Marathon Training Week 8

It was back to a mostly normal schedule this week after doing the cut back thing last week.  I returned to the track with the Redditors on Wednesday night where I surprised myself with some unexpectedly swift 800m intervals.  I also happened to browse back through my training logs from last year and realized 2 things occurred this week - I hit my highest monthly total mileage ever in July and also hit my highest ever weekly mileage this week.

For awhile I was concerned I wouldn't hit my weekly mileage totals or even keep the running streak intact.  During my run on Friday I felt a little off.  My nose kept running and I was blowing snot rockets like no tomorrow.  I shrugged it off as me taking my nasal sprays too late in the day.  Later that evening while laying on the couch and watching some TV it felt like someone laid a cinder block on my head.  I knew I had developed a cold or sinus infection.  Fun.  I was going to get up and run on Saturday before meeting friends for brunch but decided sleeping in sounded better.  I did wind up dragging myself out for a run later in the evening and didn't feel half bad.  It helped clear the sinuses even.  Later that night though I felt a bit worse and developed a slight fever.  Sunday I went back and forth over whether I should run or not.  The prudent thing would of been to take a few days off and let whatever this is work its way out of my system.  On the flip side everything was from the neck up and technically you can still exercise when you do that as long as you don't ever exert yourself.  I decided to go with being stubborn and went for my run.  I'd get something in even if it was just to keep the streak alive.

My first attempt to do my run was scuttled.  I was all dressed and ready to walk out the door when it started pouring.  I went back to the computer and checked the weather and it seemed like it would pass quickly.  Once it passed I headed out and started my run.  The first few minutes felt rough.  I thought about doing the mile and packing it in.  A few minutes later it started lightly raining.  It felt good and I decided to press on to at least the water fountain so I could get my stretch in and then turn back.  I never did turn back.  I kept bouncing from fountain to fountain while stopping for a minute or 2 and gathering myself and blowing some snot rockets.  It rained on and off for the first 6 miles.  Sometimes quite heavily.  At some point I actually felt pretty good and started rattling off some faster than expected splits.  I felt strong as I completed mile 15, but then after a quick stop for water it all fell apart and the last mile was something of a struggle.  I did it though, I completed all 16 miles despite being under the weather.  I was watching my heart rate the entire time making sure I wasn't showing any signs of distress that might not be evident right away.  It all worked according to plan.  I even negative split the run.

Monday - 3.07 miles
Tuesday - 4.52 miles
Wednesday - 6.86 miles - half mile up, 6x800m@6:52 min/mile pace quarter mile recovery, half down, plus a jog to the post workout bar.
Thursday - 5.51
Friday - 2.31
Saturday - 5.55
Sunday - 16.01
Total - 42.8 miles

Monthly - July - 144.25  August - 23.87