It's all relative

AM: Ran with Anthony.  Wow.  What a terrible run.  I was planning on  between 17-20 depending on how I felt.  I was out of it by mile 4.  Awful.  Thankfully Anthony was there or I would have bailed completed and went home and ate a pizza.  Looks like I'm still in a valley with my running.  I'll dig out soon.

PM: I felt sore again today.  The 85 degrees and humid weather does not help the situation.  I'll be alright, I've been here before, but it's important to make a note of a tissue bruising beginning to occur on the top of my right foot, which is likely correlated to the left knee pain I've been dealing with.  Neither should become true injuries as long as I'm careful...

AM: Track Safety Harbor.  Cory came to join- I got really excited seeing him and literally fell over myself running and took a pretty hard fall.  I also fell on Saturday, so it was ultra-embarrassing.  I banged my knee that's been hurting, did a somersault on the asphalt and got some nice road rash as well as an awesome hip bruise.  I knew I'd be feeling it, so I decided to just run the workout anyway.

Ladder: 4x100, 2x200, 2x300, 2x400, 1x600, 2x400, 2x300, 2x200, 4x100.  It was supposed to have an extra 600 and two extra 200s, but the group I was running with was demoralized by the workout, so I cut some of it out.  They were still demoralized.  I felt like a sucky leader today.

I think I've ended my chances of racing on Sunday with that fall.  I'm writing this now in the afternoon and am incredibly sore and my skin is raw on my back, shoulder, elbow, knee, and my foot is still tender.  At least I rolled this time during my fall :)  Next time, I'll try not to roll on asphalt...

No running.  Injured from the fall.

No running.  Injured from the fall.

No running.  Injured from the fall.

No running.  Injured from the fall.

No running.  Injured from the fall.

No running.  Injured from the fall.

No running.  Injured from the fall.

No running.  Injured from the fall.

PM: A couple of miles to see how I felt in SH

Nope.

I guess I can't call them slow miles, but they felt it.  Pace my friend Brian at the Miles for Moffitt 10k I was supposed to race.  He did okay.  He doesn't really put in much mileage (20-30 a week), so it's not bad given that.  He was shooting for a 44:00 and got a 46:30.  I tried pulling him along, but he knew he didn't have it and/or gave up around mile 2 going for that time.  I spent the rest of the "race" goofing around with Celia and talking.  I suppose that's got to be annoying for the other runners, but it was nice to just kind of chill in a race.  Most of the miles were around 7:15-7:20 pace. 

I felt okay and wasn't winded at all, but I was very sore after.

Noon: Squeezed in a run before the beach.  Felt good to sleep in on a Sunday, but I regret trading it for 85 degrees and Florida humidity.

PM: Solo in East Lake.  Felt fine.  Slight hip soreness still and I felt tender under the right foot (still).  Fortunately, the knee feels better.  That fall really wrecked havoc...

Also, my first time back in the gym: chest, tris, shoulders, abs

AM: Track in Safety Harbor because- why not.  I had to be there, might as well run, even if I suck right now.  

Workout- 2 sets of 4x600 with 200 recovery.  The items were done between 2:03 and 2:08 per 600.    

Hip still tight, foot still tender.

PM: 2 miles then back in the gym: backs, biceps, abs

PM: 7 miles in Lansbrook.  

AM: Track in Safety Harbor.  It's hard to get up for this workout without having anyone to run with.  Workout was 2x2miles with 4-minute rest in between.  Did both averaging about 5:50 per mile.  About what I should be expecting, to be honest.

PM: 2.5 and then gym- chest, tris, shoulders, abs

PM: 8 miles in East Lake

AM: 6 miles with Michele and a couple others.

Noon: 3 more miles after a long workout session- arms, back, abs

AM: 16 miles.  First 3 with Anthony, next 10 with Drew, Lee, Quint, Christina, Christa, Anthony... Really appreciated and enjoyed the run today.  I was not feeling in shape to run that much, so all of the faces showing up made it much better to hold on.  Fortunately, I was able to suffer the last 3 miles on my own back to my car.  

PM: Ran 4, then gym: triceps, chest, abs, and shoulders, then finished up with 2 more miles.

AM:  5 miles at track in Safety Harbor.  Just ran some laps with the group and timed them for their workout

PM: 10+ at track with Sean, Anthony, Drew, Jim, and Lee.  For the workout, Lee, Anthony, Sean and I decided to do the 1000s with 200 recovery.  I wanted to amend it to 2 sets of 3x1000, but they seemed to want a 7x1000, so I figured I'd drop down to a 5x1000 and try and make it with the short recoveries.  

Splits- 3:12, 3:15, 3:16, 3:14, 3:16

I was pretty done by the fifth item, but thankfully Drew joined for the last bit which was re-energizing.  I was surprised to be leading the last couple of items to be honest, so I appreciated the help.  I suppose I had one more in me at a slower rate, but there was no reason to push too much- I'll have another workout in 2 days and my mileage is increasing.

PM: Pretty quick run with Anthony all around East Lake.  It was great to converse with him and also to run with someone more fit than me.  It makes me want to work harder, which is what I need.  Progress is being made finally.  My weight is much lower, my effort is up, and my slow slogs aren't ridiculous anymore.

In other news, Anthony and I talked about him breaking 16 minutes for the first time and I got him to race next Saturday with me!  I don't think I have the fitness at the moment, but I can definitely pace him to an 8:00 half- which we'll see if he wants to take me up on.  That won't take too much out of me to hopefully still finish around 16:30.  If not, just him being there will motivate me to push more, which is awesome.  My "A" goal in that case is a 16:15, but who knows what the Florida humidity/heat will do.

AM: Workout in Safety Harbor.  Wass with the group but did the items by myself.  Workout was- 600, 1000, mile, (4 minutes rest/recovery over 400m), mile, 1000, 600 with 200 recoveries in between all other items.  My goals were merely to get faster as I went, which I accomplished!

Splits- 2:11, 3:39, 5:41, 5:19, 3:27, 1;59

PM: 3 miles and gym- chest, shoulders only

PM: short run followed by gym- biceps, triceps, back, abs

Weight is back down to 145.

AM: JC and then with the group. Felt great!

Rays game today. Finally get to sit at the field level, which is exciting. Too bad I'm a Red Sox fan!

AM: long run in St. Pete mostly with Anthony. We threw in a couple 5:40 miles in for good measure.

Then I decided 16 was good for me, so I turned around, and I guess Lee decided he wasn't done talking politics so he tagged along for the last 4 miles offering his opinions while I listened and/or offered other topics. It's not that I'm not caring about the good ole issues in America, it's more just an excruciating way to spend time while running- I'm not learning anything and I'm not entertained, so it's pretty tiring. I need to work on appearing more ignorant and daft to avoid future discussions on these matters.

AM: 3 miles then gym- chest, triceps, abs, and shoulders

Noon: 7 miles. Was surprisingly not terrible, but still upper 80s.

AM: Track at ELHS (rubber!)  Workout- 2x100, 2x200, 2x300, 2x400, 1x600, 2x400, 2x300, 2x200, 2x100 with 100 rest on odds and 200 rest on evens.  All were done right around 5:00 per mile pace.

This tracked ROCKED.  Beautiful, bouncy, easy to run, and still had that fresh smell to it.  What a cool experience.  My legs already feel better than they usually do.  Not sure if we'll be able to attend again, but definitely an awesome experience.

PM: Put on run clothes.  Then laid down and took a nap.  Worth it.