Of Mice and Marathons

AM: NW Philly Long Run Route - 20 miles, averaged 8:10

Slow, never felt fantastic. Comfortable conditions. A little warm (75-80), but again comfortable. Calf spoke up a few times but never really hurt or caused me to stop. It kind of feels like that point just before a muscle goes in to full tighten up mode but never quite gets there. It does concern me even though it hasn't become a problem yet.

Fairly hilly route with 1300 feet of gain, which I think puts me at a PR for the week with almost 7000 feet of gain.

+ Stretching (late)

AM: 7 miles slow. Calf felt fine, thankfully.

PM: 5 miles. Calf felt fine.

First day teaching at Philadelphia University. I picked up a class there and as it turns out I have 7 students in the class. If I wasn't working at the poverty level I would feel guilty about it, but it gives me a ton of time to work with students individually.

AM: 8 miles. Did some strides in the middle.

PM: 5 miles.

+ Stretching and core (late)

AM: 13 miles. 6 x 1600 on the track with 400 recoveries

This was a good workout for me. The weather was favorable and below 70 to start (not sure when the last run below even 75 was). I warmed up 3.75 feeling a bit sluggish but kind of knowing that I just needed some time to loosen up. I've been getting up much earlier than I did all summer so sometimes I am still half asleep on my warm up.

My goal was to run about 5:50-5:40 or roughly 10k pace, which I figured would feel much earier than 10k effort at this point. I decided to do these on the track and try to mirror the paces I did for my sharpening workout about 4 weeks ago but with a slower cutdown. Worked beautifully. I felt quite relaxed and my breathing was good. Legs weren't snappy, but that's what the first just-barely-sub-100-mile week will do to you the week before. I might have been too conservative at the start and I finish well, running hard but not trying to kill it. I took 400 recovies to make things simple but I tried to keep the recovery pace somewhat honest in ~2:10 average when I would typically do 1:45-2:00.

5:51.8, 5:50.6, 5:48.4, 5:46.1, 5:41.5, 5:38.5 (5:48 converted mile pace average)

Cooled down to 13.

PM: 4 miles easy. Beautiful evening.

In the last year or so I have discovered Greek yogurt. Over the last two months I discover coffee Greek yougurt. Sometimes for dessert I have a scoop of peanut butter then I eat yougurt, coffee or otherwise. Tonight I thought, "Viola!" I put the peanut butter in the coffee yogurt and it is amazing. #yourewelcome

AM: 8.5 miles easy. RHR 38.

I ran a flat section several times and only gained 56 feet, which I enjoyed the mundaneness off. That's a new PR for low gain in Philadelphia. Even my 4-5 mile afternoon routes generally have 200-350. Most 7-9 mile loops 500-700.

PM: 5 miles easy.

+ stretching and core (late)

AM: 13 miles. Aerobic progression through 10 miles (9:05-6:38 pace). Did a few strides in the last mile. RHR 39/40

Fairly tired. Just a short easy run tomorrow, then long run on Sunday with a slight decrease in mileage next week, likely just back to ~85 miles. I just don't want to get ahead of myself too early.

PM: 7.25 miles.

+ Stretching and core (late)