Week in Review

87 miles3 doubles1.5 days in NYC1.5 days in Boston5 AFDsDespite another hectic week of work, I was able to basically achieve my mileage goal. I would be lying if I didn't admit I almost snuck in three (junk) miles on Sunday evening just to reach 90, but fortunately I was sensible enough to talk myself out of it. Honestly, what's holding me back worse than my seemingly incessant travel is the nagging shin/posterior tib pain. Generally it's fine (although still noticeable) after I warm up for a few miles, but my first few steps of the day (as in...

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Success on the Dilworth Speed Loop

3.25 mile w/uTarget: 4x1.5 miles w/3 min. rest; starting at 6 min. pace and cutting downActual: 8:37 (5:45 avg.), 8:34 (5:41), 8:36 (5:44), 6:30 for <2k (5:37 through mile)3.25 mile c/dTotal: 13.5 milesLast night Caitlin and I discussed our strategy for this workout, more from a perspective of our mindset rather than the physical details. Or, to be more specific, how the unavoidable and almost debilitating heat/humidity would force us to change our definition of "success" from the outset. We agreed that setting overly ambitious goals--unrealistic...

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(Down) Week in Review

61-62 miles1 double1 day off3 days in ATL4 AFDsIf ever there existed weather which necessitated a down week, we just endured it. Good grief. Last weekend's unusually mild temperatures turned out to be a sick and twisted joke, lulling us into a false sense of comfort and then BAM!--we're right back on the very threshold of hell. There was a moment on Wednesday morning just after Jordan and I had finished a sweltering, stifling "easy" run at the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta, a moment when we stood breathlessly panting next to my car while literally...

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Week in Review

93 miles30 miles on soft surface17 mile long run4 runs in Texas5 AFDsAnother high mileage week is in the books, but I think it's obvious to everyone that I need some down time! Disappointment over Saturday's race plus some lingering calf/shin pain in my right leg plus a jam-packed early week of work in Atlanta means I'll truly be taking it easy this week. This will include--gasp!--a planned day off on Tuesday. A quick review of my blog showed that...

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Beat the Heat 5k

5k w/u + stridesTarget: 5k @sub-17 (5:27/mile)Actual: 17:17 (5:24, 5:46, 5:30)$215 won ($150 overall, $65 age graded)Results3.5 mile c/dTotal: 9.5-10 milesTo quote the ever-supportive Jordan Kinley: "Well, that was unimpressive."So yeah, that pretty much sums up my performance last night. The weather was amazing by North Carolina summer standards--a surprising respite from the stifling heat and humidity we've been dealing with lately--and the course was as fast as one could hope for in this area. (I should qualify that, however, by adding that...

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Week in Review

90 miles2 doubles2 days in DC15 mile long run5 AFDsMy second 90-mile week is in the books, and I'm surprisingly no worse for the wear. That's not to say I enjoyed every minute of it, but I'm certainly growing stronger and more confident with every passing day. It's nice to head out the door for a 12-mile run and not think much of it. Though the weather is oppressive, I honestly don't think about it at all except during workouts. On every other day it's just a fact of life, something that doesn't even factor into my consciousness. To constantly...

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McAlpine Death March

3 mile w/uTarget: 3 mile @17-low; 2 mile @11-low; 1 mile @5:30 all w/800m jogRevised target: 3 mile @sub-18; 2 mile @ 11:30; 1 mile @sub-5:40Re-revised target: Don't drop out; try to hang on to SpadaActual: 17:37 (5:50, 5:50, 5:57); 11:52 (5:53, 5:59); 5:411 mile c/dTotal: 11 milesI realize that reading about how brutal the weather is might be getting a little old. And I swear, I'm doing my best to not dwell on it in every single post. But today in particular merits an exception, so please humor me as I address it up front and then move on to the...

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12x400 at JCSU

2.5 mile w/u + stridesTarget: 12x400m @75 or faster w/400m jogActual: 12x400m w/200m jog75, 75, 75, 79, 74, 74, 73, 73, 71, 74, 73, 723 mile c/dTotal: 10 milesThere are few prospects less appealing to me than waking up at 5:30am to almost immediately begin sprinting around the track. (For reference, I'd put it somewhere between, say, attending a Star Wars convention and sitting front row at a Justin Bieber concert.) Fortunately, knowing I'd be sharing the oval with Caitlin, Billy, Eric and even potentially the Paul and Spada show made dragging...

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Week in Review

90 miles3 doubles2 days in Charleston5 runs with Jordan5 AFDsIt wasn't easy, but I managed to hit my mileage goal despite having to seriously backload the week. My body is tired but strong, and I'm looking forward to challenging myself and pushing my limits even further in the coming weeks. Gotta just keep doing what I'm doing, one day at a ti...

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McMullen Tempo With the Big Dogs

2 mile w/u + stridesTarget: 8 mile tempo @6:00-5:50Actual: 6 miles in 35:40, one mile jog (8-8:30?), one mile @5:472 mile c/dTotal: 12 milesOriginally I'd planned on joining Caitlin for her nine mile progression run on Friday, but after Thursday necessitated a 14 and 4 double I knew I needed an easy recovery day before cranking up the engines again. Fortunately the all-star trio of Paul, Spada and Mike Beigay were gracious enough to extend me an invite to their Saturday morning session, so with Jordan in tow I set off toward McMullen just as the...

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