Getting back to Boston

I was supposed to run 4 X 3K at HMP tonight,. Wasn't gonna happen, but I pushed it and almost got to 3 X 3K, or the equivalent. Close enough. One rep is not going to make any difference 20 days out from a race.

 Fortunately, the sore toe was not an issue at all. I suspect the reason the toe isn't hurting as much is that the nail has let go and relieved the pressure. Which also means it's gonna fall off. That's OK. I expect to take off my sock some night and find the nail in the sock, not on the toe. 

Indoor progression run at MAFC, thanks to daylong rain. I was really stiff for the first two miles, loosened up nicely, and ran the last mile in 8:10. Should go over 2000 miles for the year this week, maybe during Friday's 20-miler. Tomorrow, I'll try to do some marathon pace work.

MP run at Southside: Warm up for 1.5, then dynamic stretches. Plan was to do 3 miles at MP, jog a mile, then another 3, but I felt like I was in a good rhythm so I just kept going. Then I jogged 2.5 to cool down instead of 1.5, so I still got in the full 10 miles. I've needed a lot more workouts like this. Wouldn't say I'm ready, but I feel more confident after this run than I have in a while. Average was almost exactly 8:00.

Weather was good: 50ish, overcast, breezy. Maybe too breezy, but the wind helped keep the sweat out of my eyes, which is good, and I wasn't having to work too hard to overcome it. 

 Now heading to Fayetteville. Going to unload some of my old running shoes at Fleet Feet, go by the ticket office to buy a basketball mini-pak for the SEC season, then go to dinner with Tyler before the basketball game tonight. 

ROUD today, which became 9. Went to Southside, kept going on Gary to Old Greenwood, back up OG to Rogers, crossed on to Free Ferry, then kept going on FF instead of turning on either Waldron or Burnham. Down 66th to Rogers, back home. Nine. Felt pretty good, so I kept going; I may regret that during tomorrow's 20, but whatever. I in no form, shape or fashion pushed the pace. This was strictly easy.

Then, after tomorrow, it's taper time. Still have to figure out how I'm going to handle the taper. 

Got my long run done. Also went over 2000 miles for the year. Also bonked bigtime at 18.5 and struggled home. Still averaged 9:04, which ain't bad for as sucky as this cycle has been. Now for an ice bath, a nap and a trip to Bryant with T.

Dropped in on the Crackheads this morning at the River Market, and who's the first person I see but Pat! Then Ali is there too and she's running with Pat -- perfect. I did five miles with them, then peeled off while they went into race pace mode. I ended up doing 8 with a loop around the Capitol, getting started on my third thousand miles of the year. Ran over the new bridge at the Clinton Library for the first time, which is a very runner-friendly bridge, much more so than Big Dam.

I'm starting to formulate a plan for 2012, and actually December. I'm going to try to take off as little time as I can get by with after CIM, and try to start in on a steady diet of 6- 7- 8-milers with the occasional long run on weekends. Variety will be with speed work. Maybe a couple of short races in the spring, but no marathons until Stockholm. Then shoot for Indy Monumental in early November. The goal will be to build a strong mileage base through March, anyway, train hard for Stockholm and even harder for Indy. Hopefully I can be consistent enough with the mileage to top my yearly PR in 2012.