Empty Nest Runner

Recovery Run

Nice easy miles in the mile high city to recover from yesterday's funfest.  Met up with Sunday group, but had to do a rolling drop off of Drew as we were somewhat late (nasty driving conditions...) at Wash park.  SO, ran around the park watching a local 5k race and met up with more of our group (the slower ones...) and ran with them for about 2 miles.  For whatever reason (testosterone, maybe...) they always feel a need to speed up when I am with them.  So feeling frisky, I went along and started to push the pace a bit.  We were running around 7 flat, which was impressive for the amount of snow on the ground.  After 2 miles, the 4 abruptly left, saying they had to go get ready for the game...whatever...Stephanie would have really had fun with these four!

Nice easy mileage at 8800 feet! (that's really all I could manage up that high).  Ran the canal to railroad track loop up in sunny Alamosa.  Dropped Drew off for another fun week at college!

SO, I'm not allowed to hug the janitors anymore...

This weekend at nationals, i learned alot about myself.  There was much time for deep introspection and to take inventory on life.  One realization that I had (ok, that was given to me...) is that the boys think I am only friendly to the janitors at school because they plow the track for me.  I tried in vain to refute that notion, to no avail.  They think I am "flirty".  SO, to tes ttheir hypothesis, I did not hug a single janitor at all this week.  AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT?  My track wasn't plowed for today's workout.

So, do I start shoveling again, or go with the hugs????

Fartlek

2 boys have one last race before their transition into outdoor track, so they needed short speedy stuff.  Wihtout the track being plowed...sigh...the only thing remotely close to speedy was fartlek.  I let the boys do 1-2-3-2-1 (by feel, darn moguls...) with 60-90-60 rest. 

Matt and I needed quite a bit more (and more mileage), so added 3-4-5-4-3 witih 2 minutes rest (I was tired...and sad...) and then added a few miles on the backside to cool down.  Could not regulate pace today due to the many ruts that were left by prancing runner's feet on the once pure snow, but was in the range of 6:03 to 6:43.

Jogged 2.25 while coaching.  Had the boys do 300's on the track (or at least lane 1 of the track...)  Conducted pre-race talk and "go get ems" as one of runners is traveling to Albuquerque for the weekend.  Went inside and committed treason by running 4.25 on the treadmill.  HATED EVERY STEP!  UGH!  Hate the treadmill and had to stop before I began gouging out my eyes in desperation.

Lower in miles this week than what I wanted, so next 3 days need to be sunny!!

Supposed to do k's today...

SO, the temp was definitely warmer, so we decided to do our k's today on the track (or at least  in lap 1...)  The boys had their pre reace routines, so I waited until they were finished with their workout and checked out with everyone before beginning mine.  MISTAKE!

Since the track lane one is bordered by snow walls on either side, the melt off was all over the track.  Not a problem until the sun began to set and then lane one was the best ice speed rink ever,  I tried to Ohno the last k, but to no avail...

I changed my goal pace from tempo (6:39's) to MP (7:02) due to the cold and just still feeling a bit flat from last weekend's race.  Was on my fourth (with 1 min rest) when the track became unrunnable.  6:55, 7:05, 7:05.  Opted to run 4.5 more with Matt around bowl run, dodging the patches of ice that were froming out there.

I'll take "months that begin with the letter M" for $100

AM run:   Deer Creek

SO, today Stephanie had an epiphany.  That I am truly a ditz, and no, not faking it in a cute way.  TRULY a ditz.  So, after getting lost on my way to meet her for an epic run (Steph-I got lost ont he way oout as well-the same way I got lost coming in), she also realized that I mix up my months as well...March, May--they both begin with "MA" so its easy to se ehow I get confused...

Missing my workout in Boulder due to strange communication issues, I was able to get a hold of super Steph for a meet up.  She decided that we needed to do some hill work, and OH BOY!  Did we!  After making a wrong turn and then overshooting our meeting place, she "pulled me over" in her car and led me to the parking area.

It was in the 40's already, so gorgeous day to run in Deer Creek.  hopefully she will have some data on our verts cuz they were amazing!  Still feeling pretty flat, so the hills REALLY kicked my bum.  Stephanie, however, darted up and down them (waiting patiently for me to slog my way...) and then would dart away for more.  Good Times!  We did a two-fer and decided to make this our long day with some hills thrown in.

Our final real uphill was 1.5 miles up!  (mine was probably closer to 1.4, cuz screamin' Stepahnie gapped me pretty good).  Down hills felt ok, but I didn't really feel my wheels moving until around the 11 mile mark, where we were able to motor for a bit on a slight downhill.  SO, 13 for the morning in 1:50, which I thought was pretty darn good considering the hillage!

PM:

Went home and ate some good ZA!  (Yes, Stephanie, I had good intentions to eat some eggs and then go move furniture, but my patient cancelled on me and instead, I broke up ice and shoveled snow for almost 2 hours...so pizza it was!!)  Watched the mile races for the Huskie invite, as my son's team was competing at UW.  Took a quick rinse and quick nap, woke up to squeeze in a few more miles befoer the sun went down AND in time to watch the 3k and try to watch my HS'er Brandon at the Great Southwest Invite in ALBQ (his brother, coincidentally, was running at UW as well).

SO, not quite the additional 6 that I hoped for (ran out of time and got REALLY hungry), but knocked out an easy, sleazy 4.  Time for chocolate, live feed track meets and LOTS of sleep!