Running Journal Summary – Week ending 2/24.

Sun February 24th
4.00 miles at a 8:39 pace

ROWLEY, MA - I set out to do 8. There were a couple things that cut this run short. In random order, the first was my legs were burning at the second loop option. With the bridge work they are doing on my running route i can't do an out and back 8, i have to do two out and back 4's. When i got back home after 4 my legs were burning and since i did so much 'carb' in take at the last nights bachelor party i figured it was a good speed work out or 'faster run' work out since i was moving pretty fast. I will maybe do my long run or longer run tonight. I have to be careful with my language here. Its funny to call an 8 mile run a long run, 4 or so years after a weekend 3 hour and change run use to hold that title.... i guess its all relative.

Thu February 21st
7.00 miles at a 8:57 pace

ROWLEY, MA TREADMILL - You can never really judge how you are doing based on one run. But if I were to do that I'd pick this run. My legs were not a factor and at the end at the 6 mile mark my legs wanted to go faster. When they ask I listen. The last mile was done at a speed that I was very happy with. Watching the Tour of California on tape helped.

I just noticed, my pace was 8:57, sweet Only 40 more seconds to drop

Tue February 19th
7.00 miles at a 9:02 pace

ROWLEY, MA TREADMILL - I feel someone replaced my legs with one's that don't fit. I don't know what is wrong with my gate. Could it be that im so removed from my base that i have to build it back up again? If so how do i explain at 220 lbs i am able to run just 8 times and be up to 7 strong miles? When i was in HS and going to the chiropractor my lower lumber would constantly get miss aligned; causing what she said a different length in legs. Maybe this has happened? We'll see. Today was all about toughing it out and concentrating on my gate; that is bad, it should come natural. I also thought it could be the treadmill being off kilter; i'll check that later but this doesn't explain having the same feeling on a road ive put 1k miles on. Im not liking this. The only good that can come out of it is when im done stressing i have gotten back to some semblance of speed well see.

Mon February 18th
5.75 miles at a 9:12 pace

ROWLEY, MA - I'm feeling the pain of two days on the road. The treadmill is soo much softer but i'd much rather be outside. Today was such a switch from yesterday. I was able to get my head into it but not my body. I did have spurts of comfortable running at a faster pace but i couldnt keep it going. I can feel the progress. I know it will come, i am excited by it and for once im not getting frustrated with the speed at wich im attaining it. I know from experience there is nothing more then repetition. Nothing. When i get up in the milage and speed my body will crave the foods i need to fuel the effort. For now i have a veracious hunger. With in minutes of coming back from runs i stuff myself. I know this is temporary.

The next phase of this all. When i can run more milage with it totally taxing me is to bring on different types of runs. Intervals, speed work outs. This just improves speed. I won't rush this, i won't rush this, i won't rush. OK 3 times, im sooo not hung up on it. .

I spent some time thinking about what running means to me while out there suffering today. What i concluded is autopilot is completely gone from my running and i won't get it back for some time. Autopilot, in hind site is what i got from running everyday with a group from work back at Lotus. From the moment you start running with a group you are in autopilot. You feed off the group. I get this with cycling as well. This all means that i just have to suffer a little more and use more discipline at night when its time to get on the treadmill.

Thats all for now.

As always more at yancylent.com/running