Of Mice and Marathons

PM: Springside Track and Neighborhood - 19 miles, averaged 7:07. HR 160

BIG Workout. 2 mile interval, 8-mile tempo, 2-mile interval

I was chatting back and forth with Mr. Cook two days ago about Ben Bruce and company's workouts and one was 4 mile tempo, 10 mile AT, 4 mile tempo. I assume that the 4 mile tempos are half marathon pace and the 10 mile is roughly MP to a touch faster. An insane workout really, so I thought, no way I am doing that but maybe I can mimick it. So I did.

It was around 15 degrees, sunny, with a little wind.

4 miles to the track, which is now mostly clear of ice respite some Jason prints from the other day.

2-mile interval: 5:59, 5:47 Slow to start but then I got moving okay.

Half mile recovery into 8-mile tempo on the roads in 51:20 (6:25 avg): 6:24, 6:23, 6:27, 6:29, 6:30, 6:23, 6:25, 6:15. 

I took 4 minutes recovery jog then hit the track for the second 2-mile interval (5:52, 5:56)

Cooled down to 19 but not before gagging and coughing on some phlegm. My hair is quite long in the back right now and it was ice-locked and sticking to my coat.

Off.

Didn't have time. Due for a day after 35 on. No water and Internet so I went to campus early. Megan and I went to Center City to see a piano/lecture hybrid thing that someone gave us tickets to. We enjoyed it. 

AM: 10.75 easy. Did a few short strides.

55, rainy, and windy. I'm not sure what was more slippery, the ice that somehow is still on the roads or the mud. Got showered, waited for the bus in a raincoat and an umbrella and I'm soaked again.

+ stretching (pre-bed)

AM/Lunch: 10 miles. HR 148.

TRACK WORKOUT

1600-800-800-1600-200-200

400 recovery after the first 1600 and after the second 800. 200 on all the others. Started too fast but I felt the effort was right. Checking the HR supports that. Likely the speedy (for me) first 800 that did my second 1600 in.

5:20.4, 2:35.6, 2:38.1, 5:31.4, 34.8, 34.1

Closed with a 76-77 on the first 1600, which was dumb. I thought 5:25 would be okay, but I got excited and can't do math and run. Probably need some more interval stuff like this if I want to run a fast half and decent showing at Broad Street.

AM: 10.2 miles recovery pace. HR 132.

+ Stretching and light core (pre-bed)

Lunch: 6.75 miles. Did some strides. HR 142.

+ Stretching

AM: Fireside Frostbite 5 Miler in 28:58. 4 up/3 down + Post-race intevals

Got in a slow warmup of 4 miles around 9 minute pace. Felt sluggish but mostly because it was two hours before I typically run. Did some good strides and felt decent.

The course is fairly downhill to start and quite fast but it rolls here and there (~250 feet of gain) and the last mile is mostly on muddy, slightly windy trail so it's pretty honest. The course record is low 24-minute range so you always get more competition than (most) can handle.

I got out fairly fast the first mile but it's quick and I felt decent. Felt pretty good until mile 4 when we turned onto the path and I slipped just a touch here and there in the mud and had to watch my footing. Lost maybe 5-10 second in that mile. I ended up passing 4-5 people from mile 2-5 and not getting passed, so I had that going for me.

The Rich, chocolatey goodness:

5:36, 5:41, 5:54, 5:45, 5:52

Talked to Leo and another guy who had done a 16 hour 100 miler two weeks ago. I then jumped on the track for a short but hard set of 400s. The last interval was off pace because there was a shirtless idiot in lane 1 going slow and several old guys walking or jogging.

POST RACE WORKOUT: 4 x 400 ~maybe mile pace? with 75 second passive rest

72.2, 72.6, 72.9, 74

Felt decent on these. Running quite hard but not hammering. Got the lungs opened up.

I have some work to do over the next few weeks to get back into 75-76 minute half shape but fitness is coming along.