17.72 km Long Run - 5:08 average pace...

One week before the Toledo Half. The run went really well. Started at 4 degrees C. and had a hard time keeping the pace slow enough. Here are my splits:

6:09
5:10
5:00
5:00
5:12
5:02
5:01
5:00
5:19
4:53
4:52
5:03
5:01
5:11
5:14
5:15
5:01
4:52 (720 m.)

We were carrying on a conversation the entire way. If you take off that first km where we were just warming up, we're at about 5 minute kms pretty close to the whole time -- and we were really trying to get down to 5:20. But then we'd start chatting again and pick up the pace. A great day for a run!

Practise "Half" Marathon - 19 km at 5:01 pace...

Today's run wasn't nearly as good as last week's -- although it was a bit faster. We went out looking for 5 minute kilometres which is pretty much what we hit -- but it wasn't pretty and I took lots of break. My legs felt like lead.

I think the key problem was that it is was relatively warm (and I'm not in the condition I should be). But it was 17 degrees and sunny when we left Victoria Park 45 minutes after I finished -- and I think it was about the same temperature through most of my run in the park.

Jed ran with me for the first 4 miles or so, but then on the little hill heading up to the Guy Lombardo Museum, he tweaked his hamstring. I strongly suggested he just jog back to the start, which he did.

Anyhow, here are my splits:

4:51
4:55
4:54
4:50
4:58
4:50
4:48
4:54
5:02 (up hill after dam)
5:06
4:56
5:03
5:06
5:08
5:10
5:07
5:11
5:30
5:04

So an overall pace of 5:01 but only 19 kilometres. The quick pace for the first half (generally downhill) was offset by the more sluggish pace at the second half. And I didn't have anything left to move myself faster. I took long breaks at the water stops in the second half as well, just to cool down.

But, I guess, I got through it and the average pace while I was actually running wasn't awful. I certainly felt better about the run after a few beverages in Victoria Park!

My hope for Toledo is that (a) it is cool (which isn't looking good) and (b) it has insignificant hills (which I've heard is promising). Plus with a week or so taper, my muscles may be better at leaving it all out there. So we'll see.

7 km Tempo Run (sort of) - Average pace: 4:54

I missed speed work on Tuesday, and decided to do a modified "Tempo" run tonight -- going from the office to the house, a 7 kilometre run generally downhill. Sounds easy, right? Except for the 40 km/h (estimate wind in my face, it would have been. It was actually a super tough run and I wanted to quit multiple times. But I kept going and I'm glad I did. Here are my splits:

5:04
4:54
4:50
4:47
4:52
4:56
4:54

Ideally, I should have done 4:30 per kilometre. And perhaps on a normal day, I could have. But today, it was all I had to get home in the time I did.

The Toledo half marathon is in just over 2 weeks. I'd like to, ideally, break 1:40:00 which means hitting a pace of 4:44 per kilometre. I'm not sure, today, if I can make that pace. But I'm gonna try.

Excellent 21.1 km Long Run - 1:47:43 - 5:06 per k. average pace!

Jed was back in action today just 2 weeks after his hernia operation. He'd only run 4 miles since the operation, but felt strong enough to attempt 13.1 -- a half marathon distance. Here are our splits:

5:29
5:07
5:18
5:02
4:57
4:52
5:10
5:04
5:08
5:16
5:16
4:58
5:19
5:02
5:11
4:57
5:06
5:08
5:04
5:02
4:47
4:51 pace for 100 m.

Overall, I was very pleased with our run. The pace was fast enough that I could see that the combination of consistent training (albeit not as much as I would have liked), better weather and dry roads was helping me get back to form. The pace during the latter half was good.

Mile Repeats (ish). 5 x 1.54 km

The trails in Gibbons Park were ice-covered in a lot of places, still, so The Legendary John Ferguson had us working a bit to the north of the normal mile-repeat area.

He had us do a 2 loops of some streets north of Gibbons Park that made up a 1/2 mile loop:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6256043

My GPS said that two loops was 1.54 km -- so not quite a mile. Each set of 2 loops was separated by a 2:30 rest. Here are my splits:

6:56 (7:14 per mile)
7:05 (7:24 per mile)
7:06 (7:25 per mile)
7:11 (7:30 per mile)
7:07 (7:26 per mile)

So, considering I ran 30 kilometres just 2 days ago, I'm reasonably happy with these splits.

But there is lots of opportunity for improvement. My last 5 x 1 mile repeats back in August 2013 had an average of just over 7 minutes per mile.

But I pushed hard at the end and felt pretty good.