Now for the Death Splits.
8:39
9:00
8:54
9:18
9:32
9:29
10:12
10:16
9:55
9:54
10:33
well there you have it. Once again I chose unwisely in my running. I can not for the life of me slow down at the start. I wish I could put a picture of the elevation chart from the garmin on here. Miles 3 - 7 are a steady incline going from 500 ft to 700 ft. Then the last 1/4 mile back in my sub division is the DEATH HILL 575 ft to 660 ft. I thought I would be really upset with my pace after this run. I kind of BONKED at mile 5. My legs had so much lactic acid build up in them that they felt like tree stumps. I really wanted to just stop. I could not let myself fail this week. I was really shooting for more like a 9:10 pace, which is my goal for the 1/2. But with how I felt for the last 6 miles or so running I feel pretty good about this run. I know the course is not going to be anything like what I run these long runs on so I hope I can hit my goal. Its going to be close for sure. Now time to get ready to go to Alabama for a fund raiser for the Weimaraner Rescue that we got our dogs from.
Barbell Bench Press
1x25 at 105 lbs (+10)
1x23 at 105 lbs (+10)
Wide Grip Cable Seated Row
2x25 at 70 lbs (+10)
Incline dumbbell bench press palms in
1x25 at 30 lbs (+5)
1x22 at 30 lbs (+5)
Dips
1x12 at BW
1x12 at BW -16 and then 1x8 at BW - 22
Swiss Ball Crunches with feet on bosa ball
3x25 at 25 lbs
1/2 Marathon Training
4.5 miles at 40:50 (9:05 pace)
Workout went well. I tried as hard as I could to get those last few reps on the bench presses but just could not with the rest and tempo. I had no energy left for the dips and it shows in the numbers. I tried the boso ball for the first time on the crunches. It made it harder to balance for sure and made me focus more on keeping my core tight. So I will keep these in the routine. Legs felt good on the run. Last real heavy week of running before the race.
I dunno man, your running looks pretty good to me. Keep up the good work.
Weimar's are such cool dogs. We have always really liked them. If our hose could stand a third dog, it would probably be all or part weimar.
__________________
We don't know all the answers. If we knew all the answers we'd be bored, wouldn't we? We keep looking, searching, trying to get more knowledge. Jack LaLanne
Yeah the bosu ball adds challenge without adding weight. Next you can put your feet against (and then on top of) a weight bench. Keep up the good work.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
the running is getting there. I probably should stop lifting for these last 2 weeks of the 1/2 training, but I am to head strong to finish Hyp 2. My legs could use the rest but they are not nearly as tired as I thought they would be.
Chris if you ever want to get a weim, consider fostering one. There are a lot of rescues that have great dogs that need good homes.
Oh don't worry about that. We would definatly get em from a shelter somewhere. Both our dogs were rescues and we adore them. They have their quirks, but thats what makes em part of the family.
__________________
We don't know all the answers. If we knew all the answers we'd be bored, wouldn't we? We keep looking, searching, trying to get more knowledge. Jack LaLanne
1 mile at 9:15
Core
3x10 at 115 lbs floor wipers.
2x2 min of planks
2x25 Swiss Ball Crunches with feet on top of bench.
1x10 incline reverse crunch
1/2 Marathon Training
10 x 1/4 mile intervals at 5k pace
(2:00 min for each interval with 1/4 mile recovery jog at 2:20)
1/2 mile cool down at recovery speed.
Total of 5.25 miles for time of 45:06 8:34 pace
I was kind of dreading this workout. The 10 x 1/4 mile was something I just did not want to do today. But after I did the first 5 intervals, it just got better and better. The last 2 were a bit of challenge but not as bad as I thought. Sometimes my brain just gets in the way. The floor wipers were tough but felt really good doing them. I really like doing these. I did 10 each side and then rested like 30 sec and then did the next set. This was the last of the real hard interval workouts and I am glad for that.
Workouts are looking great! I always dread interval workouts but I find they are the greatest mental training tool. Knowing that you can push yourself when you're "that" tired at the end of a interval session is something I always call on in the later stages of races for a boost of confidence to finish strong.
Thanks. It really is a mental thing with me. With this training I have been doing it added 1 extra 1/4 every other week. I think the number 10 just stuck out as a lot. But in the end its not more than what I would have run for a tempo run.
I am a bit worried I won't hit my 2 hour goal on the 1/2. My long runs just are not at the pace they need to be to make it. I will just have to see. I am not the best at negative splits.
dead lifts 1x5 at 135 and 1x3 at 225
Hyp 2 Workout 6B 6x3 at 90 sec rest and 321 Tempo
Snatch Grip Dead Lifts 6x3 at 235lbs (+10 lbs) PR
Dynamic Lunge with barbell
6x3 at 125 (+10 lbs) PR
Step Ups
6x3 at 50 lbs (same) better form no cheating!
Incline Reverse Crunches
3x20
1/2 Marathon Training
2 miles at 18:26 (9:13 pace)
This workout felt amazing. I felt strong and focused. The last set of dead lifts was a bit tough but I think I could have done another 10 pounds. The only thing is the grip. I lose the grip towards the last set. Lunges felt like I went deeper then before. My legs felt great afterwards and the run felt good. I was suppose to do 3 miles at once. I decided to split it as my legs felt tired before the workout. I could have done another 2 miles with ease. Its funny how sometimes working out with heavy weight can get rid of the soreness from a previous workout.
I am a bit worried I won't hit my 2 hour goal on the 1/2. My long runs just are not at the pace they need to be to make it. I will just have to see. I am not the best at negative splits.
Don't worry about pushing the long runs. There is no program I'm aware of where you are supposed to push the pace on a long run. In fact, many suggest you don't time them at all -- probably to prevent the very same worry you've put on yourself.
You WILL go faster and run harder on race day, everybody does. Trust the program you're on and make sure to get some race pace miles in during the tempo runs so you know what that pace feels like and you'll be fine.
Your workouts look great. Just keep it up, eat well and get enough rest and you'll do fine.
upnorth,
Thanks for that. I needed it. I needed someone with some experience to talk some sense in to me. I don't always trust my training and get off track when I can't do something before the race. Just like hitting a sub 8 min pace for a 5k. I could not believe I could do it until I did before the race. Your right I always do run faster during the races.
Tom,
Thanks. It is tough some days to even think about running after the leg day. I find though that if I push myself I feel better afterwards. I am not sure if its pushing the lactic acid out of the muscles or what.
Barbell Shoulder Press
6x3 at 85 lbs (+10 lbs)
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
1x6 at 120 lbs bad form
4x6 at 100 lbs
Dumbbell Chek Press
1x6 at 40 lbs (+5 lbs) bad form
4x6 at 35 lbs (same as last time)
Towel Bicep Curls
3x6 at 35 lbs (+5 lbs) bad form
2x6 at 30 lbs (same as last time)
Upper Body Russian Twist
2x12 at BW
1x12 at 15 lbs (+15 lbs)
1/2 Marathon Training
3 miles at 26:45 (Race pace run) (8:55)
Good workout today. Could not increase like I would have liked to. I could have pushed myself on some of them but I did not want risk bad form. I decided to add some extra things at the end of the work out. The explosive bosu push ups were fun and a challenge. Suppose to do 12 miles tomorrow but the fear of 5" of snow may shut the town down. We may get to experience "Red Necks on Ice" and for that I fear for my life running on the icy roads. We shall see if I have the nerve to do so.
I think I will take some pics this weekend. It would have been more impressive as I have made some good gains already. As of today I have gained 5 pounds. For me thats good. Although my weight changes from 5 pounds a lot so I won't count that as all muscle but I can see a difference for sure. I am sure If I did not run so much I would have gained more. I am not complaining I love running to much to give it up.
Well my last long run before the race is in the books. We did get some snow last night, not as much as first thought but enough that the side walks were still icy and snow covered. I felt good about this run under the conditions. I still wish I could have gotten closer to race pace. My legs were tired again but this time not until like mile 8 or 9. I used some Jelly Belly Gu beans on my run to restore my electrolytes. I think they helped but not totally sure.
Hyp 2 Workout 7A 3x12 with 60 sec rest and 301 tempo
Bent over row 3x12 at 110 lbs (+5 lbs)
Barbell Bench Press
1x12 at 145 lbs (+10 lbs)
2x12 at 135 lbs (same as last time)
Wide Grip Cable Seated Row
1x12 at 110 lbs (+10 lbs)
2x12 at 100 lbs (same as last time)
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press Palms In
1x12 at 50 lbs (+ 5 lbs)
1x10 at 50 lbs
1x12 at 45 lbs
Dips
3x12 at BW
Swiss ball crunches
3x20 at 35 lbs with feet on Bosu ball. 1/2 Marathon training
4 easy miles at 37:33 (9:24 pace)
last mile bumped it up to 9:05 pace.
Not sure why this workout was so lazy today but I was just not motivated today. I found adding any weight to be too much. My left shoulder has been a bit sore the last few workouts so that may have something to do with the trouble with the bench presses. I really thought I would be able to do the incline bench presses with no problems. I guess my body was just saying enough today. I think I am going to do the leg workout tomorrow to give my legs plenty of rest before the race on Saturday. The weather looks like it might rain. BOO!!! Lets hope that changes by then.
Tempo run 3.5 miles in 30:28 (8:42 pace)
Hyp 2 Workout 7B 2x25 with 30 sec rest and 201 tempo
Snatch Grip Dead Lifts 2x25 at 135 (+10 lbs)
Dynamic Lunge with Barbell
1x25 at 50 lbs (+5 lbs)
1x25 at 45 lbs (same as last time)
Step Ups
1x20 at 25 lbs (+5 lbs)
1x20 at 20 lbs (same as last time)
Reverse Crunches
3x20 at BW
Well I now know two truths. First never do a tempo run before a hellish Alwyn high rep low rest day. Second, I hate 25 reps!!! With these truths now implanted in my stubborn brain I am pleased to be done with it. I hope I did a good thing getting this workout done with 3 full days before the 1/2. Only time will tell. It's interesting to look back. The last time I did this workout on a Wed, that Saturday my 10 mile run was the fastest long run I have ever done. I hope there is some sort of correlation to this.
I must say I was pleased with how good the dead lifts felt with the above noted. After that I was just a mere burnt piece of toast. So the numbers are not as good as I am sure I could have done this with a extra day of rest and no tempo run before. Oh well its over with and I only have one more week of Hyp 2 then I get to REST!!!!
On a side note I need everyones help with my play list for Saturday's run. I need just under 2 hours of music (hopefully I finish before the tunes do). I need some good workout tunes to help me keep on pace and my brain off of the distance. So suggestions please!!
So today I was going to finish my lifting for the week but since I already broke the golden rule yesterday of doing two Hyp 2 workouts in a row, I passed on lifting. The other fact is that its 70 outside today and the thought of being inside made me ill. So I went home and did 3 easy miles. I decided to take each dog for a nice run. First ran with our youngest nut case Blue. It was my first run with him and for the most part he did good. He only ran into me once almost causing a mass tumble. We ran 2 miles and I could tell he loved it. I then took Ellie for a run. She can't and should not run as far as the metal plate in her leg causes her problems sometimes and the fact that she has in the past just laid down on the road and said " ENOUGH OLD MAN". So we went for a mile run. She was so pissed that Blue went first I could hear her barking through the neighborhood. So when it was her time she took off, causing me to hit the last mile faster then I planned. So Blue will be the long run dog and Ellie the tempo the run dog from now on.
3-13-08
Hyp 2 Workout 7C 6x3 with 90 sec rest and 321 tempo
Close Grip Chin Up 6x3 at BW (+ 30 lbs)
Barbell Push Press
1x3 at 95 lbs
5x3 at 100 lbs (+5 lbs)
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown
6x3 at 120 lbs (+10 lbs)
Dumbbell Chek Press
6x3 at 45 lbs (+5 lbs)
Towel Bicep Curls
6x3 at 45 lbs (+5 lbs)
Upper Body Russian Twist
3x12 at 20 lbs (+5 lbs)
I wanted to get this workout over with before Friday to rest up before the race. I tried to add 10 lbs to the push press but could not lift that much. Overall good workout and increased on most workouts. I may just do a couple miles to workout any sore muscles. The forecast is still looking horrible and my thoughts of a sub 2 hour time is fading with the wind and rain that will take over. Oh well I have gained speed and endurance during the training.
Just a quick run to get my muscles ready for tomorrow. Rain or shine I am going give it all I got to break 2 hours. It will be a challenge, but then again it was to begin with. I made a low fat carb loaded Baked Ziti. It was good and now I should have plenty of carbs to get through a good run. Until then!
Well the race is over. The rain hit us hard at the start, but the winds were not to bad. I set my Garmin up for a quick workout for distance and time. This may have proven to be my downfall. The Garmin and the course were off by like .15. The other bad thing about the workout mode was the Garmin stopped timing when it got to 13.1. So I don't really know what my time is. According to the my watch I hit 13.1 at 1:59:16. So its going to be really close whether or not I made it. I will be very sad if I messed up my race by making this mistake. I felt strong and could maybe have pushed myself a bit more. I will give a full race report later. Now time for a nap.
Well the day started out with the thunder and lightning that I knew were to come. I ate a big bowl of cereal around 5 o'clock and did my 50 push ups. I was feeling strong and determined not to let the rain interfere with my race. I drove over to my friend Crystal and Brian's house to ride with them to the race. We were getting there early so we could see our friend John race in the 5k. We got there right as the gun went off for his race. We got to see him take off and he was soaked. Our time was to come. We waited for him inside the Titans Stadium so we could stay nice and dry. I was getting cold from just wearing shorts and my tech shirts. I had a rain coat on and debated running the race with it on. I am glad I opted for the .99 poncho from Target.(Best money I spent all week). I waited as long as I could so see him finish, but well nature called. The line for the 3 stalls was very long as nature called for a lot of runners. John finished and met back up with us in the stadium. They called out 5 min to go for the 1/2. I debated for a mere moment just going home. The thought of running 2 hours in the cold rain or going home to a nice hot cup of coffee was almost too much. Crystal and I stepped out in the rain and at that point my attitude changed. I mean I was now soaked so might as well play it out. The gun sounded and we darted across the starting line to the sounds of Bag Pipes. Its one of the best parts of this race.
I wanted to start out slow and get my pace going. I felt strong and soon realized I could do this. Mile 1 came in around 9:10. I then realized that my garmin was slightly off from the mile markers. At this point I did not worry to much about it as it did not seem that far off. Miles 2 and 3 I settled in to where I wanted around a 9:20 pace. During this point we crossed into the green way and the scenery became nil. I hit miles 4-10 at about my goal pace of 9:05. I was feeling strong, although my legs were getting a bit sore. I looked at my hr and it was right where I wanted it. 3 more miles to go.
Mile 11 proved to be a bit of a challenge and hit over 9:15, this may have proven my down fall. At this point I looked at my garmin and realized that I was way above pace. Enough of above pace that I thought I would make up any difference that the course and the garmin were off by. Mile 12 came in at around 9:10. One more to go. I came over the last hill and the wind really picked up. Luckily it was to my back and gave me a push to the finish. At one point I hit close to 8 min a mile. We ran around the stadium and down the ramp that the players use. I could see the grass of the field and I knew I was almost done. Mile 13, in the stadium and I could see the finish and others on the jumbo-tron screen. I sprinted as fast as I could to the finish. Crossed with a gun time of 2:01:38 sec. I thought to myself I did it. I did it. The garmin said 1:59:16.
After getting my medal for finishing and my chip removed. I walked to the food station for a much needed bagel and some water. I was trying to find my wife and friends. I mistakenly went up the escalator to where they were serving breakfast. I walked back down the stairs, where everyone walking down looked like they had just rode a horse for 5 hours. It was kind of funny. Finally met up with my wife. At this point we waited for Crystal to finish. She did great finishing in around 2:36:00 min. I was soaked and started to get really cold. We met up with her and left to get cleaned up and a hot breakfast at Cracker Barrel. It was the best meal I ever ate!!
Well the times came in and indeed I missed my goal by 8 FREAKING SECONDS!!!!. UGHHHH I hate that my brain did not work well enough to realize that my splits were that far off. I thought it was only like .5 to .1 off, but I guess it was more than that. I know I should probably not be as disappointed as I am, but I am more mad at myself for being stupid then anything else. I learned a lot from this race and I will not make this mistake again. I am learning that with running there are many ways your race can take a twist. The weather, pre- race fuel, fuel while you race and then there is you the runner. I miss judged this one and I know I left a sub 2 hour out on the puddled roads.
In the end, 12 weeks of training made me more confident in my running. I have gained strength, endurance, and speed. I felt great the whole race and I knew I trained the best I could and it showed. My previous best at this distance, not a race but just trying to run that far was 2:04:00 plus. So in the area of just improving I did. I feel that doing NROL and the 1/2 training put me in the best position possible. I now will build on this and gain more strength and muscle. Need to finish the last 3 Hyp 2 workouts then on to Strength 1. I am going to back of running for a bit and focus on the muscle gain. If one thing I proved to myself is the added weight in muscle did not make me slower. I have gained speed and will continue too. One goal for the year, finish a 1/2. Now on to my next goal. Chicago in October.
Linear Mode
