Week in Review: Training Week 8

I've been suffering from some toe issues the past few runs, which aren't very fun at all. I'm getting a lovely callus/corn/not-quite-a-blister/thing on the tip of my second toe on my right foot. It could be shoe issues (namely that they're too small? Or too big? God only knows), form issues (gripping?), or just "one of those things" that happens when you start to amp up mileage. I visited my friendly neighborhood running store and was pleased that they didn't immediately try to upsell me on new shoes or a bunch of other stuff. As an aside, isn't it interesting that the less a store tries to upsell me on crap, the more likely I am to go buy something from them later? Good business right there, folks. Anyway, I think my socks are fine (not cotton) and I think my shoes are fine, so I'm settling on the fact that my form is sucking majorly as I start getting into higher miles. Makes sense, I suppose. Fatigue=bad form=over compensation somewhere=ouch. I had a long run yesterday and I really tried to focus on relaxing my feet/ankles and that helped some. Sure would be nice if I could eliminate the problem for good, though!

Anyway, as I look back, I think the week went fine overall. My mid-week runs were difficult, as usual, but the further I get from them, the better they seem. Isn't that how it always goes?

• Sunday: No clue. Why do I even bother trying to report this day's activities? I never remember what I do, if I do anything at all.
• Monday: Run--4.4 miles/46ish minutes/10:27ish pace: It was chilly and windy and I was still tight from Saturday's run. Decent pace though, and I hit my miles. Taking success where I can find it.
• Tuesday: XT--30 Day Shred L3: Didn't feel like doing anything, so I resorted to my favorite fall-back, the 30 Day Shred. It's a great way to get in 20 tough minutes of strength, cardio and abs. And L3 STILL kicks my butt every single time.
• Wednesday: Run--4.4 miles/46ish minutes/10:27ish pace: Yes, the exact same run as Monday, with nearly the exact same time (I think I was 3 seconds faster today--ha). Funny thing, though. The whole time I was running, I was thinking that I was going so much slower than Monday and was so miserable (I finally got into the groove around mile 3) and was so down on myself. And then I got home and realized I wasn't any slower than Monday. Go figure. I need to tell the voice in my head to shut up.
• Thursday: Hair appt--What?! I walked from my car to the salon. That counts for something, right?
• Friday: Rest.
• Saturday: Long run!--Leg 1: 1.7 miles, Let 2: 7.4 miles, 9.1 total: Two legs? Oh, yes. It was one of THOSE runs. Weather was calling for rain/storms, but I thought I had it planned that I could be home and done before everything rolled in. Oh, how the universe laughs at me. I got 1.5 miles in and saw lightning. Rain I can handle--lightning? No thanks. Luckily, I was near a friend's house, and they happened to be home, so I ducked inside for a bit to let things roll by. It never really rained, so I waited until the dark, thundery clouds passed and went on my way. However, it had been a good 20 mins since I stopped running and didn't feel I could honestly count the first 1.7 miles as part of my run, so I decided to start over mileage wise. But since I don't have a Garmin or other GPS device, I was just going to tack on a bunch of extra blocks at the end and hope I hit my numbers. Anyway, I leave my friends' house, get about 3 blocks away and am caught in a downpour. Sigh. I don't mind rain running, but I'm not dressed for the "occasion." No hat, just a regular jacket, etc. Whatever. I'll survive, right? Luckily the run itself continued fairly well. A fair bit more adjusting than I usually have to do--jacket on when it's raining, take it off when it's not (because then I was wet and humid and sticky), trying to gauge my distance based on how much time I THINK 8 miles should take me. I did have to stop one more time to let some thunder/lightning pass, but by this time I was about a mile away from done and was NOT going to call it so close to the end. So I plowed through one last downpour--looking every bit like a drowned rat--and made it to my car. And of course, once I got home, not a drop of rain fell the rest of the day, and today has been sunny and warm. Go figure. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

One last note about yesterday's run. I know this is redonk, but I have to address it. Even though my total for the day was over 9 miles, and my schedule only called for 8, I still feel like I cheated the training because I didn't hit 8 miles in one shot. You know? And yes, I only missed hitting 8 by about half a mile, but still. Ugh. I really wanted to see that 8 on the map. I'm trying to look at the big picture and think about all the persevering I did yesterday and the pushing myself to finish and the not giving up. But all I can think of is 7.5 instead of 8. Somebody slap me and tell me I'm stupid.

Less than a month to the half! And this Saturday, 3/26, I have a 12k race. I'm a bit nervous about that because it's about the distance I ran on Leg 2 yesterday and it wasn't my best run ever. I'm hoping that by Saturday I'll be in a better headspace and I'll have the benefit of not having run 1.7 miles prior.