Less than 3 weeks to the Gate River Run: Last week's training

Another gorgeous week of weather in Portland means another enjoyable week of training. The unusually warm and sunny February has made for unexpectedly ideal running conditions. A year ago, Portland received an uncanny week of snow which forced me into the University of Portland indoor track, and eventually a train ride to Seattle in order to continue training for the London Marathon. That was followed by the normal cold and rainy February Portland days. To all those in the midwest and northeast, don't worry, we will surely pay dearly with a cold and wet March and April, but I'll enjoy it while it's here. At least the Jacksonville weather won't be quite the shock it has been in the past for the Gate River Run.

Speaking of Gate River, the elite fields are out, and the men's startlist is as strong as expected. I'll certainly have my work cut out for me, but I am happy with my fitness, and I'm looking forward to mixing it up with some of the country's best on March 14th over the 15km USA Championships. I'm also looking forward to running with two former Oklahoma State Cowboys, Shadrack Kipchirchir and Girma Macheso. Shadrack is beginning his young post-collegiate career, and Girma will look to build off a solid year on the US road circuit.

All three training sessions went well last week, although none of the three were overly intense. The long term goal is looking at the US Outdoor Track and Field Championships which are not until the end of June, so my coach, Dave Smith, has decided to back off the intensity for a little longer so I can make it to the summer feeling strong and fresh. I am the most pleased with Saturday's workout of 10 x 1 mile on the road with a minute rest. While I started conservatively, I was happy to see the times progress into the 4:40s and finish in 4:35. I felt strong and smooth the entire way, and I'm looking forward to testing myself a bit this week with fewer repeats and longer rest. The miles took place on a segment of road with gentle hills, going out a mile, stopping, and returning a mile. As you can see by the times, the return mile had wind at my back with a very slight net downhill. Overall, I'm feeling strong and fresh, but not quite sharp. There is still plenty of time for that.

Make sure to check out all the indoor racing starting Friday with NCAA conference meets and the USA Indoor Championships. I'll be cheering for all the Brooks Beasts in Boston, the Cowboys and Cowgirls in Ames, and the local UP Pilots in Seattle. Thanks again for reading, and feel free to check out last week's training below. Follow me here on Twitter for more updates.

Week 14	AM	PM	Strength/Drills	Mileage
Monday	11.5	5.5	50 minutes	17
Tuesday	5.5	4 mile tempo @ 18:45 + 6 x 200 meters @ 28-29		17
Wednesday	14	Off	40 minutes	14.5
Thursday	15 x 200 meters @ 31 down to 28 w/200 meter jog recovery	5.5		15.5
Friday	11.5		50 minutes	17
Saturday	10 x 1 mile w/ 1 minute rest (4:54, 52, 48, 51, 47, 52, 46, 47, 35) on road	Off		15.5
Sunday	18.5	Off		18.5
TOTAL				115