Trashcan Annie

4.4 mile tempo at half marathon effort....4.4m in 26:02 (5:54)

this was a weird workout. i had a very hard time getting into a rhythm that felt good. it wasn't until the last 1.5 miles that i felt 'good' and got into a rhythm. so it wasn't quite the confidence builder i'd hoped it be, at least not in the conventional way i thought it'd be. Feeling weird and off and still running just below 6 min pace, by my self is a pretty solid run, and feels great!

splits from my garmin

6.10 getting started... felt off.
5.44 ravine hill... felt good so i thought
6.05 i don't know if was scared, or just paying for a fast mile previous. gradual hill on walden
6.00 on bike path
5.51 *pace. this was the .4 section

then i did 4x 1on1off the mile split for this one was around 6.10 I have no idea how fast i was running the hard part.

ran on the treadmil.... boring. 6.40 to 6.50 pace the whole run.  Felt great!

ran with dave and shelley (12). The hills were really hard this morning for some reason. my legs were burning on each uphill and then felt awesome on the flat bike trail. i was sooooo glad to have company... and good company at that!

Got home and cooper wanted to run so i went back out! We had a lot of fun. he kept galloping and skipping insteading of keeping stride... and he kept looking behind him. The kid is going to really hurt himself one of these times.

Ran with STeve. it was a fun run... Steve saved the turtle we found. I was so glad he called last night! I can't wait to see how everyone else did at palos heights half today!

4 miles AM

i pushed will in the stroller, and he had his snack during the run. He was so cute when he saw a gardening crew weed eating. Here's the conversation:

mommy ares dey killing the dandelions?
why yes they are Will
But I like dem. Deys are pretty. Others peoples dont wike dem?
Nope other people don't like them. Some people don't want any in their yard.
Well I's Still like dem. *gasp* Mommy we's could save dem, and take dem home wiff us.
how about if, instead, we wait until we buy a house and just let them grow in our yard. We can have lots of them. Then we can eat the leaves in salads!
you's can eat dem? *extremely enthusiastic* Alright. that's a great idea.

TRACK WORKOUT 8 miles pm

3x800@5k effort 200jog, 400@5k effort 200jog continuous. There was a huge group which was great. I didn't start my watch on my first set. On the second set I was rather distracted by my lovely children, 'Mommy *name* is making Will eat grass.' on each lap. do i stop, and scold them, or keep going and let them resolve it? Anyway the last set Casey finally arrived and I was able to really grind one out. Unbeknownst to me willem was mooning the other runners on that set, and later stripped down to his tighty whities and danced on the high jump pit. Supposedly he was trying to avoid another depantsing... Perhaps he wanted to get some laughs... We'll never know. Thank goodness i have a mellow one too. cooper was very chill during the whole workout. Anyway here are the splits i got

set 1 ??
set 2 800/2.43 400/78
set 3 800/2.38 400/78

I felt really good, strong and all. My legs are definitely coming around and adjusting to all this training. Thank goodness. Hopefully soon I will be able to be consistent.

ran 3 easy plus 6 strides on the treadmil at the club house, while will plugged away on the elliptical. He was really good this morning when i got a mole removed... patient and all...he only had three short moments where sitting in the his chair proved challenging for him. when they were stitching me up he said, (bwud=blood, wed=red... all r's and l's are W's)

is dat mine moms bwud? *gasp* hers bwud is wed? hers bwud IS wed! WoW dat's cwazy!

shortly there after he decided he'd been waiting long enough and said, "buh bye. I'm going home." no you're not willem you have to wait for me to drive you. "Well I's just kidding mom, gosh. I'm packing up den. I's just packing up mines stuff. Fow weaow (real) i's just packing up" The doctor had to forego the stitching until she was done laughing.

and earlier, as the doctor was cutting it off, he says, "does dis tun off da wights? I fink it does. maybe, I should twie it and find out!" not comforting when you have a scalpal at your skin. the Doctor just laughed and asked for a back up light "just in case". He heeded my advice and didn't touch the lights (he said he was only joking, if you listened to him you'd think i had no sense of humor).

Bitter sweet for me. I felt like i didn't do justice to my fitness level at this race, but i learned a lot! My first race over 15k in 2 years and i ran very conservative which was smart. If i did this again i'd go out harder, and with more confidence. I ran slower than i expected... but i didn't bonk so that's good, right? beautiful course too....oh and i learned that sunglass are a good idea! i've got to find a late race gu that doesn't make me sick, so i can start using them again. So for where my experience level is, this was fine.

The one mistake i was concious of was shutting down mentally after i hit mile 13. I just wanted to finish at that point. my lack of mileage really showed, my legs got tired and i didn't push through it hard enough, i just coasted, "dum de dum de dum I'll get to the finish eventually" What a crappy attitude. So Somethings in my control to work on for the next "long" race are late race attitude, and strengthening those leg muscles.... they're still like little baby leg muscles.  Here's the race "report"

I went out in a 6:08 first mile and quickly made up for it with a 5:52 next mile to go through the two mile marker in exactly 12:00.... Then I held the 6;00 pace for the next 7miles.  I passed Katie Nowak once at mile 4 and she fought back.  Then at mile 5.5 I passed her again, no fight this time, then I quickly over took Linsey Smith as well, close to the 6 mile marker,I held that spot for the remainder of the race.  I went through the 8 mile marker in 48:04.  The first 8 miles felt like I was jogging.  Then came 5 miles of rolling hills.

The first series of hills I held close to pace, and could see Paige and Kristen up ahead until mile 11. I actually saw Paige make her move. I went through mile 11 in 1:06:17.  I was happy that being conservative had payed off since i'd done little hill work in the last several months.  Then mile 12 (1:12:28) i started to unwind.  Energy was running low, and my legs were becoming fatigued.  No heavy breathing still, no burning, just fatigue. and more hills.  mile 13 (1:19:??) I was wishing it was a half marathon, but still not feeling defeated.  I actually felt like there was a lot in my legs and now way to tap into it.  Miles thirteen through 15 are flat residential miles, into the sun.  I can remember squinting up the road somwhere around mile 14 thinking, "didn't I just pass that tree?  Wasn't that guy in the chair on the last block?"  those last two miles I just let go of the fight knowing that I wasn't going to gain on 2nd place, and no one was gaining on me.   When I rounded the corner and saw the finish I was sooooooo happy.  I recovered quickly!  So it was solid, for where I'm at right now, and shows where my weakness are.  This race is a pretty honest reflection of my training (weaknesses!)... not fitness!  does that make sense?  The course was beautiful

6th woman... 3rd American.

pushed willem... ugh

2x 1@marathon effort/.5@5keffort/1@marathon effort

the two miles I timed were right at 6:00.  A little faster than actual marathon pace, but the effort felt right.  Weird, because my body should be lagging.  I have take a 2-3 hour nap everyday this week!  Not at all my normal schedule.

well I could definitely feel yesterday... talk about lagging body! 

felt great!

very easy on the trail!  great morning with good friends!

Cooper rode the bike, and had a huge wreck! so we stopped he cried, A LOT, and then we finished. I was happy that he got back on his bike without any prodding. Although he didn't want to do any extra, which is understandable, so we came home.  He showed his elbow to CAsey who said, "knarly" and gave Cooper knuckles.  after that Cooper just beemed.  Dad's have a way of turning a crisis into a right of passage.  I tried, but mom's just don't have that ability I guess.  I'm just for hugs, kisses, and triple antibiotic ointment.  That's a pretty good job too. 

lifted, ran 5 miles in the morning at the gym

ran 8 miles at the track and watched Cooper run the mile 8:08 in blue jeans and no shirt!  Not bad for 7!  He runs just like his dad, a long stride head up, stiff back.  Glorious day.