Intervals, Long Run & Expensive Taste

OK, didn’t get time to update on Friday so had to wait till now, Saturday night, so I’m combining runs this week.

I moved intervals to Thursday this week because I was going to be still recovering from my half I figured and I’d be in a place that wasn’t bad for a tempo type run as I was away in Northern Wisconsin at a resort for a legal retreat, more on that later. The run on Tuesday was 10.25 miles with an average pace of 8:45, that’s much slower than the 7:50-8:00 pace I plan for tempo runs, but I guess I had a fast tempo run on Sunday of a longer distance so I can accept it. I have to remind myself this week that I am running the miles but I’m also recovering from a half marathon. My plan was for 60-65 miles this week, and I have down to try to get 68 next week…we’ll see. This week is going to fall short, depending on what the run is tomorrow. Monday I was traveling and didn’t run. Tuesday I had the tempo 10.25 miles through trails and on soft gravel, which is why it was a bit slower…then Wednesday morning I got up and ran 4.3 miles at around 8 minute pace with the resort manager, got home, took a nap and then ran another 6 easy to loosen up. Thursday was intervals, in the rain, it wasn’t as cold as I thought it might be, but was cold enough, and there was some wind up that made it a bit more uncomfortable. The run was 6 x 1 with .5 recovery, plan was for 7:30 pace and a mile warm up and cool down, but I turned it into a 12 mile run.

Mile 1: 7:09
Mile 2: 7:20
Mile 3: 7:33
Mile 4: 6:54 (this one was off, lost signal a bit, probably 7:10)
Mile 5: 7:49 (was partly up a big hill and into a cold wind)
Mile 6: 7:31

Not a bad run all things considered.

Friday I planned to run a morning 4 and an afternoon 4 or 5, but it was cold and rainy and I hadn’t slept well because of a tight hamstring on Thursday night, so I decided to just run 6 in the afternoon, but things were so tight, hamstring or ITB, not sure which is bothering me, but something is bad…I decided it was better to rest it and be ready for the 20 miler I had planned for Saturday.

Got up and not bad weather, a bit cool, but humid and not rainy so it felt comfortable, I was even a bit warm at times. I wanted to run something that would give me uphill at the beginning to prep me better for my marathon but unfortunately didn’t quite get running up hill as much as I would’ve liked, but I got at least a little bit. I averaged a 9:30 pace for the 20, slower than by plan but I did have a couple of stops in there for a stretch, bathroom break and a few water fills, so I was probably closer to 9:15. It felt OK but the ITB (I think that’s what I have finally decided is the problem) was really starting to bother by the end. I’m going to use a heating pad again tonight, stretch a bit more tomorrow and then hopefully get a run in tomorrow to finish out the week, but it’s going to be tough because of the stupid schedule I got at B&N, they are actually expecting me from 10-3…this irritates me as it’s right during the Vikings game. I had to work the first Vikings game and last week I was in CA and not able to watch it (at least not at my cousin's) I ALWAYS work Sunday nights if I work on Sunday…I’m so frustrated and annoyed by this….but I think I’m going to have to keep this job…I have too expensive of taste…a friend and I were at Galleria tonight, and that’s not a cheap mall, and we went to Tiffany & Co. I had never been in there before…I have never liked diamonds…I had never seen a Tiffany diamond before…and while I still don’t want anything with diamonds, I found emeralds that I LOVE…I want my emerald ring from Tiffany…I think to get what I want it’s going to cost me at least a grand…ouch…