18k for the week? really?

Well I just got home from my last run of this week, a very nice 7k run around Point Pleasant Park.  It was supposed to be only 6k, but I got lost.  Not a bad place to get lost though and no matter which way you go, you're always going to find your way back to where you started. I didn't go with my Vibram Bikilas for this run, opting instead for my New Balance Minimus trail runners.

This was recovery week number two.  I had three runs scheduled totalling only 18k for all of them.  Up until 3 weeks ago, 18k was a short, Sunday run. It feels nice to be doing these short runs though, especially when I know whats starting later this month. 

Tuesdays run was a nice and easy 5k at about a 6 minute/km pace.  Nothing too taxing.  I wore my Saucony Kinveras for this run, the first time I've worn a traditional pair of running shoes since the Bluenose.  Thursdays run was a little longer, 6k in total with a 3k section that I ran at a 5:30 min/km pace (aka marathon pace).  I wore my Vibram Bikilas for this one since it was on a nice, soft track here in Sackville.  

Last week in my blog I was still wondering what to do this fall.  During the week the answer became clear to me.  I have to run the Valley harvest marathon again.   I need retribution for 2011 and I will get it.  I'll put an attempt on qualifying for Boston on hold until 2013, unless I make a huge improvement this summer and run a 3:25 or faster in the Valley.  The only way I won't run it is if Stacey decides to run her first half marathon there and wants me to pace her.  If that happens, I'll run the PEI marathon the following week.  The PEI marathon is also a Boston qualifier.

Now that I have a plan for the fall, I rehired my coach to come up with a new program to reflect my goals.  And yep, he didn't disappoint.  Starting the 3rd week of June, I'll be running 5 days a week with only Fridays and Mondays off and I intend to cross train on the Fridays.  My longest weekly mileage will be 74km which is almost 10k more than the Bluenose training schedule.  Lets hope these old legs hold up for the summer. lol  This will also be the first summer where I will be running while we're on vacation as well, both in Alberta in July and in New Hampshire in September.  

I'm also running the Navy 10k run in August as well.  I've never run a 10k race before, only 5k's and marathons so this should be different for sure.  I'm looking forward to it.

This week is another recovery week, with 3 runs totalling 21k planned.  Yawn. 

onward and upward.