Stronger and Healthier - 'Getting it done'

The aim of the week was to get a good solid week of mileage in, but not sacrifice the quality of the runs. It would be the last week of mileage before easing down and cutting my mileage ahead of the two most important races of the season. The weather in Portland recently has been extremely good and the sun has been shining allowing for some excellent Fall (Autumn for those in England) 'foliage' - which one of the Freshman is extremely excited about. It is really getting to a crucial stage in the season and I am starting to feel optimistic about my chances of making the nationals. The last few weeks of training have gone really well and I have noticed that I am definitely feeling stronger. Maybe, it was the low iron - which was diagnosed the start of the season and which I dismissed as false - that was having an effect. Over the past six weeks I have been taking tablets twice a day for it as well as some Vitamin C and things have definitely improved. Lets just hope that things stay this way and I don't pick up any niggles or colds over the next week or so now I have said that.

Monday 1st November
8:49 AM: 40:04 (6mi, 6:41/mi)
15:16 PM: 88:56 (13mi)
Easy run in the forest in the pouring rain. It chucked it down for the entire run so the forest had little streams running everywhere. Ran out and back with Christmas who afterwards had a sore hip, which isn't a good sign with some important races coming up and him being a key man in our success.

Tuesday 2nd November
15:18 PM: 22:01 w/u (3mi), 1200m flushout, 2 x 1000, 6 x 817m grass loop, 1000 (8.2mi total). ,19:20 c/d (2.5mi). Reps were 4:14 flushout(5:32/mi), 2:56, 2:55, 2:23, 2:21, 2:19, 2:21, 2:20, 2:21, 2:46.
Tough session, the first two 1000s felt easy enough, but for some reason we all struggled a bit on the grass. I don't know if it was because its a bit softer under foot or we have been hitting it hard the last few weeks but we had to cut down the intended 2 x 1000 at the end to just 1 x 1000. Ran the last rep with Trevor and Joash so it was bound to be a bit quicker.

Wednesday 3rd November
9:18 AM: 83:03 (13mi, 6:23/mi)
Nice steady mid-week longer run. These are now starting to feel good and I feel that I can cut down to 6:20s and feel quite controlled now.
17:50 PM: 34:09 (5mi, 6:50/mi)

Thursday 4th November
9:33 AM: 35:17 (5.56mi, 6:21/mi)
Easy morning run, the pace crept up a bit as I felt really good.
15:20 PM: 75:20 (11mi)
Run in the forest with the team.

Friday 5th November
15:22 PM: 21:38 w/u (3mi), 8 mile tempo (45:00, 5:37/mi) 21:53 c/d (3mi).
Ran the tempo on Lief in the forest which is very undulating and a bit muddy under foot. Started off slow and the idea was to cut down every mile and run 8 to 10 miles. I am never one to go for the shorter of the options but today my gleut tightened up at seven miles so I decided to just call it a day with Bassett and Cody at the 8 mile mark. Dunbar had already gone into the distance as he didn't want to go off really easy and Frerker, Lars, Craig and Caulkins all did ten with the last two miles at around 5 minute pace. I wasn't too bothered about missing out as it will keep my legs a little bit fresher and I still got a decent workout from doing eight.

Saturday 6th November
6:38 AM: 39:30 (5.2mi)
Early run with Craig before heading to watch the Man Utd v Wolves match downtown. Lars (Man Utd fan) and Geiger (adopted Wolves fan) wanted to watch the game and I will watch any game of football, while Craig and Scott were pulled along by the temptation of a full English breakfast. Decent game and decent food and Ipswich managed a win as well, so good start to the day.
15:06 PM: 62:23 (9mi)
Nice controlled run to Pier Park, couple of loops then back to campus. Ran with Craig, Scott and a few others, feeling strong.

Sunday 7th November
10:00 AM: 1:45:00 (15mi)
Shorter Sunday run this week with the regionals in mind. Just went on a short trail in the forest then onto Lief and back to campus. Felt good and the weather for November is unbelievable!

Total Weekly Mileage 110.16mi - Nice week of mileage with a good session on Tuesday and an easier tempo on Friday. From now on its all about easing down for the regionals then nationals as there isn't much I can do now which will benefit either of those races. The only thing I can do is make myself more tired so it will be important to run sensibly, get as much sleep as possible and eat healthily to ensure that doesn't happen.