When it goes really bad really early

What went down on Sunday at the BMO 1/2 marathon was absolutely stunning. If ever there was a disappointing race I've run this was it. Looking back I can see what happened, but it still doesn't explain everything.

Every thing that could go wrong did, and in the end I could do nothing but laugh. I realized that I was trying to force too many things at once(emotionally, physically and mentally) and it coincided with an absolute gem of how things can go bad.

It all began with the fear of Julie's pregnancy and feeling the stress to get in any training I could. After my great session last Sunday I was feeling 'bulletproof'. I had been on a roll training wise and had no bad days. Every run felt great (even the day after Sunday), but I had also been following a nice consistent series of workouts, recovery, etc... Last Monday I made a decision to get in training when and where I could, but that meant pushing the envelope. I knew last Wed that I had pushed too much as I really felt my workouts from Tues. The run was okay pace wise but it was not the normal off day run I had been feeling over the last month plus of training. It was a grind

In 20/20 hindsight I should have bit the bullet and stayed in my normal routine, but alas my wife is very paranoid right now and that is having a big impact on my own mental state. I sometimes forget I am the 'yin to her yang' and that I need to balance her out, but in this case her fears overtook my own mellower behavior.

In the end I should have backed off after Wed, but I hoped/figured things would get better. They probably would have, but once again I was my own worst enemy. We had our HS city championships and as luck would have it it was the hottest day of the year. I ended up being stuck in the sun for most of the day and was absolutely destroyed by the time for my PM run. The idea was to put in an hour or so run with some short farltek mixed in the middle. The problem was that I couldn't run fast. My HR was low (120s), but honestly I couldn't get it any higher. I ended up doing a few hills, ran a bit and then did some more hills, but I never felt right.

The next day I felt great for my AM run and even my PM run, but the damage was done and I showed up to the starting line thinking I was okay, but once we got going....yikes.....I knew it was going to get ugly. Everything felt tight, beaten up and slow. I had nothing to give except for the concept of finishing. In then end that was all I had to give in every sense of the word.

Mon: 65mins
Tues: quick 38min warm up - monofartlek - quick 25 min warm down
Wed: 90mins
Thurs: 67mins
Fri: AM 35mins PM 60min with farltek in the middle
sat: AM 45min PM 30mins
Sun 1/2 marathon 1:13:?? (I jogged the last 4-5 km with Mark Cryderman when I caught him)