Track turned out to be doing loops around cones in a field next to the track... couldn't get on it due to a bunch of hugh school lacrosse games. Decent enough workout. Not as good as normal, but different from just plugging away on the trails and bike paths. I'll need to add a track workout or a very motivated tarmac speed workout next week in addition to whatever tempo runs I'm doing. Maybe mile repeats along some trail, or maybe try something time based - 1min fast 1min slow X20. Maybe next tuesday evening.
Put in an easy 12 Thursday morning. My muscles are definitely getting tired, and my thighs struggle up steep inclines. Easy 6 thursday night and let myself sleep in this morning to get a bit of extra rest before tomorrow's tough workout (23). Will put in an easy 6 to shake out my legs saturday afternoon and then spend a good bit of time stretching. Have no idea how sundays race will go. Don't so much care about my time (i say that now...) but will treat it as a solid tempo workout. There are supposedly about 6,000 people running it so it's going to be a big mess at the start. Might need to get there really early to get bib and chip and disappear to warm-up somewhere or just read. The added incentive for finishing fast is to get through the end, pick up my bag, pick up any bagels and cookies and then get myself to the Liverpool Arsenal game at lucky bar by 11am.
This morning the temperature was in the 60's... high of mid 70's panned for both saturday and sunday so the trails are going to be packed with joggers and weekend warriors coming out of hibernation.
I'm looking forward to the collection of races and workouts over the next four weeks... In these four weeks I think I can make the final push for improvements that will help me in
I know there must be a bunch of guys (and girls) who train less than I do but run faster 10ks, 10milers, half marathons, marathons... and I do ask myself why on earth do I bother putting in so many miles and sacrificing so much going out or hanging out or just enjoying a bit of drinking and socialising... but I guess it's not about comparing my times and effort to other peoples time and effort... it's about comparing my time to my previous times. If I've put the work in and I improve on my ability to get from a to b on my feet, then the work is worthwhile. Nobody takes the amount of hard work you have put in into consideration when starting and stopping a stopwatch. Either you're faster, or slower... simple enough. I think there’s quite of bit of the British upbringing left in me that assumes we should all strive for effortless dominance. An outstanding belief that trying harder, believing in a strong work ethic somehow demeans what you achieve because you were too keen. Other people who tried less hard and achieve the same goals are therefore better? Right? What about other people who try less hard and achieve just less than you… if they were only a minute short of your marathon time, but trained half as much, does that make them better? I guess I do revel in the superfluity of 130 – 140 mile weeks. I enjoy pushing myself to the same volumes as in supposed ‘elite’ training regimes. If this is a 4 year plan, and I’m only in the first 6 months of the first four years, then maybe all of this work will finally break me into good to great times in about 3 years… maybe I should stop contemplating about it all, trust the work, and just keep putting in the miles of running. Be it hard or easy or alone or with a pack of fellas or with one other person or whatever.
Shut up hugh.
