Training Week 4 Summary Since I'm doing the 12 week Pfitz plan, this week ends Mesocycle 1 - Endurance. I was scheduled to do the following: TUE: 10mi Easy w/5mi @ Tempo - Check WED: 4mi Recovery - Nope THU: 11mi Medium Long - Check SAT: 5mi Recovery - Nope SUN: 17mi Long - Check So the beginning of this week started like the end of last week - still sick with the flu. I was getting worried when I'd be able to run again! Finally on Thursday I headed out and felt good so I went ahead and ran the tempo run. My wife was working from home on Friday and I was still feeling okay, so I headed out and got the 11 miler in. The legs were a little tight Friday night - but felt good by Saturday. I wanted to try to get in the recovery run - so as not to lose out on too much mileage this week - but said F it and took it as a rest day so that the long run would go well. While I've been feeling a lot better - I still have a lot of nasal drip and a very small cough going - so I didn't want to tempt fate. This morning I went out for the planned 17 miler and did 18 so I could at least get 40 in for the week. In total for the week, I got in 40.1 miles versus the planned 47.

Nice week last week despite starting out sick!! NICE 18 miler!!! Hope to hear the nasal drip and cough are completely gone ASAP!! Hope you have a very Happy and Healthy New Year!!

Nice week last week despite starting out sick!! NICE 18 miler!!! Hope to hear the nasal drip and cough are completely gone ASAP!! Hope you have a very Happy and Healthy New Year!!

Thanks, Pam! Me too - and a Happy and Healthy New Year to you and your family too!

Thanks, Steve. Part of the running has been sort of catching up from being sick - this week I randomly decided to try to run every day to see how the legs handle it. Since I'm trying to drop 15 more pounds before Cowtown, it can only help. I hope. I hear you on the long runs. I really enjoy them. But my wife has outsmarted me. As usual. She learned from the last marathon to get me to do my chores on Saturday - because she knows I won't do them on Sunday. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. I haven't told her that when I start training for the 50 miler later this year I will need to do back to back long runs on Saturday and Sunday.

I guess you'll be doing your chores on Friday soon enough, Mike! Nice week you have going this week! And I hope you took before and after pictures of yourself for the "Before and After" thread, when you drop those 15 lbs!

Thanks, Bob! Yes - I did take before pictures. I will dig them up when it's time to take the afters. I'm down almost 10 pounds since Thanksgiving - so far so good.

Training Week 5 Summary I was scheduled to do the following: TUE: 5mi Recovery - Check WED: 12mi Medium Long - Check FRI: 11mi w/6 @ Tempo - Check SAT: 5mi Recovery - Check SUN: 18mi Long - Check So I had a goal of running every day this week to see if it helped with keeping my calories under better control to help lose the next 15 pounds. Well I came very close to hitting this goal. I ran every day except Saturday - but just couldn't squeeze in a run what with most of my day dedicated to a cub scout orienteering event. Once the week got rolling - I was feeling good and decided to see if I could break 60 miles for the first time. I also thought it might be good to get an extra 20 miler (by lengthening an 18 miler) into my plan. The temps were 40 degrees warmer than earlier this week - so the last 6 miles sucked pretty bad - but I finished it and my legs are tired - but not much more than usual. I was going to try the running every day thing for two weeks before I went back to the schedule. I think I will go ahead and step back now - next week is 48 and has the first VO2Max workout of the 12 week plan. I also really want to have a good marathon pace run next weekend - a 15 miler with 12 @ MP. While I probably COULD run every day next week - I just don't think I SHOULD. In total for the week, I got in 60.7 miles versus the planned 51.

*snerk* It's cool. It takes time, and dedication. No worries. I think you're doing them right. You shouldn't be killing yourself, and I think people feel that intervals is all about going so hard you're dying or puking or both. It's not. They're about pushing yourself, sure, but not necessarily that hard. Also, this is the first session. I'm pretty sure they get harder as you get further along (I'm not an expert on Pfitz, unfortunately). Another thought....What pace and distance are you running your tempos at?

Intervals usually feel harder than tempo runs. Or at least feel faster. They're hard in their own way -- intervals are short but quite fast, but tempos hurt because you're doing it for at least 20 minutes. I suspect you could run a 5k much faster now than you did way back in July. You may want to run a 5k just to sort of "re-calibrate" yourself and get a gauge on you fitness. Short of a race, you could do the ultimate 5k prediction workout: 3x1 mile with 1 minute recovery. The fastest pace that you can sustain for all 3 intervals is what you should be able to race a 5k at. Ultimately, I think the not worry about it approach is probably the best one to take. But if you're feeling kung fu during those intervals or tempo runs, don't be afraid to push it.

Yeah, Jeff makes a good point. You might want to see if there's a small 5k soon, and try that, or just substitute another session and run your own on the track. Be interesting to see where you're at from that stance. Otherwise, I think you're ok. If they're not too bad, like I said, it's the first time out. If it stays real easy, then yeah, ratchet up the pace.

Based on that, then I think you need to probably adjust your pace. BUT.... The only true test would be to race. At the very least a sort of personal time trial. Be interesting to see what you could post for that. Might help if you have someone to do it with, though (assuming you're not doing a race).