T-Minus 95 Days and Counting. . .

Tough day on Monday as we tackled 6 x 800 intervals at sub 4:00 pace. I was hitting them right around 4:03 to 4:05 and then finished with a 3:51 that was just a little insane. Temps were slightly warm but nothing too serious.

While I enjoy the variety of the intervals, they are the most difficult of our three running days. Heart rate's up much higher than normal and the short recovery between each magnifies the suffering factor. However, they build us up for the tempo runs and, both of which then make the long runs seem that much easier.

I've also noticed that a good warm up has been critical to some of my better runs this year. Rather than just a little stretching and then go, we've been running for a few minutes, then stretching, then heading off on the run. Seems to help jumpstart my internal engine better and lead to a better run.

Hit the upper body weights tonight at the northeast Y. Did a little warmup first and then got into it. Felt good, though a little bit sluggish. Need to keep consistent with the weight training this year. In past years, I've slipped away from it a bit as the longer runs got longer. However, keeping my upper and lower body is critical both in keeping my knees strong and in preventing overall wear and tear. Jen thinks I'm a bit obsessed. I think she's right.