Getting back to Boston

Indoor run at MAFC. And boy, did I bonk. Maybe I should have eaten more than one small bowl of oatmeal in the preceding 16 hours. Felt like to push it farther risked missed a couple of days later in the week, so shut it down instead of going on toward the goal of 14 to 15.

Progression run at MAFC. Cranked it up for the last 20 laps to MP or even a bit faster. Then I did some lifting afterward. Running and lifting both seem to be getting a bit easier. Not really losing any weight, though.

Had a little spice thrown into my easy 8-miler today at MAFC. As I was reaching the 4-mile mark, a young woman named Crystal stepped on to the track and started running in the inside lane. I'm guessing Crystal's probably 25 or so. I passed her in the outside lane, still plodding along at my easy pace, probably 9:30 or so. Half lap later, I look over and she's trying to pass me on the inside.

Normally I would have just let her go, but not today. I decided to play the game, and I accelerated to match her pace -- which meant I was running faster just to keep up, since she was on the inside lane. This went on for four laps; she'd push even faster and I'd counter, just staying beside her. Felt like we were at HMP, roughly. Then after four laps, she slowed and I heard a "Damn!" from her. Exactly what I'd wanted -- run her into the ground. Then she waited for me to come back around and gave me a big thumbs up. Which put a huge smile on my face.

After I finished my run, I went over to talk to her as she lifted weights. I told her that was a lot of fun, which it was. Nice to get the competitive juices flowing. And it turned a dull run into something to remember.

Now I'm about to get ready for Date #2 with Colene. Speaking of fun.

Ladder intervals on the mill at MAFC. One mile at 8.1 (7:24), 1K at 8.4 (7"08), 880 at 8.6 (6:57), and 440 at 9.2 (6:32), with 220 jog intervals, twice. Total of 8.65 in all. Sweated like a pig, but got through it pretty well.

Finished June with 165 miles. Not great, but not bad as I ramp up for TOU. Figuring about a 55 mile week, maybe a touch more.

Still nothing definitive from Marathon Tours. I called them; they said they had my app and I'd hear something within a week. Oh well. All I can do is wait. It would be easier (and cheaper) if they turn me down, but I hope they don't. If they do, I may plan on Berlin in the fall.

Eighty semi-slow laps at MAFC today. Glutes were a little stiff after yesterday's ladders, and there is some chafing to deal with as well, but things loosened up pretty well after a couple of miles.

Completed the first half of 2011 with 1052 miles. Went back and looked at the log, and I missed 51 days of running so far this year, due to weather, injury, exhaustion, travel, taper, work, blah blah blah. Meaning on the other 131 days, I averaged better than 8 miles. If I can maintain an 8-mile average and cut the RDs in half, that would put me at 1250 or so for the second half of the year. Bump up the daily mileage later in the year, maybe get 1350-1400. I think the actual goal will be to keep the RDs to about 20, one every two weeks or so plus the occasional can't-be-avoided miss.

Tomorrow, the first run with WAR at Chaffee. Cindy won't be there due to surgery (I think), but it'll be nice to have people to run with. Hopefully there will be people there wanting to run my 9:20ish pace.

Ran outside for once, with the WAR group (or two of them, anyway). Ran two loops of a 4.25-mile loop at Fort Chaffee from the club building there. Hot? Yep, even at 7 a.m. It was 85 when I finished. Kept it real slow, above 10:00 pace.