Summer 2014 Base Training, Week 6

Monday, June 9th:

5:15am, 66 degrees, 87%, 0-5mph.  Rain.  Maple Ave out-and-back.  Adidas Supernova Glide 5.

6mi very easy

My lower legs were both pretty sore, I got dumped on by rain the last 1.5mi, and then I got a side stitch on my right side with a .25mi to go.  Probably should have just stayed in bed for this one.  :)

Tuesday, June 10th:

Rest.  Wasn't planning on taking the day off, but was feeling a little run down and figured this week would be a good week to make a cutback week.

Wednesday, June 11th:

6:10pm, 67 degrees, 77%, 10mph.  Kilmer Loop.  Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.

6mi easy.  Strides.

Aerobically I felt very strong, legs were still a little tight/heavy.  Felt better the last 2 miles, and the strides felt strong and powerful.

Thursday, June 12th:

5:45pm, 73 degrees, 86%, 5-15mph.  Maple Shade Loop (M).  New Balance 1260v2.

6mi easy

Conditions were really oppressive this evening.  It didn't help that I have developed a sore spot (hard callus) on the bottom of my left foot between my toe pad and 3rd metatarsal that I can feel on pushoff.  Felt like crap during most of the run.  I'll see how I feel in the morning, but I may take some extra time off this week to give my body some time to get out of its current funk.

Friday, June 13th:

4:50pm, 69 degrees, 95%, 5-10mph, rain.  CHW Track.  Saucony Cortana 3.

9mi, with 4x1600m w/400m jogs (6:17/2:08, 6:16/2:08, 6:16/2:09, 6:14/2:08)

Very humid morning.  Was a very light drizzle for the second half of the workout, but it started pouring on the cooldown.  I was aiming at goal marathon pace for the repeats, but with the heavy air it felt more like half-marathon pace effort for the 3rd/4th reps.  Still a solid run.  The hard callus on my left foot seemed to loosen up on the warmup and didn't bother me during the run, but I noticed that it started bothering me again after I got home and showered.  My left ankle/calf also appeared slightly swollen, as I imagine my pushoff and footstrike might have been affected by the turns on the track today.  I'll stop by the pharmacy today to see if there is a cream/ointment I might be able to use to treat it or help break it up.  It's funny how one little hard spot perfectly placed on the bottom of your foot can cause such grief.

Saturday, June 14th:

6:00am, 67 degrees, 80%, 10mph.  Moorestown.  Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.

10mi very easy

Enjoyable easy run with Tom Stilley and Dawn.  Weather was a little cooler and breezier than yesterday which was nice.

Sunday, June 15th:

10:30am, 72 degrees, 53%, 5-10mph.  Moorestown.  Nike Pegasus 29 USATF.

12.5mi total (1:36:16) (7:42/mi), with 6x 1:00 "on"/3:00 "off" over the last 3.5mi (5:57/7:35 avg)

Picture perfect Father's Day run with JP.  Weather was beautiful, humidity was down, and the wind was just enough to help keep us cool.  Eased into the pickups, starting at 6:17/mi for the first minute and 5:37/mi for the last minute.  Great way to cap the week.

Weekly Total: 49.5 miles

The week didn't start out too promising but it ended up being a fantastic recovery week.  The callus on my left foot is now all but gone, and I finished Friday-Sunday on a fluorish.  Hard to believe I am now more than half-way through the base phase and that "real" marathon training will start in just over a month.  Can't wait.