A Week's Work (1)

Fun and Fitness, Monday to Sunday

It's all downhill to Stanley Street

Introduction:

I am studiously training for the 'maybe, might be' Around the Bay 30K, to be held on November 22nd, 2020, in Hamilton, Ontario, IF race organizers get permission to go ahead with registration (beginning Oct. 5, maybe) and are allowed to place hundreds of pylons and distance markers around the bay so that runners don't get lost in Burlington.

Might be a go. Might not.

Sometimes I head north on the Thames Valley Parkway (TVP)

That being said, I will train as if it is "a go" and keep a tally of how I am doing for the next five months. 

Training Chart - Week 5

Monday: 7-mile walk. 

Rain was in the forecast so I walked with an umbrella. Because I carried an umbrella, not a drop of rain fell from grey skies. Typical!

I walked from my house in Old South to the Fork of the Thames, stepped onto the TVP at HMCS Prevost and walked west toward the Wonderland Gardens. I covered one mile, from my house to the community gardens next to the TVP just NW of Prevost, as well as 4 kilometres on the TVP as I headed west toward the Gawdens. 

The TVP has distance-markers every half-kilometre and my pace was approx. 5min.10sec. per half-km. 

I turned around at the 4.5 km. distance-marker at Wonderland Gardens and retraced my steps home.

Distance - 2 miles (HOME to HMCS) + 8 km. (TVP) = 7 miles. Time - 2 hours.

Comments: Good workout. Had a short but pleasant chat with Alex, the Sausage King as he biked before going into work. 

Tuesday: I usually do a run, with lots of hills and repeats, on a Tuesday. However, I drove to Simcoe instead, to meet with the son of a WW2 Navy vet who was in the same crew as my father, in many ways. Drove back to London through heavy rain and took a well-deserved nap once back home. No running mileage, but I'll make up for it tomorrow.

Photo from under Kensington Bridge, on my way to Harris Park

Wednesday: 7-mile 'race pace' run

I set out to run at race pace, an easy 6-min. per km pace, but the day was cooler than usual and my legs were fresh (I took the day off yesterday), so I burned off an extra 20 - 25 seconds with each passing km without feeling like I worked too hard.

Distance - 2 miles + 8 km = 7 miles. Time - approx. 70 min.

Comments: Good workout. Cooler weather helps me run faster and steadier. If the "maybe, might be" 30K race takes place in late November, minus any snow or wind in the face, I'll be a happy camper. Note to self - I need to run a few hills by Sunday. 

Thursday: 7-mile run with hills

 

This hill leads to more hills, more hills, hills.

I only count the uphill part of a hill even though the downhill half is pretty important as well. And I only count uphills that are 100m or more long. Anything smaller is called a 'hilly bit'.

I usually run hills on Tuesday but due to an important meeting that day I ran my hills today. I usually head out the door in the morning but due to another meeting (with four city staff who visited my house to fix a broken water pipe in my yard), I shifted to the PM. If anything, I'm flexible.

Thankfully, the weather was not steamy and I hit ten hills (some were repeats, i.e., the same hill repeated) with good energy. A couple of times I told myself to slow down, "it ain't a race."

Distance - 2 miles + 8 km = 7 miles. Time - approx. 75 min.

Comments: Another good workout. I passed a guy on a bike who was struggling up one hill. As I went by he said, "I hate hills." Made me chuckle, but not out loud. If anything, I'm polite : ) I think the hills are getting easier, and that's a good thing because in Hamilton there are a couple of doozies.

Friday: 7-mile walk

"good pace" = about 5.5 - 6.0 KPH. Yeah, I'm on the clock

Good walk north on TVP toward the University of Western Ontario. I carry a water bottle and can get refills in Gibbons Park. Hey, the 'comfort station' was finally open - good news for two reasons (cold water fountain plus a bathroom; "water in, water out", that's a good deal).

Distance - 2 miles + 8 km = 7 miles. Time - approx. 2 hr.

Comments: Friday is usually a 'speed work' day but my schedule was wonky this week due to a day off on Tuesday. I won't take Saturday off and try to squeeze in some speedy moves.

Walking through Gibbons at a good pace toward my 

turnaround marker, north of UWO campus

Saturday: 7-mile walk/run

Week's total mileage (from Sun. - Sat.) = 42.5 miles. AOK

I like this type of outing. I walk for 5 min. then run for 3 min., and cover about a half-km per interval. And, as it worked out, I pushed the pace when running in order to say "I did some speed work, worthy of a geezer." I didn't want to overdo the speed because I have a long run next day.

Distance - 2 miles + 8 km = 7 miles. Time - approx. 90 min.

Comments: The walk/run combo is a 'tweener' and it fits the bill during a wonky week.

Sunday: Long run

According to my running chart, I needed to run 9.5 miles, or one kilometre farther than my last long run on the chart (from two weeks ago). I want to hold the pace very close to race pace (i.e., 6-min./km.) during long runs and on Sunday I did not do too bad in that department. 

Only 1 Km was at 6-min. My groove is 10 sec./km faster.

Distance - 2 miles + 12 km = approx. 9.5 miles. Time - approx. 90 - 95 min.

Comments: Good energy, no struggles or sore spots. Next long run - in two weeks - will break the 10-mile barrier. I'll be ready.

Nice and gradual increases in the long run department

re mileage: the weekly average is staying pretty consistent

More to follow as the October 5 registration date for the "maybe, might be" Around the Bay 30K approaches.

Please link to New Running Goal, New Training Chart (2) for more details.

Photos GH

New Running Goal, New Training Chart (2)

New Schedule Too, aka It's Hot Out There!

Some days it feels hot enough to fry a toad. Not that I would!

I have my eye on such a great goal - Hamilton Around the Bay 30K Road Race, November 22 (if permitted) - so I'm pretty sure I won't make any big adjustments to my walking and running routine until Winter Break (the week after the race and the weeks before and after Christmas). The November 30 km or 18.6 mile event would be my tenth kick at the can, and I feel it would be a great achievement, even at a significantly slower pace than my last finish in 2004.

As well, I have developed a solid training chart that touches all the bases. No need to fuss over it at all, what with over five months to go. Each of my two walks and four runs per week (all are 6 - 7 miles in length) fits my profile (my needs, limits, interests) and together they touch on the most significant elements of long distance running.

For example, the walks (Monday and Thursday) provide rest and relaxation and help me monitor overall conditioning and health. My hilly routes, and hill repeats, develop leg strength; the race pace route helps me develop a steady, efficient stride for race day; the up-tempo run (incl. accelerations, and faster intervals) helps me keep pace with a few other healthy runners in my age group, and puts a little more gas in the tank when needed; and my long run (14.25 km. last Sunday) develops needed stamina or endurance.

As long as I can ramp up the long run in a gradual way, within my limits, and eventually get close to 30 km by mid-November, I should be able to enjoy Hamilton's historic race to a high degree for the duration (maybe even cross the finish line in under three hours). 2:59:59 would be brilliant.

I've only been on the new training chart for about 4 weeks so "it's early days," I say. That being said, after one hot, muggy run I decided to smarten up and shift my walks and runs from PM to AM, and it's made a very good difference. After 11 AM the tarmac gets hot enough to fry an egg, or toad, whichever one may spot during a daily jaunt. (My photo of Mr. Toad is from earlier this week. With gentle encouragement from the side of my running shoe, it was soon off the path, away from traffic, and well-hidden in a nearby shady spot). 

Photos From Along The Way:

Long run on 14 June was 2mi. + 11km; I put off hills for a day - bad back

Three good runs in a row. Speed work today is a PB (personal best)

Weekly miles are staying in the 40s. So far, the temperature is not!!

There will be no increase in the long run this Sunday

My up-tempo run, w accelerations, is going well...

Speed work days are followed by a 'relaxn on deck' day : )

Up-tempo run is getting blazing fast! Can I get to 5 min. per km?

Pretty straightforward chart to follow. 4 runs, 2 walks per week

A half-marathon in Aug. - Sept. would be cool!

I'm not going to set the world on fire but am enjoying everything about the summer runs except the mugginess or humidididity. That being said, because of mugginess, someone invented cold beer, and after a long run my front porch is the best place in town for a cool down.

I hope runners who visit this site are all enjoying a good, productive running season.

Please link to New Running Goal, New Training Chart (1)

Photos GH

New Running Goal, New Training Chart (1)

Hills, Race Pace, Speed Work, Long Runs

Walkn, thinkn, walkn, thinkn.

My spring half marathon (April22) is a few miles behind me and my mind is looking even farther ahead, into November.

The historic Hamilton 30 K Road Race - longest continuously run road race in the universe (or is it just North America?) - is usually a spring event, for which I would not have been prepared this year. But, due to COVID-19, it was cancelled end of March. However, it might happen this year after all. 

Check Hamilton 30 K online and you will find that race organizers are planning (and hoping their plans work out) to offer registration for the 2020 race on October 5th, and hoping/planning to run the race on November 5th.

So, I have a new training chart - four runs per week, two long walks, Saturdays off - in draft form, and because it's in the early stages I will see how it feels (almost identical to my spring half marathon chart), tweak it if or where needed, then put a copy on a later post.

I have a hilly route going north toward the university, and a route going west that allows me to accommodate my weekly race pace, speed work and long runs. Why, by October 5th I should be one svelte little runner, ready to register for the 30 K.

We shall see what we shall see.

Photos From Along the Hilly Way:

Thames Park, medium hill

Wortley Road, easy hill

Route to Harris Park and the Eldon House hard hill

More to follow as I prepare for my tenth running of Around the Bay 30Km, Hamilton.

For more posts re running, please link to Now This Is Happening (6).

Photos GH