1/18/15 to 1/24/15: Pace Yourself

This was an interesting week. I'm still trying to get over this stupid IT issue, but it's only having a minor impact on workouts. I'm still able to run daily, but I had to cut the interval workout short this week after my right leg started to tighten up. In the end it may have only been residual soreness from the Spiderman Squats done last week, but I wasn't about to jeopardize any long term training because my ego said to 'finish the workout.'

I've been looking at the paces of a lot of my recent runs, and even though I'm in sort of a base building phase I need to start paying closer attention to that aspect of my running. The tempo on Thursday night was a great start though - averaging 6:35/mile for 12+ miles was...nice. I had given myself a goal pace of anywhere from 6:20 to 6:45 per, and based on the conditions (black ice, and winter nights are...dark!) I ended up right in the middle. I'd like to be a bit more focused though. What is the point of workout X? Why am I running this pace? Is this an appropriate workout for the marathon?  I don't know though...I'll probably end up just running whatever.

Gettin gainz?:

18-Jan		Long Run		0:07:48		18.18		Ran over to Nicole and Luke's for the CSU long run.
19-Jan		Easy		0:08:00		7.25		Along the Charles and whatever.
20-Jan		Easy/Intervals		0:07:34		20.13		AM: 4m commute at 7:34. PM: 4m commute home, ran to track. 200/400/600/800/1200 - then cut the workout short. Right leg felt a little too tight for comfort. Ran home from track and felt good though.
21-Jan		Easy/Easy				14.15		AM: 6m at 7:30 PM: 8+ at 8:04 - last 2 with Eli and Raleigh.
22-Jan		Easy/Tempo				19.41		AM: 4m commute at 7:42/mile. PM: 15+ tot. 12.1 at 6:35/mile. One mile warm up, 2.25 cool down. Hit 13.1 in 1:27:30, and averaged 6:54 including both wu+cd. Met up with Terry for a good chunk of it, which certainly helped. Good stuff.
23-Jan		Easy/Easy				10.34		AM: 4m commute at 7:40 per. PM 6m commute at 8min per.
24-Jan		Moderate		0:07:48		5.04		AM: 5m around Fresh Pond after timing the race. PM: Oh so tempted to get to 100…but, I was tired.

Splits:

200-33.15

400-1:13.38

600-1:54.68

800-2:38.43

1200-4:04.41

cut workout short

Thursday Night Splits:

7:47.53

6:42.56

6:39.24

6:43.48

6:41.77

6:35.72

6:39.70

6:26.79

6:16.15

6:44.57

6:33.04

6:33.83

6:30.18

.11-38.79

8:29.38

7:54.76

.24-1:52.63

Total: 94.50

1/11/15 to 1/17/15: Injury Sminjury, Run Through It! Cautiously...

My right leg/IT/whatever is still pretty bunk, but I've been able to run through it - and this week I was able to get in a slight bit more of quality. It's been a little touch and go, but I still prefer to run through an injury, albeit cautiously. If I can run easy, and it doesn't get worse as the run continues, I tend to think that's better than a complete day off.

Here's the numbers:

11-Jan		Long Run		0:07:47		18.34		Took two ibu and ran over to the group run. Never felt great. Surprised at the pace, I thought the poor footing would be reflected a bit more. Right leg held up well enough.
12-Jan		Easy/Easy		0:07:39		10.16		AM: 4m commute at 7:39. Right leg bunk at the beginning and then was manageable by the end. PM: 6m+ commute home at around 8min per, I think. Right leg held up, but still meh.
13-Jan		Easy/Tempo		0:07:10		15.07		AM: 4m commute at 7:30. PM: 1 mile warm up, then 10m at just under 7min pace. Right leg isn't 100%, but this felt like a good tempo type effort considering cold/black ice/leg/backpack.
14-Jan		Easy/Easy		0:07:40		10.21		AM: 4m commute at 7:30. PM: 6+ at 7:50.
15-Jan		Easy/Easy		0:07:40		12.21		AM: 4m commute at 7:35/mile. PM: Commute home plus a couple. 8 tot at ~8/mile.
16-Jan		Easy/Intervals				17.42		AM: 4m commute at 7:35/mile. PM: Commute home, ran to track. 1000x3/800/400x3/200x3.  Spiderman lunges hurt during warm up. Right leg held up.
17-Jan		Easy				5.04		Easy around the Charles. Legs are beat up.

Splits:

1000-3:19.92

1000-3:19.84

1000-3:19.18

800-2:39.25

400-1:13.25

400-1:11.66

400-1:12.25

200-33.44

200-32.33

200-31.xx

Really pleased with this workout. The splits were pretty much spot on. The 400's were a little bit off, but I typically take a few reps to get used to mile pace, so that seems about right with only three in the workout. The 200s felt pretty smooth, and I wanted to open it up a bit more on the last one with my new spikes (only worn for the final rep), but I was feeling the heaviness from the spiderman lunges. Maybe another time.

Total: 88.45

12/21/14 to 1/10/15: 2014 Recap, Holidays, and New Year

The year of 2014 probably needs to be summed up a little bit better, but in the interest of time...

Total Miles: 3821.48
Days Off: 18
Lowest Weekly Mileage: 41.3
Highest Weekly Mileage: 105.44
Average Weekly Mileage: 73.49
Average Daily Mileage: 10.49
Races Won: 1
PRs Set: 10 (mile, 2 mile, Fresh Pond 1 Lap, 5k, FP 2 lap, 5 mile, 10k, 10 mile, 1/2 Marathon, Marathon)

My goals for 2015 are to run more, get better, and stay healthy.

21-Dec		Long Run		0:07:21		20.03		Battle Road w/CSU. Started out pretty quick and my legs felt very good at that pace. Uday was adding on, so I decided to tack on as well. Last two miles were ~6:30 and 6:20.
22-Dec		Easy/Easy		0:07:45		10.16		AM: Commute. PM: Commute 6m.
23-Dec		Easy/Intervals				16.28		AM: Commute PM: Commute home + 400 x 9. Felt pretty tired and my right leg was sore. This workout was a mistake.
24-Dec		Easy/Easy				8.07		AM: Commute. PM: 4m Commute home.
25-Dec		Easy/Tempo				6.01		Xmas day easy in Plympton.
26-Dec		Easy/Easy				0		Rest and travel day.
27-Dec		BU Mini Meet #2				3.66		Basically a rest day. Right leg is bunk.
28-Dec		Long Run		0:07:10		6.18		Right leg is really funky. Surprised this was so quick. A handful of 6:4x miles in the middle.
29-Dec		Easy		0:07:19		8.22		A little bit on my own, a little bit with Eli and Raleigh, then a bit more on my own.
30-Dec		MLR		0:07:35		12.19		Battle Road. Middle 5 with Eli. She was nice enough to let me do some solo mileage…then I proposed to her over a romantic taco dinner.
31-Dec		Easy/Easy		0:07:19		8.22		I don't even know.
1-Jan		Easy		0:07:45		8		Standard around the Charles then to Whole Foods to pick up cheese and 1/2 and 1/2.
2-Jan		Easy		0:07:39		7		AM: 7m at 7:39/mile
3-Jan		BU Mini Meet #3		0:04:51		12		4:51 and won my heat. A solid race.
4-Jan		Long Run		0:08:01		16.05		Crap conditions, but a fun time hosting the first CSU group long run.
5-Jan		4 Hill Route/Easy		0:07:25		14.11		AM: 4 hill route. 8m at 7:25ish. PM: Commute home, 6m at 7:21.
6-Jan		Easy/Moderate		0:07:33		12.12		AM: 4m commute at 7:37. PM: Commute home +, 8m at 7:31.
7-Jan		Easy/Easy		0:07:37		14.23		AM: 4 hill route. 8m at 7:37. PM: 6m commute at 7:37
8-Jan		Easy/Moderate		0:07:42		12.31		AM: 4m commute at 7:35. PM 8m commute home at 7:48.
9-Jan		Easy/BU Intervals(easy)		0:08:00		8.12		AM: 4m commute at 8min. PM: 4m commute home. IT Band isn't up for speedwork.
10-Jan		Easy		0:08:00		5		A couple laps around Fresh Pond with Eli and Raleigh. Right leg is bunk.

Totals: 64.24, 61.81, and 81.94

A little slower, more fun

At the third BU Mini Meet, I ran the mile again.  I seeded myself at 4:55 with the hope that Kevin and I would get in the same heat and be able to battle it out, but with 18 total heats we ended up getting split into heat 9 & 10. While Kevin's heat went out FAST, and Kevin took 4 seconds off of his time from the previous week (hell yeah), my heat went out much more conservatively.

I've been battling some sort of injury to my right leg and so when the gun went off I went straight to last place. I was intent on not getting tripped up, and I wanted to get a feel for how my leg would respond to the faster pace on the banked track.  As we came through the first lap there were no issues, and the pace was a little slow all the way around.  As we were about to pass the 400 mark, I made a small surge to pass 4 runners that seemed to be going a little slow and I passed the line at ~1:14 high.

There was a bit of tripping, and lots of bunching up in the large pack ahead of me, and so on the straight heading to the 600 mark, I made another surge to get into second position. I remained here until a young kid tried to cut in front of me at the start coming off the first turn after passing the 800. I was pretty pissed since he almost tripped me, and I ended up yelling at him telling him he can't cut in if there isn't any room. Once he got into lane one a made a hard move into first place and put a nice gap on the rest of the pack, but it was mostly due to annoyance/anger. I slowed down a bit very shortly thereafter, but I should've kept the momentum and held that surge for another 150. Oh well.

I accelerated slightly from 1200 to 1400, and then on the bell lap I had a nice kick with a younger kid. He tried to pass me on the first turn, and I felt a little insulted. On the turn!? Pft, no way kid. No. Way. As Jon Waldron would put it, I was 'running for the win.' On the final straight I gave a hard surge, which was more than enough to hold off the scrappy youngster.

This was a much more encouraging race vs the first BU mini meet. Even though I was slower, I felt comfortable the entire time, and perhaps more importantly - I felt in control.

4:51 and the win. Cool.

4:49.53

I jogged over to the BU track from home - about 3.5 miles.  After signing up with a seed time of 4:56 (4 seconds faster than what I ran in January), I walked over to the section where CSU gathers during a typical Thursday night workout. I sat down and took out my pair of Adidas Takumi Sen 2 that I've worn during all of my mile training with the exception of perhaps a few 200s. 

I saw Jon Waldron and Isaac, and made my way down to the center of the track and eventually back outside for another mile+ of warm up, then a few more laps with Isaac to stay loose. After we grabbed our numbers, we broke off to do our own routine of drills and strides and I felt nice and warmed up.

At the starting line I was ready, but nervous...it's strange, I don't get that feeling from any road race. Not for a marathon, or a 5k, or even for a road mile. Only on the track do I get that feeling. Anyways, once the gun went off I settled into a fast pace, but not the fastest...and so there I was running in lane 2 as we came into the bend off the back straight. I came through in 36.x for the first 200, and was stuck in lane 2 as we entered the second lap. I felt really good, and didn't want to risk getting tripped up, so I just kept an eye out for a gap to slip into, but none opened up. Another ~36 second 200, and I couldn't get the hell out of lane 2.  On the back straight of the 3rd lap I finally started to sneak into the outside of lane 1, but it was crowded.

Coming out of the turn, a young kid tried to sneak in ahead of me. There was no room whatsoever, and he tried to make some with a half hearted elbow. I may have mumbled a curse or two letting him know that it wasn't going to happen.

One of the side effects of that elbow was a shot of adrenaline. And even though I had just gotten into lane 1, I made a hard move after passing through 600.  I'm not sure what place I was in before 600, but by 700 I was leading.

One of the best benefits of this race and this venue was having Joe Fischetti belting out my splits as I was on the back straight. Every single split was under 37 seconds. I came through 800 in 2:23/2:24, still leading, and I still felt good. I could feel runners on my tail, but I had very even pacing.

Shortly after passing either 1k (or maybe 1200?), a train of runners passed me. I wasn't fading, but someone was making a hard push from 600 out. I kept my position in lane 1 and fought to hold good form.  Joe continued to holler out splits and I heard Jon Waldron say to Isaac, "you're racing for the win Isaac. You are racing for the win!" Isaac was in the train of runners who had passed me and he was looking very comfortable at this stage in the race.

With 400 to go I knew I would be close to hitting my goal, but I had no ability to do any mental calculations. All energy was focused on the task of holding good form and maintaining turnover. Joe Fischetti yelled my split as I entered the back stretch, and with 300 to go he yelled, "c'mon Pat, stick with it! How bad do you want it?! How bad do you want it!?" I had already been close, but from that point on I was red lining.

I hit the bell lap and had no clue about time or place. I was just trying to kick. I had very little left and those smooth 30 second 200s that I had run during workouts felt like a distance memory. I hit the final straightaway with the clock reading 4:44/5. I was able to find another gear and I made it in under 4:50.

All it took was about 3700 miles worth of running since my last mile attempt...

4:49.53.