Training Log - Week Ending May 8

Happy Mother's Day!  Hope everyone is having a nice day.

Another weekly training log post.

Week 19 of my 20 week plan.  I've now completed all my "build up" races, and tapering for my 10k race next week.  I'm getting a little excited for two reasons...

1. FINALLY going to run my goal race, 20 weeks is a long time to build up for a race.  Especially a 10k.  I made the long plan because I was coming off an injury, so it might have been smart...but it's a long time.
2. I can justify taking a few days off, and start thinking about what I want to do next - a longer race?  More 5k's?

But, for now it's time to focus on the task as hand.  This week's mileage is a little lower than normal, at about 31 miles, from a high of 45 miles a few weeks ago, but keeping the intensity up.  Wednesday this week was my last all out kind of interval session (5 x mile @ 10k pace), 10 days prior to the race.  The long run this week was also shorter than normal, but with a faster pacing mixed in.  Gotta say, I understand the need for more miles and longer long runs, but I do like the intervals and faster paced stuff more.

Weekly Mileage:  31
Long Run:  10 mi. with 5k pacing worked in.
Weight:  139

Daily Workouts:

Monday - off....not feeling too bad, had a race Saturday, and an easy day yesterday.  Dynamic stretching and foam rolling.

Tuesday - 4 miles easy + 4 strides.  Core work.  Foam rolling and  stretching.  My legs felt a little "heavy" starting the run, but better by the time I finished.  So...success.  Overall pace about 7:50.

Wednesday - 9 miles with 5 x 1 mile @ 10k pace.  On the treadmill @ 1% incline and 6:15 pace.  ITB workout, upper body strength.  Single leg squat and dead lift.  Lotsa foam rolling and dynamic stretching.

Man, Wednesday was a tough workout!  I guess it's supposed to be.  I got it done, and was able to increase the pace slightly at the end of the last interval to imitate a finishing kick.  This is the kind of workout I would do if I had written my own plan....but I would have done them more often.  This is the last really big effort before my race in 10 days.  This would probably be called a "key" workout in a lot of training plans.

Thursday - off.  Didn't do nothing!  Long day at work....

Friday - 5 miles easy.  Ooofff.  I am NOT recovered from Wednesday's run.  Think I felt better after the run, but I could tell the whole time that Wednesday's workout was having an effect on me today.  My HR was up a little for the pace I was going.  Got the miles in...hopefully it helped recovery.  Foam rolling, dynamic and static stretching, hip mobility.

Saturday - 3 miles easy.   Man, my legs are still feeling flat.  I think the 5k race last Sunday and the hard workout on Wed was a little too much back to back.  so, real easy day.  Foam rolling,  Core work. 

Sunday - Plan: 10 miles with 8 x 1' @ 5k pace.  Right away I could tell my legs were feeling heavy still, so I deliberately did not check my pace and run by feel only and try to keep the effort "conversational".  After 6 miles I started the 5k pace intervals.  I did these by effort as well.  I only did 4 as the effort felt too hard, I skipped the last 4 four and cruised in to finish my 10 miles.  My overall pace ended up being 7:29, just about my normal long run pace.  Interesting.

So....this week included a hard effort on Wed I feel good about, but I'm also feeling like I'm a little over-trained and hoping next week I'll feel better as I cut back my miles and intensity some heading into my race next Sunday.