Continued to show improvement in my 4 mile treadmill tempo time, down to 20:39 from 20:55 on the 3rd.  Not feeling very rested for this one either, almost bagged it.  I'm hoping the weather improves so I can do a good one outside and really see where I'm at.

Any workout that's hard enough to demand your easy workouts be extremely easy is a good workout.

Should I consider yesterdays 4x1200m interval workout a good one if I could only manage 2.5 of the 5 mile recovery that I had planned for today? Some of a B.. I was completely wiped and just could finish.

Got 3 miles at well under HM PR pace this morning.  Could not do this workout a week ago, but a rest day seems to have helped. The other workout this week on Tuesday night was 3 X 7 min at about the same pace (about 10K pace) with 3 min rest, but was on a dirt track which is 10-15 sec/mile slower than asphalt. 

Looks like if the workout is on the treadmill, I just need to be brave and crank it up and hold on for dear life.  I'll either pull something or get faster.

Some good workouts going on!

 

I had a really nice row session today. Got 6350 meters in 30:00. Since I have to keep my strokes to 30 and under per minute I can't get a hard workout in but at least I got some sweat going

Pam, I've never seen anyone in my gym go more than 30 mins on that thing, so it sounds like a hard workout to me.

Also...didn't want to start a whole different thread on this, so I think it fits here:

Looking for a little confirmation…

Focus this year is all 5K. Would like to go <17 (current PR from Nov is 17:35)

General  strategy: 50-60 miles / week, with 1 tempo, 1 “fartlek” (shorter on/offs or intervals faster than tempo pace) and 1 usually “moderate” long run (generally 10-12 miles MP or thereabouts). Based on schedule, to get those miles in, usually 2 days a week I will run 5 miles in the AM, 7-8 at lunch. Long run 1 weekend day. Rest 1 weekend day. Strength train (Pfitz circuit) 2 days a week.

So far, the couple of tempos I’ve done have been within 10 secs of 5kPR pace. The fartleks at PR or 10 secs or so faster. I get the feeling I could do these longer and/or faster, but trying to exercise a little restraint*. It’s only been about 5 weeks of this general plan (spent the better part of last year on Pfitz marathon plan). First race of the year in 2 weeks, and I feel like it’s probably right to show a little restraint in these workouts until at least after then, to sort out where I am.

I know there are a million ways to approach this stuff, but in the absence of a coach, you guys are my feedback. Is this a sound approach?

*today for example: 3 x 1mile at 5:40 plus 0.5 mile @ 5:27 with 2 minute recoveries @ 8:00 – I feel like I could have added 2 more miles @ 5:40 easily, but this is faster than I’ve done this stuff before, so not trying to be a workout hero until I get some race feedback.

Thanks Parklife. Yeah, those weeks look a lot like what I'm aiming for. Gives me some good hope.

I had a goodish workout the other day and just easy days since.

8x200m around mile pace with 200m recoveries then 2k at threshold pace. The 200s sucked, though. Just couldn't get moving fast enough. Was shooting for 36s and I kept hitting 37s. I tried starting faster, closing faster, running the whole 200m faster, everything. Just didn't seem to work. Only one second, I guess, but a bit frustrating, too.

And then running 2k at 43-44s per 200 wasn't much of a big deal. Those 7-8s per 200m make a big difference I guess.

Haha, that's some pretty smug looking beer drinking.  Looks awesome.  I'd love to see (and play in) Yosemite in the snow, we were there at the end of summer and that was stunning.  If I can take some whisky with me for a celebratory brew then this snowshoeing lark sounds even better.  Very tempted to try and hire some, and also see if we can hire some XC boots/skis.  Looks like running may be out as the only runnable surface (in terms of ice and snow) is the busy and narrow mountain road.  Will have a bit more of a recce tomorrow to see if I can find anything. If not I have the very scary prospect of 2 weeks off.  Not sure I like that.

If you go do not forget your celebratory brew.  Sierra Nevada Pale Ale here.  This was out of Bear Valley up into Yosemite's Olmstead Point.  My buddy and me photographed by my wife.  Those two guys in the background (who were the only other people we saw on that trip) wished they hadn't forgotten their beers!