3 Weeks Down, Race #1 Done

Today I ran my first race of 2013 this week, but more on that later. The Stew Chase was a race, but the training this week is what matters.

Here are the details from this week:

1/28/13 – 2/03/13: 6 Runs, 0 Injurys, 1 Missed Workout, 1 Scheduled Rest Days, 55.34 Miles, 6:28:15.

1 New PR.

Monday: 15.32 miles in 1:50:35. After how frustrating work was on Sunday it felt really good to get in a long workout. We had an ice storm come through Saratoga Springs so I couldn’t run outside. This was the first time I’ve ever used a treadmill for a long run. Talk about boring. I had the incline set to 0.5 to try to mimic running outside but it still felt like I was running down-hill. I always have a hard time trusting that the distance, speed and level are all accurate on these things. I’m just glad that after my workout, I learned that the Hilton has an agreement with the local Y which has an indoor track so that my Tuesday track workout didn’t need to be on the treadmill.

Tuesday: Saratoga Springs YMCA Track (workout provided by Coach Toomey). 6x 1000m at target pace 3:25 with 2:30 rest. Actual: 2 mile warm-up in 15:28. 2x 200m strides: 39, 42 with 60sec rest. 6x 1000m: 3:31, 3:23, 3:26, 3:24, 3:26, 3:30 with 2:30 rest. 2 mile cool-down in 15:02. Almost killed a kid who thought it was a good idea to step into lane 1 without looking 5m in front of me 600m into my last 1000. I guess I learned that my breaks are working.

Wednesday: 9.34 miles in 1:05:00. MP workout on the Saratoga Springs Hilton Treadmill. 2 mile warm-up, 5 miles at MP, 2.34 mile cool-down.

Thursday: 3.88 miles in 0:30:00 shake out from the MP run. I was supposed to do hills in the evening but my meeting was rescheduled for the end of the day and after that and the drive back to Arlington it was too late to get the workout in.

Friday: Rest day to get ready for the Stew Chase. I needed this even after missing the hill workout. Long, track and MP on consecutive days got to me.

Saturday: 5 miles in 38:56 with Erica at the Porter City Sports Run Club. We were both looking to run 8s and stayed on target until the Charles where we picked it up just a bit. Mary from Mizuno brought the Evo Cursoris for us to try out. My god…I have never tried on a more comfortable running shoe. The Cursoris turned out to be a bit too wide in the toe box for me, but if you have a wide forefoot this might be a good shoe for you. Mary recommended trying the Levitas which has a slightly narrower toe box. Maybe I’ll review that one next when I finish up with the Adios.

Sunday: The Great Stew Chase 15k. ~2 mile warm up in 15:06, 15km Stew Chase in 56:42, ~2.5 mile cool down in Lynn Woods with Mike in 19:25. I wanted to be down around 56:00 for the 15k, but I’ll take the PR at 1 sec/mile faster than my current 10km PR. I went out easy with Mike (GLRR) over the first 2 miles and then picked up the pace to catch up Mike (Wicked) by mile 3. I ran with Mike through the hill and to mile 7 where I picked it up again to try to catch a CMS runner. I passed him and finished in 7^th. Shout-outs to Jim Pawlicki (54:27) in 3^rd, Mike Paulin (57:10), Mike Girouard (57:57), Billy Jackson (1:00:28), Tara Paulin (1:02:13) 3^rd Woman, Tim Short (1:02:41), Suzanne Chaves (1:04:20) 6^th Woman, Aaron Toleos (1:05:53), Dean Malerba (1:08:59), Jay Curry (1:10:41), Pat Smith (1:10:47), Holly Fitzgerald (1:11:49), Meghan Toomey (1:14:55), Angel Green (1:30:00, also congrats to Angel on her new 5k PR this week!), who all also ran the Stew Chase! My apologies to anyone who I missed in the results: http://www.coolrunning.com/results/13/ma/Feb3_39thAn_set1.shtml

Up in Lowell, props to Chris Soucy (17:27) and EJ Hrynowski (17:53, 2^nd in AG) at the Super 5k!

I tapered a bit Thursday-Saturday to get ready for the Stew Chase but back to the “grind” tomorrow.

3 week down and 14 weeks left until Providence!

May your training miles be ever hilly and may all your races have free beer!