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

Hard to get the legs moving again after 2 days off.  This week should be a recovery week, I will try to keep the miles under 50.  

Easy run this morning - trying to save something for mile repeats tomorrow.  Low 7:50's - 8:10s. 

3 miles warm up followed by mile repeats on the hilly loop course with 3 mile cool down.  Coach said 4 repeats if racing the 10 mile race this Sunday, which I plan to do.  Legs were not feeling particularly strong this morning so not sure what is up with that. Still pretty happy with the pace considering the hilly nature of the loop.

Rather humid this morning and 65 degrees. 

1 mile @ 6:03

1 mile @ 5:55

1 mile @ 5:51

1 mile @ 5:56

A short recovery run this morning.  

Last warm and humid day for a while, I hope.  The group schedule had a fartlek run but that always turns out to be equivalent to a 15x300m repeat workout.  After Tuesday's fun I decided I would instead just go out for a easy medium long run.  My legs - calves in particular - were a bit sore, maybe from the hills on the repeat loop.  I have also started running in the Kinvara IIs and not 100% sure but they seem like they don't have as much cushioning as the I's, I could be wrong though.  So, long story short, I decided to stay in the neighborhood and do the 12 mile route with the big hills on the front 5 miles. Most miles for the run were in 7:30's-7:40's.

Just as I was lamenting to myself how sore my legs were and how slow I was going and not feeling good at all, I looked at my watch and I was running a 7:05 pace.  I thought I was at 7:40 - so that made me feel a bit better.  I slowed it back down though and tried to keep things easy since this is a recovery week and I am racing this Sunday.  I have also been fighting a glute issue for a couple days - it has not bothered me in a quite a while but it is starting to rear its ugly head. It all starts with a tight lower back on the right side and goes all the way down into the glute and lower hamstring. That's what I get for not stretching like I should be.

So here is an interesting article.  The gist of the research is that in order to increase endurance and power your body must become more efficient at converting sugar to fuel.  The way to do this is to train in a sugar depleted mode and then on race day eat lots of sugar [via GU/gatorade, etc.]

http://www.drmirkin.com/public/ezine102311.html

Had a nice sleep in until 7:30 am - I almost forgot that recovery weeks mean to get some extra sleep in as well.  Ran 6 easy around the trail at lunchtime.  8:15 AP.  I tried to keep it in recovery range, I guess I get too impatient.  

Probably do some easy miles on the trail tomorrow and a few strides.

Met up with some other runners from the group that are also racing tomorrow.  We ran a very easy 4.6 on the trail with 6 x 100m strides and then picked up our packets.  

Pretty cold out there, I will need to dig out my el cheapo gloves for tomorrow.