Monday’s are my day off from running… Not yesterday!

I decided to take yesterday off from work as a last minute thing.  The 5K put me behind on some things I had to get done during the weekend and I just needed a break.  So, I got to sleep in and rest and run.  I ran Sunday for my long run and it wasn’t pretty.  I was wiped out from the 5K, but needed to run anyway as the marathon is just 14 weeks away.  I didn’t break any speed records, but I got 10 miles in.

Yesterday I was going to run in the morning, but ended up going out do spend time with my Lovely Wife and get some things done that we didn’t get done from the weekend.  I saw TJ at his work and he mentioned us running together in the afternoon, so I was glad I had decided to hold off.

Well the afternoon came and we went running.  It was warm but not as hot as it has been.  TJ has suggested I work on running 50 miles this week, so I am going to average 7 miles a day with one 9 mile day and a 13 mile long day on Sunday.  Finally he and I went for our run.  It was fun – until the end.

I ran really well.  I felt well and according to his app, kept about an 8:07 pace through the first 6 miles or so.  The problem was that I hit a wall at about the 5.5 mile mark.  I started really feeling the run and it was hard to concentrate.  Unfortunately I had 5.5 really good miles in and didn’t want to just crash the last mile and a half.  So I kept up the pace.  TJ wanted to run a half mile further than me so we split at the last half mile and I ran home.  

I was beat.

I would say that I was as more tired from this run than our 5K.  I ended running about an 8:16 pace.  My app had problems and measured me running at 8:29, but I know I was running faster than that, so I went with TJ’s app.  

So I have now run 9 days in a row.  I am taking today off, which is good since it is going to be 90 this afternoon.  

Anyway, I appreciate running with TJ, it makes it much more fun for me, even though it is a slower pace for him.  Funny, we were talking and I found out that last year at this time he was running an average of 5 miles a day at an 8:30 pace.  That is about where I am now.  Last year at this time I was running 2 miles a day at an 11:30 pace.  I think just putting in the miles 6 days a week has made the biggest difference.  Also the workouts that TJ has shown me how to run has really helped.

I am looking forward to my day of rest – two days late, but also enjoying to memories of a great running weekend.