Dixies Dashing Diary

Easy 3. Nothing more.

Ran with Victoria, Keith, Jorge, for the first 5 miles. Ran with Victoria and Katie the rest of the run. We picked up the pace and ran most of the way at or below 8:00/mile. I don't know our final time or pace as I left me Garmin at home. I'll update as soon as I get that info.

Time: 5:15 am   Total Time: ???

Temp: 69º  Humidity: 84%

Ran with Mark. Eased into the run with a very slow 2 mile warm up. I was still sore and mainly tired from the weekend. Good run over all. Once we got our first full lap through the hills everything started to feel more awake and warmed up.

Time: 6:10 am  Total Time: 1:08:59 (8:12 avg)

Temp: 66.9%    Humidity: 70%

Wore a shirt today for the second day in a row. Ran easy to recover from yesterday and prepare for tomorrow's tempo (7 miler @ 7:20).

Time: 6:17 am  Total Time: 1:15:40 (8:15 avg)

Temp: 62º  Humidity:  70%

This was one of the fastest training runs I believe I've had since my 20's. I did not want to run today let alone do a tempo run. The air temp & humidity were perfect and I just felt great. I fell into a groove after the second mile and just cruised. I did a one mile warm up and 7 mile tempo with one mile cool down. I felt a little tired coming into the last two miles but toward the end of mile 7 I knew I could do at least two more miles at pace. I can't wait to do a half to see where I am.

Splits:

1. 7:05
2. 7:11
3. 6:59
4. 6:50
5. 6:43
6. 6:46
7. 6:46

7:55 recovery mile

Time: 6:34 am   Total Time: 1:04:49  (7:11 avg)

Temp: 63  Humidity: 60%

Time: 6:28 am Total Time: 1:15::18 (8:04 avg)

Recovery run from yesterday's tempo...

Ran with Kelvin. Did easy run and chatted about our week. Nice morning.

Time: 6:04 am Total Time: 26:27 (8:36 avg)

Started at Longleaf with Jorge, Victoria, and Jamie. We met Keith after a 3 mile turn in the neighborhood. Nice day for a run but very dark as we had no moon light. Started just before 5 am. Only complaint is that Victoria an I ran too slow in the middle miles. Finished last two miles in 7:41 and 7:25. Though I couldn't have run the 20 at that pace today, it did feel much better than the 8:20's & 8:30's we ran earlier. Though I wanted and easy 20 today I feel like the slower pace acutally made it harder. I'll try to stay closer to 8:10 and under on my next 20.

Time: 4:53 am  Total Time: 2:47:42 (8:20 avg)

Temp: 66º  Humidity: 84%

Very nice recovery run. Ran with Mark this morning and we both agreed it was a good day to take it easy. He ran a PR 18:55 at a local 5K this weekend while I ran a kindof whimpy 20 miler. We were both due a nice long warm up followed by a few quick strides at the end.

Good way to start the week.

Time: 6:08     Total Time: 1:15:42 (8:29 avg)

Temp: 69º  Humidity: 78%

Had a terrible night's sleep. Got up around 2:30 am and stayed up till 4:45 am. Could not get up to run. Decided that since this is a cut back week I'd just take the entire day off.

Easy warm up and easy pace most of run. Felt very comfortable. Noticed after mile 2 I was at a 7:50 pace but it felt more like 8:20. I just kept going and focused on form and relaxation. Average for the run was 7:46.

Time: 5:39 am  Total Time:  1:17:44 (7:46 avg)

Temp: 68º  Humidity: 90%

Ran the causeway tonight. Beautiful weather. Nice breeze coming off of the sound, just after sun set so the stars were coming out but there was still color in the Western sky. Easier run than yesterday but got in 4 or 5 miles at or below goal pace.

Time: 7:50 pm  Total Time: 1:12:15 (8:00 avg)

Temp: 79.1º   Humidity:  64%

Great run in the hills with Keith, Jorge, and Victoria. Went to San Antonio. Same day as the Rattlesnake Run. Saw Lee Stevens and his wife, Krista "Benton" Stevens before and after the race. I think they got first place in both men and women's overall.

The views were spectacular. Temperature was perfect. We felt heat coming off of the groves and ice cold air at the bottom of "the bowl." It warmed up quickly after the sun came up so we finished at just the right time.

Time: 6:55 ap  Total Time: 2:04:58 (8:20/mile avg)

Temp: 46  Humidity: 93%

Could not wake up to run. I actually got up three times. The third time I went out and ran a total of .84 miles and just came right home and went back to sleep for another half hour. So...toight I got a 9 miler in. I'm trying to slow down on my non speed days but I find it takes more discipline then running faster. I'm so afraid to get used to running at that bogged down pace that I keep gradually going faster throughout the run if I don't keep an I on the clock.

Time:  8:00 pm  Total Time:  1:16:16 (8:06 avg)

Temp: 71º Humidity: 65%

Very tired. My legs are very tired. I've got to get more sleep/rest. I feel like I'm simply surviving this training rather than enjoying it. I need to snap out of this.

I slowed down some today. I need to slow down more so I can increase milage without increasing intensity. This is supposed to be a 60 mile week!

Time 5:41 am  Total Time: 1:23:35 (8:15 avg)

Temp: 68   Humidity: 73%

Had my weekly tempo run today. Last night I really wasn't sure I could do this today. I even called Mark to seek sympathy in hopes that he would say, "Na, bag it. You don't need no stinking tempo run." I got none and he didn't say that... I did some easy but fairly thorough stretching before bedtime and that seemed to help by morning.

Did one mile warm up at 8:41 pace and then started a 7 mile tempo (supposed to be 8 but that's another part of the story). Splits were as follows:

1. 6:58
2. 6:48
3. 6:54
4. 6:59
5. 7:09
6. 7:13
7. 7:06

As you can see I gradually slowed. I think I'm just not yet in shape enough to run faster than 7 - 7:10 for this distance. I think if I had stayed around 7:10 - 7:15 I would have had no problem. I will need to be conservative for next week's race.

Time: 5:38 am  Total Time: 1:07::28 (7:24 avg)

Temp: 70  Humidity: 73%

Ran a couple of warm up miles and settled into about a 7:55 pace. Miles 7-9 I slowed down to between 8:05 & 8:15 and then ran the last mile at 7:42. My legs felt fairly well recovered from yesterday's hard run. I'll probably do 4-6 miles easy tomorrow morning in preparation for a 16-20 on Saturday.

I saw a man walking a dog today who's dog was actually smaller than the armadillo that was walking about ten yards in front of them. At first glance I though he had teh armadillo on a leash as well... Who knows? I've seen stranger things at 5:30 am.

Time: 5:39 am  Total Time: 1:21:51 (8:05 avg)

Temp: 70º  Humidity: 73%

Rest day.

Slept in till 5:20 am and met Mark P and the rest of the Striders at Starkey Park. Beautiful full moon and moderate temp made this a gorgeous morning to run. Went out at a very reasonable pace and started picking it up from 8 miles in. Picked up the last 3 to half marathon pace. My splits were 7:11, 7:09, 7:26. I'm thinking 7: 15-7:20 is probably where I'll be next weekend for the half. Great run.

Time: 6:20 am  Total Time: 2:08:35  (7:56 avg)

Temp: 66  Humidity: 76%

Ran the hilly neighborhood run with Mark. Took it really easy today. Felt great.

Time:  6:10 am   Total Time: 1:12:11 (8:47 avg)

Temp: 71.5  Humidity: 97%

Felt hot and humid today for the first time in a long time. Ran easy. I really want to conserve for Saturday.

Time: 5:45 am  Total Time:  1:23:24 (8:17 avg)

Temp: 78  Humidity: 78%

I couldn't sleep. So when it was time to get up, I finally went to sleep... No running today.

The run I was supposed to do yesterday was a speed workout. I tried to tell myself I didn't need to go back to it and just do a 10 mile easy. The harder I tried to justify it the more convinced I was that I needed to do it. I did 5.5 warm up at 8:20 to 7:55 pace. Did 4 x 1 mile at:

1. 6:40
2. 6:33
3. 6:39
4. 6:44

The workout called for 4 x 1600 @ 6:43. This was a tough run. I did quarter mile jog/walk recovery and wasn't sure I could do all 4. Still a good workout.

Time: 5:45 am    Total Time: 1:22 05  (7:52 avg)

Temp: 73  Humidity: 91%

Easy run to warm up the legs. Cooler today but still humid.

Time: 6:26 am   Total Time: 44:05 (8:16 avg)

Temp: 73   Humidity: 83%

Ran a half marathon in our own back yard. The race was held in the county park in which we train year round. The race started at 7:30 am with a temperature of 61º and 84% humidity. I met Jackie Wachtel(?), an elite female runner, at the starting line who asked me what I hoped to run today and I told her 1:35. I put the question back to her and she said she'd like to go under 1:22. She finished in 1:21:30, 1st overall! I followed her from the gun for the first quarter mile and glanced down at my watch to see a 6:11 pace. I quickly reassessed my sanity and began backing down.

While my plan was to run the first couple of miles at or below 7:30, I ran much faster that expected. When I finally settled in, the pace was a fairly solid 7:05. Though it was way under goal pace it felt very comfortable given the conditions so I decided to see how long I could maintain it. My splits tell the rest. This is my new half marathon PR. It was great to see my Strider family throughout the run, cheering, fist bumps, and "Hey, there's a girl ahead of you..." and most of all to see our running buddies Eudair & Mark P at the finish line bringing me all the way into the shoot and celebrating my best finish ever! I honestly don't know who was more suprised by my time, me or them :)

1. 6:50
2. 7:07
3. 7:03
4. 7:05
5. 7:05
6. 7:07
7. 7:12
8. 7:00
9. 7:08
10. 7:09
11. 7:13
12. 7:19
13. 7:23
14. 6:52 (last .01)

Total Time: 1:33:10  Average pace: 7:08

Rest