I ran 10 miles at about 8:10/mile - through in a few 6:30 "change of pace" surges for 30-40 seconds a few times, and did a few 5:20 - 30 sec really fast strides at the end, but basically just chugged along. Last few days of the big 4 week experiment.
Experimental results so far:
1. on my sweat rate: today I dropped approximately 4 lbs (64 oz) of sweat in 80 minutes. 0.8 oz/min of running - or - 6.4 oz/mile. good to know. I was in the shade of the garage too.
2. on the tendon: i've been dilligent about doing the eccentric heel drops daily. I'm using 30 lbs and doing 3 sets of 15 reps on the stairs. I had no pain at all today. When I finished the heel drops it was the first time today I could feel tingling sensations in the tendon, aka very mild pain.
3. on my pace: I can really tell the difference between a 10 seconds in pace. The biggest surprise has been that I prefer to run a bit faster, even when I it raises my HR a few beats. I've not been runinng at an 8:34 pace (7.0 mph) at all except in warm up or cool down. running at 7:24 pace (8.1 mph) feels comfortable now, but ask me on Saturday after 18 miles at that speed how comfortable it is. I've been forcing myself to run at a 8:10 pace on "easy" days like today. Now, 5:27 is fast, and never really feels "comfortable"
4. comparison to fitness 8 months ago 3 weeks prior to Boston: On the equivalent day (recovery day just over 3 weeks prior to Boston) I did the pump station run in 1:10 (8:40/mile), my HR was 130. It was outdoors and with the small hills, but a bit slower. at 171.8/9.4 I was about the same physically. The following day (Friday) I ran a short 5.2 miles to the trail end at 8:40 - very slowly. Then on Saturday was the penultimate workout pre-race: 18 miles, including running up Nautilus. The good miles to look at then were the last 6, which I ran in 7:17 average with a HR of 155-160. I noted in my log how hard that was to do (I think I was running with Leonard that day).
My plan will be to try an do the same tempo workout I did 20 days prior to Boston (march 27): a run up the coast from 4th street to G street in Encinitas, keeping a tempo (6:40?) pace from 4 onward.
