I spent the final 2 weeks of August at the cabin in the Adirondacks. This included some big running that has started to get me in shape for the fall racing. The vacation also provided some much needed family time, a very welcomed "unplug" from the markets and the world, ...and probably most importantly, a distraction from my recent relationship break-up.
....I'll spare the details on the break-up, aside from the fact that it really sucks to fold on something after putting so much time into it. After 5+ years, Sarah and I mutually agreed that the relationship was stagnant. Neither of us have been overly happy or satisfied for some time, and both somewhat unfulfilled on many levels. Maybe me more than her and that's why I might've held back? I donno. It hurts to admit and pull that trigger though. I've thought about this far too much. In the end, I lose a truly wonderful person in my life. Sucks.
Anyhoo... back to running. I used the time at the cabin to cram in as many miles of hill work as possible. I wound up with 182 miles over the 2 weeks. Some of the runs were absolutely wicked, including a new favorite that runs to Belfort and back.... it's a 17 miles route that I ran twice as progression runs, with over 2500 feet of vertical change. Another was running from the cabin to Stillwater Road and up a few miles... 12 miles total with nearly 1800 feet of vertical change. Rolling hills every step of the way.
Just by comparison, the typical Barrington 20 miles, which is as hilly as can get anywhere near Chicago - done the hard way, and including a trip up Chris Woods Hill... has about 2200 feet of change. My typical "as easy as I can do it" 20 mile ADK run has about 3000 feet. The only other place that I've had more bad ass 20 milers has been up at the Rasmussen Compound, in Wisconsin.
When I got back to Chicago the other day, I wasn't sure where it left me... aside from yearning for flat ground, sick of a ramp in training, and still dealing with a shitty medial tibial shin splint. I'm still not sure how fit I am, but at least I had a couple tests that suggest I'm now gaining ground quickly...
On Tuesday night, I had my first chance to test my fitness... 8 miles of tempo, which started in mid-5:50's and finished in the mid-5:30's. I averaged 5:46. Very solid for my first true tempo run in a while.
Last night I confirmed - 8x 800 w/ 90sec rest. I averaged about 2:32.6. The final rep was 2:29. I called it quits at 8 instead of 10, so that I could save something for this weekend's race. I don't think that I've run 800's that fast before. I'm pretty happy with that one.
Aside from the minor problem of a fucking shin split, which is incredibly uncomfortable to run on when it's flared up... all other health issues seem to be ok at the moment. Even my hip and hammy's seem to be ok. Runs have their good and bad days due my age old problem of the left shin split. It's been there for about a month and a half now (or going on 7 or 8 years, depending on when you start counting). Eventually it'll let up... any day now...
Chicago Half Marathon this weekend. If I get through that without snapping my shin in half, then I'll press for 2 big-boy weeks of 100+ miles.
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