THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

8:24 average pace.  Started out really slow.  Explored some new country roads--wasn't sure about the dog situation so my husband escorted me in the car for about 6 miles of the run--ran into four dogs.  Ended up running a little more briskly keeping the care in sight.  Had a few miles under 8 minutes.  Breathing was easy, never "pushed" the pace--stayed comfortable.  It's our Anniversary!  Too bad I have to work.  We celebrated with a date this weekend and I had flowers and chocolate waiting for me when I got off work last night!  My husband is the BEST!

8:21 average pace.  Drove to Andover to run with some different scenery.  Ran all around and through the park, then ran all around the big north housing addition, then ran south by all the schools and into another housing addition on some dirt roads, finally turned around and ran back, passed a track, so decided to jog onto it and do a 400 for fun.  Ran 400 in 90 seconds and felt so good I decided to make it an 800.  Completed the second 400 in 93 seconds, jogged a lap, then ran another 90 second 400, then jogged off the track and back to the park and my car.  Other than my rendezvous with the track kept the pace easy--am surprised I was running sub-9 miles.  It rained right before I ran and was nice and cool--68 degrees when I started.  No breakfast, no water, no fuel, and felt fine throughout the whole run.  Am surprised at how much easier 6:00 pace feels now.  Will probably not race on the 4th.  There is a cross-country 5k on the 11th, I'm off that day, and haven't run cross-country in a long time.  I will probably wait and race then.

9:33 average pace.  Tired legs.  Took it slow and easy on dirt and gravel roads.  Got a lot to do and maybe a nap before my all-nighter.  Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

8:48 average pace.  Came home from work at 6:45 am exhausted, flopped into bed, and did not sleep so well.  Tossed and turned until 12:23 and then gave up and got up.  I am just not used to sleeping during the day.  Oh well.  Only one more night and then back to a normal schedule for a while.  Drank some coffee, ate 2 nutrigrain bars, putted around a bit, and then went for my run.  It is in the mid-eighties and so humid you could just choke on the air, so not a comfy run.  Chugged gatorade twice.  Wanted to stop/not run at all because I am just plain tired and want to lay around and do nothing.  Made a deal with myself that I could cut the run short of 10 miles as long as I hit 60 for the week, which I did!  Yeah!  Two weeks in a row.  Next week will be easier when I don't have this night shift stuff going on.  Happy Independence Day everybody!  Off to spend some time with my family before a night full of folks burning and blowing themselves up, and then getting drunk and fighting and shooting each other(okay hopefully it's not that bad but the gun and knife club has been busier than usual lately).

1:58:09/8:20 average pace.  Tried a long run today.  Got up early to beat the heat and the 70 degree air felt wonderful. Ran the first 8 miles easy on country roads, then allowed myself to pick up the pace for the last 6 miles in asphalt as long as I felt good and wasn't straining.  Stopped twice for swigs of gatorade but really didn't chug it--I wasn't hot and thirsty.  No breakfast.  Didn't experience depletion or any sort of wall.  Must happen further along in a run.  Felt fantastic the whole time!  Splits were 9:27/9:02/8:58/9:02/8:44/8:46/8:27/8:12/8:04/7:49/7:39/7:43/7:44/7:22/last .15 in 1:04(6:57pace).  Off for a BIG breakfast that my husband is cooking!

9:20 average pace.  Took it nice and easy.  Felt good.  Suffered no ill effects from yesterday's long run.  Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

7:48 average pace.  A wacky run today.  Slept for 8 hours(WOW!) and didn't get started until 9am.  Anyways it was a bit overcast and I started for another easy 10 when it began to rain, and then began to lightning and thunder.  I hurried home so as not to get struck by lightning and only got in about 2.3 miles.  Well it looked like it had cleared a bit later so I went back out but only ran 1 quick mile because I saw cloud to ground lightning 3 times.  Went back in, looked at the radar online, and realized it would be a bit before I could safely run again.  I played with the kids, packed my lunch for work, and then it finally quit lightning enough I could go back out.  Of course at this time, I am on the clock and need to get showered and ready for work so I ticked off 5 miles pretty quick and then threw in the towel and came in.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate a bit more tomorrow!

10 easy 9:14 average pace.  I am going to run a 5k race on Saturday, so will probably reduce mileage a bit tomorrow and run easy.  After the 5k I'm going to run the 1 mile race with Vanessa in the stroller.  Should be fun!  Had golf ball sized hail in the storm that came through last night and all the cars are dimpled.  

6 very easy at 9:39 pace with two .1 mile bursts of 6:20 pace.  This is the pace I need to run tomorrow.  It feels fast.  I just need to be confident that I have the fitness to do it and not be afraid of the pace and get psyched out and slow down.  My 11 day work stretch is over!  Yeah!  I am officially on vacation for a week but unfortunately have a week full of nursing clinicals starting Monday.  I am officially registered for a 1/2 marathon on August 8 at lake Marion. It is described as a challenging course that is hilly in the parts around the lake(we will be in the Flint Hills) and is run on both asphalt and country roads.  We are bringing the whole family and friends and camping all weekend.  It should be a lot of fun!  I am going to give it a good hard effort and get a feel for the half-marathon distance, and use it as practice for the half-marathon in September where I will be going for a good time and place.

Finally!  Sub-20! (barely).  I am excited about my time, but know I could've done better if I hadn't slacked in the second mile.  Anyways, on to the report.  Woke up at 5:00am, had half a cup off coffee, got dressed, got in the care and made the one hour drive to Cheney.  Drank water and ate a banana on the way.  Got there, registered, walked around a bit, and then ran the course in reverse very slow(10:00 pace.)  It was super hot and humid and I was drenched after the warm-up but I have gotten used to being icky hot and it really wasn't bothering me much.  My husband and three youngest kids came to cheer me on!  

Mile 1: 6:17--Feel pretty good, definitely working but not in trouble.  Have settled into second place and 1st place is already way ahead--this girl is out of my league and I will not be able to catch her.

Mile 2: 6:45--I hear the guy call the split(13:02) and realize I have gotten way too comfortable in the second mile.  Shoot!  I was napping!  Why do I always do this in the second mile?  I am truthfully more comfortable than I should be at this point in a 5k.  I kick it up a gear--I can still get sub-20 but it's going to be work.

Mile 3: 6:29--As I turn down the last straightway I am picking up more and more steam.  As I cross the 3 mile mark I am already unfolding into my kick. They actually have someone calling the 3 mile split. 19:31.  I have 29 seconds to get to the finish line.  I kick with more urgency than I think I ever have before.  Up on my toes, eyeballs bulging, crazy face, terminator arms, making my body go as fast as it possibly can.

.1/28 seconds, 4:40 pace.

My watch reads 19:58 but official time is 19:59 so I'll go with that. 

In retrospect, I need to learn to push harder in the middle of a 5k.  This is my weak spot where I lose time, and it seems to be a pattern.  I am, however, happy with my kick.  I would like to learn to kick longer at the same speed.

I cooled down, drank some water and gatorade, jogged a mile, then strapped Vanessa into the stroller for the one mile.  Part of the mile was on gravel and dirt with potholes and poor Vanessa was bouncing around like crazy!  She started talking about the barking doggy so obviously it didn't bother her.  I careened around corners with the stroller on two wheels and ran on the outside so I wouldn't plow people over.  We finished in 6:48, good enough for second place!  I was just happy to break 7:00 with a stroller(that was my goal).

Overall a good workout today.  I can already feel it in my legs--I will be sore.  Next long-term goal is to break 19:00 in the 5k.  I know this will take a long time and will not happen right away, but I think it is possible.

8:39 average pace.  Ran easy in town.  Did 4 miles easy and then jogged onto the track.  They were setting up for some event so I jogged  a lap and then did one 200 meter dash from a standstill in a very unimpressive 34 seconds.  That's okay--I'm still going to break 19 in the 5k :). Anyways off to a busy clinical day.  Longish run tomorrow.

8:42 average pace.  Took it easy, drank gatorade 3 times.  It is already 76 degrees and humid whens starting at 6am.  Tomorrow will be tricky to get a run in.  I have to leave town by 430am to get to my clinical in Salina at 630am, do a 12 hour clinical, spend the night there, do another 12 hours the next morning, then drive home.  Maybe one hour of running from 3am to 4am?  It depends on what time I get to bed and if it is storming in the morning or not.  Any way you cut it tomorrow is going to start ridiculously early.

8:09 average pace.  Had a hard time falling asleep last night and decided to take the extra hour rather than run in the morning.  Worked out well because we were released from clinicals early so I decided to drive home rather than stay the night.  Drove to my mother's house to pick up my daughter, who was napping, so I went on a run on the city sidewalks in Wichita.  Ran through some nice neighborhooods.  It was drizzly and humid, but only about 78 degrees.  I don't much care for running on concrete, it is too much pounding, but it does make for a faster pace with less effort.  I will stick to my soft dirt roads tomorrow evening when I make it back into town.  Got to spend all day in NICU and actually really enjoyed my clinical in there today.  Cuddling and feeding tiny babies all day is fine with me!  Gotta get to bed soon cuz tomorrow is another 4am morning.

8:49 average pace.  7pm.  87 degrees but not too humid, so not a bad run.  I was really tired from my long day but felt okay once I got going.  No 4am tomorrow morning, mercifully.  Ah sleep here I come!

8:56 average pace.  Still tired and taking it easy.  Tomorrow is my nightmare day and then my busy week will be over at last.  It will start with an all day clinical in pediatrics and then straight from clinical to an all night shift in downtown Wichita otherwise known as crack alley so it will be busy on Saturday night,  I am thinking a nap today and a full night's sleep tonight is on the menu.  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

8:47 average pace.  Yeah--made it through another 60 mile week.  Have a 16 miler planned for Monday.  I wonder how Julie is doing in her half-marathon right now.  Run Julie Run!  Anyways off to enjoy breakfast with my children before I spend a clinical day in pediatrics, then after that a night shift at post 10. I will be rolling into bed half-dead tomorrow morning.

8:35 average pace.  Was going to do 16 miles, but when I looked at the radar this morning on tv, there was  a storm coming in.  It looked like it would pass north of us, so I started my run.  It started raining and I was just going to keep running through, but then the thunder and lightning started and when it was hitting all around me and the thunder was deafening, I had to abandon ship.  My last mile was all at sub-7 pace because I was running home fast for fear I would get struck by lightning because it was getting WAY too close.  Did 10 minutes of abs plus two circuits of strength drills.  I will try again for the long run tomorrow but it may storm again in the morning so I may have to push it all the way to Wednesday morning.  If it dies down before I go to work I may go out and police up a few more miles today.  Anyways I feel great today--did  a lot of sleeping yesterday and last night.

8:03 average pace.  Drank half a cup of coffee and went for it.  Kicked it into a higher gear for the last 6 miles did 7:30ish pace.  Legs and breathing felt fine the whole time but definitely feeling a little fatigued the last 3 miles.  Decided to run through it anyway.  Drank 16 oz gatorade total throughout the run.  Downed a massive breakfast and off to work.

First drove into Rose Hill and did 6 easy with Vanessa in the stroller. Garmin battery died so don't know the pace and that's fine. Then got the mail, went home, and David and the boys had gone to Wal-Mart, so me and Vanessa drove into Andover where there is this awesome playground and did 4 more in the stroller, and then played on the playground and then came back home. Vanessa re-fueled throughout with gatorade and pop-tarts :) She is such a good girl. Then went to mom's and ate sushi and now I'm at work and so far it's quiet. Hope it stays that way. Have a little plantar fascitis in my r foot. Wondering if it is the Mizunos since I never had it with my cheap asics shoes.

9:13 average pace. A very gentle run on dirt roads, although I hit every hill in about a 2 mile radius and ran up it, although slowly.  Okay, I call them hills, other folks would probably call them bumps but they are the best I can do since I live on a pancake.

8:53 average pace.  Slept in, spent the morning hanging out with my children, then we all went to pizza hut buffet to eat.  Filled up on a big plate of salad but managed to find room for a piece of beef pizza, a piece of dessert pizza, and a cinnamon breadstick.  Then went home and put the kids down for a nap.  David mowed the lawn and I went and ran in the heat of day--91 degrees according to tv, 95 degrees according to the bank sign.  Carried a bottle of water with me and ran on soft dirt roads.  It will be easy miles on soft dirt roads until this PF in my right foot clears up.  It all started last Saturday when I did that 24 hour work/clinical stint well my foot didn't like being stood on that long.  I thought maybe it was the Mizuno shoes but then it would have started earlier.  I've had it before--cleared up pretty quick as long as a follow the rules--no concrete or asphalt, easy pace, and aleve every 12 hours for the first week or so.  Anyways its not bad--doesn't bother me on runs--only first thing in the morning or when I get up after having been sitting for a while.  Off to shower before the natives awaken.

4am.  8:56 average pace. 8 loops by  my house in the dark then I needed to get ready and be at work by 6:15am.  Last day of shift exchange this month thank goodness.  I am tired of working so much.

8:31 average pace.  Original plan was to go longer, but decided to make it a little shorter to make sure I am taking care of my foot, which, by the way, is much much better.  Yesterday I had hopped out of bed and walked around a bit before it dawned on  me that I had not hobbled and wasn't in pain.  Same thing this morning.  Can still feel the plantar fascitis but it is about 80% gone.  Googled how to tape for PF and taped my foot for my run this morning, slipped in heel gels, and had a great pain-free run.  Was tempted to run some faster miles but resisted.  Maybe a few sub-7's this weekend if foot is rocking steady.  I don't want to do anything stupid before my first half-marathon in 12 days!!!  Will probably continue to tape for runs as long as I still feel even a hint of heel/arch soreness.  Still running on dirt only. Went to the zoo on Sunday with the kids and had a great time!  I haven't been in years and I was just as fascinated as they were!

8:26 average pace.  Found some running shoes on clearance at sports authority so I got them because they felt really good to walk around in.  More of a stability shoe but my feet felt good in them and they were great on my run today.  My foot likes the extra support I think.  Day 2 of no NSAIDs and day two of taping for a run.  Felt the same as yesterday.  No hobbling this morning :) but still can feel it.  I can poke the exact spot with my finger in the middle of my heel right before the arch starts.  

8:37 average pace.  About 5 miles into it the tape had formed a blister, ripped the blister open, and was pulling on raw skin so I had this hot spot that was really bothering me on the side of my toe.  I figured it would just go numb after a while but it never did so I cut the run slightly short because it was really bothering me.  I guess I'm a wimp today!  

7:53 average pace.  Felt great, the weather was beautiful, foot felt good, just had to cut loose and run a little brisker so I did.  First mile was in 9:00 and last mile was in 7:03.  Got the bandaids and tape right so no ripping skin today:)

8:43 average pace.  Took it easy.  My foot does not feel as good in the Mizunos as it does in my asics.  I think I will avoid the Mizunos for a while.  The road grader was out today stirring up all the rocks so I may run on asphalt tomorrow so I don't twist my ankle on freshly graded roads.  Yeah it's the weekend and I'm off!