After suggestion/request from a few alums and friends, I’ve decided to post my un-edited training logs here on the STRIVE-blog. For those of you who aren’t as interested in running, you can probably ignore these posts (which will be published on Mondays and categorized as “Tyler’s Training), but if you are interested in what the training is like of a (trying-to-be) elite, post-collegiate distance runner, this could be a great opportunity for you to gain some insight!

I’m happy to answer (try my best to) answer any questions in comments, so feel free to leave them here,  on the facebook page, or send them to me directly at Tyler@strivetrips.org.

And so without further ado…

Weekly Total: 133 miles, 14 runs. This was my first really big week of volume and focused workouts after a busy summer. Despite recovering from a bit of illness at the beginning of last week, I’ve started to feel really good in my training. A great workout on Tuesday, a great workout on Friday, and a super-solid long run on Sunday. My first race since I won the Run to Remember Half Marathon way back in May is this coming Saturday, so I’m pretty pumped for that. First time running a race at altitude since 2008, though! Yikes. Still, super positive week of training and really psyched to be settled down and in a good rhythm. Til next week!

Lunes, 19 Agosto, 2013 – AM: Easy run, 9M 70′

PM: Shakeout, 5M, NT.

Martes, 20 Agosto, 2013 – AM: Fartlek workout. 5k warmup in 22′, right into workout around park loop. 8x(3′ on/3′ off). On was about 5’20 pace, off was about 6’20 pace. Hitting 14’0x for 4km laps of the park. Ended with 2x 60″ very hard bursts. Cooled down quick and continuous home, 5km in 18′. Total run was 15M in 1’29. Very good effort to average sub 6 at this altitude.

PM: 6M s/o, NT. Finally feeling over sickness.

Miercoles, 21 Agosto, 2013 – AM: Long run, 30km with 20km around the park loop. 4km laps we’re around 17’3x for first 3 then 17’0x, then 16’3x. 5k back in 19′. Total 30km in 2’07 (6’49 pace).

PM: 10km very EZ with Lauren for about 30′ then solo.

Jueves, 22 Agosto, 2013 – 7:30am: Very easy run to carolina, 2 laps, and back. Actively holding back after two big days already this week and a big effort tomorrow. Total 18km (11M+), NT.

5:30pm: Easy 10km to the park and back, NT.

Viernes, 23 Agosto, 2013 – 11am: Workout, 10x1000m. Had to work a surprise overnight shift last night, so was really tired but went for it anyways. 3 cups of black coffee and a banana with PB before I left.

Warmed up 6km to the park and then drills/strides. Pretty hot, a bit windy. Workout was 10x1000m with 2’30 jog rest. Did this workout before on 6 Agosto and averaged 3’15 (and was running over 3’20 second half), so was hoping to average faster ~3’12.

Tough as usual. I find that when running intervals this high up, I just need to get used to feeling like I’m about to die very early in the workout/each rep. I end up feeling as bad as I would at like 80% of the way through a workout at sea level after one or two reps. The difference is that the difficulty level just stays there for the rest of the workout. It doesn’t get too much worse, it just feels really hard pretty much the whole time. There are none of those middle reps where you’re warmed up and in the zone and it just feels comfortable. It always just feels hard after 30 seconds of running fast.

Anyways, I started off a good bit quicker than last time, and was able to keep it much more consistent. The later reps slowed a bit, but I was able to push through and close very well on the last one (3’07 with a 33.x last 200m). Overall, a very tough but good workout, especially with a few big volume days this week and getting used to that along with work and not sleeping much last night.

I’m pretty excited for the 10k next weekend and then the Medellin half the weekend after that (which I just got my confirmed comped Elite Entry! Woo hoo!). I think running sub 33’ is a very good goal for this first race, and hopefully that will put me in the top 10 and I can get some cash! If I can then run in the 1’12-1’14 range in MDE, that would be very, very good, as it’s still at altitude there (about 5000 ft) and I haven’t done too much half-specific work.

Easy day tomorrow and then try to get in a good long run on Sunday, maybe with a fast finish depending on recovery over the next 36 hours.

Total run 14M.

Splits:
10x1000m, 2’30 jog, 9350 ft
3’11.5
3’09.6
3’13.2
3’11.1
3’14.7
3’11.1
3’16.9
3’13.5
3’13.3
3’07.8

Avg: 3’12.3

5:30pm: Very easy shakeout, first 30’ with Lauren super slow and then solo. Total 6M+, no time.

Sabado, 24 Agosto, 2013 – 12:30pm: First run was later because I had to work 7-12:30 this morning. Ran easy to the park and two laps. Didn’t time it, just relaxed. Felt pretty decent, a bit tired. Total run 11M+, NT.

5:30pm: Easy 10km shakeout, storm brewing so a bit quicker at the end to beat it. Total run 6M+, in 49’.

Domingo, 25 Agosto, 2013 – 8:30am: Woke up around 6:45am, had one piece of bread and two cup of coffee. A bit stiff when I woke up, but after an hour up, was feeling pretty good. Headed out around 8:30am.

Goal was to run 30-35km total, with the possibility of doing a fast-finish if I felt good. I started out feeling quite good and ran the first 5km very relaxed under 21’, which is quick for a start. I got to the park and was happy to find that they had shut down Amazonas – one of the main big thoroughfares though the city. So, instead of running the usual million laps around La Carolina, I headed up the road towards the old airport. It was gradual uphill all the way, and then quite steep at towards the outer edge of the city. I ran 5M out at just about 7’00 pace, but the effort felt pretty comfortable.

As I turned around at the top of a big hill, my legs felt good moving down and I started running quite fast. That downhill 5M felt very good and I was going at a good pace. On the gradual down part, I was feeling great and was sure I was running under 6’00 pace. I knew I still had a while to go, so I didn’t want to be killing it too early, though, so I tried to keep it under control.

I made the 5M back to the park in 29’30 and was at 21km so far in 1’25. I figured I would do two laps of the park (8km) and then run back (5km) which would bring me to 34km (21M+).

I tried to pick it up on the laps around the park, but it was much harder to run 6’00 pace now that I was not running downhill and I was weaving around pedestrians (and I had already been running for 13M+). I was sure that I was running harder than I had been, but I came through in 15’09 (just over 6’00 pace for the 4k lap). I picked up the effort more on the second lap and ran 14’44 (5’55 pace). That was even with losing a couple of seconds when I slammed into an Ecuadorian woman walking with her husband and family (4 abreast on a narrow sidewalk… I cut it a bit too close).

Finally, the last 5km back was very tough. I tried to focus a lot on keeping my form good while my legs were super fatigued, which was good. Still landing on my toes and driving well. Last 400m I changed gears and still had top end speed to sprint in, which was nice to find.

Overall, the run was 34km (21.2 miles) in 2’12’52, an average of 6’17 pace. The last 21km (the “fast finish”) was run in 77’20, an average of 5’55 pace.

This was a super awesome workout for me, and honestly would have been a pretty good workout at this point even at sea level. I felt very strong at the end even with a lot of running in my legs and managed to keep the pace around 6’00 for a long time. This makes me feel more confident about running a marathon this fall. I’m actually getting kind of excited.

Total run: 34km in 2’12’52 (6’17 pace)

5km: 20’24
13km: 55’30 (8km in 35’06)
21km: 1’24’58 (8km in 29’27)
25km: 1’40’07 (4km in 15’09)
29km: 1’54’51 (4km in 14’44)
34km: 2’12’52 (5km in 18’00)

Last 21km in 77’20 (5’55 pace)

5:30pm: Very easy shakeout around alameda. Total run 2M in ~20’.