Getting back to Boston

Well, the hay's in the barn, as they say in Lower Arkansas. The last long run before Memphis, which went great for 16 miles, then... Now 27 days to sharpen, taper and worry.

First, about yesterday. For some reason, the hotel workout room was closed. Tried twice. Could have run outside, but didn't know the area or have my Garmin. So I decided to skip the little 4.5 mile jog I'd planned and just take my kid to his tour of the UA engineering program. It was fun watching him. He's excited and apprehensive at the same time. I think it's sinking in just how much college is going to be outside his little comfort zone. Also had a little surprise for him: I'd almost forgotten that my dad was named to the Arkansas Academy of Mechanical Engineers, almost a hall of fame for MEs in the state. Less than 100 members from what I could see, and he's one. His picture is on the wall along with all the other academy members at the ME building, and I got to show it to Tyler.

 So we got home around 7:45 p.m., and I hadn't slept well for two straight nights, so I started a load of running clothes in the washer, stuck them in the dryer when they finished and went to bed. Alarm goes off at 4:50, and I've got a splitting headache. So I reset the alarm, rolled over and went back to sleep for a half-hour, hoping the HA would subside. It did, a little, and I got up, did my usual waffle pre-run breakfast, and headed downtown to run. Got on the road a little before 6:30 and just decided I'd run how my body told me to run, not looking at the Garmin or anything, just run. The headache was gone by now. And that went real well until the 16-mile mark, which I reached at probably 9:20 pace, when I stopped at my stash of Gatorade to refuel and stretch. The stretching didn't help, and from then on, I was in pretty much pain -- hip flexors, IT band, ankles, butt, knees, you name it, they all alternated. I probably ran 21.5 plus of the total, which came out to 22.4 on the Garmin. Then I walked around downtown for 20 minutes eating and drinking, drove home, drank some more, did an ice bath and then sat down to do this blog.

So the taper begins tomorrow, although I'll still total 70-plus this week due to long runs on Sunday and Saturday. Back off from there, and try not to get too paranoid about the twinges and aches. Now, I'm going to bed. 

Good, solid, uneventful 9.45 on the TM tonight. I was surprisingly unaffected today after pounding out 22 yesterday; very little pain, not much limping. My back was a little stiff, but that has nothing to do with 22 miles.

Anyway, the run tonight was just a recovery run, ramping up to 8:30ish pace for the last two laps. No major twinges. The Asics are doing all right now that I have thicker insoles to keep my lateral malleolus from being jammed into the edge of the right shoe. But the new adidas, which I wore yesterday, will definitely be my race shoe, especially with use of the toe condoms to protect the old hammers from blistering.

So another 9 tomorrow with 5X600 of VO2 max intervals thrown in. I probably could have done the intervals tonight, but I said "Nah, let's give the legs a bit of a break."

VO2 max night on the treadmill tonight -- 5 X 600 at about 6:50 pace, mixed into a 9.5 mile run. Not sure if it's really getting easier or if I'm just getting better at blocking out the pain. Maybe a little of both. I know one thing -- 6:50 may or may not be my optimal VO2-max pace, but it's definitely a solid side-stitch pace. Had a couple of those tonight. Again was able to deal with that by adjusting my breathing pattern, but I'd rather not have to do that.

IIRC, only two more VO2-max sessions before Memphis. The days really are ticking away; 25 and counting.

Progression run to MP + 5% on the TM, then 6 X 100 strides, then a lap of "warmdown" at MP. Total exactly 75 minutes, or exactly 9:00 pace average. Felt pretty easy, and not really tired afterward.

Routine recovery run, 8.19 miles in 74:59, spiced up by new paranoia as I felt a couple of new twinges along the left tibia (stress fracture?) Frankly, it will take more pain that that to sideline me now, and the twinges subsided.

Running 17 on Saturday with Michelle, my TV-reporter friend. There's a benefit Friday night in honor of the murdered anchorwoman at Michelle's station, and I figured Michelle would attend, so I was surprised to hear she planned to run at 5 a.m. Saturday instead of 6. Maybe she's skipping the benefit after all. Might be too soon for that for her. And no, they still haven't caught the killer.

Did the Cammack Village loop from the state Capitol today. Not an easy run, as Cammack is about 150 vertical feet above the Capitol and you go up and down a lot of hills once you get up there. Took it fairly easy for the first 8 miles or so, then kinda put the hammer down once I headed back down Kavanaugh; miles 11-14 were all under 9:00, as were 17-17.29. I can always seem to pick up the pace at the end no matter how good or bad the run was.

Early miles were slow in large part because I ran with Michelle and Michael. They're getting faster, but they're not there yet :) . After mile 10, they stopped for a water break and I kept going and accelerated. 

Anyway, the taper has now begun. Three weeks from this moment (8:45 a.m. CST) I'll be on the course at Memphis, and hopefully on my way to Boston.