Chicago 11

Sunday
Distance - 17 ...yes you heard that right .. 17! (that's how I have to say it for non-runners. lol)
Avg Pace - 10:30

Another great confidence booster!  I am shocked by the average pace on this one. Woo!

Unfortunately, a few big BOOS turned into secret helpers.  First, we were 'kicking off' with some ZIPPY folks.  I can run well with this gang for 4 miles on Friday morning (and am usually not even at the dead back of the pack on occasion, lol), but knowing I was running longer than I ever have, and longer than even most of them were planning to go, staying with them would be a whole lot of NOPE.  But I'm not good at NOPE.  Lucky (??) for M & I, I ended up with that chest stitch thing right out of the gate.  This SERIOUSLY forced us to say buh bye to the larger group the very first thing.  I did my breathing, and soon had it under control.  It came back a bit more insistent ~ mile 10ish, but breathing and drinking, and remaining calm = all better.  (Kinda nervous though: by my count, that's the third stitch like that I have gotten.  Could it be hydration?  Maybe.  Weird that it didn't happen during Peachtree, or Decatur .. both hot and hilly.  But it did happen during Braves, my first 15, and now first thing on 17.  Not many runs, not all the time, but a few.  So watching it.)  This forced a theme.  Today wouldn't be fast, steady, fast.  It would be positive, almost neutral, the whole way until about .5 to finish.  Which felt kinda pretty great. :) I hardly looked at my watch. (relative to how much I usually look at my watch; probably still a lot for some)  When I realized I was keeping a nice record, I let it motivate me. (read: got a little fast).  By now I'd lost M, and was rocking it out solo, plus headphones.  Zoom, zoom. Unfortunately, (again quasi fortunately), my mom called with some bad news about my grandfather being in the hospital at about mile 12.  As I listened, I let myself fall to 11s.  The secret good there was that I needed that slow down to help with a decent push from 12.5 - 13.5, and then again from 16 to 17.  (I love that stretch of Riverside where you know you are headed back to the parking lot.  Even twice.  Lol.  I can never keep myself from not going under 9:30 that last mile .. even after 16!)  (Non-run related: Grandpa is doing well, and gets released tomorrow.  Yippy).

Run inspiration. *^_^*

Random thought:  I feel a little guilt about breaks.  For my happiness, I pause my watch.  As these runs get longer and longer, though, that makes me feel a bit like a cheater.  No traffic lights, but all in all, I'd say I'd have to tack on 5-10 minutes to cover a quick breath at the turn around (3.5), a pause to let Michele finish at 7, and a goodbye / potty / selfie break at 13.5.  I'm keeping a mental note of how much I rely on these.  Hoping that the 'race day adrenaline' and mild October weather will cancel out breaks, and I will end up with a time similar to what I have been posting so far, with a pace anywhere between 10 and 11:00.  Maybe a bit ambitious, but so far so good.  I guess I will know better closer to time, maybe after a 20 miler under my belt.

After the run, I didn't want to pop myself in a car immediately, so Michele and I walked another mile.  AND ... then I walked myself to the neighborhood pool, and did a few laps to cool off. (WAAAH???)

It feels amazing to hit 17, and still feel so normal.  That amount of mileage already sounds as nuts out loud as 26.2.  On the total other hand, that means I STILL have to run NINE POINT FRIGGIN TWO more miles on race day.  That single thought is ABSOLUTELY daunting.

Monday
Schedule change due to bumping long run to Sunday; rest or XT today.

Well this is awkward.  Except for a tiny bit of get-out-of-bed lack of grace, I feel TOTALLY fine this morning.  One race, one 17 miler, and .. totally fine??  I even considered joining Kyle for the new regular Monday morning 6.2.  I didn't, because my brain on occasion does prove smarter than my body.  But that it feels like a pretty bonafide option is a bit unreal!

I took a walk after dinner, and was knocked out by 10:30 PM


Tuesday
Distance - #10kTuesday
Pace: 9:56

Michele is still sick.  The 2nd shift 10KTuesday decided to field trip from Dunwoody to Greenway, which is a bit more doable for me, so I decided I'd go ahead and get it in first thing, so that I could run with other people.  Not crazy 5 AM people, but reasonable 6:30 AM people. LOL.  Unfortunately, I didn't rest well; lost in thoughts of work and what not most of the night after 1 AM.  So getting up was still hard.  On the other hand, I am for sure starting to feel more like the stereotypical marathon runner, up before the masses, grinding away. Woo!

About this run:  I felt a bit heavy in the legs to start, but warmed up nicely.  Every time I set out for a run, I underestimate myself.  Especially runs with other people.  I was certain this would be a "Bad Run." And I do have those.  Plenty.  But not enough that I should predict having one EVERY time I head off.  Because the legs were not fresh, miles 5 & 6 were certainly not conversational, but the speed felt good anyways.  Under 10 avg pace for a post-17 shake out .. that was a post race shake out?  I'll take it!

Because I had to run away after the run, I took a sweaty by myself car selfie instead of a group selfie.  I look MAD. Hehe.

And I am still keeping up with pre-shower crunches (45-55), and pre-bed plank/stretching.  So far, these are the only things that have 'stuck,' but hey, better than nothing.   

Wednesday

Rest

Sleeping like a newborn is now a thing.  I head home, eat dinner, knock out on the couch, wake up at about 11, eat something (usually bad), and then knock out again.  

Thursday
Distance - 5.4
Pace - 9:24

There's a little bitty piece of me that really wishes I were doing half-marathon training on mornings like today.  (Okay, a bigger than bitty piece, but for the reason I am working to mention, a bitty piece).  I feel like this training round, I would have *finally* been able to CONFIDENTLY bump myself into the 9 minute pace group.  Back of 9s at the longer distances, for sure, but 9s none-the-less.  I've already toyed with the idea of starting out at back of 9s anyway each time, just out of stubbornness to graduate myself, but that didn't really bode so well in Brookhaven the other week. haha.  So .. patience .. which I am not good at.  Doing twice the distance, though, so must obey the Easy Pace Gods! 9:24 is absolutely feeling super 'reasonable' for 4-6 training runs, but I doubt I'd be able to keep it up for 17 hilly miles of ATC Atlanta-based fun! (and by I doubt, I mean I'd be dead).

Adopted!  This crew replaced my sick little squad this week.  I think we are looking at a sub-group run merger, because I really like Tuesday/Thursday Greenway mornings! :) (and how nice these folks are, of course .. plus zippy too! good deal)

Other random thoughts:

It feels SO. G. D. NICE not to have a race this weekend!  No anxiety.  At all.  Joy!

Two .. further ponderings about 4 miler last weekend .. its interesting how when you run your best, you feel amazing.  Period.  That said, I think there's a smidge of mental memory bias there.  If you're going down a hill, you feel like wonder woman, if you are going up a hill, you feel like a lard.  If your friends kick your arse, you might get down in the dumps, if you PR, you feel fantastic, even if that PR was months or years old.  So the post-race feeling, while the BEST POSSIBLE REASON for RUNNING... EVER. ... is maybe sorta just a tiny bit flawed.

What never fails?  Running with a pacer.  Singleton, for example, felt a little rough during.  I didn't feel totally capable.  At the finish line, if there were no number waiting, I might have said: I blew it.  I didn't feel like I pushed enough, I wasn't steady.  I didn't feel like 'wonder woman' during. Because it hurt. like. f*ck.  And I was ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE.  But I *crushed* a recent PR.  At Braves, I felt different.  In control.  Pacing like a champ.  Wonder Woman.  At 4 miler, wonder woman.  At Peachtree .. um .. Wonder Woman at the beach.  All serious improvements, time-wise, yes.  But the point is: if I had run with someone making me push to Level: Yuck, would I have felt like "I sucked," but ended with the *best* possible time?  Which of these things do I want more for my first marathon: feeling accomplished and fantastic, or having it suck?

If I am honest, by the end, I think I want it to suck.

I ask other runners what they are toying with, and 4:30 or under 4 are typical answers.  Some of these runners, I run with day in and day out, so I wonder if I'm setting myself up for sandbagging with a goal of 4:45 - 5:30.  The BIG difference, though, is that they have done this before.  Some MANY times.  So they probably know more realistically what, with training, and the specific course, they can do.  Me .. not so much.  The indicator chart says 4:05 - 4:09, based on Braves.  The indicator chart is loco and needs to be shot dead.  It also says that I can now hit that 2 hour half, and I am 10 minutes shy of that.  Granted, maybe the indicator chart doesn't know that thus far, my halves have been: hillfest Thanksgiving, hillfest Publix, and hillfest Pig, but ..

so yea.  I think it's right about the half, with great conditions and a pace group, I think I could squeak out a 2 hour 1/2 soon.  But seriously off on the marathon!!  Plus, I do not covet that time range.  In fact, in my WILDEST dreams, the time that I am *afraid* to speak out loud that I might even kinda sorta want would be a 4:30.  Even thinking that out loud is against the rules for first thon.  Am I setting myself up for disaster to even ponder it?  In fact, by the powers vested in comical circumstances, I'll probably get pick up by the swag wagon now just for rambling on the topic! lol.

But all these thoughts lead me to .. I should go out with the 4:30 pace group.  Shoot for the moon, land among the stars . yea?  Fall back when I eventually need to?

The answer is still: who knows.  Run 20 miles, Jude, then lets talk. ;)


Friday
Distance - 4.3
Pace: 10:13 (maybe? but probably not)

Today's run can be summarized as: fun with new watch.  I accidentally set the run to 'indoor treadmill.'  The Display changes I *finally* thought I had learned to set were gone.  So I couldn't tell if I was seeing lap pace, average pace, or something else.  When I got to the normal 2 mile mark, it said I was at 1.8.  So I went to like the 5th lamp post for 2, thinking I had slacked on starting the watch.  When I got back to the parking lot (normal 4), I just had 3.85!! GGGRRR.  While on the run, I kept thinking that 10:20/10:30 was REALLY hard to keep, considering it was JUST four miles, but I figured this must be what it feels like to try shorter more tempo-like runs back to back.  I also wondered why Courtney and Jody were running 10:20/10:30 their first mile, and if it was hard for them to stay that slow. LOL.  But I did run with both for sure at least the first mile, and later when I checked, they had ~9:40, so I am going to blame the treadmill mode, and for sure give myself at least 10:05 easy pace I should have kept, and really, it was probably closer to 9:40 avg pace.  (The last two were faster than first two).

Four morning runs this week.  I am officially ON A SCHEDULE.  This is getting easier.  Woo!

Then .. the weekend.  Mergh. Parent who pulled the short stick for concert pick up = moi.  Yippy. 11 PM at Lakewood.  Bed time will probably be 1 AM.  17 miler starts at 6:15 AM.  Joy.



Saturday
Distance - 18
Pace -



So happy. :)  Still sung as a bug in a rug on the 4:45 time pace!! And new distance PR.  Woah.

I didn't run a single mile that started in the 11s.  I didn't run a single mile that started in the 9s, except the last one.  That's pacing, baby!  Lol.

I had only planned to repeat 17, but it was so nice to have company a good bit of the way, and I am starting to get REALLY get nervous about running with training.  The hills I haven't run since Peachtree and Brookhaven will most likely be back in full force with a vengeance!  Where did I really want to try to tackle an 18 miler:  out on some insane course or on home turf??  I pick flat, scenic Riverside!  Plus, breaking it up really helps mentally.  By the time you hit a half marathon back at the parking lot, 17 is just two more out and back, so what's 2.5 out and back to make that 18.  Throw in finding a few new random people to watch and run with.  Running gold.  

Total: 

WAHOOOOO!!! 5 runs, 51 miles! (Technicality again; ran long Sunday and Saturday, but we WILL celebrate 51 miles regardless!!! *^_^*)

Chicago Training Week 10 - MAAARATHON!

Monday 
Distance - 6.2
Avg Pace - 10

Bringing back old school!  6:15AM Greenway is BACK.  Now that speedwork is back on Thursdays, and long runs are (for the most part) back on Saturdays, #nevermissaMonday was back this week.  And I loved it. <3  Just Kyle, Michele, some deer, and a little leg work 1st thing in the morning. :)

The first mile or two felt tough, but I warmed up and bounced back on the return.  The goal was to work on pacing.  After Saturday's cray cray run, I was committed to 10:08 pace (indicator chart "easy").  I only bested that by 8s per mile, so close enough.  It took everything I had not to take off to the parking lot with Kyle at the end, but his goal was to best 10:00, and my goal was to not see 9 anything, so I am proud of myself for being good. :)  I'd like to think that if I actually stick to the schedule, I'll work harder on the days I am supposed to (long run, speedwork).  Or at least. that's the plan.

Tuesday 
Distance - 4.5
Avg Pace - 3.73 pokemon per mile. Gotta catch em all.  :)

I decided today was going to be fun run day!  I was running alone at Fowler park, in at least 88 degree weather, and that's boring + hard.  To throw in some levity, enter Pokemon Go, the obsession of teenagers (and 37 year olds) everywhere this week!

I knew this would totally throw off the pace, and given that I need to get Emily from the gym at 9pm, also made me a hair short on the distance.  But .. OH WELL. *^_^*

Coordination was rough.  If I ever play this again, NO hand-held.  That's watch, phone, and water to juggle between two paws.  Nope.  But after I caught on, the running actually didn't suffer too much.  It was like fartlics.  I ran a good 1.5 miles before I even figured out the game wasn't on.  Then I just ran a little faster on the intervals, because of the breaks to catch monsters when they buzzed. For sure not recommendable day-to-day, but for a fun run (which everyone should throw in there once in a while), this rocked.  At mile 3.5, I met a handful of skater dudes.  They wanted me to play and run with them (they on skate boards).  Lol.  The rest of the mileage burned more calories for all of the laughing we were doing than the actual running.  Someone should invent more game apps for running. :)

Wednesday

XT

I know you want to hear that I am finally ON THE WAGON.  I desperately want to tell you that, too.  But ... alas .. I did no things. :/  Well, except I now do 45 crunches before I shower in the morning each day.  But the swimming has gone to back burner, and all my buds are sick.  Lackluster attempt at getting off the couch failed, and I am in arrears on the mileage already.  This thon stuff is no joke.

Thursday
Distance: 1 WU, 1600 x 3, with 400m recovery, 1 CD
Times: ~8:12, ~8:50, ~8:40

The weather was ATROCIOUS, the track offered NO protection of any kind, but I <3 speed work at Fowler.  :)  Too bad more of my BRFs aren't as seriously OTP as the three of us.

Kyle came up (saved the day, or I would have certainly opted for another Pokemon Go fun run on the Greenway trail area).  Jerry was also checking the place out. (reminder to do good things, even if he wasn't running around us. :D )

Coming up with a target goal for these was tough.  My indicator times are a bit outdated now.  Using my Braves 5K, the spread sheet says 8:40.  O_o!  But the spreadsheet doesn't have a weather factor.  Or an evening mode.  Or a 'we technically haven't started "official" training yet, so I don't have to' mode. lol.  9:02 seemed like something I remembered wanting these to be, so that was goal one for 90 degrees.

 UNFORTUNATELY .. I also forgot my watch.  So I had to go by Kyle's.  He was nursing a smidge of a cold, so I did best him, and my times ended up very much on target for 8:40.  (If I had not run an 8:12 first go, I'm sure I could have cleaned up the middle one, no problem).  And due to the conditions, I for sure felt that this was not *full out* by ANY means.

So EEEP, I've gotten a little faster.  *shock face*

And then we Pokemon Go off the track. ;) 

Friday
Distance - 0

I did not want to tempt myself with a Riverside run.  If I went, I knew "easy" was not going to happen.  The trail is too cool, too flat, and the companions too fast.  And while I could have used the mileage for marathon training, I am still stubbornly resisting all-out tanking races.  Its a very insignificant race, granted.  4 milers just don't count much, and a PR is pretty much set (90% goal), given how I have been running.  The 50% goal could be 9:00 avg pace.  But .. beyond that, the real goal (10%) is actually to just full out race it and do the best I can.  Why do I want to set that as a goal? ...  because of Grand Prix standings.  If five other 34-39 years old show up, its totally likely I'll fall out of 2016 Top 3.  So almost completely out of my control, and very, VERY likely.  BUT .. in order to be okay with that happening, I at least have to put on the course the best I could do, so that there are no doubts.  If 5th was in my wheelhouse, but I decided to sandbag, then I'd be pretty disappointed.  If I run the hardest PR I can, and get crushed by 5 ladies by like 5+ minutes, then I will laugh and still celebrate.

So yea, it counts a little. ;)

Saturday
Race - Decatur 4 miler
35:36

What a fabulous morning!  I felt at just the right intersection between: I could care less, I care, and I am having a panic attack. :) Organizing for the day the night before prepped me mentally, I fell right to my routine in the early morning, and as such, I could not have been more ready to go. Knowing this wasn't Peachtree or anything helped, too.  There were no buds for me today, though.  Michele's sick, and so just was going to easy run this.  Kyle didn't want to push because of hills / heat; his 4 miler PR goal was pretty much in the bag.  I did see a couple of fasts in the start corral, and that was good for maybe um, .2. LOL.

So it was all me, and I have to say I raced this one like. a. boss.  In hind sight, I wish I could go back and set a goal pace of 8:49 (more on that in a minute), but without hindsight info, I am super proud! :)

I stayed fast the first mile, zippy the last, and steady in between.  I really did not have to 'make it hurt' until the final stretch to post a 35:36, 8:54 average pace.  (2 minutes and change shaved from my Resolution time).  That said, it didn't feel like a forced sandbag, or even an easy.  I felt like super woman and (sssshhhh) for sure felt like I fought the best I could (even if the long run is tomorrow, lol.  stfu, CHI.  your turn for attention will be here soon enough. lol) ;) :) I visited with many familiar faces along the way, all of whom which I consider 'fast.'  I also learned that ... *shock* I am pretty emotional at the finish line!

At the end, someone who came in behind me  came over specifically to congratulate me on a great run.  Me?  Who, me?  I pushed you??  :`-} *tear*

Unfortunately, if my calculations are correct (and I did a pretty good job calcumalating), I fall to 5th in Grand Prix standings.  The difference in average pace between me at ATC member 6th and 5th / 4th were mere seconds.  (1st - 3rd, not even a chance, but 4th / 5th, I *totally* could have posted an 8:45 pace, and taken place points.) IF I knew that was the goal.  But.. you just don't know that ahead of time.  Its not like a time record or goal, where you know what its going to take.  It could have been that all 5 places were 7s avg pace.  So anyhoo, maybe that's over, and now I can just relax and focus on Marathon.  (Just in case I ever get the opportunity again, though, I've prepared well (aka Facebook researched each of my three nemesis(es) for the next race, so I know what they look like!) BAH!

There weren't many pictures, so today you get a throw back to last year's race.  Progress!! :)

 

Total 20.5
(36 if we didn't switch long run to Sunday because of race, so I am okay with that, on the technicality).

Chicago Marathon Training: Week 9 of 22

Monday 
6.2 (see Race Recap)

Tuesday
Distance - 8
Pace - 10:17

Hello quads!  Hello calves!  Its not happiness to hear from you. Lol.  Most of me wanted a rest day today.  I was for sure sore.  I take that as really good sign.  But my Chicago schedule is a real motivator.  I am now pretty obsessed with trying to hit 40 miles per week as often as possible, and at least every other week.  Plus formatting cells green .. that's seriously important!  Last week needed to include taper for Peachtree, but this week, I have no excuse. (except maybe post race recovery, but ain't nobody got time fo dat!).

Thank goodness for Michele.  I had made a run date with her, and (darn) it didn't rain.  So we were running.  The calendar is typically calling for 6.2 on Tuesdays until later in the training, but we also ran nothing Sunday.  If I want to hit 40, 7.5 - 8 miles was needed.

Pace-wise, I am thrilled.  If I had been alone, this would have eventually turned into a 12 minuter miler FOR SURE.  But, I forced us to stay easy 10:20-10:30 to start, until about the 4 mile mark, and then Michele's built-for-distance steadiness kicked in, and she pushed us to 10 - 10:10 the 2nd half.  We tried something new:  we actually talked a lot! LOL.  I wanted to start off with a TRUE easy.  She forgot her watch, so was game.  I told her we had to alternate story telling, and we did! We stayed and talked together like that for 5.5 miles.  Seriously helped pass the time.  At that point, I really started to feel the burn .. and bugs started attacking us .. so I fell to running a bit behind her.  She, on the other hand, started feeling zippy, and kicked it up a notch in the last mile, which became our fastest.  I hung back about 25 m, but pretty soon was clocking 8:30s -9s, too.  Not bad for a shake out!

Wednesday
Distance - Easy 4
Did - ZZzzzzZZZZZzzzz

I know the point of marathon training is to really beat yourself up, so that when you finally taper, you can feel like Wonder Woman, but lordy.  I just NEEDED a rest day.  Especially since I decided to try a new work out tomorrow.  Taking the day off, and not looking like a fool in front of these Orange Theory folks sounded like the best plan, so I did no things. :)

35 total miles looking more likely this week.  We'll see.

Thursday
XT / REST
Did: ~3.1 + strength training (Orange Theory free evaluation class).

One picture from the road race really PISSED. ME. OFF.



How DARE my body still look like this???  I'll give my self major kudos for finishing side by side with 'Captain America' in all his "C"ness glory.  (that's a two wave head start for those of you keeping track.  high five, me!)  But dude, why is it fair that I can work out like this and still be so .. so .. DUMPLING!  Even the woman on my other side with a similar build puts me to shame.  Her arms and thighs are at least defined, and her waist still curves!  Flattering.  Granted, I have a flowy shirt on that seems to be doing its own thing, and of course, one picture IN MOTION / EXHAUSTION does not define me.  But still.  COME ON!  I am WORKING HERE.  Gut, get with the program!!

Solution:  Try. All. The. Exercise!  Forget about 2017.  Do SOMETHING A.S.A.P.  The answers has to be somewhere in the nutrition and strength training, since those are the things I ignore.  So I signed up for a complementary Orange Theory class, wanting to see if the built in strength work might push me to the next level.

Here's a quick review:

The trial consisted of learning about the gym first.  Put on a Heart Rate Monitor, learn how the stats boards work, and run down the basics of treadmill operation, the different work out zones, the row machines, and the strength training.  Then the class starts: different instructions on pace / inclines / zone for 8-12 minute intervals, then to the strength training (push ups, arm curls, crunches, etc) and rowing, then switch between those and treadmill intervals back and forth 3 or so times.  55 minutes total.

The instructor and participants are very welcoming to new folks.  I felt very special. :)  The combo of cardio and strength training was ROUGH.  I could easily pound out the workout calls for the short intervals, but because its specific to YOUR base / push / all out pace, it for sure wipes you out.  By the time I got to rowing and strength, I was certainly feeling all over the place and discombobulated.

By all accounts, I did great per trainer:  a nice pyramid shape to the zones.  Target calorie burn crushed (586 vs. 500 goal).  He wanted me to have between 12-20 "orange points."  I earned 24.  The form on the other-than-treadmill stuff was the big weakness (obviously).  I couldn't do anything fast, with much weights, and without LOTS of recovery panting. Lol.

Pros: I love social work outs. I love targets, data, and a little built-in competition. The board for stats is awesome. Having a trainer in the room, awesome. Love that strength is a part of it. Would-be marathon runner, or not, this work out kicked my butt. 

Cons: Like with cycle bar, its not exactly what I, in particular, need. I've already figured out how to beat up my legs, and cardio myself into a tizzy. There is some core / strength training build in, but there is A LOT of treadmill running, too. Not sure that's the best use of what's supposed to be my rest / XT day. Con #2, one shower? Really?? Con #3 .. more of a nitpick. They make you use their specific HRM. ($69). It'd be convenient if I could use a Garmin chest belt, and not pay for two different gadgets that do the same thing. (I get why developers would think I was off my rocker for thinking that would be possible, but hey, this my review. It'd be nice!) 

So verdict: I can gain a lot from a few months with OT, BUT I am going to try a few other things first, and see if I can't find something a bit more core-specific.

Friday
Distance: Rest

Wow.  Its tough to deal with training AND life.  I have been fortunate enough that aside from a bit of minor stress here or there on the professional front, and a snag on the kid front now and again, life: marriage, finances, schedules, etc., all play really nicely for the most part with running.  After deciding that you want it enough, making it priority, and letting the habit form, things start to move on autopilot.  Unfortunately, there are times where sh!t hits the fan.  The 'dark clouds' converged over life beginning just as I left Orange Theory Thursday morning.  First, I did not allow nearly enough time for the session.  Then, when I get back to my car .. already running late .. my phone is overflowing:  Emily is stranded at the Avalon, and no longer has a ride home.  Bill's battery died at work.  Work packed a PUNCH.  All of the car to-dos, home repair to-dos, and Bill's health to-dos are pinching a little financially, too. (1st world problem when *I* say pinching financially.  For context , still includes a Starbucks run as needed, but maybe an unexpected bill that stresses me out enough not to want to stay on schedule).  *sigh*

Result:  no 2nd car with which to head down to Riverside for an AM 4 miler, and no motivation to even want to work hard to try and work it out, or work it in.  Rest day.

Saturday
Distance:  13 (kinda sorta)

Call it stress day #2, call it the hills, call it the heat, but whatever you call it, this run went SOUTH fast!  The first 3 before training were fine.  I think we were ~10:08 easy avg pace without issue. (A hair fast, though, for the 16-17 we were planning, in case you all are keeping track ;) .. ).  The 4 miler was HILLY (poor newbies!) but we traded Peachtree sun for shaded, so that also can absolutely be given two thumbs up.  I think a good bit of that was sub-10.  (Ooops?)  Many familiar and new chatty folks to run with helped there. 7 miles, 10:10ish avg pace, check.

Then we stretched, drank, fueled.  All in all we didn't have to wait too long for folks to run with; in fact, the pause turned out to be much welcome.  Unfortunately, the day was heating up!  But weighing sun against hills, we chose sun, so back out to Peachtree.  (wrong choice, since we ended up with SOOOOOO much of both!)  3 more out were perfect.  Another batch of friendly, chatty (some new) faces.  I was feeling a little gassed, but the 10:15 - 10:30 pace was still quite doable, so I kept at it.  Toward the end of that stretch on Peachtree, though, I for sure started to bring up the rear.  Close by, but the rear none the less.  And THEN .. we took a right on wieuca road.  That brought us to 11 miles, but also brought us to an unexpected HILLFEST #2.  That's when most of us just tagged out.  Walk the hills became a thing.  (I haven't walked a hill in like a year. :( .. ).  At the top of the 2nd BIG hill, we were out of hydration, and out of steam.  Harley and I decided 3-1 intervals would at least get us motivated to start running again, and that helped.  The run back to the store on Peachtree was a tiny bit more solid (especially after some coke zero at McDs!)  Needless to say, back at Big Peach, with 13 kinda done, we were toast.  The goal had been to re-do 16, but the vote was unanimous.  End this run from hell.  End it now!

I gained new appreciation for the team that went out to do their 1st marathon in Cincinnati.  It had been rolling around in my mind ...  16 miles went off with out a hitch, so how is it possible that even after a training run of 20+, you can't really predict your marathon day finish time to something better than plus/minus 20 minutes??  Hills.  Heat.  Fuel.  Hydration. Stress.  That's how.

I paused my watch a ton, too.  Everything until mile 11 was pacing so well (solidly under 10:30), that I'd just rather see that on my watch, regardless of what actually happened after.  I still am in the camp that being kind to yourself trumps being realistic. lol.  And up until now, it hasn't been anything that I would consider "fudging" by any means.  A quick bottle refill at a water fountain, or pausing for a traffic light, etc.  Seems fair, because on race day, you can get by without it.  On this run, I paused just because not pausing would make me bummed.   And when I had to re-start to get interval buzzs, mentally, it was over.  In fact, as we were walking up one LONG, seemingly impossible beast of a hill, the fear of not being able to get myself back actually began to tickle at the back of my mind.  How did I run such a solid, evenly paced, kick to the finish 16 once, and then end up with this as attempt number 2 for the same distance.  *sigh*

But ya know what, I am going to embrace it.  It doesn't mean that other run didn't happen.  It just means I'll appreciate the good ones more when they come!

Total - 31

Race Recap: AJC Peachtree Road Race

Monday, July 4th

Distance: 6.22
Results:


Considering how specific my goal was, the results were .. um .. a tad frustrating.  Considering the friggin INSANE conditions, however, the results are deemed: 110% SUCCESS! :)

In more detail .. if you review the screen caps, my official average pace is 9:10.  The official is what counts.  Period.  So I did not hit my 10% goal of having a 9:08 avg pace for this race.  It's just a womp, womp that the pace on my watch reads 9:03, and that by that account, I had it.

The first 3 miles were as advertised.  My legs felt a little heavy, and for sure protested the race pace with some stiffness.  But in good time found an 8:40 pace that felt controlled and maintainable.

At about mile 3, the alert level officially went from Yellow: Caution to Red: High Alert.  Mid-race, I began to fear a re-do of the HELL that was the Memorial Day Freedom Run.  Running up Cardiac Hill was fine, but the effects of that effort on miles 4-5 were ROUGH.  At that point, I was absolutely POSITIVE I would not be able to push the pace back up past 9:30-10 the whole rest of the way.  My legs were screaming (usual for this point), and my energy level was already ZAPPED (unusual for this point).  It took a GOOD BIT of water, and some more steady flat before I began to push again.  And not even my normal push, where I feel like I am going HARD. (balls to the wall is the official term. ;) )   Just push back to goal pace was tough.  At the turn to 10th, I finally felt recovered to race pace plus effort, but even then, I didn't touch under 8, which for .2, I should be capable of.  The straight away seemed even longer than last year.  The finish line FINALLY made an appearance right as I figured I'd pass out.  This gave me just enough of a mental cue to get it done.  (Not enough of a mental cue for person running right next to me, who decided that seeing the finish line = toss cookies and fall to the ground.  EEP!  Faster just to avoid the splash zone!

The post race walk around Piedmont Park was just as exhausting as last year!! (hmmm, I thought we were done with being a 'dead at 6.2' newb? .. Running says: no silly, that's the feeling you should approach at any race distance when you hit your (always changing) race pace.  I hobbled to all of the required stops, and then to the Tavern for after party libations with comrades.

.. 90% of the field (guessimating by the responses of all my friends to 'how'd it go,' of course .. very scientific) struggled HARD with the race conditions.  Even knowing this, there is a smidge of regret; if I knew I was 7-13 seconds off goal time, I could have fought harder somewhere, I am positive.  I never found that "make it hurt" pace .. or at least not for any of the right reasons.

Conclusion: I paced like a champ, and if I can train to keep this pace for 13.1, I'd be at 2:00:10 come Thanksgiving or Jeff Galloway (target 1/2) in December.  The JG course will most likely be equally challenging.  Its in Atlanta, after all.  But it will not be sweltering, so I will have a smidge of a leg up on conditions, most likely.  56:54 replaced PR of 58:42.  Sizzler WILL be added to the calendar.  (Sorry, not sorry, Chicago).  And now we celebrate!

Pre Race


Meeting up with all the Phoenix Direct co-workers running Peachtree. :)  Great way to begin the (friggin early morning) with lots of cheer and good vibes from friends!

 

For sure feeling like a COOL KID entering the corral gate for A-E.  The slowest of the fastest!  Wooooooo!

Twinning!

I invested WAY TOO MUCH TIME trying to get these beers to total 4 stories! HAHA. 

The best thing I have EVER eaten!

Oh and tots forgot ... still committed to dat hair game goal! ;) :)