Last Week's Training: The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall

53¾ miles for the week

M – 6 miles, recovery run, average pace 8:42 minutes per mile (mpm), 52°F at 7PM [SeaC/Ntrl-/SeaC]
Tu – 5¾ miles tempo run, average pace 6:43 mpm, back to a warm, humid and windy 70°F at 5AM with the measured “Dow-Minus” two-miles in 13:00 and 12:50 [S-B/Dow]
W – 5½ miles, with 4x400/200rec, 7:58 mpm overall pace (400s in 79, 77, 75 and 72), 71°F at 7PM but drier air [B’Wood HS]
Th – 4 miles, recovery run, pace 8:36 mpm, a very nice 58°F at 5AM [Dow/Ol]
F - 5¼ miles, tempo run, average pace 6:43 mpm, with the measured “Dow-Minus” two-miles in 13:17 and 13:08, 67°F at 5AM [Ol/Dow]
Sa – 10 miles, easy, pace 8:20, a windy 78°F at Noon [SeaC/Ntrl-MBT-2M-MBT/SeaC]
Su – 17¼, average pace 7:33 mpm A warm, humid, hazy and windy day, 79°F from Noon. Another bridge and beach run. [PlantationBr//6xIntracoastal Bridge/2x(SS 8½ -11-8½)]

During Saturday's second run on the trail through the woods, I did a spectacular face plant. I was enjoying the woods, keeping an eye out for snakes, when all of a sudden I saw nothing but the dirt trail as I was going down fast and hard. This was no stumbling fall after tripping on a root. I went from a nice easy run to horizontal on the trail in a split second. I was able to get both arms in front of me and avoid hitting my head into the ground. I ended up with some trail dirt embedded in my hands and forearms but nothing serious. I looked back and found a thin vine that must have looped my foot. Amazing how fast 180 pounds can go from vertical to horizontal when a foot is snagged.

I was wiped out by Sunday’s long run. I need to start long runs closer to sunrise on warm days. It was a real struggle to stay under 8mpm coming back up the beach into the wind.
My next race is Saturday's Freeport 5K. It’s a “hilly” course (two times over the dike and bridge); not a PR course but I’d like to run it under 6mpm. There are plenty of local 5Ks coming up and I still have that sub-18 goal.