Pine Belt Pacers Forum

Thurs. - 8 miles with Amber
Fri - walked 30 min with Linde doing hill repeats (a little Angel's Landing training for my sis)
Sat - am 7 miles total - 1.5 mile w/u, 2 X 1 mile 7:39 and 7:42, 3.5 mile c/d (w/u = warm up & c/d + cool down or easy pace) So today I decided to monitor my heart rate during the hard part of my run. Jim made a very important comment to me through email this week. He said "most runners run to hard on the easy days and too easy on the hard days." I know that I have a tendency to run to hard on the easy days, so I have been monitoring that part of my running with the heart rate monitor for a while. However, I didn't think I would fall into the category of running too easy on my hard days. It always seems to me that I am working REALLY hard. So today, I am .3-.4 into my first mile repeat and I check my heart rate and pace. The pace was where I wanted, but the heart rate was not, so I picked up the pace. This is a SUPER example of why the heart rate monitor can be so helpful. I had planned to run between 7:45-7:55 for my mile repeats. I thought with the heat (82 degrees with 92 heat index in S. LA) that would be about right for me today. When I checked the heart rate monitor, I was not in zone 5. I was @ 157 and 163 is the low end of zone 5 for me. It felt crazy to be picking up the pace, didn't think I could pick up the pace and hold it. I picked it up to 163 and stayed in the 163-164 range. I had 2-3 min. recovery and then started the second repeat. This time I monitored the heart rate the whole time and kept the heart rate between 163-167. If I had not used the HRM, I would have run these closer to 7:50 which, just as Jim said, would have been to slow on my hard day. So thanks Jim and others for good advice. This was a tough run (not a big fan of the mile repeats) but I am so pleased to have run that well in the heat. You can learn to run in the heat if you really want to You just need to take it slow and hydrate really well (before, during, and after). This comes from someone who just a few years ago took the summers almost off from running because "it's too hot to run and I just can't do it."

I still have so much to learn about the heart rate training. I am looking at some books to purchase to help me with, when to run in what zones. I am fairly sure for mile repeats, that zone 5 is the correct zone, but I am not even 100% about that. So let me just say that my training was great, if I was in the correct zone. Ha Ha Clueless about HRT!

Sat - pm - so I need 4 more miles for this week. I can either do them on Sunday, or opt for a "2 a day" and have Sunday off, from running. Chad and Scott needed to run Sat. night so I opted to "get it done" I ran an easy 4 miles.

So this week I will finish with 34 miles of running, 1 yoga class, 1 day of weights, lunges, and squats, 2 days of core work, will probably have 18 miles of biking - today will probably be 4 miles easy biking, and app. 2 miles walking. Great second week of training.

This week - 38 miles - Tues will be my long run of 12 miles, Friday will be a 7 mile with 4 @ tempo, and then I will fill in the other days with easy mileage to get to 38 miles for the week.

Ok - I found some information about heart rate training. Just in case anyone else is interested.

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?uan=176

Sunday pm went for a 4 mile easy bike ride with Chad and Scott.
Monday am - 7 miles easy 10:06 pace - (water at 3 miles and 5 miles.)

Monday pm - lifted weights and core work.
Tues. am - 12 miles starting @ 5:40 am. Average 9:24 pace - first half - 58:38, 2nd half - 54:10. If you want the full "run down" go to
http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com/

Wed - bike while Chad ran 4 miles @ 7:00 min. pace on the hills

Thurs. - 6 miles with Amber @ Bent Creek

Fri - jog 3 miles easy - hard to get started today - just getting the miles in.

Sat. - total of 10 miles today. 7 miles am @ the Catfish 5k - no 3.01 mile race 23:32 (time adjusted to around 24:11 for a 5K) see blog if you want the details. 3 more miles pm to get to this week's goal of 38 miles. Felt better this evening running the easy 3 than Friday evening without an am run

Sun - today was a bike ride, not totally easy, but no hard either. 7 miles @ 12.2 mph avg. pace (one quick stop to chat with someone & left the Garmin running)

Ending the week with 38 miles of running, 1 day of weights & core work, etc., 1 yoga class, a little more core work, and 1 race. This was a great week of running. Not totally satisfied with my strength training at this point. So far I have not been able to get the quality or the quantity up to where I would like for it to be at this point.

This week will be a "step back week." I will still have my quality running days which should get me to around 20-25 miles, but I will not have the additional what some people call "junk miles" this week.

Monday - 5 miles of hills at the YMCA to Shell hill. When I was starting Christy and one of her spin students were finishing up their run (at the time, I was a little jealous as I looked up the hill toward the Shell). Ran the uphill and the downhills hard. 2-3 min. recovery between the hills. I ran on what I believe is Becky's trail from her house to the Y. The hill is not really steep, but it is long. What I ran was 1.1 miles.

Tues. and Wed - we headed to New Orleans for a couple of days of vaca. We had a good time. It was nice that my scale back week coordinated nicely with this trip. Both of these days were easy walks around Quarter and River. Tues. am - I took advantage of the weight room at the hotel and was able to get in a few weights and a little core work.

Thurs. - 14 miles in a lightning/ rain storm. see blog for details, later this weekend.

Fri - walk 30 with Chad.

Sat. - 6 miles on the bike mid day and 3 miles with Chad and Scott Sat. evening.
Sun - 6 miles total - 4.5 mile tempo
see blog for details. Also, need a little heart rate help if anyone knows anything about it. See Blog. http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com
Also ran 12 X 13 second sprints, and stretched for 10 minutes.

Ended the week with 25 miles and 3 quality runs (hills, long, tempo), around 7 miles walking and 9 miles biking (may go a few more with Chad tonight). One day of weights, and some core work throughout the week.

This week I have 40 miles with Wed. being mile repeats and Sat. being a 16 miler. I will fill in the rest of the mileage throughout the week. Need to get to yoga this week. Need to get more aggressive with the weights and the core work - up the intensity.

Monday - today I went a little off schedule. I had an easy 7 miler scheduled instead I opted for a marathon race pace run. I woke up tired from my tempo run and "sitting on the wall" repeats from Sunday so I decided it would be a good time to attempt to run with tired legs. I ran the first mile easy and then started running race pace. I ended up averaging 8:53 for the 7 miles so even with the warm-up mile(9:41), I averaged race pace for the 7 miles. My last mile was 8:25, yeah!

This round of training I am trying to finish my runs with some type of quality instead of fading at the end of each run. (great tip from Amber) I think this will give me a lot of confidence to "FINISH" the next marathon. I hope!

Great start to the week. Working late tonight, but I'm gonna try to multi task and fit in some weights.

Monday - pm - I did get to those weights Monday night. weights, core work, push-ups.
Tues. - 3 miles easy @ 9:49 pace
Wed. - am 6 miles total with 4 X 1 mile repeats 7:26, 7:37, 7:34, 7:25 running by heart rate, not pace. If I would have run by pace I would have tried for 7:50 pace. PM - weights, core work, lunges, squats, yoga poses, planks, etc.
See the blog to read about the snake on the trail.
http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com/

Thurs. -am 8 mile run with Amber.
Fri - will be easy bike or walk for 30 min. and the Sat. will be a 16 miler to finish the 40 miles for the week.

Friday - rode the bike with Chad - he went 6 miles today.

Sat. - great 16 miler today. Loved the cool start.
First 4 miles 9:30 pace, and then a race pace run
For the 16 miles, I averaged 8:55.
Details - http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com/

Finished the 40 miles of running for this week, yay! 2 days of weights, no yoga - class canceled.
Sunday - easy bike or walk

You are awesome!! Great times. It was a beautiful morning for a long run.

Sunday - am - lifted weights with Chad, easy bike 15 min. and easy walk 15 min
Monday - 10 miles easy
Tues - 10 miles with 5 being tempo miles on hills. Avg - 8:19, running by heart rate, not by pace.
See blog for details.

http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com/

Tues. - pm core work
Wed. - 7 miles am with Amber in Bent Creek.
Thurs - easy walk for 35 min. with Chad
Fri - 9.5 miles today. Today, I started out with a 2 mile warm up, and then I ran a hill in Bent Creek that was extra fun. I ran it up 4 times hard, and down 4 times hard. This was a "special hill." Even though it was hot and humid, that wasn't a problem. My legs seemed to give out on me before the heat was even an issue. I haven't run downhills hard until this summer. It really fatigues the legs quickly. The hill was .37. After I finished the hill repeats I finished up to get me to 9.5 miles.
Plan to do some weights and core work later today.

Oops, just noticed I am way behind with the workouts.
Fri July 31st - pm lifted weights, core work, squats, push-ups.
Sat. - 8.5 miles on the Coast. VERY HUMID! 2 mile w/u, 5k in 24:48, and then finished jogging miles to get to 8.5. Realized I need to do some additional heat training to prepare for jogging the Tupelo marathon and finishing around 9:30. I am heat adjusted, but I need to do some later finishing runs to prepare for 26.2 & the late finish time.

Sun. - walk 30 min just before lunch, later heat training begins. Just going to add some later finish runs and some walking later in the day.

Finished with 45 miles of running and 4 miles walking, 1 yoga class, 2 days of core work, and 1 day of weights.

Monday, Aug 3rd - 50 miles this week - starting today with an 18 mile run. Avg. 9:37 pace for the 18.
I could have run forever.... and hydration blog.
http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com/

Tues. - pm weights, core work, lunges, yoga @ The Yoga Rm, walk 30 min. @ Wesley after yoga. Finished around 9:00pm, too late for me.
Wed - Amber and I ran 7.5 miles on the hills from my house. I ran an additional mileage to get to 10 miles. Scarlett, my dog, finished the mileage with me. I ran 12 X 15 second sprints, and then ran on dirt for my cool down. This afternoon I am feeling my late night of exercise and early am run today. Need a nap.

Thought during the run today - I would rather train in Aug. than in April and May when it starts to get hot. By Aug. I am very accustomed to the heat, and for me it makes for much better running than the spring. Crazy, but for me reality.

Wed - is a scheduled tempo run. I will see how I feel later today and Wed. am. If I am tired, I will wait an additional day, but would really like to get it in on Thurs.

Thurs. - tough run today. 10 miles with a planned 5.5 tempo. Not to be today. I did get the 10, but the 5.5 tempo, not really ......

http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com/

The good news - I have 38 of my 50 miles and I have 3 days to get the other 12 miles. No problem. On the downhill now. Next week - a much needed "step back" week.