Week in Review

100 Miles
20 Mile Long Run
1 Workout - Funnel Tempo
4 Doubles

So, the reason for my absence from my blog is that Garrett returned from Evansville, Indiana to begin his off season which is quite possibly one of my most favorite times of the year because I get to spend time with him again.  Needless to say, I am three weeks behind on my blog, which makes me think of how I would get so upset when Jordan Kinley didn't update his blog for quite some time. I'm pretty sure that no one missed the blog except for my mom, who reads it regularly to keep up with my life.

Besides running 100 miles this week, it was otherwise rather uneventful.  I completed a mediocre 7.5 mile tempo in the humidity with the boys, and then ran an awesome 20 miler on Saturday at McAlpine with Aaron and a couple others.  It was the first time that I've run with Aaron in quite some time, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I'm definitely feeling a little out of whack in my running right now, which is unfortunate.  My left hamstring has been causing some annoyance, but nothing painful (thank god).  I'm trying to manage that while also keeping my mileage up.  Fortunately, the next two weeks are slightly down weeks as I'll be traveling to San Fran for my bachelorette party and then to Illinois for a wedding shower.  Lots of time will be spent in the air or in a car, so I know it will be tough for my body to recover properly.

7.5 MIle Progression

Goal:
8 miles from 6:20-5:50

Actual:

2 mile warmup
7.5 miles in 45:30 (6;04 pace)
6:13, 6:08, 6:05, 6:04, 6:00, 6:00, 6:05, 3:02
3 mile cool down

Legs got a little tired towards the end, and my hamstring felt really tight so I called it quits a little early. Definitely not what I wanted, but if stopping early means that I didn't pull my hamstring, then I'm going to stop.  I fortunately had the company of Chris, Brad, and Caleb on this one and even though we started at 5:20am, it was totally worth it for getting it done.  The humidity level was rather high, which definitely affected our pace, but I was happy with the effort for the first 6 miles for sure.

I'm probably going to scratch my workout of mile repeats for later this week because I can tell that my hamstring doesn't react well to the speedy stuff whatsoever.  Hopefully that will be what I need to keep my streak of high mileage going strong.

Week in Review

90 Miles
3 Doubles
14 Mile Long Run
5k Race in 17:21

100 miles last week, 90 miles this week with a 5k race, and hopefully 100 miles next week.  The most memorable item to mention from this week was that I struggled with a tight hamstring the entire time.  My left hammy, my arch, and my calf are all ridiculously tight and I'm still teetering on the edge of potential injury.  I've been doing things as I can like band exercises and rolling more than I'm on facebook, but I still need to be careful.

Greek Fest 5k

Goal:
5k race in 17:00 or under

Actual:
3 mile warmup
5k race in 17:21, 5:26, 5:38, 5:37, :38
6 mile cool down

Last time I ran this race--in August 2009--I ran 17:18.  I was running 60-70 miles a week and I was also not really training for anything other than local races in Charlotte in an attempt to make a name for the CRC.  Now, three years later, with 100 miles under my belt, I am not a stronger 5k runner.  I'm a stronger marathoner (or so I hope).  For some people perhaps running 100 miles per week would be that secrete ingredient to achieving a new road 5k PR.  But for someone like me, it just makes me tired.

It didn't help much that my hamstring had been exceptionally tight the entire week leading up to the race.  In fact, I wasn't even sure if I was going to toe the line and suggested to the generous Dr. Greenapple that perhaps he should provide the comped entry to someone else.  And I will admit, that a small part of me--no actually a large part of me--didn't want to back out because I didn't want some people--Aaron Linz--to say that I had backed out because I was scared of Dalena beating me.  I could include Alana in that list, but she's already beaten me; been there, done that.

So, I figured my hamstring would be just fine for a 5k, and woke up Saturday morning to meet the Wilmore Express, plus some foreigners like Dalena, Michelle and Thomas, for a nice warmup to the race.  When I toed the line, I was tired.  My legs were heavy.  My mind was exhausted.  I was spent before the gun even went off.  I put out a good race effort...in fact everything that I had.  Even if that meant I ran close to a 5:38 for that second mile as I watched all my training partners--Caleb, Brad, Phil, Chiquita Charlie--pull away from me. I even positioned myself perfectly...Kept myself a comfortable distance from Alana until the 1200m mark, where I pulled up alongside of her, close enough to wake her up and make her go faster.  Then Spada pulled up alongside me and it would be the Spada show the rest of the race.  I could feel Dalena on my left shoulder, and I knew she was executing the race strategy Aaron had told her (and me):  "Caitlin is running 95 miles this week Dalena, so stay on her shoulder, make her do all the work, and then kick past her in the final 800 meters."  Dalena did exactly that, and in doing so, achieved a huge PR, and when she did pass me, she said "Come on Caitlin!"  And it wasn't all huffy-puffy, like she was dying.  It was really energetic and sincere, like a friend would do.  That's what I love about Dalena...she's a fierce competitor and has no idea what she is capable of achieving in the realm of running.  Watch out 2016 Trials, she might be there!  Anyways, I'll tell you, I tried to go with her, but I sure as hell couldn't. My legs didn't react, like, at all. Oh and I even stuck my tongue out, as if that would help me go faster (see picture below).  It didn't.

Sticking the tongue out doesn't equal a great kick.
Photo Courtesy of Sandy McKeon

So I finished my second Charlotte race of the year in a 17:21, almost 7 seconds behind Dalena and 25 seconds behind all the guys I train with.  Instead of walking away with my head down, I actually felt pretty good about the whole thing.  What did I learn?  Running a 5k in the middle of the build-up phase to marathon training is definitely not easy for me. You have to be someone special like Pezz or Meagan Nedlo to be able to master that whole thing.  Additionally, it helped me think about what my plans are for 2013.  I figured that out pretty quick--train specifically for the 5k to run in the 16:40s.  I want to lower my mileage to 70-75 and focus on developing my speed.  Heck, as I cooled down with fifteen members of the CRC, I even thought it would be cool to travel to Stanford to run in one of their 7 heats of the 5k next spring just for fun (and for a PR, of course). This 5k was the fuel I needed to recognize what my goals are after the Philadelphia half.

8x800m Fail (Sort of)

Goal:
8x800m with 1:30 rest at 2:38-2:43

Actual:
3.5 mile warmup
8x800m at 2:43-2:46 with 1:15-1:20 rest
3 mile cool down

4.3 miles in the pm for 15 miles total

This was a sort of fail because I didn't hit my target goal times.  Since I was pissed off at my own efforts, I decided to make the rest even shorter than it was supposed to be to try to make up for my lack of speed today.  I'm not sure what's going on, but it was just hard to find that second gear today to dig deep.  Unlike how I felt last Tuesday, when I did 400s on the Speed Loop, my legs felt heavy and lethargic as I rounded the turn into Dilworth Road East.  I made an extra effort to finish out the workout entirely even though I wasn't feeling great at all.  Definitely wasn't what I was looking for as the confidence booster going into the Greek Fest 5k, but it will do.  In the end, I got in the effort for the day and was able to post some solid miles for the day.  The big goal is Philly, and I'm working towards that.

Soreness update:  my left hamstring is still bothering me some, and on my double in the evening it felt the worst it has in the past two weeks.  I'm stretching but trying not to do too much so as to not aggravate it any more than it already is.

(100 Miles) Week in Review

100 Miles
4 Doubles
2 Workouts
19.5 mile long run

I ran 100 miles this week.

Enough said.

not much to report here except that I actually had quite a bit of fun running these miles this week. I ran probably 90 of these miles with friends from the Wilmore Running Club and managed to even run two workouts after traveling back from London. I couldn't be happier with where things are...except for maybe those few aches and pains that are bothering me right now.  Need to make sure I nurse my tired legs back into good health so that I can toe the line at Philly healthy and strong.  Definitely need to get back into my regime at the gym---or even in my spare bedroom where I have loads of exercise gadgets that I've paid too much money for and yet rarely use.  For now, I want to stuff my face with Toblerone chocolate and watch the Closing Ceremonies for the Olympics.

Just Like Clockwork - 5 Mile Tempo

Goal:
5 Mile Tempo at 5:45-5:50

Actual:
2.5 mile warmup
5 mile tempo in 29:36 (5:57, 5:57, 5:57, 5:59, 5:47)
3.5 mile cool down

7 miles in the pm for 18 miles total

Well, ever since I did those 400s on Tuesday, my arch, achilles and hamstring have all been extremely tight.  Nothing crazy, but also something that definitely should not go ignored because I feel like I'm on the precipitous of injury--right at the point where either I could keep doing what I'm doing now, which in terms of prehab is absolutely nothing, or choose to make some changes and actually do my exercises that help prevent aches such as these.  I'm also leading into a nice 100-mile week and I'm sure these are the kinks to be felt.

I think that the travel took its toll on me during this workout, as I felt like it was a chore to run in the high 5:50s.  However, I was able to go pretty quick that last mile, thanks to the push from Stephen Spada.  Hey--at least we were consistent with our first four miles, right?  Now I need to keep up my training regime in the weight room and make sure I keep any injuries from becoming a reality.

12x400m

Goal:
5 Mile Tempo

Actual:
4 mile warmup
12x400m with 1:00 rest
3 mile cool down for 10 miles total, 6 miles in the pm

Well, I was just 12 hours off the plane when I did this workout in the early morning hours.  I couldn't resist the temptation of working out with a huge group, so I jumped into Dalena's workout to join her, Jason, Charlie, Spada, Matt and several others.  I actually completed one of the best 400m workouts that I've ever done on the speed loop and I think most of this was fueled by the lingering excitement from my Olympic Trip.  All of my splits were between 74-76 on a rolling course in Dilworth.  I've never rolled this fast on this course before, and I felt pretty good doing it, until the ninth interval, where my body finally realized that I had been on a plane for 9 hours the day before and that my sleep schedule was entirely out of whack.  I will admit though that coming back from London is 10x easier than flying TO London.  In the end, I'm glad I did this workout because I was able to catch some great company.

Olympic Week in Review

70 miles
1 Day Off
3 Doubles
3 Days in London
3 Olympic Events Witnessed

The highlight of this week was obviously the Olympics...in London.  The icing on the cake was sitting in the Olympic Stadium on Friday, August 3rd under the lights.  I've never experienced anything quite like the atmosphere at the Olympic Stadium.  I don't think there was one empty seat in the house after 7PM.   The crowd roared when Jessica Ennis walked onto the track for the shot put and the 200m.  The crowd clapped in unison to the rhythm of the feet of long jumpers as they sprinted to the sand pit.  The crowd performed the wave at least five times in a row--that was possibly a world record for most waves performed consecutively at a track meet.  The crowd cheered for each and every athlete, no matter which country they hailed from.

On Saturday, I saw the women's triathlon and on Sunday I saw the women's marathon.  While these events were amazing to witness, the atmosphere was still different than the magic that I felt under the lights at the Olympic Stadium.  I was grateful to be able to cheer my heart out for Shalane Flanagan, Kara Goucher, and Kim Smith, even if it meant standing in the pouring rain for three hours.

What I loved most about my Olympic experience was that success isn't defined by the color of your skin, your socio-economic background, or your gender.  If you train hard, eat right, and dedicate yourself to the sport, you can excel at the Games.

London 2012 was a world class trip and a potential once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Women's marathon leaders

16 mile Long Run

Goal:
16 miles

Actual:
16 miles in 1:55 at 5:30AM

Woke up super early this morning to get in a long run before I embark on my trip to London today at 6PM.  Matt met me at 5:30 so we could add in some extra miles before the Dowd group.  My legs felt entirely sluggish and I had to ask Matt to hold back for me.  Once we met up with the Dowd crew, the pace naturally picked up and I found it somewhere within myself to not get dropped.  After I finished 9 miles with Dowd, I slowed the pace down considerably to get back into a comfortable groove of 7:45 pace.  My body is ready for a down week in London!