5

And the excitement builds …

Thursday:  I had been waiting for that “I’m ready” moment for the last few weeks.  I’ve had great workouts, but more of the check the box variety.  In the final tempo of this cycle (and last hard workout), I had my moment.  We ran a simple 5mi tempo at HMP finishing the final 2.5 along the actual marathon course.  Our coach prohibited warned us against sprinting or striding those last few miles in hopes of creating muscle memory for 11.7.2010.  At the time, I just wanted to execute the workout properly and fall near the HMP range (7:15-7:20) without doing anything stupid … yeah, I’m defensive.  So I started off … well behind Runner’s Kitchen, who I knew would be hammer this one.  Some of her speed must have rubbed off because with zero effort I was at 7:23 after the first mile.  Feeling good I fell into the downhill on Mile 2 (7:09) and at that point realized I had something going.  When I glanced down at the watch after Mile 3 (7:13), I decided that I needed to pull back, because I was getting loose and itching to hammer it.   I eased up during Miles 4 & 5 (7:17 each) and then could not resist opening up a tad for the final 200m as we passed the bleachers at the finish line 0:44 (5:38 pace).  When I stopped, I had a subtle fist pump going as I knew I was ready for NYC.  Overall 7:13 pace.

Friday: Scheduled rest day.

Saturday:  I took another reconnaissance mission at 7:45am and 45 degrees along the final 10 miles of the course.  While it was definitely productive and time well spent, I can’t take too much away from the experience.  Why?  I had fresh legs on Saturday, while on race day I will have 16 at race pace under the belt when I start the final 10.  Still, I did observe that miles 16-22 are relatively flat, including Willis Ave. and Madison Ave. bridges.  The world changes when you hit 110^th and 5^th Avenue.  The hill is not so much steep as it is relentless.  A solid 20 blocks of grinding up hill.  I did my best to imagine feeling like crap and grinding thru this stretch.  We’ll see how it works this Sunday.  Once you re-enter CP at 90^th, it is all too familiar and I, without, thinking quickened the pace from sheer excitement.  The workout ended up being a progression … 8 miles at easy pace with the final 2.5 at MP, again finishing at the NYC finish line.  10.5 miles.

Sunday: Uneventful 3 mile shakeout.

Before I forget, October results:

 

	October
Days Run	22
Total Miles	200.2
Mi/Day	9.1
Running Time	27:49:31
Avg. Pace	8:20

 

200 miles is not bad for 2 weeks of taper, plus a mini taper for the tune up race in the middle of the month.

Monday: Scheduled rest day.

Tuesday:  No CPTC track workout for me tonight.  The camaraderie is always great, but at this point, trudging down to the track to run a few easy miles in the dark seemed risky.  I’m still defensive.  Instead, I opted for a dawn cruise + 4 x 300 w/ 100m recovery.  As I was warming up (in 38 degree temps) on the Reservoir, I was very happy to run into Runner’s Kitchen who was doing the same thing.  We jogged for a loop and then I begged off to get to the intervals.  Our coach told us these were to just get the heart rate elevated and generate some pop in the legs.  Results – :62, :66, :63, :63.  I felt relaxed and in control.  It was the last chance to get some turnover before Sunday.  I finished up with another spin on the Reservoir and ran into an elite decked out in hot Nike gear.  I did not recognize him … not one of the profiled elites, but clearly someone near the top of the heap on Sunday.  5 miles.

And now, the countdown really begins.  5.

Snapshot of a 1st Time Marathoner’s Build Up

We have completed the build up portion of the training program.  Woot.  Now the small bit of tapering properly and that thing on November 7th.  Since I have closed the major portion of the training cycle, I thought it might be interesting (to me at least) to dissect the build.  It seems like yesterday when I embarked on Pfitzinger’s 18 week / 70 mpw plan.  Ha.  After fumbling around thru much of July, I abandoned that madness … I’ll likely follow it for my 2nd marathon.  Instead, I lunged for the 55 mpw plan and it agreed with me (and my family).  Now, without further adieu, below is a brief snapshot.  If the info below is not sufficient to satiate or makes no sense, feel free to either leave a comment and I’ll respond.

			Number of  Sessions:
Month	Workouts	Miles	Speed	Tempo	17mi+
July	27	193	3	4	0
August	22	229	1	4	3
September	22	213	4	4	3
October	13	128	2	2	3
Totals	84	762	10	14	9

What does any of this tell me, or you?  By integrating both the guidelines of Pfitzinger’s plan, my coach and CPTC workouts, I had a reasonably balanced program.  NOTE: ANY AND ALL CONCLUSIONS DRAWN HEREFROM ARE SUBJECT TO COMPLETE REVISION AND DENIAL BASED ON THE RESULTS OF 11.07.2010.  Had to toss that in there.  Seriously, though, I don’t see many outliers here.  July was designed as a slow burn month with no longer runs to speak of.  In fact, I struggled to properly execute a 12 mile run for most of the month.  In my defense, I (and any other idiot) running in NYC in July might as well have been running in the Amazon.  I found my stride, so to speak, in August and have not looked back since.  When I dive into the actual workouts themselves, I would have certainly liked to execute the tempos better, but that’s water under the bridge.  At bottom, I am where I am.  And based on today’s capstone long run, I’m in decent shape.

While the final exam is on 11.7.2010, today was progress report day.  22 miles w/ 10 @ MP.  Early steady state pace 3 x 2.5mi BPN (8:54, 8:49, 8:42). Erred on side of caution with MP portion – took it to Rez (dirt, flat) to keep left quad happy. Understood I’d be slower on dirt, but I’ll take that trade-off for now. Aside from health, it was a practical move too. There was a walk-a-thon with gobs of people taking up well over half of the roads in Central Park. Battling with cyclists, walkers and runners on the remaining half did not seem productive. I’ll get plenty of road work in next couple of weeks (CPTC tempos + running last 10 of NYC course). On Tuesday night, our coach told me don’t be surprised if I’m a little flat for the MP portion due to 4 months of build, peak weeks, etc. As usual, he was spot on. Legs were slightly flat, but still near MP @ 7:36 overall w/ 6 x 1.58mi Rez (7:45, 7:39, 7:32, 7:40, 7:35, 7:35, and .37mi @ 7:15). Afterwards, more steady state miles on outer Rez. In all, reasonably satisfied. I kept waiting to feel terrible during the MP bit, but it never came in full force. I bounced between feeling decent for the vast majority of the run to “this is more work than it usually is” (briefly stopped to GU after 3rd loop). Idiot tourists were out in abundance on the Rez, but I was not shy about shouting at them. Growling “coming on your left” is understood in any language. Today marked my 4th 20+ miler of this cycle and concludes the build up portion of our show … on to the taper.

Monthly Running Stats (August 2010)

			%
	August	July	Change
Days Run	22	27	-18.5%
Total Miles	229	193	18.6%
Mi/Day	10.4	7.1	46.5%
Running Time	32:06:04	26:56:10	20.7%
Avg Pace	8:26	8:24	-0.1%

PRs all over the place here … total miles, average miles per day and running time.  When I look back on the NYC training, August will likely stand out as the month I hit a rhythm.  Gone are the silly (dangerous doubles) and the overly ambitious mileage plan.  I instituted the 2nd rest day (hence the decrease in number of days run) and started building sufficient strength to blow thru 200 miles and feeling fresh.  September will bring more of the same, with a focus on having great workouts and continuing to build the base while also emphasizing speed.

Monthly Running Stats (July 2010)

			%
	July	June	Change
Days Run	27	27	0.0%
Total Miles	193	173	11.2%
Mi/Day	7.1	6.4	11.2%
Running Time	26:56:10	24:29:20	10.0%
Avg Pace	0:08:24	0:08:29	-1.1%

Technically, July was the beginning of NYC Marathon training.  In reality, it was largely an extension of normal training coupled with working out a few kinks.

• I learned that while I can do doubles, there is really no need for me to incorporate them in my training.  Why?  Since I lowered the plan to up to 55 mpw from 70, the mileage requirements should be manageable.  Still, when the weather cools, the mileage will crank up.
• I also learned that for now, lower but more intense mileage may work for me … case in point: Sunday’s solid medium/long run.  I took 2 rest days during the week and felt refreshed when I needed it most.  We’ll see how the 2 rest day concept works going forward.

Oh, mileage PR of 193. The stats really don’t matter much anymore.  It’s all about executing 3 hard workouts every single week … track, tempo, long run.  I’m fully invested in marathon training now.  How do I know for certain?  I’m sore, sleepy and hungry.  This may get spicy.

Monthly Running Review – April, May 2010

	May	April	%Change vs. Prior Month	April	March	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	24	18	33.3%	18	22	-18.2%
Total Miles:	165.0	131.2	25.7%	131.2	174.2	-24.7%
Miles per days run:	6.87	7.29	-5.7%	7.29	7.04	3.6%
Total Running Time:	22:36:30	18:30:56	22.1%	18:30:56	25:05:08	-26.2%
Avg. Pace per Mile:	8:13	8:14	-0.2%	8:14	8:31	-3.3%

Observations: For some unknown reason I skipped the review for the month of April. Oops. I guess I just got distracted. So let’s take a look at April vs. March for a moment. Coming off of a month with high mileage (174), I entered April tired and a bit beat up. If I recall, I complained about a nagging thigh injury and the groin issue would crop up every now and again. Looking back at the numbers reveals that the volume in March yielded some quickness in April. Average pace dropped by 00:15 per mile. Not too shabby. Still, I took a relative hiatus and only put up 131 miles for April.

Looking at May, I’ve seen positives from the “break,” but only after getting more racing, training experience under my belt. My performance at team workouts still has a LONG way to go, but I’m getting more comfortable. After a couple of meh races, I’m a lot more hungry going into the final phase before NYC Marathon training.

- Phase 1: Get in decent enough shape to not completely humiliate myself when I started running with CPTC (August 2009-February 2010).

- Phase 2: Put the ego aside and soak up as much as possible from the coach and teammates … being last among this crew is ok. Accept the painful adjustment and focus on improving (February 2010 – May 2010).

- Phase 3: Emphasis on speed and sharpen the mental edge needed to go thru the physical and psychological suffering that is marathon training (June 2010 – July 2010).

- Phase 4: “Official” NYC Marathon training (August 2010-November 7, 2010). More thoughts on this phase and my training plan to come.

May has been a nice bounce back month in that I finished it off very strong. 46 miles this past week on 6 days of running with two strong team workouts (including 7.2 miles on a warm Sunday morning). After attempting 6 days a week earlier in the year (wasn’t ready), I’m now incorporating that additional day into the routine. You’ll need to keep me honest, but I’m adding Friday mornings (right after Thursday night tempo) as a true recovery run day (8:45 – 9:00 pace). That day is crucial as it needs to bridge the gap from intense (Thursday nights) to heavy (Saturday long run). I’m toying with the idea that for step back weeks like next week (2 higher mileage weeks, then 1 with reduced volume), I would drop a Friday run and attend a spin class. Need to think it thru more … worried about opening up the legs to untold injury risk. Remember, I’m the guy who ran over a pylon during a race. At any rate, my weekly mileage target will inch up to 44-48 mpw for the time being with the only double digit run to come during the long run. I’ll need to see how the body feels after a couple of weeks. Don’t worry, you won’t see any 50-mile weeks out of me for the next couple of months … unless we can move to a 35 hour day.

Hello June. Time to kick your ass.

Monthly Running Review – March 2010

	March	February	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	25	19	31.58%
Total Miles:	171.1	171.1	0.00%
Miles per days run:	6.84	9.00	-23.96%
Total Running Time:	24:23:44	25:14:15	-3.34%
Avg. Pace per Mile:	0:08:33	0:08:54	-3.38%

Observations: Not a typo on the miles … exactly the same when I shut it down to taper for the 10k. Maybe the takeaway from March is quality over quantity? Although that implies February included junky miles, which it did not. The increase in pace is likely the result of better conditions in which to run. I was lucky not killing myself on the ice and such in February. If I were to decide between the two, I would guess April will look more like March with a focus on more progression runs and hill work. I will assume the progression runs (and rest) helped in the later stages of the 10k.

Monthly Running Review – February 2010

	February	January	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	19	23	-17.39%
Total Miles:	171.1	175.1	-2.34%
Miles per days run:	9.00	7.61	18.27%
Total Running Time:	25:14:15	24:59:43	2.22%
Avg. Pace per Mile:	0:08:54	0:08:34	2.39%

Observations: Goodbye and good riddance February.  My view is principally driven by the weather we experienced … at least 2 full on snowicanes, which made it nearly impossible to run for a few days.  Couple the conditions with the fact that February is a short month and there is the reason for the huge reduction in number of days run.  You know I am not a slacker.  That said, I was only off of the 175-mile/mo. target by 4 miles as a result running more miles per day.  It’s kind of annoying to know that if I added .5 miles a day here and there, I would have easily surpassed the target.  Oh well.  Over the course of the year, I’m sure I’ll make up those 4 miles (hello NYC Marathon training)!  I’m pleased that the pace slowed down overall … (despite an increased focus on speed work) … which means I am respecting the recovery and LRs.  I actually feel strong.  No burn out, etc.  Nonetheless, the biggest takeaway from February is that the days are finally getting longer and sun coming up earlier.  Spring is trying to spring.

Monthly Running Review – January 2010

	January	December	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	23	22	4.55%
Total Miles:	175.1	175.3	-0.11%
Miles per days run:	7.61	7.97	-4.48%
Total Running Time:	24:59:43	24:35:12	1.66%
Avg. Pace per Mile:	0:08:34	0:08:25	1.76%

Observations: Solid start to the New Year.  I hit the monthly miles target (barely) despite a taper week of sub-30 miles.  Pace per mile will have less currency going forward assuming I lock in on recovery runs being in the 9:00+ range, and not force a faster pace to satisfy my ego.  Intervals and tempos will take care of pace.  Those recovery runs will be critical to rebalance the body after such intensity.  I’ll need to think of other metrics to track … I’m sure I’ll come up with something.  With no planned races in February, I’ll be able to concentrate on speed in preparation for the Coogan’s 5K in early March.

Monthly Running Stats – December 2009

	December	November	% Change vs. Prior Month
Days Run:	22	22	0.00%
Total Miles:	175.3	176.4	-0.01%
Miles per days run:	7.97	8.02	-0.01%
Total Running Time:	24:35:12	25:26:04	-0.34%
Avg. Pace per Mile:	0:08:25	0:08:39	-0.16%

Observations: I have to pat myself on the back for the December results.  By and large the weather was definitely not conducive to running, much less running well.  However, I was able to maintain the same number of days running as the more weather-friendly November at 22, while basically keeping total miles the same.  My pace continues to drop, albeit at a slower percentage versus last month.  Maintaining the 5 days on / 2 days off regimen seems to be the sweet spot for me.  This was the first month with a sub-8:30 pace!  Making progress!!  December was definitely a character building month and a fine way to close 2009.

Rejecting Distance

One day of grinding is understandable.  Two days in a row means I’m overtraining.  No need to go into too much detail about today’s run, because it was the mirror image of yesterday’s grinder, with one exception.  After 3.5 miles I accepted that today was another slugfest.  Therefore, I decided to cut it short, but kick it up a notch see if I had anything left and to end on a positive note.  Surprisingly, I did have some giddyup left and I walked away in better spirits than I thought I would.  Thank goodness for See Jess Run and her Last Mile Party!  This week (and even towards the end of last week) my body seems to thrive on speed, but is rejecting (or strongly resisting) distance.  Totals for the run: 5 miles @ 8:25.

I looked at my running log and realized despite scaling back to what I considered a reasonable mileage total in November (176.4), I noticed a couple of things: (1) for the last 3 weeks I’ve averaged 50+ mpw and (2) I’ve run 6 days a week during those 3 weeks.  For now, that’s probably a bit aggressive.  Therefore, the prescription for grinding is a cut back week.  I’ll throw in another rest day between now and the end of the week.  Also, it probably makes sense to skip the long run this week and do something in the range of 10-12.  Lastly, I’ll also replace next Tuesday’s intervals with another easy run.  Keep me to this new plan!

I’m not bummed over this realization.  It is, what it is.  Legs want more, but the rest of the body is saying no.  That’s cool.  I’ll deal with it.