Running Report June 4 -- June 6

6/4/15 THURSDAY
Ran 3 miles in the morning.

1. 4.11
2. 3.45
3. 3.57
4. 3.58
5. 3.52
6. 4.08

Total time of 23.54 average of 7.58 per mile.

Week 22 miles
Month 22 miles
Year 422 miles

6/5/15 FRIDAY
Ran five miles in the morning.

1. 3.37
2. 3.26
3. 3.23
4. 3.32
5. 3.25
6. 3.27
7. 3.21
8. 3.26
9. 3.30
10. 3.20

Total time 34.32 average of 6.56 per mile.

Week 27 miles
Month 27 miles
Year 427 miles

THOUGHTS: I was not looking forward to the pain I would have to go through to reach the goal I had for today's workout of running 5 miles at 7 minute pace.  Maybe part of it was the build up I had in my mind for two months this was the key workout to where I was.  I woke up once or twice during the night worried about the pain factor.  As I awoke at four in the morning and looked outside I could hear that there was a slight drizzle.  I headed back to my room to go back to bed with intentions of doing the run after work in the afternoon.  Then, fortunately, by the time I got back to my room I realized that it would be easier to achieve my goal in the moning than in the heat of the afternoon.  When I finally did get outside, it wasn't really raining, just a few light raindrops here and there.  The first half mile is always a hard one for me as my muscles and body are still warming up.  After a mile and a half I thought, I can do this.  I can do each half mile at 3.30.  Then like at 3 miles I thought "man this is hard, but just focus on getting to the next half mile at no slower than 3.30."  As usuall with a hard run, from there on out I just had to focus on making it to the next short term goal and forget about what was beyond.  I was elated to finish faster than a 7 minute pace.  I had accomplished my goal.  I was also pleased that I didn't have to go to the bottom of the well.  Close, but not all the way to the bottom, not race pain.  All of my efforst seemed to have paid off.  However I realized that this was just the beginning, really.  I thought about how over the next 17 weeks I needed to take the five miles I could now do at 7 minute pace and stretch that way out to 26.2.  So my enthusiasm was tempered upon pondering the length of the path still to tread. 

6/6/15 SATURDAY
Ran 10 miles in the afternoon.

1. 4.50
2. 4.52
3. 4.50
4. 4.51
5. 4.58
6. 5.00
7. 4.34
8. 4.34
9. 4.49
10. 4.24
11. 4.13
12. 4.10
13. 4.07
14. 4.12
15. 4.09
16. 4.14
17. 4.49
18. 4.08
19. 4.05
20. 3.50

Total time 1 hour 29 minutes and 50 seconds.  Average of 8.59 per mile.

Week 37 miles
Month 37 miles
Year 437 miles

THOUGHTS: This was a difficult run for a number of reasons.  Instead of being super disciplined and getting up way early to get my 10 mile run done and over with before six in the morning, and before the heat of the day, I was lazy and left it for non-morning time.  I went on a three mile hike with a 25 pound pack and occasionaly another 40 pounds added on top of that.  So that was some good exercise.  I started my run at one in the afternoon in 90 degree heat with a good wind blowing.  So basically goal one was to complete the run and goal two was to complete it without getting dehydrated or heat exhaustion.  I threw any thought of time out the window before even getting started.  The last half mile I ran a little faster in order to get at or under the nine minute pace.  I was glad to finish runnig the ten miles.  Later in the day, I could feel that the three mile hike and the ten mile run in the heat really took a toll on my body.