Pine Belt Pacers Forum

Ginny wrote:No! No! No! You can not quit this time. You are doing too good. Keep up the training and you are going to have an awesome time at the marathon. Good Luck! If you think that you are going to quit, you MUST post it on the website so that we can get you back on track.

Thanks Ginny! Yes, I count on you guys if I get in an internal fight with myself about running!

It's getting real hot and humid in town. I went for my long run to the Trace at 5:25am yesterday, and it was already 78ºF!!! I ran the fisrt 6 miles alone; then ran mile 6 to 9 with Andrew M. and Duwayne H. and mile 10 to 12 with Bob Press. I crawled the last 2 miles. My pace was as follows: mile 1-4: 9:48; mile 4-6: 9:42; mile 6-10: 9:30; mile 10-14: 10:11, and the last 4 miles: 10:21!!

Today, I saw a couple of pacers around: Jim C, Keith B, Steve P., John Harsh, and Bob Press. Everyone was sweating as crazy! We could rename our club as the Sweat Team!

My week went like this:

Mon: 1 m running, 9m bike ("hilly course"), 1.25m rowing
Tue: 4m running, 2m rowing
Wed: 1.5 m running, 10m bike ("hilly course"), 1.25m rowing
Thu: 4m running, 2m rowing. I had planned to do speed work, but I
twisted my foot in the first fast run, so I changed my mind.
Fri: OFF
Sat: Long run: 18 miles at the Trace
Sun: 5 miles recovery at the Trace

The training plan during the weekend worked much better than the running during this hot week. I went yesterday to run in downtown Jackson a very hilly course, the "Run for the Son 5K", one of the MTC Grand Prix events. It was fine! I finished in 22:06 and managed to place second in my age group (I was just lucky that most of the really fast runners are now in the 45-49 age group!). Because of the training plan, I had to get more miles, so I ran the course again after the race and then joined the kids for the 1-mile fun run. It was hot, hot, hot.... but I survived
Today I ran with Kily Marathon-A-Month Garcia 10 miles in the Trace. We did fine!! We ran an average pace a little faster than 9 minutes and did not get in any trouble: not injuries, not chest pain, not blisters, not heat exhaustion! It was a good workout!

My week went as follows. By the way, the other day I said I took Monday off. In fact, I didn't. I did not run more than one mile but did some miles in the stationary bike. Here it goes....

Mon: 1 m running, 9m bike ("hilly course"), 1.25m rowing
Tue: 3m running
Wed: OFF
Thu: 4m running
Fri: OFF
Sat: 7 miles (including 3.1m race, 22:06)
Sun: Long run: 10 miles at the Trace

Congrats on your 5K!! Great time, especially for the conditions. You are hanging tough on your training. You are helping to inspire me to keep to my training schedule. Sometimes, I have to tweak it a little because of life, but usually, I have changed running programs 3 x by now. I will see if sticking to a training program will make me "fast". Anyway, take care and continue hanging tough.

Great race. You are doing so well with your races and your training. Are you running a race next weekend, if so where are you heading?

Ginny wrote:Great race. You are doing so well with your races and your training. Are you running a race next weekend, if so where are you heading?

Thank you Ginny!
I got in the race in Jackson as a "tune up" and to check how I was doing in the 5K distance. I think I am not going to race anymore until the Labor Day Race. Well... maybe this is a lie.... I can't avoid running hard in the 2-mile predicted time series.
After the Labor Day Race, I will probably go with my family to Dauphin Island and run the Hurricane Run 5K there on September 8. I will kill two birds with one shot!

I had a good weekend after a slow running week (just 7 miles from Monday through Friday and counting the walking parts!). I ran 12 miles on Saturday. I woke up a little late but managed to be at the trace around 7am. It was humid but not so hot like the previous weekend. There were a lot of pacers training. First, I saw Bob Press, then Andrew Maxwell around mile 1 and Vicky and Dawn at mile 3.5 (by the way, they looked goooooood! ). In Jackson Road Station I chatted with Jim Ford and Renne and Daw Ford a couple of minutes. Everybody is currently training for a marathon!
I saw a lot of cyclists too. There I met Keith Hilpp and his comrades; later Robin Ryder, Mike Barnes, Mike Villalonga, and some other people.
Today I ran 8 miles with Kily Garcia. At mile seven we met Terry Lawhead, and then we ran together, so we did our last mile as a speed workout!

I ran 25 miles in total this week. I don't see how I could go over 30-32 m weekly. The week I reported I ran 40-something miles, I got 2 long runs in the same seven-days period (Mon and Sun). However, it won't happen again! For example, the coming Saturday I will do my first 20-mile run. If I run 3 on Tue, 4 on Thu and 5 on Sun, I will have a total of 32. There is not way I can go any further!! I hope it's enough to be able to finish the marathon in October!

Because of some changes in the training schedule, my week went as follows:

Mon: 9m bike hilly course (not time for running or rowing)
Tue: 3m running
Wed: 8m bike hilly course (not time for running or rowing)
Thu: 4m running
Fri: OFF
Sat: Long run: 12 miles at the Trace
Sun: Long run: 8 miles at the Trace

I ran and survived my first 20-milers on Saturday. Sorry Becky! I just read your post yesterday..... by the way, congratulations in you long run. You and Vicki looked very strong when we saw you guys at the Trace.

I started around 5:05am at USM Gateway. After the last light at 0.75 miles, it became a very dark journey. You could not see anything. I crossed my way with Jim Ford around 5:35am at mile 3. He had already run 2 miles at that point. He turned around and ran with me for the next 15.5 miles. At mile 18.5 I started just jogging slooooow the last 1.5 miles to USM Gateway while Jim headed back to Jackson Road to complete also his 20 miles. We saw a couple of Pacers also running in the trace: Becky, Vicki, Andrew Maxwell, Dwayne Higgason, Robyn Ryder, and Mike Barnes.

I felt much better yesterday running the 20-miles than 3-weeks ago when I struggled the last 4 miles to finish the 18 miles run. I am still testing some of the goodies you are supposed to use in the long runs. This time I obligated myself to eat a power bar at mile 12 (I finally got some that don't have that ugly, disgusting, and sticky peanut butter stuff ).
I also got water in mile 4 and 8 and some "Replenish" (Powerade alike) in mile 12. When I got to mile 16, I had this really bad craving for Powerade. I had to stop in the machine at Jackson Road, borrow some quarters from Jim, and get one of those lemon-lime flavored drinks.
My legs are still sore from yesterday's long run but manageable. In fact, I just came back from a 5-mile run recovery in the Trace.

My week went as follows:

Mon: 9m bike hilly course
Tue: 3m running
Wed: 14m bike at spinning class
Thu: 4m running, 1.25 rowing
Fri: 3m rowing
Sat: Long run: 20 miles at the Trace
Sun: Run 5 miles at the Trace (recovery)

Way to Go Raul! Sounds like your supplements are helping since you felt pretty good for this run.

I am impressed. I was too lazy this morning to get out early enough to go for my easy run, now I will have to wait until late this evening or jog on the treadmill. Keep it up!

Nestor/Raul is getting in some great training runs. I predict a PR for the marathon. By the Way, what is your PR for that distance? That's a good question for the group. I'll post it.

ryderruns wrote:Nestor/Raul is getting in some great training runs. I predict a PR for the marathon. By the Way, what is your PR for that distance? That's a good question for the group. I'll post it.

Thanks Ginny and Becky!
I had so weak performances in the 2 New York City Marathons I participated back in 2002 and 2004 that.....Yes, I think a new PR for the marathon is a fact -- If not, I shold just quit running anything for life!

The training for both events was a joke! I hurt my knee for the first one a month before the race and never run more than 16 miles in a single session. I did not run anything longer than 14 miles for the second one!
In my first marathon, after hitting the wall in mile 16-17, I finished it in 4:49:06. The second NYC marathon presentation was worse!
I stayed more than 5 hours in the course and walked almost 11 miles. I had even forgotten everything about it! Just when I read the race report I posted on the club's website (thanks for keeping all these old files!), I realized how poor I did and how bad I felt during the race. http://www.pinebeltpacers.org/RaceRpts/ ... Mrthn.html

I am glad I did not read this race report before registrating for the Marine Corps Marathon. If I had, I would not have signed for the MCM

You'll notice a big difference with your more structured training, and the longer runs make a huge difference.

Keep at it! You're doing well!

Raul,

5 mile run (Recovery)? What is that?

After a 20 mile run, the only recovery I know is enjoying a glass of wine while sitting in my recliner.

Thanks,
Andy

MrFantastic wrote:Raul,
5 mile run (Recovery)? What is that?
After a 20 mile run, the only recovery I know is enjoying a glass of wine while sitting in my recliner. Thanks, Andy

Hi Andy,
When I run alone, all my runs become "recovery". I mean... SLOOOW
I run so slow, sometimes I think I could do it faster by walking -- For example, I ran 5 miles at the Trace this morning. Just for fun I checked my average pace for the distance after I finished, and it was something like 10:20. I ran 11 miles yesterday, and I can imagine it was even slower. I don't check my watch anymore, just the markers in the road that tell me the work out is almost done! -- I can't avoid it, but I just push myself when I am competing in a race. When training, I just try cover the distance.

My week went as follows:

Mon: 3 m rowing
Tue: 3 m running
Wed: 15 m bike (spinning class)
Thu: 4 m running, 1m rowing
Fri: 250 m driving (hard work out! I burned 18 calories in total!)
Sat: Long run: 11 miles at the Trace
Sun: 5 miles easy run at the Trace

I think that Raul is using a very good approach to his training/racing. He is doing the long runs (and some of the shorter ones) at what he thinks is a slow pace. I disagree that he is too slow in that my theory is that long runs should be done at 1-2:30 minutes slower than the anticipated marathon pace. Something that I'm not sure people are factoring in to their training times is when they stop for water. If we were to let the watch continue when taking the breaks, I think we will all find that our paces are closer to the recommendations that I use.

Another reason Raul is so successful in races is that although he says he does not do speedwork, he races often. That is even better than speedwork.

Raul---you're doing great with the training program, especially with the long runs. I agree that you should just cover the distance and continue with weekly speed work, perhaps doing a race, tempo run or mile repeats.