So the week wasn't great, because I missed two days of running and thereby it was impossible to get to my mileage goal, but I had a decent VO2 max workout today. I ran 5 x 800 meters at around 2:55 each. Given that it was 81 F and insanely humid (right after lots of rain), I'll take it.

Yesterday I ran with my running body, Gerard, who made me work way too hard. Of course one of the problems was that I ran to his workplace (already 2.7 miles) in a very hot weather at around 100 degrees heat index (and sunny), then we ran 5 miles together, then I was supposed to run back to campus. So he was fresh when I already was at mile 3, and the heat was a major factor. After a while my body can't fight it off when it's that hot. I had to walk the last mile back. Given this just some 30 hours before my workout, it's even better.

Tempo went surprisingly well. It was fairly cool, 78 F, and cloudy, so quite ideal circumstances, and I ran in Seneca Park, a good course. Fast splits were 6:23, 6:36, 6:33, 6:23, and for an average of 6:28.85. Still slower than in my peak, but much better than recently. I guess it does matter that my weight came down nicely below 150 lbs. I don't need to lose any more. I need more VO2 max and LT training. My base seems solid. I need 8.63 easy miles tomorrow with some strides to get to 62 this week.

Next week:
Total: 66 miles.
VO2 max: 5 x 800 meters.
Long runs: 15 and 10 miles.
Daily average is 10.25 miles for non-long runs. That is so much that it will probably be easier to throw in a 5-miler on my rest day and run only 9/day on the remaining days.

Today I'm planning a 4 mile tempo. Probably post later about how it went. Probably not well... :)

My training is OK, but I do miss a bunch of runs, so not ideal. I'm too busy to even post usually. No. 1 priority is to run, then come all the other stuff, like posting.

Sunday, Monday: long runs in Saucony.
Tuesday: 9-miler in Inov-8.
Wednesday: Saucony again.

Plan for this week: real simple: one 13-miler and the rest is all 9 miles for the total of 58 miles. The nature of the 9-milers is different: one long run (that means not a double and of at least somewhat decent pace), one tempo consisting of 2 x 2.5 miles fast (ouch!); the rest is arbitrary. In fact I'll probably do an easy 4 today in preparation of tomorrow's hard tempo, and I'll take no rest days. With only 4 today, and, say, 5 on Saturday, my body should be sufficiently rested for next week.

I know the miles don't add up from my plan... Anyway, I meant there was also a rest day. Which I had on Tuesday.

Tempo yesterday went better than expected. I ran it after sundown, so it was a bit warm, I was a bit unfocused, overworked, and after dinner. Surprisingly, I still did better than last time. Splits were 6:39, 6:39, and then after one mile of easy (7:47), 6:35, 6:32. It does seem like that my cool weather, ideal circumstances LT max is about 6:30. That corresponds to ~1:27 HM, which is not terrible at this stage with no specific LT training. I'm going to have to take the workouts seriously if I want anything better in October.

Week of 7/13 could hardly be worse than it was... I didn't realize originally that I was flying over the Atlantic back to the USA this week, and this did wreck havoc on training. The time it takes, the jet lag, the different climate, the stress: all take its toll.

My total mileage was only 11.59 for the week, and I just can't seem to run fast. I attempted a tempo on Saturday after only running one 4-miler during the week, and I failed pretty badly. It was supposed to be 2 x 2 miles at LT. The first interval was OK with 6:22, 6:32, but the second one was 6:49, 6:50. It wasn't even too warm. I have no excuse. Maybe I should rethink my goals.

But first, I'll attempt to do another tempo on Wednesday. I'll try to do this 2 x 2 miles again. If I can't even maintain 6:30 pace for that, I'm in big trouble. I won't be able to get even close to my PR then.

Plan for week of 7/20:
Week -13: total of 54 miles.
Sunday: 13 miles easy in the evening. Probably go to some nice place like Floyd Forks.
Monday, Tuesday: 8 miles easy in doubles. Start to get up at 6am.
Wednesday: 9 miles LT: 2 mi warmup, 2 miles fast, 1 mile recovery, 2 miles fast, 2 miles cooldown.
Thursday, Friday: 8 miles easy in doubles. Thursday 2nd run with the group.
Saturday: Group trail run fartlek with 5 x 3:00 at VO2 max. Round it up to 8 miles.

Finding the Northeast Passage

This one is between Felsőörs, Hungary, and Szentkirályszabadja without going through Balatonalmádi. I've spend several days now trying to find a route through the woods, and yesterday I finally succeeded. But the result was much like the real life Northeast Passage - it exists, it is theoretically passable, but it is hardly practical...

In any case, I am 49 miles for this somewhat hectic week, and I have a day left. I ran no tempos unfortunately, but it's OK at this stage of training.

57 miles last week is finished! Considering that I'm not in my regular environment, not even on my regular continent, this is great. Especially that my tempo was decent: with fairly even pace I managed to do 6:30/mile for my 2 x 1.5 miles of tempo. The only blemish is that due to technical reasons I took a lot of recovery (2.5 miles) between the intervals.

Week of June 29th (starting today):
Total: 58 miles.
Long runs: 14 and 11 miles.
LT: 2 x 2 miles at threshold, 8.25 miles for the day.
Easy runs: 3 x 8.25 miles.

It won't be easy, especially because one day is basically out (Wednesday).

The June 8th week had a few mishaps. First, my tempo was lousy. I ran the first block of 1.5 miles fine, but I died after 1/2 mile in the second block. It was a bit warm and I just ran around the block for technical reasons, or I'm just in bad shape. In any case. I gave all I had, but I still couldn't maintain a 6:30 pace, not even for twice 1.5 miles.

Then I was flying across the Atlantic on Thursday, arriving on Friday, and I got sick with a stomach bug, and I had fever on Saturday. I didn't run for several days, so I finished the week slightly short (some 47 miles), and I resumed training carefully in the second half of the June 15th week finishing that week with only about half of the required mileage, and no long run.

I'm trying to resume normal training this week. I already ran 14 miles yesterday. Here is the week's program.

Total: 57 miles.
Long runs: 14 miles and 11 miles.
LT: 2 x 1.5 miles of LT intervals, total of 8 miles. Try 6:30 again.
Easy: 8 miles each.

Finished the 52 mile week with a bit of extra (maybe 1 extra mile), because I miscalculated the mileage and didn't want to run less than 25 minutes today. (I read it somewhere that it is not worth it to train less than 25 minutes.)

Next week (theoretically):
Total: 54 miles.
Long runs: 13 and 11.
Tempo: 2 x 1.5 miles LT intervals. Add a half mile easy jogging in the middle and some warmup and cooldown to reach 7.5 miles.
Easy runs: 3 x 7.5 miles.

That's right folks. We're starting hard work. I'll try to do my LT intervals at 6:30/mile. It really shouldn't be a problem. But I haven't done workouts for ever, so we'll see.

Finished my 50 miles Saturday night. My running buddy, Jim, was running 24 hours to raise money for autism treatment of children, and I joined him for two laps. I don't count those, because they are too slow, but I got in 5 miles between two of his laps in the middle of the night. If I count slow miles, I ran 16+, so I felt a bit beaten up today, and I took a rest day.

Next week (6 days left):
52 miles.
Long runs 13 and 10 miles.
Easy runs: 4 x 7.25 miles.
Speed: 8 x 100 meters strides.

Potential tune-up races:

4 weeks out, 09/27: There are a few possibilities, Coach Hathaway's Running South 10K seems to stand out. Unfortunately it's in Indianapolis, but otherwise it seems like a nice race.

2 weeks out, 10/11: Spotlight on Nursing 10K, Indianapolis (again).
It seems that the 10K is a serious event, so no winning of this one :) but it seems to be very well run.

Of course Indianapolis races are flat - another disadvantage - but not a huge deal.

A bit of a reason to be optimistic: 7 miles easy on Sunday and without effort I ran sub-7:30 miles. I tried to slow down, but the run felt very easy, almost effortless. The weather was nice and cool.

Then on Monday (Memorial Day) in hot weather (88 F), I ran 12 miles with trail and hills in Seneca park - the overall pace is meaningless, but I was strong at the end and finished with sub-7:30 splits. Also, this was my 8th day of running in a row.

Week of 5/25: 50 miles total. First time since last summer.

Long runs: 12 and 10 miles.
Easy runs: 4 x 7 miles.

I plan to run 7 easy today, and be ready for the long tomorrow.

10.6 miles today in 1:18:44. A bit speedy, but I ran without my Garmin (battery is behaving funny), so I didn't know I was so fast. I ran across the Ohio to Indiana though the newly open Big Four Bridge.

5.67 miles today with striders in the middle. It was again quite hard, because it was freaking 85 F. Ran in Altras. I'm now almost two miles behind my week's schedule.

Plan for October 25. I'm changing to Sunday based weeks, because the race is on a Saturday.

Base building:
Week -8, 05/18, 49 miles
Week -7, 05/25, 50 miles
Week -6, 06/01, 52 miles
Week -5, 06/08, 54 miles
Week -4, 06/15, 56 miles
Week -3, 06/22, 57 miles
Week -2, 06/29, 58 miles
Week -1, 07/06, 60 miles

Race training:
Week -14, 07/13, 50 miles
Week -13, 07/20, 54 miles
Week -12, 07/27, 58 miles
Week -11, 08/03, 58 miles
Week -10, 08/10, 62 miles
Week -09, 08/17, 66 miles
Week -08, 08/24, 62 miles
Week -07, 08/31, 68 miles
Week -06, 09/07, 72 miles
Week -05, 09/14, 70 miles
Week -04, 09/21, 62 miles
Week -03, 09/28, 64 miles
Week -02, 10/05, 60 miles
Week -01, 10/12, 54 miles
Race week, 10/19, 44 miles

I ran the Iroquois circle today with the full horse trail. It was 80 F and I had tired legs, so it was pretty hard, but not as hard as last time. My time was 1:30:18 - I didn't wear a Garmin so I'll have to guesstimate the mileage.

It seems like this will work. I ran 47 miles this week, and I'm quite satisfied with how I feel. Rest day is Sunday.

Next week is Week -8 of base training. Total of 49 miles with 12 and 9-mile long runs. That leaves 28 miles for 4 runs; 7 miles each. We can probably start with the 12-miler on Monday, unless I break my back building the brick walkway to the garage this weekend.