Saturday, July 23, 2011

OBJECTIVE
10 mi.@ 7:53

ACHIEVED
10.05 mi.@ 8:10

5:36 AM 81° 84% 2 mph

Really tough run with the big boys this morning. We run from Memorial Park to the Hilton Americas downtown then back. I managed to stay with the lead group on the trip downtown. The average pace was around 7:51 and the others were just getting warmed up. There was Barry, Collin, Wayne, Steve, Doug, and Aaron. Back a little was Jonas. Followed by Dirk and John.

Given the conditions (the CenterPoint thermometer just before the Hilton registered 86° as we passed), I knew I couldn't maintain over the return trip. I laid back and the lead group stretched the gap on me. Fortunately, Barry (~12 miles) and Jonas (20 miles) were going longer than I was today and their pace was slower than the leaders. I stayed with them for almost 3 miles of the return trip then started slipping back. Once I had faded out of earshot of their conversation, my pace really collapsed. It reminded me of my first several runs with Steph's group 4 years ago. Getting dropped along Allen Parkway or Memorial Drive and having to drag myself in alone. I consoled myself that in that earlier case, there came a point where I was finally able to run with and stay with the group. Hopefully my time spent with Wayne's group leads to the same result.

PRE RUN
oatmeal w/1% milk & brown sugar

POST RUN
watermelon
Later, strawberry-banana smoothie & egg mcmuffin

Monday, July 18, 2011

objective
speed

achieved
5 mi. tempo?

1 mi. WU
dynamic stretch
2.5 mi.@ 6:49
1.0 mi.@ 6:49
0.85 mi.@ 6:49
1.0 mi.@ 6:49
2 min. CD

~6 AM

Supposed to do speedwork today but I still need to find a track near my Chicago location. I'm more mentally engaged and execute the speedwork much better on the track than I do on the roads.

So I dropped into the club in my building. I was surprised that there were several people already there when I showed up before 6 AM - mostly weight lifters but some cardio workers.

I've decided if the treadmill is good for anything maybe it's tempo runs since it holds a constant pace (even if it's calibrated incorrectly which I believe most treadmills are). So this morning was to be a 5-mile tempo run at marathon pace of 6:49.

I did an easy mile warm-up then my old dynamic stretches from the brain training book. Then it was "game on". Instead of going 5 miles, the "game" lasted 2.5 miles which is when I took a break. I had my heart rate monitor which the treadmill was reading and reporting. My heart was bouncing off of 170-171 bpm and I was sucking wind. I justified taking a break and figured I'd simply split the tempo in half. I took the break, got water, toweled off then set up to it. This time I lasted 1 mile rather than the remaining 2.5. And so it went. The next segment was 0.85 mi. and finally 1.0 mi. to finish it out.

I'm certainly not in solid tempo run shape nor am I in shape to be running the paces which I've targeted. But I'll keep at it. Today will serve as a tempo run benchmark and those treadmills will still be downstairs waiting for me to drop in and check my fitness.

Tomorrow is a rest day which I will take. It should be interesting to see how my body responds to today's bout.

pre run
resting heart rate=54 bpm
O2 saturation=97%
water

post run
water, multivitamin & Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk

Sunday, July 17, 2011

objective
6 mi.

achieved
6.20 mi.@ 8:09

6:08 AM 77° 78% 0 mph heat (index 79°)

Ran from the house today. A little bit sore from yesterday. I suppose I didn't stretch very well or eat properly over the few hours following the run. Therefore, I didn't set myself up for a good recovery.

pre run
weight=163.5
body fat=22.0%
resting pulse=54 bpm
O2 saturation=96%

post run
diet V8 splash & Kashi GoLean cereal w/1% milk