A bit of fast running goes a long way

Today it has become clear to me how important fast running is for my confidence as a runner. For the past month I have been running mostly aerobic pace, as I built my miles up and up and up. I enjoyed that for a bit, as I was, I think, a bit tired mentally and physically after my intense 5K training. But with the high temps and high humidity, I ended up doing a lot of slow (for me) running. Last week I hit 81 miles but my average pace for the week was the slowest I had seen it the entire year. Rationally, I understood that running in 95-100 degrees means running slower, and that in order to run your first 81 miler in over one year you have to slow down, but I did not like that one bit. 

When I saw a progression into the mid 6s today on my schedule, I was excited but also a bit concerned (OK, I was nervous!). Would I remember to run fast? How in the world I am going to be able to hold 6s if my HR was getting close to my lactate threshold holding high 7s and low 8s during my 21 miler on Saturday? But then I shut my mind up, picked up my i-pod and ran a kick a$$ progression with a HR lower than most of my miles on Saturday, and a perceived effort much lower than anticipated. We had some cooler temps, mid 70s today which helped a ton. My legs felt fresh in spite of the higher (for me) mileage. I felt light on my feet and stayed present in every mile, working hard to slow myself down for the first half of the progression. I loved this run. I loved running the last 2 miles fastish. I loved that I finished the run with a lot left in the tank, and with a renewed confidence that my legs have not forgotten how to run fast (nothing like a behavioral experiment to show one that!)

Now it will be much easier to return to building up my miles and running slower. I know this is not my time for intense speed; my marathon cycle is very different now than it was last year or the year before, and I truly believe that this periodization is going to work well for me. I already feel my legs are getting stronger and have adapted to the miles. I still have my speed in spite of no speed work since early May. 

Things are progressing well. I love running!

Kids, marathon training and books

In the past weeks I have started several blog posts only to leave them unfinished as drafts. Lots of little ideas pop into my mind and then I lose them or find them incredible boring, or too private, and let them go.

We are having a busy beginning of the summer. The weather has been finicky with lots of rain, but we managed a few trips to the pool, which are always nice. I am getting used to having a 6 year old who can leave the house and play with his friends for a few hours at a time without an adult present. Sure, sometimes there are fights, but it is amazing to me how quickly kids forget and move on. There are also missing packs of mini kit kats, and chairs stalked to get to said kit kats which are shared among friends, and fire hydrants to be opened, and tupperware containers to be taken as little houses for insects (my "good tupperware") but all in good fun! I love our neighborhood and the 8 kids on the street are like my own.

Marathon training is going well. I am building up miles, running mostly easy, and actually enjoying the no pressure running. I ran 19 miles today and felt good but my feet hurt for the last 5. It is amazing to me how quickly I lose fitness. I always struggle with pain in my feet during the first big weeks of marathon training, and even getting out of bed is painful for a while. But somehow it all goes away as my body gets strong and adapts, and I know that pretty soon I will be running stronger and faster. My Garmin 210 is really keeping me honest. It measures the miles .2-.3 longer than the Garmin 305:)

I am reading a lot. I am a nonfiction reader and I binge on good books. I read Chrissy Wellington's book in 2 days (and I worked those 2 days). I ate, dressed, walked and even ran (on the TM) while reading. Loved it so much. Loved her first coached and completely got that type of coaching style and how it could make a champion. I also read Scott Jurek's book "Eat and Run". I am not a cook, and so the "eat" part got lost on me, but the "run" part was interesting. It was an easy read and had some good tips for runners, particularly beginner runners.

In other news, I am forbidding myself from buying any more Lulu shorts, whether or not they are on sale. There, I put it in writing! And no, I will not tell you how many Lulu shorts I own.

Randoms:)

* We turned the fireplace on tonight. 60 degrees in the house in June. WTF, Boston?
* I bought a yogurt at Whole Foods when I left work this afternoon, as I wanted some fuel before my run. Only when I got to the train station (about 10 min after WF) did I realize that I forgot to return the basket. Almost as impressive as when Chris found the toothpaste in the fridge several years back when I was writing my dissertation. Stress much?
* It has been raining non stop since Saturday.
* I ran through water up to my knees on the bike path this Sunday.
* Every year Chris transforms me into a Celtics fan; I end up biting my nails, staying up into the wee hours and watching every single game. Game 5 tonight. Go Celts!
* My almost 7 years old has finally mastered riding his 2 wheeler. After unsuccessfully chanting "don't leg go, I am scare, I am scared" he switched to a little song "Petru can do it, yay, yay, yay, Petru can do it" and proceeded to ride with no help. The smile on his face was precious. And good lesson for both of us:)
* Taking 10 days off of running slowed me down by 30 secs/mile, which came down to 20 secs/mile in just one week. In 2 more weeks I'll be just where I was before. Perfect. Truly enjoying running again:)