October 14th-20th

Monday: 10.2 miles (6:22); 5.5 miles (7:45ish)

Tuesday: 5 miles (6:42); 11.2 miles (6:39)

Wednesday: 5.9 miles (6:43); 10.4 miles (6:55). Was going to do 20x1:00 on/off but I came home from work with a killer headache

Thursday: 8.1 miles (6:55). Was going to do yesterday's workout during my lunch break but was it raining, cold and super windy; 10.1 miles with 4.76 miles of 1:00 on/off.   Since I had the race in about 36 hours, I cut the workout short a little bit and ran to the end of LSC and back, and then up-and-down Bison Way.  Eased into the intervals and always kept it smooth and controlled. 5:26 average for the fartlek and right at 4:30 average for the fast running.

Friday: 8 miles (6:46); 6.8 miles (7:06)

Saturday: 18.4 miles with half-marathon in 66:23. Rode down to Cookeville with Jeanette Faber to run the Haunted Half.  I was going to run around marathon effort but I got a free entry and the race director wanted a new course record, so I was planning to sneak under it (66:33).  Festus Chemaoi ran with me for about 1.5 miles and then I was on my own.  Got out pretty quick because of a downhill first mile and then locked into 5:05ish pace.  I wasn't feeling very smooth a few miles in and thought I'd drop into the 5:10 range, but I kept on clicking off the splits with no increase in effort.  My Garmin wrist band broke about halfway in, so I had to turn around, get it and then hold it in my hand the rest of the race.  Right around this point, extreme nature was calling for the first time ever in a race.  I debated jumping into some bushes but didn't want the cops to get me for indecent exposure and I wasn't sure about the available foliage in the area.  It was getting really rough about 8-9 in, there was a porta-john and I was about to jump in but then realized that I would miss the course record and what would the lead cops do? Stop and wait outside?  I kept on running and luckily made it to the end.  It was a gamble because I knew if nature exploded on me, I wouldn't be known as the guy who broke the course record but the guy who pooped his pants that one year.  That's what I get for eating chilli for dinner on Thursday, again for lunch on Friday and then eating a chorizo quesadilla for a late dinner on Friday.  I knew I was a little bit ahead of pace at 11-12 and with my butt feeling like it had a heart beat, I slowed it down a bit and eased my way in.  Pretty pleased with the effort level because while I was feeling flat early on, it never got any worse and I never had to push very hard.  The course had a lot of rollers (800 ft. of elevation gain, compared to 1000 ft. for twice the distance for CIM in a few weeks) and also a lot of turns.  And this year, only one side of the road was blocked off, so I always had to stay on the right side, which added an extra .8 miles, according to my Garmin last year. Jeanette also beat the course record as well.  Tough course but I always enjoy this race.  Balanced splits: 4:51, 5:03, 5:04, 5:04, 5:04, 5:05, 5:00, 5:01, 10:13 (two miles), 5:12, 5:05, 5:41 (1.1); 3.4 miles (7:17)

Sunday: 4.5 miles (7:11); 10.5 miles (7:11)

Week Total=118 miles.  Good week after a terrible race.  I hated delaying my fartlek because if I would have done it on Wednesday, I could have gotten more volume and intensity but maybe my legs needed the rest.  This week, I'll probably set a new PR for miles in a week and will knock out my first marathon-specific workout. And congrats to Lanni Marchant for breaking the Canadian National Marathon record with her 2:27:58.  I ran with her for two easy runs during her build-up, so I take full credit for her performance.