track fan

2:15:12 (1:10:29/1:04:42). Ran my usual "flat" trail - this time I ran 2 x 8 miles instead of my usual 8 miles + 6 mile loop. My schedule called for the last 2-4 miles at 1/2 marathon pace, but since I had run 9 miles at 5K-10K pace this week, I decided to just see how I felt and run harder at the end without actually thinking about running fast. Sometimes it is more important to listen to your body and not your schedule (especially so early in my 1/2 marathon training cycle). I felt better than I would have expected on the second loop -- especially since it is really windy today again -- unfortunately it was a headwind on the uphill part, and tailwind on the downhill - and a cross-wind on the flat sides. Yuck. But, since I wasn't going 6:50 pace it was much easier to deal with!!

Nice to start running a little longer on my long runs again. The wildflowers are blooming -- I promise I will get some pictures this week (I am going to be updating my facebook photo albums anyway), I think I was way too ensconced in marathon training last year to have realized just how beautiful the Spring is here ... lots of greens, purples, yellows and oranges. The cholla (a type of cactus) is also starting to get some redish flowers.

Congratulations to the women's USA cross-country team on their BRONZE metal in World Cross-Country!!  Shalane Flanagan, Molly Huddle, Magdalena Lewy-Boulet, Amy Hastings, Renne Ballie (nee Metivier) and Emily Brown!! YEA!!  I believe this might have been the first US cross-country medal in ever?? I know we have had individual winners (Craig Virgin and Lynn Jennings) - but I don't know if we have had a team medal winner ... I will have to do some searching on this.  Regardless -- this is a HUGE deal!!  Women's distance running here in the US is on a tear right now!!  At the first big outdoor track meet yesterday (Stanford Invitational) Lisa Koll ran a huge US leading 10K race in 31:18 - and this is EARLY in the season, her first 5K split was faster than winner of the 5K!!!  And she is still in college.  Things really could be looking up!!
 

I hope you are all enjoying your family and rest day today!

AM: (8 miles, 1:09:31).  Usual 70` hilly route, I ran the last 10` at 1/2 marathon pace - or thereabouts.  Since I don't know exactly how fast I usually run, or how fast I ran today, I just ran what I thought was 1/2 marathon effort.  I guess I was pretty darn close - since the last time I ran this route I ran it in 1:10:42 (and I had run the last 5` of that one hard) ... so I figure I was about 7:30 or faster.  Felt pretty good.  I really don't know why, but Greg still has me doing aerobic threshold workouts for the next couple of weeks (I hate them, seriously - probably that is why I have to do them, they are my weakest system).

PM: (easy 4).

Our septic system is messed up, it is gross, we just can't win with the plumbing in this house.  And, of course, it has to happen on a day that I have two talks to get finished by tomorrow! 

Just wanted to post a blog of a friend of mine... Dallas wrote a book a few years back called "Falling Forward" about his ultramarathoning experiences.  He is not doing as many ultras these days, but is, instead, breaking all the Tennessee state age group records (and probably a few grandmasters American records as well).  Anyway, he posted this link to his facebook page today, and I wanted to share it with you.

1:03:24.  Beautiful run up the Yeatman trail... I have missed it!  Three things I have to remember to share, first of all -- I promise pictures soon, but there were parts of the run on the trail today that were so awe inspiring!!  Wall-to-wall carpeting of the buttercup yellow flowers ... in some parts it looked like a blanket ... just beautiful.  Second, I saw about 20 deer on my run yesterday, they were way too close to one of the high traffic arteries through the mountains, I guess they were feasting on the wildflowers.  Thirdly, I have such a hard time sleeping that for a long time I was taking Ambien.  Well, I got off them about 5 months ago and the melatonin is finally starting to work.  However, I have the strangest dreams.  Yesterday *just* before the alarm went off I was "digging" into a huge (I mean like 3 soup bowls worth, in a small trough shape) bowl of ice cream (chocolate chip) -- I was eating with a large "spatula spoon".  What makes this so remarkable is that it has probably been about a year since I have even eaten a little tiny spoon of ice cream (I don't eat sweets much at all).  Weird.  It kind of disturbed me all day ;-).

Have a great day bloggers!

AM: (12 miles , 1:44:32).  Ladder workout, aerobic capacity, 2M, 1M, 800, 400 w/800 recovery between each.  It was windy as all get-out today (worse than last week actually), but luckily the workout was shorter so it was not nearly as painful.  I was not sure exactly how fast to do the 2 and 1 mile, since the running calculator does not go into intervals longer than 2K.  After a consultation with MichelleL and Dean, I just decided to run the 2 mile at about 10K pace +/- 2 secs and then just make sure that all the subsequent intervals were cutting down about 3-5secs each time.  

2M: 7:02, 6:54 (4:41)

1M: 6:51 (5:12)

800: 3:19 (6:38 pace, 5:04)

400: 1:36 (6:24 pace, 4:41)

I am SO excited, this is the first time ever I have been able to hit Greg's prescribed 800/400 targets  - and I was in the middle of the range, not even the slower end. Yippee.  This was a fun workout, it was hard, but not nearly as hard as last week, even with the horrible, stupid, yucky wind.

PM: (4 miles easy).

I hope you all have a wonderful day.   

1:13:23.  Ran up Yeatman trail ... my mileage is slowly building up again, so I added on a new trail off of my regular one.  Pretty tough, very technical climb up a ridgeline, the switchbacks were very tight and the path was rocky (and steep).  Very nice trail to hike, probably not the best for running, I doubt I will do this one regularly.  My goal is to try really hard to leave work "early" (meaning just not late ;-) ) so I can take a short hike this afternoon and take some pictures of the wildflowers.  The cactus plants have buds on them, but they won't bloom until it gets above the 100's for a while - probably not until late June.  

I hope you all have a special Good Friday and enjoy your preparations for Easter.   

AM: (8 miles, 1:10:32).  Beautiful day!  I did not get out of work early yesterday -- I was so bummed.  SO, I am going to have to find a way to get some pictures tomorrow, maybe Dean and I can take an Easter hike ... if I can get my work done today so I can take the whole day off tomorrow.

PM: (easy 4).

Have a wonderful day bloggers!