Oh, boy! What was I thinking!
On Saturday morning I had to work until about 1:30 pm. I still had to fit in a 4 miler for my marathon training plan which just started (YAY!). Running before work is just not going to happen. I have to be there at 7:30 am and it takes 30 minutes to get there. That would require running at ridiculously early hours. I'm just not that obsessed. Or maybe I just enjoy my sleep and well-being as much as I enjoy running?
Anyway, I ended up doing my 4 miles when I got home. I only worked a half day, so running afterwards seemed like a good idea. However, it was in the upper 70s with high humidity. It was like running through a curtain of water the entire time. A very HOT curtain of water. Thank god it was only 4 easy miles.
While I was running I realized my fatal error in my marathon training plan. On Tuesdays I work the same shift as Saturdays, that is 7:30 - 1ish. I stupidly scheduled speedwork for my post-work runs every Tuesday. Did I seriously think I'd be able to do speedwork during the hottest part of the day during a summer training session!? Dumb, dumb redhead!! Ack!!
When I designed the plan, I was following the same outline I used during my first marathon training, but that marathon was in the spring and most of the training was in the winter. In that season, I need to wait until the warmest part of the day to run, but it is just the opposite in the summer.
The solution, of course, was very simple. I don't work Wednesday mornings, so I simply swapped my Wed easy runs for my Tuesday speed sessions. No problem. Now I can do my speedwork early in the morning when it is MUCH cooler.
Today was my first "long" run on my plan, though it was only a 12-miler. I ran on a "new" route today and thoroughly enjoyed it. I say "new" because it is a route I drive literally everyday. I simply never ran it before. I have always been a little road-shy and there are no sidewalks on this road, but it has very wide, soft shoulders, so I summoned up my courage and did it! It is a two-lane, paved, semi-rural road. Sunday mornings see light - moderate traffic. It has lots of hills, beautiful homes and greenery everywhere. It shows off some of the best that Michigan back roads have to offer. I certainly can't complain about my commute to work along this road.
The run out gave my knees and quads a workout as it was mostly downhill. The run back had some awesome uphills. This is going to be a great route once Boston training starts!
Oh, and my shin is feeling great lately! I'm hesitant to say it is almost healed. Hate to jinx it, ya know. If it still feels this awesome after a few weeks, I'll be more optimistic. Not to say I'm not optimistic now. I suppose I should say I'm hesitantly optimistic? 
Overall, I'm feeling great about my upcoming training and race schedule. I'm going to see if I can find a way to post my schedule on my Blogger website. I'm currently most excited about my first 1 mile and 5K races coming up. That's right, my FIRST. I started at 10K races and just moved up from there. Next weekend there is a small community festival that is hosting a 1 mile and 5K. I'm having trouble finding info on it, it is that small! If I am successful in finding that info, I'll be there. I'll of course let everyone know how it went!
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