Getting back to Boston

A routine, pain-free, slow five-miler on the TM. No ill effects from my first 50-mile week, yet, although we'll see how Monday's tempo run goes.

I keep having runs like this, I might start to think 3:30 is actually doable. I started tonight's 10-miler basically dreading it, especially that little five-mile tempo segment in the middle. I didn't feel like my legs were recovered from Saturday's 17. Did the three-mile warmup, then accelerated to LT pace (in this case, 7:35). I kept expecting the flexors to lock up or the hammy to cramp or the abs to explode or something. But they never did. So I just kept going and before I knew it, the five miles were done and I was backing off to recovery pace. Then, even better, the pool outside was (a) empty and (b) actually cool, for once, and I had a nice, refreshing 10-minute swim/underwater stretch before I headed home to finally eat dinner at 9 p.m.

Not much to report today. Just cruised an easy 5 on the TM. Kinda achy this morning after the LT run last night, but no ill effects on tonight's recovery run.

It occurs to me that my sleep reports on this blog are largely works of fiction, or at best extremely rough estimates. I wake up SO many times every night -- because I'm cold, because I'm hot, because I've been in one position too long, because the cat is crowding me, because Pam just came to bed, because I have to go to the bathroom or get a glass of water -- that merely doing the math between the time I turn off the lights and the time I turn off the alarm clock doesn't tell the true story.

Hard time with the 10-miler -- not my legs this time, just general exhaustion, as though I were going to fall asleep on the TM. Actually backed down the pace the last 0.75, but I'd done the Pfitz progression the first 9.25. Then showered, ate and went straight to bed. Hopefully that will recharge the battery somewhat.

Pretty routine 5-mile recovery run tonight on the TM as it rained outside (again). Had a little twinge around the left heel, which subsided as the run went on. But there's now a little rough spot or kink in the lining of my right insole in the LRM shoes (which I REALLY need to replace) and it's rubbed a nice blister on my right instep. I'll have to put one of those mondo Bandaids over that puppy before Saturday's 18-miler.

Legs felt good, and I overall felt much better after a solid nine hours of sleep.

Meanwhile, I'm getting ticked off watching the Olympic track team screw around. I blame the coach, who was selected by politics instead of on merit, and then pointedly cut out the single greatest track coach in American history (that would be John McDonnell if you haven't paid attention to American track for the last 30 years). John only has about 40 more national championships than that clown they took from Texas.

OK, I need to figure this out. Either I've pushed too hard, too fast, or my nutrition really is inadequate right now. Or both. Probably both, in fact. But this morning was a struggle. So much so, that I bailed on my run. The 5 a.m. start brought us 75 degrees and 100 percent humidity, and I did not adapt well at all. By the three-mile mark, I could tell it was going to be a really long run, and by 4.5, I told Pat to go on ahead. The legs never did have any life, and finally at 9 miles, I got back reasonably near the starting spot and faced a choice: Turn left and take a seven-mile loop, or turn right and go back to the start. I took about five steps left, then said "don't be stupid" and turned around and went toward the start. Getting back to the start was about 10.5, then I ran a lap around Lake Willastein, left the start area for a Club Manor-Audubon loop, then did another lap around the lake. All of that got my total up to 13.12 -- almost exactly a half-marathon. I actually managed a decent pace on that last lap around the lake, but all in all this morning was a bonk, to be honest.

Even though I know cutting the run short this morning was the right thing to do, I'm still torn between that and wanting to slap myself upside the head for being a wuss. But I think I could have/would have gotten into serious trouble if I'd pushed another five miles: injury, or heat stress, or both (why is it that every time we run at Maumelle, the weather is unfavorable -- usually ridiculously humid?) 

Now the true test of my obsessive-compulsive nature -- will I go out tonight for another five miles to get my 18 for today? Depends on how the legs feel in five or six hours. Maybe I'll run on the TM while I watch the men's marathon tonight. 

Next week was already scheduled as a back-off week, possibly a week too late for my legs; I think I'm down for 42 with another 13 next Saturday, but I may back that off some more.  I'll try to make sure my nutrition improves during the week to restock the glycogen stores.