Ultra Training Week 8

This has been a good training week.  While the weekly mileage total is not as high as I had planned, I am satisfied with the quality of each run.  The weather has bypassed the cool fall temperatures and gone straight for cold winter-like mornings, and I think this chill has helped me pick up my pace, if for nothing else than to warm up quickly.  Below are the weekly totals and paces. 

Sunday, Oct 16 - rest (4 leisurely miles with Mom)

Monday, Oct 17 - Ran 6.3 morning miles with the girls, 9:50 pace.  I was tired this morning, but the miles went by quickly, as they always do with my morning gaggle.

Tuesday, Oct 18 - Ran 7.3 morning miles solo, 8:40 pace.  Gorgeous sunrise the entire way.

Wednesday, Oct 19 - Ran 10.4 morning miles with the girls, 9:13 pace.  Felt great!

Thursday, Oct 20 - Ran 7 afternoon miles solo, 8:22 pace.  Good, strong run.

Friday, Oct 21 - Ran 7.1 miles, 9:00 pace.  Ran 3.5 with the girls to my sister's, ran 3 with her, and then ran 3.5 back to my car, racing the clock.  Legs were sore after this.

Saturday, Oct 22 - Ran 3 morning miles solo, 8:55 pace.  It was 36 degrees!  Brrrrr.

Total mileage - 41.1 miles

This morning I got up early to get in some miles before coming into work.  I do not usually work on Saturdays, but we are recording a class here at UAH and the last part of it is today.  At first I was annoyed by this because Saturdays are my long run days, but as I started my run this morning, I realized my legs were tired and sore.  While the mileage numbers did not climb over 50 as planned this week, I increased the pace of the miles I did run, making for good workouts despite the shorter distances.  So, this morning when I got close to mile 3, I headed home.  I was tired, my legs were sore, and I knew it would be more beneficial for my training to let them heal.

I'll be off Monday since I'm working today and I plan to use that day to get in a 20 miler.  Letting my legs heal today and tomorrow will allow that run to be a good, strong training run and I am looking forward to it.  As it turns out, working today and postponing the long run will be better than forcing tired, sore legs to do the work anyway.  Keeping this in mind helps me ward off that panicky voice inside that continually asks me if I'm doing enough to run 50 miles in December.  In truth, I have no idea.  All I know to do is keep running, train smart and go for it.