Slow & Steady Wins the Race :-)

4 loops around the neighborhood with Cooper this morning - gorgeous day already!  Decided to add in a fast tempo run the last loop (last 1.5 miles).  Cooper seemed really tired today (maybe from the dog park lake yesterday?) and I was practically dragging him the last fast mile, poor guy!  I think summer might be here!

 TT: 58:06   AP: 9:28

Splits: 10:17, 10:04, 9:39, 9:29, 9:16, 8:04

After 2 weeks of birthday fun, I need to start focusing on healthy eating.  And adding more strength work.  These both start TODAY!

**UPDATE** What a ridiculous day.  About 5 minutes after I wrote this post this morning I looked down and saw that my engagement ring diamond was GONE.  It was HORRIBLE.  Of course a sobfest ensued along with turning the house upside down until I absolutely had to leave for a meeting.  Having just come in from the run I was certain the diamond was 99.99% for sure gone forever.  Came home and J and I started looking again... and I FOUND IT!  Hiding in one of the drainage holes in the washing machine!  I cannot believe I found it, I should go buy a lottery ticket.  Needless to say some huge emotional shifts today!

BPA trail with Lisa and Anya.  Ran to the bathroom and back before they got there, then the full trail with Anya (and Lisa for a little bit, she is looking adorable!) and then kept going after they left through some of the neighborhoods.  Garmin got messed up after I stopped to chat with Anya so I probably lost about 0.4, so I just added that in and 4 minutes to the time.  Did a mini speed workout after they left, did 12 strides of about 0.1 each.  Didn't time them, but tried to keep them in the mid to upper 7's, which I think I did.  I put the fastest time in parentheses for the strides miles.  I was really tired by the end and legs felt dead, so I think it worked!  Speedwork is so hard, but so rewarding to watch your recovery times during your run get faster faster (slowly move from a 10 minute mile to a 9!).  

TT:  1:18:29   AP: 9:12

Splits:  9:51, 9:30, 9:40, 9:46, 9:22 (6:36), 8:28 (6:26), 8:20 (6:49), 8:38 (6:53)

The hills at BPA felt hard today though, which made me realize I am probably NOT ready for the hills of Seattle RnR!  I need to get a hill workout in before next Saturday!  I've been kind of debating between doing 15 this weekend or doing a mini taper, and I think maybe I should only do 8-12 but do some of those huge hills by Justin's house a couple times. 

Rode my bike 12.96 miles at interurban after work.  Didn't fall today - that's progress!  Once again I felt like I was getting better on the way out because I was flying, but then once again hopes got dashed when I turned around and faced that headwind.  The way back was drudgery, as you can see from the splits, and I felt like I was working so hard!  At almost the end I saw a running club setting up for a 5k!  I wish I'd known about it, I didn't really have enough time to go home and get my running shoes and come back, and then Justin got home from work late or I was going to have him go too!  Next time.

TT: 55:03   AP: 14.1    TD: 12.96

Splits: 13.7, 17.4, 15.5, 15.8, 16.1, 14.2, 15.1, 13.6, 13.5, 12.7, 12.9, 12.5, 12.5

Met Jordanne at Interurban trail for 10.77 miles of biking, nice and easy, chatting.  Saw a bunch of baby bunnies I wanted to steal!

TT: 53:19,  TD: 10.77 miles   AP: 12.1 mph

Then came home, grabbed a piece of chicken because I was starving (bad idea, then had a side ache/stomache the whole time, of course I should have had something that was simple carbs like a banana instead, idiot!) and Cooper, and set out for a run around the neighborhood.  Cooper had got into the trash, bad dog, but until mile 3 when he threw up twice I didn't realize that he had eaten this aluminum foil I had cooked the chicken on last night, so it was covered in chicken grease/fat/bbq sauce and apparently he had eaten the foil too, since now its all over the sidewalk.  Sorry neighbors.  So I took him home and then did one more lap.

TT: 47:39,  TD: 5.0 miles,  AP: 9:32

Splits: 9:48, 9:29, 9:29, 9:29, 9:22

Having 3 identical splits in a row is so weird!

Went to my Brooks biomechanics study today, which was awesome, I really want to work there!  They taped me up and put reflective things all over me and then made me run down this walkway about 40 times in 4 different shoes.  I'll call it a mile.  They paid me in a cool technical running shirt but really what a great marketing strategy, I give them an hour of my time and now I'll probably buy that shoe too!  It was The Green Silence, a running flat, which I've never had before, and I loved it!  The guy also recommended I try the ST Racer for races longer than 10ks.  

Then went for a bike ride at Burke-Gilman trail, what a beautiful day along Lake Washington in the sunshine.  Longest bike ride yet, the next milestone is to hit 2 hours.  I was hungry about 3/4 of the way through, I need to pack granola bars or something.

TT: 1:35:55    TD: 23.24    AP: 14.5

Splits: 14.2, 13.5, 13.7, 13.4, 15.2, 13.5, 15.4, 15.7, 16.6, 15.7, 14.7, 14.3, 14.4, 15.2, 14.5, 14.3, 13.6, 14.2, 17.1, 14.1, 13.5, 15.4, 14.0

Its the weekend! :-)

This wasn't exactly a confidence booster.  Early morning run of loops at the dog park and back.  My legs felt like lead the whole time (because of the bike ride yesterday?) and the usual lift/natural speed-up that comes around mile 4 never came today (as you can see from my splits!).  I had to play some serious mind games to get me past 4 miles today.  Was dreading Hillside the whole run and sure enough, it was hard.  I hope I feel better than this next Saturday!

TT: 1:41:12   AP: 9:52

Splits: 10:39, 9:57, 9:42, 9:46, 9:42, 9:41, 9:41, 9:43, 9:40, 10:10 (hillside)