Another Week
Alright, a good start to the week. I love entering training weeks off excellent long runs, and this past long run was a dandy. I sure ran hard and pushed myself well, not too hard, as I am still developing my body to handle the rigors of endurance, but I pushed myself quite well.
Monday, I met up with Dave and took him on my Gilbert St. 10K loop and that went well. Tuesday, I met up with Robin to escort me around Atlanta's version of Memorial Park, the Chattahoochee River. It's a 5K loop on dirt/gravel along the river, one of the few flat places to train in the Greater ATL, with 1/4 mile markers as well. After a disastrous attempt to get out there at 8AM (traffic is ridiculous), I started out again at 9AM and was ready to run.
We hit the first loop and I was feeling a bit sluggish, but running well. However, I soon realized that I was going to have a bit of difficulty running on this slippery surface. I remembered back to Houston and Memorial Park, and the first couple of times you run Memorial you have to get adjusted to the surface with your stride pattern, etc. So, this morning's workout, a 60-minute tempo with 3M at 5:25-5:30 pace, was one I would have preferred to have run on the roads and perhaps should have checked out Columns Drive, where lots of locals do their MP runs. Anyway, after a casual first introductory loop, I removed my gloves and hat and headed out for my "tempo."
Wearing my brand new Racer ST 3's (so happy when a shoe fits perfect out of the box), I accelerated into the run and hit 79-80s for my first 1/4 mile. 2:40 at 1/2 Mile and I knew I was going to run well. However, by 1200M I realized my stride was off and I was getting tightness where I haven't been tight (right quad) in past runs this hard. Since the course was flat, I kept mentally telling myself that this is an easy course, that I am stronger than this. Hit the Mile in 5:26. About dead on. The second mile I really fought some fatigue issues in my legs, due to the surface, and thought I had fallen off pace a bit, but was pleased to see 5:25. I figured, heck, I have :04 window to stay within my range, but came across the course's only hill and that downhill kicked me into another gear and I have to admit I was running quite hard, not so much "tempo" anymore, but I tried to relax and was very surprised to cover the last mile in 5:17. A very solid first effort of the training cycle. 3M in 16:08. I'll take it... a negative-split tempo run, that rarely happens for me.
Monday, I met up with Dave and took him on my Gilbert St. 10K loop and that went well. Tuesday, I met up with Robin to escort me around Atlanta's version of Memorial Park, the Chattahoochee River. It's a 5K loop on dirt/gravel along the river, one of the few flat places to train in the Greater ATL, with 1/4 mile markers as well. After a disastrous attempt to get out there at 8AM (traffic is ridiculous), I started out again at 9AM and was ready to run.
We hit the first loop and I was feeling a bit sluggish, but running well. However, I soon realized that I was going to have a bit of difficulty running on this slippery surface. I remembered back to Houston and Memorial Park, and the first couple of times you run Memorial you have to get adjusted to the surface with your stride pattern, etc. So, this morning's workout, a 60-minute tempo with 3M at 5:25-5:30 pace, was one I would have preferred to have run on the roads and perhaps should have checked out Columns Drive, where lots of locals do their MP runs. Anyway, after a casual first introductory loop, I removed my gloves and hat and headed out for my "tempo."
Wearing my brand new Racer ST 3's (so happy when a shoe fits perfect out of the box), I accelerated into the run and hit 79-80s for my first 1/4 mile. 2:40 at 1/2 Mile and I knew I was going to run well. However, by 1200M I realized my stride was off and I was getting tightness where I haven't been tight (right quad) in past runs this hard. Since the course was flat, I kept mentally telling myself that this is an easy course, that I am stronger than this. Hit the Mile in 5:26. About dead on. The second mile I really fought some fatigue issues in my legs, due to the surface, and thought I had fallen off pace a bit, but was pleased to see 5:25. I figured, heck, I have :04 window to stay within my range, but came across the course's only hill and that downhill kicked me into another gear and I have to admit I was running quite hard, not so much "tempo" anymore, but I tried to relax and was very surprised to cover the last mile in 5:17. A very solid first effort of the training cycle. 3M in 16:08. I'll take it... a negative-split tempo run, that rarely happens for me.
So, I picked up my brand new 2007 Outlook and then flew out on Wednesday to spend some time with my wife and daughters. While there, I felt like I was coming down with something as I was absolutely drained starting on Friday. I just couldn't stay awake and was just dead tired. I attributed it to re-adjusting to life with children and some work-related stress. Man, they truly take so much energy, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Madelyn was just as fun as always, and Victoria is such a cutie. I got to spend a lot of individual time with them, but not so much my wife as she was working Wed-Fri. However, we took some beautiful family pictures on Saturday to preserve the memories.
Ah, Rudy's race. Amazing. On Saturday, I lined up for the GCCSA 5K in warm, windy, rainy conditions. Less than 50 runners finished this race, but the quality of the field was astounding, led by the Rice duo of Adam Davis and David Axel. They literally left sprinting from the gun and attacked the course. There was no messing around for the airline ticket prize. Trinidadian talent Junior Mitchell went out with them, but I knew he would fade. The surprise was Luis Armenteros, as he chose not to go out hard at all and was actually running quite easily when I moved past him by 400M. By then, Houston grad, Cole Dailey, sporting a nice Brooks uniform identical to mine, gave chase to the leaders. I passed the Mile in 4:58 with Luis in tow and Rocha at 5:03. For the next two miles, I tried to unsuccessfully drop Luis and gap him, as I know he has great finishing speed and had just raced 15:05 on the track. I, on the other hand, had done not a single 5K workout to prepare myself for such a pace. However, I dug and I dug, and it was great. If I had any more fitness I would have caught Dailey and dropped Luis, but I was pretty much red-lined at 5:00 pace and Luis went past me in the final 50 meters as to which I had no response. Davis won in 14:49, Axel second in 14:57 and then Dailey 15:26 and Armenteros 15:31.
Absolutely solid race, and I'll take it. I was not in shape to run 15:32, but I got the effort of myself. This bodes well for the future. However, mixed with the draining family time and this herculean effort, including not eating on my flight home, I came down with a tremendous fever come Sunday morning... and with the horrible weather, I chose to rest today and not run in favor of my 2h-2h15' long run scheduled for Monday.
Hopefully, I can build up my immune system before tomorrow with some more rest, but I think this 15:32 effort speaks volumes of my strength and hill training. We shall see what the next two weeks bring before the Country Music Half Marathon.
Monday, 4-09-2007
10K Recovery through Gilbert St. in 41:09
Tuesday, 4-10-2007
15K Tempo with 3M at 5:25-5:30 Pace at The River in 1:04:27
23:22, 5:26-5:25-5:17 (16:08), 24:55
Wednesday, 4-11-2007
8 Miles Recovery through Pigeon Backside in 51:45
Thursday, 4-12-2007
6 Miles Steady on the Seabrook Trails in 35:51
Friday, 4-13-2007
5 Miles Recovery on the Seabrook Trails in 33:07
Saturday, 4-14-2007
GCCSA 5K in 15:32
12:00 Warm-Up, 4 x 100M Strides
4:58, 10:00 (5:01), 15:02 (5:01), :30
10:00 Cool-Down
Sunday, 4-15-2007
Rest / Sick
Total
42 Miles
