From Ear To Ear

Week 8 - Phase II - Core Workout: Anaerobic Threshold -
08/13/12 - 08/19/12 -
Week Total:  31.2 -

Probably this was not too smart, but I decided to throw in a couple of goals in the middle of my marathon training. As speed work is my key work for the next five weeks I decided that decreasing my mileage from 50 & 60+ to 30ish would not do too much damage. I wanted very badly to run a 10K in a certified course, but to have a great run, I needed to do some tapering.

I knew that I had the required speed to be in the top 10 in my division in Washington State, and the opportunity was there with the Railroad Days 10K. It was going to be a big race for me as this race was the USATF Regional (Pacific Northwest Track & Field, PNTF) 10K Championship. I decided to go bold, naked if you will: no heart rate monitor, no pace monitor, no music. My only guidance would be listening to my breathing. The goal was to get low 48's. Another goal I had was to be on the podium. Olympian Regina Joyce would take 1st place for sure, and the rest would depend on who shows up, and who doesn't. 

I went earlier, picked up my packet and warmed up jogging one mile followed by 6 to 8 100-meter strides. Rested for 10 minutes and the race was about to start. I didn't see Regina on the crowd and this surprised me. She never misses this race. Now, my goal was higher. In Regina's absence, could I get the championship? 

I went too fast at the start (first time running without heart rate monitor) so I was clueless on what my effort and pace was for the 1st mile. After the mile marker I saw I was going too fast for me: 7:18. I slowed down for miles 2 & 3 to avoid crashing later. I had very bad splits, but had time to adjust to get what I needed. 

My goals were achieved. I ran the 10K USATF Regional (Pacific Northwest T&F - PNTF) Championships in 48:23 (7:48 min/mile), a PR of 2min 33 sec. Got first place and was "crowned" the 2012 10K Champion for the division. Got 5th Female Masters Overall and my smile went From Ear To Ear. 


Splits

1- 7:18
2- 7:40
3- 8:12
4- 7:58
5- 8:03
6- 7:44
6.2 - 1:24 (7:00)

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Yasso workout: 5x800 this week: 3:27; 3:25; 3:25; 3:25; 3:20

I'll Follow The Sun

Week 9 - Phase II - Core Workout: Anaerobic Threshold -
08/06/12 - 08/12/12 -
Week Total: 60.9 -

And after carefully traveling through cosmic space, planets, and galaxies, I got to Mercury. It took 28 Half Marathons in half a year. Tacoma Narrows was the culprit.

The next adventure translates to reach the hot, round, and yellow star that is above us. And with that I will secure a special place in the asylum sharing with nuts individuals that will continue doing nothing else than piling more Half Marathons underneath the bed. There will not be any more movements towards anywhere, no other dimensions, no other solar systems, nowhere, just moving around in circles around the star because when I arrive there I will become one of the Masters of the Asylum and I will be fried. 52 Half Marathons in a year, so I need 24 in the next 26 weeks.

The count started with Summer Series at Magnuson Park, but a couple of short races with high goals, my marathon in October, and winter in the middle of the endeavor, all threaten the challenge.

Now the time has come, and so, my love, I must go, and though I lose a friend, in the end you will know. One day, you'll find that I have gone, but tomorrow may rain, so I'll Follow The Sun.
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Magnuson Park by Lake Washington was the perfect location for a race on a sunny day. Hubby dropped me at the boat launch, he went fishing, I went running. Though hot - 68-70F, I ran a good run with good splits (I definitely learned how to run in the heat), 1:54:09. After the race, hubby picked me up at the boat launch and we went boating to Lake Washington and Lake Union to admire from the water my beautiful city, with the most gorgeous (rare though) sunny blue skies.

Heart Rate Monitor didn't work (this gadget and I are divorcing imminently). I was on my own. I followed my guts.

1- 8:49
2- 9:18
3- 8:41
4- 9:17
5- 8:58
6- 8:50
7- 9:09
8- 8:32
9- 8:11
10- 8:40
11- 8:36
12- 8:32
13- 8:20
13.1 - 0:50 (8:20)

The Scrooge Of Running

Week 10 - Phase I - Build up - Core Workout: Hills -
07/30/12 - 08/05/12 -
Week Total: 65.4 -

Commuting to/from work has been an amazing thing. I am able to log a bunch of miles without them being a burden. On Tue & Thu I logged about 15, and on Wed I logged 19, including hill sprints on one of the hilliest streets in the area. Steep as the steepest streets in Seattle: 22% slope (and I thought that 7% at Picnic Point was hilly)!!!

I concluded the week with 65.4 and I don't feel a little bit tired, to the point that I ran today the Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon and got a PR - 1:51:42 - 8:32 min/mile.

I wanted to run another Half on Sunday for another back-to-back weekend, I knew I'd do OK but I wanted to run the race more for being close to 80 miles, than for running the race. I felt like I wanted to have a lot of miles and put them in my closet or underneath my bed, like amassing a fortune, but I have a VO2Max test on Monday and they told me to be well rested (!); at least no workouts the day before.

After my daughter's comment "Mom, don't become obsessed now with this high mileage, I know you..." I realize that she was right (daughter knows best... or not). So, for the sake of a mental, physical, driving break (Sunday race 1.5 hour-drive), and for my test, I am skipping this race. Yes, unbelievable, but true.  I don't want to become The Scrooge Of Running.

Tacoma Narrows Splits
Mile - Pace - Heart Rate%
1- 8:40 - 80%
2- 8:18 - 84%
3- 8:46 - 84%
4- 9:31 - 86%
5- 9:20- 86%
6- 8:17- 89%
7- 8:14 - 90%
8- 8:23- 91%
9- 8:36 - 92%
10- 8:28 - 91%
11- 8:48 - 92%
12- 8:02 - 93%
13- 7:28 - 95%
13.1 -0:48 - (7:30) - 95%

PR and 1st place in the division - 1:51:42

With good friends Maryanne and Ginger

Great representation from Washington State 55-59 division. With Susie Hall, 3rd place with 2:01:48 and David Sherman, 2nd place with 1:34:38