sounds like a no-fun week, darkwave, but glad you're on the upswing.
congrats, runner girl, on you excellent finish at your conf championships!
i also raced 6K for xc yesterday -- my first real attempt at this art form and my second-ever time with spikes on my feet. the first time was in a workout this past tuesday, and i've been wearing bandaids on my heels ever since (glad to have learned i'd need them before race day!).
my week was low volume (only 48 miles) with two days off and only 3 (uptempo) miles on a third day. tuesday, though, i racked up 19 miles including 8x 2-min hill in spikes on the golf course, and added 10x strides another day.
yesterday's race was fun (in a hard and quasidemoralizing kind of way). it was the USATF regional masters championship, and i carried my age group, although i was fourth masters overall, my 53-yr-old teammate was just 11 seconds behind me, and i was passed by two women in the final kilometer (i think i was eighth among open and masters women). i definitely realize i need to work on strategy and somehow develop something resembling a finishing kick, which i completely lack at present. anyway, i managed a nonstellar (but nonembarrassing) 25:25. (well, nonembarrassing at least until i hear how you were a on the order of minute faster per km, runner girl!) we'll see what next sunday's race brings.