A Fifty Mile Week!!!!!

    I am excited (and Happy, and Blessed) to say that for the first time this year I have logged a (Mon-Sun) 50 mile week!! I mean I've seen my log stating that I've ran 52, 54 and 56 miles in the last 7 days throughout this week but to actually have logged it successfully is another matter.
  Monday I ran 4.1 miles with Dorian later in the evening, then Tuesday morning I ran 6.2 miles in 59:23 with an average pace of 9:34 min/mile. Wednesday morning I ran 10.2 miles out on the roads in 1:36:10 with an average pace of 9:26 min/mile. Thursday morning I ran another 6.2 miles in 59:21 with an average pace of 9:34 min/mile. Friday morning I ran 6.3 miles in 1:00:36 with an average pace of 9:37 min/mile, Friday evening I was able to take the dogs out on the trails for another 4 miles (it was still 75 degrees, the dogs didn't need to go much longer than 4 miles), running that in 43:02 with an average pace of 10:45 min/mile. At this point I had a total of 37 miles for the week, and I knew that I could either run 8 miles over the weekend to get 45 miles, 11 miles to get 47 or go for 13 miles to get 50.... it all depended on the weather and all other things.
   It almost didn't look like it was going to happen at all, I didn't get any sleep Friday night and then DH didn't get home until 9 PM last night so all I did was take Dorian for a 2 mile hike at Audubon. I had made up my mind that I was going to get up early Sunday morning and take the dogs to the trails, hoping the bit of rain we got didn't mess the trails up yet. Dorian had fell asleep at 8 PM, then woke up at 11 something upset and crying, thankfully he willingly took some ibuprofen (he seemed to be in pain, headache or growing pains.. not sure). I still thought for sure that the run wasn't going to happen, but he fell back to sleep and slept pretty much the rest of the night. I was up by 5:04 AM and got ready, hoping and praying Dorian would stay asleep while I was gone.
  We got to the trails at 6 AM, it was 54 degrees out, and since it was still relatively dark we were the only ones out there (for now). We started off, it was nice and I was feeling great. I had a 12 oz amphipod handheld bottle/flask with me and had to carry my cell phone (just in case). The first 5-6 miles we were completely alone and at this point it was becoming more light out and I stopped by the Tahoe to toss my headlamp into it and eat a Tri-berry gu. We started back out again, around mile 8 we ran into a woman with 3 dogs (two little ones, and the 3rd a pitty mix who Rocky has met and played with many times) then somewhere between mile 9 and 10 we passed a fellow runner. I knew it was getting busier, and we'd have to get done soon or it would take us forever to finish the final 3 miles. Just before mile 11 we saw another guy with 3 dogs, apparently he was another runner too. Right at mile 11 we ran into the lady with the other 3 dogs again, after that I don't think we ran into anybody else.
   We ran 13 miles in 2:15:44 with an average pace of 10:26 min/mile, I didn't fuel too well before this run and I felt it about 2 hours into this. 

Mile 1 - 11:24
Mile 2 - 10:52
Mile 3 - 10:39
Mile 4 - 10:13
Mile 5 - 10:19
Mile 6 - 10:29
Mile 7 - 10:19
Mile 8 - 10:03
Mile 9 - 10:20
Mile 10 - 10:10
Mile 11 - 10:16
Mile 12 - 10:41
Mile 13 - 9:57


It wasn't easy, but we got it done and I managed to reach 50 miles this week, I feel strong (sore right now) and great but I am not going to push it. Looking at my monthly mileage, I am currently at 160.8... if I was to aim for 40 miles or 39.2 miles next week, I could actually reach a really big goal I've been wanting for a while - 200 miles in one month, and that would be awesome. But I am not going to sweat it, my highest this year was 170 (August) and I've got a 5k race Friday night so my minimal plan is this:
Monday - maybe 3-4 miles
Tuesday - 6 miles
Wednesday - 10 miles
Thursday - 6 miles
Friday - 6-7 miles in the AM, and then the 3.1 miles
Saturday - 5 miles if I am feeling it

  That alone should easily give me 40 miles for the week, but again I am not going to fret or worry if I don't reach it, I am just happy that things are going so well and hope that I can keep this up.