T-Minus 77 Days and Counting. . .

Another perfect day for running as we pushed off for 14 miles this morning. Temps were probably high 60s at the start and maybe into the upper 70s by the finish. Though it was sunny, we weren't facing the humidity, which makes a huge difference. We cranked out the 14 in 2:14, with the last 4 miles at 9:15 pace. Overall, we did the run in 9:30 pace, exactly where we need to be at this point.

Did a slightly convoluted route involving 7 miles out and 7 miles back with two quick water stops in the middle. As I've noted before, this program is doing exactly what it's supposed to do as it steps us up in mileage and then steps us back to prepare for the next push. We're now in a step up period and I've been feeling fatigued in the last two miles of most of our long runs. However, because this program is so effective, that means today I was feeling it around miles 12-14, as opposed to several weeks ago when I was feeling it between 8 and 10.

Fatigue may be a strong word. My breathing is fine, as is my heart rate, in those last two miles. Where I'm feeling it is in my quads and my feet. To help ease the recovery, I took a 10 minute ice bath for the first time and I think it really helped. As I write this about 12 hours after we finished, I'm feeling pretty refreshed, with just a small blister on one toe and a sore toenail on another to remind me of the run. Looking forward to the rest day tomorrow.