It has been a while since I've done a pace run outside, but it was a gorgeous day: 8 degrees C. and sunny, with no wind. So I ran from the office down to Clarke's Variety, and then up Saintsbury, retracing my route after going 4K. Here are my splits:
5:08.84
4:42.59
4:54.93
4:55.45
4:51.18
4:52.67
4:53.62
4:50.67
Overall, my pace was 4:54 per kilometre which, if I kept up that pace for a full marathon, would put me across in 3:26:47. I just went out easy for the first kilometre, so if you take the pace for my last 7K, it would work out to a 3:25:30 marathon, which is faster than my 2010 Road2Hope personal best of 3:25:41.
It was a reasonably tough run since I'd done a hard tempo run less than 24 hours prior. But it felt good to get it in the books!
Friday, March 20, 2015
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Excellent 10 mile tempo run to the dam and back...
The temperature was around the freezing point, and there was no wind to speak of. The trails through Springbank Park were bare, but a bit sandy. You had to watch your footing in order to get the most out of every stride. Here are my splits:
4:58.60
5:09.39
5:09.88
5:09.74
5:05.18
5:08.35
5:04.23
4:51.86
4:40.17
4:40.04
4:45.35
4:38.73
4:45.14
4:39.75
4:49.26
4:29.80
4:53 was my average pace, and my average tempo pace was 4:40.3875 (7:31.4 per mile). We only stopped for the traffic lights on King Street at the end of the route on the way back. Still, it was by no means the best tempo run in the past year. I had an excellent run back in August of last year on a 9 mile run (http://blog.brucelamb.com/2014/08/excellent-9-mile-tempo-run-from-gibbons.html) where I was hitting 7:19 per mile.
Anyhow, there is room for improvement -- but it was a good run overall.
4:58.60
5:09.39
5:09.88
5:09.74
5:05.18
5:08.35
5:04.23
4:51.86
4:40.17
4:40.04
4:45.35
4:38.73
4:45.14
4:39.75
4:49.26
4:29.80
4:53 was my average pace, and my average tempo pace was 4:40.3875 (7:31.4 per mile). We only stopped for the traffic lights on King Street at the end of the route on the way back. Still, it was by no means the best tempo run in the past year. I had an excellent run back in August of last year on a 9 mile run (http://blog.brucelamb.com/2014/08/excellent-9-mile-tempo-run-from-gibbons.html) where I was hitting 7:19 per mile.
Anyhow, there is room for improvement -- but it was a good run overall.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
33.18K (20.6) Mile Long Run in 3:03:58 (5:33/k)
Average pace was 5:33 per kilometre -- and I took it really easy on the way back. We did the park, swaybacks, back to Byron, up to STA, and back through the parks. A bit of hills! So I was happy with the run. I'd only had about 4 hours sleep after the St. Pats events, so just the fact that I was out there was a good thing.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Ladder from 1600 m. to 800 m. at Thompson Arena...
Tonight, we did speed work at Thompson Arena where we did a 1600 m. run, lowering the distance by 200 m. every repeat, until we were down to 800 m. Here are my splits:
1600 m.: 6:48.13 (51.01 per lap)
1400 m.: 6:00.35 (51.48 per lap)
1200 m.: 5:10.10 (51.69 per lap)
1000 m.: 4:15.95 (51.01 per lap)
800 m.: 3:21.64 (50.41 per lap)
Overall, my average pace was 51.17 per 200 m. lap. The average pace on March 12 2013 was 50.5 seconds per lap. So I wasn't quite that fast this time -- but I was close!
1600 m.: 6:48.13 (51.01 per lap)
1400 m.: 6:00.35 (51.48 per lap)
1200 m.: 5:10.10 (51.69 per lap)
1000 m.: 4:15.95 (51.01 per lap)
800 m.: 3:21.64 (50.41 per lap)
Overall, my average pace was 51.17 per 200 m. lap. The average pace on March 12 2013 was 50.5 seconds per lap. So I wasn't quite that fast this time -- but I was close!
Great 18 kilometre tempo run in Springbank Park...
Tonight was a 11 mile (18 K) tempo run through Springbank Park and back to Goodlife downtown. I went out at an 'easy' pace -- but we had to keep slowing down because we were too fast. I was aiming for about 5:20 per km going out. Coming back, I wanted to hit 4:45/k (7:39/mile) for the 5.5 km. Here are my splits:
6:24
5:10
5:10
5:03
5:08
5:00
5:06
5:04
5:22 (pace for 710 m. -- going up hill at the west end of Springbank Park).
4:41
4:39
4:44
4:43
4:43
4:44
4:45
4:48
4:32 (pace for 800 m.)
Overall, my average time was 4:59/k. My pace for the "fast" part was 4:42.11 or 7:34 per mile, which is quite acceptable. I was pushing hard all the way back, and was concentrating on keeping my pace to something that felt like the 180 beats per minute that is said to be optimum.
Looking at previous long tempo runs, my run back was at the slow end of normal. But I'm quite happy with it. Still 6 and a half weeks until my marathon.
6:24
5:10
5:10
5:03
5:08
5:00
5:06
5:04
5:22 (pace for 710 m. -- going up hill at the west end of Springbank Park).
4:41
4:39
4:44
4:43
4:43
4:44
4:45
4:48
4:32 (pace for 800 m.)
Overall, my average time was 4:59/k. My pace for the "fast" part was 4:42.11 or 7:34 per mile, which is quite acceptable. I was pushing hard all the way back, and was concentrating on keeping my pace to something that felt like the 180 beats per minute that is said to be optimum.
Looking at previous long tempo runs, my run back was at the slow end of normal. But I'm quite happy with it. Still 6 and a half weeks until my marathon.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Crappy 1000 m. (1K) Repeats at Thompson Arena...
I felt like my legs might be lead even during the warm up, but when I started my first lap of the actual speed work I felt okay. It wasn't to last.
I was going out for 4:10 per km -- 50 second laps -- which I had done previously. Actually, back in August 2010, I did an average of 4:05 per kilometre. But my math was wonky and I somehow figured I should do 52 second laps. I figured out my error fairly quickly after the first repeat.
John wanted us to do 4, 5 or 6 repeats of 1000 m. (5 laps). I went out looking for 6, but it was falling apart so I capped it at 5. Here are my splits:
4:17.35
4:10.92
4:15:50
4:27.40
4:26.37
In each of the last two repeats, I was able to do my last lap in 50 seconds and 47 seconds -- so if I needed to dig deep, I could. But I was 'done' at the end.
Chatting with other runners, lots of folks who did the 22 miler 2 days ago also didn't have great runs. Gillian, Chris, Blair, Clive -- everyone was slower than they wanted to be. Also, I played hockey on the prior Friday, Saturday and Monday (last night) so it is very possible that my legs were just beat.
I was going out for 4:10 per km -- 50 second laps -- which I had done previously. Actually, back in August 2010, I did an average of 4:05 per kilometre. But my math was wonky and I somehow figured I should do 52 second laps. I figured out my error fairly quickly after the first repeat.
John wanted us to do 4, 5 or 6 repeats of 1000 m. (5 laps). I went out looking for 6, but it was falling apart so I capped it at 5. Here are my splits:
4:17.35
4:10.92
4:15:50
4:27.40
4:26.37
In each of the last two repeats, I was able to do my last lap in 50 seconds and 47 seconds -- so if I needed to dig deep, I could. But I was 'done' at the end.
Chatting with other runners, lots of folks who did the 22 miler 2 days ago also didn't have great runs. Gillian, Chris, Blair, Clive -- everyone was slower than they wanted to be. Also, I played hockey on the prior Friday, Saturday and Monday (last night) so it is very possible that my legs were just beat.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
35.31 km (22 mile) long run in 3:14:26 (5:30/km pace)
It's been a hell of a February. The coldest February ever recorded in London. So it was actually nice when the forecast "high" temperature today looked like it would hit a balmy -4 C. I did my "Boston Breakfast Club" 4 mile run with Deidre Caskenette, who is training for Boston, and Brian Kilburn who isn't training for anything. Deidre had to listen to Brian and me drone on about politics and hockey for a full 36 minutes. Lucky her!
We then went out to do the Springbank Park loop (12 miles) plus an additional 6 mile out-and-back within the park to get us our total of 22 miles. I ran most of it with Dave Prentice, although he pulled away for the last 6 km or so.
The path was slippy at the start of the run but better near the end of the run. It was still tough, though, and I found my pace slowing significantly as the run went on. But when we are on the final kick coming up King Street, I was able to get up to something nearing in on marathon pace.
My average pace was 5:30 per km -- but the initial 4 miles was at a slow 6 minute K pace, and the last 5 kilometres were at around a 5:35 pace -- so both those skewed the average pace down by a fair bit. Most of the time when I looked at my watch, we were at 5:20 or faster, which is where I wanted to be (8:30/mile).
All-in-all, I'll take it. Given dry (i.e. not snow covered) roads, my pace throughout the run would have been much better.
We then went out to do the Springbank Park loop (12 miles) plus an additional 6 mile out-and-back within the park to get us our total of 22 miles. I ran most of it with Dave Prentice, although he pulled away for the last 6 km or so.
The path was slippy at the start of the run but better near the end of the run. It was still tough, though, and I found my pace slowing significantly as the run went on. But when we are on the final kick coming up King Street, I was able to get up to something nearing in on marathon pace.
My average pace was 5:30 per km -- but the initial 4 miles was at a slow 6 minute K pace, and the last 5 kilometres were at around a 5:35 pace -- so both those skewed the average pace down by a fair bit. Most of the time when I looked at my watch, we were at 5:20 or faster, which is where I wanted to be (8:30/mile).
All-in-all, I'll take it. Given dry (i.e. not snow covered) roads, my pace throughout the run would have been much better.
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