Tapering Continues

Guess I haven’t written in a couple of days…maybe it’s due to being busy with school, work, taper nuttiness? Anyway, still here, still trying to keep the focus, the goal, clear the mind and believe…

The weekend was spent traveling to a friends surprise birthday party in WI and back. Just under a 2 hour drive one way, but I saw a few people I hadn’t seen in a while while there and that was nice. One a friend that I know from college and haven’t seen, maybe since her wedding, and in that time, unfortunately she has ended up divorced…and what made me sad, is that the experience seems to have changed her. Don’t get me wrong, you can’t go through a divorce and not change right? (not having been involved and married, I can’t speak from experience but knowing breakups change you, it would stand to measure that a divorce would do more!) I always knew her as this sunny, sweet, happy person…glass is half full and/or full to overflowing…always a kind word for people, but would call someone out if they were doing something that wasn’t right, so she wouldn’t get run over and taken advantage of…but now she just seems different…not the person I first met and knew, and yes, it was more than 8 years ago that I met her, so that two would account for changes, in fact I knew her first before she was even 21, and she just turned 30…but it’s always sad to see those changes in those that you know shouldn’t change, or wish that they wouldn’t change.

Anyway, got home late but Sunday morning I got up and went to the farmer’s market where yay, they had my Cortland apples that I so love (the ones I got last week were good, Zestar, but Cortland are just even that much better!!), talked to my parents, went for a run and then tackled homework…A full day of it pretty much since I spent Saturday running around (12.5 mile run Saturday morning, then a little homework and then of course the trip to WI and back). Got it done in time to relax, watch a bit of TV and go to bed. I didn’t want to get up yesterday morning, but did and went through the workday, finalized one bit of homework during lunch and then was off to class. Monday night is Stats…but while it’s a bit hard to follow sometimes, the lecture can go all over the board, I do like listening to him, and the stuff we discuss is more the application of stats instead of all talk of the formulas and theories of why. Got my first assignment back too. We are reading a book called The Ghost Map, which lays out the cholera outbreak in London in 1854 and basically what caused it…each week we read a chapter and are tasked with taking 1-2 sentences from the reading and writing about how it relates to what we are discussing or have discussed…that’s it for the direction. I wrote about 2 paragraphs on the section I took, and ended up doing really well on it. In fact I proclaimed I still know how to BS because I know I sat with that assignment having no clue what he might want/be looking for…but his grading is basically verbal, super, excellent or good…excellent basically is what you want to strive for as it will help pretty much have you at a B-B+ going into the final…I had a super…meaning I was a step above that!! I like that. Now at least I have sometime to fall back on to write going forward. I know this weeks isn’t as good as that one, but hopefully it at least earns an excellent…along with the other homework that took quite some time…the concepts are still taking time to set itself in my mind!! Or taking my mind time to remember them!!
And tonight is my 3rd to last training group run. Scary and sad…we are doing 5-7 miles at marathon pace and afterward have a speaker. Jason Lehmkuhle…member of Team USA of MN who finished 5th at the Olympic Marathon Trials…should be quite cool!
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So forgot to get this posted yesterday so it's now posted today...and the talk was quite cool...I mean not often you talk to someone in such a quiet setting that is at that level...

Class was done early, run last night was entertaining as taper nuttiness and snarkyness was in place big time. Long week and the one day I had to go home and just veg I now gave up and am going to a happy hour...sigh...

Tapering

Well, the taper pains are here I think. Seriously...my legs feel like lead!! I did go for a run last night, a tempo, that because of lost signals I think was a bit short, but on mapmyrun it came up at most .20 short of the 10 miles I thought I did, so not OVERLY short. I guess the time I had is fairly close, I mean at most it's probably 1-2 minutes off, which isn't a lot over 10 miles. At most instead of the 8:01 pace Garmin said, probably an 8:20...how is that?? Means I did run at least 5-6 miles of MP like I planned. I really didn't believe it though, my legs felt so tight I really didn't feel like I was running some of the sub 8 miles that were coming up.

Middle of the night I woke up, and feeling like lead still, I decided you know, this is taper week, I had planned 44 miles, but if I didn't run today, I'd still be at 40 for the week if I run tomorrow (which I am) and Sunday, which I definitely plan on, it's not a big deal. The hay is in the barn, as Nathan, one of my training coaches put it. There is only injury and overtraining and not enough rest that can come right? So I slept in this morning and took this afternoon off. Of course I snacked and feel guilty about that and feel I should go run that off...maybe I should go soak in a tub instead...see if that soaks the tightness out of my legs.

Anyway, other than that, I'm glad the week is over. I have class on Monday, training group on Tuesday (but only for 2 more weeks, that makes me kind of sad) and class again on Wednesday. Can I just say how much I look forward to Thursday?

Yasso 800s

The last kind of big workout pre-taper, although I'll do a tempo run tomorrow yet too, and a light tempo next week as well...but it's really and truly cutting down...met with the training group and did an easy 2 mile warm up before hitting the track at St Thomas for the 800s, 400 recovery...this is how they broke down (unfortunately I don't have the recovery time for each since I don't have a regular watch right now, just ordered one, and I didn't use the interval function on Garmin last night).

Yasso 1 - 3:31
Yasso 2 - 3:35
Yasso 3 - 3:27
Yasso 4 - 3:27
Yasso 5 - 3:25
Yasso 6 - 3:30
Yasso 7 - 3:31
Yasso 8 - 3:28
Yasso 9 - 3:28
Yasso 10 - 3:20

Thing is, they actually felt pretty easy...I could've done a few more and none of them, not even the last, really felt like I was pushing the pace.

We had dinner at a fun place nearby after and got out of there way too late, to bed way too late and up way too early...with class tonight it's going to be a really long day I think! Ah well.

Fall?

First of all, last hard, high mileage week complete. For my PR marathon in 2006 I had my highest mileage week ever then, of 63 miles. This morning I did 5 miles , and has been the case after every long run so far, ended up feeling really good and averaged an 8:41 pace. I tell you, Endurox R4 recovery drink works. I have had it after my long runs and feel good enough for a good run the next day. Even when the long runs are done harder!! Anyway, that 5 miles put my mileage for this week at 68. I ran everyday. And since I ran last Sunday, that's 8 days of running...I think my body is ready for a rest.

After my run yesterday I decided it was time for a quick stop at the farmers market because it's mid-September and my favorite apple had to be in season by now...Cortland's. A MN apple, the only thing I really look forward to in the fall...and no, they aren't quite ready. Maybe next weekend, but not even a guarantee on that. We did have a late spring after all. And when the person at the stand mentioned that, I remembered that too and was even more upset about the color changes we noticed in the leaves on our run today. Yes, we are experiencing normal conditions for this time of year in MN, but we had a cold winter last year, a crappy winter, and a very, very late spring...don't we deserve a bit longer summer??? Don't get me wrong, I don't want summer conditions marathon day, 3 weeks from today, but I don't want fall yet when we were cheated out of spring! But such is MN...and at least we are in football season right? And I was able to get a different apple, Zestar, a newly developed one, developed right here in MN at the University of Minnesota that are pretty good...so it wasn't a total loss at the farmer's market.

Another sign of fall...homework time.

Let the Taper Begin…Except for Tuesday’s Yasso’s!

That was the theme today, and yes, we are doing Yasso’s on Tuesday with my group, but today marks the official end to the mileage build up. Over the next 3 weeks I’ll be cutting back my mileage and of course there is a big race 3 weeks from tomorrow.

My plan, 22 miles, the group had plans for 20, so I went for a quick two mile warm up through downtown St. Paul.

Mile 1 – 9:06
Mile 2 – 10:00

Then met my group, basically at mile 26.2. Today’s run was an out and back. 10 miles backwards over the marathon course and then 10 miles back. Coming into today I had 40 miles in, not counting the race on Sunday (since that was last weeks mileage but still, it was a factor to the week). The Fartlks on Tuesday and the somewhat failed intervals in the downpour on Thursday. I had a decent meal, similar to what I want to eat the day before the marathon (at my favorite restaurant) last night, got to bed, and thought before bed that I couldn’t wait till today, getting this last long run done. The long run with the group. Plan was long slow distance of course, BUT if you felt OK, run harder coming back…up the hills. So that’s what I did.

Mile 1 – 9:15 Mile 12 – 8:32
Mile 2 – 8:54 Mile 13 – 8:52
Mile 3 – 9:10 Mile 14 – 9:28
Mile 4 – 8:54 Mile 15 – 8:31
Mile 5 – 8:54 Mile 16 – 8:39
Mile 6 – 8:21 Mile 17 – 8:08
Mile 7 – 8:51 Mile 18 – 8:10
Mile 8 – 9:42 Mile 19 – 7:50
Mile 9 – 8:49 Mile 20 – 7:53
Mile 10 – 8:53 Mile 21 – 7:54
Mile 11 – 9:08

I’m pleased with the results. We ended up longer by a mile, I was fine with that. Average pace was 8:43, which is what I had been wanting to run my long runs at. The slowest miles from today are pretty much water stops, and the best part. The hills at Mississippi River road, which are the harder ones, are the hardest we saw and I’ve run them 2 other times with the group already. Everyone always warns that Summit is bad, the hills will kill you from mile 22-24…we were running Summit and one guy said “almost to the top”…my response…in seriousness, “we are climbing a hill?” Talk about feeling good!!

And in the beginning of the run, my legs were feeling a little tired, still kind of were at the end, but the main thing is I did it, and I think I did it well. And now let the fretting and worrying that comes with taper on…we all know it happens!! Oh yeah, and that makes 63 miles for the week, matching my highest mileage ever, and I'll be doing a recovery run tomorrow.

Fall…and Back to School Time

Well, September, in just a few weeks in fact, we’ll be officially in “fall” again. I know people that love the fall, I’m one of the weird ones that don’t. And honestly, I don’t consider myself a pessimist (maybe a cynic at times, but never a pessimist). I usually can see the glass as half full, or at least more often half full than half empty, but with the fall, yes, it gets pretty, the leaves look great, and the break in humidity is great for running, but it’s not like spring, we don’t have the humidity then either, and the days get warmer and you look forward to 50 degrees and running in shorts, but after you get used to summer and running in shorts in 90 degrees, running in shorts in 50 again feels cold. One morning this week I saw my breath in the air leaving for work, and the two mornings I have run, I went in shorts, but chose long sleeves for the top…and it will just get cooler…and then of course the dark…in the spring the days are getting longer, in the fall they are getting shorter. I guess what this all comes down to, and what makes it hard for me is that I live in Minnesota, of course, and here the fall is very short, and it leads into winter, and winter is very long, cold and dark, none of which I like. So while yes, the weather is great for running, the leaves are pretty, it’s leading to something very soon that I don’t like and it’s hard to enjoy the month or so of fall that we get because of that. That makes sense doesn’t it?

For this week I got a happy surprise on Tuesday. A friend of mine happens to mention recently about being on the Nike campus once…when I ask how, she mentions that’s where her friend that lives in OR works. Umm…does she get DISCOUNTS? I asked…and I wasn’t even thinking of my shoes because you know, I get an OK deal on them most times, but the Nike Tempo Track short. They are my favorite. I have 8 pairs and I still want more because they are comfy and they have so many fun colors. Well, turns out she can get the normally $28 shorts for $16…I said yes, get me some. I said around $100, basically about 5 pair, and I happily went through the 22 colors on Nike’s site, got it down to around 10 that I really wanted and put them in order saying any 5…I got the package and wore a new pair on Tuesday with my group run, we did fartleks, and let me say, that was tough after that race on Sunday!! I got home and was going to put the new ones away and counted and found 5 in the bag…but I had worn one of the new ones that night too…when I looked through them, one pair had been marked clearance there for $9, so my guess is since they were so cheap, and actually the others were cheaper than the $16 she had thought they were, she just got an extra pair. Shipped they still were only $100…so 6 new pair of Nike Tempo Track shorts, shipped to me (well my friend, but easy enough to pick up from her) for $100…what a great day!!

Oh yeah, and on the other part of my post…school is in session full swing now. I have two classes and have now been to both of them. So far so good…we’ll see how it goes!! So far I really like both profs though, so that’s a good thing.

And I’m winding up the week…this will be my last high mileage week before taper. My plan has me doing about 65 miles, which will be my highest mileage week ever. If I get my run in tonight, the distance that I have planned, there is no doubt I’ll end up in that range…the last 20 miler is on Saturday morning, the back half of the marathon course (out 10 miles the wrong way and then back 10 miles over the hilliest part of it) and I won’t miss that run. Other than that it will probably be a weekend of homework…what more can you do after a 20-22 mile run anyway??

Guess before I post this I can post my pathetic interval day...I won't make excuses for it, it just wasn't in me today. But if I were going to make them, I suppose the race on Sunday, the fartleks on Tuesday, running this morning and the downpour that started halfway into my first mile repeat all could've played a factor (the ran let up after about my 2nd or 3rd one, but by then I was drenched and miserable).

Mile 1 - 7:22 (did lose signal so think this one was long this time)
Mile 2 - 8:06 (really bad signal and felt horrible)
Mile 3 - 6:39
Mile 4 - 7:10
Mile 5 - 6:58
Mile 6 - 6:45

The last 4 were better, but two of them, mile 4 and mile 6 were down a really nice hill...so that's why 6 was as good as it was. I did manage a total of 12 miles even with the rain, but might have killed my MP3...ah well.

City of Lakes 25K - 2008

Well, weather was about perfect. It was a tiny bit cooler than I might have asked for, but it’s better than the heat that could’ve been. Not sure on early temp, but low 50s I’d guess, no wind, some clouds. I wore shorts and a long sleeved tech shirt, I should’ve worn a short sleeved and gone with my tube sock sleeves, but either way I was OK. My plan was to start the first 2 miles at around 8:30 and then bump up to MP of 8:00 miles through mile 10 or so, and then see what I had left for the last 5.5. As you can see, that plan kind of went by the wayside…

Mile 1 – 8:16
Mile 2 – 7:57
Mile 3 – 7:50
Mile 4 – 8:06
Mile 5 – 7:55
Mile 6 – 7:50
Mile 7 – 7:45
Mile 8 – 7:21
Mile 9 – 7:50
Mile 10 – 7:25
Mile 11 – 7:42
Mile 12 – 7:41
Mile 13 – 7:31
Mile 14 – 7:30
Mile 15 – 7:23
Mile .73 – 5:06

Garmin Time for 15.72 – 2:01:16 ~ Unofficial Clock Time – 2:01:41
Garmin ½ Marathon – 1:43:26 ~ ½ Marathon Clock – 1:43:53

This race is not chip timed so that accounts for the difference in my Garmin time vs. the clock time. I was about 30 seconds or so off the clock, took that time to get to the start line from where I started. And then of course, I didn’t get the full tangents of the course so ran a bit further than the 25K. Average pace for the almost 16 miles that I ran (and I did a 1 mile warm up) was 7:43. Average pace I need for my time goal for the marathon is 8 minute miles…marathon is now officially 4 weeks out. (And the picture is of the beer stein that you get for finishing, much better than a cotton t-shirt!! If only they provided beer to put in it!!) Oh, and I put my 1/2 marathon pace breaks in there simply because I was feeling really good then, and even on the clock time, I was ahead of my current 1/2 PR.

I needed this race. It felt really good. I had to rein myself in a bit, I hope and pray I feel that same way on marathon day. I definitely picked up sooner than I planned, and while toward the end I was feeling a bit tired, you wouldn’t know it by the paces I was putting up. Oh, and I more than made up for the way I ran it last year...I definitely was in better shape, and I didn't get dehydrated, and die at the end.

Oh, and those 2 fast miles from the intervals, I did mapmyrun on them, and they were about a tenth of a mile off, so more in the 6:30 and 7:00 miles that I figured…I know there is no way I’d feel that good after paces those fast!! This week is my last really full, hard week. My last 20 miler is on Saturday. I have a group run speed day on Tuesday, and then will do more intervals on Thursday. Another speed day or two next week, and the taper begins.

Heartbreak and Head Colds

Back from my trip, and I'll try to post about it this weekend. Wasn't quite what I expected, didn't quite get to do some of the things I wanted, but my biggest thing...I got to see Heartbreak...yes...the famous hill. And I ran the last 8 or 9 miles of the course...it was very cool. And yes, I can see where heartbreak gets its name!!

Well, interval run...I wasn't sure what to expect, I've been sick since I got back (or full of allergies), I'm exhausted from lack of rest...so wanted to just stay in bed this morning...I did a 2 mile warm up and then the intervals:

Mile 1 – 6:56
Mile 2 – 6:49
Mile 3 – 7:00
Mile 4 – 5:46 - OK, I don't believe this one, lost signal a tiny bit, but still didn't seem enough to account for such a fast time...
Mile 5 – 6:12 - This one I think is a bit off too, but I don't know what to think.

Half mile recoveries between each, and then a 3 mile cool down. I wanted the 12 miles...it felt pretty decent and was at a pretty decent pace overall. Alright, yes, those were the times I put up, I KNOW that 5:46 is a bit off, I didn't feel tired enough for that one, and the 6:12, I don't know...but I know Garmin is real...so who knows. Anyway, I trust the first three at least. And I know a few of you are amazed at the speed...but remember, this is just for 1 mile at a time!! You would be amazed at what you can pound out one at a time!!

Oh, and classes started!! More on that later too.

Thundering Intervals

Literally. I noticed a little heat lightning as I started out this morning, but was determined I'd get my intervals in this morning so I could get a light run in this afternoon before finalizing my packing and getting to bed early for the 3:30 am wake up to get to the airport.

1 mile warmup and then 4 x 1 at 7:00 pace was the plan.

Mile 1 - 6:53

Mile 2 - 7:14

Mile 3 - 7:46

Mile 4 - 6:34

OK, again not good pacing but average was 6:53 and I got 8 miles in in 1:02:52 which pleases me. By interval 3 the rain was starting and by 4 I was in a full thunderstorm...but I don't mind. Just kind of weird when it's dark and you're exerting that much it makes it hard to focus. Really messes with the mind.

Orientation went well. I got my books. Scares me because they are put together by the professor. Not just a pre-done textbook...means the guy is smart! Hopefully he's a good instructor. We had a little meet and greet session where I was talking to a girl who happens to be training for her first marathon in January, so I gave her my email and told her to keep in contact since we aren't in class together first semester. Speech by the Dean was very good. He isn't dry, had good humor and good things to say. Dinner was good, salad, wasn't crazy about the dressing so picked at it, but dinner was chicken and veggies and rosemary red potatoes, I was at a table seated next to the Dean and he said his mother wasn't there so he didn't have to eat his veggies!! A man after my own heart!! Dessert was a chocolate mousse in an edible chocolate cup...yummy!! Then we had a breakout session where they talked about the program, a professor and our advisor (each of us was in a room with our assigned advisor, there are 170 incoming 1st years), and we discussed an article we had been given to read, to simulate what classes might be like. An enjoyable evening and a part of me is kicking myself for not taking two classes...I'm almost thinking I should sign up for one more. I'd really only have one week of heavy running while having class as well...so it wouldn't be too terrible...I have a day or so to think about it...hmmm...

Upcoming Vacation

So many posts lately about my running and not really anything else…but then I’m less than 6 weeks now from the marathon, which means 3 more hard weeks (and 2 days gone from that now!) and 3 weeks of lighter, tapering…so you can see where the obsession comes in right?

Anyway, in other news, other than running (I have 21 miles in so far this week by the way, and yeah, it’s only Tuesday…yikes, but vacation starts Thursday so need to pack them in before I go, bad time for vacation but oh well), I have orientation tonight, which I might have mentioned yesterday…in fact by the time I get this posted I will probably have already been. What’s interesting about this is that I actually had to read an article before it because apparently we have a classtype discussion about leadership after the sign in (at 4 pm, hello, we are working MBA students, that’s the reason we are taking the night program!) and keynote address by the Dean and then dinner (yeah, dinner, who knew?) we have a class. Kind of weird…meant I had to get up early today so I could run before work, that’s all I know and I have to miss my group run tonight…sad times.

In other news. I leave. On Thursday. For vacation!! Yippee…this is that trip I was supposed to be making to a wedding that is now changed and apparently I wasn’t invited to the updated small ceremony, even though I already had my ticket, but actually that works out better as I no longer have to spend $200+ a night to stay in the city and instead I get to visit my favorite city, in this country, that I have been to so far. I fly into NY on Thursday, meeting up with my friend Kurt who is getting me from the airport and is planning to take me on a 10K route that he runs in his area and enjoys. There is dinner planned and beer will be drunk, he asked what kind I like, my reply, anything not overly bitter or thick!! I like trying new beers so we’ll see what he finds…he also mentioned wine…yum…then on Friday I’m back to the airport to fly up to Boston where I will meet up with my friend Bill and possibly at some point my friend Craig and meet Craig’s lady friend perhaps…Bill lives in downtown Boston. Bill has a great slicery just a block (not even) from his building. Bill has a liquor store just a block from his building…Bill has a train station just around the corner that can get you to the North End and fabulous Canole…and he also lives on a really great 4 mile or so loop along the Charles and just down from Harvard, and not far from BU…oh, and the Boston Marathon Finish line!! My goals…see Heartbreak Hill, hopefully run a race (they have a live run for the Nike Human Race from Cambridge on Sunday) and maybe get up into New Hampshire and Maine…beach fun is supposed to be had as well. We shall see…I’m there for about 5 days so lots of time to see a lot!! I was contemplating a whale watch. That could be cool.

A Love and Hate

So just a week or two ago I wrote a post about how much I hate tempo runs...I don't know if it was finally having a good one last week with my training group (which I'm going to miss for the next couple of weeks and I'm bummed about that, tomorrow I have orientation for my MBA program and then vacation and other stuff) or what, but this week instead of jumping right to the tempo, I decided a progressive, like last week, was in order and while I don't tend to always post mile splits, this was the breakdown...

Mile 1 - 9:04
Mile 2 - 8:40
Mile 3 - 7:56
Mile 4 - 7:51
Mile 5 - 7:46
Mile 6 - 7:32
Mile 7 - 7:06
Mile 8 - 7:00
Mile 9 - 7:06
Mile 10 -8:03
Mile 11 - 6:55

Mile 1 and 2 were meant for warmup. Then I wanted to do the next 4 miles at Marathon Pace of 8:00 and then 3 more miles at, well, half marathon pace, but I don't know what that is, so anything under 7:25 or so was my plan, and those were 7:00ish...not bad. First cool down was another MP so that was kind of cool...last one, I'm not sure about. I know I wasn't going fast. I also didn't lose signal, so...well, could I honestly have been going that fast and not realized? I really felt like I had slowed down for the cool down...as was plan. Oh, and I had done an easy 4 that morning for a warm up type of run and only planned 10 for the afternoon but was at 10.2 by my car so figured I'd just finish that last mile. Could be a good week. Even with my travel!

Average came out to 7:46...I'll take that...if only I can hold that for another 15 miles...

Oh yeah, and speaking of that orientation...I better get myself reading that article I'm supposed to read for tomorrow for it. Yes, I have homework and classes don't start for another week (mine is two weeks from today actually). Save me!!

And Then There Was 20

So yes, last week was a 20 miler. This week was a shorter, fall back week, recovery and all that, for next weeks 20, but next week I’m out of town. I’ll be in Boston when my group is running. And I don’t know how easy it might be to get a 20 miler in out there (although yes, the thought had occurred to run from the finish line, 10 out and back, yes, along that course), with the going out, hanging out and all that good stuff. So my other option was back to back 20s…and getting up extra early on a Saturday so I could run 8, then pick up with the group. I didn’t know if going out after would happen or not…I was out of bed at 4:30, and at our meet spot around 5:30. I ran out 4 miles, opposite direction we would be running, in the dark…alone…and while normally I don’t think twice about that, but I was in a different area, not that it was a bad area, but well, you know…it was dark, but thankfully it was fine. I saw a few other early birds, although not many. Anyway, the 8 went like this:

Mile 1 – 9:24
Mile 2 – 8:56
Mile 3 – 8:42
Mile 4 – 8:54
Mile 5 – 8:52
Mile 6 – 8:52
Mile 7 – 8:52
Mile 8 – 8:35

A quick break, bathroom stop, quick chat with a couple of the group members, directions on the route and we were out:

Mile 9 – 8:57
Mile 10 – 9:03
Mile 11 – 8:40
Mile 12 – 8:58
Mile 13 – 8:38
Mile 14 – 7:54
Mile 15 – 8:20
Mile 16 – 8:29
Mile 17 – 8:28
Mile 18 – 8:09
Mile 19 – 8:21
Mile 20 – 7:44

Total Time – 2:54:04 for an average of 8:39 pace. Granted there were about 10-15 minutes between the two runs, but overall it really was a good run.

The next weeks are crazy and unfortunately now I don’t get to run with the group for a bit and I’m going to miss it. I have orientation on Tuesday night, then next Saturday out of town, won’t be back in time the next Tuesday for the run (missing two key speedwork sessions, but that’s OK, I can do speedwork alone) and the next longer run I’m doing a race that weekend instead…

Sunrise Intervals

I haven’t done these in a while…I did some cruise intervals a while back, but that’s kind of a cop out workout calling it intervals since it’s more toward tempo than anything. Anyway, been freaking out at the lack of intervals in my workout so decided this morning I could throw in a few light ones to get some speed work in, particularly since this is a lighter week anyway. Plan was for 3 1 mile intervals with a half mile recovery at 7:00 pace. 1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down for an easy 6 miles. In the morning that strikes me as fairly easy.

Got out of bed, it was difficult, but managed it with enough time to get the workout in and have plenty of time to get ready. I ran a mile warm up at 9:20 pace, then set up Garmin for the intervals. One problem with the 201 (that apparently is fixed in the 305) is that Garmin doesn’t count the recovery as part of the overall workout and/or figure the time into everything, so I had to just do a guesstimate on overall time since I forgot to look…makes me want the 405 even more (especially having seen more about it the other day, touch screens etc…I’m thinking Christmas present to myself this year!! I do tend to get Christmas money, and I didn’t buy what I had planned with Christmas money last year either…hmm….). Anyway, this is how it played out.

Interval 1 – 6:25
Interval 2 – 6:13
Interval 3 – 7:01

Umm, yeah, have I mentioned I’m no good at pacing? I knew the first one my legs were feeling kind of tired but had no idea I was running that much faster than planned pace. Second one, well, there was a good downhill on it, OK, that was actually on the first one too, but still. Third one, that was more like it, and obviously the first two got me! Also did end on a decent uphill. During my first recovery interval, I was jogging along (only time you’ll see me use that word!!) and I saw Mrs. Bambi trotting down the road toward me. She freaked a bit, and took off and got onto a yard, but then stopped, and kind of looked at me as I jogged by, I looked at her, said good morning and went on my way and she went on hers. It makes me remember back to the morning I saw a doe and three fawns…I haven’t seen deer on a morning run in a while and it does make for an interesting morning. I’ve seen red fox in the morning too. Now all of this wouldn’t be strange except that I live in a city of 45,000 people. A first tier suburb of Minneapolis, population 350,000…a metro area of 2-2.5 million…but I do live near very wealthy neighborhoods with large yards and some nature areas, and the deer know a good address and school district I guess!!

I also couldn't wait for the sun to get up. I forgot how disoriented I get in the dark when doing a tougher workout that really pushes the O2 levels etc...

Hot and Steamy

Much the way Twin Cities and Chicago were last year. Tonight was Tuesday night group run and we started from Minnehaha Falls here in Minneapolis and went over the Ford Bridge (crossing the Dam hill we ran two weeks ago) for a nice warm up of 2.5 miles to a water stop. Plan from there was 2.5 or so at marathon pace to the Franklin Bridge, the bridge you cross during Twin Cities from Minneapolis into St. Paul (mile 19) and then the back to water stop was to be at half marathon pace and after the water, for another mile to mile and a half at 10K pace if it was in you...well, the 10K pace wasn't quite there, but miles went pretty decent. Overall time was
1:22:22 for 10.3 miles and an average of 8:01 pace.

Warm ups were 8:49, 8:55 and a 9:20 split with a 6:59 (lost signal and some downhills and partly was the pick up mile) so those two splits were a bit off, but the progressive miles were: 7:50, 7:26, 7:19, 7:38, 7:36 then cool downs of 7:59 and 8:21.

I kept up with 2 of the guys for the faster paces and that was good. They took off the last mile we were running faster, they were probably just under 7 and I had it at around 7:20 again (the mile splits were a bit off as we started at 2.75 for the progressives so weren't quite a good indicator of everything). I'm happy having just over 10 miles at MP though. That is a bit of a confidence boost, especially since 5-6 of those miles were under MP. Hopefully it means good things.

Heel...it's still sore at times, I have the night splint and am doing the exercises. I have 7 weeks (which most things seem to indicate how long the stuff might take to fix the issues so we'll see).

Oh, and on a side note. I just finished watching a movie I started last night called The Long Run. It's something I got off Netflix...it wasn't a horribly well done movie, but it's a fictional movie about a woman that is coached to win the Comrades Marathon, she's stubborn and never been formally coached, she's coached by a crotchety old man set in his ways and who just lost a job...but it really is kind of endearing.

21 Miles and 3 Hour Drives

Well, after a long week last week I am planning a cutback week in mileage and workouts for this week. I might do a couple of a little bit harder workouts (we have a tempo/threshold run tomorrow with my training group and I think I might do some cruise intervals in a shorter workout on Thursday) but for the most part this will be a much lighter week. Last week I topped at 59 miles for the week. We had a 20 miler on Saturday that by the time we were done was 21 miles. The pace was slower than I would’ve liked (9:17 is what we averaged by the end) but I felt good the whole way, could’ve run further (5 more miles would’ve been easy and under 4 hours as we were picking up the pace at the end) and had sub 9, including an 8:15 or so mile in the last 4-5. There wasn’t anyone willing to run a faster pace up at the front it didn’t seem, but having more energy in the legs at the end I guess is a good thing.

Friday night I met up with my friend who is getting married in January, her sister and sister-in-law, the three of us make up the wedding party, and we went bridesmaid dress shopping. Her dress was picked and purchased a few weeks ago, and ours ended up being bought on Friday. It was basically the dress we had already been shown that was made to match up with one of her top two dresses. It wasn’t the dress she ended up getting, but this dress will still work fine and it’s a cute dress that I could see wearing again. We went for yummy dinner after at a good Italian place (I said I wanted pasta no one else cared and I was running 21 the next morning) and I tried lasagna even thinking it wasn’t a good idea day before a long run, but it was fine (have always avoided heavy cheese things but now I know it works!!). We went shoe shopping after, just to see if there was a chance we’d find something and amazingly we did…they were more than I’d maybe have wanted to spend, but the shoe was very cute and I’m fine with it because I’ll wear them again and often and they were comfy, at least to me!!

So after all the gallivanting went home and watched Phelps win gold number 7, then went to bed, did the run the next morning, then drove 3 hours to my parents. Not fun after 21 miles but oh well…what do you do? I visited at home, then went to my grandma’s for a visit, then to have a beer with mom and dad and saw my aunt and other grandma and some family friends…then went back and got other grandma to bring her down for dinner…we had yummy ribs, sweet corn and baked beans and some really good bread and then watched more Olympics and saw Phelps get 8 and saw marathon through Paula getting finished. Maybe it wasn’t a good run for her, but at least she was able to struggle through and finish. Went out for a while with my aunt later than night and then was home and spent the night with fuzzy nephew Beaux…got up the next morning and visited with mom and dad, went for a walk with mom and Beaux and we pooped him out, it’s been a while since tubby walked 2 miles! Then dinner and a nap and last visit with grandma, stocked up on sweet corn and came back up…was later than I normally come back but since I went down later figured I better stay a little longer. Got back in time though for a quick run to loosen up the legs and managed a nice 5 miler averaging 8:30s which isn’t bad considering the 21 the day before. Now I need weekend to recover from the weekend!!

Olympics

So I haven't been able to watch much of the Olympics so far...mainly because I've been exhausted and in bed so early (which will probably happen again tonight). It still is amazing to see these athletes though, and the levels they are at...but at the same time, I wonder about their lives...I mean seriously...they gave up their childhoods to be where they are...and all the pressure that they have to go through, and then the scrutiny and questions if they aren't good enough OR if they are too good. It's so much pressure, how can anyone deal with it?? Is it all that pressure that pushes them toward illegal things?

And seriously...why are the women's volleyball teams dressed so skimpily and the mens not???

I finally got my cars oil changed too...it was so overdue...and tires rotated. I'm set for my trip to my parents that I'm most likely making after my 20 miler on Saturday (not looking forward to that one!). And while the oil and tires were being dealt with I did a nice little 10.5 miler (I was going to go ahead for 11 since I knew I'd be over 10 but legs were feeling a little dead so figured it was best to quit). I managed an 8:08 pace, plan was a tempo, I picked up pace for mile 3 (wanted 2 for warmup) and was just over 8 minutes, then I had a bad hill and wussed it and slowed way down for mile 4, 8:49, but miles 5 and 6 were 7:40, mile 7 was 7:50 and mile 8 was 7:33. I finished off the last two and a half just over 8 minute miles and all was good. Still not sure it's good for my 8:00 minute miles, but I'm getting there...just a couple more days and a fall back week that I think I really need. Legs are feeling very dead.

Ups and Downs

Literally…life has them, great things can happen one day and you can be on top of the world and the next day a crash…but of course those aren’t the ups and downs I’m really talking about right now. The ups and downs I’m referencing have to do with my run last night with my training group at Hyland Park (oh and in response to a few queries, no I’m not doing a TNT thing, no way I’d be able to raise that kind of money, I’m training with the Minnesota Distance Runner’s Association fall marathon program). The plan called for 10 miles, but last time we ran there we were short with only 7.5, so I decided since I get there early anyway, I’d run 2 miles to warm up before the others got there…I was done with that almost an hour before the rest of the group was there and we were going to run but oh well. I got a good stretch in so that helped too. Group showed up and we were off…over hills upon hills…ups and downs, although nice thing is this is trails and some of that just feels so good. Weather didn’t feel too bad, was a threat of rain, but unfortunately it didn’t come, and by the end we were all drenched because the humidity was up enough. The end of the main run is over the top of the ski hill (yes, MN does have some skiing) and that at the end does kind of suck…it’s an up, slight down, more up, slight down and more and more up. But nice views when you run across the top. We got to the start, saw that we were at 7.5 again (but I was at 9.5 remember) and everyone said hey, let’s do a cool down lap around the lake (same lake I had warmed up on) and off we went…so I ended with 11.5 miles. I think it was a good workout. I got home too exhausted to eve think about eating. Ended up having some grapes and Trader Joe’s brand honey nut o’s so I would have something in me and crashed…I couldn’t even stay up to watch the swimming. Ah well.

On another note, my order from Amazon showed up. I paid $26 for a book called “The Plantar Fasciitis 5 Minute Solution”. It’s larger, large print and about 100 pages…2 of which go over the stretch for the PF that is supposed to help in 5 minutes a day (you do it 3 times a day and holds for 10 seconds 10 times so it takes 5 minutes total). I wish I could’ve spent half that and gotten just the stretch…of course if it helps I’ll say it was well worth it, and it got good reviews. The rest of the book talks about what PF is and how it comes on, studies etc…we’ll see. I also ordered a night splint. I’m not sure this one is going to do enough or not, I slept part of the night in it, and it was fine to sleep in, just not sure it was holding my foot enough, but I’ll try it a bit more and see if it works or not. I did take it off halfway through the night when I was trying really hard to get back to sleep after having woken up…and was of course exhausted this morning, but got up and went to the gym, only managed 20 minutes of strength though and the 30 on the bike were tough. I’m not running tonight, Wednesday has become my day off, but I might need to take another day off this week and have it be totally off. It’s been over 3 weeks since I had a total rest day I’ve realized (I don’t consider the strength training as tough and the biking is light too) and I think my body is rebelling, even though it doesn’t seem like it’s been that much as I certainly haven’t dropped any weight…next week is a fall back week and I’ll definitely go for the rest then, just hope I can get through the rest of this week. I’m so exhausted feeling and I think it might be some lack of sleep…wish I kept better records on my past sleep habits. I’m still freaking over my training a bit.

I think I'm going to go to bed shortly tonight to let my body relax...and tomorrow I'm only doing my afternoon run too. Hopefully that gives me some recovery.

Tired...

Almost in a way that is to the core...would it be awful if I went to bed at oh...7??? I didn't sleep well last night (might be because of the 10 hours the night before).

I was just reminded (due to watching diving right now for the Olympics). When I went to lay by the lake on Saturday that there was a car wash going on. They have them all summer. Fund raisers for high school teams...I'm assuming the swim team was doing it on Saturday...they were wearing board shorts (boys) all except one that is...one was in a Speedo...as in a banana hammock Speedo. Standing by the side of a busy intersection. And he was so young...I mean we're talking 14 (OK, all high schoolers look so young to me...seriously, no idea about the women that are molesting the high school students because they look soooo incredibly young, why would anyone not that age be interested in that?? Even when I was that age I wasn't interested!!). There is just something so wrong about a 14, OK, maybe 16 year old boy standing by the side of the road in a Speedo...

New York to Boston

This month I had a wedding to go to. It was in NY. I found out the date and got the invite in February, since they needed responses by June 1 and people needed to book tickets etc…I booked my ticket not long after I knew I was officially invited…then come May, it’s announced that there aren’t enough people that can make it and they are now doing the wedding as a private ceremony that day and that they apologize to those that made flight reservations already but they hadn’t had responses and people were going to end up spending money they didn’t have to go, so hence the change.

I hadn’t even responded to the message that it was changed, the groom asked me about it (he had had others email some saying they were happy for them, some saying they were angry at the change) and I said I should be used to people flaking on me by now, I mean I didn’t say it to be mean, but it was just one of those things. Never had a response back from him. Fast forward three months and I had an email from the groom, apparently people were asking what they are doing that day, and he included a link about the the private ceremony they are having, but they are still doing a boat wedding, like the original plan, and it does include some guests…umm…yeah, my invite for that must’ve been lost in the mail, or something…really irritated now as he KNEW that I had booked my ticket already so I could’ve been included so I wasn’t flying for nothing or didn’t have a wasted trip. Ah how fun and how great friends can be.

So before I even knew about the wedding change, I was contemplating just cancelling the ticket and using whatever remained for one of many other trips I’m supposed to make (to see my friend in San Diego, or my friend in San Francisco) and just as I was about to make decisions on that (not wanting to impose too much on the friend in NY even though he told me I was welcome to stay as long as I wanted) ANOTHER friend, one that lives in Boston, emailed me asking if I wasn’t coming out there sometime soon. I had emailed him after the wedding fell apart and he had invited me up to Boston. His remembering this and asking me about it again, I thought sure, why not go up there and hang out with him. He invited me to stay as long as I could, and since I love Boston, I thought why not. I checked into the train, figuring hey, can jump on it easy and run up…it was going to be $62-89 for a 4 ½ ride, ONE WAY!! I checked flights…just over an hour and it was only $150 (round trip)???? What’s up with that??? Seriously? Does Amtrak realize the ridership it loses?? Sure it’s not that bad if you buy a pass, but I’m not there long enough to need one. Anyway, all said and done I fly into NY on Thursday morning, Kurt is picking me up around 11 am and we are hanging out, then he’s dropping me back at the airport on Friday and I’m flying up to Boston to hang out with Bill…now debating letting my friend Craig, who is the reason I know Bill, that I’m going to be up there as well. Craig is even in town right now for work and will be seeing him tonight again (guess depends on how drunk I get if I let him know about my trip or not!), and I should probably tell him. If he finds out and I haven’t told him that might be weird…but at the same time, I kind of do want to see and spend time with Bill, but at the same time too, I’d like to meet Craig’s girlfriend that he has still failed to tell me about…darn him…if things are serious he’s supposed to share!!

So I did tell him...And we all went out for a fun Girls night on Friday, well, girls plus Craig!! I didn't get up early for my run on Saturday since it was a late night and instead headed out later, around 4, and managed 14 miles at an 8:54 or so pace...I'm still shooting to get the long runs to average 8:45 and I'm hoping at least by the 20 milers I can get one of them down there...I followed that up with 7 miles around Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles today. Averaged 8:50 pace there. And for the week I logged 54 miles.

Tempo Thursday and Cake

Here’s hoping…although as I type this, it will not post till after my run (unless I go home and post it, then run and then post again, would that be super silly?). I really am pressuring myself on my running, as you can see on my last post. Why? Who knows. I need something to freak out over maybe? Anyway last night I was up a bit later than planned, a friend is in town and I was asked to sub in on a kickball team, so between all that it was quite late when I went to bed, so I didn’t get a run in this morning the way I wanted to, but that means my legs have had 48 hours of nothing but a 30 minute bike ride in them (OK, not quite, but close) since my hill runs. I’m hoping for a really good tempo run tonight…and to try to solidify that, I had a 2:30 snack that has been shown in the past to be good for that. Cake. Yes, you read that right. Remember from 2006? Cake = Super Food? Anyway, I’m attempting it today and it wasn’t even an accidental thing. Nope. This was an, I was out running errands for lunch and I stopped at a grocery store that has a good bakery and has cake, smaller slices (and I cut the piece into two pieces, one for today and one for tomorrow). I wanted chocolate with white frosting, which wasn’t to be had, since chocolate for some reason goes with chocolate and white with white…I settled for the marble that was mostly chocolate and had chocolate and white buttercream frosting on it. Yummy!! Now only hope it works.

In other news. In prep for Twin Cities, and the group coming into town for it, I got a space booked at a bar that for some reason I overlooked till now…we will be having Happy Hour on Friday before the race and getting to know each other more. This is a combination of people from my two yahoo groups I’m part of. That should be fun.

So yes, I made it through my run. Was supposed to be 9, I did 10.5 (we finished at 8.5 on Tuesday and I had to make that even mileage). First two warm up miles felt really sluggish and I prepped for a bad run...second was close to 10 minute pace even but I had lost signal a bit. Anyway, I stepped it up and my first tempo mile was a disappointing 8:30, but then I had a 7:48, 7:44, 8:04, 7:44, and 7:33. The overall pace for the 10.5 was 8:24, which isn't bad. It's still a bit slower than what I would need to qualify and 25 seconds slower than the pace I'd like to run...so we'll see. I did tell myself after the first mile that was slower than tempo I wanted, to just relax and let it go...and after that it did and while it never felt as flawless as one run I remember well, it was faster than that run and still felt OK. So I'll get there...hopefully!