The Long Run

7.18 mi, 1:13:36, 10:15 avg

Week 5 of the plan.  Was supposed to do 8 miles easy plus 6x100m strides.  Better than predicted performance at Saturday's race gave me slightly faster training paces (actually around what some of my easy runs were coming in at).  However, I made a mistake on Saturday wearing a pair of shoes that caused me some PF while doing a tempo run.  Fortunately I recovered from that and I think I will recover from this but it's going to slow me down for a bit.

I thought maybe I'd have only 5 miles in me today, but the foot began to feel better so instead of turning back at 2.5 miles went just past 3.5 miles.  Slowly picked up the pace througout the run.  Nice run from my house, out and back down the new trail south to Keystone Road.

I did skip the strides, would be a good way to make it flare up more. So, a little bit slower but not too far from today's mileage goal.  Can make this up during the week.

8.38 mi, 1:30:15, 10:46 avg, elev gain 135 feet

Week 5, day 2.  Starting out this morning was a little more difficult.  Kind of a hobble at first with the first mile at 13:37.  It did get better after that.  I was ok going slower, just want to get in the miles without injuring myself.  Wanted to be back by about 9:15ish so had to keep moving.  Jessica was trying to get to an exercise class at the Y.  It actually makes it a lot easier for me to get a decent early-ish start if I "need" to be back by a certain time.

Ran out the north entrance of Westlake Village onto Alderman, left onto Omaha, and then right at that intersection near the high school traffic light, onto the Pinellas Trail heading north for a bit.  4 miles out took me just a little bit past the train tunnel.  No need for water stops today or hand held bottles as the temperature was in the 50's

I tacked on just a little bit at the end for some makeup distance, maybe add a little more on tomorrow's shorter easy run.

Jacob is remote learning this week due to a classmate with a (false) positive test.

5.58 mi, 53:36, 9:26 avg, elev gain 165 feet

Week 5, day 3 of the plan.  Foot was much better today, was not hobbling when I got out of bed and felt loosened up a lot faster once I started running.  I used my foot massager yesterday which helped, the Rocktape seems to be helping as well as the cherry juice.  Feel like I'm 75% back.

Scheduled shorter run today, ran from Westlake Village, first up and down Alderman, and then up and down Lakeview.  Did just a little bit extra then 5 miles to make up for some of the missed mile on Monday.

12.02 mi, 1:50:19, 9:10 avg

Midweek longish run.  At the start of the plan 12 was my long run and before that it had been many weeks since running over 10.  Today's run was good, foot a small notch better than yesterday although not as big of an improvement as it was between Tuesday and Wednesday.

Early enough start at just after 7:30 (was hoping for more like 7:20 but close enough).  Trying to finish so Jessica could get to body combat at the Y.

Did same out and back run I've been doing recently on Thursdays - Alderman, Crystal Beach Ave, Pinellas Trail, a little on Curlew Road and then back.  

A little bit slow on the first mile, but ok taking it slow (11:31 pace), next mile better at 10:14, then into the 9's, until mile 6 at 8:55 and the remainder miles each a little faster until finally mile 12 was 8:06.

Got back just as Jessica was leaving, big brother Jacob was watching Charlotte Dani for a few minutes.

8 miles tomorrow and then bump up to 16 miles for Saturday.  

8.47 mi, 1:15:58, 8:58 avg

8 miles easy, followed by 6x100m strides at the end.  Ran from my house and exited the neighborhood from the Duckslough entrance, over to 54 and then down the trail and did the section that crosses the golf course that I don't do that often.

Stopped by where I sometimes drop off my bottle of water (at start of Pinellas County section of trail), south another 1.75 miles before turning back and coming home the usual route (via Tamarind).

At the beginning of the week I skipped the strides due to the PF, but now I figured I'd give them a shot, maybe take it a little easy but fast enough.  Ended up just below 6:00 pace.

Long run of 16 miles tomorrow.

16.12 mi, 2:29:28, 9:16 avg, elev gain 178 feet

Week 5 Day 6, Long Run

Semi-early start (well, at least it was before 8:00).  Started with the 1.25 mile loop in Westlake Village.  Running 8 miles south on the Pinellas Trail takes you through som busier areas, traffic lights, more traffic, more crowds.

Alderman to Crystal Beach Ave, south down the Pinellas Trail.  I stopped at the water fountain at the corner of Curlew and the trail, knowing I'd have to wait for the light.  Took a gel but it won't down the wrong way partially and found myself choking, took me several tries to clear it out.  Wondering if people thought I was in a covid fit of coughing.  Light changed, got going again.  Continued on to a little bit past Weaver Park and then turned around.  First mile was 10:54.  Just past the turn around I was at about 9:00 pace, stayed around there, then 8:46 for second to last mile and 8:36 for the last mile.

Run felt a little bit harder today compared to last few weeks.  It wasn't the 2 extra miles, it felt harder before that.  But, overall still pretty good and other than the gel choking nothing went terribly wrong.

Short run tomorrow, usually a day off but this Sunday and next Sunday have a 3 mile short run.  Will make me appreciate the usual day off.