It was 41 degrees when I left the house...

OK for all my friends who saw me running this AM. Yes I was showing a good bit of skin. Long shorts and a sleeveless Nike Pro Combat top. When I left the house the weather link stated 41 degrees. I did have my lucky orange toboggan on. If the wind had been blowing I would of added a shirt with sleeves. The trouble with running at 5:30 AM is that the lowest temp is still to come. I assure you I was comfortable as I ran. Sitting or walking would have been difficult though.

This has been a lack luster week for me. 3 weeks out from the Rocket City Marathon and I had a couple of 16 milers and my usual weekly training runs. The runs have not been as fast as I would have liked and this weeks tempo was over my sub  7:00 minute pace goal. My swimming has been great. Imagine that, swimming overshadowing my running. (see best swim ever the sequel below).

With my sub par tempo I really needed a sub 8 minute 20 milers to finish this last week of 2011.  I was fortunate to pull that off this AM.  Mentally I really needed it for confidence.

Distance: 20 miles, Time: 2 hr 38 min 01 secs, Average pace: 7:54 min/miles,
7:54, 8:00, 7:47, 7:45, 7:59, 7:58, 7:47, 7:49, 7:46, 7:40, 7:51, 7:42, 7:47, 7:48, 7:51, 7:55, 8:11, 8:09, 8:07, 8:05,

I really did not think I had my head around this run and was not sure I could pull off a sub 8 minute pace. My Garmin wrist band broke before I got out of the truck, so I old schooled it with the mile markers along the trail. Garmin usually shorts the trail, so I ran to the end points where I usually add to the Garmin mileage. On twisty trails Garmin usually under figures trails and over figures street runs.  I will have a shorter run next week maybe a trail run and another 20 miler the next. I am trying to keep my base up for the Black Warrior 50K in February.

I topped last weeks time and added a little distance. Swimming just keeps getting better. I  am doing more with my arms and it really seems to be helping.
Distance: 1.76 miles at 1.69 mph, Time: 1 hr 02 min 23 secs, Average pace: 35:27 min/miles
Laps and breaks between sets, 500=10:01, :08, 500=10:03, :05,
 500=9:55, :07, 500=9:49, :06,
 500=9:56, :06, 500=9:59, :06,
 100=1:58,

So today  I burned 2295.4 calories and plan to pig-out with the family tonight. It is our tradition movies and snack food galore. I hope to bike 20 plus miles in the AM. Happy New Year to all my friends.