Week Ending October 19

Monday: 4 miles. 32 minutes, short shakedown run after a hard weekend.

Tuesday: Off. Legs were justifiably tired after a weekend of excessive training.

Wednesday: 6 miles. 48 minutes. Easy run down Summit and back. Legs felt significantly better on this run than they had the day before. It's truly amazing what a good rest day can do.

Thursday: 5.5 miles, 45 minues. 5xRamsey Hill in about 1:40 + 4x1 minute hard. This was one of the hardest workouts I've done so far. I got to Ramsey Hill to find that there was tree crew on the side I normally train on, so I had to run on the other side of the street. Not a big deal, I know, but it did change things up a little bit. I would have loved to test myself against the same hill, but that was not to be.

The 1 minute intervals after the hills felt hard, but not as hard as I would have expected for approximately 5:30 pace on tired legs. I've said it before, but I think this training plan I've been using is working. I can run faster on tired legs than I could all out at the beginning.

Friday: 3 miles, 25 minutes easy shakedown run.

Saturday: 10.5 miles, 1:35, 1000' . This run began in a very frustrating way, as I drove half an hour out to Afton State Park to find the gate closed at 7:45. After waiting around for a few minutes, I turned around and headed home to run around the Gorge.

I was still tired after Thursday, so my legs didn't have the pep that they usually would on this sort of run. Nonetheless, I managed to get out for a while. I did not get the length of run I was hoping for, but with the state of my legs, I think it was a good idea to go short. I did, however, get a chance to try out some Skratch Labs hydration mix.

While I did not care for the flavor (how do so many people like Lemon Lime?), I think the actual mix worked fairly well. If I plan to race with it, I think I'll have to either cut it with more water, or carry a bottle of Skratch and a bottle of water to mix it up enough so that I can a) stay hydrated while b) getting enough nutrition in.

Sunday: 6ish miles, 50ish minutes. Made it out to Afton for a fantastic fall run. I forgot my watch, having purposefully left my heart rate monitor at home. That gave me the chance to really play on this run, and regain a little fun in my run for the day.

I used it well. One thing I have noticed in Minnesota is that, while I had a lot of leg strength from my constant climbing in Colorado, most of that came on long, sustained climbs. Here in Minnesota, we have short climbs, but they come at you fast and furious, and relentlessly. I need to up my ability to take on rolling hills rather than mountains.

With that in mind, I took each and every hill at speed, charging up to the top and sustaining my pace for a few strides beyond.

It felt good, like I was playing again.

Weekly Totals: 35 miles.