Feeling fit and getting race ready

Monday, September 8: 1:30 PM - Hill Workout
16 x 350m Hills (Avg = 62 sec) w/ 2.5 min jog rest
20 min w/u, 18 min c/d (13 Miles total)
Tuesday, September 9: 7:00 AM - 10 Miles, 64 min
5:00 PM - 5 Miles, 34 min
Wednesday, September 10: 1:30 PM - Long Interval Workout
3 x 2 Mile w/ 5 min rest (9:58, 9:56, 10:05)
17 min w/u, 18 min c/d (11 Miles total)
Thursday, September 11: 7:00 AM - 10 Miles, 68 min
6:30 PM - 5 Miles, 35 min
Friday, September 12: 7:30 AM - 10 Miles, 66 min
5:00 PM - 5 Miles, 35 min w/ 5 x 10s Hill Sprints after
Saturday, September 13: 7:30 AM - 15 Miles, 98 min
Sunday, September 14: 7:30 PM - 10 Miles, 64 min

Week Total = 94 Miles, 10 Runs

As I stated before, I was planning on bumping the mileage back up this week, and it went pretty well in doing so. Monday's workout was solid and I felt pretty strong in the middle, running a little faster then the previous hill workouts we've done. However, on the cool down, my back was bothering me quite a bit and did so the rest of the day. I'm pretty sure it was a combination of the hill workout and the really hilly long run that we did two days earlier. It's gotten better since then though, and I had another strong workout on Wednesday. The 3 x 2 Mile was tough but it helped give me somewhat of an idea where my fitness is right now. It's always hard to measure fitness this time of year, but this was a workout that I could quantify a little easier. The rest of the runs were fine and I finished off the week feeling pretty good. My left hamstring has been pretty tight so I've been trying to take care of that, but it doesn't seem to be too much of a problem. I definitely feel like I'm in need of a massage, but I probably won't be getting one anytime soon. I also need to start taking more ice baths which I've been slacking on lately.

I'm planning on keeping my mileage pretty high for a while as I'm trying to build a strong base for later in the season, but as I'm doing so, I am also thinking about my 5K coming up next week. I'm feeling stronger each week and I'm anxious to get out there and run hard, but I also realize that I am not sharp right now, not at all! Nothing I've done has been 5K specific and therefore, I can't expect to run super fast next week. However, I'm still hoping my strength will be able to keep me competitive in that race. As long as I can run hard and be competitive, I think I'll be happy with the outcome. So when I run my workouts this week, I'll keep those things in mind and try to get myself race ready, or as close to it as I can at this stage in my training.

I'm also looking forward to traveling back to the east coast. My entire family will be coming down for the race, a few of my former teammates will be there, and many of my friends will be racing as well. I'm also anxious to be in a highly competitive atmosphere again with hopes of being somewhat near the front (maybe top 20). It's been a while since I've had that feeling and I really miss it. There will be a ton of fast guys there, so I know the adrenaline will be flowing when I get on that line. I just need to make sure I don't get in over my head in the early stages.

I still don't know who reads this thing regularly (outside of a certain handful), but for those of you that will be in Providence next weekend, I'll look forward to seeing you there. For those that won't be, don't worry, I'll have a full recap right here when I get back.