This week I started doubles -- running more than once a day. So while I max out at 10 miles in the morning, I get extra easy miles in the evening. I can do these with the jogging stroller, which gives Susanna and I some chat time after school. Her school is RIGHT on the W&OD Bike Trail, and it's pretty much exactly 2.5 miles to Whole Foods. I can bribe her with a fruit leather, pick up anything we need for dinner, and get in my 5 miles all in one trip. Nice.
Tempo pace on Thursday was about 7:35-40 and I felt like death. I really really want to get that tempo pace down to 7:20.
I am forcing myself not to look at pace for recovery runs the day after key workouts. It's pretty easy to do after work when I really don't need to be anywhere, but on Friday when I attempted to just go by feel I didn't make it home on time. Granted, I was only 60 seconds late, but Jamie was in the car with it running and called me as I was turning onto our street. I guess I do need the Garmin in the mornings, though I know it probably makes me go faster than I should.
My long run today went pretty well considering I still felt like death from Thursday's tempo run when I went to sleep last night. I started out pre-dawn to get in 5 miles before the group showed up and I got some fabulous photos:
Today was supposed to be 17 with 10 at Marathon Pace. I did NOT keep marathon pace (8:12) for ten miles. My last mile was 7:50, but I was anywhere from 8:15 - 8:45 for the other 16. The average was 8:35. The issue I have with these plan-prescribed marathon pace runs is that I like to run with other people, and they don't particularly want to do what is on my plan ;) Since I do all my other runs solo, and I really do like the social aspect of my Saturday runs, it's a training fact I'll have to accept. I lost 2 lbs this week. I think that losing another 8 or so is key to getting my pace a bit faster and really is the key to a BQ. I did a great job of logging all my food M-Th but did not do so great this weekend. I am going to track it but I know I went overboard yesterday thanks to my lovely husband who brought home luscious desserts from Whole Foods.
I also finally gave blood today, after putting it off during the heavy Ironman training. I wanted to make sure I was fully recovered. I felt pretty guilty going in there for the first time in 5 months... egads.
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Congrats on the training week! That's a lot of mileage. You amaze me. Congrats on the weight loss too, I find it so hard to lose any weight during marathon training (even though I want to).
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