What a great week for running!  First, you’ll notice that I decided to stop annoying you with daily training updates.  I had 5 workouts and 2 rest days this week, and zero posts on this blog until today!  Seriously, we had beautiful weather for running this week, every morning was below 70 degrees when I set out to run.

Last Sunday’s run was already covered.  Monday was a rest day, and Tuesday was a great track workout.  I averaged 8:17/mile with my fastest lap at 7:24/mile.  It was great weather and I felt great running it.

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Wednesday was an easy 30 minute run.  I took the instructions seriously on this one.  I kept my pace at 8:57/mile and my heart rate in zone 3 for 30 minutes. This was a good “clear my head” run, because I didn’t have to think about keeping pace, it just happened naturally.  I really like that 8:57/mile is now an easy pace, and feels natural.  That used to be a tempo run for me, and I had to work to maintain it.

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Thursday was, I think, the best run all week.  My training plan  called for a medium intensity 1 hour speed workout.  I maintained an 8:31/mile pace and managed to wrap up 7 miles in one hour.  This is really fast for me, especially maintaining that pace for 7 miles.

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The only downside to this fast run was that it left me a little sore, and that affected my run on Saturday.  Yesterday, the training plan called for 1 hour 15 minutes at an easy pace.  I decided to shoot for a full two hours or 13 miles, whichever came first.  I felt good starting out, but my legs did feel a little sore.  By the time I made my way around Sunday Park and started heading back, I noticed that it was getting harder to maintain an even pace and my legs were really feeling it.  When I got back near home, around the 10 mile mark, I decided that I would cut the run short at about 11.25 miles and 1 hour 42 minutes.  Not really a bad run, but my legs really felt beat up.

[If you don't see the maps in this post, be sure to visit der5er.com!]

Here are my stats so far:

Week 1 (8/22 – 8/28):

• 23.49 miles.
• 3 hours, 44 minutes total time.
• 9:32/mi average pace.

Week 2 (8/29 – 9/4):

• 31.93 miles.
• 4 hours 48 minutes total time.
• 9:01/mi average pace.

Week 3 (9/5 – 9/11):

• 33.84 miles.
• 4 hours 57 minutes total time.
• 8:48/mi average pace.

Yesterday the training plan called for a 1:15 medium intensity run.  I decided, since that’s already going to be about 8 miles, to just go ahead and run a full 13.1.  I’m happy with my 1:57 time, and I’m sure I can shave 5 minutes off that by November to make my PR.  I’d really love to shave 7 minutes and make it under 1:50.  I still think that’s a workable goal at this point.  Here’s hoping the training plan is working!

Some of you may have been wondering exactly what a Pikermi is.  Pikermi is a small town about half way between Marathon and Athens.  This town would likely have been on the route of the legendary first marathoner, Pheidippides.  There are many in the running community who have suggested that half-marathon is a poor name for the 13.1 mile distance.  I’ve heard several suggestions for new names, but I think Pikermi is the most appropriate.  Pheidippides had to pass through Pikermi to get to Athens from Marathon, and many of us run a 13.1 mile race before we run a marathon.  I think it’s only fitting that that race be named Pikermi.

Here’s the original introduction of the name, and his reasons behind it, from Pochero’s blog at the Loop:

The problem is that it is half of something else. It is a half-marathon. People (non-runners and even some runners) always have a weird reaction to it. Oh, you “only” ran “half” of a marathon? That’s nice. Hey, that’s good of you to run a “half”. That’s a nice “half”. Maybe you’ll soon get a better “half”. It’s good of you to go on a “half training program”. And so on.

Are we half of a runner when we run a half? Do we run half a$$ when we run a half? Are we “half runners” forever doomed to be in the shadow of big brother marathon? Do we go through all the pain and agony of training to run “just a half”?

I say that the half marathon is due its proper place of eminence in the running world. It is 13.1 miles, 21 kilometers, a very respectable distance. It is a full-bore, balls-to-the-wall footrace. This distance needs its own name. It is not half of anything.

The marathon originated from the mythical 26-mile run by Pheidippides from Marathon to Athens to bring news of the Greek’s victory over the Persian Army at the Battle of Marathon. An annual race is presently organized over the supposed original route and is called the Athens Marathon. I wonder why they didn’t call it the Marathon Marathon. The race in October 2010 will be the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon.

Anyhoo, around the 13-mile mark, right smack dab in the middle of the original Marathon route is the town of Pikermi. So why not name the half-marathon as the Pikermi? I know change can be scary but go ahead and try it. It won’t hurt. I promise:

Congratulations on your first Pikermi!

Hey, you rocked that Pikermi!

Good job on that Pikermi!

EDIT: [Pochero] called up Hotel Pikermi on Marathonos Avenue, Attica, Greece. It is pronounced: pee-KER-mee.

Here’s my Pikermi for Saturday, September 4, 2010:

And today’s 1 hour recovery run: