Marathon Pace Workout

Did a marathon pace workout today, 16 miles total with 10 miles at goal MP on the track. This is the same workout (10M @ MP) I did on 3 April, four weeks prior to Hamburg Marathon, where I ran my marathon personal best of 2:34. After comparing the two workouts, I was very surprised to see that I ran today's MP run 50 seconds faster, 57:52 vs. 58:42. That's 5-seconds per mile faster (5:47 vs. 5:52 pace), or 3-seconds per km faster (3:36 vs. 3:39). The effort felt steady and controlled. Average HR for the 10 miles was 167 bpm or 86% of maxHR. Below is the mile splits (1600m to be exact). I continued on for 100 meters after completing 40 laps to make it an actual 10-miler.

# / Split Time (1600m)
1 - 5:48
2 - 5:47
3 - 5:48
4 - 5:46
5 - 5:44
6 - 5:47
7 - 5:44
8 - 5:42
9 - 5:43
10 - 5:42
- 0:21

10 Miles: 57:52

Berlin Marathon is 7 weeks away. I'm really excited and looking forward to it. So, what's the goal? Well, all I can tell you is that I'm looking at taking a big chunk out of my current personal best. I'm going for it!

30 July

I finally got a massage, my first one in 4 weeks. I was overdue for one as I normally get one every couple weeks during marathon training. My massage therapist stated that my muscles were in better shape compared to my last massage. I agree with her; however, they've been feeling fatigue the last couple runs. Reason being is because of the high mileage in recent weeks. In the last 22 days (8-29 July), which includes a day of no running, I put in 305 miles. I'll finish off this week (27Jul-02Aug) at about 95 miles and then probably make next week a recovery week at 70+ miles.

Today: Noon - 6M @ 7:08 pace; PM - 5M @ 7:15 pace
Wed: Noon - 6M @ 7:09 pace; PM - 10M @ 7:03 pace

28 July

I had 6 x 800m repeats planned for tonight's track session, but ended up changing it to 12 x 400m (200m recovery) since that's what the Dutch club had on their schedule. Despite a solo effort, Paul is still injured, I had an excellent workout. I ran the 400 meters faster as I got closer to 12 repeats. My first 400m was 74 seconds and my last one was the fastest at 66 seconds. I was very happy with the result of this workout, especially that my legs were feeling flat during the warmup.

Splits: 74, 73, 71, 71, 71, 71, 71, 70, 70, 69, 69, 66.

Today: Noon - 6M @ 7:17 pace; PM - 9M including 12 x 400m w/ 200m recovery.

Guam on RunnersWorld.com

I was browsing RunnersWorld.com homepage yesterday and was surprised to see "Guam" on the Marathon Challenge Runner of the Week section. It turns out that a female military spouse, who is currently living in Guam, is one of the runners featured in the challenge. She will take on the challenge of running her first marathon. In her interview she was asked "What's it like to run in Guam?" and "What's the Runner's World like in Guam?". I found all her comments about the heat, spectacular ocean views, stray dogs, early race start times, etc. to be absolutely true. One thing she also stated was that "there is 5K just about every weekend". I'd say that this comment may be an understatement because there are many weekends in which there are two 5K races, most of the time on the same day and time. If you have a couple minutes to spare I recommend reading the interview.

Nothing special on today's training. Ran 6 miles during my lunch hour and 5 miles after work, all at an easy pace.

Today: Noon - 6M @ 7:02 pace; PM - 5M @ 7:20 pace

20-26 July

Ran a 22-mile long run to cap off a 90-mile week on 6 days of running. The run went extremely well as I unexpectedly ran the last 11 miles in 1:09:23 (6:18 pace). The great thing about the run was that I felt comfortable and controlled as I clicked off the miles.

20-26 July

Mon: AM - 9M easy; PM - 6M easy
Tues: 11M steady including 10 x 1' w/ 1' easy;
Wed: DNR (travel)
Thur: AM - 11M @ 6:53 pace; PM - 5M @ 7:10 pace
Fri: AM - 5M @ 7:12 pace; PM - 13M including 3x2M (10:55, 10:43, 10:41) + 4x200m
Sat: 8M @ 7:03 pace
Sun: 22M @ 6:34 pace; out & back course - 1:14:55, 1:09:23

Weekly Total: 90 miles

Back in the Netherlands

I'm back in the Netherlands and enjoying the running weather. It's been raining a lot since my arrival a couple days ago. I don't mind it though because I'll take the rain and mid-70 degree weather over the 90+ degree temps I was running in on Guam. I must say though that the last 2 weeks of running in Guam has improved my fitness, evidence of today's workout.

I wasted no time getting back into training after a DNR (did not run) due to travel. Yesterday morning I did 11 miles at a steady easy pace. That afternoon I did 5 easy miles. Today, I ran another easy 5 miles in the morning and a workout, 13 miles with 3 x 2M @ ~10k pace + 4 x 200m, in the evening. My legs and body felt surprisingly good in tonights workout. The initial plan was to run the 3 x 2M at half-marathon pace. However, when I came across mile 1 of the first 2M in 5:30 and feeling comfortable I decided to run according to how I felt. I ran each 2-miler faster. Splits were

10:55 (5:30, 5:25)
10:43 (5:21, 5:22)
10:41 (5:23, 5:18).

I also added 4 x 200 meters, all in 32 seconds. It was a good workout and a sign of improved fitness.

Today: AM - 5M @ 7:12 pace; PM - 13M including 3x2M (10:55, 10:43, 10:41) + 4x200m;
Thur: AM - 11M @ 6:53 pace; PM - 5M @ 7:10 pace

22 July

I practically spent my last day on Guam in the hot sun; celebrated Guam's 65th Liberation Day at the parade with family and then went for a run late afternoon at Tumon Beach. In my run I was hoping to get in 12 miles with a fartlek of 15 x 1' at ~3k-5k pace. I only ended up with 11 miles and did 10 x 1' because I was feeling beaten up from the heat. Running the entire 11 miles on the compact sand (good thing it was low tide), in conjunction with the heat, was probably the reason I had to cut the workout a bit short. It was still a good workout though.

Logging off and will be missing a day of running due to travel. Till then....

Today: 11M steady including 10 x 1' w/ 1' easy;
Mon: AM - 9M easy; PM - 6M easy

13-19 July

Had a very successful week of training, 101 miles, in tough running conditions. I have two more days on Guam and then I'll be making my way back to the Netherlands. I'm going to miss the family, friends and Guam, but I'll be back soon.

13-19 July

Mon: 10M @ 6:54 pace including 10 x 12-seconds hill sprints
Tues: AM - 6M easy; PM - 11M including 3 x 2-miles @ half-marathon effort; 11:22 (5:43, 5:39), 11:15 (5:39, 5:36) & 11:00 (5:36, 5:24)
Wed: AM - 11M easy; PM - 10M easy
Thur: AM - 9M easy; PM - 6M easy
Fri: AM - 5M easy; PM - 11M including double pyramid workout (1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1)
Sat: 12M @ 6:44 pace
Sun: 10M @ 7:14 pace

Weekly Summary: 101 miles

17 July

The mileage is adding up pretty nicely this week, 79 miles on 5 days so far. Yesterday, I ran an easy 9 in the morning and an easy 6 in the late afternoon. Today, I did 5 in the morning and 11, including a workout, as the sun was setting. The workout I did this afternoon was a double pyramid, 1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1, with equal duration for recovery. I ran the 1' @ 3K effort, 2' @ 5K effort, and 3' @ 10K effort. The workout was tough, but satisfying.

Today: AM - 5M easy; PM - 11M including double pyramid workout (1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1)
Thur: AM - 9M easy; PM - 6M easy

15 July

Yesterday I completed my first key workout since I arrived on Guam. I did an easy 6 miles in the morning and then 11 miles, which included 3 x 2 miles at half-marathon effort on the track, in the late afternoon. Because of the tough running conditions, 93 degrees, I decided to focus more on effort than pace. I ended up surprising myself running each 2-mile faster: 11:22 (5:43, 5:39), 11:15 (5:39, 5:36) & 11:00 (5:36, 5:24). I took 2 minute rests for recovery in between the 2-miles. It was a good workout, but I was completely empty and dead-tired afterwards.

This morning I ran 11 miles in the sweltering heat, about 97 degress RealFeel. It was so hot that I took in 40 ounces of fluid (20 oz Powerade & 20 oz water) during the 81-minute run. In the late afternoon/early evening, I ran an easy 4 miles on Tumon Beach (see photo below - 5 July post). Just as I was ending the run, I bumped into my running friend Fred, who ran the length of Japan back in 1983. I tagged along with him for 6 miles chatting the entire run, of course, about running. A total of 21 miles for the day.

Today: AM - 11 miles easy; PM - 10M easy
Tues: AM - 6M easy; PM - 11M including 3 x 2-miles @ half-marathon effort

Wet Runs

It seems that every one of my runs is a wet one, either from sweat or from the pouring rain. Mother Nature has not been very friendly to the islanders lately. We've had heavy showers Saturday, Sunday and today. On my 2nd run on Saturday, I literally was running through water puddles an inch or two high. I'll have to admit though that I felt much better running in the rain than in the hot and humid conditions. In today's run, easy 10 miles with hill sprints, I thought that I'd be able to finish my run just before the dark clouds approached the area. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I got poured on at mile 9 when I was doing my hill sprints.

Today: 10M @ 6:54 pace including 10 x 12-seconds hill sprints

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6-12 July

Mon: DNR - travel day to Guam
Tues: DNR - travel day (flight delays & lost of timezone)
Wed: 11M @ 7:10 pace
Thur: AM - 12M @ 7:15 pace; PM - 7M @ 6:57 pace
Fri: AM - 10M @ 7:20 pace; PM - 5M @ 7:02 pace
Sat: AM - 11M @ 7:10 pace; PM - 4M @ 7:05 pace
Sun: 12M @ 7:12 pace

Weekly Summary: 72 miles

Not enjoying my runs

My travel back home was flawless.....okay, that was a joke. I was delayed an hour in Brussels, two hours in London, and missed my flight to Guam from Japan. The two things that went right were: I arrived safely (which is all that matters) and my luggage was not lost.

I'm enjoying every bit of my stay back home, except for the running part. Words that best describe every run so far include: disappointing, horrible, drenched, bonked, no energy, cancelled workout....I think you get the point. The humidity has been sucking my energy dry in every run. The temperature itself hasn't been too bad, high-70s to low-80s, but with the combination of about 77-80% humidity the realfeel temperature is about low to mid-90s. It may not sound too bad compared to many areas stateside. I think the problem is that my body is still accustomed to the Holland weather, which is excellent running conditions even in the Summer.

In my morning run today, I attempted a fartlek workout of 3 x 3-2-1 at approximately 5k effort. I threw in the towel after my first set. There was no possible way of completing the workout as I was breathing like I was running an all-out 800m. And I wasn't running that fast. My percentage of max HR almost reached 100%. Even when running very easy my HR is consistently at about 75-85%. I learned from my first run back on the island that is almost impossible to run for 60-70 minutes without taking in any fluids. Today, I took some money along with me and bought a gatorade at a gas station on my run back home. It definitely helped and prevented me from feeling like I bonked. I think for the time-being I'm just going to do easy running to put in the mileage. Hopefully the body will get used to the conditions very soon.

Thur: AM - 12M @ 7:15 pace; PM - 7M @ 6:57 pace
Wed: 11M @ 7:10 pace

5 July

Had a good 20-mile run this morning averaging 6:35 pace for the workout. After 10 miles, which I avg'd 6:49 pace, I decided to pick up the pace a bit to where I was about 10% off of marathon pace, in my case about 6:25 pace. I had no problems doing that as I hit the next 6 miles (11-16) between 6:22-6:27. Feeling good at 16 I increased the pace a couple seconds/mile faster hitting miles 17-19 at 6:17-6:19. Last mile was a finish-strong mile at 6:05.

Friday's marathon pace run and today's 20-miler were good confidence builders in my fitness, especially that there's still 11 weeks to go till Berlin. I'll just have to stay injury-free and continue the hard work.

Tomorrow I begin my long flight to Guam for a 3-week vacation. I won't be able to get the mileage I want to put in this coming week, because I'll lose almost 2 days due to change in timezone and flying.

29 June - 5 July

Mon: 10.1M @ 7:00 pace
Tues: AM - 4M @ 7:17 pace; PM - 8.5M including 10 sets of 300m (52-54") + 200m (34-35")
Wed: AM - 5.4M @7:10 pace; PM - 7M @ 7:04 pace
Thur: Noon - 5M @ 7:09 pace; PM - 7M @ 7:17 pace
Fri: 13.5M with 8M at MP - 5:48,:46,:47,:43,:47,:45,:45,:40 (46:01 - 5:45 pace)
Sat: 5M @ 7:24 pace
Sun: 20M @ 6:35 pace

Weekly Total: 85.5 miles

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July and good luck to those who are racing today. No 4th of July race for me. I spent America's day by doing an easy 5-miler in the morning, attending American Fest during the day, riding my new Giant Boulder mountain bike through the beautiful Holland farmlands in the late afternoon and a 90-min massage in the evening. Very productive day.....leisure-wise that is!

Tomorrow will be an easy steady 20-miler at about 6:45 - 7:00 pace. It'll be my last run in Holland at least for the next 3 weeks. On Monday I'll be taking a long 21-hour journey back to paradise to visit family and friends. It's going to be fun. However, I'm almost sure the running part won't be fun because I'll be complaining that it's too hot and humid.

Today: 5M @ 7:24 pace

MP workout

My body and legs have been feeling a bit tired and drained the last couple days, probably from the higher than normal heat and humidity that has hit us lately. However, today's conditions were a little better, less humidity, low to mid-80s and a constant breeze. The workout for the day was 12 miles with 8 at marathon pace. I ran the meat of the workout on the track so that I could accurately monitor the pace. The goal pace was 5:50-52 pace or 3:37-39/km, which is a 2:32-2:33 marathon. After a 2.5 mile warmup, I was on my way for 32 laps. I checked my 400 meter splits during the first couple laps of the first mile to see were I was at with the pace. I was quite satisfied to see that I was right on track, maybe a second or two too fast, and feeling comfortable. I ended up having an excellent workout. Finished the 8 miles in 46:01, which is about 40 seconds faster compared to the same workout I did in preparation for my last two marathons. Here are the splits:

1 - 5:48
2 - 5:46
3 - 5:47
4 - 5:43
5 - 5:47
6 - 5:45
7 - 5:45
8 - 5:40

46:01 (5:45 pace)

Today: 13.5M with 8M at MP
Thur: Noon - 5M @ 7:09 pace; PM - 7M @ 7:17 pace
Wed: AM - 5.4M @7:10 pace; PM - 7M @ 7:04 pace