Surprise at the Track

While I have not been blogging much in May, I've still been running. Seems I needed a break from blogging more than from running :) I've been trying to take it a bit easier on the running, listening to my body, and taking it one day at a time, since this is just maintenance until the next session starts on June 9. I'm averaging 20-25 miles per week, including a 12 miler and 14 miler on back to back weekends two weeks ago, plus 10-15 more of walking to/from the bus. I cut way back on long runs last week and this week to let me legs recover before I start abusing them again with crazy long millage and back to back long runs when Goofy training starts. I've also entertained myself plotting how I can fit in an ultra before Goofy, but more likely in 2013 after Goofy. I now think I want to run a 50 miler sometime in 2013. We shall see :)

I started going to the track again the past few weeks, mainly because the variety helps keep me from getting bored when I don't have any races, but I've not been given it my all since again I'm just in maintenance. So imagine my surprise at the amazing track workout I had this morning when I thought I might just end up running slow circles to get in some miles. 

The plan was 4-6 x 800 @10k pace. I normally run track intervals at the target pace prescribed by the average of my last 3 Magic Mile times for the given distance. That would mean 9:30 pace, or 4:45 per 800, which funny enough is my current 5k PR pace. Last year my goal for 800s was 9:45-10:00 pace. I wasn't sure I wanted to push that hard today, so I thought I would target my current 10k PR pace of 10:15 instead. I programmed the Garmin for 6x800/200 repeats, with a warm up and cool down, and set the pace range for the 800s to 9:30 - 10:15 so the Garmin wouldn't yell at me if I was able to pull off a slightly faster pace. 

After a good warm up, Chris and I took off at what felt like a very comfortable pace; we were still able to talk fairly well and were barely out of breath, but the watch kept beeping at me to slow down! We nailed 5 x 800 intervals at my target 10K pace, and it felt almost effortless. Not only that, but we maintained a fairly consistent pace for all of them, within 1-2 seconds, and I wasn't really paying that much attention to that. I was just running. We were getting tired during the last one, and the slight slower pace shows it. So we quit while we were ahead and ran easy to cool down until I had a total of 5 miles, but that was still under 10:30! I felt fantastic! It sure helps to have company. It was wicked warm and humid, but a nice breeze kept us cool during the 800s. 

I'm so ready for this new season to start! Bring it on!

Here's the data:

Total: 5.04 in 56:30 @ 11:12

Goal: 800 in 4:45 - 5:07 @ 9:30 - 10:15

• 1.25 @12:28 warm up
• 4:44@ 9:29
• 4:43 @9:27
• 4:44 @9:29
• 4:42 @9:25
• 4:45 @9:31
• .8 @10:19 (cool down)

Recap: April 2012 (weeks 16-18)

I've been unmotivated to blog lately, but I'm going to try to get back in the swing of things. I packed a lot into April, and now my body is screaming for a break. It's really hard to resist the deluge of races in May, but I've vowed to take it easy and take a breather before the madness begins again in June with Goofy training. I'll likely not be racing again until September, but it will be nice to get back to some structured training again.

Stats & Goals Progress (33%)

• Run: 80 miles; 350 / 1000 (35%)
• 16 hours
• 12:37 avg pace
• Walk: 70 miles; 267 / 500 (53%) 
• Bike: 39 miles; 4 days; 20 / 52 (38%)
• Yoga: 8 sessions; 2 hours; 22 / 120 (18%) - Still unmotivated to get up early for yoga. I'm surprised I did this much in April, because it feels like weeks since I've done any yoga at all. I got back to it this week, but still not feeling it. 
• Drove: 649 miles; 2651 / 6500 (41%) - About a hundred miles less than March, so that's good, but still a little high. Most race travel is now over for a while, so the next few months should be a lot better an balance out the first 3rd of the year. 
• Dinning Out: 8x; $78 / $80; restaurants: $54 / $65; snacks/sweets: $24 / $15 - Not bad, but I clearly over did it on the sweets. I'm starting to feel them too, so I'm going to cut most of that out in May to get back on track with clean eating before Goofy training starts in June. 

April Accomplishments

• Corporate 5K
• LBLO Half 
• Earth Day 12K - New PR
• Run for the Trees 5k - New PR of 1:03 & sub-30!
• Qualified for Level 2 of Half Fanatics with 6 half marathons in 6 months
• Registered for the Goofy Marathon & a Half Challenge!
• plank a day

Goals for May

• Resist the urge to race and enjoy maintenance running until Goofy training starts in June. 
• Get back to a yoga routine at least every other day

***

I forgot to post the last 3 weeks, so I'm just going to tag them onto here:

	Week 16	Week 17	Week 18
Run	11	19	21
Walk	10	20	14
Bike	8	3	0