Running Report afternoon of 5/26/15 -- 5/29/15

5/26/15 TUESDAY AFTERNOON
Ran three miles Tuesday afternoon as an additional workout to get some more miles in, albeit at a much slower pace.

1. 5.08
2. 4.37
3. 4.51
4. 5.05
5. 4.53
6. 4.56

Total time 29.33 average of 4.51 per mile

Day 8 miles
Week 13 miles
Month 113 miles
Year 378 miles

5/27/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran three miles untimed

Week 16 miles
Month 116 miles
Year 381 miles

5/28/15 THURSDAY
Ran three miles right after eating and it was like 89 degrees Farenheit (sp?) so it was a slog but I finished.  Here are my half my splits:

1. 4.00
2. 4.00
3. 3.53
4. 4.00
5. 4.07
6. 3.59

Total time 24.02 (with the addition of miliseconds it turns out to a little more usually).  Average of 8.01 per mile.

Week 19 miles
Month 119 miles
Year 384 miles

5/29/15 FRIDAY
Ran four miles for my weekly push the limits and hold on as long as you can run. 

1. 3.29
2. 3.32
3. 3.34
4. 3.32
5. 3.27
6. 3.23
7. 3.32
8. 3.20

Total time 27.51 average of 6.58 minutes per mile.  Headwind during segments two and three although not as bad as previous runs.  On the way back on half miles 6 and 7 there didn't seem to be as much tailwind in comparison.  However that could have been attributed to the fact that I just didn't feel it since I was running the same direction.  I was 90 degrees so that is as hot a temperature as I have run in all year.  My heart rate about 45 seconds after finishing was 146.  That is as high of a heart rate that I have had probably in the last ning months or so.  I really think the heat plays into that a little bit.  On Monday when I finished my last Yasso 800 so fast I was in way worse pain and my breathing was much more labored and yet my rate was much lower.  Granted I had only done two laps.  But it was at 5.42 pace for those two laps.  The other variable was that Mondays workout was at 6:30 a.m. with an approximate temperature in the 50's.  Anyway it just all comparisons, none of it scientific.  In addition to a workout like today increasing my physical fitness, I feel that my mental fitness increases as well.  Each half mile I had to play the mental game of focusing on the finish of the next half mile and not worrying about the rest.  Even in the last half mile I split it roughly in half.  I focused on maintaining my pace for the first half then I told myself for the last half I would be able to pick it up.  Then with a quarter of a mile every half a distance to the finish becomes twice as hard as the last. 

Week 23 miles
Month 123 miles
Year 388 miles

Running Report 5/26/15

5/26/15 TUESDAY
Ran somewhere between five and six miles today.  I think close to five and a half but for tracking purposes I will just count the five.  Here are the half mile splits except for the middle one where the distance is unknown. 

1. 4.43
2. 4.14
3. 4.17
4. 4.46
5. 13.18
6. 4.30
7. 4.07
8. 4.15
9. 4.31

Total time 48.45.  As I do not know my exact distance I will forebear on calculating my pace.  It was fairly slow but I wasn't out there to run fast.  I did the running fast thing yesterday. 

Week 10 miles
Month 110 miles
Year 375 miles

Running Report 5/25/15

Monday 5/25/15 I did Yasso 800's on the track.  This is how it went:

1. 800 meters in 3.08
2. 400 meters in 3.07
3. 800 meters in 3.05
4. 400 meters in 3.07
5. 800 meters in 3.07
6. 400 meters in 3.07
7. 800 meters in 3.07
8. 400 meters in about 3.30
9. 800 meters in 3.09
10. 400 meters in 3.10
11. 800 meters in 2.51
12. 800 cool down

Heart rate about 45 seconds after finishing the last 800 meters was 118 beats per minute.  Which baffles me because that last 800 meters I pushed myself to what I like to term race exhaustion.  Which is to say, I went beyond the normal hard workout to where every step is painful and my forearms start to go numb or at least feel that way and my whole body hurts and is screaming "STOP THIS NOW!"  I remember thinking to myself that I don't recall pushing myself this hard since the Texas Canyon 10K Trail Run.    I thought my heart rate would be around 140 to 150 the way I was breathing when I was finished.  I was very surprised.  I was mad at myself for whimping out on repeat number 5 and taking and extra 20 seconds of rest and an extra two seconds on the run part.  I should have endured to the end despite how hard it was.  That is one of the reasons I wanted to do the last repeat faster was to try and make up for that a little bit.  If I remember correctly June 15 is the first time in the training schedule that I have Yasso 800's.  My goal is to do 4 repeats at 3.00 minutes each.  So this gets me a little closer to that.  Previously I did Yasso 800's at 3.15 and "Yasso Dobles" (my invention) at 6.30 minutes so I took it down 8 seconds and thus half way to a 3.00  minute Yasso 800.
This is my last week of preparation before I start my official 18 week training program for the St. George Marathon on October 3.  I defenitely (sp?) feel that sense of urgency to make each workout count. 

Week 5 miles
Month 105 miles
Year 370 miles

Running Report 5/23/15

5/23/15 SATURDAY
Ran ten miles this morning.

1. 4.36
2. 4.15
3. 4.06
4. 4.04
5. 4.08
6. 4.06
7. 4.11
8. 4.07
9. 4.21
10. 4.07
11. 3.47
12. 3.49
13. 3.49
14. 3.51
15. 3.46
16. 3.46
17. 3.45
18. 3.46
19. 3.53
20. 4.02

Total time 1 hour 20 minutes and 23 seconds.  Average of 8.02 minutes per mile. 

Week 31 miles
Month 100 miles
Year 365 miles

Splits 6-9 were uphill and conversely splits 10-13 were downhill.  My initial goal was about a 8.15 pace, but I was flexible.  The first two miles I was feeling good.  On the uphill for the most part I felt like I was able to maintain a good pace.  On the downhill I picked up the pace since I wasn't feeling terrible.  Back on the flat I decided to just pushing the pace at the sub 8 minute level.  Between mile 7 and 8 I could feel my body going into the first stages of breakdown mode.  Nothing terrible but my body was beginning to rebel.  It was cool though because I had such a rhythm going.  It was like the metronome was on.  It was hard though.  In the end I was very happy to get an 8.02 pace.  Next Saturday I plan to do a 12 mile run and then the week after that is the first week of official training and that first week ends with a 10 mile long run.  I would like to hit that 10 mile long run somewhere between 8.00 pace and 7.45 pace.  The Saturday after that is a 11 mile long run and then the third Saturday is a step back of 8 mile long run.  I would like to hit that 8 mile step back run at no slower than a 7.45 pace.  Each of these hard or long runs builds on the last one and gets me in better shape for the next hard or long run.  I hope to keep progressing throught the 18 week trainig program I am going to do.  We shall see.  These are the things that keep me motivated.  A sense of urgency.  I have to get prepared for something in a couple of weeks. 

A little bit of Olympic trivia

In the 2012 Olympic summer games in London, Mo Farah, from England, won the 10,000 meter race in a time of 27.30  Undoubtedly he could have gone faster.  Championshop distance races are often slow in the beginning stages and tactical throughout with no pacer or rabbit as they have in some of the other Diamond League races on the European track and field circuit.  Nevertheless, 27.30.  I have seen that race and it was rather pedestrian by Olympic standards the first mile or so. 

In the Olympic triathlon the distances are a 1500 meter swim, 43 KM (27 miles) road bycicling, and 10 KM (6.2 miles) run.  Alistair Brownlee, from England, won the men's triathlon at the same Olympic games.  He ran the 10,000 meters in 29.07.  Second place, Javier Gomez from Spain, ran it in 29.16 and Alistair's brother Jonathan did the run portion in 29.37 after he served a time penalty that he had incurred on the bike portion. 

You can make your own conclusions...

Running Report 5/18/15 -- 5/22/15

5/18/15 MONDAY
Ran 4 miles today.  The plan was to run the splits on the left side.  On the right side are the actual splits that I ran.

1. 4.30        4.31
2. 4.15        3.54
3. 4.00        3.46
4. 3.45        3.39
5. 3.30        3.31
6. 3.45        3.36
7. 4.00        3.53
8. 4.15        4.12

In half miles four and five I had to go up a bridge and back down the oher side.

Week 4 miles
Month 73 miles
Year 338 miles

5/19/15 TUESDAY
Ran 5 miles today. 

1. 4.40
2. 4.04
3. 4.03
4. 4.07
5. 4.20
6. 4.10
7. 4.11
8. 4.14
9. 4.13
10. 4.18

Total time 42.24 average of 8.29 per mile.

Week 9 miles
Month 78 miles
Year 343 miles

5/20/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran for 42 minutes and 31 seconds.  Not sure the distance but I would guess about five miles.  Didn't keep track to closely on the half miles. 

Week 14 miles
Month 83 miles
Year 348 miles

5/21/15 THURSDAY
Ran three mile recovery jog today.

1. 4.02
2. 4.06
3. 4.20
4. 4.14
5. 4.15
6. 4.22

Total time 25.21 average of 8.27 per mile.

Week 17 miles
Month 86 miles
Year 351 miles

5/22/15 FRIDAY
Ran four miles today.

1. 3.13
2. 3.28
3. 3.33
4. 3.24
5. 3.35
6. 3.23
7. 3.26
8. 3.30

Total time 27.36 average of 6.54 per mile.  Heart rate about 50 seconds after finishing was 148 beats per minute.  There was a very strong wind blowing today.  So I knew that I would have half the run into the wind, and then I would have the wind at my back the other half.  Since the out and back was a digital "S" shape I would be dealing with running into the wind on half mile segments 2,3,5 and 8.  I knew my first haf mile would be fast so when I saw a 3.13 I hoped that my time that I "banked" didn't cost me to much.  The next two half miles were a real struggle.  I was redlining it.  I was thinking of last Fridays run and I didn't want to drop to much time on this portion.  So the 3.28 for segment 2 was a big surprise.  I knew I had plenty of time in the bank so I didn't push the pace quite as hard but I didn't let off the pedal to much on the other hand either and was excited to see I only dropped 3 seconds during segment 3.  Split four found me trying to relax and let the wind push me.  Split five was square into the wind and it was very difficult.  I was glad to see that only dropped five seonds.  At this point I started to get excited because the next two half miles were with the wind at my back so I knew I could lock into a steady pace and let the wind push me to a sub 7 minute mile pace, which is what happened. 

For the first ten to twenty seconds of the last half mile, my plan was to go over a seven minute pace since I had so much time in the bank and end up right around a 7 minute pace for the whole thing.  Then I thought, "you know I sure have worked real hard to get all of that time in the bank and wasting it all now in the last half mile would be a shame.  So I changed my mind and decided to shoot for a finish of 3.30 which is a 7 minute pace.  The last four hundred meters was really hard.  I started to repeat to myself "this is your Boston Qualifying run at the St. George Marathon right here."  I repeated that several times to myself to keep myself from slowing down.  I know those last three miles of the marathon are based and sheer guts so this was a time to prove to myself that I have guts.  That my mind is stronger than my body.  This is the time that I take the trip down the hall and open the door to one of the dark rooms in my soul and see how far the light will go.  Maybe even take a step inside.  For review of the dark rooms in my soul see mile 24 of my report of the 2010 St. George Marathon.  I am also excited because that 6.54 pace gets me that much closer to running 5 miles at 7 minute on June 5, which is in two Fridays from now. 

Week 21 miles
Month 90 miles
Year 355 miles

Running Report 5/14/15 -- 5/17/15

5/14/15 THURSDAY
Ran three mile recovery jog.

1. 4.12
2. 4.30
3. 4.24
4. 4.22
5. 4.08
6. 4.36

Total time 26.16 average of 8.45 per mile.  Extremely windy the whole run.  Half the run was into the wind and half of the run was with the wind. 

Week 14 miles
Month 57 miles
Year 322 miles

5/15/15 FRIDAY
Ran four miles today. 

1. 3.35
2. 3.49
3. 3.57
4. 3.38
5. 3.36
6. 3.18
7. 3.15
8. 3.04

Total time 28.15 average of 7.05 per mile.  Extremely strong headwind on segments 2 and 3.  Segments or half miles 6 and 7 had a nice tailwind all others were a strong crosswind.  Disapointed that on sefments 4 and 5 I dropped a total of 14 seconds of the 7 minute pace.  That could have given me my 7 minute pace right there.  Nevertheless, with a heroic effort the last half mile, I was able to salvage my run and bring my overall pace down to the 7.05 range.  Considering how windy it was and this is the first time going over three miles at top speed or race pace, I am not to disapointed.  My goal is to do my Friday race pace run at four miles at 7 minute pace the next two Fridays.  Then on June the sixth my goal is to run 5 miles at the 7 minute pace. 

Week 18 miles
Month 61 miles
Year 326 miles

5/16/15 Saturday
Ran 8 miles today.  It wa a slog.  Ate lunch right before I left so that is never a good idea.  I was chunder-burping the whole way.  I had to stop two different times to go to the bathroom.  Luckily the first time I say a Carls Jr. bag thrown on the side of the road.  I wondered if it possibly had some napkins in there because ususally in a fast food bag the fast food workers put napkins.  So I opened up the crumpled bag, that somebody had thrown out the window of their car as they drove by.  Sure enough there were about six unused napkins along with a receipt.  I put the receipt back in the bag and put the ba down a rabbit hole so it wouldn't blow away in the wind and it could decompose properly.  I promptly stepped off the road a dozen yards or so where there was break in the barbed wire fence and used the middle of the unused napkins to assist me in going to the bathroom.  I was greatly relieved after that.  I was very gratefuly for those napkins.  I secured the rest of the napkins on an old abandoned chair in case I am in the same area and I need them again. 

1. 4.29
2. 4.22
3. 4.27
4. 4.35
5. 4.29
6. 4.37
7. 4.37
8. 4.31
9. 4.58
10. 4.35
11. 4.30
12. 4.19
13. 4.19
14. 4.21
15. 4.14
16. 4.27

Total time 1 hour 11 minutes and 58 seconds.  Two seonds off a 9 minute pace. 

Week 26 miles
Month 69 miles
Year 334 miles

Running Report 5/8/15 - 5/13/15

5/8/15 FRIDAY
Ran three miles.  Half were into a stiff head wind and the other half I had a nice push in the back by the wind.  Hence the half miles marks that varied widely.

1. 3.26
2. 3.29
3. 3.38
4. 3.42
5. 3.18
6. 3.13

Total time 20.47 average of 6.56 minutes per mile. 

Week 20 miles
Month 32 miles
Year 297 miles

5/9/15 SATURDAY
Ran eleven miles. 

1. 4.36
2. 4.09
3. 4.06
4. 4.08
5. 4.12
6. 4.13
7. 4.16
8. 4.10
9. 4.17
10. 4.00
11. 4.05
12. 4.16
13. 4.05
14. 4.13
15. 4.08
16. 4.19
17. 4.04
18. 4.18
19. 4.10
20. 4.07
21. 4.20
22. 4.28

Total time 1 hour 32 minutes 53 seconds average of about 8.27 per mile. 

Week 31 miles
Month 43 miles
Year 308 miles

5/11/15 MONDAY
For my workout today I have coined the name of the workout.  "Yasso Doble".  That is right you heard it here first.  Instead of Yasso 800's it is the Yasso Doble (as opposed to the paso doble).  In the past couple of weeks I have run 800 meters, or half a mile in 3.15 and then jogged approximately 400 meters in 3.15.  Well my workout today the goal was to run a mile in 6.30 (double in both time and distance) and then jog half a mile in 6.30.  I did three repeats of this. 

Mile 1 -- 6.45 and then half mile jog in 6.15
Mile 2 -- 6.34 and then half mile jog in 6.26
Mile 3 -- 6.25 or so and then a cool down jog. 

For simplicity sake I will not count the cool down as part of my mileage because I don't like tacking in the ".5" on there.  Last week I did 6 Yasso 800's at 3.15 minutes and seconds.  Today I was able to do two half miles at 3.15 back to back.  So this gives me confidence that in the coming weeks I can go faster on my Yasso 800's.  in the third week or so of June I am scheduled to do 4 Yasso 800's at 3.00.  So this is helping me get closer to accomplishing that.  I feel an urgency in my training right now to get in shape for the first week of training that starts on June 1.  It's kind of like I have a race on June first.  That first week of June I am scheduled to run 5 miles at race pace.  That means run five miles at 7.00 minute pace.  I know that I can do 3 miles at 7 minute pace because I have done that the last three, weeks.  Maybe to help get closer to that 5 miles at 7 min pace I can do 4 miles at 7 min. pace for two or three weeks in a row. 

Week 3 miles
Month 46 miles
Year 311 miles

5/12/15 TUESDAY
Ran three miles as a recovery jog today.

1. 4.29
2. 4.21
3. 4.27
4. 4.22
5. 4.20
6. 4.21

Total of 26.24 average of 8.48 minutes per mile.  A little bit slower than normal for a recovery jog but that is ok. 

Week 6 miles
Month 49 miles
Year 314 miles

5/13/15 WEDNESDAY
Ran a total of five miles on the treadmill.  This workout was focused more on intervals, slow-fast although more accurately for today it would be easy-hard.  On the hard parts I would put the incline up high so I was doing hillwork.  I alternated every quarter mile. 

Week 11 miles
Month 54 miles
Year 319 miles

St. George Marathon... I'm in!

The dye has been cast, the course set, and the clock is ticking.  My registration has been received and I have been deemed worthy to participate in the 39th running of the St. George Marathon on October 3, 2015. 

So I decided to register for the St. George Marathon on the last day possible on May 4th.  On today's date (5/7/15) the Marathon web site had news that registration had been extended and applicants were being excepted until the marathon reached it's full alottment of 7,800 participants.  So I wanted to know if they were still going to have a lottery or not or if everyone that registered on or before May fourth was in.  So I actually called and talked to a nice lady and she informed me that I have been accepted to run in 2015 St. George Marathon!  I was so excited that I went for a three mile hike in celebration.  Now I have the rest of May to get in shape to start my Marathon training on June first.  Let the summer of torture, pain and less sleep begin!

St. George Marathon Website

Here is a youtube video made by the St. George Marathon.  I have enjoyed watching this video a number of different times.

Running Report 5/5/15 -- 5/7/15

5/5/15 TUESDAY
Ran thee miles.  Half mile splits are:

1. 5.02
2. 4.37
3. 4.36
4. 4.40
5. 4.55
6. 4.54

Total time 28.47 average of 9.36 minutes per mile.  I almost didn't run today but then I sat down and I couldn't get myslef to write the words "no run today" in my journal so I went out and did a slow 3 miles at nine o'clock at night.

Week 8 miles
Month 20 miles
Year 285 miles

5/6/15 WEDNESDAY
Did a treadmill workout.  Total of six miles. 
Mileage           Pace
0 - .25             8.40
.25 - .50          7.40.
.50 - .75          8.34
.75 - 1.00        7.35
1.00 - 1.25      8.26
1.25 - 1.50      7.25
1.50 - 1.75      8.20
1.75 - 2.00      7.25
2.00 - 2.25      8.00
2.25 - 2.50      6.58
2.50 - 2.75      8.00
2.75 - 3.00      6.58
3.00 - 3.25      8.15
3.25 - 3.50      6.45
3.50 - 3.75      8.30
3.75 - 4.00      6.30
4.00 - 4.25      8.45
4.25 - 4.50      6.15
4.50 - 4.75      9.00
4.75 - 5.00      6.00
5.00 - 5.25      6.30
5.25 - 5.50      7.00
5.50 - 5.75      7.30
5.75 - 6.00      8.00

Total time was about 46 minutes but I was more focused on going fast and then recovering and repeating over and over. 

Week 14 miles
Month 26 miles
Year 291 miles

5/7/15 THURSDAY
Ran three mile recovery jog today.

1. 4.12
2. 3.56
3. 4.11
4. 4.10
5. 4.10
6. 4.16

Total time 24.56 average of about 8.19 per mile.

Week 17 miles
Month 29 miles
Year 294 miles

Last Day To Register for the St. George Marathon

I have been going back and forth as to whether I will be in good enough shape by October to run the St. George Marathon and have a decent shot at getting a Boston Qualifying time.  I would have five months.  I ususally use the Hal Higdon training plans, and those are 18 weeks, 4.5 months.  So I would have 4-6 weeks to get in good shape in order to start the 18 week training plan.  The big question is can I take the 7 minute pace that I can barely do three miles at right now and stretch that out to 26.2 miles by October third.  One would think, ok, every week just run one more mile at seven minute pace and you should be at about 22-24 miles at seven minute pace by October 3.  It doesn't really work that way, but good idealism.  I have until about 11 p.m. local time to decide.............

Running Report 5/1/15 -- 5/4/15

5/1/15 FRIDAY
Ran three miles today. 

1. 3.33
2. 3.29
3. 3.29
4. 3.32
5. 3.32
6. 3.21

Total time 20.58 average of approx. 6.59 minute per mile! My original goal for the run was a 7.15 average.  At the end of the first half mile, I thought I would go for a 7.10 based on how I was feeling and the half mile split.  At the end of the second half mile I looked at my watch to see a 3.29 which was a littl surprising.  So I thought maybe I was revise that down to a 7.05 pace for the three miles.  At the end of the third half mile, I looked down to a 3.29 again.  I thought "to heck with it.  I am just going to go for that seven minute mile pace".  That is what I more or less finished with.  Yes I had to work at it but it didn't seem as challenging as last weeks 7 minute pace.  Still challenging but not quite as hard.  Heart rate after 45-60 seconds of finishing was 140. 

Week 15 miles
Month 3 miles
Year 268 miles


5/2/15 SATURDAY
Ran nine miles today.

1. 4.33
2. 4.16
3. 4.18
4. 4.19
5. 4.22
6. 4.22
7. 4.17
8. 4.30
9. 4.19
10. 4.07
11. 4.16
12. 4.08
13. 4.13
14. 4.22
15. 4.22
16. 4.12
17. 4.09
18. 4.20

Total time 1:17.37.  Average of approximately 8.41 per mile. 

Week 24 miles
Month 12 miles
Year 277 miles


5/4/15 MONDAY
Yasso 800's today.
Ran half mile in 3.15 and then slow jog for 3.15, repeat six times.  My first half mile was really hard.  They always are.  Additionally there was a decent headwind and I finished the half mile about 2-3 seconds slow.  I thought that I would do then next half mile in 3.15 as I would have a tailwind, but after that I would change the time to 3.20.  Upon finishing the second repeat, I was about 5-6 seconds fast and it wasn't as hard as the first one.  The tailwind really helped.  Right before starting the third one I convinced myself to do that one in 3.15 and after that I would change the interval time to 3.20 for sure.  I knew it would be hard and into the wind, but this was the last one at 3.15 so I had to push myself to not finish slow.  Upon completing the third repetition, I was 11 seconds fast!  I was surprised I knew that I had worked hard to keep a good strong pace but I had no idea that I was going so much faster.  Repetitions 4-6 were right on the money.  In the end I was glad that I stuck to my original goal of 6 repetitions of 3.15 each.  I had to work at it though and it was not easy.  I had to employ the short goal technique of making it to the telephone pole, and then making it to the next treee etc. etc.  I also thought about how working hard today would pay dividens on my race pace run on Friday and my long run on Saturday.  If I work hard on those two, it will then pay dividens on my interval workout next Monday and so on and so forth.  Three miles of running intervals at 6.30 pace and about 2 miles of slow jog for a total of 5 miles. 

Week 5 miles
Month 17 miles
Year 282 miles