A Lot Can Change In Two Days

This week didn't quite go according to plan but for some reason, I haven't been too hard on myself.

It started Wednesday morning when I decided to sleep in instead of going for my scheduled speedwork. Running and swimming Tuesday night left me a little worn out and I chose sleep over consistency. I thought I might make up for it with some hill repeats Wednesday night but our weekly dinner with friends, coupled with the record-breaking heat, made a lazy night in the house too inviting to pass up.

Wednesday and Thursday both had record-setting temperatures of 102 and 104. It didn't take much for me to decide to skip a workout. Thursday was basically the same as Wednesday. I didn't run in the morning and worked late so I didn't get a run in.

Truth be told, it was hot but the mornings weren't that bad. If I would have gotten out of bed, I could have kept to the schedule and it would have been bearable. After skipping Wednesday and Thursday, I made sure I went out this morning.

I missed a speedwork session and a middle distance run so I ran middle distance today instead of the scheduled Bannister Repeats. It was a fairly routine 8 miles but I was surprised to see how much had changed along my usual route since I ran it last.

I ran to Route 66 State Park again and the road leading to the park has been freshly paved with some nice, smooth asphalt. It'll be nice on our next bike ride. Then I was shocked by the lack of water in the park. Even with the crazy heat we had in July, there's been a swampy section of the park and several places that always have water along the side of the road. I can't remember a time those parts of the park weren't covered in water. But this morning they were nothing but cracked, drying mud. I don't feel as bad about my lawn drying out after seeing the park so dry. Then I realized that the trees along the road leading back to town had been butchered by the electric company to keep them clear of the power lines. That's a lot of aesthetic changes since I last ran this route.

I've been so focused on staying consistent, I expected to feel a certain amount of guilt or self-loathing after skipping two straight days of training. But I'm still surprisingly upbeat. I think it helped that today's run went pretty well and that I've been on an upswing lately. Whatever the reason, I don't plan to make a habit out of missing days. Things are going well and I want to keep the momentum going.

Wednesday
Goal For The Day: Speedwork. (Skipped.)
Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Thursday
Goal For The Day: Middle Distance. (Skipped.)
Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Friday
Goal For The Day: Amended to Middle Distance.
Distance: 8.36 Miles.
Time: 59:31. 7:07 Avg. (7:17, 6:42, 6:53, 6:54, 6:57, 7:15, 7:08, 7:41, 2:40*)
Route: To Rte 66/1 Lap/Home.
Conditions: 75 degrees. 7:00AM.

Notes: Closer to the pace I'm looking for. It felt good to start the day with a good effort. No speedwork this week but I'm feeling good about the workouts I've done.

Daily Miles: 8.36 Miles.
Blog Totals:
  Run - 252.79 Miles.
  Bike - 98.53 Miles.
  Swim - 9,050+ meters.