This week in running 10/25 - 10/31 - Plus I reached 2000 miles!

Day	Mileage / Workout	Comments
Sunday	Off	Hiked about 7.5 miles
Monday	9	4 miles at half marathon pace, rest at marathon pace
Tuesday	10.75	10 @ 8:45 pace
Wednesday	8	Easy through and through
Thursday	7	Mixed pace
Friday	Off	Walked about 5 miles
Saturday	13.25	Haunted Half Marathon.
Total miles for the week: 48 - YTD: 2022

Week's Summary

Well another week of solid training.  48 miles isn't too bad of a total for recovering from a marathon and beginning the taper for the Vegas Marathon.  As usual, I am really excited about the Vegas marathon.  Not only do I get a chance to go to Vegas, but I really enjoy the energy the course provides.  Plus, I have a streak going.  Every since the Competitor Group took it over, I've been a regular for 26.2 miles there.  While it is hard to have an "A" race for the Vegas marathon, it is my last "big" event for the year and I want to hopefully take a positive vibe with me into 2016.

I Reached 2000 Miles!

Faithful readers may recall that I had a somewhat ambitious goal of running 2000 miles in a calendar year.  In years past I've run 1800 - 1900, but I never hit the mythical barrier of 2000.  

Well, I am happy to report that I shattered my goal.

But did I get the expected benefit of logging more miles?

Did it make my racing faster?  Initially it did.  Looking at my spring race times, I was on fire in terms of racing.  I ran several good races including a 3:57 at the Ogden Marathon.  I hadn't seen sub 4 in a long time and I think the extra mileage really provided a solid boost in terms of knowing I could complete a full marathon without too much of a typical crash at the end.

However, that strategy seemed to fade out as the season went on.  Granted, I didn't take too many breaks from training so I suspect a lot of it is from racing on dead legs.  However, I was able to race a lot.  

I might've done better had I had cooler weather.  A lot of my spring races were in wet / cold conditions.  My fall races have mostly been hot and I don't tend to fare well when it is warm.

Did I magically lose weight? The short answer is no.  I am about the same weight at which I started the year.  I didn't diet and really ate whatever and whenever I wanted (within reason of course).  I found myself ravenous a lot, however.

Did I burn out? Absolutely not.  I still thoroughly enjoy lacing up and hitting the trail.

Injury? I didn't run into many injury problems (knock on wood).  I did get a Morton's Neuroma early in the spring that took me out for a few days, but otherwise I've had few problems.  I've been super diligent about doing the other work to keep myself healthy: planks galore, stretching, hip exercises, foam rolling, and taking that day off when I do need it.  I will be honest and say that I am generally a mess for the first few minutes after waking up in the morning.  I am super stiff and I've been battling some plantar fasciitis for years.  

Final Thoughts?  Running a lot was great for completing marathons.  It was only under extreme conditions were my endurance wasn't there for the marathon.  All the miles I had put on didn't help with my speed and I've found that I can't train for endurance and speed at the same time.  Only a lucky few can claim progress in both domains.

Upcoming Races

11/07: SaltAir Half Marathon (very doubtful)
11/15: Las Vegas Marathon (Confirmed)
11/26: South Davis Rec Center Turkey Trot (5K) (Confirmed)
01/03: Camarillo Marathon (thinking about it)
02/06: Winter Striders 5K (Confirmed)
02/20: Winter Striders 10K (Confirmed)
03/05: Winter Striders 10 Mile (Confirmed)
04/02: Winter Striders Half Marathon (Confirmed)
04/23: Winter Striders 30K (Confirmed)