World's Best 10K Workout Week: 12-2-13 to 12-8-13

For the past couple of months my partners on the track (Nate, Galoob, and Garvin) and I have been following the MacMillan 10K workout plan found here.  The key workouts include a lot longer intervals and total speedwork than I'm (and I assume most are) accustomed to.  With the Christmas 10K in Newport looming next Sunday, this is the week for the final 10K workout:

WORLD'S BEST 10K WORKOUTAfter this buildup of workouts, you're ready to attack the ultimate 10K workout. I suggest you perform this workout nine to 12 days before your race to allow enough time to recover before the event. Start with your usual warm-up (which you should perform for each workout described in this article), then run three 2-mile repeats at your goal 10K pace. Take a 5-minute recovery jog between each repeat. Prepare for this intense workout like you will your race -- be well-recovered, properly hydrated and fueled, use the equipment you'll use in the race, run at the time of day that you'll be racing.

Thursday is the day.  I'll be taking it relatively easy before to be "well-recovered".  My confidence has waned since I nailed the previous key workout.  I'm sure the speed is still there, but I just haven't used it in a while. Definitely pretty nervous about it. 

Monday: 9 miles - Quonset bike path and Calf Pasture Point beach solo.  What seems to happen this time of year is that I start my runs faster than normal to heat up.  If I'm on a flat road, my pace is pretty quick, and then I like to make my entire run rather peppy.  I was also feeling pressed for time.  I did the 3.5 miles of bike path in 6:30 pace.  I then ran out and back on the beach, falling once in thick sand (2.1 miles @ 7:24 pace).  The final 3.5 miles on the bike path I dropped my pace down to 6:08.  I wasn't working hard, but I was pushing the pace a bit. 



Tuesday: 8 miles - SK combo run with Nate and Galoob.  We met at Mike's and then wandered down to Curtis Corner to scout a 2 mile loop we planned to use for Thursday's workout.  The loop is rather challenging (not flat) and ended up being 2 GPS miles on the nose.  This course is more intimidating than the track and bike path, but a better approximation of the Christmas 10K course conditions.  We hit up some of the fun connecting trails to and from. 



Wednesday: 7 miles - Ryan Park trails alone.  Insert easy hour lunch run here. 



Thursday: 10.5 miles - 3 x 2 miles workout with Nate and Galoob.  I wasn't sure I could join them at the predetermined time, so I was more focused on that then the actual workout.  Luckily I didn't have to do the workout alone and was able to run with them.  We did a 2+ mile warm up with 4 strides at the end.  Then we began the intervals.  My target was 11:20.  My pace would always start fast for the first half mile as it was mostly downhill or flat.  Then I would hit the hill and my pace would slow quite a bit.  The last mile is a gradual uphill on South Road and then a gradual downhill on Curtis Corner Rd.  These roads had too much traffic today and it also seemed to rain only when I was on them.  The workout ended up going really well.  I was able to nail my target even on the challenging course and dealing with the rain.  Results: 11:15/11:26/11:20 with 5 minute recoveries.  The first one felt okay, but was too fast.  My second one felt smooth, but it was a little too slow.  Third one was just right.  So according to MacMillan I will run 5:40 pace at the race.  We'll see! 




Friday: 6.5 miles - Ryan Park trails alone.  I was surprisingly not sore from yesterday's workout.  The weather was dreary, but I still got out for an easy run.  The mtn bikers have been busy again making even more little single track trails on the east side.  Some seem silly, but I ran a couple of new ones that I really like. 



Saturday: 11 miles in two runs.  First, I got up early (well not that early, but still dark).  My window to run was before 8AM or bust.  I drove over to the Hopkinton Grills Preserve for an hour trail run.  Someone from CT had just taken the hilly twisty Tomaquag Trail Strava segment on Thursday.  I didn't like this, so I thought I would take it back and keep the CR local.  The ground was very soggy, but the trails were puddle-free.  I ran the easy wide paths near the river for 20+ minutes and then hit the single track segment pretty hard.  It's really fun going fast on a roller coaster of a trail like this.  I finished up at the Polly Coon Bridge and then decided to jog for a few minutes on the Bradford side.  I was weary of deer hunters (allowed on that side and it was the first day of shotgun season), but didn't see any.  I ran longer than I planned, but had enough time to not have to hustle back. 



Later in the afternoon, after a busy day taking the kids to the (quiet) aquarium and putting up lights outside, I had the chance to log a few laps on my home trails while the kids did screen time.  After a lap I noticed that my phone app was stating "GPS signal lost".  It eventually was found near the end of my runs.  9 laps for 3 miles: 7:23/7:32/7:27. 

Sunday: 12 miles - Carter Preserve trails with local roads to/from alone.  Another early run with a 8AM deadline.  I couldn't decide on what exactly I felt like running.  It was 21 degrees.  I settled on running to Carter Preserve from my house and then run a loop in there and back.  There was plently of light by the time I reached the single track.  I promptly startled an animal I thought was a deer, but it was something else.  It looked coyote-sized (big one) and had the color of a yellow lab.  Hmm.  I rounded a corner and I flushed it again.  It disappeared in some rocks.  I was getting a little nervous.  The coloring made me wonder if it was a cougar, but the movement made me think canine.  I continued on at a brisk pace.  I decided to run the Red Trail hard since I had made a Strava segment out of it a while ago, and never given it a good effort.  This was fun.  A treacherous at times trail with frozen leaves making things even more interesting.  I recovered on the Blue Trail before heading down to the Grassland Mile.  I decided to push a fast mile.  I felt like I was moving well for the entire lap.  I was a little bummed with the time (5:42), but whatever.  I then ran back home, not loving the mile uphill on Shumankanuc Hill Road. 




Weekly Total: 64 miles
Last Week: 60 miles
Year to Date: 3044 miles