Training 12/24-12/31

12/24- Easy 6 on Jefferson Trail.  Standard issue run with nothing overly exciting to report.  Finished in 44:30 (7:25 pace).  1st half was 22-flat and the 2nd half was 22:30 but the trail is sloped so it was actually a fairly even pace.  A bit of foot soreness.  Dosage may be trending down slightly.  I want to keep it high until my numbers get in line.  Decent workout.  Good enough for 3.3 points.  All I need is a "C-" on my next workout to clinch the 3.00.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.0

12/25- Planned rest day.  Merry Christmas to all.

12/26- The clincher!  It turned out to be a rather forgettable and uninspiring workout.  Finished only 3 miles in a time of 22:51 (7:37 pace).  Just barely met the minimum criteria for a real workout as opposed to a junk run.  I'm sure that I could have gone another 3 at this pace but I chose not to (Slacker)!  My excuse was that my trip back to Birmingham was VERY hectic and my heart was not into the workout.  I just wanted to go back home and relax.  I expect to be fine tomorrow but if I wake up deathly ill and can't run for the rest of the week, I will still finish at 3.00 for the year.  Also, this meager workout will allow me to rest on 12/31 without a penalty.  A win this week would be my 34th of the year, which would be a personal record and an important one as well.  I'll explain why in my year end post.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/27- OUTSTANDING!  Long tempo, which was one of my key workouts for a half mary.  I've run 6 miles at goal pace then followed it up with a fast Mile or even a fast quarter mile and found it to be a good predictor for race day.  It gave me confidence that I would have plenty left at the halfway point.  Today, I tried something different.  6 miles at goal pace (slightly slower than tempo) then try to find another gear and hold it for a full 2 miles.  Hit 6 miles in 40:11 (6:42 pace), just a hair slower than my 6 mile split in Austin.  6 miles at that pace is nothing special but what followed is.  I DID find another gear.  In fact, I found 2.  Mile 7 was a 6:30 and Mile 8 was a 6:20 with a sub-6 pace over the final quarter mile.  Overall time was 53:01 for 8 miles (6:38 pace).  Even if I slowed to 7:15 pace over the last 5, I still break 1:30.  Cool down tribute.  A key workout that puts me on track for win #34.  Need a decent long run.
Grade:A/2 credit/distance=8.5

12/28- Chilly rain forced me inside.  Easy 5 in 37:06 (7:25 pace).  Legs were a little sore from yesterday but nothing out of the ordinary.  Even pace and I actually was holding back a bit to make sure it was over 37.  I have just 12 hours to rest up for my long run tomorrow.  Passed 2,050 on the year.  I expect to finish between 2,070-2,075.  GPA will be 3.03-3.06 and I'm still on track for a win this week.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.0

12/29- Back with the Gnomes.  Tough conditions out there (upper 30s, 15mph wind) but I was strong.  13 miles on a hilly route in a time of 1:34:28 (7:16 pace).  That would be a 3:10:xx full mary and short of a BQ but I was still pleased with this one.  Mile 13 (mostly downhill) was my fastest at 6:28.  Kept it all under 7:38 (3:20 mary pace) even on the tough uphill sections.   Most miles were 7:20ish if the terrain was fairly level.  Added a half mile cool.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=13.5

12/30- Lakeshore 6.5 in 45:17 (6:58 pace).  Felt no harder than marathon effort.  I looked down at my watch at the end of Mile 2 and saw a 6:39 split and could not believe it.  From there, I backed off a bit but still maintained sub-marathon pace the rest of the way.  Weather conditions were sunny and chilly but not too windy.  It was okay to be fast because I'm resting tomorrow.
Grade:A+/ 1 credit/distance=7.0

12/31- Victory formation.  The quarterback takes a knee to kill the clock.  Final training stats were 2,072 miles.  Finished with a record of 34-16 with a 3.06 GPA.  The mileage total is not a PR but the weekly record and GPA are both my best.

Weekly summary:
Win #34, which means that overall, I was healthier than last year by a hair.  What a finish for the week!  Strong tempo, a quality long run while showing no signs of fatigue.  I still feel terrible without the pills.  Over the next few weeks, I hope to be less dependent on them.  If I am still taking the same things with success at the time of Mercedes (mid-Feb), I will allow my hopes to rise but will not make any declarations of being healed until I get a good medical report (late March).
Distance=43.0/GPA=29.0/8=3.63