Training 4/21-4/27- Race week

4/21- Plan is a speed session this evening.  I may be a bit sore 2 days after a hard long run but I think I can fight through it.  The  race is the Blue Ridge Half in Roanoke, Virginia on Saturday.  I'm training through because this is not a goal race.  Just a glorified training run to pick up Virginia and see my parents.

PM- Was not up for a speed session.  That's okay.  I don't mind putting it off a day.  Workout was Canterbury-Jemison 5 in a time of 38:30 (7:42 pace).  Very sluggish early but improved as the run progressed.  Splits were 19:24-19:06.  Just a bit off form.  It may be delayed onset soreness 2 days after a hard long run but this does not feel like natural fatigue.  Lack of flexibility is often a tell tale sign.  I will first try cutting back on the Thym-Adren and if that won't work, I will reduce the moly.  Nothing radical.  Just a small tweak should do it.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0

4/22- Once again, I was not up for a speed session.  Cutting the Thym-Adren was not the answer.  It's got to be the moly.  Still, it was encouraging that taking 5 instead of my usual 6 did not make any difference.  In fact, I was slightly faster today with a Gold's 5 in a time of 38:14 (7:39 pace) but that's not enough to be considered significant.  Splits were pretty even at 19:04/19:10 so nothing really to gripe about but again, I would have been weak in a tempo.  Increasing the moly from 2 pills to 3 was a mistake but that's a 50% increase so some sensitivity can be expected.  No penalty today but I've got to double up tomorrow.
EDIT:  Big congrats to Meb on the win at Boston.  Some day, I will get there too.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0

4/23- AM- Improvement.  Not all the way back to form but it's only the first day back on 2 moly pills.  Lakeshore 6.5 with the Gnomes plus a cool.  Aimed to run the first 4 @ 7:30 then the last 2.5 @ 7:00.  I was 5 ticks fast on the first 4 but 3 ticks slow on the back end.  Overall time was 47:17 for 6.5 (7:17 pace).  This was significantly better than the last 2 days so I get no worse than a "B" even if the PM session is weak.

PM Could not hack it in a speed session AGAIN!  Not pleased.  Did not even try because I knew before I started that I was weak.  Managed just 3 miles in 23:47 (7:56 pace).  VERY lenient grade today.  I can win with a "B+" on race day.
Grade:B/3 credits/distance=10.0

4/24- Planned rest day.  Feel better than yesterday but I clearly need 2 moly pills.  Neither more nor less.  That makes me feel uneasy but it is attacking the root of the problem, which is copper and liver issues, the source of the instability.  On the other hand, it seems like I can cheat a little with the Cal/Mag and the Thym-Adren and get away with it.  Junk run on tap tomorrow.  Should end up with about 35 miles this week.  Leaving for Roanoke just after 4PM central.

4/25- 2nd rest day.  Arrived in Roanoke later than expected so there was no time for a junk run.  No big deal.

4/26- America's Toughest Road Half Marathon in 1:49:12 (8:20 pace) on a MURDEROUS course.  This is my slowest half since my debut in Seaside back in '07 but I don't really care.  State #19 done.
Grade:B+/3 credits/distance=14.0

4/27- Planned rest day.  Quads in particular are killing me.

Weekly summary:
A cheap win.  The race was essentially a freebie with the "B" target set at 1:50.  Nothing stood out as especially good but I managed to avoid a collapse despite tweaking my formula.
Distance= 34.0/ GPA= 24.3/8= 3.04
YTD: 534 miles. Record: 7-9 with a 2.55 GPA.