For Whom the Dogs Bark

38F, 99%, NNE 1 mph, clear and cold.  Wore a beanie today, only two weeks after a 70F+ sweat-fest.  Typical late-season weather patterns for Houston, but at least we don't have a hurricane.  I'm going to run at a fairly hard level this week, but not crazy.  It is only 2 weeks out, but I got very little done last week and I have been wanting to test a theory anyway -- go easy a ways out from the race date, then accelerate into the race, albeit taking a few easy days right before it.  The reason is that seems to be how I perform best during any given training cycle.  Maybe it is a bunch of bunk, but if I'm wrong I have two more marathons in the next 6 months to screw it up by some other method.

My legs felt good this morning despite having difficulties running 21+ on Saturday, they had a little bit of spring in them.  Splits were 9:02, 8:31, 8:39, 8:24, 8:38, 8:18 then the GMP miles at 7:25, 7:23, 7:25 and 7:22.  Kind of hard but I hit the splits pretty readily, it was easier than running 7:45s last week.

I'm going to go ahead and do the speed workout with the group tomorrow, then do today's run again on Wednesday.

39F, 100% and calm.  Went to the track for a workout, late as usual.  They were running ladders and were on their first quarter when I got there, so I warmed up one lap and ran 800 (3:37), 1200 (5:14), 1600 (6:42), 1200 (5:05), 800 (3:15) and 400 (1:29).  I think that may be the first time I have broken 90 on a quarter -- kind of sad, used to do that for a warmup in high school, and I wasn't even fast.  But I was the fastest one on the track this morning, which is even sadder I guess.

50F, 100% and calm.  Has to be the best running weather ever this week.  Set my alarm for 5:30 and woke up right on time at 4:15, out the door at 4:50 for 10 and some change.  Legs felt pretty lively after running only 4 yesterday.  6 slow and 4 fast:  8:42, 8:15, 8:03, 7:58, 8:01, 7:52, then 7:20, 7:18, 7:27 and 7:25, then 7:47 for the stub.  Total 1:18:53, 7:50 per mile average.  Last two were harder than they should have been, definitely not MP, at least this morning.  HRM is on order, I'll have it before Richmond.  Nothing else fast this week, but I think I'll stick with 10 per day, per my original plan, since my legs seem to be doing OK.

55F, 100% and calm.  The matchless weather continues.  Ran 10.10 miles in 1:26:18, 8:32/mile.  First mile 9:33, last mile 8:10, but mostly in the 8:24 to 8:33 range.  Planned to run at 9 flat, so I probably ran too hard.  But I can't ignore the overall average number glowing on my Garmin in the dark.  Sounds like a brewing disaster for the marathon.

59F, 100% and calm.  Met Wade and the group at the Y at 5:15.  They were doing 15 but Wade and I only wanted 10.  8:40 average for the run, felt very good.  So far so good on the taper.  I missed yesterday after waking up with a huge sore throat.  It has been bugging me all week and flared up badly yesterday -- couldn't get in to see a doctor because since I never go I am in the new patient category and can't just slip into an open slot.  Chiros forever, I would never hear that from them (wait, I have 5 doctors in the family, I may need to revise that).  It wasn't much better this morning, but if I missed today then by Monday it would have been the fourth day since I ran, which doesn't work for a taper, nor for any other running program that I am aware of.  I got up this morning at 1:30 and took aspirin but it didn't help, just a rough night, was almost a relief to get up at 4:30.  I felt much better after running, but I will be wasted tonight.  The warmer temperatures felt good, prevented me getting the chills. 

Spent too much of the morning on letsrun.com reading indignant comments about the NYC Marathon cancellation.  Probably the right decision, but admittedly done in the worst way possible.  Most runners could have cut their losses by more than half if they had cancelled two days earlier.  Not sure how they were going to pull it off anyway.