Random Banter

 As I right this I'm feeling a bit burnt out and I need a couple of day break that I'm going to get.  I'll take Monday off from running and possibly go running on Tuesday but we will see.  But lets recap last week! On Monday of last week it was the hardest workout we've had so far.  It was 10x2 minutes with a 1 minute break in between.  This was supposed to be 400 meter repeats but since I don't have access to a track I did the 2 minutes (which is close to what I think my 400 meter time would be...it's a bit more 2:20 I think).  We did these in the 305 to 320 watt range (CP is 306).  It's been a few days so it doesn't seem as bad now but at the time I think I was starting to feel some pukiness coming on. Thankfully I didn't.   Wednesday was supposed to be a tempo run but because I was still feeling it (tired) from Monday's workout I just did an easy run.  Also this was my first run with my new Topo Cyclone 2 shoes (may do a review on the...

 Week 14 is in the books and I'm feeling very good.  This morning for my "long" run I went and ran the 5K course that I'll be racing on in a few weeks time.  I don't know what it is or what it was but I came away from that just feeling really good.  I know it's going to be work when I'm racing but I just came away from it feeling really good like we will knock it out of the park. Who knows.  The Stryd racing calculator says I should race at 313 watts (my CP is 306) and that should bring me in around 28 minutes.  That doesn't feel right currently but maybe that's where I'm at.  I feel like low 27 is more possible...I know there will not be a new 5K PR but 28 just doesn't feel right.  I've cut back my volume a bit and maybe that's why I'm feeling so damn good.  Not a ton but just a little bit.   Week 15 has, for me, a huge workout.  I calls for 10-12 400 meters at 5K pace.  I don't have access to a track so I'm at about 2 ...

 This was the first week where we put in some specific 5K training.  I feel kind of foolish even saying this or even writing about it.  But I'm going to!   As I posted previously, my CP went up to 306, so my Stryd Race Predicted time has me racing at 312 (at the time) and I had 4 minutes at 5K pace with 3 minutes recover on Wednesday.  So that's what I did.  It was a lot of work but I'm hoping that as I get close to the race it will pay off.  This coming week I don't have any specific race pace stuff but I do have 12 strides (30 seconds with 1 minute rest).  On Monday we have "tempo" which is our half marathon pace...LOL!  But I really feel like running at something faster than what we have in the past ran at is helping us.  My pacing, so far, has been faster than it has been in the past and I'm kind of excited about that.  Now I'm not going to set a new 5K PR...I believe but I think my trail race in late August has a chance of...

 Another critical power test is in the books!   Week 12, or every 4 weeks, is only 3 days of running vs the normal 4 that I run (or attempt to run!).  I think it's important to take a step back.  However at the end of these 4th weeks I do a critical power test.  The previous 2 CP tests that I've done I haven't been very nervous about but this one, for some reason, I was pretty nervous about.  I decided to do a 3 minutes - 12 minute CP test.  I had never done one of these before and maybe that's why my nerves were a bit high.   Yesterday (Saturday) I set out on my CP test.  It was earlier than I normally run on Saturday but I had other stuff that I needed to get done so I was up early and had fueled like I have been doing.  After 10 minutes of warming up I went into my 3 minute test.  My goal for each test, based on some reason, is to keep the first 75% of it at the modeled ability on Stryd and then after that I push...or a...