KSH, I'm not a triathlete and thus can't react to your schedule with any useful wisdom, but my feeling is, when you're running, you can always walk a little bit. Not for a long time, just enough to give you mind a break. When I was younger I NEVER allowed myself to walk...but now I walk all the time, up that little hill, to that next fencepost, whatever. I don't walk for long periods, maybe 30 seconds or so, but it really helps me get through.

Life was what it is last week so I really didn't get to run much. My total last week was 10.5. This week won't be much better, so I did a long run today knowing that I may not be able to get out much later in the week. We got a leeeeeeetle bit of snow last night (about 1") so I was able to run a good segment of the trail here in the 'hood (6.5, plus the road approach to and home from, for a total of just over 10 miles). Thing is, it had warmed up earlier in the week, so it was 1" of fresh on mud. The uphill portions felt like running on sand. But I was the first person to lay tracks for the first 3 miles or so--though it looked like the deer had a party on a portion of the trail-- and the sky was blue and the temp was perfect, in the mid 30s. I'm always amazed that I can be right there, above the city, and be so totally isolated in a beautiful place. It'll be a mud fest again by this afternoon, so I'm glad I got out.