Monday, March 24: 0 Miles - Tired from traveling, long day at work.
Tuesday, March 25: 6:00 PM - Workout @ Reggie w/ Ryan C
22 min w/u, 6 x Mile w/ 2.5mr, 22 min c/d
4:52, 4:50, 4:50, 4:52, 4:49, 4:48
Wednesday, March 26: 8:30 PM - 6 Miles, 44 min around the park
Thursday, March 27: 8:30 AM - 10 Miles, 72 min in the Fells
Friday, March 28: 12:00 PM - 9 Miles, 60 min w/ Mario
Saturday, March 29: 9:00 AM - Tempo @ Lincoln w/ Ryan C and Justin L
25 min w/u, 4.6 Mi @ 5:25p, 5mr, 4.6 Mi @ 5:05p, 24 min c/d
No. 1 - 24:48 (5:27, 5:39, 5:26, 3:04, 5:09)
No. 2 - 23:10 (5:06, 5:15, 5:06, 2:55, 4:47)
Sunday, March 30: 9:00 AM - 12 Miles, 80 min w/ Carter, Maloney, & Fenton
Week Total = 66 Miles, 2 workouts, 1 day off
If you read last week's post, you probably could tell that I had a pretty good week of training down in North Carolina, at least in comparison to previous weeks anyway. Spending a week down there really opened my eyes to all the things I could be doing, and all the things I should be doing to make myself a better athlete. It was a great experience and it really motivated me to get on the ball and go after this thing. Then I got back to Boston and it was back to reality for me... back to the cold weather of New England, back to late night workouts, and back to long days at work that leave me tired and frustrated. There were no afternoon naps this week, there were no casual 2nd runs in my free time, and there was not much of the extra stuff that had become a part of my training routine the week before. I will say that I had some pretty good workouts this week, which I'll talk about in a bit, but I just wasn't able to do everything I wanted to do. I wanted to keep my mileage fairly high... but I fell short, I wanted to get in at least two core sessions... but I only did one, I wanted to continue with the drill routines... but I failed to do any, and I wanted to feel great on every run... but I didn't. Once again, I find myself limited in the amount of time and energy that I can put into this sport. And knowing that there are so many guys out there that are doing more than me is bothersome. I want to feel like I am doing everything I can to improve my chances of success.
So what does this mean? It means I have to find a way to fix this. I am starting to really come into form with some of these workouts and I'm feeling pretty good in the process. Tuesday was a very solid workout in which I felt fatigued, but was able to just keep hitting the times without a problem. It was very doable and I never found myself struggling to get it done. Saturday's tempos were great! I showed a lot of strength in those miles and was happy to be running comfortably with Ryan and Justin. These are very good workouts to key off of in the next few weeks as I continue to build the base of my pyramid. I'm also healthy right now (knock on wood) so physically, I am able to put in the volume that I was lacking this winter. As all these things start to come together, I realize that this season has the potential to produce some great results. If I'm smart about everything, I believe I can run those times that have been floating around in my head all year. I need to fully embrace this point in my training and this point in my life. I want to make the most of this opportunity. In order to do that, I'm going to have to put some things aside and take some risks. This is my big leap of faith. Because I believe in myself more than I ever have before, I can finally take that leap and not be worried about where I fall.
In conclusion, I'd like to thank some amazing people that helped me sort things out this week and put my head back on straight. It took a lot of long conversations, but in the end, I came to some pretty good realizations. To name a few, those people were: My parents, Rupprecht, Driscoll, Gwyther, Tony, Mario, Karina, and Kevin. Without them, this would have been a lot harder. So once again, I thank you for giving me such a strong foundation!
Stay tuned!
"If you're really interested in seeing how good you can be, GO ALL IN! If you're gonna do it, don't do it half ass; get in and do everything you can possibly do (legally) to be your best. Because otherwise, why would you do it?"-Pete Rea, Zap Fitness
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Visiting ZAP
Monday, March 17:
8:00 AM - 6 Miles, 40 min along the Mystic Lake
Tuesday, March 18:
11:00 AM - 9 Miles, 59 min @ Salem Lake w/ Thomas
5:00 PM - 5 Miles, 35 min @ Zap w/ Thomas
Wednesday, March 19:
9:00 AM - Progression run @ Watauga River Road w/ Jon and Thomas - 23 min w/u, 20 min PR (4 Miles), starting at 5:10 and picking up the pace every 5 min, 2 min jog, 10 min @ 5:40 pace behind Alli and Jess, 20 min c/d
4:00 PM - 4 Miles, 29 min w/ Jon, Thomas, and Jess; followed by drill set 'A'
Thursday, March 20:
8:30 AM - 11 Miles, 75 min @ Moses Cone Park w/ Ryan, Thomas, Jon, Brendan, & Chris; followed by 1 1/2 hours of core
Friday, March 21:
8:30 AM - 3+ Miles, 26 min @ Moses Cone Park3:00 PM - Workout @ Moses Cone Park w/ Jon and Thomas - 21 min w/u, 3000m , 8.5 mjr, 3 hill sets (800m, 400m, 200m) w/ 200m jr/1000m jr between sets, 4mr, 1500m, 14 min c/d
9:26, (2:52, 78, 35), (2:47, 77, 35), (2:44, 76, 34), 4:40
Saturday, March 20:
9:00 AM - 10 Miles, 67 min @ The Greenway w/ Ryan; followed by 100m strides at the track
3:30 PM - 20 min @ Zap w/ Jess; followed by drill set 'B'
Sunday, March 21:
9:00 AM - 15 Miles, 98 min @ Mulberry Road w/ Brendan, Ryan, & Thomas
Week Total = 91 Miles, 2 workouts
As most of you know, I spent the majority of this week in the small town of Boone, North Carolina. This was a trip I'd been planning for quite a while and one that couldn't have come at a better time. It was a week of great training, plenty of rest, lots of food, and amazing hosts. Truthfully, I couldn't have asked for anything better. These hosts that I speak of were: Pete, Zika, Ryan, Thomas, Jon, Alli, Brendan, Mike, and Caroline; a group that currently makes up the Zap Fitness family. Jess and I were fortunate enough to be guests at their lovely estate (seen above) for the duration of this trip while participating in the daily happenings of the Zap Fitness lifestyle.As you can see in the numbers above, it is quite easy to get in a healthy amount of training when in an environment like this. It was one of my best training weeks ever and when I look back to where I was a month ago, I'm thrilled to see a week like this in the training log. As my spring season rapidly approaches, I am getting more and more eager to feel fast again. I didn't necessarily feel fast this week, but I felt strong! ...and that is a big step in the right direction. To sum up the workouts a little bit, I would say they were both very challenging, but also encouraging. Jon and Thomas are quite possibly the most fit they've been all year so to run even a portion of these sessions with them is saying something. I would have liked to feel better on the progression run in Wednesday's workout, but I made up for that by feeling great in Friday's session. I did a little less volume than those guys for the opening and closing segments, but hung onto them pretty well through the hill intervals and closed in the last lake loop feeling very comfortable.
I also have to say that the running venues available to us this week were unbeatable. We spent the majority of our miles at Moses Cone Park which starts at an elevation of 3500 ft and climbs to elevations in the mid 4000s throughout the maze of soft cinder trails. The scenery on each run was unlike any other (as seen on the left) and when you combine that
with extraordinary people to run with (captured on the right with the "runner cam"), it makes for some great long runs.I am very grateful for everything and everyone that made this week a success and I will use all this as motivation to get me through my upcoming season as I try to accomplish something I've never done before. I'm still not sure what that will be, but I believe I am on the verge of entering new territory in this sport, and I can't think of anything I'd want more.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Busy week / Ras 5K
Monday, March 10: 8:30PM - 4 Miles, 28 min (after traveling)
Tuesday, March 11: 6:00PM - Track workout @ Reggie - 22 min w/u, 5 x 2400m w/ 1.5mr - 7:39, 7:38, 7:37, 7:39, 7:36, 23 min c/d
Wednesday, March 12: 0 Miles (bad day at work)
Thursday, March 13: 8:00AM - 8 Miles, 52 min
Friday, March 14: 0 Miles (another long day with no time to run)
Saturday, March 15: 7:30AM - 10 Miles, 66 min in the Fells w/ Goode and Diesel
Sunday, March 16: 11:00AM - Ras na hEireann USA 5K - 14:57 (1st), 22 min w/u, 22 min c/d
6:00PM - 4 Miles, 28 min
Week Total = 50 Miles, 1 track workout, 1 race, 2 days off
Another busy week for me with many distraction (both good and bad). My training was very sporadic and it certainly wasn't what I was hoping for mileage wise. There just don't seem to be enough hours in the day to balance everything. This is something I'll have to remedy in the upcoming weeks. Needless to say, there was a lot going on this week so I'll try to sum up the highlights for you.
I started the week by spending some time up in Maine with my folks, where I was able to get some things done, see some friends, and spend some quality time with Kim. I didn't get a chance to run in Auburn and I got back to Medford pretty late so I just put in a few miles to loosen up the legs. Tuesday's workout went really well and was one of my better sessions of 2008, as well as my longest track workout ever. I joined up with Ryan C. for 7.5 miles of tempo stuff and felt really really comfortable at 5:05 pace. Ryan's training is going really well right now (as evident in New Bedford today) so it was great to be able to cruise through that workout with him. So Tuesday ended on a good note, but was soon pushed aside as Wednesday started and continued throughout the day with several bad notes. It was my worst day at work yet as "The Edge" was further torn apart by Marathon Sports and I was tossed around in the mix with a complete lack of respect or acknowledgement of my capabilities to manage this store. I won't go into it anymore, but I just hope there won't be too many more days like that one. I didn't have time to run in the morning and as I was lacing up my shoes to go out for what would have been a terrible run, I was thankfully interrupted by my good friend and confidant, Mark Driscoll. We talked for over an hour and, per usual, finished the conversation feeling much better about everything. I didn't get out for a run that night but I think the hour with Mark proved to be more beneficial than any run I was about to do. After a good night sleep, I had a great run Thursday morning on the trails followed by a not so great 11 hour day at work, concluded with a long conversation with Mario that evening (another needed mental boost).
Friday was another busy day with more distractions, but they were great distractions. Several of my friends, past teammates, and former roommates were in town and we all spent the evening together. As some of you will understand, an evening with Goodie, Chuck Diesel, Dave Manz, Triple H, and Mad Dog Maloney is never a dull experience especially when you throw in lots of Brazilian BBQ and one too many Gin and Tonics for Dave Manz. After a great night with the crew... Chuck, Goodie and I had a great run up in the fells and I went in to work for what was another busy day.
Finally, Sunday rolled around and I had a race to run. I didn't have any expectations going into it and no real goals other than to run at a hard but comfortable effort. Keith Kelly had to scratch from the race as he's been having some knee trouble so I figured my chances were pretty good. Nick Weidman took it out hard leading the first half mile but then backed off and I took over the lead. I hit the mile in 4:38 with about a 10 meter lead and ran the rest of the race by myself. I finished comfortably in 14:57, 17 seconds over Wilson Perez and 33 seconds over Nick. I felt this was a solid effort for this point in my training and therefore happy with the result. The post race party was great as we all went over to the Burren for free beer and food. I caught up with Carter and Jen, made the mistake of offering Jen a beer on her birthday, hung out with Mariko and Nick quite a bit, and had a great time talking with Bill Rodgers, Rosemary Ryan, and Charlie Breagy. Throw in $400 in prize money and I'd say it was a pretty good way to close out the week.
Now, I have another day of work ahead of me and then I get a nice little break as I'm venturing down to North Carolina Tuesday morning and returning on Sunday. I think this trip will be very beneficial for me both mentally and physically and will be a good start to better training, better attitudes, more rest, and overall rejuvenation.
Lastly, as promised, here is my tentative spring schedule (as it stands right now)
April 11 - Bucknell Bison Distance Carnival (5K) - if I feel ready to go
April 25 - Oregon Relays (5K)
May 9 - Oregon Twilight (5K)
May 24 ? - Boston High Performance Meet? (1500?)
June 7 - Midwest Distance Solution @ Hillsdale (5K) - last chance!
June 27 - Olympic Trials ?????
Tuesday, March 11: 6:00PM - Track workout @ Reggie - 22 min w/u, 5 x 2400m w/ 1.5mr - 7:39, 7:38, 7:37, 7:39, 7:36, 23 min c/d
Wednesday, March 12: 0 Miles (bad day at work)
Thursday, March 13: 8:00AM - 8 Miles, 52 min
Friday, March 14: 0 Miles (another long day with no time to run)
Saturday, March 15: 7:30AM - 10 Miles, 66 min in the Fells w/ Goode and Diesel
Sunday, March 16: 11:00AM - Ras na hEireann USA 5K - 14:57 (1st), 22 min w/u, 22 min c/d
6:00PM - 4 Miles, 28 min
Week Total = 50 Miles, 1 track workout, 1 race, 2 days off
Another busy week for me with many distraction (both good and bad). My training was very sporadic and it certainly wasn't what I was hoping for mileage wise. There just don't seem to be enough hours in the day to balance everything. This is something I'll have to remedy in the upcoming weeks. Needless to say, there was a lot going on this week so I'll try to sum up the highlights for you.
I started the week by spending some time up in Maine with my folks, where I was able to get some things done, see some friends, and spend some quality time with Kim. I didn't get a chance to run in Auburn and I got back to Medford pretty late so I just put in a few miles to loosen up the legs. Tuesday's workout went really well and was one of my better sessions of 2008, as well as my longest track workout ever. I joined up with Ryan C. for 7.5 miles of tempo stuff and felt really really comfortable at 5:05 pace. Ryan's training is going really well right now (as evident in New Bedford today) so it was great to be able to cruise through that workout with him. So Tuesday ended on a good note, but was soon pushed aside as Wednesday started and continued throughout the day with several bad notes. It was my worst day at work yet as "The Edge" was further torn apart by Marathon Sports and I was tossed around in the mix with a complete lack of respect or acknowledgement of my capabilities to manage this store. I won't go into it anymore, but I just hope there won't be too many more days like that one. I didn't have time to run in the morning and as I was lacing up my shoes to go out for what would have been a terrible run, I was thankfully interrupted by my good friend and confidant, Mark Driscoll. We talked for over an hour and, per usual, finished the conversation feeling much better about everything. I didn't get out for a run that night but I think the hour with Mark proved to be more beneficial than any run I was about to do. After a good night sleep, I had a great run Thursday morning on the trails followed by a not so great 11 hour day at work, concluded with a long conversation with Mario that evening (another needed mental boost).
Friday was another busy day with more distractions, but they were great distractions. Several of my friends, past teammates, and former roommates were in town and we all spent the evening together. As some of you will understand, an evening with Goodie, Chuck Diesel, Dave Manz, Triple H, and Mad Dog Maloney is never a dull experience especially when you throw in lots of Brazilian BBQ and one too many Gin and Tonics for Dave Manz. After a great night with the crew... Chuck, Goodie and I had a great run up in the fells and I went in to work for what was another busy day.
Finally, Sunday rolled around and I had a race to run. I didn't have any expectations going into it and no real goals other than to run at a hard but comfortable effort. Keith Kelly had to scratch from the race as he's been having some knee trouble so I figured my chances were pretty good. Nick Weidman took it out hard leading the first half mile but then backed off and I took over the lead. I hit the mile in 4:38 with about a 10 meter lead and ran the rest of the race by myself. I finished comfortably in 14:57, 17 seconds over Wilson Perez and 33 seconds over Nick. I felt this was a solid effort for this point in my training and therefore happy with the result. The post race party was great as we all went over to the Burren for free beer and food. I caught up with Carter and Jen, made the mistake of offering Jen a beer on her birthday, hung out with Mariko and Nick quite a bit, and had a great time talking with Bill Rodgers, Rosemary Ryan, and Charlie Breagy. Throw in $400 in prize money and I'd say it was a pretty good way to close out the week.
Now, I have another day of work ahead of me and then I get a nice little break as I'm venturing down to North Carolina Tuesday morning and returning on Sunday. I think this trip will be very beneficial for me both mentally and physically and will be a good start to better training, better attitudes, more rest, and overall rejuvenation.
Lastly, as promised, here is my tentative spring schedule (as it stands right now)
April 11 - Bucknell Bison Distance Carnival (5K) - if I feel ready to go
April 25 - Oregon Relays (5K)
May 9 - Oregon Twilight (5K)
May 24 ? - Boston High Performance Meet? (1500?)
June 7 - Midwest Distance Solution @ Hillsdale (5K) - last chance!
June 27 - Olympic Trials ?????
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Welcoming Spring!
Monday, March 3: 8:30 AM - 6 Miles, 40 min in Winchester
Tuesday, March 4: 6:30 PM - Track Workout @ Reggie (~10 Miles)
23 min w/u, 5x 1200 w/ 1mr-3:33, 3:31, 3:33, 3:34, 3:34, 21 min c/d
Wednesday, March 5: 8:00 PM - 6 Miles, 40 min in Winchester
Long Day, legs were heavy
Thursday, March 6: 8:30 AM - 4 Miles, 28 min along the river and up to the park. Nice day, would have liked to run further but just didn't have time.
Friday, March 7: 11:00 AM - 4 Miles, 28 min along the river
6:30 PM - Track Workout @ Reggie (~13 Miles)
22 min w/u, 1200 @ 3:36 (2mr) 10 min tempo @ 5:00 pace (2mr) 1200 @ 3:30 (2mr) 10 min tempo @ 5:00 pace (2mr) 1200 @ 3:25, 24 min c/d
Saturday, March 8: 8:30 AM - 4 Miles, 28 min along the river
Another long day, legs were tired
Sunday, March 9: 10:00 AM - 10 Miles, 71 min in the Fells w/ Maloney and Carter
Week Total = 57 Miles, 2 track workouts
This week was a busy one. Since I got back from Ireland, I've had a lot going on and haven't had a chance to really relax much. Most of this has been work related. There have been a lot of changes at what was once lovingly called "The Edge". I won't go into it too much, but I'll just say that it has been a less enjoyable environment than it once was. I'm still making the best of what I'm dealt with, but I have a feeling there will be some obstacles ahead.
Despite, the recent changes in my work life, I am really looking forward to this spring and the opportunities/experiences that will accompany it. I have made some progress in planning out my race schedule but still have to discuss it more with Kevin before making it official. I will say that I plan on doing at least three big 5Ks (by big I mean ones with multiple guys going under 14 minutes) and will be visiting Hayward field at least once, probably twice, before the trials. I plan on traveling a little more than I have in past years because that's what you have to do in order to find fast 5Ks. So for any of you New Englanders out there, you may not have a chance to see much of the JC experience at work this season. But no need to fear! ...that's what this blog is for. I will keep you all up to date on any progress and give you all the juicy details on a weekly basis.
So speaking of running, I've been doing some! I started back with workouts this week and they actually felt good. Tuesday was really comfortable even with the short rest. Friday was a little longer and a little tougher but I felt strong and surprised myself in the second half. My mileage isn't very high yet, which hasn't been helped by my recent schedule. I hope to get back up to the mid 70s in a couple weeks and hit a few 80-85s before I start racing in April.
I had the last couple days off from work so I took the opportunity to head up to Maine, relax a little, and spend some time with the fam. For those Maine-iacs reading this, I have to say I feel sorry for you. There is a TON of snow up here still and I do not envy anyone running in this stuff. This past week in Medford has been rather nice and I've actually gotten back onto the TRAILS a couple times and even had a couple runs in SHORTS! I emphasized those two words because I am really excited about both of them and really anxious to have nicer weather around the corner (hopefully). I look forward to long runs through the fells and over in lincoln and hope the softer ground will help as I build my mileage back up to where it was in the fall. So bring on the warmer weather and lets keep our fingers crossed that we're done with all this winter crap.
Stay tuned for next weeks post as I'll have Ras recaps and a more definite race schedule coming at you.
Tuesday, March 4: 6:30 PM - Track Workout @ Reggie (~10 Miles)
23 min w/u, 5x 1200 w/ 1mr-3:33, 3:31, 3:33, 3:34, 3:34, 21 min c/d
Wednesday, March 5: 8:00 PM - 6 Miles, 40 min in Winchester
Long Day, legs were heavy
Thursday, March 6: 8:30 AM - 4 Miles, 28 min along the river and up to the park. Nice day, would have liked to run further but just didn't have time.
Friday, March 7: 11:00 AM - 4 Miles, 28 min along the river
6:30 PM - Track Workout @ Reggie (~13 Miles)
22 min w/u, 1200 @ 3:36 (2mr) 10 min tempo @ 5:00 pace (2mr) 1200 @ 3:30 (2mr) 10 min tempo @ 5:00 pace (2mr) 1200 @ 3:25, 24 min c/d
Saturday, March 8: 8:30 AM - 4 Miles, 28 min along the river
Another long day, legs were tired
Sunday, March 9: 10:00 AM - 10 Miles, 71 min in the Fells w/ Maloney and Carter
Week Total = 57 Miles, 2 track workouts
This week was a busy one. Since I got back from Ireland, I've had a lot going on and haven't had a chance to really relax much. Most of this has been work related. There have been a lot of changes at what was once lovingly called "The Edge". I won't go into it too much, but I'll just say that it has been a less enjoyable environment than it once was. I'm still making the best of what I'm dealt with, but I have a feeling there will be some obstacles ahead.
Despite, the recent changes in my work life, I am really looking forward to this spring and the opportunities/experiences that will accompany it. I have made some progress in planning out my race schedule but still have to discuss it more with Kevin before making it official. I will say that I plan on doing at least three big 5Ks (by big I mean ones with multiple guys going under 14 minutes) and will be visiting Hayward field at least once, probably twice, before the trials. I plan on traveling a little more than I have in past years because that's what you have to do in order to find fast 5Ks. So for any of you New Englanders out there, you may not have a chance to see much of the JC experience at work this season. But no need to fear! ...that's what this blog is for. I will keep you all up to date on any progress and give you all the juicy details on a weekly basis.
So speaking of running, I've been doing some! I started back with workouts this week and they actually felt good. Tuesday was really comfortable even with the short rest. Friday was a little longer and a little tougher but I felt strong and surprised myself in the second half. My mileage isn't very high yet, which hasn't been helped by my recent schedule. I hope to get back up to the mid 70s in a couple weeks and hit a few 80-85s before I start racing in April.
I had the last couple days off from work so I took the opportunity to head up to Maine, relax a little, and spend some time with the fam. For those Maine-iacs reading this, I have to say I feel sorry for you. There is a TON of snow up here still and I do not envy anyone running in this stuff. This past week in Medford has been rather nice and I've actually gotten back onto the TRAILS a couple times and even had a couple runs in SHORTS! I emphasized those two words because I am really excited about both of them and really anxious to have nicer weather around the corner (hopefully). I look forward to long runs through the fells and over in lincoln and hope the softer ground will help as I build my mileage back up to where it was in the fall. So bring on the warmer weather and lets keep our fingers crossed that we're done with all this winter crap.
Stay tuned for next weeks post as I'll have Ras recaps and a more definite race schedule coming at you.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
In transition
Monday, February 18th: 7:00 AM - 8 Miles, 57 min
Tuesday, February 19th: 7:30 AM - 6 Miles, 41 min
Wednesday, February 20th: 12:00 PM - 10 Miles, 67 min
Thursday, February 21st: 11:00 AM - 3 Miles, 23 min
8:45 AM - 24 min w/u, 5K race (14:42, 25th), 21 min c/d
Friday, February 22nd: 5:00 PM - 10 Miles, 68 min
Saturday, February 23rd: 10:00 AM - 9 Miles, 61 min
Sunday, February 24th: 8:00 AM - 10 min shakeout
1:15 PM - 21 min w/u, 6K race (18:35, 11th), 20 min c/d
Week Total = 66 Miles, 2 Races
Monday, February 25th: Travel day - no running
Tuesday, February 26th: 7:30 AM - 6 Miles, 40 min
Wednesday, February 27th: 8:00 AM - 8 Miles, 54 min
Thursday, February 28th: 8:30 PM - 7 Miles, 49 min (treadmill)
Friday, February 29th: 4:00 PM - 8 Miles, 54 min
Saturday, March 1st: bad weather, long day at work - no running
Sunday, March 2nd: 9:30 AM - 6 Miles, 41 min w/ Maloney & Carter
6:30 PM - 6 Miles, 40 min
Week Total = 41 Miles, 2 days off
After returning from Ireland, I wasn't really sure where I was going with my training. I had just finished my last planned race of the "season", which consisted of three track races, one road race, and one cross race. The track races didn't really go that well so my "indoor season" was pretty much the trip to Ireland which consisted of two outdoor races. Usually at the end of a season, I would plan some time off from running before building up for the next season to follow. However, since I had so much forced down time in the middle of the season and since my body is now starting to feel better, I didn't feel it was necessary to take any time off. But I didn't have any other races coming up until April so I didn't want to jump back into workouts either. So I found myself in this transition phase where I'm 'just running'. I'm not doing anything hard, and there is no real plan for each day; I'm just getting out there and trying to feel comfortable as I begin to rebuild my base for the outdoor season.
Now, I mentioned I didn't have any planned races coming up; however, I do have one unplanned race coming up. After doing reasonably well in Ireland and getting my body back to a healthy level, I decided to add one more race to the schedule. That race is the Ras na hEireann USA on March 16th. It's a 5K road race here in Somerville that brings the Irish background of the Ras International race over here to the states. Since I competed in this race in Ireland and Charlie Breagy suggested the US race to me, I figured it would be good to complete the race series by running this race as well. This won't be a major competition for me and isn't something that I'm really training for, but it will be another fun event to add to the books and maybe give me another boost in the process. It's not part of my indoor season and isn't really part of my outdoor season but again falls into this transition phase that I'm currently in.
I sat down with Kevin this week and started talking about the outdoor season and began developing a plan for where, when, and what to race this year. He has some really good meets on the schedule and I'm getting pretty excited to travel around to these big races. We haven't set anything in stone yet but it's nice to have some options on the table and something to think about over the next few weeks of training. As I said before, I probably won't be racing (track) until late April, so over the next 6-8 weeks, all I'll be doing is building up my strength. I'll slowly build my mileage back up to a healthy 5K training level, I'll get back to doing core three times a week, I'll start doing more strength exercises (which I've been slacking on), I'll get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, I'll eat right, and most importantly, I'll improve my confidence and keep the mental focus that's needed to do all these things. In the past, I've often made the excuse that there just isn't enough time in the day to do all of this. This may be true, but I have to make time for it now. Every day, we're presented with choices, and I just have to believe that I'm consistently making the choices that will give me the best opportunity to get to where I want to be. I have to believe in myself and just have faith!
Tuesday, February 19th: 7:30 AM - 6 Miles, 41 min
Wednesday, February 20th: 12:00 PM - 10 Miles, 67 min
Thursday, February 21st: 11:00 AM - 3 Miles, 23 min
8:45 AM - 24 min w/u, 5K race (14:42, 25th), 21 min c/d
Friday, February 22nd: 5:00 PM - 10 Miles, 68 min
Saturday, February 23rd: 10:00 AM - 9 Miles, 61 min
Sunday, February 24th: 8:00 AM - 10 min shakeout
1:15 PM - 21 min w/u, 6K race (18:35, 11th), 20 min c/d
Week Total = 66 Miles, 2 Races
Monday, February 25th: Travel day - no running
Tuesday, February 26th: 7:30 AM - 6 Miles, 40 min
Wednesday, February 27th: 8:00 AM - 8 Miles, 54 min
Thursday, February 28th: 8:30 PM - 7 Miles, 49 min (treadmill)
Friday, February 29th: 4:00 PM - 8 Miles, 54 min
Saturday, March 1st: bad weather, long day at work - no running
Sunday, March 2nd: 9:30 AM - 6 Miles, 41 min w/ Maloney & Carter
6:30 PM - 6 Miles, 40 min
Week Total = 41 Miles, 2 days off
After returning from Ireland, I wasn't really sure where I was going with my training. I had just finished my last planned race of the "season", which consisted of three track races, one road race, and one cross race. The track races didn't really go that well so my "indoor season" was pretty much the trip to Ireland which consisted of two outdoor races. Usually at the end of a season, I would plan some time off from running before building up for the next season to follow. However, since I had so much forced down time in the middle of the season and since my body is now starting to feel better, I didn't feel it was necessary to take any time off. But I didn't have any other races coming up until April so I didn't want to jump back into workouts either. So I found myself in this transition phase where I'm 'just running'. I'm not doing anything hard, and there is no real plan for each day; I'm just getting out there and trying to feel comfortable as I begin to rebuild my base for the outdoor season.
Now, I mentioned I didn't have any planned races coming up; however, I do have one unplanned race coming up. After doing reasonably well in Ireland and getting my body back to a healthy level, I decided to add one more race to the schedule. That race is the Ras na hEireann USA on March 16th. It's a 5K road race here in Somerville that brings the Irish background of the Ras International race over here to the states. Since I competed in this race in Ireland and Charlie Breagy suggested the US race to me, I figured it would be good to complete the race series by running this race as well. This won't be a major competition for me and isn't something that I'm really training for, but it will be another fun event to add to the books and maybe give me another boost in the process. It's not part of my indoor season and isn't really part of my outdoor season but again falls into this transition phase that I'm currently in.
I sat down with Kevin this week and started talking about the outdoor season and began developing a plan for where, when, and what to race this year. He has some really good meets on the schedule and I'm getting pretty excited to travel around to these big races. We haven't set anything in stone yet but it's nice to have some options on the table and something to think about over the next few weeks of training. As I said before, I probably won't be racing (track) until late April, so over the next 6-8 weeks, all I'll be doing is building up my strength. I'll slowly build my mileage back up to a healthy 5K training level, I'll get back to doing core three times a week, I'll start doing more strength exercises (which I've been slacking on), I'll get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, I'll eat right, and most importantly, I'll improve my confidence and keep the mental focus that's needed to do all these things. In the past, I've often made the excuse that there just isn't enough time in the day to do all of this. This may be true, but I have to make time for it now. Every day, we're presented with choices, and I just have to believe that I'm consistently making the choices that will give me the best opportunity to get to where I want to be. I have to believe in myself and just have faith!
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