I'm starting to appreciate how much the heat was really knocking the shit out of me and probably just about everyone else. It's been cooler this week, and I've found I have notably more energy all around, and probably the only thing that has changed is the temperatures. And it's not even THAT much cooler - but it's enough to make a difference. I'm sure it all starts with sleep, and I sure as hell do sleep better when it's cooler. But my runs have been a bit faster, and my recovery has been quicker and better from each one. I'd chalk that up to conditioning, except the runs keep getting longer, too, as well as being a bit faster, so the workload this past week was still on the upward curve. (This coming week is an easier week, with one fewer scheduled run and a shorter but faster long run.)
Today was a pace run, and because I have really been wanting to do the route for a while, I did a very slight variation on an old classic hill run. (The hard part remained the same; the gettin' there part was adjusted to make the run the appropriate length.) I've been doing this general route since about 1980, give or take a year. (No, that's not a typo.) It's lasted because it's a great run, obviously, and to me it's become a bit of a measuring stick. Being able to complete the run without feeling like I'm going to die means I have what I consider to be a good base of running fitness. Today I wanted to do it as a pace run (one of those things again), because what the hell? I've more or less given up trying to "regulate" pace, and it was a nice morning, so I figured I'd just go at what felt like a good pace and see if I came in around/below half pace. I figured if I came in around the magic 9 minute mark, and the run felt decent, that my training was pretty much going well, despite whatever wrenches the heat was throwing into the system.
To my pleasant surprise, I did much better than that, coming in with about an 8 1/2 MPM pace (AND not feeling wiped out). I know in the world of competitive running that's not much of a pace, but for me that's pretty darn good and I think bodes well for actually making my goal with the half, provided the weather cooperates. Tomorrow is a 10 miler, and I'm looking forward to doing the course I've mapped out, a mostly trail run through three adjacent parks. I've run them all separately but have never strung them together like this.
The weight work is going well. I've been enjoying this stage of FBB much more than the first stage; I suspect if I ever do this program, I won't bother with that first stage unless I'm coming off a very long layoff. But I'm not in danger of that any time soon. It very much looks as if Insanity is a go RIGHT after the half (slight bummer there - I sort of wanted a short break, but I'm not controlling the schedule for this one). I believe that's a two month program. Afterwards I want to get into Eric Cressey's Maximum Strength program, which runs four months. And yes, I do have some vague plans for After That...
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