Training 6/6-6/12

6/6- AM- Basic easy 5 indoors in 38:57 (7:47 pace). Struggled a bit early but got the kinks worked out by Mile 2 then had to force myself to slow down. Miles 3-5 were all 7:45-7:50. Not too glamorous but I did what I planned and hope to be fresh enough for a hard evening workout.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.5
PM- 10x400 at Vestavia with a 2 minute passive R. Even after 6:00, it was still over 90 degrees but at least it wasn't humid. It felt more like Arizona today than Alabama but I'd rather run when it's 95 and dry than 85 and steamy. Very good performance. Times were (80-77-75-77-76) followed by 76-77-77-78-72. Average was 76.5. I'll strive for in the 75s next time and if I can do that, I'll bet I can run a 5:15 mile even if it's solo.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=4.5

6/7- Easy 7.5 indoors in 58:12 (7:46 pace). Even pace, felt stronger as the workout progressed. Hoping to feel a payoff by going consistently longer than 6 in my easy runs. Strong performance. Weight is pretty steady at 155 but I need to increase my calories.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=8.0

6/8- Tempo at the Trak Shak. 90 degree weather and I did 6.5 miles in 45:20 (6:58 pace) on a hilly route. According to runworks, that's as good as a 6:40 pace in optimal temps. Very strong workout. A few college runners (D1 level) passed me in Mile 2 and I pretty much kept with them until the water break after which we went in different directions. This was faster than planned so if I'm not recovered by Friday and my Mile is sub-par, I won't be upset.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=7.0

6/9- Planned rest day. Not too sore but very tired and worn out. I had a nightmare last night and won't even reveal it. Maybe tonight will be a funny dream. Gearing up for a Mile PR attempt tomorrow.

6/10- Another mildly disappointing time trial. Vestavia Mile in 5:28.4 (best time of the year). It was done after a cooling rain with overcast conditions and temps below 80 so I'm unlikely to get better weather for this anytime soon. 6 seconds better than my previous best of '11 but 8 down on last year's best and a daunting 13 from the goal. I'm afraid that Wednesday's tempo just took too much out of me but even if I'm fresh, I need more work. Next time I do a time trial, I need an easy day and an off day before any PR attempt. Then again, if I do that too often, my mileage will be too low. I just want to hit the goal and be done with it. Splits were 78-84-83-83. (2:42/2:46). What stands out about that is that I had ZERO finishing kick, which is very unusual for me. Even on tired legs, I should have coaxed at least an 80 last lap. It seems like once I knew I wasn't gonna make it, I lost all heart. Though a mild disappointment, this was really not too bad if you put it in perspective. My average before the crash was 5:30 and to break that barrier provides some solace. This is my first sub-5:30 after turning 30 years old.
Grade:B/3 credits/distance=3.0

6/11- Dreamed that I had to travel up a dangerous mountain road that was snow covered to get to a downhill race at high elevation and the weather forecast called for a 100% chance of "golden rain." Don't even ask where that one came from. Workout was a group run starting at 5:30 AM. I went with Brad (sub-3 marathoner) on a 9 mile loop and finished with a time of 67:41 (7:32 pace) then stopped to refuel and ran the Trak Shak 3 loop in 23:43 (7:54 pace) for an overall time of 91:24 for 12 miles, which is a still quick 7:37 average pace. Good job.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=12.0
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/91671058

6/12- Easy 6 in 46:21 (7:44 pace). Even pace, felt strong. No complaints. I could have gone farther and/or faster but considering the quality of my workouts this week, it was a smart call to hold back a bit. I'd like to do some 200s tonight. We'll see how I feel but again, it's probably smart to hold back.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0

Weekly summary:
Very strong week overall. Good mileage and I did not sacrifice quality. Too bad that my weakest performance came in the time trial. If I can make it 4 more days without chromium, it will be a full month and I will declare myself chemically stable though still unbalanced.
Distance=46.0/ GPA= 42.5/12= 3.54