[Alex]

I'm too tired and bored to think up a prank to pull on you guys so someone else will have to start us off for the day.<br><br>
Easy running today...and I can't believe we have snow on the ground once again! Mother Nature keeps pulling pranks on us, that's for sure. Hopefully it's gone by the time school is out.

 

[RichardC]

This snow has to end someday

 

[Mailbox Head]

Richard- that's awesome about your wife!<br><br>
Alex- I didn't run anything yesterday. Just didn't feel like.<br><br><br><br>
Ok, that's the best I can do for an April Fools joke. And I used to be so good at pulling pranks...<br><br>
Really, yesterday's run was awesome. I did it on the mill because I wanted to watch the Reds' opening day (I'd insert a frowny face here if I wasn't morally oposed to those things)<br>
Did 3 miles of warming up, and I was really waffling over whether or not to do any speed work because my legs weren't feeling it.<br>
Decided to give it a shot- the plan was 10 800's @ 6mpm with 3 minutes of jogging between. (Some of you might recognize that worlout as Yassos)<br>
3 into it, I was talking myself into thinking that just getting to 6 or 8 was good enough for my first time this year. Then it got strange. On the sixth one, it got really easy. I ended up getting the 10 in easy, and wasn't tired at all, so I kept going. For the 12 one, I told myself I better stop just to be smart, so I upped the incline a little, and still had no problem, but I called it a night.<br><br>
Got 12 in with 6 miles worth of 5k paced running.<br><br>
Feeling great today, but the schedule calls for 5 or 6 recovery miles, and I'm going to try to be a good boy...<br><br>
Hope everyone's runs go well tonight.

 

[loopy]

Good morning all. Great job on the Yassos last night, Mailbox!<br><br>
And great job this past weekend all you racers!<br><br>
Did 57 minutes on the trails this morning.<br><br>
I have been gone for a while. Last week I had a school thing that kept me very busy and was very painful -- I don't want to go into the details, but it did not turn out well <img alt="sad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad.gif"> (I have no objection to smiley use)<br><br>
Anyway, that also meant my running last week suffered (especially when the school work was combined with the cold I had picked up). Only ran 27 miles last week and I missed my long run, when I would normally have done my last 22 miler 3 weeks before the marathon.<br><br>
So now I am trying to salvage things for Boston. My cold is still lingering, but hoping I will shake it completely soon (the last day or so has already been much better).<br><br>
I plan to take it pretty easy this week and mainly stick to the trail runs -- they give me a good workout without beating me up too much. Then I have to decide what I am doing this weekend. There is a VERY local 10 mile race on Sat (I can walk to the start and know the course very well). I was originally planning to race that as a last minute tune up. Now trying to decide between 4 options:<br><br>
A) Just race the 10 miler Sat as planned and hope this last week did not mess things up too bad for Boston<br>
B)race the 10 miler sat and do a real easy long run on Sunday followed by a 2 week taper<br>
C)skip the race and just do the 22 miler I would have done last weekend, followed by a 2 week taper<br>
D) Race the 10 miler, but add a 3 mile warm up and 6 mile cool down to make it into a 19 mile pseudo long run<br><br>
I am leaning toward option D, but wonder what everyone thinks? Sorry to ramble...

 

[Mailbox Head]

Loopy- have you already done a 22+long run this training cycle? I thought that you had. Honestly- I don't think that one week is going to kill you too much. You were putting in some killer workouts- and you didn't lose any fitness in that week.<br>
My thought would be that if you've done a 22+ miler already recently- just jump back into the schedule as is without trying to catch-up. If not, then maybe option D wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[Flounder]

Loopy - All I would say: When thinking about tough runs / mileage during the last 3 weeks, when in doubt do the easier option.<br><br>
Thats what I took today. Planned 12-14 with 5x1 mile @ T. I discovered I was not fully recovered from the weekend, so even though I could gave gutted it out - I didn't. Pulled the reins back on this big old clydesdale and only did 10 with 4x1 mile @ T.<br><br>
I am still have this fantasy about not setting a personal worst at Boston (3:09:4<img alt="cool.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/cool.gif"> - I believe I can make it a reality if I play my cards right these last 3 weeks.<br>
* Good runs, but nothing crazy<br>
* lose 10 more pounds<br>
* reasonable weather (Not perfect)

 

[kfuller]

Good morning everyone. I just have a short easy run today and it should be a good recovery for me. No pranks for me either as I am just too tired to care at this time. Have a great morning everyone.

 

[vashondan]

Good Morning<br><br>
Going to do six today. Probably not for a couple more hours though.

 

[loopy]

Hi mailbox, no my long runs have capped at 20, but I have done quite a lot of them. I generally only do 1 22 miler and its usually the last long run i do. so my last run longer than 20 was the marathon I ran on 1/13.<br><br>
That said, I don't think the extra 2 miles make much of a difference, but it is usually a nice mental boost to have done a 22 miler. I should probably be OK regardless. I am thinking I will probably roughly plan on doing option D, but play it by ear and take it easier if needed. A lot depends on fully shaking this cold as well.<br><br>
Thanks for all your input -- very much appreciated...

 

[tonya921]

I'm wondering this same thing...I missed a 20 miler last week due to the Shamrock Shuffle. Now I'm trying to decide if I should make it up this week, say Wednesday, keeping in mind I will be running a half-marathon on Saturday with the goal being race pace.<br><br>
Any thoughts on this?

 

[RunAsics]

The only prank so far this morning was played by my alarm clock... I hit the snooze button and it went off 1 hr, rather than 10 mins, later so I missed my 7am meeting... the snooze button is evil...<br><br>
Anyway; 7 miles on the cards today. Either on the work TM this afternoon (oops), which will become a progression run or go easy and battle the wind afterwork on the bike path. Hmmm...<br><br>
Mailbox - Awesome workout!<br>
Loopy - hope things work out for Boston.<br>
Flounder - I'll take your personel worst time for my marathon debut in the Fall...<br>
Alex & Kevin - enjoy your easy runs

 

[Mailbox Head]

<br>
Might depend on what you mean by race pace-<br>
Do you mean goal Marathon pace, or is this an all-out HM? Keep in mind that you'll only have 2 weeks after this weekend, so if you're planning on an all out half with a 20 miler earlier in the week, I'd say no way- too risky to put that much intensity in 1 week that close.<br>
Either way- you've done a full before, so you should have confidence in yourself for the distance. My thought would be that the minimal marginal benefit from squeezing the extra 20 miler in this week is far outweighed by the risk. (Especially after a decently hard effort race this last weekend)

 

[4boysmom]

Morning all!!! And a WONDERFUL morning it is!!!<br><br>
After my swim this morning I headed out for my 'return to run' run. 50* and rain. Life does not get any better than this!!! I stuck with the Last Chance for Boston loop (1m), just incase things went south. So I just started running, and ran by feel. Things felt great! Nothing hurt! No swelling! So I just kept running. 10.43m, 1:29:52, 8:37pace. Because of how well this run went, I'm thinking Athens is still a go!!! It'll be a mighty short taper, with the race on Sunday and all. But I think it's do-able!!!<br><br>
Now, if'n y'all fall for that, y'all are probably falling for all the other pranks, too. No, I haven't run yet. No, I am not doing Athens. Let's see if my coach falls for the email I sent him!<br><br>
I started my morning in the fishbowl. Speed drills. 50's on the 15's x4. Meaning, the slower you swim, the shorter your rests. So, by the last one, I am about dying. WU 500, 50x4 on the 15's/50 kick x4, CD 200. I got out of the pool about ready to die.<br><br>
Drove home, then sat on the trainer for an hour. Did some hard intervals.<br><br>
This afternoon the kids and I will head out to the lake. I'm going to try a walk/run. We'll see what happens.

 

[tonya921]

Sorry, I should have clarified here: I'm planning to run the Half at MP.

 

[Flounder]

Run Asics - I am sure you have better than that in you. I had run 2 races before my 1st marathon. A 3 miler @ 7:00 pace and a 25k @ 7:24 pace (Very hilly) and ran the 3:09:48. You are better equiped with speed -

 

[tonya921]

I actually fell for that.

 

[4boysmom]

Tonya--don't feel bad. I got my coach, too!!!

 

[Phill Mckrevass]

hey everyone...I just got back from a super easy recovery run.<br><br>
2 miles @ 10:40 mpm...just let my legs determine the pace. felt great, headed to school.<br><br>
Don't be an april fool out there... <img alt="cool.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/cool.gif">

 

[kfuller]

Tonya-- I wouldn't worry about the long run that much. Something a little shorter than that might do as well since you have a 1/2 marathon this weekend.<br><br>
I am glad that my calves don't feel so trashed this morning. Hopefully after some stretching today they will feel great for my run this afternoon.<br><br>
4boys-- I was thinking ,"why not about the marathon" and then April fools. Hope the foot gets better and you are back to running. You are getting nice and fast in the pool. You said something like 3000 yds in the pool in just over an hour the other day. That is awesome. So what do you swim the 50's at. Right now I do 100's in 1:50 with about 1 min rest in between. If I really wanted a good workout I would shorten the rest.

 

[kfuller]

Phill-- I have a niece that has a birthday today. She literally is an April Fool.<img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">