Part 1 of 3 parts to BQ

Alex Kubacki wrote:Julie, I'm doing a 2 day race at the end of the month. It's a half marathon on Saturday and full marathon on Sunday. I haven't trained specifically for it so I'm just doing it for fun and hope that my current fitness will let me complete it.

Sounds interesting, Alex. What race(s) is it?

Alex - Just catching up a bit. Nice job smashing your PR! Don't know how you're finding the motivation to keep going for another month after that, but more power to you I have no doubts that you'll be able to do the 2-day race without any troubles, as long as you pace, pace, pace.

Alex, are you still planning on running Bayshore? We all hope so!

Jim Lentz wrote:Sounds interesting, Alex. What race(s) is it?

Jim it's the Cape Cod Clam Chowdah Challenge. While the marathon piece has been going on for over 30 years the Half and the challenge are new this year. I ran the full last year and am now looking forward to this.

Mike MacLellan wrote:Alex - Just catching up a bit. Nice job smashing your PR! Don't know how you're finding the motivation to keep going for another month after that, but more power to you I have no doubts that you'll be able to do the 2-day race without any troubles, as long as you pace, pace, pace.

Mike you're definitely right. It's all about pace. That's what I have to watch out for for half that I don't go too fast.

Mrs. Schuey wrote:Alex, are you still planning on running Bayshore? We all hope so!

Lisa I intend to be there for my first BQ attempt. I already have December 1 on my calendar to remind me to sign up. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone.

Tuesday - 6M Easy. This was one of those I don't really feel like getting up at 4 to run times. Sucked it up and got up. Once I got out there it was fine.

Wednesday - 8M GA. Finished with a couple of close to MP miles. Overall I felt pretty decent.

Today is no running just some core work. I'm kind of following Phitz's 5-week plan. This weekend I'm doing 6 tomorrow with some strides, 10 GA on Saturday and 6 on Sunday.

Sounds like a good challenge! That's great you're planning to run Bayshore, too, it sounds like there will be a good turnout of 365ers.

Thanks Julie. Bayshore should be fun.

Friday - 6M. 8x100m. Perfect day outside to run. I did this at lunch and the strides I did in this church parking lot that was empty. A cop pulled in wondering what I was doing.

Saturday - 10M GA. Somewhere in the middle as I came out of a side street I saw some guy ahead so I stupidly sped up so I could pass him. I ended up doing a couple of miles sub MP which my body wasn't ready for. Dumb.

Sunday - 6M. Recovery.

Today will be 5M. This is supposed to be the only real training week during this 5-week cycle. We'll see though as I'm still not there yet being recovered.

Monday - 5M. Recovery. Legs were trashed. Dumb mistake of doing intense miles so soon after trashing myself in a marathon. Taking complete rest day on Tuesday.

Wednesday - 10M. LSD. After a couple of miles thought I'd be cutting this short. It just wasn't there. But by around 5 I was feeling better and finished it off feeling good.

Thursday - Core work.

Friday - 5.5M. Lightening storm so started on treadmill. About a mile into it the belt kept slipping and that was the end of that. Headed outdoors as the lightening was done but still raining pretty good out. Managed to step in every puddle there was. A bit aggravated by the end between everything.

Tomorrow I'll do 16M. The plan is to just run easy until the races.

Saturday - 16M LSD. Legs are starting to feel a little better. It was nice to remind the body of the long run.

Sunday - 6M. Easy. Looking at my splits I ran a couple of these a little faster than I should have. Oh well.

Two weeks to go.

Tuesday - 5M Easy. Legs are coming back as my natural easy pace is getting faster.

Wednesday - 7M Easy. Usually do this one after work but we've got a pretty big rain storm coming this afternoon and combined with darkness I got this done before work.

Tomorrow will be no running with some core work. Last weekend coming up.

Nice job getting the Wednesday run in early. I could not do so, and am forced onto the treadmill tonight. You are almost "there"!

Thanks Michael.

Friday - 5M Easy with 5x100m. Been running easy so it was nice to shake it out a bit on the strides.

Last weekend so about 12 tomorrow and 4 or so on Sunday.

OK, Alex, we (and especially YOU) are really getting down to it!

How do you feel? I'm betting you feel pretty good right now.

Except for the current forecast. Hopefully, whatever storm is coming will pick up the pace and get here early and be gone by Saturday. Part of my hope for that is unselfish - I don't want you to have to run in it. Part of it is completely selfish - I don't want any windy remnants of it (or worse, the storm itself!) left for Sunday!!

We are still far enough out that I doubt the accuracy of the forecast, but all that means is instead of being correct, it could be better, or even worse.

Here's hoping it improves as the week goes on...

Michael, at this point I just want it to be over. My body needs the break.

I too would much rather have the better weather on Sunday than Saturday.

Saturday - 12M LSD. Last real run. I really wasn't mentally there for this. Just wanted it done.

Sunday - 4M Easy. Nothing special.

I'll do a couple of easy runs this week, but other than that I'm just resting up for the weekend.

Sounds like you're ready for a break! I hope this weekend goes well and you can rest a little before thinking about the next race.

Forecast has improved!

But it will probably keep changing...

Julie wrote:Sounds like you're ready for a break! I hope this weekend goes well and you can rest a little before thinking about the next race.

You're definitely right. I'm going to take a week off once this is over.

Michael Enright wrote:Forecast has improved!

But it will probably keep changing...

Yeah it's changed again for Saturday. I'll just wake up and look out the window Saturday morning.

Tuesday - 4M Easy. Easy until the last half mile or so when I went 5K pace to get around a couple of guys from work so I could get the shower first. Needed to be at a meeting.

Wednesday - 5M Easy.

Well that was it now. I'm done until Saturday. I'm little nervous for the weekend as I just have no clue how this will go. I never trained specifically for this and am just hoping my fitness will get me through it.

Don't be nervous - just get ready to do a lot of adjusting on the fly and enjoy the challenge (and the chowdah)!

Alex, you may get lucky and get the HM in tomorrow before the weather gets bad. Sunday is not looking too good. Get used to the wind, I guess.

Snow here in Connecticut!

How did it go, Alex? That is a crazy early winter storm!

Julie wrote:How did it go, Alex? That is a crazy early winter storm!

Hi Julie. Got it done. 1:58 for the Half on Saturday and 4:17 for the full today. A bit windy out there you could say. At least the rain ended and we didn't get snow down here. Of course I have no power at home and who knows how much snow on my driveway.

great job! Glad you stayed safe and ran both races strong!

Nice job!

Glad you got both races in Alex! I was wondering how the weather conditions might effect your races. Hope that the power gets restored soon in your area. That is not a fun thing to have to deal with.

Here are a couple of the race photos from the Challenge. The blue top is from the Half on day one and the red top is from the Full on day two.

I've only done a couple of easy runs since the race. I'll be back out there today. The plan is recovery until mid-December and then I'll start base building for Bayshore.

Off topic it really sucked going a week without power. Not fun being in a cold house.