Week 5 half plan

This week is hot! Damn hot! Fortunately I didn't have much major planned until Friday. Sunday my wife and I did the Bob Harper (from TV's Biggest Loser show) strength training dvd. It's hard, but good. Unfortunately it trashes the legs for running. I was going to do 9x400s - but between the legs and the fact that my car was in the shop - I ended up just doing part of Lestertown on route to getting my car. Very hot run. But not as hot as today. Today I went from work - just a simple 4 miler. Killer. Ughh. Tomorrow, I'm thinking swim - Thursday off, long run Friday - about 2 hours. With any luck, I'll be running free of hurricane Earl.

Well paced 12 miler

Yesterday I headed out for 12. Seemed long - lots of chaffing. It took 1 hour and 40 minutes. I ran from my house to Mumford's cove at GLP - then did the Haley farm loop, back through Mumford's, then the loop at GLP and then home. It felt harder than I thought it would, but it's the longest I've run in a while and it caps a pretty busy running week. 4 hours total running over almost 29 miles. Next week's total mileage will be less - but the long run will be longer. Then the following week I'll put in over 30 miles including a 15 miler. Can't say I feel great about the 1/2 yet - but maybe 2 more weeks will change that.

Happy Birthday Run

Yesterday I did the big loop - including 'the bitch' - a run that took 51:30 over 6.5 miles. I kept up a pretty good pace after the first mile and even managed a 7:15 Sneekers Mile in the middle. Tuesday morning I woke up 3 hours before my talk in Boston to get a run in along the Charles. Not far - just under 3 miles - but something to help me wake up. The day before, I kicked-off week 4 with the Lestertown loop - always brutal. I did it in 54 minutes (another 6.5 miles), plus I did about a mile before hand as a warmup. So I'm getting some runs in this week after taking last week a little easy for the Triathlon. I still have a long run set for Friday - I'll probably swim today.

Tri Results

Yesterday I completed the Pfi Sprint Triathlon at Eastern Point Beach. I did about average: 1 hour 21 minutes and 36 seconds (10th out of 23 men). Unlike previous years I had a decent bike, great T2 transition and a pretty good run. I struggled mightily in the water - especially considering that I've been swimming all winter/spring this year. The breathing just wasn't there. The swim took 14:42 - which was the 15th/23 men. I was hoping to be at least in the top half - if not the top 3rd. I didn't have a wet suite which may account for some of it - but I think I should've done about one minute better based on the times of people I know I can swim with. Oh well, something to work on. On the plus side, I did much better on the bike. I did 41:54 which was good for 12th/23. Not great - but not horrible. My T2 was pretty much the fastest - about 30 seconds faster than anyone else - since I didn't have to switch shoes (mentally - I think that puts me up into the top 10 or so). The run started very hard - probably > 8 min/mile pace for the first mile, but once I caught my legs - I had a decent final 2 miles and finished strong: 7:38 min/mile pace. Of my 3 attempts at this try - this is by far my best attempt - so I am happy about that. It certainly is a lot harder that your standard run race.

I've taken the week pretty easy leading up to this. Monday I did my final BRICK: 47 minutes on the bike and 17 minutes running. Tuesday I did 6x400s at ConnCollege. They felt great. I can't wait to get back to the track in 2 weeks. I was suppose to do 8x400s - but I wanted to take it a little easy just 2 days before the tri. I have a 8 mile run tomorrow or Sunday and I'm done for the week.

Monster Week

Wow. That was one hell of a week! I last updated Tuesday (a swim/bike combo day). Wednesday was tough. I started with the bike into work - not a big deal. Then I did a brutal 2x10 minute tempo workout. The workout was fine - but the heat was rough - total mileage 5.6 miles. Thursday was the easiest of the week: 3 miles running (only 1.5 each way) sandwiching a 1000 meter open water swim. The swim felt good - although my breathing felt a little labored - probably good I got one in this week. I'll try to do another next week. Today I did 8.2 miles around Groton with Greg. Weather was picture perfect but my legs were dragging - I think I'm ready for a rest. I'll probably rest both days this weekend and do a BRICK on Monday.

Tri-ing it.

So I think I'm in for the triathlon next Thursday. I have a borrowed bike setup and I've managed 2 bikes this week: yesterday at lunch and today after work (the ride home). I followed yesterday's ride with a short 20 minute run (not counting the talk with Mark who's injured) - my first BRICK in awhile. Today at lunch I did a great swim workout: 500 warmup; 2x200 steady; 300 build; 2x100 steady - breathing every 4; 2x100 pull + cooldown: 1750 total! Probably the most since I started back last winter.

Keeping me spinning: Superchunk! Ahh the 90s (although it looks like they're releasing more!).

John and Jesse Kelly Ocean Beach Race.

This morning I headed over to Ocean Beach New London for the 48th annual John and Jesse Kelly Ocean Beach run. 11.6 miles - usually brutally hot - but very nice and dry this morning. I ran with a friend from work through the first 8 miles at a 8 min/mile pace before moving a bit toward the end to end up with a 7:48 pace (~1 hour 30 minutes and change). It felt great and very relaxed - my first run of any distance in many months. This caps my first week of my 8 week half-marathon training plan. The next 2 weeks will be a little weird because of the triathlon - I may not do another run longer than 8 miles for 3 weeks - but I'll be doing enough biking and swimming to - hopefully - make up for it.

Summer Swelter

I had a solid swim Tuesday: 500 warmup, 1x200 slow; 2x200 build; 1x200 fast - did the last one in under 4 minutes. I then biked home - about 10 miles and 44 minutes. This morning I biked in (~47 minutes, almost 10 miles), then went for a run 2 hours later - very sluggish. 5 miles in about 43 minutes. I was suppose to do 7x400s - but maybe tomorrow, or I'll bag them all together. It's a little tough adhering to the 1/2-plan and squeeze in the bike work for the tri. I'm hoping the biking and swimming helps the running more than the intervals would - and I can do them later anyway...

btw, weather turned brutal today - horrible run. ughh.

Swim, Bike, Run?

Is there a Tri in my future? I thought not. I had done no biking until last week - and hadn't done much of anything through much of July. Yet I did manage to get out on the bike twice last week: biking home Wednesday and biking into work on Thursday morning. I also learned that the Pfizer tri wasn't until the 19th this year - so I may have time to get my bike muscles into gear. I have about 10 days to figure it out before I'll need to make a sign-up decision. Normally I'd go ahead and do it - but this week starts my 1/2 training plan - so I'll need to be a little careful on getting all these workouts in. Last week looked like:

• Sunday - strength workout - 40 minutes.
• Monday - sweaty sneakers mile: 6.5 miles running, one of those miles fast [~sub-7:00].
• Tuesday - swim - I think about 1400 - 34 minutes.
• Wednesday - biked home - took about 44 minutes.
• Thursday - biked in - took about 48 minutes. Also did a 4 mile run.
• Friday- mowed the lawn. Harder than it sounds.
• Saturday - short 3 mile run. Totals: 13.5 running + 9.5 xt.
• Sunday - Martian time slip day - not included in either of my training plans, therefore it didn't really exist.

This week - I'm starting my 1/2 plan. I did 5 miles running today - including 3 miles at pace that I'm estimating at sub 7:30. It felt good to run fast-ish. Tomorrow I'll swim and possibly bike home. Wednesday - bike in and maybe do afternoon intervals. Thursday and Friday are more open - but no running - since I'll be doing the John J. Kelly summer scorcher at Ocean Beach on Saturday - more of a 1/2-plan long training run - but If I'm feeling ok I'll push it a little.