January 30 - February 5 Training

Mon: AM - 8.3 miles easy with 8x20s pickups (7:04); PM - 5 miles very easy (8:19)

Tue: AM - 15 miles including 3 miles tempo at sub 5:30, 1 mile easy, 4x1/2 mile uphill, 2x1/2 mile downhill with jog down/up recovery.  This was a long morning at the office.  Ran the 3 mile tempo in 16:17 (5:24, 5:25, 5:28) with the first 1.75 miles on the track and the remaining 1.25 miles on the road.  The last mile felt tough because of a slight gradual increase in elevation.  After the tempo, I jogged a mile to the golf course, where I ran some hill repeats at tempo effort.  Man, running 1/2 mile uphill repeats is no joke!  Ran 2:42, 2:44, 2:44, and 2:42 for the uphills and then two downhill repeats at 4:50 pace (2:25, 2:25).  PM - 5 mile easy (8:02); a 20-mile training day.

Wed: AM - 10 miles easy (7:06); felt lazy early in the run, smooth for the middle miles, and tired in the end.  PM - 5 miles including APFT 2-mile in 10:30. I had my Army Physical Fitness Test, which to be honest, I wasn't expecting much for the push-ups and sit-ups.  I haven't done much muscular endurance workouts over the last six months, so I would have been happy if I knocked out 80 push-ups/sit-ups.  I exceeded my expectations and cranked out 100 push-ups and 95 sit-ups.  For the 2-mile, I ran at a hard tempo effort finishing in 10:30 (5:20, 5:10).

16 years and keeping the streak alive!

Thu: AM - 8.3 miles easy (7:12); upper body and abs are tight and sore from the APFT. PM - 5.2 miles easy (7:33)

Fri: AM - 10 miles including 12x400 at 70-72 with 200 slow jog.  400 splits were 72, 71, 72, 71, 70, 71, 71, 70, 69, 69, 69, & 70.  I actually ran a 69 for the last rep but stopped my watch a little passed the line.  PM - 5 miles easy (8:25)

Sat: 22 miles long run (6:51); Nothing spectacular about this long run.  I ran a workout yesterday, so the main purpose of this long run was spending time on my feet.  Did two loops of a 10-mile loop that included some flats, uphills and downhills.  The uphill was a long 2 mile climb from 6.5 to 8.5 miles and 16.5 to 18.5.  Running the hill on the 2nd loop was a bit tough, but it was a good simulation of the Newton Hills (in terms of the mile markers). 

Sun: AM - 8 miles easy (7:10); PM - 3.1 miles easy (8:05)

Weekly Total: 110.3 miles on 13 runs/ 7 days.  This was my highest weekly mileage since March 2011.  It's also my 5th 100+ mile week of this Boston Marathon training cycle.