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Leaving Neverland

+12
John Kilpatrick
JohnP
Dave-O
mul21
Michael Enright
Julie
KathyK
Alex Kubacki
Schuey
Michele "1L" Keane
Mark B
Mike MacLellan
16 posters

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Leaving Neverland Empty Leaving Neverland

Post  Mike MacLellan Thu Aug 23, 2012 9:17 pm

I've been itching to start this blog. Been a full-time runner - none of that silly cycling getting in the way - for a couple weeks now (literally two) and have left my summer vacation behind with a renewed sense of maturity and readiness for adulthood.

Ergo, leaving Neverland.

To summarize the last month (chronicled in my last blog), I've been working for my father, which acted to repair our relationship and even put it on a friendly level. Don't get me wrong; we were fine a long time ago. But this kind of healed those "never again"s and showed me that something inside me had changed. At the end of my first week, we had a few day laborers that we'd hired through an agency/broker service. Each one had a story about how the prosperous times of yesterday had been pulled out from underneath them and left them with nothing. They relished being back at work. And the kicker: they were only getting paid $8/hr. Here I am, getting paid over twice that... So a little switch flipped.

The only downside of the last month is that it made me want to stay there and keep helping out my dad. The whole situation was just comfortable and pleasant. Started me thinking about getting a place down there, moving in with Aileen, the whole thing. Alas, my San Diego job seems to have fallen through, so I'm back in northern California.

After driving up and checking out 4 places on Tuesday, I had a big decision to make. Was saving $1000 over the course of the year (rental difference) worth feeling like I was out in the boonies, isolated like I was in Auburn? After a night's sleep, I decided it wasn't, and signed a month-to-month lease for a place just 2.5mi from school, in the heart of Sacramento's very-east suburbs.

And now, moved in, I'm feeling motivated, confident, and ready to tackle this semester.

---

My goal race for this blog is a 37:12 (6:00 pace) 10k on Thanksgiving. That's something like 13 weeks away from today, and I've got a lot of ground to cover (no pun intended). Here's how my last two weeks have looked:

Sat 8/11: 5.05mi easy
Sun 8/12: 6.54mi progressive to ~MP effort
Mon 8/13: 4mi recovery + 5x 8sec hill sprints
Tues 8/14: 6.35mi GA
Wed 8/15: 6.56mi w/ 5x 800m @ 6:00-6:06 pace w/ equal time recoveries
Thur 8/16: 4mi recovery + 6x 8sec hill sprints
Fri 8/17: off
Sat 8/18: 5.5mi easy
Sun 8/19: 7.07mi easy
Mon 8/20: 5.24mi easy + 8x 8sec hill sprints - said goodbye to Aileen as she went back to DC Sad
Tues 8/21: 6.17mi easy - started my adventure north
Wed 8/22: 5.11mi easy, 1hr capoeira at night
Thur 8/23: 7.3mi w/ 2x 1mi @ 10k pace + 2x 800m @ 5k pace w/ 3min recoveries

So I'm building up the mileage, keeping all of it easy except some focused speed work, and I'm finding that a 6:00 pace isn't coming easy to me. I either surge ahead to 5:4x or drop down to ~6:20. It's a weird in-between effort, not tempo but not all-out. Like how MP is also not tempo but not easy/GA. This is going to take some practice.

I've got 2 more weeks of base (1 workout/week), then a cutback week as my dad comes up to go backpacking and bring some more of my stuff. After that, 4 weeks of focused speed training (I have a feeling this is going to be where I start finding that comfort zone at a race pace), 4 weeks of stamina training, a 10-day sharpening period (hard, race-like workouts every 3-4 days with easy days between), and my race.

Did I mention that Aileen is doing the race, too? After her sub-2hr half marathon debut, she's decided to run this 10k with me. We're shooting for sub-50min. I have a feeling that's going to become the C goal and we'll up the ante a little bit as her training progresses. I'll try and remember to keep you all posted on her progress, too. She ran 12mi this week.

---

It's kind of fun, and daunting, to think of how much I'll have changed by the time I finish this race. I always look back at my first blog posts and chuckle a little about where I was at. Hopefully this laugh will be because I had no idea how great the semester would be.
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Post  Mark B Thu Aug 23, 2012 9:39 pm

A new Mike blog for... a new Mike?

Well... probably the same Mike, just with a few more miles on the odometer. Very Happy

Good luck on the 10K training! I haven't targeted a shorter distance race in a very long time. It sounds fun. Does this mean you won't be doing CIM in December? It sounds like it'll practically be run past your front door!

Pity about the job. How much longer on school do you have to go?
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Post  Mike MacLellan Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:11 am

Mark - Yep, this one means I'm out of CIM. Back in Davis, my long runs were going reasonably well, but my motivation was not. And seeing as my next marathon will be a sub-3, the thought of 5-7 20+ mile runs didn't appeal to me yet. But yes, it does appear to be really close to my place. I'm not sure if it follows Fair Oaks on the bend or if it turns onto Winding Way and follows that, but if it's Winding Way, that's literally on the other side of my backyard. Either way, I'll be there to watch it.

---

I didn't sleep amazingly last night. I'm sure it's a combination of the last week: Aileen leaving, me coming up, stressing about finding a place, doing a hard workout Wednesday night and a hard run yesterday morning, moving, and probably something to do with my roommate/landlord offering me a glass of wine after two Deschutes porters last night. Oops.

But more about the workouts Wednesday and Thursday. Went for an easy run Wednesday out of Land Park (south Sacramento), where I was bunking at my buddy's house. Headed northeast to the Sacramento River, then south along the path before cutting off and coming back up a surface street. Gorgeous morning. Forgot how nice it is to have it so chilly (high 50s to low 60s as opposed to low 70s) up here. Did something around 5mi total.

After that run, I'd normally do a few sets of push-ups and crunches/leg raises. But I was still battling some major DOMS from Monday's gym session (last-day-at-the-gym blowout... dumb) so I abstained. Good thing, because I forgot that my buddy and I had planned to go to a Capoeira class. Oh. Shit. I'm extremely glad it was only an hour long, because I was wrecked by the end. I did find, however, that my running made the endurance part of it so much easier. Just the strength aspect destroyed my glutes and upper body.

So that was a good precursor for my 10k pace run yesterday. Shocked Again, hit the river trail, but this time did 20min easy, then 2x 1mi @ goal pace (6:03, 5:58) + 2x 800m @ 5k pace (2:57, 2:57), all with 3min active recoveries. I learned that I still suck at 10k pace (as noted above), but that I'm learning to lock in on my mile and 5k pace. Great. But hey, I've got 3 months to figure it out.

Then I moved in to my new place.

Today is a much needed rest day. After everything about this week, it's time to just take an easy morning, do a big round of groceries, check into some potential part-time employment possibilities, and maybe take the motorcycle out for a spin. Classes start Monday.

---

Oh, and for a little extra real-life flavor...

Citrus-ginger marinade for salmon:
1/2C teriyaki sauce
1/4C orange juice
1T sesame oil (toasted = better)
1T rice vinegar
2T honey
2t minced ginger
1t minced garlic
4x 6oz salmon fillets.
Whisk together, simmer for 5min. Let cool, pour over thawed salmon fillets, refrigerate for at least 30min, then broil 6-8min. Yum.

Also, COW cookies. That's coconut, oatmeal, and white chocolate chips. The original is macadamia nuts, not chocolate.
1/2C white sugar
1/2C brown sugar
1/2C butter/margarine, softened
1 egg
1t vanilla
1 1/4C flour
1C quick-cook oats (uncooked)
1/2C coconut (shredded/toasted)
1/2t baking soda
1/4t salt
1/3-2/3C white chocolate chips (however light/heavy you like it)
I didn't watch them being made, but I assume it's the same as any process. Cream the butter/sugar, add egg, add dry ingredients, stir in coconut+white chocolate chips.
350 for 7-10min. Makes 2 dozen.

Yep, my buddy's wife is a good cook.
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Post  Michele "1L" Keane Fri Aug 24, 2012 4:07 pm

Mikey is growing up, eh? Good for you and good to get your goals on to paper - except you missed one thing - my 10K PR is 36:58 - (set exactly 20 yrs ago in August 1992) - c'mon, you can get those few more seconds, Mike! Good luck with the training.
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Post  Mark B Fri Aug 24, 2012 5:34 pm

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Mikey is growing up, eh? Good for you and good to get your goals on to paper - except you missed one thing - my 10K PR is 36:58 - (set exactly 20 yrs ago in August 1992) - c'mon, you can get those few more seconds, Mike! Good luck with the training.

Heh. Nothing like a good old-fashioned throw down. Very Happy
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Post  Mike MacLellan Sat Aug 25, 2012 1:54 pm

Michele - Eep. That's just not going to happen this time, I think. Unless a million things go right on race day. We'll see as the weather cools.

---

Did the first big grocery trips and some more settling in yesterday... Found a desk for $20 on Craigslist and picked it up. Gotta love technology these days. Overall, a pretty nice day.

Went out for my first run in the area this morning. 5.5mi + 8x 8sec hill sprints... Except the hill sprints were a combination of hill sprints and strides because I haven't found a steep enough hill for those guys yet. So a little of both. Total was more like 5.75mi running and then .75mi in all the bonus work. After the first mile, hit solid 8:0x splits for the remainder of the run. I'll take it. Glutes still killing me from capoeira. Whatever the muscle is that a figure-4 stretch focuses on... man. So. Friggin. Tight.

8.5mi at a slightly faster pace tomorrow.
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Post  Schuey Sat Aug 25, 2012 2:57 pm

Alright cool a new blog!!! I'm catching on to this one from the start so I can contribute more and have some great banter with a really cool dude that I finally got to meet in Boston this past Spring!! Here is to some great things in the near future with your running Mike!!!
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Post  Mike MacLellan Sun Aug 26, 2012 1:24 pm

Schuey - Thanks buddy. I've gotta say that the best part about Boston was meeting so many people from this community. Because, y'know, the race sucked. What a Face

---

Did I say slightly faster? I meant a nice, strong clip. 8.51mi @ 7:10 pace - 7:00 average after the opening mile - with the last 2 full miles on a gradual uphill (.5-1.5%). My form wasn't spot-on - feet a little "slappy" - but it was a good exercise in focus and mindfully keeping my turnover high and light.
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Post  Mike MacLellan Tue Aug 28, 2012 2:40 pm

So, hey, classes started yesterday. That's always fun. Lots of not-so-subtle changes to class syllabuses (syllabi?) regarding professionalism after the whole bullshit situation at the end of last year. To summarize, let's just say that one class more or less degraded into something resembling high school, baseless accusations were made in a letter to the Dean, and the best 5 students in the class were the target of said accusations. But no, I'm not bitter...

Actually, that whole situation has simply resulted in a renewed resolve to take this whole thing more seriously, even if it feels like a joke sometimes.

But I digress...

Classes seem like they'll be good this semester. I was pretty gung-ho about getting a job this time around, but after seeing how involved my schedule is (I have 0 free weekends all of September, will be traveling 2 in October, etc.), I'm not sure it's possible. Or wise. Then again, I always say this, and the semester turns out easy. So, I'll just hold off for a week or two on the applications and go from there.

As is only appropriate of my classmates, three of us + their significant others went to our local haunt last night and drank a lot. About a pitcher each. Thank God my buddy's wife was sober (and so, so patient with our stupid asses). Or maybe just my stupid ass; did I mention that the guys have 50-100 pounds on me? Eep.

Needless to say, today was a slow, painful morning. Lots of head and GI issues to work through before I got out the door for my run, and the fact that it's warming up again didn't help things. Once I got moving, though, I saw that as long as I just held a steady easy-GA effort, I had no noticeable issues. Pushing anything past that, I'm sure, would have blown me up (no pun intended). So I hung in the 7:30 range after my warmup mile and finished off 7.62mi @ 7:38 average pace.

Feeling good about this week and, while slightly nervous, excited about Thursday's run. 4x 1mi @ 6:00 pace. Doing the first 3 repeats on the track so I can learn to run that pace evenly.
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Post  Michele "1L" Keane Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:45 pm

I.SHOULD,NEVER.READ.YOUR.BLOG - or I should just simply forget about the freshman that I just sent to Boston. I'm guessing my hair will be gray very soon Very Happy
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Post  Mike MacLellan Thu Aug 30, 2012 1:54 pm

Michele - What a Face In all reality, though, I didn't ever really "party" in undergrad. Maybe 5-10 times over the course of my 4 years. Excluding Italy. Italy is different.

---

Did 5.5mi + 8x 8sec hill sprints + 2x strides yesterday. Still looking for that perfect hill sprint hill. Nothing steep enough around here, really. But pleeeeeenty of hills on my route, which was supposed to be complete recovery. Probably only went a little harder than that, so still recovery zone.

My third 10k pacing workout today. Planned 2mi warm up, 4x 1mi @6:00/mi w/ 3:00 recovery, 1mi cool down. Went almost exactly as planned. A note: I was very tired and the legs did NOT feel bouncy today, even before hitting the street.

Got to the track at my school in about 2.2mi - was glad I figured out how to get in, finally - and started interval one. Finished the first 200m in just a hair over 40sec. Derp. By the end of 800m, I was just a second fast (2:59), and I held pretty even 200m splits (44-46sec) to finish in 5:59.

Second mile started and I had found the pace, more or less. 44-46sec splits until 800m, when I slowed to around 47-48sec. Maybe I eased up? So I pushed a little harder and pulled it back over the next lap and a half for a 6:01 finish.

Third mile was similar, though I intentionally ramped up the effort at 800m. Still lost a second or two by 1200m, but a little bit of a push got me to another 6:01.

I knew the fourth mile would be very, very hard, since I was already pretty dead (it was in the mid-70s and sunny by this point, too) and I would be on the street, which isn't flat. Started the 4th mile slightly slow and immediately hit an incline. Held a steady 6:25 pace up the hill (2/3mi @ average 1%, but more like a series of 3% rises with some flat between) and brought it down to 6:22 by the end of the mile. NGP is 6:15. So, either way, that one wasn't going to be a 6:00 mile.

I'm not sure how to feel about this workout. Obviously, I'm a trained distance runner, and these fast paces are a little beyond me right now. But then again, my first few MP workouts are always impossible, too. I'm trying to write this one off as my second real attempt at 6:00 miles + fatigue + week-and-a-half of stress, especially since I pretty much nailed the first 3 miles.

My next mile-repeat workout is in 10 days, during a cutback week (I'll be backpacking Thurs-Sun that weekend, so gotta bump forward the run). That's 6x 1mi. We'll see how it goes.
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Post  Mike MacLellan Sat Sep 01, 2012 1:14 pm

Well, there's something to be said for uptempo work and off days; both seem to have an awesome effect on my RPE:pace ratio. Just two weeks ago, a genuinely "easy" run (not recovery) was putting me at a flat 8:00 pace. Today, 7:50 pace at the same effort level. I'm not complaining.

Legs are still a bit tired from the mile repeats, as is expected. I did have a scoop of L-glutamine (left over from my brother's cycling days when he moved out of Davis) after the run, which has consistently helped me bounce back with minimal DOMS after hard/long workouts. I used it for every ride over 3-4hrs this summer and it worked well.

10mi progression tomorrow. I don't have a pace run this week - just some fartlek-style short intervals on Thursday - so I'm going to see if I can do 3mi easy (8:00), 3mi GA (7:00-7:30), 2mi MP (6:45), 1mi tempo (6:15-6:25), 1mi cool down. I won't push the tempo mile, so if it ends up being slower, so be it.

EDIT: Oh yeah, 6.35mi total today. Aaaaand, I think you can access this without signing up:
http://app.strava.com/athletes/90520
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Post  Mike MacLellan Sun Sep 02, 2012 1:40 pm

11mi progression run today. Yeah, I had 10 scheduled, but this week is pretty light in terms of intensity, and the step up from last week was only going to be like 5%, so I had some room to tack on a mile here or there. So I wanted to build up that long run, as suggested in the thread I started, as early as possible.

I decided to break it down as follows: 1mi warm up, 2mi RPE3 (easy), 2mi RPE4, 2mi RPE5 (GA), 2mi RPE6 (MP), 1.5mi RPE7 (tempo), .5mi cool down. While this run was an effort-based one, I still had some goal paces, mainly 6:45s for the MP portion and 6:20 for the tempo portion (as noted yesterday). Well, the legs are still a little shot from Thursday, so my turnover just wasn't there. I ended up with 6:53s for the MP (still a sub-3 pace!) and 6:28 for the tempo. Shrug. Just not an "on" day.

5.5 easy + 8x 10sec hill sprints/strides tomorrow.
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Post  Mike MacLellan Mon Sep 03, 2012 1:58 pm

What, my drunk stories stop and you all lose interest? Well, at least I know my role here.

Quads feeling some DOMS from Thurs/yesterday. Nothing excessive, but enough to keep me in line on this recovery run. Funny how "in line" still means something like an average 8:10 pace for 5.5mi on gentle rollers. But really, this run could be described as "strolling." That's a weird word, when you say it enough times. Stroll. What a Face

Finally found a hill that will work for hill sprints! It's short and more of an S-shape, so the beginning allows me to accelerate onto the steep section for about 10 strides before it starts leveling out and is only ~2% by my last step. Either way, the middle part feels right, as does accelerating out of it and trying to keep up my form, so it'll do. 8x 10sec on that guy. Then a quarter-mile jog back to the house, so I guess it's 5.75mi total for the day.

---

Having some friends over this afternoon for snacks/drinks/dinner. Making my famous vegan stuffed shells. For those with adventurous minds, your tastebuds will thank you:

1 (15oz) package tofu, firm or extra firm, drained and pressed (wrap in paper towels, put under heavy object like a gallon of milk, leave for 15min)
1/4C nutritional yeast
as much garlic as you like
salt to taste
squirt lemon juice
pepper to taste
basil to taste

I use a lot of each "to taste" seasoning. Mix all ingredients except the nutritional yeast in a large bowl, using your hands to crumble to the consistency of ricotta. Then add the yeast and mix with a fork. Cook pasta according to directions, drain and rinse in cold water. Should be very al dente. Fill with tofu-cheese mixture. Should fill 15-18 depending on how much you like. Put in baking pan, cover with tomato sauce of choice, bake at 350 for 30min covered in foil, remove foil and go 10min more.

Trust me. Plus, they're MUCH lower calorie than real ones.

---

Easy hour tomorrow.
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Post  Mark B Mon Sep 03, 2012 2:50 pm

Not scared away, just awed and trying to recollect what it was like when our livers were once left as quivering heaps... tongue

These workouts sound scary to a low HR guy like me, but it's cool to see them already starting to yield a benefit.

Here's hoping that your classmates treat you better this year.
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Post  Alex Kubacki Tue Sep 04, 2012 12:18 pm

Mike, what does RPE stand for?
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Post  Mike MacLellan Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:31 pm

Mark - Speaking of... Good labor day celebration last night. Deschutes helped. What a Face

Alex - Rate of Perceived Exertion. A mental/physiological assessment of how hard you're working.

---

7.5mi this morning. The plentitude of beer last night made it feel a bit rougher than it was - I'm sure the less-than-ideal sleep did, too - but overall easy to easy+ effort and a 7:40 pace.
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Post  KathyK Tue Sep 04, 2012 3:16 pm

I may have to try your stuffed shells recipe! Honestly, I've never tried to make tofu anything. But this looks yummy!
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Post  Mike MacLellan Tue Sep 04, 2012 3:34 pm

Kathy - It's good. Really, really good. And depending how much sauce you like on it, we're talking only ~75cal each. And they're very filling. Let me know how they turn out!
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Post  KathyK Tue Sep 04, 2012 3:48 pm

Mike MacLellan wrote:Kathy - It's good. Really, really good. And depending how much sauce you like on it, we're talking only ~75cal each. And they're very filling. Let me know how they turn out!

No kidding...75 cal each? Amazing.
I'll give it a whirl!
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Post  Mike MacLellan Wed Sep 05, 2012 1:42 pm

Kathy - Yep! Nutritional breakdown of this batch (will depend on tofu brand, wheat/white pasta, and sauce): 75cal, 1.6g fat, 11g carb, 1.5g fiber, 4.9g protein. You could easily bump up that fiber number, too, by adding plenty of vegetables to the sauce. I had some leftovers with steamed broccoli and more tomato sauce yesterday, and I plan on repeating it today.

---

My Garmin decided to shit out on me after my run yesterday, effectively destroying all the run information except the stats... Which meant I couldn't upload it. Phooey. It's done this a couple times, so it's just a full reset to get it going again. Technology...

~6mi easy on the docket today. I've made my training schedule very light, allowing for 3-4 wiggle miles per week, and I had one left over for today's originally-planned-5.5-miler. Mapped out a 6.3mi run and headed on my way. Man, I love runs like today. Completely recovery effort, just allowing the legs to move forward and the breathing to remain easy... And then I get splits like this: 8:31, 8:00, 7:53, 7:48, 7:47, 7:42, and 7:49 pace for the last .3. Finished in 50min on the nose and felt super fresh. It didn't hurt that it's overcast and in the low/mid 60s today.

8.5mi w/ "a few" fartlek intervals of 30sec @1500m pace (5:08) w/ 2.5min recoveries. Shooting for at least 6, up to 10.
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Post  Mike MacLellan Thu Sep 06, 2012 2:18 pm

Well, I've now got 4 weeks of only running in the books, I'm heading into a cutback week, and I'm feeling pretty good.

First, today's run:
Plan described at the end of yesterday's post.
Started with 20min warm-up that brought my pace down to a comfortable 7:40 and took the first interval by feel. Watched my average pace drop from 5:40 (Garmin lag...) to 4:35 in about 5 seconds before easing up just a little bit and finishing with an average pace of 4:39. To paraphrase Dave-O, whoa, slow down dumbass. I have to say, though, that pace felt really, really good.
It took me about 3-4 more intervals to figure out what effort level and stride corresponded to a 5:08, but I did find it, eventually. A combination of strong, purposeful strides and a VERY slightly increased turnover (mine is naturally in the 185-190 range, 200 when doing strides/hill sprints).
Form was feeling strong and under control, so I decided I'd shoot for 10 intervals (duh). I was approaching a short and steep descent to a T intersection at the beginning of #9, so I turned around and headed back on a 1-2% incline for that one. About halfway through, I tried to change from a distinct toe-strike to a midfoot-strike. Lo and behold, at the same effort level, my pace dropped significantly. ~20sec/mi significantly. Interesting.
Of course, to make up for that, I had to go all-out on #10, putting forth my second fastest interval at 4:54. My form degraded noticeably during this interval.
I'm not concerned about the variation in my paces on this one. First, it wasn't on a track, so elevation change did have some effect on it. Second, the purpose of this workout, as far as my understanding goes, is to be a fartlek-style introduction to speed. Once I get closer to the 15x 1min@5k/1min@easy, I'll worry about holding a perfect pace. For now, a very good initial meeting.
8.69mi in 1:05.

---

Some other running-related stuff:

Coaching Aileen is going well. She's back into the swing of things, despite being very busy (took up a TAing position as well as a job, all on top of her classes), and is up to 17mi/week. She has a cutback week next week (imagine that!) with a mile test on Thursday. But she doesn't know that yet. What a Face I have no doubt she's capable of something like a 6:30, but - am I allowed to say this? - I think she'll blow it by running the first 800m WAY too fast.
I'm trying to figure out how to rearrange her 5k time trial to the weekend I'm visiting, Oct 4-9. That's only 3 weeks after her mile test, but then there's a solid 7 before her race. (The other option is putting the 5k smack-dab in the middle.) Maybe schedule 2 5k time trials? I think the "races" will play well to her competitive side.

Also, I've started coaching a friend in my program. She ran a little in high school and recently did a 5k in 30:2x on pretty minimal training, so I've set her up with a combination couch-to-10k and sub-1hr-10k program. This will be the first time I've coached someone who doesn't have a very extensive athletic background. She is at a healthy weight and is pretty "active," though, so I'm not as worried about injury as I might be if that wasn't the case.

---

Off day tomorrow. I don't even want to take it, at this point. I like running. What a Face
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Post  Mark B Thu Sep 06, 2012 2:46 pm

Nice runs, Mike, and the speedy fartlek workout sounds like a lot of fun.

Would you describe yourself as a toe striker most of the time, or only when you're kicking it up to a faster gear?

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Post  Mike MacLellan Thu Sep 06, 2012 3:22 pm

Mark - My footstrike is largely dependent on my pace. At anything slower than ~8:00, I have to focus pretty intently to keep a midfoot strike. On my recent runs (in the 7s), that's come more naturally. Typically the toestrike doesn't come in until around a 5:30-5:45 pace.
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Post  Mark B Thu Sep 06, 2012 4:05 pm

Mike MacLellan wrote:Mark - My footstrike is largely dependent on my pace. At anything slower than ~8:00, I have to focus pretty intently to keep a midfoot strike. On my recent runs (in the 7s), that's come more naturally. Typically the toestrike doesn't come in until around a 5:30-5:45 pace.

Ah. I think a pure toe strike for me at those paces would be followed by a forehead strike, a toe strike, a forehead strike, a toe strike, a forehead strike, an ass strike, a heel strike, and a grinding face plant as I went tumbling down a mountainside. Very Happy
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