Going Long in a Short Week x 2

 The last two weeks of  running have been, well, oxymononic at best.

I've completed my two longest runs of the year but otherwise had very low mileage weeks.

Week 3

Sunday 9/5 - rest day

Monday 9/6 - The original plan was to drive to the Monon at o'dark thirty am and run 15 miles as my long run for the week. We ended up having a family emergency which left me out of town that day so the run didn't happen.

Tuesday 9/7 - 5 miles. Had the alarm set for 4 am but just could. not. get. up. By the time I got moving it was too hot to run outside so I ran on the indoor track.

Wednesday 9/8 - 3 miles. Ran on the indoor track.

Thursday 9/9 - 15 miles. It was supposed to get into the 90's by the weekend so I figured it was now or never today. I made it out of the house around 7:30 am. My intent was to run 3-5 miles south of my house then turn around and stop by the end of my driveway for water and a GU and run the other way. However, the car traffic was horrible for the first half mile and once I got south of that I didn't feel like turning around and having to deal with cars again so I just kept going south into the farm fields. The only issue with this was that I would have no water or fuel during my run. It had been quite some time since I ran this way so it was enjoyable and a nice change in scenery. I was fine until a little after 11 miles when I had to walk a stretch as I was running straight into the sun and up an incline. It got better after that. I glanced at my watch at 13.1 miles and I was at 2 hours 34 minutes so I'm not sure a 5 hour marathon is in the stars this year.

Looking back at last year when I ran a marathon on 29 days of training, I ran 17 miles on 9/15 and my marathon on 9/21 so I think I'm a little better trained this year, but ugh, some of the urgency seems to be gone.

Friday 9/10 - rest day. Actually didn't feel too bad but still had some pressure in my knees.

Saturday 9/11 - 3 miles. Ran outside in the evening.

Week 3 total - 26 miles.

Week 4

Sunday 9/12 - rest.

Monday 9/13 - 5 miles. Ran on the indoor track.

Tuesday 9/14 - 3 miles. Ran on the indoor track.

Wednesday 9/15 - rest. I had a horrible night where I couldn't fall asleep so I was totally trashed during the day.

Thursday 9/16 - rest. I thought if I got up early enough I would run, but then it didn't happen.

Friday 9/17 - 19 miles. It was good before it got ugly... part of the problem was that after running 15 last week without water or fuel I got a bit cavalier about my fueling and simply ran out of fuel. I discovered the night before my run that I only had two GUs. No problem, I thought. I ran 15 with nothing so 20 should be fine with two...

Got up at 4 am so I could eat and drive to the Monon. Started running just before 6 am at the trailhead just north of 111th street in Carmel. Ran the first 8 miles on cruise. I am SO not a morning person, but can I tell you, I just LOVE running on the Monon in the dark when it's a cool morning and it's just me with the cicadas and frogs but it's not buggy. I saw the sunrise as a ball of orange rising over the city as I ran across the pedestrian walkway over 38th street. I ran down to 33rd street and turned around. My lower GI started protesting a bit at this point so I walked a bit while sipping water and took my first GU. I also saw three deer - a doe and two 4-point bucks - come out of the woods and graze next to the trail as I was walking towards them. It was a little weird seeing them here in the middle of the city between 33rd Street and Fall Creek (as in the creek itself). My GI issue went away after that and all was fine until mile 14 when I decided I was hungry. I was going to wait until mile 15 to take my final GU but decided at 14.3 to go ahead and eat. I reached for my GU only to discover it wasn't there anymore. UGH!!! Self-preservation kicked in after that because I could feel myself bonking. After 15 and 16 I walked a tenth of a mile, then walked again before I got to 17. 17 and 18 were plain ugly. I got to 19 just before I got to 111th Street and decided that running another crummy mile would have no benefit to my training so I walked the quarter mile to my car and drove home. Bleck!

Saturday 9/18 - rest. Only a little sore so I was pleased.

Week 4 - 27 total miles

Going forward, I have no intention of running longer than the 19 that I ran. I will plan on maybe a couple more 10-15 mile runs and see how I feel. On Friday I was 2:30 at the 13.1 mile mark before I ran out of fuel for what it's worth.