Two GOOD Long Runs!

My last two longs runs have felt GREAT. And I didn't realize it, but I had pretty similar weeks 2 weeks ago and last week:

21.7 miles ran both weeks (BOTH weeks with runs of 11.2, 5.5, and 5 miles),
and just over 9 hours of solid strength work both weeks as well.

One of the main differences between those weeks was that the first week had a fast speed workout on Friday, whereas the second week just had an easy run on Friday.

And then as I noted in Monday's post, the second week up there had some GREAT trainer rides!

Oh, but on to the good long runs...

After my long run on the 10th, I tweeted this:

I usually do long runs speeding up for my middle 6 "at pace" miles starting at 8.9 mph and working my way up to 10.0 mph by bumping up the speed by 0.1 mph every 0.5 miles. But on the 10th I started at 9.1 mph and worked my way up to 10.2 mph. That doesn't SEEM like that big of a difference, but it wasn't something I was able to do before - sometimes I can't hold my "normal" 8.9 mph to 10.0 mph plan for 6 miles. That "normal" workout leads to the middle 6 miles taking about 38:10, averaging around 6:22/mile pace.

I didn't feel that I was working too hard on the 10th and did it relatively easily!! - even though I went from 9.1 mph up to 10.2 mph. That made the middle 6 miles go by in 37:18, or with a 6:13/mile average!

Then for my long run this week, I figured I might back off a bit as I noted some good trainer intensity last week, but I found myself trying the same workout: starting at 9.1 mph and working my way up to 10.2 mph. Only I sped up the treadmill for each 0.1 mph a bit earlier, so I was a few seconds faster, and averaged 6:12.8/mile over those middle 6 miles.

OK, seriously, I need to check the manual for our treadmill and make sure it's lubed and maintained the way it should be. Because either that one speed workout about 2 weeks ago really altered my fitness level, or my treadmill isn't keeping up the pace anymore.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯