Training update 7/31/2011 -64 miles

The heat and humidity don't leave me alone.  It's very sticky, and my lungs and heart just can't pump enough oxygen and blood to run my workouts as fast as I would like.  My race in Berlin is either going to be very good or a total disaster.  I feel very strong, but it's impossible to predict how fast I will go there.  I have 8 more weeks to go, and I am running lots of miles (in this heat).  Indeed, I logged 64 miles last week which is the highest weekly mileage of my life.  My legs feel great, my knee is not sore anymore, and I am eating a lot of ice cream and creme brulee to make up for all the calories that I burn in the workouts. I am not putting a limit on my weekly mileage this time (as I used to do).  Yet I am being very careful about my training loads, my nutrition, and  my hydration. If I want to run a sub 3 hour marathon, I need more than fast legs. I need to train with intelligence and passion. I need to believe that I can do it! 

A sub 3 hr marathon, I believe, is a true test of physical and mental endurance.  It doesn't matter how hard you train every day if your mind is not ready to take up on the challenge. I am super exited about running the fastest marathon course in the planet. In every single workout, I visualize myself running through the Brandenburg Gate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_Gate), seeing the finish line for the first time, and picking up the pace to end three seasons of fantastic running. 

As mentioned before, I did 64 miles last week (3 quality workouts, 4 easy days, and no double sessions).

Mo- speed workout. 5x800 mts (400 mts recovery).  7.5 miles total.  I ran 3:07 average, not bad but slower than I wanted.  I felt good.
Tu- 8 miles, easy running.  Good run, legs fine, not feeling the effects of the 800s.
Wed- Tempo run. 1x20 mins; 1x15 mins; 10 mins recovery. 9 miles total.  The 20 min tempo was good, legs had good turnover.  I was supposed to do another 20 mins, but only did 15 mins, it was too hot and humid.
Th- 7 miles. Easy run. Not a very good one.  Legs were tired from the tempo.  Took it as easy as possible.
Fr- 6.25 miles, easy running.
Sat- 17 miles.  I did 14 miles outside, very slow (high 8's). It was 80F, 98% humidity when I left my place and it only got worse... needless to say that I didn't have any fun.  So I finish the run on the treadmill.
Sun- 6 miles, easy running.  Legs felt great, no effects after the long run.

I will travel this week so I may need to make some adjustments. The plan is to do 60 miles and have Sanday off, yeeeah!

Cheers

I will soon...

...be boarding the plane that will take me to Geneva.  I signed up to run in Berlin more than 5 months ago with one idea: running the fastest marathon of my life.  And here I am, in late July, working hard to achieve my goal.  This has been an incredibly difficult training bloc. First, the weather in New Orleans is not friendly at all during the summer.  I am running in very hot and humid conditions day in and day out. Then, my right knee has given me some problems since I started to increase my weekly mileage (3-4 weeks ago).  But those problems have not stopped me from going out to do my runs.  The hot and humid conditions can only make me stronger as long as I complete the workouts with the required intensity.  It's not about how fast I can run my speed workouts, tempos, or long runs, it's about having the motivation to put together workouts with intensity.  My times do not reflect how fast I really am.  I am slower than normal, but I am not worried about it.  The thinner the air, the faster I will go... and the air in Berlin will be thin... so watch out!  My knee is getting better, I have done two runs without pain this week.  I found out that my lower right train was lacking balance, and I am working to correct this problem.  I also noticed that my stride was not as efficient as it usually is, so I am trying to get a more efficient running form.

I ran 60 miles last week.  Three quality workouts and four easy runs.  The fartlek and tempo runs were good, but I had a hard time to keep the pace up in the 11 mile marathon pace run on Friday.  I ran 7:15 on average, but I need to drop that pace to 6:55.  I am not in panic yet... I have 8 more weeks and I am feeling really strong. 

Stamina Phase (2nd week): 53 miles

I am entering the third week of specific training.  Although my right knee is still sore (and bothering me!), I am feeling good overall.  Training last week wasn't easy. I did three hard workouts and 4 easy runs. 53 miles total. In the middle of the week, I noticed that my body was tired and my legs lacked a spark.  Running in hot and humid conditions takes a toll on your body as it dehydrates easily.  In those conditions you need to be very careful about your diet and hydration.  I certainly was not being careful.  after monitoring my weight before and after my runs, I noticed that I was losing 4-6 punds during each run.  I thus decided to monitor what my eating and drinking habits.  I also decided to take vitamins (for the first time in my running life!) because I was feeling very weak after each run, and recovery was taking longer than usual. These changes are paying off so far. I feel muche better and I am able to finish my workouts stronger.  My next marathon is in less than 10 weeks, and I will be strong and ready to run when the day comes.

This is the third week of stamina training.  I ran a solid steady-state 8 miler yesterday.  I felt like a distance runner for the first time in several weeks. I was strong and fast.  I hope I can feel like that in Berlin.  The plan for the rest of this week includes easy runs on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday; a tempo run on Wednesday; and a marathon pace 12 miler on Friday.  My build-up is good so far, and I hope to keep getting better every day.

Training update July 4-10, 2011

The first week of specific training for Berlin is done!  I only did 45 miles, but I really needed to decrease the mileage because my right knee is still bothering me a bit.  My joints are simply reacting to 5 very intensive 12-week training blocs in a row, and I need to be extremely careful if I want to stay healthy in the following weeks.  I have 11 more weeks of training that will be followed by several weeks/months of very easy running.  I also decided that I will only run one marathon all-out in 2012.

In the meantime, training for Berlin is going as expected.  I feel strong physically and mentally despite the horrendous conditions that prevail in New Orleans.  My training last week included three quality workouts and three easy runs.  I ran on a treadmill for three days trying to avoid the heat.  The treadmill is boring, but it gave me the opportunity to try a new workout: hill repeats.  I did 8x400 mts hill repeats (9-12% incline) with 400 mts recovery on Monday; 7 easy miles on Tuesday and 16 miles on Wednesday (fast last 3 miles).  Overall, I felt very good about these workouts.  I noticed that my body had more energy during and after the runs because it was not exposed the the heat and humidity.

I drove to Tallahassee, Fl. on Wednesday afternoon and ran 4 easy miles on Thursday morning and 2 miles on the track.  My legs were tired after the 16 miler the day before, but I was able to run the first mile in 5:35. This is the fastest mile I have ever run as far as I remember.  I took Friday off and did a 5 mile race on Saturday morning with my very good friends Juan Carlos and Camilo Ordonez. I mentioned before that I really wanted to run a race in order to evaluate my fitness level and I didn't resist to the idea of running this race. Since I didn't run a mid-week tempo run, I decided to use the 5 miler as a long tempo.  The weather was not good (hot and humid) and the surface was slow (sandy), so i didn't know what to expect.  I ran the 5 miles in 33 mins. 42 seconds that is roughly equivalent to 6:45 min/mile pace. Overall, I am satisfied with this result.  It shows that I am in very good shape, but there is still room for improvement.  I need more speed and more endurance.  There is nothing to worry about, I have plenty of time to get better before I head over to Europe on September 18th.

12 more weeks

It is hard to assess how my training is going.  I am doing all the workouts, but the weather is just brutal and my right knee is not 100%.  In addition, I have not raced since May so I don't really know how fast and/or strong I am.  I guess I just have to be extremely careful with my knee and the way I hydrate and things will be fine.  My base training is complete, 4 weeks of 40+ miles (49 this week) are in the books, and I am getting ready to start 12 weeks of very specific, key workouts for Berlin.  This week's training included the following workouts:

Mo- Fartlek (8x1 min, 1 min recovery). 6 miles total. 

Tu-  7 miles, easy.

Wed*- AM: 5x6 min tempo, 2 min recovery, 7 miles total. PM: 4 miles, recovery. 11 miles total.

Th- 6 miles, easy. 

Fr- 2 hr. long run. Brutal in the heat. 

Sat- 4.5 miles, easy run.

* I did a second run after my tempo this week.  The idea behind it is that a short, very easy run in the PM will allow my legs to flush out the excess of lactic acid that accumulates during hard runs. I will add 2 sessions like this next week (after fartlek and tempo sessions).  

13 weeks to go+ Haile and Paula running in Berlin

Haile Gebrselassie and Paula Raddclife are arguably the best marathon runners of all time, and my favorite runners ever.  But, I have never been able to see them running.  Paula and Haile just announced that they will run in Berlin, and I will do my best to at least get a picture with those guys (since my chances of running with them are very slim :)).  I will also do my best to beat them!  haha!

Paula and Haile decided to run in Berlin because they are coming back from bad seasons (Paula gave birth to her second child, Haile has been dealing with knee issues since 2010), and they need a fast, flat course to get ready for the 2012 Olympic marathon.  I picked Berlin over Chicago, New York, and the Marine Corps marathons because I want to run a sub 3 hr marathon and it is difficult to find a race that offers the conditions of Berlin (great organization, great course, and great weather (hopefully)).

The weather in New Orleans is still hot and humid, but I am putting together a good training block.  I have done 3 weeks in a row of 40+ miles.  My speed workouts and tempos have been very good, but I am struggling a little bit with the long runs.  Indeed, I have only done two 10+ milers (10 miles last week, 12 miles yesterday).  Struggling in the long runs is not surprising.  It is difficult to maintain a fast pace when the heat index is 95+ F.  Long runs are important, but they are not the only component of my training plan.  I know that surviving the long runs in this heat will allow me to feel good in Berlin.  I know they make me stronger.   When I struggle in the heat and humidity, I imagine myself running the last mile in Berlin feeling fresh and enjoying every single moment. 

Running in the inferno

It's really hot and humid in New Orleans in early June. Running in this weather resembles running in the inferno, believe me!  However, I am having a great week of base training. My legs are feeling great, they have a spark and are ready to start with a 5-week build-up.  My mileage this week will be around 37-40 miles.  I am running my easy runs at a very good pace 8-8:10 min/mile. The short speed workouts were also good. I did a 6x1 min fartlek on Tuesday and a 2x1 mile tempo this morning.  My speed is good, I don't feel heavy running in these difficult conditions. So I am very happy about it.

I am also hitting the gym every day.  I didn't do enough strength training in the spring and this is the time to make up for that mistake.  Strength training is very important in my marathon program.  A strong core helps my form and my speed, and boosts my endurance.  I used to think that running and strength training were not good complements, but my performance in the past 4 marathons suggest that it has helped my running tremendously.

I would like to do some racing before starting with the heavy loaded 12-week plan for Berlin.  Unfortunately, I can't find races in the area... I will keep looking!  I have 3-4 races in mind before Berlin, one of them is a half-marathon in Chicago. I just don't know whether I will have enough time to travel this summer.  I will keep you informed.

I am going to keep enjoying the 101 degree weather in NOLA... have a great weekend!