Commuting...

The mornings are not as light as they were a month ago so it's time to start re-thinking my morning runs. I was able to get out on Monday, but it was a route that was pretty close to home and I didn't feel terribly freaked out by running from home then. I have a nice 4 mile route that is basically little loops that incorporate Autumn Trace quite a bit...good times!

Yesterday was another 4 mile run and I wanted to do something different. So I decided that running to work would be fun. Okay, not all the way from home, but close enough. Tom and I parked the car in Felida - not far from our "good friend Jenni's house" which was the beginning of a nice little route that goes along roads that are not that heavily traveled - with the exception of Lakeshore Avenue. Fortunately the traffic on Lakeshore was mostly going south, so it wasn't that big of a deal. I ran most of the hills and actually enjoyed them! With one very brief walk break I would have to say that this run was one of the best I have had this summer! Since I stashed some work clothes in the ladies room the day before, I was good to go!

None of my runs on my current training plan go past 4 miles during the week, so I may be able to continue to do most of the runs over the next 7 weeks from home, but it's nice to know that I could actually run to work.

Commuting by running...now there's a concept!

COLORFUL

Runningahead.com

I'm liking the variety of colors that my run chart is sporting these days! This is a very encouraging thing for me to look at - it keeps me motivated. Maybe this year will be the year that I keep up this running routine and I won't have to start over again in early Spring.

Today was an easy run - 4 miles. Tom joined me for the first mile and then I finished the remaining 3 miles on my own. I figured out a nice route that keeps me close to home, but I get the challenge of running a short hill on 3 separate occasions. Today was a real challenge for me because I wanted to NOT do 4 miles very badly. My 5 mile run on Saturday was still with me and my legs were feeling a little tired. I managed to win the battle with my negative self talk and finished - my fast 4 mile run to date!

Wednesday is a tempo run - Tom wants to run part of it with me. So to keep it a little more interesting than the track, I'm going to have to figure out where exactly my mile warm up ends and my mile cool down begins. So he can join me at the end of the run OR he could run with me in the beginning and then turn around when I have to increase my speed. That kind of sounds funny to me, because I certainly don't feel speedy...hehe.

As I was looking ahead on my training, which I should NEVER do, but my longest run before Run Like Hell will be 12 miles! That is like double the distance that I'll actually run during that event. I guess after I run 12 miles, everything else will be easy by comparison!

I'm not going to jinx myself again, but really...I do like this running thing that I've got going on!

Speedy

Tried to run a proper Speed Work session today. I was mostly there and only gipped myself less than a 1/2 mile. Today's workout was 3x800m's at a pace that I'm pretty sure that I did not hit and 400m jogs in between - warm up and cool down. If I had done my first recovery properly, I would not have shorted my distance for the day. Otherwise, I feel pretty good about doing the work today - although I have to admit that I'm a little sore and I'm feeling some tiredness.

So, yoga tomorrow, maybe a ride on Friday then my long run on Saturday morning :) Rest on Sunday - YAY!

I love me a training plan :)

Girls Only!

(moxierunners.com)

Had a fun day yesterday! Started off by running a 5k that started at the Amphitheater and basically went around and through the fairgrounds.

Have been working hard at sticking to my training plan and switched it up last week - changing it from a 1/2 marathon plan to a 10k plan. Had to make the training hard to get it to match where I was in the 1/2 plan...and also because the 10k that I'm planning to run is in October - so CHOP CHOP!

Tom likes to ask me if I am excited about whatever event I'm going to do. My usual response is "Not really" which I want to say is weird, but it's how I feel. I guess I just don't get hyped up like some people do. When I get to the event I look forward to things getting started, but excited? Not so much.

The race started shortly after 7am and off I went with more than 200 other ladies - various shapes, sizes and abilities. That's kind of a nice thing. It's one thing to run a coed event where I just get passed like crazy by a bunch of guys. I guess this is the nice thing about a women only event, I pass and get passed probably equally throughout the run. Kind cool.

So, here I am running by myself and can't wait until we get to the point where the 1/2 marathoners go their way and the 5k'ers go their way.  It's at this point that I can figure out who exactly I'll be hanging with and probably finishing pretty close to and just enjoy the morning.The route went past the Public Safety Center and then down to Delfel road and into the fair - down the main alley way and out where Gate G is and back up to the Public Safety Center - and finally back to the finish at the amphitheater.

At about 1.5 miles from the finish there are a couple of gals that are running together and one of them made a comment about passing - again. I would run for a while, pass them and then hit a point that walking was the better thing to do and start walking. Then they would pass me and this went on for about .75 miles. At the water stop at 179th Street, I decided that I would take on some electrolytes and then start running back to the finish - which for the most part was downhill. After a while I encountered another woman who I was "leap-frogging" with and we went back and forth with passing. I finally had enough of all this back and forth stuff and decided to just go for it and started picking up the pace and passed the two gals and then the older woman, who by the way had a pretty good pace going.

In the end, I passed these ladies and kept going...finished strong AND beat my 4th of July run time by 2 minutes - my 2012 PR! My finish time actually calculated out to a 12:30 pace - which for me is pretty swift! With my shorty legs, I'm sure that won't run a sub-12 minute pace, but hey, at least I know I can do it! Even if it almost kills me!

Go HERE for some photos.

It's Just Too Hot

There just is NO way that we will ride the VBC Time Trial tonight and not die of heat stroke! Riding in the heat is one thing, but our other option would require us to sit and bake in the heat. So no Velodrome tonight either. I do believe that a climate controlled restaurant and a walk around another climate controlled store is in the works for this evening.

I would like a little less summer...please.

Starting Anew

It's not like I'm starting over with my running, just a new plan. I had been working on a 1/2 marathon plan since the end of May. I was on track until I around my birthday and ended up with a cold or something. So that set-back cost me a couple of weeks and I have been off track ever since.

This week I decided since I would not be running a half this year (foiled again) I probably should go to runnersworld.com and create a new plan for a 10k distance. Even though I'm already running 4 miles most of the time, I have not wanted to run 4 miles during my runs this week. So I gave myself a break and only did 3 miles on Tuesday and today. Sunday is the Moxie Runner's All Female run; which I'll do the 5k.

Next week I'll be back on track and follow the plan - unless something else comes up! I'm trying to be more flexible, but still do what needs to be done so that I don't lose what running condition that I have built up so far. I don't want to start over, that's the point I'm figuring out after all these years!

Tom has started running again - a couple of weeks ago he was doing a 1/2 mile this morning he ran about 1.5 miles...walked a lot at the track too. So he's getting back into it. Slowly but surely, he's getting there.

Looking forward to a couple of days of rest and then a nice early run on Sunday! Woo hoo!!

Motivators

I believe in using races as motivators. It's hard to keep an exercise program if you don't have a significant goal in sight. Bob Greene, Fitness Instructor

This is definitely me. If I don't have something to work for I would probably not do anything or much of anything. It really is much easier to not do anything...sit around, watch TV, play on the computer etc.

With that, I have two events coming up. The first one is Moxie Runners - All Female Run.  This one was out of the blue! It happened to be a Groupon deal last week and I couldn't pass up a 1/2 price run! So this Sunday I'll be running a 5k which will be just around the corner and down the street from our house!

The second event is the Run Like Hell! Weeeee!!!! I gotta get my cape out...or make one - SUPER HEROES BABY! I'm REALLY looking forward to this one. I'm planning on the 10k again this year and I'm psyched! Should be fun!!! If Tom can run a 5k - which he should be able to by then, we'll be there together!

What motivates you?

Tom is on the Run!

Yes! Tom joined me this morning for the very last part of my run! Helen (his PT) okay'd him to run about 1/2 mile to start. Okay, so we stretched it out just a little, but hey, he's back at it!

After running alone since the end of May it's nice to have a running partner again...and a partner that was once a faster run who is now running closer to my pace if not slightly slower - YAAAAY!

Seriously though, this is great progress for Tom. He's been looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and we started that routine by going to our first Time Trial of 2012 and getting slammed by the wind! Good times! Of course, when he reported back to Helen what he had done since his last visit she was a little taken aback. I don't know how she can be surprised, after a few sessions, I would think she might have an idea of the type of person Tom is - MOTIVATED!

All I can say is that she needs to be a little more specific about what he is allowed to do according to how he is progressing with his physical therapy. I'm just sayin'!

A Little Tired

Did all of my runs this week as well as the VBC Time Trial Thursday evening. So, 13 miles of running and 11 miles doing a time trial....yeah - I'm a little tired!

One day to rest up and then I'm back at it on Monday....bright and early. Well, early at least :)

Stay cool and don't forget to HYDRATE!

As of August 2

I like what I'm seeing...

chart from Runningahead.com

Daily Double

Yesterday was a fun day! Went for a 4 mile run in the morning - a run that did not feel horrible...YAY!  Then after work Tom and I rode our first 2012 VBC Time Trial.

The Time Trial season starts in April and between Tom being in the hospital and the constant rain, I didn't have an opportunity to go and ride on a Thursday night. Which was fine, because it would not have been the same without Tom.A couple of weeks ago Helen (physical therapist) gave him a go ahead to ride as hard and as far as he is able...WAHOOOOOO!!So after work Tom picked me up from work with the bikes nestled in the back of the pick-up and off we went to ride faster less leisurely ride.

Now that there is some sort of construction going on near the Port offices the start line has been relocated about 2.5 miles down the road. Which is cool because it's not far from Frenchman's Bar and past that point the traffic is mostly light. It still is mostly windy, but with no cars to contend with, it makes for a very pleasant ride! We signed in and then went to warm up a bit.

So, 6:30 rolled around and we lined up - I was #1 and Tom #2 - which is how I mostly like it. That way, we get going first and then we are getting back around 35-40 minutes later. Which is good because I don't like to get home too late which makes dinner later...blah blah blah.

Anyway - it's been a year since we last rode a TT, so I totally forgot about how nervous I am with the first couple of TT's of the season. I quickly got into a mental groove and tried to keep my head down and just pedal as much as possible to get through the wind. As usual, Tom passed me after about a mile or so and then a few others. I'm never bummed when I get passed because that just means there are now people for me to look at to keep me motivated!

Around 2-2.5 miles into the course I was passed by #3...FINALLY. I was able to kind of keep that rider in my sight most of the way to the turn around so that was enough for me to not slow down too much, you know, fight the wind a little harder! I knew the turn around was coming up because I saw some of the people that passed me earlier on their way back - which of course included Tom and he gave me some encouragement as we passed.

So, I see the cones and I'm relieved because riding into the wind was getting pretty old. #3 was still ahead of me and I was getting a little closer...then he made the turn around....without going around the cones which were still down the road a little bit!

WHAT THE HECK?!  YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!

I was slightly annoyed by that and considered not pursuing this cheaty-cheaterson. Then the #11 rider passed me and she continued on to pass the cheater. After a minute or two I decided that I could reel this guy back in...so here we go, head down! It worked, after spending about 5 minutes trying to catch him, I passed and kept going.

NOW - once you pass it's gotta be a pass and keep going because you don't want to be passed by the person you just passed...right? So, there was enough of a tailwind that I could just get into a big gear and GO! I don't know what my finish time was...all that matters is that I finished ahead of the cheater. HA!

Yeah...I don't like cheaters.