I only run on days that end in a "y."

Last day in Galveston - didn't feel like running along the Seawall today - 5.5 on the treadmill. 8:40's.

Back home - yay!  Decided I would try to start getting some runs in close to MGP - say MGP + 15-20 - just to get the legs close to running at that pace without killing myself.  No need to start running to hard this early in the training cycle.  Additionally, I want to get my mind around finishing strong and not stopping.  Did 5 miles out and 5 miles back fron the house. 

8:17, 7:06, 7:01, 6:58, 7:00, 6:56, 7:02, 6:54, 6:51, 6:21.  

Followed by 6 x steep hill sprints.

Alarm went off at 5:10 and I awoke to lightening, thunder and rain.  I went back to sleep. :-)

5.5 easy at lunchtime.  Section of the trail was pretty muddy - I fogot how heavy shoes can get.

the plan was to sleep in but I woke up at 5 and could not go back to sleep.  My wife had to leave early for work so all I had time for was 5 miles.

Lunchtime strenght training session with personal trainer - these are the hardest workouts I have ever done.  Getting stronger though.

Met up with the group @ 5:45 am for the 3 x 3.2.1 Fartlek - the problem with a group run is you have a few of us at various levels of fitness and therefore have to go with the pace of the group or fall off a bit and stick with what one's personal plan is.  So I talked to them saying what did last time - hmgp, 10k and 5k paces, but again, some of us are close and a couple are not, e.g. one runner just ran 17:30 at the same 5k I ran 18:25.  So I fell back a little bit on the second set but just a little, and then I had to stop and tie my dang shoe before the last set but even so they didn't get to far ahead and I made up some ground. 

I think the paces are fine - it was on the trail and it was pretty warm out there this morning.  I felt I improved compared to the fartlek I did with the group 3 weeks ago.

Oh, and I finally changed my weight training day so it does not preceed a hard running day.  Smart, eh?

3 miles or so warm up (my watch wasn't going)

Then:

3mins @ 6:23 pace , 2mins@ 6:12 pace, 1 min@ 6:04 pace.

3mins @ 6:25 pace, 2mins@ 6:10, 1 min@6:10 (wow, really fell off this one)

3mins@6:11 pace , 2mins@ 5:57 pace, 1 min@ 5:38 pace. (vindicated)

about 1.5 miles cool down.

5.5 at lunchtime on the trail - hot out there!

Showed up for a 10 mile progressive and it had changed to Mt. Bonnel with the last few fast.  We didn't get going until almost 7 am which made the last 2 miles pretty warm.  

Haven't done some good hills in a while.  We started with 4, one dropped and turned around at mile 5, the other decided to be a hero up Mt. Bonnel and paid the price later.

This is the first time we didn't stop at the top and just kept going - wasn't easy but after a couple minutes we were recovered enough to start picking in up.

The other guy I ran with pulled away with 2 miles to go, and even though I ran a 6:30 mile I couldn't keep up.  Had to make emergency pit stop with a mile to go and then just held on to MGP.  

Thought this was interesting - guy I have been running with went sub-3 at Austin (and 17:30 at the Chuy's 5k) - no easy feat - and is shooting for 2:50 at Austin next year - highest weekly mileage?  He's never done more than 57 in a week.  Lots of progressive and quality runs though.

Finished with some good strides.

I'll put my paces in later.