Rhett

Well, the plan for tonight was to do 7 laps of my hill repeat course for a total of 21 hill sprints and a 9.5 mile run.

I slowly ran over to the loop and made my way to the first big hill which is almost exactly 1 mile into the run.  I sprinted the first hill, and half way up I realized my legs were not going to allow me to do my planned run.  I made the decision to turn around and jog slowly back down the hill and do that 10 times.  I became well aquainted with that hill.  It's just under 200 yards and is approximately a 10% incline.  I averaged around 41 seconds up it each time, and it apears I did just over a mile of sprinting and just over a mile of downhill jogging.  After the sprint session I jogged easy for a few miles and made my way home.  I felt like crap when I got home.  Total run 5.8 miles.

Last night as I sat there recovering and feeling all beat up I decided I better have a recovery week.  For the last 5 or 6 weeks I've been running hard and averaging in the mid 50s on milage.  I wanted to do one more hard week and go about 60 this week and then take next week as a recovery week, but my body is dictating otherwise.  I hope to make all my runs a bit slower and shorter this week and then pick it back up again next week.

This mornings easy run 4.4 miles AP 8:37

At the beginning of the week I had a 9 mile at 6:40 tempo run planned for tonight. Since I decided to make this an easy week I cut tonights run to 6 miles at 6:40. I was suprised how easy it felt the whole way through. A few more days of easy then I get start running hard again.

In sticking with my easy week, I did 4.1 miles at AP of 8:06 this morning.  Nothing too exciting.

Wow my legs felt great this morning!  I guess this rest week is paying off.  I kept it down to 4.1 miles this morning and had to force myself to keep it slow.  AP 7:45 

Tomorrow I'm going to do my full 20 miler, but I am going to try my best to keep it at 8:00 pace and not speed up to my normal pace on a 20 miler.  Then next week I get to start going fast and long again!!!!!!!!!

I know it is Monday morning, but this is the first free moment I have had since my 20 miler I ran Sat. morning.  I awoke at 3:45, got ready, planted water bottles, and took off and ran.  I made myself keep it easy trying to honor my easy week.  I was trying to keep it at 8:00 and did pretty well at it.

Total run 2:38:55  AP 7:57

Legs felt great.  I'm ready to run hard again.

I headed out for Tuscon at 8 am about a 6 hour drive so I could be at the blessing of my brother's baby on Sunday.  Then retruned home late last night.  Legs still feel great!!!