Boston Marathon Training Week # 8

Sunday morning and I just got done doing some hill repeats in the Carolina Beach State Park. Running back thru a section I named the furnace (because of the white sand in summer), I heard the sound of the ocean's surf way off in the distance. Around me the rain fell light but steady, as I looked over at the swamp like pond just adjacent to me. At the end of another week over eighty plus miles, the scene was dam near beyond magical to me. For a few moments I felt like I was lost in time and space...all the miles, all the miles

But at times during the week I struggled mightily-not physically, but mentally, spiritually, logging all the aforementioned miles. Out there in the dark, in the cold, questing why am I doing all of this to myself. Why do I always seem to have the incessant need to take things to the extreme?  So I tried to stay glued to the discipline, searching for the joy in the rigor.

I did decide to temporarily suspend the each mile mantra, or saying it after mile. Just felt like I needed to take a break on that, and needed something new. Though I continued to give thanks for each mile completed.

There are always ups and down in this. So I try to stay somewhat on an even keel. Not to high with the highs, and don't let the lows get me too low. Put one foot in front of the other; persevere, no matter the obstacles

Ran all seven days this week too, which was a first. Plus a bunch more miles in the dark, and also in the cold (freezing cold early Saturday). New weekly high on this training cycle, and I think second highest mpw in my life. Also ended the month of January with 343 miles, which I am fairly certain is a personal record.

Nearing the half way point. Hard to believe, and I almost got a bit nostalgic for it all, though its way, way to early for any of that. Onward and upward, as always...

Week #8 (1/29/18-2/4/18)

Total miles: 84.6


Monday:  6.79 miles. Easy/ recovery miles in CB State Park and roads of CB. Legs not too bad coming off of 15k race the morning before. Awesome view of super moon when cresting big Yellow Blazes hill.  Day and a half recovery too as ran in early evening. Run time- 1:04:53 (9:33 pace)

Tuesday:  10.22 miles. CBSP + CB roads. Took the yellow blaze/ sugar loaf hill a couple of times before darkness fully settled in and I had to get back onto the roads. Run was a bit of a grind at times mentally- sort of slogging the miles just to get the mileage in. Physically didn't feel too bad. Stretched run out by heading down North End and then coming back on boardwalk. Thought being right by ocean might buoy spirits.  Run time- 1:27:41 (8:35 pace)

Wednesday:  17.05 miles. WO2. 8 + 6 x 1000m I pace, jog recover rest of mile + 4 x 400m w/ 400m recovery jog + 1. A pretty solid workout, though legs didn't quite have a top end gear, or as much as pop as they sometimes would. Likely some lingering effects from the race Sunday and the overall accumulation of mileage of late. Ran the 1000s fairly decent, though was hard pressed to break 3:45 like last time I did in WO. Closer to 3:50, or low 6s pace. 400s in mid 1:20s. But overall pleased with effort and results. Run time- 2:08:41 (7:33 pace)

Thursday: 8.1 miles. CBSP + CB roads. Easy pace, legs pretty beat up. A get the mileage in again kind of run. Wanted to skip. Had to keep convincing myself to get another mile in, because it would reduce what I would need the rest of the week, minus the 2nd WO mileage. Though it was much milder out which was nice. Run time-1:15:43 (9:21 pace)

Friday: 11.08 miles. CB roads, to North end and back. 8 x 150m I/O striders in last 2-3 miles. Ran at a bit of a quicker pace, though kept thinking in first few miles when watched beeped that I seemed to be going faster than what my splits were. Probably another sign of some accumulated fatigue. Plus was a long week at work. Knocked out the miles though and felt a little better mentally doing so than some of the runs earlier in the week. Lot of thoughts about running and eating over the weekend, and getting excited for my Eagles in the super bowl  Run time- 1:28:16 (7:58 pace).

Saturday: 19 miles. WO1. 8 + 3T + 8. CB across Snows Cut bridge and up River Rd, plus a loop thru neighborhood by Amie's. Even looked for her (just missed it turns out). Plus North End and back. Very cold out at 6am when run began in pitch dark. Temps in hi 20s with wind chill around 20. Wore hoorag over face for some of the earlier miles. Surprised pleasantly w/ paces on T miles since felt like couldn't quite get legs to turnover like I wanted. Splits 6:28, 6:24, 6:35. Ran last 8 miles mostly in 7:20s/ 7:30s while feeling like wasn't killing myself to do so. Did a bunch of math to pass time and was shooting for sub 2:25. Good effort and results, again considering too the cold and amount of gear I wore. Run time- 2:21:43 (7:27 pace)

Sunday: 12.38 miles. Mostly CB trails. Did hill workout after about 7-8 miles. Same area of Yellow Blazes and Sugarloaf getting about 8 in. Also took some of the down hills pretty fast. Pace was up hill wasn't killer, but increased tempo to probably around 7:00ish. Legs a bit heavy/ sore from Saturday but held up ok. Started to rain while on hills, and kept thinking was appropriate in one of those "how bad do you want it" kind of ways.  Run time- 1:47:43 (8:43 pace)