Running To Beat Mark

4 easy

Had trouble sleeping last night. Part of the problem I believe was that I did not have my workout picked out for today. I knew I wanted to do something tougher but so many options! When I woke up this morning, I decided to just go out and see what happened. Ended up finding a good 10mile loop! Wanted the pace to be comfortable (not to challenging but not jogging). Got done in about 73 minutes. At first I was like eh ok (since I did not know the distance. As I mapped out the route, and saw that it was 10 miles I felt better, average pace for the run 7:13.

This afternoon did 5.4, 1.2 warmup three tempo in 17:48 1.2 cool down. The course for the us xc championships was where I ran to get my 8k PR. 

The same loop as yesterday. E joined me and we were blessed with over twenty mph winds with gusts over 30! 

 Now on to super bowl party. I do not really care who wins. My students want Ravens so I will be opposite and go for 49ers. As long as it is a good game I will be happy. 

6 easier today. Did do one half mile in 2:50 but nothing crazy.

Limited time today, wife got called in to sub at the Y and I like to go to her classes. 

1 mi warmup, then 12x300 with 30sec (100m) rest. This equals a 18:00 3mile so I did the workout non-stop, except for tying my shoe and finished in 18:15 so I was right on with all the splits I wanted except for the shoe trying. 1 mi cool down 

Found a race for this Saturday that E and I are going to run. Its a valentines run where you are tied together as a couple. Chocolates for everyone! 

Ran with one of the track distance team members today. Started off at conversational pace (7:15ish) for the first 3 then ran roughly 6:20ish for the next 3 before back to conversational last mile to cool down. Highlight of the run was almost being attacked by a dog...

4 easy. Parent Teacher conferences today so not much time for running today.

Easy travel day 10k tied to wife tomorrow!

10k race with wife. She set a PR so I am very happy for her! We also got second in the team competition!

10 easy. Super windy today but no rain or snow.

6 found a new hill (really not many here) ran up and down for majority of run, boring but hopefully somewhat effective.

First speed workout in a long long time. Probably since last April. A little scared of what I was going to see. I basically had time for a 3x1 mile.  Only goal was under 6 minutes for all three miles. 5:58, 5:53, then my wife challenged me (before the workout) to see if I could throw in a 5:30. Not quite, 5:34, I believe that if I had someone to run with or someone else watching (some adrenaline!) I would have hit it. Oh well, not terrible for first speed day of the block 1.5 warmup and 1.5 cool down. 

1 mile warmup then joined distance coach and a junior runner for a 5mile loop. We did the first 3.5 in just under 7 and then the junior and I left the coach behind for the last mile and did a 6 min mile. Cool down last .5 back to high school. Very happy day for me as this is the anniversary of when my wife said yes she will marry me!

For Valentine's Day the wife and I decided to do a cycling workout and then a treadmill run, with the snow starting to fall. It was fun spending the time with her tonight, but man she is fast on the bike!

 Question for the blog! What type of workouts gets a runner out of their comfort zone?  

6 total. 1.5mi warmup then 3 with some 40 second pickups 1.5 mi cool down. Interesting weather at first sunny and windy, then some flurries, back to sun, then a brief blizzard type snow...oh well the pickups helped to make the run go by a little faster. 

8 miles this morning to shake it out. Last four were straight into the wind. 

5 this afternoon with 3.25 harder in 19:56.  

Ran a half marathon today with the wife. We got stuck by a train about halfway through the run which really upset both of us! Pace was progressive throughout and the average at the end was only a few seconds slower than her PR marathon pace so a good confidence building run for her. 

Tempo 4 with a member of track team, right after school nasty wind on the way back in gusting over 35mph. (Of course the student whose 6'2 tucked behind me 5'9 for a wind block...oh well). Had to move pretty quick so warm up cool down totaled 1 mile

5 more Easy miles on treadmill tonight. Tough to get going again after earlier workout but legs felt better after run.   

Only four tonight. I really do not have a set "plan" for my training for the marathon but I was hoping to get some speed work in tonight, until I got to the track and realized that my right hammy had some pain. So I told myself to do 3miles warmup if better then get some speed in, if not then just call it a day. Well after three it wasnt good enough to get some speed work in so I did one more and called it a day. Icing tonight and stretching so hopefully I can do some speed tomorrow.

Four tonight before heavy snow. Leg still not 100%, but I did try some 30 second bursts 10 of 30 on 30 off.

Four miles with the wife this morning, snow day! 

No run today. Swam with Elizabeth and man was I tired afterwards, have not swam in a long time!

10 total today, 3 mi warmup and then 4.75mi tempo was hoping for 5 but train was passing through so I cut it short by quarter mile, bummer but still feel that I got the main point of the workout. 2.25 cooldown to get to ten total. I think I was still pretty tired after the swim yesterday. 

3 more easy this afternoon.  

16 with wife today, we went slower than her MP but it was good being out there with her and even better getting home out of the cold!

5 around the high school soft surfaces, by myself today. Track team had meeting before first practice of the year, so I decided to not wait, (they broke out of meeting at my mile 4.)

Treadmill at incline (3-7) for 3 more miles tonight.  Something about symmetry has me do runs at 7 incline 7mph... 

Tried for a workout today, but snow covered track and my usual grass loop, so I tried doing some 800s on the track, that was maybe a bad choice. The snow is at that hard packed stage where it grabs you for a little bit and just saps energy, oh well... Two warmup then 6x800 was the plan so 2x800: 3:10 and 3:12 this was the bummer! I was really thinking I could do sub 2:50's for all 6. Feeling drained already (should've had a snack) I switched to 400's and got 4 of those @ 1:30-1:32. Two mile cooldown. So a mile less of speed workout then what I wanted, not as fast as I wanted. I am hoping it is snow related and lack of food, but at least I got legs turning over faster than I have in a while, so I hope it was not a total waste.

5 up and down a half mile hill. First 500m not too steep, last 300 very steep (especially for Nebraska!) to make it even better the uphills were into the wind!

Ran for forty five minutes tonight. Tried to keep a consistent solid pace throughout. No clue on mileage, but 7:30 pace would give me 6 miles and I feel I was faster than that so I will say 6 today (hopefully this is not cheating! I do feel that I went more than 6, just not sure by how much.) Legs feeling good.