THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

1:26:00/8:35   9:25/9:09/8:56/8:42/8:36/8:27/8:03/8:04/8:17/8:13

Nice and easy today.  Started early but it heated up fast outside.  Did about half a mile between miles 7-8 where I ran a little faster racing the trash man:)  Will probably take it easy all week to rest up for my 5k saturday.

1:15:19/8:21 average.  Slow start as always. Did .45 in the middle at comfortably very hard pace which the Garmin called 6:55--hopefully this translates into 6:30 pace or so for my 5k Saturday--I know comfortably hard on these dirt roads translated from 7:11 pace to 6:48 pace on my last race--we will find out on Saturday!  I am shooting for as close to 20 minutes as possible--I would love to go under but don't want to set an unrealistic goal.  Did 10 minutes of abs with a Denise Austin video I got.  It has 7 different 10-minute ab workouts.  I am a huge fan of Denise Austin--she never promoted any of this super-skinny anorexic diet until you die stuff--she is a strong-looking woman who is not ridiculously thin.

Splits were  9:26/9:24/8:28/8:09/.47 at 7:58 pace/.45 at 6:55 pace/8:24/8:12/8:05/7:55/7:54 pace for last little bit.  Clearly I am a person who takes a few miles to warm up.  Rest of my runs this week will be nice and easy!

9:07 average pace.  Took it really easy and restrained myself.  It was cool today, in the 60's, and the run felt great.  Just ran wherever I felt and let the Garmin measure the distance--kinda nice!  Ran a few roads I haven't run in a while.  Only encountered one dog who just barked at me.  

8:58 average pace.  Took it nice and easy.  Legs feel fresh and good.  Will probably only do 4 miles tomorrow with race pace bursts and then go pedal to the metal Saturday.  I can't wait!

4 miles easy at 9:05 pace, with 4 bursts of race pace to practice what the pace feels like and give my body a warning about tomorrow.  Off to enjoy lunch with friends and our kids and then take 'em all to the sprinkler park.  It is supposed to reach 90ish degrees today.

Well, I didn't make the low 20's so I am a bit disappointed, but it is still a 42 second 5k p.r. for me so chin up right?  I'm not sure what to take from this race.  I started fast, felt good, then about the halfway point just laid down and died.  I wasn't really miserable, I just suddenly didn't feel like running hard and wanted to run off the course and call it a day.  Usually I can power through the mid-race mental battle but not today.  My splits per the Garmin reflect what happened.

mile 1 --6:19(didn't feel too fast)

mile 2--6:48(it just gets worse from here out)

mile 3--6:55(just getting one foot in front of the other to finish)

last little bit 5:40 pace--maxed out at 4:17 pace(at least I mustered up a kick)

The cons: not the time I wanted, lost the mental battle that I usually win

The pros: still a pr, 2 mile spit is only 7 seconds slower than my 2 mile high school pr, there is more speed in my legs than I thought judging from my kick and max pace, 3rd woman overall, 18th person overall, won my age division, good pancakes afterward and I like the t-shirt

In two weeks there is another 5k close by and I intend to get some redemption!

plan to run a recovery run here shortly after Vanessa goes down for her nap.

update: ran 5.5 easy. didn't bother timing it.  90+ degrees, windy, dusty, pretty miserable, good thing I'm going to a wedding tonight and plan on having a good time(plus I get a date with my husband, NO CHILDREN--:)  that doesn't happen often, just David and I! :)

1:47:25/8:20 average pace.  Felt great.  It stormed all night and was still pretty cool this morning.  It heated up during the run but not too bad.  First "long" run since January.  Took it easy and felt better and better as the run went on.  Was cruising quite happily the last few miles--could've kept going easily.  I have come to the conclusion that one of the problems with my 5k is I am not warming up enough.  Next 5k I am going to do an experiment and put in a a good 25 minutes of jogging right up until the start of the race with a few strides.  Splits today 9:32/8:42/8:47/8:33/8:31/8:36/8:15/8:09/7:58/8:06/7:57/7:45/last .88@7:23 pace.  10 minutes of abs with Denise Austin afterwards.

A true recovery run today.  Legs are tired--not sore, just tired.  I ran at a whopping 9:51 average pace :)  How's that for taking it easy?  Actually felt very refreshed and rested afterward.  Off for a big breakfast with family and then another day at work.

9:12 average pace.  Slow but not as slow as yesterday!  Still taking it easy--legs are enjoying the break and so am I.  I am really putting in the miles this week so need to take it easy.  Have to work until midnight and then get up at 4am tomorrow to get ready and drive to Hutchinson for a clinical beginning at 630am.  Yuck.  12 hour clinical and then drive all the way home.  If I get a run in tomorrow, and that's a big "if", it will be a very short one in the evening.  Husband is at a meeting right now--they called him in to meet with the plant vice-president--we think it is to lay him off but don't know for sure.  I am eagerly awaiting his call to see what happened. Sigh.

Update:  laid off effective immediately.  we anticipated this as a possibility so it is not a complete shock

worked 11 hours.  came home. slept 3 hours. got up. drove for an hour and a half, did an 11 hour clinical. drove home an hour and a half.  my feet and back hurt and I am deliriously tired.  no run today for fear I might break something if I try it :).  I'll be back at it tomorrow morning after a good night's sleep!

Since my husband is home I got to sleep in today.  I slept for 10 HOURS.  I cannot remember the last time I slept that much.  Laid in bed for a while after I woke up and listened to the thunderstorm.  It was pretty relaxing.  Ran 6.03 miles with Vanessa in the stroller at 9:14 average pace, then let her play at the playground while I stretched and drank a bottle of water.  Then we got the mail and I brought her home and ran 4.47 more on my own at 8:57 average pace--mostly because I ran the last half mile fast because I was really thirsty and wanted to get home and get some water.

9:03 average pace.  Did one fast mile and "made it count" in 6:37.  Felt very good during the fast mile--was in a comfortable rythm, could've easily sustained the pace--I will be looking for that rythm in my 5k next week.  Off to another clinical today--but it least it does not start so early, is not very far away, and should be over in 9 hours as opposed to 11 or 12.  Good luck to all those running races today!

1:36:50/9:06 average pace overall.  All slow miles, except for in the middle.  It took me a while to warm up, as always,but after about mile 5 I felt the wind in my sails and was drifting under 9:00 pace and just could not make myself go slower.  I figured since I still have until Saturday one Sasha mile or so would be good to get the speed out of my system, and I needed to practice running hard on asphalt in the heat, since this will be my race conditions Saturday.  I ran one mile in 6:30  and .17 more at 6:24 pace.  Didn't exactly feel comfortable since this is basically 5k race pace but it did feel sustainable, although I suspect mile 3 at this pace will take a lot of concentration.  It was sufficient to take the wind out of my sails and I ran the rest of the way slowly.  I think I can break 20:00 on Saturday if I am in the right frame of mind.  All super slow miles the rest of this week to rest mind and body and see if I can make it happen.  Did 2 sets of strength drills afterward.

10 miles at a very leisurely 9:46 pace.  Felt good.  10 minutes of abs with Denise Austin afterward.  Off to work.

10 at approximately 9:30 pace.  Garmin was charging and I meandered around a bit so this is an estimate but I am sure I went at least 10 if not a little over.  It is so hot and humid this morning.  Temps have been getting in the 90's all week and are supposed to get close to 100 the next few days.  My husband brought me some gatorade about 4 miles into the run today, and then I chugged the rest of the bottle when I was done.  Weight is down but I think it is from the heat although I have been drinking lots of water.

9:25 average pace.  Slept in and got out for my run a little later than usual and boy does it heat up early these days.  It was HOT.  It may get up to 100 degrees today.  I chugged some gatorade halfway through but I was still very thirsty and ready to be done at the end.  Chugged a massive amount of water and gatorade afterward.  Off to work.  Will probably just do 4 easy tomorrow with a few surges and consider myself as race ready as I will ever be.  Hubby will be there to cheer me on!--I guess there is an upside to his unemployment!  He will find somthing soon we hope.

9:12 average pace.  Miles 3 and 4 were under 9 minutes because in each mile I did an approximately 150 meter surge of race pace.  The pace felt okay but the heat really takes it out of me.  The heat will be a factor tomorrow--hopefully I can get past it.

aaaaaaaa!  No sub-20 today.  What are the chances of running the exact time again?  This is the unofficial time per my garmin but should be close.  Well, I WON!  Totally disappointed in my time but not disappointed in the $100 I went home with.  Now, here is my bag of excuses for the time:  it was pouring rain, I was soaked.  I could hear the water squishing in my shoes the whole time.  Here is the breakdown:

Mile 1--6:47.  uphill all the way.  I start in the lead.  I need to do more hill training.  I can hear my shoes--squish squish squish, lots of mud puddles and splashing

Mile 2--6:51.  I get passed right at the beginning.  I am determined to stay with her.  I let her pull me and never let her gap me by more than 10 meters.  We are on this bike path that curves and turns CONSTANTLY.  I feel like I am breaking stride all the time and turning corners.  Total speed killer.  squish squish squish my shoes are full of water

Mile 3--6:22. We veer of the bike path onto the road and I kick it into gear and pass her.  I stay in gear all the way to the end.  I see the 20:30's on the clock and am disappointed but I am glad I won. I squish all the way to the soggy end.

what happened?  I went out too slow--way too slow.  I wanted to be a little more conservative at the beginning but I totally overdid it.  The course was not a fast PR course but it shouldn't have killed my time that bad.  At the end, alas, I felt I had WAY too much left in the tank.  What have I learned?  I need to know the feel of my target pace and hit it right from the beginning in a 5k, and then just push harder.  I need to do some hill training.  I need to keep working on my fitness.  I may go to a track in a few weeks and do an all-out 5k just to see the underside of 20 if it is possible.  I hope everyone did well in their races today!

8:29 average pace.  Kept the pace conversational but did not force myself to go slower because I did not want to stay in the heat longer than necessary.  Will run slower the rest of the week when I am not going as far.  Felt fine other than the stifling heat and humidity.  My husband brought me gatorade and checked on me every 30 minutes.  We are under a "heat advisory" today and no end in sight all week and probably longer--it's supposed to hit 105 today.  No races on the horizon.  I either work or have clinicals most Saturdays throughout July so probably no races until August.  The next 5 or 6 weeks I would like to get adjusted to 60 miles a week, and every other week or so try on a long run for size.  I also want to be consistent about doing some core workouts 3x/week.   Got some shoes with my prize money--I should be okay with shoes now for at least the next 3 months--nice to get shoes without dipping into the family budget!  Great shoes--really light and flexible--had no problems running in them today.

9:18 average pace.  Temps in the 80's and very humid.  Husband brought me gatorade twice and I chugged it.  Did 2 sets of strength drills afterward. We finally broke down and turned on the air conditioner in the house because it is going to be over 100 degrees all week.  Feels good!

8:54 average pace.  I sound like a broken record but geez it is HOT.  I didn't get out until after 8am and it was already in the 80's and the humidity is stifling.  Today was a hard run for me heatwise my sweat was just pooling and dripping and didn't feel like it was evaporating.  I couldn't wait to get out of it!  I stopped once to make sure I got a good hit by a rotatating sprinkler and then stopped 3 other times to chug gatorade.   I wish I could get out earlier but don't get home from work until after midnight so I just don't get up as early as I should..maybe this weekend I can have an earlier morning or two.   Came home and did 10 minutes of core pilates with Denise Austin.

8:57 average pace.  Tried putting my shirt in cold water before the run and it really helped!  Thanks for the suggestion Julie--the first half of my run was much more bearable in the heat!  Actually felt good running for the first time all week so did a Sasha mile in 6:42 from mile 7 to 8.  The rest of mile miles were very easy.  Getting ready to gorge on some breakfast and then maybe some abs before work.

8:58 average pace. Maybe it's the wet shirt, or perhaps a bit more of a breeze today, or maybe I am just acclimating, but anyway, I felt good on the run today.  The heat didn't bother nearly as much as it has the rest of the week.  Off to enjoy my weekend off and get ready for my sister to come into town.  

8:22 average pace.  Great workout today!  Got started a little before 6am and it was much cooler(at least if felt that way).  Legs felt great.  I felt great.  Ran 4 very slow, then 2 miles fast--first 1 6:51, then 6:45, two more slow miles, one more fast in 6:42, 1 more slow to cool down.  Third fast mile felt easier than the first two.  Maybe I always need to warm up 8 miles :)  First 60-mile + week ever!  Nothing hurts, not sore, feel great!

8:28 average pace.  Felt great today, ran early enough that it wasn't too hot.  Mileage is up and weight went up with it, as usual, will probably drop in a few weeks after my body adjusts.  I have no idea why it works that way.  Off to enjoy the morning with my sister before I go to work!(she came into town last night)

9:07 average pace.  Nice and easy.  Slept in and got out a little late, so it was heating up towards the end, but not too bad.  I have a group of fellow paramedics and some firefighters that are all going to a 5k race on the morning of the 4th of July.  I am considering going because it will be fun to run with people I know and it is a small-town race with an entry fee of only $10, but I will be fresh off an overnight shift (6pm to 6am) so I will be terribly tired and may not have time to get much of a warm up.  I dunno.  I probably won't decide until that morning.  I may just go and run and hang out and get my Saturday run in rather than all-out race effort, and then go home and go to bed since I have another night shift Saturday night.  Then again, I am a competitive gal and the temptation to try and chick all the guys I know may be more than I can take...or I may just be so tired I go home and don't run at all.  We will see.