Spring in February

We had another heat wave last week, which is just fine with me. Temps topped out at around 64 on Thursday and were in the 40s or 50s for much of the week. I don't give a damn whether or not that stupid groundhog saw his shadow or not, I'm ready for spring. I would not shed a tear if I've already seen the indoor track for the last time this winter. But, as I type this, we are under a winter weather advisory for heavy snow and high winds, so we shall see. Stay tuned...

Monday - 10 in the morning, 5 in the afternoon.

Tuesday - 12.2 in the morning, 5 in the afternoon.

Wednesday - 10 with 8 strides.

Thursday - 13 total including 2 easy, 4x1 mile at tempo pace with 1 min. recoveries, 5 min. easy, 3x1 mile tempo, 2 easy. I did this workout on the track to keep the tempo pace consistent and it worked out very well. The first interval was a touch slower than I was hoping for (6:38) but every one after that was 6:32 or 6:33, dead on target.

Friday - 10 in the morning, 5 in the afternoon. The afternoon run was an interesting one. All week long, my entire family has been transferring the flu to one another. First, it was my wife, then my daughter and then finally my son, leaving me as the lone healthy person in the house. Well, during that 5 mile run, I wondered if maybe my luck had run out. About 1.5 miles into it, I suddenly felt very weak, light headed and slightly nauseous. I decided I would go to the 2 mile point and turn back, cutting the run a mile short. I trudged along and then, just as suddenly as it had come on, the sensation passed and I ended up feeling great and finishing all 5 miles. Still not sick (knock on wood).

Saturday - 10.2 miles with 8 strides.

Sunday - 18 miles including 2 easy, 4x6 min. tempo, 7 easy, 20 min. tempo, 2 easy. This workout didn't come nearly as easily as Thursday's. Running at tempo pace on hills and gravel roads is a much different experience from doing it on a perfectly flat track with even footing. So, my tempo paces weren't as fast, but I guess that was to be expected.

Total - 96.4 miles

Also on Sunday, we went to Rapid City for the February Freeze 5K, which my wife ran as part of her plan to run at least one race per month in 2009. She did great considering the hilly course and the fact that she just go over the flu. The kids had fun watching all of the runners finish. Every single time someone ran by, my daughter Chloe said "Oh, they are gonna win! Everyone is winning!!". Good attitude, Chloe. My son Caiden is infatuated with numbers, so he spent most of the time closely watching the finish clock and made sure to tell Shannon what her time was as soon as she finished. Next month, it's back to Rapid for the Dublin Dash 5K. That one ends at an Irish Pub. I'm definitely looking forward to spectating that one!