THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

An okay time for an okay performance.  Wasn't feeling it today.  I just never found that desire to really push into the super pain zone.  I tried to keep a steady pace--felt okay until mile 10 and then my legs just seemed to lose strength and it was hard to keep rocking steady.  I am a bit disappointed in my time, but think this is an honest assessment of my fitness so now I know where I am fitness-wise, and not just where I WISH I was. It will come with time.  The course was basically flat, a few ups and downs getting down by the river and then back up on the road here and there, but  mostly flat.  Hydrated well the last few days, got up early enough to eat toast and a banana, and never got anything during the aid stations at the race--a habit I'd better break for the marathon in 4 weeks.  :Left glute and right foot were okay during the race, but are killing me now!  No crazy time goals for the marathon, but hope I don't fall apart and am able to BQ.

Warmed up 1.25 easy with a few strides.

1--6:58--trying to take it easy, a whole mass of jackrabbits takes off in front of me

2--7:10--still taking it easy

3--7:06--trying to speed up a bit but it really isn't happening, pass a few of the jackrabbits

4--7:08--this speed is just the way it is I guess

5--7:12--See my husband and daughter!  I wave!

6.--7:09--just cruising along

7--7:21--Don't know what happened here.  I see a few gals in sight

8--7:07--heading back up where the course goes over itself, and are passing a bunch of runners coming the other direction

9--7:12--someone tells me I am 9th woman

10--7:13--pass one of the girls, she looks awfully tired. this should put me in 8th

11--7:20--oh dear.  getting tired.  left leg feels weird.  no pain or anything but it just doesn't have much power, getting all the stride power from my right leg now.  this is probably a manifestation of whatever has been going on with my left hip/butt.  A 40ish lady comes blowing by me and man she is cooking.  She just keeps going full speed ahead.  Man she looks strong.  Is that you Julie?:)  She quickly opens up a huge gap and is gone.  I am closing in on another girl right now

12--7:28--still trying to catch that girl.  am using shorter strides trying to work with this weird dead left leg

13--7:24--I pass her. somehow.  Try to surge into some speed but it's not happening.  It's just not happening

Don't know about the last little bit.  I stopped my watch late, after I had walked out of the finish chute.  It shows 13.21 miles.  This is a certified course so I didn't get my tangents quite right.

Am ashamed to admit I probably could have pushed harder as my breathing never got really hard during the race.  I need to get back to the strength drills on my legs, I should have never let myself quit doing those.  Well, I'm going to go get in the shower now and do some homework while Vanessa naps.

9:38 average pace.  Quads are still quite sore so I didn't want to push it.  Hopefully a bit more recovered tomorrow.  Glute problem seems to have disappeared completely(hope that lasts) and foot is doing well--back to the way it was before the race.

9:03 average pace.  Still sore and running slow, but ran the last mile in 7:25.  Things get busy now the rest of this week.  Early morning meeting and long shift at work, followed by 4 or 5 hours of sleep than a clincal all day Friday, then flag football Saturday morning in the team "The Defibrillators" in the Kansas Emergency service games.  That should be fun!  Probably won't make the 20 miler until Sunday morning before church.

8:36 average pace. Got home at midnight, crashed by 1am, got up at 6, got dressed, ran what little mileage I could squeeze in, came home, showered, drove to Derby, picked up the ambulance, drove to the zoo in wichita for a four hour mandatory meeting, finished the meeting, put my unit in service, immediately picked up a call, and now I am boring you with the details of my busy day so far.  Work until 1130 tonight, up at 430 am tomorrow to drive to Hutchinson for my clinical.  Will have to run tomorrow evening.  Busy busy week.  Really wanted to get in more mileage this week in preparation for the marathon in 3 1/2 weeks, but it's not going to happen.  Life happened instead.  That 's okay still planning on one last 20-miler Sunday if I am not too sore from 4 flag football games Saturday.  If I am then I will do the 20-miler Monday morning.  Either way I am not going to skip this final 20-miler, I feel like I need it to complete my marathon training goal.  Not like I am looking for a super fast marathon time--I'm just not trained for that, but I would like to do reasonably well and not completely crash in my first marathon.  BQ should be very doable. Should be.  Sometimes things go wrong, I am aware of that.

7:37 average pace.  4 hours of sleep, full stomach.  Literally got up from the supper table and went and squeezed a run in.  Not much time.  Wanted to spend time with my family.  Flag football tomorrow!  I got Vanessa a little cheerleading outfit and she is going to be our cheerleader.  I have been teaching her to  yell "Go defibrillators!"  Our team is the only EMS team we are playing a bunch of fire departments.  UNDERDOGS.  Everyone have a wonderful weekend.  I will be doing sprints on the football field tomorrow!!!  Does that count as speedwork? :)

Alright this is being conservative, since it does not count all the sprinting and running I did in the FOUR back to back flag football games today.  My husband, oldest son Brandon, and myself competed on the flag football team today representing Sedgwick County EMS in the Kansas Emergency Service games.  Well the track and field was going on next door and I got suckered in to the 1600 meter, and then got suckered into the 400 meter.  I figured what the hey, I won't go all out and hurt myself but I can get some mileage in and call it speedwork.  So, immediately after flag football game number two I jogged a mile to warm up, then ran the 400 in 73 seconds, and got a first place medal because I was the only female--I chicked two of the guys who died in the last 100 meters. Cooled down half a mile.  Then at halftime of flag football game number 4 I went over and ran the 1600 with no warm up in knee length basketball shorts and my big white cotton t-shirt and ran it in 6:18, once again garnering a medal because I was the only female.  I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the 6:18 mile was, I was talking in full sentences the whole time to the guy right behind me and the event director guy who jumped in a few laps because he was tired of standing around.  He called himself the rabbit and broke wind for me on the back curve for laps 2 and 3.   Immediately jogged off the track and back to the field for the second half.  Anyways totally tired did a LOT of running playing flag football but it was fun--we didn't win anything but we tried and scored some touchdowns here and there.  We were the only EMS team all the rest were fire departments and they were all organized and had plays and stuff.  Came home and ran a 4-mile shakeout run--my husband ran the first mile of this with me!  Wow he hasn't run in a long long time.  I dressed Vanessa up as a cheerleader and she cheered for us until my mom came and got her after the second game to bring her to lunch and put her down for a nap.  I am sunburned like a lobster and a little sore.  My 20-miler has been pushed to Monday because I really just want to have a rest day, go to church, and hang out with my family tomorrow.  This has just been a crazy week.