Half marathon training – Week 3 – A friendly impromptu running partner

25/02	-	Rest day
26/02	5.0 miles	Easy run: avg 152 bpm, 11:45 min/mile
27/02	6.0 miles	Tempo run: 3 miles @ 8:37/8:15/8:16 min
28/02	5.0 miles	Easy run: avg 11:13 min/mile
29/02	-	Rest day
01/03	11.0 miles	Long run: avg 154 bpm, 11:21 min/mile
02/03	4.0 miles	Easy run: avg 148 bpm, 11:43 min/mile
Total	31.0 miles	YTD: 207.4 miles

I’m happy to report that my mileage is building up nicely. I did 107.3 miles during the month of February (last year I did 81.0) and just completed my first 30+ mile week of the year.

I had a great tempo run on Wednesday. I did the run early in the morning so the Green Lake path was pretty empty. During the first mile I caught up with another runner and we both happened to settle into the same pace. We got to chatting and paced each other through the next mile. I owe that friendly impromptu running partner thanks for the 8:15 and 8:16 miles I pulled off that morning.

Sunday’s long run was also pretty good. A pace of 11:21 is still slower than I’d like but I’m very happy with my heart rate so that’s what I’m focusing on. I’ve developed a new method of adjusting for cardiac drift on the road. During the first 5 miles I try to keep my heart rate at or below 155 and then for every mile after that I increase that limit by 1 bpm. So during the last mile I’m aiming to keep my heart rate at or below 161 bpm. This method has greatly decreased the amount of walking I used to have to do towards the end of my runs when my heart rate would spike into the 170′s. I guess I’m learning how to make this aerobic heart rate training work for me!

Finally, I officially registered for the Vancouver Half Marathon today.