Tim's Run Blog

May 15-21 Recap

2006-05-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

A full training week...overall not too bad despite the unseasonal hot weather and an onset of allergy/cold-like symptoms later in the week...still hacking quite a bit with some sinus congestion.
Mon- AM-8.3 easy w/strides (7:05), PM- weights
Tues- PM: 6 incl track workout w/ Phoenix- 5x800 (2:40, 2:47, 2:56, 2:53, 2:50)...very hot today..struggled badly with the last 2-3 repeats...a great thing that I had my gatorade with me during the workout.
Weds- AM- 11.3 steady (7:08)
Thurs- AM- 10.3 w/ 6.4 tempo (6:14)- good workout
Fri- AM- 8.5 easy (7:11), PM- weights
Sat- AM- 16.7 steady (7:15)
Sun- 0
Total- 61.2

May 8-14 Recap

2006-05-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

A short week due to some time taken off this weekend for a camping trip in Chilliwack. I didn't do any running all weekend (Friday to Sunday). Altogether a total of 34 miles and a session of weights.
Mon: 8 miles easy (7:13)
Tues: 9.6 w/ 5x1200s (600 recv.)- 4:18, 4:23, 4:22, 4:23, 4:16...good workout, never, or barely touched these paces before 2 months ago
Weds: AM- 6.85 miles easy w/4x100 strides (7:06)
PM- weights
Thurs: 9.8 w/ 3x10 min @ LT (~8-12k effort) w/ 3 min recv. (paces-5:53, 5:56, 6:00)
Fri: off/camping
Sat: off/camping
Sun: off/camping
Total- 34.2

Week Recap-May 1-7

2006-05-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

First week of the second program. Before I carry on, I'll like to wish good luck to everyone running the Vancouver marathon/1/2 marathon this Sunday (May 7).
This week, and the next 3 weeks or so will be somewhat like a transitioning phase way back in January, though mileage is lower (I don't have much time to rebuild back too much base). Intervals and tempo running are still maintained and the steady midweek longish runs are brought back into the schedule again. The weekend long runs are slightly more emphasized.
Mon: 7.1 easy w/ 4x100 strides (7:23)
Tues: 4.8 (ridiculously low I know...) w/ intervals on the track w/ Phoenix Run Club
1.7 w/u, followed by drills, then 1000-800-600-400-200 at a progressively faster pace (5k >)- 3:32, 2:46, 2:02, 1:21, 36.6s...a good workout...it was quite windy so I guessed my splits could have been faster.

Weds: 9.7 steady (7:18-7:20)
Thurs: AM: 8.9 w/~5 tempo (6:15-6:20ish), PM: weights/core stuff
Fri: 8.3 easy w/4x100 strides (6:53-6:58 pace!!) in the PM...never gone this fast in an easy run before...pace was surprisingly manageable (despite having ran a tempo run the previous day at only 30-35 seconds faster?).
Sat: AM: 13.3 (7:28)..felt some soreness on the hammies from Thursday's weights
Sun: 0
Total: 52.1

Week Recap- April 24-30

2006-05-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

Didn't do much this week..dropped back the intensity and relaxed a bit. This is somewhat of a recovery week before proceeding to the next short program leading up to my summer races.
Mostly easy, base-type running:
Mon: 6.3 miles (7:18)
Tues: 8.7 (7:21)
Weds: 5.8 (7:17)
Thurs: 6.8 w/ 4x100 strides (7:25)
Fri: 5.2 (7:15)
Sat: 11 (7:21)
Total: 43.8 miles

This is a rough outline of what I will be planning to do this summer: (it might change)
June 16: Longest Day 5k (UBC)
July 1: Hbc 10k in Vancouver or July 2: Golden Spike 10k in PoMo (I'm not sure whether or not to spend 40 bucks on the Hbc run...why does it have to be so costly??)
July 4 or July 11: An allcomers track meet- I'll do either the 3000 or 5000 depending on what's available...it will be the first track meet in a long time since high school
July 23: Summerfast 10k (Van.)
Early August: possibly another track meet (10,000?)
August 13th: Delta Team Coastal 1/2 marathon-undecided...I'll probably need a ride to this one- a good race to finish off the summer season

After this I will be taking break from mid to end of August, most likely going on a road trip with family down to LA/San Diego, California.

Vancouver Sun Run (10k) Race Report

2006-04-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit lazy lately in posting race reports.
Managed to squeak in under 38 mins (37:58 chip).It's not too shabby of a time (a 1:19 PR) although I didn't get my 36:XX as I thought I would. Perhaps this summer when I will be peaking for a bunch of road races. The first time I did this race was 2 years ago (41:43) Overall the weather was really nice- sunny, a little chilly at the start but it got up to 60 degrees or so near the end of the race. Got there about over an hour early though. It was nice to be in the seeded corral...being near the front, there was not much of a crowd (there were close to 50,000 participants in the race). There was also not much need to weave around slower runners in the beginning. The first mile or so was mostly downhill. The cheering crowds and the music also boosted the excitement even further. 1st km went by in 3:35, 1st mile in 5:58. Felt good so far. The next 3-4k or so became more undulating with a few uphills and downhills. 5k split was 19:17. Overall the first 1/2 of the race went by quickly. The 5k point marked the first of the 2 bridges we had to cross...there was a long gradual uphill in the first 1/2 of the bridge and a downhill in the 2nd 1/2. The 2nd 5k was when I began to really push it and pick off alot of people. Splits ranged from 3:41-3:47 per km (5:55-6:05 per mile). The beginning of the last bridge (@ around 9k or so), which was a gradual uphill, was the toughest part of the race. After that point, it was all downhill again to the finish line. 2nd 5k split: 18:41.
Splits: 1: 3:35 (downhill)
mile 1: 5:58
2k: 3:54 (slight uphill)
3k: 3:27 (??)
4k: 4:21 (??)
5k: 4:00 (uphill)- 1st 5k: 19:17
6k: 3:42
7k: 3:45
8k: 3:41 (8k: 30:26)
9k: 3:47 1
0k: 3:45- 2nd 5k: 18:41
Total: 37:58 (6:07 avg.)
OA: 174/45246, 151/17023 males, 18/1470 in M1924

Now onward to a week of mostly easy running then it's time to gear up for the summer season in June and July. Sub 37 will come soon...it's just a matter of time.

A Major Catch Up Post

2006-04-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking off on my posting lately. It wasn't until yesterday when I met a fellow runner Ernest Hawker at the Sun Run fair who had found out (and commented about) about my blog, that I decided to get back into blogging my workouts again. I somehow forgot to realize that people are reading my posts!
For a real treat, I'm going to post all the training I've done from the 1/2 marathon to the week of the Vancouver Sun Run, which happens tomorrow. All this has been documented in my CoolRunning online training log. I'll post a race report tomorrow or Monday as well.

Feb 20-26
A recovery week from the 1/2 marathon. My injury on the left medial shin was reaggravated. In total I did 12 miles of easy running on Wednesday and Thursday, a session of swimming on Tuesday, and weights on Wednesday with my PT. Nothing else noteworthy.

Feb 27-March 5
Slightly better than last week. My injury's recovering quite nicely. I was able to put in more miles without aggravating the injury too much. However no high intensity workouts for the time being.
Mon: 3.4 miles very easy-a test run
Tues: AM- 4.9 miles (7:35 pace) easy
PM- Strength training at CCAC
Weds: 5 miles easy
Thurs: 6.7 miles easy
PM- weights @ CCAC
Fri: 5.5 miles easy (7:22)
Sat: 8.5 miles (7:28)
Sun: 0

March 6-12
My 1st week of quality training in a while (well, in only 3 weeks or so). Was quite happy that I was able to get back into it. Still felt twinges at the injury site but otherwise it didn't worsen.
Mon: 6.7 miles (7:30ish)
Tues: 8.9 miles w/ 6x~870 m VO2 max (3:10, 3:14, 3:12, 3:12, 3:16, 3:15)- had to run in the outer lanes due to obstructions from a truck! Very wet and cold...
Weds: AM- 5.1 miles easy
PM- weights
Thurs: 9.3 miles w/ threshold workout- 3x10 mins LT w/ 3 min jog
Fri: AM- 6.6 miles easy
PM- weights
Sat: 12.6 miles (1:35, 7:32 pace)
Sun: 0
Total: 49.3 miles

March 13-19
I'm still at it...Not too bad this week.
Mon: 7.4 miles easy
Tues: ~10 miles w/ 5x1200 VO2 ((4:37, 4:36, 4:45, 4:43, 4:44)..rainy and windy this morning
Weds: 6 miles easy (7:32 pace)
Thurs: 9.7 w/ 14x200 Anaerobic capacity; splits around 38-40 seconds...very windy on the track
Fri: 6.9 miles (7:28)
Sat: 15.4 miles (1:54, 7:27)
Sun: 0
Total: 55 miles

March 20-26
3rd consecutive week of quality training since the injury. A little discouraged that my workouts however are reflecting a training plateau. Just have to tell myself to keep plugging away at it...improvements will come soon enough.
Mon: 7.3 miles easy (7:29)
Tues: 10 miles w/ 4x1600 VO2 (5:55, 6:10, 6:10, 6:16)..workout didn't go too well
Weds: AM: 6.3 miles
PM: weights
Thursday: ~10 miles w/ 5.1 mile tempo (6:27)
Fri: 7.6 miles
Sat: 16.2 miles (2 hrs)
Sun: 0
Total: 57.5

March 27-April 2
Mon: 5.8 miles easy
Tues: Off the track for intervals today 8.6 w/ pyramid- 2 min-4 min- 6 min- 6 min- 4 min- 2 min w/ 2 min jogs
Weds: AM-6.8 miles easy (7:16)
PM- weights
Thurs: 6.3 w/ 10 laps Ins and Outs (200 sprint, 200 jog)
Fri: 6.6 easy
Sat: 11.2 miles
Sun: 0
Total: 46.3

April 3-9
Week of my 5k tuneup. Obviously I didn't really taper for it.
Mon: 7 miles or so w/ 3.4 tempo
Tues: AM- Weights w/ PT- he nearly killed me with the new power exercises today
PM- 6.6 miles easy with a new training pace- 7:05/ mile
Weds: 6.5 miles w/ 3-4 hill repeats (w/ the Running Room)- didn't expect it...I was going easy up the hill, thinking it was an easy continuous run until the guy behind called me to come back down..then I figured they were doing hill intervals..for the sake of not feeling left out, I did 3 repeats at a medium to hard effort
Thurs: 6.7 miles (7:16)
Fri: 4.4 miles (7:20) w/ 6x100 strides
Sat: ~ 6 miles including NSCU 5k...Results: http://www.raceday.ca/spforward2006.php A competitive race. Time- 18:22 (5:54), 18:28 gun, 39th overall, 18th in age group. Close to what I expect at this point. Splits: 3:44, 3:39, 3:38, 3:42 , 3:37
This was also my first race in racing flats. It took me 3 days or so to fully recover from the soreness.
Sun: 0
Total- 37.6 miles

April 10-16
I would call this a breakthrough week. I'm finally seeing gains from the past 2 months or so of training.
Mon- 4.9 miles easy
Tues- ~11 miles w/VO2+AC combo- 2x1200 w/ 600 recv. (4:23, 4:29)- 8-5k effort
3x800 w/ 400 recv. (2:58, 2:59, 2:59)- 5k effort
4x400 w/ 200 recv. (1:24, 1:23, 1:23, 1:23)- 3-5k effort
4x200 w/ 200 recv.-ins and outs format (38.3, 39, 39.2, 39.9)- 2-3k effort
Weds- AM: 7.4 miles easy, PM: weights
Thurs-8.6 miles w/ 10k specific workout- 2x2.33 miles on road @ 10k effort w/ 4-5 mins recovery; Splits: 13:31 (5:48), 13:45 (5:52-5:53) (!!)- this was my breakthrough workout given that I ran at close to this pace for my 5k the previous Saturday. Looks like a big PR will be coming up for the 1ok.
Fri- 6.8 miles easy
Sat: 12.1 miles steady
Sun: 0
Total- 50.7

April 17-22
Mon- 6.5 miles easy
Tue- 4.5 miles w/ drills, calisthenics, strides, and a VO2 interval workout w/ Phoenix Running Club- 6x600 w/ 2 min recv: (1:58, 2:03, 2:03, 2:02, 2:03, 2:04); good workout..this more or less confirms the improvements I saw last Thursday
Weds- 6.8 miles easy; hamstring sore
Thurs-8 miles easy
Fri- 5.8 miles easy
Sat- 5.3 miles easy w/ 4 strides (7:10)- hamstring recovered
Sun- Vancouver Sun Run (10k)- Results and race report coming soon

Feb 19th: "First Half" 1/2 marathon

2006-02-25T14:42:00.000-08:00

I ran my 1st positive split in a 1/2 marathon today...which is odd because the last 5 that I did were all negative splitted.
Man, the last 4 miles were ugly. I actually felt good until mile 8..after that, things went downhill. I've always negative splitted my longer races (I do from time to time positive split 5ks and 10ks) but for some reason today, things weren't going as usual. Combined with the recent layoff due to injury, it was definitely not a day for a PR. Conditions were great for racing today...sunny, abit on the chilly side (30-35 degrees or so) but calm. I made the first mistake of starting just a few rows from the front...given that this race was abit on the competitive side (lots of fast runners). My first mile came in at 6:28...a wee bit too fast for my liking but I thought that it was close enough to my goal pace and I didn't make the effort to slow down a bit. 3 miles in 19:31...by the time I hit 6 miles, 39 mins...I kept surging with a group of guys I was running with (mistake #2)I thought I was on a roll (I never ran this fast in the beginning of a 1/2 marathon)...thinking that a PR may be waiting at the finish line....a 1:24, 1:23 perhaps if I negative splitted it? I decided to take off after mile 6...mile 7 turned out to be the fastest-6:16...however I started noticing that things were taking turn for the worst...my breathing has gone more ragged and my legs were tightening up....I felt that my ability to hold the pace up is starting to diminish..true enough, mile 8 turned out to be 6:25...the bad feeling worsened as my pace fell off...I was at 6:50 or so by the time I reached mile 11. The people whom I was surging with at the beginning and left behind after I decided to take off came back and left me in the dust in the last 5k. Finish time was 1:26:05 (chip), 1:26:09 (net)...6/14 in my AG and 86th overall out of 1900+ runners. Splits: 1- 6:28 2+3-13:03 4-6:36 5-6:25 (32:33) 6-6:27 7-6:16 8-6:25 9-6:33 10-6:43 11-6:50 12-6:42 13.1-7:33

Hopefully, this will motivate me to train and run well for the races > coming up in April. I missed 2 weeks of training time so > far...hopefully March will be a good month.

Week Recap-Feb 12-19

2006-02-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

30.8 miles total for the week including a 1/2 marathon on the 19th (report coming up)...slightly better than the previous week. Went for a run on Monday, but injury flared up a bit after the run. The rest of the week included 2 easy runs, 2 swims, and a weight training session. I ended up taking 2 days off after Thursday to rest up for the 1/2 marathon.

Weekly Recap-Feb 6-12

2006-02-12T21:43:00.000-08:00

A horrible week- did only 6 miles or so on Monday but still plagued with injuries on the shins....those were from the racing flats. I decided to take the rest of the week off to recover. Nevertheless I still kept up with my weight training and swam twice this week (Tuesday and Thursday).

The good news is that my injury is pretty much recovered. I'll be resuming running on Monday, just in time for the 1/2 marathon on the 19th (yikes!)

January Recap

2006-02-05T22:26:00.000-08:00

Altogether for the first month of the year:

Running: 285.4 miles
Time: 1 day, 10h 54m 37s
Avg. Pace: 7:20/mile

Strength/core training: 7 hrs

Quite a good start to the year so far...however mileage is expected to drop for the next few months as emphasis shifts towards the quality workouts and then to the races in the spring

Weekly Summary- 30th Jan-5th Feb

2006-02-05T22:12:00.000-08:00

Entered my 1st week of race-specific training for the macrocycle...mileage on the low side...right shin and left medial tibia still aching...probably from running in racing flats during this week's interval workout... there is a tender spot on the inside of my left tibia near the calf muscle that seems to ache especially if I go over the spot with my fingers...The soreness stays for the first few miles during a run, goes away and comes back after sometime from the run. I am worried as to what it is (hopefully not a stress fracture)...I will be monitoring it this week to check on its progress.

Mon: 7 miles easy (52:35, 7:30)
Tues: 7.7 miles w/ 5x800 VO2 (w/400 recovery)- 2:49, 2:57, 2:57, 2:58, 2:55...did this in my racing flats; may have started the workout too fast...
Weds: AM- 7.1 mile easy run w/ 4x100 strides (51:27, 7:14 pace) ; knees and shins sore from yesterday's workout
PM- 1 hr weights/core
Thurs: 8.1 miles w/ 3x10 min threshold (6:10-6:17) w/ 3 min recovery/rest
Fri- 8.2 easy on the trails-59:42, 7:16
Sat: 12 miles (1:28:11, 7:21) in rainy and stormy conditions

Total: 50 miles

Jan 23-29 Weekly Summary

2006-01-28T18:42:00.000-08:00

A down week...
Mon: 5.8 miles w/leg speed on the track- 11x100 strides
Tues: 7.4 miles easy (55:11, 7:27 pace)
Weds: 8.3 miles easy (59:30, 7:10 pace)- easy run pace has improved, much to my surprise!
Thurs: AM- 10.1 miles (1:13:20, 7:15 pace); felt good
PM-1 hr of strength training @ JCC supervised by my PT (going over exercises for next cycle)
Fri: 6.4 miles easy (46:13, 7:16 pace)...upper body and hammies abit sore from yesterday's weights
Sat: 15.1 miles in Vancouver (1:51:57, 7:25 pace)- legs sore for some reason.
Total: 53.1

Will be starting race specific training next week

Weekly Training Summary-Jan 16-22

2006-01-21T21:51:00.000-08:00

A great week of training overall...last hard week of training cycle 3. Some aches on the shin and knee, otherwise mostly injury-free. Base building is near its end. I'll be cutting back next week to recover before moving to the next training phase (race specific/intervals) starting February.
Mon- AM: 7 miles w/ leg speed on the track- 10 laps ins and outs, 40 sec. avg. per 200 ..quite wet and rainy
PM: weights @ CCAC
Tues- AM: steady 14.4 miler on the Westwood plateau hills and PoMo (7:26, 1:47:06)
Weds- AM: 7.1 miles easy w/ 4x100 strides (52:30, 7:23)- noticed that strides were faster than before (20-21 secs vs. 22-23 secs not to long ago)
PM: 5.4 miles on the treadmill (40:04, 7:25) followed by weights
Thurs- AM: 10.5 w/ ~6.5 tempo (41:32, 6:25-6:30 pace) along Coquitlam River...good run...pace felt more manageable than before...felt like I was flying through the workout...sign of good things to come?
Fri- AM: 8.1 easy (59:55, 7:23) w/ 4x100 strides
PM: 5.6 easy on the treadmill (41:23, 7:23); weights
Sat: 18.5 long from False Creek CC, along Kits & Jericho Beach to UBC, through Pacific Spirit Park and back...some gastrointestinal problems along the way...(2:18:09, 7:28 pace)

Total: 76.6

My Tentative Spring Race schedule

2006-01-14T22:51:00.000-08:00

The 2006 Timex Series Calendar is now available on the BC Athletics website: http://www.bcathletics.org/RRSeries/event_list.htm

Will be doing the First 1/2 on Feb 19th and the Spring Forward 5k on April 8 as tuneups, the Sun Run (April 23) as my goal race and the Mother's Day 8k on May 14 as the wrapup for the spring season. It won't be long after the spring season before the summer races arrive...so I do not have much of a break before I have to pick up my training again.

Weekly Training Summary-Jan 8-15

2006-01-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

Mileage about the same as last week....overall a satisfactory week of training. Did my first run in racing flats this week...was sore for a couple of days after.
Mon: AM- 5.7 miles w/ leg speed (lactate tolerance) on the track- 9 laps of ins and outs (200 sprint, 200 jog); 200s were around 39-41 seconds...did this in my racing flats (Brooks racer ST 2s)
PM-weights @ CCAC

Tues: was sore and strapped for time due to work schedule- did an easy 8.2 miler along Coquitlam river (1:01:45, 7:31 pace)

Weds: AM- 13.5 miles steady (to Colony Farm)...1:38:21 (7:17 pace)..good run
PM- 5 miles (37:30, 7:30) easy on the treadmill followed by 45 mins of weights

Thurs: AM:- 7.2 miles easy w/ 4x100 strides (52:05, 7:14 pace)
PM- 5.24 miles on the treadmill (38:52, 7:25 pace)
Fri: AM- 9 miles w/4.8 tempo (6:17 pace, 30:11) around Town Center Park
Sat: PM- 17.2 miles long (2:08:05, 7:29) in the Vancouver Area and into Pacific Spirit Park, near UBC...had the opportunity to run in Vancouver due to a morning volunteering training session at the Vancouver Aquarium. The run along Jericho Beach and on the trails of Pacific Spirit brought back good memories of the days when I used to train there while in school.

Total: 71 miles

Jan 2-7-Week Recap

2006-01-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

Ran a 16.6 miles LSD in 2:02:18 (7:21 pace)...rainy and wet this morning... I managed to chafe both my nipples today.

In the last stage of my base buildup so mileage should peak in the next couple of weeks. My hamstring problem has subsided. It did flare up abit during this week's leg speed session, but nothing serious.

Week Recap:
Mon-AM: 7 easy (7:19 pace), PM: weights @ CCAC
Tues-AM: 12.4 steady on a hilly route (7:25)
Weds- AM: 7 w/ leg speed on track- 10 laps straights and curves
PM- 4.8 easy; 1 hr weights @ Kits CC w/ PT Shawn Halperin who was going over the new exercises for the current training cycle...he sure kicked my butt today with the workout.
Thurs- AM: 9.8 w/ threshold(tempo) session-5x1600 cruise reps w/ ~1:30 recoveries (6:30, 6:28, 6:29, 6:25, 6:25)...effort felt easier than the last cruise session...may be running them a bit too slow
PM: 4 easy on the treadmill (7:35)
Fri-AM: 8.4 easy along Coquitlam river (7:17)
Sat-AM: 16.6 long (7:21)
Sun-scheduled off day
70.1 miles total for the week

Jan 2-3

2006-01-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

1st week of the new year...hamstring has recovered, though still felt a few twinges on Monday.
Monday- AM: ~ 7 miles easy in 51:16 (7:19)...hamstring still feeling abit sore during the run
PM: 40 mins of strength training at the CCAC
Tuesday- AM: 12.4 miles steady over the Westwood Plateau/Heritage Mountain hills...1:32:10 (7:26 pace)...hamstring is recovered

December and 2005 recap

2005-12-31T22:04:00.000-08:00

December mileage- 249.6/~250 miles
strength training-6 hr 35 mins

Year Recap: 3010.9 miles
Despite a couple of minor setbacks, an excellent, though challenging year of running with a debut marathon PR and some smaller PRs in the 1/2 marathon and 10k. 10 months of the year were geared towards marathon training.
Also with 30.5 miles of swimming and close to 72 hours of strength training

Looking forward to bigger and better things in 2006.
Cheers and Happy New Year...

Dec. 26-Jan 1

2005-12-31T22:00:00.000-08:00

Overall, a bad week due to a head cold and an injured hamstring (from Tuesday's stride session- 12x100 strides on the track)
27.6 miles total..mostly easy, recovery runs since Tuesday
hamstring starting to feel better...hopefully it will be recovered by Monday

Dec 24-Christmas Eve

2005-12-24T18:10:00.001-08:00

Less than 24 hrs before the big day!
AM: 18 miles (to Peace Park & back) in 2:13:49...a warm day-52-55 degrees but wasn't prepared for the rain that came 1/2 way through the run and I was wearing only short sleeves and shorts...

Week Recap:
Mon: AM- 7.3 w/ leg speed: 10X straights and curves on the track
PM- weights
Tues: AM- 12.8 progression: build to 1/2M effort
PM- 4 easy
Weds: AM- 7.2 easy w/ 4x100 strides
PM-weights
Thurs: AM: 9.1 w/4.8 tempo (6:26)
PM: 5.3 easy
Fri: 7 w/ 4x100 strides
Sat: 18 long

Total: 70.7 miles
Overall a good week of training, average pace has improved

Dec 23

2005-12-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

AM: 7 miles easy (Coquitlam River North) w/ 4x100 strides on the track (52:37, 7:31)
Felt tired from work so skipped the weights this evening...starting to get a bit of nasal congestion...hopefully it'll get better tomorrow.

Dec. 19-22

2005-12-22T19:22:00.000-08:00

A busy week for work (40 hrs this week) and training so far...Alot warmer and wetter than last week (51 degrees)

Dec 19
AM: 7.3 miles w/ leg speed session on the track- 10X straights and curves (54:07, 7:24 O/A)
PM: weights, CCAC-45 mins

Dec 20
AM: 12.8 miles progression (to Colony Farm), starting easy and gradually building up to 1/2M pace by the last 10-15 minutes...a hard but good workout (1:31:22, 7:08 pace)
PM: 4 miles easy, PoMo (30:26, 7:36)...left knee area abit achy
Dec 21
AM: 7.2 miles easy w/ 4x100 strides, Coquitlam River (54:04, 7:30 pace)..felt more recovered
PM: weights-35 mins; met and chatted with an old friend
Dec 22
AM: 9.1 miles total w/ 4.8 tempo along the Coquitlam River (30:51, 6:26 pace)- 1:03:08 total (6:56 o/a)... the workout was going well until I was stopped for a few seconds near the end due to a pesky leashless dog who started chasing me (I really despise inconsiderate dog-owners!!)...I lost abit of my rhythm and cadence after but I had only 1-2 minutes to spare anyways.
PM: 5.3 easy to Patricia drive and back (39:57, 7:32 pace)

Dec. 17

2005-12-17T18:03:00.000-08:00

AM: 16.5 miles in 2:02:08 (7:24 pace)... avg HR: 144; Pitt River Dikes...cold and frosty this morning with sun and fog by the river

Week Recap:
Mon- AM: 6.9 w/ leg speed: 8 laps S+C; PM: weights
Tues-AM: 12.5 steady w/ hills
Weds- 6.6 easy
Thurs- AM: 8.6 incl. 4x1600 cruise w/ ~1:30 recv. (6:31, 6:26, 6:32, 6:24)
PM: 5.2 easy + weights
Fri- 8.4 easy w/ 4x100 strides
Sat- 16.5 long
Sun- off
Total- 64.7

Dec 14-16

2005-12-16T11:45:00.000-08:00

Time to catch up on the last 3 days...weather was pretty much the same- sunny and cold: high 20s to upper 30s, with frost on the ground
December 14th:
PM: 6.9 miles easy (to PoMo and back) with the run group (48:18, 7:18 pace)
December 15th:
AM: 8.6 miles total including cruise interval session on the track (15k-1/2M effort)- 4x1600 w/ ~1-1:30 recv.
Splits: 6:31 (161 avg, 174 max), 6:26 (168 avg, 175 max), 6:32 (166 avg, 175 max), 6:24 (167 avg, 176 max)
Totally surprised that I managed to stay in control throughout the workout...perhaps I ran these a bit too slow.
PM: 5.2 miles easy (39:24, 7:35 pace) + weights at CCAC; very cold outside.
December 16th:
AM: 8.4 miles easy (Coquitlam River) w/ 4x100 strides on the track- 1:01:55 (7:22 pace)...mild soreness on left quad at the beginning and 2 bathroom breaks but otherwise a good run.

Dec 13

2005-12-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

AM: 12.5 miles (Coquitlam River, Westwood Plateau, PoMo) at a steady pace on a mix of terrain including a few hills (1:35:41, 7:39 pace)..2 bathroom breaks and some knee aches during the downhill stretches but otherwise a good run.

Dec. 12

2005-12-12T23:20:00.000-08:00

AM: 6.9 miles incl. leg speed session on track- 8 laps S+C (51:10 total time, 7:25 pace).....cold and overcast...looks like it may snow again

PM: weights at the CCAC

An Interesting Read: Steve Scott's training

2005-12-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

Here's a glimpse into a year's worth of running from Steve Scott's run logs (middle distance specialist):
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=346165

4016 miles & 43 races...very impressive!

Dec 10th

2005-12-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

AM: 15.5 mile LSD, 1:57:04 (7:33 pace)...ran a partly new route today, exploring the roads and trails west of Rocky Point Park in PoMo, venturing as far as the Trans-Canada trail along Barnet Highway and the sulfur plant before turning back for home.

Week's summary:
Mon: AM: 6.1 w/6 laps straights and curves (S+C) on track; PM: weights
Tues: 11.8 steady
Weds: AM: 6 w/ 4x100 strides; PM: weights
Thurs: 8 w/ 3.6 mi steady state tempo (6:16)
Fri: AM: 7.5 w/ 4x100 strides; PM: 4.2 + weights
Sat: 15.5 long
Sun: off

Total: 59.2
Not too bad of a week...a little less mileage than planned but I got in all the key workouts and stayed healthy...

Dec 9-the daily double

2005-12-09T23:09:00.003-08:00

AM: 7.5 miles easy, Coquitlam River, with 4x100 strides on the track, (56:02, 7:28 pace). Cold and foggy today but had a very nice run through the woods (other than a couple of pesky dog owners)

PM: 4.3 miles easy (31:10, 7:15 pace) to PoMo and back (CCAC)...form felt alot more fluid and controlled although my stomach was jiggling abit due to salmon teriyaki/california rolls from lunch...ran past local speedster/running store owner Paul Slaymaker (Runner's Den), who was heading in the opposite direction...45 mins session of weights and stretching after @ the Y

11.8 total...not a bad day of doubles..no aches and pains. I hope tomorrow's long run goes well.

December 7-8

2005-12-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

Gotta catch up on the posts!
December 7th:
AM: easy general aerobic run with 4 strides on a frosty field of grass...6 miles total in 45:02, 7:30 pace
PM: 45 min session of strength training/stretching

December 8th:
AM: first tempo workout of the macrocycle...ran 8 total today with 3.6 miles of steady state tempo running around the Town Center Park (2 big loops- 11:26, 11:11) @ around 6:17 pace (22:37); 2.7 and 1.8 of w/u and c/d respectively.

Dec 5-6

2005-12-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

December 5th:
AM: 6.1 miles (45:47, 7:30 overall) including leg speed session on the track: 6 laps of straights and curves (sprint straights,jog curves)...a harder workout than it looks
PM: 45 mins of weights at the CCAC

December 6th:
AM: 11.8 mile steady run (1:27:07, 7:22 pace) in the PoCo area/neighborhood

Dec 3, Weekly and monthly recap

2005-12-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

Finished off the week with 12.8 miles on the snow (1:37:38, 7:38 pace)...cold (low-mid 30s) and sunny this morning. This completes the first cycle of base...2nd cycle begins next week with steadily climbing mileage and the addition of leg speed and tempo workouts.
Total Mileage this week: 47.7

November Recap:
Run- 202.8 miles
Strength training/Weights: 6.5 hours

Dec 2

2005-12-03T15:54:00.000-08:00

Nothing noteworthy here except for an easy 5 miler in 39:39 in the morning

Dec 1st

2005-12-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

9.4 miles easy on the Coquitlam River trails and the Wellington road area(1:10:20, 7:28 pace).. Was passed by Nancy Tinari during the last couple of miles...one of Canada's top female master's runners (35 min 10k, sub 1:19 1/2M) and a regular winner in many of the races around here...we exchanged greetings as we passed...apparently it was probably her easy day (6:40-7 min miles)...very humbling experience!

Nov 30-Birthday Run

2005-12-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

A late update here...turned 22 officially on Wednesday...celebrated it with a 6.3 mile easy run (47:41, 7:34 pace) in the Port Moody area. Had some cake later on the evening...

Nov 29-Snow day!

2005-11-29T11:27:00.000-08:00

Pics of my backyard from this morning:

It snowed about 4-5 inches the night before...more to come in the next few days
Did an easy 8.3 mile run on the trails in about 1:03. Conditions were pretty slushy in the lowlands...the snow was more powdery up in the hills where I live.

Nov 28

2005-11-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

Late post here...
AM: Coquitlam river; an easy 5.7 miles w/4 strides on grass (42:36, 7:28 pace)..a rather cold, frosty day
PM: a short session of weights at the CCAC gym

Nov 26

2005-11-26T17:34:00.000-08:00

15.6 mile LSD (1:59:04, 7:37 pace), excluding 2 bathroom stops...Weather was great-sunny but cold although I didn't feel as great on the run as I expected...my legs felt like lead in the last few miles...I probably was dehydrated or not properly carbo-loaded from yesterday.
Week's Summary:
Mon: AM: 6.8 easy, PM: 40 min ST (strength training)
Tues: 11.2 mile progression
Weds: AM: 7.1 easy w/4x100 strides, PM: 1 hr ST
Thurs: 11.7 miles progression
Fri: AM: 8.4 easy, PM: 1 hr ST
Sat: 15.6 mile long
Sun: 0
Total: 60.8

Not too bad of a week mileage-wise...body's feeling strong other than some mild soreness on the patellar tendon and knees..but nothing serious. Onward to a cutback next week.

Nov 25

2005-11-25T15:45:00.000-08:00

AM: 8.4 miles easy with Kevin, mostly on the Coquitlam River Trails, 1:02:47 (7:28)...wetter and alot warmer than the last few days (no fog!)

PM: an hour of strength training at the CCAC

Nov 24

2005-11-24T18:34:00.000-08:00

AM: Coquitlam River, Colony Farm; 11.7 mile progression run..mostly steady with the last 2 @ uptempo (6:20-6:35 pace)..overall 7:18 pace, 1:25:25

Nov 23

2005-11-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

AM: To PoMo & back; 7.1 miles in the fog (again) ending with 4x100 strides on the track; 53:02, (7:28 pace)..Some gastrointestinal distress at the beginning of the run...otherwise nothing noteworthy

PM: an hour of strength training at the CAC gym, this time with 2 sets of 15-20 reps for each exercise...I'm finally getting the bosu ball squats this time...less shaking than last week!

Running, the most democratic of all sports

2005-11-22T17:11:00.000-08:00

I happened to come across this article on the Coolrunning website and I found it really interesting:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/1/1_39/runningthe-most-democrati.shtml

Here's an excerpt of the article:
In many ways running is the most democratic of sports. Anyone can participate anywhere she or he chooses. It matters not if running athletes are rich or poor, female or male, old or young. Ethnicity, race, religious persuasion, and orientation are irrelevant. Size has no bearing. Location-location-location becomes anywhere-anytime-any distance in the runners’ world.
There are no rich franchise owners—anyone can be a race director. Running clubs and national organizations are staunchly democratic, with no aristocratic elite; they are open to all, and at every level.
Running can be done alone, or with small groups, or with thousands.
Running is one of the oldest of athletic activities, and the most utilitarian in origin. Nobody asks a runner about occupation, but may inquire as to pace, base, and next race. No one tells a runner she is not welcome. It is wide open, for all.
Running is also the most portable of sports. It depends only on attitude, not on latitude or geographic location. Except for busy highways or other dangers (never run on Interstates, for example), there are few roads, streets, neighborhoods, parks, paths, and trails where runners are not seen. This portability means that traveling is no obstacle. And running is running whether residing in Florida or Minnesota, Flanders or Manitoba.
Great runners come from all corners of the globe, and so do average and slow runners. And they come from all walks of life. Athletes stride through deserts, forest, and fields; runners enjoy riverside or ocean-side jaunts. Runners run up and down mountains. They run pretty much where and when they choose.
Technology plays a very small role in running. Shoes are the only real investment required, and the technology for building running shoes and for developing shoe materials have advanced tremendously. But there is still relatively little expense. Some seem genuinely determined to spend a lot of money on clothing and watches, shoes and monitors. You can, if you like. But really there are few things necessary to spend money on, except for comfortable clothing, travel, and race fees.
At the scholastic and collegiate level, racing is one of the healthiest of competitions, and the one with the least cost, especially cross-country. Not only is it the least costly, but also it really is the only sport that one can compete in at school, and continue to compete decades later into one’s senior years.
Whether traveling for business or pleasure, the running shoes and duds can go along easily—democratic and portable. The sport and the benefits are always readily available.
Some sports require expensive and complex equipment, along with fields and arenas. Sometimes these are unavailable, especially to the ordinary citizen. Always they are expensive. But growing up poor does not prohibit a child from growing up to be fast. Nutrition does play a role, as does health care availability, but usually it is available to all. On average the sport of running costs much less than other organized sports, yet it provides so much enjoyment and so much benefit.
Schools require less extensive and expensive fields or facilities for running programs, especially cross-country. African runners, for example, compete on the world’s roads and tracks. And they dominate with few, if any, sporting facilities in comparison with European countries. Technology and economic power aside, advanced countries can be beaten, and beaten badly, by teams from third world countries. Running is open to all.
Age is a factor in every other sport. There are few age-group competitions, for example, outside of running. In running people often begin after retirement, or certainly later in life. Some run in their youth and put it away for a while, then revisit after the kids are grown. Often older women of today often have had no chance at other athletic activities, but find success in running and racing. Running is a natural and instinctive activity that can be begun at any age.
Exercise, health benefits, and enjoyment are common to most real sports, but few other competitive activities are readily available to those who wish to participate. The 87-pound sophomore boy is not likely to find success in football. A 140-pound, six-foot girl is unlikely to win in gymnastics. But they can both be successful athletes as runners. Ten-year-old girls can compete in the same race with 80-year-old women, and both can win their division.
Few sports give back a feeling of elation and exaltation, and few give one boundless energy, power, health, and quality of life. Few other sports provide such a sense of mission and accomplishment, and few are as specifically measurable in terms of progress and benefits. Whether you are preparing for middle school or mid life, high school, college, work, travel, or retirement, a running program can be tremendously valuable. And it is available. There is nothing like it. Running is open to all-comers. Running is a most democratic sport.
By Skip Cleaver

This article gets me thinking of how I got into running as a kid...Back then when I was in elementary school, one of my worst and least liked subjects was PE class. I was a small kid and wasn't good at ball games. I didn't have the hand-eye-coordination to catch or kick an oncoming ball...I was almost always picked last when playing team sports.
I was first introduced to the sport of running 6 years ago when I was in grade 11. This was when out of no apparent reason I decided to join the cross country team. Having not trained the summer before, it was a difficult season (ended up nearly last in all of my meets). However I went from not being able to run a step to running 6 km non-stop at the end of the season, a period of less than 2 months..it was an accomplishment in itself I admit, though I won't recommend first-timers to run their first race 2-3 weeks after they start! (one of the many foolish things that I did when I was a beginner)
Running has always given me a sense of accomplishment...6 years after I started, the good feeling that I had after running 6 km non-stop was probably identical to the feeling that I had after completing my first marathon over a month ago. When I look back now to my humble beginnings, I am amazed at how far I have progressed through all these years and how much more I can go...it is a lifetime journey...
The democratic nature of running is what binds us together as runners. We may be fast, slow, or in between, but we all compete in the same level playing field.
Anyways that's enough blabbing for now...
Out...

Nov 22

2005-11-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

AM: Hyde Creek/PoCo area; 11.2 miles progression w/ the last 3 miles uptempo (~20 mins)- 1:21:22 (7:16 pace). Very foggy and cold (40 degrees) this morning...the reek of spawned out salmon was still evident in the air.

Nov 21

2005-11-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

AM: 6.8 miles easy (7:36 pace)-Coquitlam River and Town Center Park...a foggy and cold day (40 degrees)
PM: 40 mins of strength training and stretching at CAC gym after work.

Weekly Training Summary-14/11-20/11

2005-11-19T11:23:00.000-08:00

I decided to switch to documenting the week's training instead of posting every day. This week was my 2nd week of base building. Mostly easy, low intensity mileage with some pickups and strides.
Monday: 7 miles easy (53:40, 7:40 pace) along the Coquitlam River. First frosty day (38-40 degrees) in a while...the roads were a little slippery from black ice..ended the run with 4x100 strides on the track.

Tuesday:
AM: 10.6 mile progression run w/ last 2.5 uptempo (1:17:24, 7:18 pace). Felt strong and controlled throughout the run Ran along Hyde Creek and back...place stank of rotting/dying salmon.
PM: 45 mins of strength training @ the JCC supervised by strength coach Shawn Halperin, who was going over the new routine for the next 8 weeks.

Wednesday: 6.5 miles easy to PoMo and back (48:43, 7:29 pace)...a cloudy and cold day

Thursday:
AM: 9.6 miles steady in the PoCo/Wellington area, including a long hill (1:13:19, 7:38 pace)...left calf was sore after the run
PM: 40 mins of strength training @ the CAC gym after work...started off with 1 set of 15-20 reps for each exercise (except core stuff)...the bosu ball squats were killers!

Friday: 7.8 miles easy (58:04, 7:26 pace) w/ 4x100 strides on the track

Saturday: 15.3 mile LSD to Colony Farm and back (1:54:58, 7:31 pace) in my new Asics 1100s...sunny and foggy this morning..Avg HR: 136 (incl drift), Max HR: 164

Sunday: a scheduled day off

Total Mileage: 56.8

Nov 12

2005-11-12T17:59:00.000-08:00

Capped off the week with an LSD of 13.5 miles @ 7:36 pace (1:42:34). Ran solo from home to Colony Farm regional park and back.
Wet with scattered showers, 43 degrees.
The run felt more difficult than expected, possibly due to 0 long runs for the past 4 weeks.

Mileage this week: 50.4

Nov 11: Remembrance Day

2005-11-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

AM: 6.8 easy to Port Moody and back (51:18, 7:32). Gluts still abit sore from yesterday's weight training session (squats).
It was raining when i headed out but it subsided for the whole course of the run and resumed when I was finished...weird eh?

Gotta head off to work later this afternoon (sigh)...

Nov 10

2005-11-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

AM: 9.7 mile progressive run solo w/ last 1.5-2 miles @ LT (1:13:28, 7:33 pace)...very wet and rainy this morning (44-48 degrees)

PM: an hour of strength training at the gym, continuing with the muscular endurance workout.

Nov 9

2005-11-09T22:09:00.000-08:00

5.6 miles easy this morning with 4x100 strides on the track (42:42, 7:38 pace)
Cold and windy today (42 degrees?)...didn't get as much in as I expected due to time constraints...I overslept and had to get to work by 10 am. I'm so glad tomorrow's a day off...

Nov 8th

2005-11-08T21:20:00.001-08:00

8.8 steady miles along the Coquitlam River and PoCo area and back this morning..1:07:05 (7:37 pace)
Light rain, 43-45 degrees

Nov 7

2005-11-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

First day of my new macrocycle (gearing up for a 10k).
6.1 miles easy from home and along the Coquitlam river, including 4x100 strides on the Town Center track at the finish. (46:29, 7:37 pace)
Cloudy and chilly this morning- 43-45 degrees
Legs slightly stiff from Sat's race.

H2H Pics

2005-11-06T15:03:00.000-08:00

The Rock Stars before the start
(l-r) Front row: Lisa, Todd, Dave, Marlene, Ruby (our volunteer)
Back: Scott, Me, Robert
Btw...Where's Russ?

Marlene speeding past Robert during her leg...
note the "speed blur" ;)

An example of extreme team motivation: The Rockstar mooners in action...

The start of Leg 1

Me approaching the finish line...

The Rock Stars after the race-cold, hungry, and tired but triumphant

Race Report: Haney to Harrison-Updated with Official Results

2005-11-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

My final race of the year...though it's more for fun than anything else..I was pulled into doing this 3 weeks ago. It's basically a 100k relay with 8 of us (Me, Todd, Marlene, Robert, Russ, Dave, Lisa, Kevin) running 8 different legs. (anywhere from 8k-15k) Each runner has to wear a wristband with a timing chip on it for the course of the leg and has to pass it to the next runner. Fortunately I was the one picked for the final leg, which was the shortest and the fastest (~5 miles).
In short our team finished with a cumulative time of 7:38 despite a few minor delays in the exchange areas (especially between legs 2 & 3) and my time was 31:50...over a minute slower than my PR but I guess decent considering the strong headwinds on the course. At least I still felt good while passing loads of runners on my way to the finish. I was relieved that it didn't rain or things could have been alot worse.
Anyways we had a blast...everyone on the team was so supportive for one another. A special thanks to Ruby, our volunteer who helped us alot in the organizing and planning of our event and supported the team!
Postrace, we had a pool party at Harrison Hot springs (in the hot pool) and later had dinner and a few beers at the nearby Mission Springs pub. A great way to celebrate the end of another year of running. 4 weeks of slacking have flown by so quickly...next week it's back to base training again...
Individual Leg Results:
Leg 1 (8.04 km): Russ-37:58 (7:36)- 56th overall, 43/128 M, 13/118 Div.
Leg 2 (13.51 km): Lisa- 1:00:47 (7:15)- 50th overall, 10/147 F, 13/118 Div
Leg 3 (15:12 km): Todd- 1:18:22 (8:21)- 191st overall, 155/209 M, 71/118 Div
Leg 4 (13.31 km): Robert- 1:00:09 (7:17)- 45th overall, 31/147 M, 10/118 Div
Leg 5 (15.49 km): Dave- 1:00:42 (7:15)- 56th overall, 49/171 M, 15/118 Div
Leg 6 (13.19 km): Marlene- 1:00:20 (7:22), 50th overall, 10/158 F, 12/118 Div
Leg 7 (13.37 km): Kevin- 59:28 (7:10), 62nd overall, 57/199 M, 18/118 Div
Leg 8 (7.97 km): Tim- 31:57 (6:28 ), 12th overall, 10/132 M, 2/118 Div

Some Catchup posts

2005-11-05T21:07:00.000-08:00

Workouts for Thursday and Friday included a 1700 m swim at the pool and a 5.2 mile run (39:28)

Nov 2: a rainy night

2005-11-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

Distance: 4.2 miles
Weather: 48-50 degrees, rainy
Time and Pace: 31:23, 7:28 pace
Time of Day: 6 pm
Location: Town Center Park
Shoes: Asics 1100 (3)
An easy run with the Running Room group after work. It was cold, dark and rainy..stepped on many puddles throughout the run and was soakin wet at the end of it. My left nipple was sore from chaffage by the wet clothing.
After the run the H2H team went to a local pub for dinner and a few drinks and to discuss race day itinerary. A good way to end the day!

October Recap

2005-11-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

According to Coolrunning log:

Running: 118.4 miles
Time: 14h 37m 57s
Avg. Pace: 7:25/mile

Swimming: 2.7 miles
Time: 2h 29m 00s
Avg. Pace: 55:46/mile

Strength training:
Time: 30m 00s

A low mileage/training month due to recovery from the marathon (lowest this year!)...including a week off. I'm feeling alot better now, though still with a couple of aches and pains. I'm ready to roll back into base training starting next week.

Nov 1- weights

2005-11-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Day off from running today.
Went to the gym this afternoon to do some weight training. Did a 10 min warmup on the stair master before embarking on a 40-45 min session of weights (muscular endurance program- 12-15 reps per set). After 10 mins of stretching, I went for a refreshing warm shower in the locker-room.

October 31st

2005-10-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

Weather: cloudy, 50-52 degrees
Ran 7.3 miles total (54:56, 7:34 pace) along Coquitlam River this morning, including 4 strides on the track after the run. Left groin area's still abit tight towards the end of the run but other than that, nothing really eventful.

Oct 28

2005-10-28T17:44:00.000-07:00

Distance: 5.6 miles
Time & Pace: 42:16/7:33 pace
Temperature/Weather: 48-52 degrees/cloudy
Time of Day: 9 am
Location: Town Center Park and Coquitlam River
Shoes: Asics 1100 (2)
Easy 5.6 miles in the morning, along the Coquitlam River with 4 strides on the track at the end of the run.

Oct 27th-swim day

2005-10-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Went for a short swim (1400 m) at the Coquitlam Aquatic center in the afternoon and took a day off running. Tomorrow's forecast calls for rain and wind..makes me regret for not running under today's sunshine and clouds.

Preliminary Training/Racing Schedule for 2006

2005-10-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this for the past couple of days, though the details have not been added. So far I'm aiming for 2 short training cycles, one from early November to late April for the spring season, the other from May to late July for a short summer season. The races that I will be doing are mostly in the 5k to 10k range with the exception of a 1/2 marathon in mid February as a benchmark...so my training will be shifting its focus to the shorter stuff . With the exception of a few important races, the dates of most of my races are not confirmed yet until the official race calendar on the BCA website comes up.
Here's what I've planned so far...
Macrocycle 1 (25 weeks)
Base (12 weeks, 3 cycles)- Nov 7-Jan 29
Cycle 1: Nov 7-Dec 4
Cycle 2: Dec 5-Jan 1
Cycle 3: Jan 2-29-transitional phase
Race Prep (8 weeks, 2 cycles)- Jan 30-March 26
Cycle 4: Jan 30-Feb 26
Cycle 5: Feb 27-March 26
Sharpening/Racing (4 weeks, 1 cycle)- March 27-April 23 (Goal Race-10k)
Recovery- 1 week
Macrocycle 2 (12 weeks)
Base (1 week, 1 cycle): May 1-28
Race Prep: May 29-June 25
Sharpening/Racing: June 26-July 23
Recovery: Late July-August

The emphasis of each of the training phases are pretty much unchanged- base: aerobic buildup, race-prep: high intensity/race specific training, Sharpening: tune-up races, speed/technique refinement. Each cycle consists of 3 weeks of buildup or "hard" and 1 recovery/cutback week...I find that this periodization pattern works for me...The mileage won't be as high as this year's...with the base buildup from 50ish to a target of around 70-75mpw by mid January with a mileage drop of 20-25% during race prep..I'll try to maintain the mileage around 55-65 mpw during race prep with the added quality.
Heck, I hope I can get down to the 17s , 28s, and 35s/36s by next year for the 5 , 8, and 10...if everything goes as planned and I do get my winter 1/2M time down to the low 1:20s, then I'll be laughing when spring season arrives! The huge base that I've racked up this year will not go to waste!

October 26th-evening club run

2005-10-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

Distance: 7.45 miles
Time & Pace: 58:38/7:51 pace
Temperature/Weather: 48-52 degrees/partly sunny
Time of Day: 6 pm
Location: Westwood Plateau (hills galore!)
Shoes: Asics 1100 (3)
Went running with the PoCo Running Room Run club...they organize free Wednesday night club runs every week. The route was tough one on the roads with a number of big uphills and a single long downhill. Ran with 2 other guys..3 of us were leading the group by a very wide margin and we lost them completely 2 miles into the run. My hamstring was still a bit tight from yesterday but fortunately it didn't act up. Pace was surprisingly slower than the last time I did this route, which was last year (7:46 pace)...possibly my body's still recovering from the marathon and/or it could be due to yesterday's foolish stint. Anyways tomorrow's an off day from running (and work as well)...it's nice to not have a structured training routine for a change..gotta enjoy the off time before I start mileage building again!

October 25th- A foolish venture

2005-10-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

Distance: 3.8 miles
Time and Pace: 30:08, 7:55 pace
Temperature, Weather: Indoors, 70-75 F
Time of Day: 5:20 pm
Location: Coquitlam Aquatic Center Gym
Shoes: Asics 1100 (3)
I went to the gym after work with good intentions to pump some iron just for strength maintainence. I followed Shawn Halperin's (my strength coach) prescribed muscular endurance program that he set for me during my training cycle way back in February. It was basically a circuit format with a mix of weights and core strengthening exercises. For some reason I decided to get in a short run on the treadmill as a warmup for the weights. I haven't ran on a treadmill for eons so I wasn't used to it at first. After a slow start, I chugged along at my usual easy pace of 7:15-7:35 pace. Then, foolishly, I decided to up the speed to sub 6:00 pace in the last 4-5 mins. I ran until some guy who was waiting for the treadmill asked me to stop as I had exceeded the 20 min limit by 10 minutes! I apologized and proceeded to do my weights...ended up with a tight right hamstring after the workout...if I had not decided to speed things up, this wouldn't have happened.. Anyways got in ~3.8 sweaty miles in 30:08, A good workout but was it worth it? I don't think so...

October 24th, 2005: Week 3 of Postmarathon Recovery

2005-10-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Distance: 5.5 miles
Time & Pace: 41:04, 7:28 pace
Temperature, Weather: 63-66 degrees, sunny with a few clouds
Time of Day: 5:30 pm
Location: Lafarge Lake Park and Coquitlam River Area
Shoes: Asics 1100 (3)

So begins the first day of the 3rd week of postmarathon recovery. Ran 5.5 easy on road and trails after work in 41:04. There was nothing too exciting about this run other than I inhaled and nearly swallowed a mosquito. Legs slightly stiff, possibly due to standing for basically 5 hours today at work. Very unseasonally warm at this time of year...unfortunately the forecast predicts rain starting tomorrow evening.

RVM Pics & Results

2005-10-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

Official Race photos:
http://www.brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=9616&PWD=&BIB=1145

Official Results:
http://www.royalvictoriamarathon.com/resultsdisplay.php
The transition glasses really seem to make me look a little weird but these are really great shots of my running form.

Marathon Debut Race Report (October 9th-Royal Victoria Marathon)

2005-10-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a late report bout my first marathon that I ran 2 weeks ago. It's a bit long-winded and detailed...so bear with me ;)

Pre-Race Week (A brief account of my journey up to this point)
It has been a long 10 month journey leading up to this race. I could not believe that 10 months of training had flown by so quickly and now it was almost time to race. I had spent the first 5 months of the year working on building a solid base foundation, starting off at 50 mpw in early January, and building up to 80 by the end of May. The next 4 months which was basically the whole summer, was devoted to race specific preparation. Due to small setback that occurred towards the end of my hard training phase, I lost 2 weeks of quality work (plus a mileage cutback) in late August, resulting in a 6-week taper, instead of a 3-week one as planned. . Peak weekly mileage was around 85-88 before the injury. As far as specific workouts are concerned, they have been more or less consistent. I have done at least 12 or more 19+ milers including 2 22-milers. Due to the undulating nature of the course, I did specific hill workouts in the middle phase of my training and included hills on some of my longer runs. Tempo and intervals have been relatively consistent for the past number of months. Did a total of 4 tune-up races including 2 half marathons and 2 10ks. (1:26 on a hilly course, 1:25:37, 39:17 for both 10ks) They did not go as well as expected, especially the 10ks, but I guess that was something I had to sacrifice for all that high volume and high intensity training in the summer. Besides I had a bigger fish to fry in October! On top of that there were 2 goal pace runs, one in early August (~13 ran at MP), the other in mid September (11 @ MP)…both were indicative of a potential marathon time at least in the low 3s…if tapered properly, possibly in the mid to high 2:50s? I contemplated this possibility but I knew I was taking a risk of bonking late in the race if I set my time goal too high. So to keep it safe, my goal of sub 3 was modified again and I decided that I will be happy with anything under 3:10, the Boston qualifying time for my age group, should I fail in my mission in breaking 3 hours. Victoria is a slow course anyways due to its hilly nature and the best times I’ve seen, based on previous years’ results, never went under 2:20. Saturday, October 8th
Off to Victoria I arrived at Victoria via carpool and ferry with my friend (from Coolrunning forums) Ernest and his GF (Lara) at around noon. We went directly to the Expo at the Victoria conference center. After picking up my race kit, I had some fun exploring and shopping the booths and attending the speaker panel sessions featuring a number of Canadian elite athletes including Peter Butler, Bruce Deacon, Simon Whitfield and British marathoner Jon Browne (he ran the Victoria ½ the next day in 63 mins). I checked into the hotel in the mid afternoon and had a sumptious dinner at the organized RVM pasta party. Hit the sack at around 9:30ish and didn’t get up until 5:30 the next morning.
Sunday, October 9th
Race day matters and such I set off for the race at around 7 am (race start was at 8:30). Breakfast included 3 power bars and several glasses of Gatorade and water. The weather was ideal- 48 degrees at the start and cloudy with no rain. I got to the start at around 8 after a brief warmup. Met up with Ernest and Lara at the start. Ernest was originally aiming for a 2:45 though he has been feeling unwell over the past few days (he ended up with a 2:55)…Lara was gunning for a low 3 to sub 3. My goal was a sub 3 but due to the undulating/hilly nature of the course (but nothing compared to the hills I encountered while training near home), I considered readjusting my goal. The out and back course was marked in km markers (I apologize to metric-haters out there!) with intervals of 5 mile markers and a ½ way point (13.1 miles). I was still feeling a bit nervous but at the same time in control.
0-5 km (22:38 ) The first 5k went by quite easily. The faster runners took off… My strategy was to hold back during the first half and fly like a bat from hell in (well, an overstatement of course) in the 2nd half. Encountered the first few hills- they were fairly easy to tackle…nothing too exciting here
5-10 km (44:37) The next 5k was quite similar in effort & difficulty compared to the first. We had some good views of the ocean at the 9-10k mark. The pace picked up a tad bit (4:13-4:35) except when on the uphills.
10-1/2 way point (1:32:57) The terrain during this stretch began to undulate a bit more, with a few noteworthy hills including a long gradual ascent between 17-18 k. The scenery was great especially when running around the forested Beacon Hill Park and on the seawall/beaches. Only tradeoffs were some headwinds coming in from the Pacific along the seawall. I picked up the pace a bit more (4:10-4:23) and still felt quite good and under control. Passed Lara at around the 15-16k mark.
½ way-25 km (1:48:56) For some reason, this was probably the fastest part of the marathon with splits below 4:10. Terrain was mostly flat with a turnaround point around the 24k mark since it was an out-and-back route. Still felt surprisingly good.
25-30 km (2:10:23) This was where I started to feel some discomfort. This was mostly around my left hip and quad area, both of which tightened up slightly. That bothered me for some time but gradually subsided and did not come up again until near the end of the race. My pace and effort started to pick up significantly, though I had to face another big hill from 28-30k. There were also less people running me than there were in the first few miles of the race…It seems like everybody decided to spread out.
30-35 km (2:31:52) Finally entered into the “no man’s land” of the marathon. I was starting to feel fairly tired. There were large expanses in this segment and the next when I was running alone (excluding stragglers/walkers from the ½ marathon), except when passing other runners. I began to really push the pace and effort at this point. The only things that were slowing me down were the hills.
35-40 km (2:53:49) The first couple of km’s went pretty well. My legs were getting increasingly fatigued but I still managed to hold the pace. I started running into problems at around 36-37k when my quads started to cramp up (though not too severe). I had been steadily taking in electrolytes via the aid stations since the beginning of the race so that came as a surprise. I had to slow down a little…fortunately an aid station was in sight and after getting in some Gatorade, the cramps cleared up by 38k. Passed a number of runners who had apparently “hit the wall” and were doing the shuffle..it scared me a bit…hopefully it would not be me doing it. I glanced at my watch at the 40k mark and mildly disappointed that I just narrowly missed my sub 3 goal...a 3:02-3:03 however seemed possible at this point.
40-42.2 km (3:03:55); 2nd ½: 1:30:58 This proved to be the toughest stretch. In addition to overall fatigue, the quad cramps came back with a vengeance and increased severity in the last mile. I still managed to grit my teeth, grimace in pain and ran it through, telling myself that there was less than a mile left to go. The cheering crowds helped boost morale abit. The cramps fortunately subsided in the last 300 m, so at least the finish photo would not look too agonizing to look at! Finished with a gun time of 3:03:59 and chip time of 3:03:55…didn’t hit my goal time of sub 3, though it was close but leveled my secondary goal of sub 3:10. I was glad that it was over. Official Results 3:03:59 gun, 3:03:55 chip; 65/1958 overall, 62/1084 in division, 3/26 in M2024 AG (a BQ and hardware!)
Splits (KM): 1- 4:44 2- 4:29 3-4:41 4- 4:20 5- 4:23 6- 4:35 7- 4:26 8- 4:18 9- 4:24 10- 4:13 11- 4:23 12- 4:17 13-4:23 14- 4:10 15+16- 8:31 17- 4:51 (?) 18- 4:20 19- 4:10 20+21- 8:43 22+23- 8:08 24- 4:02 25- 4:16 26+27- 8:29 28- 4:20 29+30- 8:36 31- 4:22 32- 4:21 33- 4:13 34- 4:18 35- 4:14 36- 4:10 37- 4:21 (cramped) 38- 4:37 39+40- 8:47 41+42.2- 10:04 (major cramp up)
Epilogue
Overall this was quite a well-run race. Great expo, pasta party, scenery, and post race brunch, not to mention the unusually colored sweat shirts. I would highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a marathon in the Pacific NW. Even though I didn’t crack 3 hours, I guess it’s pretty decent for a slow hilly course, especially with the negative split…I’ll probably be under 3 on a flatter and faster one. Anyways now it’s onward to a well-deserved month-long break from training/racing. I’ll probably take a break from the longer distances next year and focus on getting some fast 5/8/10k times. The base that I’ve built up this year will probably help… I’m really out of practice for those distances…

Welcome!

2005-10-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

My first post in my brand new blog...Let's just say I'm still new to this blogging thing so I'm still trying to figure things out around here. I'll start logging my training reports here tomorrow. I'm currently at the end of week 2 of my post-marathon recovery and slowly adding mileage back up and cross training in the process of 'reverse tapering'.
Did a total of 18.5 easy miles for the week in addition to a swim session of 1500 m... A far cry from the mileage that I was doing in the summer months.