Training in Montana

6 TM miles plus a cool down at lunch time. Bought new a new singlet at Target, and found out about mile 5.75 that the seams in the armpit are a bad idea. Good to know before I take it out on a long run once it gets warmer. The run felt pretty good. No direct fan, but at least the Y turned up the volume on the FM transmitter on the History channel. Interesting show about the people who work at the White House. Currently there are 420 staffers with an annual budget of $60 million. Seriously? I think the Pres can handle a wee bit less than that.

AP: 8:11

1X60 plank, bicycles, toe touches. 25 pushups. Lost a few pounds sweating today.

6 miles this morning, 29 degrees, a fresh skiff of snow, and 10 mph SW winds. Not a bad morning as I got a nice tailwind coming home. Legs felt strong, glad I didn't do Boot Camp this week. Maybe every other week I'll go kill myself at BC and then have tired legs for a week. It has to help somehow.

AP: 8:04 

6 miles including hill repeats. Kam inspired me yesterday to do tempo/hill/etc. at least once per week. Hump day seems a good day for it. Just after my 2 mile mark there's a 1/4 mile downhill section that I only hit on my long runs, and it's a pain in the tail. Today I ran down the hill, then back up it 4 times. A couple times I did shorter repeats, which is probably a good strategy (Galloway recommends it) but at least twice I went all the way up, keeping good speed and sucking wind. Both of the full hill runs I hit the top doing about 7:30 pace and I feel really good about it. I timed my distance just right as I got in my 2 miles doing hills where I normally just get in 2 miles. After the hills I upped the tempo and finished the last two miles in 6:50 and 6:55. My last two are downhill, but anytime I can do them under 7 I feel really good about it. Boston, you're in my sights...

AP: 8:16 (had a 2-3 minute delay trying to figure out a blinking tail light and forgot to stop the watch) 

1X60 plank, 25 pushups. 

Slept in a few minutes today so cut back the run a bit. Skiff of snow once again, and a nice wind this morning. Thankfully the 60 mph gusts hit yesterday afternoon, so my morning runs went right between the storm. I like running with a skiff of snow as it's interesting to see what critters have been out in the past few hours. My legs were pretty tired after yesterday's hill & tempo run so I walked a few times. I was able to keep a pretty good pace and coming home kept it in the high 7s. Not bad.

For record's sake, the top of my left foot is hurting. It started yesterday at work but I wasn't sure if it was just my shoe. Turns out it isn't. Feels like the pain is about an inch above my big toe joint on the top of the foot. I could feel it on the run and wasn't horrible. Tightened up a bit between finishing & heading off to work. I'll try and ice bucket it tonight after the pinewood derby race (so glad for it to be over - only 2 more years & my 3 boys will be done!).

AP: 8:19

6 miles outside with a decent West wind. I was zapped today, not sure why. Maybe it was the late-night Cafe Rio pork burrito (one opened in Billings yesterday - yum!) or something, but I stopped and walked before hitting one mile, and felt like it at two miles but kept going. Running into the wind from mile 2 to 2.5 wasn't that fun either, but I survived it. Ended up with a decent pace but nothing spectacular.

I didn't get a chance to ice my foot last night and I can feel it with every step of the left foot. Thankfully I've outgrown the 2nd left foot. When I push off I feel a tightness at the top of my foot, in the middle, straight above the big toe. It's only a 2 on the 10 pt pain scale and it doesn't really hurt when I run, but I can feel it. It started on Wednesday so I don't know if running hill repeats and pushing off uphill tweaked a tendon or ligament or what. Should I run my 10 mile long run tomorrow or not? I should be able to ice it tonight. I'll probably run tomorrow, but not sure that's the best idea.

AP: 8:28 

I had a Boy Scout Merit Badge day today and I had to be there, but I wasn't going to be involved with the boys during the morning & afternoon sessions, so I planned to run in the morning. Someone didn't show up to teach Citizenship in the Nation and one my boys was in there so I started teaching it as I had the requirements on my iPod and thankfully someone who actually knew what they were talking about finished it off, but I was stuck in there until lunch. After lunch I had a BBall game to go to and after that I didn't have time. The weather turned awful with 40+ mph gusts so I bagged my long run. Argh! I hate having to miss my Saturday run. Oh well. Hopefully next week will go smoother.