Tag: texasheat

Five on Friday

  1.  So far this week (Monday through Friday), I have run 53 miles.  I’ll run 6 more on Saturday and 16 for my long run on Sunday for a total of 75 miles for the week.  Each week I have 3 key workouts.  A long run, hill repeats or 200 meter repeats, and a tempo run.  Tuesday Hills – 2 mile warm up, 10x1minute uphill, jog down, 2 mile cool down  Friday Tempo- 2 mile warm up, 4 x 30 seconds fast, 3 mile tempo, 4 x 30 seconds fast, 1-2 mile cool down
  2. Last weekend I ran the Wounded Warrior Half Marathon as part of  my 20 mile long run.  The heat kicked my butt.  After the half, I ran 7 very slow miles barefoot on the grass in the shade.  I placed 5th in the half, but my greatest victory for the day was simply completing the assigned miles.
  3. Upcoming races… the Millet Mile on June 30 with the Plano Pacers and Run for the Blue 5k on July 7.  Last year, I ran the Millet Mile in a thunderstorm.  Click here to read about it.    The Run for the Blue 5k was founded in response to the attack on the Dallas Police Department in 2016.
  4. Last summer marked my second summer with no AC in my car.  I remember posting a picture of my dashboard showing 109 degrees.  This year, as summer approached, I said to myself “not this year, not this summer.”  However, just like last year and the year before that, I put off getting it fixed.  Why you ask?  Because three summers ago, I paid too much to get it fixed, and the summer before that I paid too much money to have it fixed.  Same result each time.  (Note-Repairs were done at different auto repair shops)  So…this year, when spring failed and summer arrived early, I drove with the windows down and my arm hanging out, and I coasted to each light for a continuous breeze.  Me, stubborn?  Maybe a little…but even so, I was not going to let my car affect training like last year, so I researched some cheap fixes and found a couple items on Amazon that were worth trying out.  A cooling seat and a dashboard fan.  The cooling seat plugs into the lighter socket and helps some just not enough for 100 degree days.  The dashboard fan is nice especially when there is traffic.  The cost?  About $50.  These two cheap fixes helped for sure, but the cheap solution that helped the most?  AC Pro from Autozone.  I was skeptical at first.  For $34, this stuff can plug leaks and recharge my AC?  Sure enough, it worked.  My car has been blowing cold air for 5 days now.  I don’t expect the fix to last much longer, but with a $34 temporary fix, I’ll make it through the summer!
  5. A few favorites!   Favorite Show- Into the Badlands… I like the pretty colors.  Favorite Movie- Deadpool 2… Chimichangas!  Favorite Electrolyte Replacement- Power Pak Electrolyte Stamina from Whole Foods… Unlike the Tailwind I ordered from Amazon, it didn’t explode in the mail.  Favorite Shoes- New Balance Hanzo Racing Flats … The fast ones without holes!

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Training Highlights

Week 8 of marathon training…

9/11-9/17

Hardest Workout (other than the Tour des Fleurs Quarter Marathon)

Pre-Race Workout

2 mile warm up

Drills/Strides

3 mile tempo @ 6:56/mile

4 x 200 @6:00/mile or faster pace with 30 seconds rest in between

2 mile cool down

My body was still recovering from the 20 miler and the tough 80 mile week which made holding the target pace difficult.

Best Run

Easy Long Run

After a tough race on Saturday, being able to run 12 easy miles @ 8:35/mile down to 7:45/mile gave me an extra boost of confidence.

Total Mileage

58 miles (93.3 km)

Total Climb

869 ft (265 m)

Weather

Too hot.  Too humid.  Too much ozone.  The air quality reached level Red for Ozone twice last week. (Major asthma trigger)

Gear

My Mizunos bit the dust during my pre-race workout.  I ran in my Saucony Fast Twitch Racers for the race on Saturday and for my long run on Sunday.  My new Mizunos should arrive today.

Nutrition for Long Runs and Races

Gatorade Endurance for Race day.

Tailwind on Sunday Long Run

Upcoming Races

September 24 – Plano Balloon Festival Half Marathon

October 28 – Heroes Run Half Marathon in Shreveport (supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project)

December 3 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon San Antonio

Coming Up This Week

A tough workout Tuesday morning, lower mileage, and a half marathon!

How is your training going?  Any upcoming races?

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Photo by Ryan L.

Tour des Fleurs Quarter Marathon Race Recap

The one with the Sauconys…

5th Place Overall Female.  A check in the mail.  I’ll take it.

Earlier in the week, I made a race change from the Roller Coaster 10k (which was canceled) to the Tour des Fleurs.  I also made a shoe change from the Mizuno Wave Universe 5 (2.2 oz racing flats that I train and race in) to my two year old Saucony Fast Twitch Racers.  Not by choice…


And the weather changed from refreshingly cooler to ‘who turned up the heat’ hot and ‘I sweat before I run’ humid again.  Adapt and overcome!

I began my normal race day morning routine around 4:30.  Coffee, oatmeal, stare at my phone, get stuff ready, pose for a photo (this one is new), and go.

I really wanted to bring my headphones to warm up with but ever since I published Need Headphones? all of my headphones started disappearing.  So instead, I spent a few extra minutes in my car in the parking garage listening to Victory Lap  and My Oh My by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis before checking my bag and beginning my warm up.

My warm up included a two mile jog plus drills and strides.  Running fast felt a little off in the Sauconys, but this time, in this race my shoes were going to stay on my feet no matter what.

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Photo by Ryan L.
At 7:50, the race started.  With the conditions being as they were, I realize now, that I went out way too fast.  Mile 1.  6:25.  The first half of this course was flat, so I planned on running the first half at a fast but comfortable pace.  But on this day in September, 6:25/mile did not seem easy or at all comfortable.  Mile 2.  6:43.  Mile 3.  6:55.  I could not find any sort of comfortable pace.  I slowed down a bit, made it up the first hill, and held the slower pace to make the rest of the race manageable again.  Since this was not going to be a PR race, I really focused on finishing strong and staying relaxed and in control.

I wasn’t too far from 4th place at mile 6, so I cautiously increased my speed.  Unfortunately,  I couldn’t close the gap, but…there is always next time!

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After I rehydrated and called my kids, I chatted with friends, met some new people, and ran 4 cool down miles.  The awards for the Quarter Marathon began immediately after I picked up my gear bag.  Perfect timing!  From there, everything happened pretty fast.  A 5th place announcement, an unexpected payday, and a sample of High Brew Coffee.

Overall, I consider this race a success even with my average pace of 7:05/mile .  I finished strong, uninjured, with shoes on my feet, and ready to take on another week of marathon training and the Plano Balloon Festival Half Marathon.

For more Race Recaps, check out the Race Recap Page!

This post is sponsored by Run Texas, a new specialty running store in Frisco, TX!

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(Featured Photo by Ryan L.)

Hottest Half Race Recap

The one with the mud…

The days leading up to the Hottest Half were anything but smooth, but the fact of the matter is that I made a poor mid race decision and paid the price in full.   Continue reading “Hottest Half Race Recap”