Long run this morning shortened
Not sure what it was this morning, but I just didn't feel that great. Maybe lingering effects of this cold. Maybe the warmer temperatures and sticky humidity. It was MUCH warmer this morning than yesterday morning.
I was supposed to do 18 miles at an 8:10 pace. I started out a little after 5 AM to run 6 miles, and then meet up with Mike McLamb. We ran 7.5 miles, but I just couldn't get the pace under 8:15. When we got back to the neighborhood to drop him off, I decided I wasn't going to kill myself for the next 4.5 miles.
This is a small setback, but nothing monumental. There are still plenty of long runs left over the next 9 weeks. Of course, these long runs right now are primarily to build endurance. In the future long runs, I will need to pick up the speed to make sure my body is comfortable going long and fast. The other thing I need to consider is rest and recovery day. This plan was designed to include 3 quality runs and 2 cross training days. I need to decide if I want to do the Masters group swim those 2 days a week and cut out the group bike ride on Saturdays so I can reduce some of the stress on my body. I also need to make sure I'm not going too hard in the swim sessions. Those need to be non-impact, aerobic, active recovery sessions.