Just Plodding Along

Now that I have completed all of my running goals listed out under Bean's Goals  for your reading convenience I am in need of a new focus. I have gotten a few suggestions: 40 marathons before 40- this seems like a perfect fit number symmetry and all but that is a lot of freakin marathons. And marathons are hard so I am not ready to commit to that one. I will put it in the back pocket for now with the option to open that can of worms at a later date.  Triathlon- I swam in high school and do enjoy swimming although for some reason rounding up a suit, goggles, cap, towel and locating a swimming pool that is open at a time that is convenient for me to swim at seems to be a bit of a challenge at times. Of course the running part is pretty solid most days. It is just the biking. Currently I don't even own a bike, well I own a spin bike but I don't think that counts as it only has one wheel. I am also the world's worst biker. I fall. I fall hard. Usually on my face (th...

Yesterday I decided that I didn't really want to run hills again (that is happening again on Saturday) so to the track for some speed work seemed like an okay idea. At work yesterday I came up with this super inventive speed workout. Amazing I know. The house I am staying at is conveniently up the street from a track.....so of course I drove there. I was not really with it at 5:30 am.   And then I ran pretty hard for me. When I first got there a run team was using the track so I tried to stay out of their way and not get trampled. The fact that they were all over 50, way more fit than I am and throwing down probably 6 minute miles didn't make me jealous at all. Workout: 1 mile warm- up: 9:40 (pretty quick for me, motivated by the run team I guess) 8X800 4:11, 4:26, 4:32, 4:17, 4:17 (switched directions after run team left and had my own private track) 4:27, 4:28, 4:41 (apparently switching directions caused the track to get longer?) 1 mile cool-down: ...

This morning I wanted to do a little speed work. Since this feeling never hits I went with it. Yesterday I drove past the closest track thinking 800s would be the way to go but it was all ripped up and large machinery everywhere so that was not going to work. Instead I decided to run my normal 6 mile route doing 1 mile warm-up, 4 miles at around 9min/miles and then a mile cool down. Easy enough. Of course my arms were totally dead from muscle pump and were no help during this run. I run part of this on the Rillito River trail so it is mostly flat. Mile 1: 10:30 (warm-up) Mile 2: 9:03 Mile 3:9:04 Mile 4: 9:13 Mile 5: 9:15 (.4 uphill so pretty pleased with that though did almost die at top of long, gradual hill) Mile 6: 10:22 (cool-down) Now if you look at mile 4 you notice it is a little slower than the other two in the 9s. Now I will admit I was getting tired at that point, but I really think the Olympian sighting is what slowed me down. Yep I am about 99% sure I saw Bernar...

Saturday is the so I need some goals besides stay upright and don't die (though these goals may reappear when I run the Horsetooth 1/2 and the Mount Lemmon 1/2 ). As always drinking while trying to run or move forward at a rapid pace without drowning, choking or soaking anyone but myself seems like a good goal to keep. I have conquered taking a gel while running pretty well so at least I can feed myself in motion I guess. The weather currently forecasts a low of 57 and a high of 72, so potential for perfect running weather for the 7:30 a.m. though I guess it will be a little on the warmer side but I have been running around that time while training (on purpose of course not because I am too lazy to get out of bed earlier or the fact that I refuse to leave the house without sipping my cup of coffee).  I have been training hard and even doing speed work once a week the last two weeks (though today's 5 mile speed work turned into a regular run after my shines were...

thou shall not run inside on a treadmill when the weather is so awesome. Sunny, warm but not yet die of dehydration hot. With this decree I had to take the speed work workout to the street yo. Or in this case the river path. What do you mean where's the river? It is right there....during monsoon season And something magical happened I ran the same workout that I have been doing on the treadmill (1200 warm-up, 400, 800, 1200, 1200, 800, 400 with 400 rests between) ten minutes faster than I have done on the treadmill (5 miles in 49:56). Whoop. All intervals were between 8:30 and 8:40 with recovery between 9:50-10. Pretty quick for this plodder and that is with hills (baby hills) thrown in here and there. Maybe this means I am getting quicker and/or stronger. I felt pretty good the whole time, though it was getting slower towards the end. I had to write the workout on my hand so I would remember it but then I had to keep reminding myself not to wipe my face with my...

This morning I woke up at 5:30 to head to the gym for my speed workout.I had to be awake and presentable by 8:30 this morning and since it is still dark out until 6:30 there was no way I was fitting in a five mile speed workout on the street. That is how I found myself once again on a treadmill. And I freakin killed it. I forgot these mighty pop songs you  make everything easier so I was pretty sure the workout was going to suck the big one. I even contemplated turning around and driving home to get them but then would have had to cut my run short so........I just sucked it up. It is always funny to workout at the university gym. Girls with tons of makeup on and color coordinated outfits. Guys in tight tees doing random crossfit moves in the corner. And then there is me. No makeup, crazy hair, raggedy t-shirt sweating buckets, plodding and wheezing in the corner on the treadmill. Just keeping it real I guess. Hey young people....this is your future. Back to my treadmi...