It's all relative

AM: 19+ with Darek, John, Chris, Steve, Anthony, and Jeremy.  Now today... today was hot and humid.  How is that different from other days?  It is not.  It's like the song "Every day is exactly the same" by NIN (minus the suicide connotation...)

AM: 10.3 miles @ 9:10/mile, and saw two otters that were/are apparently living in a storm drain.  I've never seen them in the wild, let alone in a storm drain.  Definitely one of the more odd sights to see at 6 am.

PM: 6.2 miles @ 8:30/mile.

AM: 10 miles total and 3 miles hard running some short, steep hills.  Effort-based.

PM: 6.1 miles @ 8:50/mile.  Finally passed the 1,000 miles for the year mark and it took until August 4th.  This is the worst/slowest I've done that since probably... 2012?  Does not bode well for a fast nor healthy race season, which feels ominous to write.

AM: Lifting and ran 4.1 miles @ 7:50/mile pace.

PM: 15 miles @ 7:55/mi.  

PM: 7 mi @ 8:15/mi.

Late PM: 10 miles, 6.2 fast miles with recoveries.  4x100, 1 x 2mile, 1x1mile, 6x 1/2 mile.  Paces- striders, 2mile (5:50/mi pace), 1 mile (5:43/mi), 6x800 (average 5:17/mi but descending from 5:20s to 4:56/mi for the last one).

AM: 6 miles, 8:55/mi.

Lunch: 5 miles @ 8:05/mi

PM: 5.4 miles @ 8:41/mi

AM: 6.2 miles, 1.1 fast.  Overall 7:00/mi pace

PM: 9.6 miles.  7:56/mi pace

AM: 18.5 miles with a workout.  3 x 2 miles @ 5:50/mi pace, with 3:00 running recoveries.  Didn't start the workout until about mile eight, so that was a bit challenging.  Jeremy fell off after the first, Anthony after the second, and I was cooked by the end of the third. 

The workout was pretty fun although in the middle of the second one- finally felt like I was flowing for the first time since literally over year ago.  

AM: 11.4 miles @ 8:24/mile pace.

Noon: Skipped lunch, went for a run.  7 miles, 8:05/mile pace.

PM: 5.1 miles @ 8:20/mile pace. 

GON' GET THAT TRIPLE.

AM: 10.5 miles, 3 fast, alternationg 6:00 and 2:00 intervals with 2:00 recoveries.  Slowly realized I was a bit tired from yesterday.  By slowly I mean by interval one.  Interval five is where I felt like an empty tank coasting to the finish and praying to get there.  Good news is I'm not dead, so I guess there's that.  

PM: 7.5 miles, 8:20/mi pace.

AM: 6.1 miles, 8:30/mi pace.

PM: 13.1 miles, 7:50/mi pace.

AM: 6 miles, no watch.

PM: 11.2 miles, 5 fast on the trail with John, Jeremy, and Darek.  It went from a fire box of wet air into a monstrous downpour with a 15 degree swing all within the first interval.  It was beautiful.  Felt like Andy Dufresne escaping prison into the rain.  Glorious!  2x2mile followed by 2 x 0.5 mile.  Splits-   11:40, 11:47, 2:33, 2:25.  Felt excellent, although I definitely gave a hearty effort on the last interval.  The rest were quite relaxed, though.  

On another note- how was that "field of dreams" game?   Unbelievable.  Gave me goosebumps.  The Yankees ending up on the losing end was the icing on the cake.  They could not have scripted that game much better.

AM: 6.2 miles, 9:00/mi pace.

PM: 10 miles.

AM: 11.5 with Brian.

PM: 6 miles.

AM: 15 miles, 5.1 fast with a depleted workout starting at mile nine.  1 x 5k, 6 x 1/2 mile.  Splits were 5:46/mile pace for the 5k, and between 5:40 to 5:48/mile for the half miles.  Overall it felt quite easy and Anthony and I were talking easily through the 800s and personally did not need to change gears at all for them.  On the 5k I just wanted to dip under 17:59 so, but even in doing so I had a ton left in the tank.

This will be a huge down mileage week- which I'm excited for.  I have gone up in mileage pretty consistently for a couple of months now- how I haven't gotten injured is a testament to either luck or all of those miles I've put in in recent years.  It's going to be weird having an extra ten hours in my week!  Maybe I'll start a new hobby.  Maybe knitting?  Crochet?  Selling crack?  Oh the possibilities...

No running.  That felt... weird.

AM: 11+ miles, with intervals.  2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 6:00, 4:00, 2:00 intervals with strict half time recoveries.  Did not reach deep into the tank, but was definitely tired.  Happy this is a recovery week, I can tell I need it.  Splits were approx- 5:00/mile, 5:10/mile, 5:20/mile, 5:30/mile, 5:10/mile, 5:00/mile.

No running

PM: 7+ miles, with a workout in the nightmare weather.  1 mile, 4 x 1/2 mile, 1 mile.  3:00 after the mile, 1:00 after each half mile.  

Splits- 5:50, 2:44, 2:49, 2:51, 2:43, 5:52.

This felt insanely easy.  90+ temperature, full humidity, no clouds, no problem.  The only challenge was, I would rather have just done no recoveries to roll through the workout.  The breaks/recoveries mess with my mindfulness and flow sometimes- especially the past two Thursdays.  Really digging this easy week.

No running

AM: 6.5 miles

Prep: Well, signed up for this a month and a half ago thinking I'd at least get a 20+ miler in before running it.  That didn't happen, so I guess I can't complain too much.  I've obviously been running a ton of total overall mileage, but one marathon run will tell you that mileage means nothing when compared to the importance of the long run, and same goes for speed work.  My speed work is okay, I guess.  I am still overweight compared to my racing weight by 25 pounds, but I think that's just the way it's going to be for this cycle unfortunately.  Some of that is definitely muscle, but I'd be fooling myself if I said my diet was on point.

Weather: 94 degrees at the start, sun shining, super humid, no rain, no clouds, but fortunately we would be running in the trees for most of it and the sun would be setting with us eventually finishing in the dark (some of us anyway!)

The course: Three loops on a 7.2ish mile loop that has the first 0.7 on asphalt, the next 0.5 on non-packed, beach sugar sand, then <5 miles of undulating, packed single track with some dips and rises, and then the last mile is back to sugar sand mixed with roots, mud, zig-zagging, and if-you-take-your-eyes-off-the-ground-you're-going-to-eat-it type footing.  The course isn't bad if you're just leisurely bouncing along, but if you're pushing then it's a different story.

The race: There were only about forty at the start and I was on my own within the first 100 steps and stayed that way for the rest of the race.  Albeit the first mile was about a 5:30/mile, so that'll scare pretty much any of these trail racers right off, which I supposed was the goal.  Loop one went fine- about 49 minutes with two full stops for water/nutrition. 

Loop two started exactly the same, 5:30/mile straight into the sugar sand- which sends you into basically a 7:30 mile that is noticeably harder than the 5:30.  The killer event happened here.  Horse flies.  Kill me.  I was being dive-bombed like my blood must have been made of pure CO2 and sugar.  The run went from fun to not fun within the next couple of miles, and at the 11+ mile mark, I was out of my mindset completely.  Lap two wasn't too far off lap one, and I circled in about 51 minutes flat, which was respectable as I had started lapping some of the 21-milers by mile 11.  You read that right.  7.2 mile loop, and I was lapping them at mile 10, so not even mile four for them.  I took two more stop breaks again in the same places (4.1 mile water stop and the 7.2 mile loop finish/start water stop).  I never stop in road races, but it is just the culture to stop in trail races I think.  All the volunteers are just so nice and helpful, I can't help but want to make them feel like they are beyond awesome for helping.  JJ really helped me out at the end of this lap as well- drink ready and let me know I was about 8 minutes up on second place after the first lap.  I was also super dizzy at this point from the heat, so the nutrition helped- my shorts had ripped in the race after getting caught on something and my gel fell out, so I was behind on my sugar.

Lap three began and I shot down the asphalt mile in another 5:30-5:40/mile and of course right into the slowest mile thus far at about a 7:50/mile pace.  It feels so weird to go from the slowest mile on the course (the finish of the lap) to the fastest mile on the course (the start of the lap) to the second slowest mile on the course.  It really threw me through a loop mentally.  I was decent to the 4.1 mile mark water station, but really was feeling super dizzy at this point.  The heat had sucked the life out of me.  I really dialed my speed back (definitely unintentionally).  I had convinced myself this was all I could muster, but you can just tell when you're lying to yourself when you look at your heart rate and listen to your own breathing.  It was disappointing to see me pack it in so close to the finish.  I waded through the last 5k in a pathetic 23 minutes.  It didn't help at all this last lap having to pass a bunch of the 14-milers who started an hour after we did.  It's just tiring on single track to pass anyone, let alone having to voice yourself when you just want to crash through with a bag on your head hoping no one is seeing you suffer.  

The finish:  Anyway, I mustered average form for the last 0.2 and ran through the finish line.  I did get first place by about 20 minutes over second and 40 minutes over third, but I really can't say I enjoyed it.  It was honestly harder than the 63 miler I did at this same location on more difficult sections of the trail, which isn't a good sign.  I was still dizzy and nauseous a couple of hours after the race.  Eating didn't help and drinking didn't help.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was something heat-related.  If I had to do it again, I think I'd be sure to take in WAY MORE water and much less gatorade (or at least a better balance.)  Way more.  As in 20 ounces/lap more, especially on lap one.

The awards were cool.  They were a wood-burned trophy, so that was nice.  I am happy there was not medal or trophy- unique and memorable is the way to go.  

Afterwards: Anyway, that's that.  I think I need to add a tune up race, because I just have no idea how quick I am on a road course.  I have no idea where/what race however, since the idea of doing that crap again in Florida with this weather makes me feel ill already.

PM: 10 miles, 8:40/mile pace.  Slog.

AM: 11.5 miles, 3 "fast" @ 6:00/mile pace.  Felt easy, but my legs are beat up for sure.

PM: 6 miles.

AM: 6 miles.

PM: 10.2 miles with Darek and John with a workout- 3mile, 2 mile, 1 mile with 4:00 then 3:00 recovery.  Splits- 17:44 (5:55/mi pace), 11:38 (5:50/mile pace), 5:47/mile.  

Workout went pretty well.  I was on my own for most of it except for the beginning half mile and the last half mile.  John dropped off with some bowel issues, but Darek was mostly relatively close.  I'd say my legs were a bit dead for the final mile interval however and it was much harder as a result, but this was more mental considering I was just thinking about ending the workout at that point.

No running

AM: 15 miles

AM: 20 miles with Darek and Jeff.  90-minutes out followed directly into 5 miles at marathon pace effort.  We settled for somewhere between 6:10-6:15/mile average.  Splits (approx) were- 6:15, 6:14, 6:12, 6:10, 6:09.  The workout felt easy even on tired legs, which is a good sign.  I was with it throughout and I am happy to see we got faster as we went even with a fun little bridge overpass and bunch of roads to cross.  I enjoyed it.

PM: 5 miles

AM: 6.5 miles

PM: 10 miles

AM: 10 miles, 4 fast with a workout.  3:00 repeats followed by four 30-second anaerobic efforts.  Started fine 5:05-5:15/mile average, finished a little dirtier @ 5:20/mile average.  Mentally wasn't in it.  I should really consider the treadmill for the quicker stuff so I don't have to worry about pacing when I get too tired to force myself to persevere.  Might do a short PM run, we'll see.

PM: 6.1 miles.