Reflecting on Goals

While cleaning up around the house tonight I found the Runner's World magazine that I read while on a plane to the Dominican Republic for my New Years vacation last year.  On the cover of that, I wrote down some 2012 accomplishments and 2013 goals.  It's very interesting to look back and see that 2012 was full of personal records just as 2013 has been.  I see a trend here.........and I like it!  In 2012, I set new PRs in the 5K, Half-Marathon, and Marathon. Two of which I updated this year (didn't attempt a half-marathon).  I look back on those times and recall how happy I was with that success and how eager I was to continue to work hard and find out how much improvement is left in this body. It is almost time to start thinking about goals for 2014, but, there's still a month left in 2013 for some hard work and hopefully improvement.   

I skipped writing about my training last week because things got a bit crazy with another high mileage week and work related deadlines.  The end of the year is coming and you'd think that the sky is falling.  Just so you know, it ain't fallin'!  That said, let's start with last Saturday's 'long run'.  

Saturday

This is the run that I like to treat as a race.  The training plan calls for 15 miles and my goal is to get to marathon pace, or better.  So, why not race?  The Viva La Diva 10 miler was this day and I recall Jackson Miller, Kevin Christian and Courtney Terrell running this race last year as a training run.  By golly, if you can run this course at or better than your goal marathon pace, you can run a marathon even faster. Lower your goal pace buddy!  Holy crap!  10 miles up, down, up, down and up more.  2.5 mile warm-up followed by 10 miles of hills into the wind.  3rd place overall, 2nd overall male, 1:10:31 for a 7:03 pace.  I'll take it.  Notice, no 2.5 mile cool down to get to 15 for the day.  It was cold enough and that race freaking hurt!

Sunday

The weather on this day just plain stunk.  I was a bit banged up from racing the day before and only really needed 8 miles of running.  I decided that I'd stay indoors and mix up my training with an hour on the bike.  Good call.  The knees and hips needed this one.

Monday

Start of the last high mileage training week of the year.  2 Mi. WU, 7 x 1 Mi., 1 Mi. CD.  Wasn't able to get this in at lunch when I wanted because of a dentist appointment.  Got to the track after 4:00 p.m. and knew I was going to finish in the dark.  Had my headlamp ready.  Temps started dropping as dark came and this workout got tougher with each progressive mile.  I did learn that I'm capable of pacing myself pretty well without being able to see my watch.  

Tuesday

Another day of running in the dark.  I really hate training this time of year!  10 miles in and around, and around, and around my neighborhood.  Ugh.  Took it pretty easy, but really just wanted this one over with as quick as I could.  

Wednesday

I had a little time in the schedule and the temps cooperated.  I had to escape the office. Ahhhh!  What is that in the sky?  Oh, it IS the sun!!!  55 Degrees and 10 miles later I'm eating lunch at my desk.  Hate doing that, but it was so worth it on this day!!!

Thursday

Another good weather day.  64 degrees for a nice and easy 6 miles.  Typically, Thursday is an 'off day', but in my highest mileage weeks, these miles are for volume only.  I try to work on different things as I work through these miles.  Stride length, foot fall, lowering my hands and running relaxed.  

Friday

Cold air is starting to move in again and by Sunday it will barely reach the freezing mark for the high.  11 miles today at 7:30 pace.  Friday runs are supposed to be faster and hopefully as fast as marathon pace, but in a high mileage week, this is very good for me.  Nice confidence builder.

Saturday

The last really long training run of the year.  22'ish miles and the goal is to be done in less than 3 hours.  That brings me in at about 8:00 per mile.  Not trying to set land speed records, but not trying to slack off either.  This is a comfortable pace that I know I can hold for a good while.  Temp was 35 at 6 a.m. when we started and the first day I've broken out the running tights.  Have I mentioned that I hate training this time of year???  Daniel, Katie, Chris and I went out together and at about mile 5 ran into Jackson, Ashley Evans and Emily Mack.  Of course, they were getting after it a bit faster than we were and rather than slowing down for us, we sped up for them.  Even at this :30 per mile faster pace, I felt very comfortable and that I could hold it all day.  It was good to catch up with each of them even if for just a couple of miles.  This turned out to be a really, really good run.  Chris decided in the last 3 or 4 miles to push the pace.  While Katie and I didn't exactly keep up, we stayed on the gas pedal and brought this thing home.  21.6 miles at 2:53.  I'll take it!

Sunday

After laying on the couch most all day Saturday and sleeping late on Sunday, I needed to get moving. It wasn't going to warm up at all today so let's go. Sort of like taking a band-aid off, the quicker you do it, the less it hurts.  33 degrees when I started and 11 miles at 8:15 pace.  The first 10 of these miles sucked, each one progressively worse.  As I passed the 10 mile mark, I remembered that I was closing in on 80 for the week.  This last one might have been the easiest, most enjoyable mile of the week. 

Grand total of 80.04 miles for the week and a boost of confidence after finishing the week in some tough weather conditions.  I told a friend that's a new runner that the distance makes you physically stronger, but the elements make you mentally stronger.  I may have gotten a bit stronger mentally this week.  Maybe the time off my feet the previous Sunday helped, but I didn't feel like I'd been run over by a Mack Truck yesterday when I wrapped things up.  My favorite time of the training cycle is here....Taper Time <insert sarcasm here>.  Less than 3 weeks till we blast off in Rocket City.