Well, the 10-, 12- and 14-mile runs have been at or faster than my marathon goal pace of 11:15 minutes/mile. I am tired, but not feeling any aches, so I think my new plan of “run hard when you run, rest when you rest” is working. Or at least it hasn’t done any serious damage yet.
This one was a little slower than I would’ve liked.
This one was a little faster than I planned. And I had a negative split, but with a big hill right in the middle, that was to be expected.
This one was “just right.” Again, I had a negative split. And, again, it was to be expected with a pretty steep, muddy hill in the first half of the run.
For the last two long runs, I have been experimenting with Sport Legs, a nutritional supplement that basically gives you the fuel your muscles use at high exertion in the form of lactates. Supposedly, having lactates in your blood stream prior to exertion means your muscles can stop making it and just metabolize it. It also has some magnesium, which I’ve read can help with recovery. I take the recommended dosage before I run, a few capsules during the run to keep me fueled, and a few more afterward to help with recovery. I can’t say for sure if it’s working, but I also don’t want to stop taking it to find out. As the runs during our “off” weeks start to get longer, I will try running without it to see if I can feel a difference.
Anyway, that’s where I am in the season, physically speaking. Financially, a good friend just gave my fundraising efforts a huge boost, so I am confident that I can reach my goal before the end of the season.