It's been a while since I have posted anything training related, so it's time to make some updates!
I can hardly believe I have 4 weeks worth of scheduled runs to post about. It's been a LONG time since I followed a race training schedule. What a blessing it is to be aiming for a race goal!
Here is (was) the plan for May.
Week 1:
4
Easy 6mi 8:43
|
5
|
6
Quality Session: Easy 7mi w / 6 strides
|
7
Easy 6mi 8:43
|
8
Easy 7mi 8:43
|
9
Easy 5mi 8:43
|
10
Quality Session: Easy 8 w / 6 strides
|
39.0mi
|
The first week pretty much followed the script. Things started off feeling way too easy, until the reality set in that I am now running 6 days a week (and not 5).
By the end of the week I was missing my extra sleep-in day! Notice that speed work was very light- just 2 sets of strides.
By the end of the week I was missing my extra sleep-in day! Notice that speed work was very light- just 2 sets of strides.
Week 2:
11
Easy 5mi 8:43
|
12
|
13
Quality Session: Threshold/
Interval 7mi |
14
Easy 5mi 8:43
|
15
Easy 6mi 8:43
|
16
Easy 4mi 8:43
|
17
Quality Session: easy long run 12 mi
|
39.0mi
|
Quality workout: 2 mile warm up
1x2 miles @ 7:15 pace
2:00 recovery
3x1K in 4:09
w/3:00 recovery
1 mile cool down
Still following the plan pretty well here ... One good set of T and intervals in ☺ And made a switch-er-oo at the end of the week ..
I made it to the coast with my family for the Sunday "easy 5 miler" and was spoiled by beautiful weather and blooming native rhododendrons!!
Putting some more trail miles ♥ on my Altra LonePeak1.5 's !
Week 3:
18
Easy 6mi 8:43
|
19
|
20
Quality Session: Easy+
|
21
Easy 6mi 8:43
|
22
Easy 7mi 8:43
|
23
Easy 4mi 8:43
|
24
Quality Session: Easy+
|
44.0 mi
|
What really happened?
This quality workout:
I got invited to a Sunday trail run for the 18th, so I swapped runs for the 17th and the 18th which made week 2 a bit smaller and 3 a bit bigger.. Being flexible was worth it. I got to run trails with friends for an "easy long run."
Week 4:
This was a volume cutback week..
I fully expected to feel like I was robbed of a nice long run today (the 31st). However, with the intensity of the 2 threshold runs, I didn't miss the miles AT ALL.
In fact, today's run (B) I decided to shift off the road and on to a challenging trail. The paces were written on my hand, but I wore my heart rate monitor (and GPS watch, and kept an app running on my phone). My goal was to run "by effort", but of course the numbers were way off from the road paces.
This leads me to wonder about what I should be shooting for with a race pace. One of my google plus friends, +G.A. Smith , asked what my goal would be for the September race. Well.. your guess is as good as mine right now!
***
Are you open or private about your race goals?
What's the hardest workout you have done recently? Mine was today's trail threshold run! I should have found a race..
Tell me about a recent blessing!
This quality workout:
A.
And this one:
I got invited to a Sunday trail run for the 18th, so I swapped runs for the 17th and the 18th which made week 2 a bit smaller and 3 a bit bigger.. Being flexible was worth it. I got to run trails with friends for an "easy long run."
Week 4:
25
Easy 5mi 8:43
|
26
|
27
Quality Session: Easy+
Threshold 10 miles |
28
Easy 5mi 8:43
|
29
Easy 6mi 8:43
|
30
Easy 4mi 8:43
|
31
Quality Session: Easy+ Threshold
|
39.0 mi
|
Quality Workouts:
A. 2 mile warm up
4x1 mile @ 7:15
w/ 1:00 recovery
8x200m in :47
w/ 200m recovery
2 mile cool down
B.
2 mile warm up
2x1 mile @ 7:15
w/ 1 min recovery
1x 2 mile @7:15
w/ 2 min recovery
1 mile @ 7:15
1 mile cool down
I fully expected to feel like I was robbed of a nice long run today (the 31st). However, with the intensity of the 2 threshold runs, I didn't miss the miles AT ALL.
In fact, today's run (B) I decided to shift off the road and on to a challenging trail. The paces were written on my hand, but I wore my heart rate monitor (and GPS watch, and kept an app running on my phone). My goal was to run "by effort", but of course the numbers were way off from the road paces.
This leads me to wonder about what I should be shooting for with a race pace. One of my google plus friends, +G.A. Smith , asked what my goal would be for the September race. Well.. your guess is as good as mine right now!
***
Are you open or private about your race goals?
What's the hardest workout you have done recently? Mine was today's trail threshold run! I should have found a race..
Tell me about a recent blessing!
Looks like your training is going well -- some good numbers there! The purple flowers on the trail remind me of wisteria. Nice trails and the weather would be pretty good now too.
ReplyDeleteYou might be able to figure out a race goal by going over past results and seeing what times people record for familiar distances like HMs or road marathons.
I'm open about goals -- makes them real and adds a little pressure which can help in achieving the goals. I don't like 'A, B and C' goals! Have an A goal and nothing else.
My hardest workout was the race I ran today. Apart from regular races, I rarely do hard workouts - I just run and try to run at MAF effort if I'm feeling okay that day.
Funny you should suggest that! I sometimes look over race results that way on Athlinks to judge a course, or a competitor's ability. I found myself doing that with some of the racers who finished this last year to see what I might expect for an overall time. Great thinking, Ewen ;) !
DeleteBTW... I am on board with "A" only races.. except that I can hide it a bit more with trail runs if I have a workout instead of a real race. Your race distances are good distances for racing and training both!
It's great that you're back to training for a race after having to take time off. One of my training goals is to run more miles at race pace like you're doing. That should make it easier to run the goal pace on race day. Plus, it's good to run that pace to see what it feels like. Another goal of mine is to be able to run goal pace without having to check my watch.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about running at race pace! Only trouble is- or maybe it is a joy- is that the pace is all over the place on trails, (as you are aware!)
DeleteGood to hear from you, Tina!
Your training looks awesome so far! I'm pretty open about goals, when I have some. ; )
ReplyDeleteGosh the trails are so gorgeous there!
Haha!! I can understand that! When I am just rebuilding, that is the only goal.
DeleteGreat job! Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your support Fred! I hope your rebuilding is going well and the muscles are adding on to muscles :)
DeleteLots of beautiful pictures! so nice to have beautiful places to run isn't it. The hardest workout I have done recently is maybe an interval workout, but I am easing into things right now :)
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you, Christy! Easing in is always the best way back to running. Smart lady ♥ !
DeleteI'm pretty candid about my goals. It keeps me accountable and also allows me to share what's going on in my world with others. Great pics, I've never trail runned before but it seems so awesome...
ReplyDeleteThat is a good standpoint, Marc. I am rarely disappointed when I choose to be more open with my training. You ought to try trail running. It is a real release!
DeleteBeautiful photos Raina - I must make time in my life to run some Oregon trails!
ReplyDeleteI usually share my goals, if I have time to write the blog post! I really enjoy reading the aspirations of others, their training, their success or failure, and the 'why' - it's very educational.
My pace is all over the place running trails! I'm weak on the hills, but strong on the downhill so try to take advantage of that. I guess I run by effort, because although I'm always glancing at my watch while road running, I rarely do while trail running! For my finishing time I look at the previous year's results, and I'll always be somewhere around the middle!
I know what you mean about having time!
DeleteIt's funny you say that . I try to go by effort as well but I always find myself looking at my watch anyway, as if it will tell me something useful!
Nice running, my dear!!! I also love your pics (per usual).
ReplyDeleteGoals- I like sharing my goals on my blog, but not really on a bigger screen such as FB. (Far fewer people read my blog than my FB.) It's not that I don't want to share my goals or feel this deep sense of privacy, but I don't want to be "that annoying girl" that always posts ridiculous running stuff (not ridiculous to me, but others might think so). And I know what it's like to be injured or not running well and read others' posts and sometimes feel that green jealously monster. I don't want anyone to feel like that b/c of me.
My biggest workout accomplishments lately???? Well, being 6+ months preggo, there are a few. LOL, but the biggest is trying to see how many miles I can go without a potty break or wetting my pants! Hahaa!
Keep up the good work! You're doing awesome!
I understand completely about what you are saying regarding Facebook. I stopped most of my running related posts there for the same reason. But I continue to share photos because I think a lot of my non-running fiends enjoy those.
DeleteLaughing about your goals! I remember well.. :)
Friends not fiends! Lol
DeleteYour training is looking great. I think you will have a great 50k. Beautiful pics! I am quite open but I must admit I have a few secret ones...:) They are really hardcore ultra stuff and I will only mention them if I feel ready one year. Recent blessing... my parent's 60th anniversary on 1 May.
ReplyDeleteI hope your one year comes soon Johann! I would really like to read those.
DeleteLooks like your training is going so well!! I am usually very open about race and training goals. For now, it's staying healthy and active through the last two months of pregnancy!
ReplyDeleteI always appreciate that about your blog, Laura.
DeleteKeep up the great training ; you're going to be in great shape for that baby!
Great job Raina! Hard to believe how fast the first month has gone by!
ReplyDeleteAmazing... how quickly indeed!
DeleteThat is some great training! I saw the title and thought you trained for a 50K in just 4 weeks and at first I was like "what?" Then, I thought if anyone, you can do it. Then I read the post and realized I misread. But still, great work!
ReplyDeleteThat would have been something else, LOL! I think that's what I tried to do last February before my injuries took me out completely. Thanks for having faith in me!
DeleteI've been following you for awhile... I love your posts and pics. You don't know me-- but you know my coach. :)
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with the 50k; sounds like training is going very well!
Great to hear from you! I am so happy you decided to comment today.
DeleteThanks for the well wishes :)) Hmmm.. I wonder which coach this is!
I got to read your blog through the links and I hope you know that I have been in your shoes. Wishing you quick healing of heart and body. God has something great waiting for you at the end of this.
Bangle. My "real" name is Peg.
DeleteThanks for letting me know, Peg! He is a good guy. I hope to make it to a race with him and some of his cronies one of these times. I missed my chance last year with PF.
DeleteRecent blessing!? I have several but can't talk about a couple yet!, I did have an inspiring weekend watching a handful of athletes I work with graduate and many are going on to college? Most of them are runners:)
ReplyDeleteWell, now I am curious!! Sounds like you have had a little coaching payback :)
DeleteThose are some great workouts, Raina! I completely understand your dilemma regarding a goal...I'm totally unsure what kind of time I'm looking at for Portland and am kind of playing it by ear at this point. Hardest workout for me has always been true long runs and I did a long one of 10 miles+60 minutes pool running on Sunday I'm still not recovered from.
ReplyDeleteThat's a tough workout! Pool running must have been hard after the 10 miles.. I would be tempted to just cool down and call it good. :)
DeletePlaying it by ear is good. Maybe closer to October, you will have a practice race that will give a better idea of what to shoot for. Thanks for commenting, Kyle!
The photo where you run near the river is priceless. I am sorry but in this period no recent blessing. The things go wrong: more bad injures.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you, Stefano!
DeleteI am sorry things aren't going well for you. Prayers that you will heal quickly.
Your training records seems to be pretty solid for your marathon goal, so I am sure you will keep it up!. On my part I wanted to be pain free from the injuries, so on Monday I will see a doctor in order to know how to run again, crossing my fingers :)
ReplyDeleteWow Raina! Look at all those miles and they are such coveted paces! I'm so happy for you! I would prefer to be private about race goals, because I feel that setting a goal makes one vulnerable. But I've been open to them because they are humbling when I don't attain them and make me that much more determined. Blessings? I would lose count because I have an infinite amount.
ReplyDeleteI love reading your training plans! It's so motivating to me. I'm pretty open about race goals.
ReplyDeleteRecent blessing: I'm tapering for a race this weekend, and I was able to sleep in until 7:30am this morning. That never happens! :)
Great post on training with VDOT O2 and congrats on four weeks of solid training! I've been programming the VDOT O2 workouts into RunKeeper and putting my iPhone in a SPIBelt and listening to my pace by setting audio cues - and RK also tells me when to start the intervals and when to rest. Pretty cool and I never thought I would be able to run with all that gear. My hardest workout recently was definitely the 20 miler. haven't run that far in almost 10 years! Keep up the great work and you'll crush the 50K in September!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Your training looks amazing!! The pics are great too! I have been so busy with my girls I haven't blogged around much this summer! I am still running but just a few miles in the early morning to avoid the AZ sun! I am looking forward to winter! Hope your summer is going great! Carri~A Running bee
ReplyDelete