Auntie Em Goes Running

Recovery day, only 4 easy running miles required.  So I decided to go for a bike ride first.  The weather is absolutely perfect today for riding!  Its warm, sunny, and a little breeze.  There is a lovely fall smell in the air, and people are picking blackberries along all of the roads.  I rode with my friend Julie around a hilly loop here near my house, partly along the lake and partly along some hilly country roads.  If I ever live out of town, I want to live up there, and have llamas.  Anyway, when we got back to my house, I was inspired to just stuff a bit of food in, change into my running gear, and do the four easy miles right away.  I was thinking that later in the day I would be tired and it would be harder to get out and do it.  So that's what I did.  Wow, did my legs feel funny.  I felt like I was moving through water and going about 12 minute miles.  But when I looked at Garmin, my first two splits were 9:09 and 9:12!  This kind of cracked me up for some reason, because I really felt like I was not even moving.  In fact, I even wondered if people passing me in cars on the road part of the run were looking at me funny, wondering why I was moving so slowly!  Third split was 9:23, and last split was 9:22.  

So, a strange workout, but good recovery jog.  Now I'm tired and will sit around reading.  I love being outdoors in this weather, the breeze is nice. 

9:00am, sunny and 72 degrees!  This is perfection.  Splits for 6 miles were:  8:48, 9:01, 9:09, 9:14, 9:27, 9:54, with .89 miles at the end of walking at 15:18.  These are more or less perfect easy miles.  I wore the Vroom shoes (Lunaracers).  The run was about 1/2 street and 1/2 trail, with a short section of more technical trail, so I could see how the Vrooms did on more rocky, rooted terrain.  I loved them everywhere; now that I've got somewhat used to them, it is easy to go slowly in them.  

I felt like this run was truly effortless, and should become the template for all of my runs.  I was talking with my chiropractor/coach/personal motivator yesterday about what muscles are required for just lifting the foot off the ground for each step, in Chi running form.  He said just think about the foot, not the muscles.  While I ran, I just observed what my body did, and sure enough, its just the foot.  The leg feels pretty relaxed with each step.  I want to have this feeling for the first 10 miles or so of the marathon.

I came home and did my core work, arm weights, hip strengtheners, and stretches, and found that all this stuff takes me over an hour!  It  has really added up over the last few weeks,  but I didn't realize how much time I was spending on the support stuff.  It is all important; there is not anything that I would cut out, so I guess I'll just have to carve out the time each day.  Sometimes I do it in two pieces.

Another perfect morning!  I got out around 5:30 and watched two young men fishing along the lake, pulling in quite large trout.  That was the first mile.  Then my run took me into the woods, where I was able to see a small coyote lurking around one of the ponds, probably looking for frogs.  It was so small I thought it might have been a partially grown pup.  So cute!  I ran down past the fish hatchery and went up and down a hill a couple of times, trying to feel that effortless stride going up the hill.  Finished my run as the sun was coming up, blood red, over the duck pond.  The ducks are all back in the pond now, back from wherever they have raised their babies; I wish I had brought something to give them to eat.  It was a beautiful morning to get out early, and I think its going to be a sunny day, yippee!  My splits were:  9:27, 9:37, 8:20 (too fast, because I wanted to get to the bathroom by the playground), 9:03, 9:54, and a walking .7 of a mile at 15:19.  

As I got back to my driveway, I was greeted by Jesus (my cat, pronounced HeyZeus), who presented me with another blue stellar Jay!  This is the second one in two days.  They are lovely birds, and it makes me sad to se him kill them, but he obviously wants me to enjoy the gift, so, as his pack leader, I try to graciously accept them.  Maybe I can use the feathers somehow.  Little cat Pirate is insanely jealous, both of Jesus' hunting prowess and the attention that Jesus gets for said prowess.  

On to the stretching and butt strengthening exercises. 

Track workout!  Some warm up running, exercises, 2X200 strides, then 5X800M at 5K pace.  My splits were 3:30, 3:41, 3:42, 3:38, and 3:42.  The first one was way too fast, but it was really fun!  I knew after the first 400 that I was going too fast, but it was too much fun to stop, so I just went for it and resolved to make the next one slower.  I am very undisciplined at 5am.

Anyway, super fun workout, and another beautiful morning.  

On Saturday, we have a 1 mile time trial!  What?   

Day off, so I just ran a bit to check out something with my stride I've been curious about.  Call it a bodywork session.  Supposed to be "resting up" for the one mile time trial tomorrow.  The whole thing is making me so angry that I might just run it really fast because I'm mad.  I'm angry because I don't see what it has to do with marathon training, and I don't want to waste my time.  I want to run a long run tomorrow.

When I got back into my car after my run, there were wasps inside my car.  At least three of them!  They were just sitting there looking at me, but not saying much.  I am allergic to most wasps, so I asked them to get out, then opened the doors.  They just sat there.  I finally had to take off my shoe, hold it out, and let them get onto it, one at a time.  I then flicked them outside on my shoe.  I hope I didn't wreck their day, but I just didn't want to drive them around. 

We did our 1 mile time trial today.  Started at 7:00; weather was perfect; 60 degrees, clear skies.  I had my goal, which was to run it in 6:40, based on my earlier season 5K pace of 7:30/mile.  Coach said to wait until 3rd lap to increase speed.  I had been thinking to wait until lap 4, because I know that I can always kick at the end.  Anyway, my first lap was way too fast (1:25), so I ended up not speeding up at all until the final stretch.  Final time was 6:10!  

As much as I complained about this run, it really was an incredible confidence booster.  Everyone in my group has improved fitness dramatically throughout the training, and it showed.  Best of all, for me, was that there was NO ASTHMA whatsoever.  I was breathing hard, and my lungs were burning after, but no wheezing.