Let me start by apologizing for not posting in a couple of weeks. I have been having trouble breaking 20 miles per week for the last few weeks and I was ashamed to post. There... I completely recognize that I avoided a core element of this blog - letting myself be held accountable. I will be better about posting regularly so that AJMac and NotsoflashGordon can ride me to better performance and trust that we are in this together.
This week was better:
Monday - 4 miles tempo
Tuesday - 9 miles (11 x 400 @ 6:00 pace, 6 x 100 strides)
Wednesday - didn't get out
Thursday - 8 miles (more on this below)
Friday - Cherish had surgery on her knee
Saturday and Sunday are planned out so that I can put in a 10 mile run and a 6 mile easy run. If I complete those days, then my week will total 37 miles - a vast improvement over the weeks past. This is important, because this first quarter of 2008 had just as many cookies as miles. Which is sometimes okay with me; but it is making it hard to get to race fitness... really hard... like chocolate chip oatmeal raisin hard.
For those wondering, Cherish is okay. She had arthroscopic knee surgery and is starting to feel better from the anesthesia. The recovery should be short and hopefully this will help her feel better on a daily basis. There was some tearing inside and the doctor assures me that it is all fixed. Thank you for asking.
So, yesterday, Thursday, I ran 8 miles. I meant to turn the run into a bunch of fartleks. So, I ran out 4 miles at a good stretching pace (33 minutes - not fast and dangerous for starting out, but not debilitating either). When I turned around, I started my fartleks. I basically wanted a bunch of 200 meter fartleks and soon realized that I just turned the second half into one giant 4 mile fartlek. By the end of the run, I finished the 8 miles in 59 minutes. That means that the second 4 miles took 26 minutes = 6.5 minute pace, mostly going up hill. There is still a large gap to the 18:59, but that run yesterday was promising - without being at a race fitness level, I am 38 seconds better than last years best 5K race time and only 12 seconds away from being sub 19 minutes. I feel good about approaching my PR (19:36) in several weeks and putting myself into position to make a serious leap.
Now, it is time to congratulate AJMac! What a duathalon race he put in! AJMac won his age division, demonstrated a great level of fitness, is primed for dropping his 5K pace rapidly, made us all proud and looked freaking good while doing it (did you see his photos - Oh Behave!). I think I speak for all of us when I say that he is an inspiration and a bar set high for NotsoflashGordon and I. Congratulations, AJMac! Keep up the good work... it is definitely paying off.
And now for a "thank you" to the rabid dogs chasing AJMac. Keep it up boys! Your making him go faster.
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You sir, are a running machine. Really. I'm convinced that your innards are all mechanical, gears and pistons and such.
Sorry to learn that Cherish hurt her knee. Happy to learn that it's ship shape. I had a torn meniscus scoped two years ago. Was walking in a week and skiing in four. But don't tell my PT. About the skiing, I mean.
Thanks for congrats. I'm thinking Topps should start a line of duathlon player cards. I've got my photo all picked out. It makes me look like I actually have muscles. That's cuz my wife was behing the camera. She's biased, you know.
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