A clydesdale no more!

I decided to get a few miles in today to get the weekly total above 50 miles.  My hamstring is a little more sore than it has been from yesterday's run.  I dropped the pace to 6:30/mile for the last 2 miles just to check if I have any speed left.  It felt good.  I need to come up with a training schedule because I have been slacking off too much the past couple of months.  After reading how well everybody did yesterday at Painters, I realized that I need to regain my focus and work harder.

Total Time: 51:30 (7:03/mile) 

Quite a bit of snow on the roads this morning.  I strained my hamstring while running during the last snow storm so I decided to take it super easy this morning.  The soreness in my hamstring is going up on the pain scale.  I guess going snowboarding wasn't the best thing to do while nursing a sore hamstring.  Even though it is not quality running, I really enjoy running during snow storms because it is so peaceful and clean.

Total Time: 1:07:14 (8:24/mile) 

It was very cold this morning.  As much as I like running during a snow storm, the day after is usually terrible.  The sidewalks weren't cleared and it was so cold that there were huge chunks of ice everywhere.  I contemplated pressing the pace for a few miles but there was no way that I could.  My left leg didn't feel like it was firing right.  The tender hamstring is starting to affect the way that I run.  Hopefully, it will force my right leg to become a little stronger because I tend to be a little lazy with the push off with my right leg.  Emotionally, this was a very difficult run and I nearly called it quits after 5 but am glad that I got the whole run in. 

Total Time: 1:08:42 (7:38/mile)

A mostly mundane run at a slow pace while battling the frigid temperatures and hamstring.  However, it will go down as one of my most memorable runs because after 4 years and over 9,000 miles on the road I finally got my first "Run, Forest, Run!" comment.  My first instinct was to flip her off but I was wearing mittens so it wouldn't have been very effective.

Total Time: 1:12:42 (8:05/mile)

I had to finish up a few projects for work this morning so I got a late start.  I didn't have time to get in as many miles as I would have liked.  There was a light dusting of snow on the ground so it was very slippery.  I just kept the pace nice and easy hoping that the hamstring will eventually start feeling better.

Total Time: 49:00 (8:10/mile) 

It was 16 degrees and it felt balmy compared the past few days.  Felt pretty good at the start of the run but was feeling fatigued for the last few miles.  I didn't have lunch or dinner yesterday so I think that I was probably low on fuel.  My hamstring is starting to frustrate me.  I feel like I am at a point in my training where I need to start increasing the mileage and intensity.  I know if I do this now, the leg will only get worse.  Hopefully, maintaining the mileage that I am now will be enough to build on in a couple of weeks.

I went to The Spirit of the Marathon last night.  I think that they did a good job showing the full spectrum of runners from the elites to the 6 hour marathoner.  It was a good movie but it didn't have that "wow" factor that I was expecting.  I have been waiting for this movie to come out for 2 years so I think that my expectations were a little high.

Total Time: 1:09:25 (7:43/mile)

Didn't get out until 5:00 tonight.  It was nice to run in warm weather.  It was 40 degrees and I was able to run in shorts and a long sleeve shirt.  After the sun went down it did start to get cold.  I always run in the morning so it is an adjustment to run in the evening.  I felt hypoglycemic for the first 3 miles but started to feel good once my body got going.  The hamstring let me know it was there but it didn't really hurt and it didn't feel like it was affecting the way that I run.  I threw in a few spicy miles (3 miles at 6:30/mile) at the end of the run and it felt really good.  As poorly as I've felt lately, it was nice to get in a good run.

Total Time: 1:11:40 (7:10/mile)