March 25th, 2009
Yesterday was a little goofy in that I had hill repeats scheduled, six 2-min ones, which meant I couldn’t do them on my closest hill, because it’s not long enough.
I don’t know if you remember the hill I used for marathon training, dubbed Smile Hill because I used it for mile repeats and kept calling it “that stupid mile hill” which eventually morphed into Smile Hill, but anyway, it’s 4.5 miles from my house – not a problem when you’re marathon training and your repeats are focused on downhill running at marathon pace. But when the repeats are uphill at 5K effort, a 4.5-mile slog home seems like unnecessary torture.
So I drove to my run, which felt really silly since I parked in a spot I run by daily, but I was glad to have done it. I ran 4 miles warmup, did the repeats which came out to 3 miles worth and then ran 2 miles back to my car, so 9 miles total.
It was funny because there was this lone crossing guard standing on the sidewalk whom I passed on the way up and down each time. She was cute, made small talk on my trips down, “how many do you have to do?” “did you make it to the top?” “tired yet?” I think she knew not to chat on my way up though, my face one ugly determined grimace fighting against a constant wind.
Much improved pacing this time – when I did 8×1-min repeats @5K effort a couple weeks ago, I started with a 7:31 and by the 8th one could only eek out an 8:46, and if you recall I was so embarrassed by my shitty pacing I kept it from you. This time I ran the ups in the low 8:00s so they didn’t veer much at all, but I got a solid workout and felt great afterwards.
Today I have 11 easy, or as easy as will be after having consumed vodka shots and wine last night. We went with friends to a Russian restaurant, a BYOB, which makes getting drunk that much more convenient. Feeling pretty good actually, considering I was on the verge of puking last night.
Looking ahead, the rest of the week looks downright luxurious with no races on the immediate schedule. I’ve got 7 easy tomorrow, then Friday it’s 9 w/5 tempo at goal Half pace (ooh, time to decide on race pace), Saturday 7 easy, finishing with a 16-miler on Sunday that includes 15x(90sec.@10k pace w/90 sec recoveries).
Onward and outward, looks like a wonderful 55 degrees out there, just right for a fragile boozer such as myself.
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ok, I”m not sure of my weekend plan yet, but let’s try to run!
Girl, I forgot you’re coming! Cool, looking forward to it, keep me posted.
I’ve realized that I do that too. Slow ones are “slow”, but fast ones are enumerated in detail.
Looking forward to that half goal-pace announcement! Somewhere in the neighborhood of 7:30 or a bit faster?
Hah, I doubt I can call those 8:00s fast, but yeah, the less embarrassing ones get full mention, the others…swept under the rug.
I’m thinking 7:25s on that Half pace, subject to change of course, but that number is calling to me. We’ll see if 6 weeks can give me a touch more speed or just endurance. OK, now I really gotta get out of here (I am Procrastination Queen today).
Hi Flo!
I wanted to intro myself. I just found your blog (I think from someone on the H&F board on The Nest), and I actually just got done reading all of it. First I wanted to say WOW you rock. I don’t know the full history of your running career, but from what I did get it has not been a long one. However, you have developed into a speed demon quickly. Your dedication is amazing. I found myself trying so hard to find your first big race (the half I think), and quickly get to that post just to see how it went. I am sorry it was not the dream run, but I am totally making my husband read it. I think you two are two peas in a pod. Although we are in are late twenty’s, he was never an active person, and after losing weight he picked up running to keep it off. The later I bought him a Garmin and ever since then it has been all about running in our house. He has his first marathon in May (less than a year from when he first started racing), and he is already looking at trying to BQ. Like you he is a natural, but your HM story is a great reminder of respecting the distance.
I am a little behind my husband in our running journey (I have had shin splints for a year), but I am excited to get started (slowly started).
Thanks so much for sharing your story and your running knowledge. I am off to try some of your interval work.
Thanks again!
P.S. Are you still on RW forums? I poke around alot, but I have not posted much.
Hey Stevi, thanks for such a great comment! I’d say my first big race was my very first Half (not last year’s DNF but the PDR in 2007), but that was before I started the blog, so I don’t have anything written about it.
Best of luck to your Hubby on his first marathon, I’m sending speedy great training vibes his way. Also, I’m pulling for you getting rid of those shin splints for good (I didn’t even know you could have them for a year!). You’ve got the right thinking as far as starting slowly so don’t go crazy with the intervals now, y’hear? Get those legs in tip-top shape and I expect to hear some happy race stories coming from you. :-)
And yeah, I post on RW all the time as Girl In Motion, mostly on the Marathon Training Forum and lately on the 5k, 10K, Half-Marathon Race Training Forum, in the 1:40 Half thread.
Take care and happy running to you and your man!
Welcome to the dark side. Here’s your Garmin!
Stevi put it very well, Flo. Your story is very encouraging for the rest of us, irrespective of how fast we are.
Jim
Great job on the hill repeats. I can’t believe you were able to run after vodka. Wow.