Denouement

Uneventful run except for putting my mittens on and taking them off over and over since I couldn't decide whether to have hands a little too cold or a little too hot and sweaty.

Kept a good pace so I could do 13 miles.

ave pace 7:43

weight 120

Went to the Metallica concert last night.  They were excellent. Their warm up acts were not so great, but Metallica is the best rock band ever.  My favorite numbers were Master of Puppets (my all time favorite song of theirs) and Back to the Front (I forgot all about this song, haven't heard it in over a decade, but it was so good).  It was a workout just being at the concert, even though I wasn't on the floor with all the crazy's.  All the head banging should count for some cross training.  My neck is sore from it!

Ok, so I got to bed at 1am, so I slept in until 7:20 then did canning in the morning, then voted (rock on - Obama is winning!), then ran after taking my son to preschool.  I started just after noon.  It was rainy/snowy, but not too cold.  I listened to NPR all day since it's such a monumental day.

Tempo run tomorrow, probably in the snow.

ave pace 8:03

nap in late afternoon.

First big winter storm of the year.  Took it really slow driving down the mountain, with 1-2 inches of snow on the asphalt.  Got to Ali's house late.  It was pelting down snow pellets and Ali's like, are you sure you want to do a tempo run?  And I am doubting the wisdom of it as the pellets hurt our faces as we run into it.  We run toward the ballpark and by the time we get there the pellets had stopped.  Good so we can do it.  We ran 3.3 warm up, stretched and started.  It was a 10 minute out, 10 minute back tempo (twice) for 40 minutes total, and this format helps me to chase down my running mate and not feel totally alone in a tempo.  I wanted to do 6:30 to start and go faster the second 20 min segment if possible.

1 - 6:21 - this seems like a pretty flat section but as i tempoed it I think it is slightly downhill this mile

2 - 6:33 - 3:39 one direction then turn around and back.  Snow pellets are hammering down toward the end.

3 - 6:49 - pellets coming down hard now, trying to keep effort up, trying to decide whether to quit at 20 min

20:42 for first segment, 3.14, no stopping just turned around and lapped watch

1 - 6:45, still pelting down snow, asphalt covered by now,

2 - 7:03, turn around after 3:16

3 - 7:05 pace for .91 (6:27), by this mile snow was clinging to the heels of my shoes creating a platform shoe effect, legs felt tired, but kept up effort best I could.

total 6.05 in 40:59, 6:47 ave pace, bad pace for bad conditions.  I think I deserve 3 stars for sticking with the workout :)

12.5 miles total with 7:48 ave pace for total

weight 122

Slept in, and ran 4 miles after getting the older kids off to the bus on the treadmill.  I haven't run on a treadmill for several months.  Last time I tried I got tight calves and got gunshy.  So I made myself stop at four and go an easy pace.  Slowly, slowly eased into a sub 8:00 pace.  Will run more this afternoon.

PM: Ran Bishops Storehouse 9 and did 10 strides (about 30 sec each) within the run, then added an around a couple blocks loop to try to get closer to 10 miles, ended up with 9.6 (no gps, but used course tool ex post facto). Started at around 12:45, so much warmer than earlier in the day.  Ran with my new short haircut courtesy of ali, so no ponytail for me.  Quicker than normal pace, and had to slow myself some to be this slow.  I guess it feels good to run in the sun.  ave pace 7:23

Ran 8 with Ali, then 2 more on my own. 

8:24 ave pace

weight 122

Took a morning nap.

Ok Ali cut my hair yesterday and Lupita was kind enough to color it for me today:

<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2199275380104365166fcpqrK"><img src="http://inlinethumb22.webshots.com/6101/2199275380104365166S200x200Q85.jpg" alt="DSC01295"></a>

<a href="http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2293047100104365166JniWBt"><img src="http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/5888/2293047100104365166S200x200Q85.jpg" alt="DSC01293"></a>

Met with JulieE at Sasha's and we ran 3.13 at 8:00 ave pace to get in some mileage before a 7am start time.  Sasha and Jeff were doing a 10 mile tempo at 5:50 pace (so Sasha claimed) on a 2.5 mile stretch, so my plan was to hang with them for as many quarters as I could, then jog to another quarter mile mark, then jump in with them again for another repeat.  So I would have anything between 4x1mile-2mile repeats.  Given my sluggish legs lately, I knew 2 miles wouldn't likely be in the cards, and as I started the morning I knew 1.25 would be most likely the farthest I could go, since I haven't done anything except strides below 6:00 pace since the marathon.  I thought Julie might do 1 mile repeats with us, but Tyler joined and wasn't up for the workout, so it seemed like he paced her through a steady tempo.  We warmed up as a five person group for 3 miles, then started.  

1 - 1.25 in 7:14 (5:47 pace), with 5:47 for the first mile, so even pace, Sasha said I'd only make it to the mile mark since I wasn't conversational, so I had to at least go another quarter :)

2 - 1 mile in 5:48, they were going faster than their 5:50 projected pace, so they gapped me by about 8 seconds on this mile, so I syched out thinking I was slowing down, I should have just pushed it to 1.25

3 - 1.25, 5:43 for first mile (they were still gapping me, going so fast), then I couldn't see the marker for the quarter, so I just kept up the pace for another 1:30, so probably a little long,

4 - 1:25 in 7:28 (5:59 ave pace) I mistimed the start of this part so I wasn't at the quarter marker when they got there, so it messed up me trying to pace with them.  I was about 10 sec back to start but they quickly increased the distance.  This was a fairly pathetic repeat, but I have to post the truth.  I ran the first mile in 5:57, then the last quarter in 1:31.  Rather unimpressive, but I am glad I went 1.25 instead of 1 mile.  My legs were tired pieces of dead meat by this time, but I plugged along.  I guess I can blame 1/2 of my slow 4th interval on not starting with them, but even that piece is my fault :)  When I finished I just told myself "money in the bank"  Any workout is money in the bank.  This is the first workout since the marathon that I've gone sub 6:00 so I guess from that standpoint the fourth one was ok and the rest were gosh darn brilliant (ok now I'm just trying to make myself feel good). :

 Found Sasha and Jeff for a cool down, who did a most excellent tempo run.  They completed the same tempo run they did last Saturday much faster today, so they should be really pleased.  Thanks for the help guys.

I had to run another 2 and change after dropping Sasha off, so I went back to the trail.  Legs dead at this point.  When I get to the turnaround, some guy in a fluorescent pink hat is ahead of me looking strong, and I'm like, dang it he's going to pass me.  So he comes up on me and I try to keep with him.  I say hi, he ignores me because he's got an ipod on, and he eventually passes me, though I don't like that and am not used to it, so I try to not let him get far away.  So that mile was 6:47 and I'll count it as marathon pace.  Beware Mr. Fluorescent Hat Guy - next time I might not have 19 miles on my legs already and then we'll see. . .

Stretching, ice bath

weight 121