A week of great highs and challenging lows.
Monday, Morning Easy Run
Easy run. I was a bit flat from the long run, but nothing in particular was
really sore. Felt OK, but the last 2 or 3 miles I was pretty tired.
Total distance 9.02 Miles in 1:13:00 [8:05 per mile]
Tuesday, Morning Tempo
2 mile warm up, 8 mile tempo all on the dirt/sand. There was a little wind
and the footing was less than ideal. Never pushed the pace, just a cruise.
6:32
6:15
6:19
6:19
6:21
6:15
6:13
6:21
Total distance 12.18 Miles in 1:26:00 [7:03 per mile]
Terrain X-Country
Average HR 151 bpm
Tuesday, Afternoon Easy Run
2 miles up 2 miles down 660ft of climbing.
Total distance 4 Miles in 29:00 [7:15 per mile]
Terrain Treadmill
Average HR 136 bpm
Wednesday, Morning Easy Run
Last run before the walls close in on my running world. Sad.
Total distance 10.1 Miles in 1:19:00 [7:49 per mile]
Terrain X-Country
Average HR 135 bpm
Thursday, Morning Hill Training
Warmed up, did some general mobility and strides, then hit the gym for my
second treadmill hill workout. Started on level 14 then realized the
treadmill I was using had a different level 14 than the other treadmill I
used last week. I bumped up to level 15 and ran the 30 minute workout at
about 8,3-8.4 MPH (7:10 min/miles). Total climbing was 1,600ft, at 7:10
pace, for 30 minutes over 4.11 miles at a AV HR of 158 (including the down
hill 2 miles).
I did 2 miles at -3% at 6:20/mile pace and then a 2 mile cool down outside.
This was almost the exact same workout as last week, but this week I felt
much better during and after.
Total distance 10.48 Miles in 1:19:00 [7:32 per mile]
Terrain Treadmill
Average HR 158 bpm
Thursday, Afternoon Easy Run
2 miles up, 2 miles down (6% and -3%). 660 Ft of climbing131 Av Hr. Felt
much better than last week.
Total distance 4 Miles in 29:00 [7:15 per mile]
Terrain Treadmill
Average HR 131 bpm
Friday, Morning Easy Run
Watched my roommate and friends leave on a C-17 yesterday and the walls on
the new scaled down base close up for good. Sad, depressing, etc... rough
evening, enough said.
I accidently didn't turn on my alarm, but woke up in time to still get my
run in. Today was the slightly cold feeling run with temps around the mid
50s. Feeling down without my friends and having to run in a smaller space.
Good news is that I'm feeling good where after the same workouts last week,
I was dragging. 138 Av Hr.
Total distance 9.01 Miles in 1:09:00 [7:39 per mile]
Terrain X-Country
Average HR 138 bpm
Saturday, Morning Easy Run
Today I started what I plan on doing most mornings in the future, jog over
to the gym for 2 miles climbing (6.5%/686 feet) 2 miles down hill (-3%)
followed by about 6 miles around the base. Av Hr 139
Total distance 10.02 Miles in 1:15:00 [7:29 per mile]
Terrain X-Country
Average HR 139 bpm
Saturday, Afternoon Easy Run
Easy run outsdie. 132 Av Hr. Felt tired before the run, better after.
Total distance 4 Miles in 31:00 [7:45 per mile]
Terrain X-Country
Average HR 132
Sunday, Morning Long Run
Started the long run with 4.5 miles up at 7% grade for 1,663 ft of climbing
followed by 3.5 miles of -3% grade. I then headed outside to to do 3 loops
of about 5.7 miles. THe weather was perfect, sunny and cool. I wore my fleet
feet visor, white compression sleeves, NB running shorts and my AF PT shirt.
I drank about a liter of water while on the treadmill along wit close to 3
oz (300 calories) of berry EFS. Outside I drank 20oz (200 calories) of EFS
Grape in my hand water bottle.
Things felt good today, I took it easy on the treadmill and followed suit on
my 3 outdoor loops in the dirt. I enjoyed a little company/hellos from the
KBR construction guys and Ugandans manning the guard towers and ECP.
Greatest thing about this run was that I was totally relaxed, comfortable
and finished feeling better than any other long run I've done in Iraq all
while running faster than I have on any long run. Av Hr was 140.
Total distance 25.88 Miles in 3:07:00 [7:13 per mile]
Terrain X-Country
Average HR 140 bpm
Synopsis:
This week was very fulfilling for me running. I am more positive, happy and
excited to be running than I have been in over 2 months. While the week
began slow, being tired from last Sunday's long run it ended with some great
gains. Thursday's hill workout felt much better than last week, I recovered
well and had one of my best long runs since being in Iraq.
My world, Speicher (the base I'm at), completed transitioning down to a an
OSC-I Department of State ran site Thursday. Pretty much all of my good
friends, to include my roommate, flew out homebound. Basically the AF and
Army is gone with a very small contingency staying. Change is difficult and
this was a tough one. Maggie, Felix and my running really helped me through
that first day. I had some important small victories Friday and Saturday by
acquiring some cool furnishings from those who had departed. I have a
groozy hippy vine sort of doorway handing over my door, I now have my own
room, I've been biking on my mountain bike everywhere I have to go, I did
some re-organization and lastly I found a guitar. I can play 3 chords where
last week I could play zero.
Next week I am going to drop the tempo and replace it with some speed work
and continue to increase the climbing and descending.
Weekly Summary:
98.7 Miles
5,239 Ft Climbing
12hrs 17min of running
That must be hard to have your pals leave, but then again it means you follow them soon, right?
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