Mirror Mirror

Back to back three day/40mpw w/ 12,12 and 16 milers,sadly an unforgiving weekend schedule....plus a temperamental laptop put the kybosh on a post last weekend......no such issues this weekend

Tue Feb 27th
12 Miles Two things of note on an otherwise run of the mill 12 mile run,50 degrees so shorts and short sleeves again{shades not an option given it's 6.20pm when I'm done and there's only a glimmer of daylight}
Since this would be my final run in Feb{Spurs game on Wed,very little trumps a Spurs game!} it brought my monthly total mileage to 128,not too shabby,I began the month at 10 milers and worked my way up to 16s w/ 12 my mid week run du jour

Sat Mar 3rd
12 Miles I had to hedge my bets on Thursday it looked like it was about to piss down and I wasn't willing to risk getting caught in the rain period,muchless potentially jeopardize getting sick so close to the Love Run,last Saturday on my 16 mile run between 7.5 & 9.5 miles it rained but at 50 degrees it was something I could work around,although getting out of my soaked running gear and into a hot shower was paramount once inside the front door followed by a steaming mug of hot Cider.
Friday was a doozie weather wise,rain that turned to snow complete w/ strong winds,that said ever the Boy Scout I set my alarm for 6.30am,looked out the window said "fuck it,let's have the bastard!!" and promptly dressed,stretched and out the door just gone 7am.
33 degrees but not too uncomfortable,windy but sunny,however w/ slush underfoot not to mention tree branches strewn throughout the out and back to Columbia bridge it felt more important to look where I was treading....not look cool doing it,nowt cool about a runner on the side of the sidewalk bemoaning a tangle w/ fallen timber
The biggest challenge seemed to be avoiding falling snow and ice off the tree branches that hadn't fallen....it'd take a lot to damage my bonce but even so I wasn't wishing it upon myself
W/ a slightly later Spurs kick off..or a Sunday game I needn't have been up and at it so early but a 10am kick off dictated a 7am run...that said something tres satisfying returning home at 8.35am knowing the run is in the books!

Sun Mar 4th
16 Miles Having "gone long" last Saturday over 16 I saw no reason not to do so again this weekend
Ironically out the door around 8.35am.....24 hours after finishing yesterdays run,I'm clearly motivated not just for the Love Run 1/2 marathon in three weeks time but for the season,my entries to the Hot Chocolate 15k on Apr 7th and the Indy Mini Marathon May 5th are already taken care of and providing a return flight from Indy to Philly that afternoon can be booked I'll have at it w/ the Broad St Run the next morning,it's all part of the #roadtoredemption mind set as July's San Francisco marathon is very much my target race for the season.
Completed the loop in a respectable 2.03.40.....six seconds down on Saturdays  time....however last Saturday I wasn't required to circumnavigate not one but two downed trees on West River Drive which clearly slowed me,I was tempted to hurdle the second one but couldn't be sure what I was landing on once over it so caution won over valor today!
My splits were:7.20-6.51-7.52-7.47-7.45-7.42-7.46-7.54-7.42-7.35-7.27-7.39-7.48-8.16-8.10-8.06 for 7.44 mile pace....a second down on last week!!

As I transition in March and Spring it's time to reintroduce the weekly 8 mile Tempo run into my weekly rotation,hopefully this coming Thursday the mindset for the Love Run is 7 min mile pace for a stab at 1.30.....after that at Hot Choc 15k,Indy Mini Marathon,Broad St Run and Odyssey Half I want 6.30 mile pace heading into San Francisco,come mid May I expect weekly trips to the track for interval work plus the tempo run and frankly if I'm already at 16 miles at the start of March and eyeballin' a 17 miler Saturday it won't be too long b4 Sunday 20 milers are the norm,the sting from Novembers Philly Marathon debacle/cock up has fired me up and I aint quittin' till I level the score...