THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

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!