Motivated to Succeed

5:30 PM - It was sunny most of the day as I ran errands with my mom. She, my brothers and my sister are all going to Cape Cod for four days tomorrow. I drove to Jeremy's house and picked him up at five and then into Saratoga Springs and picked up Jonathan from Borders. We went to Wilton and signed in and as tonight was the last race of five in the series this summer it was bittersweet. Though I'm not a fast runner, the 5ks are fun just to challenge myself and have fun running with friends. Didn't want the series to end, and I'm happy to say that both Jonathan and Jeremy said they'd be interested in doing some 5ks or other races around the area if I get them information. It's cool getting friends to do stuff they are initially hesitant about.

WARM UP: Only Jonathan did the warmup, as Jeremy said he barely had enough in him to do the 5k, much less a warm up BEFORE the race. I eased into a jog with Jonathan and we talked about the race, and then I mentioned the Japanese workout I've been doing, the one I call the Four Minutes of Hell in which you do 20 seconds as hard as you can, 10 seconds recovery and repeat x 8. Talked about VO2 max and how this workout has been shown to help moreso than LSD runs in that respect. It was a good time. Did .77 miles of warmup total in 7:41 (10:02 pace). Stretched and got ready for the race. Right calf still felt weird walking, but for some reason it doesn't hurt when I run on it.

THE RACE:

MILE 1: (7:13) Race went off as scheduled, and I got caught between a rock and a hard placed. It's easy to get boxed out at the beginning, and I was somewhat hesitant because my right calf has bothered me the last week. I started off farther back than I arguably should have, and tried pretty hard to lift the pace and get up with some of the people I usually run with the last couple races. The humidity was a factor and even though it got cloudy right around race time, I was soon sweating up a storm. Pushed hard on the uphills and on the sandy flat going into the 90 degree turn. Hit the first mile marker way too fast, close to 7:13. Settled in behind two other guys wearing orange shirts, and as I made numero tres in that category, we were an informal team for a time.

MILE 2: (8:03) The second mile as always kicked my butt. Right after the first mile marker there are two more steep hills and some windy single track. I stayed with the other members of team orange, but I could hear people coming up on us. We were reeling in some other runners up front, but we too were becoming the hunted. I saw the kid that I passed at the 1.5 mile marker the last two races, and tried to catch up to him, but I never did. Saw him again in the third mile before I faded bad. Kind of bonked at the end of mile 2 as I carelessly forgot my breathing rhythm. Usually in races, intervals and tempo runs I breathe every third step. I caught myself breathing every fourth but too late. Bad news. Got a stitch right under my right lung. Tried to get rid of it, but it hurt bad and couldn't.

MILE 3: (8:28) Crossed the road and into the woods for the last mile plus. Felt good towards the end as the stitch let up on the last big downhill. Downer was team orange kept cruising along and I fell by the wayside dealing with the cramp. Was a little disappointed I didn't do better than my best this season, but I haven't done any intervals in the last two weeks so I understand why I had a hard time lifting the pace, but an equally easy time doing a cool down when both Jeremy and Jonathan were completely spent. It's kind of funny to think I can't hang with Jonathan for a 5k but I can go and run a 10-miler at 9:30 or 10:00 miles and not even really be tired. A group of four ladies passed me before the last major hill. Man now I know what humbling and chicking is like. I didn't get chicked. I got UBER chicked!! Haha! All in good fun though. Still had a blast! Finished hard and my last tenth of a mile was run at 5:36 pace! So it's nice to know I still got a little bit of a kick in me. Now how to harness that kick and use it to translate to a better 5k time. I think with all the distance training I have forgot just how hard and how taxing a 5k can be! Half marathons are easier in a sense I think than the 5k. Phew! I finished in 24:09, good for 20th place. Jonathan ran low 21:00s for 7th place, a three place improvement from last time, and Jeremy ran 31:47 good for a minute and a half improvement. Still managed a 7:47 pace on a hard course. I am determined though to run in the 22s next year on this course. What a great race series though this summer!

Total Time: 24:09 Total Distance: 3.10 miles Average Pace: 7:47

COOL DOWN: Ran the cool down with Jonathan, though he stopped after about .25. He got a cramp after eating a piece of watermelon. I went another .25, turned around and picked him up and jogged him to the car where he met Jeremy. I then went out on the roads and did another six or seven minutes. Thought I saw the punks from last time, but it turned out to be a boy and girl I hand't seen before on bikes just out for a nice ride. Only saw one or two other runners. Didn't stay for the awards ceremony because I had to get Jonathan and Jeremy home as I was the taxi today.Total Cooldown was 15:23 for 1.55 miles, good for 9:54 average pace. Had a great time. I'm looking forward to the half marathon! Also found out the organizer for this race is doing the full marathon at the same event.  Cool!

Total Time: 47:13 Total Distance: 5.42 miles Average Pace: 8:42

9:20 AM - Sunny, temp in the low 70s at the start, about 76 at the end. Legs were kind of tired from the race yesterday, and the left knee was tender at the end of the run. I stopped to stretch and wasn't able to start again because of a little twinge of pain in the front of the kneecap. It was getting hot and I was soaked in sweat anyways so I was okay with ending a mile or so early. Went to the Saratoga Spa State Park and ran on the nature trails and also a loop around the golf course. Was a good run. I pushed a little harder than normal on my long runs. Called Emmy afterwards and heard that her training for her job was actually yesterday and today, only they never told her! They sound like a real disorganized group, and I think Emm is about the best thing that has ever happened to them! Her boss seems like a nincumpoop. So she has an hour presentation today which she found out about only a half hour ago! I know she'll do great though. She's my hero! :) Splits today, not bad considering a race only 15 hours before:

• Mile 1: 9:27
• Mile 2: 9:10
• Mile 3: 9:31
• Mile 4: 9:04
• Mile 5: 8:58
• Mile 6: 9:11
• Mile 7: 9:14
• Mile 8: 9:15

Total Time: 1:14:29 Total Distance: 8.06 miles Average Pace: 9:14

After the run I spent a couple hours reading the summer reading book for the eighth grade class I will be student teaching, The Boy Who Saved Baseball, by John Ritter. A very easy read, but a moving book about how a community can rally around something and come together as a family in the most trying times. Highly recommend it!

9:00 AM - Woke up early and had coffee on the front porch with dad. We were laughing because the radio station was offering front row tickets to Journey and all you had to do was call in and identify the song they were playing. Dad got it right away but kid you not we listened to over twenty people guess the wrong song. I don't know if it was staged or what, but it was just downright pitiful! I believe the song was "City Lights" and the guy even said, "Listen to the first line of the song!". Told my dad he should've called in. It was kind of cold this morning, definitely felt like fall. Sunny and blue skies, temp was about 50 degrees when I woke up.

I wanted to get a trail run in, and now that I know you can run at the Wilton 5k course whenever you want I decided to go there for a change of pace. Told myself had to do at least two loops though, as only doing a 5k would not be worth the 35 minute car ride! Temp was 56 at the start. Was gorgeous. I felt strong. Got some sand down my socks and a pinecone wedged between the tongue of my left shoe and my ankle. Pretty neat stuff. The ups and downs took their toll, and my left knee was starting to feel the undulations by the end. Doesn't hurt as much now though. Was a lot of fun. After the first loop grabbed a sip of water and hit the trails for loop #2. When I finished that one I saw a white SUV was in the parking lot and as I was stretching the owner was just finishing up a loop. I don't know her personally but I recognize her from the 5k series. I smiled at her and she smiled back. We both agreed it was lovely weather for a run! Oh I saw a Karner Blue Butterfly too on the trail today, which is good considering the Wilton Wildlife Preserve works to preserve this species of butterfly specifically. Splits today were:

• Mile 1: 8:47
• Mile 2: 8:38
• Mile 3: 8:28
• Mile 4: 8:37
• Mile 5: 8:18
• Mile 6: 8:19

Total Time: 52:44 Total Distance: 6.2 miles Average Pace: 8:30

The run today gave me confidence that I can run trails at a pretty even pace. It also shows that I have strength and even though I am winded after the races, I have endurance at a slightly slower pace that some of the other runners might not have. I think if I keep up a base during the winter that next year, I will be back to running more consistent times, especially if I shed some weight and figure out this leg imbalance conundrum.

8:50 AM - Feels like fall today! Woke up and it was partially sunny, cool mid 50s temperature. After coffee I headed over to Spa Park for a run. Kind of busy at Spa Park because it's the Travers Stakes tomorrow at the race track. I don't really understand horse racing. Betting on animals and making them run against each other purely for 'sport' or 'fun' doesn't seem very humane. Hit the nature trails and did a loop forwards, a loop backwards and then tacked on another loop of the last half mile or so. Was really cooking at the end. My right achilles area under my calf had a bruise from yesterday where I pulled one of those scissor kicking a stick type deals. Didn't hurt during the run much, just when I touch the skin while stretching. Felt good otherwise. Am a little unnerved at Emma's boss. Earlier this week he forgot to inform her of employee training, and then sent an email the second day of training telling her she had to give a presentation at one in the afternoon (hour long presentation too!). And then they never told her about a twenty minute speech she has to make at the convocation for students today at one o'clock so she just found out about it at ten o'clock. Grr. I don't like her boss much. She should be the head of the program not this unorganized s.o.b. I told her she should be a sub because you make a hundred bucks a day and she'd be great at it but she doesn't really want to do that for a career, which is understandable. I can only hope she gets another promotion to the job she really deserves, head of the department! Fun fact for today was that I stopped the watch at 55:55. My lucky number is 5, so I think today will be a great day :). Looking forward to finally seeing Emma tomorrow and then going to see James Taylor with her on Sunday! Splits today were:

• Mile 1: 9:22
• Mile 2: 8:57
• Mile 3: 9:06
• Mile 4: 8:44
• Mile 5: 8:22
• Mile 6: 7:51

Total Time: 55:55 Total Distance: 6.6 miles Average Pace: 8:28

*Note: during the last .5 mile I hit 4:14 pace per mile. I was flying faster than Superman! Howling Commando over and out!