Wed 7/6 - PM 65 minutes incl. 3(400-300-200-100)

Final leg prep session before the final track race of the season. Concerned going in about the right adductor but it turned out not to be an issue. Hot all day but without the crushing humidity thankfully. Trying to run relaxed and hit around 5k pace for the 400 and 300 reps and a little faster after that. It turned out being closer to 3k pace I think, having difficulty holding off the throttle even when I knew it was too fast. Windy along the backstretch pretty much the entire time as well.

set 1: 71.7/53/34.9/17.1
set 2: 70.6/51.8/34.1/17
set 3: 69.5/51.8/34.2/16.8

total time for each set in the 5:40-43 range. Controlled but working hard, too hard for a 5k certainly. Not expecting to fall into a pace as fast as this in the race Saturday. Cooldown was short and slow, a beeline out and back to the river for a dip to cool off.

Tue 7/5 - PM 40 minutes easy plus 30 minutes in Walden

Promised myself a light day after feeling so strung out yesterday. Just what the doctor ordered as it turned out. Continued hot and humid, extended time in the pond was a no-brainer. Right thigh not as bad as it was yesterday, although it felt like garbage first thing in the morning.

Mon 7/4 - double, 1:50 total incl. 5m road race and 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 70 minutes incl. 5 mile road race. Not the most pleasant experience for a variety of reasons. Conditions typical for the 4th of July, that is to say infernally hot and humid. Course is one that I've had problems with since the '80s, what with the long steep hill in the third mile that utterly destroys any rhythm. Still had valid reasons to sign up this year, though. Also feeling the blahs, not sleeping that great with the sticky weather at night. The warmup was basically a series of bathroom breaks, lovely. My mood brightened when I saw none of the expected competition on the starting line, thought I could maybe take it easy, but no such luck as I was dropped by 10 seconds or so in the first mile. By a Harvard native no less who should have known better as it turns out, as he cratered at the halfway mark (just before the big hill coincidentally). I was able to play keep away after that. Still, not thrilled to have to push the pace so much the first two miles to maintain some semblance of contact. Mile splits of 5:16, 5:29, 5:47, 5:48, and 5:17. More problematic was the fact that the downhill sections of the course aggravated the right thigh (adductor, iliopsoas) much more than I had even considered. Surprised to find myself hobbling somewhat on the cooldown. I thought I had gotten over the mild strain or whatever from the track session but I was mistaken.

PM - 40 minutes very easy, plus 20 minutes in Walden. Along with every tourist and angler in the area, I had the thought of visiting the pond for a dip. Never seen it so crowded, had to run extra along the shore to find a spot, exactly what I didn't want to do. Right thigh stiffened up considerably over the course of the day, feels stuck, weak and vulnerable. Not especially sanguine about how this will effect the 5k on the track this weekend. Surprising how badly I aggravated it this morning, esp. since I had considered it an afterthought.

Sun 7/3 - PM 40 minutes easy plus 20 minutes in Walden

Unable to muster any motivation to run in the morning, so it waited until the evening and was short to boot. Disgusting sticky air moved in during the day, with showers. Made getting into the pond the highlight of the run if not the day.

Sat 7/2 -double, 90 minutes total plus 20 minutes in Walden

AM - 50 minutes easy, Area 51. Late morning putter, deer flies not as bad as expected. Dealing with stiff legs of course but not terribly so. Less humid than it was yesterday afternoon.

PM - 40 minutes plus 20 minutes in Walden. Took the direct route to the SW corner of the pond, noticeably faster on the return trip. Spent much of the afternoon asleep.