lunes, 30 de abril de 2018

Longest run in a while

I rested yesterday, because I managed the time irroneously, but luckily I had run 5 times the past week, but I really wanted to run a 6th day. Oh well!

Given that I ran easy on Saturday and Rested yesterday I wanted to do a longer run today, I wanted to do 1 hour of running which is a long run for me, because I have not run that long in 1+ years. So that was the plan, to run at my normal pace and add 17+ mins to my run.

I headed out at an easy pace wearing my windbreaker and my hat, yes! the temperatura went down again, I ran today in 7 degrees Celsius with a lot of wind at the beginning. My hands were very cold in the first 8 mins.

I crossed the halfway of my basic route in 17:33, I thought that I was going faster because I felt fresh, but I felt really good, then I felt better and better and increased the pace a bit. Got back to Guadalupe in 34:38, then did the extra km to cross my what had been my longest route here in Spain in 42:59, then I turned around and started the route as if I had started to run again. Was going to run 8:30 and 8:30 back to complete the hour. However, I decided to run until the intersection ( when I came back from my sicknesss and I was doing 20 mins runs, this was the route I did today, for my final 20 mins), which I ran it in 10:08, much faster tan the 10:30s that I run it the first time when i am running the normal route,then turned around and  I was feeling pretty good and loose, so I decided to push a bit the big uphill ( this is the first time that I run that hill twice in a single run) and carried that momentum to the finish. My final time was 62:57 and I felt pretty good. I could have gone longer, but the joints maybe were not ready for it just yet. The back half of the last 20 mins was in 9:50, so the route that I did when I was sick I did it today in 19:58.

I think the weather helped a ton, because I felt really good and strong. The mind was strong. I ll try to ramp up Little by Little so in a month or so, I am doing my normal route twice in a single run.

Have a great start to the week!

I forgot to mention that yesterday I break my PR in eating pizza, I ate 10 slices, but I felt bad afterwards, but that helped maybe here with the carbs, ha. I have another birthday to attend today, but I ll cut that to 4-5 slices, no need to eat that much. I just did that yesterday to break my PR, which was 8 slices from around 2006.

sábado, 28 de abril de 2018

Recovery run

Today I headed out to do my run at 12:05 p.m., the weather was very good today so I had no problems in doing that run in that weather, 14 degrees.

I felt pretty good today, tired but good, I had to hold myself a lot because I wanted to run faster, maybe I should have run faster yesterday or do more repeats. Oh well! anyway, I kept the pace real easy and had the discipline to hold myself back.

I did my normal route, halfway in 17:36 and back to Guadalupe in 34:50, barely moving the legs. Then I did the extra distance to complete my route. Finished the run in 43:09 feeling strong and good.

It was a good decisión to run easy, because although I did not notice at the time, my system was tired and probably if I would sped up I would have delay the recovery, so  a couple of more days of recovery and then stress again.

Good day for running!

viernes, 27 de abril de 2018

Dirt Track Workout

Yesterday I watched the latest Avenger Movie and I ate a giant pop corn, it was a good movie but the pop corns mde me go to the bathroom more tan necessary if you know what I mean, ha! It was a good movie.

Today I had planned an interval workout, and I wanted to do it in the track that is close to the residence I am staying in. Its a dirt track and I thought that it was 400m in length ( when I was doing the reps realized that it wasnot).

I warmed up 16 mins easy and include some 30-40m accelerations in the same track. Started the run feeling tired, but once I warmed up felt really good. Too many easy runs cant leave me tired, right?

After the 16 mins that I completed in the track, the fun stuff began, I wanted to do 6 x 400m repeats with around 200m recovery. However after the first repeat in 79 seconds I had to adjust the workout and add one more rep.

I dont know the exact distance but the pace was fast and I kept good form, the splits were very consistent as well. I recovered half a lap. Splits for 7 repeats were 79,80,78,76,76,77,75. Felt good and under control, I almost skip the last one, but got it done and relaxed myself as much as I could on that one, and it turn out to be the fastest. I memorized all the splits as my watch only track one Split.

After the workout was complete, I cooled down for 16 mins there in the track, I ran more tan 50 mins I think today. Felt pretty good and the weather was sunny but great, around 18 Celsius, good running weather.

A couple of easy days to recover before stressing again!!

Have a great Friday!

PST. Here is a photo of me in the movies yesterday!, yeah I eat a lot!


jueves, 26 de abril de 2018

Another solid easy run

Today when I was going down the elevator to do my run, I saw a dominican girl who is in my college, but not in my master. She was going to run outside and We decided to run together. From the get go, She set a pace faster tan my normal easy pace, but it was confortable for me nontheless. I was kind of surprised because She is in great shape, She got to almost the Debod temple, around the 13 mins mark, and she decided to stop, but to run 13 mins non stop without running since last year for a non runner basically its a good start point, I encouraged her to keep running and to run together sometimes.

I kept going and did my normal route, crossed the half in 17:08 and I felt confortable, kept the same effort till the end and crossed Guadalupe in 34:03 feeling pretty good, then did the remaining 8 mins of my normal route, finished the run in the exact same time as yesterday , which is 42:15, it seems that I am a robot.

The weather was in around 17 degrees, which was nice. Felt good and tomorrow I want to go to the track close to here, my body is asking for something harder, lets see if I can do some 400s tomorrow.
Need to keep those hard workouts going so that I dont lose a lot of fitness, just running easy everyday.

Have a great Thursday!

miércoles, 25 de abril de 2018

Great easy run

Yesterday I took the day off, but dont know why, maybe I feared the heat.

Today that was not going to happen, in fact today was one of the best runs that I have run here, not in terms of time, but in terms of how I felt.

I went out at an easy effort, no need to run that easy, but I want to do a workout tomorrow or Friday, so better to take things easy. I ran at 10:50 a.m. or so did my bread and butter route, halfway in 17:18 and back to Guadalupe in 34:11, and finished the run in 42:15. I felt really good and I had to hold myself back at times. I only looked at the watch when I got back to Guadalupe in 34:11. The weather says its 20 degrees and real feel 26 celcius. However, I dont know if I am getting used to it, but I felt pretty good today. I have been negelcting workouts because I have not feeling pretty good lately due to the heat, but I think its time to start again.

Good run and happy humpday!!


lunes, 23 de abril de 2018

Evening run

Today since I did not have clases, I  ran at 5:50 p.m.  with the weather in 21 or 22 Celsius, that is hot given what We were used in the last 5 months. I felt very heavy and fat when I go out and felt very tight, but I was running at my normal easy pace. I crossed the halfway in 17:20, and started to feel better in the second half. Came here in Guadalupe in 34:15, then when I crossed again Guadalupe in 36:15, I decided to push the pace a bit for last "km", I am not sure if there is  a full km, but its close. Came in 5:15 for the last km, pushing the pace but never sprinting, finished feeling very fresh, but to be honest I thought that I had done 4:xx, not 5:15. However it is what it is. Felt pretty good at the end and finished the route in 41:30.


Have a great start to the week!

domingo, 22 de abril de 2018

Finishing up a bad week

Yesterday I did not run because I did not run at dawn, and was too tired at night to run. Felt guilty for that. Was doing the final Project with my group yesterday and I could not run at my normal time whihc is late morning. However that will have to change soon.

Today I ran at 10:20 a.m., just one hour after eating breakfast and I felt awful basically the whole run. The best of this run was to see the Madrid maratón runners  on course. Saw several runners running a good pace and was encouraging. Stopped to cheer them at 25 mins. then after 2-3 mins cheering I continued with my run. Halfway in 17:58, back in Guadalupe in 35:59 and finished the run in 38:07. Kept the effort very easy  and I just felt bad today, cant eat like that before running and I am eating a lot lately. Weather was great, no hat, no windbreaker, just t shirt, shorts and watch. Very good weather.

4 runs this week, wanted 5 runs, but its what it is, ll try to squeeze 6 runs next week to level it out!!

Have a great Sunday!

viernes, 20 de abril de 2018

Easy run

:Yesterday I took the day off. I just feared the heat.

Today I ran at  9:30 a.m. the sun was not shining that hard and the weather was very good. I think today was the best day  that  I have run here in Madrid weather wise.

I went out to do my bread and butter route at an easy effort. Halfway point was 17:35, I felt that I was going faster tan that time. I went back in Guadalupe in 34:29, and then did the remaining part of the route finishing up the run in 42:51. Today I felt good, but felt way faster tan the actual time.

Weather was around 15 degrees with a feel  of 19 Celsius, since there was a strong wind I decided to wear my hat, and I dont regret it since I dont feel the need to take it off. wore a dry fit shirt  and felt pretty good.

I am ready for a workout, but mentally I am not motivated for it, maybe because I have been a bit stressed in college, but at least I want to keep the running going as planned. We will see if I get in a simple interval sesión.

Tomorrow I ll try to run early, since We are going to work in our final Project of the master.

Have a great Friday!

miércoles, 18 de abril de 2018

Easy run in Heat

Today I woke as usual at 7:05 a.m., but get back to sleep after eating breakfast. Woke up at 10:30 a.m., that s$%t has to end, I lost 3 hours of my time sleeping, instead of looking for a job or studying.

I went out to run at 11 a.m. and it was in 17 celcius, but the feel was 22. I did not wear my hat nor my windbreaker , I just wore the normal clothes I wore in Santo Domingo: a T shirt, shorts, sneakers and the watch.  This is the first time I let here the hat.

Today I ran easy, but the heat hit me hard, I felt tired before the halfway point, but luckily that improved in the second half, but the sun was shining hard. I will have to run earlier in the day, circa 6-7 a.m.

Did the bread and butter route in 42:33 total time. The halfway Split was 17:28, and the back Split to Guadalupe was 34:20. Yea! the same Split as past Monday and Friday. At the end I felt pretty good. However, as I said the sun was hitting hard.

Have a great Humpay!

lunes, 16 de abril de 2018

Tempo run

I went out to do my tempo run at 12:10 p.m. or so, after applying for a couple of Jobs.  I had 3 dasy running easy so it was time to do something harder today. I warmed up 2 mins, then started running at a confortably hard pace and did the bread and butter route in 29:48. Splits were 15:19 and 14:29. I felt better in the first half, felt hard but well under control. In the second half I started to struggle, especially after the 20 min mark, but I told to myself, " Hey you have been running easy for several days , its time to run hard", so I put the hammer down and kept running hard. After I climbed the big hill, I was very tired and had to slow down for a a minute or so, before I could get back at it again.

In the final stretch I looked at the watch and it said 29:13, so I sped up a bit, not a sprint, but hard,to get under 30 mins, ran 29:48. The pace felt under control but I could feel my quads dealing with lactic acid, which is the purpose of the workout I think.

All in all happy with the effort and the result, 7 seconds faster tan last tempo. Did 2 mins for cool down to wrap up the day in 35 mins.

The weather was a bit hotter tan last time. Good workout nonetheless!

Have  a great start to the week!

domingo, 15 de abril de 2018

Another short easy run

Yesterday I went to bed at  2 a.m.  after shopping all evening long with a female friend. I decided to run easy today. I did my route without the extra km.

Honestly, I felt that I was running faster tan the actual time, halfway was 17:37, back to Guadalupe in 35:01 and 300 more meters in 37:08. I felt tired today, but kept the effort and pace easy. Tomorrow is another day to run. Weather was pleasant.

Finished up the week with 5 runs, which was the goal.

Have a great end to this week!

sábado, 14 de abril de 2018

Easy run

Today I went out running at 12:20 p.m., the plan was to run easy to keep the recovery going. Today I felt tired and did not feel very good, however the effort and pace were easy. Splits were 17:26 and 34:38 back here in Guadalupe, then did the remaining part of the route to finish up in 43:00. The weather was not as cool as previous days, but my stomach nor me did not feel good.

All in all, run done, I dont know if doing a harder sesión tomorrow, or wait the 3 days I have been doing, its obvious that I am not completely recovered, so I might run easy one more day, who knows!

Have a great Saturday!

viernes, 13 de abril de 2018

Easy Recovery Run

Today I headed out to do my run at 10:40 a.m. kept the effort very easy to recovery from yesterday`s fartlek. Just looked at the watch when I got back to Guadalupe in 34:20, then completed the extra 1.2k. First Split was 17:24 and the final time was 42:33. If you look at the time from Monday you will see that the splits and the total time were pretty identical.

I felt pretty good and at times had to hold back on the downhill, the goal is to recover so that I can stress the system again in a couple of days. Weather was cold, around 7-8 degrees, it seems that here the spring has not come entirely.

Good run and felt pretty good!

Have a great Friday!

jueves, 12 de abril de 2018

Interval workout

I rested for the last 2 days. On Tuesday I had to rest because it rained the whole rain, so I took the day off. On Wednesday I took the day off from running because, I had to be early at college for a seminar and in the evening, another seminar. I could have run very early, but I decided to take the day off as well, so that I could be totally recovered for today`s sesión. I ran today at 11:xx a.m.

I had planned for today to do after a warm up, 4 x 2 mins at a hard effort with 2 mins easy jogging in between. Before the run, I was hesitant to do it, made stories inside my head on why I had to run easy instead, but I toughed it out and after a 16 mins warm up of easy running, I started my planned sesión, I decided to start conservately and ease up into pace as the sesión went on. I crossed the halfway in 17:02.

I think that the pace was not that fast, but the effort was there, I was Smart enough to negative Split the workout, but it was harder tan I thought, After the final repeat I had to stop for a min or so to catch my breath, I was very tired at that point. After that cooled down, Crossing in Gudalupe in 31:49, so the second half was in 14:47, not bad for jogging in between repeats very easy, and the pace not being so fast. Then I decided to continue to finish my new bread and butter route and finished the route and the run in 40:22.

I feel good because I did the workout instead of what my mind was telling me, my body was very recovered today, so no need to run easy again. The next few days will be easy before another harder run, and I ll try to train that way to mix things up and to improve my fitness.  Almost 7k for the day I think!!

Having rested for 2 days means that I will have to run the remaining days of the week to accomplish the goal of 5 times per week of running.

Have a great Thursday!

lunes, 9 de abril de 2018

Zapping the zero

Today I ran at 11:30 a.m. feeling good about the flu, it seems that I got over it and I am no longer getting sick, We will see. Today its a rainy day here so I took advantage of a momento that it was not raining.

I went out and did my bread and butter route keeping the pace easy, I took the Split in the turn around point, but I did not look at the watch till I got back to Guadalupe in 34:20, having crossed the halfway in 17:23, identical as Friday, but today it was much colder. Then ran the extra kilometer that I am doing lately and did the route in 42:34 feeling pretty good and easy.

I am getting used to these tempo runs since I am no longer sore the day after. Of course I felt stiff and tired, but not sore as They would hit me hard in my legs and I can barely walk. It seems that my body is learning to deal with lactic acid.

Kept the effort easy to recovery and felt pretty good.

Have  a great start to the week!

domingo, 8 de abril de 2018

Tempo run despite getting sick

Yesterday  I took the day off, because my brother came here to visit, We spent the day walking up and down in Madrid. He left at 9:00 p.m.

Yesterday it was raining at times and the wind was hard, that rain caught up at times so last night I started getting the flu simptons, sore throal and a bit of congestion and I was sure that I ll wake up sick today.

I got up with a sore throat and with a congestion, but felt better as the morning progressed, ate breakfast and slept a bit and at 12:15 p.m. I decided to get my run in despite getting sick, the plan was to abort my planned tempo run and just run easy. The weather was sunny so no more rain today.

After running easy for 200m I was not feeling bad, so I decided to increase pace to tempo effort and do the tempo. Tried to keep the tempo under control, but got advantage of the flat terrain and controlled on the uphills. The first half came in 15:24, I honestly thought that I was running faster, but it is what it is. In the second half did the same, tried speed up when I could so that in the big hill I could run it very controlled as I was very tired by then. After the hill I just tried to maintain my effort till the end which was tough , I felt very tired by then, but the pace felt under control. In the final 200m I tried to speed up but never a sprint since this is a tempo, not a race.

Finished in 29:55. Was very surprised, thought that I could negative Split the thing, but not enough to run sub 30 mins, second half was in 14:31, which is fast. But the second half is always faster eventhough I have to run the big hill there, but I have a couple of downhills there, plus I am 100% warmed up in the second half. Then did 2 mins of cool down.

I am happy with the effort put in, felt that to run sub 29 mins it will be a very hard effort, but I ll keep doing these and see if I can progress. Next few days will be easy to recover and then stressing again.

In regards to the flu I am feeling pretty good, I dont feel congested anymore and the throat is behaving, We will see how I wake up tomorrow!!

5 runs this week, which is always the goal!

Have a great Sunday!

viernes, 6 de abril de 2018

Easy Recovery Run

Yesterday I took the day off.

Today I was  out at 11:00 a.m. to run easy, I only checked  my watch at the halfway point and when I got back here in Guadalupe. Today I felt really good, a bit tired, but fresh and when I climb the big hill, I felt very confortable, I think this is the most confortable I have felt in that hill. I crossed the halfway in 17:23 and was back in Guadalupe in 34:12, then ran the extra 200m and the extra km. Finished the run in 42:13.

I felt very confortable as I said, and when I let myself loose, I had to hold myself back at times because I wanted to keep this run at a very easy effort.

Felt good and I feeling ready for my tempo run this weekend, not sure if it will be on Saturday or Sunday.

Have a great Friday!

miércoles, 4 de abril de 2018

Battling with my stomach: Fartlek workout

Today I almost skip my fartlek workout, because when I started to run I experienced GI problems and at first it got better, but then again it got worse, but after the halfway point crossed in 17:42, I decided to give it a try, maybe if I swiched the mindset a bit I would forget about that, and that worked, but again I experienced problems at the end, luckily I could complete the goal workout. I ran at 10 a.m. today with the weather in 8 or so, it was somewhat cold today!

When I hit 19 mins I started to do 6 x 1 mins fast with 1 min slow, I started the first 3 repeats relaxed and ease into it, by the end of the 6th repeat I could play a sinphony with my breathing, but finished strong and fast. I had to take a break for 10-15 seconds  after I did the 1 min repeat in the big hill, I was dead when I finished that repeat, but then could put myself back and run another one before doing a mini cooldown. I got back in Guadalupe in 32:42, so the back half I did it in 15:00, it seems that I am not in that bad shape. Then did 200m out and back to complete my old breand and butter route in 34:50. That was the end of the run.

I am happy that I could complete my workout. It was a simple workout, but at least I worked the anaerobic system a bit and I felt pretty good. Next couple of days will be recovery days. Probably a rest day tomorrow.

I plan to do  a tempo run on Saturday on Sunday, depending How my body feels.

Have a great Wednesday!


martes, 3 de abril de 2018

Easy run + Strides

Today I felt much better than yesterday, but a Little stiff. I went out at 10:40 a.m. and went out to do my  new route (the same route but with the added km,ha). I only looked at the watch in the halfway point in 17:15, I was feeling good but tight, so I decided that in the second half I would run 5 strides. I did not measure the time of the strides, just by benches in the Street," I ll go to that bench, etc" fartlek strides so to speak. I was feeling looser and looser, but made sure that the recovery was very easy. Got to Guadalupe in 33:12, was Kind of surprised, because I thought I was going to barely run 34, it seems that I  ran "fast" in the strides, did not lose form though. Did 200s out and back and crossed Guadalupe in 35:16, then went to Ciudad Universitaria and back  to finish up the run in 41:22, so almost 90 secs faster than yesterday, but it was because I was more recovered and because of the strides.

Felt good and tried to keep the effort easy and in the strides to keep them under control and with good form. I dont know if I ll rest tomorrow and do a harder run on Thursday, or do the hard run tomorrow and rest on Thursday, probably will do the latter.  Weather was 11 degrees.

Today I get back to classes, finally, I was very bored here in the Easter week.

Have a great week!

lunes, 2 de abril de 2018

Zapping the zero

Today I ran at 10:45 a.m. or so, I thought that I was going to run faster than yesterday at the same effort but that was not the case, I felt stiff, not sore, but tight and stiff, I took it easy though, so no problem.

I checked the watch in the same spots as yesterday and today I only was faster in the first by a couple of seconds, but after that I just got slower. I did my bread and butter route, plus the extra km that I have been doing lately.  I had 17:31 in the halfway and got here in 34:32, so 31 seconds slower than yesterday, then did the remaining part of the run and finish my run in 42:49, which is 37 seconds slower tan yesterday. However, the effort was always easy and I only compared my times for fun, I cant fall into that trap. From now on, I ll just only check my watch at the halfway point maybe and when I got here in Guadalupe, that will ensure that I run by effort and not try to race the watch.

Eventhough I felt stiff , I felt pretty good and pretty easy, I almost had to hold myself back at times.While I am still recovering from Saturday`s tempo, my harder workout will be on Wednesday.

If I would have to guess the distance it was around 6.7-6.8k.

Have a great start to the week!

domingo, 1 de abril de 2018

Finishing the week with 6 runs

Yesterday I was ready for  a harder effort since I had been running easy for the past days. I wanted to run an aerobic threshold run, which means faster tan easy pace, but not over the top.  At 11:30 a.m. Thats what I did, but I think that I exceed myself, since in the first 10 mins, my legs felt with lactic acid already. I took the first 200-300 to ease back into the rythm, but I did not start easy ( at least for me). When I got to the Templo de Debod, huffing and puffing, I knew that it was not goint to be an easy tempo. Thats why you run easy on easy days, so on Hard days you can run hard right?

I focused on breathing and maintaining my effort/pace. Sincé I am not wearing a watch I did this entirely by effort. The hill hit in the head, but once I got to the top I relaxed as much as I could, but without easing the pace. I got back to Guadalupe feeling tired, but good. I think it was a good tempo. I dont know the time, but what really matters is effort that was put in. I did around 2 mins for cooldown to finish my run in around 31-32 mins (who knows?), then walked like 1k to get the blood flowing.

However, I had been running without a watch for 3 months, but its time to start tracking time again. Especially for those hard workouts to see if my time is improving given the effort. I was going to fix my timex, but its in bad condition, its 7 years old already, so I did not bought the batteries, I decided to go to Decathlon which is a sport store and bought a 10 Euros$ watch, which only record one Split. But I think that will serve me pretty well, because I am training basically by time, and if I do some distance repeats some time, I ll have to memorize the splits, no big deal. Most important thing is to run by effort and that the time refers to the effort that you are put in, not hte other way around where you put a time goal despite how your body feels.

Today at 11:30 a.m. I tested the watch and was not as tired as I thought it would be, I thought that I was going to be very sore, but I was not. However, I ran pretty easy to day to absorb yesterday`s harder effort. I checked at my watch at several points to see where I was at. First check was 13:46, which is when I get int to the tempo de Debod, 17:23 in the halfway point, where I felt easy and relaxed. Then continued running by feel and easy till I got to Guadalupe in 34:01, then did 200m out and back which was my previous route before adding the additional km. I crossed again Guadalupe in 36:03, but then went to Ciudad Unversitaria and back, which my guess was that I was running that route in 40-41 mins, today I timed that route for the first time and did 42:12. Felt pretty good and the weather was good also, around 10 Degrees.

As I said I ll continue timing my runs, but with the focus on feel instead of splits. The watch will be only a tool of training. But the Racing will remain watchless!

6 runs this week and two harder runs, I am generally running 5 times per week, but since this week was off from college, do to easter week, I have to take advantage of it, because on Tuesday We start clases again.

Have a great Sunday!