MSU 4k this week.

Monday, August 30th
[morning HR: 49]
AM:
*2 mile warm up, 4 mile tempo (aim for 6:40), 1 mile cool down.
details:
where- Fish Creek Trail
average pace/ total time- 6:39/ 26:37
mile splits- 7:00, 6:40, 6:30, 6:27
comments- Felt nice and controlled. Turned into more of a progression run on accident because the first mile came out so slow. None of us had on a garmin today so we were completely in the dark on pace until we came through that first mile!
---ice bath!!---
PM:
*30' stationary bike.
*3 x 8 work capacity.

Tuesday, August 31st
[morning HR: 51]
AM:
*5 miles easy.
details:
where-DBU grass track
average pace/ total time- 8:28/ 42:22
average heart rate- 166
comments- wow. i was shocked this morning. i had no soreness or fatigue (or so i thought), but my heart rate shot straight up and never came down. so much for getting in a run at a decent pace! but the grass was good for my foot and i'm sure keeping my heart rate in check (for a change!) will do some good!
*4 x strides in spikes.
*general strength workout.
---ice bath!!---
PM:
*H core routine- 2 x 30" (changed the back plank to a glute bridge and the side plank to side crunches in order to give my foot total rest)

Wednesday, September 1st
[morning HR: 48]
*6 mile run
details:
where- Trinity River Corridor
average pace/ total time- 7:58/ 47:40
progression by mile- 8:52, 8:25, 8:16, 7:51, 7:24, 6:59
average HR- 159
comments- Felt much better than yesterday! Didn't hear my watch beep to say that my HR was above 170 until I separated from the other girls (about 3 miles into the run). After that just tried to keep the HR steady and get in a decent effort. Ran the last 1/4 mile with Zach in order to take the place of "pre-race day" strides... worked perfectly!
*leg circuit x 2
---ice bath!!---

Thursday, September 2nd
[morning HR: 51]
PM:
*8' easy run, warm up drills, 8' easy run, leg swings, 1' easy, 2' uptempo, 3' easy running.
*4k race.
details:
where- soccer complex in Whichita Falls, TX
average pace/ total time- 5:58/ 14:55
comments- Learned a lot... as is usually the case for the first race of a season! Learned to be aggressive from the start. Get your foot in the door early, give yourself a chance, and trust your fitness. I started struggling with about 1200m to go, but that will come with time. I learned not to over-eat on race day just because you have a race! :) A normal day's diet is just fine... otherwise you'll feel pretty miserable going into things! I think for now my biggest things to improve upon are my competitiveness and my mental toughness. If I can get stronger in those 2 areas, next time I feel weak with 1200 to go, I will be so set on not getting passed and so focused/ determined that I (hopefully) won't fall behind. 12 weeks to become a racer... starting now! (ps. I'm pleased with the race... very thankful for the chance to run and for the health! so don't think I'm disappointed! Definitely not the case!)
*20' cool down (pretty solid pace)
*3 x 8 work capacity circuit.
*canonball cool down.
*warm down drills.

Friday, September 3rd
[morning HR: 52]
*2 x 30" H core routine.
*60' aquajog w/ 10 x 2:30H,30"recovery, 10 x 30"H,30"recovery.
(absolutely no pain in foot at all so far today... GOD IS GOOD!!!!!)

Saturday, September 4th
[morning HR: 51]
*general strength workout.
*90' aquajog w/ 30' steady, 30' moderate, 30' hard.

Sunday, September 5th

[morning HR: 52]

REST DAY!!

Total Mileage for the Week: 25 miles.

Total Number of Runs: 4.

2nd week with the team....

...and it feels so good! :)

Monday, August 23rd
[morning HR: 48]
AM:
*6 miles progession.
details:
where- Merrifield Road.
average pace/ total time- 6:51/ 41:04.
pace progession- 7:14, 7:07, 7:07, 6:43, 6:36, 6:12.
comments- Good run, but not as fast as we were intending for it to be. Not sure if it was because of the hills, or if we just didn't push things as much as we should have. Definitely felt like I was working during the entire run though. The only parts that started to feel less uncomfortable were the 5th and 6th miles, probably because they are pure downhill.
*4 x strides.
*work capacity circuit.
---ice bath!!---
PM:
*25' stationary bike.
*H core circuit (2 x 30").
*pedestal routine w/ leg lifts (2 sets of 5).
---iced foot!!---

Tuesday, August 24th
[morning HR: 47]
AM:
*5 miles.
details:
where- Boy Scout Camp.
average pace/ total time- 8:35/ 42:55.
comments- If today needed to be a good recovery day, it served it's purpose! :) The entire team ran together today, so it was extremely slow for the first half (as in 9:30 pace!) and then, thankfully, we picked it up some during the second half. But it was a nice location and my body felt strong and relaxed.
*4 x uphill strides.
*big 12.
*4 pull-ups at resistance 4.
---ice bath!!---
PM:
*1 x 60" pedestal routine.
*30' recumbent bike.
---iced foot!!---

Wednesday, August 25th
[morning HR: 48]
AM:
*45' naturally progressing.
details:
where- Trinity River Corridor
average pace/ total time- No garmin?! Felt relaxed, but at a solid pace.
comments- No pain in the foot this morning! LOVE this corridor. Nice to run in the rain some as well!
*leg circuit.
*general strength workout: 8lb dumbbells; 2 x [swiss ball chest press (10), decline push-up (12), I-Y-T raise (10), squat to press (12)], 3 x [curl/calf raises (15), seated swiss ball tricep extensions (8)], 2 x [walking front lunge (10), walking back lunge (10), walking side lunges (10 each), back/diagonal lunges (10), single leg deadlift (8), single leg hip raise (10)].
PM:
---ice bath!!---

Thursday, August 26th
[morning HR: 49]
AM:
*2 mile warm-up, 3 x 1 mile @ race pace, 3' recovery, 1 mile cool down.
details:
where- DBU gravel path.
average pace for hard miles- 6:17, 6:08, 6:05.
comments- Good workout. It was nice having Tabb and Linet to run with with. We kept things under control and worked our way down each mile. Loved how quickly it was over! :)
*4 x strides in spikes.
---ice bath!!---
PM:
*pedestal routine. 2 sets of 30".
*H core routine. 2 sets of 3o".
*30' stationary bike.
*work capacity circuit. 3 sets of 6.

Friday, August 27th
[morning HR: forgot to check it! that's what happens when you sleep til 8! :)]
*60' elliptical.

Saturday, August 28th
[morning HR: 51]
*7 miles with 1,2,3,1,2,3 on a 5' cycle after 15'.
details:
where- White Rock Lake.
average pace/ total time- 7:22/ 51:38.
pace per surge- 6:31, 6:33, 6:12, 6:09, 6:13, 6:01
pace per recovery- 7:33, 7:47, 7:41, 7:31, 7:31, 7:09
comments- Good, comfortable run. 7 miles feels short now. And the surges feel like nothing more than surges. Just simple "pick-ups" in the pace that honestly make the rest of the run feel better.
*cannonball cool down.

Sunday, August 29th
[morning HR: 49]
REST DAY!!!!

Total Mileage for the Week: 28?
Total Number of Runs: 5 runs.

WEEK #1... OFFICIALLY.

Monday, August 16th
[morning HR: 50]
AM:
*2 mile warm up + 4 mile time trial.
details:
where- Fish Creek Trail.
average pace/ total time (for the time trial)- 6:20/ 25:25.
comments- Felt great up until about 100 meters to go! :) Hahah, nah, it felt good. I'm pleased with the run. Ate a bowl of oatmeal with half a banana and a piece of toast with some peanut butter and raisins about 2 hours before we warmed up, so I know that will work for race days. Main thing I learned was that I need to get in speed for sure. Definitely lacking in the stride/speed area.
PM:
*20' elliptical.
*work capacity circuit. (3 sets of 6, no medicine ball, no pull-ups).
*H core routine. (1 set of 30").

Tuesday, August 17th
[morning HR: 52]
AM:
*5 miles.
details:
where- Norbuck Park.
average pace/ total time- 8:05/ 40: 32.
average HR- 158.
comments- It was enjoyable, but it definitely would have been rough if today had not been recovery. I think all of us felt pretty drained. But it was nice to get on some grass and to have some company for the run. Good conversation always makes time go by a little faster! :)
*4 x strides.
PM:
*pedestal routine. (2 sets of 30", no leg lifts, 30" rest in between sets).
*H core circuit. (1 set, 30" each exercise).
*23' stationary bike.


Wednesday, August 18th
[morning HR: 48]
AM:
*6 miles naturally progessing.
details:
where- White Rock Lake.
average pace/ total time- 7:50/ 47:41 (accidentally ran more than 6 miles so at 6 miles it was a little earlier).
average HR- 166.
comments- Felt heavy and tired today. Definitely had to work on the run. When I turned around at 3 miles we were averaging 8:15 pace for the run so far, but when I finished I felt much better and the pace had gone down quite a bit, so maybe that's the secret?
*leg circuit #1. (only 1 set).
PM:
---ice bath!!---

Thursday, August 19th
[morning HR: 48]
AM:
*15 warm up + 2 x 5' tempo, 3' recovery, 4 x 3' xc effort, 3' recovery.
details:
where- DBU Gravel Path.
total mileage- 6.5 miles.
paces for hard segments- 6:30, 6:32, 6:11, 6:15, 6:10, 6:13.
comments-I'm definitely happy with this workout. We (Tabb, Linet, Susan, and myself) were told to stay together and run 6:30 pace for the 5' segments and 6:10 pace for the 3' segments. The 5' segments felt great. We were able to stay comfortable for them. The 3' ones? Nothing close. Haha! On the first one I checked my watch 1' in and said we were at 6:24 pace and Tabb goes "oh, poop" (but with a different word, ha!). It was classic. But we finished it out and stayed pretty well together. I'm excited to see how close we can stay in a race. This pack running could be huge for our team.
*4 x striders.
---ice bath!!---
PM:
*20' bike.
*work capacity circuit. (3 sets of 6, no pull-ups, no med ball).
*H core routine. (1 set of 30").

Friday, August 20th
[morning HR: 47]
OFF!!!!

Saturday, August 21st
[morning HR: 48]
AM:
*7.4 miles w/ 1,2,2,1,2,2 on a 5' cycle.
details:
where- White Rock Lake.
average pace/ total time- 7:33/ 55:56
average pace per surge- 6:05, 6:17, 6:12, 6:22, 6:04, 6:08
average pace per recovery- 8:08, 7:52, 7:39, 7:49, 7:54, 7:28
comments- Felt great. He told us to keep the surges at tempo pace and not turn them into "sprints", and it made the run as a whole feel great and go by very quickly. This is the most comfortable and relaxed I've felt at these paces. I was even able to have a conversation with Jake during my 3rd surge. Definitely thankful for this run.
*cannonball cool down.

Sunday, August 22nd
[morning HR:
REST DAY!!!

Total mileage for the week: 31 miles.
Total runs for the week: 5.

Last week before camp!

Based on last weekend's 2 mile experiment, we've got a better idea of paces to aim for until we get some new times to go by!
Date Race Pace- 6:15
Tempo Pace- 6:45
Moderate Pace- 7:15 to 7:00

Monday, August 9th
[morning HR: 50]
*5 miles easy to moderate to tempo.
details:
where- DBU gravel path.
average pace/ total time- 7:24/ 37:03
pace breakdown: first 2 miles- 7:48, next 2 miles- 7:18, last mile- 6:47
average HR: 175
comments- Definitely a rough morning... For some reason the gnats were AWFUL and the gravel was extremely thick today (it was like running on the beach!). Thankfully the gnats disappeared around the 4th mile when the sun came up so I was able to get a little more air in. :) But in all seriousness, I wanted to quit on every step of this run starting about 3 miles in. Need to remember where I was a few months ago and have a better attitude on these runs. It's a gift to be out there... I don't want to be ungrateful for that anymore.
*2 x 60" pedestal routine w/ 5 leg lifts.
*60' aquajog.
*work capacity circuit.
*feet exercises.

Tuesday, August 10th
[morning HR: 50]
*4 miles easy.
details:
where-streets surrounding Jackson Middle School & the track
average pace/ total time- 8:01/ 32:09
average HR-160
comments- Definitely still tired. I guess it's about time for me to feel that way though. I just need to be patient. I know there are phases of training where you're supposed to feel heavy and tired... AND I know they pass and you feel stronger later. So until then, I just need to be patient.
*50' aquajog w/ 6 x 5'H, 1'E.
*light core workout.

Wednesday, August 11th
[morning HR: 51]
*6 miles w/ middle 2 miles moderate to tempo.
details:
where- Fish Creek Trail.
Average Pace/ Total Time- 7:24/ 44:30
2 Mile Paces- 8:05, 6:43, 7:25
Comments- Felt great starting about 1.5 miles in. I've found that until I run about half a mile at a solid pace, no pace at all feels good or easy right now. Not even 8:15 pace. But once I run about half a mile at a pace, say 7:15 or better, I feel smooth and comfortable and at ease whether I'm going 6:30 or 7:30 or 8:30. But I'm glad to have another 2 miles at tempo pace under my belt. I know it's not much right now, but it will all add up by the time November gets here.
*2 x 30" pedestal routine w/ leg lifts.
*60' aquajog w/ 2 sets of 5 x 2:30H,30"E and 5 x 30"H,30"E.
*Big 10. (10 push-ups, 10 reverse crunches, 9 push-ups, 9 reverse crunches,..., 1 push-up, 1 reverse crunch).

Thursday, August 12th
[morning HR: 51]
*7' easy run to warm up for the circuit.
*work capacity circuit (only 2 sets of 8, but done with an 8lb ball rather than 6lbs).
*45' aquajog/pool running workout.

Friday, August 13th
[morning HR: 50]
*4 miles easy with Tabb!
details:
where- Pelham Park in Bowie, TX
average pace/ total time- 7:45/ 31:03
average HR- 162.
comments- Enjoyable run and nice weather! It was good to run with someone and have a little conversation going to pass the time! :)
*H core circuit.

Saturday, August 14th
[morning HR: 48]
*6 miles w/ 1,1,2,1,1,2 on 5' cycle after first mile.
details:
where- Pelham Park in Bowie, TX.
averge pace/ total time- 7:31/ 45:09.
paces per surge- 5:17, 5:26, 5:28, 5:20, 5:25, 5:35.
paces per recovery- 8:09, 8:16, 7:53, 7:55, 7:27, 7:55.
comments- Pretty good workout, but the hills made it killer at parts. I definitely almost started walking about halfway through the last surge! But I'm still pleased with the workout... it's faster surges than I had the past few times, so that's always a good sign.

Sunday, August 15th
[morning HR: 51]
REST DAY!!!


Total Miles for the Week: 25 miles.

Total Number of Runs: 5 days.

Getting more excited every day!

Camp is officially only 2 weeks away! Got to keep getting in the work and taking care of myself!

Monday, August 2nd
[morning HR: 48]
*4 miles moderate by myself.
details:
where- gravel path at DBU.
average pace/ total time- 7:13/ 28:55.
average pace per mile- 7:39; 709; 7:02; 7:06.
average HR/ % of HR reserve- 179/ 86%
comments- Definitely didn't run this moderate run as well as I did last week. Today's looks more like a 1 mile warm up and 3 miles moderate when you look at it on paper! Hhah! But got in a good solid effort and felt strong all the way up until the last mile. Pretty sure I'll be feeling this run tomorrow, though! But that's a good thing! :) I've pretty much come to peace with the fact that I'll probably have heavy or sore legs for a majority of this season considering how quickly we're going to have progress things!
*2 x 60" pedestal routine w/ 5 leg lifts.
*60' aquajog w/ 2 sets of 12 x 90"H, 30"R.
*H core routine (pm)- 1 x 45".

Tuesday, August 3rd
[morning HR: 52]
*breath enhancers.
*4 miles easy by myself.
details:
where- Fish Creek Trail.
average pace/ total time- 7:40/30:43
mile splits- 8:15, 7:29, 7:27, 7:30.
average HR/ % of my HR reserve- 168/ 66%
comments- Felt great today. It seems like 7:30 is the comfortable pace for me... just need a mile to get ready for it I guess? But the entire run felt very relaxed and comfortable. Thankful for another nice morning!
*running drills- 2 x 30" bounding and 2 x 30" stiff-legged running.
*60' w/ 2 sets of 8 x 2:30H, 30"R.
*work capacity circuit (lunch)- still 3 sets; increased to 8 reps; still a 6lb med ball; increased plank to 60". specific details are in last week's log!
*feet exercises (lunch).

Wednesday, August 4th
[morning HR: 51].
*40 minutes w/ 4 x 90" surge, 3:30 recovery.
details:
where- Boy Scout Camp (made this into a hill repeat workout rather than a surge workout!).
average pace/ total distance- 7:54/ 5.07 miles.
average pace for surges- 6:18, 6:38, 6:23, 5:58.
average recovery segment paces- 8:34, 8:01, 8:24, 8:14
comments- Much, much, much more challenging to do this workout at the camp rather than the lake. The flat concrete at WRL and the large amount of people chase made it easy to coast along at solid paces; on the contrary, the constant hills, loose gravel, uneven grass, and lack of people made this run so difficult!! Hahah! The timing worked out so that every surge was going uphill, as well, but that was pure luck! :) I was disappointed at first because I felt like I was running so hard, so to see those paces, I was (needless to say) embarrassed. But Jake has been encouraging and reminded me that it's still early and this can be thought of as a good hill intro. I'll settle for that.. :)
*70' steady aquajog.

Thursday, August 5th
[morning HR: 52]
*70' aquajog w/ 1,2,3,4,5,10,5,4,3,2,1, (1' rest), and 10 x 20"H,40"R.
*2 x 60" pedestal w/ 5 leg lifts.
*work capacity circuit (lunch).
*feet exercises (lunch).

Friday, August 6th
[morning HR: 52]
*4 miles easy by myself.
details:
where- Fish Creek Trail.
average pace/ total time- 7:41/ 30:47.
average pace per mile- 8:24, 7:34, 7:24, 7:21.
average HR/ % of HR reserve- 167/ 66%.

Saturday, August 7th
[morning HR: 48]
*breath enhancers.
*2 mile race w/ 2 mile warm up and 2 mile cool down.
details:
where-Norbuck Park... Dallas Running Club's "3 by 2 Mile Relay Race"
average pace/ total time- 6:18/ 12:49
comments- So glad Tabbitha Ashford and Laura Mucho agreed to do this with me! Definitely a fun way to get in some faster running and see where we're at. Today gave me a lot more confidence going into the season because I feel like I'm starting off about where I should be, rather than playing catch up all season. Still a long ways to go, but at least we've started! :)
*90' steady aquajog.
*big 7 and light core work.

Sunday, August 8th
[morning HR: 50]
REST DAY!!

Mileage for the week: 23 miles.
Total number of runs: 5.