Denouement

Met Roberto for a long fartlek.  It was 25-30 x 2 min on/1min off, so since that is 50-60 of hard running I assumed it should be goal HM pace, or 3:40-3:45.  We averaged 3:39/k pace for the fast bits.  Roberto has been injured and thus is in perfect shape for me (half in shape), so it is risky for him to do hard work, but 3:45 pace is not that fast so it was less risky of a workout for him, and we did it on the outside lane of a track, so it was a softer surface.  The first 10 went by so slowly but it got better after that.  I had the runs, presumably from eating rich leftover foods from my Viennesse book club (we were discussing Freud).  Roberto timed my first bathroom break after #7 as 1:19 and my second after #13 as 1:14.  At that rate I should have had two more bathroom breaks but thankfully that was my last one.  I told him I have had bathroom breaks as short as 20 seconds long in the Salem Utah farm country but he said they were not on an IAAF accredited track so those PRs do not count.

I am very close to 100 miles for the week but I will NOT go out and run a mile or whatever I need to get there.  (Or should I?). 

Ran 15k in the early morning.  Lots of rain.  From my house to Kowloon Tsai, so a tougher course for keeping a good pace. 4:52 ave pace.

45 min elliptical in the afternoon

core workout at night. 

AM: 8.1k at 4:45 ave pace

PM: Track workout, 10 x 800m on the 4 min, so just 1:20 rest between.  Turning the screw on the workout I did a couple of weeks ago where we took off on the 5 minutes and I averaged 2:39.4.  

Today though it was persistently raining, I even did half my warm up in a jacket but then got too hot-- I was soggy by the time the workout started.  I got a long warm up since Ali was not working out (did Macau Marathon this weekend) and I was going to do the workout with some fast dudes and they weren't ready by 7pm.  I warmed up 6.5k, pretty agitated and stressed to start (stressed because of the workout, I forgot my fast shoes, but then Ali lent me some flats, stressed because my Coach is leaving in 12 days, but who is counting?).  Anyway, here's how the workout went:

	Time	Split
1	2:42	77,84	Boys went out way fast, and I followed suit, felt worst in this one
2	2:39	78,81	78 felt much better than 77, but coach said I looked pretty awful in the first two reps (he told me this at the end of the workout, not like "michelle! you look awful!"
3	2:39
4	2:39
5	2:39		Coach gave us a slow lap jog, probably 4 minutes, I think specifically so I could have a bathroom break, I didn't say I needed one but I so did, and he knows me by now
6	2:38
7	2:39		some of the boys are losing steam and I am getting closer to them
8	2:38		one boy drops out of workout
9	2:39
10	2:32		I tell orange shirt boy to watch out or I'd get him.  I thought, "that's a sure way of helping motivate him to not let me get him" but in the second lap he kept looking over his shoulder for me, and let me catch him at 150m then we both sprinted to the finish.  I think he wanted to help me.
	2:38.4 ave pace

 

 So despite the long break in the middle, coach says this is a much more impressive workout than the other 800m workout, esp because of the rain and how yucky I looked at the beginning.  With such short rest, there was no jogging, I just walked and told myself to get my breathing in control and during the 800s I tried to be relaxed and smooth and did no sprinting to the finish (except the last one, of course). Long cool down with Coach, 6.5k, 4:50 pace

Thanks Ali for letting me borrow your shoes. They are a bit magical :D 

Horrible, horrible sleep!  Too pumped up from workout night before.

Went to a research seminar and was very excited to feel antsy to comment.  At most research seminars I have very little to say because I am so green in the academic world, but in this one I had to hold back, which was a long lost feeling, haven't felt that since staff meetings at work at my CPA firm in Utah, or since my masters program.  It was a good feeling.

After the seminar, I went for a run with Curtis, my ave pace shows 5:22, which includes the stairs up and down from Bowen Rd, but I know we were going a good pace (4:40-4:45 when we were actually on Bowen Rd).

Core workout in the PM 

5 hours of sleep!  What is wrong with me?  I need a nap.  Woke up at 5:10am to meet Roberto for a fartlek ladder.  With just 5 hours of sleep, I felt yuck-yuck.  But the pace is HM goal (3:40-3:45) so not like I have to have killer instincts to do this workout, and Roberto was there to help, and he was quite witty this morning so that was nice to wake up.  After 4.09k warm up (4:50 pace), we got to work.  Upward ladder with 1:30 rest between.

# min	Pace	Distance (k) think meters people
1	3:43	.27
2	3:43	.54
3	3:42	.81
4	3:43	1.08	legs starting to wake up
5	3:43	1.34	bowels have woken up, took about 2:30-3 min break for bathroom that wasn't right at the end of the rep
6	3:41	1.63
7	3:45	1.87	Roberto telling me to calm pace down, had to go potty again after this one but kept rest to 1:30 still
6	3:43	1.61
5	3:44	1.34	feeling tired
4	3:45	1.07
3:01	3:40	.82	Roberto peeled off for home after one minute, I continued on toward Tai Wai, watch on manual now so fartlek amounts are off by seconds because I am prone to error :/ (1:32 rest)
1:02	3:45	.28	was supposed to do two minutes but had to, had to go to the bathroom again, long bathroom break
3:02	3:40	.83	get myself back to workout fatigue mode to make the end feel like it is supposed to by redoing the last 3 minute bit, 1:30 rest
2:04	3:38	.57	1:32 rest
1:01	3:36	.29	done
53:10	3:42 ave pace	14.35K

Just 1 mile cool down.  Had to get home! 

So I felt fatigued and the three bathroom breaks made the workout a bit disjointed, but am happy it is done and I didn't flake.

11k easy, so hard to keep pace slow though, 4:38 ave pace

Core workout 

Easy run, have race next day. 

Ran 9k, then stopped and stretched, waiting for Paul (my Paul) to come.  He was doing an out and back 18 mile run, his first 18 mile run, and he was understandably concerned about the run.  He didn't know I was meeting him so it was a surprise, then I ran with him for a couple of k (pace in the 5:40's/k).  So my ave pace was 5:04 over all.  11.27k

Big adult christmas party with so much bad food. Did have some bad dips, etc but had no bad dessert, not a taste, for fear of stomach reprisal midrace the next morning. 

So this was a 10k I agreed to do just because the prizes seemed good and the Italia team needed a third woman.  Theoretically I'd have another chance to be ranked #1 in the 10k road standings in HK, but I'd have to break 36:34 and beat YKC if she showed up.  I figured the only way I would go that fast is if she showed up, then if she did she would put up a fight.  If I won and broke the course record (37:19, no prob) I would have gotten a polar watch, $9,000 in gear.  Not bad.  However, I was at a party until 11:35 the night before, and woke up groggy from an Ambien at 6:40 in the morning, so I downed 1.6 coke zero cans, brought two gus and hoped noone showed up for the race.  The HK running scene is small, there are really no surprise people except internationals.  In the bathroom line when I get there I see an African-looking woman (none here that run, just a youth, and this woman is not youth, more like me "seasoned").  So I know I have competition.  Then Thomas, our resident HK Kenyan, has another African woman with him, who I hear is a 2:37 marathoner (but when I talk to her she is really a 2:40 Kenyan).  Dang.  Two Kenyans.  Then on the warm up, I see Yiu Kit Ching.  Dang, so I am looking at fourth place is what I thought as I warmed up, because I am NOT feeling the eye of the tiger.  But also chanting in my ear is Coach Paul, who previously told me he didn't care who came to any race in Hong Kong, I needed to go with them.   So I figure, I am probably 4th place, but I will try to keep the Kenyans in touch.  So at the start, the Kenyans line up behind YKC and I.  

 

1-2	7:02 for first 2k	YKC leads for the first 100m, then the Kenyans leap ahead, and I pass YKC to try to keep touch but they are going fast. I don't catch my 1k split. I am in second place but catch up to the 2nd Kenyan as we hit the little hill to the twin bridges, I draft up the hill, then pass her, this is at about 1.75k
3	3:38	Figure I will pay for that start, but there is an orange shirt guy running strong, and there is some headwind so I try to stick with him
4	3:33
5	3:36	I look about 20-30 seconds behind #1 at the turn around, don't pay attention to where the ladies behind me are, feeling like I am going to pay for this start!, 17:50 at turn around
6	3:34	feeling like I can't keep this up, but trying to delay the slow down to decrease the chances of being caught, having to surge occasionally to keep up with orange shirt
7	3:37	Trying to keep up with orange shirt, so hard, surging occasionally, telling myself if I can keep 3:40 then YKC won't be able to catch me (not sure that was true, but was motivating), trying to run smooth
8	3:32	perhaps some tailwind? orange shirt is doing even better and is breaking away, I know I want to change my watch to total time so that I can see if I can break 36
9	3:34	switch over to total time, with 1500m to go feeling like the wheels are coming off
10	3:22	PR on the line, I know this, pass orange shirt and other dude between the 500m and 400m mark when I surge, but then I back off at 300m to go, so tired, but then with 200m to go kick it in
10.04k total by my watch

 Second place but elation at the finish line. My watch showed 35:32 (but official is 35:34). I cannot believe I broke my 10k track time from college --1998.  I never thought I would touch that sucker.  So my prizes were so small compared to what I anticipated (the Kenyan is also in my age group) but the biggest prize of all, a PR at 35 years old, is mine :D  Long cool down with Curtis and a German running-tourist Henreich.

Additional note.  The Kenyan who beat me is also going to the Taipei half marathon next weekend so I will be racing her again.  I guess I better go out with her, eh? 

Had a busy day after the race, but had the adrenaline of the great race pushing me on.  Went home, changed, went to church for meeting, went almost to China for a Mahjong-going away party for my coach (I learned how to play mahjong today, it is so fun), went back home, made dinner, gathered the family, and we went back to church for an evening Christmas program.  Then making hot chocolate for dessert, then Walking Dead, then to bed. 

Note: my coach is leaving HK in one week.  I've known this for some time, but I am feeling it now.  There is currently no replacement coach (and even if there was, they would likely not be a long-distancey coach and it takes time to build repore).  So this time in my running is so bitter-sweet.  I am at my peak of running, in large part because I have a coach guiding me onthe track.  It is one thing to be email-coached and quite a different thing to be HURRAHED and yelled at on the track by a coach.  It reminds me so much of being Coach Shane's athlete, and I never thought I would have a coach on par with Coach Shane, but Coach Paul Wright IS and has been just what I needed. This is my last training season and right smack in the middle of it my coach is leaving. Doesn't this type of thing always happen?(Anklosing Spondolytis diagnosis/debacle in 2009, appendicitis 2010, moving to HK in 2011, losing coach midseason 2012).  However, he will email coach me (YAY! note sarcasm).  I will just need to surround myself with my running buddies for training partners, and pretend like I have someone yelling at me on the track, and not let this derail me!  You all can help as you always do :D

Easy 15.02k 4:49 ave pace.

3k revenge time trial, after a pretty bad attempt about 4 weeks ago.  On that day I wanted sub 10:00, a bit greedy, and did a 10:18, 5 seconds slower than my college indoor track PR.  

Today I had two guy pacers (Alfred and Ken), and a more modest goal of 10:10, which would still be a PR.  So the plan was go out no faster than 40 sec for the first 200m, then 81-82 per lap, so perhaps 5:25 at the mile.  Alfred was the primary pacer.  I was pretty nervous, but thought 10:10 was very doable. 5k warm up, lots of stretching, several strides (don't want to go into this type of workout cold).  First 200m was 37-38 (fast), first lap was 78-79 (fast), second lap was 82, at 1000m I told Alfred to pick it up, but the third lap worried me as we came in at 82-83 (per coaches calling, I wasn't lapping the watch), so I passed him and pushed the 4th lap and we came in for the mile at 5:22.  He took over in the 5th lap and ran strong the rest of the run, at around 79-80, and we were under at 7:21 with 800 to go, 8:00 with 600m to go, 8:39 with 400m to go, and 9:52 to finish!   Big improvement!  10 minutes of easy jogging, then 6 x 600m on/200m off cruise intervals at 88-90/lap pace.  Long cool down since I got lost (8k).

Three big PR's in three weeks, this sure is a golden period in my running.  This is a perfect start to my marathon training cycle.  By getting my speed up and already used to hard workouts, I should be able to do faster tempos which will lead to a faster marathon, right?  Couldn't have believed 4 months ago I would be where I am now.  Very very grateful.

4:57/k ave pace.  Core workout

Last workout on the track with Coach Paul.  Easy workout really.  Really came for the team gift exchange party and to say goodbye to Coach.  200's were 38 sec ave, a bit faster than the 40 coach wanted.  Ali was on fire and ahead of me for most of them.  I felt tired from bad sleep (my Paul is out of town) and from not eating enough (knew I would eat well at the party).  I gave away caviar face mask treatments, nothing like some good fish eggs spread all over your face.  I got some chocolate :D

10k on the tm plus running there and back. Core workout.

I am in Taiwan!  Big 1/2 marathon tomorrow.  The Kenyan from my last 10k will be there again.  My coach says to not look at my watch but to just race it.  Will do.  Glad that some friends are also in town because we will do dinner tonight.  It is lonely to travel alone (brilliant statement, I know).

7.3ish k at the Da'an Park. They call it Taipei's Central Park, but it is way smaller, because I can run around it in 2.25k, while Central Park is 10k around (I have heard, have never been there). 

20C to start.  Joe Joe (a runner from HK) tells me it will not be a race to PR in, since it typically runs long and it will be warmer than normal.  

This race had a large footprint and masses of people (about 30,000 spread over four events, the half being the most popular), so 50 minutes was really not enough time to get ready.  The bag drop off took 10 minutes, and it was too big to try to keep my bag and change shoes so I was in my fast shoes for warm up.  Ran 3k plus strides for a warm up.  Talked with Mercy, the Kenyan who beat me last week.  She is my big competition that I know of, and the finish times are normally not that fast (1:20-1:23 for leader) so I think it is likely to be me and her.  Coach said to race it, not worry about the watch. So I wanted to go out with her but coach and I discussed that 3:35 was the maximum start pace. So the leisurely 1/2 marathon start, with easing into the pace was not to be in the cards this race day.  The elite marathoners started 3 minutes ahead of us, then the half marathon/marathon started at 7am.  Mercy was far from me down the starting line, but I kept my eye out for her after the gun goes off.  Here's how the race went:

k	Lap Time (Total Time)	Pace	Notes
1k	3:32ish	3:32	I did not see any k marker but in the first k, I saw her and go out with her, but at 500m or so I am cruising for 3:20 so slow down to control breathing and let her go, by k she is probably 70-80m ahead, dang
5k	18:06	3:36	Mercy is way ahead, by 2k she has opened up a 30 second lead on me, so I am running with guys and working with a pack of them, one is from CityU, the university my husband works at, and I think another guy is also a HKer, did not see 5k marker (at this point still didn't know what the k markers looked like), so my real 5k split was probably slower
6-8k (3.05k per watch)	11.14 (29:21)	3:45	The pack of guys I am with are going so fast, watch is saying 3:41 pace, and this is feeling like a 10k.  I tell myself that perhaps she will pay for her fast start more than I will.  I draft and let the guys pull me along, saw my first k marker so hit split, so slowed a bit here, but part of the 3:45 pace is because I didn't see the 5k marker, I take a gu
9-10k (1.98k per watch)	7:16 (36:37)	3:38	up a short hill, down a short hill, turn a corner and I think I can see Mercy for the first time, her lead is shortening, with a pack of 4 (three guys and me) we chase her pack down, feeling better than in the 5-8k stretch
11-12k (1.98k per watch)	7:14 (43:51)	3:37	Closing the gap, just 10m behing Mercy at the 12k marker
13k (1.05k per watch)	3:47		I catch Mercy at 12.5 and she wakes up and pulls a hard surge.  I keep with her for 100m or so, but she is cranking and by 13k has opened up a good 10-15 sec lead, my watch says 3:37 pace (perhaps marked long?)
14-15k (1.97k per watch)	7:23 (55:01.96)	3:42	There is a slight incline, I am working with the guys to keep Mercy close, but not in striking distance (she is probably 20 seconds ahead), I am feeling like I can keep sub 6:00 til 15k then walk it in (perhaps not that bad but am afraid of a slow down), this is where I should have caught up to her again and tried again, but wasn't brave enough, I knew she would likely just pull a big surge and I would already be worn out with surging to get her
16k (1.03 per watch)	3:56		Slight but persistent uphill as we work our way to the only 180 turn around.  Mercy maybe gains 5 seconds on me in this k.
17k (1.03 per watch)	3:51		I think the turn around is in this k, she is 30 seconds or so ahead, I think there is only a chance to catch her if she slows, and mentally I switch a bit to trying for an awesome race time, I figure I could break 1:18:45 and perhaps even 1:18, it is getting hotter, I can see for almost a k behind me because of the 180 and there are no other ladies
18k (.97 per watch)	3:42		regaining a bit of speed as there is some downhill, have a water stop and try to take water and pour water on myself (also pour gatorade on self then am wiping it away when they take pics)
19-20k (2:11 per watch)	7:31	3:45	some slight downhill, then a long, long underpass, ending with an uphill out of the underpass about 200m before the 20k mark.
1.11 to the end	3:45	3:22	At the 20k mark I tell myself to dig deep for one fast k.  I didn't know my cumulative time, but told myself I could get under 1:18 if I shaved off some seconds.  Last part of the race is flat and 600m straight, then turn the corner and then there is the longest 500m finish ever.  There is a blue arch that took forever to get through, and once I did there was still another 40-50m to the finish. 1:17:50!!!
21.29 per watch

 So a 1:54 min PR three weeks after a one minute PR at UNICEF.  This race was a dream come true, quite literally. The night before UNICEF I had a dream that I got second place to Shalene Flanagan in that race and got a 1:17.  Mercy is not quite Shalene, but I got my 1:17.  I never dreamed I could run a half this fast.  It is absolutely amazing.  I am still shocked, really.   

During the race it felt like a 10k, after the race it felt like a marathon.  Nagging niggles are inflamed, loss of appetite, etc.  I got food, did a cool down then ran back to about 700m from finish and cheered on the 1/2 marathoners and saw the Kenyan marathoners come in. This race recruits high end athletes, several with sub 2:10 marathons, a few women who are sub 2:25 marathoners.  It was fun to cheer them on.

Mercy ended up 31 seconds ahead of me this race, exactly the same spread as the 10k last week.  I wish I had been brave enough to challenge her another time in the race.  There is always something more that could have been done in a race, eh? 

Marathon training starts next week :D Bring it on! 

Took the day off!

Except 45 min elliptical and a lovely foot massage.  That massage guy in Mong Kok is a keeper. 

AM: elliptical for 45 min, 1.5 hour massage with Anthony

PM: 5.75k warm up, then 10 x 800m on the 4 min, 2:50 goal pace per coach, wanting to keep pace mellow because of thrashed legs and important long run with tempo coming up this Saturday.  Heavier headwind on the back stretch than we have had in a while, so I ask Ali to take the lead on the even ones and she does. Here's my splits: 2:49 (easily the hardest one), 2:49, 2:46, 2:49, 2:48, 2:47, 2:46, 2:46, 2:42, 2:40.  My SI (left, it was my right SI that waylaid me for 2009) started to niggle in the 9th, could feel it in the 10th but not hindering.  This workout awakened the soreness from the race.  Ali helped me successfully go around the Fotan racecourse loop for the cool down--didn't get lost!  

After the workout I met with Angela and she showed me several new core exercises, since the ones I have been doing are seeming too comfortable.  I will definitely be challenged by these new ones :D  

Ran 1.3k but my SI joint started aching quickly and felt worse than the night before and it freaked me out since it is the same pain that killed my 2009 year, though this time it was my left side, not my right, so I stopped at 1.3k and walked home.  Then went to my rheumatologist same day, got more NSAIDS from him, started taking double doses, and SI felt better in the afternoon so I did a light 40 minutes on the elliptical.  Didn't go too hard, just wanted to get something in. 

Also core workout, gingerly. 

Did 72 minutes in the pool.  Warmed up 9 minutes then did 20 x 2 min on /1 min off (original workout if I was running was 30 of these, but only had lane scheduled for an hour plus that would have drove me crazy).  Nearly did go mad in the workout.  55 min elliptical in the afternoon.

Did 55 min easy pool run, nice and warmed up, then did an easy run to see how the SI joint was, and it was fine.  Could feel it just the barest bit, but no pain. Very happy and planned on doing Saturday workout.

Core workout 

Long run with Ali and a guy friend pacer named Wai.  Ali wanted 4:00 pace, and given how my SI had been feeling, I thought I would just keep with her.  We did 4k warm up, then started tempo toward Tai Po and into the wind.  5k splits were 20:21, 19:49, 19:41, and 18:37.  Ali stayed at about 4:00 pace but I wanted to make the 21 seconds up, being the way I am.  So I felt bad when the pacer stayed with me instead of staying with Ali, but I didn't tell him to stay back, I will do that next time.  Funny I didn't think of being that proactive.  My body felt just fine.

AM:  met Roberto at 6am for a xmas eve workout.5.64k warm up then 16 x 3 min on/1 min off fartlek (Roberto had to take off after 10).  Did about a two minute rest between 4 and 5 bc of bathroom needs.  Ave pace for fast bits was 3:41.  24.22k total

PM: ice skating with kids-has to count as some type of cross training, eh?  Did two 5 lap races, Mickie and Ben tied in the first one, but second one was just Ben and I so I trounced him.

Then 7.9k easy run (no watch) 

Love the new features!  Love the k conversion.  Love seeing my shoe miles.

Merry Christmas everyone! Ran 15.2k at 4:47 ave pace.  Gut fullish at the beginning.  Must stop eating or will explode (or at least grow a size).

Will do core in 15 minutes (it is 8:52pm right now). 

AM: Met Roberto for 5-6 x 1600m @ 5:40, launching every 8 minutes.  Last time I did this Coach gave use a full lap, long 4 min rest between 3 and 4 but we kept the rests true.  I was very nervous at the start and my stomach felt yuck.  That is not much different than evening workouts since it is hard to eat just right headed into a workout (not sure whether eating too much or too little).  This time it is from Christmas-gluttony.  Roberto and I switched leads on the laps but he'd finish a couple of seconds ahead of me.  The first one was the hardest in some ways, legs started to feel heavy after 3, but plugged on.  Times were 5:40, 5:38, 5:40, 5:38, 5:38, 5:30.  Roberto did not do the 6th (he is injured and really shouldn't be doing this workout at all but it is hard to say no to the help) so I was glad I was able to complete the workout strong even without him pulling me along.  Nice long cool down.

Ran 16k easy then 8 x 60m strides

Plus core and 15k easy bike riding with kids.

Went to Bowen Rd, and did  some warm up then met Peter, ran up to Wan Chai Gap, then met the group that does an 11k mountainous run each Saturday. This is my first time doing it, it is not my norm to be on hilly trails, but I didn't need a super long run, and this course has a record and yearly bests and this was the last Saturday run of the year, so I thought I would try to get the best time of the year, and possibly the course record.  Peter was the fastest runner to show, so I thought perhaps I would not go for the record (I didn't know the trail and he didn't necessarily want to go out hard).  But he did go out on a good clip and my goodness-trail running is so different from roads.  I had to focus on almost every step, and/or risk a big spill.  It was thrilling and exhausting physically and mentally.  The course record was 54:30 for women, and Peter said when we were 2/3 through that I might get it, and he told me how to find the final turn and let me go with about 3k to go.  So I pushed it and got 51:09.  So got the record, and now Peter says I need to run it again and try for sub 50.  Risky business but no real damage (did twist ankle a couple of times but no pain after a step or two luckily).  Went to Black's link road to add mileage. 

16k sans watch then 8 x strides.  Core workout.