A strange week - June 2-8

Monday and Tuesday I was so tired and busy that I only snuck in 8 and 8. On Tuesday morning I got the ingrown toenail fixed; it was pretty messy that night and in the morning it felt good enough to run on it. 

Still, I was wary about putting on flats and doing a workout. Instead I went out for an easy 10 -- an easy 10 on still-shot legs with still-tender achilles, not exactly feeling fresh. 

On Thursday I went to the track and had a decent workout -- sort of surprising. 

On Friday I was once again the picture of a trainwreck. I had an assignment that night and slept into 9 a.m. on Saturday. How nice to get some sleep. 

And how interesting to walk out the front door on Saturday morning into Niger-like temperatures. In Niger you get used to such heat: You deal with it every day; you wake up every morning and expect it. When it comes to dealing with heat, however, it is the separation from it and then re-immersion that is difficult: After returning from Niger, March, April and May were such cool and pleasant months. Meanwhile, the heat in Takoma Park that day -- it was about 99 degrees  -- reminded me of Niger because there was a tolerable few hours in the early morning (which I slept through) and then there was so no window of time in the afternoon: the heat and humidity hangs thick until well after dark. At 5 p.m. I ran to my asphalt track with a water bottle and did a reduced version of the Saturday tempo, breaking it down into a 2-mile, 2-mile, 1-mile. I actually felt good on the first rep: 11:16, marathon pace that felt like .... marathon pace. From there it was rubbers leg, bouncing too much, bonk-mode. In the middle of the 2 mile I thought about altering the workout: I could do 1.5 and then 1.5, or just 1 and 1, or just ....

But something kept me -- keeps me -- going. 

Running when you are tired. Dealing with pain. Burning up. Completing the workout as written. 

I thought about the marathon in Ghana: I am almost ready to write about it, to really write about it. 12:22. 6:12. I ran home and saw squiggly lines and had a couple dry-heaves. The long run on Sunday did not feel much better. 

But now it's done. 

I have a recovery week coming up. I can consolidate recent fitness gains and look ahead to something in July, shortly before I start a new marathon cycle.

Monday - 8

Tuesday - 8

Wednesday - 10

Thursday - 10 - 6 by 800 with lap rest. Average: 2:29.

Friday - 11

Saturday - 12 with 2 miles in 11:16, 2 miles in 12:22, 1 mile in 6:12

Sunday - 16

Week - 75