Trust The Process

6 miles today on the TM (1%) including a 2 mile time trial.

2 mile warm up;

1 mile @ 5:56 pace, .5 mile @ 5:52 pace, .5 mile @ 5:42 pace;

.5 mile recovery @ 8:00 pace;

.5 mile @ 5:42 pace;

1 mile cool down

The run felt really good today.  I am optimistic about breaking 19 min for the 5k on Saturday.

4 recovery miles on the TM (1%).  8:52 avg pace

I walked over to the race with my wife and son as the start was about a mile away from our house.  The temperature was in the low 40s and windy.  I wore my split shorts, singlet, arm warmers, and a winter cap that I forgot to take off before the race started.

I finished my warm up and strides about 5 minutes before the scheduled start.  The race started about 10 minutes late.  At the time I had lined up at the start, I was right near the front, then a large number of people jumped in front of the start pads before the start (a large amount of them had no business starting in the front).  Compounding the issue was that the race started on UPenn's campus on a walking path no mor than 15 feet wide so the start was very congested.

The gun went off and immediately, the person in front of me falls over.  I barely dodged the individual and it took me 7 seconds to get to the start (gun time vs chip time was 7 seconds).  I was concerned with the slow traffic in front so I spent way too much energy getting around them for the first .25 miles including times where I was running on the grass to get around people.  When I looked down at my watch at .25 miles once I got around the traffic, I was running a 5:35 pace and was already breathing hard.  Again, I went out too fast.

My splits were as follows:

5:56, 6:09, 6:17, 5:23 pace (final .19 miles).  My watch read the course at 3.19 miles (6:05 total avg pace).  I was totally spent after the run and my lungs still feel a little junky now 7 hours later.

This was a PR so I am happy about that, and if my Garmin was true, I am happy with the overall pace.  The course was supposed to be USATF certified, so not sure why my watch was off.  Probably some added distance with the weaving in and out at the beginning as well as in the middle section of the course as there was a portion of the course that was run twice.

7 easy miles outside around the campus of Haverford College including 4.75 miles around the track.  Total time was 1 hour.

My watch read right at 4.75 miles for the time spent on the track which makes me believe my Garmin is reading correctly.  Makes believe that the 5k course yesterday was in fact a little long as my watch read.

The school is very close to Merion Country Club, where the US Open for golf will be held this year.  There are already a bunch of hospitallity tents up in prep for the tourney.

4.25 recovery miles.  I had planned to run on the TM during my lunch break but it was so nice out (around 70 degrees) that I decided to run outside.  Didn't have my garmin so I had to estismate distance using Google Pedometer. 

Ran from the gym up 5th street, over the Ben Franklin Bridge via the pedestrian walkway and back.  Down Race St to 2nd, 2nd to Market, Market to 5th and 5th back to the gym.  Time was around 36 minutes.

7.5 miles on the TM (1%) including speedwork intervals:

2 mile warm up;

3 x .5 miles (5:52 pace) with .25 mile recovery (8:00 pace);

1 x .5 miles (5:49 pace) with .25 mile recovery (8:00 pace);

1 x .5 miles (5:46 pace) with .25 mile recovery (8:00 pace);

1 x .5 miles (5:42 pace) with .25 mile recovery (8:00 pace);

1 mile cool down

I got through this workout without much difficulty eventhough my legs felt pretty tight this morning.

5.4 easy miles outside in the beautiful weather.  I ran from the gym, around Olde City (Penn's Landing) and over the BF Bridge and back.  Avg pace was 8:09.

5 miles on the TM (1%).  7:50 avg pace.

7.1 miles on the TM (1%), including 5 LT miles.

1.1 mile warm up

5 miles @ 6:22 pace

1 mile cool down 

This workout was tough, but I got through it.  My legs felt it worse than my lungs today.

9.5 very easy miles with my wife and pushing my son in the stroller.  We ran along West River Drive.  It was breezy but it felt very nice outside this afternoon.

I am taking the morning off tomorrow from work to watch the Boston Marathon via webcast.  Hopefully I can learn more about the course by watching the race. 

5 miles today including two 5 minute speedwork intervals.

1.5 mile warm up

2 x 5 min @ 5:52 pace with 3.5 min recoveries @ 8:00 pac

Cool down

I couldn't get into the run today.  i had limited time since things are crazy busy at work, plus I a still in shock about the bombings at the boston marathon.  my prayers are with the victims and their families

6 miles on the TM (1%). 8:00 avg pace

4 miles on the TM (1%). 8:30 avg pace. I took it easy today since I fell like i am getting a cold. Felt better after the run so i am glad i got a few miles in.

6 miles with my wife an our son in the stroller along west river drive. 10:20 avg pace

11.5 miles along the Kelly drive / west river drive loop including 7 MP miles. It was very windy today which made the MP miles much harder than expected.

Total time was around 1:25:00. I don't know the exact time/distance since my garmin died shortly after mile 11. Avg MP for the 7 miles was 6:58.

6 miles on the TM (1%) including 6 quarter mile intervals @ 5:46 pace with .15 mile recovery jogs. Total avg pace was 7:33. My work sponsored 5k is this thursday night. My legs feel good this evening so i am not concerned that i pushed too hard today.

4 easy miles on the TM (1%) with 6 sets of strides. Avg pace was 8:45.

5k tomorrow night

Similar to last year, the weather was nice tonight (about 64 degrees at the start).  There was some noticable wind in the middle section of the race, but nothing terrible.  I tried to keep it somewhat conservative at the start, but still went out a little fast (first .25 miles was at 5:40 pace.  I made a conscious effort to slow dow a bit for the rest of the first mile, eventhough there was at least 20 people in front of me.  I crossed the 1 mile mark at 5:57 and was feeling good.  The wind was felt the most from miles 1 to 1.55 at the turn around.  I was working hard to keep the pace at 6:00.  After the turn around, things felt better for a little while.  Mile 2 was at 6:00 pace.  I started feeling bad after 2.5 miles and was just trying to hang on at that point.  I felt at that point that my position in the race wasnt going to change so I let up a little bit, but still wanted to break 19 min.  Mile 3 was at 6:15.  By the time I could see the finish and the clock, it read 18:48 and I thought I still had a chance to break 19 min if I pushed it for the final kick.  I crossed the line at 18:59.  The final .13 was at 5:57 pace.  Total avg pace for the 3.13 miles per my garmin was 6:04.  I thought going sub 19 min would get me in the top 10, but I finished in 16th. Last year, I ran 19:44 and I placed 18th.  This was another official PR by about 22 seconds although I think the previous PR was on a long course.

I am happy with the result.  It has been a long week at work and I have not slept well.  I felt very sluggish during my pre race warm up so I am glad my body was able to respond well during the race.

5 easy miles on the TM (1%).  8:24 avg pace.

8 easy miles with my wife along the NCR trail near baltimore.  10:07 avg pace.

I feel happy for lauren. This will be her first long race since giving birth and she has prepared to a point where this pace should be pretty comfortable for a 10 miler.

6 miles on the TM (1%). 7:35 avg pace including .5 miles at LT and .5 miles at VO2 max.  i picked up the pace for a bit to test out my right hamstring which had been tight over the weekend post 5K.  felt fine during the run and now 30 min after.  hopefully it feels good tonight.

Progressive tempo run today on the TM (1%) and my last hard workout before the 10 miler on Sunday.

1 mile warm up;

3 miles at 6:31 pace;

1 mile at 6:27 pace;

1 mile at 6:22 pace;

1 mile cool down

7:04 total avg pace