2 runs

I was up at 4:30 today. I had a long day as I worked at 6:40. I got 4 in prior to working. I did 60 minutes of hills after work. That was about 7 hills. Very good workout. Effort was good. Things are slowly coming around. Looking forward to the workouts this week as I have two mile repeats for tues and a big race sunday. Hoping all can come together. Almost 9 weeks left. I need to start getting some consistant workouts in.

Easy

I went early today. It was pretty cold. Low 50s. Nice. I ran very easy. Nothing else to report. Bigger day tomorrow.

Long run

Today I doubled back from the workout yesterday to get in a long run. I met Ron and Jason at about 6am as Ron was doing MP pace. I felt good early but the middle was rough. I ended on a huge hill and the last 4-5 miles were 615 ish. I stepped on a rock with a few minutes to go. Really rolling my ankle. It seems to be much better now 11am.

My thoughts about my current fitness are dominated by 1 it's still really early 2 the weather hasn't been good for a nice long stretch. 3. I have stretched a 13 week peak into 15 weeks. So I guess that is the same as number 1. It is funny because I almost fret about this. I have gone from being worried about it to coaching myself to be patient and back again 1000 times. The mileage is the only change I am willing to make at this point. Dropping down a 5-10 mile run a week will hopefully get my body back and then get my head to follow. Press on. Press on.

One thing I really learned from last fall is patience. I just need to believe that it will come back. progression is happening.

Progress????

Today I did 4 x 1 mile with short rest. I decided to keep the warm up short as it was warm and I was rushed for time. 3 miles easy with a few strides and I was off. 5:04. Felt very easy. Like I remember these workouts feeling before. Mile 2 uphill and I really lost focus. Resting on the fact that the first one was so easy I fully took advantage and was way slow. Mile 3 was back up the hill a bit and then downhill into the wind. 5:11. Not bad about where I wanted. Last mile. 5 flat. Felt easy again. Things are getting better. I really need to keep my head in it becuase I sense with the weather change things are really going to progress. I need to keep plugging away at the workouts and once the weather changes and the humidity goes down. I will really be ready to rock. 13.5 miles.

early wake up

Carrie had to work this am so I was up before 5 in order to get home before 6:30 so she could get to work on time. A brutal week ahead for me as I work 50+ hours and I fitting runs in will be very difficult.

Despite the early wake up I felt fine. I was able to get in a nap and that was huge. 12 miles in today with a workout on the table for Tuesday. 4-5 x 1 mile at 5:10 with a minute rest. See how it goes.

Aftermath

Today was an easy day. Very little soreness. Except for my feet. I will never race in the greens again. They feel ok when running but that is about it. They have really beat up my feet. I ran 12 today to get a total of 101 for the week. I will attempt to keep my miles there for the next couple of weeks. I need to get in good workouts and focus on my easy days being shorter easier days.

Rochester Half Marathon

Today was the Rochester Half marathon. Formerly the Holiday Inn half. I was set to run a decent race but nothing earth shattering. I had planned on starting off at an easy pace and letting things develop easily over the last few miles finishing hard but with an overall good effort. The weather was decent low 60s at the start with the humidity at 87 percent. My main focus was an easy early pace. I saw that Kelly Mortenson was there and that he has run fast in the past at this race. I knew he was in decent shape but nothing that I shouldn't be able to cover. Below are the reasons I can think things didn't go well.

1. Not sure if this is the number one reason or just 1a. Rest. I started the week off with 15 miles then 17 miles then 14 miles then a workout. I was coming off a week of very little rest. Last Saturday was my ten mile tempo, which went well. But since then I have not really had an easy day to let everything heal up.
2. The weather. I know what people are saying low 60s. Yeah I know, however. I think in the last 5 years this had to be the worst result from this race. I know that the field wasn't one of the best but some of these guys can run faster.
3. A real lack of getting up for the race. I don't feel like I was very prepared for this one mentally. I do feel a fire a will to want to run fast but it wasn't there today. I clicked off very consistent miles but nothing spectacular.

In the end this felt just like Fetzer 20k back in april. Almost exaclty the same. In fact my splits tell the whole truth

5:22/11/15/22/23/23/23/24/23/25/26/33/6:06. Very consistent after 3miles.

Changes:
I mulled over a whole bunch of changes as a result of this performance. The only one that I am going to make is lowering my mileage a bit. Keeping it at 100-105 and not worrying about how much I get in after a workout. I am going to keep the rest days to a minimum.

Back to the grind as they say. I have put it behind me and am moving on. Nothing I can change now.