our choices show what we truly are

Another training race, I didn't taper during the last two days, I just reduced my mileage to see what kind of speed I could keep today.

This race is brutal because there two 3.5 miles loops with three hills (and three downhills) to be repeated twice. Also the race as usual around here starts around 10am when the sun is high in the sky and if you have summer like conditions like today you are going to suffer. Main goal was just to improve my average pace compared to last week and finishing at 4:10-4:20/km AP. I was a little cautious during the first loop, at the beginning of the second one I noticed that my legs were just fine and I started pushing on the three hills and catching up several people. The only disappointment I was passed during the last 200 m by three guys.

After the  race I did a couple of km as a cooldown and I felt immediately recovered.

I am very happy with the overall results and I had much better feelings than last sunday. I hope to keep improving in terms of weekly mileage and weekend speed. Next sunday another 10k on a pancake flat terrain.

Weather is cool (almost cold) again, last saturday we were around 30 degrees Celsius tonight when I left my car at 7pm it was below 10. It was  nice. I started at a good clip and I kept accelerating each passing k, I finished 10.2 miles in 1:24:07 for a 5:09/km. Right now 5:10/km is my cruising speed I feel I can keep this pace forever, most of my 10-13 milers in the last month were done at this speed.

During this run I saw in two different places the first fox of the season and the first snake, they were just casually crossing the road.

Speedy tuesday, 10X800m at whatever pace felt sustainable for 10 repeats with 2:00 recovery jog. I started with a mile warmup and then I went for the first one trying to keep 3:05 and see what it was like. The rest of the repeats were really consistent around the same speed. Repeat 6 to 8 were a struggle but I maintained the speed, #9 I lost it a little bit toward the end but I promptly recovered during the last one. These were my splits :

3:04, 3:05, 3:06, 3:05, 3:04, 3:03, 3:05, 3:05, 3:07, 3:02 AP 3:04 

Not enough time to run, it will be a common theme in the next three days, 5 miles in 41:31, not too bad considering yesterday speed workout.

6.2 miles in 57 minutes, not much else.

No run tonight, last night I had a social evening with the lab and today I had to attend a meeting. I am really tired right now I just want to go to bed. Tomorrow the same thing.