Week Ending Oct. 11

Mon - Off

Tues -

am: 6 miles recovery. Soderburg to Arthurs and back. No watch.
pm: 5 miles track. 2 x (kilo, 8, 6, 4) w/ 200 rest, 400 between sets. half mile w/u, c/d. Paced with Alex A at just under marathon goal pace. Although I was sore and tired, pace felt good. It's probably not a great idea to be hitting the track two days after a hard marathon, but I like to do it anyway as I always feel better on active recovery.

Despite training all wrong for Dublin, with little to no specificity, I still think I have a shot at going under 2:40. Just praying the old sea level thing is worth a couple of minutes.

Weds - 6 miles recovery. Soderburg to Arthurs and back. Managed to keep the pace for the entire run at a very slow recovery pace. Normally when I get out for recovery runs, I get so bored with the pace that I end up slipping into my normal training pace. Today, for some reason, I found myself totally absorbed and focused in thought about goals for next season, and actually resolved to go about chasing a pretty lofty goal. Training begins Jan. 1. Until then, it's a question of working through my two remaining 'big' races and then getting some serious rest in Nov/Dec before what I expect to be the biggest block of training I will ever do. Putting this out there primarily for myself, but also as a means of keeping myself accountable, even if the message is somewhat cryptic at this stage (and buried in commentary about a six-mile Wednesday recovery run).

Thurs - 4 miles easy at Pineridge. No watch.

Fri - 8 miles easy (1,650'). Horsetooth/Audra. No watch.

Sat - 10.5 miles (2,000') with Pete at Horsetooth. Heavy, but light (weight) snow. Horsetooth - Westridge - Mill Creek - Loggers - Sawmill - Stout - Spring Creek - Falls. Cold, very cold.

Sun - 10.5 miles. Out with Pete, Eric and Laura from FCTR. Soderburg to Lory Visitors Center & back. East Valley out, West Valley back. Dirt was pretty icy. Beautiful morning for it.

Total: 50 miles (4,000')

Nothing more than a maintenance taper week. Probably a good thing I didn't race on Saturday as it is supposed to be about rest and recovery for Dublin right now. I'm really at sea with regards to Dublin goals. I have absolutely no quantitative evidence showing that I can run 2:40 on flat roads (or showing that I can't). My training has been about as non-specific as it could possibly be, and yet I still think I have the tools to get it done. I guess it'll be an experiment of one on how to train, or not train, for a road marathon.

After trying, and hating, the Nike Lunar Racing Flats at a local store, I decided to follow some advice from Justin Mock and got myself a pair of Brooks T6 racing flats for Dublin. These things weigh in at a featherlight 6.1 oz, so should be good for a few seconds per mile. Hopefully the attrition of wearing minimalist shoes won't take that all back through the last few miles. I've never run in a pair of racing flats, so I have no idea really.