Week 9 training and notes.

Monday, 2/15: 6 miles in the AM (a "tempo" gone bad) and 8 miles in the PM. The tempo went horribly: Had GI issues to the EXTREME-- even before running. 1 mile warm up followed by 5 miles @6:58 pace. I had a strange issue at work and got off early, so I drove down to Reno and ran on the ditch trail at twilight: 8 miles. The world was beautiful and I felt fantastic: 7:28 pace.

Tuesday, 2/16: 20 miles. Long run on Reno's ditch trail (I started, actually at the Starbucks on the corner of Arlington and Plumb and climbed Skyline Drive to the ditch trail.) Felt a bit more fatigued than last week's long run... but not bad for my first 20-miler in 2010.

Wednesday, 2/17: 6 miles easy @ 7.6-7.7 miles per hour (just under an 8-minute mile pace) on the treadmill in TC @ 1.5 % grade. PM: weights on back, chest, shoulders, legs and core.

Thursday, 2/18: Hills! 4.64 miles total, including the following hill workout: 8 x 20' hill sprints, then 1 x 60' hill sprint (which hurt SO BAD) and then 3 x 35' sprint efforts on the flats. Then I did a 7.79 mile loop in downtown Reno. My legs were uber tired from the hills, but psychologically, it was nice to be outside.

Friday, 2/19: 5 miles in the AM; 1.25 miles in the PM. Weights/core also in the evening. Legs felt surprisingly good-- perhaps I'm managing my fatigue better? Or my body's getting fitter (at last)?? Felt so strong-- did 3 sets of 15 reps of full pushups on a bosu ball. I ROCK!!

Saturday, 2/20: 5 miles easy plus strides on the treadmill. Felt good, but nervous for the race/tempo tomorrow.

Sunday, 2/21: DISASTER!! I woke up to sun in Tahoe City, only to find Verdi covered in 6" of snow and all the roads unplowed. I made a hard decision: I didn't "race" today. So, I returned home and did a 7-mile tempo workout on the treadmill with a mile warmup and then a mile cool-down. I would have been sooooo pissed at myself if I injured myself by running in crappy conditions for a race that, in the grand scheme of my goals, means nothing. Also did core work.

Weekly total: 72.63 miles-- and feeling great.