On something closer to home. My brat was supposed to have gone to Bakersfield for her last competition with her team. Umm . . . didn't happen. Of the three girls left, the brats best friend was nailed by a nasty flu. It got so bad for her that she was taken to the hospital. Everything turned out well, but there was no way her mom would risk taking her to competition in that condition.
They COULD have gone with just two girls, but the dance had already been drastically changed for three girls. They would have to relearn a completely new routine to compete. They ended up bowing out. I thought the chipmunk would have been devastated, but she was ok with it. It gave her a chance to go as a coach and see her Jr. Cubs go through their final tryouts. So everything turned out ok.
Last Monday I began a proper training plan for the Salinas Valley Half Marathon on August 3rd, 2013. Now the thing is, I've been running all year and my pace is usually in the 9's for my shorter distances of 1 to 2 miles. I start moving the distance up and so does my pace. When I do my four milers at the Toro Estates, I think I'm running 11:30 or something.
The beginning of the plan calls for 2 miles at 11:29. Nope. Too damn slow. I tried though.
Monday ("rest day"): 1.51 miles @ 9:29 min/mile pace
Tuesday: 2.05 miles @ 9:38 min/mile pace
Last Wednesday I had a midweek longer run of 5 miles. I was wary of it because I haven't run that kind of distance in a long time. I took the afternoon off from work (half a comp day) and headed to my chosen route. It's relatively flat until about the second mile where I start getting some little dips and rises. Not really hills. It's a big sidewalk meant for walkers and runners and it's about five miles long. Not too many intersections either because it's at the edge of town. Crossing the street wasn't too bad and I didn't have to stop at any (though I did have to sprint a couple to beat a few cars across).
Anyway, so I started the run and I tried to keep it slow but looking at the gps map, I started fast. The first mile was at 9:30. According to the plan, I was supposed to run it at 11:29. I tried, but I just couldn't. I ended the run at 10:07 min/mile. And I ran the whole thing non-stop. I usually have or two stops after the first couple of miles. That run surprised me.
Thursday ("rest day"): 1.46 miles @ 9:29 min/mile pace
Friday: 2.04 miles @ 9:55 min/mile pace
Saturday was weird. Friday night one of my cousins posted a picture of a tiny terrier up for adoption (free to a good home). Cutest little thing. I assumed that the dog was in Los Banos (about 45 minutes away from Salinas). I forwarded the picture that was posted on FB to my other cousin (the brats mom). She fell in love with it and asked me to find out if it was still available. It was and she wanted it.
Unfortunately it was in Bakersfield. 3 frickin' hours away and I had already said I'd take it. So off to Bakersfield at 7 in the morning. Cute dog though, huh?
The brat was the only one who rode with me to Bakersfield. And she slept the whole damn way. We got to the house and the god is one hairy mess. Not so cute. It was a mop. She needed a groomer. We left the old owners and their daughter was in tears. They had to give it up because the daughter wasn't taking care of her. We could tell. She's a spoiled rat right now, but by next week my cousin and the brat will have a quiet dog. I don't know how they do it. They could give Cesar Millan lessons. And the brat did a pretty good job at trimming her that night. Got rid of most of the knots!
So Saturday ("rest day"): 1.49 miles @ 9:33 min/mile pace
Sunday was a shocker for me. This was supposed to be my Long Run for the week. 8 miles at 11:29 pace is what the plan called for. I figured I'd get that with the walking I'd do. I was sure I'd be walking at some point. But I guess I prepared right the night before. I went to Round Table with some friends and had pizza and Sierra Nevada. Lots of pizza and beer. I don't like eating before a run and I knew I'd need something to keep me going. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!
I got up at 6:30 am Sunday morning and made myself some strong coffee using Sweet Maria's Clever Dripper:
I highly recommend one if you love making your own coffee. You steep your coffee like you would with a French Press, but you don't get all the gritty grounds. I used some Santa Cruz Roasting Company French Roast beans. Love the stuff.
Soon enough, I took the Browns to the Super Bowl and out the door I went for my run.
The fastest I got was a 9:12 and that was only within the first couple of hundred yards then I relaxed and really slowed it down. Slow and steady I took it. I forced myself to relax (oxymoron?) and breath from the belly and lower ribs. Something I've been practicing for a while, the lower ribs part. Next thing I knew I was at the turn-around and circled back. The return trip I was struggling a bit every once in a while. I'd go through surges of high energy and low. I realized that I was starting to tense up again. So I just relaxed and took comfortable breaths.
At some intersections I had to sprint across before the light turned red on me and those felt really good! But I would pay for those sprints a bit later. But I just kept going . . . relaxed.
I think at around the 5th mile, I started to feel my shoulder begin to bug me. Strange since I hardly move my arms when running. I keep my elbows in barely move my arms back and forth. I had this stupid thing running in my head that it was a sign of a heart attack. My arm wasn't going numb, just aching at the joint. I'd make windmills to try to loosen it up and that helped.
I was also beginning to feel my hip flexors. They were getting sore. But I was able to finish the run relatively comfortably.
Sunday (Long Run): 8.01 miles @ 10:34 min/mile Pace
I was already grinning like a damn fool before I finished my run. I knew I was going to finish it non-stop. I just didn't expect to see my average pace to be that low! That let out loud "YEAH!" when I saw it. Unfortunately it was still early for a Sunday in that area and no one was around to share in my excitement. So sad. But I called Steve. He's one of the people that encourage me and tell me to push harder. I'm brush him off and take it at my own pace, but I accept the encouragement! He's struggling with an injury right now and is really jealous of my fat ass right now. But he was happy for me.
My VFF Bikila LS's were great! Those toe shoes are awesome. My feet and legs felt great, even now a day later. My hip flexors are a tad sore, but nothing like yesterday. I have phantom aches in my shoulder, but it goes away quickly.
Tonight I have a short run since it's a "rest day". The title of today's post does say Day 330 of the Daily Run Challenge.
My next longish run is Thursday. 4 miles. It's a speedwork day. Included in that run is 2/1600 meter runs at 9:34 with 800 meter jogs/cooldowns. I could do 9:34 all day . . . not really. But it should be fine.
GD
p.s.
too damn long to check. run smiley :)
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