8.50m at Lost Creek (LSD)

8.5 miles @ 9.34 pace w/ avg HR of 156 (Zone 2, 80.1% of MHRR)

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No splits here again, but suffice to say we slowed down on some of the hills in the middle and screamed down LC on the way home with the last full mile at 8.83 pace, with the last half mile at sub 8mm pace.
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When we awoke early Saturday morning, I checked the weather channel and saw that the the current temp was 75 (decent) with humidity at 94% (very bad). We were out of milk so I subbed my normal cheerios breakfast with a PB&J/H instead. Had a cup of coffee and off we went around 7am.

It was a decent enough run, I managed to keep the pace in check but the gravel roads in H Forest were more rough than normal and we had a lot of difficulty "finding a line" through it. I was glad to be out of it and up on Broad River before coming down LC. We took watered-down Gatorade at about 4 miles (half) and finished it at around 5.5 miles. We experimented with adding about 1/3 can of Red Bull to it this time and though I could still taste it, it wasn't too bad.

Eventually I'm going to get us to where we don't take fluids until every 45 minutes, but right now it's so hot, that I'm doing it at the roughly halfway point.

Jen did very well in this run and even kept up with me in that tempo-ish final mile and a half that we did.

Wildlife count: 5 thumpers and 1 bambi

8.26m at Sandhills (LSD)

8.26m at 9.17 pace w/ Avg HR of 157 (Zone 2, 80.6% of max)

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Not gonna do splits on this long run but needless to say the last few miles were fast, with the last clocking in at 8.68 (HR - 164)
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This is the run where we leave the wife's mom's house, meander around the neighborhood a bit, and then hit up Sandhills and head back to the house. This is usually a hot and difficult course, in which we usually do poorly, but I'm not exactly sure why. The elevation profile is not that bad, maybe it's all the concrete running and the consequent heat.

Anyway, it wasn't as hot and wasn't as difficult this time, as this was the fastest and longest run of the pre-plan season. Jen did extremely well, even "pulling" me along for a bit around Sandhills. She's really made a lot of progress from the first time we ran this particular course (4/19/09) when we only did 5.23 miles. Each week has been a little longer, but this time we made big strides in pace.

It was sunny, so I wore my halo headband, white running hat, and shorts (no shirt). I was soaked afterwards and was really tired while trying to mow the lawn.

8.04m LSD Lost Creek & Harbison Forest

8.05 miles @ 9.42 pace w/ Avg HR of 148 (Zone 2 or 76% of Max)

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Not gonna do splits here, but the run started out solid at 9.30, slowed down on the hilly gravel section in the middle (9.88 & 9.83), then finished up fast down the long downhill of LC with the last mile clocking at 8.62.
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This was the exact same course as last saturday (7/4), but a tiny bit slower (9.42 vs 9.37) but with a better HR average (148 vs 151). The temp was about the same both days, but the humidity on this run was higher.

I again carried a 22oz bottle at the small of my back, but chose the shorter version this time and had no trouble at all with it. We did the half-strength Orange gatorade again.

I was most proud of the wife though because she responded to my challenge at the end to push that last mile and she hung on with me all the way until we cooled down for the final stretch.

Independance Day Long Run - 8.02 @ 9.37

8.02 miles at 9.37 pace w/ avg HR of 151 (Zone 2)

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Not going to do splits as they were all pretty even with the last mile being a little faster at 8.72/154
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Jen and I left around 715am in order to avoid the heat. Ran up Lost Creek, then veered off onto a gravel road into Harbison Forest in order to add some distance to the normal 7m out-and-back. This was my first run on this particular course. Wasn't bad. There was a lot of gravel so you had to pick your lines to avoid the really rough sections but I'd do it again. We didn't see a single person, but did spy 1 deer, and 3+ rabbits. No snakes though. There's another offshoot of the main gravel road that we chose that we can use to add on even more distance next time.

I carried watered down gatorade in a 22oz bike bottle which was a mistake. We didn't really need the water (unusally cool and dry for July 4th in SC) and the bottle was so tall that it rubbed my back. I solved the problem by moving my wrist band to cover it, but that fell off once.

Pace felt fine and we actually did a little more distance than planned (7.75). Stopped short of home and walked the remaining mile or so to cooldown.

6m LSD on LostCreek

6m at 8.61 w/ avg HR of 161

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8.70/136
8.80/166
8.92/164
8.38/166
8.38/168
8.50/168

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Okay, this run was more like it. Granted, it was in the morning (roughly 845am to 945am) so it was cooler, but I was also much more in control and running like I was while training for CBR. I kept my HR in range and slowed down when it was getting over 170. This resulted in a slowdown on the first half of the course (all uphill) and of course a speed-up on the back half. A little fast for a true LSD, but I'm not really "training" right now, so that's fine.

Ran for the first time with my new Ironman sunglasses I bought from Target the day before. They functioned very well (they have slats to prevent fogging - which worked) but I was constantly having to take them off to wipe my brow. I think the only way I'll be able to get by with these is when I'm wearing a headband, as it was just too annoying to constantly take them off. They'll definitely get use when I'm biking though.

5.23m LSD @ Sandhills

5.23 miles @ 9.61 pace w/ avg HR of 155

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1 - 9.77 @ 152

2 - 9.52 @ 156

3 - 9.87 @ 155

4 - 9.87 @ 155 (it's weird when they exactly repeat like that)

5 - 9.10 @ 155

.23 - 2.15 (9.35 pace) @ 160

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This was an LSD run with Jen after I finished mowing/landscaping her mother's lawn. We took it from her mom's driveway up to the Sandhills area loop and then back again. It was Jen's longest run since the baby was born. Worked out great because it was an LSD for me but more of an LT for her as she gets her pace back up. We're going to continue these long partner runs every weekend until Marathon training stars in mid-August. We'll slowly increase the distance until we're doing 8.5 miles in early August, then take a "taper" weekend at 7 before doing the first 8m run of the schedule. By that time, I'm hoping we'll be able to get Jen's speed up to around mine as it usually is.

7.55m on Lost Creek (LSD)

7.55 miles at 8.77 min pace w/ avg HR of 153

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I'm not going to break the mileage out on this one, but suffice to say it was nice and slow and steady for both pace and HR. I had to walk sections in order to keep my pace down as it was wanting to be in the 8.50 range as opposed to 8.92 or so.

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I had some shin splint issues (more on this in a later post) during this run that never went away even after I had warmed up.

Still, this was a good LSD run given that time and those HR numbers. I suppose I could have improved upon it by dropping the HR even further, but I was already walking long sections of it as it was. It also seemed like it hurt my shins more running that deliberate super-slow pace too.

Anyway, last LSD before the 10K.

10 miles at Riverfront - LSD

10 miles at 9.35 pace w/ avg HR of 154

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I'm not going to bother breaking out all 10 miles here. Basically, I started off really slow 10.22 min/miles and finished up fairly strong at right around 9 min/miles.

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That's pretty much what I wanted out of the run. I started out the first half by pushing D in the stroller with Ollie on the side. Then, after 5, I handed them off to Jen and ran the final 5 mile loop by myself.

Digression: It's funny the disparity with how people react to you when you're with dog or with child...you get all kinds of smiles and greetings when you're pushing a stroller...or especially if you have a dog...and even moreso with a "gadget" the way I have Ollie hooked up on the stroller. But when I'd pass the exact same people without kid or dog...they wouldn't even give so much as a sideways glance. Too funny.

Anyway, I purposely kept my HR in the 150's on this run and, incidentally, averaged the same HR as my 5 mile LSD back on 2/22, but with a little more speed.

This was a distance PR, btw. The longest run in my 10k training schedule and the farthest I expect to go until I potentially start marathon training in August.

Now begins the taper.

9.50m LSD on LostCreek and other neighborhoods

9.5 m at 8.92 pace w/ avg HR of 158

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1st mile in 8.37 @ 153

2nd mile in 9.10 @ 162

3rd mile in 8.92 @ 158

4th mile in 9.03 @ 161 - Trying to keep the HR low and in the 150's

5th mile in 9.10 @ 157

6th mile in 9.10 @ 156

7th mile in 9.03 @ 159

8th mile in 8.68 @ 155 - Downhill portion on LC

9th mile and remaining in 13.38 (8.92 pace) @ 163 - Remainder of LC and a lap at the clubhouse

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This was the LSD run in the week, and like yesterday, I had to fit it in between raining spells. Didn't work out too well as the latter half of of the run was in a steady rain. Like last week though, it actually invigorated me despite the mid 50ish temps and the fact I was only wearing a tank-top and shorts.

The course was Lost Creek, then one of the neighborhood, then a gravel road "shortcut" that included a creek-crossing and a loooong and steeeeep uphill, then the normal route home.

This was another distance PR, btw.

8.21 m on New Route (to parents' house) - LSD

8.21 m at 9.01 pace w/ avg HR of 161

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1st mile in 8.17 @ 152 - This was quite a bit faster than I had in mind, but in fairness, it was the first mile and it was mostly downhill.

2nd mile in 8.50 @ 167

3rd mile in 9.03 @ 161 - This is about where I wanted to be on this run.

4th mile in 9.03 @ 164 - More of the same.

5th mile in 9.03 @ 160 - Ditto

6th mile in 9.57 @ 162 - While not "bonking" per se, I'm starting to feel the effects of some unfamiliar hills and the long run from the day before. Pace is still fine, and I'm taking a few walk breaks when the HR spikes.

7th mile in 9.45 @ 163

8th mile in 9.40 @ 162

extra in 1.73 (8.24 pace) @ 160

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This was a new distance record for me. The route was pretty good and had some decent hills, I'd do this one again. Temp was in the low 40's and drizzling. It was actually raining on the first mile or so and I considered heading back as a long run in the cold rain was not exactly what I wanted. Good thing I stuck it out because the rain stopped altogether and that particular hour + block of time was the only non-raining period in the entire day.

5.09 @ Riverfront (EZ)

5.09 miles at Riverfront at 9.43 pace w/ avg HR of 154.

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1st mile in 9.75 @ 148

2nd mile in 9.63 @ 153

3rd mile in 9.40 @ 155

4th mile in 9.10 @ 157

5th mile in 9.33 @ 159

remaining .09 in 8.44 avg pace w/ 160 HR

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After my "LT" run on Saturday that left me a little drained, I wasn't really up for my normal speedwork session on Sunday. So, I just subbed in an LSD or recovery run instead. Atypically, I also ran on an almost completely flat course, but I was pushing my 50lb son in a jogging stroller the whole time to offset.

My goal was to run a very comfortable pace and just see how the pace/time worked out. Obviously, the stroller slowed me down some but I'm fine with that considering how low my HR stayed. I also felt great afterwards and did some strenuous yard work later in the day with no ill effects. This was a textbook (for me) recovery run.

5.01 miles at CH Trail/Road Mix (LSD)

5.01 miles at 8.95 pace @ avg HR of 162.

With this run, I was specifically focused on keeping my HR below 170. When I saw it exceed 170, I was committed to slowing to a walk for 5-10 seconds each time. This was fine most of the time, but the hills on this course are extreme (but short thankfully), and part of it HR-taxing (to me) trailwork, so I probably slowed to a walk 4-5 times overall.

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1st mile in 8.62 @ 157 - This was all road and was my warmup mile.

2nd mile in 8.50 @ 161 - This was mostly road, with some trail at the end.

3rd mile in 8.73 @ 161 - All trail (I think).

4th mile in 10.17 @ 165 - Mostly trail, with some hard hill sections where I walked some.

5th mile in 8.80 @ 167 - Back on the road.

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I don't think I do enough "easy" or "recovery" runs in my schedule so I was determined to keep my HR down in this run, but the speed didn't suffer too much, so I'm proud of that at least.

7.10 @ Lost Creek

7.10 miles in 8.48 pace w/ HR of 168.

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1st mile in 8.45 @ 150

2nd in 8.50 @ 171

3rd in 8.48 @ 169

4th in 8.32 @ 175

5th in 8.55 @ 172

6th in 8.55 @ 167

7th (and extra) in 9.38 (8.53 pace) @ 171

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This was a good solid LSD. Pace was consistent, the HR got up a little more than I'd like but this is a hilly course so that's expected. Temp was in the low 50's and I don't recall any wind factor.

6.79 @ Lost Creek

6.79m @ 8.42 pace w/ HR avg of 173.

1st mile in 8.38 @ 158 HR - Taking it easy here and haven't hit any hills yet so the HR is nice and low.

2nd mile in 8.50 @ 172 HR - This course has a steady uphill section in the second mile so the pace and HR suffered.

3rd mile in 8.43 @ 174 HR - Pace is steady and HR is steadily increasing, just like the elevation.

4th mile in 8.50 @ 177 HR - This was after the turnaround point. I'm pleased with the steady pace but wish the HR was lower.

5th mile in 8.38 @ 176 HR - Doing some downhills on this mile so the pace sped up but the HR remained steady (high).

6th mile in 8.27 @ 174 HR - Ditto for this mile.

Remainder in 6.80 @ 180 HR - Some steep uphills spiked my HR.

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This run was supposed to be an LSD but I pushed it a little too much I guess (a bad habit). I never felt that my breathing was any harder than "conversational" except for the very end so I don't know what happened with this. I ran basically the same course a week ago faster (8.25) w/ a lower HR (170). In the excuses department, I will blame it partly on the 3 cinnamon rolls I had about 45 minutes before starting. I'm usually a cheerios or PB&J guy for my pre-run meals but what can I say, my 9mo pregnant wife brought me cinnamon rolls in bed...how could I refuse?

Seriously, I need to take from this that I need to back off a bit on these LSD runs, more on this after my next entry.

6.5 LSD on Lost Creek

6.50 at 8.25 min/pace @ 170 avg HR

1st mile in 8.30 @ 156 HR - My first mile I was making a conscious effort to hold my pace down. Felt fine, even though it was chilly out and all I was wearing was a long-sleeved T and shorts with Bike shorts underneath.

2nd mile in 8.50 @ 172 HR - HR jumps a little here as I go through a series of uphills. Still felt fine.

3rd mile in 8.43 @ 171 HR - Pace and HR held steady as I approached the turn around spot.

4th mile in 8.20 @ 173 HR - I turned around at about 3.4 miles so roughly half of this mile was before and after. Still, this is a little faster than I'd like on an LSD.

5th mile in 7.90 @ 172 HR - This is aLOT faster than I should be doing an LSD but in fairness, most of this mile was downhill. HR is holding steady. I really should try to keep the pace down to around 8.50 so my HR could take a break.

6th mile in 8.15 @ 170 HR - Still going too fast, but being mostly downhill, my HR is coming down a little bit.

.50 mile in 4.23 @ 177 HR - Going uphill now, so pace and HR suffers.

This was a good run overall. I specifically remember that my breathing was nice and slow and "conversational" so I knew I wasn't working my heart all that much. It's a good sign that I can run this somewhat hilly course this fast without working too hard. At the end I really felt like I could turn around and do it over again, which would be a half-marathon. May have to try that sometime. :-D

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Tips - My new Mizunos were giving me a blister on the inside of my right foot right where the "ball" is, so I tried an extra layer of sock on that foot to alleviate. I just grabbed a worn "dress" (i.e. nylon) sock out of the hamper and put that on my right foot, then my running sock on top of that. That did the trick: no blister and not even a sign of sensitivity on that particular spot. But, the long run popped up a blister on my left foot so maybe I'll do the sock thing on both next time.

6 @ Lost Creek on 1/17/09

6 miles Saturday Morning on 1/17/09 at 8.50 pace w/ HR of 171

1st mile in 8.22 at HR of 162 - This was my easy warmup mile, mostly downhill, but it was cold out at right around freezing. I compensated by wearing a sleeveless performance shirt under a cotton long-sleeve Tee, spandex shorts under my running shorts, and running gloves. Didn't wear anything on my head though.

2nd mile in 8.85 at 173 - This mile is mostly uphill so slowing down is normal, that HR jump is a bit of a surprise though.

3rd mile in 8.73 at 173 - Another mostly uphill mile. At the end of this mile is the turnaround.

4th mile in 8.68 at 172 - Start of the turnaround. So far, I'm keeping my speed and HR pretty consistant.

5th mile in 8.08 at 170 - Sped way up on this mile as there was a good downhill section.

6th mile in 8.50 at 177 - Mostly uphill mile with lots of big jumps in elevation.

Overall a good solid LSD run. The cold didn't bother me one bit after the initial shock of it.

6.209 @ Lost Creek

Overall - 6.209 m at a 8.32 pace with avg HR of 159.

1st mile in 8.23 w/ HR of 105 (don't trust this figure). Felt fine. It was cold out (40ish) and I was still getting used to the temp at this point.

2nd mile in 8.62 w/ HR of 169. Still felt fine. The slight slow down was due to a steady climb for this entire mile.

3rd mile in 8.32 w/ HR of 168. Still felt fine here. The course levelled out some (even though it's still uphill) so I ran a little faster.

4th mile in 8.50 w/ HR of 170. I felt fine and most of this mile was after the turn around so it should have been mostly downhill so I don't really understand the slow down here. Maybe that 3 mile was not as level as I thought (read: it was actually mostly downhill)

5th mile in 7.97 w/ HR of 168. Obviously this was where the course really started downhill (equivalent to that 2nd mile above but back the other way). I didn't feel like I was running this fast at the time and obviously I wasn't working my heart much as this was the lowest HR since that questionable mark on the first mile.

6th mile in 8.27 w/ HR of 170. I'm pretty proud of this time because the last mile is pretty steeply uphill. I manaed to keep my speed up without drastically working my HR.

.209 in 1.75 w/ HR of 178. Obviously this was some steep hill work as judged by that super high HR.

Good solid LSD run.