Feb 21-27

Mon: AM - 5.3M easy; PM - 8.8M easy (14.1M tot)
Tue: AM - 5M easy; PM - 15.3M easy (20.3M tot)
Wed: AM - 4.4M easy; PM - 13.3M easy (17.7M tot)
Thu: AM - 5M easy; PM - 10.3M easy (15.3M tot)
Fri: 15M including aerobic capacity intervals: 7 x 1600m (5:11, 5:15, 5:16, 5:15, 5:15, 5:14, 5:14) w/ 400 rec + 3 x 200 (32, 33, 33) w/ 200 rec;
Sat: 9M easy
Sun: 20M Fast Finish Long Run; 12M @ 6:42 pace then last 8M @ 5:42 pace; (20.8 tot)

Weekly Total: 112 miles on 11 runs/ 7 days
The first half of the week was all easy running. However, saying the runs were easy would be an understatement, because the duration of the runs were at least 70 minutes or more and the pace between 6:40-6:55. On Tuesday, instead of the normal quality speed session, I ran a medium long run of 1hr 44min.  Friday was a good session of mile repeats at aerobic capacity.  The legs were certainly done after 7 repeats.  The highlight of this week's training was today's long run, a 20 mile fast finish long run.  I ran the first 12 miles averaging 6:42 pace and then finished off the last 8 miles (13K to be exact) at 5:42.  I was amazed that the pace felt manageable.

Feb 14-20

Mon:  AM - 5.5M easy;  PM - 8.8M easy (14.3M tot)
Tue:  AM - 5M easy;  PM - 13.3M including 20 x 1' fartlek w/ 1' rec @ brisk pace; (18.3M tot)
Wed:  13.4M easy
Thu:  AM - 5M easy;  PM - 10.3M easy (15.3M tot)
Fri:  AM - 4.5M easy;  PM - 14.2M including 5 x 2K tempo int (6:41, 6:39, 6:37, 6:35, 6:35) + 3 x 200 (32, 33, 32)  (19.7M tot)
Sat:  AM - 9M easy;  PM - 4.5M easy (13.5M tot)
Sun:  22M steady long run; 6:27 pace

Weekly Total:  115 miles on 12 runs/ 7 days
It was another high mileage week with a couple long quality sessions to teach the legs to run fast when fatigued.  Quite happy with the results, especially Friday's 2K tempo interval workout and Sunday's long run.

Jan 31 - Feb 13

Feb 7-13


Mon: AM - 6M easy; PM - 8.7M easy (14.7 tot)
Tue: AM - 5M easy; PM - 12M including 8 x 800 (2:32, :26, : 29, :27, :28, :27, :27, :28) w/ 400 rec + 3 x 200 (33, 33, 32) w/ 200 rec.  (17M tot)
Wed: 13.4M easy
Thu: AM - 5.5M easy; PM - 10.2M easy (15.7M tot)
Fri: AM - 5M easy; PM - 14.5M including 10M tempo run in 57:07 (19.5M tot)
Sat: AM - 9M easy; PM - 4M easy (13M tot)
Sun: 18.8M long run; 6:24 pace


Weekly Total:   112 miles on 12 runs / 7 days
It was an A+ week of training this week.  An interval session of 800s on Tuesday, a 10 mile tempo run on Friday and a 2 hr steady long run complemented a 112 mile week.  The 800s went very well and I was quite surprised that I consistently hit sub-2:30 for the half-miles.  I never ran 800s that fast in the past.  On Friday, I ran a 10 mile tempo on the track. I started out at what felt like marathon pace and then slowly decreased the pace as the run went on.  I ran 5:46 pace for the first 3 miles, then 5:37-5:40 pace for miles 4-9, and then finished strong with a 5:30 mile.  


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Jan 31 - Feb 6


Mon: AM - 5.8M easy; PM - 8.7M easy (14.5M tot)
Tue: AM - 12.8M including 15 x 1' fartlek on rolling course w/ 1' rec at brisk pace; PM - 5M easy (17.8M tot)
Wed: DNR
Thu: 6M easy 
Fri: DNR 
Sat: AM - 10.5M easy; PM - 6M easy (16.5M tot) 
Sun: 18.6M steady long run; 6:28 pace


Weekly Total: 73.4 miles on 8 runs / 5 days
It was a low mileage week, compared to last week, from two DNR (did not run) because I had my last wisdom tooth extracted.  I thought that I'd only miss out on one day (surgery day), but that wasn't the case as the percocets stayed in my body forcing me to DNR on Friday.  I still ended the week on a good note as I put in 35 miles of steady easy running in the weekend.

"He can take a bullet for us someday in Afghanistan, but he can’t run with his American contemporaries?"

This is ridiculous that Army WCAP runner Joseph Chirlee, who is a US citizen of less than 2 yrs, could not run in the USA XC Championships, not even as part of the armed forces competition.  Read the full New York Times article.

Jan 24-30

Mon: 9M easy
Tue: AM - 10M including 12 x 200 (31-33") w/ 200 rec; PM - 5M easy  (15M tot)
Wed: AM - 13.5M easy; PM - 5M easy (18.5M tot)
Thu: AM - 10.2M easy; PM - 5M easy (15.2M tot)
Fri: AM - 17.2M including 65' Steady State (5:43 pace); PM - 5M easy (22.2M tot)
Sat: 9M easy
Sun: 18.6M long run, 6:29 pace

Weekly Total: 107.5 miles on 11 runs / 7 days
It was a 20% jump in the total mileage from last week as I began doing doubles.  The legs handled the mileage well while still running good in the quality workouts. This really isn't a surprised to me because my body and legs are accustomed to high mileage.  On Friday I increased the steady state run by 10' for a total 65 minutes. This was by far the longest steady state or tempo run I've ever ran.  For the 65' I averaged 5:43 pace and covered 11.4 miles.  It was the same exact pace I ran in last week's steady state, but 10' more.  Sunday's steady long run also went extremely well. Ran 18.6M (30K) in 2 hours and avg'd 6:29 pace, which was 10 seconds per mile faster than last week.  I was comfortable the entire run and never felt like I was exceeding the long run pace/effort.