2/20-3/4...Some Catching up

With race reports and the like, I need a training log dump to catch up.

Week of 2/20:
Mon: 7 miles, easy/moderate

Tues: 9 miles total, with 5x800 and 2x (3x400).  Relatively short rest within each set, lap jog between each.  We kept it hard but not blazing, and threw in some trickery with various pacing targets on some of the reps.  Overall times...2:43, 2:31, 2:39; 2:39; 2:26......79, 77, 82, 75, 74, 74

Wed: 10 miles, easy

Thurs: 7 miles, moderate.  Finally started feeling strong leading up to race weekend.

Fri: 3 miles, easy

Sat: 7 miles, easy

Sun: Club Challenge, 57:28, 10 miles of racing, 5 miles of warmup/cool down

Total Miles: 58

The week largely accomplished what it was supposed to, I felt relatively fresh for the race, and possibly, a little too good in the days to follow.  Does that mean I could have run harder?  Maybe...

Week of 2/27:

Mon: 11 miles total, 6 with the Fed Hill Runners group.  It was a real chill group run through the Harbor, feeling like quite the victory lap after the race.

Tues: 10.5 miles, easy.  Ran a relatively new loop (really, just a loop others have done, but did it myself the first time), going through the back of Druid Hill Park, cutting through Johns Hopkins, and running back south down Charles St.  I actually enjoyed it.

Wed: AM: 7 miles, easy.  Felt pretty strong, no lingering soreness as has plagued me for most of Feb.
          PM: 6.5 miles total with the world famous Leap Day 4K.  I continued to feel good

Thurs: 7 miles, easy

Fri: AM: 4 miles, easy
       PM: 10 miles total with 5x 800 meter hill.  Greenspring road in the back of Druid Hill park.  Though not as impressive as Gun Road, it more of the type of hill you can actually charge up, rather than feeling like the grade is going to knock you down.  Felt pretty good, though I was lame and waited until that night to run after the rain stopped.

Sat: 13 miles, easyish.  A rolling hill run with TWSS.  I was feeling a bit stiff, but it actually got better as the run went on.

Sun: 20 miles with the last 8 at marathon pace, on the NCR Trail.  Things really started to come together before, during, and after this run.  My legs seemed to have caught up with me, and my body is getting used to the demands I have placed on it.  I rocked this run, and with hindsight of Monday, realized it didn't take a whole lot out of me as I had a solid run today as well.  Here are some splits...

7:06; 6:39; 6:41; 6:41; 6:43; 6:40; 6:32; 6:27; 6:27; 6:34; 6:28; 6:11; 6:05; 6:08; 6:11; 6:01; 5:58; 5:59; 6:00; 5:54...2:07:25 overall, 6:22 average.

I wasn't extremely sore at all following this run.  Initially, of course after driving back to my apartment, I was a bit slow getting out of my car but later that day, it certainly did not feel like I had just run 20 miles at a pretty decent pace.  My next long run will be a lot slower, so that I can stretch out the legs for close to the total time I expect to be on my feet at Boston.  Then perhaps, I'll do this style of run one more time.  I've believed in it for a long time, so I'll certainly stick to it!  It got me my 2:44, and it should get me into the shape I want to be in again (this time without overdoing it).

Total Miles: 89

That is my second biggest mile week ever.  The largest, ironically was this very week last year.  After the B&A Trail Half Marathon in which I PR'ed and hit 97 miles, I could barely walk being in so much pain.  Now, after 89 miles, I rocked an 11 mile easy/moderate run tonight without feeling any ill-effects.

My slightly delayed start of a peak (by about 2-3 weeks), seems to be working out well.  The taper isn't too far away, and I don't feel anything resembling drained.  One more big week, then a step down for a half marathon.

Getting closer!