Making Due

Monday, June 1
p.m. 70 min Road
10.7M (10.7)

Tuesday, June 2
a.m. 1:22 Road
12.1M (22.8)

Wednesday, June 3
Off

Thursday, June 4
a.m. 42:30 Road
6.2M (29.0)

p.m. 10x1k, 60 sec rec, 3M wu/2M cd (windy)
3:06.9, 3:09.6, 3:09.2, 3:08.3, 3:08.7, 3:10.3, 3:10.2, 3:08.0, 3:07.3, 3:07.7 (3:08.7 avg)
11.0M (40.0)

Friday, June 5
a.m. 42:30 Road
6.0M (46.0)

p.m. 68 min Road
10.0M (56.0)

Saturday, June 6
a.m. Breakers to Bay 5M (Oskar, MI), 25:53, 1st, 4.5M wu/5.5M cd
5:24.8, 5:26.2, 4:55.7, 5:00.3, 5:07.0
15.0M (71.0)

Sunday, June 7
a.m. 2:07 Road
last 3 miles (5:31.5, 5:14.3, 4:59.1)
20.0M (91.0)

Total Miles Week: 91.0
Total Miles Year: 1817.3

I spent the first three days of this week in Petoskey, MI at a library conference so it became challenging to stay on schedule with training. Actually the running was great in Petoskey, which is situated on the shores of Lake Michigan. Monday I ran the bike trail from Petoskey to Bay City and Tuesday I had a great run out on the country roads. It was of those mornings where the fog lingered close to the road, but it was kind of sunny out. But after sitting in a conference room from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. for a couple days, I wasn't exactly eager to go out and do the planned workout Wednesday morning. In fact I just pulled the covers up and went back to bed. Live to fight another day.

I pushed the workout back to Thursday, and with the exception of ridiculous wind (the theme for this spring) it went very well. I actually felt stronger as the workout progressed and I managed to keep a fairly even pace despite the weather.

Saturday I hopped in a small 5M race that runs from the Lake Superior breakers into the town of Oskar. I had originally thought I would do a 5M tempo before the race and then do the race at about the same pace, but with all the logisitics of doing that with a point to point course and what not, I just decided to run out to the start and add on a bit to the cooldown. For a first year race they did a really good job with organization and the course was fun. As one could surmise from the splits, the first two miles are kind of brutal due to a pretty significant climb, but almost immediately after passing the two mile mark the course drops hard for the next mile. I felt really good during the run - relaxed and smooth. On the cooldown I hardly felt fatigued so I figure I hit this workout just right.

Today was my last long run and really built on the Saturday's race/workout. I ran a particularly hilly course, but I pushed up them with ease it seemed like. When I switched to the faster pace the last three miles, it felt very natural. Of course, I'd say the last 2.5 miles were downhill so that certainly helped!

So with two weeks to go until race day I would say I feeling better than ever. Not necessarily faster, but strong and relaxed. I plan to do tempo runs/intervals Tuesday and Thursday this week and a shorter marathon pace workout Saturday. Then the last workout of 2x2M tempo on the Tuesday before the race. Everything else will be 5-10 miles easy and no doubles except for the workout days.