not giving up on the comeback

ZERO desire to run today....

went towards the track -- but when I arrived, they were having a college soccer game, so I had to miss the planned track workout.  I went and wandered around for a while.. 

I'm tired now. 

11.4 7:02 pace

Managed two runs today.  I felt ok at work on good at home.  For some reason sitting and working on a computer all morning makes me sluggish and makes the lunchtime run hard.  Imagine that... :)

The 2nd run of a day is almost always easier and feels good.  I guess because the muscles are loose and the energy pathways are warmed up.  At least that's what I think :)

4.6 7:14 pace

5.3 6:51 pace

My legs were tired from yesterday's runs.  I guess I didn't eat enough this morning and I really had no pep at all.  I had to stop to collect myself right before the 3 mile mark.  I just about turned around and bagged the run, but I pressed on and just kept plugging away at it.  It wasn't pretty and it was't fun but I finished.  

10.5  7:38 pace

 :felt ok actually but just took it easy

4.6 7:25 pace

I had Mexican for dinner last night again -  a big rice and bean burrito.  So I had plenty of energy for my long run this morning.  I just took a little water on the run.
I felt better than I did last Saturday.  My legs were much more fresh.  1:15:40 at the half - a bit of a negative split.  2:28:32 total. 
You can't beat the low 70's and overcast for training at this time of year. 

 20.25 7:21 pace

The wife had the kids for a while so I did all my miles for the day in one run.  I felt good after the day off.  I just made a new route- trying to get it to 10 miles or so.  That pace felt really good today. 

9.95 - 7:25 pace

Tempo day - 77 deg and barely any wind. 

Two miles of warm-up.  I went to the Druid hills area to see how my tempo pace felt on the hills. Last year I did a couple of my tempo runs here and I wanted to see how it went this year. 

I settled into a nice pace and tried to hold it.  I didn't look at my mile splits.  I was at 12:24 for two miles and then 24:39 for 4 miles.  The last bit is a decent rise so I was pretty gassed at the end.  

Two miles cool down

Tempo  - 4 miles - 6:10 ave pace

PM - 4.45 miles recovery run 7:35 pace

lunchtime miles - 4.6 felt great if a little tired in the legs from yesterday.  81 degrees - pretty day but I'm liking running in the 60s or 70s now.  

4.6 miles 7:00 average pace

 PM miles - hungry and a bit tired but otherwise it was ok

4.85 miles 7:14 pace

Felt a little tired today but I managed to get through it pretty ok.  It was much better than last week's Thursday run. 

7:19 pace over 11.1 miles.  

72 degrees and overcast is wonderful for this time of year.  I love it!

It was just a short run at lunch to get the blood moving for the day.  I felt great at times and klunky at other times.  Hopefully I feel great for the race tomorrow and not klunky.  Luckily, the excitement and adrenaline of race day usually makes the klunky feeling go away. 

4.5 - 7:13 ave pace

Today was the 10 mile training check-up race for the fall.  My attitude today was to go out and get to as close to 6:00 pace average as I could.  McMillan predictor from my 5K time in February said I should hit a 6:10 pace for a 61 min and change.  I just wanted to go with the flow of the field and saw what happened.  
The first mile was a bit of a surprise, cause I didn't think we were going so fast, but it was a 5:54.  It wasn't my intent, but I'll take it.  I pulled up on one guy who smoked me at track night in May and then I smoked him in the last 5K.  I didn't was to lose to him, so I stuck with for the next few miles.  Somewhere between 3 and 4 miles I got a few steps on him and from there it was a matter of running like someone was chasing me.  The next guy was probably 200-300 yards in front of me.  I could only see him at the long straightaways so I knew I wasn't going to catch him.  I just tried to calm myself as much as possible and maintain the effort.  Somehow between 4 and 6 I gained about a minute.  I was slightly over 6 min pace at the 3 mile mark, and then I looked up at 6 miles and I was in the low 35:00s.  No wonder I couldn't hear the guy behind me anymore.  So I hung on and tried to hold off the guy behind me and of course, not blow up.  
In the end, I held off the dude behind me and I rolled in with a surprise time of 59:09 - 3rd place overall - 2nd place in AG.  Of course the 2nd place guy was in my age group - no breaks for me today.  On a good side-note, all of us in my AG were under 60 minutes, which blew away the AG's.  Nice job 35-39's!

Ran this afternoon at work - 81 degrees.  I'd better enjoy the heat while it is here.  I felt really good today.  Trying to make my stride long and steady.  I tend to be short and choppy when I get a little tired or mentally check out, so I've been trying to work on this recently. 

4.6 @ 6:54 per mile

PM Run - ran around town and felt good again although I think I went too hard.  I guess we'll see when I try my tempo run on Tuesday. 

6.2 @ 6:44 pace

tempo day at the track
headwind on the back stretch
first 2.5 - 15:32
had to stop - heartrate went crazy all of a sudden again - do i hyperventilate or something?
2nd 2.5 - 15:11

ave pace 6:09

2 mile warmup

2.2 warmdown

 wish tempo days felt like race days...

Felt ok today.  My legs are a little sore from the tempo miles yesterday.  Once I got into it, I was fine.  I hope to do another 4-5 after Cub Scouts tonight. 

 4.6 at 6:50 ave pace

Later,...

5 miles in the dark in the rain -big puddles -- 7:02 pace

Wanted to do 4 at MP - 6:20ish

I ended up stopping it after 3 cause i crashed.  

9 at 7:23 pace

3 at 6:25 pace

Nice warm rainy day to run

Got out before going to work today - got in 4.9 humid, sweaty miles.  I think I sweated out 3 lbs in 4.9 miles, which is a lot even for me.   I'll try to get in another at work or after work.  Then I have 18 miles over a hilly course tomorrow.

 4.9 - 7:07 pace

5.55 at work for lunch break - felt really pretty good once I got started.  My legs are tired though - after the race Saturday, then tempo and MP days.  Tomorrow's 18 should be interesting. 

 5.5 @ 6:50 pace

Got up bright and early but had to wait a few minutes for the rain to slow.  I didn't really want to run the first few minutes of my 18 miler in a downpour.  This is much harder of a route than my first 18 miler of this cycle with lots of long hills, similar to the Newton hills on the Boston course. 

Once I got out I felt ok at most times, great for a little while, and bad only a few miles. 

The main thing is that is done and I can rest tomorrow if I want, which I think I will...

Off to play with the kids or clean or something like that. 

Good luck to you racers out there!

I felt good - I love the day after a rest day.  Much more spring in my step.  

10.5 ave 7:23 pace 

5x1 mile repeats

ran to the track but it was closed for an event or practise, so I improvised.  I just ran mile repeats on the road.  It turned out ok.  After the first mile I felt good.  I started a 6th but I was done. 

1st - 6:10

2nd - 5:57

3rd - 5:55

4th - 5:54

5th - 5:57

Did 7miles warmup, recovery jogs, and cooldown total

Lunchtime run - just took it easy

4.55m - 7:18 pace

After work - 7:09 pace for 6 miles.  I felt good and just tried to cruise along

6 at easy then 4 at MP and then 2 cooldown.  I felt much better this week vs. last Thursday's MP run.  The first 3 were at 6:25, the last one was at 6:40.  I think I lost my concentration.  Plus I guess I need to take water for a run like this...it was around 80 and I lost a lot of water weight.  It wasn't great but it wasn't horrible.  The good thing was that this week I did feel reasonably comfortable at that pace. 

8 at 7:22 pace

4 at 6:30 pace

It was HOT 86 deg...not used to that anymore.  Cruising along.  

4.6 at 7:23 pace

After work - 4.9 at 7:41 pace I just took it really easy so my legs aren't cached tomorrow morning. 

 73 and overcast but very humid this morning.  My stomach didn't feel too good as I started but that cleared up after about 5 miles.  I finished reasonably strong.  This is a pretty demanding route and takes a lot out of me EVERY time.  But it is in the bank and my race will feel much easier that this route.  I think my next long run will be a finish fast on a route that is more similar to my race route. 

 20.4 miles in 2:37:24 - even split 7:43 pace overall'

OH - also this was my biggest mileage week ever and my legs and joints feel pretty good.  YEA!

felt ok - going to be at cub scouts on Saturday so I need to compress my week a bit to get in the miles.  

5.3miles  7:40 pace 

Felt like staying in my office chair today but I dragged my butt out the door for a few easy miles.  

Once I started I felt good, actually.  I will try to squeeze another 30 minutes in before Cubscouts or after it tonight. 

5.6 -- 7:26 ave pace

4.15 after work -- 7:02 pace -- felt good

easy pace for warm up and then 6 tempo miles

It was in the mid 60s I think with some gusty wind.  My goal was to be in the low 6min pace.   The first mile was 6:17 as was the 2nd.  From there I kind of settled into the pace and was able to push it towards the end.  I actually felt pretty good. 

Ave pace for the tempo was 6:05

another 2 miles for cooldown

PM  - 4.2 recovery miles 7:30 pace

I'm a little sore from the effort yesterday but once i got going I felt better.  The weather is low 70s and sunny - one of the best times of the year here in GA. 

4.6 @ 7:09 pace

4.9 after work at 7:35 pace - I was a little tired and had stomach cramps but I felt better towards the end...