Who Am I?

I am an avid runner and have been running since I was 15 years old. I began running low to medium distances while on my high school track team, running the 800 meter and 1600 meter races (I was a sub 5 miler and a 2 minute 800 runner). In addition to the track team, I also joined the cross country team. After high school I still wanted to run and decided to start doing road races. I have probably ran a couple hundred 5k races (16.29 PR)along with many 10k's as well. In 2009 I decided to step up my game and try to tackle my first marathon. I will be honest; the only reason I did this was because my father ran a few and I wanted to show him that I could do what he did. I trained poorly for my first one and regret it. If you are going to run a race, train like you want to win. I still continue to run marathons and other distances as well, and every race is a chance for me to better myself.
I started this blog to hopefully communicate with other runners and to shed any knowledge I may have about the sport that can help other runners. I believe running is the best sport and can be a great stress reliever. I encourage all runners to spread the word of our sport and show people why running is so good and why the community of runners has such great people. You can follow me on twitter @byrne1324 or find me on facebook- Shaun Byrne

Sunday, September 20, 2015

4 Weeks Until Buffalo Creek Half Marathon

I can't believe that I am only 4 weeks out of my main fall race. This week I wanted to try and hit some goals that would help me out on race day. First, most run with negative splits. I looked back over some previous races and realized that some of my better races are when I start out slow and build up rather than go full steam ahead. Secondly, I wanted to do a great speed workout that I could walk away from and say "this workout was great." Third I wanted to make sure that on my long run I chose a course that would challenge me. Here is how the week played out and then we can decide if I hit the goals.

MONDAY: This was my last day off work for my vacation and since I missed my long run over the weekend I did my long run here. I headed to North Park for 12 miles. I didn't want to run the loop twice so I decided to run the 5 mile loop and then head into the trails for the last 7. The run went really good and my splits were dropping each mile on the road. Once I hit the trails I pulled back and focused more on where I was stepping.

TUESDAY: SPEED DAY: I hit the track for 800 meter repeats. I did 6 X 800's with a 200 meter rest in between each one and then went to 400 meter repeats. I did 4 X 400's with a 200 meter rest in between each one as well. I ran every rep at a 7 minute pace. I felt really good and was surprised that how each rep was so easy. I controlled my breathing and was able to get into a nice groove.

WEDNESDAY: CROSS TRAIN: I needed to work on my leg muscles so I went to the gym for a leg day. After an hour of using all the leg machines I headed onto the stair climber. I suck at this machine but still managed to get in 400 steps before calling it quits. I ended out the workout with a 3 mile run on the treadmill. I started at a 9:30 pace and dropped 30 seconds each mile.  My legs were killing me but I felt really good after the workout.

THURSDAY: 5 miles: This run I really wanted to focus on hitting the negative splits, and I wanted to go about 80 percent full speed. I finished with a 8:33 pace and a time of 42:50. I had a bit of shin pain on the last mile, but it was nothing to bad that I couldn't run through.

FRIDAY: TRAIL DAY: 4 miles on the trails of Frick Park. I still wanted to hit negative splits but I went slower than the previous day. I finished with a pace of 8:55. For the record I was trying to run it a bit slower than the day before. I wanted to just get in a good run on the trails and not go so fast that I am worrying about my footing on the trail.

SATURDAY: LONG RUN: I ran 15 miles on a course that has been notorious for giving me problems. I crushed it though and was still able to finish with a 8:45 pace. This was huge confidence booster with only 4 weeks until the race.

SUNDAY: Today was a much needed rest day.

Looking back on my week I would say I hit all my goals I set out to reach.
This week I have the Gladiator Rock N Run on Saturday and the Great Race on Sunday. Will I be seeing any of you at these races?

How did your week go? Are you better at holding a solid pace or do you like to gradually build up the speed?
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 20, 2015 at 5:54 PM

    Fantastic week Shaun! My training is all over the place but I managed to reach my 1/2 marathon goal time today with Twin Cities Marathon 2 weeks away. I need to incorporate more cross training. I usually am better at holding a solid pace, but it is a thrill when I negative split. I hope to get under an 8 min/mile pace consistently eventually. You are an inspiration!

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    1. UnknownSeptember 20, 2015 at 6:00 PM

      If anyone is the inspiration it is you Stephanie. I am not suprised at all that you hit your half marathon goal. You always find a way to reach all your goals you set out for. I strive to be more like you

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  2. UnknownSeptember 27, 2015 at 1:20 PM

    Ack! I can't believe Buffalo Creek is getting so close. Great week of training!

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