June Update

This blog, as you can tell, was a lot easier to keep up when the snow was on the ground and I was out training less. It seems to me that I have about 8 hours/week for training at most and the more time I spend out on the road, the less I have to update this blog.

Since the last post, I ran the Soldier Field 10 (May 23rd) and the North Shore Half Marathon (June 8). The Soldier Field felt great and it was a nearly perfect day. I did not run as well as I thought I could (a) because I was not planning to peak at the race and did not do any tapering (or even carbo-loading) pre-race and (b) went out slower than I should have, hitting the first two miles about 8-10 seconds per mile slower than planned. I could have run faster, overall, but I was trying to discipline myself to a negative split. That worked well. Great race---will be a favorite.

North Shore Half was also a nice race, but the weather was brutal. I was looking for a "B" corral qualifying time for the Chicago Marathon, but the heat and humidity wiped that plan out within the first three miles. I adapted and set my sights on a "C" time. By Mile 9 I was already lactic from the effort and I dropped to training pace to finish. No problem getting the C time, but wonder whether I would have gotten the B if I had started at Marathon pace and looked to pick it up as I went.

Heat, Humidity, and heavy training took its toll and I wound up with what I think is an MCL sprain/strain on the right knee. I had been planning to take three weeks of light training anyway and it looks like we might be heading for 4. Jury is currently out on whether I will do the Firecracker Tri on July 6, although I am almost certain I will---the knee only seems to swell at about 4-5 miles and the cycling and swimming are low enough impact to cause few problems. The injury has me reconsidering whether I will be in shape for a Boston qualifying time come October, but that is still more than 100 days out. The main concern right now is whether I will be able to manage the Accenture Tri without doing more damage. As I have said before, I am in this for a lifetime and although I have difficulty backing off, I am unwilling to risk permanent injuries for a slightly faster time in any race.


That's the June update. I will try to do weekly roundups from now on so that the dozen or so of you who stop by here have something new to read.