I don’t truly know what race is next. It sounds like my wife wants me to do the Candy 5k just for the medal. I kinda want to do the RedLegs 10k because it’s one of only a handful of major 10ks in the region (the others being the Flying Pig 10k and the Turkey Day 10k, and of those two others one is a 6 mile parade). I’ll figure it out someday, and hopefully before these races happen. Otherwise, the next races might be the Bulldog Blast 5k and the NKU XC Series. Fall marathon training starts June 24.
Anyway, on to this past week.
Monday: 5 miles. Apparently I felt like running off my lasagna, because I ran 5 at a pretty blistering pace (and it was a progressive run). I kept it in the park since it’s not the longest running I do. 5.12 miles in 42:03 (8:13 min/mile pace).
Tuesday: 5 miles. Woke up late, so I kept it in the subdivision. Fortunately, no dogs or idiots. 5.01 miles in 41:04 (8:12 min/mile pace).
Wednesday: Rest.
Thursday: 7 + 8 strides. Got my hill on at East Fork. It was a cold 50F – I originally put on a short sleeve shirt and went to leave I stepped out of the garage and decided I wanted a long-sleeve shirt. So up to change. 8.01 miles overall in 1:08:07 (8:30 min/mile).
Friday: 9 miles. I drove to West Lafayette, Indiana yesterday, and scoped out the riverside running path. I specifically booked a hotel along the path, because priorities 😊. It looked good. After dinner, I scoped it out a little.
West side of river, looking south-ish
Pedestrian Bridge
East side of river, looking north
East side of river, looking north
East side of river
East side of river, looking south
Friday: 9 miles. Well, the pictures above make it look really good compared to the reality. I started across the pedestrian bridge to the east side of the river and went north. First off, there was a lot of bugs.
Then, I started slipping on mud. I stopped and realized that right ahead of me was the shimmer of water (and we’re not talking a small puddle, this was several feet and I couldn’t go around). So I turned around and headed back across the bridge and then north. All seemed good until I noticed I was going down and then… water. So I turned around and went north and all seemed good until… yup, you guessed it – water. So I decided to run up to Purdue University, which started with going uphill. Finally, with some additional light and lack of copious amounts of mud, I got some good miles in. Overall, 9.37 miles in 1:22:35 (8:49 min/mile pace).
This is a great example of how to design bicycle facilities.
They love their fountains in this area. I ran past about 64 of them (before losing count).
Overall, the week was 27.5 miles of my legs getting over the marathon I ran late last month. On to next week!
Monday: 5 miles. Ran in the subdivision, and managed to find the one asshat that can’t be bothered to buy a leash for his dog. So adrenaline does interesting things to pacing, since I went from 9:05, 8:35 (had to stop for the fucking dog right past this and start yelling at it), 8:19, 7:50, 7:41. Overall, 5.02 in 41:13 (8:17 min/mile). “Recovery”.
Tuesday: 5 miles. Not wanting to repeat yesterday (although instead of silent judging, I’d probably tell Mr. Asshat to make that the last time or one of the county Sheriff might be paying him a visit), but also wanting a change of scenery, I ran in the park. I also set my watch for the entire workout instead of an open auto-lapped workout. Started the morning with some form drills (it’s been a while), a several-minute delay from the watch updating 😡, ran 5.13 in 43:02 (8:24 min/mile pace, closer to an even pace according to Strava), and then did some stretches and squats.
Wednesday: Rest. Since I’m in a recovery plan and it was supposed to rain all day Thursday, so I decided to run today. And since I’ve run on mostly-flat courses all week, I decided to run at East Fork and do some hills. Then, since I was ‘only’ doing 6 miles instead of the normal 12, I decided to make a real run for a Strava segment going up a hill. It was a great run, and I PRed the hill segment! 6.02 miles in 50:56 (8:28 min/mile pace).
Thursday: It didn’t rain.
Friday: 7 miles. It rained a little, I was mostly running through drizzle and around asshats parking across the sidewalk in the neighborhood next to the park. I was kinda pushing towards the end and then tried to back off a little when I had a mile split come in just under 8:00. Overall, 7.11 miles in 59:04 (8:18 min/mile).
The week was 23.28 miles of nice recovery miles. I’m up to 789 miles for the year, which is probably the highest I’ve been this soon. Cheers!
My week started sore as heck. I guess that’s expected after a marathon, but I thought maybe marathon 2 would be better than 1. It both is and isn’t. I’ve been just as sore, but for a shorter time after the marathon.
Monday and Tuesday were rest days. Tuesday also involved driving to Indianapolis for a meeting.
Wednesday: 4 miles. Oops, I thought it was three. Since it was trash day, I ran in the park. I had a 10 minute delay thanks to my watch 😡. 3.15 sore miles in 29:23 (9:20 min/mile pace).
Tuesday: 3 miles. Since I ‘Oopsed’ yesterday, I made up for it today (I know, I shouldn’t, but I did). It was foggy, but I could run in the neighborhood. 4.16 miles in 36:34 (8:47 min/mile pace).
Friday: Little Kings 50 West Mile. So this is a fun little race that kicks off the Flying Pig Weekend. Being less than a week out from the marathon, I didn’t know what to expect. I went into it thinking I had a PR of 6:20, too. Prior to the race, I ran around (literally) the riverfront area – to packet pickup, back to the car to drop off the shirt, back to start. I was placed in Corral A 😮. Goods and bads there – I’ve gotta run fast (bad?), but I’m close to the front of the line for beer (good… er AWESOME!). I started at the back left of Corral A. The back part was not a mistake, but being on the left was – about 480 feet into the course, there is a sharp turn that’s nearly a hairpin. I was very close to the curb there and had to slow to get around it. I didn’t make up my pace, but that might also be because mid-5s to low-6s isn’t really sustainable. Time: 6:32. Then at the end of the weekend, I found that my memory of last year’s race was more optimistic – my prior PR was a 6:39. So I PRed by 7 seconds. NICE! Also nice, while I was there I met fellow Runnitor Ricard0 and we talked for a while and watched the elites. Then, after complimenting another runner on her “I SWEAT IPA” headband, she handed it to me, saying she could get another one for free through some free brewery runs in Minnesota. 😊
April ended during this week, I ran 173 miles in April. Not my highest, but still higher than all but one month last year. May and the first half of June will be pretty easy, July and August will have a few races – most notably the NKU XC Series and the Batavia Bulldog Blast. Beyond that, the Hudepohl 14k is coming up in the fall, as is marathon 3 – Columbus Marathon.
My wife and oldest daughter and I drove up on Friday night. It was a boring (mostly) drive up I-75. After a wrong turn in a parking lot, we got to the hotel around 10:00 PM. The hotel was mediocre – all the rooms with two beds have two doubles.
T-1 Day – Expo and Stuff
On the morning before, I got out for a 4 mile shakeout run. The weather was decent, although a little chilly. I didn’t go particularly hard, 4.04 miles in 34:07 (8:27 min/mile pace). I did get to run on a path in one of Toledo’s Metroparks.
On the day before, my wife, eldest daughter, and I went to the expo and picked up a little something in addition to my race packet.
I wanted to balance the back of my car – 26.2 on one side and I RUN FOR BEER on the other!
We didn’t spend much time at the expo, it was small but had pretty good representation from the local running stores and some nearby (Cleveland, Akron) races.
After the expo, we stopped at a local grocery store to get some bagels and peanut butter (and a few other groceries). I checked their beer aisle. Everything they had that was local was pretty easy for me to get, and everything not local was either Cleveland (Great Lakes) or Cincinnati (Madtree, Rhinegeist).
Later on, we went to Maumee Bay Brewing Company for a pizza and some beers. We went to go to Black Cloister Brewing Company, but it is in downtown Toledo and the nearest lot wanted $15 to park there. I don’t know what was going on, but it didn’t work in their favor! It had started raining, so walking a few (or more) blocks was out of the question. We went back to the hotel room to relax.
Sometime during the afternoon or evening, I prepared my stuff for the morning. Shorts, a long-sleeve shirt, headband, and gloves for the race, and not knowing what the weather would do, I packed a towel, pants, sweatshirt, and compression socks in my check bag. In addition, I packed my waist pack with several Gatorade Energy Gels, made sure my watch and AfterShokz were charged, and made sure my RoadID, Bib Boards, and bib were where I needed them.
Not exactly a “flat runner” pic, but similar
The Race
I got to the starting line courtesy of the hotel shuttle with about 40 minutes to spare. Since it was still drizzling and chilly, I kept my sweatshirt on until about 20 minutes to spare when I stuffed it into the bag and went to gear check. The race started without a hitch.
First 6 Miles
Miles 1 and 2 were a tad on the slow slide, partly because I was still warming up and partly due to course congestion. The mile 1 aid station was particularly bad – it was half a 2-lane road with water on both sides and very eager volunteers. Mile 3 was another congested aid station. First three mile splits: 8:30, 8:04, 7:59.
The congestion from other runners started to clear up in miles 4, 5, and 6. There was still several runners, but there was a little more room around. I remained conservative in my pace through 4 and 5, and started pushing a little in mile 6: 7:58, 8:04, 7:51.
I took Gatorade at every other aid station through this first quarter. I took a Gatorade Endurance Gel in Mile 5.
Second 6 Miles
I maintained my momentum from mile 6 through 7 and 8. Mile 9 had several turns and some small hills, which slowed me a little, but it was still solid. Beyond 9, I started laying down some solid splits that I maintained for a while. The split for half and full was between mile 9 and 10, and the course really cleared. At that point, I used the Google Assistant via my AfterShokz to shuffle my “Epic Running Playlist” and got into a groove.
I took Gatorade at every other station EXCEPT I also took at the mile 11 station unsure of whether it was the last before 14 or if there was another. I debated on skipping mile 12, but decided I would be okay to take in some Gatorade before getting into the lesser-supported section. I took a gel at mile 10. Miles 7-12 splits were 7:56, 7:54, 8:03, 7:49, 7:53, 7:57.
Third 6 Miles
I really maintained my sub-8 groove here, despite the sun coming out and getting into a crummier portion of the course that is along a “stroad” (a wide suburban highway) as well as getting into some turns and hills in a subdivision. In addition to the crummier course, the road was very wet in places and there was a particularly nasty sun glare. There was a location with a tunnel for “recovery”. This was apparently for an alcohol recovery group. Having “I RUN FOR BEER” on my Bib Boards, this was somewhat awkward. Note to self: get some non-prescription sunglasses that I can carry with me! Through the subdivisions, there was some cheering, and some were serious about it! 😊.
I took Gatorade at all the stations through here, as they went down to a station every-other-mile. In addition, I took a gel at mile 15. Mile 13-18 splits were 7:53, 7:53, 7:52, 7:51, 8:01, 8:03.
Fourth 6 Miles
This is where the wheels started falling off the A train. Mile 19 was still solid, but 20-24 became more difficult. This section starts along a busy street and then goes into a nature preserve before getting onto a bike trail. The bike path became boring and monotonous. Additionally, my quads were ON FIRE.
Gatorade at every other station, and my final energy gel at mile 20. The splits for miles 19-24 were 8:08, 8:35, 8:16, 8:29, 8:38, and 8:48.
The Last 2.2 Miles
Continuing with quads of fire, at some point in mile 23 I looked at my watch and thought that I can break 3:30 with some seriously fast splits… and well, it didn’t exactly happen that way. Mile 25 was not my slowest mile of the day, but it was close. When I saw the mile 25 sign, I released the Kracken. I really wanted to accomplish the Strava last-mile challenge and have my best mile be my last mile. I kicked it into high gear and started passing a ton of people – including a few that were not completely happy about getting passed (I heard one lady say “🤬” quite loudly after I passed her 😂 – she passed me a few miles before and was kinda close about it, so it serves her right!). In addition, about 1/3 the way past mile 25, the race starts going downhill!
Mile 25 was 8:44. Mile 26 was a 7:46, and the last 0.2 was 1:53 (7:29 pace). My speed across the line was nothing short of amazing, and I accomplished the last mile challenge!
Total time was 3:32:58. 12 minute PR!
In addition, I think this race gets an all-time high for mustache compliments. No joke, I’m pretty sure it exceeded all other races COMBINED by a factor of two!
I’m not angry, I had the sun in my face!Strava proof!
Afterparty!
So the afterparty began with entering a parking lot, receiving a glass mug, and then waiting in a long line for a banana, orange, a few more snacks, some garlic bread, pizza, and a cookie. The garlic bread was garlic-y, the pizza was okay. The cookie was good. After eating those, I went to baggage claim to get my bag, which was of little security (glad my phone and cash were with me the entire time). I put on my compression socks and then went for the beer. The selection was better than expected, but not great. I did get a Michelob Ultra (Lime and Cactus Pear or something like that) and a Shock Top. I walked around a little and then headed towards the shuttle bus pickup, getting stopped by security on the way because I still had 1/3 of my beer 😒. I finished it and walked up a 🤬🤬 ton of stairs to get to the shuttle bus pickup, and while I waited there I ate my banana and orange.
Drive Home
I normally wouldn’t care about this part, but I-75 was closed due to a massive crash and I have pics courtesy of my wife.
That’s it! My next race is Friday, May 3: The 50 West Mile.
I’ve signed up for the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio, and I’m on week 17 of 18 in my slightly modified Pfitz 18/55 plan. The marathon is on April 28, 2019. I’m in the tapering phase. THIS IS IT.
Monday: Rest. This is what happens when I switch to a final week workout – I end up with an odd rest day.
Tuesday: 6 miles. Ran pretty easy in the park and the subdivision right next to it. Nice morning in the upper 50s, which is a bit warmer than the current Sunday forecast.
Wednesday: 7 miles with 2 @ M Pace. Kept this in the park on a chilly low-50s morning (it was in the low 50s, but it felt a little chillier). Did an easy warm up and then 2 miles at a 7:46 min/mile pace (the goal was 7:50 – 8:15, so I was a little fast). It didn’t feel like it, though. After finishing and running through the field, the run was 7.11 miles in 59:35 (8:23 min/mile pace).
Thursday: Rest. See Monday.
Friday: 5 + 6 strides. It was pouring rain when I woke up, and my phone said it wouldn’t let up until 5 PM, so I went out to run in my neighborhood. I wore my new Bib Boards since I didn’t want their first use to be a marathon. 6 miles in 50:18 (8:22 min/mile pace).
Saturday: loose 4 miles. Ran from the hotel to one of Toledo’s Metroparks and ran a short trail loop and back. It was a chilly 40 out. 4.04 in 34:07 (8:27 min/mile pace).
That’s it for the week. 23 miles so far, but I’m not counting the little race tomorrow.
I’m writing this while I’m in the middle of tapering for the marathon. Obviously, since this is marathon #2, I’m an expert and know everything about running a marathon. Obviously, I also feel like I’m ready, since this is #2, unlike with marathon #1 where nobody seems to feel ready.
Yeah right. There’s a few issues, one is that this is my first travel race – I’m driving from Cincinnati to Toledo on Friday Evening and then driving back on Sunday. So unlike when I can nearly-forget something but have it available, I can’t forget some important stuff because once the expo closes, that’s it.
I actually do feel somewhat ready. I know after the first that the plans are good (and if anything, I know Pfitz 18/55 is more advanced than Hal Higdon’s Intermediate 1. The numbers show it – under the HHI1 plan last year, my top week was 47 miles, with an average of 36 miles/week in the non-taper weeks. The Pfitz 18/55 maxxed out at just under 58 miles. It is supposed to max out at 55 miles, but some miscalculation on a run left me nearly two miles away from my car when out for a 20 mile run. The average (again, non-taper weeks) has been 45.5 miles.
HH Int 1
Pfitz 18/55
Maximum Weekly Mileage
47
58
Avg Weekly Mileage (non-taper weeks)
36
46
Number of 20-mile runs
2
3
Goals
I have four goals. The AA goal is a BQ time of 3:10 (a 7:15 min/mile pace). I don’t think I’m there yet (but I won’t complain if it happens!). The A goal is a 3:20 (a 7:38 min/mile pace). This is a substantial improvement over my current PR of 3:45, but I think it’s possible since the course in Toledo is flatter and the weather is expected to be better. The B goal is a 3:30 (around a 8:00 min/mile pace). This is around my current fitness level, per the McMillan Running Calculator. The C goal is to beat a 3:45:14, which is my current PR.
Keys To My Race
Key 1: Don’t Worry About the Hill
I’m used to hillier routes than the Toledo Marathon route. I had to take to Strava to get data about the elevation of the Toledo Marathon. The problem with this is that it ruins perspective a little, since you only have the vertical scale on the left side to use.
This is the Glass City Elevation Profile Flying Pig Elevation Profile
(Looking at the Flying Pig side, that big drop down Erie Avenue past the Mushroom House was nice…)
Anyway, I took to R to read the profiles and estimate the elevations so I could compare them easily. That “hill” in the middle of the course… it’s cute. 😂
Glass City might possibly be flattest marathon in the state of Ohio…
Key 2: Don’t Forget Energy Gels (And Manage Hydration)!
I’ve used Gu and Gatorade Endurance Gels (and prefer Gatorade Endurance). They, of course, have something else on the course – Honey Stinger. I’ve never had it, and obviously won’t try it on race day. I’m not even sure if you can usually buy Gatorade Endurance Gels at a larger expo (much less a smaller one like this).
Hydration will have a little more strategy to it, but only a little – I have to remember to be ready to take from all aid stations on the last half of the race. After mile 12, the aid stations spread out to every other mile or so. That’s along the lines of my normal hydration, so the fewer stations is not a big deal… provided I don’t miss one. Hopefully the Gatorade on the course is Gatorade Endurance, the race website is void of details beyond “Gatorade Lemon/Lime”.
This stuff is disappointingly difficult to find
Key 3: Stay Calm
The want to break that A goal may get me going too fast off the start, and the lack of hills will probably get me going a little too fast off the start. It’s going to be difficult to judge, too, since it’s flat. They key will be to maintain a solid effort without going over the threshold that leaves me smacking face-first into The Wall.
That’s it. I’m on cruise control until Sunday when I toe the line for Marathon Number 2!
I’ve signed up for the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio, and I’m on week 16 of 18 in my slightly modified Pfitz 18/55 plan. The marathon is on April 28, 2019. I’m in the tapering phase.
Monday: 7 miles. I ran this one starting a little earlier than normal and in the park and the neighborhood next to it. I didn’t go all-out, but my times suggest otherwise. 7.17 in 1:00:34 (8:27 min/mile pace).
Tuesday: 8 miles with 3 x 1 mile @ 5k pace. Ran this entirely in the park. My goal pace for the 5k splits was 6:55 – 7:15, I was 7:15, 7:18, and 7:13.
Wednesday: Rest! This still feels weird to rest in the middle of the week, but there’s probably some reasons for it.
Thursday: 5 miles + 6 strides. Ran in the park and the neighborhood next to it. Overall, 6.02 miles in 51:55 (8:37 min/mile pace).
Friday: 12 miles. I woke up to the sound of rain hitting the side of the house. I went out to run in East Fork, taking the bike path to Williamsburg and back and then when back in East Fork I ran down to the lake. 12.04 miles in 1:45:42 (8:47 min/mile pace).
That’s a wrap for the week. Next week is an easier one until Sunday… 33 miles this week, which is a big change from a few weeks ago when I was 20 miles more per week.
I’ve signed up for the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio, and I’m on week 15 of 18 in my slightly modified Pfitz 18/55 plan. The marathon is on April 28, 2019. I’m in the tapering phase.
Monday: 8 miles with 5 x 600m @ 5k pace. Ran this one in the park because of speedwork. The weather has turned, and I was wearing short sleeves for possibly the first time in 2019 (except those dreadmill runs). The intervals were at 7:07, 7:13, 7:09. 7:15, and 7:06, so in the range of 6:55 – 7:15. Overall, 8.05 miles in 1:07:54 (8:26 min/mile pace).
Tuesday: 4 miles + 6 strides. Kept this one in the subdivision, partly because my car wouldn’t start. 6 laps around for 5.01 miles in 42:56 (8:34 min/mile, although it didn’t quite feel like it).
Wednesday: Rest. This feels weird, but tapering, yo!
Thursday: 10k tune race. Ran this one in the park, too. Weather was just on the threshold between long and short sleeves. The 10k portion was 48:59 (7:53 min/mile pace). Overall, 8.21 miles in 1:07:06 (8:10 min/mile pace). Since I didn’t have enough distance left to finish my cool down at the parking lot, I ran the last part through the soccer fields, which was nice and soft (but not too soft). Of course, that’ll change with tomorrow’s rain.
Friday: 16 miles. It was supposed to rain (quite a bit) in the morning and the rest of the day. So I prepared for it (contacts, etc) and went to East Fork. Ran to Williamsburg and back and then to the other side of the Batavia-Williamsburg Trail (which is a misnomer, it doesn’t actually connect to Batavia. I was running on little sleep and it was WARM – 71 degrees. When I made it to the second part of the last leg (past 12.25 miles), it started sprinkling. On my way back to the car, after turning around (past 13.5 miles), it started to lightning and thunder a little. Then, about half a mile away from the car, it started to rain pretty hard. I did minimal stretching before jumping into the car. 16 miles in 2:25:53 (9:06 min/mile pace).
When wanting dry weather, prepare for rain
–Bastardization of some internet quote about war and peace
That’s it for the week. 37 miles total. After the prior week’s 53 miles, I’m definitely in tapering!
I’ve signed up for the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio, and I’m on week 14 of 18 in my slightly modified Pfitz 18/55 plan. The marathon is on April 28, 2019. I’m in the race prep phase. This phase has a lot more speed workouts.
Monday: 10 miles with 4 * 1.2k @ 5k pace. Ran a 10 mile “runch” in the township park and nearby subdivisions thanks to a cold morning. The paces were pretty good – 7:00, 7:15, 7:02, and 7:13. The goal was 6:55 to 7:15, so one was right at the upper end, the rest were in the range. Overall, 10 miles in 1:20:50 (8:02 min/mile pace).
Tuesday: 7 miles + 6 strides. Ran this entirely in the township park with a new pair of shoes. The weather was a little warmer in the morning, so this was in the morning. After the strides and run-rounding (runding?), 8.01 miles in 1:10:48 (8:50 min/mile pace).
New Shoes!
Sunrise at the park.
Wednesday: 11 miles. Ran in East Fork because I wanted a change of scenery. I’ve never been a fan of running this course in the dark, but I did it anyway since the weather was continuing to be somewhat nicer in the morning. 11.04 miles in 1:36:56 (8:47 min/mile pace).
Thursday: 4 miles recovery. Ran in the subdivision since it was just four miles. 4.18 miles in 36:38 (8:46 min/mile pace).
Friday: Last Chance 20 Miler. I adopted calling the last 20 mile run of a marathon training cycle the “last chance” after the “Last Chance” workouts that The Biggest Loser used to do – the last big workout before their weigh-in, which decided their fate on the show. Went down to Lunken Airport and ran into downtown. Had some GI issues and had to make a pitstop in mile 14 or so (and my GI issues continued throughout the day 😕). Fueled with Gatorade Endurance gels at miles 6.5 and 13, and hydrated with Gatorade Endurance Watermelon. Ultimately 20.04 in 2:56:19 (8:48 min/mile pace).
That’s it for the week and for the race prep phase. 53 miles this week. Next week starts the taper phase, so I’ll be going from a week of triple-doubles to a week with only one run over 10 miles.
I’ve signed up for the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio, and I’m on week 13 of 18 in my slightly modified Pfitz 18/55 plan. The marathon is on April 28, 2019. I’m in the race prep phase. This phase has a lot more speed workouts.
Monday: 8 w/5 * 600m @ 5k pace. It was rainy in the morning and had an appointment to take the wife’s brand new van in for service in the morning, so I held of running until the afternoon. It was drizzling and chilly, but not too bad. I found that my suspicion on my day the watch crashed was correct – the workout is incorrect in Garmin Connect. The target for these was 6:55 – 7:15 min/mile, the sets were 6:41, 7:03, 7:07, 6:55, and 6:52. I’m pretty pleased with those, of course. Overall, 8.06 miles in 1:04:50 (8:03 min/mile).
Tuesday: 11 miles. Oy Vey. The van has to go back again for a sensor replacement. So my run shifted to lunch, with no actual complaints because it was 10 degrees warmer at lunch time (27 in the morning, 37 or so at lunch, raising to the mid-40s very quickly). Ran in East Fork at a pretty fast pace. 11.03 in 1:33:07 (8:27 min/mile).
Wednesday: 4 miles + 6 x 100m strides. After thinking this would have do tomorrow’s 12 miles today and today’s 4+ tomorrow, I happily was able to “rest” after yesterday’s 11. Or so I thought. I got out at lunch in some beautiful weather and ran a little fast. After seeing the overall pace on my watch, I thought “maybe it was because of the strides”. Nope. 5.02 in 40:23 (8:03 min/mile pace). Before the strides it was an 8:11 min/mile pace, so the strides had only a slight effect.
Spring has come!
Thursday: 12 miles. Ran around the park and the adjoining subdivision and crossed the dirt path to get to the other part of the subdivision. Somehow, I made this one pretty fast, although it wasn’t as fast as it should have been (courtesy of going too fast yesterday). 12.01 in 1:39:49 (8:19 min/mile pace.
Friday: 17 miles. Drove down to the airport for this one to run along the Ohio River Trail. It was a wet run – mostly drizzling for the entire run, which created some slick spots on the way back. The first half was slow, the second picked up a little, but after this week it was not my fastest run. 17.13 in 2:33:25 (8:57 min/mile pace).
This is the end of the FIFTH “triple double” – three days of double-digit runs in a week. 53.25 miles on the week. That brings March to a close with 230 miles. This eclipses my previous highest month ever (189 in March of last year). Next month is all downhill – the month starts out with the last week of the race prep phase before shifting into tapering in preparation for the marathon at the end of the month.
