January 23 - 29 Training

Mon: AM - 8.9 miles easy with 4x20s pickups (7:15); body felt about 80% coming off the flu.  Didn't have much push off on the pickups.  PM - 5.1 miles easy (7:19). Miserable conditions; very cold, windy and rainy. 


Tue: AM - 10.1 miles easy (6:59); took another easy day to make sure the body was back to its normal state.  PM - 4.2 miles easy (7:38)


Wed: AM - 14 miles including 6x(800m, 400m).  The goal was sub 2:25 for the 800, 68s for the 400 with 400 recovery jog after the 800 and 800 jog after each 400.  This was a very tough workout and probably the first time attempting to run 800s at sub 2:25.  I ran (2:23, 69), (2:21, 67), (2:23, 66), (2:24, 69), (2:24, 69), and (2:26, 70).  Things got really tough after the 3rd set. I thought about stopping the workout after five sets, but toughed it out and completed all six sets.  On the last 3 sets, I fought hard on the 400s to hit 68s, but could only managed 69/70.  I swear the legs felt like bricks!  PM - 5 miles very easy (8:18)


Thu: AM - 10.4 miles moderate progression working down to 6:00 (6:23); felt very smooth and comfortable. After the run I went straight into doing circuit training for my Army physical training.   PM - 4.3 miles easy (7:50)


Fri: 10.1 miles easy (7:25); legs felt very heavy and tired from the consecutive workouts (intervals, moderate progression and circuit training).


Sat: 21 miles long run (6:30). Ran the first 14 miles easy on rolling hills, the next 5 miles at sub 5:45 pace, and then 2 miles cooldown.  I ran a similar workout (fast-finish long run) four weeks ago, but the fast-finish portion was at sub 5:50 pace.  Comparing the two, I felt more comfortable and smooth in today's run, which is a good sign that my marathon fitness is improving. 

Dec 31, 2016                                      Jan 28, 2017

Sun: AM - 6 miles easy (7:44); PM - 4.1 miles easy (7:48)


Weekly Total: 103.3 miles on 12 miles/ 7 days
Solid week of training!  I couldn't be any happier with how my body responded coming off of the stomach flu two Saturdays ago.  One day I was laying in bed the entire day, and a few days later I was knocking out one of the toughest intervals sessions.  And I also got back into the triple digits for the weekly mileage.  Life is good! 

January 16 - 22 Training

Mon: AM - 9.3 miles with 8x20s pickups (6:58); ran the pickups lightly because the legs really didn't feel like running fast.  PM - 4.7 miles easy (7:39)

Tue: AM - 12 miles including 4 miles threshold at 5:20-5:30, 1 mile easy, 2x800m w/ 800m jog; ran the 4 mile tempo in 21:34 (5:28, 5:25, 5:22, 5:19), 5:24 avg pace.  The first 2-3 miles felt relatively smooth and comfortably hard.  The last mile, however, was a bit tough and I could feel the legs starting to get heavy.  After a mile easy jog I ran 2x800.  The goal for the 800 at sub 5:10 pace, but I was much faster than that.  Ran 2:29 and 2:28, respectively.  PM - 5.8 miles easy (7:28)

Wed: AM - 9.3 miles easy (7:04); PM - 5 miles easy (7:19)

Thu: AM - 9.5 miles including 3x90s uphill, 3x90s downhill.  Didn't treat this as a "real" workout, but more like some tougher and longer strides.  Covered .29 miles of uphill and .33 miles of downhill for the 90 seconds.  PM - 5.1 miles easy (7:20)

Fri: AM - 7.3 miles easy (7:28); PM - 5 miles easy (7:17)

Sat: Did not run. Caught the stomach bug.  Probably the worst sickness I've had in a very long time. 

Sun: 8.6 miles easy (7:21);  legs felt heavy in the early miles, but better as the run progressed.  I had planned to run another 5-7 miles in the late afternoon, but decided it was probably best to give the body a bit more rest coming off the flu. 

Weekly Total: 81.7 miles on 11 runs/ 6 days
I would have ended the week at 105 miles had I not caught the flu.  Oh well.  The good thing is that I have a really strong base and background, so a missed day or two of training wouldn't affect my fitness.  If anything, it will likely charge my batteries a bit more. 

January 9 - 15 Training

Mon: AM - 10 miles easy with 6x20s pick-ups (6:53); it was freezing (10 deg) and my toes were already frozen about a mile into the run.  PM - 4.6 miles easy (7:14)

Tue: AM - 11.5 miles including fartlek of 10x3:00 on/1:30 off on rolling terrain. Started out at 5:30 flat effort and worked down to about a little faster than 10k effort.  Covered 7.5 miles for the 45min fartlek and averaged 5:25 / 7:34 pace for the on/off segments.  These fartlek on rolling terrain are tough workouts, but it's what will prepare me for the Boston course.  PM - 5.1 miles easy (7:29)

Wed: AM - 8 miles easy (7:56); it was very slippery/icy from rain freezing overnight.  I thought about turning back and running on the treadmill about a mile into the run, but that never happened.  I would have been better off wearing ice skates on this run.  PM - 4 miles easy (7:01)

Thu: AM - 9.4 miles including 16x200m at 32-33 with 200m slow jog; hit all of the 200s in 32 seconds except for the 2nd rep (33).  PM - 6 miles easy (7:19)

Fri: AM - 6.2 miles easy (7:38); PM - 5.1 miles easy (7:39)

Sat: 20 miles long run (6:25); first 4 miles easy, 12 miles steady working from 6:20 to 6:00, last 4 miles easy.  Felt pretty good and smooth on the steady running.  Averaged 6:07 pace for the 12 miles.  

Sun: AM - 7 miles easy (7:27); 5.2 miles easy (7:32)

Weekly Total: 102.4 miles on 13 runs/ 7 days
This was my third straight week at 100+ miles.  I remember years back I'd think that hitting 100 miles in one week was a major milestone.  Now, the triple digit mileage is considered "just" another week of marathon training.  

January 2 - 8 Training

Mon: AM - 8.2 miles easy (7:20); PM - 4.1 miles easy (7:38).  Looking forward to going back to work tomorrow, only because I'll be able to knock out my second run during lunch hour and have the evenings free to play with the kids.

Tue: AM - 10.7 miles including 5x1k at sub 5:05 pace w/ 400m slow jog, 4x200m fast w/ 200m jog.  Workout went really well, probably one of my better interval sessions I've had in a while.  My 1k splits were 3:06, 3:08, 3:06, 3:06 and 3:06.  I was pretty happy to see that all of my splits, with the exception of the 2nd rep, were consistent at 3:06 (4:59 pace). For the 200s, the goal was to close hard and fast while keeping good form.  Again, I surprised myself with the splits and ran all of them in 30s.  PM - 5.1 miles very easy (8:11); Running 8:00+/mile felt really good after this morning's workout. 

Wed: AM - 8.1 miles easy (7:20); PM - 5 miles easy (7:12)

Thu: AM - 9.3 miles including 4x1/4 mile uphill, 4x1/4 mile downhill.  Ran the uphill repeats in 72, 73, 73, 72 and the downhill repeats in 61, 63, 61, and 61.  Got in some really good work, and by the end of the workout I felt like I needed a new set of lungs.  I ran this same workout three weeks ago in 76, 78, 79, 80 for the uphill and 66, 65, 64, 63 for the downhill, so today's workout was a nice improvement.  PM - 4.9 miles easy (7:32)

Fri: AM - 7.5 miles easy (7:41); PM - 5 miles easy (7:21)

Sat: 22.4 miles long run (6:49).  Man, it was freezing (23 deg with a real-feel of 15).  I managed to finish my run before the roads were covered in snow.  This week's long run was nice and easy with the main purpose of spending time on my feet.  Ran the first 13 miles on rolling hills and then the last 9 miles on fairly flat ground. 
 

Sun: AM - 6.6 miles easy (7:23). Today was even colder with a real-feel of 3 degrees!  There was also snow on the ground from yesterday, but luckily the roads were still runnable; PM - 4 miles easy (7:30)

Weekly Total: 101.1 miles on 13 runs/7 days
A good week of training that included some decent variety (speed, hills and endurance).  It was also the coldest week with temperatures well below freezing from Thursday through Sunday.  I really don't mind the freezing temps, as long as the roads are not too icy/snowy to run on. 

December 26 - January 1 Training

Mon: AM - 8.3 miles with 6x20s pick-ups (6:54); PM - 4.7 miles easy (7:37)

Tue: AM - 11.3 miles including 5x1 mile with 300m jog; Started the mile repeats at tempo effort and then work down to 10k effort and then a bit faster towards the end.  It was the first time on the track since before Indy, so the workout was a good rust buster.  Splits were 5:27, 5:24, 5:19, 5:15 and 5:10.  PM - 5.1 miles easy (7:29)

Wed: AM - 8 miles easy (7:13); PM - 5.1 mile easy (8:17); jogging with lunch group.

Thu: AM - 9.3 miles including fartlek of 8x.15 miles fast, .35 miles moderate. Ran the fast segments at sub 5:00 pace and the moderate recovery at 6:15ish pace.  On these fartlek workouts, the moderate recoveries always seem tougher than the fast segments.  The goal of the workout was to run the fast segments slow enough that allows me to recover at the prescribed pace (6:15ish).  I ran all the fast segments at sub 5:00, but on the recoveries I was a little slower than 6:15ish pace for the 2nd and 3rd rep.  Not an excuse, but this was mainly due to the recoveries being on a slight incline.  Ended up running the 4 mile farlek in 23:15, 5:49 pace, and averaged 4:58 / 6:10 pace for the fast / moderate segments.  PM - 6.2 miles easy (7:11)

Fri: AM - 8 miles easy (7:13); PM - 4 miles easy (7:33)

Sat: 20 miles long run with the last 5 miles at sub 5:50 (6:30 overall avg pace). The first 10 miles were rolling hills and the last 10 mostly flat.  Ran comfortably easy for the first 15 miles averaging 6:45 pace.  The last couple miles of the run felt tough, because at that point I was running on fatigue legs.   .7 miles cooldown

Long run splits

Sun: AM: 1.4 easy (10:34); family run to start off the New Year.  6 miles easy (7:30); PM - 3 miles easy (7:44)

Weekly Total: 101.2 miles on 13 runs/7 days

I ended last week at 99.2 miles, and if you combine that with this week's mileage, I averaged 100 miles for the last two weeks.  Not bad considering there's still 15 weeks till Boston.