Highs and Lows- Week 12

These girls. Some are missing but always there in spirit.

Three weeks until the Columbus Half and six until my big race!!! I'm trying to keep in mind that I have only three more intense weeks of training and everything after that should be easy peasy. I've had a lot of fun this training season but I'm looking forward to tapering!

 

This week, I felt no order. I knew the hubs would be traveling for three days so I just needed to get in the miles. I did my two longest/fastest/whatever workouts before he left so that I would only have an easy 6 miler to do with James in the stroller. I also decided to do my long run on Friday instead of Saturday (I'm sure there was a reason for that...I just can't remember what it is!). So, basically, my week was a little screwy. Here are the highs and lows:

 

LOWS:

• My one and only low is that I had a major bad attitude on Saturday and my friends had to deal with it while we ran. The run itself was awesome (see HIGHS)!

  

  The face of annoyance and frustration. The coffee helped out.

 

HIGHS:

• Solo mid-day 8 miler. I was supposed to do this run EARLY Monday morning but it just wasn't in the cards. Fortunately, my work day went to crap (and I didn't carpool with the hubs) so I was able to run before my boys got home. I wasn't sure how this run would feel considering I did that 40k trail race two days earlier, but I actually felt great! No fatigue or pain!
  

  

  My pony was lookin' good that day...so were my "boobs" in that new bra that had about 2 inches to fill up. Had to keep my shirt on that day.
   

• Track Tuesday. As usual, I was partially scared/partially confident going into this workout. I had 8 total miles including 6x1200m at 5k pace with 400m recovery. I hit pace on all intervals but my body didn't feel like it would be able to when I ran the first two. This workout confirmed that I need at least a 4 mile warm up to feel good. After a 2 miles warm up and the first two intervals, I felt like I finally hit my stride!
  

  

  James wanted to stretch with me.
   

• Stroller Run with James. I left my easy 6 miler for the day I knew I'd have to stroller run. I actually love my runs with James. He's at the age where he talks the entire time. That boy is happy if he has a snack in his hand and the wind blowing through his hair! I unintentionally had some speedier miles in there but it felt easy so what the heck, right?!
  

  

  My boy loves his stroller runs.

• Long Run. This training season, I knew I'd have to do some of my long runs on Friday mornings because of Jimmy's volleyball schedule. I also knew that my girl, Marion, had some Fridays off of work. She's one of my perfect training partners! Marion had her last 20 miler this week so I met her for the last 18. Like a good friend, I asked her to run some race pace miles with me. Hehehe. Workout: 18 miles with 2x4miles at race pace somewhere in there. There was no real method to when I decided to run the intervals. I knew we'd be back at our cars to drop off headlamps and refill water at 10 miles. So, I just decided that the first interval would be miles 7-10. To make it somewhat challenging, I decided we should end our long run with the last interval. We all know the last 4-6 miles of the marathon are the toughest! I am VERY happy with our workout. For the 18 miles that I ran with Marion, we averaged 8:20 min/mile! By far my best long run average this training season. Our first interval miles were 7:42, 7:54, 7:47, 7:45. We were trying to slow down that second mile but I guess we were feeling comfortable in the mid 7:40s. Our second interval miles were 7:52, 7:49, 7:28, 7:37. Not gonna lie...it felt great to end the long run with some faster miles. Starting that last interval took a little more focus. I wasn't feeling it at first, BUT, as the miles were counting down, I mentally checked back in and was ready to conquer the task! Thank you, Marion, for agreeing to my crazy workouts! Sometimes I wonder if I'm sane.
  

  

  We totally rocked this run and I'm not afraid to admit it. Embrace the good and the bad.
   

• Post long run run. Does that make sense?! No hilly Sunday for me this week. Did 10 miles with some of my favorites this morning...missed a few of my besties, though. It was the oddest run. The conversations were all over the place! Keeps things interesting. They got to hear me bash T. Swift and Katy Perry, yell at a butthole who told us to cross the street then got pissed and zoomed off with his little penis and loud, uncool car; Theresa taught us the art of the f-word and Marion tried to convince us she was a beyotch; Karen fell and took it like a boss...blood streaming down her leg but whatevs; Dani enlightened me on my future as a parent of a boy. The list goes on and on. Those are the best runs.
  

  

  Poor Karen!
  
  
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  What's next? A scary tempo run this week and a 22 mile long run. EEK.