Auntie Em Goes Running

Race day in Olympia!  I drove down here on Saturday afternoon because it is 2.5 hours away, and because my son lives here and I wanted to visit with him.  The race begins and ends on his campus actually.  An interesting 1/2 marathon, because it is a fund raiser for Evergreen College's XC team, and also a qualifying run for many college athletes trying to get to nationals.  So, I had to adjust my thinking about where I would be in the pack overall!  Quite a ways further back.

Anyway, my goal was not to "race", but to run the whole thing at my marathon pace.  This is a great exercise for me, since I have NEVER paced a 1/2 well in my whole life.  I go out fast (not just a little fast, but WAY to fast), and manage to finish well usually anyway.  I have never had the experience of starting out at an appropriate pace and having fuel to burn at the end.  

Until today!  Pace is supposed to be 8:25 and the first 8 miles were average of 8:19, with the first three at 8:22!  Wow.  I expected the beginning to be difficult, but I didn't expect to be "holding back" so much during the middle of the race.  Maintaining this pace was challenging every mile.  Course was beautiful, rural roads in and around the Evergreen Campus, with some rolling hills and one big dip into a ravine and up the other side.  Course support was minimal, but adequate.  I actually managed to consume 5 shot blocks and three tiny cups of water during the run, also a first for me.

At the beginning of the ninth mile, my watch stopped, because apparently the lap counter was full!?!?!?   I still felt fantastic.  My mantra "Just relax and enjoy the ride" was still workin' for me, and I was truly relaxed and enjoying exactly where I was.  So, without the watch, I had no choice but to try to hold the same pace I had managed thus far.  I felt like I was doing that.  Miles 10-12 were an out and back, with the last water at mile 11, and a turn around.  Mile 12 started a rather short, steep uphill climb, which I pushed up, still feeling very strong.  By the middle of mile 12, I started looking around for where we were to finish, but the flaggers were pointing us in a different direction.  So, always a wise decision I think, I followed their direction.  I kicked as hard as I could the last 600m, and was met by my son and his friend.  I drank my coconut water, then jogged back to find my friend who was about a mile back when I found her, struggling just a bit.  Jogged her in and then checked my time.  I was in shock!  1:42!  I don't know what happened in those last few miles, but this is NOT a 8:25 pace.  I think its more like just under 8:00.

Anyway, I'm happy about the PR and how freakin' strong I felt.  I really feel like I could have gone faster!  I am not at all tired today (posting this Monday).  Went for a swim this morning and will jog this afternoon.

WhooHoo!

Day off of running, resting up.  I went for a swim in the morning, and did some gentle yoga in the evening.  No muscle tiredness at all from yesterday's race.

Grrrr, still no running!  I don't even feel tired from the race, and I would LOVE to run today.  More recovery.  So, I'm roller skate skiing!  These roller skis are trainers for snow skate skis, and I use them on paved roads and trails.  They are actually super fun; I can go fast and its just like skiing - almost!  I went for an hour and forty minutes.  

This morning, I did a strength workout on my TRX trainer in the basement.  This is another really fun toy!  Core workouts, lots of arm and shoulder work, as well as stability.  This is the first time I've been able to use it; my husband installed it while I was racing this weekend.  

30 degrees this morning; very cold for these parts!  No rain though.  Early run up Interurban Trail then straight on to yoga class.  My shoulder (pectoral muscle to be exact) is slightly torn and bruised, as well as a skinned knee and hip from my skating accident yesterday, so yoga was both painful and good.  Had to back off on some poses due to the bruised pectoral muscle.  I have black tape on the shoulder and large band aids on the knee and hip.  Kind of a mess.

Yoga class this morning.  I waited as long as possible in the day to do my run, since I don't like to run after yoga, and I was far too lazy this morning to run at 5am.  

five easy miles Northshore trail with hubby.  

Track workout this morning.  It is 44 degrees, very windy, not raining at the moment.  It rained so hard and howled so hard last night that I was dreading the workout, but the rain stopped just in time.  All I had was wind.  

Warm up on the track, a mile and a half or so, and then some dynamic warm ups and running specific drills.

4X600 at 6:40 mile pace (2:30 per 600).  Mine were 2:29, 2:30, 2:30, and 2:29.  6X200 also at 6:40 mile pace (.51 per 200).  Mine were .46, .51, .52, .51, .50, .50.

A nice cool down jog on the trails near the track, then home for 45 minutes on the TRX.

Low heart rate run.  1 hour 59 minutes of low heart rate running.  10:54/mile.