Reverse...5th and 6th weeks of the dreaded workout series...

week 5 (8/23-8/29) - It was dreaded!! I chose to do this workout on Thursday, but Wednesday is Karen's, where I ran 14 miles with my 3 friends.  However, sometimes on these, they like to try and do a small workout of some kind. When they do I usually just keep running the pace we were and catch up to them after they are done with their pick-ups.  This Thursday was a bit different, in that by 2 miles into it we were already running under 7:00/mi pace and we were just getting faster. They usually don't know that we are doing what pace, but my watch is telling me. We went on for another 2+ miles at 6:40/mi pace. At the turnaround, they said to each other, well I guess we aren't going to do our pick-ups. I notified them of what we had been doing and suggested why not do another 2 mi interval at the same 6:40/mi pace.  They were up for that, I figured why not do it as well (since I have the snazzy watch), but didn't think the pace and frequency we were doing these would affect me too much on my 3x2 mi workout tomorrow. We did that 2 miles in 6:30/mi pace and I had to hold the reins back on everybody!
Thursday - it was a cool and windy evening. I headed over to the park on my warm-up with the intention of completing week 5 - 3x2 mi at Tempo pace (5:50-6:00 vs 6:20). I tried the first one (6:23/mi) and it killed me to hit that pace, it really hit in the 2nd of the 2 miles. I then thought to try the 2nd. Sometimes my 1st of intervals can be slow and the second and third are much more smooth. Well, I stopped after mile of 1 of the 2nd, it was 6:24. So I was getting discouraged and mad very fast...I thought, what could be wrong?? The other weeks I was hitting sub 6:20 pace no problem.  Could my nerves be getting to me? Too hard the night before. I didn't think about it too long and decided to try an 800m (1/2 mi)...if I can hit that at tempo pace, then I will do 3 more, is what I thought. I ran a 3:07 (6:14/mi pace). I decided to call it a night, cool down and head home. I ran through many different reasons why but maybe the workout the night before really did take the thunder out of this one...plus I was very sleepy tired this week. I ended the week with a 21 mile run on a hilly course, we call the Orchard Loop. It was back to the warm heat and humidity and not a cloud in the sky, which is when you don't really want to run the Orchard Loop, as there is hardly any shade! Statred out great, but by the end I was dying! I was drinking way more water than ever, I couldn't get cool enough.


week 6 (8/30-9/5) - Could it be anymore dreadful! Goal was 5x2 mi at marathon goal pace (6:20), but after last weeks episode, I decided to do this workout on Tuesday and really shoot for 3 and see how it goes. It was still hot and humid but I waited until the sun started to go down. I did 3 and bagged it after those. 1 - 6:19/mi , 2 - 6:19/mi , and 3 - 6:23/mi. I was still very tired, and not sleeping to well. With the US 20km race on Monday (9/6) I decided to to review my weeks workouts and try and get quality distance in but alos get some quality sleep. Monday after the dauting 21 mi Orchard, I rode my bike on a flat route 20mi (avg 16 mph) versus running 8 miles. Wednesday was Karen's, Thursday I was in MA all day and took a rest day. Friday I ran my 12 mi morning route.  Then we headed to Syracuse to take care of my niece and nephew. I ran 4 miles Saturday and then headed to the NYS Fair and walked around for 7 hours!
Needless to say I took Sunday off as well...my hamstrings were so sore! Plus I wanted to rest up for the US 20km race on Monday.