Track Workout: 6x400

I've been under the weather since I woke up Sunday morning with a sore throat that has progressively gotten worse, although it may have peaked last night. I took yesterday off on purpose, but it was also probably good for my health as well.

Tonight I had a tough time getting motivated after my commute to get out and put down some 400s so I negotiated with myself and decided I'd only do 6. I haven't been getting the necessary volume in my training to do much more than 6-8 400s anyway. That doesn't appear like it'll change anytime too soon either, I expect to be in the 35-40 range for the foreseeable future. That's fine though, I don't plan on a ton of racing this winter.

For the workout:

• 1.4 mile warm up to the track in 10:00 (7:01 pace), http://www.strava.com/activities/218672148
• 400 #1: 73, http://www.strava.com/activities/218672143
• 400 #2: 70, http://www.strava.com/activities/218672153
• 400 #3: 72, http://www.strava.com/activities/218672155
• 400 #4: 72, http://www.strava.com/activities/218672156
• 400 #5: 71, http://www.strava.com/activities/218672159
• 400 #6: 70, http://www.strava.com/activities/218672168
• 2.38 mile cool down around Dunks back home in 16:55 (7:07 pace), http://www.strava.com/activities/218672173

Recoveries were 400m jogs between the reps. It was hard, but not too hard. There was a fairly stiff breeze on the back stretch that took some solid effort to fight through. Aerobically I was working pretty hard, but my legs weren't turning over the way I had hoped so I couldn't hit that extra gear to throw down any high-60s. Oh well.

Workout Total: 6.78 miles

2x2 Mile

Hit the track after work for a little workout after work tonight. Ran 1.64 miles over the track (and on the track) at 7:15ish pace to warm up. Stretched out a little and hit the line for a couple 2 mile tempos. The first one I went through the mile in 5:40 and came back with a slight neg split on a 5:38. 11:18 for the rep, solid, and I couldn't ask for much more having just gotten back up to speed after this latest ankle sprain. I did an 800 jog recovery and got back on the line for rep number two. Started out hot and took it out to the tune of a 76-77 first quarter, held pretty strong and went 5:22 through the mile. Having gotten out so strong I didn't want to kill myself but I did want to finish strong too. I held on for a 5:33, just breaking 11:00 in 10:55. Very encouraging workout, getting in four quality miles. I'll try to build more strength over the next two weeks heading into Gabe's. Cooled down back home for 1.43 miles in 9:50.


Warm Up: http://www.strava.com/activities/217939783

2 Mile Tempo #1: http://www.strava.com/activities/217939784 (800 Recovery)

2 Mile Tempo #2: http://www.strava.com/activities/217939781 (800 Recovery)

Cool Down: http://www.strava.com/activities/217939778

Solid Weekend

Got out for 6 miles on Saturday and ended up really picking it up the last two miles with a 6:02 and a 5:50. I ran a Mile Lane loop and extended it through town. I'm surprised to see that I actually broke the Mile Lane segment course record on Strava, I wasn't going that fast on Mile Lane. I think I had that record already anyway too.

Here's Saturday's run: http://www.strava.com/activities/217472975

Saturday night I was over at Merrimack for the PC hockey game and I stayed there for the night. The team had conference this morning, but some of the injured guys were pulling all nighters so we watched Mighty Ducks until 4:30am. Greg hit me up to run while I was there so we decided on 1:30 this afternoon. It's been a long time, we tried to run several times over the summer but I was always hurt or not around when he was. I only really get to see Greg at Gabe's Run each year and maybe one or two other days for runs, so this is unfortunately a rare occurrence. We met at the track and ran out to Labor In Vain. It was nice to catch up, and no matter how long it's been since I saw him it never feels like any time has passed. We talked about life, work and training, and as I thought he hasn't been training too much, but he's going to really pick it up the next few weeks while he's home and not working. The run was brisk, he said definitely the fastest he's run in a while, it was probably close to 7 minute pace, still easily conversational. My watched turned off at 4 miles so I don't have the exact measurements on it, but it was a 6 mile run.

Cemetery Hill Workout

I've done the cemetery hill workout a few times now since I started to come back from my busted foot this summer, so I figured I'd put them all side-by-side:

July 16th: 4 reps off no training in a monsoon (seriously, there was a flood warning I found out about after): 63, 66, 65, 66. Recoveries were walk down the hill, because, well, I was like 5 days out from an MRI on a broken foot.

September 18th: 4 reps on 4 weeks of training (up to 40 mpw): 58, 59, 59, 61

November 7th: 6 reps coming off sprained ankle (missed essentially two weeks): 59, 58, 60, 60, 59, 60

I obviously own the record on this hill, I'm really the only person besides the cross country team that works out here. The cross country team sucks now so I don't think they're threatening my segment. Although, it's absolutely not a 53, it's a 58 mayyyyyyybe a 57. That's still damn good. When I used to do this workout early in my college years I was doing reps in the low 60s, but I was doing slightly shorter reps back then.

3 Weeks Til Gabe's

Better get back to work here, and fast, time's running out before my favorite race of the year. Exactly three weeks from today we go to battle in defense of our hard fought team title reign at Gabe's Run. Having Kieran missing most of cross country with a stress fracture, no Melly this year, Greg's training is unknown aside from occasional Strava updates, and me coming off another ankle sprain, we're not in the best spot to defend our title if we face stiff competition (i.e. a return of Monkey Jars). Coach is getting great training and Stansel is a beast, but our 3-5 is questionable. I'm doing my best not to be a question mark though, and tonight's hill workout was a step back towards the trajectory in my training that I thought had me poised for a big race. I may to call in some reinforcements...

It was cold our for a run, and I'll have to break out the gloves and winter hat shortly. It doesn't help that I run two hours after the sun sets each night, but tonight the wind chill was 32 degrees when I got out for my hills.

Yeah...no thanks. Anyway, here's how the workout went:

• 1.54 mile warm up to cemetery, 10:25, 6:47 pace, http://www.strava.com/activities/216675669
• Hill 1: 59 seconds
• Hill 2: 58 seconds
• Hill 3: 60 seconds
• Hill 4: 60 seconds
• Hill 5: 59 seconds
• Hill 6: 60 seconds
• 1.54 mile cool down home, 9:39, 6:15, http://www.strava.com/activities/216675656

Was that a fast cool down? Yes. Do I care? No. Recoveries were jogs down the hill, and not light jogs, closer to actual running. Did some light stretching quickly at the bottom, my lower back was really tight. Recoveries got shorter as I went further into the workout. 

Post-Workout Mindset: Satisfied, but I know there's still a lot of work to be done to get to where I need to be.

Back At It

Feels good to be back and motivated again. I was slipping into laziness during my little break, and I really needed to get out there yesterday and put down some solid/fast miles to get that motivation back. I was ready to go into hibernation for the winter. It really sucks getting home at 6:15 in the pitch black and it's getting colder and I know I have to run. That's the thing though, I have to run. Not want to, have to.

Here's yesterday's miles:

Killed it.

I went to the track and then around town tonight for 5.53 in 37:48. 6:50 pace. My weeknight routes are going to basically be that for the rest of the winter, it's too dark to go anywhere else and risk poor footing or getting hit by a car (not joking).

Here's today's run: http://www.strava.com/activities/216010531

Right Where I Left Off

Yeah...so, nine days off and that was way too fast, but I was excited to be back. Ran to the track and dunks. Ankle still gives me trouble though and it was sore (more on the pavement than the track). Will be critical to see how it feels in the morning. I guarantee it'll be sore it's just a matter of how sore.