Speedwork. Same difference. 5 x 1000 – following prescribed Furman First workout. Note to self: Bring gloves next time. It was deceivingly cold yesterday.

3:45

3:46

3:49

3:48

3:47

Legs didn’t feel real fresh, but times were pretty much on target for a 3:20 marathon pace, according to the charts.

Ran with Clay on the Freedom Park route.  We took an extra lap around Latta Park.  I’m guessing a little over 6 miles.  50:30.  Knee felt pretty good, and it was nice to have such a great running partner!  Legs felt heavy early in the run, then felt as good as they have in weeks towards the end.

First called for 17 miles, but I’m still dragging a little from last weekend’s race, so 14 sounds about right.  Not a great run.  My legs felt really heavy.  Pretty day though – Mid 60s.  I ran the Green Valley route, up to the North Greenville YMCA, and then added 12 minutes to make the distance.  Assuming somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 min miles.  Probably a bit slower.  Knee loosened up a little before mid-way point.  Clap Your Hands Say Yeah among my favorite tunes for the run, along with Gimme Shelter from the Stones.

Okay.  I’ll take two days off.  It’s the holidays and my knee is sore.  Pass me another one of those cookies.

50 degrees and dreary.  Almost raining but not quite.  7 miles – 1 mile warm-up, 5 miles tempo, 1 mile cool down.  I did the first and last tempo miles on the track, so I could get a sense of my LT pace, 7:20.  My first and last were more like 7:10, so just a little fast.  Felt pretty good, but the knee soreness hung with me for a few miles rather than a few minutes.  Tomorrow – rest.  Yea!

Chest, shoulders, and stomach stuff at the PAC.

I followed the Furman First speedwork schedule.  Here are my times.  Some on target – later in the workout a little slow. Knee was a little stiff but loosened up after the first couple of laps.

1200 m – 4.34

1000 m – 3:50

800 m – 3:03

600 m – 2:14

400 m – 1:29

200 m – 45 s

Monday 12/ 18: It seems more appropriate to call it that rather than swimming.  40 lengths in the Furman pool – a little more than half a mile.

I wish people would stop jumping in to rescue me 😉

Back and arms at the PAC.  Rode my bike to the PAC and around the lake once while waiting for the gym to open.  Quads are fairly sore from yesterday’s race.

Started plotting marathon training and am trying to determine if I can put in the number of miles the First training schedule suggests.  Oh, how I hate speedwork!  I’ll have to play each week by ear, depending on the knee.

Tough race! I’m just going to jot down my times w/o too much commentary before I accidently clear my watch. Very hilly -it was either up or down. I don’t remember much flat stuff.

mile time / total time

• Mile 1 – 7:33 (right before you make the turn up Paris Mtn.)

• Mile 2 and 3 – 17:56/ 25:30 (I never saw the 2 mile marker. This is going up the mountain, so essentially 9 minute miles on the way up)
• Mile 4 – 8:17 / 33:46
• Mile 5 – 8:05 / 41:51
• Mile 6 – 6:01 / 47:53 (No way! It was downhill, but I can’t run that fast. I think the markers must have been off a little)
• Mile 7 – 6:36 / 54:30
• Mile 8 – 6:50 / 1:01:19
• Mile 9 – 7:04 / 1:08:23
• Mile 10 – 7:27 / 1:15:51
• Mile 11 – 7:01 / 1:22:52
• Mile 12 – 7:07 / 1:29:59
• Finish – 3:41 (last .4) / 1:33:40
• Overall Average – 7:33

I also need to pay more attention. I ran hard to the finish but was paying more attention to my music and got edged by some young whipper snapper 🙂 at the finish line. Oh well. I’m still happy with the run!