Tempo Run

Today's run was a tempo run -- I had planned to do this on Tuesday but there is rain and freezing stuff predicted and I didn't want to miss the speedwork this week. The goal was 1 mile warm-up, 3 miles @ 7:26 mpm, and 1 mile cool down. I did it but wow! I had a cold last week and that's really sapped me. Here are the splits:

TEMPO SPLITS:
1.00 x 8:40.95 (warm-up)
1.00 x 7:28.46
1.00 x 7:21.32
1.00 x 7:15.26
1.26 x 11:25.64 (cool down)

To meet my goal time for the Ukrop's 10K, I have to maintain the pace of my 3rd tempo mile for the full race. I'm glad I still have 8 weeks to go -- even then it will be tough.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Track Repeats

Another day of track repeats. A couple of folks from my Wed/Sat running group joined me. That made the repeats more bearable -- I knew somebody else was suffering with me and we pushed each other a bit. Thanks John and Lynde.

The plan today was 2.12 miles to the track, 3 x 800m with 1 x 400m between each, 2.12 miles home. The target pace for the 800m intervals was 3:20. Here's the breakdown:

2.12 mi @ 18:01.32
800 m @ 3:33.27 (+0:13.27)
400 m @ 2:37.82
800 m @ 3:26.79 (+0:06.79)
400 m @ 2:46.32
800 m @ 3:18.73 (-0:01.27) (Av. 3:26.26 (+0:06.26))
2.12 mi @ 18:07.94

All in all, not too bad.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

On the Track

The most difficult part of my training plans for my last 3 races (half marathon, 10K, and another half marathon now) has been the speedwork. I've never been fast and really struggle to meet the training goals (which is exactly why I need the track work in my training plans). The plan for speedwork this week called for 8 miles, including 4 x 1600m @6:56 mpm and 800m jogs between repeats. The high school track, Godwin High School, is 2 miles from our house, so I did my warm up and cool down to and from the school.

The first two 1600m repeats went well. Then, I really struggled on the third repeat and ended up breaking it up into 3 segments with 200m jogs in between. However, I managed to complete the last repeat. It is amazing to me how much difference just a few seconds per mile makes in how I feel on these repeats.

REPEAT TIMES
1.7942 mi x 16:30.39
1600m x 7:03.52 (+7.52 seconds)
800m x 4:41.57 -- Jog
1600m x 6:53.47 (-2.53 seconds)
800m x 5:17.28 -- Jog
850m x 3:36.67 3rd repeat, segment 1
200m x 1:40.18 -- Jog
400m x 1:44.36 3rd repeat, segment 2
200m x 1:44.08 -- Jog
350m x 1:23.94 3rd repeat, segment 3 (-11.03 seconds total for the 3 segments)
800m x 5:37.54 -- Jog
1600m x 7:08.32 (+14.32 seconds)
1.7942 mi x 16:27.08

Glad those are behind me for the week. The rest of the week will be a couple of 4 mile runs, a 7 miler, and then an 8-12 miler on Saturday.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Speedwork Suffering

I'm having trouble getting my track work done in preparation for the half marathon. The training plan today called for 7 miles total with easy warm-up and cool downs, 1600 meters x 3 @7:00 and 800 meter jogs between. I managed 1600 meters x 2 @ 6:53 and 6:55, 800 meters x 1 @3:27, and 400 meters x 1 @1:42, all with 800 meter jogs in between. I couldn't sustain what was to have been the 3rd 1600 meters. Not quite sure why I can't do this. The heat was tolerable today -- 69° and 71% humidity. I was well hydrated, drank Gatorade during each job, and had downed a Gu (chocolate) prior to running.

Maybe it's a function of age -- but I could do this 6 months ago. Perhaps it's because I swapped the easy week this week for next week's harder week because of vacation in the mountains next week -- did my legs (or my brain) just need the break? One consolation -- 3 weeks ago when I was supposed to do the same workout, I only did 1 1600 meter repeat and 1/4 of a lap on the 2nd 1600 repeat. I did improve.

SPLITS:
1.9993 mi x 17:49.75 (easy warm-up)
1600 mt x 6:53.09
800 mt x 4:23.76 (jog)
1600 mt x 6:54.88
800 mt x 4:45.79 (jog)
800 mt x 3:26.86
400 mt x 2:47.15 (jog)
400 mt x 1:42.27
1.9993 mi x 17:36.24 (easy cool down)

Total run: 7.48 miles at an average pace of 8:52 mpm.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Tempo Runs and Speedwork

Ben, running blogger at The Audacity of Marathoning, asked about how I do tempo runs. I'm not an expert runner by any stretch of the imagination but perhaps what I've learned will be helpful for someone else. I've used Runner's World Smart Coach to train for my last 3 races (half-marathon and 2 10K's) and that plan had me do the following for a "tempo run" -- my goal pace for the 10K was 7:25 mpm:

1 mile warm-up -- I ran at an easy run pace, about 90 seconds per mile slower than my goal 10K pace or about 8:55 mpm.

3-5 miles tempo -- about 10 seconds per mile slower than my goal 10K pace or about 7:35 mpm.

1 mile cool-down -- again, I aimed to run about 8:55 mpm but it was usually closer to 8:15 mpm.

Tempo Run distances for an 11 week 10K training program:

Weeks 1 and 3 were 3 miles @ 7:36
Weeks 4 and 7 were 4 miles @ 7:40 & 7:35
Weeks 8 and 10 were 5 miles @ 7:40 & 7:35

Weeks 2, 5 and 9 were speedwork -- 800 meter repeats on a local high school track at about 45 seconds per mile faster than my goal 10K pace, about 1 mile warm-up and 1 mile cool-down, and 400 meter easy jogs between repeats:

Week 2 (3x800 meters @ 3:24 min)
Week 5 (4x800 meters @ 3:22 min)
Week 9 (5x800 meters @ 3:20 min)

Weeks 6 and 11 were easy weeks so no tempo runs or speedwork runs.

I normally end up running the tempo runs a bit faster than the suggested goal. They are hard but satisfying. The speedwork repeats were usually right on target. The repeats are real killers and I hate doing them, but they do seem to help.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Track Work

The most dreaded element of my 10K training is the speedwork. Though I generally complete it, I always go into it feeling certain that today I'll crash and burn. The plan for today called for 6 miles with a warm up, 5x800m@3:20, w/4 400m jogs, and cool down. So, off to the track at the local high school

SPLITS:
0.21 mi X 2:55.88 (walking warm up)
1.79 mi X 15:52.00
800 m X 3:21.31 (kick it up a quarter notch next 800 m)
400 m X 2:13.84
800 m X 3:19.00
400 m X 2:14.89
800 m X 3:17.71
400 m X 2:14.15
800 m X 3:17.34
400 m X 2:19.65
800 m X 3:13.29
2.0 mi X 16:35.93

OK, not bad -- negative splits and all but one 800m was sub-goal. Nonetheless, the next time out, I'll still dread those repeats.

Run well, y'all,
Bob