January 18 - 24 Training

Mon: AM - 8.5 miles with 8x30s uphill strides (7:04). Freezing cold (5 deg real-feel) and very windy. Luckily, I had the wind to my back on the uphill strides.  PM - 4.5 miles easy (7:19)


Tue: AM - Army Physical Fitness Test: 104 push-ups, 95 sit-ups, and 11:10 2-mile run.  It was the first time in almost three years that I didn't hit triple digits for the sit-ups.  I'm not surprised though, because I've neglected doing them since my last APFT about six months ago. Ha!  As for the 2-mile run, I was looking to run 10:30ish, which would be a pretty good effort/workout after trashed quads and hip flexors from the sit-ups.  Unfortunately, weather conditions (-1 degree real-feel with 12mph headwind) were not favorable for a fast time.  It also didn't help that the freezing cold air was getting to the lungs when I breathe in. 3.5 miles cooldown (7:17); PM - 7 miles easy (7:02)

APFT over the course of my Army career.

Wed: AM - 14 miles with 9 miles of 1/2 mile at 5:55 pace, 1/2 mile at 5:35 pace.  The original plan was to run 10 miles of alternating 1/2 miles, but since I did a physical fitness test yesterday with a couple miles at 5:30ish pace, I decided that nine was enough.  I averaged 5:54 pace for the "slow" 1/2 miles and 5:32 for the faster halves.  What makes this workout tough is that you can't slack on the slow sections because 5:55 pace is still moving.  PM - 4.7 miles (7:13)

Thu: AM - 8.1 miles easy (7:03); PM - 5 miles easy (7:15)

Fri: 8.2 miles with 6x20s pick-ups.  Freezing cold. Blizzard is forecasted to come through the east coast tonight and throughout the day tomorrow.  

Sat: 20 miles long run; first 12 miles easy then 2:00 at 5:30 pace at the start of each mile for the last 8 miles (6:31 overall avg). There was no way I was running 20 miles in a blizzard, so I had no choice but to get on the treadmill.  Averaged 6:41 pace for the first 12 miles easy.  For the last 8 miles, I ran the first 2:00 of each mile at 5:30 pace and then 6:40-6:44 pace as recovery. Really good long run, but I'm sure I'll be a bit sore tomorrow as the treadmill works some different muscles; .5 miles cool down

Snowed in!

Sun: 8 miles easy (7:31)

Weekly Total: 93.1 miles on 11 runs/7 days
It was a crazy week with temperatures consistently in the teens and a blizzard on Saturday that kept me off the roads.  Luckily, I have a treadmill in the basement and was able to log some dreaded miles.  

January 11 - 17 Training

Mon: AM - 10 miles with light fartlek of 8x45s fast, 2:15 easy. Averaged 4:48 for the fast portion and 7:27 for the easy sections.  This is a similar workout that I've done in the past (8x.15 fast, .35 mile easy), except that it's about 30 seconds less in recovery.  Leg turnover felt good and fast. PM - 5 miles easy (7:18)

Tue: AM - 7 miles easy (7:23); PM - 4.1 miles easy (7:26)

Wed: AM - 12.8 miles including 4 miles tempo, 1 mile jog, 4x90s downhill.  Plan was to run the 4 miles tempo starting at 5:30 and then work down to 5:20.  I never felt liked I warmed up with the temps at 17 degrees (9deg real-feel with 12mph winds).  I came through 1600m in 5:31 feeling like it was harder than it should have felt.  I tried to pick up the pace on the 2nd mile, but it just wasn't happening with the freezing temp.  After running the 2nd mile in 5:33, I thought about calling it quits.  Decided to just finish the tempo running at least the same pace. Ran 5:33 and 5:28 for the last couple miles (3200m to be exact). Afterwards, I jogged a mile to the hills where I did 4x90s hills at mile effort.  Covered .32 miles of downhill at 4:43 pace and took some pounding on the legs.  PM - 5.2 miles easy (7:02)

Thu: 12 miles easy (6:56)

Fri: AM - 5 miles easy (7:23); PM - 6 miles with 6x20s fast pick-ups (6:55)

Sat: 20 miles long run with middle 12 miles moderate progression.  First 4 miles easy, then 12 miles moderate progression from 6:30 to 6:00, and then the last 4 miles cooldown.  Averaged 6:14 pace for the moderate progression and 6:27 overall average for the 20 miles.   Pace felt smooth and comfortable, but the legs started to feel a bit tired in the end from all the rollers.  

Sun: AM - 6 miles easy (7:12); PM - DNR; family time trumped putting in a second run. 

Weekly Total: 93.2 miles on 11 runs/7 days
I can tell that there is cumulative fatigue starting to creep in, especially with the mileage increase of about 10 miles/week each of the last 4 weeks.  This (cumulative fatigue) is actually a good sign and necessary during marathon training. 

New Year = another Boston Marathon training

It's a new year, which means I'll be spending the first quarter of the year preparing for the Boston Marathon again.  This year's Boston Marathon will be my 6th total Boston and 5th consecutive since 2012.  Just as I did last year, I'll be posting my weekly marathon training and journey to Boston here on my blog.   

Here's the last two weeks of training.

January 4 - 10 Training

Mon: AM - 9.2 miles including 6x60s uphills, 2x60s downhills. Ran the uphills starting at slightly faster than 5K effort and working down to mile effort. PM - 5 miles easy (7:24)

Tue: 10.1 miles easy/medium (6:38); first five miles easy and then the last five at 6:00-6:15 pace.  Felt nice and comfortable.  

Wed: 8 miles with 8x20s pick-ups (7:15)

Thu: AM - 10.3 miles including 6x1K w/ 400 rec jog.  Goal was to start out at 3:15 feeling smooth and then work down to 3:10.  Ran 3:14, 3:14, 3:12 and 3:11 for the first four reps and then picked it up some on the last two running 3:08 and 3:05.  Finished the workout feeling like I could do one more rep.  PM - 5.3 miles easy (7:18)

Fri: AM - 4.3 miles easy (7:43); PM - 6 miles easy (7:12)

Sat: 18.1 miles long run (6:39); normal long run feeling nice and smooth.  I really enjoy the long run where I get out there and just cruise at a comfortable pace.  

Sun: 8.6 miles easy (6:59)

Weekly Total: 85 miles on 10 runs/7 days
A good week with a little more volume and intensity.  Happy with how my legs and body recovered following the hills and 1K interval session.  

-------------------------------------------------

December 28 - January 3 Training

Mon: 7.2 miles easy with 8x20s pick-ups (6:59)

Tue: 10.1 miles easy (6:51)

Wed: 11.3 miles including 8x400 with 400 rec jog. Plan was to run 75s for the 400s with a full lap for recovery.  Splits were 72, 74, 72, 72, 72, 73, 72, and 72.  Felt good and smooth.  Nice to get the legs to turnover.  

Thu: 10 miles easy (6:59)

Fri: AM - 6 miles easy (6:58); PM - 4 miles easy (7:30)

Sat: 16 miles long run working from easy pace down to low 6:00 (6:34 avg pace). Ran a rolling route for a change.  Felt really comfortable and like I was cruising the entire time.  It actually didn't feel like the pace was changing much over the course of the run, which is a good sign.  First three miles pretty easy, next three in the 6:40s, next four in 6:30s, next three in 6:20s, and the last three at 6:18, 6:09, and 5:57; .8 miles cooldown (7:32)

Sun: 8 miles easy (7:21)

Weekly Total: 76.5 miles on 8 runs/7 days
A really good week of base.  It's been four weeks since California International Marathon and I feel like I've recovered well from the marathon.  I also feel motivated and rejuvenated to start training again, especially after following many of the US athletes' training as they gear up for the upcoming Olympic Marathon Trials.  

2015 Running Stats

• Total Miles: 4,024.8 miles.  This is the most miles I've ran in any year.  An average of:
• 11 miles/day
• 77.4 miles/week
• 7:07 min/mi pace
• Number of 100+ mile weeks: 15; interestingly, I had a total of 10 weeks at over 100 miles during my Boston Marathon training cycle and only 5 for CIM. However, I did race more during my CIM train-up. 
• Biggest Month: January (436.4 miles)
• Longest streak: 164 days (6/26 - 12/6); 2010.9 miles
• Number of days I DNR'd (did not run): 19
• Number of races: 8 (2 marathons, 2 half marathons, 20K, 10M, 10K, 5K)
• PRs: 3

• Marathon: 2:31:54 (California International Marathon); new Guam National Record
• Half Marathon: 1:11:49 (Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia); missed the Guam record by 3 seconds
• 10 Mile: 54:35 (Army Ten-Miler)