A clydesdale no more!

The plan called for 10 miles with 5 miles at LT.  After a weekend of eating garbage, I woke up a little nauseous and didn't feel like running fast.  Started the run with 3 easy miles then started the tempo run.  I was hoping to just keep the pace in the 6:30's.  First mile was 6:32 and felt really comfortable.  I was surprised at how good I felt.  Second mile was 6:24 and third mile was 6:25 and I felt really good.  The last two miles were 6:18 and 6:12.  Average HR for the tempo run was 161.  It was one of those days that reminds you of how good running can feel.  I will have to remember this on the days that running feels like a chore.  Finished by running 2 easy miles to cool down.

My lower legs were absolutely fried from yesterday.  I knew that today's run was going to be painfully slow.  It's crazy how great I can feel one day only to feel so beat up the next.  It's just part of the whole process of training.

Today was a much needed recovery run.  My achilles tendons are killing me.  I've always suspected that my form is not good enough for racing flats and a couple of runs in the flats confirms that.  I believe that is what has caused the achilles pain.  I will still use them to race 10k's and shorter but do not think that I will use them for tempo runs.  Felt a lot better after then run than before so the recovery run served it's purpose.

I slept in until 8 this morning.  I can't even remember the last time I slept in that late.  I guess my body needed the sleep more than it needed the run today.  Too much going on today to get a run in.  I feel like such a slacker.

As bad as this weather is for other things, it has been great for running.  It was cool and overcast this morning.  Yesterday I took my niece and her friends to the lake for her graduation present.  Other than being stranded in the middle of the lake because of a dead battery at the end of the day, it was a perfect day.  My body definitely appreciated the rest I gave it yesterday.  I was really feeling beat up from Monday and Tuesday and felt much better today.  Kept the pace pretty steady throughout the run and did start to wear down a little towards the end but felt good for the most part.  I did take a 10 minute break in the middle because I had to stop at the store to get something for one of my daughter's school activity today.

Started off with 9 miles before the club run.  I was hoping to get in 11 but I was a few minutes late getting started.  My legs still feel a little dead so I kept the pace super easy.  Ran 5.2 miles with Trevor and we pushed the pace.  I wasn't sure that I would be able to keep up with him today because I was so dead but once we got going I felt really good.  It was a tough course and we averaged 6:52/mile.  So I ended up getting in some MP miles on tired legs which was good.  After we finished I had to get in 2.8 more to get to 17 so I just meandered through the neighborhoods.  I was hoping to get back in time to ask Kathie's advice on tonight's "soccer game" but she was too fast and was gone by the time I got back.