Half Marathon Training Plan: Week 8

Week #8 of Sev's Half-Marathon Training Plan:

	Tempo Run / Intervals	Long Run	Easy Recovery Run	total	target
Week #1	3.07 mi	5.4 mi	3.2 mi	11.67 mi	11 mi
Week #2	3.5 mi	4.85 mi	3.64 mi	12 mi	12 mi
Week #3	4 mi	6.6 mi	3.3 mi	13.9 mi	13.3 mi
Week #4	3.87 mi	7.5 mi	3.3 mi	14.67 mi	14.6 mi
Week #5	4.2 mi	8.9 mi	3.4 mi	16.5 mi	16 mi
Week #6	4.5 mi				REST
Week #7	5.5 mi	6 mi	4.8 mi	16.3 mi	16 mi
Week #8	4.1 mi	9.3 mi	4.5 mi	17.9 mi	18 mi

Not much to say about this week's runs; the first was the awful one during which I realized my injury; the second was the longest AND the slowest I have run since I started training - longest because I needed miles; slowest because of said injury - and the last, today's, was alternately slow and fast in an attempt to stretch out my leg. I felt really good on the faster bits, but I didn't trust myself going that fast for very long with the injury, so I alternated with slowish jogging.

Now, the dilemma.

This was Week 8. In my original plan, I have myself training at 20 miles for Week 9 and then taking a rest week Week 10 (15 miles). (I just rested during Week 6, for reference.) From there I basically build hard through Weeks 11 and 12 and then begin to taper for the race at the beginning of May.

Now, with this injury, I am wondering whether I should take my rest week now (Week 9) and then build straight through to the race.

This has the benefit of working better with my schedule -- this week is the last lab CLASS (although I'll still have reports) which will magically add a few hours back into my weekly schedule. Long runs will be easier with that bitty chunk of time added in.

However, I just took a rest week two weeks ago, for Week 6. And I'm afraid if I do take a rest week now that it's too soon, and even with tapering I'll be burnt out for the race. Although tapering is like resting, so... I don't know. I'm also worried that if I use my rest week now and DON'T heal up, I am screwed, because I don't have any time in the schedule for MORE rest. I'm not a good enough runner to miss two weeks between now and the race!

I guess 15 miles isn't really that much of a "rest" week. I could back down to 15 miles this week and make sure most of them are slow, and HOPE that it heals me.

asdkka;lskd;laksd;laskd;lkass yeah so holding off on this week's goals until I figure out what I want to do. Crap on everything.