Hoka 10k 2018

Hoka 10k 2018

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

CSWS: Week 2

Can't Stop, Won't Stop
 
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I had to schedule my runs differently this week because of a 5k on Saturday. I replaced my tempo run with my 5k and had to put my long run on Sunday so I wasn't too tired for my 5k.

Also, this week, I realized I've completely failed with regards to doing my "strides." I've seen people talk about these so called strides and didn't really understand their purpose...especially if I was already doing speed work consistently. When I received my training program, I realized I had an easy run each week that ended with strides. I thought, "What the hell...let's give this stride thing a try." Week one, I did a last minute 5k which replaced my easy run + strides. This week, I simply forgot to do them! UGH. I'm not really sure how that happened, but I failed to even perform them. By the time I realized I did this, it was long run day and I wondered if it would even benefit me to do them.
 
 
  • 5/29: 5 miles, 8:54/mile. Met up with a group of gals for some Memorial Day miles! It was casual, easy, and sweaty. I love that the sun is making a regular appearance!
    Missing a few in the pic, but we had a nice turnout!
  • 5/30: Upper body and Abs, 30 minutes. I took a running rest day and planned to go to the gym after work. When the end of the day rolled around, I was too lazy to make it happen! Soon after, I felt guilty for not going so I made a list of exercises I could do at home without the need of a gym. After I finished, I worked on my headstand for yoga class...quite comical if you ask me.
  • 5/31: 8 miles, 8:35/mile. Speed day! Technically my program said "track workout," but who does several 1600s on the track when you can do it on the road?! I met up with a group of girls who basically had the same workout but they had to do it at a faster pace. I decided to join and just bring up the rear. Workout: 2 mile warm up, 3x1600m with 800m recovery, 2 mile cool down. I was supposed to do my first interval at half marathon pace and get faster each interval so that my last was 10k pace. Since I don't know what those paces are for me right now, I used three different pace calculators to get goal paces based on my goal marathon time. From that, I decided my splits would be 7:45, 7:35, and 7:25. My actuals were: 7:31, 7:25, 7:12...almost identical to my 5k splits from Sunday! UGH. That means I should have had a better race. BLAH!!
    Lots of fast ladies! [Tamara, Jessie, Kimberly, Meg, Karen, Amy, ME]
  • 6/1: 4.35 miles, 9:04/mile; upper body and glutes, 35 minutes. I continued my trend of short, easy runs in Gahanna with Sarah. Looking forward to resting my legs until Saturday!
  • 6/2: Upper body and Abs, 30 minutes. Resting those legs today.
    My loves.
  • 6/3: 2.01 mile warm up, 9:16/mile; 3.03 mile race, 7:20/mile; 1 mile cool down, 8:58/mile. Race recap on a separate post!
  • 6/4: 13 miles, 9:15/mile. Solo long run. I was SO tired during this run! Not only has Ruthie had trouble sleeping at night (teething and ear infection), but my legs were worn out from that 5k. I think I actually ran part of it with my eyes closed!
    Some nature time in Gahanna.
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 Overall, I'd say it was a successful training week. I wish my long run didn't feel as sluggish, but it will only make me stronger.
 

Monday, May 29, 2017

Field of Heroes 5k

 
This was the first 5k I raced sans stroller since I've taken myself out of the category of "I just had a baby." Now my reason is "I'm just slow right now!" HA! I need to shave about 1 1/2 minutes off of my current time to get to where I was pre-pregnancy. Then I need to get faster so I can PR!
 
I only had two 5k's on my radar for the summer. When I was on a group run that included my friend, Katie, she said something along the lines of "Did I hear you were going to do a lot of 5k's this summer?" That wasn't my plan, BUT she gave me a great idea! LOL. Of course, I started keeping my eyeballs open for some short summer races. I knew I had a race next weekend, but I was anxious to get another one under my belt. I looked at all of the Memorial weekend races and opted for this one. Then I passively got Amanda to offer to run it with me! She doesn't take a whole lot of convincing.
 
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[ME, Amanda]
 
Per usual, I ran a two mile warm up. I almost hate warming up because my body never feels awesome. We found out quickly that it was going to be a sticky run. Weather stats per Garmin: 66 degrees, light wind of 6 mph, humidity 88-ish%, dew point 65.  
 
Amanda wanted to practice marathon race pace miles, and I wanted to run a 5k at her marathon race pace (Bahahaha!!! That is so comical to me!!). So 7 minute miles was the goal which would give me a time under 22 minutes. It was a lofty goal, but I always make lofty goals. As an adult runner, I only have one 5k under 22 minutes (21:38)! This race was also sort of a test to see how I need to improve.
 
I told myself to try not to run faster than 6:50-7 for my first mile. My pace was ALL OVER THE PLACE that mile. I was trying to get away from the crowd and find a comfortable stride. I couldn't seem to find my happy place. It only took me a quarter mile to tell Amanda to keep going. She was going to stay with me, but I wanted her to stay at the 7 minute pace so I could see how far off I was from my goal. I had no idea what to expect for my first mile. It clocked in at [7:11]. CRAP!!!
 
Not that I was giving up, but I knew, based on how I felt, that I couldn't make up for lost time. There was no way I could run any faster. This race was a battle of breathing vs. legs. My legs were all about the 7 minute pace. They felt great!! I can honestly say my legs never felt tired...not even later that day or the next morning.
 
My breathing, on the other hand, could not stay controlled. I'm not sure if it was the weather, my  nerves, or the fact that my body just can't handle it right now. Probably a combination of it all. I let my pace slip the second mile in hopes of getting my lungs together. [7:35]. CRAP AGAIN!!! I didn't want to slow down THAT much. Ugh.
 
I knew my attempt couldn't get that much worse so I just had to do my best to get through one more mile. I tried my best to pass a few people to keep myself motivated. The last quarter mile was so tough. I thought running through the flags would give me what I needed, but it just wasn't doing it for me. My last mile was [7:22] followed by my last 0.14 at [6:56] pace.
 
My official time:
 
23:06!
 
 
I was the 7th female to finish, but I only beat the next two ladies by 1 & 2 seconds. I barely squeaked into the 7 spot!
 
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Overall, I can't be mad at that time, It's respectable, but I can do better. I'm not upset at all and looking forward to improving.
 
I had a lot of friends with impressive performances in this warm weather over the weekend. Great job to all that raced! You all keep me motivated to work harder!!


Sunday, May 28, 2017

CSWS: Week 1

Can't Stop, Won't Stop
 
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Ruthie loves the sprinkler!

Warm weather fun.
It's back!! Hot weather training!! I just love it. SO much better than the stupid winter. I hate layers...clothes are overrated...SPORTS BRAS RULE! I am so excited to start week one of my marathon training. My four week break was glorious, but I'm ready to have structure again.
 
Since I'm following the CRC Advanced Training Program, I get to choose my weekly mileage. They give you the option to run as many days per week as you'd like, give you a specific workout for every day, and guide you as to which workouts are the most important to include each week. My weekly mileage starts conservatively and gradually builds to the 50s. In the past, I've peaked at 58-60 miles, but I want to listen to what my body is telling me this time. This week I planned just 34 miles and will add a couple/few each week.
 
Going into this training season, I feel most confident about the endurance part. It's the speed I would like to focus on. I need to get faster and feel better at that faster pace. I will follow the workouts on the CRC program, but try to strategically place them to help improve my weaknesses. EEEK!! Can't wait!!!
 
 
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  • 5/22: 6.2 miles, 8:17/mile; Chest/Back/Glutes, 40 minutes. My first marathon training workout called for a steady state run (running a certain amount of miles 10-20 seconds slower than race pace). My goal training pace for this session is 8:12. I was supposed to run no more than 4 miles at steady state pace. Obviously, I went a little fast. Splits were as follows: [8:57, 8:21, 8:06, 8:05, 8:00, 8:10]. In the future, I will try to be more disciplined with these runs. The run felt good, but I don't want to wear myself out during week one! I have a body that needs the rest so I'm certainly going to respect it!
    How awesome is it that the sun is rising at the end of our 5 a.m. runs?! [Amanda, ME]
  • 5/23: 8 miles, 8:40/mile. Track Day! Today's workout called for Fartleks. I opted to do them on the track so I could keep up with my distance per interval more accurately. Workout: 3 mile warm up [9:15, 8:58, 8:46], 10x1 minute hard with 1 minute easy recovery, 2.5 mile cool down. I don't have a fancy watch to tell me my pace for my intervals but I do know that each of them was 250-275 meters. After doing some math, that meant my pace was between 5:50 and 6:25/mile. Naturally, I was tired when I finished, but I felt really good about how I did.
    Just me and the track.
  • 5/24: Bis/Tris/Abs/Yoga/Rolling, 1 hour. I spent 30 minutes on my arms, 15 on abs, and the other 15 doing some yoga and taking care of my tight bum. I was happy to rest from running today! My quads were like WHOA from that speed workout.
    My poor tight butt.
  • 5/25: 4.26 miles, 9:02/mile. I met with Sarah again in Gahanna. It's so nice to drive just 3-5 minutes from my house! We knocked out a short, easy, wet run.
  • 5/26: 12 miles, 9:09/mile. I was presented with another opportunity to do my long run on Friday. Meg was gracious enough to join me for the first seven miles until the sun came up. I finished the last 5 miles solo. I didn't feel that great the first 7 miles...not sure why. I guess my body felt warmed up afterwards and I was able to pick it up just a bit. I've officially run my shortest long run for the next 16 weeks! EEEK!!
    I needed a run with this girl. [Meg, ME]
  • 5/27: REST. Absolutely, positively nothing.
    I had to bail this one out of baby jail.
  • 5/28: 2 mile warm up, 9:21/mile; 3.14 mile race, 7:22/mile; 2 mile cool down, 9:19/mile; Hatha Yoga Class, 1 hour. Field of Heroes 5k. I will type a separate race report soon!
 
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I suppose week one was a success. I didn't stray too far from my plan. I replaced one of my easy runs plus strides with my race since it was a last minute registration decision (not totally a comparable trade. LOL.). Because of the my warm up and cool down for the race, I ran 3 more miles than I had planned. Surely that won't make or break me.


Monday, May 22, 2017

My Last Week of Freedom


Hanging out with Grandpa Davis.

This is my last week of doing what the heck I want before I start following a program again! I am typically a schedule oriented person, but it's been nice to be able to say yes to most requests lately. Except for track days, I haven't had to look at my watch to hit certain paces. It's been glorious.
My legs were tired at the beginning of the week. I can't remember the last time I ran 5 days in a row...probably two years ago! I'm usually really good about giving myself a break, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to run with Amanda on Monday evening. My goal was to take it easy the rest of the week. I even decreased my long run knowing that mileage was only going to increase from here on out.
 
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  • 5/15: 6.07 miles, 8:28/mile. This was supposed to be a rest day for me, BUT Amanda texted me asking to run in the evening. I told her I had mom duty because of Jimmy's volleyball plans, and she offered to push James! Heck yes. She pushed my boy in her double stroller, and I pushed Roop in my single. Elizabeth joined us and had to deal with a few kid stops along the way. I for sure ran too fast for pushing a stroller and for it being a rest day. I felt good in the moment, but the leggies were tired the next day.
    A little p.m. running action. [Amanda, Elizabeth, James, Roop, ME]
  • 5/16: 6 miles, 8:25/mile; Bis/Tris, 30 minutes. Track Day! Per my Garmin app, it was 86 degrees with the wind blowing at 16 mph! I decided not to run that morning because I ran harder than I should have the night before. I joined the CRC group for their weekly track workout. The posted workout was pretty intense so I changed it just a bit. Workout: 1 mile 5k, 1 mile marathon pace, 1000 5k, 1 mile marathon pace, 600 5k. Short rest, then a couple fast 200's to finish. After reading that, I knew I'd have to change my recovery pace. I mean, my goal marathon pace is 8:15...there was NO WAY I'd be able to handle that for this workout. I opted to keep my intervals at 5k pace (7-7:15) and try to keep my "recoveries" just under or around 9mm. It was hot, and I'm sure the heat had something to do with it feeling tough, but it wasn't as horrible as I thought. I think I would have felt really good if I had rested a day. I was just going on day 5 of running so my legs were telling me to be nice. All things considered, I was happy with the workout and glad I slowed down the recovery periods. I still think I have a LONG way to go with my speed. I will get there...I just need to be patient.
    The sun was oh-so-hot!
  • 5/17: REST! I needed it. I did a little bit of foam rolling for my poor butt.
  • 5/18: 4 miles, 9:24/mile; shoulders/glutes, 30 minutes. I never get to run in my own suburb so today was a nice change! The sweet Sarah moved to Gahanna recently and reached out to me to run close to home. Brittaney joined us for a short, easy run in our hood. Later that evening, I decided that the foam roll wasn't cutting it for my glutes. I found a tennis ball, and it revealed that my glutes are way tighter than I had imagined. Oh my word. I vowed to roll them daily for a week straight. If I get no relief, I might go back to the massage lady.
  • 5/19: 10 miles, 9:16/mile. I decided that my long run would only be 10 miles this week. Why do more?! I met up with the early crew to knock it out so that I didn't have to worry about it when my mom was visiting this weekend. It was so freaking humid and buggy. I'm pretty sure I ate at least 5 bugs. Ick.
    This was quite the crew!
  • 5/20: 6.34 miles, 9:02/mile. Sarah and I met for a Gahanna adventure. I've run on the trails around Academy Park on a few occasions, but I can never figure out how it is set up! It never fails that I end up getting lost and/or confused. Also, when I finished, I was happy that I decided not to run a 50k today! Part of me was like "Lisa, you suck for not running that." The other part was super happy that I wasn't going to have to deal with the soreness and fatigue that would have resulted from it. Ugh...stupid mental struggle.
    Schneider's!!
  • 5/21: Hatha Yoga Class, 1 hour. I decided I would rest from running today, but all I could think about was going for a run!  I made myself rest and opted for my afternoon yoga class.
 
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Marathon training, here I come!

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

I Just Wanted to Be With the Track and I'm a Quitter

Love my boys.

I still have no plan. My only goal was to run 5 days and to make one of those a track workout. I've done only one track workout in the past year plus...ONE. When you get pregnant, speed doesn't matter. After I had Ruthie, speed wasn't my concern. I only cared about building my base mileage and completing a marathon in under 4 hours. After a few months, I did start some structured race pace runs and tempo runs, but I never ran faster than 10k pace for a very short period of time. I mastered those race pace runs, though!

Selfie fun with Roop.
As I'm in the middle of my do-whatever-I-want month, I'm starting to think a lot about getting my speed back. I feel so slow!! Since I'm past that two week post marathon mark, I thought I would sneak in a track workout to see how I felt. I have no particular reason I need to do it, I just want to. I like the track. At the same time, I'm definitely embracing the break before my next training session starts.
 
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  • 5/8: Shoulders/Glutes workout, 45 minutes. My legs deserved a break from running.
    
    Roop trying to demo her plank.

  • 5/9: 6.06 miles, 8:49/mile. I ventured into the long lost world of Blacklick to run with Jessie and Katie. My legs felt a little fatigued, and I wondered if I might survive my track workout the next day. I should be past marathon recovery phase, but I'm still tired. I think I'm letting my mental struggles outside of running affect how my physical body is feeling.
  • 5/10: 6.25 miles, 8:42/mile; Glutes/Abs/Yoga, 45 minutes. Track Day!!! I was happy to be back on the track, but wasn't totally prepared for what it handed to me. IT. WAS. HARD. I knew it probably would be, but I was hoping it would leave me feeling slightly confident. It did not. LOL. I hit my pace range for most of them (7-7:15), but slipped closer to 10k pace on a few in the last set. The workout was 15x400m, 100m recovery. I broke it into three sets and did a 400m recovery between sets. I also did a warm up mile. The road to getting my speed back is going to be a long one.
    Not the track I was on...I was so bad about taking pics this week.
     
  • 5/11: Chest/Back workout, 30 minutes. I just wanted a leg break.
  • 5/12: 12.01 miles, 8:42/mile. A short work day allowed for a mid day long run. Fortunately, I had company this time! Jessie and I took a Tour de Gahanna and New Albany. Running only 12 road miles further confirmed that I'm not at all excited about 31 trail miles. Ugh.
    I saw a lot of this girl this week. Not complaining!
  • 5/13: 6 miles, 8:55/mile. With my long run out of the way, all I needed was 6 measly miles before playing mom all day. Since Jessie and I always drive to Westerville to run, we decided to stick close to home and meet in Gahanna. We had a few more inclines than our legs wanted to tolerate, but it was a nice little run to start the weekend.
    Because our selfie wasn't flattering, you get pavement, trees, and an incline.
  • 5/14: 6.08 miles, 8:25/mile. I was invited to crash the Powell party this morning to start my Mother's Day. I was able to walk away from the Tim Horton's parking lot without buying Timbits. I was pleased with my self control.
    Marion-too much booze the night before. Jackie-too much booze two nights before. Lisa-where's my booze?
 
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Technically, I suppose you aren't a quitter unless you actually start the task. I think I've pretty much decided that I'm not going to do this 50k. My heart simply isn't in it. My number one goal right now is to BQ. This race simply will not improve my efforts in that department. In fact, it could potentially sideline me if I fall and get hurt or come out of it feeling fatigued (which is pretty much a given after running 31 miles!). My next marathon training session starts in ONE WEEK!! If I ran that race, I would go into the start of my training feeling like crud. I just don't want that. WHY DID I REGISTER FOR THIS 50k?! LOL!!! So, if people want to call me a quitter or even a weiner...so be it. I'm a quitter and a weiner.

    Monday, May 8, 2017

    I Have No Plan

    Really...I don't. I know you don't believe me. Everything that happened this week was pulled out of my non-programmed brain.

    Curly hair, don't care.
    The beginning of this week was the struggle of not running too fast. I wanted to stay closer to 9 minute miles just to be nice to my body. I was mostly unsuccessful. This week was also tough outside of my running life. Work was insane AGAIN, and Jimmy had to work a couple of really late nights. Blah. Enough whining.
     
    • 5/1: 6.04 miles, 8:17/mile. Oops. This always, ALWAYS happens when I run with Marion and we don't pay attention. I was happy to spend some time with this sweet lady. We were sprinkled by rain (until the last 0.10 when it decided to start pouring), stripped down to our sports bras, and dodged a crazy ass duck that was up WAY too early. Shouldn't ducks be sleeping at 5 a.m.? And why was he flying around in a neighborhood without a pond?
      Wet. [ME, Marion]
    • 5/2: Yoga and upper body workout, 1 hour. I spent an hour at the gym doing some yoga and lifting mostly chest and back. I'm going to be SO SORE! I haven't done a chest/back workout in a couple of weeks.
    • 5/3: 8:08 miles, 8:31/mile. Ok, let's talk about this. I was going to run with Dani and Marion in Powell. I chose not to because I thought I would be tempted to go to fast. I really wanted to keep my pace slower than 8:40. The intended workout with the Westerville girls should have kept me slower...but it obviously didn't. UGH. The one whose workout we were doing cancelled so we didn't pay attention to the pace because it didn't matter for us. I did feel good, but I felt horrible because I felt like I should be going slower! I don't know why, but I feel like I really need to take advantage of this short recovery break that I have before I get back to the grind in June. I've been SO good about avoiding injury and I want to keep it that way! And here I go thinking too much.
      April miles. Not my best, but o.k. considering taper and recovery.
    • 5/4: 4.05 miles, 9:05/mile. The plan was 4-6 miles, but I was leaning towards the higher end. Once I got going, I knew I would be ok with 4 miles! A couple of the girls were tapering, and the other was coming off of a race. We all had the whatever attitude.
      Yes, Schneider's again. [Elizabeth, Meg, Karen, ME]
    • 5/5: Glutes/Bis/Tris, 45 minutes. Rested from running and met my boo at the gym to pump some iron.
      Love my girl!

      Happy Cinco de Mayo!

      Day date!
    • 5/6: 12.01 miles, 8:56/mile. Long run in New Albany with Jessie, Katie, and Tamara. Jennifer and Heather joined us for a 5k loop at the beginning. The run felt mostly good, but I was glad when it was finished.
      [Tamara, ME, Jessie, Katie]

      This boy BEGGED me to take him to the expo...so, we drove to Cincy!

      Grandpa is somewhere in there.
    • 5/7: 4 miles, 9:05/mile; 1 hour Yoga class. I wasn't motivated AT ALL to get out and run when I woke up...probably because I was solo and sleepy. I set out with 6 in mind but thought "Why?" I then decided 4 would be enough. I ran to the local track which is about 1.87 miles away, ran a lap because I missed the way the track felt under my feet, and ran back home. Bing, bang, bong.
     
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    I'm still not excited about the 50k...but I'm not really excited about anything at the moment. Just feeling blah.

    
     
    

    Tuesday, May 2, 2017

    A Little R&R....

    ...Regret and Recovery
     
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    Visiting the Dublin corn on the way to pick up daddy.
    Recovery has been much different this time around. A month before I ran the Little Rock (LR) Marathon, my right hamstring and piriformis were always tight, and no amount of stretching would work it out. I decided to get a massage three days before the race, and that seemed to really help out. It never bothered me during the race or afterwards.
     
     In the seven weeks between the LR and Carmel Marathon, the tightness was mostly in control and never warranted another massage. I sort of regret not getting one before Carmel. Although it wasn't horrible during the race, it was AWFUL afterwards. I couldn't believe how tight it was! Because of this, I really played it safe this week. I let my hamstring tell me what to run instead of my head or heart.
     
    **********
     
    • The day after: Yoga and mowing. I wasn't excited to mow (and it probably irritated my legs a bit), but it needed to be done.
      
      Spring has sprung.
       
    • 4/24: 1 mile, 10:52/mile; 1 cycling mile, 4:46. Oh boy. Not exactly the run I wanted it to be! I fully intended to feel as great as I felt after LR and run 2 miles. My hammy told me immediately to chill out. I felt the tightness with every step. My gait was off because I was running so cautiously. I don't tend to think the worst of these situations. I knew it was simply a tight muscle, but, for a split second, I had convinced myself that my hammy was going to rip from my leg. After running only a mile, I rode the bike for an easy mile to loosen it up enough for stretching.
      That was a rough one.
    • 4/25: 3.1 miles, 10:16/mile. I was going to rest completely, but I had a stressful day. Work was insane, and I was finally on my way to my last patient. My freaking car broke down on 71-S in the middle of Grove City construction in which there were NO SHOULDERS to pull over. I found one of those "Emergency Vehicles Only" areas in between the north and southbound lanes. I was able to park my car there instead of the middle of a busy freeway. Two hours and 45 minutes later, I was on the road with the tow truck to get my car to a shop. UGH. Needless to say, I needed a run. I let my body run at whatever felt easy. I never looked at my watch...just ran. It was a slow pace, but I was happy that my leg felt really good and that I didn't feel tired.
      Ordered this gem. Now I need to register for a race so I can use it!
    • 4/26: REST...because it's the right thing to do.
    • 4/27: 4.01 miles, 8:54/mile. After "sleeping in" until 6:15 everyday this week, I was feeling peppy for my 4:20 wake up call. I met some gals for a 4 miler of unknown pace. Most of us were either recovering from a race or tapering for one. After my Tuesday night run, I assumed I'd be in the high 9s for my pace. I didn't look at my watch and was shocked to see my average. No hamstring irritation! Things are definitely looking up!
      Early risers! [Betty, Allison, Emily, Audra, ME]
    • 4/28: 7.6 cycling miles, 30:12; 30 minutes yoga and abs. I wanted to run but thought I should continue to take it easy and be nice to my hammy. It hasn't bothered me at all today and felt like normal when working out at the gym!
    • 4/29: 1.33 mile warm up, 8:22/mile; 6.6 mile race, 7:46/mile. It was Cap City Half Marathon/Quarter Marathon/5k day! Separate Race Report HERE.
      Start line selfie. [Marion, ME, Jackie]
    • 4/30: 6.01 miles, 8:38/mile. I met up with Jessie in New Albany for a few "easy" miles. I think they were much easier for her than me! LOL. I was feeling pretty fatigued. I definitely felt that race from the day before.
      Post run/pre latte pic. [ME, Jessie]
     
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    So...regret...I have had a really bad attitude about this 50k. After running Carmel, I just want a break from longer races. I REALLY don't want to run a 50k. I know it will be fun and different than running a marathon. I won't have to run fast, and I'll be able to enjoy my surroundings. I just don't want to do the distance. It just doesn't sound fun right now. I'm hoping that I'll get more excited as I recover. Right now, my heart isn't there.
    My lady love. This is how happy she is when she wakes up.