Week 8 - Oh My Mileage

Monday
Distance: 5 miles, with strides
Pace: Hot mess, Part Deux

I just cannot find my schedule.  Too few options, too many options.  Long arse commute makes it so that if I run the weekday distance, I do absolutely nothing else except run and work.  I guess I don't have to sustain for longer than a few months, so I will suck it up. But rough, man!

K & M are running Mondays, 6:30 AM up in Alpha.  That's the one scenario that no longer works for me.  :/  To start at 6:30, I need to be down past a good bit of the commute, or I don't get into work until bed time. lol.

The oval-beltline is the most appealing in the evening, but now that In-Training for Peachtree is over, that's alone.  Alone Monday, alone Tuesday AND alone Wednesday evenings sounds like a receipt for disaster.  So I must keeping trying to shuffle this. For now, alone, hot and a mess.  But 5 miles, done!

Pretty much #nope all the way.  But I could have skipped it, so there's that.

Tuesday - Friday
Nope, nope and nope.  Work essentially blew up.  Run buds disappeared. My pink gym bag basically was along for a scenic ride of the downtown area each day.

Nice change of pace on the personal / home front though.  Friendships and relationships stabilizing. I have a bit of support again in this crazy world, and am starting not sounding like a cynical cat lady (among other things, I don't even like cats, so that path was going to present serious issues, lmao).

Saturday 
Distance: Decatur 4 miler
Time: 42:24, 10:29 avg pace.

Last year, I finished this race in 35:36, 8:54 avg. pace.  I for sure was absolutely tickled; that time was definitely representative of a "make it suck" effort. This year, I just had fun.  I can't even figure out if this is my new kinda-make-it-suck pace, or if I am both off pace and off on mental game.  For today, we'll blame it on the fact that I stayed out REALLY late Friday night (NKOTB concert .. woo!).

But .. no more whining about last year.  I am where I am, and I need to get better.  That is all.

Sunday
Distance: 14 miles
Pace: ~11:20

Hallelujah!  Felt great on this run!! A few things that were different from last week's run: no hills, overcast, and flat. I love Cochran Shoals!  Also, and a big win, I didn't chase anyone out of the gate, or make early-on pacing mistakes.  I knew I'd need run/walk eventually, so I started 3-1 right from the beginning, even when I didn't need it.  K was doing similar, so I had a person anchor for all two plus hours.  Big group all out there on the out and back loops, too. My favorite perk.

If I use this as an indicator, I think that I can realistically train for under 5 hours, maybe 4:45. Not where I'd like to end up, and its going to be REALLY hard to keep the mental game up for months, and to keep the enthusiasm up during the race itself, if a PR of 4:26 is not even possible.  But not ready to admit defeat on that front. Lets just keep doing what we're doing for a while longer, shall we? That said, right now, sub-5 for sure seems like a hit I'd have to be proud of, given the circumstances being where they are right now.

Hard not to mention last year here specifically, too.  A Facebook memory reminds me that this weekend, Michele and I hit 17 miles for the first time, and ran it at a 10:30 avg pace.  That said, its only 3 miles from what we did, and I for sure did not feel like I tempo-ed any part of this run in absolutely any way, so very hopeful there is still a bit of wiggle room if I really, really get ambitious with training.

Of course, my favorite part of any run is cutting it up with friends, and .. WAFFLES! :) 

I hydrated well, slept well, pre-ate well, and the only thing that tuckered out were the bottom of my feet.  Quads and calves only a tiny bit miffed.  No soreness Monday.  So, I am thankful!

Chicago - Week 7 - Finding Mojo

Wednesday

Scheduled:

1 WU
4 X 1,200 m with 400 jog, 1 CD
2 WU, 2 CD

Did: 1 mile WU, 4 x 1200 with 400m recovery walk, .5 CD (walk)

As with last year, for the most part, I will run long at Level 3, and midweek at mainly level 2, until (if) I build up my base distance and speed.

Garmin (or I) dropped the ball on the last interval.  It marked .86 rather than .75.  Def my fastest split, recorded or un.

I did not want to do this work out.  I HAD been wanting to run from the walk back to Marta on 7/4.  (If I recall correctly, I did do a little tipsy running up one hill. bahaha), right up until about 4 pm 7/5.  As soon as I got home, I had children to shuttle, late lunches to eat, and my quads/calves were talking to me from PTRR.  So basically, as soon as I could run today, I didn't want to.

But ...

I have now made one too many friends who will ask me if I've run today.  lol.

There aren't many things these days that I can control.  Whether I show up and do a work out IS up to me, though. 

I am so glad I dragged myself out there .. at EIGHT PM. Accidental night speed work at Fowler track is THE. ISH.  Just me, in my head, running in circles.  The night starting to cool things down... loud music .. the flat track perfect for pushing the envelope a bit.  Felt damn badass.  I think some night running is going to have to be incorporated into the weekly schedule.

Have I had the thought that if I hit sub 9:10 avg pace for all four intervals, after a 1 mi WU at sub 9:30, that maybe I could have left more on the Peachtree course, like for real?  .. yes, yes I have.  LOL.

Thursday

Scheduled: Rest or XT

Some of me wanted to swim.  Thursday is XT swim.  Where are all my friends that like to swim Thursday night??  ..

Crickets.  I tried to motivate to just go do it anyway solo, like last week.  But most of me said rested.  So I rested.  Which was well deserved, and much needed.

Friday
30 minute XT
5 miles easy
Did: 4 miles, pace unknown, but faster than easy.

I forgot my watch.  I forgot to put my hair up.  I forgot to glide.  But I woke up, and I ran.  Friyay!

I probably did not stay easy enough. The pace was for sure a little push.  Hard to stay easy with this zippy group, at flat, cool Riverside.  I heard my legs talking before my cardio even made a peep, though, so I know that I am feeling the extra miles now that I am actually doing them all.  Something tells me I am going to be crying by the end of my long run tomorrow!

Our Friday Riverside group keeps getting bigger and bigger. <3 accountability buds!!  

Saturday
Schedule:
13 miles

Did: thirteen friggin point f'in one miles.
Pace: hot mess

Fall kick off!  Oh boy.  Two years in a row, one of my toughest runs of the season.  Those Brookhaven hills Enrique loves are brutal.  And since its always in my brain that it's "only four miles to start" with the official group run, I always overdo.  Last year, "fast" was 9:15-9:30ish.  This year, that was NOT the pace, but it was still too fast for the long run I am capable of.

Luckily, I had friends to run with.  That made the rest of this hillacious and hot ugh of a run almost tolerable.

Unfortunately, the heat and the hills just ate me all up.  I held it together for the first 4 miles.  The break in between that and the next 2.5 helped a lot.  After the 10K mark, though, I was out of hydration and out of spirit. (Note to self: remember breakfast, dork).  Having M & D out in front & K to run with was a god-sent.  I probably would have called it way earlier otherwise.  Run/walk jumped in to save the day, too.  I rallied with the insert of breaks, and finished 10.5 ugly ass miles.

But wait .. there's more. I knew I had not one step left out on Peachtree, but after I got in the car.. and A/C, I figured it'd be a waste to call it without the full 13.1 under belt.  After all, its not like I ended up doing much more than junk miles.  If/until you can't put in solid runs, more junk miles!!  So I popped into LA F and belted out 3.  Flat and in AC, a very tired Wonder Woman (but WW none-the-less) finally stopped in to say hello.  I ran the first mile sub-10:30, run/walked the second, and then finished the last full run sub-10:30 again.

Sunday

Rest days are torture right now.  I don't feel as whipped or accomplished as I used to after my long run, so I am constantly just physically and mentally looking to keep doing stuff. 

The choices were: 2 hr salsa class, Jillian video, swim or Cyclebar.  I chose Cyclebar, and lordy was that not the right choice!! I should have done less to my legs, not more.  But of course, the instructor made me work more than I wanted to, which is never a bad thing.  And there is nothing that helps the mental game like Cyclebar church.  Music is god!

After that, I was still pumped, and toyed with the idea of showering and heading to Salsa class, too, (the addiction to "stuff" is real), but I stopped by the house and *shock* found BOTH of my beautiful daughters home .. and plan-less.  So a little swimming instead. 

My new fave hang out at Lake Lanier.  I can only go to the first booie and back, but watching Michele swim all over the beach is kinda like exercise.  LOL.

Up next: 

Still holding 2nd in Age Group for Grand Prix.  (as we discussed last year, because stubbornness out performs speed for this contest, lol).  SOOOoooOOO .. I guess I am doing a 4 miler this week. Course is rolling hills.  Stretch-ish Goal: 9:40 avg pace.  And then the first mileage above 1/2 marathon for Chicago on Sunday. Eeeeep.

Other Random Judy Stuff:

Race Report: Peachtree Road Race

Distance - 6.2
Official Time - 1:03:26
Pace - 10:13 min/mi

July 4th, 2017 was ALL. OF. THE. THINGS.

Highlight .. my brain was still off in the clouds on topics non-running.  Perk of that is that I wasn't spending brain time sweating the race itself.  Shocking that this could be Judy on race morning, but ta da.  Only minimal panic mode.

There is a little less pressure when PRs are of the table in general.  I'm not the hardcore type A I was last year about prep.  Am I using a belt or a hand held tomorrow?  Lets see how I feel in the morning.  What am I going to do about that built in Athleta bra that doesn't have enough support?  Ah, I'll pick something out to wear under it in the morning.  And so on.

There aren't even any shorts in this attempt at Flat Judy. bahaha.

To say that I wasn't feeling this 2 mi shake out run in 90+ degrees solo is the understatement of the century.  But Jerry does shake out runs, and he's my barometer, so non-negotiable.  :)

I did also manage to keep hydrating, and get to bed early.  Unfortunately, I told my daughter to wake me up when she got in so she could braid my hair.  She says she tried at 11:30; supposedly I told her, 'nah, its okay, I'll run in a pony tail.'  At 12:30, I woke up and thought she still hadn't made it home, so .. at 12:30 I got my hair done.  And then back to bed until.. 4:15 am. Ooof.

The Peachtree experience begins with Marta.  On 7/4, its smarta.

Pam, Mike, Michele and I got to the race at the same time as Kyle.  We took a million selfies with 800 of our closest friends .. left Pam & Mike to their corrals, and then entered the illustrious A-E security area.  (Still one of the perks of getting faster that I most adore. ;) ) "A-E only, A-E only past this point."  Yea, .. that's me. Make way. LOL.   

Lost Michele to D Wave, and then it was just K & I.  Insert mini-panic now.  But before we know it, off.. we.. go...

Miles 1-3

Illusions of grandeur.  I kicked off and 9:00 came easy. I had no business running 8 anything, or leaving Kyle behind me.  But was able to course correct in mile two.  No flying like last year in mile 2 - 2.8, and behind Kyle soon enough again.  My goal was to keep 9:40 for as long as I could hold it, and I did through 3.1.  Yea for people anchors. Win.  

Miles 3.1 - 5.5

Enter the portion of Peachtree that runs the show.  I had held sub-60 to this point, but that was to be expected.  The fact that I hadn't cushioned 9:40 any up to 3.1, though, made it easy to say good bye to a stretch possibility of sub-60. I knew my time in these miles would be closer to 10:30 - 11.  In the back of my mind, I have an inkling that I sand bagged a little. Which is what it is. Setting the bar at: 'don't walk any of Peachtree' was a manageable goal, and I needed manageable.  If the weather had been better or I had been running with someone that had made me want to fight, I think I could have hit this a little harder, but ce la vie.

Cool thing that happened at mile 4.  All three of us .. M, K and I ... ended up at the same spot at the same time.  It always seems so wild when that happens.  What are the odds? 60000 people. Michele didn't even start at the same spot in C.  We def. have triplet magic. 

Two other things that surprised me: both the distance and the hills still seemed "short."  Time flew, and I never had a doubt that I'd throw in the towel before cresting a hill.  That's the long distance training mind set for ya; nothing compares to Enrique hills or 26.2 miles every again.  Just slow the role and keep going.

10th street was a disappointment.  I wanted to fly.  But I was hot, my legs were spent, and the cardio said no thanks.  So it was a kick to the finish.  But not a Judy kick to the finish.  

All in all, I did well in pre-gauging what I am currently capable of.  The 50% goal was to hit my time from 2015 (2nd best Peachtree).  I did that with a few seconds to spare.  

This was almost exactly what I thought my splits would look like.  Pace planning for the win.  Except the kick. I thought I'd have been able to get it back in the 8s for the end of the race, but not so much.

All in all, the habit is back, the addiction is real again, and I am finding reasons to push a little harder, and get to work.  As a good friend mentioned, 'I think you are more back than you know."  <3  Win.

Party on Piedmont
The after race time spent with friends and tribe are absolutely some of the best moments I get to spend living life!

Happy Judy. <3

This has become one of my fave Peachtree traditions.  Beeramid!

Up Next
Home, shower, nap .. and I wanted to go for a run again by 4 pm.  Haha.  Which is fortunate, because .. CHICAGO.  Now that Peachtree is over, its work time!!

Unfortunately, speaking of work time, its also work time.  And this is me 7/5:

Top 20% of F 35-39 among 60,000 is super hero in my book. LOL.

Goals for Week 7.  Don't skip a work out.  30 miles.  Blog all week. One strength training video or class.  One hour of salsa (non-run goal of 'have fun.').  One swim.

Knock, knock. Who's There? CHIIIIIICAGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, hello there stranger(s)! Boy is this over due!!

I am in Week 5 of Chicago Marathon training.. AGAIN!!  EEEEP.  And things are FINALLY looking up on the run front.  I am SO behind where I was last year in June, but it is what it is.  My mental game is firing on all cylinders now, and that is the most important thing I could ask for.



Before we get to the running, though ..
After months of being on the fence about my new job, I think I've turned a corner, and I am really enjoying what I am doing again.  The commute makes it tough, but I think I'm going to hang in there and not make any crazy ripples in the calm waters for now. (again)

On the home front, my life is as upside down, topsy turvy as ever.  The teens are on auto-pilot at this point, but other factors are keeping me in serious uncharted waters.  Changes over the last few months are keep my brain "ON" all. the. time.  Great for running ..  pretty sure I could think myself right through a one-hundred miler at this point just pondering and daydreaming on topics of personal interest!  Of course, I digress, and I don't want to blah, blah, blah about none-run related topics..  I just mention it so that my 'story to myself' is complete.  Suffice it to say that while you train, there will be "other stuff," and "OTHER stuff."  No pause-for-marathon button on the life controller.

But without further a-do:

Sunday
Distance: 6.22 Peachtree course run, followed by 3.1 on the belt line and to Marta.
Pace: 10:37

4:45 AM on a Sunday selfie.  (aka: Before) Mergh!

Nothing helps with a run more than a pod of friends. <3

Happy Judy again at the finish of Peachtree course run. (aka: After) 

This went better than expected.   Another confidence-building run.  Not only is the distance coming back to me without run-walking, but I am seeing signs of life in the pace, too.  I was certain I'd have to run/walk, but I didn't find myself needing any recoveries until after our post course run pause.  The final 5K felt a little less important, so I kept it super easy.  Nothing that would lead me to think I could sub-60 minutes for Peachtree, let alone PR it.  But I see that I don't have to fun run PTRR.  I can find a purpose in trying for sub-1:05, or a 10:08 pace, or something like that.  The cards are stacked differently this year, but that doesn't mean I can't catch up.  Time is still in my favor re: CHI.

A lot of this is always mental. And you can't really have a rough run mentally with a pod of friends cracking you up the entire time.  Running with faster friends and friends who will push you is key.

Monday

Distance: 4 miles

Pace: 11:30

Its always tricky to decide what to do when I move my long run to Sunday.  But Kyle hadn't gotten in Sunday, so I had a willing partner in crime, so might as well.  Of course, as soon as we got there, it started rumbling.  And by mile 1 .. 

Wet cat Judy! LOL.

The legs were for sure tired.  But I might have picked it back up if it weren't for: 1. the distraction that was the fact that if my phone got soaping wet, this would be a $200.00 run.  (pro tip .. dog poop baggie dispensers on the Greenway!); 2. that I lost Kyle (later we figured out that he'd gone to the bathroom right as I passed  .. thank god I didn't wait at 2 mile mark TOO long); 3. that the wire in my bra was trying to kill me, glide or no glide!

Tuesday
Rest/Challenge

4 days in a row of running is enough, even if I don't "feel" as spent as I used to be able to get myself. Saving the legs for speedwork tomorrow anyways.

I am trying to tone other areas the bod besides the legs this go around.  I am officially on Day 7 of this challenge. (After a re-boot from Day 11, though).  Me and squats get along real well.  I don't have a massive badonk, so just a little work and I am impressing myself. ;) Similar with the arms.  I already see signs of life in pictures and such.  The abs .. well .. I think I need a 300 day crunch challenge before I take that after picture.  Hahaha.  I kid, though, because I think I actually see itty bitty improvements there too.  Overall, I am 5 lbs down since early May, when last I started looking again.  ~8 lbs heavier than lowest at end of CHI training.  The goal is to drop another 15-20 lbs before Chicago in October.

Wednesday - End of June

Oops!  I really did mean to start up with blog to self again, but my brain is just on another cloud at the end of this month!!

Things ended on a really solid note.  I checked off most of the training runs for Week 6 and Week 7, I'm down another couple of lbs, and life is amazing. :)

Yey, green.  Green = running! :)

Goal for July .. 100!