our choices show what we truly are

This morning I took advantage of a fun run organized by the local trail marathon organization, it was just a 10k, but with 600m uphill and 600m downhill it was not going to be an easy stroll in the park. We were about 30 runners and 30 walkers, it was more a training run than a real race, I was in the leading group of 5-6 people and we waited at the main intersections for the immediate followers in order to make sure nobody got lost. At mile 5 we were at the highest point of the race and we had just a technical downhill before cruising in at the starting/finishing point, but three guys went down fast and we soon lost sight of them and four of us got lost too, we ended up bushwacking for 300 meters until we ended up on someone's farm, we knew we were out of the trail and to rejoin it we went all the way down, run on the asphalt road for half kilometer, turned right on a unpaved road and after another uphill km we rejoined the original trail. We finished our loop with 7.1 miles in 1:34 minutes, overall it was lots of fun running with other people and our detour loop offered us a beautiful view of the lake and of the surrounding hills.

After drinking some water, I went for another 10 k "cooldown", much easier than the race, it was on the asphalt road, almost completely flat. 3.1 miles out I turned around and I realized I was already on my legs for longer than two hours and I was really thirsty and hungry. I finished the last 3.1 miles dreaming water and food. Total running time for 13.3 was 2:31, overall time since the start of the race was almost 3 hours. I was definitively feeling it, but it was the perfect way to spend a gorgeous sunny day outside.

After three very good running days (it helped that were vacation days), with a beautiful blue sunny sky and warmer temperatures, going back to running at night with near freezing temperatures, high humidity and cold wind, it was miserable.

I managed to put together 5 miles and I felt it was a major accomplishment all things considered. I hope tomorrow it will be better. No indoor biking tonight.

7 miles in 1:03:57, nothing fast just some miles in the cold dark night.

AM 30 minutes on the bike trainer, this is what I usually do, warm up for 5-10 minutes, increasing cadence until I start sweating for 5 minutes and then make sure I keep sweating for the last 15 minutes; it sounds gross and I am really a mess at the end, but it is a good measure of the effort.

PM Tonight I didn't have enough time, I went for a MP run that lasted only 5 miles. My goal pace was 4:30/km, at the end I finished 5 miles in 36:24 (4:33/km). I started really slow and progressively I went faster each km. I should be happy about this run but the constant theme of this training season is lack of good feelings, in september I was doing more speedwork and more mileage and every was easy. Right now I am fighting just to keep a minimum mileage and minimum speed. In the end it is probably better doing what I can rather than giving up completely (that is the real danger).

AM - 20 minutes on the bike trainer

PM - 7 slow miles, it was one of those nights were just going out and doing a single mile was already a victory, I did 7 of them, I won't be any faster or stronger after tonight's run, but for sure more stubborn.

Another 5 slow miler,  cold and dark night.

I wanted to do 26k close to marathon pace using a 5k interval scheme, but I had doubts, because I haven't done anything close to that for months and I feel that my fitness level is no longer where it was in september/october. I decided to attempt it anyway in a do or die way. Target pace was 4:30/k (7:14ish/mile).

These were my splits.

1k 5:27/km

5k 4:34/km average pace

1k 5:04/km

5k 4:31/km average pace + 2"

1km 5:20/km

5k 4:32/km average pace + 4"

1km 5:39/km

5k 4:32/km average pace

Total time for 24k 1:52:22 average pace 4:41/km

2k cool down in 11:31

Total time 2:03:53 average pace 4:46/km (7:40/mile).

I am happy because somehow I did it, but it wasn't easy, weather conditions were great cold and sunny with a light breeze on a roller course. I underestimated the sun and the breeze and I didn't bring any water, at the end I was really dehydrated. At home I checked my weight and I lost almost 3 kilos, something that is "normal" for me during the spring/summer long runs but not during the winter. It was probably because it was a really harder effort than anticipated. It is the first week above 50 miles in a while, that's a good news, but I have probably to reconsider my goal time for the upcoming marathons, for sure I am not where I used to be in october. Time to take a good recovery nap.