Pushing

Tonight I knew I needed a short run. But I wanted to try to push hard and see if my occasional speedwork had had any benefits. So I went out fast. Well, fast-ish. Not 8:00-pace half mile intervals fast, but faster than my normal 9:40 pace.

I figured I probably couldn't keep up the fast pace for a whole 5K, not yet anyway. But I wanted to see how far I could go.

The answer appears to be "between 2 and 3 miles", which, honestly, is a bit better than I expected.

Here's my splits (first segment is .19 miles, last segment is a half-mile; numbers are split time, total time, average pace-to-distance):

1. 01:50 / 01:50 / 09:38
   
2. 09:23 / 11:13 / 09:26
   
3. 09:14 / 20:26 / 09:20
   
4. 09:47 / 30:13 / 09:28
   
5. 05:17 / 35:30 / 09:37
   

So my pace for the whole distance is a few seconds faster than the 9:40 training pace I've managed lately, but for the first 2+ miles I was keeping a 9:20 pace, which is great! And even going in to mile 3, I was keeping it under 9:30. That's where I started taking walk breaks - about 20 seconds per half-mile.

I am getting faster. I just need to keep pushing but giving myself time. Diet is obviously important, too - look how well I do on long weekend runs when I get a little breakfast a couple of hours before running, as opposed to how poorly I do when I just go out on last night's dinner.

I will be in great shape if I keep this up all winter. My goal is... Oh, just all-around beating my times in each 2009 race. I'll keep my goals simple for now.

Interval run, a little bit faster

As mentioned, I went out this afternoon for some speedwork. I like the interval run plan I've come up with, and that's what I did.

Temperature was low to mid 50s, just about perfect. A little chilly to start with but I warmed up soon enough. Wore short sleeves and shorts and did not have much trouble. After pigging out the last several days, I had a small, 400 calorie breakfast around 9:30 A. Might have waited too long to go out for the run, but considering the results, I can not complain.

Instead of the long warmup, I did a slow run of about 0.88 miles, just until I reached the 6.0 mile marker on the trail, then continued on until I hit the 6.5 mile marker. I kinda-sorta tricked myself into starting the fast segment without a lot of rest by immediately starting a new split on my watch as I completed the warmup - oh, no, no time to wait, get going! Normally I would wait to start the new split until I actually started the fast segment. I think it added about 10-12 seconds to my first fast segment's time.

I did not look at my watch in time to see my time for the first fast section, just turned around and walk/jogged (but mostly jogged) back to the 6.5 post, to do it all again. But the second fast segment was 4:01! In fact, all my fast segments were 4:09 or faster, except for the very first one, which as I explained above, wasn't timed as tightly. But I was moving about the same pace for each one.

Here's my fast segment times:

1. 4:18
   
2. 4:02
   
3. 4:09
   
4. 4:08
   

Total distance, including warmup and my slower segments, was 5.76 miles, which I completed in 59:17 - wow! That's a 10:17 average pace!

If you subtract out the time and distance of my fast intervals, that's 3.76 miles in 42:40, for an average 11:20 pace - still 50 seconds per mile faster than the last time I did this training.

And the average pace for my fast segments is 8:18, which astonishes me.

Tomorrow's planned run

Tomorrow (later today, since it's after midnight) I'm planning on doing the same interval run I did a couple of weeks ago.

Maybe not so much warmup, and hopefully I'll be doing the slow intervals, y'know, faster. But basically the same.

I've been eating way too much lately. I'll need to stop that shit.

And... g'night.

Five-plus miles

It was clear and sunny - though not warm - today. No rain. First non-rainy run in a week and a half, I think.

Headed out after dark, with the benefit of 55° F temperature and almost 2000 calories worth of food today. Did my five-mile loop.

And managed to finish in 52:32! Two minutes faster than earlier in the week. Here's my mile splits:

1. 09:52
   
2. 09:59 (19:51)
   
3. 09:05 (28:56)
   
4. 09:48 (38:44)
   
5. 10:02 (48:46)
   
6. 03:47* (52:32)
   

Note: last split was 0.41 miles.

See mile 3? Wow! I have no idea how I managed that. When I saw that, during the run, I was sure there was some mistake. And then I pushed hard to get another mile at the same pace or close to it - and pushed too hard and had to stop to walk a bit. Oh, well.

Still, overall it's a 9:42 pace average, and I haven't had a long-ish run that fast in a while, I think. Good run!

Totally forgot to blog a run

I forgot to blog my 5.41 mile run two days ago.

So here it is. I think I did it in around 54:35 but I don't have my watch with me.

I kinda sucked but at least I did it.

Treadmill

I can't remember the last time I ran on a treadmill.

Whatever the count is, it restarts as of today.

I should have gotten up early and ran before work (because after work I'm hanging out with a friend) but because I was up late last night doing laundry, getting up early wasn't so much an option.

So I packed running clothes and brought 'em to work. And since it was pouring down rain when I was ready to run, into the "Wellness Center" in my office I went.

So boring. I had CNN giving me the top stories: people wanting to ban texting while driving, whether or not Michelle Obama's mom will be moving in to the White House with them, and something about some toddler that sings the fight song for some football team somewhere were people care about that. Ugh.

But I ran 3 miles in 29:10. Started around a 10:00 pace for a mile, picked it up to a 9:14 pace for 3/4 of a mile, then bounced between the two speeds (and a short bit of walking) to finally end up with an average 9:47 pace for the whole distance. Oh, and I varied between 1% and 1.5% grade.

So sweaty. But I did it. Yay, me! Now I eat.

Eight miles, not as fast

Long run yesterday. Eight miles. I wasn't as fast as I was last time, but not too bad.

I ate a large meal the night before but no breakfast, and was so-so on hydration. Oh, and it was pouring down rain almost the entire time I ran. Serious downpour. Ugh.

My Body Glide didn't do an awesome job of protecting from chafing, either. The combination of long run and rain is a bit much to overcome. If I ever run a half-marathon, I'll have to plan for re-applying the protection during the race.

Here's my mile splits:

1. 09:51
   
2. 10:27 (0:20:17)
   
3. 09:35 (0:29:52)
   
4. 10:52 (0:40:44)
   
5. 10:55 (0:51:39)
   
6. 10:21 (1:01:59)
   
7. 10:46 (1:12:46)
   
8. 11:09 (1:23:54)
   

I had to stop for traffic four times. I stopped for water three times (and Jelly Belly Sports Beans the first time). And did a bit of walking throughout. Even so, I managed to average a 10:29 pace, which, like I said, isn't that bad considering the conditions in which I ran.

I think that my last four runs, including yesterdays, was in the freakin' rain. Looks like fall and winter are here in Portland.

Dark and stormy run

It was dark and rainy and stormy, and I did not mind at all during my 5+ mile run tonight.

I could tell I've been running hard lately, because it was hard to keep a 9:30-9:45 pace. I had to stop at least twice to wait for a traffic light to change, but overall I just kept going. I only had to walk, briefly for about 10-20 steps, once, right around mile 4.5. And I finished in 53:34.

My mile splits (last segment is .41 miles):

1. 09:44
   
2. 10:08 (19:52)
   
3. 09:32 (29:24)
   
4. 10:23 (39:47)
   
5. 10:07 (49:54)
   
6. 03:39 (53:34)
   

I wore shorts, a long-sleeved and a short-sleeved tech shirt, a hat, my Brooks, a reflector belt, and front (white) and back (red) LED lights. It was around 52° F when I left the house.

Running in the wet wet rain

Since I plan on attending celebratory election night parties tonight, I knew I had to get up early in the morning and run before going to work.

When I got up at 4:30 AM, pulled on my running clothes and shoes, and opened the door, I was greeted with a downpour.

No choice. I had to go. So out into the wet, wet rain I went.

Since my fantastic speedwork on Sunday, I had been wondering if I could manage two miles at an 8:00 pace. Or even one consecutive mile. Or even alternating 4:00 half-miles with 4:45-5:00 half-miles.

I wanted to run fast, is what I'm saying.

I also knew that today should be an easier day, because of my hard run on Sunday, and due to the weather.

But I did manage to go a bit faster today.

Here are my half-mile splits:

1. 05:06
   
2. 04:02 (09:08)
   
3. 05:01 (14:09)
   
4. 04:53 (19:01)
   
5. 04:34 (23:35)
   
6. 05:03 (28:38)
   
7. 04:39 (33:18)
   

(I finished with another .19 miles, just to reach my normal start/finish point - total time running was 34:54)

So for 3.5 miles, I averaged a 9:31 pace! That's several seconds faster per mile than I have been running. And I might have done better if I hadn't had... digestive difficulties... during my run (I blame the bacon cheeseburger and fries for dinner - a large meal for me, and way more calories than I really needed). And I had three half-miles at a better than 9:30 pace!

I am getting faster, I really am.