My Week On The Run...

This week's round of training was for the most part just an exercise of will.  After a decent start on Sunday, the seemingly endless winter came back with a vengeance, making Monday through Wednesday just miserable.  I guess that those are the days that train us the best.  The days that we don't want to be out there, the days that dare us to venture outdoors, the days that cause every fiber of our soft selves scream to that a nap is not only more desirable, it's probably smarter, too; these are the days that harden us as runners to the point of looking into the sky mid-run and screaming, "Bring it on!"

 

Maybe challenging God isn't the best training strategy, but to some degree, that feeling of a certain amount of invincibility is necessary for the type of training it takes to get into the racing shape for which we seem to perennially be striving.

 

In any case, with all that said, this was my week on the run...

Sun 3/24
6 miles (46:51)
Abbreviated downtown loop.

UMYF ended and the youth all left abnormally quickly afterward, so I managed to sneak out for a run before heading home.  As I was running, I thought I noticed the wind picking up and the temperature dropping a little too quickly, which turned out to be more true than I could have realized.  I darn near got blown off the road driving home, and the next few days turned grossly cold and windy considering the time of year.

Mon 3/25
10 miles (1:19:39)
Downtown loop with extension.

An exercise of shear will power.  Cold, raining, and just crappy outside.  The run felt fine on the legs, but I let it take more out of me mentally than I should have.

Tues 3/26
0
Every now and then, I get the feeling that I only have a finite amount of will power for a given time period, and I definitely used it up on Monday's run... Needed to re-coop, but given a little twinge in my right foot, the rest probably helped, as it felt a little better with a day off.

Wed 3/27
10 miles (1:16:37)
Downtown loop with extension.
Low-key night for youth since it's spring break for most of them, so I had a bit more time.  Felt great after the rest day, including the little foot twinge improving a little.

Thurs 3/28

8 miles (1:01:37)
Downtown loop.
Felt good and was planning on 10, but called it at 8 due to a bad combination of pushing a pair of shorts through one too many runs between washings and foregoing body-glide...

Fri 3/29
10 miles (1:17:07)
Downtown loop with extension.
Weather improving; good temps and no rain.  Light traffic (between rush hour and time for folks to be going out for the night...).  The people gawking out the restaurant and bar windows just didn't know what they were missing.

Sat 3/30
8 miles (1:04:26)

Pt. Mallard
Temperature was fine, but raining the whole time.  Crossed paths with Carson and Carlos out for a long run in preparation for an April marathon, but other than that, for the most part I had the damp, rainy, misty river all to myself.   Fun, all things considered.


Total:  52 miles (6:46:17)