experimentation

13.2 miles . . .

20 minute warm-up

4 X 200m at 34 seconds with 200m recovery

3 X 1000m at 3:08 with 3 minutes recovery

4 X 200m at 34 seconds with 200m recovery

3+ mile cool down

experimenting with some different foods. before the run i had a piece of toast with almond butter and jelly on it and a half of a banana. seemed like at times i had a heavy feeling in my stomach but none of it came up, so that is good. i think i may try potatoes again. i'm not sure why i went away from them. i keep reading from a variety of resources that chocolate milk is the best recovery drink. my wife went to costco last night and picked up a tub that should last for the next twenty years. tried it after the run. went down fine, tasted great, and i think i feel more energetic than i would typically after a track work out. it'll be interesting to see how it works after a long run.

the day was beautiful. their is a lull in the rain and the sky shines blue. no wind. a little chilly but i can handle it. thin puddles dotted around the inside lane of the track. i especially liked the part where i splashed by a couple who was walking in that first lane, even though the rest of the track was open.

i was really tempted to not do the speed work today. i've just been feeling so weak and tired. mr. box keeps telling me that i need to recover, that all the signs are there. and a piece of me wants to do that. back off the miles. back off the speed. sleep in. relax before my big marathon push. but then i remember that i'm going in for my s.n.s. next thursday and i will have to take nearly a week off. completely off. no running. and lying on the couch in pain and misery, all i will think about is 'when can i run again.' and if i back off this next week, i know that i will regret it. so i will push on.

both sets of 200m felt very similar. hard pushes. hitting my times right on. there isn't much of a trick to them. just throttle it up 100% for 34 seconds. i did feel these deep in my gut. i think that this is from my increase in core workout from sunday.

the 1000m's actually felt really good. each one was faster than the previous. and i ended up hitting an average of 3:07:71. but beyond the times, what i am really excited about is the control that i felt, even on that last one. the pace felt smooth and relaxed but not easy. when i was a little off, i pushed just enough to hit my times again.

the city laid down some fresh mulch for the path around half of the loop at bush park. this makes it much softer, springier, and more cushion-y. which is great for the long distance runner. my only complaint in all of this is only temporary. they do a great job spreading it but they leave the work of leveling it out and pounding it down to the runners and walkers. so for now, there are clumps and bumps. little hills and valleys that force you to watch each step instead of the beautiful surroundings. we are already starting to push it down but only in one spot. this means a lot of stepping off the path as you're passing people. i remember when they did this a couple years ago. they did it in the spring. it was during my bout with my i.t. band.