I only run on days that end in a "y."

Went down to Town Lake at 7 am hoping to get in 6-7 miles.  Quads were feeling beat up from the downhills yesterday.  

Well, none of my regular group was there but some of the guys I train with in my new group happened to be going out.  They wanted to do 16 miles but they decided  in the long loop and then adding on after that if they wanted.   This way we could all stay together.  So I went along with them even though it wasn't my plan.  Ended up with 10.7 miles at a fairly good clip.  I will be taking tomorrow off!!

taking a day off from running - some core at the gym.

Well, I fell off the ladder putting up Christmas lights.  10 ft drop straight down on the driveway.  Amazingly the only thing I got was a sprained wrist.  Even landed on one of my knees but nothing happened.  The next morning I went to the Dr. to make sure I had not broken my wrist.  He said I had some really strong bones.  I say that is a good thing.  Anyway, did tonight's workout in a big wrist over the hand brace.  Didn't really affect me at all.  So, for all of you that might be thinking of putting up Christmas lights around the house - please get someone to hold the ladder!

 Crazy workout night after work  - warmed up 3 miles to the Austin High track and then 3 sets of (1 mile at HMGP, 200m recovery, 400m faster than HMGP, then 400m recovery)

Ran the miles around 6:15 pace and the 400's around 1:30 with the last one at 1:22.  Still feels weird doing these workouts at night and pretty much alone - I think there were 4 or 5 of us and the coach - that's it.  And we are all at different paces so I ran alone.

3.25 miles back to work going around the trail to Runtex and then back over 1st St. bridge.  There was a point along that dark path with no one else around that felt really strange - like I couldn't feel my legs moving - sounds odd but kinda like an out of body experience.  Dunno - maybe all that oxygen was going straight to my brain.

daughter was super ill so I had to take a half day and work from home.  Didn't get a chance to run.

Up early - 8 miles - no watch.  Nice and cold out there.

easy miles during lunch.

One of the hardest workouts I have gotten through.  Since I am still relatively new to the group I didn't realize this was a key workout for the 3M half marathon.  I am transitioning from the 5-10k stuff to half marathon training and this was my first workout of distance.  

Of course, the weather didn't cooperate - 70 ish and humid at the start.  Met up with the group at 6:45 am for a 7 am start.  Did a short shake out run and then we started.

The workout was to start at Austin High and run up through the hills to Westlake High - about 3.5 - 4 miles away - start the first couple miles easy and gradually pick up the pace to get to steady state.  Lots of up hills along the way.  Then get to Westlake High and run 1.5 miles on the track at half marathon pace - then steady state run all the way back to Austin High and finish with 1 to 1.5 miles at half marathon pace on the track.

When we got to Westlake High it was being resurfaced so we had run to a middle school and use the track there.  The heat was really taking it's toll on me and I wasn't feeling too good.  I had to stop at a couple port-a-potties along the way - fortunately they had one at the middle school. 

Managed 5 laps at the school at half pace - well, probably faster.  I didn't have my watch due to a dead battery - so I just tried to stay with the lead group.

Coming back I hung with them but at a certain point I took a 30 second waking break - we really moving and the heat was catching up, and I was mentally broken.  I have actually been feeling that way a lot lately. 

Anyway, I ended up 2 thirty second walking breaks and I still hammered it hard enough on the last mile to finish 3rd out of the group - I wish I knew the pace we were running.

Finished with a mile on the track at 1/2 mgp and then 1 mile cool down on the trail.

Ugh - tough, tough, tough.  After the run all the 5 and 10k'rs were asking me if I wanted to come back to the short stuff again.  I said yes. Those workouts are tough too, but I can usually manage the shorter stuff better.  I really need work on my mental toughness.