WEEK 28: 36 miles and Stowe 8-miler

MONDAY
plyopower + 3 mile TM (increase speed every half mile to 7.5) - good start to the week, felt good

TUESDAY
10 mile Hinsdale Rail-Trail; no watch, very easy pace

WEDNESDAY
AM: Kilburn Loop run "with" Greg and Griffin (he went in the opposite direction and scared me...but I knew he would do that! :))...awesome run, felt strong and it's amazing how loud the rain is in the forest - it poured! It was just an awesome run. Log 8 miles. I needed that...

PM: 1 hour spin class - we did the profile of Stage 10 of the Tour de France, kinda fun. Meant to go as a recovery ride but did a little more work than I planned, felt good though so no harm done. Plus core.


THURSDAY
10 min elliptical + 4 mile TM, ended strong + upper body strength plus some core +Spin class (45 min);
Wouldve had a stronger spin class but was starving and started to get shaky. Overall a good workout though and I feel good. Decided to run Stowe 8-miler this weekend because it's going to be 10 degrees cooler up there than here and I might as well get a workout in since I was going to go and watch Greg anyway. Will keep it steady at 8 min pace so as not to over do it. Log 4 more....Afternoon dip in the Putney healing waters...


FRIDAY
2 miles plus dynamic warm-up on Railtrail while Greg and Griffin did 5 or so. Didn't dare try to pull off the 8-10 I had planned even though I did feel better once I got going. My hips are really bound up but what's more worrisome is my right anterior lower leg hurt for awhile in the run- the whole time today and a couple miles yesterday on the treadmill. I find that pain way more annoying than the hip. Even though I'm not planning on any PRr's Sunday (as if I had one for 8 miles) I know I don't want to feel that for 8 miles and would like to have a good strong training run. So we'll see. Been eating crap for 2 full days....healthy tomorrow...I hope.

SATURDAY
Spin class (75 minutes), felt good. Hung out with Justin, Greg, Glen, and Kevin Gorman for dinner and trips to the magical waters of Putney.

SUNDAY
STOWE-8 MILER; 1:08/8:37 pace; 20/71 age division; log 9 miles

This week: 36 miles

A pretty good week of work this week with the Kilburn run on Wednesday being my favorite and when i felt the most strong.  Sunday morning we (greg, me, and goupil) got up real early and headed to Stowe.  This being the race I had been going back and forth about whether or not I would run or watch.  Well, I ran.

I ate plenty in the morning and we got there early enough so I didn't have to wait in line for the porta-potty (see Glenn Hammetts blog for why I waited until getting all the way to Stowe before going to the bathroom! I assure you I had to go earlier.).  Anyway, it was beautiful weather, I warmed up a little and I really felt good.  My out loud goal was 64 minutes and in my head thought I could even get under that a couple minutes.  Afterall,  this year I have had two 10-milers and a half marathon at 8:05 pace so an 8-miler should be great distance for me!  Even as the race started and right up to .75 miles I felt good and ready to go....My splits went something like this...

Mile 1...7:45.  Hmmm. ok, well I can still make up some time later, so its alright. 
Mile 2...8:12.  Well that evened out my pace to an 8-min.  Might have to settle for 64 minutes.
Mile 3...8:48.  REALLY?  Totally should have watched this friggen race.
Mile 4...8:08.  Only because there was a downhill and that still shucks.
Mile 5...8:37.  Is my watch broken?  Why do I feel like I'm running backwards? 
Mile 6...9:03.  OK I'm done.  Screw the Blessing of the Fleet race. 
Mile 7...9:29. Sauntered through a water station, didn't even bother dropping my cup because I was well out of the dropped cup area before I felt like running again. 
Mile 8...8:43.  Up a hill that I didn't recall seeing on the course profile, but I passed a couple people for the first time all day.  I did hear Greg cheering for me but didn't look for him because I was on the verge of tears.  I just wanted to be done. 

No idea why I had such a bad day.  I thought I felt good.  My hip didn't hurt (it does now) and my legs didn't hurt, but I just felt SLOW and couldn't do a thing about it.  I was pretty irritated.  My negative self-talk probably doesn't help me when things start going bad- must work on that.  I wasn't going to post my splits, but it is a learning experience and everyone has a bad race every now and then.  I haven't run in that hot of weather in a race before, but it really wasn't that bad so I dont even want to use that as an excuse.  It was a good workout, experience, and time with some good people.  It is what it is.  The area is BEAUTIFUL and Greg and the boys found a nice place in the stream to take a quick dip.  That was really nice.  Then we headed up for the postrace festivities.  Basically, for my $33 registration I got a "sandwich" and a bowl of ice cream. 

I've had some time to settle down, have stopped being so cross to myself, and think I still want to run Blessing of the Fleet on Friday.  Not sure what to do in the meantime.  Right now I'm going to have another cider....it's a process...it's hard to love sometimes....

Below me and Greg with his mustache (his running team all had them for the race)