Week Ending March 8

Mon - 10.5 miles easy (800 ft). 1:27. On the Blue Sky trail. Felt sluggish and generally lethargic.

Tues - 12 miles (2,500 ft). 1:49. Mill Creek route. Felt slow and sluggish again.

Weds - 9 miles. 1:04. Crazy windy outside again, so jumped on the mill for an interval session. Warmed up with two at 7mph, then did 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400 at 10mph (max on my underpowered mill) with 1 lap between each interval at 8 mph. One mile cool down at 7mph. I don't know if my mill is poorly calibrated, but 6 minute miles on it feel harder than they usually do at the track. Maybe I'm just not in racing shape yet after a winter of running hills at a slow pace.

Thurs - 9 miles (1,300 feet). 1:19. Spring Creek to Stout to Sawmill to Loggers to Carey Springs to Towers to Herrington to Spring Creek, Soderburg, Horsetooth and home. Felt fresh and strong. Took it easy, pushing in places.

Fri - 8.5 miles on the mill. 60 mins. In wanting to lay off the hills, I am pretty much forced onto the treadmill as there is very little flat out my front door, and certainly no sustained flat. I am growing to appreciate the treadmill as I use it more, even if the first couple of miles are always excruciating. Anyway, I wanted 60 minutes easy today, but after two miles I was so bored I had to start playing around and decided to do a progression-type fartlek instead. Starting at 8mph, I cranked it up .5 per mile, holding 10mph for a mile and a half before dropping back down to 7:30s for ten minutes, and finishing up with a lap each at 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, 10, 9, 8.

Sat - 9 miles easy at Deer Mountain with Chad (1,800 ft).

Sun am - 13 miles easy around Horsetooth with Pete, Kemp, Alex and Mary (2,500 feet).
Sun pm - 4 miles easy with Alene, Jeff and Felix around City Park cemetery.

Total - 75 miles (8,900 vertical).

Ran more than planned this week as I have been feeling so good physically. I decided early in the week to revert back to the original mini-taper plan for Salida. Will take all runs easy this week, with a quality session on Weds.