Keep running

My long run.  11.0 miles.  I did 3.2 of it on the roads, and 7.8 at the Crossing Park, which was 14 laps of 0.56 per lap.  I did the whole run in a little less than 8 min pace.  I don't know how to assess where I am at with my achilles.  I am slowing putting miles back out on the road, and I cannot seem to tell what the impact is yet on my foot.  This morning, it was a bit sore, which I don't like.  It has been about 1 year now of this achilles stuff, and I am frankly sick of it.  I really took most of the last 6 months off, and had it treated in various ways.  I can now run on it, but it still just aches all of the time.   After I run for a few minutes, it doesn't seem to hurt to bad, but other than that, it just aches.  Oh well.

Cheers

5 slow miles at the Fields at Little Valley.  I am going to do a 1600 tomorrow night at the first installment at the Las Vegas Track Club summer track series.  I am hoping for sub 5.15.

Cheers

Mike

PM

I arrived at the track about 35 mins before the 7pm start of the 1600.  I warmed up for about 2 miles.  They did a slow heat first, probably 20-25 runners.  So, the fast heat didn't get started until about 7:15 or so.  As i lined up at the start, i wasn't sure who was running also, but it did look like 4-5 runners could be close to my expectation of 5.10-5.15.  Ok, i did want to break 5 mins, but didn't think the training, which has been zero for this type of race had been done.  5.15 was more realistic.

The gun went off, and a bunch of runners sprinted out, but by the 150 mark, i settled into 3rd place behind two younger runners.  The pace felt easy, almost too easy, but i thought, let it flow, this is adrenaline, hold back.  As we came to the 400 mark, they announced a time of 80 secs....80!!  EIGHTY!!!   are you kidding me, way too slow, so, i practically ran over and tripped one of the two runners, i went by them pretty hard.  I felt someone go with me on my shoulder, but i was glad about that, any help at all is good.  As we came around again for 800 meters, the time was 2.35, so a 75 sec lap, that was good.  I was still in first, but starting the 3rd lap, a runner passed me, but i stayed right on his shoulder.  3rd lap came in at 76 secs, so we were now at 3.51.  Starting the 4th lap, there were now two other runners with me, they were in front of me, but i was hanging on.  With about 300 to go, one surged and the other went with him, but i couldn't do it.  I was running as hard as i could and hanging on to the pace i had.  As we came down the home stretch, I pushed it in to a 5.07.  76 final lap, so I went 80, 75, 76, 76.    I was pleased, but of course, i would have like to shave off 8 secs, 4.59 sounds much better.  1st place was 4.56 and 2nd place was 4.59.

I am doing the track work in anticipation of the Utah Summer Games on June 25-26, for the 5000 and the 1500.  I would like to set the age group record for both.  The 5000 record seems soft, 19.03, but the 1500 seems like a challenge of 4.48.   What is funny is that the 5.07 for the 1600 that i ran comes to a 4.48 1500!   So i guess i am right there.

I jogged the trails 5k this morning, so, so slowly.  I almost don't feel right, but oh well.  Tonight, i am going to participate in the 1600 at the Las Vegas Track Club Summer Track Series.  The forecast is 86 degrees and 15 mph wind.  Wind.  Wind. wind.  ugh.  I hope to be around 5.15.   I haven't tried to run an all out mile since my Corp Challenge days, but we haven't done that for two years, so it has been over two years since i went hard for 1 mile.  I ran sub 5 minute miles for about 10 years in a row in corp challenge, but i think those days are done, but i will try as hard as i can.

Cheers, update later.

Mike

Trails 5k.  Slow.  Achilles pretty sore after last night's 1600.

I ran the Trails 5k+2 for a total of 5.1 miles.  I did not time my effort, as i went slow....slow....slow.  I think i am going to do an uptempo 10k tomorrow morning, all of it on the roads, just to see how my foot responds.  It was sore from the track race the other night, but i really need to see what it does in a longer race.  I have not run more than a 5k distance on the roads in a race atmosphere since the Hurricane half marathon from 2009, so it has been over a year.

I am not looking to go crazy on the 10k, who knows if it is even measured right, but I would like to be around 39 mins, just uptempo.

Cheers

I did an uptempo 10k, and made one big mistake, I started way too late, at 7am, and it was blazing hot outside during the run.  It was probably mid 90's by the time we were finished, as it hit 109 here in Vegas today.

The first 3.1 miles was downhill, and the last 3.1 was back uphill, out and back.  I averaged about 6.12 per mile going down, i took it easy, knowing i had to come back up the hill.  But the heat just really wore me out, and I averaged 6.58 per mile coming back up the hill.  Total average per mile was 6.35.  Ugh.  Should have started at 5.30am if i wanted to be fast.

Cheers

Mike