21 Weeks to a BQ

Keep up the excellent work, Nick. Nice job moving things around without stressing, but it sure stinks when life gets in the way

Nick Morris wrote:08.09.12 -

10 miles...Little shift in my schedule this week, which means that my 10 miler was mmoved to tonight. Let's just say that I felt good this evening. So much, that I put away all of my conservative training and just ran. And ran I did...The pace was the fastest that I have ran this training cycle, yet the effort did not seem to be too stressful. The 5th mile was at marathon pace (7:00). I completed 10.30 miles at a 7:22 pace and felt awesome afterwards. It's nights like tonight that are big confidence boosters. Of course, I will be going back to my conservative training tomorrow...

Looks like you've been hitting some nice distances and paces consistently. With this kind of training, I'm thinking you could race a half at about 1:25 or better now. What's your half PR? I'd recommend getting one on the schedule over the next 6 weeks or so and seeing if you could do a big PR at the end of a stepback week. Those "trained through" half races I've done in the midst of marathon training have been really fun and its a nice validation of all the hard work you've been putting in. Based on the paces you are training at, I'd say a 6:30 paced half is a good goal right now. Maybe faster.

08.10.12 -

6 miles...

An easy six miles to finish out the work week...It was also one of the most interesting runns that I have ever had. I ended up running right through the middle of a crime scene...not once, but twice. A short stretch of my run goes through a sketchy area and it jsut so happens that some type of altercation happened maybe an hour or so before I ran through the area. From what I can tell, gun shots were fired, as I could see shell casings clearly marked on the ground with those little numbered forensic tags. Not sure if anyone was harmed or not, but there were many officers on the scene.

Anyways...I complete 6.22 miles at a 7:43 pace.

08.11.12 -

9 miles...Trying to play catch up with my blog posts. I got in another easy 9 miles, 9.26 to be exact, at a 7:47 pace. 12 mile LSD on Sunday to round off my stepback week.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Keep up the excellent work, Nick. Nice job moving things around without stressing, but it sure stinks when life gets in the way

Yes, sometimes life sucks, but it's how you react to the curve balls that are thrown your way. Sometimes you need to adjust your swing, take what is given to you, and hit the ball to right rield.

I love baseball analogies

Chris M wrote:

Nick Morris wrote:08.09.12 -

10 miles...Little shift in my schedule this week, which means that my 10 miler was mmoved to tonight. Let's just say that I felt good this evening. So much, that I put away all of my conservative training and just ran. And ran I did...The pace was the fastest that I have ran this training cycle, yet the effort did not seem to be too stressful. The 5th mile was at marathon pace (7:00). I completed 10.30 miles at a 7:22 pace and felt awesome afterwards. It's nights like tonight that are big confidence boosters. Of course, I will be going back to my conservative training tomorrow...

Looks like you've been hitting some nice distances and paces consistently. With this kind of training, I'm thinking you could race a half at about 1:25 or better now. What's your half PR? I'd recommend getting one on the schedule over the next 6 weeks or so and seeing if you could do a big PR at the end of a stepback week. Those "trained through" half races I've done in the midst of marathon training have been really fun and its a nice validation of all the hard work you've been putting in. Based on the paces you are training at, I'd say a 6:30 paced half is a good goal right now. Maybe faster.

Actually Chris, every September I run a HM in Appleon, WI. I use it as my tune up race to try out my race day equpment and gauge my race fitness level. Last year, I set a new PR with a 1:28:XX. My goal for this year is to at least be sub 1:27:00. Although if things go as planned I will hopefully be sub 1:26:00.

08.12.12 -

12 miles...Last run of a stepback week. A nice, early fall like morning for a twelve mile run. A nice easy pace, with not much effort at all. I love being able to run comfortably at a 7:45 pace or less. I completed 12.36 miles at a 7:48 pace. My average heart rate was at a nice 138.

This coming week has me running the Ragnar Great River Relay from Friday into Saturday. I ran this relay race last year, as well. It is definitely a challenging, but run thing to do. Running through the bluffs of the Mississippi River makes for challenging elevation changes. Plus, running at all times of the day, night, and morning are just as challenging. Add into that, the fact that you get little or no sleep and have to race three different legs in less than 24 hours, you are exhausted by the end...I can't wait!!!!

Weekly Total - 47.64

"Run" = "Fun"?
Freudian slip!
I've always wanted to run a Ragnar-type relay - sounds great! Have run!

Michael Enright wrote:"Run" = "Fun"?
Freudian slip!
I've always wanted to run a Ragnar-type relay - sounds great! Have run!

Thanks!! You should try one sometime if you get the chance...

08.13.12 -

3 miles recovery...An easy 3 mile recovery run tonight. I barely even broke a sweat this evening as I finished 3.11 miles at an 8:34 pace.

Nick Morris wrote:

Michael Enright wrote:"Run" = "Fun"?
Freudian slip!
I've always wanted to run a Ragnar-type relay - sounds great! Have run!

Thanks!! You should try one sometime if you get the chance...

A new co-worker organizes a charity relay across Massachusetts every year, and I think some of us may put together a team to do that in '13!

Michael Enright wrote:

Nick Morris wrote:

Michael Enright wrote:"Run" = "Fun"?
Freudian slip!
I've always wanted to run a Ragnar-type relay - sounds great! Have run!

Thanks!! You should try one sometime if you get the chance...

A new co-worker organizes a charity relay across Massachusetts every year, and I think some of us may put together a team to do that in '13!

I say do it!!

08.14.12 -

7 miles...A nice 7 miles this evening. This are moving a long and I am close to the halfway point of my training. The weight is melting off and the times are progressively getting faster. This weekend will be the first test of my fitness level. I know that I am not in marathon shape yet, but I am definitely feeling pretty good. I completed 7.51 miles at a 7:42 pace.

08.15.12 -

10 miles...Great 10 miler tonight, as I gear up for the Ragnar Great River Relay. During my run this evening I witnessed a double rainbow and it reminded me of the viral video below Anyways, I ended up completing 10.33 miles at a 7:35 pace. I definitely think that I am ready to take on the hills and lack of sleep

08.16.12 -

Travel day...

Making the 5 hour trek up to Minneapolis this evening after work to meet up with my team for the Ragnar Great River Relay. Then Friday morning we ride down to Winona, MN for the start. Only to run all the way back to Minneapolis. We should finish by noon or 1pm. Then on Sunday I get to make the 5 hour journey back to Madison...

I saw a double rainbow last summer on an early morning run. The drought is terrible here this summer...

I'm looking forward to seeing how Fox Cities half goes for you this year. Sounds like a good chance at a PR!

Have fun with the relay!

Made it to Minneapolis!!!

Go visit my brother! He's at whatever college has a good veterinary program (I should know this, right?). Good luck on the relay - sounds like a blast. It'll probably help keep you motivated and excited about training, too, mixing things up. I may have missed it, but how are you planning on running your legs? Easy, GA, MP?

08.17.12 -

Ragnar Race Day...

We got down to Winona, MN and to the start line by 11:15. Van 1 was scheduled to start at 12 noon and we met up with the team, got our pictures taken, and cheered everyone on at the start. After the start we ate some lunch and then move on to the first van exchange. I was the 3rd runner in our van, so my start time was at 6:30ish. My first leg was a major challenge, even at only 5 miles long. Mile 3 was the main reason for the challenge, as it consisted of a 400 foot climb that lasted the entire mile. To top things off, the entire mile climb was on gravel road. Only when I was almost to the peak, did I meet the pavement.I was averaging around 6:46 for the first two miles, but hit a roadblock on the climb. I made it up the hill in around 9:00 or so. This made my overall pace plummet to 7:30 per mile. That's when the fun began...for the next mile I had a huge downhill and then a gradual downhill for the last mile. I definitely killed the huge downhill, to the tune of a 5:27 pace and my last mile pace was 6:21. The fast last two miles allowed me to gain back a lot of what I lost on the uphill. I finished the first leg at an overall pace of 6:57.

08.18.12 -

Ragnar Race Day...

Leg #2 was a 9.4 miler on a very cool night at 50 degrees. After getting a little over an hour of sleep, I was up and at it again. My leg started at 3:30 am (not so fun), but with the cool temperatures, I was able to fly! I navigated the rolling hills with relative ease, on my way to passing 17 teams!!! I maintained a fairly consistent pace throughout the entire run and finished the 9.4 at a 6:57 pace.

Leg #3, was an all different story. My leg called for 4.6 miles, with the first 3 flat and the last 1.6 up another mountain, ugh. My leg started at around 10:50 am, and by this time, the lack of sleep and leg fatigue was really starting to set in. My calves were tight, hammies barking, and my quads just plain hated me. I started it out decent and made it to the hill at a 7:06 pace. That is when my legs tried to give up on me. I pushed on though, and made the slow 1.6 mile climb (actually 1.9, as the leg was longer than posted) up the hill and finished the 4.9 mile leg at a 7:40 pace.

Never was I more happy to finish a run, than I was after that...So, with my Ragnar complete it was on to the finish line to cheer on the rest of my team. We ended up placing 29th overall out of 316 teams. Not bad for a team of 6 guys and 5 girls in there middle to upper 30s

08.19.12 -

Rest/Travel Day...

I made the journey back home on some sore legs...time to rest, recover, and get back at it!!

Sounds like things are coming along and the relay sounds like it was a challenge but a lot of fun. Glad to see you made it through ok with no real issues. I did Texas Independence Relay for the first time this past year....very similar type relay. I have heard good things about Ragnar relay events.

08.20.12 -

Rest...My right calf is still a little tight from Ragnar, so I am giving it at least another day of rest.

smart move.

08.21.12 -

My right calf still had a little tightness in it, so I gave it one more day. I will be back at it on Wednesday...