More Intense Training

Training for a 5k is harder than training for a marathon!  That's my opinion because there's more speed work I need to do with more intensity. I decided to run a double on one day this week and did well.  I incorporated some speed workouts (progression runs) along with a hill workout session on the treadmill.

6/20 - John A. Phillips Park (JAPP) - Progression Run. Ran 5.0 miles in 32:48 (6:33 pace). Splits = 6:59, 6:41, 6:28, 6:25, 6:11, 4:50.
Weather: 78/78/47%, SSW7, Partly Cloudy.
Weight After Run = 140.
Shoes: Nike LunarGlide +2 (orange).

6/22 - JAPP - Steady 1-Hour Run. Ran 8.88 miles in 1:00:24 (6:48 pace).
Weather: 69/69/81%, SSE8, Mostly Cloudy.
Weight After Run = 140.
Shoes: Saucony Kinvara (red).

6/24 - A.M. - JAPP - Progression Run. Ran 5.50 miles in 38:00 (6:54 pace). Splits = 7:23, 7:13, 7:04, 6:58, 6:18, 6:03.
Weather:
Weight After Run = 142.
Shoes: Nike LunarGlide+2 (orange).

6/24 - P.M. Marlboro Retro Fitness - 6's & 7's. Ran 5 x 6's & 7's at marathon pace with 0% recovery at 10:00 pace. Followed that with a 3-mile progression run topping off at 5:00 pace for last 1/10th of a mile. Felt great! Total Miles = 7.68 in 1:00:00 (7:46 pace).
Weather: Indoors
Weight After Run = 140.
Shoes: Saucony Kinvara (red).

6/26 - JAPP - Hard Progression Run. Ran 5.5 miles in 35:24 (6:26 pace). Splits = 6:49, 6:39, 6:30, 6:20, 6:04, 5:58.
Weather: 76/76/57%, WSW6, Mostly Cloudy.
Weight After Run = 142.
Shoes: Nike LunarGlide+2 (orange).

TOTAL MILEAGE = 32.56

5k Racing is Hard!

Yes it is!  I feel that racing a 5k is harder than running a marathon! It's more intense, it requires more speed and there's no room for error.  Go out too fast and your run out of gas in the end.  You start out too slow, it'll be too late to cover ground. It's very tactical!

6/14 - RVRR 5k Cross Country Summer Series Race #1 - 1.5 mile warm-up with strides, 5k race, 2.6 mile cool down. Total Mileage = 7.2. 5k Splits = 6:15, 6:05, 6:15, 5:18.
Weather: 63/63/78%, NE6, Cloudy.
Weight After Run = 141
Shoes: Saucony Kinvara (red)

6/17 - John A. Philipps Park - Progression Run. Set Garmin to "off" for Auto-Lap.  I wanted to run without being a slave to pace per mile.  Ran a successful progression run without the sound of the beep at every mile.  Ran 6.2 miles in 40:51 (splits = 7:17, 6:44, 6:31, 6:29, 6:24, 6:11, 5:55).
Weather: 68/68/90%, SSW4, Coudy.
Weight After Run = 140.
Shoes: Nike LunarGlide+2 (orange).

TOTAL MILEAGE = 13.4

RVRR Summer Series 5k CC

Raritan Valley Road Runners 5k Cross Country Summer Series Race #1 - First cross country race since I was a senior in high school!  It's a 2-loop race in Buccleuch Park in New Brunswick.  It's relatively flat for mostof the course except for a hill that we hit at around the 0.6 mile marker and again at the 2.1 mile marker. The second time around is the most challenging.  Overall, it was great to run a fast, cross country race considering it's been almost 30 years since my last cross country race!  Won the Master's Division (40-44) and placed 7th out of 125 with a time of 19:30 (6:16 pace).

5k Build Up

6/07 - Buccleuch Park, New Brunswick - RVRR Guess Your Time Run. Met with the RVRR to run the Summer Series 5k course. We would guess our time without our watches, which we had to take off! I guessed 19:00 with this unknown and more challenging course than the Memorial Day 5k. After a warm-up, I completed the course in 19:15 and came in 3rd closest in estimated our time. Total Mileage with warm-up and cool down = 8.16.
Weather:  82/82/49%; WSW10; PCldy
Weight After Run = 140
Shoes: Saucony Kinvara (red)

6/08 - John A. Phillips Park (JAPP) - Easy 10k run in 45:55 (7:24 pace). Hot and humid! Gotta get used to it!
Weather: In the low-90's with about 60% humidity and sunny.
Weight After Run = 140.
Shoes: Nike LunarGlide+2 (orange)

6/10 - JAPP - Hard Progression Run. Ran 5 miles in 32:10 (6:25 pace).  Splits = 6:45, 6:39, 6:26, 6:10, 6:07).
Weather: 70/70/87%; NNW6; PCldy
Weight After Run = 142
Shoes: Saucony Kinvara (red)

6/12 - JAPP - Hard Progression Run. Ran 5.35 miles in 36:47 (6:52 pace). First mile as warm-up in 7:34, then ran a hard 3-mile progression run. Splits = 6:28, 6:22, 5:55. Ran 1.35 miles as a cool down.
Weather: 69/69/81%; SSW2; Cldy.
Weight After Run = 142
Shoes Nike LunarGlide+2 (orange)

Total Mileage = 24.71

Coaching Via Facebook

Juvy (center) after finishing the See Jane Run Half Marathon
June 5, 2011 - Alameda, CA

The last time I saw Juvy was when we were in the 4th grade.  That was a long, long time ago on Guam during the 1975 - 1976 school year.  Fast forward three decades and through the magic of Facebook, we reconnected.  Earlier this year, Juvy posted on Facebook that she was "talked" into running a half marathon.  I reached out to her to wish her the best, but it soon turned out that we kept in touch on a regular basis.  I enjoyed coaching her through the good and the bad even though we live on opposite sides of the country.  After it all, she completed her first ever race, the See Jane Run Half Marathon in Alameda, CA, in 2:32:08! Now she's looking forward to running another half marathon this fall! Congratulations, Juvy and welcome to the growing running population!  You're awesome!

Turn It Up!

If I want to improve my 5k speed, I need to turn it up!  I increased my mileage this week and ran all progression runs.  I was going to run Yasso 800's on June 1st, but John A. Phillips Park was closed because they sprayed pesticides!  Ugh!  I didn't feel comfortable running intervals through the busier streets of Old Bridge!

5/30 - Community Park, North Brunswick, Memorial Day 5k. Time - 19:17, place 7th overall and won my division (Masters 40 - 49).  Warm up included a 1.25 miles and a few strides.  Cool down was 0.65 mile.  Total Mileage = 5.0
Weather:
Run After Weight = About 142
Shoes:  Saucony Kinvara (red)

5/31 - John A. Phillips Park (JAPP) - Easy 7-mile run in 51:57 (7:25 pace).  It was ward and humid, but I gotta get used to it if I"m want to run sub-19 5K's for the RVRR Summer Series!
Weather: 79/80/58%; ESE6; Sunny.
Run After Weight = 142
Shoes: Nike LunarGlide+2 (orange)

6/01 - Old Bridge Neighborhood - 10k at about a marathon pace.  It was more hot and humid even after a brief thunderstorm.  Finished in 44:42 (7:12 pace).
Weather: 86/91/61%; WSW14; Cloudy.
Run After Weight = 142
Shoes: Saucony Kinvara (red)

6/03 - JAPP - Moderate Progression Run.  Ran 8.70 miles in 1:00:02 (6:54 pace).  Splits = 7:10, 7:05, 7:07, 7:00, 7:01, 6:51, 6:44, 6:30, 6:26.  Felt better than during the last two runs!
Weather: 74/74/30%; NNW17; Sunny
Weight After Run = 142
Shoes: Nike LunarGlide+2 (orange)

6/05 - JAPP - Moderate-Hard Progression Run.  Ran 5 miles in 32:42 (6:32 pace).  Splits = 6:57, 6:50, 6:35, 6:22, 5:56.  Felt great throughout the run!
Weather: 67/67/66%; SSE6; Mostly Cloudy
Weight After Run = 142
Shoes: Saucony Kinvara (red)

TOTAL MILEAGE = 31.9