Today I had a hard tempo run at 6:49/mile for four miles. It sounds like a good pace (goal was 6:50), but I was really strugling toward the end, so I'm wondering if it was really so beneficial. I'm not sure what's going on with me, maybe it is just colder than ideal and this is close to the limits of my abilities. I'll definitely just try to keep up this pace for this distance for the rest of the pre-plan training.

I guess it was naive to think that I could keep up my training during Christmas. So let's try to repeat the plan for last week for this one.

Plan for week of Dec. 26.

44 miles total, including
13 miles long run, 7 miles tempo (4 fast at 6:50), and 4 x 6 miles easy. From now on easy miles should be run by feel, unless we go out of the 7:45-8:15 interval. Long runs should be at around 8:00 min/mile.

Time for reality check. After a rather disastrous tempo today, I have to settle that I can't run reliably faster than 6:50 tempos this season. Let's revise the goals for pre-plan. For the beginning, I will use the following McMillan paces:



The pre-plan MPWs are unchanged:

12/26: 40 miles (no long run)
01/02: 44 miles
01/09: 45 miles

The plan weeks will go as planned, but with the McMillan paces above. In an optimal case, I can still break 1:30, but the paces as of now are for an 1:31:20 HM.

Plan for week of Dec. 19.

44 miles total, including
13 miles long run, 7 miles tempo (4 fast at 6:49), and 4 x 6 miles easy. From now on easy miles should be run by feel, unless we go out of the 7:45-8:15 interval. Long runs should be at around 8:00 min/mile.

Fri, 40 F, cloudy, Rides.

Summary of my progress: Last week I completed 42 miles, and I'm now around 6:50/mile for my regular 4-mile tempos. My highly structured training plan starts on Jan. 16 (HM is on 04/28). My pre-plan goal was to reach 45 MPW and 6:45 tempo for at least 20 minutes. The former is definitely doable, but that 5 seconds per mile on tempos seems a bit harder...

The tempo fast pace was 6:49.3. On spot. I'm note sure I can keep pushing this time though very far. Though this may be just fine as a starting point for the HM training.

Tue: 47 F cloudy.

Monday run is in 50 F, sundown, in my Rides.

Plan for week of 12/12:
43 miles, including 13 miles of long run, 7 miles of tempo (fast portion at 6:50), 6+6+6+5 miles of easy runs at 8:06.

Very nice tempo run today in quite nasty (windy, cloudy, cold) weather. The fast 4 miles were at 6:50.2.

My training is falling apart again. It is hard to keep up, when it keeps raining outside. I had a mild knee ache, too, so I decided to skip the second half of last week, only completing ~20 miles.

Try to get back on track. Plan for week of 12/05:

Total of 42 miles, easy runs at or below 8:07, tempo is at 6:51, or whatever I am able to.

Long run is 13 miles. Tempo is total of 7 miles. Rest is 4 x 5.5 miles.

Thursday: 36 F, in Jazz.

Today I couldn't do any better than 6:55 on the tempo... That's 3 seconds/mile worse than I wanted, and a lot worse than 2 weeks ago.

Week of 11/28 plan:

41 miles total, including:

13 miles long run, 7 miles tempo (4 miles at 6:52), and 4 times 5.25 miles of easy (at 8:08).

Thu, 46 F, cloudy, Jazz.

Somehow I seem to be able to outdo myself every week on the tempo run. Today my fast 4 miles were at 6:46.7 / mile.

Week finished as planned, though the 13-mile long run on Sunday was harder than expected.

Plan for week of 11/14.

Total 39 miles, including 13 mile long run, 7 miles of tempo (4 fast), and 4 + 5 + 5 + 5 miles of easy run. The 4-miler will happen today. Easy miles at 8:10, tempo at 6:54. This should not only be doable, but in fact I achieved the whole set last week.

Today I ran my tempo and my fast 4 miles averaged at 6:51.3. Very nice pace indeed.

Mon: 65 F, partly cloudy, Ride.
Tue: 73 F, partly cloudy, Jazz.

Plan for week of 11/07.

38 miles total, including

13 miles long run
6 miles tempo (4 fast at 6:55)
5 + 5 + 5 + 4 miles easy at 8:11.