Easy 40 minutes

Easy 40-minute run with Caitlyn, Claire, and Kara. 4.2 miles. My body kind of wanted to go more, but I need to realize when it's time to take it easy and when it's time to go.

4.2 miles. Week -- 11.7

This week and next --
Friday -- Rest (0)
Saturday -- 15-minute run to Old Threshers, 4x800ish loop in 4:10ish?, 15 minutes back. (5.5)
Sunday -- 2.5 easy (2.5)
Week -- 20
Monday -- Trail run 5K (4)
Tuesday -- Off
Wednesday -- 10-minute warmup, 8x400 in 1:40-1:45. Cooldown. (4.5)
Thursday -- Easy (3)
Friday -- Off
Saturday -- 65 minutes (6.5)
Sunday -- Easy (3)
Week -- 21
Monday -- Off
Tuesday -- 10-minute warmup, 3 x Linden Drive Hill in 4:45. Then 1 x hill in 4:45 and finally 1 x hill in 4:45. Cooldown. (4.5)
Wednesday -- Easy (3)
Thursday -- 4.5 (4.5)
Friday -- Off
Saturday -- Wapello 5K (4)
Sunday -- Easy run (3)
Week -- 19

30 minute recovery run

Nice job of running an easy 30 minutes. Just a little tightness in the groin, which I first experienced yesterday. To the 4 corners and back, then up the hill for 3 minutes and back. I held on very well. 3 miles.

miles for week -- 7.5

Great form

Today, several bits of running, all adding up to a good day. Columbus Junction, 6-minute warmup. Then I ran with the girls, starting easy, then having to pick it up. By the end, Claire and Caitlyn were really picking it up. I did 21:30 with them. Then I ran a 400 (1:38) and 600 (2:44) on the track. I had to join the girls to get a flash drive and some papers from Mike. Then, on the way home, I stopped in Winfield. Ran 3:30 to get to the back side of the golf course, then did 4x400ish-plus threshold runs, 1:56, 1:53, 1:53, 1:50. Then 3:30 back to the car. Total: 40.5 minutes. Definitely 4.5 miles.

For week --- 4.5 miles.

Great weekend

It was a strong weekend of running. Saturday, I ran again up in Iowa City. This time, I did Hickory Hill again and ran about an hour. I ran 30 minutes on the trail, then out and through ACT, back on Dodge and back down to Hickory Hill, then another 10 minutes. 60 minutes total.

Today, I felt remarkably well after running an hour yesterday. I ran out at Eastlake, one park loop for a warmup (on which I felt a little tired from yesterday), then three driving range-soccer fields loops, then back up the driving range hill and back for 30 minutes. Then I ran four very loose and fast strides, 25 seconds or so. I feel remarkably strong and fit.

weekly total. 21 miles.

This week, June 27-July 3:
Monday (off)
Tuesday -- Run with girls in CJ. Easy run with them, then 2 miles of threshold -- 400, 600, 800, 600, 400. (4.5 miles)
Wednesday -- Easy, 25-30 minutes. (3 miles)
Thursday -- Run with girls in CJ. 35 minutes. (4-4.5 miles)
Friday -- (Off)
Saturday -- 60 minutes. (6 miles)
Sunday -- 20 minutes (2 miles).
total -- 19-20 miles

July 4-10
Monday -- Trail run 5K (4 miles)
Tuesday -- Off
Wednesday -- Threshold (threshers 800s). 4 miles
Thursday -- Easy 3 miles.
Friday -- Off
Saturday -- 6.5 miles
Sunday -- Easy 3 miles.
total -- 20-21 miles

Hickory Hill run

Today I ran at Hickory Hill Park in Iowa City -- 30 minutes on those trails. I felt strong and loose ... no pain. My conditioning level keeps rising. Then I drove over to the City High track and ran a mile in lane 8. 9:09 total (translating to about 8:09) including 3:53 for the last 800. It gives me some good hope.

40 minutes, 4.5 miles. 11.5 miles for the week.

Saturday long run -- 57 minutes (6ish miles).
Tuesday threshold practice --10-minute warmup. 400 (1:56 then 1-minute jog), 600 (2:56 then 1:30 jog), 800 (3:56 then 2-minute jog), 600 (2:56 then 1:30 jog), 400 (1:56 then 1-minute jog). Then 6-minute cooldown.

Easy 30 minutes

Today I ran a real easy 30 minutes around Eastlake. Good recovery; my legs feel good.

3 miles. 7 miles for week.

Hard hill workout

So I ran up and down the Linden Drive hill (.3 from no parking sign to electric meter) 1x 2-up and 2-down (4:39, 4:56), then a 4-5 minute rest and 1-up and 1-down (4:41), then another 4-5 minute rest and 1-up and 1-down (4:41). So I was averaging 7:54 miles for the workout. It was more than threshold, I guess, but maybe not. I wanted to do the whole workout continuously (4-up, 4-down), but couldn't pull it off. Maybe next time I do three in a row. Then 1 and 1. Counting a 10-minute warmup and 6-minute cooldown, it was a 35-minute run -- 4 miles.

Maybe I'm being optimistic but I am hoping it translates into a 23-minute 5K about right now.

This week

Tomorrow: Mile warmup, 4 x 500-yard hill up Linden Drive and back down. Goal: 20 minutes. Mile cooldown. 4.5 miles.

Wednesday: 3 miles, 30 minutes.

Thursday: 4 miles, throw in a fartlek or two.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 57-58 minutes, 6 miles.

Sunday: 3 miles.

Total: 20.5 miles.

Then I want to do two thresholds a week for three weeks.

53 minutes

My longest run yet, 53 minutes, about 5.5 miles. I ran to the four corners and back twice, the second time going past pep stop to the point where I would get in 53 minutes. It felt good ... I love the soft gravel on the shoulders. I felt very strong.

Today, 3 miles. I felt good despite having run yesterday. But I got real weak at the end ... didn't have enough to eat. I threw in a 4:17 800 at one point.

19 miles for the week.

UI XC course run

I ran a little over 3 miles on the UI cross country course. It is about a mile and a half around the perimeter .... give or take. The second lap, I pushed it for quite a while until I got really sapped. It was hot and humid, about 84. The grass was a welcome surface. I felt good pushing it for about 10 minutes or so. Actually, it was my third run in three days ... a record for me lately. My knee is feeling it a little bit.

After a well-deserved day off tomorrow, I will try to do my longest run (53 minutes) on Saturday.



Miles for week -- 10.5

Getting stronger

Tonight, after a day off, I ran about 4.5 miles -- on the track. Every lap, I would run the homestretch 100 pretty hard (26 or 27 seconds -- 6:56-7:12 pace), then ease up to about 8:50 pace for the other 300. So it made my laps average about 8:20-something pace. So it was a good quality run.

Saturday -- 3 miles. 1/2 mile to Old Threshers, then 4xloop. I started and ended at the last tree on the gravel road, to make it a complete round trip. My times: 4:27, 4:12, 4:10, 4:12.

Sunday -- 4.2 miles at about 9:00 pace.

So I had about a 20-mile week last week. My running is going very well.

5 miles

After Upward Bound training, I hustled over to the Hoover Trail. I ran 24 minutes out and 23:35 back for a 47:35 run. I am figuring 5 miles. The knee is sore, but it's OK. Good run. I've been very happy with my eating/weight loss. I'm losing a little bit; for me, it's so much about how many calories I consume. I read somewhere that I have to eat 1/3 fewer calories now than when I was younger, and that is what I am shooting for.

12.5 miles for week.

Gutty run

I got up this morning before I went to upward bound and ran about 4 miles. I biked to Eastlake, ran the park road loop as a warmup, then ran a fartlek workout, 4 x the .7-mile driving range-soccer fields loop. I was pushing it pretty hard at times -- for good stretches. Then I would settle in for a regular run. Laps of 6:41, 6:38, 6:30, and 6:29. I guess I'm not going to go by times as much as I am effort. the effort was there. I was trying to be quick and light on the hard-running portions. Then a .6 cooldown, the park loop.

4 miles
7.5 miles for the week

Hot run

This morning, I ran with Kara and Kylie -- park loop and cowpath and back -- 2.5 miles. Then I ran a mile on the track at Eli's pace -- about 8 minutes. 31:25 of running, 8:58 pace. It was hot, but I held up well. I feel strong.

Plan for this week-- run Wed-Thurs, then Sat-Sun. I'm planning on a 19-mile week, with a long-run of 5 miles.
Next week -- Tues-Wed, Thurs-Fri, Sun. (20 miles, long run 5.5 miles)

In good form

My running is going well. The last two days have been good. Yesterday, Friday, I ran 45 minutes (my longest to date for this session) out the airport road to eastlake (19 minutes), around the driving range and soccer fields (7 minutes) and back home (18 minutes). 4.7 miles.

Today, I felt wonderful. I got up and felt light and strong. So this afternoon, on a terribly humid aftgernoon, I drove to the track and ran 12 laps in lane 8. 2 laps warmup, then 2 laps on (about 8:20 pace) and 2 laps easy (9:20 pace). It was 30 plus minutes. 3.4 miles. Then three 100-meter strides.

I've just been doing a good job of building up to this, not missing any days and running well.
I believe I am about at 40-42 VDOT (about 24 minutes for 5K). I want to continue to run consistently and lose some more weight and get down in the 22s for 5K this summer.