Winter time is really a hard time to muster up the gumption to get out of bed and go running. Here in Tucson, we at least have that advantage where the temperatures aren't too extreme like they could be say in the North East. Most mornings it's cold, but not to the point where adding an extra layer wouldn't get you by. Today was one of those days. Low 50s, just a nice morning for running. The hardest part was that it's just so darned dark out there. So dark, to the point, that you can't see much in front of you. Thank goodness for headlights! Those little LED lights you wear around your head...you know the ones....they make you look like your a coal miner....or going spelunking. Okay....I jsut wanted to say spelunking...
So, I finally got back with the group today. Officially over that head crud that I had, only having minor gunkage coming out. The only problem with the cold is that my nose runs like a freakin fire hydrant when it gets cold. Which is a really nice site as I'm blsting snot rockets out in between sets. It's okay....Most of the group is doing the same thing...we just try and get out of range of one another. It's a good thing to keep your runny snot to yourself. Not the gift that keeps on giving. So, you can just imagine the sounds of heavy breathing between each of the 12 400m repeats. I swear, the people that live in those houses along that path.....I just wonder what goes through their minds when you hear 12 people out there clearing their sinuses. All at different times, because we have little packs that end up running together. What a site we are. This is also going to be a staple Thursday run for a while. My target pace is 1:45 for the quarters. The goal is to keep them even, and that seems to be my problem. Well, not that they're even, but that I think I'm running them too fast for my target marathon training. The last thing I want to do is get to marathon day and go out too fast and ruin what's been a great training segment. Or mayby I'm jsut underestimating my talent level. Either way, I managed to run all 12 sets between 1:40-1:43. Not a huge disparity. And actually, I'm pretty proud of that fact because I never actually took the full 45 second prescribed rest. Coach Mamma Michele pointed that out to me as well. But, she wasn't either, and I didn't want to tail the group. I wanted to run fairly close to my pack. But, I can honestly say that I'm realy happy with my times.
This week isn't going to be huge action packed mile week. I really need to let my body catch back up after going through what I went through this weekend. I had initially planned 18 miles on Sunday as the next increase from teh 15 mile "tempo" run two weeks ago, but since I didn't get my 16 mile run back in, I'm going to keep it at the 15 the rest of the group will be running. We have it coming up again three weeks from Sunday, so then will probably be an appropriate time to up it to 18. We have some really good tough runs coming up, so I don't feel like pushing that out will be harmful. I'll take the 14 that's scheduled next week and up that to the 16 I was to do last Sunday. Flexibility is the key to any good training plan!
With that, LIVESTRONG and Train HARD!
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