Of Mice and Marathons

Forbidden Drive (SE) 10.5 miles, averaged 7:23. Did some strides at the end.

AM/Lunch: Treadmill - 8.25 miles in 61 minutes.

Did 20 minutes @ 9 MPH, but felt tired so I didn't continue what I had planned. Did some strides at the end. Followed up the run with core (ab bench) and stretching.

Lunch - Treadmill - 4 miles in 28:22. Didn't leave myself enough time between not wanting to get out of bed on the first day of classes and printing syllabi. I'll get something in before dinner, either a run or some time on the bike. Weather looks glorious in the 10-day forecast (35-45). Time to get serious about base building.

PM: 60 minutes on the bike. The treadmill walkers were out in force pre-dinner. Serves me right for being lazy this morning. First day of classes was fine.

North West Philly LR Loop - 17 miles, averaged 7:43

Felt pretty good today, but I really didn't want to run. Explored some new areas, including the Manayunk Tow Path (take a left instead of a right on the Schuykill River Trail toward Valley Forge), which I quite liked and enjoyed the ruins and grafftti. Forbidden Drive was pretty icy but I still kept an honest pace through there (7:30-7:50).

AM: Treadmill - very easy hour + strides. Then a set of bench, incline, and shoulder presses.

PM: Treadmill - 4 miles in 30:22 + core (ab bench) and stretching

AM: 10.25 miles.

40 minutes out and back to Forbidden Drive (still too icy), and immediately hopped on the treadmill for an improvised workout of 6 x 3 minute farlek with long (2 minute) recovery jogs. 5.25 miles in 35:30.

I was warm in my baselayer, but I had to break up a run with too much time in beween a warm up and workout, so I didn't change. Planned to do 1-2-3-2-1 after 5-6 miles on Forbidden Drive but it looked icy even in the non-shady spots and even though it is almost 40 out. The fast treadmill was taken up by a walker (not a zombie), so I went as fast as the treadmill would allow and just shook some of the cobwebs out.

Had a sandwhich and did some stretching.

I'll be doing a lot more farlek style stuff during base building to take the pressure off before doing my more typical workouts. Plan is to run purely by effort over some uneven dirt and focus on staying tall and relaxed. I think that's traditionally how this running business is supposed to work.
 

Wrench Loop w/ Megan - 5 miles, averaged 9:23

We looked at all the houses we will never be able to afford.