There it is. I get closer to it every day. I've even literally run over it, but it's so far away approaching T-minus 3 weeks. I'm starting to become banged up, so I'm very fortunate that today was the longest run of my training, and I'm very fortunate that the training generally gets easier from here on out.
I took an extra day off on Tuesday in addition to the planned one I took on Monday. That helped deal with the stomach sickness, but Tuesday was admittedly I case of me just not feeling like getting out there...that I was too tired.
I figured that I would have hit 70mpw at least once this month, but I haven't yet. But I've been getting over 60 consistently with rest days. This week I got over 60 on just 5 days of running. That's an average of 12+ miles a run. Umm, no wonder I am beat. But it will start to get a little easier, and the finish line is coming into sight, sort to speak. It's also important to remember that New Bedford proved a lot.
Monday: Off (stomach bug continues)
Tuesday: Off (pretty much recovered, but took off anyway)
Wednesday: I had a gig in Newport, RI and got there with hours to kill so I could run around town and see the mansions and what not. Ran quite easy and still felt heavy despite the two days off. 9.25 miles.
Thursday: I had 5 x 1 mile today, so I drove to mile 8 of the marathon course, warmed up with 3 miles before starting the workout, of which took place mainly in Wellesley and a little of Natick. A couple times, I had to stop mid-rep to wait for a traffic light (believe me, this was not a welcomed break). With a 1/3 mile jog in between, I ran my 5 reps in 6:15, 6:15, 6:14, 6:16, and closed out with a 6:12. I got up to mile 14 somewhere in the 3rd rep before turning around. Cooled down with 2 1/2'ish miles and was glad to be done. 12 miles.
Friday: I drove over to the high school where Adam coaches to run with the kids - for most, I'm their old music teacher so it's cool. I missed the cool-down. He then had them do 2:30 tempo, 5 minute tempo, 2:30 tempo with recoveries in between. I was joking to one of the juniors who is a decent 800 runner that I would give him a run for his money on the last one. He took this as meaning I wanted to race him, I told him well we have to somewhat stay in control so Adam doesn't get mad at me (not that he would)! He took off beyond my comfort level and I thought I was done early, but I saw that he let up after 15-20 seconds. I noticed I was gradually creeping back up over the next minute when I jokingly was telling all the kids around me that he was falling apart and that I was going to go for it. He heard me coming as I made my move and out-kicked me to the 2:30 mark, but my GPS showed us covering a half mile in that time. It was a lot of fun. We did a couple cool down laps after.
Since I only got in about 2 1/4 miles, afterward on my way to Haverhill I stopped at the Nashua River Rail Trail and did 3 1/2 out and 3 1/2 back at a VERY easy 8:30 pace. It felt very nice to go so easy. 9.25 miles.
Saturday: Steve and I ran at an easy pace at Winnkenni Park. The trails were in pretty good shape, and we avoided the part that's still snowy and icy by running the trails behind the Castle. We did two loops around the lake and a couple of basin loops. My watch died at mile 5, but I'm pretty sure it was around 12.5 miles.
Sunday: Matt and I ran from NECC over the Rocks Village Bridge as usual, but we took Bachelor Street over to Middle and ran all the way to Route 97 in Groveland before heading back to Haverhill via the Groveland Bridge. Thanks to the hilliness of the route, I felt beat as early as mile 14, but after climbing the Main St will into Monument Square, I gradually started to feel better. We had to add on a little back at NECC, but we got 20 miles out of it. I was hoping to be south of 7:30 pace, but it was a 7:32 average, still not bad considering the hills, wind, and me feeling off. This will be the longest I run at once until race day. 20 miles.
Week: 63.0
March: 240.64
2011: 750.56
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