The Tough Ones Make Us Stronger

Last night I went for my tempo run for the week. Plan was to shoot for 8:15 or better per mile, kind of hoping for 8 minute miles and I had 11 miles planned. First one, warm up mile, was right on 8…oops. The rest were in the 8 minute range and I was running them over rolling hills. Heading back toward home I was at 8 miles about a mile and half from home so went through my little park near home to add on some more. By this point I was noticing my legs were feeling tired. I went through my mind thinking, OK, why am I hurting at this point…the hills, maybe, I have been running hills, but I don’t run this route all the time, and I haven’t been faithful with my lunges lately, so I vowed to do them when I got home. Anyway, as I continued on, still on target but slowing (ended with an average of 8:10 for 11.25 miles), it dawned on me, yes, I do do double runs on “hard” days, used to do the hard workout first though, but not more than 4 miles so it’s always been fine. Yesterday morning I did 5.25 just because I was feeling good and the easy pace was still a sub 9 pace…OK, that might be the reason my legs hurt, oh, and also the fact that I did 5 x 1s at 7 minute pace on Tuesday too...hmmm. I figure 16.5 miles on them, with 11.25 at a good pace, I’m doing well. I ache a bit today and my morning run was just over 9 minutes which is slower than it has been lately. But that’s good. Sore tired legs on a long run tomorrow (only 14) is good to keep marathon conditions going. This is the last cycle before the marathon and I need to be on target. 5 ½ more weeks.

And I was thrilled to step on the scale this morning and I am now at my “soft goal”…which was below 130…I was at 129.8!!!! I’d really like to hit 125 before the marathon, and I think more and more that that could be possible. I just have to be really careful with my eating for the next month. But it is a happy day.