It's hard to believe it, but the first four weeks of our training plan have already whizzed by. Gregor and I devised our secret plan before he headed northward home during the last week in June. Before he left, we were running together most days, building slowly so that we would be ready for the start of our plan. We have both dealt with some nagging pains and little injuries in the first few weeks of training. But, we dealt with them responsibly by taking time off, which is one of the hardest things to make yourself do, and we're stronger for it and will be better for it in the long run (pun intended).
I have no problem at all with running alone, in fact I enjoy it most days. But I will say I am stoked to have my training buddy back down south in a few weeks to tackle some of the monster miles we have planned. It would have been nice to have him this week too, when I attempted my first true track workout since April. In the early stages of introducing speed, we have been using fartlek-type intervals and some tempo. For instance a typical fartlek interval workout would be: 8 miles with the middle 20 minutes going 1 minute hard, 30 seconds easy recovery. It's a way to get your legs movin' without stressing about splits, intervals, and all the other mental games the track plays with you. But this past Wednesday, it was time to hit the track and leave behind whatever pent up animosity I have towards it. The workout was 12x400 at 5k pace, with some warm-up and cool-down to reach 7-8 miles total for the run. 400s or quarters might seem preferable to a longer interval, but if you're doin' em' right, they are equally brutal. And if you're doing 12, it begins to be a test of endurance as well. I ran them all in 77-81 seconds, a little too inconsistent for one-lappers, but as an inaugural battle on the track, I'll take it. My coach used to say that if you fade more than five seconds from your first rep, then chances are you're probably done and you're at the point of diminishing returns from your workout. But, my first rep was 78, so I stayed in my range. I did have the excellent company of my parents at the track, both of whom are training for the City of Oaks half marathon and who insisted on meeting at 6:30 AM. A little early for my liking, but it's always nice to have someone out there hurting with ya!
Speaking of hurting, I also ran my first true trail race on Saturday AM. I warmed-up with a 4 mile run to the race site and warmed up even more during the 6k race. It was the Race to Sustainability, celebrating local businesses and their sustainable efforts. Cool stuff. It also utilized the underused Carolina North Forest, an awesome and too often forgotten network of trails running through the heart of Chapel Hill. See more info about the race here: http://www.sportoften.com/events/eventDetails.cfm?pEventId=9363 The race didn't start til 9, which is a bit unusual but I'm all for a relaxed approach. But this did mean muggy, hot, sweaty humidity. I do a fair amount of running on trails but I guess most of it is pretty easy running because the race hurt. My garmin clocked 3.95 miles for the race, so it was a little longer than 6k. I ran in the front pack of four for the majority of the race. It consisted of two youngsters, an older ripped-up dude, and myself. The majority of the race was ran on single-track trail, so we were running single file, making it hard to pass. The older, ripped-up dude flew by us all at about the 2 mile mark. At this point I was right behind one of the young guns. He seemed content leading, so I let him lead knowing I would have to make a move around at some point. With about a mile to go the youngster was fading and the trail widened so I decided it was time to go. Much to his dismay, which he made known, I skirted around him and made a decisive break-away. I knew I had to pass and go if I wanted to hold onto 2nd. I ran hard and the last mile ended up being the hardest, which may have worked to my advantage in holding off the two young guns. I finished about 30 seconds behind the older, ripped-up dude, and in retrospect I probably should have gone with him when he passed, but easier said than done. In addition to it being my first trail race, it was the first Race to Sustainability as well. It was a fun event and a great start to the weekend.
I polished off the 50-mile week with a 13 mile long(ish) run. The reason I include "ish", is because they will become much longer all too soon. I'm happy with where I am at this point and how I'm progressing. I can feel my running legs coming back and I'm beginning to recover quicker. Good stuff all around, though, this is still the building phase.
Peace,
Wilbie
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