Where's the Donuts?

Hot, hot day, I'd already done yoga and sat on the beach a few hours and just eaten an ice cream bar -- so I went for a run. One long loop of Discovery Park, about eight total and I slogged through it. Some of that was Saturday's fast pace, and the heat and a little cold exhausting me. But good to get the miles and start the week off right. By the end of the run my legs weren't as heavy. 1:01:40

brooks cascadia

A lot going on here: maybe the last hot day of the summer, election day, workout day, and... new shoes day! So I went to the Bremerton High track during a break at work to get a hard workout in and see what a new pair of supernovas can do. 

Warm evening, but not as much as recently. Probably 80 at the start. Two miles warmup, then began a Yasso 800 workout. I did this one the last week of July, and only did 8 that time at a 2:46 to 2:55 pace. I wanted more of them this time, at a bit slower pace.

Did the first three at 2:56, 2:54, 2:54, right on target. One lap in between each. Kind of a weird scenario here, but I had started late and wanted to check on election results at work. It's a five-minute drive from the track, maybe less. So I jogged out to the car, jumped in and ran into the office for 15 minutes. Wanted to make sure there were no upsets, and everything was in good shape. It was, and I snagged a piece of pepperoni pizza. Nice mid-workout treat.

Then back to the track, and I got on with the next nine 800s. 25 minute break, but I stayed loose. 2:58, 3:00 (ok, maybe not that loose, those two took some effort to get back in rhythm), 2:55 (there we go), 2:57, 2:57, 2:58, 2:58, 2:57, 2:57. 2:53. I took less rest on the last ten as well, just about a minute each time instead of 1:45 or so on the first set. Annnnd, I lost track in the dark of where I was (couldn't even read the watch the last two), and ended up doing 13 instead of 12. Bonus! Short cooldown because I wanted to get home, and a hot spot developed on my left foot in the new sneaks. But otherwise they felt great. 1:10:41

A great evening workout, I feel good about backing off those seconds from the June workout because I was able to do more at a really comfortable pace, and did so with less rest. I may do this workout once more the first week of September. Anyone out there have advice on whether I should try to add more 800s, or bring them down a few seconds each if I'm prepping for a sub-3 marathon?

supernova glide -- 10

Tracyton Boat Launch and back, easy pace. Didn't intend to miss two days but work was really busy, and I did sneak in a yoga class yesterday. Legs felt well recovered from Tuesday's workout, other than a little soreness in my right ankle that's held on from the High Divide trip. 1:12:40

supernova glide (red) -- 20

Solo on Beach Drive. Cool morning (50) at the start, and didn't warm up too much. But some sun coming up through the clouds charged my batteries, and Bill Mackem showed up as I was leaving for a little morale boost. (Bill is in our running club, and right now he's recovering from three bypass surgeries in a year. Every time I see the guy get back on the road I'm amazed). 

Took it out easy, shooting for a relaxed pace. I initially planned 18 but got a late start, and I do like to meet the Slugs for breakfast. I figured I see how it went and decided out on the course whether to get the whole thing in. 7:15 pace for the first three, then four at 7 minute pace, which was a little fast but felt relaxed. Started to creep under 7 for a few, but slowed down on the hill in Manchester to a 7:30. Decided to turn around at the 8 mile mark and make it a 16-mile day. My left hamstring at the connection to the glute/hip was really stiff and sore, and this little right ankle pain was nagging. I stopped and stretched, and did another stop/stretch at 13 or so. Both helped quite a bit, I may have just been stiff from Friday morning's run. 

On the return I ran two more at 7:00, then picked up the pace through the finish (not intentionally, though I was focused on running free and easy and letting loose): 6:36, 6:50, 6:26, 6:37, 6:41. So a nice strong finish, and I didn't feel taxed or anything coming in at that pace. After the last stretch I did feel much better, and that let my stride lengthen out. Or maybe I was just hungry and ready for breakfast.  1:51:39 overall. 

supernova glide red -- 36

So a little short on the last run of the week, but if I get a good run tomorrow morning that'll make for a nice three-day combo to get mileage. I can feel good about that, and I'm not sure that'll be the big issue for a marathon at this point anyway. The run did cap another solid week, bumped up a few miles with a good track workout. It puts me in a good place to hit 50 in the coming week, which keeps me in line for TOU prep. I'm traveling for work, which always makes that a little more difficult, but the meeting schedule in Texas isn't quite so full. The weather in south Texas, well, I'm not as confident I'll be ready for that.