#navymile

[cmjhawk86]

After finishing my summer training cycle yesterday, it's time for a little break. I definitely need some recovery time, yet I'm also anxious to get started on the fall program. What's on tap? Two prime targets: Richmond Half Marathon on 11/16 and USATF Club Cross Country Nationals on 12/14. Along the way I'll do some shorter prep races: Glory Days XC 5k on 10/12, Vienna Turkey Trot 10k the weekend before Thanksgiving. And maybe l'll even jump into the Navy Mile on 10/6. There's always a new target around the corner, motivating you to be your best. Open your eyes to it, embrace it, and get after it.

[cmjhawk86]

Last quality workout before #armytenmiler2017 this weekend. I warmed up easily for 2 miles then got started on 8 x 1 minute at “5k or faster” effort. The #navymile clearly helped with my speed last week because I had no problem starting at about 5k effort and then progressing down to mile effort. First rep was at 6:28/mile pace and the final was at 5:48 pace. Hopefully this means I am hitting my stride just in time. We will find out Sunday. #runblr #fitblr #fallracingseason #fallrunning (at Robert E. Lee High School (Fairfax County, Virginia))

[cmjhawk86]

Got to work my speed today at the #navymile while tripping the @trottin_oxen. Street mile races are challenging. First quarter was too fast, second way too slow. 800 split about 2:54. That got me fired up and I ended up negative splitting and finishing 3rd male in my age group. I'll take it! #runblr #fitblr #bringbackthemile #fallracingseason (at United States Navy Memorial)

[cmjhawk86]

Continuing a solid week

It's taken longer than usual but perhaps I am finally finding my form. After a solid track session Wednesday night, I put down a 9-mile progression run yesterday. I think the speed work earlier in the week woke up the fast-twitch fibers because finishing the 9-miler at 6:45 pace felt much more comfortable than it did last Sunday in a race. Go figure.

I tacked on 5 easy recovery miles this morning, which may round out the week's running miles. Next week, it's a push to the Navy Mile on Pennsylvania Avenue, where I'll gun for podium in my age group (yes, you actually do get to ascend a podium in this event if you medal for your age group). Then, the following week, it's taper time for Army Ten Miler.

[cmjhawk86]

On the left, me struggling through tonight's tempo workout. 3 x 2 miles became 2, 1.5 and 1 mile. It was just one of those nights when I didn't have it. At least I have three days before Navy Mile and 10 before Army Ten Miler. Hopefully I can get in enough recovery to be where I need to be when the starter cannon fires at ATM.

[cmjhawk86]

How tough is an 800?

My answer hasn't changed since high school: pretty damn tough. And I was lot faster back then.

Tonight at the track I took a shot at it again. An 800 time trial, where I would go as hard as I can. It turned out to be two lung-burning laps in 2:49, but man this distance feels like an endless sprint, at least when you are going all out instead of a more comfortable Yasso 800s level of effort. I have the Navy Mile on 10/1 so this will have to do as a benchmark.

After the TT I threw I two tempo mile repeats. The first one was about what I expected (6:48) but the second really surprised me. Maybe I was still feeling that 800 on the first repeat, because on the second I cruised to a 6:39!

So I got nice markers for both Navy Mile and Army Ten Miler tonight. And a needed confidence boost after a poor race performance at Navy 5-Miler over the weekend. I'm back in the game.

[cmjhawk86]

Upgrade

So apparently my 4th place age group finish at Navy 5-Miler last week got upgraded to 3rd place. I usually place in age group categories in local races, and was disappointed not to here, which makes this a nice surprise. The race performance still was well off what I hoped for that day but I'll take the updated placement. Now hopefully I can keep the streak going at Navy Mile next weekend.

[cmjhawk86]

"Interesting" race calendar shaping up

The whole process of injury recovery and comeback has definitely influenced the types of events I've been scheduling for myself lately. Earlier in the spring and summer I was starting to bike heavily as a way boost my fitness and prepare my body for more running miles. I rode in the Armed Forces Cycling Classic and did some other long rides on my own. Then I threw in swimming when the neighborhood pool opened for the season and I ended up jumping in a sprint tri last weekend. As for running races, I haven't done one since a 5k Memorial Day weekend. But with my fitness coming around and Army Ten Miler looming on the horizon, I need to start getting that race focus back. Plus after ATM, if all goes well, I'll probably seek late season half marathon to jump into; Richmond and Philly are the leading candidates there. Anyway, here how it looks as we prepare to turn the calendar page to August: 8/5 - deciding between open masters track meet (mile, 3000 or 800), or evening 10k. Either one of these will be after I do about 10 miles with the Life Time training group early in the morning, so whatever race I do will be a "train through" event. 8/20 - Leesburg 20k? Thinking about it. Or maybe I should just cycle that day instead, because... 8/27 - Reston Century. Yeah back to biking, luckily I "only" signed up for the metric century. Of course at the time I was cycling a lot more. Made sense at the time. 9/2-3 - Potomac Valley Games. Track 5k the first day, mile or 3000 the next? 9/17 - Navy-Air Force 5 Miler. Whoa, I almost forgot that I had signed up for this. But I'm in. 9/24 - Clarendon Day 5k/10k. Haven't signed up yet but I plan to do the Double. 10/1 - Navy Mile on Pennsylvania Avenue. I'm in, gunning for hardware hopefully in the 50-59 men's race. 10/8 - Army Ten Miler. All signed up and right now it's the fall goal race. Not sure I'll be optimally trained for ATM. My race distances are all over the map. Whose idea was this plan? Oh, right. But I'll be in good general shape, that's for sure!