Date Workout Miles Avg Pace Monday, 9/15 Regular Run 4 9:23 Tuesday, 9/16 Regular Run 7 9:37 Wednesday, 9/17 Yoga 0 -- Thursday, 9/18 Regular Run 6 9:31 Friday, 9/19 Rest 0 -- Saturday, 9/20 Long Run 12.45 9:56 Sunday, 9/21 Rest 0 -- Total Weekly Mileage: 29.45 Last week was my cautious comeback to training. I cut back my weekly runs by a few miles overall, and I only had a twelve-mile long run on the schedule, which was very timely. Because this was my week off in between old job and new job, I was tempted, each morning, to sleep in and gave in to that temptation, each morning. So I ran in the evenings, which is doable at this time of year with the ever so slight shift toward cooler temperatures.  I ran at the Upper Tampa Bay Trail on Monday, which I haven't run in probably a year. I enjoy this trail for shorter runs; it has several trailheads and is a little more than seven miles overall. Depending on where you start, it can feel like you're bouncing a...

Date Workout Miles Avg Pace Monday, 9/8 Rest 0 -- Tuesday, 9/9 Rest 0 -- Wednesday, 9/10 Rest 0 -- Thursday, 9/11 Yoga 0 -- Friday, 9/12 Regular Run 3 9:43 Saturday, 9/13 Long Run 15 9:41 Sunday, 9/14 Rest 0 -- Total Weekly Mileage: a whopping 18 Last week was a rest week. I wanted to give my foot a chance to make up its mind as to whether it was going to do this race or not. It appears to be leaning toward yes--though the extent to which I'll actually be "racing" is very much in question. And that's OK.  I learned last week that the deadline to defer or transfer a bib to another runner has passed. So basically I'm stuck being signed up for it. In a way, that's good; it means I don't have to make a difficult decision. Everything is booked--race, flight, hotel. Very worst case scenario--I am too hurt to run at all, and I spectate. But I don't think it will come to that. I've long abandoned the idea of running a PR, and that...

Date Workout Miles Avg Pace Monday, 9/1 Regular Run 5.25 9:35 Tuesday, 9/2 Rest 0 -- Wednesday, 9/3 Regular Run 10 9:53 Thursday, 9/4 Regular Run 7 9:48 Friday, 9/5 Rest 0 -- Saturday, 9/6 Long Run 2.3 9:26 Sunday, 9/7 Rest 0 -- Total Weekly Mileage: 24.55 This past week not did not end up the way I'd hoped it would. Although it started strong, with high mileage weekday runs and little pain, by the time Friday rolled around, my foot was hurting more than usual. I hoped it was a fluke. I went to bed Friday night and hoped a good night's sleep would have me feeling better in the morning and ready to conquer 20 miles. That did not happen. I met my friend Nicole for an early warm-up mile, and that mile didn't feel great. I couldn't decide whether I should just quit there or try to start with the group and hope for the best. Nicole reminded me that I bailed on her this same time of year last year, around her birthday, because I felt like I was going ...

Date Workout Miles Avg Pace Monday, 8/25 Regular Run 3 9:30 Tuesday, 8/26 Regular Run 9 10:45 Wednesday, 8/27 Yoga 0 -- Thursday, 8/28 Regular Run 7 9:47 Friday, 8/29 Rest 0 -- Saturday, 8/30 Long Run 18 9:54 Sunday, 8/31 Rest 0 -- Total Weekly Mileage: 37 Last week started out a bit rough: I overslept for my Monday morning run and ended up doing three instead of four miles (not a huge deal, and not enough of a shortage for me to want to make up), and I decided I also didn't want to get up early on Tuesday morning, so I decided to do my nine miles that evening. And that was one of the worst runs I've had in recent memory. I haven't run in the evening in some time, so I wasn't used to the lingering heat and humidity from the day, and my stomach wasn't accustomed to running during that part of the day, so I had all kinds of cramps--side stitches, water cramps from drinking too much, and, er, BM cramps. But on top of that, my body had no energy...