THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

4:00 am.  10.08 at 8:57 AP.  The earlier it is the slower I am.  Calves were super tight and took 5 plodding miles to loosen up--in fact I didn't crack 9:00 until mile 7.  Altogether it was a pleasant, slow run.  There were a lot of sprinklers on and they looked like ghosts snaking in the dark--it was pretty cool!  I didn't hear a single yip from the coyotes, they have definitely moved on so I am much less tense on my early morning runs.

pm:  5 at 8:32 AP.  I got home early from work so figured why not and jumped on the treadmill.  I started at 7 mph but bumped up to 7.1 when I outran the treadmill and accidentally slammed my hand onto the console when my arm was swinging.

8:11 AP. Hill workout. 1.34 mile warm up slow. Steady pace up and down the hill staying in the 7:50 neighborhood for miles 1.34 to 6.77, then cool down for a total of 8.13. Good strength workout for the legs but not a thrashing of a workout. Found some crocs finally in size XS at Sports Authority--will try them out tomorrow!

7:39 AP.  Tried out the crocs!  I wore my favorite pink running socks with black crocs.  They were deliciously light and comfortable and the run felt fantastic.  I was running very comfortably but yet the pace was quicker.  My feet felt light and free and so did my legs.  Only downfall, a hot spot and small blister in the crease of each big toe.  I believe it is because there is sort of a bump there in the bed of the shoe as part of the inner pattern.  What to do?  Put in inserts?  I don't know what kind of inserts I could stick in there.  I also thought about just fileing the bump down.  Any suggestions?  They feel fantastic and I want to run in them more!  Nothing hurts, not my calves, achilles, nothing.  That silly bump just rubs my toes the wrong way.

Easy breezy on the treadmill while Vanessa napped.  Ran mostly at 8:34 pace except for the last .l6 at 6:00 pace to stretch my legs a little.  I am pretty eager for the 5k this weekend.  I am itching to race and itching for a PR.

Terrible loooong day at work.  Came home and had to deal with a bunch of stuff.  No time to run, but I finally just took myself off the radar and ran 3 miles easy with surges of race pace to freshen up a little for the 5k tomorrow morning.  I hope I can sleep tonight; I will sure need it if I am going to get that PR.  I need it bad. 

A little discouraged.  Once again, I managed to finish one of these short races with way too much left in the tank.  It seems like once I really get cooking it's over.  I need to learn how to race and push harder in these short races.  I started out pretty good, didn't look at my watch but was in second place when the dust settled in the 2nd kilometer.  I was trailing the girl who won last year with a 19:30 so I figured if I kept contact with her that would be about right.  I stayed in range of her the whole time and then kicked about a quarter mile out and was closing the gap fast but ran out of race before I caught her--beat me by 3 seconds.  I could talk in full sentences immediately and knew this was not a good effort or true reflection of my capabilities.  I should have picked up the pace, passed her, and gone for it much sooner in the race.  I am disappointed-I know I have at least a 19:30 in me!  I am eyeballing a redemption 5k next weekend.  Bad idea or good idea?  I feel like I need the confidence boost of a 5k PR before my next marathon.  Warmed up 3.36 miles at 8:46 AP and did 5 strides off the line.  Cooled down 4.22 miles with Eddy at 8:35 AP, stopping a few times to field phone calls since I am the on-call nurse through until Monday.  I spent the awards ceremony in my car talking to a client and a doctor.  Next I ate lunch with my husband and then had to drive my sweat stinky self in running clothes to a client's house and send them to the hospital.  It has been a non-stop crazy on-call weekend and shows no sign of letting up.