weekly running summary

My goal for this week was to stay around 20 miles, which I did, so I got that going for me.

Monday - 6.02, avg pace 8:51

Splits:

1. 9:11
2. 8:47
3. 8:58
4. 8:48
5. 8:55
6. 8:28

I was happy about this because my pace was faster and it felt like less effort than my slower runs the previous week. I attribute this to eating decently earlier in the day before my run, an area where I apparently have a problem. When I run is really vague, usually "some time late afternoon when it's warm", so I often just don't eat enough prior to the run, so running at a slower pace seems laborious.

Tuesday - 4.02, avg pace 8:31

Splits:

1. 8:39
2. 8:20
3. 8:37
4. 8:30

It was late and getting dark, so I didn't try and slow myself down. I wasn't going too fast and didn't feel winded at the end, so that was nice.

Saturday - 6.21, avg pace 9:55ish

Splits:

1. 9.47
2. 9.41
3. 9.33
4. 9.38
5. 10.06
6. 11.57
.21 3.27

I'm not sure what really happened here, or if it was due to not running in three days, but from the start my breathing felt labored. At the 4 mile turn around I started running against wind and progressively slowed down to the point where I didn't feel like running anymore (mile 5.13), so I walked a mile before deciding to try again. I then ran for 1.18 miles, but it wasn't any better so I stopped and walk the remaining mile back. At least I got 6 in.

I also ran in new shoes, New Balance 801. The majority of the padding is midfoot, as this type of shoe caters to midfoot striking. The shoe is firm and doesn't have near the padding that other models have (different brands, too).I ran in the 800s for a while before switching to my current shoes, New Balance 100s.

They are awkward, to say the least. The fit is alright, a bit loose when compared to the 100s. I didn't think this would be much of a problem except that it hits the left side of my foot near the toes and right now, it's kind of throbbing. On my right foot, the ball of the foot rubs against the bottom of the shoe in a way that makes me feel I might one day get a blister, something which happened semi-regularly in the 800s.

My impression isn't really good right now. Maybe I just need to get used to them? I don't want to return them after 2 runs, though I don't want to keep running in them if ultimately I'll end up returning them. Sigh.

Sunday - 4.02, avg pace 9.01

1. 9:24
2. 8:59
3. 9:12
4. 8:28

Very windy, but also warm. First run in shorts of the year! I felt better than I expected to, especially because I wasn't sure how I was going to feel. I was happy with today's run, and I got the 20 miles I wanted. Ran in the 800s again and much of what I disliked yesterday was here today.

I was planning on making next week an increased mileage week, replacing the 4-milers with 5-milers and running 8 as my long run. However, I'm not sure if I feel like it because of how this week ended, and because I'm still wary of running much over 4 in the new shoes. Sigh, again.