Weekend: Begin Taper!

Saturday
Distance: 9.5
Avg Pace: 10:28
Course: Pleasantly flat!

Our bitter-sweet final run as a training session!  Gosh, I love my tribe!

This run was fantastic.  I began it dreading it (because I begin every run stiff and dreading it).  And the temperature was a surprise kick in the butt.  With no transition, all of a sudden, a shirt seems like too much, where just two weeks ago, three layers, gloves and ear-covering headband didn't even seem like enough!  Thanks, Atlanta!!!  But by mile 2, I was loosened up, and by mile 4-5, I was ready to rock and roll!  The only hiccup occurred at about mile 8, when we hit the only real incline of the entire run.  (We'd had 1-2% gradual rises, but this is just a steeper shorter section.  Usually it doesn't count as major hill work, but today it was the first real encounter with 'up.')  That's when Stupid Top of Foot made its move.  And at first I thought, power through.  Then two seconds later, I revised thought .. don't be an idiot; its just a taper run, and you have plenty of margin off your "easy" pace already.  Walk up the hill, and run if it stops hurting when you crest.  Harley (my hero), dropped back a bit, walked me to the Jimmy Johns sign, and then we both got back "on."  Apparently I got a little TOO on.  By the straight away into ATC, Harley was alternating between holding me by the back of my shirt, and straight up running smack dab in front of me.  Hee hee.  His theory that 1.  I had just been walking due to pain, and 2. that we should all taper / finish together just didn't mesh up with 1. I had just walked, so I felt reinvigorated, and 2. Stupid Top of Foot is so quiet for the flat parts.  Plus, after walking, then not feeling Top of Foot, I had started to work hard again to catch the original mini-pod.  After catching them, body said keep up kick, not taper.  So I didn't. :) And it felt good to finish up strong.  What a fantastic end to a fantastic session!  Last Jan - March, after my first half-training, I really dropped it back.  I can thank Spring session for the world of difference that early 2016 has been.  I have kept my base high, and I am very excited to see how that helps me grow during Peachtree and Fall.  No catching back up hopefully means that I can focus on even more speed (and/or even more mileage).

The other AWESOME thing that happened was that I (with some BIG help from Brandi) MAYBE convinced Michele to throw her name in the Chicago marathon lotto.  WooOOOOOOooooooo.  Good luck to both of us.

Don't ask me how I end up front and center in every single ATC group photo.  (Hint: 5'0.) 

Swimming once a week is now in full swing! Love it.  (when I don't drown).  Did more than I had planned on Friday: 6 x100 (yards or meters?  who knows).

Sunday
Distance: .5 WU, 3 mile 2-1 intervals, 5 hill repeats, and .5 CD
Pace: 12:30 including WU/CD (whaaaatt?  Ladies were hitting 9-9:30s for 2 min runs!  Speed demons!)

Coning duty training.  We gotta start 'em young! :) 

We're getting into the final stretch for this session, too.  We have a Tuesday run this week, and then Sunday 3/20 will be this group's final training session before the Women's 5K race! EeeeEEEeeeep and *sniff* *sniff.*  (Eeeeep for me mainly because ..oh boy.. the final training session is also post-Publix half-marathon on 3/20...  ZzzzzZZZZzzzz.  But at least, hey, its after the race, so who cares!).  As far as the race itself on 3/26, Women's 5K owes me nothing.  I've run flatter recently, so a PR attempt would be stupid.  I know with absolute certainty that I can beat last year's time of 33+, so that couldn't even be a 99% goal.  I'm also 95% sure that I can finish in under 30; if I didn't, it'd be for a stupid reason outside of my control.  Any time goal in between would just be a random meaningless time that does nothing for me.  SoOOooooOOooo ... I am hoping to maybe farm myself out to some of the ladies, and see if I can't find a pod of like-paced participants who would like to run this with a pacer.  I am guessing that some of the ones who would be most interested could run it in 33 - 35ish?  If I can't find anyone who has a specific goal, then I'll maybe run/walk it with Pam, and all the other HIPsters celebrating one lead's return after hip surgery.  I guess I could probably find #potato, too, or M's butt if I feel up for challenges.  Either would also be mucho fun.  Anyway, we'll see, and can't wait for the bling!  Its totes adorb this year. :)