Weekend Run in Review

So the weekend runs break down like this.

Saturday: Did 7 miles including 8 strides. Did most of the miles slow. Was going to see if I could maintain 8 min/mile pace at HR of less than 160, but didn't feel up to it.

Sunday: 20.4 miles @8:17 min/mile pace. Drove downtown to do this. Forecast was predicting warm humid weather and I thought it would be cooler by the lake. It was fairly pleasant. It was overcast, about 20C, and there was a nice cool breeze coming off the lake. I had wanted to start really early, like at 7:00am or so, but didn't get started till about 8:30. I finished the run at just about the right time, as the thunder storm started just as i was finishing up. Barely made it back to my car before the torrential downpour of rain started. Details of the run can be seen here. I'm fairly certain from this run that i can maintain a pace of 8 min/mile at a HR of less than 160. This is of some significance since this is the type of fitness I had leading up to my PR marathon last year and I still have a good 9 weeks of training left before the taper for my fall race.

It's been about 5 weeks since I ran along this route and they've changed some things during that time. They added a new paved section to the route around Ontario Place. I followed my typical route and ignored the sign warning me to detour, only to be faced with a concrete barrier in my path a little ways down. Did my best steeplechase impersonation while vaulting the barrier. They also removed one of the water fountains that I like to use at the half way point which PO'd me a bit.

I tried out my Injinji socks again. I bought a pair a couple of years ago, but didn't like them because of blister issues. I've used them a couple of time recently during recovery runs with my nike frees and they seem to have worked okay so i tried them out again on my long run. Had a blister problem again, but it's in a weird place. I usually get blisters as a result of the shoe rubbing up against my toes, but with these socks i get a blister on the inside of my toes as a result of my big toe rubbing up against the inside of my left second toe. Never had that problem before. I think the socks I have may be too small. Maybe I'll try a larger pair.

So total for the week was 53 miles. I've been toying with the idea of trying to slowly ramp up to somewhere in the 60's, as opposed to topping out at 55 like the Pfitz plan says. It's easily doable by just running on one of the two rest days that the 55 mile plan offers in a week.