Mile Repeats (Kinda)

2 mile warmup at 11:45 pace. Seemed like forever, because I ran it on the track. Mile repeats. 6:59, 6:52. It almost doesn't seem like a repeat workout only doing 2 miles, but it is what it is. Half mile recovery and then one mile cool down.

I intended on running 3 miles @ 7:20 like a couple of weeks ago, but I took off too fast. I still feel good about my workout since I went sub 7 minutes on 2 runs back to back.

One week till my next 5k race. Can't wait.
 
Oh yeah, and the blister I started during my beach run on Saturday is now 4 times its original size.  Awesome!

Beach Running Without Socks

Saturday was a perfect day for running.   It was a perfect day for anything outdoors for that matter.  There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the morning temps were in the 60s and the high hit 80.  I did my run almost as soon as we got to the beach to get it out of the way and also because it was still cool.

We were at New Smyrna Beach by the way.  Did I mention that I forgot my socks.  I brought extra everything except socks.  Well, so much for the perfect day.

I wanted to run from our parking spot up the beach to Ponce Inlet Jetty and back for a warmup.  Then, I planned to run down a mile or so and back.  I already started getting a blister on the way up to the jetty, which was less than a mile.  I probably should have just run bairfoot.  Hindsight is always 20/20 as they say.

I least I got a little mileage in for the day.

The next day, I ran 5 miles around the neighborhood.  The blister is already starting to harden into a callus, so that's a plus and didn't really affect my run.

I started out with a warmup 2 miles in 22:22.  Crazy, right?  I then did a quick hamstring and quad stretch and off I went.  Not so fast.  My first step at a faster pace has me feeling like my left knee is going to buckle.  I have to go back to my slow warmup speed for the first quarter mile before I can start to pickup the pace and broaden my stride.  I ended up running around 9 minutes for the first mile.  Both the second and third miles were run in 8 minutes each.  I felt good about that.  I need to bring that down on race day, which now only a week away.  I ran the 3 miles in 25 minutes even.

I have tonight as a rest day.  If the weather holds up, tomorrow brings the speedwork.

Always Warmup

I ran about 5.2 miles this evening and due to time constraints, I did not run my usual 12 minute pace warmup.  I got straight to it and I did not have a comfortable run.  I still averaged just under 9 minute pace, which is about what I wanted.

I have to keep to my warmup rule.  It could have been more enjoyable if I took the time to jog slowly for the first 2 miles.  It took 3 miles to feel like my legs were loose.

Easy Run Day

I haven't run in almost a week.  It was nice to be a couch potato.  I didn't plan on taking that many days off, but we had 3 days of almost non-stop rain and then very windy conditions this weekend.

I got 2.5 miles in this evening.  1.5 mile warmup and 1 mile around 9 minute pace.

Recovery Run

Recovery Run - a run usually the day after a hard workout such as hard intervals, a race, or hills.  It lets you get the blood flowing faster than a rest day and carrying nutrients in and carrying waste away from the muscles that were just overworked.  You will take this run usually at a conversational pace.

I warmed up today with 1.5 miles at 12 minute pace and then went straight into 9 minute pace for 2.5 miles.  I was going to run 2 miles for my warmup, but I saw another runner just slightly faster than my pace and I wanted to see if I could keep up.  Didn't happen.  Didn't matter.

4 miles logged.  I had a little tightness in my upper right calf.  I am taking tomorrow off and hope this will be the rest needed.

Mile Repeats

Mile Repeats: repeats of any kind is exactly what it sounds like.  Pick a distance and run it repeatedly.  It is usually done in miles by distance runners, but other distances are common such as quarter mile repeats and half mile repeats.  A key component of the repeat workout is the recovery.  Between the hard repeats of the workout are recovery runs.  For instance, you may want to run 3 x 1 mile repeats.  Your recovery runs between will be 440 yds or 880 yds at a slower pace to catch your breath.  A good goal is to run 20-30 seconds faster than your expected race pace.

My workout today was a 3 x 1 mile repeat with 880 yd recovery runs.  I started out with a 2 mile warmup run at 11 minute pace.  I then headed over to a nearby track.

My goal is to run 7:40 pace on my next race, so my goal for my mile repeats is 7:20.  This should be easy considering my goal, but I only ran 8:02 on my last race a couple weeks ago.

I did 7:19, 7:18, and then 7:01.  After finishing the repeats, I took an easy cooldown mile run.

Negatives

Negatives, aka Negative Splits, is when you run a distance multiple times at increasing speeds.

For example, you may run 3 x 1 mile.  You run the first in 8:00, the second at 7:45, and the third mile at 7:30.  That is running negatives or negative splits.

I ran what turned out to be negatives today without planning it.  My goal was to run 3 miles under 10 minute pace just to get some miles logged.

I started around 10 minute pace, but since it was so cool tonight, I decided to pick up the pace and started to get faster leg turnover.  I got the second mile around 9 minute pace and then really started to force a faster arm swing which kept my momentum going until I finished up with a really strong kick with a fully opened stride.  That last mile was under 8 minutes.  I don't have exact times on my splits, because I don't have the streets painted.  Hmmm... maybe I should do that.  Just kidding.

After years of running, I can tell within 15-30 seconds how fast I've run a mile.  Anyway, that's today's lesson.  Negatives.

Warmup was 2 miles equaling a 5 mile total workout.  And thank goodness for my new socks.  I've never purchased them before, but I can vouch for Thorlo Pads.  My feet felt great through the entire workout.