Week In Review

Week in Review After 3 weeks of climbing into the 70s, I had a cutback week. No doubles, one workout, one race and no long run. It felt like I was on vacation but I am sure my body needed it. One more big week and than it is time to go on the real vacation. We leave on Friday for 7 day cruise :-) Monday 8 easy & strides Tuesday 3 W/U, 8 X 3:00 minutes @ 6:36-6:55 pace, 2 C/D Wednesday 8 easy Thursday 8 easy Friday 4 easy & strides Saturday 1.5 W/U, 5 Mile race, .5 C/D Sunday 10 easy Total Miles = 54 miles

Heat, Humidity & Hills

Oh no the dreaded 3 H's is what was on plate for me at this AMs race.

All week I cautiously and optimticsally checked the weather for this race. Mid-week I starting noticing that Columbia was about 10 degrees warmer than Charlotte and it looked like it was going to be a warm weekend in the Carolinas. I decided I would not focus on this element. It was going to be what it was going to be and no amount of fretting is going to change the weather.

When I jumped into the car for my 1 hour & 20 minute drive south, my car temp read a nice 61 degrees. Okay not bad..than as I drove south that temp steady increased 61, 62, 68 and when I pulled into the lot it was 70. Not too mention the fact the as I approached Columbia fog-like humidity cloud blanketed the highway. I resisted the urge to check weather on my phone for the humidity % and dew point reading as knowing the exact number was only going hurt my mental attitude. Can not control the weather..just have to do my best in the conditions. Tried like hell to shut out all those negative thoughts when I sweating profusely and wheezing during my warm-up.

Go to the start-line and watched a group of 5-6 elite runners doing there final strides. Lots of fast ladies there competing for $500 cash prize for top runner. Among these women was my Charlotte favorite gal, Caitlan looking to take first place for the second year in a role. We exchange quick well wishes where she gave me heads on mile 3 which she said was all up hill and a tip on getting me some chocolate covered strawberries at the finish.

And we are off..tons of gals jet out a head of me hitting 6:30s..I quickly pulled back not to carried away. Hitting the first mile at 7:10 and relaxing. Phewy..not bad I am still breathing and feel comfortable. Than somewhere after mile 2 I start to feel a slight decline/downhill so I let my legs go a bit hitting mile 2 @ 6:53 than BAMB starts that fricking climb that Caitlin had said something to me about. Mile 3 all up hill...Love - NOT!! I climb that up hill catching all those gals who went out too fast in the first mile. I guess mile 3 was a surprise to them too. I hit mile 3 @ 7:30 only to have to keep climbing for another .20 and finally crest this mofo and try to recover but there are a few rollers in mile 4 so I manage a 7:20 and feel like I am recovering a bit and just opening it up a bit in the last mile finishing last mile @6:58 and the final .15 in a smashing 5:14 pace. Yeah! My kick was in tack. Too bad I didn't have anyone to pass in that final stretch.

Final time was 36:37 which was good for #17 overall. Too bad it was not fast enough for an age group place and there were some smokin fast 35-39ers.

5.15 miles @ 36:37 - average 7:06 pace

What I took from this race! DO NOT focus on things you can not control..Let go and let GOD take care of the details. Just run your race and keep your chin up!!!

I did check weather after I finished - 70 degrees, 88 % humidity and dew point of 67. Now that is finishing full of awesome.

Weekend Race

After a brief chat yesterday with Jeff about maybe not racing weekend, he insisted that I race. How did I already know that would be his response? I knew it but I needed to express my concern. Jeff was adamant that I need to race for the reason of checking my fitness as we have no guide at this point of where I am at and contiune to develop my racing skills. All my workouts in the last couple weeks have been spot on or better than expected but there is there question of where I am at? Above both of these objectives, my goal is to be present on race day and during the race. Be in the moment! This is a practice that I should have as a goal for every moment of every day. Be in the moment! Enjoy the moment! Not in the past or the future but the NOW.

Oh SH**!

WOW - I just had to post this cause I am amazed. In the last 4 weeks, I have run 281 miles which is 70.25 average. I am suppose to race a 5 mile race this weekend. I haven't truly raced a shorter distance race in 8 months maybe 9 months. So I am apprensive and nervous to race. Part of me wants to cancel the race and just keep training. I am sure if I told my Coach Jeff this - he will find a way to still have me doing the race. He really never lets me off the hook on anything. I tell him Gosh, Jeff - 85 miles a week freaks me out and his response is something like "don't worry about it, your body will have adapted so well, it won't know the tormet we'll be putting it through". HA!! Goal for week get positive about the race this weekend! Btw - they changed the blogging/posting function and I can't figure out the new formatting and editing function so bare with me.

NYC Weekend & Week in Review

As posted a week back I was so blessed with the opportunity to go to NYC for an AIF Workshop with the Whartons. AIF is Active Isolated Flexibiltiy which is used to keep muscles healthy and in balance with one and another. In many caes, it should replace all static stretching and can replace other forms of therapy such as ART, GRASTON and toehr forms of myofascial release. I learned so much this weekend that I am excited to use for my own body as well help others. I will be practicing on my husband. I had already let him know that I would be working on him tonight. I enjoyed both the workshop and my time in NYC. It was more than I could ever dreamed it would be like and relaly enjoyed every minute of it. Running wise I was so proud of myself to getting all my miles in and not letting the city distract me. I think I found a perfect compromise of doing my warm-up and cool-downs on the streets so I could take pictures and than hitting the park for the faster stuff. OMG! Central Park is amazing with trails going in every direction, or you could run the road, or take one of the soft trails or run the soft path around the resorvir, so many options and endless miles in fact I logged 38 miles this weekend. There is that saying that don't be sad it's over but happy it happened. That is how I feel but I am not only happy it happened - I beyond grateful for this once in a lifetime trip!! Week in Review Monday - 3 w/u, 5 X 1 mile @6:53 with 4 minutes Rest 2 c/d Tuesday - (AM)6 Recovery (PM) 4 Recovery Wednesday - 10 Easy Thursday - 3 w/u, 16 X 400 w/60 Second rest @ 6:00-6:20 pace 2 c/d Friday - (AM) 8 Easy (PM) 4 Easy Saturday - 10 Easy Sunday - 16 miles with 6 - 90 second surges @ 7:00-7:10 pace every mile starting at mile 5 Total - 77 Miles

Doubling Up

This week is my second week doing doubles and have 2 scheduled for the week.

I really enjoy running that second time of the day but I am learning a few things about doubles.

First thing, depending on when your second run of the days, you have to becareful what you eat during the day and make sure you have a good 4-5 hours of full digestion time or lunch may become dinner. I learn this for second time yesterday. I had lunch @ 2PM which was left over steak & noodles from the night before. Didn't think anything of it until a few minutes into my second run @ 6PM. Than I was like wow lunch didn't digest as well as I thought it had :-) Note to self - Eat lighter and more easily digestable meals on the day of doubles.

Second thing to note, the day after my double, I am have felt more fatigued and lack a bit of get up and go. I know from last week that this will pass this evening.

So glad today is another easy day and I should be 100% for tomorrows workout.

4 days to my NYC Trip

WOW!! I can't believe I leave for NYC on Friday. This will be my first trip to the city. Honestly I have never had the desire to go to NYC up until this event was announced and all of sudden I am so intrigued by the city.

As many of you know, I will be going for an AIS/AIF Workshop Certification course presented by the Whartons. This is very exciting and an amazing opportunity for me. I know this therapy modality has been key in keeping athletes like Ryan Hall, Josh Cox and many more elite & collegiate athletes healthy. I have two objectives for the weekend - 1. learning the therapy to keep my own body healthy and firing on all cylinders 2. one day being able to help other runners keep their bodies in alignment and without restrictions.

I also get to spend lots of time running in Central Park. I have lots of miles on my training schedule for this weekend so I get to have many adventures through Central Park this weekend.

Oh did I say I was going alone?? Yep, All alone in NYC. It is terrfiying and exciting at the same time.

Yippee! I am going to be running in Central Park. Woo Hoo!!!