Dragons

I usually keep comments closed because, frankly, no one ever seems to comment on my blogs. However, since my last few posts I have been told by people that they wanted to comment -- but simply could not. Fine -- I'll bite and start opening comments. But don't blame me when a bunch of goose eggs sit at the bottom of these posts in the comments section.

So on to running: As expected, Saturday's yardwork pretty much laid me to waste (I think this is it for digging holes and filling them with concrete though) and so my long run ended up being the race + warm up/down efforts. Today I had 8 - 10 easy scheduled but, due to the way my tests are falling this week, I've decided to go ahead and move workouts to Wednesday afternoon (before my softball double-header) and Friday. This means I won't make Group Run this week. It also means that I kinda felt like I was cheating if I did today as just an easy run, considering tomorrow was going to be the same thing.

I headed off down ODC this evening planning a progression run. How much progression didn't matter as much -- I just wanted to feel like I wasn't struggling and still going slower in the final miles (read: I didn't want to relive every race I've run this year). After the half-mile to the pavement I started the watch and eased to Country Club in 7:30 and 7:25 miles. I definitely wasn't in any sort of groove but soon things came together because my mind started to wander.

As I thought about my poor racing but, what I feel is, good training I couldn't help but to think of my backyard as the perfect analogy. It was ugly. It filled up four dumpsters of garbage -- including the absolute base that was jackhammered by mexicans. But now it's better. It's got a solid base. It's actually usable -- but there is still a ways to go and that's just gonna take weeks and hard work. It's taking shape though. And that's the important thing -- moving forward. Eventually it's going to be a finalized project -- but much of that is based on the bs that I hate doing. Pipework? No one ever notices that unless it's broken. Straight posts with solid footers? That's the kind of thing that doesn't just happen on it's own. And while it will likely not be finished this summer, it does need to become luau-acceptable in the next few months because it's already on the schedule (Jeff Dodge is invited).

I need to make myself luau-ready because, come Tucson 5000, I'm gonna be burying a whole pig with some hot coals weather I like it or not.

So while I have a hard time feeling like I am making noticeable progress in the running realm sometimes (I mean, anyone can do a solid workout -- racing is where it counts), I'm comforted to know that it can be related to similar situations where I do see markable improvement.

Anyways, once I got off this topic, I began to try to figure out how I would get in all my mileage for the week. I was feeling good so I decided to extend the run to Craycroft to give myself a head-start on the week. Things ended up feeling good for the entire run and I was able to close with a 6:30 mile (so maybe it was like my race -- LOLerskates) to finish 12 in 1h26m and a final pace in the 7:09 range (7:23 out, 6:45 back) on a very fast/smooth out-and-back.

I'm hoping to get in a really solid week of training here with Cinco just a couple weeks away. So far so good, I'd say.

Cinco is next -- What I'm getting everyone for their birthday's this year-- In-N-Out opens April 24, Bitch