Sunday, April 24, 2011

Brick Workout

This morning I woke up early with a purpose.  I got ready but not in my usual running garb for fifty degree weather.  Instead, I grabbed a long sleeve shirt, padded gloves and my bike helmet.

Riding my bike never gives me the same thrill as running but I will admit it can be fun cruising downhills, pushing the pace on the flats, whizzing by runners.  After a satisfying 16-miler yesterday, my legs took a little while to get in a groove but before too long I was in a zone and enjoying the ride.  There is something satisfying about covering 8 miles in the time it takes to cover half that distance.

However, pulling in to the garage to park my bike, I wasn't done.  To train for the upcoming Luray Triathlon, I need to practice transitioning from biking to running - or in tri terminology, a brick workout.  I jumped off my bike, traded my helmet for a hat, took a sip of water and headed back out to the trail for an easy two miles.

Or, what should have been an easy two miles.

Jumping off a bike and going right in to a run is the same sensation you get when you first get off a trampoline - a bit weak and wobbly but also heavy and leaden.  The only thing to do was tell my legs to move and just get it done.  I wasn't trying to put any distance on my legs, just get used to going from one to the next, so I told myself to take it slow and just keep it steady.

It was a long mile out to the turn around but I was surprised to see my pace was decent.  Seeing 10:30 on my Garmin instead of the 12:00 I felt like I was running gave me a boost on the way back.

I finished the workout - 8 miles on the bike, 2 miles running - in just over one hour and I felt good about it.  I can't say it was fun or that I would ever choose to do a brick workout for fun but at least, now, I know I can do it.

Luray Tri here I come!

Daily Dozen:
8 miles - bike
2 miles - run

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Washed Away

One the schedule this morning was a 3 mile recovery run and I needed it. Yesterday was a tough day – 7 miles at pace, circuit training during my lunch break and then swimming laps after work. On top of those three workouts yesterday, I went to sleep a little later than usual last night so I was tired, in several ways, when I woke up this morning. On top of vaguely sore legs, droopy eyelids and a lack-of-sleep induced brain fog, it was also raining – 3 easy miles was probably the most I could muster.

As I stepped outside, wearing shorts and a long-sleeve t-shirt, it was drizzling but seemed to be letting up. As I walked to the bike path my legs, eyelids and brain seemed to come around to the idea of an easy run and I thought, “Well, this shouldn’t be too bad.”

I hit the start button my Garmin and off I went in to the cold, dark drizzle.

I hadn’t run more than a half a mile before it started raining harder and before long my shirt and hat were soaked. Slow and steady, and now wet as well, I ran along the bike trail, happy for the brief shelter offered as I ran under the overpasses. I’d shake the rain off my arms and wipe down the brim of my hat, which seems like a silly thing to do knowing that in 2 seconds I’d be right back out in the rain.

The rain energized me as I hit the turnaround point 1.5 miles away. I wasn’t tempted to go any further but I was also a little surprised to hit the halfway point so soon. Running felt good.

On the way back I hit a few puddles, tried my best to avoid them, soaked my shoes anyway, eventually gave up and splashed right through them. My tired muscles and sleepiness were washed away completely by the time I finished the run

Daily Dozen:
3 miles – easy
Upper body & core strength training @ lunch hour

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

How I Fartlek

fart•lek
–noun
a training technique, used especially among runners, consisting of bursts of intense effort loosely alternating with less strenuous activity.

In my quest to run a strong marathon this summer, I’ve been adding speedwork to my running. The plan that I chose to follow (Hal Higdon’s Intermediate II) includes pace runs the day before the long run, meaning I try to run these miles as close to my planned marathon pace (9 minute miles) as possible. However, I’ve also made one run a week a fartlek run.

Most of the time you’ll find fartlek described as speedplay, encouraging the runner to add in bursts of speed by picking landmarks along their route, running fast to the landmark, slowing down, recovering and starting the process over again. I’ve tried this. It does not work for me because I, too often, am lazy. I need a coach to shout at me through a giant megaphone – “Run Fast NOW!”
Since I don’t have coach, giant megaphone or no, I had given up on fartlek runs. That is, until I came up with another idea.

One of the podcasts I look forward to listening to while out for a run is NPR’s All Songs Considered and on a run a few weeks ago, I decided to run hard each time a song was played and recover as best I could when the hosts were talking. This ended up being just the thing I needed to do fartlek runs.

Sometimes the hosts only do a short introduction between songs and some times they talk longer. Sometimes the songs are four or five minutes long and sometimes they only play parts of songs. I never know going in to the run where I’ll be – up hill, down hill, straight away – when the next song starts. I can’t go easy on myself because I’m not the one calling the shots.

And that is how I fartlek.

Daily Dozen:
7.5 miles run to work – fartlek miles 2-5
Circuit Training @ lunch hour
Swimming, 30 minutes

Monday, April 11, 2011

Morning Runners

This morning was the first time this year I was able to run in shorts and a T-shirt and I decided to extend my planned 3 mile run in to a 5 miler so I could enjoy the beautiful morning weather as long as possible. Even though my pace was slow and my legs were feeling the 14-milers from Saturday, it was a perfect morning run. For the most part, I had the bike path to myself and it was hard not to imagine that I had to whole morning, the whole world to myself.

I’ve written before about how much I savor my early morning runs – finishing before the sun has a chance to rise, before most people even bother to hit the snooze button – and it is a run like this morning’s run that reaffirm that for me.

I wish I could say, “everyone should be a morning runner” and mean it, but I don’t. If everyone started running at 4:30 in the morning, the sense of secrecy I feel as I pass the three or four other runners I see that early would disappear. The sense of accomplishment I feel as I get in to work knowing that my official start to the day was hours ago would still be there but the feeling that that accomplishment is mine to relish privately would be diminished.

So, I say, everyone keep running after work. Fill the bike paths and sidewalks to capacity. Through your actions, spread the word that running is awesome. Just don’t decide to become early morning runners. (I have a feeling that I’m not in danger of this happening any time soon.)

Daily Dozen:
5 miles @ easy pace
Walk – hills on the treadmill & Strength Training – push-ups, lunges @ lunch hour
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