March 3rd-9th Training

Monday: 7.2 miles (6:47); 8.9 miles (6:56)

Tuesday: 5.9 miles (6:59); 11 miles with 4800m in 14:40, 3:00 jog, 3200m in 9:27, 3:00 jog, 1600m in 4:30. I was going to run 10x3:00 on/off down my normal fast running road but I really wasn't motivated to get out at all.  Since we had another snow day the following day, I decided to drive to Nashville and join the Nashville Harriers in their workout.  Most of them were doing some 5k pace work, a couple other guys were doing their thing and I just did mine.  That was my first time running a workout with so many people in a long, long time.  It was motivating to be around so many other focused runners but it was also different because I'm so used to running track workouts on a lonely, dark track where I'm in complete self-focus.  But the workout went really well and we finished the day with Girl Scout Cookies and Bleinheim Ginger Ale.

Wednesday: 10.1 miles (6:29); 6 miles (7:16)

Thursday: 10.2 miles (6:19); 7 miles with 8x.15 fast stride, .35 easy (6:27). Ran a lazy fartlek to get the legs moving some.  I ran the four mile fartlek at 6:09 average and averaged a little under 4:30 pace on the fast portion.  Legs felt stiff and worn out.

Friday: 6.2 miles (6:42); 7 miles (6:38)

Saturday: 17.4 miles with half-marathon in 66:37. Goal was to win, without overdoing it. Connor Kamm was my main competition and he's coming back after some hip stuff and was planning on starting at 5:20.  I decided to start pretty hard, in hopes he let me go so I could back off late in the race.  Opened up with a 4:51 and then hovered around 5:00ish the next few miles.  I was a little more fatigued than I wanted and at the turnaround, a little over six miles in, I saw I had about 1/3 of a mile lead.  At nineish miles, I backed off and cruised 5:15s until the end to win by about two minutes.  Lanni also broke the Canadian record and ran 1:10:45.

Sunday: 5.6 miles (7:00ish); 11.8 miles on the trails (6:49). Headed to Beaman Park for the first time in almost two years.  It's pretty runable single track with constant small rollers.  I didn't struggle on any of the uphills until the long climb right before the finish.  I did two down-and-backs and used to call this 12.4, so maybe it was a little bit longer.  Great run and looks felt really good.

Week Total: 114.3 miles. Decent week. I can tell I'm a little behind schedule and am hoping I don't get smoked at Gate River this weekend.  After Houston, my goal was to run sub 4:50 pace there, but I don't think I'll be able to pull that off.  That being said, I'll still race my butt off because I have to try and catch fellow Nashvillian, Jeanette Faber (girls get a six minute and something head start). And does it count as getting chicked if I run down a woman then get out sprinted by her?