Week 15: BQ Training with Run Less Run Faster

Nov 4, 2013 by Greg Fowler

Here is my report for week fifteen of sixteen of my Outer Banks 2013 marathon training. I am following the 3:25:00 Boston Qualifier plan outlined in the book Run Less Run Faster.

To review past weeks, click here.

Short version: The taper continues. I hit all targets for the 6th week in a row.

For the long version, keep reading.

Cross Training. Thursday and Friday

Successfully completed the two prescribed swim workouts:10 x (1 length with kick board 15 sec RI); 20 laps free

Grade: Pass

Run workout #1. Sunday

Headed to the track on Sunday again. 5 x 1000m in 3:56. 400m RI between each.

Results:

• 1000m #1: 3:50
• 1000m #2: 3:46
• 1000m #3: 3:46
• 1000m #4: 3:50
• 1000m #5: 3:50

Grade: A.  Good solid workout.

Run workout #2. Wednesday

This week’s tempo run called for two easy miles warmup, then three miles at a 7:04 pace, then one mile easy cool down.

Results:

• Mile #1: 9:08
• Mile #2: 8:50
• Mile #3: 7:01
• Mile #4: 7:11
• Mile #5: 6:52
• Mile #6: 9:28

 

Grade: A. 7:01 pace for the three fast miles. Tougher workout than I expected, thanks to a pretty warm muggy evening.

Run Workout #3. Friday

This week’s long run called for ten miles at a 7:49/mile pace, which is my target race day pace. Pretty uneventful.  Was able to do a negative split and did the ten in 1:17:45.

Grade: A. 7:45/mile pace.

Week Fifteen Summary

Here’s a graphic showing hit or miss on the workouts throughout the training. For the tempo and long runs, I included mileage and pace targets (not including the easy warm up and cool down miles for the tempo runs). The actual pace result is in parentheses:

Up Next

Here’s what is in store for week sixteen. The last week!  Almost game time.  According to the plan, there will be no cross training workouts this week.  Also, I need to sleep more, drink more water, cut down on caffeine, pack for the trip, and complete the playlist!

Run #1: Track work. 6 x 4000m in 1:32. 400m RI between each.
Run #2: 10 minute warm up, 3 miles @ 7:49/mile, 10 minute cool down.
Run #3: RACE DAY!  26.2 at 7:49/mile = 3:25:00.  Boston or Bust.

Stay tuned and POFIFOTO!

read more

Week 14: BQ Training with Run Less Run Faster

Oct 28, 2013 by Greg Fowler

Here is my report for week fourteen of sixteen of my Outer Banks 2013 marathon training. I am following the 3:25:00 Boston Qualifier plan outlined in the book Run Less Run Faster.

To review past weeks, click here.

Short version: Another good week. I hit all targets (5 weeks in a row!).  The 13 mile long run seemed easy.

For the long version, keep reading.

Cross Training. Wednesday and Saturday

Successfully completed the two prescribed swim workouts:  3 x (1 length fast, 1 length slow; 2 lengths fast, 2 lengths slow; 3 lengths fast, 3 lengths slow; 2 lengths fast, 2 lengths slow; 1 length fast, 1 length slow) with 1 minute rest interval between sets.

Grade: Pass

Run workout #1. Sunday

Headed to the track on Sunday again.  Tough workout called for 8 x 800m in 3:08 with 9o second rest intervals.

Results:

• 800m #1: 3:04
• 800m #2: 3:02
• 800m #3: 3:03
• 800m #4: 3:04
• 800m #5: 3:04
• 800m #6: 3:04
• 800m #7: 3:04
• 800m #8: 3:04

Grade: A+. Maybe my most consistent speed workout so far in the program.  Was extremely happy, and maybe a bit surprised, with these results coming off the twenty miler two days before.

Run workout #2. Tuesday

This week’s tempo run called for an easy mile warmup, then five miles at a 7:19 pace, then one mile easy cool down.

Results:

• Mile #1:9:01
• Mile #2: 7:23
• Mile #3: 7:15
• Mile #4: 7:13
• Mile  #5: 7:16
• Mile #6: 7:16
• Mile #7: 9:25

Grade: A. Solid run.  That’s a 7:16 pace for the five fast miles.

Run Workout #3. Friday

This week’s long run called for thirteen miles at a 7:49/mile pace, which is my target race day pace.  I felt pretty confident about this run.   Not only had I done ten at 7:31 two weeks ago, some much cooler weather had rolled in.  At 45 degrees, the temperature was 25 degrees cooler than last weeks run.  Unfortunately, the wind was pretty brisk, too.  Had to bust out a long sleeve shirt for the first time in a while.

I felt really good the entire run.  At the halfway point, the pace screen on my watch said 7:49.  Right on track.  Time for one more test.  I switched my iPhone over to the playlist I’m working on for the last 10K of the race.  I guess it has potential, because between it and being down wind for much of the second half, I cruised the final 6 plus miles at a 7:40/mile pace.  Probably a tad too fast, but I promise I was not pushing hard.

My PR in a half marathon is 1:42:40, set in spring of 2012.   I decided to stretch this run out to 13.1 just to see where I’d stack up against that.  Wouldn’t you know it, I came in at 1:41:32 for the 13.11 miles.

Grade: A.  7:45/mile pace.  Unofficial PR.

Week Fourteen Summary

Here’s a graphic showing hit or miss on the workouts throughout the training. For the tempo and long runs, I included mileage and pace targets (not including the easy warm up and cool down miles for the tempo runs). The actual pace result is in parentheses:

Up Next

Here’s what is in store for week fifteen. The taper continues!  Less than twenty miles of running this week.

Run #1: Track work. 5 x 1000m in 3:56. 400m RI between each.
Run #2: 2 miles easy warm up, 3 miles @ 7:04/mile, 1 mile easy cool down.
Run #3: 10 miles @ 7:49/mile.

Cross Training: Swim 10 x (1 length with kick board 15 sec RI);  20 laps free

 

Stay tuned and POFIFOTO!

read more

Week 13: BQ Training with Run Less Run Faster

Oct 21, 2013 by Greg Fowler

Here is my report for week thirteen of sixteen of my Outer Banks 2013 marathon training. I am following the 3:25:00 Boston Qualifier plan outlined in the book Run Less Run Faster.

To review past weeks, click here.

Short version: Very good week. I hit all targets (4 weeks in a row!), including the last and toughest twenty miler of the training.

For the long version, keep reading.

Cross Training. Wednesday and Thursday

Successfully completed the two prescribed swim workouts: 4 kick laps, 20 minutes non-stop freestyle, 4 kick laps.

Grade: Pass

Run workout #1. Sunday

Looking ahead at the week’s family schedule, I decided to knock out the track workout on Sunday again.  This week’s workout was 10 x 400m at 1:32 with 400m rest intervals.

Results:

• 400m #1: 1:30
• 400m #2: 1:31
• 400m #3: 1:28
• 400m #4: 1:26
• 400m #5: 1:28
• 400m #6: 1:29
• 400m #7: 1:26
• 400m #8: 1:28
• 400m #9: 1:26
• 400m #10: 1:22

Grade: A+. Very solid workout. Probably pushed a little too hard on the last one.  Might explain my sore foot this week.

Run workout #2. Tuesday

This week’s tempo run called for eight miles at a 7:49 pace, two miles shorter than last week’s ten miler but the same pace.

Result: Really solid run.  Felt easy.  Pulled off negative split and finished in 1:01:30

Grade: A. That’s a 7:39 pace overall.

Run Workout #3. Friday

This week’s long run called for twenty miles at an 8:04 pace. That’s five miles farther than last week’s 8:04 target run, which I ran at 8:01.

I viewed this run as the final dress rehearsal before show time.  This meant I followed the nutrition and fueling plan I will be using for the race and day before.

When I walked outside Friday morning, I can’t say that I was very confident.  The temperature was 70 degrees and the humidity was close to 100%.  If you’ve read these posts,  you know I’ll whine about the weather’s affect on me.  I have learned that I struggle on 70+ degree days with high humidity.  So, I knew this was going to be a long morning and probably hurt.

I intentionally dialed it back a bit on the first half, so I could have a good shot at the usual negative split goal. The weather also helped with that.  A few times I felt like I’d sped up only to see 8:15 or 8:22 pop up on my watch for the split time.  At mile ten, I was in a decent spot, though, with an 8:06 pace.

For miles eleven through seventeen, I hovered around the 8:04 mark average, and managed to bring my overall pace down to 8:05.  When my watch beeped after mile eighteen, I felt for sure I was still doing OK, but the mile split read 8:16 and my pace was still 8:05.  So, now I faced a decision.  I could pack it in and not get my fourth straight week of green and end the twenty milers two for five.  Or I could dig deep and give the effort that will probably be required at the end of the marathon to meet my goal.  I decided to dig.

I did my best to ignore the pain.  At mile nineteen, my watch beeped.  7:48.  I pressed the button to see my overall pace.  8:04.  One mile to go,though. Got to beat 8:04 to keep the average, I thought.  I kept pressing.  Lots of pain now.  Time seemed to be standing still.  My watch finally beeped.  7:59.  I quickly hit stop and then pressed the button to see the overall pace.  8:04.  Whew.

Grade: A. 20.06 miles in 2:41:48.  My fastest twenty miles ever.

Week Thirteen Summary

Very happy with the week.   Meeting the twenty miler target was big confidence booster.

Here’s a graphic showing hit or miss on the workouts throughout the training. For the tempo and long runs, I included mileage and pace targets (not including the easy warm up and cool down miles for the tempo runs). The actual pace result is in parentheses:

Up Next

Here’s what is in store for week fourteen.  The taper begins!  The workouts are still tough, but mileage is reduced to under twenty-five miles this week, instead of the thirty mile ballpark.

Run #1: Track work. 8 x 800m in 3:08. 90 second RI between each.  Yuck.
Run #2: 1 mile easy warm up, 5 miles @ 7:19/mile, 1 mile easy cool down.
Run #3: 13 miles @ 7:49/mile.

Cross Training: Swim – 3 x (1 length fast, 1 length slow; 2 lengths fast, 2 lengths slow;  3 lengths fast, 3 lengths slow; 2 lengths fast, 2 lengths slow; 1 length fast, 1 length slow) with 1 minute rest interval between sets.

 

Stay tuned and POFIFOTO!

read more

Week 12: BQ Training with Run Less Run Faster

Oct 14, 2013 by Greg Fowler

Here is my report for week twelve of sixteen of my Outer Banks 2013 marathon training. I am following the 3:25:00 Boston Qualifier plan outlined in the book Run Less Run Faster.

To review past weeks, click here.

Short version: Excellent week. I hit all targets, meaning I’ve hit all targets for three weeks in a row, the first time I’ve done this.

For the long version, keep reading.

Cross Training. Wednesday and Thursday

Successfully completed the two prescribed swim workouts: twenty kick laps with 15 seconds rest in between, followed by twenty freestyle laps non-stop.

Grade: Pass

Run workout #1. Sunday

The track and a twist.  This week’s track workout called for 3 x 1600m in 6:31.  Decided to do this on Sunday because we had a cross country family relay event Sunday afternoon, which put me on the high school grounds anyway.  I road my bicycle to the school to make sure I warmed up well.  Wasn’t too hard as the temperature was around 88 degrees! I thought summer had left the building.

I then proceeded to run my leg of the relay race (mile 2 of the 5K course) in 6:03.  Not bad for an old guy.  My nine year old daughter did the first mile around 8:15, and my son did the anchor leg 1.1 miles in something like 5:50.  We just missed breaking 20:00 by a few seconds.

Now came the hard part.  Doing my track workout in the heat.

Results:

• 1600m #1: 6:25
• 1600m #2: 6:22
• 1600m #3: 6:27

Grade: A+. Very solid workout.  I’m sure an all out mile “warm up” wasn’t the smartest, but I pulled it off.

Run workout #2. Tuesday

This week’s tempo run called for ten miles at a 7:49 pace, the second and last of this distance tempo run in the program.

Result: Came home to 55 degrees and drizzling.  This was over a 30 degree temperature difference from the track session two days earlier.  It felt great.  My main goal was a negative split, and over the first five miles I averaged 7:47.  By this time, I was feeling really good and decided to see what I could do.  I then stepped down the final five miles in 7:42, 7:35, 7;22, 7:00 and finally 6:42 in the last mile.  Finishing in 1:15:28.

Grade: A+. That’s a 7:15 pace for last five miles and a 7:31 pace overall. It was also a negative split.  Maybe I pushed it too much on the second half, but I felt really good.

Run Workout #3. Friday

This week’s long run called for fifteen miles at an 8:04 pace.   I was a little worried that my extra fast effort Tuesday night might hurt this run.  I was hoping for similar weather.

Well, the weather was OK at 65 degrees but about 10 degrees warmer than I wanted. Would have been a great morning to run have leisurely long run at a 10:00/mile pace, but I had to do better.

I intentionally dialed it back a bit on the first half, so I could have a good shot at the usual negative split goal.  I know I mention this a lot, but I think it will be one of the keys to success on November 10th.

Grade: A. Did the first half in an 8:05 pace.  Did the second half at a 7:57 pace, coming in at 2:00:40, an 8:01 pace.  Missions accomplished.

Week Twelve Summary

Very happy with the week.  Was able to meet all targets despite possible a couple of not so smart moves – the relay race and the extra fast tempo run.

Here’s a graphic showing hit or miss on the workouts over the past ten weeks. For the tempo and long runs, I included mileage and pace targets (not including the easy warm up and cool down miles for the tempo runs). The actual pace result is in parentheses:

Up Next

Here’s what is in store for week thirteen:

Run #1: Track work. 10 x 400m in 1:32. 400m RI between each
Run #2: 1 mile easy warm up, 8 miles @ 7:49/mile, 1 mile easy cool down
Run #3: 20 miles @ 8:04/mile.

Cross Training: Swim – kick 4 lengths, swim 20 minutes, kick 4 lengths

Four weeks to go and this is the last of the brutal weeks before taper starts.  The toughest run of the week will be the final 20 miler of the program.

 

Stay tuned and POFIFOTO!

read more

Week 11: BQ Training with Run Less Run Faster

Oct 7, 2013 by Greg Fowler

Here is my report for week eleven of sixteen of my Outer Banks 2013 marathon training. I am following the 3:25:00 Boston Qualifier plan outlined in the book Run Less Run Faster.

To review past weeks, click here.

Short version: I think this training is working.  Had another really good week and seem to be getting faster.  I could use a nap, though.  This is wearing me out.

For the long version, keep reading.

Cross Training. Tuesday and Thursday

Successfully completed the two prescribed swim workouts.  Pretty straight forward week.  4 laps kick, 20 minutes free, 4 laps kick.

Grade: Pass

Run workout #1. Monday

The track.  This week’s workout was a new one – 1000m in 3:56; 2000m in 8:11; 1000m in 3:56; 1000m in 3:56. 400m rest intervals between.

Results:

• 1000m: 3:53
• 2000m: 8:05
• 1000m: 3:53
• 1000m:  3:52

Grade: A+. Very solid workout.  Felt like I could do another 1000 or two at the end, but it was dark and I was hungry.  So, I went home. 🙂

Run workout #2. Wednesday

This week’s tempo run called for a warm up mile, five miles at a 7:49 pace, then a mile cool down.  After last week’s ten miler at the same pace, I was pretty confident about this one until Tuesday afternoon.  That’s when it occurred to me that I had a conflict on Wednesday night – a cross country meet.

Thanks to a Wednesday morning appointment, I would have time to do this one early.  This meant in the dark, though, so I’d have to stay in the neighborhood.  All of a sudden, those 7:49 splits got a little tougher because of the neighborhood hills and cul-de-sacs.  Not to mention being half asleep.

So, I set out at 6:06am to get my seven before sunrise.  I guess I woke up OK, here at the results:

• Mile 1: 9:54
• Mile 2: 7:52
• Mile 3: 7:40
• Mile 4: 7:42
• Mile 5: 7:38
• Mile 6: 7:28
• Mile 7: 9:39

Grade: A+. That’s a 7:40 pace for the five tempo miles. It was also a negative split.  Great way to start the day.

Run Workout #3. Friday

This week’s long run called for twenty miles at an 8:19 pace. This is the fourth of five 20 milers, and I missed the mark on the last two.  I definitely wanted to get back on track this week.

One of the biggest challenges of a twenty mile run, besides the actual running, is  trying to come up an interesting, safe, and fairly flat route.  So, I spent some time on MapMyRun.com the day before trying to come up with something new.  I felt I’d come up with a decent route that had three parts – an easy first third, a tough second third, and a fairly flat to down hill final third.

Turns out, my route planning skills need some work.  Here’s the elevation map from my GPS watch:

You can see the route works its way down hill the first half, then is pretty much uphill the second half.  The bottoming out spot about the 1:21 mark was around mile 10.  At this point, I was on an 8:16 pace, but I could see the long hill climbs in front of me, and I knew a negative split would be tough, if not impossible.  Plus, the surprise early fog was burning off and the temperature was heating up.

With one mile to go, I glanced at the overall pace screen on my watch.  I had slipped to 8:19.  Just push it for one mile, I said to myself.  Pretend it is the last mile of the marathon and you need to beat the 8:19 pace to qualify.  So, I did and came in at 8:12 for that last mile for an overall time of 2:46:48.  This was right on the goal pace of 8:19/mile.

Grade: A. Despite slipping to an 8:22/mile pace on the second half, I met the time for my fastest twenty mile run yet.  I also never really hit the wall in this run, but last last few miles were quite the sufferfest.

Week Eleven Summary

Another really solid week.  I feel like I’m improving.  It was good to meet the twenty mile run pace.  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t wondering how in the world I’m going to hit a 7:49 pace for 26.2 miles when a 8:19 pace for 20 hurt so bad.  That’s why there’s five weeks of training left, I guess.

Here’s a graphic showing hit or miss on the workouts over the past ten weeks. For the tempo and long runs, I included mileage and pace targets (not including the easy warm up and cool down miles for the tempo runs). The actual pace result is in parentheses:

Up Next

Here’s what is in store for week twelve:

Run #1: Track work. 3 x 1600m in 6:31. 400m RI between each
Run #2: 10 minute warm up, 10 miles @ 7:49/mile, 10 minute cool down
Run #3: 15 miles @ 8:04/mile.

Cross Training: Swim – 20 x (Kick 1 length rest 15 seconds); swim 20 lengths non-stop.

Feel pretty good about ability to meet this week’s runs.  If you look at the scorecard, though, I have not met goals for three weeks in a row at any point.  So, I’d like to make that happen this week.  The current weather forecast is in my favor for the long run.

 

Stay tuned and POFIFOTO!

read more