THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

7:54 AP.  Another early morning, but not as early---5:45!  I started out at my usual crawl but before the first mile had passed caught sight of something I NEVER see out in the sticks, another runner...cruising down the dirt road ahead of me!  I sped up and caught up to him, and we ran about 2 miles together before branching off.  He's training for an ironman.  Turns out I know his daughter from several years ago...small world!  Felt like beating the 8:00 girl since I was close so did the last mile in 6:51.

7:53 AP.  79 degrees. 59% humidity.  5 am.  After that bottle of wine with my husband late last night to celebrate our anniversary, I really should have felt crummy.  Not so.  I felt great.  first mile in 9 minutes, next 3 slow, by mile 5 had dipped under 8:00 pace and the rest after 6 were 7:30s and 7:40s.  Not on purpose---this I just saw when I checked my splits afterward.  I ran very comfortably but not so slow as recovery pace and enjoyed the sights and sounds of country roads in the early morining.  Carried my water bottle and took 2 shotblock squares along the way.

I thought the race started at 8 so had just pinned my number on and was walking to the restroom when I ran into Adam.  I told him I was getting ready to warm up and he said, "oh, well, ya got 10 minutes".  It starts at 7:30!?  My warm up consisted of .64 miles--running to the car to tell my husband it was 7:30, then a stride, then running to the starting line and another stride.  It was hot and humid, 78 and 74% I think someone said.  Flushed and beaded with sweat on the starting line with my shirt wet and heavy, I ditched it.  Boom.  The gun was off and I got caught up in the jackrabbit wave of a too-fast start.  I knew I had gone out a little fast and decided to get it back under control the second mile and overshot it--too slow.  The third and fourth mile felt about right.  I hate trying to figure out the pace in short races.  I had gas left in the tank when it was over.  It's actually a (very soft) PR. won 50 buck.  I feel like I am starting to get back in shape.  I'm not 100%, but it's coming.  Oh yea, splits--6:23, 6:50, 6:42, 6:38, and then some change to get to the finish line, most measured it a little long.

8:18 AP.  lunchtime run.  The bank sign said 96 degrees. It must not have been very humid though, or I'm getting used to the heat, because I actually felt good.  Not sore from the race yesterday.  This was a nice easy run listening to my tunes.  

8:01 AP.  Overcast and windy which cooled things off a lot.  Felt good, so I ended up picking it up a bit the last mile to 7:19 and the last .3 at sub-7 pace.  One block sprint was 4:27 pace today.

8:27 AP.  Worked my first EMS shift in over a year last night.  It was great, like coming home!  Came home, slept until 11, rolled out for my run about noon. 87 degrees, 60%--not bad, really.  Ran nice and easy on my dirt roads and listened to music.

8:13 AP.  Worked another night shift, slept 3 hours, had some coffee and a little cereal, and left for my run.  I woke up when it was over and I was walking into the house.  I'm guessing it was a decent run....

8:45 AP.  105 degrees.  On the upside, it was only 102 when I finished.  30 insufficient ounces of water, 2 shotblocks.  All after walking 5 on the hot track with my husband(who covered 42 miles in 20.5 hours on NO training for the Wounded Warrier Project).  I was glad when this was done, and won't be repeating it any time soon.

6:57 AP.  Treadmill at the downtown Y.  I am sunburned and my skin needed a break.  I figured if I was on the mill I would do hills and make it interesting.  1mile warm-up 1% 8:34 pace.  1 mile up 4% 7:30.  2 down -2% 6:22, 6:22, 1 mile up 4% 7:30, 2 down -2% 6:22, 6:22, then 6:40 to cool down and get my climbing heart rate down.  It didn't feel easy like the last time I did a similar workout but it was by no means miserable either.  -2% is the steepest the treadmill goes for down.

8:51 AP.  rocky loops by my house.  Recovery run, if that's what you want to call it in 94 degrees.

8:25 AP.  86 degrees, 61%.  Just when I think I am really getting used to heat and humidity I have a day like today where it bugs me.

Ran at the Y today to get a break from the heat before I run 16 in it tomorrow.  6 at 8:27 AP on the treadmill and then onto the cool, air-conditioned indoor track for two more with no watch including 4x200 meter strides with the last 50 on my toes all-out.  Kinda fun.  Tomorrow's slog, starting later in the day then I would like, willl probably not be fun at all.  According to my smart aerospace engineer friend, who has been calculating the dew points and temps and whatnot, it's like altitude training.  That's what I will keep telling myself.

7:51 AP.  Don't know what it was when I started, but finished at 89 degrees, 71 degree dewpoint, 55%.  Fuel was water and half a nutri-grain bar.  I ran four loops around the perimeter of Sedgwick County Park on the blacktop.  Unfortunately, this does not offer much shade.  Still, it wasn't too bad, nothing like my mini-Badwater last weekend.  Picked it up the last 4 because I wanted to get it over with.

Worked all night, came home and rolled into bed at 7, the roofers started at 8.  I tried to sleep anyway but Vanessa came into my room and wanted Mommy to get up at 10:30 so I did.  About 2:30 got out for my run, 104 degrees, heat index of 111, ran 5 at 8:49 pace then decided it was just too intense for a recovery run and then came in and ran 3 on the treadmill 8:45 pace.  Went to Tony's Badwater after party and it was pretty cool to see the buckle, hear the story, and check out the infamous heat box in the garage.  21st at Badwater!  We are proud of him!  Good times with friends and they had a bouncer for all the kids and they had a blast.  Now I'm going to bed.   Good night!

8:49 AP.  Opening mile 10:35, closing mile 7:14.  I went to church yesterday, came home, cleaned house, took a brief nap, worked all night, saw my daughter in ER, came home and tended to her and the other kids while spending a few semi-comatose hours on the couch fielding phone calls and making sure she could breathe, showered, doctor, pharmacy, home, kids, dinner, run.  It was nice to run the first 2.9 with my husband!  I get to sleep a whole 8 hours tonight.  Heavenly.  And, for what it's worth, no caffeine during this 36 hour slog.

6:57 AP.  Treadmill hill day. I think half the reason I look forward to these workouts so much is because I am not out in the nasty heat, although the downtown Y over lunch definitely gets a sauna effect going on.  1 mile warm-up 8:34.  2 miles up at 4%, 7:30 pace(Veyo?), 5 miles down at -2% 6:27, 6:22, 6:22, 6:22, 6:18.  Doing 5 down at once I definitely noted some fatigue in my quads.  

8:29 AP.   Recovery run of sorts.  Another lunchtime slog from the downtown Y along the river.  It was 95 degrees when I started, and I am sure it was over 100 by the time it was finished.  I am tired of running in this heat.  I am not tired of how tan and skinny it is starting to make me.

It was 104 degrees by the time I had a minute to run and I just couldn't do it today so we made a family trip to the East Y.  7 on the mill at 8:24 pace plus 1 on the indoor track, no watch.  Kids had a fun time in the family zone and my husband ran 3 on the mill next to me!

By the time I got this thing going at 8:00am  it was 83 degrees, and you can see my sad fade in my splits.  I chose the track for a weekly 3 mile time trial because it's accurate and I can find one anywhere to run on when needed..fits my busy schedule.

1.16 mile warm-up at 8:55 pace.  Dang, it's hot and humid, I don't want to run fast.

3 miles on the track, 12 laps, took a split every 400 meters.  A middle school girl's soccer team started practice while I was running.  I think they were laughing at me.  Total time 19:38, splits: 1:33, 1:35, 1:37, 1:38, 1:39, 1:39, 1:39, 1:39, 1:41, 1:40, 1:39, 1:35.  Not my greatest, but I think with race day and competition I am in sub-20 5k shape ate least.  4 mile cool down 8:37 AP.

pm:  3 super easy on the indoor track at the Y with my husband.  no watch, probably about 10:00 pace

7:44 AP.  David had to leave for work at 6:30am, so, cursing my stupid running habit, I got up at 4:00 and was running by 4:15.  I ran the first 8 in sleepy silence then picked up my water bottle and 2 shotblocks where I had planted them in the mailbox and got the music going to get me through the monotony of 8 more lonely miles.  It ended up being a progressive run of sorts once I woke up and pushed the pace a tiny bit because I needed to get done and not make David late for work.  The bright side, this is probably the coolest part of the day and no sun beating down on me!  For fun here are splits: 9:08, 8:37, 8:23, 8:04, 7:44, 7:36, 7:38, 7:33, 7:29, 7:34, 7:32, 7:26, 7:23, 7:16, 7:21, 7:05.  In general my long runs are at a faster pace mostly to get them over with.

8:25 AP.  Got out quite early for lunch, a balmy 89 degrees.  Had a nice run from the downtonwn Y along the river.  Felt good.

6:51 AP.  Treadmill day.  Interesting thing about 9 days so far with no caffeine: I think it helps running for two reasons. One:  I have a crazy work schedule but can nap anytime when I get the opportunity--no difficulties falling asleep and this is coming in handy.  I have never just been able to lay in bed and sleep for 30 minutes without having difficulty falling asleep.  Such is not the case anymore.  Two:  I think my heart rate is more under control and thus I can tolerate faster speeds with same or less effort.

1 mile warm up 8:27.  2 miles up 4% at 7:30 pace(climbing Veyo, Kansas style), 5 miles down -2% 6:27, 6:22, 6:18, 6:15, 5:56.  I felt great and wasn't even fatigued and could have easily kept going but didn't want to tempt injury or overtraining so reluctantly ended the workout.

8:30 AP.  2 loops at Sedgwick County Park.  87 and windy at 8:00am.  Legs are a little tired feeling from yesterday but not sore.

8:33 AP. Night shift.  3 hour couch-kid-coma.  8 unshaded loops. 96 degrees, dewpoint 66.  Glad when that was done.  Next: NAP.  It's official.  I'm skinny again for the first time in over a year.

Track trial day.  It was 80 soupy degrees at 4:30am but still better than 90 in the blazing sun by far!  1.15 mile warm-up 9:12 pace.  Yawn.  3 miles in 19:24--14 seconds faster than last week, and my quarter splits were strangely consistent.  It was weird running on the track in the dark, I couldn't see my watch or splits and there is an optical illusion of running faster than you really are in the dark.  Splits 1:39, 1:36, 1:37, 1:37, 1:37, 1:37, 1:36, 1:37, 1:37, 1:37, 1:36, 1:32.  Felt good at the end and could have kept going.  Next week if I get out early again I won't be afraid to push the pace harder.  4 mile cool down 8:52 pace.

Met up with Jennifer, Tyler, Shane, and Karla out west at 5:00am.  Ran most of the run with them and then the last 3 on my own.  It was very soupy and humid with a few storms that rolled in  last night but I believe we started at 78 degrees which is the coolest I have run in in a long time.  Picked up the last 3.5 to 7:20, 6:37, 6:40, 6:40 to get it done.  Felt good.  Once I realized in mile 14 that I was running sub-7 and felt fairly comfortable I just kept up the momentum to the finish.