6 x 1 Mile (9 Miles Total)

So I went through the week thinking we were going to do 6 x 1 mile with "2" minutes rest. I was pretty amped up because I would be testing my strength and getting a chance to do some quicker pace work. So Sean and I did the workout. The first 3 reps were not difficult but it wasn't comfortable either. Sean and I took turns leading during each rep and it did help that mentally I could fall asleep for a while sitting behind him. The 5th rep was the hardest as I had to lead while being a bit fatigued but we still hit our times. By the 6th rep we were mentally released of any thoughts of future reps so we picked up the pace a little bit. By the end I came to find out that we only had "1" minute rest. During the workout I did think the rest was kind of short but I didn't dwell on it since I was saving all of my energy for the next rep. But Sean and I laughed about it and I told him that I thinking the recovery was 2 minutes definitely made the workout seem less daunting. Whatever you have to do to get you through workout! Here is how the workout turned out.

Goal 5:10 each mile
6 x 1 Mile, 60 secs recovery
5:06, 5:04, 5:05, 5:03, 5:07, 4:59

This will probably be my last workout for quite a while. Things are going to be picking up pretty soon as October will have quite a few races. So it is very likely that my next post will be a race report. So until then I hope your training is going well!

5 x Half Mile (9 Miles Total)

I ran this workout with Sean. The intention was just to get an easy introduction to some quicker pace work as we start to sharpen up for some racing action next month. Mentally I was really up for the workout as I had noticed I had struggled a bit at 5 minute pace during my 3 mile time trial last week. So we ended up doing the workout and after being a bit uncomfortable in the beginning I started to open up a bit by the end of the workout. Hopefully this will prep me for a quicker workout we have planned for next week. So the workout ended up as follows:

Goal 5 reps sub 2:30, 60 second recovery
2:28, 2:29, 2:27, 2:26, 2:23

Attempted 6 Mile Tempo 9 Miles Total

I met up with Sean to do this workout. The objective was to attempt to do 6 miles at sub 5:20 pace. To be honest, I had very little faith that I could complete this workout. My legs have been pretty dead since before the 3 mile time trial so I had a negative mindset from the outset. I struggled mentally even before the physical hurt started kicking in. Actually the hurt never really kicked in. I stopped right before it started. Mentally I just didn't want to go to that place today. If I hadn't had such a long streak of good workouts I probably would have finished this one out since it's just my style. But I told myself I'll give a good solid effort next week. This is a lesson I'm starting to learn after the years. I'm starting to know when to push and when to bag it. To tell you the truth, these days I'll probably save the extra effort for when I'm gutting it out in a tough race. I trust myself. I trust that when the time comes and pain is around the corner in a crucial time I will answer the bell. I don't have to prove this every single time in every single workout. Well I digressed a bit much. Here are the splits of the attempted 6 mile tempo I cut to 4 miles.

5:18, 5:18, 5:16, 5:21

(5:19 average)

3 Mile Time Trial (7 Miles Total)

This workout didn't end up to well. My legs started dying quickly after the first mile. My first stinker in a long time.

Total: 15:37
Avg Pace: 5:12
Splits: 5:05, 5:12, 5:19

6 Mile Tempo (9 Miles)

Just got back from California in time for a 6 mile tempo with Wade and JP. I had missed a couple of running sessions in California so I wasn't really sure what to expect. Well, I ended up running this workout faster than I ever have. The previous best tempo workout was done a few months ago at 5:26 pace. But this was under optimal conditions (for Houston!). I was able to best this and complete it at 5:22 pace this time. Sean really helped out a lot at the end since he ended up pacing the last 2 miles. The first 4.5 miles went by pretty easy but the last 1.5 miles I had to focus a little bit and we ended up hitting 5:18 for the last mile. Here are the splits:

Goal: 5:25 pace
Actual: 5:22 pace
Splits: 5:22, 5:20, 5:26, 5:23, 5:23, 5:18

9 Mile Progressive Run (10 Total Miles)

This ended up being a solo effort. I was hoping I could run this workout with a few guys as it is one of the tougher workouts. But I ended up doing this solo.

6:59, 6:43, 6:17, 6:12, 6:00, 5:45, 5:32, 5:20, 5:01

1 mile cool down 8:57 pace

This was an extremely tough workout. I was doing ok until I had to hit 5:15 pace and quicker. That's when I had to really work. This is probably because I have not been doing any workouts quicker than 5:25 pace in a long long time. Hopefully this and other quicker workouts can get me in decent racing shape (5:00 minute pace and under). I was huffing and puffing after the last mile more than I can remember in a long long time.

6 Mile Tempo

A hot muggy day but I still managed to do well. I ran with the Wade and we didn't quite manage to run as fast today because of the weather. Sean only managed to do about 4.5 miles before he reaggravated his Achilles and had to drop out. I managed to finish the workout in 33:02 which is about a 5:30 pace. If I can do this in this type of weather then things are looking good.

The only unfortunate thing is Sean injuring his Achilles again. I sense his frustration. This has been the only thing holding him back these past months. If he can get any consistent training, any at all, he would be right near the top again. Especially at 10k and above.

6 Mile Tempo (First Workout Outside in 7 months)

It was a great morning. I ran the workout with Sean who is coming back from Achilles issues. He was only supposed to hang for 4 miles but he ended up finishing up with me. It was an amazing workout for me, the fastest ever tempo for 6 miles. We finished up at 5:26 pace with 32:38. It feels good to ace a tempo for once since it's my Achilles heel.

3 Mile 30/30 Fartlek – 11.71 Miles Total

• 2.91 Warm Up 7:22 pace
• Fartlek
• Time 14:58* PR
• Pace 4:59
• Mile 1 – 4:54
• Mile 2 – 5:00
• Mile 3 – 5:04

4:54, 5:14, 4:39, 5:04, 4:47, 5:03, 4:52, 5:19, 4:52, 4:52, 4:44, 5:20, 4:41, 5:14, 5:08, 5:16, 5:10, 5:15, 4:57, 5:02, 4:51, 4:59, 4:59, 5:18, 5:21, 5:08, 5:06, 5:10, 4:47, 4:34

• 5.8 Mile Cool Down 6:58 Pace

Nice cool weather. Nice group of guys that were ready to roll. Sean, Luis, Dan, J.P., Jose, and a new guy, Curt. Sean, Dan, Jose, and Curt did a 6 x 1 mile @ 5:20 pace with 30 seconds recovery. Luis, J.P. and I did the 30/30’s.

What can I say? I totally murdered the workout. I beat my previous best time by 41 seconds. The last time I did this workout I ran 15:41 and I was enthusiastic. The time before that I ran 16:23. That means I have dropped 80 something seconds the last 2 times I have done this workout. I am a different guy.

Tempo - 11 Miles Total

• Warm Up
• 8 Mile Tempo Attempted 5:30 Pace (4 actual Miles)
• 5:26, 5:25, 5:27, 5:39
• 5:30 Average Pace
• Cool Down
• 1 Mile Jump Back in with the Group
• 5:35
• Cool Down

I never had it today. The legs were flat. I probably worked a bit too hard on Sunday. This continues my incredibly bad run with tempo workouts. I still feel if I had given myself enough rest coming in, I probably would have done at least 2 more miles at 5:30 pace. It's days like these where I usually have a pretty short memory. So I will file this workout away and forget about it. Pretty good group out today: Sean, Luis, Dan, Vaughn, Jose

8x800 Workout - 10 Miles Total

• Warm Up
• 8 x 800m with 1 minute rest - Goal 2:30 (road)
• 2:31, 2:32, 2:29, 2:29, 2:30, 2:29, 2:30, 2:24
• Cool Down

I did this workout with Sean and JP this morning. Sean ended up being the pacer since he is part running cyborg(He runs his splits like a Swiss clock). Sean kept telling me that we may do this 800 workout Friday. But it didn't seem like he was ever fully committed. So finally I told him, "Let's do it!" and  he said, "Your on, and only 1 minute recovery". You see the funny thing is that originally we were going to to do the workout with 2 minutes recovery. Which didn't intimidate me at all. But when he puts in the "Sean Special" (a fast workout with very little recovery) then things start to get interesting. I have to admit that I thought I had bit off a little more than I could chew but I had been running so well for the last 2 months that I wasn't going to back down. Plus I never turn down good speed work these days!

So we ended up doing the workout and I felt uncomfortable at all times. But at no point did I feel like the workout was killing me. My issues were more mental than physical, although I did have some back issues that affected my breathing a bit. Once I got to the last rep I knew I was home free and let loose a little bit.

To give the workout a bit more perspective you would have to look at the previous time I did this workout at the beginning of February. About a week after my 5k PR. I ended up doing the exact same workout but with 2 minutes recovery instead of 1 and I still ended up running about 5 or 6 seconds slower per 800. And from what I remember, the effort level was higher for that workout than the one I did today. I ended up messing up my hamstrings after that workout and I wasn't the same up until 2 months ago. So I definitely am a lot fitter and faster than when I ran my 5k PR. Now all I have to is run a race that will let me PR!!!

9 Mile Progressive Run – 11.9 Miles Total

Mile 1	7:04
Mile 2	6:41
Mile 3	6:35
Mile 4	6:14
Mile 5	6:03
Mile 6	5:50
Mile 7	5:24
Mile 8	5:14
Mile 9	5:12

Ran with the big boys today and improved on the last mile by 13 seconds comparative to my last progressive run. Went ahead and knocked out my long run for the week as well.

1 Mile, 4321 Workout - 8.81 Miles - (Screwed Up Workout)

• 1 Mile - 4:50 (5 min rest)
• 4 Minutes fast - 4:55 (4 min rest)
• 3 Minutes fast - 4:55 (3 min rest)
• 2 Minutes fast - 4:47 (2 min rest)
• 1 Minute fast - 4:25

I slightly screwed up the workout by resting instead of jogging the slow parts(For some reason I thought I was supposed to rest). So it was an easier workout. Oh well, at least I spent 15 minutes at sub 5 pace. I'll do better next time.

• Jump Rope 5 x 20
• 4 Strides

Progressive Run 10.79 Miles

Mile 1	7:12
Mile 2	6:52
Mile 3	6:38
Mile 4	6:09
Mile 5	6:05
Mile 6	5:54
Mile 7	5:32
Mile 8	5:18
Mile 9	5:25

• Cool Down
• Gym - Leg Work

Freakish Workout: Mile/Half Mile/Mile - 8.58 Miles Total

• Warm Up
• Mile/Half Mile/Mile 4 Min Rest
• Goals - 5:00, 2:20, 5:00
• Actual - 4:39, 2:16, 4:38
• Cool Down

The results from this workout came out of left field. If you would have asked me or ANYBODY before the workout what my main objective was, I would have told you it was to try and run around 5 minutes for a mile. As you can see that objective was destroyed. This is not totally unusual though, as I had a similar experience almost exactly a year ago. I ran a freakish fast workout(for me anyway) and then I injured my adductor muscles and was never able to duplicate or better the workout again. Until now. I'll try to build upon this. No marathon or long distance training to distract me. Just honing the speed and increasing the strength.

Luis, J.P., Joe, and Jose were the cast of characters. There were some fast times put down out there today.

1234321 Workout – 8.77 Miles Total

• Warm Up
• Workout
• 1 Minute - 5:06
• 2 Minutes - 5:16
• 3 Minutes - 5:12
• 4 Minutes - 5:08
• 3 Minutes – 5:10
• 2 Minutes – 5:15
• 1 Minute – 4:33
• Cool Down
• Gym – Leg Workouts

Not the most impressive of workouts, 1 Minute fast, 1 Minute slow, 2 Minutes Fast, 2 Minutes Slow, and so on and so forth… I expected to hit more sub 5 minute splits. The legs felt good, I just didn’t run fast. Didn’t force anything, stayed relaxed and didn’t look at the watch.

Progressive Run – 9.84 Miles Total

Mile 1	7:09
Mile 2	6:42
Mile 3	6:33
Mile 4	6:14
Mile 5	6:00
Mile 6	5:47
Mile 7	5:28
Mile 8	5:15
Mile 9	5:26 (half mile)

Cool Down

We had a big group this morning. Let’s see if I can get this right. We had Me, Sean, Lu, J.P. Mac, RJ, Mahta, Joe Flores, and Jose Lara. Eight strong guys and we sounded like a thundering herd, errr, maybe more like light-footed gazelles. Good run and I made a tiny improvement upon my time in this workout. But it was a lot easier this time around and I had something left in the tank. I stopped a little early in the last mile as I felt my pace dropping. As soon as I stopped J.P. ran by me. I was a little disappointed as I felt I had enough left in the tank to try and finish it up with J.P. had I known he was still behind me. But no big deal in the grand scheme of things. J.P. has been improving pretty quickly and Luis has been running extremely well. Next time we do this workout I’ll try and finish it up with back to back 5:15s instead of the 5:05. Definitely doable.

6 x 2 Minutes (3 Min Rest) – 6.2 Miles Total

• Jump Rope – 5 x 20 Each Leg
• Warm Up
• 6 x 2 Minutes (3 Min Rest) – 5:03, 5:05, 5:01, 5:00, 5:02, 5:04
• Cool Down
• Gym - Legs

This was a shake out run. It was meant to get a little speed in without taxing the body too much. Not a bad workout. One of the main things I battle these days is running well with massive fluid loss. It seems like I’m losing so much water even before the workouts start and that gives these workouts an extra challenge. I surprise myself sometimes with how well I’m able to maintain speed and strength while my body is dehydrated. On the bright side, I should feel quite refreshed once the first fall cool front moves in.

Another 60+ mile week in the books.

6 Mile Tempo + Long Run – 13.61 Miles Total

• Warm Up

6 Mile Tempo (Goal Pace 5:30)

Mile 1	5:27
Mile 2	5:19
Mile 3	5:22
Mile 4	5:44
Mile 5	6:18
Mile 6	6:21
Total Average Pace	5:46

• Cool Down

I ran this with Sean, Luis, and Dan. I ended up betting the farm on this workout. I told myself that I was going to really test my fitness here and that’s what I ended up doing. I ran from the front and ended up running out of gas at the 3.5 mark. I ended up running the first 3.5 miles around 5:24 pace. The weather was pretty difficult as it was extremely humid. I believe I lost a good amount of water even before we started the tempo. With all that said, I’m happy with the workout and I know I’ll do better next time. The other guys did extremely well and left me in dust. After the workout and the rest of the mileage I was worn down to a nub and I was left in a catatonic state for a while.

5-4-3-2-1 Workout – 8.9 Miles Total

• Jump Rope - 5 x 20 Each Leg
• 15 Sec Strides 1 Minute rest
  • 5:19, 4:16, 4:30, 4:18, 4:16
• Warm Up
• 5-4-3-2-1 Workout
  • 5min-5:06, 4min-5:02, 3min-5:02, 2min-5:07, 1min-4:46
• Cool Down
• Gym - Legs

This workout consists of 5 minutes fast, 5 minutes slow, 4 minutes fast and 4 minutes slow, and so on and so forth. The objective was to hit 5:05 pace for the first repetition and then get faster on each of the following repetitions. I didn’t quite manage to do that but at least I didn’t blow up and was able to maintain pace. The next phase will be to get those next few reps faster and faster. I give myself a B- on the workout.