It's all relative

PM: 10.4 miles back in Florida.

AM: 10.1 miles

PM: 6.6 miles, 4.6 fast on the treadmill with inclines sandwiched in- 5:10 average on the flat stuff.  Good workout.

PM: 8.55 miles

PM: 5.5 miles, a ton of striders, and then a 1 mile challenge.  It's been forever since I've done a 1-mile race.  Nice to see I still have some speed in me.  4:28.  I might try again at the end of March for the Chasco Mile race.  I don't think I have the speed at this age for 4:19, but blowing up in a mile race isn't a big deal.

AM: 10.2 miles- long warmup and striders, directly into a treadmill tempo at the end, then gym work, followed by a 1-mile slog home.

Workout was a 25-minute, 5-mile tempo @5:00/mile. 

25 minutes later my heartrate was still 7-10 beats below max, and I felt I could have held on a couple more miles which is encouraging.  My perceived effort was probably an 8.5/10.  I had been thinking about this workout since yesterday and certainly wanted to do it at a 2.0 incline on the treadmill, but I just didn't have the cajones to do it from the start so I set it at 1.0 incline.  With a mile and a half to go, I upped the incline to 2.0.

In hindsight, I realize I had the capability to leave it at 2.0 incline the entire time, but- not shockingly- hindsight is 20/15.  Next time I will not be so easy on myself- growth only comes with failure and uncomfortability.

PM: 6 miles

PM: 10.6 miles

AM: 10.5 miles with the group, 3 of them fast helping people pace- was around marathon pace effort.  

PM: 11.7 total with 4 miles at the end of hill sprints @5:50-5:00/mile & recoveries of 7:30/mile.  2.2 total miles of hill effort, although it seemed longer.

~~~~~~~~

I will be very sore tomorrow, but it had to get done.  Now I am getting close and my confidence is about as high as it has ever been for the 5k.  My plan is as follows...

1/9 Sprints/Striders 

1/11 Weedon Island for a 5k workout/tempo... then if I'm feeling good I'll go hit the gym to do a workout afterwards, but I might just mail that in depending on my morning effort.

1/12 Long run to prep for February- unavoidable 18-20 miles @ medium pace.  Yuck.  Maybe I should just run 2 hours here and call it whenever the time hits.  That would be the best idea.  I can then do a short run later on to hit mileage.

1/14 300s or maybe 400s @1:08-1:09 with 1:15 rest.  (maybe 600s @1:43-1:45 with 1:45 rest?)

1/16 Hill work on the treadmill (OTF?)

1/18 Weedon Island is a possibility, but I am wondering if I should just hit up Clermont and use that as my 3k workout/trial effort.  This may be okay, since I won't be tapering yet, so I won't have any illogical thoughts.  This would be a nice opportunity to run the clay loop too.

1/21 200s workout.  12x200 @30 seconds with 2:00 jog recoveries or rest.  Best to do this in trainers I think.  

1/22-1/24 taper- 6, 5, 3 (w/ 10-15 striders), 2 miles (w/ light striders)

1/25 Race day- Go HAM.  I almost want to do a light run in the AM.  10 minutes would be ideal.  It seemed to work out last year okay, minus the bee stings.

PM: 10.5 miles

PM: 10.5 miles, finishing with 0.5 miles of striders.

PM: 7.5 miles

AM: Weedon Island Parkrun (WIP) 5k.  16:12, although at the last minute I did decide I felt like trying for the record again.  I suppose out of habit of trying.  Came through 4k on pace to tie it, but just did not have it.  Mindset is everything I suppose.  I was able to coerce a couple of friends out of the woodwork to join me at the event, so it was nice to see them attend.  I really don't understand why more don't attend the parkrun- it's literally free.

I'm split on shooting up to Clermont next weekend.  I theoretically should just get some decent mileage in and stick to WIP on Saturday.  I think that's the most logical thing with the race season starting the next weekend.  However, wasting the only normal-weather month in Florida is just such a shame.... we'll see I guess.

AM: solo 24.6 miles, 3 of them fast during a fartlek at the end of the run, then a little gym work.  Planned on only 18-20, but I got a little carried away I guess.

PM: 10.5 miles

AM: 10.4 miles.  1 of them was fast-ish/marathon pace.

PM: 8.15 miles, 3 of them fast with John.  16x300 with 100m true recoveries (walk/easy jog). 

Splits- Set one- 51, 50, 50, 50, 49, Set two- 51, 49, 49, 49, 49, Set three- 50, 49, 48, 48, 49, 49

The workout was relatively easy.  I gave effort, but never reached the bottom.  Mentally, these short intervals are not even a factor.  

In Florida news: it's hot and humid again.  On January 15th.  Global warming is starting to affect not just climate, but weather now too.  Oh now that's fun.  Isn't that fun?  That's fun.

PM: 10.4 miles

PM: 10.4 miles.  Still not recovered from Saturday.  A mile of striders @90-95%.

PM: 5 miles

AM: 11 miles, striders & Weedon Island Parkrun 5k.  15:53.

PM: 5 miles

PM: 15.2 miles

AM: 5.7 miles

PM: 5.1 miles

AM: 9.1 miles with two fast doing a workout with 200s.  Workout was two sets of 8x200 with 200 jogs in between, 16 total.  Goal was to run them at 5k reach goal pace and have it feel easy.  Averaged 36 seconds on them all.  Fortunately, I can say even running in my trainers this workout felt wicked easy.  There were also six of us running and staying grouped together, so it did make it a bit more fun.  This afternoon I think I am going to repeat the workout, but now on the other side of the spectrum- 30-32 average for every interval and try to cap each set with a 28-29.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PM: 7.4 total miles, 2 of them fast.  Same workout as the AM, just different focus/effort.  I went hard this afternoon with full jog recoveries.  2 sets of 8x200 with 600 between the sets and 200 jogs with Jeremy and John.  Still ran in my trainers.

Splits- 30, 31, 30, 30, 30, 31, 31, 29..... 31, 30, 31, 30, 30, 31, 31, 30

This does bode well for this Saturday confidence-wise.  The 36-second ones this morning felt wicked easy.  The 30/31-second ones this afternoon felt hard, but I never reached deep, and I went right into a recovery jog each time.  Now it is just up to the intangibles.  The speedwork suggests I can do it.  The anaerobic capacity is built enough.  My biggest mistake has been not continously hitting those workout paces but only getting a couple of workouts to pace.  At least I'm not kidding myself, I do have a shot at 14:59.  Confidence-wise, I'm 15:15 shape.  Fitness-wise I'm 14:55 shape.  Mindset-wise, it's just which version of myself shows up that day.  Likelihood of blowing up if my mindset is there?  Quite high.  Fortunately, I can't imagine falling any slower than 15:45 or so even if I completely fall apart, which is still pretty respectable- but I will not be happy!

I did ask four guys individually to help me pace a 4:48 mile (or as much as they could!) of it, but so far 3 of the 4 told me they couldn't for various reasons.  I'd much rather rely on them and just flow.  But I guess my mindset now has to be to focus on my watch and try to relax.

PM: 5 miles

PM: 4.5 miles

PM: 2 miles

AM: 2 miles total, 0.5 of striders

PM: 1.55 mile warmup, 0.5 striders, then the Belleair Sunset 5k

Weather was in the mid 60s, not bad humidity (70-80%), not super windy (10-12mph).  Really was happy it turned out so nice.  

15:12 gun time, 15:11 chip time.  4:45 through mile 1, 9:37 through mile 2 with the three hard 90 degree turns and the 180 turn around, but then fell apart mile 3.  Second place was John in 17:30.

I was super pumped for getting sub 15.  I failed, but I know I can do it.  I want a do-over (:

Splits- 4:45, 4:52, 5:07, 0:27

AM: 11.2 miles

PM: 5.1 miles

AM: 10 miles

PM: 5 miles & the gym.

AM: 8.7 miles

PM: 7.7 miles, 3 of them fast.  Workout was 1600, 1200, 800, 800, 400 @ descending paces, but nothing formal.  My legs are a bit beat up and mentally I wasn't all in, but I am happy I did it.  Might take tomorrow off.

No running today.

So I have three races this weekend: a 10k, followed by a 5k, and then a half marathon the next day. 

I am planning on taking the 10k serious.  I should absolutely obliterate my 10k PR.  Obliterate.  That's good news.  The bad news?  RJ, who is in the same shape as me, is likely to not show up (but is signed up!), which would steal a lot of my motivation.  If I'm going to race someone, I want it to be him.  He will bring out the best effort in me and it will really be the perfect opportunity to really push myself beyond what I think I'm capable of.  He's the man.

Then, for the 5k, I think it is worth it to treat it like a workout, and aim for anything sub 16:00.  I think that will be great training for the 15k at Gasparilla.  

For the half on Sunday- I'm not sure. Goin hard would be a bit foolish.  I have enough weeks to recover for Gasparilla, sure, but I just don't see the benefit- I wouldn't be recovered enough from the races on Saturday to have a great workout, and it seems like a recipe for injury more than weighing a benefit.  Similarly, there is $0 on the line here, and $2,000 on the line at Gasparilla. I guess that I'm shooting to just pace with the second place guy in this half and then just race them hard the last mile or two and try to win.... but I wouldn't be surprised if I run stupid and go all out.

What's hiding in the back of my mind?  The course records.  The 10k is doable- 32:54 (5:17/mile).  The half marathon is questionably doable- 1:12:33 (5:32/mile).  The 5k is a yikes- 15:15 (4:55/mile).  I have to take at least one of those down, so it makes sense to topple the 10k one- it's the easiest by a ton and still leaves me opportunities in the other races if something goes awry.  

PM: 4.3 miles with 0.5 mi of striders

No running.  Unintentional, but it was just rainy and I got home late, so it seemed silly to head out there for a 2 miler.