(Down) Week in Review

81-82 miles 10 runs 14-mile long run 0 Frappuccinos (saddest stat of the week) 5 pieces of new furniture (happiest stat of the week)  Q: How do you make 80 miles feel like a walk in the park? A: Do 100 first. Seriously, I've done plenty of 80-mile weeks in my life, but none of them have felt as relaxed or, well, easy as this one. Maintaining a high-mileage mindset for a month involves seeking out every opportunity to tack on an extra warm-up mile here or a stride there; in contrast, every day this week I found myself forcing self-control....

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No Rest For the Wicked: Outkicked

AM: 60 mins. easy (8 miles) PM: 1.5 mile w/u Target: 5k@ goal MP (18:30-18:45) Actual: 4.99k @17:17 1/2 mile c/d Daily total: 13 miles I was really planning on running marathon pace tonight, pinkie swear. Jordan didn't attend and I didn't think anyone else would be there to drag me along--but, alas, I was wrong. A new (to me) runner named Mike was among the crowd that met in the Salem Common for tonight's run, and just before takeoff a few of the other guys mentioned that he was pretty quick. This was confirmed when he shot to the front of the...

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Week in Review

100 miles 11 runs 15-mile long run 3 Frappuccinos 4 AFDs For the third time in four weeks, I've cracked the 100-mile barrier. Actually, taken together, this four-week stretch represents my highest mileage month ever at 390. The best part is, I can honestly say that this week I've felt fresh and strong while also managing to incorporate a good amount of quality work, from an uptempo 13-miler with Jordan to start the week to Tuesday night's strides at the Triangle to the two tempo efforts I detailed in earlier posts. Of course I've had mornings...

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Battle Road Long Run/Uptempo

Target: 15-16 miles w/60 mins. easy, then 5-6 miles uptempo cutting down to 6:10 Actual: 15 miles incl. 8.5-14 @6:25, 6:18, 5:56, 6:05, 6:02, 3:00 for 1/2 (1:32 for 14 + 10 mins. easy) When I got the invite for this run from Jenn Donovan earlier this week, it sounded right up my alley. I love the shaded soft-surface trails at Battle Road and was eager to test my mileage-laden legs with some forced uptempo running. Even better, the morning dawned with the coolest and least humid weather we'd seen in weeks. Despite some residual fatigue from Thursday...

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No Rest For the Wicked, Round 2

AM: 70 mins. easy (9+ miles) PM: 2.5 mile w/u Target: 5k tempo @goal MP (18:30-18:45) Actual: 4.99k @17:20 1/2 mile c/d Daily total: 15 miles A few weeks after my first appearance at the No Rest For the Wicked Weekly 5k, I was excited to return with Jordan in tow. As I decided after that initial outing, my goal for the workout tonight and going forward was/is to run at or slightly faster than my goal marathon pace, or somewhere in the 5:55-6:00 range. It's never too early to start getting comfortable at a clip I'm allegedly going to maintain for...

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Week in Review

90 miles 11 runs 13 mile medium-long run 1 Frappuccino 5 AFDs Well, as you can see, my triple-digit streak has come to an abrupt halt. Ironically, while Caitlin wrote an entry praising my high mileage endeavors, she actually ended up outpacing me for a change this week. Things started off strong, and as hoped/predicted my level of fatigue finally normalized by mid-week. I coasted comfortably through a medium-long run on Thursday and by Friday's double had amassed a respectable 72 miles. But alas, what started with a bang ended with a whimper....

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(Second Triple Digit) Week in Review

100-101 miles 12 runs 17-mile long run 2 days in PVD 3 Frappuccinos If my first 100-mile week was all midgets and sunshine, this second one felt more like ogres and a wicked sunburn. Yes, that might officially be the most abysmally crafted metaphor of all time, but it's only fitting for a week when my daily slogs felt anything but eloquent. It seems I sailed blissfully through the first high-mileage week with my body being none the wiser. I was, to belabor my figurative point, like the proverbial frog brought slowly to a boil completely unawares....

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No Rest For the Wicked

AM: 8 miles PM: 2 mile w/u + strides Target: 5k uptempo Actual: 5k in 18:57 1 mile c/d Daily total: 14 miles Since moving to Salem a few weeks ago, Jordan and I have settled on a couple running routes through town that we repeat most days. As much as I like these routes (and Jordan, for that matter), I've definitely been looking forward to meeting new people and exploring some new roads. Last week I did a quick search online to learn more about a local running group I'd heard about previously, and discovered that every Thursday night the "No Rest...

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(Triple Digit) Week in Review

100 (!!) miles 4 doubles 20 mile long run 18 boxes unpacked Wow, what a difference a week makes! Last Friday I was coughing and staggering through a brutal 50-minute run on the Mall, convinced my odds of collapsing prostrate next to Mr. Washington's monument were as good as not. This week, my ailing leg magically repaired and the remaining vestiges of illness slowly leaving my body, I felt like a completely new runner. I haven't finished up morning runs feeling this crisp and strong since before the Trials. There's no logical explanation for it,...

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