Running is a means and never merely an end

Sunday long run! We woke up around 6 and headed to Greenville to Swamp Rabbit trail. About an 8:10 paced out and back with Anya, and Coach Gracey joined on the way back. The run took forever I felt like, but it felt alright. Except 1 thing - my plantar tendon thing is killing me in the mornings. I really, really hope that isn't a developing injury. It started feeling mostly better after like 3 miles. Anya says to roll it out every day with a tennis ball. I did that when we got back and I thought I was going to cry it hurt so badly (in a good way, I guess). 

You know it's bad when you nap as long as you sleep. Coach Gracey can see how little sleep we are getting. I gotta work on that this week. College, man.

Recovery run, then weights. Coach Gracey just dropped the news on us that he is leaving for a better coaching job (didn't phrase it like that, but you know what I mean). I'm honestly taking it pretty hard...I understand though, and I'm happy for him & his career. I guess I just forgot that's how the game is played. Sucks that the only coach I've ever had that I truly trusted and respected their coaching abilities is gone just like that. I seriously would have done absolutely anything Coach Gracey told me to do. I'm feeling pretty dismal about these next few weeks of running without him. Hopefully Bomar can get someone else who knows running the way Coach Gracey did.

Did this one by myself, which was actually really nice. I don't think I've ran alone since I got here. 8x10sec hill repeats after.

Ice bath later.

6AM - Last workout with Coach Gracey. We warmed up for 2 miles, then jumped into it. 20 minute threshold run at 6:45 pace, which ended up being more like 6:35-40 pace. Meanwhile, Coach Gracey had us switch off pace leading. After leading half a mile, the pacer moved to the back to let the next person pace. I think this was mainly to work on our terrible pacing job from the fartlek workout last week.

5:30PM - weight lifting and core circuit.

6 miles recovery run super easy. Spent most of the run laughing...its always something with these crazy girls. 

3 mile warm up, 6x2min hill repeats (30 minutes or so total), 2 mile cool down. These did not go well at all. I can hang with the best of them during our interval workouts and long runs and everything else...but when it comes to hills I swear its just so much harder for me than almost everyone else. I almost feel like its because I weigh a good bit more than most of the other girls; I'm not like the typical skinny runner like the majority of them. Gravity is not good to me on hill days. Definitely something I need to work on. Also, I need to start eating less and proportioning my food better. Maybe I can lose some weight too.