ORN [Obligatory Running Note]: Rest day today.I have fallen behind with the Weekly Training Updates. Hmm.. Let's see, your last update was Week 18. I no longer remember Week 19, and Week 20 was a race week. So that brings us to Weeks 21 and the just-completed Week 22. That just sounds like a whole lot of weeks, doesn't it? 24 weeks...I mean, really. What you could do with 24 weeks sounds like a blogpost all unto itself.
The real status update is that not counting today and race day, we're just 11 days from race day. ...Or in Clock of Doom speak, "11 days, 23 hours, 5 minutes, and 7 seconds left until Thunder Road Marathon on Dec. 12, 2009". The 10-day countdown begins tomorrow, and you know what that means... I'll officially be a head case.
But first, some catching up. Here's the numbers for the last two weeks. (Of Note- My first 80-mile week!):
WEEK 21
- Total weekly mileage: 80
- Average Intensity Factor: .801
- Total Hours: 15:20
- Long run: 24 miles
- Miles run on trail/ dirt: <10
- Average Weight: No way was I getting on the scale
- Average % body fat: Still praying for 18%
- Average Hours sleep: 7.5
WEEK 22
- Total weekly mileage: 55.5
- Average Intensity Factor: .894
- Total Hours: 12
- Long run: 17.5 miles (13 mi. marathon pace run)
- Miles run on trail/ dirt: none
- Average weight: I have stopped weighing myself (I less mental breakdown)
- % body fat: whatever
- Average hrs. of sleep: 7.0
While Week 21 was a physical and emotional train wreck, Week 22 was its polar opposite. (What the polar opposite of a train wreck exactly is, though, I'm not sure).
The good news is that I ROCKED every "key" workouts this week. Check it out:
Mixed Intervals w/ 2-minute recovery? Check.
- 2 miles @ half marathon pace (16:31)
- 1.24 miles @ 10K pace (9:40)
- 1 x 1 mile @ 5K pace (7:51)
- 1 x 800M @ 3,000M pace (3:14)
Cruise Intervals? No problem. Check out these mile splits for 2 x 4.5 mi. @ Half Marathon pace:
- 8:18
- 8:06
- 8:19
- 8:25
- 1/2 mile recovery jog
- 8:15
- 8:20
- 8:18
- 8:20
13 Mile Marathon Pace Run? Signed, Sealed, and Delivered.
- 8:48
- 8:53
- 10:39 huh?
- 9:06
- 8:43
- 8:49
- 8:44
- 9:04
- 8:41
- 8:55
- 8:38
- 9:04
- 8:47
So, with my race coming up in less than 2 weeks, all I can really say is that I am ready to set forth my race goals, and I'm very optimistic I can run a good race. And yet again, I've learned some valuable lessons during my training this go 'round that will make me a better and stronger runner in the future. Perhaps someday-- even if it's not for another 20 years-- I'll finally fit together all the pieces of the puzzle and run the perfect race.
Patience, grasshopper.
