Getting back to Boston

Just didn't feel like running Sunday, so got up at 5:30 today to do 7 moderate miles at the AC. Run went OK, conisdering. Have to leave for Springdale right after work. Might run when I get there, but I doubt it. And tomorrow is going to be a very stressful day, emotionally. Maybe I can get in an early run before we go look at houses or go to campus.

Pretty good run tonight in spite of two straight nights of poor sleep and the emotional stress of sending Tyler to college, trying to get him situated and get his books bought, etc., and signing to rent a new house. Very nice one, in a good area for running, I think. There's a park next door with a trail, plus rolling hills in the neighborhood. I've already mapped out a 4.5 mile loop in the area. Anyway, in spite of dragging through work today, guilt got me after missing two of the last three days, and I went to do a fartlek run on the dreadmill. Warmed up for 2 at 9:15 pace, then started running one-minute surges, with the first one at just about 7:00 pace and the 10th one at 6:15, with three minutes in between at increasingly faster "recovery" speeds, then finished the 8 miler at GMP for the last mile and change. Finished in exactly 66:00, or 8:15 average, but at least a third of the run was at GMP or faster, and the last six miles averaged GMP.

Hudson-style rpogression run tonight -- six miles semi-easy, three miles moderate, one mile at GMP. Took the legs about five miles to really loosen up after the hard fartlek last night. Felt better during the moderate phase, almost oo good during the GMP. Took 89:59. And, in spite of missing two nights, I'm still on track for a 45-mile week. I'll just look at this as my recovery week and press on next week.

Hopefully all the drama is over for a while and I can concentrate on running. Did a recovery run tonight on the DM; planned to go 5 originally but legs felt good so stretched it to 6. Getting up in the morning to do 15, so that will be 21 in about 12 hours. I'll just make this my recovery week and beef up next week's slate accordingly, possibly to near 60.

Another unbelievably nice morning to run in central Arkansas. It just doesn't stay this cool this long in August around here; something weird is going on. Today at 5:30: 64 degrees, reasonable humidity, hint of a breeze, not a cloud in the sky. And things didn't change much between then and 8:20, when I finished my 15 miler -- except the sun came up.

My legs were kinda sore to start with, thanks to last night's 6 that finished around 9 p.m., and the 10 miles Thursday night, and... I figured this would be a good exercise in running with tired legs, as Hal Higdon recommends. Started out at sub-9 pace, which was too fast, but I really didn't slow down much. I did mile 11 in 9:48 with a bit of a walk break, but that was the slowest mile, and the average for 15.05 was 9:06. Hard to imagine I could have run too much faster with the legs in the shape they were, even if the weather were, say, in the 40s instead of the 60s (but I can't wait to find out in October or so). I think this pattern of doing long runs on only 9-10 hours' rest may help me develop some strength that I've lacked in the last 10K at Memphis and Newport -- and maybe help me avoid the dreaded cramp monster as well, along with better hydration and electrolyte management.

Oh yeah, AHR was 138, about 70% of my heart rate reserve using the Karvonen method. Pretty good, IMO, considering it's still warm/humid. I wish my leg muscles were in as good condition as my heart seems to be. If they were, BQ would be a breeze. Cardiac capacity is not my limiting factor here.