They went well.
The first had 3 miles into 3 miles MP, one mile easy, one mile HMP, one mile easy, 3 miles MP, one mile easy, one mile HMP, one mile easy, 3 miles MP and then cool down. I'd "done" this one before but I had a fair bit if stoppage and regrouping with sort of, as coach nicely said, defeated the point of it so I really tried to keep in the work of this one and managed to do just that. My MP and HMP are not the same as they were when I first tried this one two years ago, but they were markedly different from easy and something that may be new paces for me at both MP and HMP.
I was pretty wrecked from it the full day but I had Monday off so didn't need to go right into work which was nice.
The week before the next big long run workout (which was in six days) went mostly okay, but I did miss a 6 mile run due to just being tried. I planned to make it up in Friday morning, but I wasn't able to use the tread and, honestly, not sure I would have managed it so I took the L and just skipped it focusing on today.
Today's 20 mile workout run I did last year and it went really well. I felt amazing when I did it and accomplished. I honestly don't remember how the 7 mile warm-up felt then, but based on my Strava post, I think I had some self-doubt and seven miles is plenty of time for self-doubt. But I do remember how I felt for at least one of the 3 miles of work because I can remember the song.
I wanted to feel that again today, but I didn't know. I focused on food and somewhat succeeded (I erred at lunch but I won't do that during the marathon week). I planned to start at or close to race time so planned the am wake-up the same and, man, 5:15 came in hard. I was tired, but I did get going and had the water, coffee and English muffin. I didn't feel totally great, but not awful. It was enough though to start those first inklings of doubt. I kept moving and go to the park, plotted about and peed before acknowledging I was delaying what was coming and started.
The 7 miles did not feel great. They weren't bad, but I felt like I was working harder than I wanted and, knowing I was supposed to do the real work the second 2/3rd of the run that had me worried. I still took the gel and tried some water (I should have done much better with the water) and just before seven miles I changed shoes, used the bathroom and petted some dogs. I then started into the work and...
It went well.
Good even.
Once I started the MP I had something to focus on and an ability to countdown differently than I am at mile two of twenty. I didn't do too many other stops so kept a pretty good flow and hit relatively close to my goal pace of 8:10. I don't think an 8:00 flat pace for Maine is going to happen which is, actually fine so I've taken to adjusting my goal splits a bit, while not entirely saying no to 8:00.
I also don't feel quite as awful this afternoon and evening as I did last week. To be fair, I think last week's was a harder workout, but I'm also on more tired legs and had one less day between big efforts. I don't yet know what to take from these workouts because those extra six miles are something else as is race day and I still had break miles, but they were good. Someone might even say great.
It's pretty amazing what someone can do when they try even if they have a very stressful full-time job and wish they could put a little more into this hobby.
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