I should be able to get an official sub 19 5K...

Ok, Ok, so I have a bone to pick with the 5K.

At the end of 2010 I started working toward breaking 20 min in the 5K. It took me 4 5Ks, and I ended up running a 19:26 during HM training the following spring, on no 5K specific training.

Then I got the sub 19 bug, which I started working on in 2012. I got a 17:29 on a short course, and a 19:04 on a long course. Then got injured.

Now I am back at it. My workouts clearly show that I can run a sub 19 on an accurate course. I have no problem running 5x1000m with 200m jog @ sub 6. Because tempos come harder to me, I decided to run 2 continuous miles @ 6 on the track yesterday morning, and ended up with 2 miles @ 5:53 average, followed by 800m @ 5:41, 400m @ 5:29, 400m @ 5:21, and 100m @ 5:02, all with 1 min rest. I did these after 2 miles warm up and one mile MP/HMP pace, to ensure that I was starting the intervals a bit tired. The 400s were hard, and there was some puking going on after the first one, but overall I did well. I ran this workout on track, which is a faster surface, but there was a headwind for half of it, so certainly more effort than on a treadmill. Surely this workout points to the fact that I should be able to run a 6pace 5K, right? I mean, when training for a marathon, we never run more than 16 miles @ MP, and we have confidence that we can hang on for the last bit. The same theory should work for the 5K, too. Right? Right? Except that the 5K is so quick and the discomfort is much more intense, and one does not have time to work through a rough patch as in a marathon. I mean, if I slow down and mentally work though a rough patch, by the time I am done the race is over and I did not PR. I also have a hard time holding pace in a 5K. I need to constantly check my watch bc otherwise I slow down. That requires a level of concentration that is not always easy for me. Further, there are moments in a 5K that you can't quite prepare for, moments where no matter how much mental prep you did, and how much you want the PR, the mind just gives up in the moment, automatically, without conscious control. If you don't catch that right away, you don't have enough real estate to make up for the little "blunder". I know I experiences this during my last mile of my last 5K. I ran on a narrow bridge on the way back to the start (for the finish) and had to slow down bc the slower runners were blocking the bridge running in the opposite direction, and I flustered for a bit and completely lost my pace. I recovered quickly and pushed the pace, but it was too late. The course was long, but I could have had the sub 19 regardless.

And then I start thinking. Regardless of whether I get the official sub 19 or not, I am getting faster. No doubt about it. And that is what I need to focus on. That, and the "controllables" and the "modifiables".  Accurate course, good weather, perfect concentration, no mental blunders...they all have things I can and can't control to different extents (yes, I can control the weather to some extent by choosing now to run a 5K in July).  And then there is the probability issue - the more 5Ks I run, the higher the probability I will get the official sub 19. If I stay healthy, the sub 19 is a given, sooner rather than later. Boom!

Random Observations

I put 6 solid weeks of 50+ miles running (with a couple weeks in the 60s), and am finally feeling like my old running self. I feel light on my feet again and strong. I can see the hills and valleys in my quads when I run. I have that slight tightness in my legs when I go up the stairs. And I am beginning to feel fast again (for me). I am not one who comes back from a break easily. My first aerobic runs hover around 8:30-9 min/miles. I get out of breath. My legs forget how to turn over. My stride shortens. It takes me time to get back my fitness base. I don't believe I lose it; rather, I try to think of it as buried inside; with each mile, I get closer and closer to it. And then, hopefully, as it happened before, I get faster. This is to be determined still.

I bit the bulled and went back to Fresh Pond for their weekly free races. I am planning on a 5K sometime in  November, and so I am using FP as a tempo run, and only run one loop (2.5 miles). I have a couple of half marathons in the winter, so will be using the 2 loop as a tempo for that distance. I am being careful here not to get my body habituated to training. I am the kind of runner who needs constant change.

So, the one loop at FP is interesting. The speedsters never go for the 2 loops (surely why I won the 2 loop every time I did it, ha!). Two weeks ago I got second to a 26 year old; I ran slow, high HR, but I was sick. This past week I ran 20 sec/mile faster, and still lost to a 20 something cross country runner (she ran 5:20s for the 2.5 mile which now includes a 300m hill on a trail! Yup, can't compete with that, ha!). I ran effortlessly this past week, and enjoyed being paced by a couple of men. I have never been paced in a race before, but I can surely see the huge benefits of pacing. I am planning to use this speedy pacer for my upcoming 5K. Girl runs 5:45 mile repeats at the end of marathon training. Yes. I am planning on putting an imaginary elastic around our waists so she can drag me  to the finish line. Ha!

After running well at FP in 50 degrees or so, I suffered through 4x1 mile @ faster than 10K, slower than 5K pace on 1 min jog in 73 degrees. My HR for each of these miles was about 5-10 beats higher than during the 2.5 continuous miles. Initially I thought I was tired. Then I thought again and decided it was the heat (and yes, 73 is hot for me. Give me freezing temps and I run really well). I don't feel tired. But I am also a poor judge of fatigue. Sometimes I wish I was the type of runner who gets tired, or loses motivation...I just feel fine and then boom, injured!

I watched Kona on and off all day Saturday. It solidified the fact that I do not have the desire (perhaps even the ability) to suffer as much as those pros. At some point in my life that would have been upsetting. or would have become a goal (to get to a higher level of suffering). Now it is just an observation. Good thing that running is not my day job!

Things I like:
* Brooks Pure Connects
* Trail runs on rocky trails
* Naps in the middle of the day
* Hot showers
* The track
* Brilliance
* Nonconformism
* Tight jeans
* Books
* Scars
* Chocolate
* Raises
* Salads in popcorn bowls


Things I don't like:
* Superficiality
* Insecurity
* Falls
* Overreacting
* Cold coffee
* Perfection
* Fear
* Settling
* Financial planning
* Dramas
* Shorter days
* Dry skin
* Sluggish runs

It's been a while since...

...I've had a fall!

Half a mile into my trail run this morning my R foot got stuck under a rock (darn you forefoot strike!) and I proceeded to fall face down. I managed to stop myself a bit with my hands and arms, but my legs got the best of it. I was a bit worried about an infection (the wounds were covered with dirt and I had no water with me) and Chris offered to pee on them, which made me laugh because a scene from my favorite TV show "Girls" popped in my mind. We skipped the pee on the wounds (in case you were wondering) and kept running. We ended up having a great run and I stopped trying to push the pace so that we could beat our time from the previous week (we did not, but my HR was 8 beats lower!) AND let Chris lead (not easy for moi!).

Training musings

So..my running is going well! Hurray! After a couple of weeks of "OMG, my legs have forgotten how to run", I finally feel light and springy on my feet. What a relief! I took myself to the track on Monday for 15X200m, with the goal of running these at 5K to mile pace (which I conservatively set to be 5Kpace-30 seconds). I had done nothing but a few 10 sec hill sprints and one 10x20 secs strides run on the treadmill, so I had no idea how I'd do. Most importantly, I was worried I lost my joy for the track (the track is one of my favorite places to run. I could even run a marathon on the track, no problem). I am fine with getting slower (not yet, but it will happen), but I am not OK with losing my love for the track:) The thing is, I was absolutely amazed that I did not lose any of my high end speed. I lost endurance for sure, and 13 miles seems a bit too far to go these days, but my speed is still there. I yearned to do an all out interval, but managed to stay within my time constraints. And I had so much fun. There might be some track races in my future once I become a masters runner!

And speaking of love...I am also running a lot of trails. Chris and I have been running the Skyline Trail in the Fells (7.5 miles with the detour, 1300 feet elevation gain) once a week for the past 2 weeks, and are having so much fun that will keep this up. This trail is all up and down, with very steep inclines and declines. It is also very technical with huge rocks that one needs to climb, so that it becomes more of a plyometric/strength type exercise done @ 12-14 min miles, which is just perfect for where I am in my training. First, I need strength. Second, the pace of this run totally kills my average weekly run pace in my Runningahead account which is GOOD for someone like me who has a bit of a pace/ego thing going on that needs to be tamed:) Plus, Chris and I have always had the best conversations while running/hiking, and he gets to channel his inner macho by protecting me from the unleashed dogs whose owners are going about their business while their dogs almost chew my shorts off (it happened, but rant over!).

So...if you are curious, my week goes something like this:

M: a.m. intervals/fartlek type workout; p.m. 30 min elliptical + core while Petru swims.
Tue: p.m. very very easy run on trails with no watch/HR monitor, some hill sprints.
Wed: a.m. progression by HR; p.m. spin class + strength legs
Thursday: a.m. Fells trail run; p.m. 30 min elliptical+ core
Friday: p.m swim
Saturday: a.m. long; strength; p.m. swim as a family maybe
Sunday:  a.m. spin class+short easy run immediately after with strides no watch/HR monitor; p.m.

Feels like a routine, ha? Will see where it takes me.

I am not training for anything right now, and am just working on getting my baseline mileage and speed back. The plan is to kill the half marathon this winter/spring, and maybe some 5Ks and 10Ks too in the process. You know, the stuff I LOVE. Would be nice if the killing would result in some PRs; the 10K PR will be easy since I have yet to race a 10K, but the other 2 will be challenging. I am up for it though. I will be using Canova/Hudson training principles incorporating a lot of what I learned from Lucho during the past year. I am excited to write my own workouts and see what I can do. Fall and winter (call me crazy!) and my favorite seasons for running, and I am getting giddy for the miles!

Happy Birthday to ME

Perfect birthday for me yesterday. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Breakfast and coffee with my boys.
A 2 hour trail run with Chris in the Fells.
A nap followed by watching part of Vegas 70.3 and Wisconsin IM.
Apple picking, cider donuts eating with my boys.
Barbecue, champagne and chocolate cake with good friends and family.
Snuggling with my little boy before bed.
Snuggling with my other boy and eating salted dark chocolate.

And now, I am feeling some inner pressure to do something really crazy and different during my last year before the big 40!

Update

* School started today and I found myself envious of the herds of kids walking to school in the morning. Although my job has a large learning component, I miss  being in school. My little guy had no issues getting off the door this morning, particularly since his 2 best pals were waiting for him.

Walking to school with his wife. They got married on Tuesday. They want to have 2 kids, a girl named Horse and a boy named Cheetah. She will stay home, he will work as a policeman giving tickets to those who do not respect traffic signs. They will live in Wisconsin (near Dells Water park) and in New Mexico in the winter. They will make the kids do all the chores.

Waiting to cross the street along with new and old friends. 

Walking with an old friend before yelling at mom "no more pictures".

* Running is going well. I am up to 50 miles this week and so far so good. I did some strides on the treadmill the other day - first in months - and woke up with DOMS. This made me laugh. Still, it is fascinating to me to see how quickly the body regains speed after some time off, with just easy running. It's like you really do not lose fitness; rather, you think you do, but then a few weeks in you are back to where you were before you took the time off. I am nowhere near where I was yet, but my aerobic pace is definitely improving pretty quickly with not too many miles and no speed work. Sweet! 

* I am down to 2 spin classes per week and 1 swim during my day off and will most likely keep these in my schedule. My body feels so good and relaxed after I swim, like I just had a massage (yes, I swim easy!). The spin classes are great quad and glute workouts, better than any strength work for me. 

* And yes, I do strength and core 2 times a week. Recently I've incorporated exercises to strengthen my shins and calves. Interestingly these have become issues for me only when I transitioned into a forefoot runner. I would like to go back to a mid foot strike (because I think it may be the least injury related strike) which now I can do only when I wear bulky running shoes, but won't force it. 

* Truly excited to vicariously cheer on for the various half and full marathons, as well as Vegas 70.3, IMWI and Kona this fall! Not missing racing yet - probably because my fitness is not at a racing level (for me) right now, but I am starting to think (and getting giddy!) about the possibilities.