Pulling Back the Bow

This week was a down week. Over the past month I've been upping the mileage and intensity ever so slightly and since I was starting a new job  I decided this would be a good week to ease back. 

On Monday I ran an easy 6 miles around the NIH with the NBDP. My blood sugar plummeted and all I wanted to do after 20 minutes of running was drink Gatorade. After 30 minutes I would have eaten anything put before me.

On Tuesday I join the same crew for a run up Rock Creek. We hit the dry Fox & Deer Trail for most of our run. 

On Wednesday I shuffled an easy 4 miles with Dusen in the morning before hitting up BCC that night for some track. After a long day at work, the heavens greeted me with a steady rain. I got to the track late and hurriedly set about running a warm-up on the track. The workout was classic - 6 x mile cutdown - except this time there would only be 2:00 rest but I would only be running 5 reps. Two minutes, I soon found out, was really only about a 200m jog. I hit the first reps essentially right on pace - 5:05 and 5:04. Then 4:58 and 5:00. The going was getting tough, but I knew I had one more in me. I attempted to lead the last rep, but after a quick start I soon feel off pace. I worked like hell the last 300m to pull back to 4:55 pace and finished in 4:57. It was my best workout since coming back and most importantly my legs felt surprisingly fresh during my cool down.

I ran an easy 8 on Thursday with Hanson and took Friday off. It was my first day off since returning from Africa five weeks ago. It wasn't perticularly needed, nor wanted, but I had a busy day and I knew it would happen, so I let it. It IS a down week after all.

On Saturday I ran 15 with the GRC from the Store. It's my best long run in a few weeks and I felt hungry for more miles.

And now, time for an analogy..

As I explained to Coach Jerry earlier this week, I feel as if I am slowly pulling back a bow. At first the bow was tight and it didn't have much give, but now I've finally got a handle on it and I'm creaking it backwards. Jerry cautioned me against firing too soon at an "artificial deadline" and explained I had all the time in the world (which is true I suppose) to round into shape. I'm ready to release an arrow and get a gauge on my range, but all the while it'll keep cranking that damn bow back.

And backwards it goes.