Sunday, March 31, 2013

March 2013 Racing and Training Summary

I actually have a race summary for this month, along with the usual training summary. 
I did the Irish for a Day 8K, previously the Human Race 8K, which I have done in the past.  This was my fourth time doing the 8K. It was unseasonable cold, but I still had a very good race.  I would say every year previous it has been above 50 degrees, I think last year it was in the 70s or 80s.  This year it was in the low 30s and a little windy.  It was definitely chilly. 
The race is run in the afternoon, typically starting around 1PM.  This year it started at 1:20PM.  This is unusual for most races, which as we all know typically start before 10AM.
It was my second fastest time at this distance, in this race. The course was slightly different from previous years.  It started further east, you went west for about half a mile and then east.  In the past it has started further west and it is a straight out and back course.  The course is run almost totally on Summit Ave in Saint Paul, you take a slight detour on a side road to turn around. With mostly uphill east, and then back mostly downhill.  I would say it is a challenging 5 miles, it is not flat.
Here are my results from this year, and my previous results:
2013 - 8K (5mi) - 38:10 = 7:40min/mi
2012 - 8K (5mi) - 39:11 = 7:53min/mi
2011 - 8K (5mi) - 38:49 = 7:49min/mi
2009 - 8K (5mi) - 36:40 = 7:20min/mi

In 2010 I did the 5k, coming off my stress fracture.  This year I am running more, and more intense, than last year, and I think it is paying off.  In 2009, I unknowningly ran this race on my stress fracture.  A week or so later I went to the doctor and found out I had one.  I remember having some leg pain after the race, I had been having pain up to that point, and thinking it was just shin splints.  I had dumbly been thinking this all along.  Anyway, maybe I will get back to that 2009 time, and run that fast without a stress fracture.  It appears that I am on my way this year.

Below are my comparison for this March to previous years, plus the usual YTD totals, and totals since 2007.  I am pretty happy with this month.  I got over 10 hours of cycling, almost 10 hours for swimming, and nearly 5 hours of running.  Good volume and I think I got the intensity that I need. I would say it is one of my best balanced Marches.  The end of April is my first triathlon of the year, so the beginning of April will be intense and I will taper down a bit as the race gets closer.

March Year-to-Year Comparison



Totals and Averages Since 2007







YTD Totals and Totals Since 2007






 


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