A clydesdale no more!

I had very low expectations for this run because of the irresponsible amount of soda that I drank yesterday.  Started with 3 easy miles and felt pretty good.  Ran 4 miles at LT pace with the target being anything under 6:30/mile.  First mile was 6:21 and felt surprisingly easy.  Even though the pace felt easy, I was struggling to find a good rhythm.  Messed around with the stride trying to find something that felt good.  Was able to find a comfortable stride and tried to maintain it.  Second mile was 6:14 and felt better than the first.  Third mile is slightly downhill and I ran that in 6:11.  Ran the fourth mile in 6:14.  I have no explanation as to why this run felt so good.  A couple of things that may have contributed:

• Skipping the long run last week
  
• Two hilly runs last week which may have helped with the leg strength
• Finally fully recovered from Ogden
• Hopped up on sugar and caffeine

Terrible run.  Did an out and back on the LPT.  Had a hard time getting going so I was resolved to just take it nice and easy today.  At the turnaround I stopped for a drink and when I started back up my left calf started to bother me.  With 5 miles to go I had to stop and rub it out because it hurt so bad.  Tried starting up a couple of times and it was still hurting pretty bad.  Knew that if I could get past the start up pain and get into a flow, I would be alright.  Started to feel better after a couple of miles although it did ache the rest of the way.  

Nice and easy recovery run.  There was zero pain in my left calf so it definitely was just a cramp yesterday.  

Pfitz says to run 12 but I'm replacing my second MLR of the week with a shorter run with significant hills.  I've done this in the past and think the extra hills really help prepare me for St. George.  Ran up to the mouth of Mueller Park canyon and back home (up 950 feet and down 950 feet).  It was much slower than I wanted (2 minutes slower than last week) but it was still a good effort and it felt good.

Recovery run.  Legs a liittle sore.  

Perfect morning for a race.  I wasn't sure if I was going to race until late last night.  Debated between running the Centerville 5K and the NSL 5K.  Opted for NSL because it is a flat course and I wanted to the opportunity to run a fast race.  The race goes through the Foxboro neighborhoods and is pancake flat.  I do not think I have ever run on this flat of a course.  Did I mention it was flat?  The temperature was perfect too.  The opportunity for a fast race was definitely there.  I just hoped my body would cooperate.  Warmed up by running the course.  Lined up and really couldn't see anybody that looked too fast other than a couple of high school kids.  We started and the usual rabbits took off.  I settled into 5th place but knew that 3 of the runners would soon drop off.  Two young guns who were breathing really heavy 1/2 mile into the race and a little kid with a cast on his arm.  Move by the 2 young guys but the little kid kept moving.  I couldn't get by him until after the first mile marker.  Was still holding pace at the half way mark but started to feel the fatigue. Convinced myself to just keep pushing.  Just before the 2 mile marker my shoe came untied.  I did not want to stop so I kept running and was not going to stop unless the shoe came off.  Kept pushing through the end and finished in 17:50.  Crushed my PR by over 30 seconds.  Very, very, very happy!