the mid-foot shuffle, rough weekly schedule -- recovery 4 miles

Today's training: 3.86 miles, 38:42 (10:03 min/mi), avg 141 bpm/max 153/2:10 >150

I was planning to run 5 today, but my left hamstring started hurting around mile 3.5. I should have stopped right there, but kept going to get to 4.

the mid-foot shuffle. I again tried to run taller and focus on moving forward. I'm calling this the "the mid-foot shuffle." Instinctively, I ran with my arm lower and more to the side, moving back and forth more along my line of motion (like pulling myself along on nearly parallel bars). At one point at the top of a hill, I was "walking" with the same form to try and get my heart rate below fifty. The mid-foot shuffle walk registered about 10 min/mi on my foot pod. I could be fooling it with my gait or it might be real. The 10:03 min/mi average includes a fair bit of walking (to get under heart rate or save the knees).

I cut my run short when my left hamstring began to bother me. Maybe a sign I shouldn't run 6 days in a row or that I need to figure out some stretches or strength exercises.

The distance from the foot pod is a little off (3.90 versus 3.86). That could be my change in stride. It's still close, but not as close as usual.

rough weekly schedule. Week 1 is in the books (4+4+5+7 = 20 miles). Now the notional, I'll do what I feel like schedule. This is based loosely on Pfitzinger's 8-weeks between marathon schedule, but scaled back a bit. I don't talk at all about tempo runs or intervals. I probably won't do them. If I do it'll just be incorporated in the run.

Fill-in 5 mile recovery runs plus

• week 2: ~35 miles -- run to work (10.5 miles), and 2 lake loops (9.2 miles), two rest days
• week 3: ~45 miles -- 2 x run to work, 10-mile race, one rest day
• week 4: ~55 miles -- 2 x run to work, 17 LR, one rest day (after race)
• week 5: ~55-60 miles -- 2-3 x run to work(can I do 3?), 20 LR, one rest day
• week 6: ~60 miles -- 3 x run to work(can I do 3?), 20-22 LR, one rest day
• week 7: ~43 miles -- 2 x run to work, 13 MLR, two rest days
• week 8: 20 miles+ marathon -- marathon, 3 rest days

I kind of like the symmetry there. I'm not sure I'll be able to run to work three times in a week and I might extend some of the runs to work to make them a little longer. The 10-mile race in place of the 13 MLR has me jumping from 10 to 17 which I guess isn't a big deal since I'll have run a marathon 4 weeks earlier, but I might extend a run earlier in the week just to get my 13 MLR. Except for the race and the long runs, none of this is set in stone.