ONE WEEK TO GO!!! And training from last week.

One week to go until Boston!!! (which means summer showed up today, duh.)

Summer also showed up last Monday. It was fifty two degrees which (honestly) felt like a boiling hot heatwave. Eric and I stripped down to summer duds and ran a recovery run together like lovahs.

Studs 

The snowbanks were still ridiculous, so in order to properly document the melting process here is a lovely photo. (April 3rd, first t-shirt run, big fucking snow pile, the end.)

BIG HAYOUGE SNOWBANK!

I was WISE and had planned to take Tuesday off. The forecast called for 8-12 inches of snow, which was downright appalling. By some stroke of luck, we only got a couple inches, but the whole day was a sleety, stormy, wet mess. GROSS.

Seriously.....

Honestly.... I started double extra strength praying for a cold rainy marathon day, SINCE THAT KIND OF WEATHER IS MY LIFE.

COME ON.....!!!!

Wednesday was my final foray into Bitch Hilldom. It was not warm, and 38 degrees and clammy certainly isn't preparing anyone for impending summer.
But.... I had a quite good run. There were Sheriffs driving all over town, which was both interesting and confusing. I was very curious about what they where up to, but one can't exactly flag them down and ask them. So, my questions went unanswered.

Bitch Hill on April 5th. STILL SNOWY.

Thursday was my other pre planned rest day.
OBVIOUSLY for  more weather related reasons (it pays to plan your whole training week around the forecast! be like me and let the weather report be your guide!)

So yeah. No running but plenty of Expert Water Relocation. This is what one does, when flooding is not something you want to see happen. Plus, it is fun. Playing in mud is terrific.

It is hereditary. I see mud, I want to move it around. I AM MY DAD OMG. 

Back to it on Friday, with some mile repeats. I am pleased to say that the repeats felt easier than they did a month ago. I planned to run close to a 7:40 pace and I stuck to that. My legs felt like they could have done better, but with the marathon drawing near, there's no point in pushing my luck.

Mile repeats, done. Still cold enough for a vest...

Saturday was the final double digit run.
10 miles at an 8:35 pace, in 40 degree gusting wind, ominous swirling clouds, and sleet pelting down for the first three miles.
Very exciting.
I saw a female fisher cat, and was excited to see some high water in the stream.
(I like nature and crap, and enjoy high water, watching the ice go out and such. I am a proper Mainer who drives around after a big storm to see what kind of chaos Mother Nature threw down. *apparently* not everyone does this. weird. )

NATURE!!! HIGH WATER!!!!!

And then on Sunday, another super easy run.
And then, I celebrated the FINAL can of my favorite beer of the winter....

I must buy more....

And then I took a look at the psycho forecast.

(BTW, today was Monday the10th and it was 72... HELLO) 

And YES.... I have looked at the extended forecast for Marathon Monday and while it is not terrible it is not wonderful. Right now Sunday will be 72 (BAD!!!! BAD!!!!!!!!!) Monday will be 61 (Better.... But for shit's sake, still so much warmer than ANYTHING I have trained in. TYPICAL.) Tuesday FORTY SEVEN. GRRRRR. Give me some 47!!!! BUT, I will take 61 over 72!

Sigh. I'll make the best of it no matter what. We all know that the risk of a Spring marathon is that random warm day and, for SURE, it could be worse.
I plan not to even bother checking again for a few days. It helps that I am quite busy this week.

Anyway. Here are the stats.

Weekly stats: 
Miles run: 34.6
Longest run: 10
Other: TWO full blown core/strength days plus one abs/hips day and stretching. 
Wildlife sightings: One Fisher Cat
Low/High temps: 30/52 and snow and sleet and all kinds of crap
How am I feeling? Totally decent. 100% better than before Hartford (which does NOT mean I will run faster. not at all. but I feel great which counts for a lot.) 
Beer of the week: My FINAL Trillium Mettle.... So delicious. So gone