Log #51: Life slows down a little...

Last week was insane. It was balls-to-the-wall for the entire week, and I couldn't find time to get even 5 hours of sleep a night. So, understandably, my running suffered.

Thursday morning I woke up to do the longest mid-week run I've ever done... 11 miles. The program called for this:

1 mile @ 8:30
10 miles @ 8:00

10 miles at my marathon pace shouldn't kill me at this point, but that's exactly what happened. I believe the the problem was not so much my fitness level, but the horrendous conditions I decided to run in.

I slept about 5 hours, got up at 5 am, stretched for MAAAYBE 5 minutes, drank a red bull, and went out the door to run in absolute pitch black. It was pretty cold, probably in the 40's, and there was a very thick fog covering the entire city. Needless to say, my spirits did not soar on this run. I managed to keep the pace for about 7 miles, and then I had to start taking walk breaks. I was just spent, I had no energy, my legs were heavy, and I felt like just lying down and taking a nap.

Whatever, I did 11 miles... that's good enough right?

Then, Saturday, I'm up in New Hampshire with the lady for a little vacation away from the madness of Boston. We decide to do the 15 mile long run Saturday morning so we don't have to worry about what we do that night. 15 miles shouldn't be that bad... 15 miles in the friggin' mountains is ridiculous.

The hills in the area we ran were very sneaky... they were gentle enough that you almost didn't notice them... until about 10 miles into the run. My legs felt like they had been skewered, and they weighed approximately 100 pounds each. By the time we made it back to the hotel I wanted to burn my running shoes. My body was racked with soreness.

So... a rough week, but probably one that needed to happen so that the next few weeks will be easier. I'm ramping up for a 20 miler this weekend, and there are only 40 days until the marathon. I'm still pumped!!!