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August 2013

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Location:

Tucson,AZ,USA

Member Since:

Aug 30, 2007

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Age Division Winner

Running Accomplishments:

PR's

5K: 21:26 (2005)

4 mile: 28:10 (2005)

10K: 43:33 (2010)

10 mile: 1:13:35 (2009) (1:12:15 split in 1/2 marathon, 2011)

1/2 marathon: 1:34:31 (2011)

marathon: 3:19:15 (2013)

Short-Term Running Goals:

 

3:20 marathon - Eugene Marathon, April 28, 2013 (can I say I really want a sub 3:20? but I will be happy with 3:20-3:23) -- whoohoo!

Some good intermediate races 15K - 1/2 marathon, to gauge my fitness level (done this, hit a 1:34:35 1/2 marathon in March 2013, on a hilly course)

Going after my 10 mile PR in Fall 2013

Maybe some good 10K races after the infernal Arizona summer is over! 




Long-Term Running Goals:

I want to be one of those runners who is still running in their 80s (or 90s?).  You know the ones, who look all grisley and fit?  That is what I would like!  Until then, I just want to work hard and be as fast as I can, for as long as I can.


Personal:

50 year old, trying to defy gravity and time

Used to be faculty at the University of Arizona (biostatistics).  Currently manager of the statistics and data management group for companion diagnostics (biomarkers) at Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Roche diagnostics).  We evaluate protein biomarkers that can be used to direct drug therapy that would be most effective based on individual characteristics (personalized medicine).

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
300.000.000.000.000.00300.00
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

10 miles (1:28:43).  Found a great trail - Montreal is a 8.5/10 on the "Bonnie's running ranking" of cities.  They got extra points for: 1) had a dirt trail that ran parallel to the bike path (off road ways), 2) had a bathroom about 4 miles into it :), and 3) scenic

Weather is also great!

4 miles on the treadmill -- mainly because traffic "in the city" to get to my running route was difficult in the torrential rain -- e.g., scared of cars mixed with rain in the middle of a large city. 

Comments(7)
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

very early before an early meeting, that occured 3 hours earlier than Tucson time :)

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.000.000.000.000.0012.00

AM: (8 miles, ~ 1 hour 10 mins)I ran in Montreal, on the Berri bike path.  I had an early run to get to the second day of my meetings -- funny story:

 I had hit the turn-around, and was about ~10 mins to the "downtown" area (about  5 min run through the downtown streets of Old Town Montreal -- think narrow streets with traffic :)).  I was passed by a fast cyclist, and we both approached a train tracks - with a flashing red light -- AND  -- a crossing guard/person.  He made it over the train tracks before the crossing guard put up the stop sign (and the barriers came down), I did not (if only I were ~ 30 secs/mile faster!).  So, I was the first on the trail to be stopped by the train.  Before I knew it, a couple cyclists came up beside me, and then a couple more.  We are all just standing there, watching the train, sort of looking at each other and smiling.  This was a Saturday morning - so all these guys were actual fit cyclists doing workouts.  The guy immediately beside me starts speaking to me in French, and I just stared at him looking dumb, so he switched to English.  We started talking about running, and he wanted to know how far I was going, and what my heart rate target was (I think that is what he asked).  I was nearly 12 mins!!!! later that train passed, and we could all get moving (me and ~ 40 dare I admit, very cute cyclists).  They all passed me (as my old legs had gotten stiff in the standing around time -- arg, getting old is not for sissies) -- but I was game to run in the middle of them for a while.  Well, about 5 mins later I started looking around and thought, "where am I?  this does not look familiar at all"  - about 5 mins after that I thought, "ok, I need to turn around" -- I did, and realized that I had missed my turn to a different path -- about 400 meters from the train tracks -- meaning the "other side" of the train tracks -- all that waiting around, and extra 10 mins on the "wrong" trail -- and I did not even have to be there.  I really thought I was going to be late to the meeting, so I really sped it up from the trail to the hotel, I "just" made it (after a shower, of course).  Great story, loved meeting my new friends.  At my age, how often do I get a chance to hang out with a bunch of super young, super fit, cutie pies?  I heart Montreal.

PM: easy 4 miles on the treadmill at the hotel.  Then came some meet-ups with old friends in the hotel bar, but that, my runningblog friends is a story for another time :) 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
15.000.000.000.000.0015.00

Ran on the Berri bike path!

 

Conference started today.  Met Nate Silver late at night in the business center (he is giving the invited talk for the conference) - we both are staying on the concierge level of the hotel and it was after the opening mixer for the conference.  I had to print off some things for a meeting that I was chairing the next morning -- it was probably about midnight.  I thought to myself how funny it would be if he too was in the business center -- and just as I was finishing up, in he walks!   For those of you who don't know Nate Silver, he is a statistician/reporter (he calls himself a reporter - we call him a statistician) who correctly called the Presidential election and nearly 100% of the congressional seats in both 2008 and 2012 -- he also has a couple of books, a very popular blog on the NY Times website (though he is moving to ESPN this year) - and has been doing the late night TV circuit (Tonight Show, Daily Show, Colbert Report, etc.) for the past year or so.  I showed him around, told him how happy we were that he was speaking at the conference, etc. and out he walks.  I later realized I had not introduced myself, and most likely thought I worked for the hotel :)  Luckily, I met him at a reception on monday night -- so I think that misconception might have been cleared up :) 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
13.000.000.000.000.0013.00

AM: (9 miles)

PM: easy 4 miles 

 

It is hot here :) 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

1 hour run ... work is tough -- lots of catching up to do!

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
13.000.000.000.000.0013.00

AM: 9 miles, the last 20 at ~ steady state pace (1/2 marathon to marathon)

PM: easy 4 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

whew!

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.000.000.000.000.0012.00

AM: 8 miles (it was hot)

PM: easy 4 -- still hot :) 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
14.500.000.000.000.0014.50

Did not get out as early as I wanted (probably about 9AM!!) -- dumb.  It was hot, but it could have been worse :)  my phone said 90F when I finished, which, for Tucson in August, is not that bad ... ran my super hilly route, not fast, but hard enough to be a great workout.

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
13.000.000.000.000.0013.00

AM: 9 miles, ~1:20

PM: easy 4 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

Easy 60 mins.


Trying to catch-up on blogging, and keep up with work.  This management stuff is for the birds -- too many meetings, too many people to keep track of, I sort of missing doing real work that has tangible outcomes :) 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

Very early morning meeting - my hope was to be able to get an hour in the morning and 50-60` in the evening, but old Mother Nature had different plans.  Huge thunderstorm on my way home, 45 mph winds (I am not kidding), lightening and rain.  I am not afraid of a little rain, even a lot of rain, but I am not likely the whirly wind (of the type haboobs are made of), so, I decided to postpone my PM run until tomorrow!

Comments(2)
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.500.000.000.000.0012.50

AM: easy 9

PM: easy 3.5 (ran out of daylight -- I got out of work late, as usual). 

 

Glad I was able to get the mileage in, despite the timing challenges of work schedule this week.  I am a little bummed that: 1) it is getting dark earlier again -- which is hard because you can't run in the dark in a no-to-low light city, and 2) that it is still so freaking hot right now (108-109F on most days - with *lows* in the 80s). BUT, I am not complaining -- really :) 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.000.000.000.000.0012.00

The usual -- getting back into "home groove".

AM: 8 miles - hilly

PM: 4 miles - trails

 

Off to meet my boss for a coffee meeting -- Saturday AMs are the only time that we both have free. 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
14.500.000.000.000.0014.50

1:59:32 (I ran this same route last week in about 2:04). 

Hot -- I started at 7:15, it was already in the 90s.  Luckily, there was some cloud cover until the last 45` - so it was so much better than it could have been.  The last 2 miles are uphill, and I tried to run them at a decent clip.  It was ~ 4 mins faster than my "usual" easy pace up!  yea.  Bad thing was it was too hot for me to have done this, my face was flushed, and my pulse was spiked high for about 2 hours afterward 97F and sunny + pushing the pace after a very hilly course don't mix :) - I couldn't help myself, WTF has inspired me!!!

 

Brenda Martinez, Jenny Barringer, Molly Huddle, Shannon Rowbury, Mary Cain, Alisa Montanyo, !Deena! (at 40!!).  Holy cow -- how could I not try to sprint up the hill???

Comments(5)
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
13.000.000.000.000.0013.00

AM: (9 miles). 10 x 1` w/1` recovery.

PM: easy 4

 

hot hot hot today -- and, as usual, I was late to work :) 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

hilly 60 mins ... 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

AM: (10 miles).  Ran with my friend Merry, I got there at 6 and ran ~ 25mins on my own, and then 60 with Merry.  Then we coffee, and I came home and worked from home.  Great day!

PM: easy 4 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.500.000.000.000.007.50

Had to break up my run today -- I had a big meeting this morning, and spent too much time preparing right after I got up, so by the time I got out the door, I was late.  sigh.  

AM: 4 miles (36 mins)

PM: 3.5 miles (30 mins)

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.000.000.000.000.0012.00

AM: 8 miles

PM: 4 miles.

 

Work is kicking my behind bloggers.  seriously.

 

I miss you. 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
14.500.000.000.000.0014.50

So so so happy about the weather today.  Cloud-cover, and thunderstorms all night kept this run under 90F for most of the run!   a little humid (for us), but man, how much difference 5-10F can make, boy-howdy.  I hit 1:16 to my drinking fountain (usually hit it 1:22 or so) - so I added on more trail miles before heading up the long hills home.  Felt really good for most of the run.  I did see 3 dead baby rattlesnakes (run over by cars) - which was sad - which made me happy about my decision not to run trails with a group of trail runners (I had been invited this past week by friend Merry).  The baby rattlers are particularly dangerous because they don't know how to control their venom (and can inject a very large quantity) - and, they don't have developed rattles, so you can't hear them when they are around.  My usual rule is, "snakes get the trails during the summer, I get them in the winter" -- it has worked well for me so far :)

Happy Sunday, bloggers!!

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
9.000.000.000.000.009.00

All those promises I made, about being a better blogger, pffft away. I, as usual, have great excuses... But none of them change the fact that I have been a neglectful blogger.  Although the good news is that I am running!  I will come clean with a new "challenge" in my life, and actually, in some respects it is hitting me harder than my breast cancer did.  I have an autoimmune arthritis.  It is in the same family of arthritis as Michelle Lowery and Paul Petersons ... And, here the kicker (for me) it is degerative, meaning it is going to get worse over time.  And, running is not good for it (though I am currently ignoring this part of it).  I have been running with a bunch of pain for  a little over 4 months, and it is likely I will continue to run, until I can't.  It has been around for a while, but got severe after my marathon (physical stress likely contributed to the autoimmune response).  Anyway ... I am sure my way too stressful job doesn't help either, and I definitely need to work on this part.  Arrrggg!  I am on a heavy dose of celebrex, and soon likely some other drug to slow the joint damage down, and I am already feeling better. So, yippee!

 

AM: 9 miles

PM: no run, wanted to, but couldn't, for a variety of reasons.

Comments(1)
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
11.000.000.000.000.0011.00

AM: 7 miles

PM: 4 miles

I had a 12am - 1:30am conference call with some collaborators in Zurich and Melbourne! Yikes!

 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.500.000.000.000.0012.50

Worked from home today ... Good thing because, apparently, I don't work as well on 3 hours sleep :-) not like I used to!!

AM: 8.5

PM: 4

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

Beautiful morning! Only 77F ... Brrrr.

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.000.000.000.000.0012.00

AM: 8

PM: 4

Happy Saturday!

 

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Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
300.000.000.000.000.00300.00
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