Taperville is Disney Land!

With everything that's gone on in the past week, I am eschewing the standard format and just catching everyone up on the meat and potatoes.

I left off on Friday, 9/16, which started off with an awesome run and awesome news about my new start corral, and ended up with a top notch showing on the 2nd interview front!  I had postponed the job search, but there were things in-progress that I couldn't just 'turn off.'

I saw the sign.

23 miles on Saturday actually served as a nice distraction.  (yea, I said that).  Focus the anxiety on the marathon, and I didn't need to stress just how much I wanted to land this job.  Well, never fear: 23 was logged solidly, and things on the job front didn't have me waiting long.  By Monday, they were requesting references, and on Tuesday I had accepted an offer, and put in notice!!!  My first day on the job will be ... the Tuesday post-marathon. hahahahahaha!

"What's wrong with the new girl?"

This is not the exact staircase in the lobby of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, but very close! Aye, aye, aye!  

Between taper and the euphoria of all of the career-front excitement, I was on cloud 9.  I gave myself TWO unplanned days off the 19th and 20th .. oops, I did miss a Monday .. and didn't run until Thursday.  I only had time for half a speed work out, and then Saturday, I only ran 4 miles, 3.1 at ~ 5K 95% of race pace .. 27:06 cross country race finish time. So yea, I am for sure the princess of this taper stuff!  But honestly, I felt like this was just right. And thus far, training by feel has been my best friend.

Sunday I was rewarded with something approaching the real schedule.  This was by far one of my FAVORITE runs of the entire training session.  I was back on Riverside, which I love.  The weather was a smidge cooler, the route familiar and flat. Best of all, even though the work out was still rather long for taper, I was not as solo as I imagined I'd be.  Kathleen signed on to run a first 5 miles with me, TJ the next 5, and then from there, I had cameos from Harley, Katie, and a few others here and there.  I felt so loved. <3 <3 <3  I decided that 16.5 was plenty; lets not forget that I covered 4 miles, 5k at 8:30ish pace yesterday.  So I did the last 10K loop, and celebrated a job well done!  What a difference from my first 16 miler, when I *literally* thought I would die.

(for other than like actual dying reasons as per below ;) )

Kathleen and I had quite an eventful 1st 5 miles in the dark.  She's an awesome run partner.  I will have to make note of how fun it is to run with her.  She can handle her pace so well that she enjoys a little chatter, and that keeps me going, even if I can't always reciprocate. (Sunday I could, but not always).  Plus she's fast, so she pushed me a smidge, which takes care of some of the tempo I was supposed to get in.  (I think my pace with her was 9:44 average).  That was probably partly because of the near death experience!  We're running along maybe mile 3ish, when I hear what sounds to me like a helicopter landing in the trees.  Leaves and twigs start to rain around us, and I am seriously wondering if we're going to be abducted by aliens.  We see the massive trunk limb above us, and had exactly two seconds to decide: stop or run faster.  We ran like wild women, and then turned around to see a THICK branch that took up the ENTIRE two lane road.  Friends behind us told us that they thought it was gun shot, and a car had almost gone into a ditch because of it.  Woah.

TJ had an eventful moment, too.  We didn't get to run too much together.  He'd done more than me the morning before, and nursed a more easy pace.  But having him out there meant everything!  Like literally. Whether someone is behind me, or ahead of me, they keep me there, working.  Tethered to a firm "no, I'm not getting in the car and driving away.  I am going to keep going."  It was so nice that they all came. <3  Well, we finished, and a biker ran up to us, to say that he had a family emergency, and could he put is bike in TJs truck for a quick ride to his parent's, who's mom was having some kind of medical emergency!!  I am told they got to the house right at the same moment the paramedics did.  Woah.  TJ is my hero!

When your "solo" run looks like this, you know you're blessed! <3 #tribe

I ran 5 miles this past Monday.  9:50 average pace; I could tell my legs were beat.  That, and lo and behold, who was pushing the pace but my bud Michele!  Go, M, go!  For as hard a training session as she's had, I'm impressed to see she hasn't lost much on the middle distance pace front.  Yey!! 

Tuesday, I only had 4 miles.  That was soooo easy to get in that I put it off a little too long. By 8pm, I was knocked out, and I slept ELEVEN HOURS!  Today (Wednesday), I was itching to get it done, so I got to LA F before work, and ran it easy.  4 miles right at 10 min avg pace over all.  Done! 

Now as the miles truly get shorter, and the day count gets even lower, my brain begins to race.  Goals and thoughts of what my finish time will be run around in my brain all day.  To combat, I make lists and start thinking about packing, and planning the weekend, etc.

Randomly, this week I am also thinking of how wild and blessed my 30s have been.  As I approach my 38th birthday, I think of where I was when I started .. In 2009 at 30, I was shaken to the core with a thyroid cancer diagnosis.  I don't care what any one says, there is no "good cancer." And 90% survival is still a percent on your head at just 30 years old of NOT surviving to see both children grow into adulthood, to know and experience grandchildren, etc.  Surgeries, special diets and radiation sucked.  But it taught me that I was stronger than I thought I was.  It also showed me what I could expect from other people.  It showed me how much certain people cared and loved me.  The years after that were tough, though.  I didn't immediately "grab life" and live it to the fullest.  In fact, I struggled more.  I joked that such is karma, I would be the unfortunate person ends up with the one cancer that makes me fat instead of skinny.  So sad that I kinda actually felt this way, after the shock of not dying was replaced with the depressing reality of managing medication, and gaining weight.  I also assume there was a lot of un-processed post-trauma depression rolled in there. 2014 was finally the rebirth.  With medication in check, and the Atlanta Track Club in my life, I transformed.  My life in Atlanta had to that point been a little lonely.  Now I am showered with friendship, and on a path with like-minded people.  I experience frustration, and get stressed and depressed, just like everyone else.  But to celebrate a birthday, or a new year's, and not have to make the SAME silly resolution or birthday challenge (by my next birthday, I will be ...).  To tackle new and more awesome things, because I am moving forward.  Wow, what a rush.  I can't wait to be able to say that in 2014 I was morbidly obese, and in 2016, I was a marathoner! 

      

Sept 2016 / January 2014

It's the Fiiiinaaaall Count Doooownn (kinda)

Saturday
Distance - TWENTY THREE FRIGGIN MILES
Pace - 10:26

DUDE!  DUDE!  23 miles!!!  Done.  Holy sweet baby, I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And although it was seriously one of the worst runs of the season, it was in many other ways, easier and more of a confidence boost than the 20 and change run from last Saturday.  Wooop!

About this run:
I got in a smidge more sleep than I intended to with a few snooze alarms, and only ended up with 5.5 before miles.  Uneventful, except to note that it now takes me a seriously long arse time to warm up.  I consider this good, especially considering how fearful I've become of the training courses, and given the fact that marathons are not sprints, but I like sprinting.  If long mileage keeps me from setting a 5K PR on 10/9, that's a good thing!  The course after did NOT disappoint (in its disappointmentness).  In fact, I think to date, this is one of Enrique's MOST diabolical.  So, yea, banking time during the first 5.5 might have helped me out with pace, but it would not have helped me out with finishing!  To the tune of having walked one entire hill, along with ALL the marathoners including the leads (almost 10-20 people in the pod this time!).  Some dropped back to 11 minute pace all together.  So one walked hill, I am owning happily.  The rest of the time, I reduced pace, but held steady.  Actually, forget reduced pace.  I threw pace OUT. THE. WINDOW.  And I couldn't really be any more proud of having done that and still feeling so badass.  Obsessed with pace Judy really just owned .. and I mean completely owned the idea that finishing REALLY MATTERS.  That slowing down is okay when conditions are HARDER than they will be on race day, and that the WHOLE thing doesn't have to be a race.  I think a big saving grace was that I made a deal with myself: run Long Slow Distance until you are blue in the face (literally), but if 4:30 is possible, give yourself that pace for the last 2-3 miles.  If you can do it at mile 23, when you're the MOST beat up, it will be telling.  And of course, no sooner than with two miles to go, picking up the pace felt natural, and with one mile to go, who but Brandi would run out of the parking lot to help me finish!  I could have cried .. if I had been able to shed a tear.  I pushed hard, and finished my last mile in 9:17!

Issues:  If I paused my watch, it restarted.  Period.  That was annoying.  I wanted one run on the Garmin.  I got three.  Oh well.  The other issue was GI. I *rarely* worry about GI stuff AT ALL.  But on two fronts, this run was different.  Warning: there is no TMI in running.  If you don't need to know, skip the next paragraph or two.  GI issue one: system does not like ripe banana for breakfast.  Learned the hard way to either not eat them, or at the very least, to give an adequate amount of time for digestion between breakfast and run.  Unfortunately, nothing by way of a stop that could accommodate until something like mile 10!  Not. fun.  GI issue two: something that bothered me a little last week, too.  Immediately after the run, it stung to go, and that feeling bothered me for a good 6-8 hours post-run.  Perhaps its cycle-related.  Got my period on Saturday afternoon, too.

Sunday
Distance - 2 miles
Pace - whatever


Wow, its been ages since I ran in the rain!  A very emotional moment in our training, as a last of my 4 "CHI-Besties" crosses her peak distance!!!

PEAK! WEEK!

Sunday
Rest

I toyed with the idea of getting back up on the horse, but my body had a better idea: REST.  And so I did.  Lots of walking all day, but no running.

Monday
Distance - 6.2
Pace - 9:44

I didn't mean to run this as fast as we did.  In fact, I *thought* we really dragged it out at first.  After looking at the Garmin app, not so much.  We kept it pretty much at 10 from the beginning, even while chatting.  The legs felt really dead, though.  The nice thing about that was that I stuck right with Kathleen and Michele, so I got to hear all the good chatter. :)  But no strides, and no kicking up the pace too much until much further into the mileage.  Usually, Mondays just come light and fast, and they feel like the beginning of a marathon.  I pretended that this might be what 6.2 at the end of the marathon could feel like.  (seeing the pace after, one should be so lucky. :) )

Tuesday
Distance - 6.2 + 3ish run/walk
Pace - 10:08 +10:30ish

I had every intention of going out for a 10K run.  Unfortunately, Michele was up for 10 MILES.  Um .. why?  Well ... cuz ...

To date I haven't really upped my weekday miles; we were above what was called for to start, and what I am doing is really all that fits. and I for sure don't like upping my mileage in the evening.  So I met M about 20 minutes into her run.  We ran around basically back and forth at Fowler, until the sun finally began to give some mercy, and allowed for the route out past the highway.  I lost Michele at some point behind me.  I knew she eventually was going to head out to pick up a kid, so I did my own thing from there.  Still not sure what I wanted, I just went out until I actually hit 10K, and then started run/walk back for fun (and Pokemon).  It ended up that I was actually still 3 miles from my car.  OOPS.  So it was like 3 more at maybe a 10:30 pace over all. Go me. :)

Wednesday

Lordy, why must ALL. THE. STRESS. be falling on my head during the most physically draining week of my life???  Work is a zoo.  Long-term solutions are like needles in hay stacks.  I walked into the house Wednesday night totally drained, got in the car to run Emily and carpool bud up to the gym, then fed other child (fortunately just pulled up and bought food; no Martha Stewart points these days), and arrived home for the day at 8.  Down for a nap at 8:30, awake at 10, back down at 11:30.  Infant schedule style again.  Walked from 10 - 10:30 to get my 10,000 steps, and that was all the XT I can account for.  Spent the last hour of the night prepping for speed work on the mill at LA Fitness in the morning, and then read myself to sleep.  That last bit is a win.  Reading something other than resumes.  I *will* return to book club at the end of October.  I miss my "other" friends, and October is costume month, so no excuses.  I bought like the next 7 month's worth of book picks, too.  That should help!! ;)  My daughter once said that if adults got grades, I'd have a C- in book clubbing.  Bahaha.  Right now, its more like a D-.  (Not an F, because I still love my book club, and I know they love me.  That has to count for a little bit! :) )

And Bill .. who is Bill?

So anyway, dragging ass and feeling the drain.

Thursday
Distance - 1WU, 3 x 2 mile repeats with 800 m recovery, 1 CD

The "I do not want to do this f@#$%!^ work out" theme continues!

I walked out of the house at 6 am feeling as drained as I did leaving work Wednesday night at 6pm.  No more rested whatsoever.  Maybe even starting to feel the beginnings of a (most likely phantom) cold.  So how the heck am I supposed to get in 9ish miles and an entire day of work???

BUT .. I *DID* it!  WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.  Small victory cheer.  Done is done.



















The pace was not my usual "I love speedwork on treadmills" effort.  In fact, I walked half my WU mile, and even during the 2nd .5 that I ran at about 10:10, I was already 'noping.'  "This isn't going to work.  My legs feel like they've never run a day in their lives.  Why is .1 feeling so long?  I am supposed to be able to run 26.2, how am I already glued to the display distance at .3 miles of running"  Yuck.  Somehow, I convinced myself to run the first interval:  get one in, and you'll have a solid (not so solid) 5K in at least. Plus a run tomorrow, and you are still kinda meeting "beginner marathon trainee" expectations. Well, it felt HARD to kick up the pace; I did one mile at 6.4 speed.  (My mile repeats that started with 6.8 and kicked up from there felt like a walk in the park compared to these.  Why???).  Then after one mile, I'd start popping up the speed every .1 of a mile.  That part was fun, distracting, and almost made me forget phantom cold / tiredness feeling.  But again, still nothing like mile repeats the week before.  I was ready to quit again, but more "conversations" with the brain: walk the recovery, see how you feel after that.  Recovery finished .. and of course, feeling recovered soooo:  "Lets get one more interval in.  After that, you can say it was "most of the work out."  Maybe even run the final interval at OCEE tonight at some point, and at least you can call it completed as scheduled."  Second interval felt better.  I was warmed up by now, and playing with speed again, the last mile gave me the same boost.  I was completely ready to get off the mill now; I could be in earlier to work, and clear more of my desk today.  But I told myself: come on, do you really want to short your work out on peak week??  This is the LAST BIT of effort that really counts.  After Saturday, the hay is in the barn.  Think about how GOOD it feels when you're able to say you did what you were supposed to, versus when you spend all day feeling guilt and planning over how you'll make up something missed."  The compromise:  go back to 6.4 start for 9:05 average pace."  That worked, and my last mile was probably the fastest of all to make up for the first mile slower than each of the previous first miles."

So some days, running sucks for no good reason.  You're tired, and that tiredness just builds.  Its all you can do to just run through the motions, nothing diminishes the "I'd rather not" thoughts, and you feel every dang tenth of a mile until you can stop.  But I am banking on the idea that if I just give it whatever I've got left now, I will get back more than if I hadn't.  That will be enough.  (probably more than most, right??)  When I first started, I thought: man, its like I've never run a day in my life.  By the end of the work out, having watched folks come on come off machines and now being surrounded by all new people who maybe were running for like 15 minutes, or staring at me for doing my THIRD hard 2 miles, I felt like: yes, come what may, I am a distance runner, and even if you can't call it on seeing me, or on watching me run my warm up mile, by the end of an entire work out, I bet anyone would give me the title.  So boom. (little boom, not BOOM.  But boom enough.)

Me and Eminem got this!

By midday, I was back to myself, phantom cold gone, and by afternoon, I was babysitting the "tato," (RF's baby) which honestly was the best thing that happened all day .. heck maybe all week thus far. I had forgotten the mantra my mother-in-law taught me when I had babies, and she'd come over.  "If I am ever having a rough day, there's nothing better than spending a little quality time with an infant."  Revived, human again Judy ready to tackle#4onFriday at Riverside, and a "Very. Important. Conversation." tomorrow! *^_^*

Friday
Distance - 4 miles easy
Pace - 9:40

I got the best present this morning from the Chicago Marathon folks.  I got moved up in corrals to "G."  FINNNNNNAAAALLLLLLLY! :)  They had noted that you could change your expected finish time until 8/16, and that then they would reassign corrals (assuming they weren't full) by 8/25.  August 25th came and went with out word.  And I didn't know if that meant G was full, or if it meant they hadn't gotten to it yet.  In the real world, this shouldn't matter much.  But I started to stress it for no real good reason.  But after obsessing a little over it (because there is no 4:30 pace group in H), they finally said they'd made the update, and when I checked my status, BOOM.  G!  Yippy.

That's the kind of present that you get for waking up as scheduled at 5:40 to be at the River by 6:15.  Woo.  And the run was fab too.  Easy out, pretty conversational back, and a little kick at the end.  Perfect.

Total:  51! (including Saturday)

Week 18 - One MONTH TO GO! AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

Sunday 
Swim

Monday 
Distance - 6.2 (see race report)
Pace - 8:44

Tuesday
Distance - 6.2
Pace - 9:49

Slow start, but zooming on the return!  The day after race effort.  So happy!!! :)



Wednesday 
Scheduled rest day

2 mile walk and YUREEKA: One Jillian's Core Blast session.  (Because one month left; time to be as good as humanly possible!)

Thursday
Distance - 1 WU, 6 x mile with 400m recovery, 1 CD (.5 incline on treadmill during hard intervals, flat on WU, CD, and recovery.  Full walk on recovery 400 m)

Overall effort:  I'd rate this about a 7-8!  Never got puke race pace tired.  Yippy!  (but mainly because see below on not knowing what the hell I was doing ;) )

About this run:
God, I didn't want to do this run!!  Evening.  Speed work.  Bleh. bleh. bleh. But, but .. treadmill .. niiice.  35 high tempo songs on the playlist .. niiiiice.  Mile repeats .. MY FAVORITE.  (6 not so much).  Just to make sure it got done, though, I made this an alone not alone run.  I posted pictures along the way in the ATLCHI page.  If even one person expected to see a 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th picture in the comments, I had to do it right?? Lol.

First frustration: I STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO RUN THESE IN.

If I weren't such a chicken, I would try for the time per my 5K PR, but to be honest, that really penalizes me unnecessarily for having a "niche" race.  Marathon is not going to follow 5K prediction chart.  (3:55 bahahahahaha.  10% goal is 4:30!).  So 8:13 from the start, out.

Refreshing the predictor chart based on what has been my most common "easy" pace on Saturday long runs (10:16), I get 27:30 5K, 4:13 thon, and these can be 8:53.  (I did end up hitting this for all but the first).

And then, using thon time of 4:29, I can do these at 9:23.  (I think I could have hit that for all including WU and CD, if I had wanted to).

None of that helped me pick ONE goal time, so I decided I could do these as a reverse ladder.  Especially with 6 to do, I didn't want to peel out on the first, and crash & burn for the entire rest of the work out. Do it this way made me feel rather bad assish! :) Results:

 

7:59.  On the final repeat.  Damn it, McFly! So happy.  *^_^*

Friday
Distance - 4.  Did 3.1. 9:40 pace.

Ran a quick 5K right after work on the treadmill, because I couldn't fit in miles this AM before traffic court, and the more miles I do with less than 20 hours of recovery, the less likely I'll be a happy camper for 21+ tomorrow.

Saturday
Distance - 20 and change
Pace: 10:12 and 11:34 (last 4 miles)

About this run:
Ouch.  Bad run alert.  I won't spend too much time wallowing, but there were for sure many negative, as well as positive, thoughts running around the brain Saturday afternoon.

Positive:  I ran 16 like.a.boss.  Sub-marathon race pace (10:14 ish).  For a good bit of it, I ran with two very strong veteran marathoners.  Both guys, which always feels pretty boss.  And the least pausing of all the runs I've done to date.  It was almost completely continuous except the one time I finally ran out of hydration.

Negative:  I did not get down to training in time to do the 4-5 extra beforehand.  That threw me for a loop, both physically (because of the hotter weather) and mentally (because everyone else gets to be done, but you don't).  When I hit the downhill and loop for ATC, I usually give it my all to get back to the parking lot, and done.  Leaving it all the training course is my specialty.  Well, today I knew I couldn't so that threw me.  The slower last mile/two just allowed me to feel-the-tired.  By the time I got into the parking lot, I knew the last four miles were going to S...U...C...K hard.  I didn't want to do them.  My brain started to formulate plans: no one else is doing 20 again.  Yes, you did 15 last week, but you're ahead, not behind, because you did 20 the week before that.  Why don't you just get in the car, take a break and finish 4-5 on the treadmill?  That last one sounded like a really good compromise.  Great for the ego, too, because watch pace right now has me hostage.  Lucky for me, Kyle reminded me that I would so not do it after I got home. Heehee.  He was for the just don't do them, you've done enough.  That bolstered me to just go back out, because Kyle and I are run husband and wife, after all.  Doing what Kyle doesn't recommend is like given. Lol.  I did give myself a concession: I saved the watch log at 16, and started a new run.  That meant I'd "preserve" the pretty run, and anything more I did could be whatever truly came as LSD.   For the first alone mile, I rocked about 11 pace, and felt pretty broken, but I ran it steady.  The pace demoralized me, though, and the moment I hit a first hill of substance, I was done for.  Here, I finally conceded to run-walk.  There was a time a few months ago that I figured I'd be running 13 miles, and run-walking 13 miles to finish my first marathon.  Thankfully, I didn't need the tool until my 2nd 20 miler.  I will take it.  So I run/walked about 4.5 total.  The 4 before I turned off the watch were about an 11:45 average pace.

An hour after, all I could think about was the last four miles.  I basically broke.  For only the second time during this session, but a broke run none the less.  Not an injured run, mind you, just a broke one: spirit, physical, mental .. all broke.  I was happy I finished out the mileage, come what may, though.  I reminded myself that:  the only option that isn't and option is not doing the distance.  On race day, it may be cool, it may be hot.  The last 6 miles may bite ya in the ass.  The difference between a 5:15 marathon and a 6+ or even DNF will be in the brain.  To commit to finish after waving good by to "best case scenarios" like 4:30 or 4:45, and still soldiering on and doing your best.  Plus, a practice "worst case scenario" gets the tantrum and surprise out of the way.  If this is what comes on 10/9, I will accept it, too.

That said, marathon don't list addition: Don't stay up until 11:45 the night before a long run trying to finish out your 10,000 steps for the day in the darkness of your neighborhood streets. Plus: stick to the taper.  Look how hard long runs are when you do all your weekday miles .. that's the point.

*^_^*

Total: with Saturday, 47 miles.  Perfect week right in between: Level 2 for weekdays and Level 3 for Long Run!!! ----->

Big Peach Sizzler Race Report & Weekend Ramblings

Saturday
Distance - 15
Pace - 10:12

After a choppy, depressing end to last week, the long weekend really helped get me back on track.

My husband ... whom I hardly mention because, well, he hardly ever blips on the run-front  ... actually helped me a good bit on the "crisis mode" moment where I pretty much became assured that I would "fun run" the rest of training because its all I have time for.  About this "OTHER THING (OT)" that is taking up ALL. THE. TIME., he reminded me that: 1. I am the ONLY ONE that thinks this is a priority.  Many in my shoes are forced to work on something like this under much more urgent scenarios.  2.  Its not a race. (the thing, not my marathon.  That is a race. LOL).  The idea that from the time that I declare that I "want this" to the time that I have it "should be" 2-3 months is ONLY in my head.  I started "OT" in earnest in early August.  The ONLY person that cares that it be done by my 10/26 birthday is me, as he reminds me.  Yes, there's a lot of "energy" right now.  But seriously, its 3 weeks.  After 5 years of not even considering something like this, 3 weeks.  What could I possibly lose in that time.  *deep breath* thanks, Hubster.  Very true.

If this were a book, or a guide for new runners, I'd have to mention all this other-than stuff, because its a really important run highlight in disguise.  Most of us are not professional athletes ... or elites with sponsored contracts and endless training time.  We're the ages we are, and the weights we are.  We're weekend warriors.  And 20+ weeks is a long time.  Little Things and Big Things are going to happen.  A friend of my has been sick non-stop for weeks on end during this cycle. (Little Thing)  Another friend of mine lost her husband unexpectedly while training.  (Big Thing).  If I look around me, I see that things are hectic, yes, but in many ways, I've been really fortunate with the time I've been given, and have used relatively wisely.  Like with pregnancy, I think that if you wait for the *perfect time* to run a marathon, and look for the perfect training session to support that run, you are either never going to run a marathon, or you are going to end up very disappointed thinking about what could have been if you'd just had a more perfect life.  Runners are not excluded from "stuff."  We have imperfect marriages, children bouncing off walls, financial issues, work woes, losses, and wins all jumbled in.  Not only do we struggle with physical demands of training, but also with weather, jam crammed schedules, whether its too dark / unsafe that day, and a million other things beyond our control.  Making running a part of your chaotic life despite all of its challenges is what makes it hard, but also what makes it the source of pride and accomplishment that you feel bolstered by, and better for.

So .. back to running then, and back burner "OT" until after Chicago.  That's a weight off!  And it showed in my Saturday running .. Wooo!!!  I hadn't "hit" a run like this since Monday.

Of course, I honestly did not think this was going to feel like a "short" run to start.  "Only" and "Just" don't belong in sentences with fifteen.  Going in, I knew I was going to "sandbag" this one pace-wise.  I just didn't realize that .. whaaat .. 10:12 can be the pace for fifteen sandbagged!  Woop!!

I was conversational throughout, took very few looks at my watch, and even was rather casual about whether or not it got paused if I hit a street light, or stopped to refill hydration.  There's a smidge of a loss here: 15 PRO should be effort pace.  Which I'd started to think of as 10:08 or faster for anything above 10 without crazy elevation.  But .. faster than desired marathon pace, on a day where all you care about is time on feet, and with a race on your mind for Monday .. yea, this goes in WINNING column. :)

Sunday

Unexpected swim day with bro and fam at Lake Altuna.  Fun!  Unfortunately, boat life and run life do and don't mix well.  Do: lengthy swim to "other shore" made me feel strong, and gave me some XT for the day.  Fun and relaxation was a lot of what the doctor ordered, too.  I can't remember a day that was *this* chill in a LONG time.  Don't:  well, lets take a peak at pre-race fueling:

Lime-a-rita count: 2, Mike's Hard: 1. Jagger shots: 3.  Bed time: 12 am.

Rut-roh!
....

Monday
Distance - 6.22
Pace: 8:44 (BOOM)
PR: 54:18 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh em gee.  This was friggin fun!  Unfortunately, the terms of engagement were .. as mentioned above ..  um .. weak!!  I was saying to Kyle, as we car pooled in, that I was seriously not up for anything more than possibly a one second PR and that only just because this course is essentially "not Peachtree."

The first "sign from above" that this might be a "really happy day" despite the "circumstances" came in the form of my race bib.  Number 2??!!  Really???  Wow.  Elite status.  (Like an elite with last name: Acosta, but whatever.  Must race if your bib is #2.  End of discussion).

I made some good calls in terms of corral placement.  Of all the folks I "kinda sorta" wanted to run with, just repeating Peachtree and kicking it up with twin Klenke was the right bet.  I also called it well as far as temperature and hydration.  The rain earlier in the weekend cooled things down such that a quick grab and go at hydration table once or twice was zippier than carrying a belt or hand held.  Despite everything, never felt dehydrated.  (This does not change the fact that I did NOT call it well as far as lime-a-ritas.  More on that at mile 4!)

Going at this speed for this long was exhilarating.  I'm surprised, though, that nothing ever takes the: 'Lets just stop now' out of my head.  Even after running 20, running at race pace, no matter the shorter distance, always feels like:  I probably won't finish.  That said, this stayed right in "Wonder Woman" (WW) zone.  Mainly because of the fast course and temperature.  If I had run with someone faster, I think there was still a "this sucks" gear that I could have found in the middle of the race.

I didn't have a firm goal past PR.  Flat 9 average pace sounded good if I really wanted something to struggle for.  Maybe a little positive, and check out how long I can keep an 8 in the average pace?  Well, 8:45 came seriously natural for start of the course.  I was running right behind Kyle, and for me, if I could bring up the rear and always be able to count on catching up, I so would never take lead runner status ever again. :)  I knew we'd push each other if we were together together, so I remember having the thought: don't go get him until after mile 3.  That worked perfect this time.  (other times, not so much; just depends on the day).  Keeping him in sight kept me moving, and I found some other gals running real steady closer to me to anchor with. Man, can I say its so nice to really belong with the people around me up here in the upper pods.  More and more often, I have the benefit of running with and around folks who aren't sprinting, then walking, or changing their pace to race passers-by all willy-nilly.  Very comforting. I couldn't rely on that type of consistency in the packs around me (or from me either) until this year.  Yey, intermediate!

At mile 3, I didn't feel particularly compelled to go off and race Kyle, either.  "Maybe next mile" was probably on the brain. But the pace came naturally, and the woman with the yellow Big Peach singlet that I was running right behind caught him, so I was kinda there before I knew it .. or wanted it.  But I realized that forcing the pace slower than I was naturally wanting to go just to NOT catch Kyle would be kinda dumb. LOL.  Mainly this also happened because of the downhills .. my favorites.  #zoomzoom.  Well, from there, it became the Kyle and Judy show.  It was actually really nice to pod run with him.  Lots of people cheered on the "America" theme we had going.  :)

Unfortunately it also became the Lime-a-Rita redux show.  DON'T DRINK and PR-attempt people, just don't.  EVER.  My stomach was revolting, and the only thing I could do was to stop

.. or run faster. ;)

So back to Kyle, and deal with the poor life choices later!

I know Kyle has a competitive run personality. Me too.  When it comes right down to it, we all probably have that piece to us if we're doing this.  I hate it 99% of the time.  Love it at times like this. :)

But bottom line, the guy is faster than me for real short sprints.  If the goal is to beat him, never leave it to the final stretch. Learned that already! :D  But at mile 4-5, feeling as pushed as I felt, I didn't really care yet.  If he got me to mile 5 by sharing my space, and then I watched him 'peel out,' that was going to do me just fine right then.  At 5, though, the course just lent itself so well to pushing and putting it all out there that that's what came naturally.  By now, I knew I had a PR.  I didn't know what under 9 average pace would result in time-wise, but at mile 5, making sure that stayed in the bag too was my new fish to fry.  There was no telling where the race between Kyle and I would end, but I was feeling very strong.  So I pushed.  At one point, I got trapped between two slower lady runners, and thought he'd make his move then.  But the downhill felt amazing, and all it took was a side step to far left, a hop back over, and now I lead the way again for home again.

To sheer JOY, I found that I had so much more to give, even now, and I *knew* to start giving it before the finish line jumped into view (cuz Emory track King Kyle, remember .. lol).  He was behind now, but lucky for me, a person "told me" just how close / far back he was, by yelling "go Captain America." bwhahaha. That reality check that he was gone, but not far gone, gave me license to get my kicking started.  In fact, there was so much left for playing with speed at this late stage .. how friggin fun.  Under 9 was in the bag, so I'm happy I found non-watch motivation, both with the Kyle thing, and even more, because the course was so FAST.  Even the straight away was down hill.  Make way for MANIAC Kick Judy and her shave of 1.5 minute PR, and ~4 minutes from course PR last year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The final officials were 54:18 and 54:21.  WOAH!

To tell you that I couldn't have done another mile would be a lie.  That means I didn't do it "Brad / Jerry style."  But oh man, does a gal need a fun race like this, too!  Sizzler is for sure going to be an annual thing!

At the after party .. Party Dance Loon Judy.

30 minutes later .. Sleepy Judy looking up at clouds from shuttle bus and thinking "oh man, its the 'slow down' moment" where life just hovers around you being all perfect and sh1t.  (If this were a movie, it comes right before you die, at peace with everything you've overcome and accomplished). Hint: #thehangoveriscoming

Hours 4 out of 5 later Judy ..



*^_^*

Week 17

Monday
Distance - 6.2
Pace - 9:25

By far, fastest non-race 10K.  Where did that come from?? :) Proof that I was good to myself during the 20 miler, I suppose.  I worked a little harder on the way out to make my "struggle bus warm up pace" not SO sluggish that the return had to be at race pace just to even things out.  On the other hand, by the time I was returning, "be done mode" still kicked in, and off I went anyways.  Woo!  I continue to do my strides for 20 seconds up each bridge "hill."  Silly, but I like to pretend this makes me ready for Chicago "hills." :D

Tuesday
Distance - 2 mile walk
Pace - whatever

So much going on besides running today that I had to wave the white flag, and just pass on a repeat 10K.  At 6:30pm, I only had time for a quick walk about to get in my 10,000 steps.

Wednesday
Distance - 3.1
Pace - 9:40

Quick treadmill run before work.  A bit shy of the level 2 mileage so far this week, but ce la vie.  I ran this quick, easy and dirty: 10 pace for 1 mile, 9:40 pace for mile 2, and something like 9:30 for 3rd, with kick to 8.1 mph for the tail.  Forgot a towel.  That was fun, too.

Thursday

I figured out something quite shocking.  Marathon training is now THIRD on the list of most important, monumental life changing processes requiring my immediate attention on or before mid-October.  After a wild sense of **shock** because up until now, everything was fitting so nicely, I quickly became okay with this fact.  There will be other races.  There may even be other marathons.  But I will never have the chance to again guide my oldest daughter through the college application process, SATS, essays, recommendation letter / transcript gathering, tour taking JOB that is Senior year.  I also have to do something for my own sanity on a front that I am not at liberty to completely discuss publicly.  Leave it as given that its *great* that there's a TON of activity on this front right now, and also leave as given that the time commitment is approaching "2nd full time job status" after real full-time job, and full-time senior year momming job.  So, friends, that means marathon training? It just has to go back to part-time job and/or hobby status ... or I implode.  *tear*  Today I missed the work out completely, and have no plans to fit it in or make it up in any way.  That makes me upset, but with all that I am accomplishing on the other two fronts, bearable.

Friday

Continue like Thursday ..  massive amounts of work.  Long days on all fronts.  Tied to computer.  No end in sight.  Opted for sleep instead of early morning 4 miler.  Planning on just covering the 15 miles on the schedule for NYC tomorrow (because of lack of running during week, I'm afraid to run a long run that is not supported by my weekday effort).  I will see if I can't use the "rest weekend" to really knock out all of these other projects and bring them back to "bearable" levels.  I'll hit Sizzler hard, thanks to the forced taper, and then hopefully resume heavy-ish training schedule from 9/5 to taper.  Pay for me! LOL.

Total: 25 miles.