Limpin on in to the finish line

 Not literally limping but I'm definitely not as enthused as I should be about running a marathon on Sunday.  I've been downplaying it in my mind this whole time but secretly hoping I would pop-off come race day and deliver an unexpected performance.  Now I'm not quite as confident and am not sure I'll even be able to hit my initial conservative goal at my current fitness.  

To top it off the weather has been crap this last week with heat and humidity back up and Sunday is right now projected to be the hottest day of the next 15 with a low of 66 and a high in the 80s.  Seems like a sufferfest.  Time goals might be out the window and I'll just run for fun.  

Putting aside any expectations I am looking forward to the experience.  I'm not going to jog it... just plan to run the effort I feel is right on that day have fun with it and see how it shakes out.  

It's October

 235.75 miles run in September.   My 2nd highest monthly total ever.  Would have hit a high except I started tapering the last 2 weeks and it shaved off just enough mileage to keep me under my 244 mile record.

I've been feeling a bit flat lately.  Maybe it's just from tapering?  Could be the time of year...seems like it's the 3rd October in a row where I've felt like my fitness was on the decline.

I ran 6.27 miles today at a 6:51 pace.  It was really a struggle though.  My HR didn't get too high but my legs just didn't seem to want to turn over any faster.  I suppose this hasn't ever been exactly easy for me so maybe my expectations of myself  are just higher then they used to be.  

No point in fixating on all this now.  9 days til marathon time.  My goal pace is 7:15.  A few weeks ago I thought that could be doable but now I'm questioning myself.  Hopefully come marathon day I'll wake up feeling ready to go.  Right now my legs are just stiff and flat... no pep at all.  Plenty of time to get over that though.

I guess we'll see.

ITB BS

 Last night my IT bands were tight for the first time in a while and my hips were barking at me.  Not an unusual feeling as I've felt not quite right in these areas for years now but the last month or so they suddenly stopped bothering me and I thought maybe I've worked through it but last night it was back.  

Maybe just a culmination of a couple days off and then running hard?  Or driving in the car, running hard, and then sitting all day?  Feeling a bit better today at least.

Ran another 9 miles today at 7:55 pace.  Mostly just running easy.  Felt more normal than yesterday anyway.  Last thing I need is issues popping up when I'm getting ready to taper.  Technically I'm tapering already but I don't feel like I've trained all that hard that a full 3 weeks is required so it's more like a 2 week taper.  

It's finally getting cool but it's also staying dark.  To get in 9 miles before work I'm running my first mile in the dark pretty much.  leaving the house at 6:10 and not getting done to 7:20.  If I want to get more miles in I have to run faster to squeeze it in.  I'll be back on the treadmill soon and I'm dreading it... once I readjust it wont be bad but right now I can't even think about it.

One year fitter

 I ran 2068 miles last year at an average pace pf 7:58.  This year I'm at 1880 miles at an average pace of 7:54.  I don't know if that 4 seconds faster really means anything?  My easy runs might be slightly faster but not significantly... not sure if I have a point here, just thinking out loud.

A lot of times I wonder if I run too easy.  Nothing wrong with easy runs easy but i'm not sure if I run enough workouts.  I got some track workouts in over the summer and I had a handful of hard lactic sessions in the spring but more often than not I'll run longer rather then faster.  Part of this is staying within my limits and avoiding getting hurt.  Eventually I'll need to push it but right now I'm steadily improving and I'm happy with that.

It's not that I never push it.  Today I ran harder than most days.  I pushed it... not sure if I pushed it enough.  Maybe in the gray area.  Had the HR in the 150s but barely breached the 160s.  Last year I used to get it into the upper 160s more often (I think).  Last year it really hurt.  I'd go run 8 miles at 6:53 pace and my stomach would hurt and cramp for the next few hours.

Today I ran 9 miles at 6:49 pace... I was pushing it but it was also pretty easy.  It was probably the fastest I could run without actually hurting.  I was at about 6:55 pace the first 7 miles.  I'd zone out and lose some pace and then pick it back up.  Last 2 miles were 6:34 and 6:17.  Those 2 miles felt harder but even then my HR was still at around 160.  

I wonder if 3 miles easy, 3 miles at 6:10, then 3 miles easy would be a more productive way to run 9 miles?... But I like running medium fast for longer distances.  I don't know why but I just love that feeling 7 miles into a run where I should be tired but I'm still just cruising along at sub 7 pace and now instead of being tired I'm running even faster and even after mile 9 I could have kept going.

Last year I ranked my top 10 runs and I put 9 miles at 6:51 pace as my #1 run of the year... this year I can run that easily.  I could probably run 9 mile at 6:51 pace once a week if I really wanted.  9 miles today at 6:49 was way easier then when I ran 6:51 last year.  

This year 10 miles at 6:33 pace is probably my number 1 run... that or my sub-18 5K. 

So if 6:33 pace is my new 6:51 pace, then maybe next year I'll be running 6:20 for 10 miles at my peak and 6:30 will be manageable?  

16 more days between today and marathon time.  Expectations are tempered.  I'm almost looking past it.  Almost guaranteed a PR unless something tragic happens.  

< 3 Weeks out

 Solid 17 miler on Sunday on a very hilly course.  I ran a loop I'd been eyeing for a while but didn't have the guts to try because of all the hills.  According to Strava it was 1000 ft total gain which is probably not a lot if you live in the mountains but is a ton when you live in central Illinois where it pretty much equates to constant rolling hills.

I didn't run particularly fast 8:13 average pace but it was also fairly easy.  I was squeezed for time because my daughter had a couple soccer games so I got out early, which was probably for the best because it wound up being a hot day.  

Heat didn't effect my run too much although I did stop after 16 miles for some water at the track.  After the water stop I contemplated running 2 more miles but as I got close to home I said screw it... 17 will do and took the easy route.  Could have run 18 no problem but I'm starting to get into the taper mentality.

Got another 7+ miles in this morning at 8:30 pace.  Also felt quite easy.  

I'm travelling for work again this week for a couple days which will probably result in a day or two off from running?  

We'll see though.  Don't plan on cutting mileage too much this week but with 20 more days to the marathon I'm not going to worry about pushing it.  

Another drop in the bucket

 8.31 more miles at 7:34 pace.  Average HR of 139.  After feeling kind of crappy for about a week, I'm suddenly feeling fit again.  Garmin VO2 max dropped to 59 on Tuesday but is back up to 61 after today.  I figured I was just tired from training but not sure what caused it to go back up.  It's not like I've taken any days off.

If I run 4.80 miles tomorrow I'll have hit my highest mile week to date.  

I kind feel myself getting more and more crazy as my race approaches.

Almost there

 Just back from another work trip.  Lots of driving really wears me down these days.  I'm powering through though.

20 more miles on Sunday (2nd week in a row with a 20 mile long run).  This one was tougher (and slower) than the previous week.  Weather was much hotter and legs were much more tired as well.  Still kept it under 8 minute pace on average but just barely.

5 slower miles on Monday at 8:47 pace before driving 6 hours to Nebraska.  Slowest recovery run in a while.

Worked all day Tuesday and drove several more hours.  But then miraculously I dragged myself out for a run and wound up running 10 more miles on the Cowboy trail out of Norfolk.  Planned to do 5 miles but then just kept going and next thing I know it was 10.  This was my first afternoon run in quite a while.  Body is not used to that but I felt okay.  Worked pretty hard in the afternoon sun and still barely held a sub 8 minute pace.  Unlike Sunday's 20 miler the last few miles were the quickest and felt the best so that was good.

Woke up the next day and squeezed in another 10K worth of mileage at 8:35 pace on the Cowboy trail again...  once I find a route to run when I'm travelling for work I usually stick to it... exploring new places is great and all but it's nice to find some consistency where you can.  More work and then a 7 hour drive home.  Got home late and tired.

Still woke up at 5am this morning and got in 10 more miles.  This time at 7:05 pace.  Felt way better then I have the last few days.  Maybe just being home and getting a night of sleep in my own bed?  The didn't necessarily mean to run quite this fast but today this was the pace that felt good... well, really 7:10 pace felt good and pushing a few miles here or there had me down at 7:05 pace.  

I officially have 3 more days until my 3 week taper starts.  Not sure how much I'll actually taper next week but I'm looking forward to it.  I really have hardly any unexpected soreness or injury right now but my legs are definitely tired and I'm looking forward to getting some pep back in my step.