Weekly Summary: May 7-20 / Half-Marathon Race

I've been doing a lot of writing the last couple weeks.  Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, none of it was blog writing.  I was busy completing my final thesis for my Master's degree, and doing other papers and creating presentations for my Army staff college classes.  I'm all done with my Master's now. It's just a matter of walking across the stage to receive my degree in a couple weeks.

Running, on the other hand, has been going pretty well.  Since my last post, I paced my wife in the Running with the Cows Half-Marathon two weekends ago, which she placed 2nd, ran a couple track sessions, and finished off this week with a win at the Five Trails Half-Marathon.  My wife was the 1st overall female, so it was a good day for "Team Blas".  Results here.

Five Trails is actually not on trails as the name would suggest.  According to halfmarathons.net, the race is named for the five historic trails (Pike's Peak Trail, Sante Fe Trail, Mormon Trail, and the Oregon and California trails) that criss-cross through the Leavenworth area.

The hilly/rolling half-marathon is a single rectangular loop around the city of Leavenworth and runs on pavement/concrete.  It was one of the more challenging half-marathons I've raced, because of the hills.  The hill at Mile 3 (see elevation chart above) is known as the "Pike's Peak of Leavenworth". Luckily, for me, this was my type of race because hills are a strength of mine.  I'm quite happy with my execution and how I felt overall in the race.  It was also a good rehearsal for Hospital Hill in a couple weeks.

May 14 - 20

Mon: 11.2M including 7 x 1000m cruise intervals w/ 200 rec (3:18, 3:19 3:17, 3:18, 3:18, 3:17, & 3:17)

Tue: 10M easy

Wed: 11M easy

Thu: 9.2M including 12 x 200 (34-35s) w/ 200 rec.

Fri: 7.2M easy

Sat: 5M easy

Sun: AM: Five Trails Half-Marathon - 1:16:52, 1st Overall; PM: 5M easy; 20M tot.

Weekly Total: 73.6 miles

May 7 - 13

Mon: 8.7M easy

Tue: 9.3M easy

Wed: 11M including 5 x 1200 w/ 400 rec (3:47, 3:49, 3:48, 3:46, & 3:44)

Thu: 9.3M easy

Fri: 7.5M easy

Sat: 15.5M easy

Sun: 9.3M easy

Weekly Total: 70.6 miles