Where The Line Between Suffering And A Tough Run Is

This week has been tough. Training is going well, but I am feeling it as I am ramping up the mileage and doing different workouts .

On Tue, before my hills workout, I informed coach how my half at Birch Bay went: though I finish in my regular time, I did suffer. After hearing this, his words were "you do not suffer the long runs. You suffer today - Tuesday (hills/sprints/tempo), you may suffer on Thursdays, but you never suffer on the weekend. You go easy. Remember what I told you the first day we met? I don't like my athletes to race every weekend because they go crazy. Yo don't suffer during the weekend. You suffer TODAY. You suffer Wenatchee (test race), you suffer Coeur D'Alene (marathon), but you DON'T suffer the long runs...". 

Then I still talk back: Coach, I really didn't race. I think is that I am feeling the training... and he shoots back:  you do not suffer the long runs. You suffer today - Tuesday (hills/sprints/tempo), you may suffer on Thursdays, but you never suffer on the weekend. You go easy. Remember what I told you the first day we met? I don't like my athletes to race every weekend because they go crazy. Yo don't suffer during the weekend. You suffer TODAY. You suffer Wenatchee (test race), you suffer Coeur D'Alene (marathon), but you DON'T suffer the long runs...".

He repeated this another time, not mad or mean, but serious. Though he didn't say "Is that clear?" or... "is that understood?" I responded as to a Drill Sergeant. "Yes Sir".

The hills workout was awesome and I did better than expected. On Wed I dragged my feet on an easy 60-min run under sleet and snow. On Thu I ran a 6-miler with Monica, a new running partner, and we had a great run.

On Sat, "not suffering day", I had a 17-miler in the plan, 15 to be run in a race. The day was sunny and clear, and you know what that means. COLD. Temp at 7 am were 16F/-9C (10F/-12C with wind chill factor). When race started, temps have climbed up to 24F/-4C (17F/-8C with wind chill factor).  I had 6 thin layers (top), 3 bottom, and 3 pairs of gloves with hand heaters inside. I was perfect, never felt cold or hot.

Birch Bay last week was harder as I ran at a better pace, but this run was as tough as it could be and the pace was s-l-o-w. I ran it almost at 12 min/mile, to barely clock a minute under 3 hours. Last year, same race, I clocked 2:47; not that I am getting slower, I am pretty sure of that. Different week with respect to marathon race day, and different training. Plus, I had done 1.7 miles as a warm up to log the required mileage. One similar thing with last year: I was very thirsty. Probably because it was SUNNY. Yesterday's highlight, other than a tough run, was the delight of having natural "icy water" at the aid stations. Tough to pass the GU, though.

Coach words were in my brain along the course... Yes, Sir.... Here I go: easy, girl, easy... I did not suffer - baloney. Not sure Where The Line Between Suffering And A Tough Run Is.

I haven't gained weight. It is the amount of layers....

3rd place in my division...

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AND GOOD AWESOME NEWS.... I am going to be a grandma!!!! So, initial grandma's "demands" to son Diego and daughter-in-law Shelly were:

1) I will spoil him/her all I want.
2) I will not try him/her to be a runner, however, ALL kids love to run for fun, so I will take him/her to all kids' dash while possible.

Here my first picture with my grandbaby....

Feb 26, 2011. First picture with my grand-baby to be born in Nov 2011.