Week 11

Week 11 started on Monday (a day earlier than normal) at the Bolder Boulder 10K in Boulder, CO. My legs felt good for having run 16 miles two days before the race and a short recovery run the day before the race. Tuesday was a travel day--three flights from Denver, to Dallas, to Washington, D.C., to. Hartford/Springfield. I did four and change on Wednesday and six and change on Thursday. Both runs were difficult. Friday was a rest day. And then came Saturday. I had 17 and change mapped out but could only do 15 and change. I wanted to stop several miles before I actually did. My legs felt like lead, I was nauseous at times, and I was dehydrated. This same kind of thing happened in 2007, while training for the Hartford Marathon. During Week 11 of that buildup, I ran my fastest 5K the day before my long run. I had 18 mapped out but could only do 17. Racing during big weeks seems to be the culprit. Not to mention, I could have gotten more sleep and eaten better. Run and learn.

I was feeling pretty bad on Saturday and Sunday about not being able to finish my long run. However, a decent recovery run on Sunday made me feel better and gave me a confidence boost. I'm optimistic about Week 12.