Endurance run

Ran a nice 5.5 miler with a relatively low heart rate. It's funny, as I was going up 202 back towards Allen St. I was on another runner's 6 and consciously tried to keep my HR down but as soon as I saw him my HR blasted up 10 BPM. I ended up running him down on the Allen St hill and we talked for a couple seconds. I was feeling pretty tired and achy, I think I need a couple days off based on my pace and HR.

Distance 5.5 miles Pace: 9:07 Average HR: 167

Masters swim

2 hour masters swim today in Monson, felt good after yesterday's race. I'll not be able to attend for the next 2 weeks so I'll try to add an additional day during the week.

Talking turkey 6 mile off road race

The talking turkey is a great race, 6 miles, mostly flat, on the packed gravel access roads around the Ashley reservoir in Holyoke. The weather today was awesome with the temperatures in the low 50s. This race is so hit or miss weather wise, last year it was in the 20s with a solid sheet of ice on the course.

Personal best time this year with the following mile splits:

Mile 1: 7:09 Ave HR 176
Mile 2: 7:29 Ave HR 189
Mile 3: 7:39 Ave HR 190
Mile 4: 7:53 Ave HR 189
Mile 5: 7:58 Ave HR 189
Mile 6: 7:48 Ave HR 192

For a ET of 45:59 @ a 7:40 average pace with an average heart rate of 188. My watch actually read 45:57 but what's a couple of seconds between friends!?!

The first mile felt really good as did the second about mile 2.5 I started to suffer real bad. I was thinking that I went out too hot, despite how good I felt. Once I got into mile 3 I found a good place that I could sustain and rode it into mile 5. Once I got to mile 5.6 or so (passing by the reservoir and heading up the access road to the Elks) club I dumped out the last of my can of whup ass and was able to negative split the last mile. I'm pretty happy with the result!!

Ride

Felt really good to get on the bike, it's been a while. Dave, Jill and myself went for a social ride from Dave's house up to the tower and back. It ended up being 27.4 miles and was sure getting cold on the way home. Couldn't feel my toes!!

Recovery run

Went out for a 1/2 hour during a break in the rain, went down to the water and back.

Distance: 4 miles Pace: 8:44 Average HR: 154

Swim and a recovery run

I slacked big time yesterday and took the day off. My legs were still pretty sore from Sunday's race. This morning I headed to the pool @ 5:30 and did my 4 x 500M with 1.5 minutes rest in between. This is a very manageable workout for me now. I think that moving forward I'll keep the distance the same but cut it down to 3 sets, then 2, then all at once. And that will be my 1/2 ironman swim.

My legs felt good on the recovery run today, there is still a little soreness in my hamstrings (right in particular), I rolled them out real well when I got home. My HR was responsive which was good. I did have a cough after the run, the air is getting dry. Hopefully Saturday's race will go well. Anything sub 48:00 I'll be happy with. My HR file was pretty hosed (straight line @ 150, not sure what happened), but I did keep it pretty low for the 35 minute, 4 mile run.

Philadelphia 1/2 marathon

A very good race, and a very good time!!

Jill, Sara, and myself headed down to PHL on Saturday morning. An uneventful ride, got stuck in traffic through the Bronx but no big deal. We dropped the car off and went down to the race registration to pick up our bags and schwag. None to be had.... All we got was a t-shirt for the race and some coupons. blech... not even any safety pins.

We met up with a bunch of folks and headed to an awesome Italian place for dinner, we got to the hotel and went to bed early.

On Sunday AM we got up early, ate, and timed the walk to the start really well. Got there 15 minutes early, found a bush, lined up with the pace that we wanted (Sara, Dave, and I w/3:30) and we were off!! The crowds were super tight for the first 2-3 miles and I lost some time around corners due to the mass of people slowing down to get through. I stayed with the 3:30 pacer for the first 5 miles or so then they slowly started to pull of and I didn't have the legs to stay with them. There was 2 hills on the course, the first very managable and the second pretty difficult at mile 9. I averaged a 178 heart rate for the race and I think that if I had pushed the HR too hard earlier I would have cracked on that hill.

Things started to get real difficult at mile 11, at that point it was really just sticking it out and trying to finish as strong as possible.

Distance: 13.1 miles Time: 1:54:44 Pace: 8:45 Average HR: 178
Place (overall) : 592 out of 1979
Place (division): 45 out of 157

Recovery run

Ran down to the water with 3 strides. Felt pretty sluggish, could be because I was not fueled / hydrated properly. Jill, Sara, and I are heading down to Philly tomorrow morning, 5 plus hours in the car. We'll meet up with the rest of the Cyclonauts down there in the afternoon most likely.

Distance: 4 miles Pace: 9:00 Average HR: 153

Swim and recovery run

Went to the Y this morning and did 4 sets of 500M with 1:30 rest in between. I felt surprisingly good afterwards.
1/2 hour treadmill run at 150 HR in the afternoon. It was a warm day out but meetings etc kept me inside. Treadmill pace was 8:34 at that heart rate which is good, looking forward to Sunday!! It's a bummer (well kind of) that the bright nights race sold out, they sent my check back to me today.

Jill put on a little birthday party for me tonight, very nice. The big 41 is here!! Never felt better.

Recovery run

Nice easy recovery run to gate 5 and back.

Distance: 3 miles Pace: 8:46 Average HR: 152

Recovery run

Starting the taper for Philadelphia today. Went on a 4 mile recovery run with 3 strides (down to the water). It was raining pretty good out. I tried my new 'winter' running shoes and they seemed to work pretty well, my feet stayed dry.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about pacing for next weekend and I think that a realistic time will be 1:51 for the 1/2 marathon which is 8:30 minute miles. The course is pretty flat so it is possible that I'll come in faster.

Distance: 4 miles Pace: 8:56 Average HR: 156

Swim workout and a long run

Had a 2 hour masters swim this morning. It was all good until the descending 3 x 200M descending sets followed by descending 8 x 100M. After that I was pretty smoked with calves cramping and hamstrings starting to.

Went to my parents house where Heather spent the night and went for a long run. 10.2 miles in 1:29. Flat course for the most part, kept my heart rate in the 160s. The run felt really good.

The temperature was really good, I was able to wear shorts, and short sleeved shirt, and my bright vest. I was a little warm, but was happy for the vest for the visibility it gave. The sky was overcast, and at about the 1 hour mark the rain started coming down pretty good. It was still warm though. When running by Amy and Rich's street I saw Dave / Linda, and Cindy pulling out. I talked to Dave / Linda for a couple minutes.

Distance: 10.2 miles Pace: 9:01 Average HR: 163

5 x 400M running intervals

Headed to the track for 400M running intervals. My workout called for 8, but I backed it down to 5. My hip flexors were a little sore from the 200M intervals yesterday.

5 x 200M running intervals

The 200M intervals are nowhere near as hard as the longer ones. Although the intensity is greater, you don't go anaerobic so can finish them strong. Did a negative split on intervals 2 and 3, added a bit of time on 4, and took it back on 5.

Swim and a recovery ride

Swam for 45 minutes this morning, got in approximately 1 mile (3 500M intervals and 150M of kicking drills).

Rode the trainer for a 30 minute recovery ride in the evening. Even on the trainer I have to watch my HR, my thoughts drift and the HR starts creeping up...

5 x 600M running intervals

Went to the track for 600M running intervals. Man these are hard!! (as is all speedwork). It was a nice day though, 60 degrees, which allowed for a long sleeve and shorts. At least on the track you don't have to worry about people who got their drivers license out of gumball machines. I'm feeling better coming off of this cold, but am not at 100% for higher intensity work yet. On the 4th interval I almost packed it in it hurt so bad (breathing), I actually stopped @ 200M for a sec (there is a little little plateau in the HR) then remembered what real suffering is like (Cancun). Recommited and finished the interval, and the workout.

It's funny, the middle several intervals are always the ones that I want to bail on, but never let myself. The last is always no problem (because it's the last I think).

Power starts

Pretty short workout today, headed up route 202 with 4 power starts. Almost 60 degrees, good ride. When the sun started to go down, it went down quick and started to get cold. My bike intensity drops off this week while running speedwork picks up. Next week will be taper for the Philly 1/2 marathon.

Distance: 11.8 miles Average speed: 16.3 MPH Average HR: 140

6.5 miler...and almost a hood ornament

Had a very good run today despite still being sick. The plan was to swim in Monson from 7:00 to 9:00 AM, but Dan (the person that is running the masters swim) didn't show up, which means a wasted hour in the car.

So I had a very good run...as I was coming down route 21 near HealthSouth a burgundy chrysler mini-van with a freaking idiot woman with a cell phone glued to her head did a rolling stop without looking to her right. Another 6 inches and I would have slapped her hood.

Distance: 6.5 miles Pace: 8:34 Average HR: 162

Sick, sick, sick

Took the day off. Coughing, runny nose etc.

5.5 miler

I had planned on going 11 miles today which would have been my last long run before Philly. Once I got running I felt like such crap that I bailed at the 5.5 mile point. Tired, couldn't get my heart rate up. I'm sick, runny nose, sore throat, etc. But at least I got 5.5 in. I have to do my last long run next week end or something.

Distance: 5.5 miles Pace: 9:21 Average HR: 150

Day off

I'm in New Jersey today so I took the day off. My resting heartrate has been climbing so it's time for a bit of recovery. I took my pulse before bed and it's back down to 48 which is good. I think I'm coming down with a cold too... Heather is sick and I have a sore throat.

Swim

Swam for an hour this morning then headed to New Jersey.