#4 Thursday Nite At The Races
3,000m 9.08.3 14th/17
Indoor Pr by 3 seconds{9.11.4}
1 second slower than outdoor pr{9.07.1}
Full Account to come
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A Whiter Shade For Pale
Just when I thought I could start planning two a weeks on the track I awoke to a freshly laid blanket of snow all over this morning.
Thankfully we only got a few inches and frankly if we get the rain they're calling for on Thursday and Friday it could be all gone by the time I plan to hit either Lower Merion or Temple on Saturday.
By the time I hit Cobbs Creek Parkway for my 8 miler at 4.20pm it was 35 degrees and sunny, a far cry from the overcast skies and slight chill in the air yesterday and despite the snow on the ground it wasn't too bad,at times conditions were a little slick underfoot but given this was my last run b4 Thursdays race I wasn't looking to brake any land speed records...or bones,caution was the watch word of the day,it always is but on the eve of a race my sense of caution goes up a level or two.
Rest day tomorrow,a few chores post work in place of my run and my usual pre race Pasta meal,there's nothing on tv tomorrow so a few hours to catch up on my dvr and a chance to relax b4 my only legit crack at sub 9 for 3,000m this season....no pressure....
Thankfully we only got a few inches and frankly if we get the rain they're calling for on Thursday and Friday it could be all gone by the time I plan to hit either Lower Merion or Temple on Saturday.
By the time I hit Cobbs Creek Parkway for my 8 miler at 4.20pm it was 35 degrees and sunny, a far cry from the overcast skies and slight chill in the air yesterday and despite the snow on the ground it wasn't too bad,at times conditions were a little slick underfoot but given this was my last run b4 Thursdays race I wasn't looking to brake any land speed records...or bones,caution was the watch word of the day,it always is but on the eve of a race my sense of caution goes up a level or two.
Rest day tomorrow,a few chores post work in place of my run and my usual pre race Pasta meal,there's nothing on tv tomorrow so a few hours to catch up on my dvr and a chance to relax b4 my only legit crack at sub 9 for 3,000m this season....no pressure....
Monday, February 21, 2011
Cloudbusting
A live shot of Flogging Molly,I was much closer to the stage at the House Of Blues on Saturday nite than this photo....and I lived to tell the tale,to say it gets lively down the front at a Flogging Molly gig is a bit like saying it gets busy in rush hour in downtown Manhattan!!
I also didn't get home till 4am so thankfully yesterday was a scheduled day off,if push came the shove I could've ran,I did last year when I got home at 3am after seeing Flogging Molly in Atlantic City but having ran for six days Monday through Saturday and clocking 65 miles there was no need and w/ that a well earned day off was the order of the day.
No such luxury today, a 10 miler on tap after the great weather of last week,old man winter was back to remind us he isn't through w/ us just yet,and after 66 degrees on Friday it was 36 degrees this afternoon and grey and overcast w/ a slight chill in the air that said four weeks ago I ran 10 miles in 23 degrees so really how bad was it today??
Obviously the threat of snow overnight and in to the morning puts a crimp on tomorrows planned 8 miler,I really don't want to have to miss a day tomorrow and then run 8 miles Wednesday prior to my sub 9 attempt at 3,000m at The Armory but I can only play the hand I'm dealt so fingers crossed it's not as bad as the weather people are calling for.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A Blustery Day
Given that I am Eyore{I do all the donkey work!!!}I only needed Pooh,Tigger and Piglet to show up at Lower Merion this lunch time and we could've sang"hail hail the gang's all here"!!!
Like any good runner worth his or her salt I'd paid attention to the weather,I'd known since Thursday that today would be windy,but how windy???if the extra breeze that greeted me upon opening the front door at 10.20am wasn't enough to alert me to the conditions then one of the lacrosse goals in lane 1 of the track and not the infield was!!!.
At least the snow that covered the infield and lanes 2-8 last Sunday was gone and the sun was out but sweet jaysus the feckin wind,I ditched my warm up bottoms only because looking down at them flapping in the breeze was enough to tell me there was an extra second per repeats waiting to happen!!
#1 400m 72.06.A promising start,it was my 5th repeat last Sunday b4 I notched a 72.
#2 400m 72.99.Obviously not a fluke,last weeks average of 72s was looking like falling......
#3 400m 74.82.Smuck! this is what happens when you don't focus mentally on the task at hand!
#4 400m 71.24.Much more like it!knee lift,leg turnover,total focus=faster split
#5 400m 71.43.See what happens went you pay attention to the fundamentals??!!
#6 400m 71.80.Rollin'rollin'rollin' keep them doggies rollin'.....
#7 400m 75.26.There she blows!!!Dear God the wind going into the first turn just stood me up,good job I worked the home straight to keep it below 76.
#8 400m 71.70.No wind and back to 71s,repeats are so much easier when you're not fighting the elements!
#9 400m 76.32.DOH!Just wasn't there mentally or physically on this one,need to keep that focus all the way round,it's only 1 lap!!
#10 400m 74.24.Got stood up by the wind just b4 the 200m mark and had to fight my way into the bottom turn.
#11 400m 75.09.Constantly fighting the wind going in to the top turn was taking a toll but I was almost done,going out swinging.....
#12 400m 68.94.To say I ran the shit out of my final 400m is perhaps underselling it a tad!!
Flew into the top turn and threw everything including the kitchen sink at this one,final repeats no matter what distance deserve that and I did not let myself down,back to 68s,nice!!!
All in all a good workout,I shaved a second off Sundays average of 72 in windy conditions and God willing next week not only will the wind NOT be a factor but I'll also becoming in to 14x400m repeats not off the back of a 16 miler the day b4.
65 miles for the week 2 repeats and a long run,I feel I've earned the right to blow off some stream tonite at Atlantic City's House Of Blues to Flogging Molly,who's up for blowing the froth off a couple of cold ones???
Like any good runner worth his or her salt I'd paid attention to the weather,I'd known since Thursday that today would be windy,but how windy???if the extra breeze that greeted me upon opening the front door at 10.20am wasn't enough to alert me to the conditions then one of the lacrosse goals in lane 1 of the track and not the infield was!!!.
At least the snow that covered the infield and lanes 2-8 last Sunday was gone and the sun was out but sweet jaysus the feckin wind,I ditched my warm up bottoms only because looking down at them flapping in the breeze was enough to tell me there was an extra second per repeats waiting to happen!!
#1 400m 72.06.A promising start,it was my 5th repeat last Sunday b4 I notched a 72.
#2 400m 72.99.Obviously not a fluke,last weeks average of 72s was looking like falling......
#3 400m 74.82.Smuck! this is what happens when you don't focus mentally on the task at hand!
#4 400m 71.24.Much more like it!knee lift,leg turnover,total focus=faster split
#5 400m 71.43.See what happens went you pay attention to the fundamentals??!!
#6 400m 71.80.Rollin'rollin'rollin' keep them doggies rollin'.....
#7 400m 75.26.There she blows!!!Dear God the wind going into the first turn just stood me up,good job I worked the home straight to keep it below 76.
#8 400m 71.70.No wind and back to 71s,repeats are so much easier when you're not fighting the elements!
#9 400m 76.32.DOH!Just wasn't there mentally or physically on this one,need to keep that focus all the way round,it's only 1 lap!!
#10 400m 74.24.Got stood up by the wind just b4 the 200m mark and had to fight my way into the bottom turn.
#11 400m 75.09.Constantly fighting the wind going in to the top turn was taking a toll but I was almost done,going out swinging.....
#12 400m 68.94.To say I ran the shit out of my final 400m is perhaps underselling it a tad!!
Flew into the top turn and threw everything including the kitchen sink at this one,final repeats no matter what distance deserve that and I did not let myself down,back to 68s,nice!!!
All in all a good workout,I shaved a second off Sundays average of 72 in windy conditions and God willing next week not only will the wind NOT be a factor but I'll also becoming in to 14x400m repeats not off the back of a 16 miler the day b4.
65 miles for the week 2 repeats and a long run,I feel I've earned the right to blow off some stream tonite at Atlantic City's House Of Blues to Flogging Molly,who's up for blowing the froth off a couple of cold ones???
Going Long.....On A Friday
Thanks to a quirk of schedule I found myself w/ yesterday off work and due to a last minute change in plans regarding my Saturday trip to Atlantic City it made scheduling my weekly 16 miler a lot more practical,frankly getting home around 4am on Sunday morning does little for the prospect of a 16 miler later in the day so by knocking out the 16 miler Friday and hitting Lower Merion Saturday I'll have logged my 65 miles for the week and for the first time in a long time Sunday will be a rest day.
The freakishly good weather continued,it hit the mid 60s yesterday afternoon,although prior to my 1pm departure it was grey and overcast so it didn't feel ready to embrace the time honoured three Ss shades,short sleeves and shorts,maybe a bit soon to subject the running public to my paleness in mid February,there will be plenty of time for that over the coming months.
For a Friday afternoon I was surprised at the number of runners,cyclists and lone rollerblader out there taking advantage of the good conditions,clearly I was not alone in getting the day off.
54 miles so far this week w/ 11 more on tap at Lower Merion tomorrow to round me out at 65 for the week w/ 2 sets of repeats in the mix,it's funny looking back at last years training log as I got ready for the Mac C'ships on March 6th and again the week after I upped my mileage to prep for Indoor Nationals,on both occasions I pr'd in the 3,000m,9.13 and 9.11 this time out the steaks are a little higher as I'm chasing a sub 9 3,000m,something to ponder on the 400m repeats later today.
The freakishly good weather continued,it hit the mid 60s yesterday afternoon,although prior to my 1pm departure it was grey and overcast so it didn't feel ready to embrace the time honoured three Ss shades,short sleeves and shorts,maybe a bit soon to subject the running public to my paleness in mid February,there will be plenty of time for that over the coming months.
For a Friday afternoon I was surprised at the number of runners,cyclists and lone rollerblader out there taking advantage of the good conditions,clearly I was not alone in getting the day off.
54 miles so far this week w/ 11 more on tap at Lower Merion tomorrow to round me out at 65 for the week w/ 2 sets of repeats in the mix,it's funny looking back at last years training log as I got ready for the Mac C'ships on March 6th and again the week after I upped my mileage to prep for Indoor Nationals,on both occasions I pr'd in the 3,000m,9.13 and 9.11 this time out the steaks are a little higher as I'm chasing a sub 9 3,000m,something to ponder on the 400m repeats later today.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Afternoon Delight
I refer to a run of course.....I'd have to be lucky to get lucky,that said I did find myself working up a good sweat,elevating my heart rate and being slightly out of breath at the climax....sorry the end....and I may've exalted the lord's name once or twice during!!!
Another day off meant hitting Cobbs Creek Parkway at lunchtime after picking up Precious from the vets,she had a Ovariohystercectomy a fancy term for being spayed,$422 on top of the $465 I paid on her last visit, a serious dent in my Australia fund but a healthy kitten,the $$$s will find their way back to my account,I can't put a price on "the little girl's" health and well being,I want her to live a long and healthy life just like her big brother Hobbes who God willing will be 17 in June.
A glorious afternoon to run,66 degrees unheard of in mid February,while yesterday saw me shed my gloves and thermal skull cap,today saw my jacket get discarded and frankly tomorrow I think my warm up bottoms will get left behind....of course as I plan to hit the track on Saturday the wind is scheduled to pick up,can't have it all I guess.
Since tomorrow is another day off and Saturday nite I'm off to Atlantic City to get my jig on to Flogging Molly I'm doing my long run tomorrow and hitting the track at Lower Merion on Saturday,trust me I'm not scheduled to get home till 4am.....now you know why I want Sunday as my rest day!
Another day off meant hitting Cobbs Creek Parkway at lunchtime after picking up Precious from the vets,she had a Ovariohystercectomy a fancy term for being spayed,$422 on top of the $465 I paid on her last visit, a serious dent in my Australia fund but a healthy kitten,the $$$s will find their way back to my account,I can't put a price on "the little girl's" health and well being,I want her to live a long and healthy life just like her big brother Hobbes who God willing will be 17 in June.
A glorious afternoon to run,66 degrees unheard of in mid February,while yesterday saw me shed my gloves and thermal skull cap,today saw my jacket get discarded and frankly tomorrow I think my warm up bottoms will get left behind....of course as I plan to hit the track on Saturday the wind is scheduled to pick up,can't have it all I guess.
Since tomorrow is another day off and Saturday nite I'm off to Atlantic City to get my jig on to Flogging Molly I'm doing my long run tomorrow and hitting the track at Lower Merion on Saturday,trust me I'm not scheduled to get home till 4am.....now you know why I want Sunday as my rest day!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Afternoon At The Improv
Following a late nite seeing The Church I was up at a reasonable hour this morning to take"the little girl"aka my kitten Precious to the vets which is why I had the day off.
After catching up on some of my backlog of dvr'd tv shows I was out the door by 2pm to fulfill my hill repeat.
Frankly if the weather continues like this by the time March 1st rolls around I should be able to return to Temple for midweek track repeats but if we do get more snow between now and then I'd be happy to repeat this repeat,12 x Catherine St hill.
Since I began using Cobbs Creek Parkway just over two years ago this hill roughly half a mile in on my 6,8,9,10 mile runs has presented an ideal hill for hill repeats and now seemed as good a time as any to make good on that,as was evident last Thursday I need leg turnover and I need it now ergo the trek to Lower Merion on Sunday and the hill repeats today,if I can't get to a track I'll do this.
The plan was 12 x the hill w/ a jog back down,eyeballing it I thought 200m which would come out to 3 miles,keep heading out along CCP to the 3 mile turnaround I could have 3 miles of hill repeats and 6 miles of regular road work for 9 miles.
Judging from my 30 second average the hill may've been closer to 180m,it'll do until the track at Temple is snow free.
My repeats went as follows:
28.95-30.44-30.34-31.33-29.88-30.59-31.92-31.29-29.11-30.02-30.68-30.05.
I did them all in one go rather than split them up in to 3 sets of 4 or 2 sets of 6 and even though they weren't an accurate 200m or on a track they were even,you never want them to look like an EKG chart and to that end today was a success 28.95 through 31.33,6 of them at 30 seconds.
I was pleased w/ my overall performance but more pleased w/ the fact I'd gotten the repeats in,Thursday's 2.06.0 800m means no more excuses unless the hill is a sheet of ice.
Since tomorrow I'm picking "the little girl" up from the vets it'll be another afternoon run,make hay while the sun shines I say
After catching up on some of my backlog of dvr'd tv shows I was out the door by 2pm to fulfill my hill repeat.
Frankly if the weather continues like this by the time March 1st rolls around I should be able to return to Temple for midweek track repeats but if we do get more snow between now and then I'd be happy to repeat this repeat,12 x Catherine St hill.
Since I began using Cobbs Creek Parkway just over two years ago this hill roughly half a mile in on my 6,8,9,10 mile runs has presented an ideal hill for hill repeats and now seemed as good a time as any to make good on that,as was evident last Thursday I need leg turnover and I need it now ergo the trek to Lower Merion on Sunday and the hill repeats today,if I can't get to a track I'll do this.
The plan was 12 x the hill w/ a jog back down,eyeballing it I thought 200m which would come out to 3 miles,keep heading out along CCP to the 3 mile turnaround I could have 3 miles of hill repeats and 6 miles of regular road work for 9 miles.
Judging from my 30 second average the hill may've been closer to 180m,it'll do until the track at Temple is snow free.
My repeats went as follows:
28.95-30.44-30.34-31.33-29.88-30.59-31.92-31.29-29.11-30.02-30.68-30.05.
I did them all in one go rather than split them up in to 3 sets of 4 or 2 sets of 6 and even though they weren't an accurate 200m or on a track they were even,you never want them to look like an EKG chart and to that end today was a success 28.95 through 31.33,6 of them at 30 seconds.
I was pleased w/ my overall performance but more pleased w/ the fact I'd gotten the repeats in,Thursday's 2.06.0 800m means no more excuses unless the hill is a sheet of ice.
Since tomorrow I'm picking "the little girl" up from the vets it'll be another afternoon run,make hay while the sun shines I say
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