Taking The Piss

 Another short week though "Old Man Winter" wasn't  the culprit this week  "The Man" was..........

Tuesday Jan 23rd So I'd lost Saturdays long run to the snow and opted out of a 6 miler on Sunday since there were still patches of ice on the ground and having lost 14 miles there didn't seem any point risking a potential slip and fall on the ice so I sat out Sunday, I was eager to get out there on Monday to kick start my week.......however......

We were short staffed at work on Monday which meant a lunch break was out of the question to begin w/ much less going for my afternoon 6 miler up and back along the Schuylkill River, I fully appreciate that work is meant to fit around my running schedule not my running schedule around work but when the powers that be casually remark" yeah we didn't have anyone to cover that shift" it feel like a slap in the face

At least the temps had risen above freezing after a week in the " frozen tundra" and the remnants of Fridays snow were melting into the sidewalk and next to the trail along the Schuylkill as I cranked out a  modest 49.59.7, after four days of chomping at the proverbial bit it was good to get out and log some much needed mileage the prospect of my weekly 5 days/38 miles target was well w/in range......or so I thought!.......

Thursday Jan 25th after missing out on  my run Monday due to staff shortages I now lost out on Wednesdays 6 miler due to inheriting a large print project at 11.15am that didn't finish till 3.20pm, w/ my one co worker due to leave at 3.30pm I wasn't going to lunch again or running........

This is where Monday came back to bite me in the arse, I always say Monday is the most important day to get out and run in case " something jumps off" during the week ie a large print job the fact " the powers that be" couldn't be arsed to send coverage to our office on Monday had put me well and truly behind the 8 ball and now sunk any hope I had of not only getting my weekly target of 38 miles in but potentially screwed me for eclipsing December's tally of 148 miles........

Needless to say there was steam coming out of my ears at 2pm when I hit Market St on my way up to 24th St and the Schuylkill River Trail, the forecast was for rain most of the day but I was hell bent on getting out there today, if I couldn't get my 38 mile in this week at least let me get 32 in and get back above 30 like I had been doing since late November until last week  when " Old Man Winter" threw a spanner in the works

Perhaps the benefit of a rest day, perhaps feeling a tad pissed off, maybe a combination of both I knocked out a 47.17.8 time off 7.52 mile pace, out in 24.56 back in 22.21 the tail wind off the Schuylkill is always helpful but let's not under play the fact I often run well w/ a chip on my shoulder...

Saturday Jan 27th After the hills in Fairmount Park and East Falls had chewed me up and spat me out last time around I was eager to level the score this time out

Proof how fickle Winter can be a week after we got between 4 to 6 inches of snow it was in the mid 40s at 8am when I set out, I opted for a bandana rather than my hat but went w/ gloves given I have terrible circulation and my fingers tend to get numb quickly, even w/ the gloves on I could feel a little numbness in the tips of my fingers during the run

I'm beginning to think I must have "caught lightning in a bottle" that first 14 miler when I went 1.56.10 off 8.18 mile pace as last time out I went 2.04.30 and today was 2.03.57 off 8.51 mile pace, on Jan 6th I managed to keep all 14 miles at under 9 min mile pace but today my splits were:8.15-8.52-7.49-8.35-8.55-9.23-8.50-8.17-9.24-9.01-9.12-8.59-9.06-9.18

If I'm using 9 min mile pace as my template then I'm looking at 2.06 so anything below that feels like a win however when you come out the traps w/ a 1.56.10 but then go 2.04.30 and 2.03.57 it doesn't feel as good, hopefully I have one last crack at  this 14 mile course on Saturday b4 returning to the old tried and tested 16 mile course I've used previously used  but me and the hills on N. Georges Hill Drive have some unfinished business once I get up to 18 milers.....to be continued as they say...

Sunday Jan 28th After "The Man" had stuck it to me earlier in the week it now looked like Rain was going to have the final say in my weekly mileage total.....

The forecast for the day was Rain and when I woke up at 7.10am to sound of rain bouncing off my window and the wind howling it didn't look like my 6 miler and 32 mile week were going to happen 

Having gotten up at 8.40 am to watch my beloved Cork get their arse handed to them by Donegal in the opening round of the Allianz Football League I needed a run, yeah it's only the first of seven games but when  some GAA pundits are tipping The Rebels to win promotion back up to Division 1 and you not only trip coming out of the gate but lose by 11 points it's not a good start to the season

By early afternoon the rain had eased up enough that w/ the right clothing I could get out there and crank out an easy 6 miler, I wanted 32 miles for the week, there is a possibility of equaling Decembers tally of 148 miles so I said feck it lets dance!

Another benefit of a recovery run on Sunday after the hills on Saturdays long run is a chance to flush any crap, gunk out of my legs b4 heading into a new week, in recent weeks I've had to use Sunday as a day to get my weekly tally, would I prefer a day off? sure but I also knew it was less than an hour of my time vs days and weeks maybe months of asking myself" why didn't you just get out there and run it's only 6 miles???" never underestimate the power of guilt period but as I'm prone to saying and often" born and raised Irish Catholic, Guilt just comes w/ the territory"....

A modest 54.07.6 off 9.01 mile pace but more importantly another 6 miles 32 for the week 126 for the month/year , as I hinted to earlier there is a chance to equal Decembers tally of 148 but that's a story for next week's entry...........