I have to say, Coach Jeff really knows his stuff. We spent January and February building a big base and I'm beginning to reap the benefits. Here are some of the highlights:
- Last Sunday, my assigned run was 2:45 in zone with 3 minute surges every 20 minutes. I chose a particularly hilly course to start getting my legs ready for the hills in Burlington. What surprised me about this run was how strong I felt on the hills. I increased my turnover and used my arms to power up the hills and recovered well when the terrain flattened out again. Because of a family commitment, I had to cut the run short at 2:30. 17.55 miles in 2:30 for an 8:35 average pace.
- It was pouring this past Wednesday so I decided to run inside in the treadmill. I'm not the biggest fan of the treadmill so when I am forced inside I try to make things interesting. Wednesday's run was 1:30 in zone with surges every 20 minutes. I ran the first hour as assigned but when it came for me to surge at 1:00 I kept up the fast pace and finished the last 30 minutes like this: 10 minutes at 7:47 pace, 1% incline, 10 minutes at 7:41 pace, 0.5% incline, 5 minutes at 7:37 pace, 1% incline, 5 minutes at 7:31 pace, 0.5%. 11 miles total in 1:30 for a 8:11 pace.
- The best run of the week came this past Friday. Once again, my assigned run was 1:30 with surges every 20 minutes. I decided it was time to start running to work (lower Manhattan) again. I took a bus to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal and head down the West Side. During the first few miles, I wasn't feeling it. It was dark and there were no runners on the northern part of West Side path. The sun started to come up and the further south I ran, the more runners I started to see. When I hit the ship terminal around west 59th St., I decided to increase my pace just like I did on the treadmill a few days before. My last 4 mile splits were 7:49, 7:58, 7:51, 7:27. 11.14 miles in 1:30:06 for a 8:05 pace. I had the runners high the entire day at work and I was super productive.
Today was the Jewish festival of Purim. It is a fun holiday commemorating the Jews of Persia overcoming an plot to destroy them. Kids and, some adults, dress up in costumes, we give treats to our friends, and we have a festive meal. It is one of Lil Ansky's favorite holidays and I didn't want to ruin it by disappearing for 2 - 3 hours for a run. So I took today off and enjoyed the festivities with my family.
Next Sunday I will be traveling to Denver for work and I will not be able to get a run in before I have to leave for airport. Coach put some tough workouts on my schedule this week to make up for it. Tuesday I have a 12 mile step up run where I need to run miles 1-3 in zone, 4-6 in zone, miles 7-11 in zone, and cool down for a mile. Friday I have road intervals, 7 x 8 minutes at 5k pace with 2 minute recovery. While I am in Denver I hope to meet up and maybe run with Coaches Jeff and Diane and Matt.
The countdown to Passover is officially underway. 4 weeks from tomorrow night, I will be sitting down with my family in Boca Raton, Florida for the first seder. In the next few weeks, I will be sure to share some recipes that got me through a 3:00 long run during the intermediate days when it's permissible to run.
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