5/28/14. thurs. 5 miles through Everett.

the day was busy and i needed to get out of work early for a dentist appnt, so i couldn't run before work (5 miles takes longer and I get to work a little later).  so i planned to get home after the dentist, change, and go to the gym with my family.  that way i could run everett while they worked out. 

i really like my run through everett. i head out from CFE up grandview, to the end where it hits Legion Park, then circle back up on either rucker or hoyt.  this is neighborhood running, with smooth sidewalks, nice ramps up/down at intersections (minimal curbs to step over), fairly flat, and real fast.  its not crowded, and the views are awesome.  looking out over the marina, the water, whidbey island, the little neighborhood parks.  its just really nice and i'm glad to squeeze this one in every once in a while.  its nice to spend a little extra time with my family, and when i get back from my run i can watch them finish up their workout.

it was sunny with a good temp, low 70s, with a nice breeze.  i ran pretty fast, but didn't feel like i was pushing it too hard.  the flatness helped make my pace look good - avg pace of 8:05 min/mile which is pretty fast for me.  it was a good run, everything felt pretty good, and i was happy with it.

a day of rest, a casual weekend (slow miles all weekend, 8 on sat, 12 on sunday) prepare for the peak of my training NEXT WEEK.  next week will be my last high mileage week, and my last REALLY LONG RUN.

30 and a wake-up.

8/27/14. wed. 5 miles at 0500.

this is a little bit of a recovery week, lower miles between 2 high mileage weeks.  only 35 miles.  last week was 43 miles, next week will be another 43 miles.  its still hard to imagine a week with 35 miles of running is a "lower mileage" week.  although the mid-week run is typically a longish run, today i had only had 5 miles on plan.  i could get it knocked out before work, so i was up at 0445 and out by 0500.  with the days getting shorter, it was very dark, but still warm (70 degrees) and the skies were clear - the stars were so bright again.  i really like this time of year.  i was not quite as stiff and sore as i was yesterday, but that first half mile or so was still tough.  right foot was stiff/sore, gait felt off, it just take s a little while to get smooth.  I saw barely anybody.  a dog walker, 2 walkers, and just a few cars on the speedway.  but other than that, i had the roads and sidewalks to myself.  running alone and in the dark with the perfect temp/humidity is the best.  5 miles took me 42:04, avg pace of 8:25 min/mile.  it was an entirely normal run, nothing special, just putting miles in the bank.

thinking a bit about Berlin.  and i have a lot to think about.  travel. finding my way, getting where i need to be.  just taking care of daily business.  and then the actual marathon.  40,000 people is just crazy.  its going to be such a cluster-f...

31 and a wake-up.

8/26/14. Tues. 5am, 5 miles.

well, i am over 900 miles into the plan, with about 140 more before i toe up to the start line in Berlin.  just a month away.  now is the time to buckle down and get some work done.  there's no free ride, every mile i run before i leave makes a difference, every training day is equally important. there is no room for walking, there is no day that can be skipped.

i was up and on the street before 5am, and it was really dark.  it was so clear I could really see the stars.  leaving the house on a cool, clear, dark morning with the stars so bright in the sky, that makes it feel like fall.  i have an awesome memory of getting up *early* due to some forced OT at work, and seeing the incredible display of constellations over my house.  i remember waking A up (he was just a toddler) and bringing him out, wrapped in his blanket, just to see the stars.  having this memory this morning made my run easier.  but it was my first run after my 20 mile odyssey on sunday, and i felt it every step of the way. my right foot (heel/arch) was just tight, and threw my gait off for awhile.  after about a quarter mile or so, this seems to loosen up (or just go numb) and i can knock out my miles OK.  i like running in the dark, and i like running when there are no people or cars or traffic.  the air is clear, the path is open, and i can just do my thing.  i would say my transition to longer runs in the morning is going well.  tues/thurs used to be 3 mile days, then 4 miles days, now 5 mile days.  things seem to be on track, and i am doing the best i can.

32 and a wake-up.

8/23-25/14. Sat - fast 5 miles. Sun - long slow 20 miles. Mon - bodyweight workout

still on Plan, and getting the journal caught up.  the god new is that my friend Randy is home.  no official word on what happened, but honestly, it doesn't really matter.  he's with his family and his friends and that is what does matter.

8/23/14. Sat. The Plan called for a fast 5 miles.  based on how my tues/thurs 5 mile runs went, i thought i ought to be able to keep this one under 40 minutes.  i went ahead and had a 2 scoop NOXplode before i ran.  i have weaned myself off the pre-workout boost, but every once in a while I break it out.  you forget how it makes you just buzz, makes you want to vibrate in place, the roar in your ears and the tingling in your face.  like lighting the match on a stick of dynamite.  needless to say, i took off running.  my moving time of 38:52 gave me an average moving pace of 7:46 min/mile.  tell you what, this felt fast, and I was proud to get this one logged.  i am glad to hold this pace in the middle of a high mileage week.  T taught yoga after my run, and i was glad to get in there and get stretched out.  I noticed my right foot (the one with the painful heel/arch) was really stiff and gave me some trouble with some poses.  I need to continue to roll/ice that one.

8/24/14. Sun. 20 miles.  this is right in the thick of it.  this is the 2nd high mileage week that is a part of the peak of the plan (3 high mileage weeks in a 5 week period), and this is the longest distance i will run before Berlin.  i headed out to the Centennial Trail so i could run straight out and back with as few interruptions and difficulties as possible.  i started at the Machias Trailhead, and ran further north than i have ever gone.  although it was only 10 miles out, it felt like i was halfway to canada.  the weather was fantastic, maybe a little too sunny/warm for a great run, but it was good.  this just shows the effect of heat/humidity - last weekend was supposed to be a 13.1 mile "race" when i was at SC.  this weekend, i covered 13.1 at a faster pace than i did in my "race" last week, and then continued on to finish the 20 miles.  i should quit beating myself up over that 13.1 I ran in the heat and humidity, and just move on.  after reading up on the subject, i realize i was had been bordering on heatstroke in SC. I remember at one point last week i kind of lost track of where i was (which i just attributed to running an unfamiliar road), and even though it was over 80 degrees i remember getting goosebumps and feeling chilled at one point.  but that's long in the past.  moving on, all i can do it think about the next run and be as ready as possible.  to be honest, 3 hours on the run is a long time to run and think, and i spent a lot of that time on sunday worried about Randy and Angela.  although i'm not particularly close to Randy, it had me very upset.  but here is the deal - i need to be able to partition my life from my training, partition my emotions from my intellect.  i need to get on the road and be The Tip of the Spear.  and these painful runs are getting me hard, getting me sharp.

8/25/14. monday.  bodyweight workout day.  after the high mileage week, i felt so weak in the gym.  i did 7 rounds of cindy (5 strict pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats), and it took me a long long time.  it was slow and difficult.  about on track though.  i remember speculating how my workouts would naturally ramp down as my miles ramped up.  and it has happened as expected.  from 5 WODs a week, to 3 lifting days a week, to 2 lifting days a week, to 1 bodyweight day a week.  i am following the plan religiously, as far as miles and pace, but i am letting my body guide my workouts.  i hate to get weak again, but I just need to see this through.

33 and a wake-up.

8/25/14. Monday. I'm worried about Randy

so it was a big mileage weekend.  i ran long, and i ran hard, and i would really like to journal it.  This was a huge week in my training plan, and this was a big deal.

but right now I want to use my journal entry to say I'm so worried about Randy Malikowski.  Randy and his wife Angela live in Pensacola Florida, and they own Perdido Bay Crossfit.  Randy went for a walk Saturday morning and hasn't been seen since. its been about 48 hours.

http://www.pnj.com/story/news/2014/08/25/search-underway-missing-perdido-man/14557461/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Find-Randy-Malikowski/1614764482083521?fref=nf

Randy was our coach on our first day of crossfit here in Everett WA, and gave the assessment to T and I.  He has always been extremely helpful to both of us, and i know if i asked him for any help or advice he would always do it.  likewise, if he or his wife were to ask me for anything I would do it.

3000 miles away, there's nothing i can do except offer support and thoughts.  i am not lying to say I thought of Randy and Angela every step of my 20 mile run yesterday.  40,000 steps in 3 hours, that's how many times I thought about them.  I hope for the best possible outcome.

*****MISSING*****
Name: Randal "Randy" Malikowski
Age: 51
Sex: Male
Race: Caucasian
Hair: Light Brown
Height: 5'11
Weight: 175lbs with Athletic Build
Last Seen Activity: Did not return after going for a walk on Dog Track Road in Pensacola, FL without identification, wallet, keys, or cell phone
Missing Since: Saturday, 23 August 2014 at approximately 9:20am
Identifying Characteristics:
Facial Hair 'soul patch'
Tattoos left arm, below shoulder, of tribal arm band with skeleton heads and a cross above

Please call 850-261-2024 or 850-266-4267 if you've seen or heard from him. Escambia County Sherriff's Office also has a BOLO out and they can be reached at 850-436-963

8/21/14 thurs. 5 mile run at 0500.

slept in a little, as the week was catching up with me.  plus its always hard to do a longish run wed evening, then get up and run again thurs morning.  plus the fact that 5 miles before dawn still feels wrong.  conditions were good, it was about 57 degrees and dark, with a breeze.  they say that if you feel warm enough before you start, you're over-dressed or its too hot.  well, i definitely felt a little chilly as i set out, in fact it almost felt like the start of fall. 

i wore my adidas energy boost shoes, and i honestly feel they ran a little faster than my glides.  i really want these to be my race shoes, but they concern me for a few reasons.

1. my right heel/arch is still bothering me, and the boosts don't have a lot of the thick foam padding that i suspect would be helpful for the long run.  
2. my toes are really falling apart, and the boosts are kind of a stretchy material that fits pretty snug (even though i bought a full size over as recommended).  they have room in length, but they are snug on top of the toes.

So my plan is to wear these shoes once a week over the next few weeks, with successively longer runs, to make sure that my feet still feel OK while running in them.  a 5 miler this week, a 12 next week, and a 20 the week after.  if i can complete the 20 with no significant foot issues, then these will be my Berlin shoes.  after the 5 miler, my heel/arch didn't feel any worse than when i started.  good news so far.

I also have spent a lot of time rolling my heel/arch under my desk while i am working, using the triggerpoint TPFootballer roller.  i hope that this will help. 

5 weeks and 2 days.

8/20/14. wed. 8 mile "longish" run.

8 miles is a long way for a mid-week run.  but this week (and the week 2 weeks ago, and the week after next) are the man-makers.  its the punishment of the miles.  these weeks are the peak of The Plan.  i need to buckle down and run hard and do my best.  i won't get another chance. as hard as this seems to do, this is the peak, i need to keep this in mind.  get through this 5 week period of high mileage, and start thinking about the end game.

temp was in the mid 60s, with a good breeze.  this was a really good combination for running. when the breeze died down and i was stuck out in the open (no shade) it did feel like it was getting pretty hot, but it was a manageable set of conditions and i ran with a pretty good pace.  i made the decision, based on temp, to run the 8 miles without carrying water.  I did run through the public library lobby to use the bathroom, and did have a drink from the fountain while i was there.  but i could have finished this without water, so it was a good enough choice.

2 bruised purple toenails, 1 black toe tip, 1 zombie toenail almost completely off.  right heel/arch pain maybe a 3 or 4 out of 10 during the day, and probably 2-3 out of 10 while running.  just keeping the machine serviceable.  then taper comes, and i will sharpen myself to be the tip of the spear.

5 weeks and 3 days to go.

8/19/14. tuesday. 5 mile run, sports massage.

still having trouble adjusting to the time change.  i intended to get up at around 0500 or so, but i woke up early and headed out early.  i was on the streets by 0435.  i tell you what, tues/thurs are my "short" run days, and they are now locked in at 5 miles for the next 4 weeks (until the taper begins).  how crazy is that, that my short runs will not go less than 5 miles?  the days are definitely shorter; it was pitch black when i left, and the sky was barely getting lighter, kind of purple, when i got back.  it was a fantastic run - 62 degrees, dark, no humidity, light breeze. just running along the trees, it smelled fantastic.  if you have never been hiking/running in the pacific northwest forest, then i cannot describe this fresh alive evergreen forest smell.  the air is so so clear and crisp.  it just makes me feel good to breathe, it gives me energy, and it improves my outlook.  it was great to be back on my own ground.  and as i finished up, there was a really light sprinkle of rain, just to cool me off and welcome me back.  after a mile or so my heel/arch numbed up, and things went fine.  it was so good to be back, and it made me wish i was running trail.  as far as running goes, i will take the pacific northwest forest over the south atlantic coast any day of the week.  of course, winter in SC is pretty darn mild compared to the rain and cold i endured.  but i'm happy with what i have.

after work i had a sports massage.  i had pre-scheduled this one (to be right in the middle of my high mileage weeks) and one more coming up the week before I leave for Berlin.  I asked M to concentrate on my lower body - glutes, quads, calfs, etc.  she really worked that heel/arch that's been painful the last 2 days.  this was tough to take, but all in all it was a good massage.  i felt relaxed and limber afterwards.  and oiled up like a gladiator.  if anyone want a recommendation for a licensed massage therapist with lots of crossfit/lifting/strongwoman experience, just ask me.  She has worked a lot of big races around here (providing massage therapy after the race) and is really familiar with runners and their issues.  she works out of a local crossfit gym, and I can't say enough good things about her.

looking at The Plan, I realized something.  my high mileage week 2 weeks ago (44 miles), this week (43 miles), and 2 weeks from now (43 miles) are the peak of my training.  this is it.  this is what i have been building up to.  this is the highest mileage i will run.  a hard weekend coming, and then two weeks from now another hard one.  and then that's it, the taper begins.  i can't believe its getting close enough to think about the end game.  i just have to get through these coming 3 weeks.

5 weeks and 4 days.

8/18/14. monday. rest from running, easy workout day.

I had a real bad flare up of my right heel/arch pain.  when i woke up, i couldn't even put any weight on my foot. limping around was really scary.  i'm not sure what set it off.  I ran that half marathon sunday which should have been no big deal.  then i wore some new shoes, and spent over 6 hours trapped in a seated position on the airplane.  it all added up to pain and stiffness.  i was really limping when we got home sunday night, and it got no better overnight.  it was a rest day from running, and I had intended to just take the day off completely.  at work i iced my foot and rolled it with my triggerpoint "tpfballer" roller for a while.  it was depressing being back at work.  for over 2 weeks i ran hard, and i felt great.  I ran my highest mileage week in my entire life, with no adverse effect (other than a few toenails).  lots of running, but it was vacation running - no stress, no schedule, no office desk/chair, and lots of other activity (walking around, going to the beach, playing in the ocean, etc).  lots of miles, no issues.  one day back in the office, and my lower back, my hips, my quads, my calfs, my feet, everything is stiff and sore.  plus the heel/arch pain.  argh.  i wish i could take the next 5 weeks and 4 days off from work and concentrate on training.  stress, recover, repeat.

but when i got home from work, T was about to head out to the gym.  so i went with her.  knocked out 7 rounds of cindy, felt pretty good.  the more i walked around the gym, the less my foot hurt.  i think the activity was good.  i was glad to see a lot of friends again, and its definitely nice to be back.  after my slow easy bodyweight workout, i spent some quality time with the foam roller.  maybe hitting the roller 5 days a week on vacation was another contributor to feeling pretty good.  I think i will try to keep this up.  just not enough hours in the day.

5 weeks and 5 days.

8/17/14. Sunday. Half Marathon "race"

per plan, this run was supposed to be a race.  i didn't have a local race on this date, so as usual i planned to just run my own "race".  I have been running for 42 weeks.  I have over 830 miles under my feet in those weeks.  i have been training hard, and i am feeling good and i have been making all sorts of speed gains.  I was so ready to set myself a new half marathon PR and show that my training is really working.  and then I failed.  I was slower than my half PR by 6 minutes (moving time) and 13 minutes (elapsed time).  this is really disappointing.

now, keep in mind my PR was set on a cool, lightly raining early spring day in the pacific northwest. ideal conditions.  this time, it was over 80 degrees when I left the house, and it was pretty humid.  I know that i cannot expect peak performance when the conditions are oppressive.  but that feels like an excuse. my whole run, i kept saying to myself this wasn't so bad, just think of those guys running the Badwater (135 mile ultramarathon through death valley in mid-summer).  this is easy, just 13.1 miles in SC, and at least my shoes aren't melting to the pavement.  I should be able to just knock this out.  But it was bad, and I have no metric or conversion factor to account for the environmental conditions.  I can only directly compare pace and time.  and by that comparison, i failed.  not only is it frustrating, but it also casts doubt on my whole plan and performance.  screw south carolina. i wish i wasn't feeling bad about this, but i am.  I am reminded of the comic The Oatmeal when he described a run in Japan that was terrible.  although I didn't have any wasps (just heat and humidity), i imagined myself as godzilla, leaving, flipping the double bird to South Carolina.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running5

in addition, my heel/arch has flared up again.  felt great for some time now, and after this run i was limping.  argh.  travel, then a day of rest, and then another big miles week coming.  43 mile week coming up, and I'm feeling grim about it.

8/13-14/14. Wed. Thurs. 5 mile runs.

8/13/14. Wed. Up and out by 0600 for 5 miles at dawn.  My 14 year old got up with me and rode the beach cruiser along side for the whole run.  We stopped and watched the sun rise over the Atlantic ocean. It's different every morning, but just as incredible.  I'm glad we could share this together. Pretty much an uneventful south Carolina run.  Got back, drank my coffee, and took T to the gym. Again, I foam rolled, and then messed around on the bars for a while while she worked out. I think my grip strength is a little better. I did some one-handed chin ups on each arm (gripping the wrist of the arm hanging from the bar). Pretty much a party trick, not much harder than a regular chin up, but i never tried one before.  Then another day at the beach playing in the ocean.

8/14/14. Thurs.  the last 5 mile run in SC (one more long run over the weekend, then my east coast running is complete). Nobody would wake up with me, so I ran it alone.  Like usual. I think I am used to the solitude and I probably do better with it than when I try to run with someone else.  I set my own pace, I tune out the world and knock out my miles.  I do try hard to look around and see my surroundings, to really appreciate where i am and what I'm doing.  But after a run, I tend to block it all out and try to forget the time spent on the road. I think its a mental defense mechanism, keeps me from going crazy.  Physically, For the most part i am feeling pretty good.  Hips, knees, quads, calls, all pretty good.  My toes are not faring so well.  The purple/black middle toenail has gone gray.  I suspect it is coming off sooner rather than later. the black spot on the end of that toe has not gone away, but it no longer hurts.  The next toenail over has started to bruise up and go purple.  And worse, the toenail of the big toe on my right foot has started to bruise.  Just 5 weeks and 6 days to go, and my toenails are really starting to show the abuse.  Makes me think about Marshall Ulrich, the ultra-marathon runner who had his toenails surgically removed.  The doctors had to cut them out and then burn the nailbed with acid to keep them from growing back.  He said if he had known had bad it would hurt, he never would have done it.  But now that they're gone, he's happier without them.  Now that's just crazy.  Although mine are bruised and painful and a few might fall off, I really think its a small issue in the grand scheme of things.  Maybe I'd think differently of I was a professional, though.

8/11-12/14. Mon. Tues. a workout and a short run.

8/11/14. Monday. I was feeling pretty shagged from my 44 mile week, and especially from my 18 mile long run the day before, so I went pretty easy in the gym. 6 slow rounds of Cindy (5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats). I mostly just had a good time with T, spotted her during her lifts, helped her set up equip for her WOD, etc.  and I foam rolled a lot.  All lower body.  Nothing eventful, but I am going into a recovery week (if you can all a 28 mile week a "recovery").

8/12/14. Tuesday. Just a 5 mile run along the coastline.  Even at 6am, its fairly hot (over 80 degrees), and really humid. At home, it seems to take about a mile before I even break a sweat.  But here, I walk out the door and before I reach the end of the street I'm just dripping with sweat.  The route I ru is flat, though.  Seriously, it's only about a 5 foot elevation change (over the half mile from the house down to Ocean Ave along the coast), then there is zero elevation change for any number of miles I run.  I would worry that this flat running would be too easy, and that I would be getting soft out here, but the heat and the humidity are keeping it tough. I hope it's balancing out and that this trip hasn't set me back in my training. After my run I went to the gym with T, but just to keep her company. Play around on the rig a bit - a few sets of pullups, toes 2 bar, chin ups, just to kill some time while she works out.  Some foam rolling, and I was good to go.

8/10/14. Sunday. The Long Run.

The plan called for 18 miles, my longest run since since my last full, over 2 years ago. I knew it was going to be hot and humid, so I got up at 0530 figuring I'd get an early start. Tell you what, that wasn't early enough.  It had rained over night, and it was so steamy and humid. As the sun came up, there was just a haze of humidity. It was actually hard to breathe. I started out fairly well, but as it got hotter I ran slower.  The second 15k felt much slower.  My average moving pace ended up around 9:05 min/mile, which just shows how the weather affected me.

So the longest run in this plan (so far) is complete. My highest mileage week (ever!) is complete, at 44 miles. I am over 825 miles into the plan.

6 weeks and 5 days.

Let's just get on with it.

8/9/14. sat. a fast 8 miles, and a few hours surfing

the plan called for an 8 mile run at race pace.  i tend not to actually look at my pace much, i just try to run fast.  knocked out my 8 in 1:02:38, avg moving pace of 7:50 min/mile.  i was pretty happy to hold this fast of a pace over this distance.  the humidity was tough.  the air felt thick.  it was overcast, and it rained a bit.  but it seemed to evaporate into the air before it hit the ground.  just made it harder to breathe.

as soon as i got back, E and I headed out for a surfing clinic at myrtle beach state park.  we had a blast.  E was a rock star, and was surfing like a champ in no time at all.  me, not so much.  my legs were a little tight after my pace run, and a few times my hamstring cramped up when I tried to stand up on the board.  but i never gave up.  had a good time, and i know E will never forget we did this together.

 

 

 

 

8/7/14. thurs. easy 5 miles.

out the door by 6am, slow and easy 5 miles.  really hot and humid, but just concentrated on running slow and steady.  i really like watching the sun rise.  the sky starts to lighten up, then a band of orange on the horizon, then the sun starts to creep up, reddish-orange and climbing slowly over the surf.  just awesome. I took a few breaks to run down to the waterline and just watch the sun rise.  got my miles in, and that's what counts.

right after i walked in the door, I went to the gym with T.  spent some quality time with the foam roller.  knocked out a few sets of pull ups, toes 2 bar, and dips, just for the hell of it.  but I mostly pulled equip for her, counted reps, coached a little.  and then i just took it easy on the mats while she worked through the WOD.  i could get used to these lazy trips to the gym.

8/6/14. Wed. Mid week longish run.

Up at 0600 to do my midweek longish run. These are a lot of miles this week. It's getting really hot, and the humidity is getting tough. I have to run slow, and it's hard to breathe. 8 miles on a Wednesday  feels like a long way. But it is beautiful to run along the coast as the sun rises. My 8 mile loop is from the house, down ocean drive all the way through Surfside, and into Garden City. My turn around point is a block past the Garden City Pier. Saturday is supposed to be 8 miles at pace. I have no idea how that will go with these conditions.

I went to the gym with T, right after my run. Mostly took it easy. Knocked out some pullups, toes2bar, dips, just because I could. But spent a lot of time with a foam roller, working my legs. Especially the calves. I also helped T with her workout. Spotted her during some heavy back squats. Set up the equip for her WOD. Helped and coached form a little. The trainers at that gym must think I'm a big slacker, since it appears what I mostly do there is watch my wife work out. Maybe they think she's a superstar athlete and I just travel with her as her trainer. Whatever. Nothing can stand in the way of my 44 mile week.

Also been playing in the ocean a lot with the kids. For as many miles as I'm running, I honestly feel pretty damn good. Without the stress of work, and without sitting at that desk for 9 hrs every day, I am recovering really well from my runs and everything feels tip top shape. When I head out in the morning on a run, I don't have that pain and stiffness in my lower body. My hip flexor feels good. My knees and lower legs feel better than last week. Even my right heel is almost forgotten. That black toenail, though, that continues to get worse - no big deal, it comes with the territory. With as good as I feel right now, it makes me wish I could take off from work for the last month before Berlin, and throw myself into training. I think I could really make some gains if all I hadtoworry about was training.

8/5/14. tues. run

tuesday. up at 6am for a 5 mile run.  i forgot how beautiful dawn is over the atlantic ocean.  the storm has passes, and its going to start getting hot.  i am learning my landmarks for my runs down here.  the turn back point for 5 miles, for 8 miles, etc.  i'm running a little slow due ot the heat, but i am still getting my miles in and getting good runs. 

after my run, i went to the gym with T.  I have a feeling she's going to make me go with her every morning we are here, whether i am working out or not.  knocked out some toes to bars just to loosen up, then spent about an hour stretching and rolling.  for this to be my biggest week of miles ever, i am still feeling pretty good.

8/4/14. Monday. I get some work done.

8/4/14. Monday.

rest day from running.  last year, we joined the local crossfit gym for a 3 week couples rate.  this year, with my running, i am not willing to do whatever crazy ass WOD some local trainer comes up with.  i can't let anything get in the way of my training plan.  so we did a 2 week membership at the local globogym that we had used 2 years ago.  lo and behold, they installed a Rogue infinity rack.  just enough bumpers for one person to lift.  so i can do what i want, and T can still do the Crossfit Everett WODs from home.  we were really happy to see this equipment waiting for us.  its up on the 2nd floor though.  if you drop any weights, its makes a big boom that echoes through the place.  so far, nobody has told us not to, to threatened to kick us out.

i did 7 rounds of strict Cindy: 5 strict pullups, 10 pushups, 15 air squats.  then i did some coaching for T, watched her form, set up her equipment.  it was a good day in the gym.  although there were a ton of people using the nautilus equipment, we ahd the rogue rack all to ourselves.  its going to be a good trip.

8/3/14. sunday. back on track with 17 miles

8/3/14. sunday. The Long Run is done!

back on track. the monsoon passed and the clouds broke.  i got out and knocked out my 17 miles, south carolina style.  and by that i mean really hot, and so freakin humid you can barely breathe.  ran down ocean blvd as far as i could, then I had to run some loops to get my mileage up.  that was difficult, to run past the house, wanting to be done, but with more miles to go.

the view of the beach while running, and my route...

I drank 2 liters of water while running (my whole nathan pack), and my Gu gels got runny when with the heat.  I am so so so relieved to get that done and to be back on plan.  that was a 41 mile week.  my highest mileage week ever.  I am so thankful to be able to do that. 

and now a day of rest...

8/2-3/14. Sat and Sunday. A longish run, and nothing on Sunday.

8/2/14. Saturday. My first east coast training run. 8 miles along ocean drive, through surfside beach and garden city beach. I hit the road at 6am, and it went better than expected. Although it was hot (over 80 degrees, even in the dark) and humid (over 80%), the absolute flatness of the route made up for it. I never felt like I was pushing it too hard, and I still averaged 8:26 min/mile. Very overcast, and I never really saw the sun. It sprinkled a little, and there were thunderstorms over the ocean. It was actually really humbling to see the awesomess of the storm out over the ocean, to see lightning arcing down into the ocean and hear the thunder rumbling while I was running. I was glad to test myself against south carolina heat/humidity and find out I could do it.

8/3/14. Sunday. Bad bad bad. It's some kind of tropical monsoon out there. Its raining so hard the streets are flooding. I can't run in this. I'm really angry, and frustrated, and I feels powerless. I feel like I'm being weak-willed for not running anyways, for being too scared to do what I'm supposed to do. I feel like this is going to derail my plan. If I slide my long run to tomorrow, I will lose my rest day. Headed into the highest mileage week of the whole plan, of my whole life, without a rest/recovery day is stupid. But there's nothing else I can do. 17 miles on a treadmill is unspeakable. But if it comes down to it, and this hasn't cleared up by tomorrow, that may be my only choice. It's hard to compromise, and hard to accept a decision that I keep second-guessing. This sucks.