Age is just a number.

Easy 6 miles at 7-7:30/mile.  Trax loop.  42:46 total time.  Felt very relaxing this morning.  Not much else of note except I'm a little nervous about this weekend.  Numbers and gut instinct say I should break 2:30 but that is only if everything plays out ok.  I'm pushing 40 now and things get tricky sometimes in terms of recovery and speed.  When your 20 something you can go out and kill yourself with intervals and recover in a day or two.   Not so now, you have to really pay attention to details and not overdo things in the last week.  But I feel like a tiger in a cage you know.

Man I hate tapering.. It can really mess with your mind if you let it.  

Indoor track at the rec center with middle miles in the 5:30-5:34/mile range.  I had to pay 5 bucks just to do it.  I felt like saying; what my tax dollars are not enough already?   What a rip..

Easy 6 miler at 6:40-7/min pace.  half mile stretch at 5:30 ish pace. 7th east out and back.  Going out to look for some material to make a dim bulb tester. This is to make sure I don't get killed testing the transformer in my new project.  

Day off.  Spent the evening with my boys.

Easy 5 miles at 7-8/min mile with the last half mile at MP effort.  35:49 total time.  7th out and back.

Easy 3 miles this morning.  7:30-8/min mile pace.  A 400 meter pickup at the end.  After I get a more aerodynamic haircut I'll be ready to roll on out to Logan and get away for a breather.. 

Hmmm.. I'm not sure how to analyze this one.  Maybe I should not even try you know? Sometimes it is what it is. But it just only seems like yet another mediocre performance.  Arrgh! I'm so damn frustrated I could eat track spikes!  Now mind you for a lot of people this would be a dream time, I understand that all too well.   I remember when my first marathon was in the 3:00 range.  The time today would have seemed akin to landing on the moon.  Well, something like that anyway.

I'm not going to bore everyone with mindless splits and excuses today.  However after thinking everything over I know their are some factors involved still and so for my own future reference I list them.  

1-Age..  Like it or not I'm getting older and feel it's subtle onset.  That sucks but I have to figure out a way to embrace or get out of this sport for good.  The latter being more unappealing than anything.

2- Lack of sleep and crazy life/work schedule.  Just did not want to believe that would hurt me that much if I got creative with naps and such.  Nothing beats a solid 7-8 hrs sleep period.  The most I got was between 4-6 hours if I was lucky.. Tried to compensate with way too many energy drinks and coffee.  Towards the end I started feeling zombie like without it.  Very very bad...

3-Stupid pacing and surging in the beginning miles.  I knew my body was redlining for this distance and didn't listen.  That mistake cost me I'm sure.

4-Stupid training.  I should know better but I'm a hard learner and am a bit compulsive about training on the intensity side especially with MP runs and LT work. Too much volume in that area.  SLOW DOWN!!!   And lastly, not enough winter-spring quality base.  Again, when I say quality I don't mean banging out 10 mile tempo runs in Jan and February!!  Nice and easy aerobic base work with a sprinkling of short fast repeats once in awhile to keep the fast twitchers alive.  Or whats left of them..

5-I wanted it too much..  Result was I fell out of the zone and those of you who have been there will know exactly what I'm talking about. 

Ok, I've licked my wounds and so I'm done and not in the mood any more for this.    I'm getting to self absorbed about this race anyway.   Out..