Corporate Challenge 2010

I dread this race every year, but this one wasn't too bad. In the end, I didn't hurt as much as I did last year, did not have the right side of my face or right shoulder pains at mile 3, and I did not almost slow to a walk at the finish. In fact, I was able to pick off about 12 runners at about the last 100meters with a sprint.

Garmin splits were as follows:

Mile 1: 6:19

Mile 2: 6:29

Mile 3: 6:38

Mile 3.5: 3:04

----------------------------------

Total: 22:30 (6:25/mi)

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/37240839

OFFICIAL TIME: 22:33 (6:26/mi)

If those numbers on my watch were correct, I hit my goal right on the nose. Short of my PR by 20s, but I did not expect to PR today.

Japan Day Race

Official race results: 26:29 | 35th in age group

3.3 mi easy run to start

Mile 1: 6:47 - Didn't want to go out too fast, but maybe should have
Mile 2: 6:31 - Cruised downhill along west side
Mile 3: 6:53 - Decided to take mile 3 easy with Cat Hill to prep for last mile
Mile 4: 6:17 - balls out to the finish and tried to reel in as many runners as I could. This was probably the most painful stretch.

One word to describe the race: muggy. Quads felt shot after the race. I'm still feeling the effects of last week's Murph workout.

3.3 mi run back home

Hot and humid

I thought last week's numbers were just too good to be true, and I was right after looking at Garmin Connect. The mile repeats were not exactly 1 mile, so I'm adding about 15s to each mile I did. Still pretty decent numbers though.

Ran 2 x 2 milers this evening while it was 84F and muggy. What a battle. My legs are also still recovering from the 300 squats from a workout three days ago. No way I was going to post last week's adjusted numbers tonight, but I was going to try.

Stretch 1 - 2 miles @ 13:03 (6:37 + 6:26). First half mile mostly uphill, then rolling hills from there. Second mile also rolling hills.

Recovery - .5 miles. Jogged back along the rout near the intersection of 102nd and CP West.

Stretch 2 - 2.1 miles @ 13:57. Avg pace for both miles was ~6:43. Tough stretch with headwind to add to rolling hills.

Overall, happy with my effort. I'm not going to get down on myself for this one because of the slow times. Hopefully I'll be much better in two weeks though.

Unexpected Results

Did 3x mile repeats along Corporate Challenge course. Ran to start line as a warm up. Results were as follows:

Warm up - 1.76 mi

Mile 1 | 6:04
.25 mile easy jog
Mile 1.25 - 2.25 | 5:57
.25 mile easy jog
Mile 2.5 - 3.5 | 5:57 (5:57 pace)

http://www.dailymile.com/people/AllenG/entries/1948612

Those numbers are even better than my best mile repeats when I was marathon training. Don't know where it came from, but I'll take it.

Actually extended the final repeat another .3 mi at the 5:57 pace. What a difference from my last workout. I'd been feeling rather down about myself recently because my previous workout didn't go very well. But I learned something about running the course tonight, and other hilly courses in general. I can't believe it's taken so long for me to realize. I won't share it until I confirm the results in a race. I've got something to be excited about again. And just as my last workout was a bookmark for bad workouts, this workout was a bookmark for a good workout.

The Running Constant

Long day at work? Feeling tired? Down? Out? Lazy? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And Yes. I knew there was only one thing that would give me any chance of salvaging my day: an easy run. Did not feel like it, but I dragged myself out the door right after I got home and enjoyed the one thing I know about running - I never come back as miserable as I when I left.

Character Builder

I dubbed this a character building run because of the rain. Little did I know. The moisture wasn't so bad. The workout itself was. This workout injected a healthy bit of doubt to my psyche.

Warmup - 1.72 mi to start

1 - 3:14

1:44 recovery (.2 mi)

2 - 3:11

1:47 recovery (.21mi)

3 - 3:13

1:43 recovery (.19mi)

4 - 3:10

1:34 recovery (.15mi)

5 - 3:09

1:28 recovery (.16mi

6 - 3:12

I couldn't believe the numbers. All consistently 10s slower than my average effort, and they felt hard! Was it the moisture? The wind? The squats, pull-ups and push-ups yesterday? The long day at work? I did 4x hill repeats last week at ~3:03 and they felt easier. I'm now doubting my goal race in 4 weeks.

As an optimist, I've always liked to "bookmark" my accomplishments. This deserves a bookmark just as much because I'll need to refer to this workout later to remind me that there are bad workouts as well.

My favorite workouts...

It's not any one workout in particular, but it's any workout that feels like it keeps my furnace burning. Case in point, tonight's long hill repeats. The workout consisted of 4 nearly half mile hill repeats where I focused on my cadence, form and leg lifts instead of trying to get up the hill fast. My times for the repeats were 2:59, 3:06, 3:03 and 3:02.

After I got home, I devoured more than half a rotisserie chicken and two servings of brown rice and a handful of almonds, yet still feeling like I ate nothing. Almost five hours later, even though I should be asleep, my engine is still revving with that post workout burn. I don't always get this from my workouts, but I love it when it happens.