THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

8:27 AP.  92 degrees, steady wind at 20mph with some killer gusts, not a super fun run.  The last two days I have been slammed by patients and am so glad this is the last stinkin day of being on call(day 8).  I was busy today but finally decided to go for it and squeeze a run in the late afternoon sun at Sedgwick County Park--two four mile loops.  I managed to stuff my big phone into the little key pocket but the real miracle is it didn't ring during the run.  Now I am up late wading through a lot of paperwork but am taking a mental break to blog!  I am OFF tomorrow and won't be on call again for 6 weeks.  Phew.  So...I am eyeballing this 5k on the weekend but also at the same time there is a 15k, and I am intrigued.  While I would really really really like some 5k redemption, I am 5 weeks out from a marathon, which is the ultimate goal, and a 15k would make a killer threshold workout, especially with a long cool down to make it a long run.  I can always find another 5k, in fact there is one on the 25th, so I am leaning more and more towards the 15k.  What do you guys think?

With a little less than 5 weeks to go until marathon time, I have decided to ditch speedwork in favor of the longer, more marathon-specific tempo workouts.  It is time to get myself used to the feeling of running hard for a long period of time.  Today's workout:  3x3 miles at MP with .5 jogging recovery.

2 mile warm up 8:28, 8:36

3 at MP 7:01, 7:02, 6:50

.5 at 8:21 pace

3 at MP 6:56, 6:56, 6:57

.5 at 8:40 pace

3 at MP 7:04, 7:05, 7:04

.76 at 8:51 pace cooldown to get back to my mother's house as she was kind of enough to watch Vanessa

My actual marathon pace is probably a tad slower but I will roll with these times.  The last set of 3 was hard as there was a lot of uphill and I was getting tired.  6:59 AP for the MP miles and 7:28 overall AP.  A solid training run for me.  These are the kind of workouts that get me ready to hang on for a marathon and make me feel confident.

I'm a windy blogger today.  Revamping my training for the next 5 weeks to race day:

No speedwork--tempo and MP, long tempo-type intervals (like today) midweek and a long run weekly.  This weekend will probably be a 15k race with 10 mile cooldown, next week easy 20, week after that 20 with last 8-10 at MP before two week taper begins.  Plan to run super easy the rest of the days while upping the mileage--whatever I have time for, target is 70-75 a week. Strides a few days a week for leg turnover.  I have been feeling flat and I think this training approach is better for me and should make me peak right on time.  Thoughts?

4:15 AM.  8:47 AP. I just don't move much this time of morning--but it was run early or run never for today.  My legs felt pretty good despite yesterday's workout so I was happy about that.  My 3 year old daughter is my hero today.  She got her poor big toe smashed and it bled a lot and it's hugely swollen, and whenever she walks around more blood comes out and spills over the top of her band-aid.  I was changing her band-aid for the third or fourth time and said something along the line of  cleaning the blood off when she calmly reassured me that it was not blood, just berry juice, and her toe was not broken.

Got up, laid on the couch, let Vanessa watch television, and fed her a chocolate doughnut.  Then we drove and parked at my moms and went on a stroller run for 5.15 mile at a leisurely 8:59 pace.  Went back to mom's, drank some coffee, then went with mom with the stroller again for 1.65 miles at 13:39 pace. I wore different socks and didn't get blisters from the crocs.  They felt great.  Then I hurried and showered and went to the nurse's meeting and now I'm frustrated and burnt out and have a crammed full day tomorrow and don't feel like cooking or cleaning the house.  I want a break. Crap.  I have to catch up on paperwork before getting more behind but I am seriously shut down and am not going to do anything right now.  It's one of those days.

pm:  after I laid on the couch for an hour and prayed a little I realized what a blessed life I have and am grateful to have.  I got up, ate dinner, and spent time with my family.  After the kids were in bed I went for a quick jaunt in town and saw another runner ahead in the dark, so of course I sped up.  Well, he was really hoofing it and I never caught him but dropped two fast miles 7:04 and 6:54 in the process before giving up.  The crocs did pretty good at race pace.  Slowed down and finished.  I feel better now.  7:41 AP

http://tonystrot.blogspot.com/

I am excited to join Tony in his run tomorrow--he should reach the Wichita area late morning and me and my husband and some tribe members plan on jumping on.  I am excited about supporting our soldiers and Tony's wounded warrior project.  He started running over 24 hours ago and is still going strong!

8 at 8:26 AP on the treadmill

Me, my husband, and our 3 youngest kids trailed and ran with Tony Clarke from 4pm to 9pm.  We went with him through South Wichita all the way until a few miles over the Sumner County line.  Our truck ended up being the rear escort so we stayed with his entourage until they had a friend in Sumner County who could take over.  It was an honor to run with him and talk a little.  Me and David took turns driving and running, and the kids took turns running too, even Vanessa.  With 180 miles in him, he was actually doing pretty good.  It was  lot of walk/jog but the fact that he was still moving was amazing to me.  I heard this morning that he crossed the Oklahoma border this morning, completing the 224 journey in 59.5 hours!  Go Tony and the Wounded Warrior Project!  It was actually pretty tiring and afterward we went and at Taco Bell and then crashed.  I'm counting it as 6 although it was probably a few more miles than that on my feet.