Knock Knock

I'm still here!

Wow summer really has gotten away from me- mostly because of my gig working on the Milwaukee Running Festival. Obsessing over my own training has taken a back seat to obsessing over how to pull off putting on Milwaukee's first urban marathon (plus half marathon, plus 5K, plus Mile Race) on November 1st. Eeeeeeep.

Today I'm sitting here after yet another 20 miler- one that was rolled into the Lake Michigan Trail Half Marathon just a few miles from my house. It was was hot, humid, gross, icky, and pretty much a struggle bus- especially the last 3 miles that I ran home. Luckily, I had not specific time goal for today and was scheduled to run "easy," but even that was a tall order today.

So how has training been going? Honestly a couple of weeks ago it felt like this:

Why? I like I said before, I'm much busier this time around so I feel like I'm logging the miles I've mapped out for myself but I haven't taken a lot of time to process what I've been doing. (Which is new for me because historically I over-analyze everything.) Also, with summer being what it is- hot and humid- those days where running feels truly "easy" are few and far between.  Even though I've been completing all the workouts, hitting the paces, and checking all the little boxes, I was missing that feeling of everything is starting to come together.

Until last week!

Last week we had a glorious dip in temperature and I headed out for a run on Tuesday morning that  I was kind of dreading- 10 miles with 6 at marathon pace. Fortunately though, that sudden burst of fall weather lit a fire in me. I was cranking out 15 seconds faster than the pace I needed and it felt like I could have run like that all day.  THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED. I went home and started combing through my Strava workouts and realized that I actually have been making some pretty good improvements this summer. My speed workouts have been tougher than last time around, and although my long run pace remains the same overall- I've been completing them with fast finishes (something I desperately need to learn to do in races.)

This worry that I haven't been progressing this summer is totally unfounded. My mileage has been a wee bit lower than for my spring marathon, but that's really just because this cycle is only 12 weeks this time instead of 18. Going into peak week next week I'm feeling energized right now instead of drained. Now I just need fall to happen and hopefully I can coast into October in top form.

Can I really be on track? I think I might be.