Sunday, October 12, 2008

25 mpw

Almost every day my email box receives “Quote of the Day” from Runner’s World. This one I really like:
"I always run alone, away from phones and stress. Running is a major part of my life because it keeps me sane."
Michael Roux, JR., Executive Chef, Le Gavroche, London

Good thought. Ninety plus percents of my workouts I do solo, though I do not avoid opportunity to run with others…
I keep on climbing to the peak of my mileage:

Week: Sun, Sep 28 – Sat, Oct 4, 2008
Sun 9/28, AM: 10.87 mi, 1h:35m:00s, avg. pace 8:44, avg./max HR 150/166 (max HR I got after an incident with dogs in the park, nothing special);
Mon 9/29: off
Tue 9/30: off
Wed 10/1, PM: 4.25 mi, 36:45, avg. pace 8:38, avg./max HR 144/167 (no incidents and I don’t remember what happened, probably I was tired after working day and my heart didn’t work well. Such an outrage : )
Thu 10/2, PM: 4.25 mi, 35:11, avg. pace 8:16, avg./max HR 141/150 (finally good heart rate);
Fri 10/3: off
Sat 10/4, Saturday is always special day for me. It’s a final day for my running week and sort of day to “cover all running debts”.
PM: 4.0 mi, 32:15, avg. pace 8:03, avg./max HR 139/156
Four miles as a warm up followed by Intervals:
8 x 0.25 mi, total 2.00 mi, avg. pace 5:23, avg./max HR 148/165
My first time for 8 quarters (I never took it before as consecutive repeats) and I put on Asics Gel-DS Racer VII to hit eight intervals from 1m:17s’99 to slowest 1:22’96. I rarely wear these luxurious sneakers and try to save them for couple more marathons, as you’ll never (nearest 5 – 10 years) get Asics model of this class in Kaz or Central Asia. Though my running pal Mr. Baghdad swears he saw “sneakers like these” somewhere here.
– Show me my friend, show me.

Total for the week: 25.36 mi, 3h:29m:58s, avg. pace 8:16.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

20 mpw

After several months off, I’m back to blogging. It goes without saying that majority of my readers won’t be back to this page. From other hand being an active member of this running blogging world brings me slight chance to inspire and encourage some and to be inspired as well.

My running life is getting a little frayed around the edges. I am not as “fury” as I was in 2007 and there are some reasons. Main reason is that I can not allow myself to run Full race (read spend a lot) cause all of them are Far Away. Won’t run Beijing or Shanghai this year, Istanbul, Dublin or Dubai not an option either. No need to mention that there are No certified races in Kazakhstan or Central Asia. Just No One.
OK. I missed this year and Medeo Half (see previous post) was the only Race I ran in 2008.
As I do not have any race as my Target, the curtain ought to be brought down now.

Not now. I do train and will share my training here, week by week till my next Full race.
If you, my Dear Reader want to read about intensive training with 80 or 90 or closer to One Hundred miles a week program, you obviously got to the wrong page, though I hit 80 mpw somewhere in Jul 08.
Here’s what I do these days.

Week: Sun, Sep 21 – Sat, Sep 27, 2008
Sun 9/21, PM: 10.37 mi, 1h:30m:00s, avg. 8:41, avg./max HR 139/150
Mon 9/22: off
Tue 9/23: off
Wed 9/24: off
Thu 9/25, PM: 3.0 mi, 25:52, avg. 8:37, avg./max HR 145/158
(heart rate simply tells that I am untrained)
Fri 9/26: off
Sat 9/27, PM: 5.0 mi, 43:25, avg. 8:41, avg./max HR 155/163 (!! 5 EZ miles, oh boy where do I go?) + Intervals with 4 min rest in between:
7 x 0.25 mi, total 1.75 mi, avg. 5:40, avg./max HR 146/166 (as I always do, those “idle” laps which actually 4 min rest period I erase from Mr. Garmin’s memory right after my workout done.)

Total for the week: 20.11 mi, 2h:49min, avg. pace 8:24

This September we sort of missed “Indian Summer” so it’s pretty cold in my places and this is the only reason to run (some call it “jog”) at those miserable paces – gloves, light winter hat and all that stuff on me. I’m not complaining about my conditions and uniform; I think this was one of the factors for successful Shanghai race last year, I ran heavily equipped up to 90 miles a week and November Sh gave me a chance to run in T-short, shorts and light Asics. Good Formula and my lofty goal is to repeat it one day.

Happy Running to Everybody!
P.S. Thank you guys for all your comments and care.
P.P.S. Tomorrow Sun Oct 5, my running friend Paul Gilmer’s running Budapest marathon. First full race since Omsk 2007 we ran together. Paul I cross my fingers!!!
As for me, I’ll do my 1h 40min “long” run.