I packed away 89 miles last week - that's the most I've ever ran in 7 days. It was my peak week for Boston (I'll bump up for 1 more week after Shamrock, but it won't be that many miles). Also it was probably the 3rd time that I've gone 80+ within a 7 day period during this training. Aside from some standard aches and pains, and constantly being tired, I'm actually holding together pretty well.
Runs last week included the 1:16:28 Cary ½, a recovery run, some easy + moderate runs, a light progression on Friday with a few miles at marathon goal pace, and a big PHat 24 miler on the Barrington hills.
Chris and I plugged away the 24 with about ½ of the run at 6:30-6:40 pace. It was pretty nasty, especially since we tried to make the course as complex as possible and include a maximum amount of hills. In the end though, we both finish very strong. I can say with confidence that those 24 miles will wind up being more difficult than the Boston Marathon itself.... obviously at a much different pace though.
The highlight of that run wasn't the miles or the hills the pace though.... it was something much more beautiful!
Good ol' Oak Knoll Road recently received a fresh coat of black top.... something that a stuck up suburbanite bitch like Sue Cass would even be proud of! But what did some little Barrington hooligan decide to do with that pretty new surface job? Well just what any rich little brat would do: soil it by spray painting a gigantic cock in the middle of the road!! ...right outside of the area's most gorgeous estates, horse farms, and the Barrington Country Club. Absolutely brilliant!! ....It reminds me of the old-time favorite “Treasure Trove” scene in Super Bad:
So yeah....
Shamrock Shuffle is this coming Sunday. It's hard to believe, but in 2003 that was the first race I ever ran. I've purposely pulled back my mileage this week to help recover for this perennial favorite. Sunday and Monday were completely off, I'm running a few days mid-week to give me a track workout and some 11-12 milers, Friday will be off again, and then a shakeout on Saturday AM.
If things go right, Shamrock should help to solidify some confidence in myself after Cary. I know Cary couldn’t be a fluke, but together both races will give me a good indication of what I'm capable of in Boston. I have about 3 ½ weeks to go.
As far as my injury update.... I'm not feeling totally fresh, but the days off this week have helped. My hip is feeling better after a lot of work on the foam roller and a massage from Sarah. It looks like I've had my own treasure trove of knots in my Glutes, Piriformis, TFL, et al. This has actually been on both sides too, and I know that some of this deep down soreness has been an issue for a while... I'm saying that possibly for the last year plus, I've had pains in my ass. I only assumed that this was some normal function of higher mileage and more intense training...?? I'm an idiot. So it seems perfectly likely that some of these deep knots have been the root of my other issues, such as tight hip adductors and groin muscles that have plagued me numerous times before.
I have another massage and a day off tomorrow. I'm hopeful that the worst of this is over and I continue to roll on.
Runs last week included the 1:16:28 Cary ½, a recovery run, some easy + moderate runs, a light progression on Friday with a few miles at marathon goal pace, and a big PHat 24 miler on the Barrington hills.
Chris and I plugged away the 24 with about ½ of the run at 6:30-6:40 pace. It was pretty nasty, especially since we tried to make the course as complex as possible and include a maximum amount of hills. In the end though, we both finish very strong. I can say with confidence that those 24 miles will wind up being more difficult than the Boston Marathon itself.... obviously at a much different pace though.
The highlight of that run wasn't the miles or the hills the pace though.... it was something much more beautiful!
Good ol' Oak Knoll Road recently received a fresh coat of black top.... something that a stuck up suburbanite bitch like Sue Cass would even be proud of! But what did some little Barrington hooligan decide to do with that pretty new surface job? Well just what any rich little brat would do: soil it by spray painting a gigantic cock in the middle of the road!! ...right outside of the area's most gorgeous estates, horse farms, and the Barrington Country Club. Absolutely brilliant!! ....It reminds me of the old-time favorite “Treasure Trove” scene in Super Bad:
So yeah....
Shamrock Shuffle is this coming Sunday. It's hard to believe, but in 2003 that was the first race I ever ran. I've purposely pulled back my mileage this week to help recover for this perennial favorite. Sunday and Monday were completely off, I'm running a few days mid-week to give me a track workout and some 11-12 milers, Friday will be off again, and then a shakeout on Saturday AM.
If things go right, Shamrock should help to solidify some confidence in myself after Cary. I know Cary couldn’t be a fluke, but together both races will give me a good indication of what I'm capable of in Boston. I have about 3 ½ weeks to go.
As far as my injury update.... I'm not feeling totally fresh, but the days off this week have helped. My hip is feeling better after a lot of work on the foam roller and a massage from Sarah. It looks like I've had my own treasure trove of knots in my Glutes, Piriformis, TFL, et al. This has actually been on both sides too, and I know that some of this deep down soreness has been an issue for a while... I'm saying that possibly for the last year plus, I've had pains in my ass. I only assumed that this was some normal function of higher mileage and more intense training...?? I'm an idiot. So it seems perfectly likely that some of these deep knots have been the root of my other issues, such as tight hip adductors and groin muscles that have plagued me numerous times before.
I have another massage and a day off tomorrow. I'm hopeful that the worst of this is over and I continue to roll on.
I would love to go for a run with you and Chris!
ReplyDeleteIf I'm reading between the lines correctly, I understand that it was the two of you who did the spray painting??
Good luck in the Shuffle! If you see Andrew and Deena tell them you know me and they might give you a cookie.