Sluggish Morning Run

Time: 46:03
Distance: 10.27 km
Pace: 4:29/km
Map

I headed out the door looking to get in some distance before tonight's Derby Street Mile. I felt tired the entire run as my legs were heavy and the body just feels run down. I hope I'm able to turn things around later tonight and have a decent showing in a local race. The increased mileage from the past week seems to be taking it's toll a bit.

NRFTW Thursday Night

Time: 48:00
Distance: 11.44 km

W/u: 14:54 for 3.22 km
NRFTW: 17:30 for 5.01 km
C/d: 15:36 for 3.21 km

I headed over to the Salem Common to meet up with the crew that runs the No Rest for the Wicked run/race. I think this was my third time attending and first without Meagan being around. I didn't feel too keen on running hard but just wanted to see how the legs would respond to running a bit harder.

Splits:
3:39, 3:33, 3:26, 3:22, 3:27

The tempo kept getting quicker until the final stretch when I started to shut things down. I managed to run steady without getting too competitive as I saw the splits increasing. I stretched out the run until the watch hit 5k and then I started recording times for the group.

Different Morning Loop

Time: 71:15
Distance: 16.10 km
Pace: 4:26/km
Map

There was a bit of rain this morning and I didn't want to head out on the MHD trail so I opted to stick to the roads. I was testing out a new pair of Karhu shoes and didn't completely want to get the kicks muddy. The legs were feeling a little sluggish so the pace remained pretty easy.

Solo Double Run

Time: 46:29
Distance: 10.01 km
Pace: 4:39/km
Map

I dragged myself out the door this evening not wanting to run. I managed to put my feet in front of one another and cover the required distance.

Time on the Feet

Time: 69:19
Distance: 16.09 km
Pace: 4:18/km
Map

I got out for some time on the feet this morning. Nothing too crazy to report. The legs are a bit sore and the body is tired.

Salem Tuesday Night Strides

Time: 47:20
Distance: 11.01 km
Pace: 4:18/km
Map

I warmed up tonight with a jog over to the Salem Common. The "workout" for the evening was doing 5 laps alternating fast and slow. I don't remember feeling particularly great but managed to get it done. I stayed focused by thinking about the Derby Street Mile this Friday night.

Find the Sisu

Time: 66:12
Distance: 15.01 km
Pace: 4:25/km
Map

Got out the door this morning and put in some time across the bridges in Beverly. Body is tired, but the base is being built.

Slow Run?

Time: 38:08
Distance: 8.04 km
Pace: 4:45/km
Map

I don't really remember this run, but based on the pace I was going really slow. Meagan may have been with me, maybe she wasn't. I'll take it as time on the feet.

Monday Morning Run

Time: 94:05
Distance: 21.29 km
Pace: 4:25/km
Map

The week started off with a solid effort around MHD and Salem. The body is tired. The fitness is coming.

Wet Dog Long Run

Time: 120:11

Distance: 30.05 km

Pace: 4:00/km

Map

I could't help but be inspired  run quick this morning after watching the Olympic men's marathon. If you're reading this post, then I'm sure you watched the race so I won't give any big recap. It's hard to bet against Meb having a bad race. He's so consistent and knows exactly what his body is capable of on the day.

Before heading to bed last night I thought up a long run workout of 30k broken into three segments. Each 10k would get fast by 30 seconds per kilometer. My hope was that the marathon would pump me up to have a good session despite the multitude of kilometers/miles this week. The goal was to have 10k splits of 45:00, 40:00, and 35:00.

I ran from the condo in Salem out to Marblehead and then up towards ST's house. I then headed out along Lynn Shore drive and along the walking path bordering the beach. I wasn't sure where the 15k turnaround would be, but some mental math had me realize that I would have to find a few extra kilometers in Nahant. I also noticed that the Lynn Beach smelled absolutely terrible. Wet dog is the most accurate odor I could think.

Opening 10k (44:16) - I was feeling good and was having a hard time slowing down. I was feeling very good by 5k and split 4:18 which is well under the 4:30 I needed for 45 minutes. I had to force myself  slow down but even then the next splits all ranged from 4:20 to 4:26.

Middle 10k (39:29) - I started noticing the breeze running out to Nahant along the causeway. It wasn't terrible but enough to make running just under 4:00/km a little more stressed. I was hitting the splits and feeling good while looking forward to the turnaround point. I ended up having to run back into the neighborhoods before getting the wind at my back. I immediately saw the pace drop to the low 3:50s and I was feeling really strong at the 16km (10 mile) mark. I again had to tell myself to back off the pace because the real work was going to take place in the final 10k. I kept plugging away but by 18k all of my enthusiasm that I had just 2k earlier was gone. I wasn't struggling but knew picking up the pace another 30 secs would be very difficult. I decided to take a quick pit stop and drink some water at the 19k mark before gearing up for the final push.

Final 10k (36:12) - Struggled. I tried my best to start the last segment off with a strong effort but could only manage 3:34. I could only muster 3:37-3:41 for kilometers 21-28. The positive is that I wasn't completely falling apart and my stride felt smooth and efficient. I just couldn't find the power to run 3:30. I really like the segment coming back into Salem and I was able to rally for the final 10 minutes. My final kilometers were covered in 3:32 and 3:31 which almost took me to the well.

Despite not being able to close the final 10k in 35 minutes, I still managed to finish 30k in 2 hours. I think had I received water earlier or a gel around the hour mark I would have been fine. Regardless, I'm pleased to cap off a big week with this run.

Mile Maintenance

Time: 45:54
Distance: 10.22 km
Pace: 4:30/km
Map

This evening I ran over to the Salem Common and did enough loops to get me to around 4 miles. I started stiff and slow but ended up feeling decent by the time it was time to run some strides. I decided to run 6 x ~150m on the grass at a good clip. I could tell the turnover was a little slower than I would have liked, but it was something. I haven't run much on the grass recently and it definitely made me feel slow.

I finished with a couple more miles around the Common and then headed back to the condo to call it a day.

New 20k Loop

Time: 85:24
Distance: 20.54 km
Pace: 4:10/km
Map

I went out in search of a new loop from the condo and came up with nice 20k mostly in Beverly. The exploration wasn't too zealous as I ran streets near and around our offices. However, the loop to the office and afterwards was a nice way to start and finish. I'm not sure how feasible the loop will be in winter because it goes across a couple of bridges that could be particularly cold, but it will be good for the remainder of the summer and fall. I wasn't try to run hard but the pace just gradually picked up until the end.

Salem to Marblehead Neck

Time: 86:34
Distance: 20.65
Pace: 4:12/km
Map

This morning I ran from the condo with the Marblehead Neck as my destination. I was feeling a little sore after yesterday's workout antics but nothing that I was concerned about. I wanted to keep the pace really easy but I guess my fitness flexed as I starting clipping along at the end.

I decided to take the evening off knowing my weekend could be really high. I have also doubled most days this week so I should be smart.

Beverly Yankee Homecoming 5k

And, just like that I'm a month behind with updating the ol' blog. Training has been going well since I last posted. I did have to take 4 days off last week as the medial side of my knee was battling a little tendinitis. However, this week has been going quite well. I even raced last night. Here's the link to the article for the Beverly Yankee Homecoming 5k.