running

Around 9:15 average. Nothing exciting but the miles are in the bank.

Pace with the group felt easier today. Not sure if that means I am in slightly better shape or it's just part of the ebb and flow of workouts. Garmin still put me in zone 5. I don't buy that. I wasn't working that hard. I think it miscalculates max heart rate for older runners then it's zones are off.

Easy

Another local race to humble me. Course is challenging. First mile is all downhill. Second mile is up hill. By the third I just hope I can hang on. A few local races use this course so I have run it a few times. Today was the fastest by almost a min. 17 sec per mile faster than last year. Happy with effort. Spent at the end but won't be sore tomorrow. Came away with age group third place.

Felt pretty good considering I raced yesterday. Was carefully listening for any twinges. Injury would be bad. But there were none so I ran 8 miles at 8:40 average. Probably faster than I needed too but it's done.

Feeling more enthusiastic about training again. Was pretty burned out after half. Thought it was more emotional than physical. Need to figure out a plan that I can follow that gets me some strength and speed training, more core work, stretching and upper body weights, and more time in the hot tub. I can do all that but I have to also be flexible with work and weather.

Just enough to loosen up.  Stretching and weights at the gym today.

7 miles on treadmill.  6 under 8:40.  Felt pretty easy.

So windy I felt like a cartoon character running in place at times. Watch ran out of battery in the middle but I know I was running pretty slow.

Slippery so pretty slow.

Pretty slow. Legs do not like the cold they feel more sore after a run.

8:42 average. Not sure what to think about this one. Suggested training paces say it was too fast. I was shooting for 9 min miles but once I started rolling at 8:45 I just kept going. Pace felt right. Part of me thinks that I have to be able to run the shorter stuff faster than 9 min marathon goal pace so that when I run longer I will have the endurance to sustain it. Another part says I should devote a lot of runs at 9 min pace so I can lock in that pace. And the last part says I should follow the training paces because they must know what they are doing.

Basically I am gonna keep running by feel, trying to get faster and stronger while carefully listening to the body and trying to avoid injury. Given that - run today was perfect. Will go easy tomorrow.

Pretty easy pace with the group.

3 miles of faster running. A quarter on a quarter off. Watch wasn't working right. Only have mile splits. It was pitch dark and foggy. No way to adjust watch. They were at least under 8.

Thinking about Vermont marathon.

9:06 average with the group. Felt faster than that. Some long gradual hills on the run.

Didn't feel great. Too cold. Legs were sore and crampy. Still held 9 min mile pace.

What a difference a week makes. Ran about a min per mile slower than last week. Heart rate was in the low 130's the whole way. Just didn't have the drive to go faster. Guess the combination of cold and 9 miles yesterday made me slow today.

Easy run.

With the crew. A bit rainy but tolerable. 9 min ave.

3 mile warm up then 6 x 1/4 mile with 1/4 slow between. 7:30 on the fast part.

Pretty slow. Last mile 8:35.

It doesn't seem as far as it used to, but still sounds like a long way. I really don't mind the 7,8 or even 10 milers but longer than that I get bored and tired. Pretty relaxed today. Hilly course ran around 10 min miles last one in 9 pretty easily.

Ready to start bumping up the milage again. Looks like I will shoot for Cleveland marathon in May.

Just enough to loosen up today. Everything feels good.

Cold and slow.