A Passion for Running

Welcome to the home of Mark aka The Running Blogfather – a 40 year-old dad, husband and marathon runner who's beaten injury and is on the comeback trail!

long run

passion for running category: running on Sunday, August 15 2004

I looked at my training plan and also at a couple others (Running Room and Hal Higdon’s) and talked it over with Tom. Running 18 miles yesterday, only a week before a 1/2 marathon race would have been kinda dumb so we did 22km/14 miles instead.

In order to avoid the coming heat, we ran at 6:15. I don’t think either of us were quite awake when we began because the first 5k were brutal and very very slow. However, we climbed the first hill of many that day and “blew out the carbon”. Things got better from that point on.

We ran a 3 minute negative split on the way back and the last 5k were really fast and I felt great.

Distance – 22km
Pace – 9 min/mile

Race pace for my goal of a 3:36 Victoria marathon is 8:14/mile so today’s training pace was pretty much exactly where is should have been so I guess I should be happy.




6 Comments

596

Comment by Jon in Michigan

Sunday August 15, 2004 @

I don’t get it. You run it hard and fast, and you still get faster and faster. I run faster and I get broken. I said it before and I’ll say it again, I want Mark’s legs. He can have mine.

PS
Your sidebar seems to cover up part of the comment page when I’m typing. IS that the HTML or it my computer?

597

Comment by Mike Paus

Sunday August 15, 2004 @

Good run blogfather! Setting a good example for us as usual. I wish I could hold 9 minute miles for that long!

598

Comment by Dianna (RCOH)

Monday August 16, 2004 @

Nice giong Mark…and smart move with the training adjustments…which of course makes me start to wonder about my 18 miles – 2 days off – 20K race scenario. But I’m treating the race as more of a “training run with lots of people” so that should be ok, right?

599

Comment by Chris Brogan...

Monday August 16, 2004 @

The key part of your post (to me) was the “so I guess I should be happy.” Are you?

600

Comment by Richard

Monday August 16, 2004 @

Sounds like a good series you have going there – and that goal is definately achievable. Do you have a time goal for the half? Going for 1:45 or something more of a stretch?

601

Comment by Mark

Monday August 16, 2004 @

Jon: You WILL get over those pesky injuries! I changed my comments (a temporary fix). Should be ok?

Mike: I’m sure you will be doing 9:00 minute miles very soon!

Chris: You don’t miss much huh? I guess I’m feeling pretty nervous and even a bit under-confident in the race I have planned Sunday and it’s coming out in a bit of apathy. Think I’ll post more on that today cause I gotta work this through.

Richard: Good to have you back my man! Thanks for the compliment. To answer your question, yes I have a 1:40 goal which in my books allows me to finish up to 1:40:59! We shall see we shall see (see my comment to Chris).

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