THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

7:35 ap.  Got pulled along much faster than planned by Kyle, Fernando, and Jarrod.

Today was supposed to be recovery circles around the playground with Vanessa, but when we got to the playground it was full of a bunch of men from a landscaping company doing their thing and no other children.  I didnt feel comfortable with it so left and we went to the East Y.  Being stuck on the treddy changed things--I didn't have music and could not fathom the boredoms so I did a mini-workout so I could press buttons and vary it up.  I tried to keep it light and not go overboard, although I honestly do not feel yesterday's 20 or Saturday's race in my legs.

3 x (.5 ez, .5 up 4% 7:30 pace, 1 down -2% 6:18 pace)

jogged a few minutes

5 x 1 minute on/off 5:56 pace

cooldown a few minutes to make 8 miles

20 minutes lower body weights after and then I was suck of the gym and ready for lunch

zombie run in the hot, pre-tornadic soup this afternoon.  never beat the 9:00 girl, or came close for that matter.  dead legs.

Started out doing playground loops, but it was afternoon and very hot and muggy so after 2.2 miles I was hot and tired and so was Vanessa.  We headed to the Y and I ran 6 more easy on the treadmill with 4x800 at 5:56 pace in the middle.  No soreness but legs are just dead and I'm not feeling it.  Lifted briefly, maybe 20 minutes and rowed one km.  Very blah day.  Will be taking it pretty easy the next two days since I iimpulsively signed up for a trail marathon on Saturday.

8 ez at the Andover Y on the indoor track.  I meant to just do 6 but at 6 miles I was feeling un-dead-legged for a change so ran a few more.

I have not felt this good in a race in a long time! I felt awesome the whole time, no lulls in energy, and legs felt strong, despite all the soupy shoe-sucking mud I slipped through.  The race consisted of two of the half-marathon loops.  It had stormed all night and the trail was sloppy.  Each loop started with pavement, hit some dirt road, some soupy pasture, some treacherous single track with a water crossing and a slippery muddy bank(hands and knees, oh it was comical), straight up the dam, on the dam for a little while, back into about 4 miles of sole-sucking muddy pasture stuff with another deeper water crossing(first time I sorta delicately waded in, second time....cannonball!!), more fun singletrack, then back onto pavement about 3/4 mile to bring it home.  Second round was much muddier.  I have never been so covered in mud in my life.  I felt great today, I loved every sloshy screaming-legged minute of it.  In the beginning a girl shot out like crazy, and me and the first place guy ran together.  We caught her about mile 4.  He ran with me the whole first loop and then I was feeling so good that I just floored it and went for it and never looked back.  I wish all races I felt like this!  I'm a little stiff but honestly don't think I will be too sore!  I love this feeling of running frenzy and can't wait for the next race.

I totally intended to just crosstrain and do some lifting today.  I started out at the East Y with 5k of rowing, then went and piddled in the weight room with upper body weights but I kept looking longingly outside because it was gorgeous and sunny and not terribly hot with a cool breeze.  When the good songs started playing on Pandora I could take it no more.  I snapped and was out the door for a very easy 5.  I'm really not that sore.

Very ez afternoon plod, no watch

Am. 6 ez on the treddy then 30 minutes core

Pm. Speedwork with Gorun at the track. I knew it wouldn't be pretty and it wasn't, but busted me out of the 9 minute rut for a change. 2 mile warm up, 5 x 1200 in 4:38, then 4:46 for the next 3, dunno on the 5th. 1 mile cooldown. No soreness, legs r just dead.

Ez on the east Y treddy then 30 minutes lower body weights

Nice between-shift afternoon run. Humid but only 77 degrees and overcast. Started out creaky and weightlifting-sore(not running sore), but after about 5 miles felt pretty good.

7 miles of playground circles then went to the east Y for 5 more on the dreadmill. Lots of play time for Vanessa.

Felt terrible and fat and depressed. Some days. Ran almost dead even splits, very little sleep last night. Me and my buddy Marcus were first in our age group. I was the 4th woman. I guess I have Daddy issues. Anywho, it is amazing how your mood can affect your running. Enjoying the day with my daughter, no more funky mood!!

Indoor track. Tiny bit of core afterward. Weight check. Ten pound reality check. As Joe once said....a bogar I flicked a little too far. I'm sure giving up beer will get rid of a lot of that, plus my cleanse/fast that started at midnight last night. One week, to clear my system of cravings for sugar, alcohol, processed foods etc, and to search out some clarity and discipline. Then onto clean eating and serious training, as well as better spiritual direction.

Slow in the afternoon heat

7 ez on the home treddy while Vanessa napped with 8 x 1 min on/off going from 6:00 down to 5:34 pace just to touch base with speed.  This will be a pretty toned-down week running-wise.

Was shaky and needed to function for work, so finally had some homemade wheat bread and a little quinoa last night. Ate a little bread this morning and felt incredibly energized. Hit the treddy for a tempo. 2 mile warm up 3 miles 6:31 pace, .5 jog 2 miles 6:15 pace, .5 jog 1 mile 5:56 pace, 1 mile cooldown This was hard, but it was a confidence boost. Even with the stupid beer weight I am still kinda fit, and when the weight is gone in a month I think I will start reaping some speed benefits in a big way.

pm.  4 ez home treddy.  just because

was gonna take the day off, so squeezed for time, but ended up wedging 4 on the home treddy to burn a few xtra calories and make it slightly trickier to get to work on time

7:46 average pace.  This was a steady, tired, dead-legged trot after work. Gets hot and humid quick.  At least I got to run the first 6 with my running buddies.

8:07 pace. Repeat of yesterday...may the back to back long runs begin. I worked, got off, and ran. I actually felt pretty good today, much better than I thought I would. I had the company of Shelby for the first 13 and that helped a lot. Off to bed, one more night shift and the weekend workarunathon will be over.

Went to the Y with the intention of only doing some core and weights but after 50 minutes meandered upstairs and did a little easy run on the treadmill.  I seem to get stiff and creaky if I take a day completely off.  Legs feel good.

Track got cancelled with thunderstorms raging  through, so me, Nick, Kacie, and Jacob met up at the downtown Y to piece together a speed workout.  The indoor track is 6 laps per mile(huge track!), so we decided on a ladder of 2-4-6-4-2 laps at 6:00 pace(1:00 per lap)  with one lap walk in between to re-group.  I settled in off of Jacob's shoulder and we basically nailed 6:00 pace except the last set of two laps we dropped to 5:20 pace to bring it home.  4 mile warmup, 1:58, 4:00, 5:59, 4:00, 1:46, 1 mile cooldown.  We basically had a single file conga line dodging traffic around the track.  kinda fun!

6 very easy miles in playground circles while Vanessa made friends, then off to the Y for 6 ez on the treddy followed by legs in the weight room

met up with Fernando in the morning after work at the downtown Y and we ran along the river all the way to scp, then around the perimeter of scp and back.  I picked it up a little the last 10k into the low 7s and felt pretty comfortable.  Overall a decent run for being tired and in the nasty humidity and heat.

9 ez in circles at the downtown Y with Nick then 20 minutes upper body weights

3am at work--7 more on the treddy.   I guess technically this was Sunday but it was saturday night at work, so an extension of Saturday for me so I am going to record it here

6:45 pace. Did the good ol treadmill hills today. .5 warm up 8:34, 2.5 up 7:30 pace, 5 down -2% 6:18,6:15,6:11,6:07, then kept ratcheting the 5th mile all the way down to 5:42 pace. Felt very strong. I think the benefits of training may be starting to finally kick in.

7 ez on the East y treddy followed by 1 on the indoor track including 10 strides. 20 minutes lower body weights after