Believe to Achieve

The ANOTHER problem with impromptu marathons is friends calling 7 hours later and letting you know they are running 7 x 800s at 6am at AF track.  Hmmm?  what to think about that.  Should I delay and go Wednesday instead by myself at the track or at the gym?  I gave Kim a "if I am there I am there" call back.  Didn't tell her about my marathon because I know she would lecture me.  So I just waited it out and see where I was at by 6am.  I awoke at 2am with a few kinks but mostly a troubled left knee.  AF canyon is very slanted and downhill running compounded the problem.  I fell like my knee is squished, and needs to be pulled out by my chiropracter.  Of course when I need him its his day off.  But he wouldn't be in time anyway for my run coming up this morning.  I went back to bed and awoke and looked at my clock (I had forgotten to set my alarm) and it was 5:40am.  Just in time for me to get my act together and join them.  I told myself I could just watch them or try one and see how I felt.  Well....things went way better than planned even with the bum knee and Eiluj Marathon yesterday so I just stuck it out to the bitter end.  On rested legs (meaning NO marathon the day before at faster than my first SGM marthon with 7 stops not stopping the watch up and down a canyon in 3:34) my goal was to be under 6 pace.  I gave it my best and after the first one I was hopeful and the second as well and each one felt better and better despite the fact that the other threesome left me behind.  They ran right into the second set and I thought we were going to stop and so my watch wasn't ready.  I stood there resetting my watch and frustrated.  Now I had nothing to gauge myself on and all the rest were by myself because they never waited for me.  But I am used to that so after kind of being angry I just let it go and decided that wouldn't help me and I could do this on my own.  I did 4 one way and three the other.  The forth and fifth were the hardest.  The boy's track team were coming onto the track and I switched directions but my friends didn't and got more ahead because I stopped to turn around asking them why they weren't turning around.  Oh well at least I wasn't lapped.  I was just 3/4 lap behind them at the end and I go a lot slower for the lap in between.  I need to.  I am an old lady  :D.  It is mental and it just feels right not to always fly through things.  Here are the splits (AP for all 7 x 800s = 6:01, not bad for not even one day post marathon considering I stopped running yesterday at 10:15am).    First, 2.8 mile warm up.  First mile so nice and pathetically refreshing-- 9:55 ; D.  Then I met up with the girls and ran 7:46, 8:06 for .8.  Five minute break/potty rest then right into the 800s.  1-- 5:56, 2- 6:00 (am I really doing these with this bum knee?), 3--6:01 (looking good so far), then a lull in 4-- 6:08 (I was focused on whether or not the threesome would turn around so we could run the last three in reverse), shorter recovery before the fifth one (1:30 minutes instead of 2:10 average rest), the fifth one being 6:05, --  I actually didn't know my splits until I finished them because we never stopped and had to reset our watches while running---  NUMBER 6-- 5:57!!! : D.  But number 7-- Mental cause I was thinking I would stop at 6 even though they were running 7.  But I just bit the bullet and ran it anyway-- 6:03.  AP for all 7= 6:01.  I am not worried. So I think next time when we do 8 I will definitely be under 6s for all of them with some recovery runs the day before.  DUH!!!  I am so silly.  Insane.  Cooldown miles 3.2 @ 7:50 AP (8:25, 7:31, 7:30, and .2 at 8:15).  Iced in river with everyone for 10 minutes.  My knee felt so much better after that.  I feel great now.  Today is my daughter Courtney's 13th birthday : DDDDDDDD  PF CHIANGs TONIGHT :D.