Global Warming Returns...again!

Low 70's, sunny, slight breeze.  A bit warm for my running tastes, but I'll take it!  I was too lazy to change my pace alarms from 10:04 +/- 20 seconds, so I ran at that speed instead of the scheduled 10:06.  I know...controversial!

I've got 6 on Wednesday and something on Saturday...oh yeah, the 500 Festival Mini Marathon.  13.1 miles of heart pounding action; thrilling racing on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (and access roads); cutting edge music from some of Indy's least known bands!  Rusty the Nutjob live and in person!!

It'sa gonna be a spectacle...

Confidence Run

This run is designed for two things:  One is to practice running at the intended race pace for five miles on non-fresh legs (not rotten ones, just not fresh...maybe a little limp or wilted.)  Two is to instill confidence in the runner (that's me, if you didn't know) that, yes, indeed, you can run this far at these paces.

I needed the latter more than the former.  I know from experience that on fresh legs and strict discipline to the pace alarms, that I can maintain my intended pace (9:30) for 13.1 miles.  I very badly want to break 2 hours, which at this pace will not happen.  I have to be patient; eventually, I will get there.  If I'm able to maintain my intended pace, I will own a new PR, so there's that.

Last run at 45

Here it is, the last run that I'll do before turning 46 tomorrow.  It was fairly nice - sunny, mid 50's, but the wind was a bear!  It was whippin' out of the west, so every time I turned west, I got slammed with a wall of air.  Not fun.  Once again, I was thankful that the majority of my run is in the north-south direction.

Watch malfunction = phony times

So, I normally delete my history on my watch when the transfer times get a bit long; I have always done this after I document the day's run.  Well, this time, I decided to delete the history before my run; no biggie, right?  Wrong.

It looks like I accidentally deleted my run before I ran it.  Now, I know I did run 6 miles, and I know that I did it in the vicinity of 1:01:00 < My Run < 1:02:00.  So, I decided to make up phony numbers to show the estimate of my run.

And you thought I just made everything up all the time...

Another Mile Record Smashed!

One mile: 8:06

This run is about as close to my prescribed paces as I could hope for, although the quarter recovery paces are way off (16 min/mile).  I'm fine with that.  Now to break my arm patting myself on the back that I can run one mile in 8:06.

You know, that's faster than the vast majority of centenarians...just sayin'...

Tempo 6

Fairly tough run, this one.  I couldn't ask for more beautiful weather, though: low 70's, sunny, slight breeze.  Mmmm, mmmm, MMMMmmm.

RELEASE THE HOUNDS!!!!

Start: Hold a nice steady pace at 10:30

9 miles: Let's pick it up a bit.

11 miles: RELEASE THE HOUNDS!!!!

That twelfth mile felt pretty good.  I definitely had more in the tank, and if I would have run the 12th mile at the pace of the rest of the run, I'm sure I could have continued on for thirteen with a finish time of around 2:15:00.  BTW, that time would qualify as my third fastest half...on a training run.

I'm ready for my mini for sure.  Hopefully the weather isn't too hot, and hopefully I can maintain a 9:30 pace.  I'll be doing that pace on Monday for 6 miles.

Eight at 10:30

Right around the 6 mile mark, this run got really tough.  Of course, I was running past my house, so that made me want to quit.  My legs were dying from yesterday's intervals, and that made me want to quit.  It was warm and muggy; you know my hatred of such weather.

But, I kept going.  I kept putting that training in the bank.  It will pay off!

Half & Half...and Half & Half

I granted myself more time between these intervals.  I walked for a quarter mile, then jogged for a quarter mile after each 1/2 mile interval.  It worked for me.  I was sorely tempted to cut it short after the last recovery period, but I sucked it up and ran that last mile.

I keep on telling myself: "I'm putting money in the bank; I'm putting money in the bank.  On race day, I'mma gonna withdrawal all of it and have a party!  But until then...stock it away; stock it away..."

The one inwhich Rusty runs in place

I thought about running in the rain, but the lightning was a deal breaker.  I suppose the upside is that I maintained a rock steady pace...

The one inwhich Rusty starts too fast

I was really struggling to just get that last mile in; I didn't really care that I was going 17 seconds/mile faster than I was supposed to be going.  I just wanted to get the run done.  whew.

As you can see, I started 12 seconds/mile faster than my goal and didn't really slow down.  Truth be told, I was kinda pushing this run to see if I could hold a sub 10 minute pace for eight miles.  I mostly was successful; I just hope I don't pay for it tomorrow as I have a tempo run of 6 miles @ 9:30 pace.  Ouch.

That's 38 for the week

16 seconds difference between my fastest mile and slowest.

5 seconds faster than my scheduled pace (total time should have been 1:55:30).

Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Watch out for worms

63 degrees, rainy, little breezy, and wormy > treadmill.  Just sayin'

So, I think I figured out that I was made for distance running 'cause I really don't hit my stride until five miles or so.  I didn't mean to run that second half as fast as I did; I just went with the flow  (reacting to pace alarms, of course).

Then again, that last mile was on sheer will...so, there's that...

Now is the time for slacking...

Reasons for not making the schedule:
1.  Tired legs.  This was about all I could manage.
2.  10 miles tomorrow.  Yes, I could have pushed through to 6 miles today and failed tomorrow...
3.  29 -> 41 mile jump in a week seems a bit much.  29 -> 38 sounds much better.
4.  Originally, I had the option to take Wed off, so...there!

It was another warm spring day with temps right around 80.  I didn't think I'd pine for winter this early in the year...

Naaaaasty Intervalses...WE HATES THEM!

But we does them.

The heat has arrived here in Indiana; it was mid to upper 70's here and sunny.  Hopefully this year I'll get plenty of heat conditioning before the 500 festival mini so I don't burn out like last year.

And yes, I realize that 70's aren't that hot.  Think of it this way: I love hot food; I mean Habanero and hotter type food.  I like to compare midwesterner's sense of what is spicy to somethng like ketchup.

Now in this case, I'm the midwesterner complaining that the ketchup is gonna rip me a new one.  I'm a bit of a baby when the temperature gets warm...

The Time for Slacking is Over

This week is 41 miles.  I have intervals tomorrow, an easy 6 Wed, 10 on Thu, and 11 on Sat.  It's time to put my big girl panties on!  Well, if I wore women's underwear, that is.   As I don't, I'll substitute my big boy underoos...

Grueling Eight

Ok, well, maybe not that bad, but it was fairly tough.  I didn't really get in sync until about mile 6, that mile was great!  Then miles 7 and 8 included a lot of gritting my teeth and willing myself forward.  Especially mile 7 as the wind was blowing right in my face, and I felt like I was going nowhere.

And Monday...I get to do it again!  In fact, I'm happy enough with this week's 29 miles, that I won't cut down the schedule for the foreseeable future.

3X1/2 intervals

You have to look hard to see which halfs are the interval and which are the recovery, but I have confidence in you, my gentle readers, that you can decipher which is which.

I didn't mean to run them that fast, but I found it kinda hard to hit the 8:20 pace.  I didn't have issues slowing down from what I was running, but every time I did try to temper the pace, I'd hit the 'too slow alarm' that I set for 8:40.  I'm sure I'll get another chance in this training session to get it right.

Today was sunny and mid 50's!  Yay, spring is finally here in Indiana!  Of course, if I were still in Alaska, I'd have to wait another month for this, so I am grateful once again, that spring has arrived a month early!

Easy way to drop miles

I found an easy way to cut miles off my schedule...don't run them!  My legs started tightening up after about three or so miles, so I decided to cut the run short and kill two birds with one stone.

I might be setting my easy pace too fast, but how am I supposed to work up to a faster 'easy' pace unless I...set my easy pace a little faster?  I don't know.  Tomorrow is 3 half mile intervals separated by a half mile recovery, then off on Friday!

Quarter Mile Intervals...again!

Back where I started...here I go 'round again.  It was sunny and about 46 degrees today, but the wind made it not as enjoyable as it could have been.  Anyways, the intervals turned out pretty good.

I'm looking to cut a couple of miles off this week to shoot for around 30ish miles instead of the scheduled 36.  I don't want to start off with too many miles after not running that many the last couple of weeks.

No Foolin'

So, setting that lower pace alarm to 10:10 did the trick!  Here is my new 'easy' pace, and yes, it felt fairly easy.  I sure wasn't winded when I finished this run; hopefully, my legs are up for intervals tomorrow 'cause that's what I'm doin'!