THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

am.  Copied Jake K's 3-2-1 workout today to pass time on the treadmill.  I slept for 9, uninterrupted hours last night so I felt AMAZING today.  Warmed up 2 miles ez, then 3 miles at 6:31 pace, .5 jog, 2 miles at 6:15, 6:11, .5 jog, 1 mile at 5:56, .5 cooldown--then blasted through as many weights as possible in 25 minutes while Vanessa finished up Funfit.  I felt awesome, in fact this workout felt way too easy, I think I dogged it a little but I set the paces at what I estimated would be reasonable for hmp, 10k, and 5k pace.  Looking forward to a shakeout jog tonight--laps around the track with strollers while our kids play with my Mommy running friends! My weight is at an all-time low but I feel really great!

pm. met up with April R at the Collegiate track.  We settled her 10 month old into the stroller, got our little girls together playing in the bleachers, and took out in 90 degrees to run circles.  The kids were great, we got away with 7 easy miles and took them all out for frozen yogurt afterward.  I got to re-live the glory days pushing the stroller.

am.  8 ez on the mill and 25 minutes of core while Vanessa did funfit.  May squeeze in 5 by the post before work tonight, time for the long work weekend.  yuck.

pm.  5 through the 217, nice and slow, 91 degrees with 77 dewpoint.  pretty warm and sticky!

Got some easy miles in here and there while watching my comrades race.  Off to bed, Kingman hills after work tomorrow morning!

I don't mind rain, but lighting is a no-go, so my long run today was gonna have to be on the mill.  I settled on a Tinman Big Workout that involved lots of button pushing to get me through this.  I had came home after work and slept and then did this in the afternoon so I was actually rested and felt pretty awesome throughout the workout.

2 miles warmup

2 mile tempo 6:27, 6:27

1 mile easy

8 x 1200 with 400 recovery.  First 4 6:15 pace, second 4 at 6:11 pace

1 mile easy

2 mile tempo 6:27, 6:22

1.25 cooldown

Felt spectacular and had a little extra time before needing to hit the shower for work so did 40 minutes of upper body weights and abs.

Indoor track at the Y,  no watch.  Stopped a few times briefly to chat because I kept running into folks I knew.  Good recovery from the monster workout yesterday, legs felt fine.  I am officially signed up for the Run for Your Momma half marathon Saturday.  This will be the third time I have run this hot hilly brute, but for some reason I keep going back for more!

What a hodgepodge.  early morning slipped in 3.8 on the home treddy then ran 5 while Vanessa was at her appointment with 15 x 1 minute on/off.  "on" paces were wildly all over the place from 5:15 to 6:24.  It was pretty hot and sticky out.   pm:  7.2 with Shelby on the indoor track at the Y, good conversation, he wanted to shake off some cobwebs so last mile was 6:33.  Nothing but easy miles the rest of this week, I'm not tapering but I do want to be sorta fresh for the half on Saturday.

am:  8 ez on the East Y mill while Vanessa did funfit

pm:  prework very ez 5 through the 217

Sleep won.  This is all I had time to squeeze in before walking in the door to work.  7:45 AP, had to really, really hold the reigns in because it was overcast and only 78 degrees and my legs were itching to GO.  The race is Saturday, not today...so hope they feel that way early Saturday morning!

I meant to run 6 to 8 very easy as a prerace shakeout but two miles in at the downtown track I ran into the first paramedic student I ever precepted.  He now works for Eaglemed, who just suffered the loss of Darren Haynes, 38, found dead in his bunkroom on duty on Wednesday.  I am close friends with Darren's brother, who used to be my partner.  We spent the next hour walking around the track and musing and talking about all the fatalities and accidents local EMS has suffered this year, talked about our lost friends, re-lived some of the old days, and caught up on the new ones.  I needed to have this conversation.  Going to bed early and hoping for a good race tomorrow--we have been bombarded with rain and they sent out an email saying be prepared for mud(this course is mostly on dirt roads).  Sounds fun to me!  I just wanna cut loose and run!

Great day and a PR on a difficult course so I am pretty thrilled right now!   Weather was great this morning, super soupy humid but temps only in the 60s, so a decent set-up for me.  Got up at 4:00am,  drank coffee and Gatorade during the drive, and ate half a Clif Bar.  Felt pretty good pre-race.  Jogged a super slow mile and did a few strides, one last pit stop, and to the starting line!  This course is hilly and just rolls and rolls so my splits are all over the place and definitely reflect the hills.  We ran on just about everything--asphalt, dirt, gravel, rocks, cobblestones, and even splashed in a little water.  The last few miles are the rollingest of all, and my legs got super rubbery and I just freight-train-breathing-charged the ups and then tried to stay upright on my angry rubber legs on the downs.  Next goal:  sub 1:25, the further under the better, in a fast and flat half in September!!

splits per Garmin:  6:32, 6:44, 6:50, 6:25, 6:42, 6:32, 6:33, 6:44, 6:51, 6:52, 6:32, 6:47, 6:51, then a 27 second sprint to the finish down the last straight!

oh, and the fun part, I won it outright.  I''ve never chicked a field like that before, that was fun!

Staggered around a lot last night with my sick feverish kiddo but when she got settled into a movie this afternoon I slipped onto the home treddy and ran slow, very slow.  It felt good to shake junk out of my legs.  Actually it gave me some energy, so now I have the gumption to wash barf-covered blankets and clean the kitchen.  As a single working Mom I cannot express adequately the priceless value of a home treadmill.

am:  home treddy, kiddo still sick.

20 minute warm-up

4 x 90 seconds on/off at 5:27 pace

4 x 60 seconds on/off at 5:24 pace for first two and 5:21 pace for second two

4 minute jog

10 minutes 6:22 pace(although I had a pause 8 minutes in because Vanessa had a coughing fit and needed my attention and while I was at it I had an emergency BM)

3 minute jog

4 x 45 seconds on/75 seconds off 5:18 pace

cooldown to 10 miles.  might be able to squeeze a shake-out jog in later at naptime.  but really I should nap, I work all night.

pm.  5 ez.  40 minutes weights and core 

So tired, Vanessa let me sleep 5 hours mostly straight through, then I had to tend to matters of the day and pack everything up.  The deluge of rain continued, and my little Saturn miraculously made it through a lot of deep water, inching past stranded vehicles, to drop her off before work.  I made it to post with a 45 minute window to run and made it 6 miles, being careful to keep it still "easy" but not necessarily recovery pace, since I really did want more than 5.  I felt good in the pouring rain and it was just enough to re-energize me before the long night at work.

At 2pm I dragged out of bed, cup of coffee, a few goldfish crackers, and ventured out into the sun for a a slow 10 listening to some tunes.  After picking Mini-me up from school and having a good talk about her first day of first grade, I hit the treddy for 5 more stupid slow while she ate dinneer and told me more about her day.  Now we will have Candyland and reading time and off to bed!

Big Workout.  7:19 AP.  70 degrees, 87% humidity, partially cloudy, cool south breeze.  I ran this on the HS route which is flat to gently rolling.

3 miles easy warm-up

3 miles at MP 6:40, 6:50, 6:47(felt easy)

1 mile easy

6 x 1 mile at HMP with 2 minute jogs in between 6:39, 6:30, 6:23, 6:26, 6:34, 6:28

.84 easy to get me to the 15 mile mark

2 miles at MP 6:53, 6:53(not so easy just relaxed and tried to be realistic about it)

1 mile easy cooldown

Definitely a good workout, I tried to be realistic about my current fitness level and ran by feel at what I truly felt was my current hmp and mp.  While this is no superhero workout I do feel cautiously optimistic about a sub-3 in October based on the results.

pm:  50 minutes core and upper body before pickingVanessa up from school. Then she fell off a chair and broke her arm in two place, so I wrapped it in ice and took her in.  :(  She is doing good, splint and sling and went right to sleep when we got back, she will get her cast tomorrow.  She is an incredibly stoic child, puts most adults to shame.

am:  After Vanessa's follow-up appointment this morning after her arm-breaking incident last night, I got her settled into school then took out for a very slow 10, pausing at mile 3 to switch laundry.  She sees an Ortho on Monday but doc says everything should heal quickly without problems.  naptime before work now!

pm:  ez 5 by the post before walking in the door.

no watch, felt nice in the afternoon.  first 90 mile week ever

Slept 5.5 hours after work then got up,  it was 85 degrees instead of the promised 80.  Did miles 13 and 14 in 6:48, 6:44, felt fatigued and didn't want to go into an overtraining hole so shut it down, then felt good again and ran mile16 in 6:48 then shut it down again.  Good enough long run, I've had enough good workouts this past week, off to finish this busy work weekend and hopefully catch up on sleep the next few days.

After work had to stay up and get my tough little gal to the Ortho, so anyway i only netted 3 hours of sleep.  7 very slow miles on the home mill was enough forthis weary body, although i always feel energized after a run.  Looking forward to a full nights sleep tonight!  I must brag on my daughter, other than when it first happened she has not cried, and when she broke it i just wrapped it in ice and took her in, this child has not had a single dose of pain medication ad has been playing happily and saying it doesnt hurt much and she is fine.  

am:  5 pretty brisk at 6:41 AP while Vanessa was at her appointment, legs felt good.  Then I hit the gym for a great 70 minutes of core and weights.  Looking forward to a nap and then track tonight!

pm:  6. no track--after looking at my week's schedule, the only real reasonable time for a long run this week is tomorrow morning, so me and Mini went to the downtown Y and I ran a 6 mile shakeout.  I will touch base with speed when I am stuck on the treadmill this weekend

75 degrees.  70% humidity.  not terrible, but not great.  Ran 12 easy then 5 mile tempo 6:49, 6:35, 6:49, 6:33, 6:49, 1.1 mile cooldown.  The tempo did not feel as good as I was hoping for...might have helped if I had planned for some fluid or fuel during this run but I didn't, and it wasn't terrible.

pm:  5 mile shakeout by my work post.  legs actually felt fine, but I waxs hungry! 

ez in the afternoon heat.  45 minutes weights and core with lots of lunges and squats.

Nothing like a balmy 95 degrees for a recovery run.  Really though, as long as I am not trying to do tempo or speed, the heat does not seem to bother me much.  Rolled out of bed, parked at Vanessa's school, and trotted as many as I could before time was up and school was out.  I am stuck on the treadmill tomorrow and really need to touch base with speed, I was thinking of 800s...any suggestions?

Yasso-ish 800s on the treadmill.  I really needed this workout, I have been feeling very blah about my speed lately and so it was a bit of a confidence boost to have this workout feel so easy and not too stressful, and to be able to do it at faster paces and more reps than last time.  2 mile warm up, then 10 x 800 with 400 jogging recovery.  Recovery pace was 8:49.  6 reps at 5:52 pace, 2 reps at 5:49 pace, 1 at 5:46 and 1 at 5:42.  1.75 mile cooldown.

The last time I took a day off from running was July 12.  I had to work last night, and don't get to sleep today, so I am going to be gentle to my tired and sleep-deprived body, watch movies with my daughter, and go to bed early.

Wanted to get a long run in today, but knew I would be unable to start until after 9am when Vanessa was in school.  By then, the temps had climbed into the 80s, the sun was beating down, and there was a south wind.  I wanted to touch base with MP in the context of a long run, and know a tempo in the heat was setting myself up for failure, yet I didn't want to run indoors.  I finally settled on an oddball run where I ran every other mile at HMP to MP effort, trying to stay more along MP.  I did this for 16 miles, then cooled down slow the last two, as in the final tempo mile by body indicated that it had done enough in the heat.  Tempo miles were 6:50, 6:40, 6:39, 6:45, 6:41, 6:35, 6:34, 6:44.  My body seems to find a nice groove around 6:40ish pace, which I hope is where it decides to coast for the marathon in 8 weeks.  The last week or two I have really fallen off the bus with my eating habits, back at it today, must keep my weight down and clean it up for the final training push before the marathon.

6 recovery on the home treddy after work before rousting Mini-me up and ready for school, then parked at the school this afternoon and ran 8 recovery in the toaasty 95 degrees before picking up my sunshine.

Same doubler routine as yesterday. Need to decide on some kind of tempo/speedwork for the treadmill tomorrow. Any ideas??? If nothing else I will probably do Jakes 3hmp, 2 at 10k, 1 at 5k workout again with slightly faster paces than last time.

So now I'm sitting here having a quiet and contemplative evening, and sometimes this blog gets a little diary-ish, I must admit.  But...I'm glad I have it to look back through, 5 years worth now of a lifetime of ups and downs, both in life and running.  I have now hit the 5 year mark from the day where I ran a 12 minute mile, thought I was gonna die, and smoked a cigarette afterward.  Since then, a lot has changed.  The running has phased up and down along with my most painful life experiences EVER.  This last year has been the worse, the absolute worse, many personal losses, nasty divorce, grievous loss of the stepchildren I raised and loved and who called me Mom, scary hit-by-the-car-broken-leg-vacation,  the list goes on.  Within the last 12 months I have gave up and quit running and smoked a pack a day, gave up and quit eating for a while(December,that was rough), gave up.  I can never thank my Mom, my rock, enough, or my best friends in the world Kim and Jess who held my head above water when I was done living.  Most of all I have a beautfiul daughter who is my number one reason to get out of bed every day, and I have been spared by my Creator from death(not to be dramatic, but in 11 years as a paramedic I have only seen one pedestrian survive a hit like that....me)...and relatively minor injury to boot.  I run right now because I feel JOY.  Even when I am plodding slowly, the road beneath my feet, even the treadmill beneath  my feet, it feels so wonderful and the high mileage is easy right now because I am Born to Run( laugh all you want but i love that book) and as my feet pound away I become healthier and healthier, not only phsycially but mentally and spiritually as well.  Alright I'm done with my touchy-feely bloggy stuff!

6:56 AP.  I needed a good 'ol strong tempo run as a confidence boost for a sub-3 attempt in October.  I take this with a grain of salt because it was in air conditioning on a treadmill, but I wanted to get out of the heat and just throw down a solid tempo, getting my legs practice turning the way I'm gonna need them to.  I felt totally awesome and pretty comfortable throughout, so it was definitely a confidence booster.

1 mile warm-up

4 x 60 seconds on/off at 5:27 pace

3 minute jog

8 mile tempo 6:40,6:40,6:40,6:40,6:35,6:35,6:31,6:27

1.5 mile brisk cooldown

Felt like a million bucks and went and did some core and weights afterward

am:  10 ez, no watch, paused 3 miles in to cycle the laundry.

pm.  5 ez, no watch.  102 degrees

After work with the HS group, ran easy, no watch, floated around and socialized a little.