Liftoff

AM: 7 miles with Allison around Lake Baldwin in Orlando. One of the rare times in the last half decade we've run together without a jogging stroller.

PM: 4 miles back in St. Pete with Elise on her bike. Good quote from her when we finished: "It is completely hot!"

AM: 8 miles.

PM: 8 miles at lunch with Quint.

AM: 4 miles. Tonight is a short and sharp track workout, then an easy recovery week leading up to Sunday's 5k.

After that, it's 15 weeks to Twin Cities, and if you throw out the final two weeks for taper, that seems about right for a marathon-specific training block. Over the last two months, I've put down a decent base (could always be more), and I've done some sharpening - think I'm ready to get down to business.

I'd really like to hear about any key workouts other runners have had success with in the build-up to a marathon. I have some things that work for me, but I have a lot of time this cycle and I'm looking to incorporate new ideas.

PM: 8 miles at track. Summer has arrived in full fury mode, and at least once around this time of year I need my Groundhog Day.

On this day each year, I attempt to ignore the conditions, then I explode. At least this year I didn't waste much time crying in my Cheerios. Plan was 5 x 1k with 200 rest, target 5:00 pace. Plan was also to put mind over matter and ignore conditions.  Plan failed. Started at 5:30 PM, 94 degrees, 78 DP.

First K was 3:06, felt pretty good! Second was 3:09, skin melting, eyeballs baked. I sat around for 5 minutes in the shade feeling sorry for myself, then jumped in with Lee for his last two: 3:35, 3:36. I rallied for one last K solo: 3:15.

Lesson relearned: start slow and speed up, or adjust winter times by 10-15 secs pace per mile. These roads lead to a productive workout. Otherwise disaster.

AM: 4 miles.

PM: 6 miles at lunch with Quint.

Carrying over some thoughts on marathon workouts, here are some things I plan on this summer. Most of them I've done in previous cycles, all of them are stolen from other sources.

Mid-week

1. 5-6 mile wave tempo, alternating MP and 10k pace every 1/2 mile
2. 6 x 1 mile at 10k pace, 400 jog recovery
3. 10-12 mile MP tempo
4. 6-8 mile HMP tempo
5. Random intervals to maintain speed (400/800/Ks/etc)
6. Bridge (hill) repeats

Longish

1. ~16 miles at MP
2. 20 miles - First 10 MP+1:00 min/mile, second 10 MP
3. ~24 mile run ~ 85% MP (Canova ripoff, means of calcuation percent described here: http://www.runningwritings.com/2014/04/championship-racing-with-renato-canova.html)
4. ~20 mile run ~ 95% MP (Same as above)
5. 4-3-2-1: Want to incorporate Jason's suggestion on this one.
6. Standard long run with finishing miles at MP, build longer as summer goes on. Aim for getting to 8 miles or so.

AM: 4 miles. Sleeping in is nice, I could get used to it. Maybe it wouldn't be nice then.

PM: 4 miles at lunch, back to Al Lopez Park. I like it there, more shade than the usual trail.

AM: 4 miles.

Cutting back this week has been good physically. I was feeling pretty lousy at the start of the week, and by yesterday I could feel the turnaround. Mentally though, a lot of second-guessing. I feel like a slacker, and a small voice wonders if this is the beginning of the end. End of what, I'm not sure.

Obviously kind of silly, since after seven big weeks, one week of light running is probably in order. But the mentality that creeps in with a lot of training can be pretty illogical at times.

In the past, one thing I've done poorly during light weeks or tapers is taking care of myself. Since I have more energy, I stay up later. There's a link in my life between focused training and eating well. I don't eat healthy as a default, but it's easy when I can link it to good fueling. So in the past, I've often gotten less out of rest weeks than I should have. This week I've done much better. I feel like I'm doing everything in my power to produce good results- hopefully they will come.

AM: 4 miles. Last night Elise was in a short play, end result of a week at drama camp. It was super cute. Anna sat in my lap and was totally spellbound.

Mostly excited to race tomorrow, it's been a few months. Interested (in a perverse way) to see how I handle the heat.