4.50m at the Treadmill (repeats)

4.50m @ 8.61 pace w/ Avg HR of 153 (Zone 2 or 78.2% of max)

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9.53/154
7.53/164 - Repeat interval of 1m @ 7.5 pace
8.50/158 - First half was recovery (9.5), second half was first half of next interval (7.5)
8.43/158 - First half was interval, with the last quarter mile increasing in speed up to 7.25, 2nd half was recovery
4.74/152 (9.48 pace) - Recovery

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This was the 2nd highest HR Efficiency number that I've ever recorded (3/30/09 was top).

Interesting that the HR numbers never really climbed, even though I pushed that 2nd interval some at the end. I've sort of wondered about these treadmill workouts being too easy, and even if the 'mills themselves are calibrated properly. My best runs from an "HR efficiency" perspective have all been treadmill runs. There's something to be said for being indoors in a climate controlled area and having the machine set the pace for you...and I've always found running on a treadmill "easier" than outside.

Still, I think I'll try to rotate around to different ones and see if I notice any difficulty changes.

5.90m around CH (free run)

5.9m @ 9.54 pace w/ avg HR of 161 (Zone 3 or 82.5% of max)

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9.25/145
9.58/152
10.22/159 - Spent time here dropping ollie off at the house, he was spent.
9.48/165
9.43/170
8.35/176 (9.28 pace)
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I probably could've run this faster but was very conscious of my pace and HR and didn't want either to spike.

This was just a free run where I did whatever and even took the pooch along with me. He was done at the end of the 2nd mile and I managed to get him dunked at the lake and then home by 2.5. Ran the rest just meandering around the hilly neighborhood and the heat and bright sunshine just took it all out of me. It was only around 10am when I started but it was already that bad.

For comparison sake, the 8mile run I did the day before was at about the same pace but a full 13bpm lower.

Was looking forward to joining the fam at the pool afterwards but the wife caught up to me and told me they didn't open for kids until noon. The kiddie pool in the backyard was not as good, but would have to do.

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.

6m Tempo @ 8.39 Pace on LM Dam

6miles at 8.39 pace w/ avg HR of 167 (Zone 3)

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8.67/151
8.42/165
8.25/166
8.22/172
7.97/176
8.78/174
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I got up early and took the girl to daycare as soon as they opened and was at the dam by 650am, ran toward Lexington for 1 mile in order to add 2 miles to the normal dam 4 total. Unlike the dam, there were some rolling hills on this first section and it took a while for my legs to respond. They were a little stiff and flopping a little I thought. At this point I had worried about whether I had locked my truck and with reported break-ins in the area I thought I might stop and check on the way back. Decided against it when I got there though.

By the time I was on the dam I was in a groove and at that point where I was hurting just a little but knew it was just right for a Tempo run. The 5th mile was at/near my 10k pace so that was encouraging.

I really aimed for a 1/4/1 here with clear warmup and cool down miles. Could've done a little better I guess, but at least there's clear demarcation between the WU/CD and the tempo work.

Temp was about 70 and I was okay with my running tank and no hat/sunglasses. Shirt was soaked at the end and I didn't cool down fully until an hour later at my desk.

4.22 @ 8.44 @ TSFG (hill workout)

4.22 miles at 8.44 pace w/ avg HR of 167 (zone 3)

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8.23/154
8.40/160
8.45/177
8.63/176
1.92/177 (8.73 pace)
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When I went to get my gym bag from my truck, it was overcast out and the temp didn't feel too bad so I decided to avoid the dreadmill and do a hill workout outside instead. You really can't do anything BUT a hill workout near my work so that's my only option.

I hammered out the hills pretty well, but the course is an out and back with the out downhill and the back just the opposite. You can see that uphill hit on my 3rd split above with that crazy spike in HR. I was proud that I was able to at least hold onto my pace though.

As usual, I started out this run too fast but it's hard to do when flying down a series of long downhills. Temp was about 77 and I was okay with a running tee shirt and no hat/sunglasses.

6m at 8.89 pace @ Harbison Forest

6 miles at 8.89 pace w/ avg HR of 169 (Zone 3) on half road and half trail.

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8.03/153
8.40/167 (entered the trail at the 1.5 marker)
8.65/170 (all trail)
10.28/170 (took some walk breaks so my HR wouldn't get out of hand)
9.42/174 (a few more walk breaks)
8.58/178 (all road downhill back home)
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This was a mid-morning run (around 930am) so it was starting to heat/steam up outside so I opted for a trail run, sacrificing pace for hopefully some cooler conditions. I started out way too fast though and paid for it on the trails. I had to take a few walk breaks as the steep trail hills were killing my HR (was hoping to stay in zone 3). I sweat a lot and it took me a long time to cool down at home while I watched the Roddick/Federer wimbledon final.

I don't think I saw a single other person on the trail on this run, which is rare on the weekend.

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.