Denouement

OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING!!! Yeah, well, not quite. I couldn't sleep last night and when I did it was light with funky dreams.

I was on my own for my run. I felt kind of rickety the first mile. I saw Clay at one mile and he gave me the salute. Then I stretched and felt better but my legs had no power today, they felt tired and noncompliant. It was in the 60's by the end of my run, too hot for me!!! I am definitely a heat wuss.

I hope my legs feel more fresh tomorrow because it's supposed to be a big workout.

I am looking at 67 miles this week. (Not 66, not 68, mind you).

Ave pace 7:56

weight 125

Met up with Josse at Sasha's and warmed up, then went inside, changed shoes, used the toilet and stretched. Then we (Sasha, Jeff, Josse and Daniel) warmed up, but we did a 180 to get back to Sasha's magical starting marker for the tempo run. The plan was to do 6:00 pace until I die. I did this same workout in December on the indoor track for 2.2 miles, but Sasha wasn't there and I know I could have gone at least 2.5 if I had someone barking at me. So today I was thinking 5k, hoping I could last that far. But yesterday I still felt fatigued from the weekend and I am fighting a sore throat, and Sasha starts talking like we are going to go 6 minute pace for 5 miles. I laugh. So when we get to the starting line, it is with a sense of dread within me. Most tempos feel somewhat easy at the beginning, but for me 6:00 is pretty uncomfortable unless they are mile repeats. Sasha and Jeff are with me, Daniel is hanging back with Josse. Sasha has me on his wing, but he's taller than me so I kept having visions of getting elbowed in the eye, though that never quite happened. We hit the first mile in 5:58, feeling ok, trying to focus on learning how to be comfortable at that pace, second mile 5:59, still ok. Turnaround at 2.5, starting to hurt. Sasha starts having me give him five at 2.75 until I just start ignoring him after 3.25. I am guessing mile three was 6:01, the 13th quarter was 1:30, then I ran through 3.5 but that quarter was 1:36 I think and I quit at 3.625. My quitting was a mixture of general fatigue and needing to hit the bushes. I am happy I made it through the 5k but I wish I could have gone further. I guess that just leave something undone for next time. I will likely come up once a month and try to extend the distance I can go at 6 minute pace. So this time was 3.25, next time I'll want to go at least 4. My goal is to quicken my pace for my 10k's in July, then try to pull those paces to my 1/2 marathons in August, and then try to keep some of that quickness for St. George.

Sasha says it was an equivalent to 18:39 5k, so that's my best since college.

Sasha Jeff and I ran 13 together, and with 1 mile before I got 14.

***New blog name, this is a saying that fits many things in life.  It's especially relevant to my running right now since I am "faking" comfort at the faster pace until it actually becomes more comfortable.  Please tell me it's going to get more comfortable!
 

I woke up at 4:40am and it was already raining outside. Dang. I didn't feel like running in the rain. Turns out it was just a light rain, only sprinkling part of the time. I ran with MacK, though my legs would have preferred staying in bed. My legs felt progressively "deader" over the run. I also started feeling dehydrated/hungry toward the end (which is weird--see Katie's blog for my description of what I ate yesterday in case any of you all think I am starving myself http://katie.fastrunningblog.com/blog--A-M-3mi-up-6-x-Kline-Hill-Repeats-/06-03-2008.html).

Ave pace 8:28

weight 124

Woke up at 5:40 and it was pouring so hard!  My throat has been somewhat sore for days and was worse last night/this morning, so like a coward I crawled back into bed.  I woke up again at 8:20.  It was still raining, but not as hard, and I could see lighter clouds to the northwest so I ate some Cheerios and helped the kids with their morning ritual (breakfast, piano practice, toothbrushing, changing clothes).  I hit the roads at 10am and it was overcast but no rain and no sprinkling.  With the forecast next week (rain Mon-Wed) I figure I should put in a good workout inside my long run on Saturday, so I didn't want to go hard today.   My legs were feisty and rebellious, though.  Mile 1 in 7:32.  I stopped and stretched.  By the second 1/2 of mile 2 I was headed for a 7:20, so I decided to do some striders to get my squirrels out.  It worked nicely.  I went hard for two telephone polls (30-45 sec), for 6 or 7 times (lost count!).  Was pooped out by the last one and did my only mile above 8 minute pace for that mile (mile 4 - 8:01).  Felt pretty good during the whole run.  I think I will do a marathon pace tempo inside my long run on Saturday, for 6-7 miles.

Ave pace 7:40 

weight 124 

Laid in bed listening to the birds chirping until my alarm went off at 6:05am.  Pure luxury to sleep in that long.  It is so nice to have a cool start to June.  It will make me less resentful when the hot temperatures come.

I met MacK and JH in Salem and we did a Payson loop together.  They were spry and kept pulling out fast splits, I would hang behind, trying to put the breaks on the group a little because I want my easy day to be easy.  In the end it was kind of easy.  I ran with them for 7.5, then slowed it down on my own to finish almost 10.5.   Toward the end of my run and after I have some tenderness on the outside of my heel bone, and one foot is also achy on the top inside.  I am icing  it right now.  Perhaps the achiness I tend to feel when I am around 70 miles pw has begun.

Ave pace 7:44

Weight 125  

Decided to meet MacK and Josse in Springville and do my speed there, since I was likely to be on my own in SF.  I asked Josse if I could pace her, and she agreed, and we developed a plan.  My plan was to do the 5k course before the race at marathon pace (6:30-6:40 ave) then do it a little faster to help Josse break 20 min (6:27 I think is what does it).  We ran about 6 miles together, then I took of my jacket (light rain the WHOLE time this morning and mid 40's for temp--at least it wasn't heavy rain).  I started my own 5K with 24 minutes until the real race time.  It is a loop which is uphill first mile, then flat 2nd mile, then downhill 3rd mile and finish at the track.  

Splits for 1st time around:

Mile 1 - 6:45

Mile 2 - 6:26

Mile 3 - 6:02, total 19:28 (my watch measured course at 3.02)

I then had 4 minutes to get to the start (about 1/4-1/2 mile away) and hit the port a potty.

I get to the back of the start (about 1500 people?) and the gun goes off (I have my Ipod in but I see the masses lunge forward so I click my watch).  Unfortunately I had to be pretty rude, zig zagging quite aggressively, half running over a 5 year old, elbowing casual runners, until I get enough space.  I catch up to MacK just before the 1 mile mark and with Josse right at the 1 mile mark.  She had a 6:40 or so split, perfect for the first mile.  Here's my splits:

1 - 6:35 (starting at back of pack, so the 2nd half of this mile was much faster than the first 1/2)

2 - 6:35 Josse and I are running together, she is picking off people gradually.  I guess it was in this mile that we lost some time in trying to chase 20 minute guy (we should have been 6:25-6:30).  We were on target for a 6:25 for the first 1/2 of this mile, but the second half she starts to struggle just a little, but she stays really tough, responding to my give me five, and let's close the gap, type of talk.  

3 - 6:17 Josse is strong down the hill, picks off pink shirt (a lady who we were closing the gap on), picks it up toward the end though no true all out kick

19:46 for me for 2nd 5k 

We round the corner around the track finish and the clock is right in front of us and says 20:00, Josse finishes by that clock in 20:08 or so, with pink shirt passing her as she finishes.  

My watch says 19:46, for the total second 5k, but I must have been slow to start the watch.  Perhaps their timing was off, though and Josse's time should be more like 19:50.  

Overall, Josse did very well, and she stayed tough the whole time, which is THE hardest thing to do in any race.  Kudos to her for a great race.   MacK finished just behind us, and our running partner JH got second lady in the high 18's.   A big congrats too goes out to Paul T from the blog who was just ahead of us (loved seeing him with his blog shirt on) and to Hal who was also just ahead of us.

If it hadn't been raining Josse wouldn't have worn her long shirt and I think that would have shaved off some time.  Bad weather for a race overall, but I am glad I showed up because it helped my workout happen.