(Down) Week in Review

70 miles
2 doubles
3 PSLs

Well, this down week was a bit of a mixed bag. I did lower my mileage as scheduled, but due to early week travel plus a late week event plus a crazy work week in between plus hosting two new coworkers at our place, well, let's just say it wasn't exactly conducive to recovery. After fighting to drag myself out of bed each morning and override my body's self-preservation instincts, I spent most of my runs shuffling along feeling sluggish and tired. "I need some actual rest during my rest week," I grumbled to Jordan on Friday morning. All things considered, it should probably come as no surprise that Sunday's race found me feeling flat and heavy-legged in spite of "barely running" in the days leading up to it. I had no response when the leader pulled away early on and no higher gear to throttle up to when I was required to close the gap, but I tried to keep pushing and thinking positively until the end. In that respect, though I'm not pleased with my performance I can honestly say I'm not disappointed in my effort.

So, what's on tap for next week? Another half-marathon, of course! The Wicked Half Marathon just happens to be an unbelievably ideal setup: jogging distance to the start/finish, a course that runs around all our familiar Salem and Marblehead streets, a bit of prize money, and, most importantly, the promise of pumpkin bread at the finish. It should go without saying that I hope to win but also to expend much less of a true race effort and more of a tempo effort. Once this one is finished, I'll be ready to spring full force into training for the Philly Marathon!