Just Plodding Along

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 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...

Six mile run this morning. Threw back some coffee (oh coffee how I love you) and some cliff bar chewy things (official name there) and headed out. And then I ran. Surprisingly fast. Mile 1 9:58.0 Mile 2 9:45.1 Mile 3 10:01.7 Mile 4 9:47.0 Mile 5 9:57.1 Mile 6 9:42.6 6 miles in 59:15 woot ALMOST ALL IN THE 9s. FREAKIN AWESOME. For someone who is used to seeing mile times starting with 10:XX, 11:XX and 12:XX to see a nine repeatedly is just weird. In a good way. Happy Dance Now I must confess. I ran three miles. Took a quick walk/ water break and then ran the last three miles (truth comes out). But considering the last two miles were uphill some of the way that is still pretty good. Since running fairly well at the last half my new goal is to step up my game. It is a three part plan  run faster more consistently Try to keep my form and pace when I get tired   Run my long runs with the second half faster than the first since I tend...