Beautifully Complicated…Limitless…

Cowtown Marathon Training

I made it! I pushed through Week 3. Higher mileage. A faster tempo. Speed maintenance.

Here’s what my week of training looked like…

Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday were all easy run days. Smooth and relaxed. On Tuesday, I did tempo repeats. 3 mile warm up. 5 x 1 mile @6:40 with 1 minute rest. 3 mile cool down. For these repeats, I felt stronger and more relaxed with each mile. Friday was speed maintenance day. 3 mile warm up. 20 x 200m. 3 mile cool down. These were tough. Two nights without enough sleep cost me. I was still able to run each 200 in 40-44 seconds (10.3 mph) but I was beat after the cool down. Somehow, I recovered enough for my 4 mile afternoon run. My long run this week was 20 miles which I ran this morning. It went well except for the accidental posting that happened while my phone was in my pocket. My overall pace was 8:08/mile and the total climb was 450ft. Today’s run put me at 84.5 miles for the week.

(An Easy Run Day)

I ran most of my miles in the Vibram Five Finger KSO Evos, and I am seriously considering running the marathon in them. All other miles I ran in my Addidas Supernovas.

Coming up this week…Higher mileage, a progressive tempo, hills, and a 24 mile run!

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Moni 5k 2017 Race Recap

This morning I finished as the 5th Overall Female in the Moni 5k in Farmers Branch, TX.  My finish time of 19:42 was not where I wanted it to be, but my mental toughness was at an all time high!  I planned well for the tough parts that I expected to encounter for this 5k.  I knew the competition would be tough, as there is prize money for this race.  I also expected warm (80F) humid (80% humidity) summer like weather.  In recent races, I’ve noticed that when I get passed, my heart rate speeds up, and I panic for a split second which negatively affects my result.  Because of this, I visualized this happening and made a plan for what to do when it happens.  

What Do You Want to Know on Wednesday

I want to share some of my blog posts that I wrote earlier this year that many of you have not yet seen.  Enjoy!

September Stats

 

Running Stats, Blogging Stats, and Photos of the Month

Training Highlights

9/4-9/10

Hardest Workout

Friday’s Improvised Track Workout

3 mile warm up

6×800 @ 6:15-6:30/mile (my pace was all over the place)

3 mile cool down

The track closest to my house was being resurfaced, so I ran the 800s on a trail next to The University of Texas at Dallas.  Every other 800 was at a slight incline which affected my pace.  I ran these cautiously as I had twisted my ankle on Thursday, and it was still a little swollen.  No pain.  No instability.  Just swollen.

On Thursday, I went to Prairie Creek for my easy 8 mile run.  For the first 4-5 miles I ran up and down hills then decided to run around the creek for the last few miles.  At mile 7, my feet were getting a little sore so I hopped up onto the grass.  My almost worn out Mizuno Wave Universe 5 racing flats did not protect my feet from the rough surface of the road around the creek.  On my third lap around the field my foot disappeared into a rabbit hole, my ankle rolled, and I fell, scraping up my knee and nearly doing the unthinkable to my ankle and fibula.  I waited a minute before getting up to see if I could walk.  My ankle and right above my ankle felt off, but in sheer disbelief, I walked the half mile to my car with no pain or instability at all.  It really just felt like something had happened to my ankle and leg but my body hadn’t quite figured out whether this was an injury or not.  After icing it three times, taking Advil before bed, and sleeping with it elevated, it felt good and ready to go for Friday’s Track Workout.

Armadillos!

What is it about hopping up onto different surfaces that screws me every time?  I run up onto the side walk and get a black eye from a pecan.  I run up onto the grass and I nearly break my ankle in a rabbit hole.  I say, from now on whichever surface I start on I stay on.

Best Run

My first ever 20 Miler!!!

I ran solo from my house again, but I changed up the course a little.  My plan was to run over to the Corporate Challenge 5k within the first third of my run to get some gatorade, but when I got over there, I ended up running part of the course that led me away from the gatorade.  I decided to continue on with my 20 miles.  I stopped for water at a water fountain, and around mile 16, I bought a gatorade.  The weather was so nice that I really didn’t feel like I needed that much to drink.

Gradually increasing the pace throughout this run, I finished with a negative split, a smile on my face, and a lot left in the tank.  Twenty miler complete!  First item to cross off of my Running Bucket List!

20 miles @ 8:13/mile average

Fastest mile split – 7:46 

Total Mileage and Elevation

80 miles / 128.75 km (79.9 on Strava)​

1,378ft / 420m climb

Weather

Cooler!!!  Dryer!!!  Temps still reached the upper 80s and low 90s in the afternoon.

Gear Notes

Most miles I ran in my nearly worn out Mizuno Wave Universe 5 Racing Flats!  I just ordered a couple more pairs for $35 a piece.

Upcoming Races

September 17 – Roller Coaster 10k @ Six Flags

September 24 – Plano Balloon Festival Half Marathon

October 28 – Heroes Run Half Marathon in Shreveport (this run supports the Wounded Warrior Project)

December 3 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon San Antonio

Coming Up This Week

Lower mileage, Pre Race Workout, 10k

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Alignment

Maintaining good posture throughout the day has a large impact on running form, and miles and miles of running can make this hard to do.  When everything tightens up, my posture suffers and my alignment is thrown off.

Training Highlights

8/21-8/27

Hardest Workout

Friday Speed Maintenance

Tuesday Tempo

I struggled through another tempo run today.  After three miles of trying to warm up, I went through my drills and strides.  My lower back felt so tight and something was pulling from my spine around to my hip on one side.  It would not let up.

Get Up and Go

A tough week of training along with a busy schedule has left me feeling a little nervous about tomorrow’s 18 mile run.  For the past few days my legs have felt tight and sore.  Maybe this week is a ‘push through to the next level of training’ week.