12 miler

I got in 12 miler like planned today. Ran it with Rick, Leonard and Jim ran first 9 with us. It was real humid out and going out the first 4 miles too fast hurt me the last mile or so. Just glad I got it in. The humidity was a killer.

The next week's plan is to do some intervals on Wednesday, with a 8 miler on Sunday and a easy run on Tuesday and Saturday. Being off Friday and the Canfield 4 miler is Friday morning. Rick wants to run it, I wont be close to him but might go run it to see what I can do. We did decide to do an "easier" interval workout Wednesday so we will be recovered for it. The following Sunday we plan to do 14, hopefully it wont be has humid. Or we might have to start going earlier.

Sharpsville 5K

Wednsday evening I went and ran the Sharpsville 5K. Its my 5th time running, havent missed it since I started running. So I didnt want to ruin the streak. I know theres a few of them but I hate to miss one. There used to be a festival with it but the festival got cancelled last year but they kept the race. I seem to like mid week races. My buddy Rick showed up and we did a warm up mile. It was warm enough that it wasnt going to take much to warm up. The weather report had me thinking we might get a storm but it was clear and sunny.
We got started about a 100 of us. I was using this and a few other mid week races this summer has part of my speed training for Akron Marathon. I thought I went out a little too fast, 7:53 at what I thought was mile 1. I didn't fall off too much, the course was a perfect out and back and I was at 12:17 at the half. I was dying but I tryed to keep close to that pace. But the way back wasn't has good. Not really an uphill but an enough upgrade to make you hate it. Hit mile 2 at 8:10. I passed a bar but no one had set up a beer stop. Then a funeral home, which at this point might of been needed. When did 3 miles get so tough?
I came around the last turn and you can see the finish line. Nothing like a finish line to rivive you. I passed 2 other runners and finished in 25:03. Im happy with the time, the best I had run a 5K in a year and a half. Well back to my plan of casual marathon training.

Casual marathon training

I really dont feel like im in "marathon training". I not sure how to explain but since im basing this training on 2 big workouts a week. I have been doing them. First is a speed training session on Wednesdays. Either hills, intervals(including yasso's0, possibly tempo runs and races. I have 3 5K races lined up on Wednesdays during this training plan.
The other important day is Sunday. It's my long run day, maybe the most important day of the plan. I got my long run plan made out and feel it should build up me up just right. The rest of the week I want 2 days of rest or cross training and 2 or 3 days of easy runs. This week I had 21.6 miles. Before it would of bothered me but I ran what I had planned on Sunday, 8 miles and did my hill run on wednesday. My mileage is a little lacking but I think earlier this year while training for Cleveland marathon it would of really bothered me.
Next week I plan to do the Sharpsville 5K on wednesday. I look at it has a crowded tempo run. That way if I dont run a great time I can call it a training race. Then Sunday I plan to run 12 miles. I think my shin is doing better so hopefully not pushing the days and mileage and concentrating on a couple runs a week might be better for me.

Ladder Intervals

Wednesday did a real tough work out. Me and Rick went to the track and ran a ladder interval workout. We went up and down the ladder, doing a 400. 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800 and a 400. I started out too fast. I was almost 20 seconds slower on way back down. Real tough work out. I think I started out too fast cause I couldnt held close enough. Its the first week of training for Akron marathon. Im hoping things, mostly my shin splint gets better. After yesterdays run I realized im not in has good shape I thought I was.

Akron Marathon Training

My training plan for the Akron Marathon is starting today. I am going to use a plan that more closely resembles the plan I used for Cleveland in '07. Simply put my plan is:
* Mondays and Fridays will be rest days. Fridays is my golf day so that will be easy to use has a rest day (except I might race on the fourth of July). Mondays are after my long run so that fits. If I feel I need it I will take a third rest day.
* Long runs will be Sundays. I plan to start at 10 (maybe 12) miles and move up 2 miles every other week. The in between week run a 8 to 12 miler.
* Speedwork once a week on either Wednesday or Thursday. It will be a combination of hillwork, intervals and certain races I picked out.
* I plan to run 2 or 3 easy runs a week, 4 to 7 miles. They will be on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

I still think you need lots of miles, but I realize I need a day or 3 of rest each week. So going with a more conservative approach mileage wise. Being carefull not to jump up too fast this time around. At least thats the plan right now. I didnt get hurt last year going into Cleveland. This year I got the shin splint that still wont go away completely. But seems to be real close. Even though I am just coming off I a marathon I think taking has much time has I did because of the shin splint I think I lost some of the speed and endurance I had. So will train like im starting from stratch. I probably could take a maintenance attitude and still finish. But I would like to improve on my time, finish in better shape after it with no or less severe calf cramps.
Also since I know this is supposed to be a hilly course I plan to do more hill work in training and not have has high of goals in marathon, but train like I do.

IHMF 5k

Last night I went to the Immaculate Heart of Mary 5k fun run. Even says fun run on the Tshirt. I took my niece with me, she plans to run cross country this year and needs some races. Shes actually real small for age but still could get better unless she has the same speed genes her uncle has. We got there and got signed up. I decided to run it all with my niece, that way it would definitely be a fun run, someone gave me this advice since im still having some lower leg problems, must of been baggins or Billp or Flyguy or ME or MickeyD or secretgarden or Jeanbean or bamarunner, not sure I cannt remember. Any ways I did about a mile warm up, didnt take much since it was about 85 degrees out. I stretched out some then time to start. We lined up towards the back. Then made the classic mistake of going out too hard. 3 miles is still a big distance for her. She needs more endurance, I dont think she runs regularly but I dont think thats uncommon for a 14 year old. We hit mile one at 8:52. She started to slow down. Mile 2 was 10:02. She seemed to lose it in the heat. She wasn't liking my motivational techniques, unfortunately I didnt have a horse whip to keep her moving. I could tell she was sandbagging, at the end she sprinted at the finish. She waited till there was 30 or 40 yards left and took off. She out sprinted me to the finishline, we finished in 33:30. She got third for her age group. Then we ate at the festival, a great garlic bread bowl with cavatelli and meatball. And people run to lose weight????

I ran on Monday again

I usually use Monday has a rest day. But this was second Monday in a row I ran. Last week made an exception because it was Memorial day. This week it was just too nice out to not run. Theres rain in the forecast for the next few days so if they become thunderstorms I will be covered. I am feeling better, leg is feeling stronger, almost healed up. I guess I should of taken more days off to rest it the week after the marathon but cannt change that now. 8 miles yesterday, 4 today so maybe today should of been a rest day. Instead of taking off to fast with the club.

May

May wasnt my best month of running. I still dont think im totally healed from the marathon. But todays run was much better, not much pain. Keeping fingers crossed it keeps improving. Would hate to miss the summer races planned.