THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

It was 107 degrees according to the bank sign.  Wow.  Supposed to be this hot tomorrow too.  Started the treadmill at 7.6mph, but my calves felt acid-y and tight so I slowed down to 7mph, then that felt uncomfortably slow so I sped up to 7.1mph, did that for a while then sped up to 7.2mph.  8:19 AP for 7 miles.  Then I dashed out the door and ran a mile in the heat to see what it was like.  Not bad.  Came in and did .5 more on the treadmill while David finished his cool down and then the kids were whining and misbehaving so I had to call it a day and go deal with business.

7:39 AP.  102 degrees.  Who's coming with me?  Tex and Eddy, of course.  We ran in the scorching heat for all to question our sanity.  I actually did a lot of chasing because the fellas are fast!  The heat didn't feel terrible--must've been the company and the chase.

8:30 AP.  started at 7 and moved up to 7.1mph.  Nice and easy--just what the doctor ordered for my legs, no acid-yuck feeling in my calves today.  Good.  Hopefully they will be nice and zippy for speedwork in the morning.

Got up at 4, drank coffee, ate a nutri-grain bar, got all pumped up, and drove the to track.  There was a lightning storm in the distance.  By the time I finished my 2 mile warm up it was no longer in the distance and the cloud-to-ground lightning was impressive indeed.  Went home and went back to bed--not interested in getting electrocuted today.

8am.  Attempt 2. Not feeling nearly as motivated now.  Took the boys to the track and they played in the sand.  Vanessa stayed home with Jesse and watched cartoons.  Assignment was 16x200 with 200 recovery.  Somehow this was harder than I thought it would be.  The headwind was a pain.  Two mile warm up. Did the first 8 into the headwind 44, 44, 43, 42, 42, 41, 41, 41.  Then I switched to the opposite corner of the track for some tailwind action 39, 39, 39, 40, 39, 39, 39, 36.   Average pace for first 8 was 5:38 and for second 8 was 5:10.  I was really hoping to have all 16 under 40 seconds.  Blah.  Two mile cool down.  I will probably run a recovery run this evening.

pm:  5 easy on the treadmill 8:34 AP

8:13 AP.  Treadmill.  Started at 7mph and eventually made it to 8mph.  My Great Aunt died and I am scrambling to cover my work so I can drive to Oklahoma City Monday for the funeral.  

7:36 AP.  Got up early and ran with the tribe.  Ran with Eddy for the first 5, then he decided to hammer it but I am taking it easy on my legs today. Saw Carlos and Stacy on the course with headlamps--they started even earlier.  Good end to the week.

7:55 AP.  Up at 4:30 and trotting through the streets of Rose Hill.  Already 82 degrees and soupy humidity.  I am heading to Oklahoma City with my mother shortly--it will be a tiring day.

Tribal hills.  It was...humid.  1.37 mile warm up.  We did short hill charges up the steep part of the hill.  10 vomit-in-your-throat killer charges; in the neighborhood of 30 seconds each. No splits, we decided to run "pure".  Once we had gotten our stomachs and lungs back into their rightful places we ran a few to cool down.  I am a little tired from spending the morning in front of you tube learning the Jai Ho breakout dance done in the cafeteria at 'ol Miss.  Plans for a surprise breakout dance with my mom, sister, and cousins at a family function are in the works...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSOgVgM7CDc

8:34 AP.  103 degrees. no shade.  Got home and got a phone call that my grandfather took a turn for the worse.  They had to do CPR but got him back.  Things are not looking good.  My poor Grandma--her sister and husband less than one week apart is just too much.  I am hoping to hear some miraculous good news soon.

Dear Poppie,  

We miss you terribly.  It is beautiful here in Santa Maria. I thought a lot about you while I ran.  I know you liked to walk these streets.  We went to your favorite store, Trader Joe's, today.  We couldn't stay long because we were breaking down.  They gave Grammy some flowers in honor of you since you shopped there so much.  I found some chocolate seashells, not the ones we loved, but the closest thing they now carry.  Thanks for coming to see me in Kansas so much--my wedding, my first marathon, to meet your great-grandchildren.  I wish I would have come here sooner.  We can't stop thinking about you.  I love you.

April 

10:31 AP with my sister in the morning through Santa Maria.  I coerced her into a long run and we actually had a good time.

Watch was dead, measured later.  Took about 64 minutes using the hotel room clock so about 7:42 pace. 

GOT INTO HOUSTON!

8:18 AP.  Back home and exhausted.  Ran 4.75 pushing Vanessa in the stroller, then ran the last 1.25 at what felt like it might be marathon pace--6:52 pace for this part.  Slow for the rest of my run.  I am thinking Saturday I will do a 20 miler with 10 easy and 10 marathon pace tempo--no peaking at the watch, to see what pace I end up running when it is all said and done.  This will help me decide on a time goal for the Wichita marathon in October, which I intend to run as well as Houston in January.

Ouch.  I will line up my excuses now: tired, emotionally exhausted, hot(90+ degrees), headwind on the homestretch.  I knew right from the start it was going to be a crappy speedwork session but decided to see it through to at least knock the cobwebs off and get my legs going again.

1.37 mile warm up

13x400 with 400 recovery  1:26, 1:29, 1:30, 1:30, 1:29, 1:31, 1:34, 1:34(stop for water here and to pull myself together before this downward spiral continues), 1:27, 1:29, 1:30, 1:30, 1:26

1 mile cool down.  At least it wasn't just me, Eddy said his splits were pretty far off today too.  Just glad to get it done.

8:34 AP on the treadmill, nice and easy, since I am less than 12 hours away from my 20 mile marathon predictor run and am hoping to have semi-fresh legs.  I don't want them to feel what they felt like during speedwork yesterday.

7:42 overall AP.  Started at 6am after coffee, a banana, and a nutri-grain bar.  Gued at miles 7.5, 14, and 17.5.  Ran the first 10 easy with Eddy, had to really restrain ourselves.  We averaged 8:14 pace for the first 10 miles.  Then we hit the turnaround and it was hammer time.  I died pretty bad the last 3 miles of the tempo but the way I have been feeling this week I am still pretty happy about the pace.   I averaged 7:14 pace for the second 10 miles, which predicts me for a 3:09:38 marathon.  So, my marathon goal for October is 3:09!  I would like to repeat this workout in 2 or 3 weeks.  I am thinking if I slow down my recovery runs and save some gas for the workouts, plus get back to my routine and with better eating and less emotional stress I can stick the last 3 miles a little better next time.

Splits 8:47, 8:21, 8:02, 7:54, 8:14, 8:07, 8:06, 8:00, 8:10, 7:50, start tempo 7:08, 6:58, 7:02, 7:11, 7:24, 7:09, 7:16, 7:20, 7:34(dying), 7:24, .21 at 7:02 pace.  Course was flat with some gentle rolling but nothing major, typical Kansas and what the course will be like in October.

early early early am.  7.1 at 8:42 AP.  Plan on some more this evening.

pm.  8:34 pace on the treadmill except for the last .1 at 6:00 pace.  I was looking at the Prairie Fire(wichita) marathon course map today and counted 68 FREAKING 90 DEGREE TURNS AND TWO HAIRPINS!  Is that ridiculous or is it just me?  How many minutes is that worth off a time?  Not happy.  Not happy at all.

Tribal hill workout.  It rained all morning and cooled the temps way down and it gave me wings.  I felt great and had better than ever splits on the hill.  

1.37 mile warm up slow.  12 charges up the hill 1:15, 1:20, 1:19, 1:18, 1:19 1:16, 1:17, 1:15, 1:16, 1:16, 1:12, 1:10.  Strangely, oxygen debt is much more tolerable and comfortable in cooler temps.  Although I was breathing like a freight train I felt okay with it.  Did a 13th climb up the hill with Stacy while she finished and then we all jogged 1.37 back to our cars.

4:30 am.  7.12 at 8:52 AP.  I don't seem to be having any trouble taking my easier runs easier.  More this pm.

7:30 pm  5.22 at 7:51 AP.  I meant to go slower, especially since I ran right after eating roast, carrots, potatoes, corn, and jello.  The cooler temps just feel so glorious though that I keep accelerating without realizing it.  It just feels so good.  It feels good to run again.  I love it!  I must be developing a true ultra stomach.

late morning:  5.75 slow pushing Vanessa in the stroller with a stop at mile 5 for an awesome playground.  No watch.

pm: 7.12 at 8:28 AP on the treadmill while David did P90x

Went to shoe carnival today and they had crocs, but the smallest was a womens 6 and it was too big.  Will keep looking!

2:00 pm.  86 degrees.  I started running and thinking it didn't feel too bad so I did some impromptu threshold work, 1 mile at 6:42, .25 recovery, another at 6:40, and then I was hot and miserable and desperate for shade and water and managed to stagger my way home 8.28 total at 7:59 AP, then chugged a cup of water and did two on the treadmill at 8:34 pace.  Maybe I will redeem myself with a little marathon pace work tomorrow.

Nice medium-length run today and over 70 for the week.  Started out with the tribe chatting for 7.18 mile warm up 9:45, 8:49, 8:26, 8:56, 9:16, 8:58, 9:14, .18 @ 8:42 pace.  Gobbled down a Vanilla gu and some water then started my 4 mile marathon pace tempo 6:56, 6:55, 6:44, 6:40--ummm probably not really MP but felt decently comfortable so went with it.  Cooled down brisk 7:46, 7:21, last .91 at 7:06 pace.  Felt great today!  Maybe I am just on a runner's high but that sub-3 in Houston; today I believe it.

4:00 am.  10.08 at 8:57 AP.  The earlier it is the slower I am.  Calves were super tight and took 5 plodding miles to loosen up--in fact I didn't crack 9:00 until mile 7.  Altogether it was a pleasant, slow run.  There were a lot of sprinklers on and they looked like ghosts snaking in the dark--it was pretty cool!  I didn't hear a single yip from the coyotes, they have definitely moved on so I am much less tense on my early morning runs.

pm:  5 at 8:32 AP.  I got home early from work so figured why not and jumped on the treadmill.  I started at 7 mph but bumped up to 7.1 when I outran the treadmill and accidentally slammed my hand onto the console when my arm was swinging.

8:11 AP. Hill workout. 1.34 mile warm up slow. Steady pace up and down the hill staying in the 7:50 neighborhood for miles 1.34 to 6.77, then cool down for a total of 8.13. Good strength workout for the legs but not a thrashing of a workout. Found some crocs finally in size XS at Sports Authority--will try them out tomorrow!