A.M. 10.1 with Jeff in 1:14:55. Started out slow, then sped up when we realized Jeff was going to be late for work. Last 3 miles at a little under 6:40 pace. Then 2 more Benjamin in 16:47. We did a mini-speed workout. It was very revealing. I gave Benjamin a target of 6:00 pace for half mile. We did it mid-run without stopping off 9:07 first mile. After a 1:35 first quarter I stopped him, had him jog 200 in 1:12 and then he ran 200 in 41 with the splits of 19 and 22. Then after about 450 meters I had him run 300 to the finish as fast as he could, and he could only do 1:12. I also noticed that he was breathing hard at the end of the quarter. On Tuesday he could run 1:29 quarter from a standing HR with the idea that he was going the whole mile, but at 9:00 pace after a mile his HR is high enough to not be able to run faster than 1:35 with the idea that he was running only 0.5. This is not normal. Just in August he was able to run 1:16 quarter in the middle off 9:00 pace.
So that is more evidence for growth-related cardio/aerobic failure. His leg power is fine, more than fine, very good. He can also run 8:00, even 7:30 for a long time without much discomfort. But somewhere around 6:40 is where the problems start. At first I thought it was training related because he did not run a whole lot in the fast range for the last couple of months, but after today's run I am thinking it is more than training. I do not think that it is merely an increase in bone mass without a corresponding increase in heart power. His weight increased by only 4 lb. I think there is something going on the hormonal level, and for reasons we perhaps do not quite understand (if somebody does, I'd like to hear from you) aerobic capacity has to drop quite a bit while the body is growing. P.M. 2 with Jenny in 16:55. Julia ran 1.5 in 12:58. 0.25 with Jacob in 2:29. This is a new PR. He impressed me with the consistency of the splits. 37-38-38-36. This is our family record for the 3 year old division. Jacob's splits go along with his personality. He is very thorough, balanced, and consistent. When he has a temper tantrum, interestingly enough it is almost always about not being able to fulfill a certain responsibility or perform a certain task that he set his mind on. For example, during our family scripture study he insists on having his scriptures open while he "reads" (really repeating after a reader) his verse. Ran 0.5 with Joseph in 4:38. Joseph is the goofiest of our kids. He likes pranks and jokes more than others. Unlike Jacob he can be defiant and play power struggles. But he is learning that it is useless and only yields trouble. He seems to have improved a lot in his behavior after he started running consistently. When he runs it is more of a form of play, so we play chasing a guy. 5:00 guy for half a mile, sometimes 4:30. Later practiced with William. He cannot walk yet, but he can push a walker toy quite well, and seems to like it a lot.
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