Training Log

7 am - first road race series 5K.  I have not done the road race series in several years - the two 5K races are always at Overton Park.  It used to be two loops through the park, but they changed it so that you run out and around the park and then back into the park with part of the old loop.  My previous PR for 5K was on the old course at 23:30.  Today, I set a new PR of 22:54 (unofficially).  The start on the new course is very fast, going right out of the park, with a downhill, then a right-hand turn and running back into the park on Poplar Ave.  My one mile time was, surprisingly, 6:55 - the downhill really helped, along with the adrenaline.  I knew I went out too fast, but it felt good, and I just focused on keeping a decent pace after mile 2, which was 14:34.  The last .5 was a little tough, but I felt good at the end.  Then ran another 1.5 to 2 miles around the inside park loop with triathlon team-mate David.

Wanted to run again later in the day and felt good enough to, but schoolwork and family commitments took over the rest of my day.

Update 7/14 - official time from MRTC site - 22:40. 

5:50 am.  The enhanced opposite-direction, usual loop without the Johnson Park extended loop, which looks like it cut out 1 mile.  Felt good, legs a little tired toward the end of the run.

6:15 a.m. - The new loop with the downhills and the added Johnson Park loop.  They have paved a nice, new greenway that allows me to run on the paved trail instead of Wolf River Blvd. to the neighborhood across the street from mine.  Really nice!

6:15 am - 7.5 mile loop. Feeling a little tired, and then felt tired all day - may be a sinus problem in the works.

5:30 a.m. - new 15-mile loop using the 9.3 mile loop through Johnson Park and then part of the 6.2 mile loop behind Walmart.  Felt pretty good.  Stopped for water at Johnson Park and then later at Walmart.  Legs felt tired after leaving the park at about 9.4 miles so I slowed down quite a bit, then felt better after another 2 miles or so and felt pretty good the last mile or so.   Then headed out to work.

4 pm, 6 miles out and back Peterson Lake Rd which includes the long uphill/downhill from my usual loop.  Heat index is pretty high and it was a little hard to breathe at first because the air is so heavy.  Running past some of the ball fields, it smells like the grass is just burning up, and it looks pretty scorched.  Hotter for the rest of the weekend and 101 on Monday.  Planning to ride early tomorrow.

Cycling 7 am to 11 am - hot and humid day