Empty Nest Runner

Total Chaos long run...

So, got off the phone with my son last night at around midnight...He went to the clinic and found out about the pneumonia-walked to the pharmacy-walked back to his dorm only to find his roommate looking worse than ever.  Took him to the clinic and they were sent to the ER (around 6pm their adventure started).  Around midnight, their coach showed up and made Drew go home.  Still waiting to see how Gabe made out.  Drew has to wear a mask everywhere, and they just heard that most of their classes are cancelled due to the little epidemic hitting the school...UGH!

Barely got to the Hi Line in time to meet the Sunday crew.  (had planned to go a bit early and get some easy miles in before...) First 2 miles were at 7:10 and I could realy feel the heaviness in my legs after yesterdays workout and 17 miles!  Took opportunity to fall off with Ashley (trng for Boston).  So did next 3.25 @ 7:30 (thank goodness).  We turned back with may and Jonathan as Amy looked like death.  Apparently she had been sick all last week and thought she was better.  So next 2 @ 7:26 then .5 @ 8:00 when Amy started feeling REALLY bad...

Since J stayed with Amy, i hopped off to catch up with speedy Ashley.  All of a sudden she suggested that we do 2 miles at 7:00, which seemed like a really good idea at the time...Apparently she really likes when her legs burn...but she only did 12 yesterday and not a workout...kicked my BUTT!!! 

Wandered back for a bit (2 miles) as her "cool down" and took a break to socialize as folks were leaving.  Hopped back out to the trail to get in 7 more at a much more reasonable pace.

Somehow she convinced me that doing 18 next Sunday with her will be GREAT!  I can only imagine what our paces are going to be...

NOW time for chocolate and a nap!! (already had banana, hummus, pita and milk...)

Boulder Reservoir run with Heart & Sole

Went out to the Boulder Rez to  meet one of the Boulder Running Company's marathon training group after work.  Got there a bit early to get a bit of a warm up and pad my mileage numbers a bit...so easy 1.4 mile

Ran a super esay 1.25 with a few gals from the group and commenced with the agony of "defeet"--HILLS!  I rarely work hills, partially becasue I am a MAJOR wuss and partially becasue I do not always feel me feet still (so I do not trust them to be where they are supposed to be and sometimes I fall down the hills...)

Did 4 x 45 seconds and jogged abck down for continuous loops.  Felt pretty good considering the weekend my legs had (plus I think I was trying to show off a little...whcih always makes you feel good...)  Little did I knwo that was only the warm up...

Jogged over to a much larger and steeper hill and proceeded to try to make it to the top in 60 each time.  I think I did 4 or 5...pretty sure I blacked out...giggled when the coach was yelling at me to "gt up on my toes" I didn't have the heart to tell him that they aren't all there...coach probably was wondering why I was giggling during the workout...they might not ask me back...

Jogged back to the car and proceeded to get in 4 more easy miles along the dirt road.  Felt great, but lost the sunshine so kinda had to stop running.

Windy circuits

Warmed up on the trails with some of the new girls.  They are much quieter than the boys...

At the beginning of the week, the kids ae supposed to be able to calculate their mileage that they need for the week (I have been trying to get them to do this for a bit over a season now...) That way, they can figure out how many miles they get to "spend" during the week.  The older ones have figured out that if they bank miles early in the week, they can have some shorter days later.  the younger ones are still figuring that piece out...Now that the different pace groups and ability levels are back together, they spent over 15  minutes figuring out whether they needed to run 10 minutes or 15 for the extra warm-up...Silly boys...Last season I made them each a log book that resembeld coloring books (color a flower for each mile ran today...)  Looks like I will need to bring those out again.

Did 4 sets of 4 different ancillary exercises utilizing the medicine ball and some functional movement with a lap in between each set.  Cool down for the kids was only a mile, but I needed a bit more work in.  Stayed at the track (mistake) as it was horribly windy.  Funny how everytime I turned the corner I would think, maybe there will be no wind this time....UGH!

Chilly but no wind track workout

Sent kids out to do free fartlek on the trails (jealous) but one stayed back to help me with first half of workout as he just returned and is feeling like he is not quite up to par with the guys that have been working out consistently (SO, thought he'd take his chances running with the ol' girl!)

warm-up/stretching/drills + 2 strides

1200m @ 6:44 to re-warm up; 400m jog

4 x 600m with 200m (90 sec) jog rest Goal-6:20 pace actual: 6:14, 6:11, 6:17, 6:15

Bit longer of a break to check out with the kids about their workout AND talk to Dan Spale who was visiting us from Runners Roost, who recently has joined us for a workout...

1200m @ 6:50 (was supposed to be 6:44 again...); 400m jog

4 x 400m with 200m (90 sec) jog rest  Goal: 6:08  Actual:  5:54, 5:54, 6:03, 5:29

Mile cooldown

Felt really awesome and had planned to take a short break and then head over to the Roost for some more miles.  Great plan until: a sprinter was out on the track after everyone left and had planned to try and time trial by herself (well she had a guy friend with her, but his sweat pants were too big and he was running out of them...) SO, spent some time talking to her as she had LOTS of great questions about moving up from the 100/200 to the 400.  After her time trial, explained that any kind of time trial done this early in the season (pre-season), this cold, with that many layers on, alone = more like a tempo type effort and got her very excited about how that translates time wise for her.  Made plan to "time trial" with her at the end of next week with a few more folks around to help push her.

Drove across town, went into the Roost to say hey (club was meeting about a mile away) when a family walked in to buy running shoes, as one of the sons had signed them all up for a marathon relay.  Dad recognized me from scouting (as one of the lone female lodge advisors, I kinda stick out...) and we got to talking...SO did not meet the club and missed out on some more miles...sigh...BUT still ate the same amount of chocolate that I had planned for!  YAY!

Super, easy shakeout run

Got to the HS to run with the kiddoes and realized that I did not have any bottoms to put on...SO, directed the kids, snuck in to see the dress rehearsal of "Grease" and by the time I got home and found bottoms it was dark and cold.  Ran around the neighborhood (which I rarely ever do...) and got wonderfully lost.  8 miles later...

Harriman Lake

14.2 miles around the lake.  Intended to pop in some tempo miles , but after wram up "ran" into one of the kids I coach that has not been consistentnly at practice due to a culinary arts program/sompetition that is at the end of this week...Spent some time formulating a plan to run with him after his practice/tail end of our practice.

SO, after 7 mile warmup, changed shoes and tried for some tempo.  Goal was 4.5 miles around 6:44.  sand and rocks did not mesh well with my now tired legs and the thin racing flats (was slipping a ton) SO, went once around (about 1.6) at 6:40's and changed shoes back.  Then did bunch more miles mostly alone, but at times with some folks that I knew...

NOT the workout I planned, but covered my miles.  Looking forward to 18 tomorrow!