At least the Phils are back

So it's been awhile since the last time I wrote. This is partially because of frustration about my recent races and training, and partially because of other very positive things going on in my life. Since this blog has been primarily about my training and racing I will keep on that topic, and for those that I speak to on a regular basis...well, you know about the good stuff.

Three weeks ago I ran a horrendous 5k at the Adrenaline Run in Haddonfield. I ended up running 16:31 for 5k, and was way back in the field. The opening mile of 5:02 felt much harder than it should of, and the rest of the race was an abortion. I could use less graphic language...but it wouldn't do my "performance" justice. The only positive that came out of that week, running wise, was that I got a 70 mile week in leading up to the race, adding to my decent base.

The couple weeks that have passed since then have seen me take a down week in mileage the week after the 5k, with the lack of motivation being as much of an issue as my cranky hamstring. I bounced back last week leading up to the Cherry Blossom 10 miler, and got my mileage back up into the 60's with an off day. My legs don't want to seem to cooperate with anything much over 70 miles a week right now. Last Sunday I ran the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC. After a couple days with friends in fam in the Capitol, I laced them up in the huge 10 miler that starts and finishes next to the Washington Monument. I ended up placing 52nd in a pretty large field of 16,000. After going out in 27:28 the first 5 miles, I tried to go after a pack of 3 about 30 meters ahead of me. I got the gap cut down to about 15 meters by 7.5, but when the course turned into the wind to come back to the Monument and the finish I hit a headwind...unfortunately solo. My last 2 miles slowed into the 5:40's, and I ended up running a pretty disappointing 55:45 for 10.

I am at a point now in the spring season where I am way off where I hoped to be, and am closing in on the goal races, starting with Broad St. in three weeks. I have been restricted by my hamstring in being able to really open up in workouts, but just off of the decent base I have put together since last fall I feel I should be able to race significantly faster than I have the last couple months. What my recent running has reminded me, albeit painfully, is to really appreciate the rare times where everything clicks in your training and racing and everything feels rather effortless. It doesn't happen often, but just the distant memory of it is what I think keeps many of us pounding the pavement.

Eric