2400M Lactate Threshold Testing, 4th Test

Here are the results of four tests over the course of one year. It was around this time last year that I began in earnest to achieve a fast marathon time. A few lessons were re-learned and plenty of new stuff was absorbed in thought to push the pace faster. As always your critiques are appreciated.

Maybe Mike\Mystery Coach or Andrew could comment if it would be better to start at a HR of 130 and progress to 170; as they are the ones that turned me on to the test. I think it was in an article written by Hadd.

Lactate Threshold Testing
2400m Actuals
31-May-07
HR	TIME	PACE	AHR	COMMENT
140	10:02	6:44	146	5min re-adjust strap
150	9:24	6:18	150	97 RHR, HR bounce little
160	8:47	5:53	158	104 RHR need to relax
170	8:24	5:38	165	101 RHR, no look at HRM
180	8:34	5:45	167	113 RHR easy 2 up, hard 2 down laps
HAFB Air Force Base track, best of all three tracks so far. Noon,62,ovcst. 3 mile w\u. 2 minute recovery between, note HR settle to before next 2400. Mentally did not want to do the 180 HR loop.
20-Nov-06
HR	TIME	PACE	AHR	COMMENT
140	10:35	7:03	139	anxious
150	9:54	6:36	149	okay
160	9:15	6:10	158	form focus
170	8:50	5:53	165	tough
180	9:06	6:04	164	mentall challenge
The 160 HR was most comfortable. 170 and 180 were difficult to achieve and the 180 was with a stiffer wind and loss of energy. Working on breathing, form and mental. 2 minute recovery.After the 170 I had enough, when I got home I was starving and cold. Only water and no breakfast before the run.
11-Jul-06
HR	TIME	PACE	AHR	COMMENT
140	10:36	7:06		easy
150	10:12	6:50		okay pace
160	9:27	6:20	159	moving along
170	9:02	6:03	168	this can be work
180	9:01	6:02	171	slow start, enough strong finish
I dropped off trying to achieve the 180HR. After six weeks of training my HR improved versus running at all intensities. A pace that used to require 170 HR now required less than 160 HR.
30-May-06
HR	TIME	PACE	AHR	COMMENT
140	11:34	7:45		slow pace hard to not go fast
150	10:40	7:09		still slow, keep track of laps
160	10:02	6:43		a little quicker
170	9:27	6:20	169	breathing, fear 180
180	9:03	6:04	176	This is allot of work I can feel the legs, heavy breath, lower energy, had enough

Weekly Evaluation Run?

I am starting to borrow a few runs from Mike and Mystery Coach for a fall marathon. Looks like the one I am running is one week later than several other runners that I follow. Following the others will give me a heads up for what’s next in training. I am leaning towards what Mike is doing because he is truest to Lydiard as any that I have read. If you recall last year around this time I vowed to follow Lydiard and ended up getting burnt out from logging 100+ miles per week. What will happen this year?

Evaluations run of two miles with each one at a 5:50 pace.
Today’s run with stroller was a 88 minutes at a 7:42 pace.

REPORT: Week Three - Conditioning

This last week was okay for maintenance. There is nothing exciting in it’s regard allowing the month of June to start firing things up. All systems are ready let’s begin some good races and training

Weekly Review
Total Miles: 61.50
Number of Workouts: 7
Stretching: a slight improvement
Yoga: got one in
P\U, S\U: chafing first day on my tailbone (skin) better lose some weight
Notes: nice trip to the White Mountains of New Hampshire
Issues to Note: shoes
Next Week Goal: Layout roadmap to a fall marathon, buy shoes, 2000 meter test.

Training; am,70, treadmill, 7:52 pace for 5 miles ,let’s get something else in today

24 Hour UltraMarathon Around the Lake Course

Today’s travels took me to Wakefield where I reminisced running this course five years ago for the full day. It’s a loop around the lake and an unforgettable experience of doing one thing for 24 hours, running.

The run today was good for ten miles at an average of 6:36 per mile in summer like temperatures. Tomorrow it's supposed to hit 96 degrees with a high pollen count.

REPORT: Week Two - Conditioning

A local fall marathon to lower my Masters Marathon PR would help put my current schedule on track. Considerations are being given to the Baystate Marathon on October 14. I ran it as my first qualifying for Boston in 3:10:59, that’s right by one second.

Weekly Review
Total Miles: 65.0
Number of Workouts: 7
Stretching: will get better next week
Yoga: should try and get at least one in
P\U, S\U: just started
Notes: 2.5 hour lawn mowing, lots of rain all week, one 5K race
Issues to Note: need a new pair of shoes. Better get some soon.
Next Week Goal: Start a two week rotational program for the next ten weeks.

Training; am,71,sun,Emerson loop, around 7:00 minute pace for 12-13m felt really good towards the end.

5K PR! Run for the Woods

My Masters PR is lower, not by much and is still soft. Today’s effort felt quite comfortable up against a couple of 5:00 minute runners and a slew of high schoolers.

A couple of my rookie mistakes:
1. Got lost warming up on the course, it’s a new race for us, ran about six miles with the last couple pretty hard to make it to the start line on time.
2. Anniversary celebration dinner the night before of prime rib and all, not our typical pre-race meal.
3. Forgot to change into race socks, a minor mistake.
4. Pushed the wrong button on my watch at the start and missing mile splits. Maybe a blessing as this was all run by perceived effort.
5. Cruised to the finish rather than a gut-wrenching Prefontaine push.

The weather was nice for racing in shorts and a singlet, a little off and on drizzle rain and temps in the mid-50s. The ninth year for the race and they did a fantastic job. I even got to help out with the awards ceremony.

Results: We both won our age group. A 22 second 5 K PR with a time of 17:28, a pace of 5:38 per mile! Woohoo, 1st master and ninth overall at the Stow Run for the Woods. Next race will be to break 17:00.

Didn’t know it until looking at results that we could have run in Concord, another bordering town, and both place first. That would be a nice anniversary present.

5-6x800 –incomplete

Yesterday morning’s optimistic 6 x 800 run fizzled half-way through the fourth effort. I ran the Bowker Flats, 2.5 miles, as a warm-up and used two loops of our drive for jogging rests. The legs felt heavy and slow and the mind responded to let them have their easy pace. No mind of steel.

Later I will run a check on how the splits came out and distance. Course used was the Buckmaster-Suffolk Loop. Splits were around 3:08 with a 3:25 fourth and kicking it up to like a 3:15 fifth. Going into this I thought it would be good to be running 2:45s. Now that’s getting jerked out of the armchair running and onto the roads!

The numbers speak for themselves. I’ll rely on the so, so accuracy of Garmin for the real distance. Here is a hint for a Father’s Day gift: measuring wheel. How many runners own\use one of these? Is there a recommended brand\model? Maybe, I will start a measuring wheel for runners endorsed by notable running types. One of those neat tools like the “Stick” which end up lying in the basket, but you had to have one.

I am trying to avoid using the track to see how my right shin percolates. As of right now, walking on the treadmill the “knotty” stuff is there albeit not debilitating. Last time on the track was over a month ago.

A PR by one second on Sunday's 5K is all I can hope for giving my current level of fitness.

Training: am, 70, treadmill, 5.25 miles at 8:34 pace while doing Network + computer coursework

REPORT: Week One - Conditioning

Running along while loosely following plan; a lull in the program. I switched off from the alternate two week program for title only. My thoughts are now turning toward a local fall marathon to lower my Masters Marathon PR

Weekly Review
Total Miles: 56.0
Number of Workouts: 7
Stretching: not really any
Yoga: zero
P\U, S\U: neglected these also
Notes: 2.5 hour lawn mowing.
Issues to Note: need a new pair of shoes.
Next Week Goal: Start a two week rotational program for the next ten weeks.

Training; easy stroller run
Yesterday: A good upbeat run on the Water Row Loop with a fair tempo effort on the Fourth of July course.
Monday: pm,sun,75,stroller, ARNWR, at 1:45 we passed mile ten on the return of the Patrol Road, for the record: information passed to NWR law enforcement via phone and one of our town police officers in person: a man of medium build and age with dark hair, was down on all fours with a faded pair of jeans laid across the ground and a pair of underwear, never acknowledged us running by, kept busy with his task, first you see what he is doing, then the odor catches your senses and you realize what he is doing, spreading feces . . . on the pants and underwear, seriously something nefarious going on there, my wife says no more running in the reservation.

Race Ready in One Week

This morning’s run primed me to take down my 5K Masters PR next week. The warm weather has been with us all week which makes for good running and spring cleaning. I seem to sort of follow a two week repeat program, albeit loosely. There are other activities going on pulling away the focus.

Spring cleaning this year involves laying down 14 yards of red hemlock mulch and determing the best lawn mowing tool. Our 21-inch Lawn Boy takes 2.5 hours and that doesn’t include trimming, shower, etc. I like the exercise but it’s not a good value for my time.

Training: am, stroller, hot and humid minor chafing on the Willow Guzzle course

REPORT: Week Three - Boston Marathon Recovery

All done with recovery as noted by the race this past week.

Weekly Review
Total Miles: 57.60
Number of Workouts: 7
Stretching: not really any
Yoga: zero
P\U, S\U: neglected these also
Notes: Plenty of other activities consuming training time.
Issues to Note: none, should look into getting a new pair of shoes.
Next Week Goal: Start a two week rotational program for the next ten weeks.

Training; 5-6 x 1600 at on in the ARNWR, ran these around 85-87% HR with a one minute rest. Actual distance and rest time are rough estimates. Extended run to find Parmenter Road in Hudson left me dehydrated for the last 45 minutes of the run.
Yesterday: Easy stroller run, felt pretty good at about 6:45 pace.

High Noon, Cross Country Race – Breakneck Hill

Advertised as rolling terrain; on my second of three 2K loops the post Boston Marathon legs were feeling heavy. The breathing became quite salivous (new word for when the oral glands release a moist sensation). Pulled out to retrieve my fluid bottle before running the next 2K then a 6K cool down. This is a mountain goat course. 1^st place in 4K at 6:05 pace.

Loop 1 - 7.24
Loop 2 - 7.41/15.06 (stopped)
Loop 3 - 8.51/23.58

Cool down
Loop 1 - 9.39
Loop 2 - 9.15/18.54
Loop 3 - 9.44/28.39

Breakneck Hill - 4K results and photos

REPORT: Week Two - Boston Marathon Recovery

Two weeks of easy running and on the surface all feels great. I am thinking this recovery is going better than the two post-marathon’s last year.

Weekly Review
Total Miles: 52.75
Number of Workouts: 7
Stretching: not really any
Yoga: zero
P\U, S\U: neglected these also
Notes: Plenty of other activities consuming training time.
Issues to Note: none, should look into getting a new pair of shoes.
Next Week Goal: experiment with a two week rotational program

Training; ARNWR, am,60, 10.5 miles cruise intervals (6 x 1 mile) averaged 7:02 per mile.