18 WEEKS TIL NYC, WEEKLY RECAP: 6/22-6/28, & REST DAY

18 Weeks til NYC. 7 weeks of training finished. I have not missed one day of training. Yeah, let the consistency continue!!!

Woke this morning around 7:30. Legs feel great. Had oatmeal and banana with O.N.E. coconut water, and will enjoy my day off/rest day!! Looks a bit cloudy out there but the plan is to hit the club for pool/beach.

WEEKLY RECAP: 6/22-6/28
Mon - 7mile recovery run @9:45pace
Tues - 6.68 track interval workout: 6 x 3min @8:00 w 2min jog recovery (15min w/u&c/d)
Wed - 6 mile recovery run @ 9:15 pace
Thurs - rest day
Fri - 12 mile long run (steady pace this time)
Sat - 5 mile recovery run @9:42 pace
Sun - rest day

Total miles for week #7 = 36.68

Saturday, June 27, 2009

I woke Saturday morning at 8:30, after going to bed at 9:30pm. Great/fantastic sleep. Legs felt great, no soreness. I had my coffee and heavy cream, and I also ate oatmeal and a banana, and had a O.N.E. coconut water with it, then about 10:20 I went out for my 5 mile recovery run. I decided to run totally by heart rate, and to keep it average of 132ish, legs felt really good/strong, and had no knee issues with the slower pace, and I completed the run in 48:30 with an overall pace of 9:42.

I had no knee ill affects today at all from the slower pace. I’m more convinced than ever the occasional achiness I’m feeling in my left knee is from sitting, not the running pace. Sitting in an upright position, or driving position.

The run went as follows according to my Garmin 305:
M1- 9:45 avgHR 122 - maxHR 144
M2- 9:40 avgHR 134 - maxHR 139
M3- 9:44 avgHR 136 - maxHR 147
M4- 9:42 avgHR 134 - maxHR 141
M5- 9:39 avgHR 135 - maxHR 146

Today’s run was not as hot/humid as Fridays. The legs felt really good/strong, and again, I had no knee pain at all. I did run with my water bottle filled with O.N.E. coconut water, 20oz, and I drank about half of it during the run, and finished the rest walking back up to my house. After I did the core workout and yoga, I took a 10min hot bath. Then I had lunch, which was a whole wheat bagel with tuna fish, and a 20oz Gatorade. Then we spent the day at the club in the hot sun, probably 1-5pm. I drank about 32oz of pelligrino during the afternoon, and also noshed on some almonds, probably 2oz worth. Then for dinner we had Greek, and I had the lemon/chicken soup, greek salad and the gyro. I followed dinner with Baskin Robbins again; same mint chocolate chip ice cream. Don’t worry I won’t make a habit of the ice cream. I hadn’t had it in years before Friday nights date night, and my girls were jealous that we went out for ice cream without them. Usually we take them out and Gregg and the girls splurge, but not me LOL. Went to sleep around 9pm.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Today's plan was supposed to be 12 miles in the progression that I had done last week. Miles 1-4 @9:00min pace, miles 5-10 @8:30 pace, miles 11-12 no slower than 8:00min pace.

I had a pretty good sleep Thursday into Friday morning. Woke at 8ish, and got my 8 year old off to school (my youngest was with me, as her school finished Tuesday, so I couldn’t run right awayL. I fed them, but I did not eat, other than my standard/staple coffee with heavy cream. Picked the oldest up from school at 10:45, and then waited for the babysitter to arrive who arrived around noon. She was supposed to be here at 11am.

I didn’t get out for my run till about 12:20, so it was a really bad move on my part not to eat first. I knew it, but I had to get out there. I didn’t just want to eat and then run. Since I was waiting for the babysitter to arrive, I didn’t know when she’d get there, since she was running late.

I don’t know if my not eating before the run, or not having enough to drink during the run, or if it was just the heat/humidity that did me in today, but I guess in the overall scheme, the run was still a good one, and I learned a thing or two.

I usually don’t eat before I run, and it works for me, but since it was so hot/humid and a 12 mile run, I think I learned not such a great thing to do on a long run. Unfortuneately, by the time I got out for my run, the rain had stopped, nada, nothing, not a drip and it was HOT. By the end of the run I was looking for sprinklers to jump in to. LOL. I would have run in the rain, but I was waiting on the babysitter. The downside of being a mom some times.

I also changed my route up a bit to add mileage to make it a full 12 miles loop. I didn’t want to do any repeat running, I wanted it to be one big loop. In so doing I added a couple of hills (the nature of my neighborhood). Not crazy hills, just not flat. But I LOVED the route and plan to do it again.

I did eat a Carb Boom vanilla/orange gel about 20min before my run, and then I had another one at mile 8. I also ran with my hand held water bottle that holds about 20oz of water, and ran out of water at about mile 9. Actually it was G2 mixed with water. I’d say, 15oz G2, 5oz water. At about mile 11 ½ I passed a pizza store, and ran in and they filled my bottle back up with cold water. I drank about 10oz of it immediately, and then at mile 11.5 I took a swig, and then at the end of the run, I pounded the rest.

After the run I drank 3 O.N.E. coconut waters, drank my EAS protein drink, and took a 7min ice bath. Then I had a whole wheat bagel with tuna fish, and a 20oz Gatorade. I definitely felt better/fine within 2hours. I also ate a handful of almonds (healthy fat).

At 6pm I had sushi for dinner and then Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream from Baskin Robbins for dessert.

The run went as follows according to my Garmin 305:
M1- 9:00 avgHR 142 - maxHR 149
M2- 9:04 avgHR 150 - maxHR 155
M3- 9:06 avgHR 144 - maxHR 153
M4- 9:06 avgHR 147 - maxHR 156
M5- 9:13 avgHR 140 - maxHR 152
M6- 8:59 avgHR 146 - maxHR 160
M7- 9:12 avgHR 148 - maxHR 154
M8- 9:13 avgHR 147 - maxHR 152
M9- 9:09 avgHR 146 - maxHR 155
M10- 9:14 avgHR 149 - maxHR 151
M11- 9:29 avgHR 148 - maxHR 176
M12- 10:10 avgHR 128 - maxHR 141

Miles 11 and 12 are down hill, and my legs really hurt doing it this time. It was painful. My calves were cramping and the legs just didn’t want to move. This was the same hill that last Friday, I ran 7:30 and then 7:53 pace to finish, and today I couldn’t go faster than 9:29 and then 10:10 to finish.

But again a great run and a great learning experience.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Total rest day today

6 MILE RECOVERY RUN @9:15 PACE

Originally plan was 6 miles @9:45 pace, but since my left knee was achy yesterday, coach and I talked about it, and decided to up the slow pace to 9:15. We're thinking that maybe the slower paces are changing my gait too much and I was getting a little discomfort in the knee. Again, never during a run, only afterwards if I was sitting in an upright position.

I find it funny that my slow pace (or comfortable pace) is now 9:15/mile. When I started running back on January 2, 2008, at this same avg HR (146), I was run/walking about a 17min pace. Wow, I've come a long way:)!! Just hoping that this faster pace, won't take it's toll on me, and will enable me to recover properly. Will monitor it and make sure there is no knee pain, and that I am taking each workout one day (or week) at a time:)!!

So, I got out the door at 9:51am, and did an out and back route of 3 out/3back for 6miles. Legs felt awesome. I kept to the 9:15pace and the left knee was not an issue at this pace at all. No pain before, during or after run today:)!! I kept an avg speed of 6.5 for each mile.

6 miles in 55:35 for an avg pace of 9:16

HR avg was 146 and cardiac drift: 156

According to my Garmin 305 my splits were:
M1-9:13 avg HR: 141 cardiac drift: 152
M2-9:17 avg HR: 149 cardiac drift: 156
M3-9:17 avg HR: 146 cardiac drift: 153
M4-9:23 (uphill) avg HR: 147 cardiac drift: 154
M5-9:12 avg HR: 148 cardiac drift: 155
M6-9:12 avg HR: 147 cardiac drift: 155

Just a great run. Looking forward to tmo's rest day:)!! It was hot and humid out there today, but it didn't affect my run:)!

Followed the run immediately with the Core Fun (10 core exercises) and Chaz's Yoga For Runner's. Still not great at stretching, but doing this yoga and the foam roller is definitely helping:)!!

INTERVAL WORKOUT AT THE TRACK

Plan: 15-minutes w/u @ 9:30/pace
6 x 3-minutes @ 8:00/pace w/ 2-minute jogging recovery (no slower than 10/pace)
15-minutes c/d @ 9:15/pace

Legs were a bit heavy when I woke this morning. Tho I did have great sleep:)!! But once I got to the track and started the workout, my legs felt awesome. My left knee did ache on the car ride home. Did not hurt at all while running. I don't think my legs like being in the upright sitting position for too long:( But I iced it as soon as I got home, and then it felt great again. Will monitor it!!

This was the first run with my brand new Garmin 305 and I LOVED it, so much more accurate than the 301, just wish I could get it to sync with BuckeyeOutdoors. Oh well, so close, but yet so far.

Here is the info that uploaded to my computer when I got home:

Total workout time: 1:00:00 Total mileage: 6.68 avg pace 8:58

15min w/u- @ 9:32 pace 1.58 miles (6.3-6.9mph) (HR avg133; Max146)

3min @8:02pace .37miles (7.5-9.2mph) (HR avg154; Max158)
2min jog recovery @9:43pace .21miles (6.2-7.4mph) (HR avg145; Max157)

3min @7:56pace .38miles (7.6-8.6mph) (HR avg153; Max159)
2min jog recovery @9:51pace .20miles (6.1-7.8mph) (HR avg145; Max157) had water

3min @8:06pace .37miles (7.4-9.2mph) (HR avg153; Max156)
2min jog recovery @9:44pace .21miles (6.2-7.6mph) (HR avg146; Max155)

3min @7:56pace .38miles (7.5-8.8mph) (HR avg154; Max159)
2min jog recovery @9:49pace .20miles (6.1-8.9mph) (HR avg151; Max160) had water

3min @7:55pace .38miles (7.6-10.1mph) (HR avg158; Max162)
2min jog recovery @9:54pace .20miles (6.1-7.9mph) (HR avg148; Max155) had water

3min @8:02pace .37miles (7.5-9.0mph) (HR avg156; Max159)
2min jog recovery @9:41pace .21miles (6.2-6.7mph) (HR avg147; Max154)

Then 15min cooldown @9:14pace, covered 1.62 miles (6.5-8.0mph) (HR avg146; Max 155)

Great workout. I put in where I stopped for water, which explains why my HR was higher during the jog recovery, because in order to maintain the no slower than 10min pace, I had to kick it in a bit, to catch up, after stopping at my water bottle and taking a couple of swigs. It was HOT and HUMID today:(!!

Followed above with the core 6 workout out. Felt great:)
Strength Core6
1-Min Planks 2sets
Bicycles 2sets of 25
Oblique crunches 2sets of 25
Crunches 1 set of 25
Hip Extensions 1 set of 25
Pushups 1 set of 20

7 MILES @ 9:45 PACE

Plan: Nothing Fancy; 9:45 pace (stay within +/- 10s)

Legs felt good, but I did feel a twinge above my left knee. Nothing serious, iced afterwards, and went away.

My last run w my Garmin301:

7 miles in 1:08:09 avg pace 9:44 (avg HR 140 Max HR 157)
According to my Garmin301 splits were:
M1-9:42 (avg HR 145 Max HR 152)
M2-9:45 (avg HR 144 Max HR 157)
M3-9:45 (avg HR 138 Max HR 151)
M4-9:42 (avg HR 143 Max HR 155)
M5-9:45 (avg HR 144 Max HR 153)
M6-9:45 (avg HR 130 Max HR 153)
M7-9:45 (avg HR 139 Max HR 150)

Followed the run with the Core Fun (10 core exercises) and Karen Fowler's Yoga for Runners