Status Quo

4.3 miles in just under 40 minutes.

Anandamide (aka bliss)

The source of my insanity this weekend has been found. I dare you to give me the IUPAC name for this bad boy...

An Idiopathic Outburst of Energy

I don't know what has happened to me over the last several months, but something has caused a switch to be flipped inside of me. I've become more involved in working out than I ever have before. I think it's a matter of never being involved in sports growing up and realizing that I really missed out on a whole different side of myself that never had the opportunity to show until now. I'm feeling healthier, I have toned up and I've discovered a competitiveness in myself that I love. And, to top it all off, I am re-learning things about my personality and drive that have been hidden away for quite awhile.

As I mentioned in my last post, I did a 2 hour spin class yesterday. Today, I followed a similar routine, heading to spin with the intention of only staying for an hour since I had to run later in the day. Well, that didn't happen. My ischial tuberosities didn't want to get off the saddle any longer than the standing hill climbs and jumps called for, so I stayed on the bike and spun my little heart out for another 2 hours.

Later in the day...

Andrea, Amina, Adam and I ran the reservoir loop and logged 6 miles ... in the rain.

For those of you that may say I am overdoing it before the race, never fear. I am not going to continue the back to back to back workouts. I will be tapering down over the next 3 weeks and will likely keep my mileage below 10 for any given run. This was really just a case of pushing to see how far I would let myself go and to see how I would feel once it was all said & done (so far, pretty damn good). I suppose only the next couple days will truly tell. I am expecting my legs to send out an S.O.S. signal by morning.

Tomorrow: rest

Wheel in the sky

keeps on turning...

Just got back from spin class. I hung in there with 4 other people for 2 solid hours of hills, jumps and sprints. All I can say...I'm hooked.

Rain!

Forecast calls for rain all weekend. This does not bode well for my long run. Good thing I logged 4,6 and 5 earlier this week, - however, I still need more miles.

Plan A: run 10 tomorrow (if the rain decides to let up) and spin class on Sunday. Plan B: Saturday morning spin class and a 10 on Sunday with Andrea and Amina.

SF plans are shaping up quite nicely...just over 3 weeks away now. It's going to be a busy 4 days...spending time with the family, going to an engagement party, taking a trip to Sonoma with the girls, having dinner in the city with some friends and yes, of course, the run...

02:20:07

Don't really know what to say at the moment except I finished my first half today. Actually, it was 13.3 miles to be somewhat exact. The route was the usual MIT-Eliot loop, with a brief diversion into the Boston Common to do 2 hill repeats - the full route is here. This was an amazing run - the temperature was in the 50s, the sun was out and I felt great. My goal was to finish in 02:15:00, but I am going to say that I am ok with my time given that this is the first time I've run this far. Adam was a trooper and ran with me for the last 11 on an empty stomach and 4 hours sleep. Have to give him credit for hanging in there.

This week I taper down, do some more hill repeats and maybe throw in a bit of cross training.

HRM part 3

http://www.marathonguide.com/training/articles/HeartMonitorTraining.cfm

According to this article, my HRmax would be 194. I am going to test it out again during tomorrow's team run. Plan: throw a couple of hills into the mix and going for at least 11 miles. Maybe I'll just do the whole damn 13.

******
Based on the simple Heartrate calculation, your max Heartrate is: 194.
To get the most out of your workout, you should work out in one of the "zones" described below, depending whether your goal is weight loss, an aerobic workout or an anaerobic workout.
Zone 1 - Low Intensity zone: 50% - 60% of max 132-145
Zone 2 - Weight Control zone: 60% - 70% of max 145-157
Zone 3 - Aerobic zone: 70% - 80% of max 157-170
Zone 4 - Anaerobic zone: 80% - 90% of max 170-182
Zone 5 - Maximal zone: 90% - 100% of max 182-194