Nasty Cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got a 9.5 mile run in on Sunday for the Lynn Woods Stone Tower Trail Race then by Monday morning I had a nasty cold. Fearing Swine Flu I took off Tuesday from work, it has been getting better but I have not run. So far I have taken Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off from running. I think I could manage a run today but I have some serious congestion. Last year I had a similar cold and I pushed through it and developed a nasty bronchial infection-which was nearly pnemonia. It is getting down to the wire now with the Marathon on Sunday. That gives me 3 days to clear this up. Not how I wanted to be going into this thing. This is turning into an unplanned sit on my ass taper and I feel myself getting slower by the minute. I will need to go on a run today just to see how I feel. It drives me crazy, because I always felt like I could just run these things off (I never missed a practice rowing in college). Maybe it just age, but I am learning the hard way that I need to throttle back or else I really take a few steps backward.

Charlestown Track 10x800

This was the last hard workout before the Mancherster 26.2 next Sunday. This workout felt great and I am confident in my fitness level. What I noticed most was the 200m jog in between was a legit jog and not a plod and I felt "recovered" before the next interval-the rest time in between was consistent on each one as 1 min 8 sec between for the 200 jog. I will hit the track next Tuesday for 4xmile at my marathon pace and the rest of my miles next week will be easy w/ a few pickup miles to keep my legs fresh. Splits below:
1-3:14
2-3:16
3-3:12
4-3:13
5-3:08
6-3:11
7-3:10
8-3:12
9-3:06
10-3:01

Progression Run around Lake Quannapowitt

Visited my grandfather in Wakefield and hit Lake Quannapowitt for 3 laps. I focused on picking up my pace each lap. The loop is a little over 3 miles. The day was absolutely perfect; cool, sunny, and no wind. I actually did these a little faster than I thought, when I mapped the run it shows the loop as around 3.15 miles. Actually started around my goal marathon pace and dropped to about my 15k pace on the last one- I thought I was starting at about 20 sec above marathon pace and finishing about 10 sec below, just going on feel and looking at the time each lap (I was calculating it as 3 miles). It was really encouraging to calculate the split times and find out I was clocking about 10sec per mile faster than I felt I was. I guess it sometimes pays not to think about the clock/distance thing too hard sometimes. Summary:
1st-23:30/7:27
2nd-23:06/7:20
3rd-21:49/6:55
Total: 9.45miles-1:08:27/7:15

Cape Cod Canal 10 mile out and back

Went down to Mass maritime for a career fair on Thursday. I had wanted to hit the track in Charlestown but the fair was an hour earlier than I thought, the weather was lousy so I figured I'd just get down to the south shore and try and squeeze in a run. Got down there fairly quickly and figured I had time for an easy 10 miler. I parked at the railroad bridge by the canal, it was misting and raw. I immediately noticed a mile marker on the canal path and started my watch, after the first two mile jog I decided to try and even split the first five miles out and then negative split the second half on the way back. Markers are posted every 1/2 mile, I found that feedback really helpful. The workout went great and was a pretty good confidence builder. Maybe it was the new Brooks Ghosts I bought yesterday, the training, the well marked trail or more likely the slight downhill and tailwind on the wayback-But I'll take it. Splits as follows:
1-7:57 ___________6-7:36
2-8:01 ___________7-7:15
3-7:58 ___________8-7:01
4-8:02 ___________9-6:48
5-8:01 ___________10-6:25

Biggest week to date

56 miles for the week, that includes a 16 medium hard effort, 20 mile Long and Slow, 4x1 mile and the rest was easy jogs. Feel pretty good and looking to get another week over 50 w/ one more 20mile+ long run in.

Charlestown Track 4x1mile

Had planned on 10x800, but got stuck in traffic trying to get to work early so I improvised and hammered this one out in 35min. 4x1mile w/200 jog between.
1-6:41
2-6:36
3-6:28
4-6:21

One year of Solid running

The baystate marathon will be about 1 year of solid running for me. I ran the 1/2 marathon last year after about two months of building up some mileage. But after baystate last year I began running regularly 4-6 times per week. Last month I posted my biggest month mileage wise to date (that includes the previous 33 years of my life as I had never been a regular runner)-186 miles is considered a light month to "real runners" but for me to complete it fairly comfortably with none of the pains and fatigue I was feeling 6 months ago after a 177mile month, I am quite pleased. I did not get in a run over 12 miles last week, but the two 12 milers I completed were "hilly" routes. So I was pleased with the volume and quantity of work last week but concerned because I didn't get in the 20 miler I need. I will be looking to get the long slow distance (i.e. 20 miler ) early this week.