5/25/09 - Warming Up

I forgot to write a blog entry yesterday, so I am writing this on Monday morning. This week was good and bad. My tempo run on Thursday was bad. It ended up only being 4 miles, and I just couldn't get going. I don't even think I was at tempo, my shins were hurting, and I was exhausted for some reason. It is frustrating because it seems like every time I try to start a run out fast, I hit a wall after a few miles. I have the endurance, but it takes me forever to warmup. Sometimes I feel like I can run 4 miles at the end of a 8 mile run faster than a 4 mile run.

The rest of the week was good. I ran 18 yesterday for my long run. Felt really good, although my right knee was hurting a little afterwards. Ive been icing since, and hopefully that will go away. Today is a rest day so, it should be better by tomorrow.

Saturday was the track workout. I ran 3 x 1 mile repeats. It ended up being 7 miles total with all the warmup and warmdown. This was actually a really good workout, and I was way faster than the 800s last week, so it is a good sign. I ran the first one in 6:01, second one in 5:58, and third one in 5:49. Next week will be the 800s again, and the week after will be 4 mile repeats, Hopefully all under 5:50, with the last one around 5:40

I guess this would be a good blog to talk about warming up. I usually never talk about warming up, and I don't include the mileage that I run in my warmups, except for track workouts. If I am running first thing in the morning, I usually warmup more. If it is in the afternoon, I do a little less because I am not as tight. Generally I jog about a half mile, just to get the blood pumping. Then I do a dynamic warmup. I never do static stretching before a run, always after or on rest days. The dynamic warmup includes leg swings (forward and side to side), running with high knees, butt kicks, skipping, shuffling side to side, some lunges, some bodyweight squats, and basically other movements that exaggerate a running motion. It takes about 15 minutes all together, and helps me alot. Before the long runs, particularly morning long runs, I use my foam roller a bit, and another piece of equipment I have called "the stick." Both of these also warm the legs up, and get the blood flowing.

Overall, this week was 55 miles. Pretty good except for the tempo run, which will become more and more important the closer I get to the race.

Monday- rest day
Tuesday - 13 mile medium long run + plyometrics
Wednesday - 4 miles on treadmill and abs
Thursday - 4 mile tempo run + weights
Friday - 9 mile run easy run
Saturday - 7 mile track workout: 3x 1 mile: 1) 6:01, 2) 5:58, 3) 5:47)
Sunday - 18 mile long run