Training Summary: 5/18-5/24

Mon - 7 miles + weights
Tue - 8.5 miles including 6X1 min on/off on the track
Wed - 10 miles steady (hilly) + weights
Thu - 6.5 miles + weights
Fri - 10 miles including 10 min on, 3 easy, 5 on
Sat - 6 miles + weights
Sun - 14 miles
Total: 62 miles

I really couldn't have asked for a better week. Everything went according to plan or better and I felt good throughout. My biggest issue was a nasty blister on the ball of my left foot (thanks to a bad pair of socks and Tuesday night's track work), and that's definitely the type of thing I can deal with.

As far as the specifics, Tuesday night was the first time I'd done anything under 7 min pace in over 2 mos. That said, it was ugly, but at the same time went better than expected. I would say most everything was done between 5:00 and 5:15 pace while feeling mostly under control. Wednesday was a pretty good distance run over some fairly hilly terrain with Andy, Andrew, and Alex (the three A's - ha, ha). We hit a 6:27 all uphill mile about 7 miles in, so not a bad effort. Friday, Andy and I did a light workout on the Greenway. It was nothing special, but I got as fast as 5:30 pace and was able to talk the entire time (more than one word gasps too), so I was pretty pleased with it. I capped the week of this morning with a nice long run through the hills of Fincastle with Andy and Andrew and hit the same loop I did the week before almost 5 min faster, so I'll definitely take it.

Things are certainly headed in the right direction. Now I just have to keep it that way. I'm probably doing a little more right now than I had planned and maybe even should be, but I don't feel at all like I'm pushing (whereas in the past I have). I don't know if that's the weights improving my stride and making me more efficient and stronger or what. I'm not gonna argue with it. I'll continue to monitor myself closely and force myself to do some light days, making sure I not only cut the distance back but keep the effort easy as well. I know it's gonna be a long road back, but after this week, I'm really encouraged that I can make it. Onward and upward!