our choices show what we truly are

I am back from a vacation, not the most relaxing one because I got sore throat for a few days, but it was a good relaxing time. I didn't keep a "consistent" running schedule but I tried to enjoy running as much as possible and to recover from my last bad runs at the end of the last week. Today I re-started with a trail run with many uphills and downhills, when I started at 3pm I was running under a thunderstorm (I thought it was going to last only a few minutes and the whole run was under a thick tree cover) fortunately I was right and after 15 minutes sun was back and the humidity was very high.

I finished 13.1 in 2:12 nothing spectacular, but I felt very good at the end (at least one week of very low mileage paid off).

I went running in the afternoon taking advantage of the afternoon storm to cool the air. I did the first 5 in 45 minutes and the last 5 in 37:30. Overall a great run.

Anther 10.1 miles just before a storm. Conditions were perfect the sun was down light breeze, almost heaven.

8 miles in 1:14:07 around the lake. Not much else.

I did my first Yasso test in two years. I started doing it again more as a fast workout for my half marathon training rather than as a real predictor of my marathon time. In the past it was always 10-15 minutes "optimistic" compared to my marathon time.

I knew, given my last 3:24 marathon time and my 1:28 half marathon time, that I should not had any problem to nail a 3:10 for 10  repeats but fear at the beginning was definitively there.

I decided to start with 3:10 and 3 minutes of jogging at whatever pace felt comfortable.

This was the outcome: 3:02, 3:13, 3:11, 3:16, 3:11, 3:10, 3:05, 3:06, 3:05, 3:04. Average 3:08. Total mileage, including warm up and cool down was also good. Definitively I was cautious at the beginning and then I opened the gas at the end doing the last three repeats without any "rest" in between, just to finish as soon as possible. This is a confirmation that I can do a 3:18-3:23 marathon (Rome was 3:24 and it is slower than a pancake flat race), not a 3:08, at least considering my actual level of aerobic training(read lack of mileage).

I am planning to use this training once a week for the next three months with the goal to improve my half-marathon time and as a tool to convince my brain that I can be faster in a marathon too.

Run without garmin, the only goal was to cover ground and enjoy the cool evening. I ended up doing 8.7 miles in approx. 1:25ish, I was tired from yesterday but nothing really dramatic. 

"Rest day" 5 miles in 49 minutes. I wanted to go slow, short and finish early around 8pm, I accomplished all those goals. Ready to go to bed after a long week at work and running wise. Good luck to all marathoners.

I ended up not having not enough time to run, I opted for a fast 10 k with some cool down. I did 6.2miles in 43:11 and then finished the remaining distance to get to 7 miles in whatever pace was left. 

I did my second modified Yasso training, 10 800m repeats with 2:30 recover. These are my splits: 3:01, 3:01, 3:04, 3:03, 3:03, 3:05, 3:05, 3:05, 3:06, 3:01.

As I said last week this is not a "test" but more like a standard training run using a speed between my 5k and 10k time.

Compared to last week it was much harder because I decided to stay between 3:00 and 3:05 and cut my recover to 2:30. I ended up, on average, 5 seconds faster than last time but it was a lot more work. Last time I wanted to see where I was, today I wanted to see if I could push a faster pace and to be able to keep pushin at the end when the legs are slowing down (I desperately need this kind of mental training). This is one of my greatest problem, when everything is fine I am fine, when things are becoming difficult I usually mentally give up and enter in a conservative pace even if I can still push a faster pace.

Overall I was very happy about the overall result, not giving up during the last five repeats in spite of some slow down at the end, and in general going home with a 10 miler for the day.

I felt surprisingly fresh and good but I didn't want to push my limits, I stopped at 6.2 miles in 56 minutes. I felt really recovered from yesterday, tomorrow I will do more miles.

It was warmer/hottish than normal at 7pm tonight, the first few miles I felt uncomfortable, than when the sun when down a light breeze came up and the rest of the run was just pleasant. 9 miles in 1:20 nothing fast, just miles in.

9 miles in 1:20 again, a good evening run, I am glad the week is over.

I started at 9 am when was the sun was already up and hot. I did the complete loop around of the lake in 1:50 min. I was dehydrated at the end. Cold bath at home and now I am brand new.

I didn't plan to do this race until 7:00 am this morning when I discovered that rain and fog would make pretty difficult to go out and run. This race was on a trail 20 minutes drive from my house, so I called my running buddy, we changed our plan and we headed to the top of the highest mountain around to the start of the race. Half of the course is part of the trail marathon I did in april and it has this name because the main sponsor is Estee Lauder offering good prizes (parfumes and make up) to all women.

Once up there we where shivering in shorts and shirt, we payed 5 euros, got our goodies bag and bib number and we went back to our car until 15 minutes before the race.

Because it is a tough race, fall weather and temperature and on a trail there were only approx. 100 men and 20 women.

My plan was to try to finish around 1:10, I started conservatively the first 2km are crazy technical downhill, but on the way up I was the only one around running (for the first 400 meters), and immediately I gained several positions, even when I started walking I was still passing people and until the end nobody passed me. After km 4 when I was passed by a 70 y old german guy (and then I passed him again) I was on my own not knowing that I was in 9th position, I was just trying to maintain an honest effort and when I saw I was finishing in 1:10 I relaxed a little bit on the final downhill.

I was happy about how I felt throughout the race, I didn't expect to be in the top 10 (and winning two bottles of wine), but honestly it was the result of lack of competition and my final time shows. It was a good training run overall.

8 miles in 1:19 and my legs were really sore, I was just happy just to be able to slow jog that distance.

I felt much better than last night but not completely recovered. Today it was very hot during the day, after sunset temperatures dropped immediately and running was much more pleasant. 8 miles in 1:14.

10 miles in 1:29:40, not much else. Ready to go to sleep before another long day at work tomorrow.

Another 10 miler in 1:30 minutes, with the excuse of slow recovery runs I am piling up lots of miles.

13.1 miles in 1:50ish, no Garmin, I checked the time in my car. I started at 8am and it was already hot, it is a good mental training.r

This was my rest day, just a short run and nothing else.

 I didn't sleep much during the weekend and this morning I felt miserable at work from lack of sleep. Plus today the heat was on outside and running 6.2 miles was much harder than usual.

Great workout 10 800m with the following splits: 3:00, 3:02, 3:00, 3:02, 3:02, 3:03, 3:07, 3:08, 3:08, 3:02. 2:30 minutes recovery jog (for at least 400m). Total mileage was 10. I felt really good even though the last five were more difficult (and slower).

No work today because is St Peter and Paul and all offices are closed. Day at work at home. I went running at the usual time in the evening for a short 7 miler, my legs were kind of dead after last night.

A good 8 miler, my legs feel better than last night the big problem was the heat and humidity, survived through the run but I at the end I was in miserable conditions.