track fan

1:55:32 (59:54/55:45) (AP 8:32/7:57), last 20` hard with the last two miles @ 7:46 and 7:19.  Ran out near my old stompn' grounds -- on the Rilito trail (hence the splits, since they have some mile markers ;-) ).  Took Dave and Jessica there - and let them go on without me, since I really did not want to even try to run too fast on the way out.  Good thing too because there was a huge headwind the whole way.  What really sucked is the storm came in during the run (it was raining pretty hard at the end of the run) and the wind shifted, so there was a headwind the last 4 miles too!  Drat.  I was surprised to see 8 min splits at miles 10 and 11, it did not feel like marathon pace at all - and I sort of worried about the last 3 miles, since I knew I wanted to get into 1/2 marathon pace near the end.  Luckily, the run went well (despite the 10mph headwinds) ... I finished really strong.  I saw Dave coming back about 1/2 mile before my turn around (he ran 16) and when I got to the car he said "wow, you flew the way back".

Now it is really storming ... a good day to sit around and visit with friends, maybe watch a movie or two ...

I hope you all have a wonderful relaxing day! 

AM: (10 miles, 1:28:34).  9 hilly miles + 8 x 100m strides.

PM: (4 easy).  

Busy day bloggers ... I am so tired.  I hope you have a great day!

Up the Yeatman trail - it was a brisk 37F today.  I didn't have my watch, somehow I left it in my office last night -- speaking of last night, I ran my 4 miles in the dark at the track ... mind numbing, I mean seriously, mind numbing!

Off to teach ...  Have a wonderful hump day!

AM: (14 miles, 1:51:45).  27:32 wu/25:19 cd.  8 mile Steady State run (severe chilly headwind on the backstretch of every one of these 32 laps -- it sucked).

7:32, 7:25, 7:16, 7:18, 7:25, 7:20, 7:19, 7:14.  These were a little faster than I had intended them to be (target was 7:24-7:36), in part it was because there was some type of fitness group on the track and they kept standing in lane 1 while they were getting directions and whatnot.  So miles 3-5 were a game of bob and weave -- I couldn't really get into a groove.  I was really hating the workout about mile 6.  I loved that I was almost done for the last 8 laps!   All and all a littler harder than it was supposed to be, but not too far off.

PM:(4 miles easy).

Have a wonderful day bloggers!

1:04:01.  Easy (faster than I would have expected though) run up the Yeatman trail.  This run was much better than I had anticipated.  I was so sore last night before my 2nd run that I was worried about even doing that run, let alone today.  Miraculously, I seem to have recovered in my sleep.  Although that is not really true, my legs were really tired and I stumbled twice today.  Pretty scary both times, one time if I had fallen something would have broken for sure, either my wrist from falling on pointy rocks or my legs/hips from falling off the ledge.  The second time, I would have fallen right on top of  an extremely pointy cactus.  

A couple days ago we had our first snakebite of the season here ... reminding me that we haven't finished "snake proofing" our yard, and that soon I most likely won't be able to run on some of my favorite trails. bummer.  But, I get them over 1/2 of the year, I guess the natives can have it the other half.

Happy Friday bloggers!
 

AM: (8 miles, 1:12:xx).  8 x 100 m strides. Was running late so I had to do my strides during the last mile of my run today.

PM: (4 miles).  Ran in the dark at Tempe Town Lake.

So, Dean had a grant meeting up in Phoenix (at TGEN).  The plan was I would go up with him and go see John the Magic ART guy, find a nice coffee place and work for a few hours and then pick Dean up and take him to John on our way home.  John was way overbooked, so I went to his office and then rebooked my appointment for later when Dean was finished with his meeting.  The coolest thing?  As I was walking into Johns office I see another woman going in the door, I swear, she looked EXACTLY like Kim Smith ...  well, I sat next to her in the waiting room, and I knew it was her (she looks like she weighs like 90 lbs soaking wet, btw)!  Very cool.  Just as a bit of history, Kim Smith won NCAA cross-country, indoor 5K and outdoor 10K in 2005, she lost to Shalane Flannagan in 2006.  She has the NZ record in the 3K,  5K and 10K.  She just ran the New Orleans 1/2 marathon in 1:07 and some change (her first 1/2) and is training in Phoenix for the London marathon.  She is very nice.  John has a runner for ASU (she is a 10K runner) working in the front office and the three of us talked for a while about running, about how much we hate 5K's, and how much we like 10K's.  She (Kim) was hoping to find some ASU men or elite men runners to help pace her in a 10 mile tempo run today (her pace is too fast for even most of the women on the ASU track team - her 10K PR is 30:35).  So cool.  I stayed and chatted with her until John was ready for her.  Very fun.

It was a long day, we did not get home until nearly 10PM. 

I hope you all had productive, happy running today!  Sorry about the stupid course snafu at Rex 10K. I would be so mad!