June 23rd-29th Training

Monday: 9.1 miles (7:06); 5.5 miles (7:30)

Tuesday: 9.1 miles (6:55); 5.4 miles (7:09)

Wednesday: 10.6 miles (6:36); 5.7 miles (7:14)

Thursday: 9.1 miles (6:48); 5.6 miles (7:16)

Friday: 7.3 miles (7:14); 6.1 miles (6:15)

Saturday: 9.4 miles (6:40); 4.8 miles (7:17)

Sunday: 18.2 miles (6:32). Two completed long runs in a row, I'm on a roll.  Ventured out on a partially new course since almost all of my runs are a variation of 2-3 routes. The new part was really good for running...constant rolling hills, no traffic or loose dogs, lots of open space and farmland and the only sounds I heard on those sevenish miles were my feet, crickets and birds.  There was a huge pack of vultures and I could have sworn one of them was barking at me but then I saw a dog in someone's backyard. I was hoping to run this under 6:30 pace and was at 6:35 halfway, but the hills beat my legs up and my legs didn't feel like picking it up. But on a good note, this course is going to be perfect for CIM fast finish longs runs since the "new" route ended right where my fast finish long runs normally start and CIM has some rollers before a flat last few miles, similar to what I did here.  With five miles to go, it was clear and sunny but in the distance, it was pitch black.  With about three miles to go, I could see the starting point of the downpour a couple hundred meters ahead of me and I felt like I was a medieval warrior charging to battle.  I was super drenched and my feet were getting super achy, which frequently happens on long runs when I'm out of shape and boosting up my mileage.   I was going to run an easy 3-3.5 in the evening but I was too busy and my legs were a little achy as it was.

Week Total: 105.9 miles.  Another decent volume week. And even though I'm doing a lot of my runs in 150+ misery index, I feel like I'm finally getting more adapted to it. I'm also sleeping a couple of hours less a night, so hopefully that means I'm getting a little more fit.  And I'm still eating decently (for myself) and am leaning up a good bit.  So it feels good to make some forward progress even though I'm still way out of shape. Next week, I'll keep the volume around the same and get in a moderate run, a 5k as an easyish tempo (hopefully no one else shows up) and a 20 miler. I may even go crazy and add some hill sprints and some weight work since I've been paying or the gym, but never go. I'm hoping to have a good July so I can be ready to train hard in August.