Interestingly, after shelving the bike for the past couple of weeks, I have felt significantly fresher in all facets of running. This will definitely be revisited when it gets warmer out after the Boston marathon, but for now, my focus is singular.
Overall, this was a pretty solid week as I continue to carefully add mileage:
Monday:
AM: 5 miles (fast)
PM; 7 miles total with 6 at around 5:30-5:45 pace.
All this fast running was thanks to a ridiculous mishap in which my car was towed from its legal spot. Despite getting everything resolved and not having to pay anything, I had to blow off quite a lot of steam. It was good timing though, as I got my tempo run in a few days early, even if it was unplanned...
Tuesday:
AM: 7 miles
In the middle of the day I had my right toe looked at. Turns out my toenail was not quite ingrown (but was very close). A quick trimming back has already made my foot feel much better. Now hopefully the damn nail will grow back properly. I actually went to the podiatrist group that was the "official" group of the Baltimore marathon for a few years. My Geico Pacer jacket brought up a little conversation; it was great to be in good hands.
Wednesday:
AM: 3 miles
PM: 7 miles
Since I didn't need surgery to remove that nail, I didn't actually need to take any time off. Though the toe was a bit sore for a couple of days. A cold rain made the Wednesday night run slightly less enjoyable.
Thursday:
Rest
Friday:
AM: 4 miles
PM: 7 miles
Saturday:
5 miles; back just in time to watch the #Houston2012 twitter feed to get live updates of the Olympic Trials race. It was certainly exciting and inspirational. And yes, I admit, I watched the recorded broadcast in its entirety that afternoon.
Sunday:
16 miles total with a low key 8 mile race thrown into the mix. I ran a 2 mile warm up, hit the 8 miler at about 5:45 pace good for 46:14 and 2nd overall, then ran another 6 to round out the day at 16 total. I think that counts as my first legit marathon workout.
The race was an interesting one, taking place at the Loch Raven reservoir, a rather hilly area. Last year, I had run a 47:21 and was hoping to knock that time down a bit. Overall, it was successful. My race was pretty consistent, save the large uphill portion in the middle of the race.
I also probably should have worn more than a singlet, shorts, arm warmers, and thin running gloves because it was freaking cold. It was somewhere around 25 degrees. By the time I had finished the race, my hands were completely frozen, my toes were cold, and lets just say that my shorts provided little protection for other areas as well. To top it off, my left shoe came untied with 2 miles to go.
I didn't bother to stop, since I wouldn't be able to tie it anyway (I was barely able to get into my car to defrost after the race), and 3rd place was hot on my heels. Unfortunately, the shoe slowed me down a bit, especially on the downhills. I almost kicked it off, but opted to keep it on and just finish without falling.
Splits: 5:46, 5:32, 5:45, 5:40, 6:23, 5:46, 5:35, 5:47. Clearly, I could use some more hill work, but overall I'm happy with where I am for January.
Total Miles: 61
Next up...60-69 mile weeks for the next two, then a step back the following week. A 5k the first weekend in February, and the 10 Mile club challenge are on the horizon for the next races. Only racing twice in a month is substantially easier both mentally and physically!
I agree with your last line. We all. Have our "happy place" for racing.
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