8:16/mile average), and I didn't embarrass myself. In fact, I was right in my range of goal times (I wanted to finish in the 25-27 minute zone). I went out a little fast, but I was able to control myself and dial it back for most of the rest of the race. I also was able to finish with a little bit of a kick, and I think I could have finished even stronger (maybe shaving off 15-30 seconds, but I doubt much more), but the point of this race wasn't to do the fastest 5K I could, but rather was just to run at around 8 min/mile and get my workout in today for my half-marathon training.

Next Planned Workout: 6 mile long run tomorrow (Sunday Aug. 2)