5x800m-4 miles-36:45

Felt good, ran the 800s faster--8:16s--than two weeks ago when I did this workout. Audiobook made it go fast, kept me from focusing on the pain.

4 Miles-38:16

Tired but ran fine. Sore from lifting.

4 miles-38:45 & strength training

Slight pain on inner left shin but nothing too bothersome. Took it easier--I'm trying to work in an easy/hard alternating schedule. I read that you should vary every workout by 10 minutes to keep some easier. I think I'm hitting a wall and training at 9:13s instead of 9:30s isn't increasing my speed, it's just wearing me out and making every workout tough.

Considering a 10K and a 5K in the next month. Going to try to up my weekly mileage a little for that 10K.

Weekly Mileage-21 Miles

Took 2 days off of running this week--before and after Turkey Trot--but I feel great about how the race went and I still did some strength training on one of those rest days.

5 miles-48:30

After a day off, went running outside. Ran a route similar to the Turkey Trot--gave me some ideas about new places to run in my neighborhood, where I'm fairly new to the area. It was cold and I came back with a runny nose and cough, which went away but I guess I need to get used to the cold weather. Kept a good comfortable pace, felt easy.

Turkey Trot-5 miles-47:15

Splits:
1-10:30
2-9:20
3-9:00
4-8:40
5-8:15

Great race. I felt great, kept my pace, ran negative splits, and wasn't dying at the end. Crowd watching was also great--fun, into Thanksgiving, silly. Definitely doing it next year.

4 miles-37:00

Felt a lot better today, but started out at 9:30s. Fartleked the last 1.5 miles, something new for me. I tend to like a structured workout, but the fartleks were good because they made me listen to my body, when it wanted to go fast, when it wanted to slow down.

3 miles-28:00 & strength training

Sore, probably need a day off but I'm saving that for Weds so I can be ready for the Turkey Trot Thursday. You know more people run road races on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year? Didn't feel good in the stomach probably because I ate fries and indulged at lunch. Soup always sits better once I hit the treadmill. Despite not feeling well, being a little slower than normal at parts really kept my heart rate way down--152 when I ended and 131 within 2 minutes. Usually when I finish I am so far in the anaerobic zone it isn't funny--172 to 180. So maybe the slower pace is more beneficial and I need to throw in more of the VO2 max speed training. Before I was doing lactate threshhold speed workouts and clearly they are working--I'm very comfortable at an anaerobic level. But I need to get to where I can keep my heart rate down and stay at that 9:13 pace I like. I want to get faster but I may focus on this pace for awhile for that reason.

4 miles-37:00 & strength training

Really tired until I went to the gym. Was able to keep at my ideal 9:13 minute mile pace the entire run, then did some lower body strength training.

Weekly Mileage-22 Miles

It was an exhausting week but I stuck with it. Need to get my long runs back in but haven't had the energy.

3 miles-28:00 & strength training

Feeling very tired today generally and not at all into going to the gym. Run at a slower than usual pace because I'm feeling stiff from speed training yesterday and generally fatigued. Strength training went fine because it's a quick routine so I can trudge through.

Speedwork-5x800m w/ 400m rest-4 miles total

Longer and slower than the usual 200m speedwork I do. I'm going to try to add more focus in on VO2 max, not just lactate threshhold. This kind of workout helps with my aerobic ability. Hard in a different way than 200m. I guess an aerobic way as opposed to an anaerobic way--obviously, but once I think about it its true--my pulse never race but my lungs became more tired over the interval.

5 miles-untimed

Day off to go to doctors' appointments, so I got up early and ran my outside loop. Cold out, maybe needed gloves. Running slowly it felt, and then against the wind it was slower. The cold just made it hard to warm up and get going, and I was a little sore.

4 miles-38:30

Felt like jumping off treadmill, anxious and not that interested. Audiobook and persistance got me through at a decent speed. A little stiff in the legs, maybe because the dog was MIA Monday night/Tuesday morning and I did a ton of walking looking for him.

2 miles-18:00 & strength training

Felt fine. Was in a hurry, so had to cut running short, which I hate.

4 miles?-40:00

Ran with my boyfriend on a revised version of my regular at-home loop. He's slower and doesn't run much so it's hard to say how far I went since my pace was slow and route was different. Nice relaxing run though. I don't usually take it easy.

4 miles-38:15 & strength training

Perfect workout. It's nice to have the time to get in 4 miles and the strength training. Not feeling sore anymore.

4 miles hills-38:00

Waited until evening, dreading my hard Thursday workout. Didn't feel like it but stuck to it. Changed from intervals to random on treadmill--random was harder because you get much less down time and spend much more time on hills. Toughest workout in a longtime.

2 miles-18:00 & strength training

Feeling less sore from Monday. Ran the 2 miles hard and kept up my heart rate during strength training.

4 miles-37:00

Back on the treadmill. Not feeling as good as I did in Hawaii, can keep up the pace but it hurts more. Very sore from weight training yesterday but managed the run.

3 miles-27:00 & strength training

Pushed hard for the 3 miles. Started strength training, which I'll do 2-3 times a week. I just want to do it to supplement my running, so I'm not letting it cut much into my mileage. Did situps, pushups, pullup machine, chest presses, squats, and those backwards situp things where you lean forward on a machine. 30 minutes total and I plan to continue with that routine.

5 miles-49:00

Ran my loop outside today. I'm slower outside but I cut a lot of time off--a couple of months ago I was running this loop at around 55:00. Ran it in reverse which may have made it slightly faster. Felt good. Weather was beautiful. A little stiff from flying yesterday.

Back from Hawaii

Just got back from Hawaii yesterday. Ran a lot there, both outside and on the treadmill. Got faster when I was on the treadmill--hit 9 minute miles on a 3 miler and feel like 9:15s are a tempo pace (maintained on a 4 miler). Also ran outside early in the mornings--sun rising, beaches, oceans, trails in the woods, deserted roads--it as amazing.