Arlington and winding down

 So I did my 'Arlington' workout last week.  It was hard - but I think the normal track intervals on short rest are harder.  Maybe the main benefit of the workout is you get some good mile intervals in - as well as some shorter/faster sets - definitely something different.  I went back to the short rest  6x800 this week.  Was cold out and felt hard.  I'm basically done for the year.  I don't think I'm going to do a 5k time trial.  I haven't really done the tempo work - so just doesn't make a ton of sense.  I liked my tempo pyramide last spring - so i think I'll have to find some time to do that again next year - and hopefully do some race prep.  Highlights for the year: 

• SuperSunday 5M in February- only race I ran; 
• Completed Strava hill challenge in March; 
• tempo pyramid in April; 
• virtual Ragnar in May; 
• 5:54 track in May; 
• quarantine backyard ultra in July; 
• 16 and 17 milers in August; 
• Real solid 15 miler in early October
• do-it-yourself backyard ultra (27.2 miles - a single day record) also in October;

and that's about i did a 6:11 mile time-trial in November following some speed work - which clearly didn't take.  And I've been doing 5k intervals since then. May still try and hit the track dec/jan - but kinda losing any sense of urgency. 

Random workout time

 So it is post mile time trial, still covid - no races, and I'm just making crap up now.  I'm loosely following this 5k/10k plan from podium runner.  It is a little easier than the mile plan i just did in terms of pace, but the real short rest (100 m 400s, 200m 800s) between intervals makes them real lung busters.  I put my 5k pace at 6:40 - so 800s are run at 3:20, 600s at 2:30 and 400s at 1:40.  I did 8x400 after my fast - and it was real difficult.  Later that same week I did the 8x600s - and they felt hard but good.  This last week I did the 6x800s - and the last two were very difficult.  

I also wanted to do a few more tempos - again randomly - so yesterday I did 3 miles at a 7:19 pace - which is kinda sad - but hopefully I can crank that down like I did last spring.  Long runs have been solid: 10 miles last Saturday and 10.2 today.  I've also managed a good medium length 7 milers the last two weeks.  

Continuing with the random workout theme - i may try this Michigan workout either this week or next week.  Not sure I'm in good enough shape to run 9 miles that hard - so i may take out the 1200 and just do 1600, 800, 400 - with only 2 miles of 'tempo' pace.  I think that would be about 7 miles - which seems more doable.  

Mile time trial

Well, that didn't go great.  Perfect day out - really warm for late November.  I knew it'd be tough to run under 6 with no race or pacing - and pulling the buff on and off due to walkers - but I only did a 6:11 which is pretty disappointing.  I did this training plan from Podium Runner.  I really like the plan - but for me I think I need to add in some more tempo runs.  The two 2-mile tempos are great - but I think I benefited last spring when i did this plan - but had tempos every week: 2, 3, 4, 5, 3, 2 - so kinda built in some endurance and then focused back down to speed.  After that I managed a 5:54 - which was still off - but way better than 6:11.  Oh well - probably was still good to have another speed block.  

Mile Week 7

Vote counting week.  A wee bit high on the stress-o-meter.  Can't believe we're seeing this kind of garbage in this country.  People are nuts.  

 Had some crappy weather to end last week - just an easy 9.3 miler on Sunday - and pushed part of the week into this week.  Tuesday - took it easy - 7.2 miles of anxious running.  Wednesday - anxious intervals: 3x1000 at 4:02 (5k pace; 2 min. off) followed by 4x200 at 0:43 (1 minute rest).  These all felt pretty good.  Today easy 4.6.  

As I've been fighting my injury - I've decided to summarize my shoes experience.  For those reading - I'm about 150, medium over-pronator - usually run in stability shoes.  

The summary table gives the tale of the tape.  

Mizunos have the best arch 'wrap' - some support naturally via the way the upper curls down to the 

sole.  Pretty decent cushion/feel and stability.  The negatives - not super stable.  If it were my only shoe - the pronation control probably wouldn't be enough.  Still good to have them eating up some miles.

Brooks I loved last year.  This year's model seems a bit off.  Definitely need the orthotic to help with my arch issue.  They feel nice and cushioned.  Not sure I'm feeling the 'max' stability though.  Kinda about the same as the mizuno.

Hokas have been my goto this year.  J-frame seems to work best for stability (for me anyway).  Love the lightweight and rocker feel.  The cushion feels ok - not super plush like other hokas - but I've done most of my long runs with these- so certainly adequate.  Since the sole is so wide - arch support from the upper is non-existent - definitely need those orthotics to run in.  

Recently, I've tried some of the interesting toe-box shoes.  I actually bought the Topos first.  I love walking around in these, but I just didn't think they had enough motion-control for me.  They feel amazing - a great fit.  Just don't feel comfortable putting in huge miles - and they kind of have a slappy feel that would make them not great for faster workouts.  The Altras are similar. The toe box feel is good - the overall feel is ok - not as good as the Topos though.  They also do feel heavy.  I'd think the pronation control would be great - but find my heel clipping my inner leg often - which tells me they aren't working as designed.  They may be cushioned, but the slappy feel doesn't feel great running.  I think that the 0 mm offset is either something that I'm not built for - or something I'd have to get used to.  I'll continue to try and put a few runs in each of these to see if I get used to them, but I don't see them getting a second chance - and I'm glad I bought them at a discount.  Next year - probably going hoka, mizuno again.  The brooks don't have a ton of miles - so I'll stretch those into next year.

One thing i am missing is a good 'fast' shoe for some workouts and races.  I'd love to try the brooks hyperion tempo or saucony endorphin speed - but I'm not sure how the lack of stability would factor in.  Would be nice to have a rocket to race in.  

Mile Week 6

 So I ended week 5 with a tough 2 mile tempo (6:39 and 6:41).  Did it at the track - and pretty happy with that.  I then finished the week with an easy 12 miles up and back to Lexington - gave me over 1000 miles for the year.  

Last week I had the hardest workout of the mile plan: 2x800 at mile pace; 2x400 at mile pace, 2x800 at sub-mile pace.  I missed my mark on the 800s - did them around 3 minutes each and the 400s at 1:30.  I did get the 200s down to 43 seconds.  Still good to try and push it.

Finished up the week with a few more runs - and then the backyard ultra style 27.2 miles on Sunday.  I did the first two laps down to alewife and back - then quickly drove to Watertown fo the next 4 laps.  The last one felt really hard.  I may have managed to squeeze out one more - but felt my legs really waring down - and didn't want to do any serious damage.  Not the 50k i was hoping for - but still the longest I've ever run in one day.

This week I did an easier version of last week's workout: 1x800 (3 min) followed by 2x400.  only one minute rest after the 800 and 30 seconds rest between the 400s.  Short and sweet.  It snowed 3" yesterday - so I can't do the track today.  Since there is no 'race date' - i kicked everything back 3 days - so will try the workout next Tuesday.

Mile week 4/5

 So the 5k race run didn't turn out.  My idea was to run it at a track and try and pace about 6:40 or below - but AHS girls soccer had other ideas.  No 'fans' or runners due to covid.  Instead of going to a different track - I just tried running up and down the bike path.  obviously didn't hit my marks: 7:05, 7:01 and 6:50.  The last mile was downhill - so pace was definitely getting worse as i went.  Oh well - I feel like the effort was there - even if the speed was lacking. 

Next day i did my favorite alternating pace 11 miler around watertown/cambridge.  The 'on' miles were: 7:29, 7:21, 7:18, 7:21, 7:19.  Probably about my current half-marathon pace.  Felt good.  

Kicked my intervals from yesterday until today due to rain.  Just did easy 4 yesterday.  Today I did the 10x200s at the track (officially in week5).  I did 0:42, 0:43s and probably a 0:44 at the end.  They were all at or just under mile pace - but they felt like a pace that I could never keep up for 4 laps.  But I guess that's why we train.  Next difficult run will be 2 miles at 5k, followed by4x200 at under mile pace.  I'll have to get up early to beat the soccer players... 

Week 3 mile project

 Busy week last week; not so much running - but other stuff.  I had two difficult workouts - a 6x60 second hill work which I did early last Tuesday.  Felt horrible - which is how I typically feel with hill work.  Easy run Wednesday.  Did a nice 7 mile run to north cambridge on Thursday - really perfect day for running.  

Things got interesting on the weekend.  6x400 at mile pace.  I did these mostly at mile pace - but the last 2 were 1:30 - which is a bit too slow.  Followed that up with a 15 mile run up to Bedford and back on Sunday.  Again - perfect running weather.  Felt pretty good after.

Today I kicked off week 4.  Did 4x800s at 5k pace which i manged at 3:12, 3:11, 3:11 and 3:15 - so all at or below 5k pace.  I then did 4x200s at 44, 42, 44, 44.  So about mile pace for all of those.  Some tough runs coming up: 5k 'race' on Saturday and 2x800 at mile pace in one week.  Both sound hard...