2023 The Waltons: Racing & Training Thread (Read 301 times)

darkwave


Mother of Cats

    51 miles running, 3 hours pool-running, and ~1000 yards swimming.

    M: 10 miles on treadmill, including 6 "Iwo Jima" hills [2:00 at 2% incline and 8.7 mph; 90 second jog; 30 seconds at 9.3-9.5 mph; 60 second jog], followed with leg strengthwork.
    T: Upper body weights/core and 90 minutes pool-running.
    W: Streaming yoga and 10 miles very easy (9:29) plus drills and two hill sprints.
    Th: 90 minutes pool-running and upper body weights/core.
    F: 10 miles, including a 5K tempo in 22:23 (7:22/7:09/7:00/0:52); followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.
    Sa: 10.5 miles very easy (9:16) plus drills; yoga in afternoon.
    Su: 11 miles, including 8 Iwo Jima hills (2:00 powerful up a 2% incline, then 90 second jog; 40 second downhill stride and then 60 second jog to bottom). Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 meters recovery swimming.

     

    This was my second week back from the Houston Marathon, and also my first full week on Rytary, which has my legs feeling really good and coordinated and bouncy.

     

    Since my legs felt fully recovered, I went ahead and introduced some faster running with a short tempo book-ended by two hill workouts. Definite improvement over where I was - my gait is more powerful and bouncy, I feel more comfortable on downhills (though still room for improvement there), and I'm running much more smoothly when running in crowds or in the dark - two situations that triggered my neuro issues in the past. Notably, my hill workout on Sunday was one of the fastest that I've done in several months (which probably shouldn't matter that much, since the workout is not about speed per se).  Friday's tempo was also before the sun came up.  It was near miraculous - I could tell with my feet where the track was.

     

    I've got some races on the schedule for the next few months - a 5K in February, a half-marathon in March, and the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in April. For the next few weeks, I'm not going to do any long runs - with two marathons in the last four months on my legs, I don't have a pressing need to do long runs right now. Instead, I'm going to focus on intervals and tempos, and sub in hill workouts on Sundays to improve my gait. All with the goal of improving my gait and my speed, now that the neuro issues seem to be improving.

     

    If the thread dictator wants to list my races, they are:


    February 11- By George 5K  (not sure what goal is)

    March 5 - One City Half-Marathon (not sure what goal is, will pick something when closer.  BTW, this is listed on the front page, but listed for May, not March)

    April 2 - Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.  Goal is sub-71:19.  (this is because it will be the 50th Anniversary of this race, and so they will likely keep with the tradition every 5 years of giving a mug to every man or woman who beats the winning time for the very first Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in 1973.  In 1973, the woman's winning time was 71:19.  Unfortunately, the men have to beat 51:22)

    Everyone's gotta running blog; I'm the only one with a POOL-RUNNING blog.

     

    And...if you want a running Instagram where all the pictures are of cats, I've got you covered.

    Half Crazy K 2.0


      31 miles for the week

       

      Monday short mobility workout

      Tuesday am 6 on the treadmill with 15 min, 10 min and 5 min at a steeadier/faster pace  pm strength training

      Wednesday 4.4 easy trreadmill

      Thursday 7 slightly faster easy treadmill

      Friday 20 minute warm up on treadmill + strength training

      Saturday rest day

      Sunday 10 miles

      zebano


        Wow lots of really good weeks!

         

        DW - great week, I'm shocked how fast you recovered and those paces are looking promising that you're nearly back to the form you were in when I first joined.

         

        HCK - Great Week - did you finally get of the treadmill for Sunday or are you getting solid long runs in on it too?

         

        James - This feels like a year and a half straight of hamstring issues for you but somehow you still crush the races so I'm crossing my fingers that remains true.

         

        Steve - That MP workout looks brutal. Well done. I did misread your LT workout and was a bit gaga thinking you did 2x7KM  LT then 2x4KM LT.

         

        NZ in general yeah I forget that it's 2 separate islands all the time. The fact that Watson is in a drought is crazy with the flooding.

         

        First Mick and now Watson voluntarily pulling back on the reigns?? Are you guys really runners? Can you teach me this skill?

         

        Mark - that's a very Mark week. Looks like a lot of your other weeks (and that's a good thing).

        1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)

        zebano


          I just finished up a really solid week. My VO2/speed microcycle is over and made it to a recovery week! I kind of avoided my last workout because it got icy and cold here but that's fine.

           

          M 5 miles easy

          7.2 w/ 5x3minH on 3' rec jog. Paces started rough but my stride improved each one and I worked from 7:10/mi down to 6:25

          Wed  5 miles in 2 runs split by about 10 minutes driving a kid around. + mobility/bodyweight work for the first time in awhile.

          Th 5 miles in 2 runs split by about 10 minutes driving a kid around. + mobility/bodyweight work for the second time in 2 days

          F 13.7 mi @8:20/mi  ugg that's fast for me but  I got to run with my neighbor who is crazy fast. She kept floating ahead looking at her watch and going "hey we're going kinda fast" then she would float ahead again. Our first 4 miles were reasonable and everything after that was 8:20 or faster... I don't like to talk about a woman's age but did I mention she's in her 50s? I want to age like that. Also lifted in the PM

          Sat 6.2 very very slow, very very icy miles. Ran some 12 minute miles, Stayed upright. Win

          Sun  9.5 miles w strides on a semi-hilly area (who am I kidding, they're really gentle but it's almost never flat). Pushed the uphills starting at halfway. + lifting + a 800yd swim just to remind myself that I can.

           

          52 miles.

          3 mobility sessions, 2 strength sessions, 1 short swim, 0 bikes!

          1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)

          Marky_Mark_17


            So it turns out that one of the two flood deaths near my place was some guy who decided it would be a good idea to try and kayak in the overflowing stormwater drains.

             

            DW - sounds like some genuine improvement in terms of the neurological issues. Even if hill workouts aren't about pace, this is an encouraging sign.

             

            Steve - yeah the good thing about the humidity is that it will end.  No danger of it being like that in Wanaka in May and unlikely for Waterfront in April (though not impossible... 2 years ago was a shocker from memory).  Nothing like a good long run to really build the confidence either so nice job.  My coach is actually running the same "2 weeks up, 1 week down" approach... I'm liking it so far.

             

            HCK - I admire the persistence on the treadmill, I would struggle with that (of course I guess sometimes there isn't any other option).

             

            Zebano - yuk ice would be the worst, I can see why you skipped on that workout.  Cool having a neighbour you can run with... I had to drive for 3 hours to get a running buddy last week lol.

            3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)  

            10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)

            * Net downhill course

            Last race: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

            Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

            "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

            SteveChCh


            Hot Weather Complainer

              Darkwave - that sounds sensible, you’ll definitely have the endurance covered. It’s great to see you scheduling so many races.

               

              Mark - ekk. There’s always someone, but that’s a huge price to pay.

               

              zebano - really good week. So much variety! Also, Mark, Watson and Piwi are all on the same island. I’m the only one on the South Island, and our drought is even more severe than Watson’s. It’s as dry here at the moment as it was in 2017 when we had big fires. It’s always very dry in summer though.

              5km: 18:34 11/23 │ 10km: 39:10 8/23 │ HM: 1:26:48 9/23 │ M: 3:34:49 6/23

               

              2024 Races:

              Motorway Half Marathon February 25, 2024 1:29:55

              Christchurch Half-Marathon April 21, 2024

              Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024

              Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024

              zebano


                 

                zebano - really good week. So much variety! Also, Mark, Watson and Piwi are all on the same island. I’m the only one on the South Island, and our drought is even more severe than Watson’s. It’s as dry here at the moment as it was in 2017 when we had big fires. It’s always very dry in summer though.

                 

                the difference in climates is wild but I guess California can pull off that type of difference on their own too.

                 

                Mark - the kayaker .. wow I don't have words. It's really stupid but something that sounds like it would be fun in the moment and I might be tempted to try.

                1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)

                Fredford66


                Waltons ThreadLord

                  Hi all.  Sorry to have been away most of the week.

                   

                  Mark, Watson, Piwi, Steve - sorry to hear about the deluge and drought.  I hope you and yours came through all right, though from what I've read here it seems everyone is indeed OK.

                   

                  Zebano - Nice solid week (as you said).  Good to see you hitting those workouts.

                   

                  HCK - Nice week capped with a long run.

                   

                  DW - Good to hear the medicine appears to be working well for you.  I hope it helps you in races too.  51:22 to beat for 10 miles?  Yikes.

                   

                  Steve - Good work last week with the long run and other workouts.  Sounds like you're going to be in good shape for your race.

                   

                  Mark - So strange for me to hear people mentioning humidity as an issue when I'm dealing with how to keep my wooden instruments from drying out in the winter.  Nice work last week.  I hope your race goes off as planned.

                   

                  Watson - It's never a bad idea to back off if your body is sending you messages.  Nice running.

                   

                  James - Good luck with your steady increase.

                   

                  Mick - Glad you enjoyed your time on the slopes.  Don't push the faster people onto the other thread - they have good advice as well as good stories.  As to faster runners, I remember in my first 5k (not even a full 5k) the deflating feeling of being passed by a runner pushing a stroller - uphill.  I've learned since then that there are always faster people and they come in all shapes and sizes.

                   

                  Ccoakley - Good news about your long run a few days back.  It's great when a run, especially a workout, goes well.

                   

                  I hope I didn't miss anyone.

                  5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:55 (11/23); 10k 49:24 (10/22); 
                  10M 1:29:33 (2/24); Half 1:48:32 (10/22); Marathon 4:29:58 (11/23)

                  Upcoming races: RunAPalooza (Asbury Park) HM, 4/6; Clinton Country Run 15k, 4/27

                   

                  Fredford66


                  Waltons ThreadLord

                    I was back to a full week of work, happily.  My knee and hip pains, though not completely gone, are much improved.  My pacing on the workouts still hasn't been what I'd hoped, but that may just be the way things go for me this winter/spring.  C'est la vie.  It was really nice to get the full 12 miles done on the long run, though I probably ran harder than I should have and am still feeling it today.  41.7 miles / 67.1 km for the week - it's good to be back over 40.

                     

                    Fun item - I ran in shorts and a t-shirt today because it was a sunny 50º (10C) today.  The forecast for my 10k trail race on Saturday is calling for 8º feeling like -4º (-13C/-20C).  That's quite a short time to acclimate to the cold.  At least I won't worry about the muddy parts of the course as the ground will likely be frozen solid.

                     

                    Date Workout Type Distance Duration Pace Temp
                    1/23/2023   Easy   3.5 mi    36:14 10:22  38
                    1/24/2023  6x800/400 Repeats   6.9 mi 1:05:56   9:34  31
                    1/26/2023  5 @ HMP Pace   8.0 mi 1:16:27   9:34  45
                    1/27/2023   Easy   6.1 mi 1:02:35 10:14  39
                    1/28/2023   Easy   5.2 mi    54:00 10:26  32
                    1/29/2023   Long 12.0 mi 1:52:09   9:21  45
                    5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:55 (11/23); 10k 49:24 (10/22); 
                    10M 1:29:33 (2/24); Half 1:48:32 (10/22); Marathon 4:29:58 (11/23)

                    Upcoming races: RunAPalooza (Asbury Park) HM, 4/6; Clinton Country Run 15k, 4/27

                     

                    Marky_Mark_17


                      Fred - yeah, it always gets me the times we've been in North America, particularly at altitude, in winter, and notice humidifers around the place. It's the exact opposite here in winter... generally you need dehumidifiers in a lot of places!  Incidentally - my brother is in upstate NY and mentioned they've had basically no snow at all so far this winter.

                       

                      Zebano - all I'll say about that kayaker is that sometimes people prove Darwin's point in unexpected ways.

                      3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)  

                      10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)

                      * Net downhill course

                      Last race: Maraetai HM, 10 Mar, DNF

                      Up next: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr

                      "CONSISTENCY IS KING"

                      Half Crazy K 2.0


                        zebano, I did the long run outside. I try to run outside on the weekends, but the weather hasn;t been super cooperative.

                         

                        Mark, yikes on the kayaker. I'd say I'm surprised that someone would do that, but I know people do that. Every time we get heavy rains, certain areas nearby flood and there are always water rescues.

                        Fredford66


                        Waltons ThreadLord

                          Mark - Yeah, it's been a bad winter for snow lovers.  NY City is about to set a record for consecutive days without meaningful snowfall (defined as accumulation of at least 0.1 inch).

                           

                          I met my running partner at the track for 3x1600/600 this morning with a target of 7:36 for the 800s.  It was about 36º (2C) and then as I left the house it started to rain, but lightly so it wasn't too bad.  We ran the first 1600 in 7:35.  Halfway through the second one, the rain started to mix with sleet and the track surface started feeling a bit crunchy.  We finished the second one in 7:35 as well, upon which my RP, remembering I still had a 2-mile run to get home, decided discretion was the better part of valor and suggested we call the workout done due to the weather.  While it would have been nice to see if I could have done the third 1600 as well, he was right.  The roads were just wet, but the pom-pom on top of my hat was frozen when I got home.  It did feel good to get the speed work done without any pain, even if we had to cut it short.

                          5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:55 (11/23); 10k 49:24 (10/22); 
                          10M 1:29:33 (2/24); Half 1:48:32 (10/22); Marathon 4:29:58 (11/23)

                          Upcoming races: RunAPalooza (Asbury Park) HM, 4/6; Clinton Country Run 15k, 4/27

                           

                          zebano


                            Good choice Fred, hail is no fun at all.

                             

                            I've decided I'm going to race a parkrun this Saturday! I've got my fingers crossed this goes well.

                            1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)

                            watsonc123


                              Darkwave - awsesome that your new med is working well.

                               

                              Fred, Half & Zebano - nice weeks.

                               

                              It's not technically a drought where I am. It's been dry and there is a sprinkler ban, although the last week we've had a bit of rain). The  reservoirs are relatively small so when summer gets fairly dry, sprinkler bans hit. It's generally quite wet May-Nov (last year was the worst) so dry patches are. pretty good.


                              Where Steve is, is much dryer, although they have an aquifer fed from a large mountain range so water use is generally not an issue.

                               

                              Yeah, kayaking in the storm water is not a great idea. In 2015, there were fairly bad floods here, I remember running by the Hutt River and thinking to myself this might not be the best idea.

                              PRs: 5km 18:43 (Dec 2015), 10km 39:59 (Sep 2020), half 1:26:16 (Sep 2016), full 3:09:28 (Jun 2015)

                               

                              40+ PRs: 5km 19:31 (Oct 2020), 10km 39:59 (Sep 2020), half 1:29:39 (Jun 2018), full 3:13:55 (Sep 2022)

                               

                              2023 PRs (hope to beat in 2024): 5km 20:34, 10km 41:37, half 1:32:32, full 3:21:05

                               

                              2024 PRs: 5km 20:25

                              Half Crazy K 2.0


                                Fred, we've gone 1 year without measurable snow here in Baltimore. Last winter was weird, schools came back from winter break and we were out 3 days the first week for snow or ice (can't remember which) and then nothing the rest of the winter.  Usually every 6-7 years, we get hammered and I know we are getting due for that.