16 Before 8

I am really trying to get back on my marathon training plan this week. I have doubts at times if I can pull off a 3:55 marathon. Lately I am having a real hard time just mentally having good runs. It's like I feel like my body can do the workout but, lots of times, I just quit in the middle and tell myself "next time."

Yesterday was my pace run. 8 miles. I tried the track thing again and reeled off 1:15 pace laps (8:45 mile pace) for 5 miles. I was actually even 10 seconds under pace for the whole thing when it's like a switch went off in my brain and I just didn't want to run that fast anymore. I reasoned that I needed water and my left hamstring really was hurting. So, I walked a lap, drank some water, and then stretched my hamstring. Then, I just couldn't get going again. I ran the next 2 miles in 18:40 total, then a slower last mile for a warm down. So, my 8 mile pace run just kind of disintegrated.

Today I had 16 miles on the schedule. I decided to meet up with a group that meets at the fitness center at 5 am (!) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I figured I would do better if I had some company for at least part of my run and I needed something to get my butt out of bed since the only way I was going to get 16 in today would be to do it in the morning before it got too hot.

Alarm was set for 4 am so I could eat before I ran. I either slept thru shutting off the alarm or it didn't go off so I woke up at 4:35 am. I ended up cramming a peanut butter sandwich in my mouth while running out the door to the fitness center, hoping my stomach was going to be OK. I made it on time and ended up running 4 miles with part of the group, then 12 more on my own. I got 14 miles in before the sun hit. I ran thru two subdivisions that I wasn't really familiar with but just tracked the miles on my Garmin and found my way back to my car. All in all, it was really nice running before the sun came up this morning. I was done before 8 am.

Tomorrow is cross-training day so I'm going to try and hit the fitness center after work. I might try to run with the group again on Thursday. I am suppose to run 8. Part of the group ran 6 at a faster pace this morning but I hung back with some slower runners since I had run pretty hard for at least 5 miles yesterday. I think I might do better at maintaining a faster pace if I had some other people to run with.