VT Dad’s fight vs. inertia & flab

I didn’t get to sleep early enough to be able to run to school, so instead I took what was scheduled in my book, a rest day.

Throughout this past week my daughter, had been hearing from colleges.  Until Friday all the news had been positive.  On Friday she was wait-listed at Georgetown.   Today she was to hear from Harvard, Yale and Princeton.  First she heard from Yale, it was her first rejection.  Next she looked for Harvard’s response, she was wait listed.   My daughter was a wreck.  Since she visited Princeton last April, it has been her first choice.  She couldn’t check the website until her mom was home for support.  Even then she inched slowly to the computer, and summoned the courage to look.  The first word was CONGRADULATIONS.  She got into the school of her dreams.  Now comes the scramble for how to pay for the dream.

Hopefully soon sanity will return to my household.

Although I only managed 22 miles this week, and I suffered an injury, this week was a very successful one for me.  My right foot felt terrible during my tempo run on Thursday, so I aborted that run after only ~3 miles (of a scheduled 6.5 miles).  The reason why this week was a success was how I handled this injury so much better than during other years where injuries or a bad attitude caused my training for the marathon to fall apart at the first sign of rough going.  This time I went for a pool run on both Friday and Saturday, waiting to test the foot out today.   My foot passed todays test, so I believe all systems are go.

Schedule for the coming week, March 31st-April 6th.  Proprioceptive Cue: Scooting
Monday:  Run to Work 7.3 miles.  I want how fast I can do this run.  Eventually I hope to be able to accomplish this run in under an hour.  In the afternoon if the weather cooperates I’ll run back at recovery pace.  We’re expecting more snow, sleet and freezing rain, changing to all rain later in the day.
Tuesday:  Base run 9 miles
Wednesday:  Mixed intervals.  1 mile warm-up and cool down.   2k@1/2 marathon pace (8:27 miles).  1 Mile @10K pace (8:03) mile.  1K at 5K pace (4:48 per K), 1/2 mile @ 3K pace (7:32 per mile).
Thursday: 2-6 mile recovery run
Friday: Tempo run @1/2 marathon pace.  1.5 miles warm-up and cool down 5.5 miles @ 1/2 marathon pace (8:27 miles)
Saturday:  Recovery run 2-6 miles
Sunday:  6 mile race.

I choose to put my foot to the test and go for a run in the afternoon.   It was 38F, 3C, bright, sunny, and calm, wonderful weather for a run.  I was comfortable running in sunglasses, tights, and 2 long sleeve layers.  I chose to run a loop from my club that goes along the bike path, and which has measured miles from a 5 mile race held every fall.  About 1:30 minutes from the club is the mile 3 marker, I then ran to the starting point of the race, with plans of running back to the finish line of the race, and then running back to mile 3 before returning to the club.  This way if I was ailing I could curtail my run at the 6 mile point, and be right at the club.  My goal was to run pain free, and try to run every mile under 10 minutes.

During the first mile the bike path meanders into and through a park, and I was shocked and amazed that the path was still completely covered with ice and snow.  All in all about a 1/4 of a mile of the bike path was treacherous.  I negotiated those stretches cautiously, trying hard to master my proprioceptive cue of running on water.  I was still able to maintain a sub10 pace, and the bike path moved onward and upward fully dry, and I was experiencing a beautiful run.  My cadence, and stride was effortless, and I swallowed up miles 2,&3, hitting my first turn around at the start of the Archie Post race.  Miles 4&5 were also effortless, and a little faster, as the rolling hills were more downhill than uphill.  Cautiously I navigated my way across the ice fields in the sixth mile.  This was the only point in my run where my foot felt any pain.  The pain was not acute, so I continued on with 2 uphill miles that brought me to the second turn-around on the University of Vermont campus.  Unfortunately, the second of the two uphill miles got the better of my, I clocked a 10:05 for mile 8.  Mile 9 was an invigorating downhill mile, and I faltered some during my last mile, but I still finished strong.  I had a great run, and felt wonderful.  I’m ready to resume my normal training tomorrow.

My right foot didn’t feel 100% so I went to the pool for another run.  This time I ran for about 3/4 of a mile or ~25 minutes.  Tomorrow I hope to get in a base run of about 8 miles. and then get back on my schedule.

All day long, I continued to limp, so I went for a recovery run in the swimming pool at my club.  I ran for about 1&1/4 miles, back and forth back and forth in a 72 laps to a mile pool.  The competitive side of me had me racing the other recreational swimmers doing laps.  I was averaging ~30 seconds per 25 yards.  I was as fast or faster than many of the recreational swimmers, so I worked hard trying to overtake and pass them.  All in all I ran for nearly 40 minutes.  I play tomorrows long run by ear, but after the swimming pool run my foot feels better.

This afternoon it was 40F, 4C when I set off on my tempo run.  I did a 1.5 mile warm up around the neighborhood, and then started off on a 3.5 mile tempo run along the dirt road.   To be more accurate it was a mud road, as melting snow and thawing dirt had the road awash in mud.  I ran for about a mile, before I felt something not quite right with mu=y foot.  I pushed on for ~1/3 of a mile further, when I shut myself down, and started walking for home.  For the last mile or so I tested it at recovery pace. Something is amiss, I just don’t know what.  Tomorrow is a light day, but I have my 18 mile long run slated for Saturday AM.

Our flight from New Orleans to DC was over an hour late due to bad weather in Chicago& traffic at the gates in New Orleans.  We arrived in DC at 9:48 for a 10:00 PM flight.  We raced to the gate, but they had closed the doors on our flight.  So tonight is another overnight at airport hotel, and we wont be arriving home until 2PM.

My hotel is on ST. Charles St. ion the garden district of New Orleans, and I went on a pre-dawn run along the trolley tracks.  It was 44F, 7C clear, and calm when I set out on my run. I was decked out in shorts and a t, while alll around me the other runners were in long sleeves, sweats, and even hats and gloves.  I had a great run, passing by a 170 year old Synagogue, and Tulane University. The route I ran was flat, and I ran well. It was awesome to get another run in just shorts.

I had a nice New Orleans dinner tonight, Blackened Red fish, with roasted vegetables.  Delicious.  Hope everyone had a nice Monday.

I thought with the advent of spring I had seen the last of the cold weather, I was mistaken.  Today for my pre-dawn run the thermometer read 15F, -9C.  It was cold.  Luckily the winds had calmed down, but still it was cold.  I ended up running a 2 mile recovery run, my body was still pretty worn out from my tempo run ~12 hours earlier.  Now it’s time to shower, change, and head to the airport for my trip with my eldest to New Orleans.