track fan

2:04:58.  1:04:52/1:00:06.  Last 2+ miles @ 1/2 marathon effort (7:48, 7:32 + ~1/4 mile).  I knew from the start that I was going to have to modify my expectations for today.  First of all, it was raining and about 44F when I started and the wind was blowing (tailwind on the out portion -- yuck, I was dreading the turn-around!) about 10 mpw (a little harder with the gusts).  Secondly, my legs were aching so bad last night that it woke me up a few times (just a general ache, not in any one place).  Then, to top it off, I felt felt pretty good the first few miles and then I got a tightness in my L quad that by mile 7 started to feel almost like a cramp.  After the turn around I just naturally started to pick it up (like a horse to a barn), and my leg did not feel any worse when I went faster - so I just kept my fingers crossed and sort of picked it up a little faster every mile (the trick in my mind was not to go too hard, because the headwind can really tire  you out if push too hard through it).

Anyway -- all and all a solid run ... I have some point tenderness in my leg, but I am off tomorrow and this week is going to be a recovery week, so I am hoping it is just a tired muscle.

AM: (8+ miles, 1:14:00). No pain!! yippee. My legs felt really dead at the beginning of the run, but felt much better as it progressed. This week, with the exception of my workout on Thursday, is all about recovery. I thought about not wearing a watch at all on all non-workout runs, but I realized I am connected to my watch and it would be more distracting not to have it ...

PM: (4+ miles, 38:39).  Ran on the grass at the U of A mall.  Beautiful night for a run (50F) - they say it might snow here tomorrow -- I believe them for the mountains (it has been snowing there for a couple of days) - but I don't know if I believe them for down at 3000ft - it would be cool though, I am homesick for the snow (and yes, even running on the ice~ I still have my yaktracs and sigh at them every once and a while), it is December after all!!

Greg has scheduled an extra day off this week if I feel I need it ... I doubt I will take a whole day off, but I might skip my evening run on Thursday. I would rather take a little extra time off and be rested than not take it off and end up being sorry I didn't. I will be ratcheting it up one more notch before my race in January -- and then we will see what these old legs can do!

Have a good day bloggers.

7+ 1:05:46 (maybe almost 7.5 today, I was only supposed to run 60` but I was thinking and lost track of time before I turned around).

Recovery is grand, recovery is great. I felt good today, I could have run longer, I could have run faster, but whenever I felt myself picking it up I just said "recovery, recovery, recovery".

Good times.

1:47:45. Tempo interval workout 3 x 2 miles w/5` recovery (target range 7:10-7:25 pace).

27:05 wu + strides, (7:23, 7:20, (4:49, 900m jog), 7:21, 7:21, (5:04, 900m jog), 7:23, 7:18), 26:37 cd

I wanted to stay on the higher end of the range, primarily in keeping with the "focus on recovery" theme this week but also because I wanted to see how difficult 7:25 felt (as I am hoping that this might be my new 1/2 marathon race pace). On the positive side my pacing was pretty consistant and my legs did not feel sore at all today. On the downside the pace did not come as "easily" as I was hoping, I really had to concentrate; also my legs felt much more nonresponsive than I would have liked given how easy the rest of the week has been - I just did not feel as "smooth" as I would have liked. There was a 8.5 mpw wind (according to wunderground) that was a cross-wind on the turns and headwind down the backstretch. By the last couple of miles I was getting pretty tired of fighting it every lap (actually sick!!) - but I tried to relax into the pace, and the last mile was suprising (I did not look at my splits until the end I just ran). It was a good workout, I really enjoyed my cool-down - I saw my first roadrunner!!

Have a safe and happy day bloggers.

1:04:15.  A long 7, I ran a little faster today so my turn-around spot was much longer than usual. Felt really really good today.

AM: (8 miles, 1:12:34).  Not a lot of time to write today -- lots to do to get ready for holiday visits.

PM: (4 miles) -- run with Dean near the park (our Saturday PM ritual now).

have a wonderful weekend bloggers.