First Race of the 2010 Season

The Anthem 5K is this Saturday. I'm really excited to finally "race". Truth be told, I enjoy the training almost, if not more, than the actual races. That being said, I'm still eagar to get that feeling that standing at the start line before a race gives you...nothing else like it in the world!

This 5K is being used more as a training run than anything else. With my focus over the last 3 months being on building endurance, this short 3.1 mile sprint isn't exactly what I've been training for.

I have my race season pretty much planned, as you can see here. What you don't see on this list is which races are a priority for me. I have assigned each race either an A, B or C.

A-Priority Races are those that are most important to me this year. All of my training is designed around these races.

B-Priority Races are those that are not as critical as the A races. I want to do well, but they are not a top priority. I will rest a day or two before them, but I will not do Build and Peak training phases leading up to them.

C-Priority Races are those that I want to do for either experience or tune-ups. There will be minimal rest (if any) leading up to these races. Some of them I'm doing just to try and set a PR.

Now that you have all of that info, I will tell you that this Saturday's Anthem 5K is a C-Priority Race. Keep in mind that race priority has no bearing on how hard I will push myself. The main difference is how the races are prepared for. I'm going to log around 12-13 hours of training this week...my legs aren't exactly going to be fresh! It's still a race, and I will be giving it all I have...not that my competitive side would let me do any less!

Goal for the race is to finish under 21:45. This would be a 7:00 min/mile pace...which I think I can sustain for 3.1 miles...we'll see.

YESTERDAY'S WORKOUT:
Ran 12.50 miles in 1:40:02 (8:00 min/mile pace)
This was an endurance run in heart rate zone 2 (154-162bpm)
Avg HR = 157
My HR was high for the first 3-4 miles and I had to slow down to keep it below 162. Then it settled in and I was able to run at a faster pace with my HR staying in the high 150's. Not sure why, but it seems to take my body about 3 miles to get warmed-up.

TODAY'S WORKOUT:
2:30 on the bike. These long bike workouts are just as challenging mentally as they are physically. The spin class only lasts 45 minutes, so I've got 1 hour and 45 minutes on the bike with my thoughts...in an empty room. Keeping an eye on my heart rate helps the time pass a little more quickly. Zone 2 on the bike is between 125-137bpm.
Avg HR for today's ride was 130.

I'm still taping my knee before every run and ride and icing once I'm done. No pain at all on the long runs, but after the rides it aches a little. Hopefully this will subside at some point.