And the soles of your shoes are all worn down

Here's an update on my week:
Sunday I did my long run, 18 miles. I had company for most of it, buncha girls running a buncha different distances. That's sorta the nice thing about running in Central Park. People just sorta jump in and out at different points. So for my whole 18 miles, I think I ran 5 of it alone. And the conversations are certainly are never boring. We either have people running to get away from us or hanging on a little to close to see what we're talking about (perhaps sorry they did).
While I certainly wasn't breaking any speed records on this run, it made me tired. It also made me a little sore. Then it dawned on me, I might just be a little tired. Over the last few weeks, I've had a chest cold, a kidney stone, flew cross country, then got my period.
Yea. That might take a bit outa a person.
Monday easy recovery.
Tues. Off
Wed. run o the mill 12
Thus off
Fri the dreaded Pfitz 15 with 12 at marathon pace.
Now, anyone who's been reading here knows I'm coming off an injury. I have no friggin idea what marathon pace is right now. My last half was in Jan and I ran 8:40 pace without too much trouble. That was my longest run in months and really I just wanted to cover the distance. I ran that 10k in SF at about 7:42 pace and felt good. I gave myself a range of 8:20-8:40. Yea, casting a big net but all still under 3:50 which would qualify me again, which I'd like to do. That's as close to stating a goal I'm going to get right now.
I warmed up for 2 miles, met Ishii (who is becoming as common as my running shoes on my runs) and off we went. She did a lap of the park with me (which is 6 miles) then it was me and Dan Savage for the rest of the run (and running into RayK again...I'm sensing a pattern here).
I wont bore you with splits, but I averaged 8:28s for my MP miles. Fastest was 8:19 I think, slowest, up Harlem hill 8:41. Average for the whole run: 8:48.
I'm rather happy with that. And my heart rate was rather low, I averaged 162 (my max is 200 if you feel like doing math). So I wasn't even working that hard.
This is a nice little shot of confidence. In a couple of weeks, me, Loren Flo, and Kat are heading down to Virginia Beach to the run the Shamrock Half as a team (team BQ Babes!). That will give me a really good idea of what I can aim for in Boston.
This weekend, I'm running Coogan's 5k. I'm not really racing it, more like a tempo run. I'll run up there (it's a lovely 3 hilly miles from my house) do the race, run home. I really like this race. It's fun to race in NYC and NOT in CP. Washington Heights is a funky hood and tons of people come out to cheer. And it's a tough 5k, a distance I dont really like to begin with. I tend to like them more when they're hilly, I think it reminds me of cross country.

So people, we are just about 6 weeks out from Boston.
Excited yet?

Everything I never wanted and more

So today: 17 miles, 14 at marathon pace. The last time I did a run like this it was 14 miles, 12 at pace and I ran it well.

Today was a bit different. I figure my marathon is going to be a homerun, because today was the day things went wrong.

I couldn't decided yesteday if I was going to run this in the morning or the evening. I woke up today and said I just want this over with. I got up, had one of Loren's homemade waffle (it is the best thing in the world to live with someone who's a great cook) with some yogurt. 

Why did I think this was going to be enough?

slipped on my running flats to see how they'd fair on the long run.

Not well, since they have this weird cross foot seam that hits me right where my toenail meets my toe.

Applied plenty of sportsheild, that was actually something I did right, no additional chaffing today.

Stuck 2 clif shots in my shorts, really, I should have had more, and out the door I went.

Not only did I not take a salt pill before I left, I didnt bring any with me. Nor did I bring any electrolyte drinking thinking I'd just rely on water.

Mistakes, all of them. And I've been running long enough to know better about all of them.

Warm up-fine

first 8 miles-great. I was hitting my pace (my marathon goal pace is 8:35) and feeling pretty good. There was some serious wind along the river, but it wasn't too much of a factor.

Once I met Loren about mile 8, I fell apart. And I fought falling apart and I failed. 

I just felt like shit and was really pushing to stay near pace. 

Blah blah blah, sob story sob story. 

Anyway. 

With a little less than 2 miles to go, I told loren I needed to finish alone and try and figure what the problem was. She went on her way and I stood on 125th st for a moment and thought abut it.

Then it hit me like an anvil from acme anvil company.

I'm bonking.

I'm usually really good about NOT bonking. At 15 miles into a run, there's really nothing I can do about it. Loren had suggested I run my last 2 miles like mile repeats and hit my pace. So that's what I did. Not ideal to stop so much, but will still make me work hard while fatigued. 

Was it how I wanted this run to go?

No.

Am I going to beat myself up over it like I usually do?

No.

I really had an epiphany while on the 125. This is fine, lessons learned, move on. 

I have run so much since June when I started this, I know I'm where I should be, this was just less than an ideal day with a lot of milage on my legs.

Move on.

15, 12 at MP

With all the leg stroke craziness, I was really worried about this run. 15 miles, 12 of them done at marathon pace. I didn't do it this morning because I really just did not sleep well. My leg was nagging me all day. I waited til this evening and did a good part of it with Loren and my friend Hilary. That was also nice since I've been running so much on my own.

THe first 3 were a nice warm up, then off I went. My marathon pace for 3:45 is 8:35. Over 12 miles, I averaged 8:31, so ahead of pace.

I've been worried about this run for a few reasons. It comes at the end of 3 pretty intense weeks, most of my running is not anywhere near this pace, except for the few tempo runs here and there, and of course, LEG STROKE. By the way, Loren loves that everyone is now calling it leg stroke. When it's not so late, I'll go into the story behind that, beside it just feeling like my leg is stroking out. It was not as hard as I thought it would be, while running with my pals, I was mostly able to hold a conversation. The last 2 miles I had had about enough.

When I got home, I went into a routine that rivaled the profile they had on Dara Torres'. I foam rolled. I stretched, I took an ice bath, I used my friend Hilary's e-stim machine with more ice. Phew!

I popped some advil and I'm gettin ready for bed. I hoping the leg stroke stays away so I'm not in the living room at 2 am on the foam roller.

Again.