A Tough Twelve

I received a package full of ING swag in the mail yesterday. I was expecting the Flip Camera that was included but I didn't know they were sending so much free merchandise. I'll probably talk about it all in my Gear Check post on Saturday.

Here's a quick preview pic:

This morning was the longest Middle Distance run I'll do in my training... 12 miles that felt tougher than I would have liked. My left quad is still feeling stiff. It isn't sore anymore, but it feels tight and I didn't feel like I had any spring in my stride.

I took the first mile slow again and then tried to get the pace into the sub-7:00 range. Everything about this morning's run felt awkward though. If I was running with a quick turnover, I felt stiff and my legs were moving fast but not controlled. If I slowed the turnover and lengthened my stride, I felt like I was really laboring.

Finally, almost 8 miles into the run, my quad suddenly relaxed. Unfortunately, by the time it relaxed, I had already run 8 miles of heavy effort so even though it felt better, I didn't have much improvement in pace. I took the last couple of miles easy again today and the last mile was basically a cool-down.

I don't think it helped that I forgot to have a G1 pouch before I left and I didn't take anything along with me for during the run. It was one of those days I just felt foggy-headed and lacking energy.

I think this week's mileage is adding up more than I thought it would. 13 hard miles on Sunday over hills... 10 miles on Tuesday... 4 miles of hills yesterday... and 12 miles today. That's almost 40 miles in five days with more speedwork tomorrow and 22 miles scheduled for Sunday.

Beyond physical fatigue, I think I'm psyching myself out. Instead of just running in the moment and listening to my body, I keep catching myself thinking about how much I've run this week, how many miles I have left in the run I'm on, and about running 22 miles on Sunday. I have to reign those thoughts in and just focus on what I'm doing from moment to moment.

I'm ready for some fresh legs!!!

Thursday
Goal For The Day: Middle Distance.
Distance: 12.20 Miles.
Time: 1:26:59. 7:08 Avg. (7:21, 6:49, 6:53, 7:09, 6:54, 6:48, 6:49, 6:56, 7:04, 7:23, 7:07, 7:58, 1:41*).
Route: To Rte 66/3 Laps/Home.
Conditions: 61 degrees/cloudy/cool. 7:00am.

Notes: Today was one of those days that 'training' is less fun than just 'running'. The weather was perfect for a long morning run. It rained a little last night and it was still cloudy and cool with a light wind this morning. If I hadn't been worried about my pace, it would have been a run morning for a run. At one point in the park, I turned a corner and surprised a deer that was just standing in the middle of the road. She stutter-stepped from side to side trying to decide which direction to run. She looked like Bambi trying to walk on ice!

Daily Miles: 12.20 Miles.
Blog Totals:
  Run - 464.52 Miles.
  Bike - 144.45 Miles.
  Swim - 12,050+ meters.