faster with age

      9 mile run this morning up around the reservoir. The ice is gone and the loons have returned. The eerie calls they make are a sure sign of spring. I ran the first half at 8:12 pace and then did some fartlec the second half with 3x1/4 mi. at 6:40 to 7:00 pace and 4x1/4 mi. at 6:10 to 6:20 pace with 1/4 mi. recoveries. 6:10 pace felt way to hard. I also ran hard on the hills. Pace for last 4.5 was 7:22 and overall pace for 9 was 7:48. IT band still doing good. Hopefully It's a thing of the past.

     PM   4 relaxed miles 9:12 pace

     I was planning to do a bike ride this morning but it has rained hard all day. I'll run in a heavy rain but I'll usually pass on biking if it's raining hard. I went to the gym in town and hoped to ride the upright bike [they only have one] but it was taken. I didn't have a lot of time so I did the eliptical at a fairly intense pace for 30 min. Then hopped on a treadmill with a few min. left. started at 8 min pace but continued to up the pace until 6:40 to finish at least 1 mile before I had to go.  7:12 pace 

     Ran 4 recovery miles in the rain. It reminded me of the STG mar exept it was 15 deg colder, I only had a headwind half the time today, and when I did have a headwind it wasn't near as strong today.  9:03 pace

Snowing huge wet flakes when I started my run but let up some part way through. I ran a nice easy 7 miles at 8:29 pace.

     PM   Lots of wet heavy snow still coming down. We had to run into town so we went to the gym again and I ran 5 miles on the treadmill starting at 9 min pace for the first mile then cranked it up a bit faster for the rest of the run including some faster pickups. 8:17 pace for 5.

     It was raining like crazy and I wanted to get in a good bike ride [since I hadn't yet this week] So I broke out the road bike for the first time this year because the roads that I mountain bike would be to muddy. I can't wear any raingear [even the most breathable] when I bike or run because I quickly overheat. So I threw on some tech shirts and fleece that don't hold much water and still keep you somewhat warm when they are wet and some good thick polyester / wool blend socks [my cycling shoes are mesh and the water goes right through]. I also wore a pack with some dry socks gloves and an extra fleece jacket in case I got to cold. I was quickly wet all the way through but not uncomfortable [more comfortable than running in 80 plus deg]. It was somewhat windy. It got a little hard to see on a couple of big downhills where I hit 35 to 38 MPH with the rain hitting your face at that speed. I climbed about 400 feet in elevation on the way out to where the rain became snow but it was about as wet as the rain anyway. My feet did start to get cold at the end but I was close enough to being done I didn't bother with the dry socks. I went 30 miles total.

        Late AM 8 mile run. I think this is the first time this week I haven't been in snow or rain. Sunny and in the 40s felt nice. I ran the first four miles at just over 8:30 pace. The second half I threw in 1/2 mile at 6:32 pace Then did a hill run on a 1 mile 6% hill. Ran easy down in 6:58 with a mild wind at my back. I ran it quite hard back up in 7:44. I have never broken 8 min up this hill before but I'm normally doing 3 or 4 repeats when I run it.  Still I felt pretty good with that into the wind and all. Overall pace for 8 was 7:56

     PM  5 miles at 8:34 pace.  

     8 mile run this morning. Nice weather again in the 40s and sunny. Ran a nice easy 8:41 pace. This is the first week I've run over 50 miles since I fell and tore my hamstring the first week of Aug. last year. Since then ,because of various injuries, I've only run over 40 miles 3 times [not counting last week] twice just before the St George mar. and once the week before Painter's half in Jan. I'm sure that just recovering from one injury and then pushing the training too quickly right before each of those 2 races had a lot to do with getting me reinjured . Hopfully I can have good injury free rest of the year.