I guess this week is like the calm before the storm. I'm resting up, running fairly short workouts with a high percentages at race pace, and packing for the long weekend at the beach.
I'm no especially worried about this race, but then again, I don't really worry about much. I can't do any more to get fit now, I just need to go on with the plan. I have no reason for race jitters, since I'm not a contender to win, what would I have to be worried about? Actually, my biggest question right now is, where are we going for lunch after the race?
I probably won't post anything else before the race, unless something cool or interesting happens (you never know!). I do plan to have a quick go through all of my posts tonight or tomorrow and put labels on all of my posts. Why? Because I'm a nutcase who can't let little things go. I've put labels on some of my posts, therefore, I must put them on ALL OF MY POSTS...
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Pain in My...Back
My back popped again at the gym! I was in a bent over position again, not doing anything heavy, but my lower back was rounded instead of straight - probably what happened the first time as well. The good news is that it only hurts when I move it in a similar, rounded manner - which is really only when I bend to touch my toes. It causes me no pain when running, so I plan to keep on preparing for my race.
This week has gone well running, I've had a couple of easy runs and one short interval workout. My back hasn't prevented me from keeping on schedule, and my workload here at the office is light for the next couple weeks.
I'm still working out at the gym. I don't want to abruptly change things during my taper for the race. I'm keeping my intensity level high, but dropping the work volume gradually on everything this week. I'll spend next week resting up so I'm 100% for the race.
And in other news, do you know what starts this weekend?
World Track and Field Championships!
This week has gone well running, I've had a couple of easy runs and one short interval workout. My back hasn't prevented me from keeping on schedule, and my workload here at the office is light for the next couple weeks.
I'm still working out at the gym. I don't want to abruptly change things during my taper for the race. I'm keeping my intensity level high, but dropping the work volume gradually on everything this week. I'll spend next week resting up so I'm 100% for the race.
And in other news, do you know what starts this weekend?
World Track and Field Championships!
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Home Stretch
I've taken too long between posts. Again. But I can relax a little again, since we've gotten our latest submission at work done and can go back into cruise mode for a bit.
Since we last talked...
I had a good interval workout. The intervals were slower than I was doing early in summer, but that was to be expected. My running form feels better, and I feel like I'm in really good shape.
The evening after my intervals, I hurt myself at the gym. Not doing anything manly and strong. I was warming up for the dead lift and felt a pop in my lower back/hips. If felt the way a tendon does when you stretch and it makes that cracking sound. I didn't think much of it at first, but after a couple of minutes my back got tight and started to hurt, so I hung it up and headed home. It was sore for 3 or 4 days, but feels fine now.
After that little incident, I only did my long/tempo run this weekend. Another 10 mile tempo, with a mile warm up and mile cool down. I tried to go a little faster than last time, but this one didn't go as well. I was good for 6 or 7 miles, but I fatigued really badly and ended up walking a little bit in the last mile. I still managed to bring it in under an 8 minute pace, barely, and I think I'm good to try a 7:45 pace during my half marathon. I blame my diet the past few days for lack of energy - too many burgers, too many irregular meals.
I've got a few good runs planned this week, and a medium length run next weekend at race pace, then it's relax time as I prepare for the race...
Since we last talked...
I had a good interval workout. The intervals were slower than I was doing early in summer, but that was to be expected. My running form feels better, and I feel like I'm in really good shape.
The evening after my intervals, I hurt myself at the gym. Not doing anything manly and strong. I was warming up for the dead lift and felt a pop in my lower back/hips. If felt the way a tendon does when you stretch and it makes that cracking sound. I didn't think much of it at first, but after a couple of minutes my back got tight and started to hurt, so I hung it up and headed home. It was sore for 3 or 4 days, but feels fine now.
After that little incident, I only did my long/tempo run this weekend. Another 10 mile tempo, with a mile warm up and mile cool down. I tried to go a little faster than last time, but this one didn't go as well. I was good for 6 or 7 miles, but I fatigued really badly and ended up walking a little bit in the last mile. I still managed to bring it in under an 8 minute pace, barely, and I think I'm good to try a 7:45 pace during my half marathon. I blame my diet the past few days for lack of energy - too many burgers, too many irregular meals.
I've got a few good runs planned this week, and a medium length run next weekend at race pace, then it's relax time as I prepare for the race...
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Still Rollin'
I've rearranged my running schedule a little bit (again). I don't want to risk my mileage being too high and causing an injury, no matter how well the running is going.
I bumped my long workout to Saturday - a 10 mile tempo run with a full mile warm up and cool down. The 10 miles went great, just under an 8 minute pace, and I'm kind of looking forward to trying to go a little faster when I repeat the workout this Saturday morning. Tomorrow I'll do some 400m repeats to work on my speed and running economy. My form has felt kind of funny ever since the layoff, I just don't feel smooth and fluid. Some faster running should help fix that.
I may or may not get to post again this week, since we're up against yet another deadline at work. I definitely plan to write a post Saturday evening to cover all that goes on the rest of the week. In addition to my running, we're having dinner with friends on Friday evening and I'm helping my brother move into his new apartment at Marshall University on Saturday. And, since we're finally getting some rain, I might have to mow my yard sometime soon. I haven't mowed it in a month, it just isn't growing. At least with the rain the front yard isn't as brown looking...
I bumped my long workout to Saturday - a 10 mile tempo run with a full mile warm up and cool down. The 10 miles went great, just under an 8 minute pace, and I'm kind of looking forward to trying to go a little faster when I repeat the workout this Saturday morning. Tomorrow I'll do some 400m repeats to work on my speed and running economy. My form has felt kind of funny ever since the layoff, I just don't feel smooth and fluid. Some faster running should help fix that.
I may or may not get to post again this week, since we're up against yet another deadline at work. I definitely plan to write a post Saturday evening to cover all that goes on the rest of the week. In addition to my running, we're having dinner with friends on Friday evening and I'm helping my brother move into his new apartment at Marshall University on Saturday. And, since we're finally getting some rain, I might have to mow my yard sometime soon. I haven't mowed it in a month, it just isn't growing. At least with the rain the front yard isn't as brown looking...
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Running a Little Hot
So the Outer Banks trip wasn't too bad. A lot of driving for only being down there one day, but it wasn't meant to be a trip for fun, we had actual things to take care of. We did manage to squeeze in a little time at the beach though, and since I'm here to type this, you can safely conclude that I wasn't arrested for any road-rage related incidents during the 20+ hours of driving I did. It rained most of the afternoon on Saturday, but a day at the beach is still better than one at work, even in the rain.
I didn't do a long run this weekend. I had intended to run 11 miles Saturday morning, but events conspired to keep me from getting into bed at a reasonable hour. If I don't sleep, I cut back mileage/intensity to compensate. So instead I went out for a 5 mile run on the beach. It felt nice at the time, but left my calves sore for a couple of days.
My running schedule is a bit screwy right now. Normally, I'd want 2 hard workouts, one long run, and a couple of maintenance runs during the week. Since my conditioning isn't quite back from the time off, I can't do that. I've been running 2 tempo runs each week, which are kind of long, and no long run. We'll see how that works out for me.
Today's tempo run went pretty well, 8 miles at a 7:50ish pace. My target was anything between 7:40 and 7:50, so I'm right on track with that. It is pretty warm and humid here in the mornings right now - today was 74 and overcast, so the heat felt stuffy and oppressive. About a mile from home my face started feeling flush. There was a light breeze, but I didn't feel it on my face. Not good. I got on home, got some cold water, and took extra time to walk around for my cool down. I'm not even going to play around with the idea of heat exhaustion.
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| The Beach House |
I didn't do a long run this weekend. I had intended to run 11 miles Saturday morning, but events conspired to keep me from getting into bed at a reasonable hour. If I don't sleep, I cut back mileage/intensity to compensate. So instead I went out for a 5 mile run on the beach. It felt nice at the time, but left my calves sore for a couple of days.
My running schedule is a bit screwy right now. Normally, I'd want 2 hard workouts, one long run, and a couple of maintenance runs during the week. Since my conditioning isn't quite back from the time off, I can't do that. I've been running 2 tempo runs each week, which are kind of long, and no long run. We'll see how that works out for me.
Today's tempo run went pretty well, 8 miles at a 7:50ish pace. My target was anything between 7:40 and 7:50, so I'm right on track with that. It is pretty warm and humid here in the mornings right now - today was 74 and overcast, so the heat felt stuffy and oppressive. About a mile from home my face started feeling flush. There was a light breeze, but I didn't feel it on my face. Not good. I got on home, got some cold water, and took extra time to walk around for my cool down. I'm not even going to play around with the idea of heat exhaustion.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Catching My Breath
So things have finally slowed down here at work - until next Tuesday at least. We have a review meeting on Monday for the plans we submitted, and the results of that meeting will determine how hard the next couple of weeks are. But for now, I've got time to write a blog post.
My tempo run on Thursday went really well. I was right on my 8 minute pace, even though I felt terrible. I was sleepy, my legs felt dead, and I keep trying to find reasons to cut the run short. But I didn't, and I'm pretty satisfied that I toughed it out. My body just isn't accustomed to running 4 days in a row after that layoff, and I need to remember that.
The downside to this is that I started feeling a bit of pain in my shin yesterday afternoon. I'm going to treat and rehab it as it comes, and keep running. I've got my half marathon coming up, I'm not skipping it, and I'm not going in unprepared. I just need to be careful.
My wife and I are off to the Outer Banks for the weekend to take care of a bit of business down there. It'll be a quick trip, but I'm sure there will be some time to relax as well. I'll try and take some blog-worthy pictures of the area, the house, and anything else fun and interesting that I come upon.
My tempo run on Thursday went really well. I was right on my 8 minute pace, even though I felt terrible. I was sleepy, my legs felt dead, and I keep trying to find reasons to cut the run short. But I didn't, and I'm pretty satisfied that I toughed it out. My body just isn't accustomed to running 4 days in a row after that layoff, and I need to remember that.
The downside to this is that I started feeling a bit of pain in my shin yesterday afternoon. I'm going to treat and rehab it as it comes, and keep running. I've got my half marathon coming up, I'm not skipping it, and I'm not going in unprepared. I just need to be careful.
My wife and I are off to the Outer Banks for the weekend to take care of a bit of business down there. It'll be a quick trip, but I'm sure there will be some time to relax as well. I'll try and take some blog-worthy pictures of the area, the house, and anything else fun and interesting that I come upon.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
My Missing Week, Part 2 (and Miscellaneous Stuff)
My posting is still going to be sporadic for a few weeks. We met our first work deadline, but still have lot to do before the next one, so I could be doing long hours and weekend work - I worked Saturday and Sunday this past weekend.
But I'm not letting that stop me from training. I've got a half marathon to get ready for on Labor Day weekend, and I don't plan to go into it unprepared. I picked up a solid 6 mile tempo run Monday, at a sub-7:40 pace - I plan to try to run my race at a 7:40 pace and squeak in under 1:40 with a push at the end. A bit ambitious, but I've still got time to work on it. 8 mile tempo run coming up on Thursday, shooting for an 8 minute pace. If the morning temperature will cooperate, I should be able to breeze through this one.
So, where was I in regaling you with tales of my week at camp? Oh yea, I was complaining about the heat. Enough outright complaining then. Some other fun things that I was in charge of for the week were supervising dodge ball, and teaching an origami class. The only available location for dodge ball was the show ring at the livestock barns (the campgrounds are used for a ton of things, not just 4-H camp). The room is the perfect size for playing, but the floor is covered in wood chips for the shows, making it really dusty. So 90 degree temperatures (more like 110 inside the building), 90% humidity, and a couple dozen kids kicking up thick clouds of dust. Great idea, right? After about 5 minutes of playing, everyone has a moist coat of sweaty dust on them. We eventually commandeered the tennis courts later in the week when they weren't in use, allowing the kids to play outside.
As for origami, I'm far from an expert. Or skilled. Or even moderately good at it. But compared to a 12 year old who has never done it, I'm pretty qualified as a teacher.
I think that's all for now, I've been trying to write his post for 2 days in between long stretches of work. I may try to post again tomorrow or Friday about my tempo run. We are making a quick trip down to the Outer Banks this weekend to take care of some business, so I won't have internet until I get back Sunday night.
But I'm not letting that stop me from training. I've got a half marathon to get ready for on Labor Day weekend, and I don't plan to go into it unprepared. I picked up a solid 6 mile tempo run Monday, at a sub-7:40 pace - I plan to try to run my race at a 7:40 pace and squeak in under 1:40 with a push at the end. A bit ambitious, but I've still got time to work on it. 8 mile tempo run coming up on Thursday, shooting for an 8 minute pace. If the morning temperature will cooperate, I should be able to breeze through this one.
So, where was I in regaling you with tales of my week at camp? Oh yea, I was complaining about the heat. Enough outright complaining then. Some other fun things that I was in charge of for the week were supervising dodge ball, and teaching an origami class. The only available location for dodge ball was the show ring at the livestock barns (the campgrounds are used for a ton of things, not just 4-H camp). The room is the perfect size for playing, but the floor is covered in wood chips for the shows, making it really dusty. So 90 degree temperatures (more like 110 inside the building), 90% humidity, and a couple dozen kids kicking up thick clouds of dust. Great idea, right? After about 5 minutes of playing, everyone has a moist coat of sweaty dust on them. We eventually commandeered the tennis courts later in the week when they weren't in use, allowing the kids to play outside.
As for origami, I'm far from an expert. Or skilled. Or even moderately good at it. But compared to a 12 year old who has never done it, I'm pretty qualified as a teacher.
I think that's all for now, I've been trying to write his post for 2 days in between long stretches of work. I may try to post again tomorrow or Friday about my tempo run. We are making a quick trip down to the Outer Banks this weekend to take care of some business, so I won't have internet until I get back Sunday night.
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