tonight?

5 easy or 6 tempo? My training schedule is moving me up to 5 days/week now instead of the 4 I've been doing. I think I'll play it by ear and see how the legs feel....

Back to our regularly scheduled programming...

I got a little sidetracked yesterday, doing paperwork and watching a Law and Order marathon (the truth comes out), and got to the point in the day where I didn't have enough time for my 12-13 miles before having to be at a cookout.

So, I'm doing my long run tonight, treadmill at the gym. Not ideal by any stretch of the imagination...

Habitat

Took today as an SRD (scheduled rest day), and went to a workday for Habitat for Humanity here in my local community. We hung sheetrock, which was new and different to me. Good time, hard work, and a great group of people. Will definitely stay involved up here (have done some workdays in New Orleans, and am going back in October).

She shoots, she scores!

Something I haven't previously mentioned here - I've taken off 50+ lbs in the last year or so, and have been maintaining in the same 2 or 3 pound range since the end of April.

I've decided to rest here for a while, and have decided to call GOAL!

tempo run tonight

I'm scheduled for a 6 mile tempo run tonight, at 10:28 mile pace. Yowza. Not sure if I'm supposed to do the entire 6 miles at that pace or end up at that pace towards the end of my run (maybe that's wishful thinking).

I was surprised to see a tempo run the day after interval work (usually don't have speed work 2 days in a row), but I realized I shuffled my schedule around this week and that tonight's run was supposed to be on Monday (which I changed to my 11-miler from last weekend).

Anyways, once I get through this weekend, I should be back on track w/ the training schedule as originally planned, and won't have to shuffle runs around anymore.

Speedwork today

I got my speedwork done! Did 1 mile warmup, then 6 x 1/2 mile at 9:15 mile pace with .2 recovery between. First 4 felt pretty good, 5th was ok, 6th was a real challenge to maintain form but I got it done... I was sweating like a pig, I must say.

Wore my semi-new Brooks again, and I'm not 100% sure I'm loving them. The fit's not quite as good for me as my Sauconys. Not going to chuck them out, but I don't see wearing them for long runs.

well, just 4 easy miles tonight but boy did I sweat!

It was 84 and humid when I went out for my run - not trying to make an excuse for coming up a mile short, but wow that was hard work. Was ready to quit after 2 miles, forced myself to do 4, and at that point, had run out of water and I called it a day.

So, 4 easy loops of the green out front (approx. 4 miles, maybe more like 3.8 or 3.9) in 42:00.

Oh, I did this run in my new Brooks Adrenaline - only my 2nd time out in them. They feel pretty good so far...

5 easy tonight

Yesterday was an SRD (scheduled rest day), but took a short walk w/ my sister's dog to keep the legs a little loose. At least my knees feel better today!

Today is 5 easy (11:34 miles). We're supposed to hit low 90s today, so it might be treadmill again, but no worries, better to get it done on the treadmill than not at all.

OK, I'm back on track...

Did 11 miles tonight, 2:02:45, treadmill. First 10 felt great, last mile was a little tough (I'm trying to finish all runs faster than I start, so was ramping up the speed my entire run). My schedule said to do 12:15 miles, but I just can't (read that as "won't") run that slow anymore.

still not running - someone give me a kick in the pants please!

OK, I'm having a major existential crisis here! Well, maybe not an existential crisis, but a running crisis for sure. I just can't get out the door. So I'm putting it down in writing, right here and now, that I'm running tonight.

My training schedule say 6 mile tempo run (10:26 miles). Or I'll do my 11-miler long run that I blew off yesterday when laying on the couch reading all day. OY.

I'll report in later this evening, you heard it here first.

Back on track...

I've not been posting lately because I've not been running lately (guilty conscience LOL). Since I'm doing a marathon in less than 3 months, you can see I have a problem here... :-)

Work has been absolutely cruddy lately and it's stressing me out bigtime. I just haven't been able to summon the mental energy to go out for a run - and I *KNOW* that I feel 5000% better mentally after a run.

Anyways, the buck stops here. Bad training = bad marathon, and I've had 4 of those already.

So as of today, I'm back on track (and I'm happy to report that I'm finally able to access my NYRR Trainer online plan after a week of problems, so I actually know what I'm supposed to be running).

Mind over matter?

I've been running for a few years now, since 2000. Not always consistently, by any means, but over time, I have some decent miles on my legs and muscle memory can take over where my training leaves off.

But when marathon training season comes around, I start having the same doubts every time, i.e. "What the hell am I doing this for?" or "I hate running long!" or "Am I going to be able to finish this long run?"

Clearly, after 4 marathons, I can go the distance. I just find it strange that sometimes my mind has more power than my body - or actually, that I GIVE my mind the power over my body. So maybe it's just a matter of "don't think, just run."

in town, out of town...

It's been a few days since I've been here... Was in N.C. for a family reunion over the weekend and got back late Monday night. And with the 4th of July holiday mid-week, I'm so confused! It's Friday, though, which is wonderful. :-)

I only got in 1 run while in NC last weekend, a 6-miler, and nothing early this week.

I did my long run for the week last night, to make sure it got done and dusted. 9 miles in 1:42:30, with last 3 miles at MP of 11:06. My IT Band felt fine the entire time, which is a relief.

SRD today, and will do a quick 3 miles early tomorrow a.m. before I head off on a 10 hour DRIVE to Washington, D.C. for a work conference. Will bring my running gear and schedule with me, and will get done in the morning before the conference starts every day...