Training Log - Week Ending April 24

Week 17 of my 20 week plan....

This week I'm back to higher mileage, with no racing.  I have scheduled a 5k for next week and a 10k in three weeks.  So, for this week I have speed workouts on Wed and Fri and a long run on Sunday with the last 5 miles at a faster pace.  Other runs are at an easier pace.

FINALLY have Spring weather all week.  And, the sun is up around 6:30, so I can get out on the paths before work without extra layers, and see without a head lamp.  Nice!

Also my first repeats I've ever done @ mile pace.....ever.   And it was fun!  I feel really fast cranking out 5:20 pace 200's!  Makes me realize how far I've come since last year.

Total Miles:  45
Long Run:  15 (with last 5 @ 6:45 pace)
Weight:  138

Daily Detail:

• Monday - off.  Recovery from Sunday's race.

•  Tuesday - 6 miles on W&OD in Herndon + 4 strides.  Nice weather!  Easy pace, about 7:50.  Dynamic stretching.  Foam rolling. hip mobility.  core work.

• Wednesday - 10 miles with 4 x 4:00 @ 10k pace, then 4 x :45 @ 5k pace.  Ran this on the treadmill, did the faster efforts at 1% incline.  Man, this workout really hurt.  Maybe I'm not fully recovered from Sunday's race...or maybe it is just supposed to hurt.  The 4:00 @ 10k were really quite hard, the :45 at 5k not so bad.  Upper body strength, ITB routine, single leg deadlifts (with weight), single leg squats.

• Thursday - 3 miles easy.....loosen up.  Dynamic stretching, foam rolling, static stretch for hip flexors.

• Friday - 8 miles with 6 by :45 @ mile pace (5:20) with 1:15 jog recovery.  Had planned on doing 4, but felt good, and was having fun running at 5:20 pace, so did an extra 2.

• Saturday - easy 3 miles EASY...no strides (which were planned).  Both IT Bands felt "tight".  didn't hurt, but they were "there"....so took it really easy.  This is probably two fast workouts on Wed and Friday...hopefully not a real issue.  Dynamic stretching and foam rolling. Hip flexors stretches.

Sunday - Plan says "15 miles with last 5 at Steady State pace".  I've decided to replace Steady State with HM pace....it means more to me.  Not sure my coach would like the change...but there it is.  So I ran on the W&OD in Leesburg and went thru the first 10 miles @ 7:30 pace or so.  Then, I picked it up and ran the last 5 about 6:45 pace.  Overall run pace was 7:16. (1:49 total running time).   Upper body strength, ITB routine, rolling and dynamic stretching.

I wasn't sure how I would hold up in the last 5 miles, but it wasn't that bad....the last mile or so required some focus, but I was never in doubt of being able to do it.   As I'm writing this, it's about 3 hours since I finished running, and I can feel it in my legs....but the feeling is getting familiar....so I guess that's progress, right(?)

Good week overall....feeling strong.  Over and out.