Hoping for Fall redemption

Nice job on your half last weekend Seth! Glad the calf deal cleared up rather quickly for you. Hope the 20 goes well for you tomorrow!

Thanks Jon!

20 in the books. Nothing wrong with this run! 9 miles easy, followed by 9 miles at or faster than MP, followed by 2 mile cool down. I ran on flat trails that got a little technical during the MP portion of the run, so I think that actually slowed me down a bit. Coming six days after running a HM, today's run was a big confidence boost.
The legs are beat up, as they should be, but I'm getting a massage on Monday. I've never had one before, so I'm looking forward to it.
Today's splits:

Excellent!

congrats on the great 20 miler!

That is a really solid run - great job and it should be a confidence boost!

Superb job. You should feel really good going into peak weeks. Imagine how you will feel come taper time. Keep moving forward.

Woohoo! I ran my last long run today as well, and it, too, was a success!

Thanks everyone.
I finished up the week with 8 easy miles today. I would have loved to run yesterday, the day after the 20-miler, but I had to be at a morning wedding and got home way too late to run, so I only ran 4 days this week. It was still a good week with 43 miles, and my legs feel pretty good after the long run.
Over the next three weeks, the plan is for an 18-miler, than a step-back week, followed by a last 20 miler. The only thing to be determined is how many fast miles I'll do on those two long runs.
That will leave me with a three week taper. I've only ever done 2 week tapers, but I think I may benefit from the extra week of tapering.

Seven easy yesterday followed by a solid tempo workout this morning at the preserve.
8 miles total with the first 3.5 easy, than 3.5 tempo, than one mile cool down.
The legs, including the knee, which as been aching lately, felt really good this morning, and I feel pretty fresh afterward. Coming 5 days after hard 20 miler, I'm pretty happy with the way everything feels. 18 on tap for this weekend.
Today's splits and elevation:

This morning was a good, but pretty tough 18 miler in the preserve. 6 miles easy, than about 9 at MP, than 3 easy. It's tough starting out those 9 MP miles after the first 5 were pretty much all uphill.
The last three weeks have been really hard but productive weeks. There was a HM, than a 20 with 9 at MP, than today's 18 with another 9 at MP. This coming week will be a step back week before the final 20 miler in two weeks. I'm glad to be nearing the end of the peak mileage weeks because the knee and the foot are starting to show the effects of the last 4 months of training. They've both been aching quite a bit.
Today's run:

Seth great run. Get to taper soon and you will be golden I want to see your ass in Philly!

Thanks Kenny!

Today's 5 mile recovery run finishes up three tough weeks. The knee is definitely in need of the upcoming step-back week. Yesterday's long run left it really aching. It was o.k. during the easy run, and I'm icing it now.

Nice long run yesterday.
Take care of those lingering pains!

This has turned out to be more of a step-back week than I had planned. One of those weeks when life just gets in the way. We were away for the last two days taking my daughter on a tour of a couple of upstate colleges, so I missed a couple of runs. Today's 11 miler was only the second run of the week. It's probably not a bad thing though, since my leg is feeling really beat up. Four good months of training have definitely taken their toll on the knee. It's been really, really painful all week.
Today's 11 miler with 4 at MP ended up being tougher than it should have. I'm obviously going to have to be very careful over the next four weeks. I still plan on doing one last 20 next weekend, but if by Saturday, the knee is still in rough shape, I may have to rethink things.
Today's splits:

Nice finish on the run, Seth. Be conservative if you must.

Definitely do whatever backing off you need to to allow yourself to be completely injury free.

Thanks Randy and Julie. Cautious and conservative are going to be a must for the next four weeks. The knee is a little swollen, so I'm going to have to be careful, give it extra rest, and possibly cut back next weekend's final 20.

Tonight I did 5 easy with 5 x 30 sec. strides. It felt more like a recovery run, and the legs seemed to appreciate it. The knee didn't bother me during the run and feels pretty good now. I have no illusions though...

Yeah just be careful...I am glad it didn't hurt today, though. I have had too many races with injuries 4-6 weeks out and they didn't completely heal by race day.

One of my best races was when I got a cold a few weeks before and was forced to take about 4 days off in a row. It was so good for my knee.

Seth, your runs are looking fantastic! I should take a break from the boards more often. I might be the Bad Luck Schleprock of the 365 Runners.

I saw the orthopedist last night, and he put me on Voltaren, a pretty strong anti-inflammatory. After two doses, the knee is definitely looser. It was certainly good enough for a moderately hard workout this morning. 7.7 miles in total with almost 4 miles at tempo pace, with some decent hills.
The issue of doing one last 20 is settled...I'm not doing it. I am hoping to do two moderately long runs over the next two weekend before taper. Hopefully I'll be able to do a good chunk of miles at MP during those runs.
Today's run:

I'm glad the Voltaren helped, Seth.

Skipping that final 20 sounds like a smart move. No sense pushing your luck so close to the race.

Mark B wrote:I'm glad the Voltaren helped, Seth.

Skipping that final 20 sounds like a smart move. No sense pushing your luck so close to the race.

Thanks Mark...of course, with two doses of the Volaten already having a very positive effect on the knee, I of course start thinking...well just maybe that last 20 isn't such a crazy idea....
Not gonna happen though. I'll do a good couple of workouts, but I'm listening to what everyone had to say on the other thread that I posted, as well as listening to the advice of my coach and my orthopedist (who is also an marathon runner and a multi-Ironman vet.

Go put on your 365 shirt. I did sponsor you go check your agreement

Kenny B. wrote:Go put on your 365 shirt. I did sponsor you go check your agreement

I knew you'd say that. That photo is from Greta's Great Gallup HM in Central Park last month, where I was running specifically for my club.
Don't worry...I'll be dressed just like you in Philly. That's the race the sponsorship paid for.

With the decision made not to do a final 20 miler, and with an early winter storm in the forecast for tomorrow, I did the long run this afternoon. I ended up doing a 15 miler with 10 miles faster than MP. It was a strong run, and the knee felt solid, and it feels fine afterwards. I would have loved to squeeze in the last 20, but this was a pretty fast effort, so even though I wasn't on my feet for as long as I would have if it were 20 miles, the speed made it a pretty good test of where I am three weeks out. There will be one more fairly long run next weekend, than 2 weeks of taper.
Today's run: