WEEK 35: 35 miles and Elijiah's Race

Previous weeks miles: 32

Monday
4 miles Ashuelot RailTrail with Griffin.  Wasn't too sore, but tired.

Tuesday
Spin class plus lots of core and a little strength, felt good.  Was going to do treadmill but got too hungry.

Wednesday
10 miles to Coombs Bridge on roads, felt really good even with no water/gels; 9:45 pace on the way out and 9:10 on the way back (includes verry brook hill), Good workout, the new Pegasus felt good except for some plantar fascia tightening in the left foot- will build a slight arch for it at work today.  That happens in the Lunar Swifts too.

Thursday
Migraine hangover.  But I did go to spin class (wouldve been a really good class had I felt better) and did 2 miles on TM (again, had planned more but didn't feel great).  Oh well, adjust.

Friday
Treadmill Speedladder to 6 miles.  Felt good.

Saturday
Woke up and decided to run the Swanzey Half Marathon instead of Pisgah race course; worked the KSC Alumni meet and the day got away from me...0 miles, played fetch with Griffin...she did the running around, but not nearly enough for her liking.

Sunday
Elijiah's Race - Swanzey Covered Bridges Half Marathon; 1:48:22...21 minutes faster than in 2008.

WEEK SUMMARY
Still all over the place with training and planning workouts, I don't know why I can't get organized.  Nonetheless I did get 35 quality miles.  Sunday's race was a last minute decision.  I had planned to run the Pisgah race course again, but decided I had seen enough last sunday!  It made me nervous for the race!

Anyway, I figured I'd get a good workout and just see where I am at with that distance.  I wasn't going for a goal other than sub 1:50 and went out "fast" to see if I could hang on...well, I couldn't.  I am not a 7 minute miler...may never be, but it was fun to try.  So after mile 1 at 7:06 I dropped to my more manageable 8 somethings on the sandy railtrail and went from there.  It went ok, I got real tired in spots but would then have a burst of energy.  I could really tell when my running form was efficient and when it was not. I went back and forth with a guy from about mile 4 all the way to the end.  I'd pass him on the downhills and he'd catch me on the flats.  We kinda worked together a bit.  The water stations were fun for me because my former Monadnock High School athletes and now KSC XC teams were manning them.  It was nice to have personalized cheering when they recognized me!  I didn't keep my mile splits after the first couple, but my 10-mile time was around what I ran in RI a few weeks ago (1:22) and that means the last 3 were pretty slow as I finished at 1:48:22. Twenty minutes faster than 2 years ago and I like that I could decide to go run it on a whim, so I am getting stronger.  I was 4th in my age group (I did let one 30 something get by at the end, but caught another on the way).  Karen was 1st in her age group and ran 1:50! It was a beautiful fall-like day and it was fun to chit-chat with everyone afterward.  It was a good decision to do the race. 

Two-weeks to the Pisagh Race! This week I will get out on the Kilburn loop a couple times and want to get in a spin class or two too.  It's a process...and I love it.