THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

Thunderstorms all morning today, and I am too busy this afternoon to run, so, I watched the radar like a hawk this morning, found what looked to be a 30 minute gap between storms, and took off in the rain.  I wanted to at least squeeze 4 in so I pushed the pace the first 4 miles in 29:27/7:23 pace, then slowed down since the next storm still had not hit.  About 2.5 miles later the wind came and the thunder started to roll again so I turned around and booked it home.  Total time 53:29/7:43 average pace.  I am just glad to get that much in without getting struck by lightning!  I was, however, soaked to the bone.  Did two sets of strength drills afterward.  Dug out size 4 dresses from years ago and attempted to try them on.  They FIT!  YIPPEEE!  Two of them were TOO BIG!  I am wearing one tonight for a date with my husband!

2.5 with Vanessa in the stroller in town, then it started to rain pretty hard so I took her home and then ran 6.54 by myself in the drizzle in 57:29/8:47 pace.  Had a great time on my date last night! Unfortunately I am working tonight on a shift exchange from 7pm to 7am so I am going to be awfully tired in church tomorrow.  Hopefully I can catch a nap today...

1:19:32/8:46.  Nice and easy today.  Lo battery on the scale so no official weight today.  Still recovering from my sleepless weekend.  Two sets of strength drills afterward, will probably try one mile at practice 10k pace tomorrow to get ready for my race Saturday.  Did 44:30 last time so I would like to slide in under 44 minutes, about 5 seconds per mile faster--easier said then done, I don't know if in 4 weeks I will have made that many fitness gains.  I only have to work tonight and tomorrow then I am off for 5 days!  Can't wait!

First 4.54 in 40:11/8:51 pace.  Then one mile in 7:11 at comfortably hard 10k pace.  This was 7 seconds faster than my pre-race practice mile 4 weeks ago so hopefully this bodes well for the race Saturday.  Cooled down with 3 miles in 26:21/8:47 pace.  Felt good.

1:15:16/8:17 average pace.  Started out slow, picked up steam as I went, finished the last .46 at 10k race pace with a 50 meter sprint at the end.  It was super humid today and I sweated buckets.  My husband brought me some gatorade--it tasted great because I was really thirsty--I drank a lot of it but still spilled on my shirt and face.  I don't think there is any way out of sloshing some on  your shirt and face.  If there is a trick then someone please tell me!

1:19:22/8:54 pace.  It was very hot and humid and I am not used to it.  Took it easy.  Today is day two of my five days off and I am loving it!  10k on Saturday--can't wait!

9:32 pace.  Oh so very slow with 4 short bursts of 10k race pace.  It was overcast, hot, and muddy today.  I ran a few hours after the thunderstorm.  The race starts downtown tomorrow and with 7,000+ participants between the 10k and 2 mile, parking will be a pain.  I am planning on parking at the downtown EMS station and then jogging .85 miles to the starting line and that will be my warmup.  I am splitting all the kids between 2 grandmas and will pick them all up after the race.  I don't know why I like to plan so much on my blog.

What a day!  I am STOKED!  I feel GREAT!  My strategy today was to go out fast enough to not get caught up in the crowd, and then cool it and rock steady for the middle miles, and then pound it home hard for the last mile or two.  This is a huge huge race with 3,000 or so I believe in the 10k(okay that's huge to me).  Anyways I lined up toward the front, and went out pretty hard.  There was gray shirt girl to my right and ahead of me.  I was about twenty yards behind her or so through the first mile--6:36.  Yikes.  A little fast but I feel good and the pace does not feel strained.  I tell myself to cool it there are still 5.2 miles to go. 2-mile split is 13:40.  Okay I meant to cool it but not that much.  I pick it up a notch, still on gray shirt's tail and I can see hot pink lady ahead of her.  3-mile split it twenty something.  Good.  Under 21 minutes and I want to stay sub-7.  We hit the turn around, out of the wind now, so it feels hot all of the sudden.  I still feel good.  4-mile split is 27:4?.  Still at sub-7 pace.  I can feel my body starting to work and wanting to get into some sort of groove but I don't want to slow down.  I start repeating the mantra "don't get comfortable" to myself over and over again.  "Relax, don't get comfortable."  I say this to myself pretty much the rest of the race.  Somewhere around here I move past gray shirt girl.  5-mile split is 34:17.  I'm doing a little mental math while I'm running.  Sub-44 is in the bag.  Sub-43 is very possible.  Breathing is hard but I don't feel terribly strained.  Calves are burning a tiny bit.  I like that 5 mile split, so I decide to PUSH.  Only 1.2 miles just PUSH IT.  I pick it up and just start running HARD.  I pass pink shirt lady.  She puts up a fight but I get past her.  It's a ways away, but I can see the douglas street bridge, and I know when I turn that corner I'm home free so I push as hard as I can go without all-out sprinting.  This part of the race, the last mile, hurt the most, I'm a little nauseated. As a tear around the corner someone tells me I am 14th woman.  Better than I expected in this race after looking at last year's times.  I start sprinting all out.  As I tear down the home stretch I see the clock.  42:09, 42:10, 42:11--SERIOUSLY!?  HOLY COW!  I just look at the finish line and go.  42:19 is my guess for finish time--won't know the official results until they are posted in the Sunday paper tomorrow.  I will find out then if I got an age group award--they only do the top 3 overall at this awards ceremony since this is the big riverfest and a lot is going on downtown.  I'm very excited with my time--I did not see this coming!  My two year old Vanessa ran in the tot trot.  She was second in her heat.  I was so proud of her--she knew exactly what to do and just ran straight to the finish line(40 meter dash).   Those little two year olds racing is the cutest thing ever!

First did 9.08 in 1:19:36/8:46 pace.  Took it nice and easy--I still have a little bit of lingering soreness in my rear end and hamstrings from the race Saturday.  Came home and did two circuits of strength drills, then back out for 1 mile in 9:12 with Jesse.  Came back in and stretched a little--no appetite this morning(odd for me), so choked down a packet of instant oatmeal and some milk.  Back to the grind today at work.  I have done some thinking about the trail half in June and am paranoid about turning my ankles, so I think I am going to forego the half in June and go for a 5k pr June 6th instead.  I will save my first half for a fast flat one in September.  That gives me nearly 5 months to work on my fitness and translate my current 10k pace into my half-marathon pace.  

First 8.54 in 1:12:33/8:30 pace.  Then went inside and stretched for a minute while Jesse got his shoes on.  Back out for one mile with Jesse in 9:28.  He is talking about going out for track and cross-country.  I hope he does.  I am really going to work on getting him to run with me.  Once again, not a big appetite after my run.  Ate some oatmeal and milk anyway--I have a feeling it will be like yesterday and I will suddenly be voraciously hungry in the afternoon and eat everything in sight.  It is very humid, overcast, and just muggy and sticky.  Makes me feel sluggish.

1:12:38/8:55 pace.  Nice and casual today.  Need to up mileage with caution so only 8.15 today, will do 9 tomorrow.    Off work for three days!  Yeah! I will be getting ready for Brandon's high school graduation on Sunday afternoon--we are having a get together at our house afterwards.  I cannot BELIEVE  he is almost a high school graduate.  Wow. Wow. Wow.

1:11:43/7:54.  I just felt great today.  Legs felt great, breathing felt great, the sun was shining, a cool breeze wafted over me no matter what direction I went.  Running felt easy, even going up hills I felt like I was floating.    All runs should feel this good.  I have to go to a 4 hour mandatory service-wide continuing medical education class today.  Way to impinge on my day off.

First did 6 miles with Vanessa in the stroller and forgot to stop my watch so I don't know what the time was.  Talk about running slow but working hard--run into a headwind with a stroller and the sunshield up like a sail--it takes a tremendous amount of energy and some huffing and puffing to keep moving.  I wasn't running very fast but I may as well have just run a race after that 6 miles was done.  Stopped, stretched, stopped at the post office, then drove home and did 2.38 more recovery at 8:45 pace.  Felt a little light-headed at the end and decided it was time for food and water so walked in the house, still feeling light-headed, and went straight for the bottle of gatorade and a big bowl of raisin bran.  Man was I hungry.  I finished the first bowl and then ate a second one.  Still hungry, so had a piece of toast with peanut butter.  Need to do strength drills but will do them later today.

Updated:  8pm finally did the strength drills.  I know it's silly at this point and I almost skipped them altogether but I think they are part of my injury-free maintenance so I felt paranoid and finally did them with Queen playing and the kids dancing.  We will rock you. I have been eating nonstop all day.  You would think I was starving.

1:26:04/8:36 pace.  5am.  Meant to get 10 in and then have a little alone time before the kids got up.  Got home and Nick and Ian were up watching television.  I sent them back to bed!  Boy are they mad at me.  Long day today.  I have to finish up preparations for Brandon's graduation tomorrow, then off to work for the last day of riverfest, which should have us out and about running calls until after midnight.  Church tomorrow, then graduation, then home to barbecue and host post-graduation party.  

Church was good today.  Brandon graduated from high school.  We had a barbecue afterwards at our place.  It was good to have everyone together.  Our extended, blended family has been through a lot.  I did not expect to be emotional but I am a little bit.  Now the hard work really starts for Brandon, I hope he finds a direction soon.  It's been a great day, and after we drop Brandon off at project graduation for the lock-in I think I am going to have a drink--as in a real drink.  I haven't decided yet if I want beer or something more fruity.

1:21:27/8:58 pace.  By last night  my cold I have been fighting got me in full force.  I skipped the beer I planned on having and just went to bed.  Slept like a rock.  Woke up with a stuffy nose, sore throat, and laryngitis.  Decided to run but take it super easy.  Halfway through I made a phone call to my husband and managed to croak out hoarsely that I would like some water.  I even stopped and stood there and drank the water and didn't try to run and drink.  Amazingly, by the last few miles of the run I started to feel a lot better!  I am still hoarse and can't breathe through my nose but the fatigue seems to have lifted--for now anyway.  Also surprising is my appetite despite the fact that I can't hardly taste my food.  Put away an egg, a few ounces of grilled chicken, and 4 or 5 pancakes at breakfast.  I have always been a girl who likes to eat.  My husband said one of the things that attracted him to me when we first started dating is how I shamelessly cleaned my plate when we went out to eat.  Nothing's changed!

1:16:45/8:27 pace.  Still struggling with this cold.  It has moved into my chest and I am coughing a lot.  Hope I cough it all out and start getting better soon.  My voice is a bit better today so I won't be croaking at my patients.  This cold has me feeling crummy but for some reason when I am running I feel better and breathe better--that doesn't make any sense to me.  Strange.  Came home and gulped water(I was thirsty), did one circuit of strength drills, ate breakfast(a little bit of hashbrowns, egg, milk, juice, banana), then did another circuit of drills.

1:15:56/8:53 pace.  It is hot and windy today, and I am tired.  Still fighting this cold.  Was planning on doing an all-out mile tomorrow on the track to see if I could take a swipe at my high school PR, but I don't feel well so I will probably postpone.   Off to another day of work.

I still have a cold, but, my husband was all about coming to the track with me and calling splits so I figured why not and down to the track we went.  My workout routine needed a little variety today anyway.  Warmed up 5 laps then decided to go for it.  My official time 1600 meter time--6:06--still 8 seconds away from highschool pr.  Splits were 89, 90, 96, 91.  Clearly I totally lost it in the third lap.  The good news is, the pace did not feel overly strained, but it was definitely hard work.  I am kicking myself for letting it slip in the third lap--I think I could have hit 6:00 on the nose if I had concentrated.  Maybe I will try again next week with no cold and focus on the third lap.  I think my high school pr is in reach.  I am curious, though, as to what my top end speed in the mile is.  Only time will tell.  The strange news--my husband commented something I used to hear all the time when I was younger--that it was strange to watch me run.  He said my stride is noticeably short, and it is astonishing to see me run that fast.  He says it is just "strange" to watch and words cannot describe it, that it just looks odd.  I have heard this and similar comments again and again--things like"I've never seen anything like it" and "it is just odd" and "I don't know how you do it".  That's it--I need a videotape of myself running to see what all the fuss is about.  Anyways, enough talk about how weird a short, stumpy girl looks when she runs.  Ran 800 to cool down, drove home, and then ran 4 more miles easy at 9:01 pace.  The last 2 or 3 months I have been having small cutbacks in mileage every other week and this probably helps keep me injury-free so I will keep up the pattern.  Last week was 55(highest ever), so I will probably hit 49-50 this week.

First 6 with Vanessa in the stroller--I forgot to stop my watch at first but it was about 9:00 pace--hard work for a slower run as always.  After 6 stopped at the playground so Vanessa could get out of the stroller and play, and stretched while she played.  Next drove home and ran 2 more on my own as a cooldown at 8:45 pace.  Will do strength drills a little later.  Right now I am just too tired from my late night at work and my way-too-early morning.  We are supposed to get off at 11:30 and right when I went to log off we got dispatched.  Oh well.  Overtime. Got home about 1am, took a while to fall asleep, and then the phone starts ringing at 6:30am.  So much for sleeping in.  Maybe I will get 8 hours of sleep tonight(a rare treat).  Cold is better.  I am still a little hoarse and my breathing, while not difficult, is a bit noisy and rattles from the gunk I am coughing out of the back of my throat.  Hopefully this thing is about over--I do feel better.

1:21:45/8:11 pace.  Up at 5am for an early run before the kids get up.  Cold is almost gone, just a little bit of a cough and sniffle left.  I am now an advocate for running through a cold, I seem to have recovered faster.  Did two sets of drills afterwards.  Nicholas has Hershey track and field practice today.  He is doing the 400 meter dash, softball throw, and long jump.  His meet is next Saturday--I can't wait and neither can he!  I really need to scope out some high-energy summer activities for the two younger boys in particular--they need a good outlet for their incredible amounts of energy.

1:24:49/8:29 pace.  Felt okay.  It was hot outside.  I was out the door a little after 7 am but the temps were already climbing and it was close to 80 when I finished.  I know that's not horribly hot but I am not used to it.  I have decided to do a 5k on June 6th and I am looking forward to a pr.  Plan is to get into the low 20's.  Considering how hard a 6:06 mile was last week I don't think sub-20 is in the cards just yet.

1:20:40/8:54 pace.  Nice and easy today.  Felt wonderful.  It was overcast and cooler, in the 70's, with a nice breeze.  Amazing how much easier it is to run in a bit cooler weather.  Did two circuits of strength drills afterwards.  Weight is coming down a little bit--I think from being over 50 miles a week consistently.  I still feel healthy and am eating a lot.

1:11:24/7:51 pace. Overcast, a little windy rainy.  I was soaked almost immediately, but it was warm enough that the rain did not make me miserably cold.  Ran a little faster than usual, but I was in the mood and something about running fast in wind and rain felt pleasantly rebellious. 

1:21:27/8:58 pace.  Took it very nice and easy today.  Felt good.  Had no inclination to move any faster.  Last day of work before being off for the weekend.  Yeah! 

I got a garmin!  My husband got me one on ebay and it arrived yestereday afternoon!  I got to play with it today and how FUN and interesting.  First 6 miles with Vanessa in the stroller in 53:22/8:53 pace--you can tell where I had to stop for lights and to throw shoes back into the stroller--splits 9:02/9:16/8:37/8:46/8:37/8:59.  Then came home for two more on my own 8:57/8:23--was going to do more but was getting that lightheaded numb-legged feeling and decided to call it quits for now.  It is hot--85 degrees--perhaps that has to do with the weird feeling?  I did drink water during the run.  Will do strength drills tomorrow or maybe later. 

update: did 20 minutes of abs with Denise Austin

1:21:41/8:09 average.  Got up at 5am to run before my busy day.  Just got up, got dressed,and went out the door.  No breakfast, no coffee, no drink of water.  Of course I was armed with my Garmin!  I am having so much fun with it. Felt pretty tired in the legs, about mile 8 decided to kick it up a notch for the last two miles to practice running hard when fatigued.  Interesting to see my splits. 9:04/8:33/8:24/8:23/8:13/8:08/8:09/7:59/7:27/7:09/last little bit is 5:12 pace(kick to the end).  Nick has his track meet today.  He will be doing softball throw, long jump, and 400 meter dash.  I can't wait!  I am going to take him out for ice cream afterward.