Short Term Solution For A Long Term Goal

 Not the week I had planned or written in my running log but sometimes you have to step back and look at the bigger picture to appreciate the greater good.........

Mon  Mar 4th Off the back of Sundays long run I just needed an easy/recovery/shake out 6 miler to get the week started

I'll spare you the play by play call on a very frustrating morning in the office but suffice to say I was in a spit nails, walk thro walls, shit bullets frame of mind gone 2pm when I eventually got out to run so when I discovered early on the Garmin hadn't restarted after a traffic light stop up JFK Blvd I said feck it this would be an untimed run

To be fair it didn't need to be timed I'm just so used to timing my runs but given I was looking to shake the crap out of my legs from Sundays long run this really didn't require time, speed. pace just the miles

One area of concern as I mentioned in last weeks blog I'd racked up 451 miles on my running shoes so this was the maiden run in the new pair, I'm hoping they just need to mold to the shape of my foot as my big toe on my right foot felt like it was jamming into the toe box on the run to the point I had to double check Amazon had sent the right size....they had after a little futzing w/ the laces it felt a lot better

Tue Mar 5th Wasn't sure I'd get this one in as the weather was playing havoc, pissing down pouring rain most of the morning and early lunchtime however by 2pm it had eased up/ stopped and ever the Boy Scout I'd come prepared w/ a running rain jacket and baseball cap so off I splashed up JFK Blvd to the Schuylkill River Trail

A modest 52.30.5 off 8.44 mile pace w/ splits of:8.18-9.04-9.07-8.59-9.02-7.58 out in 26.31 back in 25.59 but the proverbial cheque was in the mail re tired legs, the past few week I've logged some major mileage on a weekly basis partly to get #154 miles for February, maybe the proverbial Chickens had come home to roost..........

Thur Mar 7th Having ridden my luck twice in the last few weeks w/ getting out to run when rain had threatened to derail me yesterday the Weather Gods said they were claiming that one and it pissed out of the heavens, given my legs were feeling it a little Monday & Tuesday I was only to happy to concede defeat but I was back at it at 2pm today

48.22.7 off 8.04 mile pace I could feel the benefit of a rest day in my legs and my pace, splits backed that up:8.22-8.43-8.38-7.54-8.25-6.18 out in 25.44 back in 22.38

Given this was scheduled as my last regular lunchtime run for the foreseeable future w/ the clocks going forward on Sunday and the resumption  of evening/longer runs it was nice to sign off w/ a respectable time and JFK Blvd will be spared yours truly  hammering up and down said Boulevard between 2pm-3pm on weekdays to and from the Schuylkill River Trail

I didn't plan on Thursday being my last run for the week Saturday was going to be my final 16 miler and Sunday would be an easy/recovery/shake out 6 miler to round up to another 5 day/40 mile week.....however...... when I didn't exactly leap out of bed Saturday morning and proceeded to roll over and fall back asleep till 10am which for me is almost unheard of I knew I was tired and while sometime you have to run on tired legs you also have to listen to what your body is telling you and mine was telling me it needed rest

It's never a bad thing to throw in the occasional low mileage week sometimes it's planned like the third weekend of January we go hit w/ snow and it's been full tilt the last 6 weeks, while the heart desired mileage the legs and body desired rest so I took the weekend off to recharge the batteries we'll go again Monday evening after work which after 4 months of lunchtime running will be a shock to the system but will also help shake things up a little

A Day Late, But Not A Dollar Short

 #154 miles for February, another 16 mile long run and the retirement of my old running shoes after 451 miles...it was quite the week.....

Mon Feb 26th Once again the benefit of a rest day on Sunday was a brisk time on Monday on fresh legs 44.42.3 off 7.25 mile pace w/ splits of 7.31-7.46-7.47-7.35-7.39-6.23 out in 23.04 back in 21.38

My previous best time is 43.09.09 ran on Feb 7th I hadn't set out to trouble that when I set off this lunchtime but I was pleased w/ the fast time, w/ the clock ticking down to the Love Run half marathon on March 24th it's good to know there's speed to go w/ the strength and stamina I've been building the last few months

Tue Feb 27th Halfway to the four six milers I need to get me to #154 miles for February

Another respectable time 46.18.13 of 7.43 mile pace, when 8.09 is your slowest split you know you're doing something right!

Having plateaued at #148 mile in December and January I was now two 6 miles away from #154 but I didn't want top tempt fate work has a funny way of  throwing a " spanner in the works" IF I miss 1 day it would be #148 miles again.....NOT the end of the world but to be this  close to beating that total felt like being on a knife edge.......

Wed Feb 28th YES! Got this one in period and despite a forecast of rain, if it all goes " tits up" tomorrow at least I have #148 miles{ again!!} for the month

After two brisk 6 milers Monday and Tuesday I took it easy today 50.23.7 off 8.24 mile pace according to Accu Weather there was a 60% chance of rain between 2pm-3pm to that end I threw a rain jacket and baseball cap into my running bag on Tuesday evening but didn't really need them as the rain held off however at 60 degrees I did work up a good sweat out and back along the river

On Monday when it was unseasonably warm the trail was full of " fair weather runners" taking advantage of the sun and warm temps.......not so  many of them today when it was overcast.......

Thur Feb 29th Nailed It!! 45.58.9 off 7.39 mile pace #154 miles for February

It wasn't lost on me that had this year NOT been a leap year I would have logged #148 miles for the month for the third month in a row,  nor is it lost on me that these 6 miles on Feb 29th mean I'll just miss #200 for March provided I hit all my marks next month..... live by the Leap Year, Die by the Leap Year..... said nobody ever to my knowledge!

March will see a shift in the landscape for me, the clocks go forward on the 10th meaning a transition from lunchtime running  back to evening running and potentially more miles per week and month it also signals the end of Winter {yea!} and brings the first of three races in March, April and May b4 a long block of 20 mile long runs till my next scheduled race at the end of August by which time the magical number till Dublin will be  9 weeks.......

Sun Mar 3rd So it pissed out of the heavens on Saturday morning to the point where a 16 mile run was pointless in those conditions, no point going out in those conditions are running the risk of getting sick so I waited it out till Sunday since I had that option

Out the door by 7.30am a gloriously sunny morning at 48 degrees ideal running conditions period but for those who favour the time honoured Sunday Long Run{ and as is my won't I counted the runners I saw while I was out there this morning and counted 22} this was ideal

Thankfully someone from the Philadelphia Parks Department either got the memo or read my blog from last week.........the former more so than the latter seems more likely and left the bottom gate unlocked this week so I was  able to run my more traditional 16 mile route through Fairmount Park b4 hitting East Falls via West River Dr and Strawberry Mansion Bridge

I had a wry smile to myself when I passed the Japanese Cultural Center on the morning of the Tokyo Marathon  and  thought of my good running buddy Colin who completed  the Abbott World Marathon Series by running Tokyo today, technically I have ran 4 of the 6 Marathons London, Chicago, New York and Boston but prior to the Abbot World Series so I'm not sure if they would count I wouldn't mind a crack at Berlin and Tokyo but let's get through Dublin in October first

Things were ticking along nicely w/ the first 9 miles all sub 9 b4 the always challenging mile 10 up the on ramp to Strawberry Mansion Bridge and up the twisty Strawberry Mansion Dr  registered  a 9.26 split, however I then threw in three sub 9s through East Falls as I crossed the Girard Avenue bridge w/ three miles to go and looked in control........

Somehow the wheels came off in those final 3 miles I had little to no kneelift or leg turnover and it was an effort to get home via 34th St and Powelton Ave but I did in 2.19.31 off 8.43 mile pace not quite the finish I was hoping for but somedays style points count for feck all and it's about grinding it out

At 451 mile these running shoe are now " out to pasture" having served me well, I forget when I first wore them but w/ increased mileage on the horizon I suspect I'll be going through the next few pairs rapidly