Preface
Ooops. I sort of drop off the planet there for a while. Unfortunately, my weekends have been tied up with other matters and I haven’t had a chance to put together weekly recaps. But, fear not! While the writing paused, the running kept chugging right along.
On the Road
Week 6
I ratcheted up my daily run to just over 6 miles. I also finally got the route I intended for a long run of just under 12 miles.
Total miles for the week: 47.95
Note: Garmin does weekly stats for Sunday to Saturday; I’m too lazy to re-total things for Monday to Sunday, so I’m gonna use their totals from now on.
Week 7
Even ending the last week with a 12 long run, I still pretty energized and started the new week with 6.3 miles on the Iron Horse Trail. Being relatively flat and running out in the mid-morning hours means I can actually see where I’m going and get decent speed going. The reset of week days, it was back the 6 mile daily driver. I intended to do a long run on Saturday, but overslept. So, I filled in with another speedy run on the IHT.
Total miles for the week: 42.68.
Week 8
After a couple of solid weeks, my body revolted and told me not to run on Sunday to start the week. Got normal 6 miler in Monday through Thursday. Friday, bumped the daily up to 6.7 miles. Trying to stick to that 10% increase rule I read about recently on a Runners World article. Surprisingly, my body didn’t even seem to notice. Woke up at normal time on Saturday, heard the driving rain, rolled over and went back to bed. Never did make it out.
Total miles for the week: 30.74
Week 9
After the day off, I was sprung to get back out. I went out for my now normal Sunday run on the IHT and found a couple of (unknowing) challengers out the trail. One guy was just a little faster than I was comfortable with, I kept pace for a long while and then got past him. That 8:23 average pace was hard earned.
The weekday dailies are still coming in at 6.7 miles. No major problems and they seem to go by quickly. For the only the second time since I’ve been running in the early morning, I ran into another runner, in the dark. I said hello, trying carefully not to spook him. Hey grunt a slightly surprised, hi, in response, and turn off at the next side street.
Friday night, I carefully monitored my food intake to make sure I’d be ready for a long run Saturday morning. But, I got to sleep later than I wanted to, and had a kid who woke me up twice. Regardless, I was still able to get out the door. Even with the careful preparation, my guts were about 50/50 on the idea.
Everything went OK. I did the same 12-ish miler that I did a few weeks ago. It was somewhat easier because I knew where the all the turns were this time. But, the high miles from the week kinda took their toll and long inclines felt like I was really slogging. In the end, I pulled in a 9:40 average pace. I’m gonna call that a win for only my second run at that distance.
As I approached the end of the run, I got a special treat. My long run window now intersects with sunrise. I’m not sure if it was as dramatic as it seemed, but I remember trudging around in the dark and then as if someone flipped on a switch, it was pretty much daybreak.
Total miles for the week: 51.59
Hint of the Week
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Gear Review
So, I’m moved on two my second pair of shoes in this streak. This time, I’ve gone back to ASICS GT-2000 v3. Yes, I did get the screaming lime green pictured. I figured that running in the dark most of the time, I might as well go with the most highly visible option. The last time I was a for real runner, I had good luck with their GT lines, so I thought I’d give them another shot.
After wearing Saucony shoes streak to date, the new shoes felt good, very different. They have a very cushiony rebound, but at the same time are very stable. There’s little to no sliding around in the back of the shoe. This turns out to be a blessing and a curse; the stability makes running a lot easier, but I’ve developed a blister on the edge of my instep. I can’t even remember the last time I had a blister. Hopefully, that’s only a temporary thing until I get used to them.
I also like the tread on the new shoes better than the Saucony’s. The grooves are bit wider so they’re not magnets for continually picking up small pebbles, that scrape continuously as I try to shuffle along.
So, for now, the jury is out, but I think the new ASICS’ will be serious contenders after I get used to them and get a little more broken in.
Wrap Up
All in all, I’m happy with where I’m at this streak. Other than a blister or two, everything feels fine. Except for that once a week faster run on the IHT, I’m not really working on speed; but I’m still watching my average pace tick its way down. I don’t think I can ask for too much more.
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