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!!

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!

I HATE Tempo Runs

Another sucky one bites the dust...this one was total crap though. Even worse than any of the previous two weeks (last week I didn't do one due to the relay, but if you recall the two previous ones were not nearly what I had wanted, although the one before that was perfect, difference, last 3 were in the morning the other was in the afternoon). Today was not even a single mile under 8 minutes...and I wanted at least 5 at 7:30...I did it last weekend at the race...what is wrong with me? OK, morning is different, and no, I don't eat before I go out, BUT, I'm used to going up to even 12 miles without breakfast...what's wrong now? I did the relay, but mileage last week was only in the 20s. This week on Tuesday (I didn't run Sunday or Monday being tired from the trip) the group ran hills at Hyland Park and it was hot and humid and a tough workout, 7.65 miles at right around 8:30 pace...I ran last night 6.35 miles (I can't have odd miles on my log!) easy and then this morning the 9 was a second per mile slower than last nights...I was all over the board and had to walk. My legs feel like jelly and I'm exhausted feeling...still....this is hours after that run. (stupid computer restarted on me before I got this posted) I was at a movie (The Dark Night Rocks!!) and ran out to my car for something and my legs didn't want to cooperate...easy run tomorrow might have to wait.

Positive Hump Day

People ask why I run. I say, "If you have to ask, you will never understand". It is something only those select few know. Those who put themselves through pain, but know, deep down, how good it really feels. - Erin Leonard

I like that quote. I even have it printed on my cube wall at work. For those of us that run, I think we have all been there. People who don’t run, just don’t get it. It’s beyond a need…it can be an obsession. Even for those of us that don’t race much (I rarely do) it’s about the run…even if you aren’t racing, you can always race yourself. Whether it’s getting further out in the time frame on an out and back…or beating your time over a set course…or going further in the same time. Like me last night. I did a tempo run (heel does still hurt, I’m noticing it’s a bit more noticeable on downhills than anywhere, if that means anything, but I’m icing, I’m stretching it, I’m using a tennis ball to massage it…hopefully it will fix itself). My plan was 7 miles, 4 at tempo of 8 minutes or so. Well, got out, was feeling decent and I thought, well, maybe I’ll do 8…and while I’m at it, why not keep the faster pace for one more mile. So a warmup of 8:47, then, I don’t have my Garmin with me but vaguely remembering splits of 7:35, 7:47, 7:31, 7:40 and 7:33 or something like that. I know it probably averaged about 7:40 for the 5. My first recovery mile was 7:54 and then an 8:19…I need to work on slowing that down a bit more I think!! Although the big overall of it, my typical, "easy run" if I were to go 7 miles is a 1:03 or so...so 1 more mile in that time frame (granted a speed work session, but still!!). Anyway, temps were close to 40 and I was out in just tights, long sleeved top and windbreaker. It’s nice to be able to dress lighter. Hopefully maybe shorts this weekend.

Oh, and that was preceded by a morning workout. 15 minutes on the elliptical to warmup, 15-20 minutes of weight training and then a 30 minute bike ride. Lighter bike ride since I wanted the legs fresh for the run. But I managed a double on Monday too and that felt good. This morning I decided I wasn't ready to get up though, so laid in bed for another hour and plan to either hit the gym for a light recovery run tonight or just do one outside. We'll see what happens.

Tempo Run

So I didn’t get enough sleep on Monday night. I went to a coffee place again to work on those essays and didn’t even get anything done on them because I was chatting with a few people in IM and then was hanging out with a friend…sigh…I had a double latte and then a single…when I left around 11:15, well, let’s just say a good nights sleep wasn’t going to happen!! So even though my hottie hadn’t been at the gym on Monday, and he was most likely to be there on Tuesday, I opted to reset the alarm and went back to sleep. I have been doing strength different (used to be 30 minutes 3 days a week now it’s about 15 minutes 4 days a week and specific training from Weight Training for Runners, just to see) but figured if I missed it yesterday, not a huge deal as I can still get 4 workouts in this week.

Anyway, exhausted all day, eating candy (but a healthy lunch of peanut butter sandwich on wheat and an orange) I went home and laid down for about 15 minutes, but popped up and threw on running clothes. A 6 mile tempo run was on the plan…this is how it broke down (for a basis, I’ve been planning for tempo pace, right now, to be 8:00 for up to 4 miles so far):

Mile 1 - 8:53
Mile 2 - 7:56
Mile 3 - 8:03
Mile 4 - 7:31
Mile 5 - 7:37
Mile 6 - 7:33
Mile 7 - 8:14

Yes, that is 7 miles, not 6…and yes, that is 3 miles (well 4 technically) UNDER the 8 minute pace, 3 of them quite a bit under. Mile 5 I’ll somewhat discount because that one is mostly downhill…but Mile 4 is a fairly flat, with ups and downs about equally as is Mile 6…if it was on my Garmin, and the route I ran a fairly common one that Garmin has consistently measure at the miles it clicked off, I’d say some were short…and no, I didn’t lose signal at any points either…overall time was 55:53…I hit 6 miles under 48 minutes (guess I wasn’t off much when I said 45-46 was my 10K race pace, or maybe I was off as this was just a “fun run” what would it have been in a race?). When I finished, I wasn’t overly tired…but I thought…can I really maintain that pace for 26.2 (my goal pace would be 8:00 for fall)…guess we’ll see. I had one thought on it...but not sure I want to post that here...might have to do with some frustrations on my part...I'll leave it at that!!

On a good note, the friend I was having coffee with on Monday might possibly volunteer to bike along with me on longer runs…and carry water, powerade etc…I need to hunt down a few more people so I have lots of options when I need it!!

Today I got up (and no, hottie wasn’t there) and biked for 30, elliptical for 15 and 15 of strength training and I’ll do an easy 4 after work. Then I desperately need to clean!!

Glad people are liking the look. I was needing something new…I really didn’t like the last layout and no idea why I had kept it. I’m still playing with it, but it’s definitely better so far (I like that it’s easier to read, not such long narrow columns now).

I Can't Get Warm

Our last big freeze out weekend was over the 9th and 10th...they said that was going to be the last real bad cold spell (of which we've had way too many this year) for the year. Ummm, yeah, they were wrong. I can deal with the cold, I've been doing it long enough, but I'm at the point where I just never feel warm anymore and it sucks. I drag my butt out of bed to get to the gym, freeze on the way to the gym, only getting warm about the time I pull up, get out, freeze a bit in the gym, particularly when running past one set of windows on the track. Then I get back into another cold car and drive to work. After work I really want to run errands or go to the gym again, but the idea of getting into the cold car a couple of times again isn't appealing...last night it didn't happen, tonight I might force it, but we'll see. I hate being cold. I want nice temps (OK, this weekend wasn't terrible, but I wasn't feeling so well on Saturday so didn't get to really enjoy it).

Now for the running stuff. Last couple have been related to dating, etc and I haven't really touched on running so wanted to get back to that, before I go on another rant!! Anyway, two weeks ago I managed a respectible week of 33 miles. And realized that I had run 6 or 7 days in a row, before I forced a break (one day was only a mile so it kind of was a rest day) and it's not perfect still, but things are better than they have been. Last week I managed to get in 37 miles. Way too many of them on the track, so far only long runs have been outside, but still respectible. I had 11 miles at a 9 minute pace 2 weeks ago and 10 this week at 9:22 but that's a little skewed because the first 2 miles I was messing with my phone and trying to have a conversation with my dad so those miles were slower. Last week I did my first "tempo" in quite a long time. I kind of consider it a tempo/interval workout. I was planning to run 7 both days. I ran 1 mile around 9 minutes to warm up, then sped up to planned 8:30 or so, and every other mile went that way. The last mile though I extended to keep the pace up both weeks and added one more to cool down for a total of 8. Last week I didn't wear a watch so was only guessing, this week I did wear a watch and the 1st tempo mile was 8:22, second was 8:14, 3rd was 8:09 followed by one more at 8:01 and a cool down 8th mile at 8:22 (yes, I was slowing down, but I obviously didn't slow enough for a bit). I had an average if 8:28 for a pace for the 8 and it felt really good to get going faster again. Although I felt sluggish and didn't want to pick up the pace...you know, was out of bed at 5:15 and damnit, it was cold!!

I don't think I'll meet or beat the 37 of last week this week, maybe it's good to have a fall back after 2 weeks of "up" considering how running has been lately. I just don't see getting my long run in this week because of busyness of the weekend this weekend...I'll post more about that later. We'll see though. Hopefully this means I'm getting back up there. Of course my crosstraining has suffered...