Every day is a new day

For the record I am stiff and sore all over today.  The good news is the P.F. and heel issue seems to be subsiding, replaced by a nagging adductor muscle issue. All in problems seem minor and I look forward to a good solid easy run tomorrow. I hope to be able to repeat last weeks runs and add just a little more distance and speed/tempo workouts.  Now only six weeks to my next race ( 1/2 marathon) in the redwoods of California.  Note to self: need to start training for running where it will be 35-40 degrees warmer.  The only way to do that here is inside on the treadmill.  Oh well.

Nice day so even though I was going to run on the mill to reduce stress on the lower body it was too nice to stay inside. Ran the park loops and the road out to the church and back. When I got back to the park decided to pick up the pace for the last two trail miles.  Legs were hurting so did not try to go all out ended up with the last two miles at 8:00/mile and an overall average of 8:45.  Tired but no major problems.

Got up early and stumbled into the boat for a 0:dark:30 trip to town.  It is getting to the point that I can't justify being out of the office for the time it takes to get in 9 or 10 miles during lunch "hour".  I will try to do two a days two or three days a week and change the off day from Sunday to a weekday.  So:

A.M.   Got to the gym just after 6:30 and there was no one about!  Of course five minutes into the run the place filled up. Enough so that the 30 minute rule was in effect, fortunately after 30 minutes I moved to the machine everyone thinks is broken because it reads  in metric, and finished up my run.

32 minutes @ 6.8 mph for a 8:49 pace and 3.6 miles

23 minutes @ 11 kph(6.8)  for a 5:27(8:49) pace and 4.2 (2.6) kilometers

Total 6.2 miles

P.M.

Did the park loops 2.7 miles at 9:00 and 3 miles at 8:05. Nice day temp almost 40 and partial sunshine.  Felt a little slow on the up tempo miles.

We were greeted with 6-8 inches of snow overnight and even though the sun was out today I did not see any good runs for a tempo workout outside.  Went to the gym instead.

As usual I was ambivalent about the tempo workout, as I don't like them for some reason.  But no guts no glory so it went as follows:

2miles warmup @ 9:00/mile

5 miles tempo @ 7:30/ mile

1 mile cool down at 9:00/ mile

Thought about a sixth miles but soreness told me that might be too much today, as it was I am satisfied with the workout.

Today was the definition of recovery day and why we do them.  I felt a little tired this morning from yesterdays workout and too little sleep.  I felt a little sluggish at work this morning too. Went to the gym and could not bear to miss the sunshine so I ran the Totem to Whale Park and back route.  Started with a really, really slow warmup and it seemed to take at least three miles before my legs loosened up. The underlying soreness subsided but never went completely away.  Stopped after eight miles as that seemed to be enough for one day.  Now an hour later I feel fine.

Ran 8.0 miles in 71:44 for 8:58/mile.

The original plan was to do an easy treadmill run to be ready to extend my long mileage tomorrow. Turns out my wife was traveling on the ferry today and just like the airport vehicles can't be left overnight.  I had a meeting so could not drive her out there.  Of course I said no problem I'll run out there and pick it up in the afternoon.  While not very far, ( only 7.5 miles), from the gym, it is along the closest thing our town has to a highway. Add to that humpback whales, sea lions, killer whales, eagles and much more to watch while driving at 50 miles an hour on a sunny day and you have a great day for drivers and not so much for runners.  I am not used to continuous high speed traffic and now remember why I don't often run on that road.  Ended up running 1:06 for an 8:48 pace.

Long run day arrived with clear blue skys and light winds.  Decided I'd try the harbor to hatchery run.  It's 7.1 miles of road then 3 miles of hilly trail and then back the same way.  I forgot how much hills can take out of you in the 7 to 13 mile range.  I purposely ran at a slow easy pace to account for never having gone this far.  In the end I ran out of time and cut through the shorcut to end up 19.5 miles in 2:55:30  for a 9:00 pace, which is in fact my recomended long pace.  I think I will not plan any more big increases in mileage at one time for the near future.