Fat and Happy....

....before the torture test. I'll report in on the results after the event.

How fat?

226.2

RHR = 42

I'm caffeinated and hydrated and ready to go. Daughter Kim and her little man, Albert (above), are going with me and she'll drive home. I'll enjoy the free beer (microbrewed by Gritty McDuff) after the run knowing I don't have to drive. There is one flaw with this plan: she doesn't know how to drive the car we are taking (her car) because it's a standard transmission. It seems like the perfect time to learn.

VO2 Mini-Max

221.4

RHR = 38

This posting reflects my workout on Wednesday, May 23, not the 24th (I don't know how to blog back in time).

I met Jim T. at the track for a VO2 Max workout. He ran 4 X 1K plus 800m. I ran 6 X 800m. I was concerned about tired legs going in--I'd run LR2 the day before (that, couple with the fact that Jim is faster than I am, was the reason for 800s rather than 1Ks). The workout went well although I had been and still am dealing with some low, low back pain. I've decided to take 3 rest days in advance of the 25K trail torture test on Sunday. The workout:

13.5K in 1:12:39

Run to/from the track plus:

6 X 800m in 3:12 (4:00/K pace) with 2:45 recovery between intervals. A solid workout.

Foolish Consistency is the Hobgoblin....

.......of simple minds. or something like that, according to Ralph Waldo Emerson. But, it's generally a good thing in running and training. Consistency, that is. So, I ran my LR2 this morning, the exact same course that I ran one week ago. I clicked my watch when I started and again when I finished. This week I was 2 seconds faster than last week.

17.5K in 1:32:19, Ave HR = 126.

other stuff:

222.0

RHR = 38

The Long Run

223.2

RHR = 38

Tough! 25K in 2:12:22. Longer and at a faster pace than 2 weeks ago (same course with an extra Mackworth lap). I'm beat.

Cold and Raw Recovery

220.6

A gentle-paced 10K in 55:39 this morning. The weather was not Spring-like, it was a cold and occasionally hard rain in about 40 degrees F. I was happy when I finished. The legs feel good although my hammies are a bit tight. I may run short and slow tomorrow in advance of Sunday's 25K.

Quality

220.0

RHR = 40

A very nice workout today. 16K total in 1:24:49.

The workout was essentially 3 laps around the Boulevard course (3.55 miles or 5.72K per lap). I stopped at the 3 mile mark on the last lap and walked in. I had a sore and getting sorer hip I didn't want to aggravate and the hard work was done.

The middle lap we did at AT:

5.72 K in 26:34 with HR at 143-144 throughout. A good, hard threshold workout.

I'll run 10-12 recovery Ks tomorrow, take a rest day Saturday, then get in 25K on Sunday, to go north of 70 for the week.

A Solid LR2

227.6

We'll call it 17.5K in 1:32:21, with Ave HR = 120. This is the Beach to Bug Light out-and-back course. I ran the back a little faster than the out and felt pretty good throughout. The marked mile in So. Portland I ran in 8:02 on the out and 8:01 on the back, so I feel pretty good about assuming 8:30 pace throughout (I'm estimating the distance).