April Down...let the real training begin!

So, I was able to get in my 10 miles today after all, but my monthly total ended up being 139.76 miles instead of 145 like last month. I was a little bummed until I realized that April is 1 day shorter than March, so it is okay to be 6 miles down.

My average miles per day in March: 4.70, and in April: 4.66. Not too shabby considering I am not even really doing 'long runs' these days.

Way to go me!

Storms brewing

There are supposed to be storms today. Right now as I look outside the window, the clouds are definitely there, but I wonder how long the rain will wait. Today is the last day of the month, so I was hoping to run an easy 10 miles to finish out my training log over 130 miles this month. I don't think it is going to happen.

As I have posted before, sometimes running in the rain is exhilirating, though I don't want to dodge lightning bolts out there today. Maybe I can catch a quick 4 at lunch or hit the gym before the crowd gets there this afternoon.

another sort of countdown

exactly six months from today I turn 30

hurrah.

Countdown to Lottery Results - 11

Today I am thinking about the results of the lottery being posted and about what has to happen between now and then. This weekend I am just running nice and easy, probably 10 with Melissa. Sunday, who knows? Maybe I'll do another 10.

Next week I do not have any group workouts, which is weird. Between-program weeks are always kind of fun because I get to run whenever I want as far as I want and usually feel pretty good doing it. I get my hair cut on Wednesday. Saturday, May 5 is when my new group starts, but since it will be a long run day, we really won't know who is in Ruth's group.

The lottery results should be posted by Tuesday, May 8th at 5:00 pm...just in time for our first quality workout.

I hope we get in!

Last Mac workout

Tonight will mark the last workout with Mac Allen as my coach. I am a little sad about this. Mac has helped me improve my running strength and mental toughness over the last 18 months. It has been a blast! I hope that he is able to start training again to be in his own best personal shape. I look forward to seeing him race again.

Countdown to Lottery Results - 12

12 more days to wait until the St. George Marathon lottery results are posted. Waiting patiently with me are: Chad and Tara (we are in a group), Melissa Long, and Bruce Coleman. All of us are Rogues, and it would be great if we all got in.

I have no choice but to be patient and hopeful.

Feeling Lazy

I have felt so lazy lately. My right hamstring has been tight, so I have been cautious to push hard. This has left me feeling down-in-the-dumps and pretty bummed that I can't continue training at the same level that I was on. I have had about 36 hours of complete rest now, so perhaps today at the gym and running will feel better.

Fast again! Finally! 5 x 1000, 6 x 200

I had one of the best workouts of my life last night! Finally, I ran strong and fast. This being my 4th consecutive day of running with 23 miles already run. Talk about a runners high! I was so amazed at what my body did.

To preface the times posted, I have been stuck at an 8:00 pace for a while(not that that is really slow for a girl!).

Warmup to TSD - 10:55
200 m stride(55 sec), 200 m easy
5 x 1000m @ 5k pace with 200 m easy between
1 - 4:44 (7:37 pace)
2 - 4:45
3 - 4:44
4 - 4:44
5 - 4:41 (7:32 pace)
6 x 200m at mile pace (as fast as I can go) with 200m easy between
1 - :50 (6:42 pace)
2 - :46 (6:10 pace)
3 - :47 (6:18 pace)
4 - :45 (6:02 pace)
5 - :44 (5:54 pace)
6 - :41 (5:30 pace)
Cooldown to RunTex(10:55)

More than any of the times that I was hitting, I am so proud to have finished strong in each set.

Faces on the trail

A while back when the RunTex forum was the old version, there was a discussion about the unique and familiar faces that we would see on the Town Lake Trail. Now that I have settled into a routine, I am starting to notice my own set of faces.

- Super skinny black tank-top lady walker
- guy with 4 gorgeous Irish Setters
- Rogue folks - Kamran, Melissa, and Bob usually run the same time as me in the opposite direction.
- Snickers Marathon lady in her jersey and cap
- Competitive Power Walker man (forgot his name)

Folks I miss, now that I run in the evening:

- 'good morning' man
- tall black man walker in the scrubs top
- frail old man with the daschund without a leash
- man with rusty looking cocker spaniel and New Balance shoes
- woman with orangey hair and a dirty looking orangey looking poodle

It's a date!

I have a date with Chad tonight. A running date.

I know, no big deal, right? I know we have been dating for over a year and a half now and we have had loads of time running together. For whatever reason I am really looking forward to our run this afternoon. The weather is gorgeous today in Austin. It should be a great run.

ever happen to you?

I guess you can say that I am a competitive person. Lots of folks go out every afternoon and walk or run the Town Lake Trail to keep in shape. Many folks use the trail for the mile markers and to be around other folks. Most people do not feel the need to turn their workout into a race.

Sometimes I just can't help myself.

There are usually one or two folks during a workout who I end up 'racing'. It is usually some 20-3o something wannabe 'buff' guy who obviously can't handle being passed by a girl. Sometimes it is a gal my age who thinks that she should be able to keep up as I pass her. It starts with my pass...I pass at my consistent pace, knowing that I am only slightly faster than them. I tend to pick up the pace just slightly to ensure that I make a clean pass. They respond by first holding on to my newly faster pace, which is a signal to me that they need to be dropped. Sometimes I will not notice that they are holding on and I will get re-passed. This usually pisses me off because the person will only make it about 10 yards ahead of me until they have to slow down their pace again. I actually feel kind of bad for them because they end up running their original pace and I pass them very quickly.

It happened last night. I was at the MoPac bridge coming off of a water break running on the north side. A twenty something 6'2" buff guy is running by as I start, and I just so happened to be a similar pace. I pass him within 200 yards or so, and I can tell that he is hanging on behind me. He is a big guy, so it is not hard to hear his plodding footsteps over my iPod. We go about a mile until he tries to re-pass me. 'OH NO HE DIH-INT!' He surges to get to the typical 10 yards ahead and clearly drops back down to our original pace. We were probably going 8:45min/mile. So, unfortunately for him, I pass him again after only 200 more yards and manage to drop him shortly after that. It was also nice to see him turn off at the 4 mile loop bridge. Oh well, I guess he was not up for 10 miles. That would have been a fun time.

Making Progress

It has almost been a week since I visited the nutritionist. I have been trying to follow the 'ideal' plan as she outlined for me. For the most part, I did a perfect job. I was awesome through Saturday. I had my one meal splurge that I am allowed per week (French toast from Galaxy Cafe on Saturday at lunch). Sunday started well, but then I faltered late in the afternoon. I am not really divulging what I ate, but it was not part of the program.

Yesterday (Monday), I did well, but then somehow got into my head that whole wheat tortillas had to be eaten immediately. I ate 3 or 4 of them. Ugh...they were good. I think I needed some water and some fruit instead. I was probably dehydrated and looking for some immediate carbs. These first few weeks are supposed to be a time where I pay attention to how I feel after eating food, and apparently my lunch did not cut it and left me hungry.

The good news...I must have needed the carbs for my 10 mile run that afternoon. I ran well. I held an 8:54 overall pace, which is pretty darn good for a moderate pace run.

Legs of steel - The Fearsome Foursome

I had legs of steel at workout tonight. Yesterday, Chad and I went to the gym to lift and to run. Well, I decided that it was time to up the weights a little and I increased the number of lunges to about 40. We also ran 5.6 miles afterwards on stiff legs. Wow! It is amazing how fatigued your legs can feel with just a little added weight.

I wake up on Thursday (today) to legs that are screaming at me. Yeah, they are looking better in the mirror with a little bit of 'cut' from the weights, but I also wonder if they will hurt this bad all day. The lunges have taken their toll.

So since I have been out of town, tonight was my first Mac workout for over a week. It was a doozie (as usual). He names a few of his workouts to induce a healthy respect for what we are running, so seeing 'Fearsome Foursome' on the schedule definitely made me a little apprehensive. To complicate things even more, my legs are killing me! I have not felt so sore in a long time.

The Fearsome Foursome is basically a set of hill repeats at 5k pace. You run uphill at 5k pace about 200m. Then, you turn around and run back down at an even steady pace, but as a recovery. Your split is supposed to be exactly the same going up and down, so the downhill is not really an easy jog, but rather more of an MGP type feel. You go up and down the hill 4 times with no break. Yeah, it is only a mile, but by repeat number 3 you are definitely in the anaerobic zone.

So we did our mile of repeats, ran the Zilker mile easy, then did another set of repeats to finish the workout. I rocked! I did the workout exactly right, and definitely felt my sore legs the entire way. What a mental workout it was for me. I am strong. I am sore. I have legs of steel.

Putting it out there...

So, it is time to announce my goals for the upcoming season. I have started running regularly again. I have visited a nutritionist. I am meeting with Ruth (my coach for the new season) today to discuss my goals.

I am going to run a sub 3:30 marathon. That is my main goal. I can do this at either St. George or Chicago. If it is my 'A' day, or if St.George is as fast as it was for me last time, I would like to run as far under 3:30 as possible. I would love to run 3:25. I ran 3:37:21 at Boston last year. I am ready to train.

I want to run maximum miles this summer. I would love to peak again at 70mpw or higher. I plan to continue to lift at the gym. I plan to continue swimming to crosstrain.

I am also going to lose weight to be able to do this. I currently weigh about 150. My normal race weight is 137, but usually that is the end product of rigorous training without any attention to eating properly. I plan to weigh 130 or less by mid summer and maintain that through the race. If possible, I would like to race at 125. My nutritionist has outlined an eating plan (not a diet) to help me acheive this goal. I will stick to the plan.

So, it is out there. I will do it.

Run in Central Park

Well, I'm posting this many days afterwards, so my memory is not so good.

We all went uptown to Tara and Wade's gym (on 61st street between 1st and 2nd ave). Tara, Chad, and I took off from there to Central Park. We entered on the east side of the park and ran for a while on the path towards the southeast. We picked up the bridle path towards Columbus Circle and ran through the west side of the park.

Here are Chad and Tara at Tavern on the Green.

We followed the Bridle Path further north through some tunnels and got some more
pictures.

We ran to the reservoir and started running the wrong direction. Who knew that they only go counterclockwise. Seems kind of boring to me to always go the same way, but I guess in a city that huge there has to be a plan so people don't always run into each other. My legs were pretty tired from walking so much on the pavement Thursday.

In the end, it was a great run. We got to see Central Park. 35 degrees was chilly, so perhaps we would have enjoyed it more with fewer layers of clothes.

6 x 300, 800, 6 x 300

I had a great workout tonight! After our warmup to TSD, we stretched and did a couple of strides at 5k pace. The workout started with 6x300m at 5k pace with 100m (45 sec) active rest between. I was supposed to hit 26-27 seconds per 100m, and nailed it. John and I paced together and we did them all in 79-81 seconds. Next, we did an 800 at 10k pace. We hit our time of 3:43 pretty well. Mac wanted us to pace 27-28 seconds per 100m on the 800, so that was just inside of where we needed to be. To finish, we did another round of 6x300m at 5k pace. Ours were all at 79-81 seconds again. Woohoo!

It is always nice to run well at a workout.

St. George registration

Today registration opened for St. George. I am so excited. I registered on active.com and am now waiting for the lottery in May. Hopefully our group gets picked so that we all get in. Tara and Chad are doing it, too.

28 days until the lottery. 35 days until the lottery results are posted. Hopefully they will not need the full time to post the results.