First At Bat to BQ - Bayshore

Michael Enright wrote:Ok - what's your goal for the half?

Michael, I'm thinking of shooting for 1:35ish. That would be a PR. We'll see.

Mike MacLellan wrote:Alex - You're cranking out these runs like a machine. I like your alternating time-on-feet and fast-finish runs - that's a good idea. You should be in fantastic shape for this BQ.

Thanks Mike. I've kind of enjoyed the switching back and forth once the base was built and into the sharpening phase. Hopefully it will translate.

Alex Kubacki wrote:I just started cursing at it and letting it know it wasn't going to get the better of me.

Had to laugh at that - I have been there and done that! As long as the wind doesn't start talking back I guess we are OK!

Alex Kubacki wrote:Sunday - 17M last 7M at MP.

Wow - that is a tough workout...

Alex Kubacki wrote:81M for the week.

That is some insane running lately Alex. And no real hiccups along the way. This is shaping up to be a damn near perfect training cycle...

Local weather for Cheshire on Sunday is nice. Maybe a little cold. Can't be colder than Cape Cod felt, right?? Depending on who you listen to, there is a chance for showers Sunday, but this morning's forecast called for those to go out to sea to the south. So, dry and a high in the mid-50s. Might be 40 at the start.

Michael Enright wrote:Local weather for Cheshire on Sunday is nice. Maybe a little cold. Can't be colder than Cape Cod felt, right?? Depending on who you listen to, there is a chance for showers Sunday, but this morning's forecast called for those to go out to sea to the south. So, dry and a high in the mid-50s. Might be 40 at the start.

Michael, one thing I saw is that it could be windy. Accuweather was talking gusts close to 30mph. Of course it's been windy for weeks now so I'm used to it. I'll just show up and run as hard as I can and see what happens.

Alex Kubacki wrote:

Michael Enright wrote:Local weather for Cheshire on Sunday is nice. Maybe a little cold. Can't be colder than Cape Cod felt, right?? Depending on who you listen to, there is a chance for showers Sunday, but this morning's forecast called for those to go out to sea to the south. So, dry and a high in the mid-50s. Might be 40 at the start.

Michael, one thing I saw is that it could be windy. Accuweather was talking gusts close to 30mph. Of course it's been windy for weeks now so I'm used to it. I'll just show up and run as hard as I can and see what happens.

The last two races I ran (Cape Cod and Colchester Half) were cold and windy! The conditions must be following me around...

Was very windy here yesterday and today. Hopefully, it'll either be out of the west (since the course is mostly north/south) or will settle down.

Step back week.

Monday lunch - 8M. 2 x 1M @ 5K & 2 x .5M @ 5K. I hammered these. The last .5M I was closer to 8K as there was a bit of an incline in the road. Overall I was pleased.

Monday night - 4M. Easy. On the treadmill.

Tuesday - 5M Easy. Very windy out there. I was glad when it was done.

Wednesday - 10M GA. Felt good out there. Did the last two at MP.

Thursday - 6M with 6 x 100m. Felt good again. It was the first time I felt like I had some pop in my strides. Of course I usually do the strides after my 4am runs and this was at lunch so not too suprising I guess.

No running today just some resistance training. Tomorrow I'll do about 5M easy. I've got the Half on Sunday. Hopefully it goes well.

I hope Sunday goes well!

Perfect week leading into this half. Hammer it home.

Alex Kubacki wrote:Step back week.

Monday lunch - 8M. 2 x 1M @ 5K & 2 x .5M @ 5K. I hammered these. The last .5M I was closer to 8K as there was a bit of an incline in the road. Overall I was pleased.

Monday night - 4M. Easy. On the treadmill.

Tuesday - 5M Easy. Very windy out there. I was glad when it was done.

Wednesday - 10M GA. Felt good out there. Did the last two at MP.

Thursday - 6M with 6 x 100m. Felt good again. It was the first time I felt like I had some pop in my strides. Of course I usually do the strides after my 4am runs and this was at lunch so not too suprising I guess.

No running today just some resistance training. Tomorrow I'll do about 5M easy. I've got the Half on Sunday. Hopefully it goes well.

I always feel like such a slacker reading your reports! Nice job. See you Sunday, windy or not.

Current forecast looks like the wind should not be bad until after you finish. It should pick up during the race. So, we won't have much of a tail wind in the first half, but will have a bit of a headwind on the way back. But not too much, unless the wind comes in stronger & sooner.

I'll just look for this guy!

Alex - great job today and good to see you again. You are ready for good thingd at Bayshore!

Michael Enright wrote:Alex - great job today and good to see you again. You are ready for good thingd at Bayshore!

Thanks Michael. It was great seeing you again today.

Did the Cheshire Half today in 1:32:48. Old PR was 1:36:34. Felt good. Got stronger as the race went on. Very pleased with the result.

Four weeks to go now. Can't wait.

Congrats Alex on the new PR! Guess that toe is no longer an issue!

Alex, I was reading some reviews of the race, and other people said that the marker at mile 10 was way off (they said it was almost at 10.5). Maybe that was what got me so confused at that point. Did you notice that? I had shut off my garmin long before that, so had no way of observing anything like that.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Congrats Alex on the new PR! Guess that toe is no longer an issue!

Thanks Michele. Funny thing is I never even thought about my toe until I got home later.

Michael Enright wrote:Alex, I was reading some reviews of the race, and other people said that the marker at mile 10 was way off (they said it was almost at 10.5). Maybe that was what got me so confused at that point. Did you notice that? I had shut off my garmin long before that, so had no way of observing anything like that.

Michael, after the first three miles or so I stopped looking at my watch, the clocks, the splits, everything. I had gotten frustrated trying to dial in my pace with my watch and decided to run on feel. While I noticed the mile markers I never really paid attention to how long it felt in between as I was going on all feel.

After the Half on Sunday this was the last big week of training.

Monday lunch - 8M Easy. As expected my legs were a bit shot. Took it real easy.

Monday PM - 4M Easy. Legs felt better.

Tuesday PM - 6M Easy. Kept it easy still but a little faster than Monday.

Wednesday - 12M. First 6M MP+15, Last 6M MP-15. After a couple of easy days it was time to run a little fast again. It felt good out there.

Thursday - 4M Easy. Some humidity in the air on this one.

Friday - 8M GA with 8 x 100m. This is my weekly 4am run and it can get tough hitting paces that aren't easy. But this morning I felt good and was able to run a bit faster than usual.

Tomorrow will be my last 20 miler.

What's the plan for the 20? Fast finish? LSD? 10/10? Looks like your form is already coming back around and your fitness is going to skyrocket as you taper.

Hope your 20 is a good one! I see the pix from the race are finally up. I'll have to check yours out...

Thanks guys. Mike, it was just a LSD. I'm doing a fast finish next weekend.

Saturday - 20M LSD. Last 20M. Did 7 20M or more longs this cycle. Hopefully that'll help with the endurance. Felt really good out there. Ran the 2nd half faster. Overall I was happy with the run.

Sunday AM - 7M Easy. Just a nice Sunday morning run.

Sunday PM - 4M Easy. And this wraps up the last full week of the cycle.

Three weeks to the race. I'm doing more of a 2.5 week taper. Today will be speedwork.

7x >20mi runs? I'd say your endurance should be golden, Alex. It's going to take a force majeure to keep you from your goal in 3 weeks.

Thanks Mike.

Well another week almost done.

Monday lunch - 8M with 5 @ HMP-15K. Felt good out there.

Monday night - 4M Easy. Just a nice recovery run. Then I did some leg work after.

Tuesday - 5M Easy. Legs were toast from the tempo and leg work.

Wednesday - 11M GA. Last 2M at MP. I always do this one after work and I make sure to eat lighter at lunch. Didn't this time and and I paid for it on the run.

Thursday - 4M. Easy. A bit windy out there.

Friday - 6M GA with 8 x 100m. Probably last early early morning run for the cycle.

Tomorrow will be 16M with a fast finish of 6M. Then we'll be two weeks out.

Nice job, as usual, Alex!

Glad to see you getting the miles in. I've been sidelined with scheduling problems and some kind of virus. Ah, you gotta love the stuff that happens during taper! I'm sure I'll be back running tomorrow.

Enjoy the fast finish - I always like those.

Thanks Michael.

Saturday - 16M Last 6M MP-HMP. It was 37 when I started and almost 60 when I finished. Felt good out there.

Sunday AM - 6M. Easy. Another beautiful Sunday out there. My legs were a bit tired but not as much as I thought they would be.

Sunday PM - 30min. Easy. Winding down now.

Today will be another easy day and tomorrow will be the last real speed day of the cycle.