Training 3/26-4/1 (race week)

3/26- I feel well enough to run today, possibly well enough for a quality session but I am taking an elective rest day as a precaution during a race week. Round 2 of racing season is here.

3/27- I was feeling weird last night but it turned out to be not a big deal. I was expecting to feel fresh today after the rest. I was fresh. Moderate 4 in 28:40 plus a final Mile in 6:18 at a fast and controlled effort (in between tempo and 5K pace). Overall time was 34:58 (6:59 pace). Added another half mile cool. Weather is looking iffy for race day. I want this one badly. I've yet to set a PR at a distance that I raced in HS so this one would be even sweeter than the sub-1:30.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.5

3/28- Rest day or junk run? I opted for the junk run. Nude 3 miler from the Shak. I believe the pace was well over 8. I didn't care. Some people say that my intense training hurts me on race day. I disagree. Considering how much I slack on race weeks, I should be plenty fresh. I expect the mileage will be just under 30 this week. It was good to see much of the old group back.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=3.0

3/29- Strange. I wore my Newtons today and got some serious heaviness and stiffness in my shins and calves. I stopped at Mile 2 in 14:18 then removed the inserts and was pain free. From that point, I rallied for a 20:28 for the final 3. That's half mary race pace and it felt comfy. Overall time was 34:46 (6:57 pace) for 5 miles plus a cool down. I should be ready for Saturday. Did I mention that I want this one badly? The weather has taken a bit of a turn for the better. Rain chance is down to 30% but it could be a little sticky. Why the problem with the inserts? Perhaps my stride has changed and I no longer need them.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.5

3/30- Planned rest day. I would have done strides but it's going to rain this afternoon. I feel good and ready to roll. Weather forecast calls for 65 degrees, high humidity but only a 20% chance of rain at race time with light winds. As long as it's overcast, that will be good conditions.

3/31- Rumpshaker 5K in 19:13. New Adult PR. Tied my HS PR. 3rd place in AG. Added several cool down jogs for some junk miles.
Grade:A/4 credits/distance=5.5

4/1- Trak Shak 10.5 loop in 78:04 (7:26 pace). First half was around 7:20 then slowed to 7:30ish at the end but that was by design. Very surprised by how well I felt. Never uncomfortable during the run even though I was sore both before and after. The early forecast for New Orleans is sunny and warm. Could be 70 at the start and 75 at the finish. That's less than ideal. I can't remember a Spring being this warm and it's bound to cool off sometime. Tupelo is another option in early May. I'm confident that I can cut off 1 second from my 5K in a solo time trial on a track. Not sure when I'll give that a try but after the middle of May, forget it until September. Still hopeful for a relatively mild summer.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=10.5

Weekly summary:
Only 4 runs were graded but they were all "A" or "A-" workouts. Just missed my all time high in GPA this week. This is also the end of the first quarter. My mileage total of 508 is not too impressive but my GPA is near 3.4 for the year, which is by far my best start ever. Mileage will be low again next week and the workouts will be front loaded.
Distance=30.0/GPA= 3.85