August 13th-19th Training

Monday: 9.1 miles (6:26); 7.4 miles with 4xhill blasts (7:13)

Tuesday: 14.2 miles with 3 miles (3:00 jog), 2.5 miles (3:00 jog), 2 miles.  My goal was to run 5:10, 5:05, 5:00 pace for the three intervals.  I ended up running 15:30 (5:12, 5:10, 5:08), 12:38 (5:01, 5:03, 2:34), 9:58 (4:58, 5:00.)  I felt really flat on the three mile, and was debating axing the workout but I decided to at least finish the first interval.  I thought I'd nearly have to race the 2.5 mile if I wanted to hit my time, but it felt pretty easy.  The last section felt even better.  I guess the mileage is just making me take longer to warm-up.  This went from what I thought was going to be a crappy workout to a decent one.  I ended up calling this miles instead of meters because there were benches on both straightaways, as well as volleyball players jumping rope on the track and running intervals, so I had to do a lot of zig-zagging.  I figure all of it added up to at least 9.3 meters per 1600m; 5.4 miles (7:08)

Wednesday: 9.5 miles (6:47); 6.1 miles (7:21)

Thursday: 5.7 miles (7:23); No afternoon run because Mary is sick with food poisoning and I had to play doctor, as well as Superdad.  I debated pushing Kate in the jogging stroller for a few miles, but I didn't want any of that.

Friday: 5.7 miles (7:29); 12.8 miles with 16x200m with 200m jog.  This was the session I had planned for yesterday evening.  I wanted some quick turnover, but nothing that would tire me out.  I was looking at these as slightly longer and faster strides, rather than a traditional interval workout.  Ran a 30, a 32 and the rest were 31s.  Felt nice and relaxed.

Saturday: 9.6 miles (6:58); 5.4 miles (7:27)

Sunday: 18.3 miles (5:54) with 16 miles moderate (5:42).   I was hoping to average 5:45-5:50 for the faster portion of the run, so I'm really pleased with how it went.  I felt like crap yesterday and didn't know how I'd run in this.  Felt a bit herky-jerky for the first few miles and then worked into the 5:40s a few miles in. Gradually felt better and better and the last four miles, I ran 5:32 for my slowest mile and 5:16 for the last.  Effort felt really relaxed and rather than being tired at the end, I felt more warmed up. I feel like if I could have turned down the temperature 25 degrees, and had a race-like environment, I could have run at least under 2:22.  Ran this on an empty stomach (except for coffee) and didn't take a water break; 4.1 miles (7:36)

Week total=113.3 miles.  If I would have been able to run Thursday afternoon, this would have been my heaviest week ever. I'm running Hood to Coast this weekend, so I'll probably ramp down the mileage this week so I'm a little rested going into it, and then will have to take it easy for at least 2-3 days afterward.  My three legs total just over 20 miles, so I'm sure it will put a whooping on me.