Crankin' the Base

 That's right, with my triathlon done and only a few key races left in the season, it's time to bunker down and build up my base again. No more 24-mile wees without a long run. Yeah, speed workouts are fun, but so is being able to go out for a 7 mile run and not feel like my legs are about to fall off (granted, that was in 84 degree heat at 12 o'clock...).
      My goal is to be at about 53 miles per week by Thanksgiving with almost no doubles. Though I have tried higher mileage before and experienced almost insurmountable fatigue and an eventual near-injury, I think I now know how to do it a little more safely than before. My first bout with it last winter had me doing tempo runs and 2 track workouts a week along with a long run, which was too much intensity for my body to handle. This time around, it is going to be all about easy miles with just a little fartlek throw in to shake things up if I get bored.That is actually how I started getting back into running- going every day at a moderate pace, with only a little speed thrown in. I used to be able to run for an hour and a half almost every day, and while they were slow, relaxed miles, it was still such a great feeling to be able to just go out and have 9 miles be an *easy* run. Looking back at that time, I remember just really enjoying running, not worrying about pace or time or distance. I am really looking forward to getting back to that place, where running was simply an escape from the everyday and not just another workout on the training schedule.
  .   This evening's run was just like one of those runs I used to have- though my pace is about a minute faster than it was back then! I went for a nice, easy 3 mile run around the neighborhood, jamming to my iPhone and admiring the beginning signs of fall in the neighborhood: a hint of orange in the trees, some piles of dead leaves on the road (which I happily made a point of pouncing onto), the slant of the setting sun. I was enjoying myself so much I extended the run another mile 1.75. My legs are still a little tight from yesterday's race, but overall the run was one of the most perfect I have had in weeks.
    The explicit club music from the iPhone may have helped..