Getting ready

So my right hamstring is getting better and I'm ramping things up for next Sunday's ING Ottawa half marathon.

The last two weeks have been fairly easy in terms of running mileage, but important in terms of rehabbing my right leg. In addition to allowing me to recover, the light run schedule allowed me to enjoy the trip to Florida for Anne's half ironman competition.

We took the kids and had a great time!

 The weather was hot and sunny for the most part and even though it was a short trip (6 days) we packed a lot in, including Anne's competition. Which btw, she rocked despite a crash on her bike. She finished in 6 hours and 28 minutes, placing 49th in her age group!

Anne's performance has inspired me to post a good finish time next weekend. And despite my lack of training the last few weeks, Ian told me to not over-think things and just step on the gas pedal.

So "run fast, run strong" will be my mantra throughout the race and when things get tough I'll rely on that to keep me going...that and the fact a friend from high school will be running with me and will help pace me. He just ran the Boston Marathon and should be able to push me. I haven't told him, but my/our goal is to post a 1:30 or faster time.

What will also provide some inspiration is the fact that two of my friends are running their first 5k races on the Saturday night of race weekend. I've been helping Ron and David train for the race and I plan to watch them at the finish line....if they can go from the couch to completing a 5k after only a few weeks of training, I can run fast for my race.

I'll let you know how things go!

Walking wounded

So much for my pledge to post on a regular basis. For some reason, I'm just not into keeping up with things.

Anyway, last weekend's half marathon in Waterloo was a bit disappointing. The friend I was supposed to run with had an IT band injury and couldn't run. So I was on my own.

In consultation with my coach Ian, we decided that I could likely run somewhere between 1:33 and 1:35 given my training and current fitness level. Remember I was supposed to run this race as a training run, pacing my friend Glen in his first half marathon. His goal time was around 1:40, so I have been training for about a 4:45 per km pace for this race.

However, with Glen on the disabled list, I tried to run a faster race. And things started great! I was on pace for about a 1:33 finish until just after the 13k point. I had just run up a long (more than 1k in length) and steep (about a 6 or 7 percent grade) hill and my right hamstring was throbbing. It had been tight and giving me some issues in recent weeks, but I guess it was worse than I cared to admit.

From the 13k point on, whenever I tried to run faster than about a 4:40 per km pace, it felt as though the hamstring would go into spasm....similar to the feeling I had when I did in my left hamstring in a race in March 2010. So, having learned my lesson from that experience, I slowed things down and cruised home to a 1:40:27 time, finishing 31st overall and 10th in my age group.

As I said a bit disappointing at the time, but in retrospect and given my training, I finished just about where I should have if Glen had run the race with me. As Anne said when I got home, this wasn't really my race and I shouldn't have expected to run faster than 1:40, especially since I had been nursing a sore hamstring.

So this week has been an easy week of rest and slow-paced 5ks. My hamstring feels much better. I had visited a sports doctor prior to the race in Waterloo and she determined it was just an overuse injury. I've been stretching it really good after each run this week and as I said it's much better.

I hope with some additional stretching and a couple of massage therapy sessions I'll be good to go on May 29th for the ING Half Marathon here in Ottawa. After that I'll run a 5k in early June, then Ian will have me maintenance/recovery training for about 2 months.

Come the end of August, we'll ramp it up in preparation for the NYC Marathon November 6th.

Have a great weekend!

Back again

Well it's been more than a week since my last post....not sure why I' haven't been into posting more often the last month or so, but I think it may be having an a negative impact on my training and race results.

The last couple of weeks I've been struggling to be consistent and get all my runs and strength training sessions done. I've been trying to figure out why. I have had a cold and stomach flu at different times, so those have been factors, but it's more than that.

While I was training for the half marathon in January, I posted on a daily basis and I think it provided a form of accountability. Also, putting my race goals in writing helped focus me and convince me that I could attain them.

So, I'm committing to posting on a daily basis even if it's just a sentence or two. Stay tuned!

Been busy

It's been a while since I've posted, but I'm still here and training hard.

In fact I've had two great weeks of training and despite not turning in a great race on Sunday, I feel I'm making progress.

I've also been golfing, as spring has finally arrived here in the Great White North....well at least here in Ottawa anyway. So with work and family commitments, it's been difficult to find time to blog. But tonight I finally have a few free minutes to post an update.

As I said, training has been very good the last couple of weeks, I'm even enjoying and making progress with the strength training sessions Ian introduced. So I was feeling very confident and strong going into the 10k race on Sunday, but for some reason I just didn't have "it" that day.

It was a perfect day for running - sunny, about 8C and just a little wind, although it was a head wind for the first part of the race. I felt good and had a great warm-up session. I was confident I could PR and even post a time under 40 minutes.

I started strong and was sticking to my plan to run the first 3 kilometres at a pace between 3:55 and 4:00 minutes per kilometre. Then at about the 4k mark it was as if I hit a wall! My legs felt like lead weights and I was unable to get back to a sub-4 minute pace the remainder of the race.

I couldn't even hold my half marathon pace from January of 4:16 per km. I finished with a time of 42:45, an average pace of 4:17 per km, putting me 22nd overall and 10th in my age group. It was disappointing to miss my goal time by approximately 3 minutes and more than a minute and a half slower than my previous best at the 10k distance.

I can't explain why I sucked so much, but I'm over it now and ready to move on. I guess I have to accept the fact that you can't PR in every race, even if you feel you should.

In a funk!

This is my first post in more than a week....I just haven't been feelin' it!

Last week was a tough one. I was on the verge of getting sick all week, but was somehow able to fight it off. However, it impacted my training and also my will to blog. :)

I managed to run 7k last Monday and do a strength workout Thursday morning, followed by a speed workout that afternoon. Other than that, nada, zip, rien!

And on top of not completing my runs for the week, my muscles ached all weekend as a result of my first strength training work in more than a year. In fact, walking down stairs was truly painful until Sunday night.

I really am getting old! :(

This is a new week and while I'm not any younger, I feel 100% better and ready to redo last week's plan. I already have 7k in the books and I'll be in the gym at 6am tomorrow to tackle those strength exercises again. Then it's 6.8k of speed work at the indoor track tomorrow night, followed by a rest day on Thursday.

Friday I'll do a different set of strength exercises in the morning and then run 8.5k at tempo pace in the afternoon. Saturday I'll run a total of 8k, with 3k of hill repeats inn the middle and cap off the week with a 22k long run on Sunday. Total for the week - 52.3k.

I just hope I can get out of bed for work next Monday!

That's more like it!

My 19k run earlier this afternoon was much better than last week's 18k debacle...I guess sleeping in my own bed and not fighting off a cold/flu really does make a difference.

In addition, the sidewalks and bike/walking path along the Canal was free of ice and only had a few small puddles, so there was no need to climb snowbanks or leap over large pools of water to avoid getting soaked. And it was warmer today (+5C) and very little wind....it was a perfect day to run and it felt awesome being out there!

I started with 5k at a 5:05 minutes per kilometere pace, then upped it to a 5 even pace for 4k, followed by 3k at  a 4:55 pace, 2k at 4:50 per km and then 1k at 4:45. I was able to hit all my paces and maintain them, in fact I had to watch that I didn't run too fast. It was the complete opposite of last week when I struggled to reach my desired pace and maintain it. I felt strong throughout and could have run faster.

At the 15k mark I slowed to a 4:55 pace for 2k and then ran the last 2k at a 5:05 pace. I felt strong at the end of the run and could have run much longer. Time for the run - 1 hour, 34 minutes and 17 seconds.

More importantly today's result helped boost my confidence. It's encouraging to have such a strong run at the end of six consecutive days of running and the day after a 7k run that included 2k of hill repeats. Total mileage for the week - 52.2k.

This week Ian is going to incorporate some strength training exercises into my training plan to help make me a stronger runner. I'm interested in seeing how if this will help lower my race times and to see how sore I'll feel at the end of the week. I haven't done any strength training in about a year.

I also bought a new pair of indoor shoes as my old ones had more than 600k on them. Ian would like me to slowly transition into wearing racing flats for my races and using a lower profile shoe for training. So I abandoned my usual Nike Air Moto shoe for the Nike Lunar Max 2 shoe as it is a lower profile and should help encourage a more mid to front foot strike. I'm anxious to try out my new shoes...they're kind of cool looking too...black top with red around the sole....they just look fast! :)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a great week.

Another tough long run

I don't know why, but today's 18k run was a killer!

Maybe it was because I was travelling for work this week, or because I was fighting off some cold or flu bug or that I didn't get enough sleep while I was out of town, maybe it was a combination of everything. Anyway, today's run was no fun.

The weather was nice so decided to I run outside. The plan called for me to run the first 4k at a 5:05/k pace and then to bump it up to a 4:50/k pace for 8k. And while the weather was warm, 2C, there was about a 20k north wind that I had to fight head-on for the first 10k. Plus I had to dodge and maneuver around some big puddles, often having to run on the snowbanks along my route to avoid the water.

Perhaps having to work so hard in those first 10 to 11k to maintain my pace while dealing with the wind and puddles contributed to the difficult of the run. All I know is that for the first 13k I was doing fine, then it was as if I hit a wall!

At the 12k mark, I increased my pace to 4:45/k for 3k, but could only maintain that pace for 2k. So I slowed to a 5:00 minutes per k pace for a kilometre, then tried to run a kilometre at 4:45, but could only manage a 4:50/k pace. Then it got really difficult because I had to run up a good sized hill that was about 300m long. All  I could manage was a 5:20/k pace, including walking about 50m.

I was supposed to run 2 of the last 3k at a 4:35/k pace, but by the 17k point I had not been able to do that. So I sucked it up, dug deep and ran my final kilometre in 4 minutes and 35 seconds. I was done!

Two tough long runs on consecutive weekends. I don't know what's going on, but it's not helping build my confidence.

I bailed on the 10k race I was planning to run yesterday, because I just wasn't feeling it. I'm glad I did. I hadn't entered the race, so bailing was easy. I'm entered in a 10k race April 10th and then I'm running a half marathon with my buddy Glen, May 1st in Waterloo.

My  goal is to run the 10k under 40 minutes. To do that, I'll need to get out of this funk and log some positive runs the next month. The half marathon will be a training run for me as I'm pacing Glen to a 1:40 goal time.

However, if my long runs keep sucking, Glen may have to pace me!

Hectic week

Well this week has been interesting to say the least. Monday my throat was so sore I could barely talk and it hurt like crazy to eat or drink anything. Tuesday I was off to Newfoundland for work again and I'm still here. My throat is better, but still not 100% and I feel a cold coming on...can it get any worse for training?

Despite all the physical aliments and travel, I did manage an 8k run Tuesday evening on the treadmill in my hotel. Average pace of 4:56 per kilometre for a total of 39 minutes and 33 seconds. The entire run was done at a 1% incline.

And although I had to force myself to run, I felt a bit better afterward. However, yesterday I was supposed to do a speed workout, but just couldn't do it. I had a terrible night's sleep on Tuesday and had no energy, plus my throat was still killing me.

Despite a poor night's sleep again last night I forced myself to get the speed workout in after my work today.

After 1.2k at a 5:30 minutes per kilometre pace, I ran 2 x 400m at a 3:53/k pace, with a 30 second rest between each interval. That was followed by 2 x 800m at a 3:53/k pace with 45 seconds between each set. Then I ran 1k followed by 1.2k, both at 3:58/k with 1.5 minutes rest after the first interval and 2.5 minutes rest after the second one. The session finished with 1.6k at the original 3:53/k pace.

I was surprised at how easy the session was and how good I felt afterward given I feel as though I'm getting a head cold. There really are a lot of viruses going around and I seem to get a lot of them!

My buddy Steve says he never gets sick. He thinks I should gain weight, stop running and get out of shape..as he says, it works for him! :)

Great week!

It started last Saturday with an 8k run and ended with 17 kilometres yesterday - 8 straight days of running...a first for me!

This week's total of 53k was my highest since before the half marathon January 15th. I was surprised at how strong I felt during yesterday's long run and how great my legs feel today.

I ran inside on the treadmill because it was raining all day and the thought of slogging through the slush and puddles on the sidewalks and roads was not appealing. As much as I dislike the treadmill, there are advantages on days like yesterday.

Ian had the run structured for the pace to increase every 2k until the 10k mark when the paces slowed every 2k, with the slowest pace over the last 1k. The pace changes helped break up the monotony of the run and to make it even more interesting, I varied the incline every 500m or so from the 5k point onward, going from a 1% grade up to as high as 4%.

I started at a 5:10/pace, with the fastest pace being 4:50/k from the 8 to 10k points. The varying inclines really worked my legs, but considering the mileage I had racked up the previous 7 days, it wasn't a killer run and I felt much stronger at the end of the run than I had at the finish of my 15k run the previous Sunday.

I have to admit, when I first looked at the plan Ian had developed for me this past week, I thought he was trying to kill me! Now that it's over, I feel awesome physically and running as many days consecutively as I have gives me a sense of accomplishment and confidence in my conditioning and ability to push myself.

I guess Ian really does know what he's doing. :)

I had planned to run the St. Paddy's Day 10k here in Ottawa next Saturday the 12th, but I haven't entered yet. I'm going to enter at the last minute Saturday morning if the weather is reasonable and spots remain in the event. I have no desire to run in the snow, rain or cold...all of which we've been getting a lot of recently.

And speaking of weather, the rain turned to snow over night, so there's about 7cm of the white stuff waiting for me and my snow blower. I'm ready for winter to leave!

Have a great week!

Fifth day in-a-row!

Because Anne and I had things on tonight, neither of us could make it to the indoor track for the group run with Ian. So I was up at 5am and in the gym by 6am to get my run done on the treadmill.

This week's speed session was comprised of 3 intervals of 600m at 5k race pace (3:53 minutes per km for me) followed by 1200m also at 5k race pace, with a 1.5 minute rest after each 600m and 3 minutes after each 1200m. And then there was an additional 600m tacked on at the end for kicks!

It was a great run and I was surprised at how easy the 3:53 pace felt even over the 1200m distances. In fact I felt strong enough to run the final 600m at a 3:47/km pace. I'm definitely getting faster and stronger, especially considering today was the fifth day in-a-row of running for me, including a tough 15k run on Sunday.

 Now I just have three more days to get through until a rest day on Sunday.  

It's official!

I received my latest credit card statement in the mail today and it showed that a payment had been processed for entry into the NYC Marathon...I'm officially in the field...oh yeah!! :)

Not that I was worried really, but you never know what can happen with the verification process. It's just good to know that everything is set. Now all I have to do is wait...and train of course!

Speaking of which, Ian has a very robust schedule for me this week, starting with a 5k today. Usually he gives me a rest day after my Sunday long run, but not this week.

Tomorrow I'll run 9k, then do a 6k track session on Wednesday, followed by 6k on Thursday, 8k Friday and  17k Saturday. Ian had scheduled a rest day for Saturday, but I'm playing poker Saturday night and will be in no condition to run my long run Sunday, so I'll move it up a day.

It's all worth it, especially knowing I'll be running in New York City the first weekend in November. :)

Tough one

I just finished my 15k long run and it was tough. The sun was shining and it wasn't too cold out so I decided to run outside. Unfortunately it snowed last night and the sidewalks and path along the canal were slippery and wet, making it difficult to get traction and hit the paces I was supposed.

I ran the first 5k at an even 5 minutes per kilometre pace and the next 4kms at a 4:55/km pace. Those paces were easy enough to hit and maintain and it felt good to be running outside again.

I was supposed to run kilometres 9 through 12 at a 4:50/km pace and then run 2k at a 4:45 pace before finishing in a 5:00/km pace over the last kilometre. Upping the pace to 4:50 was easy to do, but the stretch where I was suppose to run at a 4:45 pace was mainly up hill, into the wind and covered in snow and ice. I could only manage to average a 4:48 pace over that 2k part of the run, although the effort to do it felt like I was sprinting!

I think I expended so much energy trying to run a 4:45 pace that I was running on fumes the last kilometre, with my legs feeling very heavy and my lungs burning as I tried to get enough air in to keep going. I was surprised at how difficult the run was.

However, maybe I shouldn't have been as it was my longest run and first long run outside since the half marathon race in Georgia on January 15th. Combined with the slippery conditions and the fact I was layered up and wearing a water belt, thinking it would be an easy run was a bit optimistic.

Oh well, I survived and this tough run will pay dividends during my next race.

    

In a rut!

This week has been a challenge for training...lots of things going at work and with the kids, plus I just haven't been feeling it!

I did my track workout on the treadmill before work on Wednesday morning. It was great! Broken 1ks - 200m at a 3:47 minutes/km pace, followed by 30 seconds rest, then 800m at a 3:53 minutes/km pace, with a 3-minute jog at about a 6:20 minutes/km pace. In addition I had a 1k warm up and a 1k cool down, for a total distance of 11.5k.

My legs were tired and I was sweating profusely, but it felt awesome!

Thursday I was supposed to run 10k, but Ryan's hockey team played an exhibition game at Scotia Bank Place prior to the Ottawa Senators game against the Florida Panthers Wednesday night. After their exhibition game, the team and parents had dinner and stayed to watch the NHL contest. I'm not a Sens fan, in fact I despise the team, but it was a good game, considering both teams are bad.

Anyway, we got home late and Thursday I was really tired. Add to that a busy work day with deadlines to meet and I didn't get a chance to run at lunch. I had intentions of running after work Thursday night, but was too tired and blew it off. Friday was a rest day, so I could have squeezed it in then, but as I said, I just wasn't into running.

So I've decided to move on and start fresh today. I'm running a fast 8k on the treadmill in about an hour and tomorrow I'll do my 15k long run outside. I'm looking forward to running outside for the first time since my half marathon on January 15th.

I think that was part of the problem this week - I'm sick and tired of running on the treadmill and can't wait for the winter to end!

8K in the books

Following a post-race rest day, I was back at it today with an 8km run...back inside the warm confines of the gym at work.

The run was split into a 2.5k warm-up at a 5:05 min/km pace, followed by 1k intervals of 4:55, 4:50 and 4:40 minutes per kilometere respectively. Then I cooled down for 2.5k at a 5:05 min/k pace. The run felt great and combined with a 10-minute stretching session afterward, helped to get rid of the stiffness in my legs from the 5k race Sunday.

I won't be able to make it to the track tomorrow night, because of Ryan's hockey game, but I'll get the session in on the treadmill before work in the morning.

Although running on the treadmill is boring, at least my hands, face and legs don't freeze and temperatures are supposed to rise as the week progresses, so I hope to do my Sunday long-run outside.  

5k race

Well I didn't set a PR or even break 20 minutes, but it was close....20:03!

It was windy and cold, somewhere around -20C factoring in the wind-chill. The first 800m or so was uphill and directly into the wind. By the 1k point my hands were numb and I couldn't feel my legs or feet. It was no fun.

By the 3k point my lungs were burning and I was questioning why I had gotten up at 5am on a Sunday morning to come out here and put myself through this. But it was too late to change my mind at that point, so I pushed on.

As I rounded the final turn I was happy to see the finish line, but not to see the clock showing 19:55. I gave it all I had, but just couldn't get in under 20 minutes. No doubt the weather conditions were a factor in my race results. But I was able to finish 4th overall and 1st in my age group.

So I'm two for two in 2011 in my age group...I hope I can keep it going!

That was fast!

Wednesday night was another great track session and boy was it fast!

As I wrote Tuesday, the group was doing 7 x 800m at each person's Yasso 800 pace. Ian had set that for me at 3 minutes and 5 seconds to complete each interval. He also gave me strict instructions to stick to that pace for each interval.

I paired-up with Jason again and off we went. The first interval was bang-on 3:05 and felt great. We ran the next two in 3:02 each. I was really feeling strong and much better than the last session when I was still recovering from my cold. It's good having someone run with you and push you. Jason is younger and I think he takes it easy on me, but his presence keeps me motivated.

On Ian's advice, we ran the next interval at 3:04 and then ran intervals 5 and 6 at 3:02 and 3:03 respectively. I was still feeling ok and looking forward to pushing the last interval. Jason agreed to go hard for the last 800m. We started off at a good pace and kept increasing our speed until we were in a flat-out sprint the last 100m or so.

Time for that interval - 2:46!

I was out of breath and sweating profusely, but having that much left in the tank for the final interval was very satisfying. I was certainly stronger at the end than the last track session. That night I died down the stretch of the last interval. And it made me think the goal time of 19:15 that Ian set for my 5k race on Sunday was possible.

So I'm going to enjoy a few glasses of wine tonight, relax and get mentally prepared for a fast 5k Sunday morning.

Track session again tomorrow

Last week was a perfect week of training culminating in a 5k easy run Saturday and an 11k run Sunday. Total mileage for the week - 48k.

Today I ran 7k at an average pace of 5:03. Very comfortable. Tomorrow is a track session with Ian and his group. This coming Sunday I have a 5k race here in town and my goal time is 19 minutes 45 seconds or an average pace of approximately 3:56 per kilometre. I think I'm ready, but tomorrow's track session will provide the proof....or not.

This will the be my second time on the track with Ian, Michelle and the group and I'm looking forward to it. First I'm 100% healthy (last time I was still recovering from a nasty cold) and after discussing the last session with Ian, I know now not to push myself too much and stick to the times he prescribes. I should be able to finish strong instead of dying over the last interval.

The workout planned is 7 x 800m at each individual's Yasso 800 time, which for me is 3 minutes and 7 seconds. Rest between each interval is the same time as it takes to run the interval. It will be a tough workout, but will be a good indicator of how ready I am to hit my goal time in the upcoming race.

I'll let you know how I do.

Ah Sunday morning

I have to admit not training for a marathon has its benefits, most notably not having to get up early and rush out the door on a Sunday morning to get in a 30k run. I love sleeping in and enjoying a cup of hot tea while I check emails, update my blog and check out TSN for the latest scores and highlights.

Now don't get me wrong, I love running, I love training for marathons and I love races. However, sometimes it's important to dial things back a bit and focus on alternative distances.

At the moment I'm training for a 5k race next Sunday here in Ottawa, so the distances I'm running are shorter and the weekly totals are much lower than I was logging leading up to the half marathon last month. The change of pace (pardon the pun) is nice.

And soon enough it will be back to longer runs and higher weekly mileage as I gear up for two half marathons in May and ultimately the NYC Marathon in November. In the meantime I'll enjoy my Sunday mornings and all the perks that go along with training for shorter-distanced races.

Have a great Sunday!

 

Back on track

This week has been great for training now that I'm home and back into my routine.

Tuesday night I ran 7k at an average pace of 5:00 minutes per kilometre. Wednesday it was 8k at an average pace of 4:47 and yesterday I ran 9k all at 5 minutes per km.

Today I had a great speed run at lunch. It started with 3k at a 5:00 minute per km pace, then it was time to go fast! Four repeats of 100m at a 3:30 pace, followed by 400m at a 4:30 pace. I was surprised at how the short sprints impacted me. After the last repeat I ran 3k at a 5:00 pace, but it took me a good 1.5k to get my heart rate and breathing under control and I could feel the effects of the sprints in my legs.

I'm really getting bored with treadmill running and can't wait for spring. It's still too slippery to run consistently at speed outside and the temperature has not been to my liking for doing my long runs.

The way I see it, there's another 6 or 7 weeks remaining of winter in Ottawa and then I'll be back outside running on a consistent basis. Until then the treadmill will have to do.  

Home Sweet Home

Well I'm back in Ottawa and even though it's minus 27C with the wind chill, it's good to be home. I've missed Anne and the kids, plus my training schedule is FUBAR!

I was trying to play catch-up for my missed run last Thursday due to my delayed flight and sore hamstrings. I never made it. In the end I was able to get in 4 of my 5 scheduled runs, ultimately missing my 9k long run on Sunday. I did get in two good runs while I was away - a 7k on Saturday and an 8k Sunday. Both felt good and helped get rid of the stiffness I had in my hamstrings and gluts.

I'll run 7k tonight and then get back to my lunch-hour training tomorrow. I only have 12 days until my next race, a 5k here in town on the 20th. I've run this particular race a couple of times and it has always snowed on race day, making it difficult to get good footing. My goal is to run the race in under 20 minutes no matter what the conditions.

This week's training includes a speed session on Friday and then I'm back on the track next Wednesday (Anne and I alternate weeks for the track sessions because someone has to be home with the kids). I should be ready to rock on the 20th.