Training 9/15-9/21

9/15- AM- 1 mile junk run around the block.  Felt loose but was breathing heavy on the hills.

Update:Very interesting observation last night.  I loaded on Cal/Mag (1000 mg) and I did tighten up a bit.  I responded by taking an extra taurine pill and began feeling better.  The final answer is oh so very close now.  Did the problems last week have anything to do with taurine at all or was it all about the caffeine?  If I load on taurine without caffeine, will I suffer any ill-effects?  If that answer is no, I am golden!  Odds are that if I limit my Cal/Mag to less than 500, I won't need any taurine but it won't be enough to get me in balance.  If I can tolerate 2,000 mg of taurine without a problem, I should be able to take as many pills as necessary.  I'm loading on taurine now and will be very interested to see how I will respond this evening.

PM- 5 miles at Gold's at moderate effort.  Finished in 34:19 (6:52 pace).  That's just inside sub-90 pace for a half mary.  Based on how I felt, another 8 at that pace does not seem insurmountable especially if fresh.  Legs were slightly heavy but this was my third straight day running sub-7 pace.  The best news on the day is NO ill-effects from loading on taurine.  YES!!!
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=6.0

9/16- Ate a high copper protein bar and felt somewhat sluggish but got better after drinking OJ.  Workout was a strong 6 miler in 42:26 (7:04 pace).  Slowed down on the back half but that was by design after seeing a 6:54 split for Mile 2.  In terms of effort, I definitely dialed it down a notch from yesterday but was only 12 ticks slower over an extra Mile.  It is still in my best interest to avoid both excess copper and Vitamin C right now.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=6.0

9/17- AM Run with the Gnomes.  It was the usual Brookwood-Lakeshore 7 mile run.  I went naked for the first 4.5 because of a GPS malfunction but the next 2.5 was done in 18:40 (7:28 pace), which was probably on par with the rest of the workout.  I was strugg-a-ling a bit at the end but this was still decent overall.  Another "A" was too much to ask after an evening session the previous day.  Hit 1,250 miles on the year.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=7.0

9/18- Wanted an interval workout but the track was closed due to a JV football game.  Decided not to chance it at another track and ran a tempo instead. 5 miles in 31:47 (6:21 pace).  Very strong!  Once again, I've proven that faster paces on my easy days do NOT hurt me in quality sessions.  I took off hard (15:45) then was content to just hang on (16:02).  Am I in sub-40 shape for 10K?  Another 1.2 @ 6:36 would have been a tough ask today but if I had rested yesterday and was fully fresh, it's mine!  Added a Mile cool.
Grade:A/2 credit/distance=6.0

9/19- Planned rest day.  Hope to go 13+ tomorrow.

9/20- Run with the sub-3 Gnomes.  Not sure of the exact time because of GPS issues.  I do know that I passed 10 miles @ 7:09 pace hit some downhill then ran the last 2.5 on Lakeshore after a drink stop @ 6:47.  I figure I was just about 15 miles with a short cool down back to O'Henry's.  VERY strong performance.  The only downer was that it was not quite good enough to stick with the group all the way.  I got dropped after 9 miles but came back after the drink stop.  I'm going to win this week.  BIG.  Signed up for the Phoenix marathon at the end of February.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=15.0

9/21- AM- Resolute Social Run.  Route was a 5 miler through Highland Park and part of the Mercedes course.  Felt great early then my legs reminded me about yesterday's workout around Mile 3.  Still, it was a pretty strong workout overall.  Finished in a time of 36:50 (7:22 pace).  Only Mile 4 was over 7:30 and it was all uphill.  Tacked on a Mile cool.

PM- Popped off another 4 just because I felt like it.  Finished in 28:32 (7:08 pace) and I could not believe how easy it felt.  I hit 3 miles in 21:10 then aimed for over 7:30 but still clicked off a 7:22 to finish.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=10.0

Weekly summary:
One of my best weeks on record.  If the taurine continues to be successful, I see no reason why I cannot keep this going. I have matched last year's win total in week 36.
Distance=50.0/ GPA= 30.1/8= 3.76
YTD: 1,281 miles.  Record: 17-19 with a 2.70 GPA