AM: 6 miles

PM: 3 miles 

1:25:26.  Yes, it is a little quicker than I usually run -- but I after a such a low mileage week my legs feel pretty fresh.  Now I begin the process to get a little  "out of shape" so I can build back to being in shape again.  My mileage will remain on the lower side for the next two weeks.  My main hope is that I don't replace my run time (built into my workweek) with work ;-).

I hope you are all doing well!! 

AM: 10 x 25" with 1` recovery (8 miles)

PM:  easy 3

Yikes .. I don't know how I lost so much time, sorry bloggers.  Things have been crazy busy at work.  I have been running -- and this coming weekend (3/24) is my first race since last December.

I am running in the Eugene marathon on April 28th ... and this weekend I am running in a very hilly 1/2 marathon!  Not a PR course, not by a long shot, but I hope not to embarass myself! 

AM: (9 miles, 80 mins) last 20` was at marathon effort.

PM: easy 4. 

AM: 8 miles, easy

PM: 4 miles, easy. 

1:42:32.  Hilly, nice day, loved the run!

AM: (9 miles, 1:18:23).  Such a busy week.  My workplace is sponsoring a big scientific conference here in Tucson and it is back-to-back talks and working groups.  Yesterday I gave a big talk to our advisory board on a project that I have been working on ... it was so cool!  But, this morning I had to get up way too early ... I am staying at the conference hotel (even though it is Tucson) so I can limit the 80 min commute (40 mins each way) -- thereby getting more time to run!  I found an awesome place to run, fairly long bike path, mixture of dirt and asphalt, and it is close-by to my office!

PM: "easy" 4 -- tried a trail run, not an easy trail, probably won't put it on my "every day" runs -- it was rocky and steep and sort of dangerous!  It is very hot this week, btw -- getting up in the 90s. 

easy 60 mins!

AM: easy 4.

PM: 1:28:43 with the last 20 mins hard.

Such a busy day, I ended up doing my longer run at 5:30 -- I wanted to run longer, but I ran out of daylight, but I did run hard the last 20-25 mins.  (my schedule said 80 to 100 mins with the last 20 hard).  

easy run, felt really good, especially considering that my last hard run was last night and not yesterday morning!

AM: 8 miles -- brought carrots to Coco -- Big Boy is living on a ranch with other retired race horses now, I miss him.

PM: easy 4. 

3:25:45.  Same 22 miler that I did ~ a month ago.  It was much much hotter this time - 82F and sunny at the end.  I am still acclimating to the heat.  Plus, last time I had company, this time I did it all by myself.  First loop was in 1:14, second was 1:11, and third was a 1:09!!  I was suprised, this was nearly 8 mins faster than last month, and it was hot!  Maybe it is because my legs are still sort of "fresher" than they were last time!

  I am still a little nervous about the race, but I am also excited to race again.  

... maybe 15.5 ;-)

 AM: (11 or 11.5 miles, 1:32:11).  28:29wu/27:52cd + 6 x 800 w/equal recovery (abbreviated Yasso 800s because of the race this weekend).

I was a little worried, because: 1) I am always worried about 800s, 2) I haven't done any workouts for 3 weeks, 3) I am a worrywort (see #1).  I get to the track and there is a big group of guys (8-10 of them) and it wasn't clear whether they were finished with their workout, or hadn't yet started (they were standing around).   I did one set of 800 + recovery, and then they started their workout.  It involved pairs of them doing something - I think 400s or 600s on some staggared start so that as one pair hit the "start line" (they used the curve as a start, which I found odd) on one side another pair hit the "start line" on the other side of the track.  But what it really meant was that at each turn as I will hitting the straight there were two guys that used me as a target to catch and pass.  I am sure they considered it quite fun ... since all but 3 of them were able to pass me at some point on the track straightaway!  But, then they got to stop, and I had to keep going ;-) (oh, and I am a 50 year old woman, he he).  Anyway, I guess it was good, because I did work a little harder than I might have, but I did have to keep saying to myself, "this is your workout, don't worry about their workout" ;-) -- I told one of them as I left the track that maybe next time they could help me out a little -- he laughed and said, "yes, we were trying to catch you" ;-)

anyway my splits:  3:20, 3:18, 3:17, 3:18, 3:18 3:18  -- I was pretty surprised at the consistency!   

PM: easy 4.  

Happy Tuesday bloggers, I have missed you!! 

It was funny ... I had an early morning meeting, so I warned them I would be wearing my running clothes so I could go on a run right after the meeting ... well, the meeting ran over, and my next meeting was only 1 hour later, so I did not have time to go on a run then.  Then, the day just filled up with meetings, and my last meeting ran late -- there I was, 6:15 at night leaving work trying to get somewhere where I could run in the dark!!!  At the end, I could only run for an hour before I couldn't see anything ... but, it did get done!! 

AM: (9 miles, 1:18:54).  8.5 miles and then 8 x ~100m strides

PM: easy 4.

For such a low mileage week, my legs are pretty sore ... maybe I am just psyching myself out because of Saturday ;)

Happy Thursday bloggers! 

58:34.  Easy run up Trails End Road, then back down -- down was faster than up ;-).

So, big news today? Asli Cakir, the olympic gold medalist in the 1500 has supposedly tested positive for banned substances.  This was common speculation about her after the race ...  as was speculation about the men's winner, Makhloufi (who has NOT tested positive).  Lifetime bans is what we need!!!

easy 45`.  Beautiful day ... a little windy, a little dust to the North (where the race will be), but we couldn't ask for better temperatures here at this time of year.  I made the mistake of driving the course a little last night on my way home.  Ouch, this is going to hurt.  Basically two hills -- out and back (same hill, up and down, out and back).  I am trying hard not to think about it, and instead, as my facebook friends saw:  I got my bib from Brigetta Bartlett (silver medal in the HJ in London) -- I knew her as soon as I saw her!  And she gave me a hug!!  The running store (very small) is near my work, and they were very nice.  The owner gave me a VIP bracelet for tomorrow (more porta potties - although since the race starts and ends at my work, and I have a pass to get in all the buildings ;-)  I will have plenty of nice bathrooms to choose from!

Have a wonderful day, bloggers, I can't wait to read the race reports from today!!!! pins and needles! 

This was easily the 2nd hardest course I have ever run (the first being the Winter Running Series 10K).  There was not one mile on the course that was not up or down (it was an out-and-back) and the ups were miles long, and quite frankly, the downs never felt as long ;-)).  But!  I was very happy.  It was my first race as a 50 year old, my first race in 16 months, and my first race back after my horrid year last year!  Whoo hoo, is all I can say!

 I was 9th woman, and 1st woman master (over 40).  I was only 4 seconds off of my PR from last year, and the course was tough (have I mentioned how tough the course was?

:-)).

I had a few 7:30 miles in there -- but these were tempered by some sub 7:00s, so it was much more about focusing on "effort" and not freaking out at my mile splits.  Good practice for the marathon, right?

anyway ... here they are:  6:56, 15:06 (missed the mile marker ~7:33 average), 7:07, 7:02, 14:20 (missed the mile marker again, 7:10 average), 7:09, 7:29, 7:22, 7:32, 6:45, 7:02, :42

The timing mat had me at 47:30 at the halfway point, which is pretty remarkable to me (that I was able to negative split second half by any amount - I was so tired on the last uphills!).  

I am very excited about my goal of a 3:20 at Eugene, I almost believe it is possible now!

Happy Sunday bloggers! 

AM: 4 miles easy.

PM: 3 miles easy.

My legs are tired bloggers.  My plan is to take it easy this week, in hopes of a good 20 miler (with 8 at MP) on Sunday.  My goal now is to making to Eugene strong and healthy ...

Happy week to you all.  I could bore you with how busy I am at work ... But it is no different than any other week :-)  I spend 75% of my time in meetings, 20% time trying to direct the work of the folks that work for me, and the rest of the time trying to do my work and worrying about how I am behind in everything :-) Oh, and at least 2% of my time trying to figure out how to schedule my running into my schedule... it is almost more difficult than the running, he he.

Easy 5 miles.

AM: big meeting very early in the morning (I was up until very late preparing).  4 miles easy.  I have been wearing my watch and running my usual PM course (I never wear a watch for my PM run) ... Apparently, it might be longer than 4 miles ... It takes me longer than I have estimated.  Cool.

PM: 8.5 miles, 1:15:53 ... Maybe/probably longer than this, but I don't think it was 9 miles.  23wu/24cd . 6 x 4'w/1' recovery + 3 x 1'w/1' recovery.  I was supposed to do 8-10 x 1000 w/200 recovery + 3 x 200 ... but my legs are still sore and I am erring on the side of caution ... It felt great to run a little fast, but I tried to keep it pretty controlled ... it is really harder to recover from races as I get old :-)  (work isn't helping, but I love what I do).

Happy Thursday, bloggers! 

1:03:22.  Feeling great, ran some hills!

AM: easy 8 ... More hills!

PM: easy 4.

2:54:02 (8:42 AP, ~9:02 for the first 12 and 7:50 for the last 8 miles; not sure of all the mile splits, but for the ones I had, there were a couple 8:00 in there, a few 7:50s and the last mile was 7:31 - which, given how I felt this week was nothing short of a miracle, he he).  86F and sunny (I did not get started until nearly 10AM, my bad ;-)).  I know 85F sounds like fun, but in full sun, when you aren't really acclimated, 3 hours in it is a little difficult ... but, it wasn't 100F, so I won't complain.  

Remind me again why I think that running 26.2 miles is a good idea?  My legs are still a little "heavy" from last weekends race (and the 22 miles/800 meter workout the week before).  One thing I am really grateful for about having a good race 5 weeks out from a target race is that I know that my race target is realistic, so I don't have to go out every workout and stress about "what does this workout mean in relation to my race?".  I *know* I am in the ballpark for my "B" goal, and if all goes well, I might even hit my "A" goal (3:20-3:22 versus sub 3:20).  I just have to be smart, and work on staying on my feet for 3 hours and 20 mins!!  (which is actually no small feat - or feet - ;-)).    Anyway, if I have to modify a couple workouts in the next week or so, to ensure I stay healthy, I can do that and not worry so much.  And, I can start focusing on things that I usually don't have the oppotunity to focus on - like nutrition (both during the race, and in general), optimal hydration strategies, focusing on form when I am tired, etc.  And, I can listen to my body and when it tells me that I am still recovering from some hard workouts, well, I can tone it down and not stress ... too much.  

Anyway -  I told myself I would be happy with anything between 7:30 and 8:00 min pace for the last 8 miles today - and I hit it.  So, I am, again, grateful!  I feel that cardiovascularly I am in great shape, my limitations are neuromuscular (my tendons, muscles, etc aren't quite up to the task sometimes, or they take more time to recover after being pushed).  So, I have been modifying my expectations, and hopefully, when I do this workout again in 2 weeks, it will feel "better" ;-).

Happy Easter bloggers, I hope you are enjoying your family day!! 

Can I just please tell you how excited I am to see how Shalane Flannagan does at Boston??  She just ran a 31:04 10K at the Stanford Invitational - 3 weeks from Boston.  She is in amazing shape!!