Getting back to Boston

Over to East Campus tonight for track intervals -- 8 X 200 at 45 seconds per rep, roughly. My first outdoor reps in about a year. Tough night for it; I'm still getting over the weekend illness and it's still 90 degrees and humid. managed to get in all eight reps despite the heat, some wheezing and a bad case of cottonmouth. Probably would have tried to do 5 or 6 X 400 if not for the URI. But this came out OK. I know I didn't overdo it this time. Guy watering his yard offered to hose me down as I was jogging home afterward. I should have taken him up on it.

Probably no run tomorrow; have a birthday dinner for Scott down at Benton. Might get in a short run late.

Still not completely over the crud yet, but felt good enough to venture over to the AC for a late, fast 5-miler. Started at 9:15, had to finish before closing time at 10. Ran the first 3.75 at sub-9 pace, bumped it to 7:53 for the last 1.25. Finished with a minute-22 to spare :) Legs felt a little tight (I've been lax on my stretching lately) but had no problem maintaining pace and then accelerating.

 I'll finally go over 1400 miles for the year tomorrow, I think. It's taken me four weeks to get 100 miles, and that included 26.2 in Newport. But I think I'm ready to step up the training a bit once I'm over this URI. May not be ready to run fast on the 4th, but maybe at Dam Night.

Another run till they chase me off night on the dreadmill. Started a little earlier, ran a little slower, and got in 5.20 before the cop ran me out of the fitness room (he's become more diligent, used to show up at 10 after). Which puts me over 1400 miles for the year. Definitely a slow recovery pace. Felt a little better as I got a tiny bit faster. Running sub-10 miles just does not agree with my legs.

Another 80/90 morning -- 80 degrees, 90% humidity. Tech shirts were no help. Even a breeze was no help. Nothing evaporated. So we just had to slog it out there. Started at the Surgical Hospital, looped around to BDB, the the River Trail. I took Tom's 8-mile course (turn around at the wooden bridge) and added a mile, turning past the quarry, which gave me a 10-miler. Didn't run fast, but I ran. Actually had Gatorade again, which was nice to have a drink with some flavor and some electrolytes.

(Have I mentioned lately that I hate HEED almost as much as I hate running in 80/90 weather?)

Still debating about Firecracker next Saturday. I'll probably run it, but question 2 is how to run it. I think the smart thing to do is to run a fairly conservative pace (but still fast enough for a PR if I can hold it, since my PR is really soft). I haven't done enough speedwork to feel comfortable going for a sub-21 or something. Maybe try to go sub-21 at Dam Night.