Workout

 I had some trouble deciding what to do for a workout this week.  I felt that something quick was needed with the 5k coming up this weekend but ultimately decided that my calf probably would like me better if I stuck with a tempo type run.  I chose to do a 6m at a little faster than goal marathon pace (6:50's) and planned to use the Windham rail trail 5k course as my workout spot.  It is almost exactly 3 miles on the Salem/Windham rail trail to the start of the course so that'd be my workout and warmdown (so I thought).  

I headed out on the warm-up and felt a bit sluggish, I was hoping to be around 7:30 pace but was just under 8 at the mile before settling in to a better clip.  I crossed Roulston street and thus far the trail had been in great shape.  Unfortunately right after I started I hit a 1/4 mile long stretch of ice, my hope was that it would get better as that was also a shaded section in a rock cut.  It did get better then quickly deteriorated again.  I hit the mile in 6:52 and after another minute decided it was just not happening (footing was brutal).  A 6:54 mile got me back to clear ground and I continued south on the trail hitting miles of 6:28, 6:32, 6:23, and 6:23 for a 6 mile tempo of 39:31 (6:35 pace).  I was very happy with that as the effort was the same as the first 2 miles of slick footing.  I finished the day with 2 miles (14:38) for a total of 11 miles in 1:17:02.

13 weeks until the marathon!