Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured

Met Megan at Tom Thum, nice and easy.  Avg pace 8:53

Eay miles with Jenny, Avg Pace 9:15

Met Wendy, Ashley and Tim at Tom Thumb to run the Arberlawn hill.   We did one up and back, one 2.2 mile loop and then another up and back.   I can tell I have not run hills enough.

Avg. Pace 8:47

Easy miles with Jenny

Avg Pace 9:11

Met Wendy for a Saturday long run.  Highly dissapointed that the cooler temps hadn't rolled in yet.  Aother morning of 80 degree temps and 80% humidity....too much.  We ended up with 10 easy miles on the trail that were not as brutal as last week, but close.

Avg Pace 8:49

8 easy miles to start the week.   4 with Jenny & Wendy and then the other 4 with Wendy.

Avg Pace 9:11

I am tagging onto Wendy's training plan and she had an 8 mile tempo today.   I have work issues this week and did not have time run 10, so we cut it to 8 total and a 6 mile tempo.   I was nervous/scared/excited for this run.  I have done very little speedwork, but knew I could pace off of Wendy and get it done.   

We met at the Woodshed and did the miles all on the trail.   We warmed up for a mile and then the tempo started.  Wendy took off and I  knew I would not be able to sustain that pace.  I found my grove and did pretty well on the way out.   The second mile was a little slow due to running under the freeway in the construction area.  We hit the turn around and grabbed a drink and stopped longer than ideal to wait for Tim and Ashely.   We headed back and at mile 4.5 I was really considering stopping at mile 5.   Wendy happened to be right there and stayed with me until the last .6 and she took off.  That last half mile was dang hard, but done.

Tempo Splits:  7:37, 7:44, 7:35, 7:34, 7:38, 7:22

Not overly even but, I am pleased for a first attempt.    Wendy's target was 7:25 for the entire run and I belive she hit that.   

Avg Pace for the entire run 7:58

5 easy miles with Jenny - the best.

As I have mentioned before, I tagging along with Wendy's training plan.  Today called for 40 min of hill repeats.   Ashley, Wendy and I met at Quick Trip and warmed up down to Ashley's new house and then back up the hill.   We then started repeats on the backside of the QT hill.  About half-way in, I realized I had forgotten to remind my husband that Libby had volleyball practice that morning.  We had a little longer than normal break to call and wake him up.  Once that was over we returned.   We ran up the hill and would keep pressing for 30 yards past the hill and then recover down, just under .25 mile each way.    Oh not a fun workout, but so good at the same time.   The recover was easy and the pace over all was slow - 9:11, but we accomplished what we were supposed to.  One mile cool down. 
 

Four very easy miles with Wendy and Jenny.
 

I met Wedy, Robert, Ashley, Tim, Maureen and Brit at the store.  The guys did their own thing and the five girls headed out on the trail.    I am growing tired of mid 70's temperatures and high humidity.....really, really tired.    We ran out to the Trailhead food park and used the nicest portable restrooms ever!  Air conditioned with running water!  Headed across the river and then through Tanglewood, the Colonial and up to the Woodsheed and eventually the store and then back out two the Luke's waterstop and again to the store.   We got yelled at by the cops in Tanglewood because we were in their way while they directed TCU Homecoming traffic.   When we were finished, my clothes were dripping with sweat.... I am ready for fall, but not winter.   Avg Pace 8:44

This has been good week - mileage increased (almost too much), ran 6 days - even Tuesday when I thought I might die, and the hard runs were hard and we completed the work out strong and easy days were easy.   Next week I have some travel and I am not sure how the last part of the work week will play out.

I missed getting out early due to storm and after a horrible day, snuck out around 4:30.   6 easy miles in horrible humidity (theme of the month..year) on the trails and Bellaire.

Wendy and I had 6 400's @ 1:42  on the plan for the day.  Her plan called for a 1 min total rest, not active rest.   This is the first time I have done these not using active rest and it was okay. 

We warmed up 2 miles to the middle school track and then did the 400's

1:40; 1:35; 1:44 - oops!, 1:36; 1:39, 1:40

Overall, not too bad and if it had been daylight, they would have been a second or two faster, the dark made it a little difficult. 

Cooled down for 2 miles

PM:  4 miles in OKC before I drove back home.....such a long day

7 easy miles with Wendy and Jenny.  Very slow and effort did not feel this slow.   The run the day before had taken its toll.

Wendy and I met at the TCU track to run 4x1000.    All I can say is the TCU track is so much nicer, even in the dark, than the CMS track we have been running on.   Plus they have bathrooms, enough said.   We warmed up for a mile on the road and then got started.   Neither one of us was sure on pacing and struggled hitting the 4:16 target.   Splits:

4:27, 4:25, 4:26, 4:27

I felt controlled the entire time which is good, but could't ever get it in gear.   

Cooled down by running the loop twice to total 8 miles.

6 easy miles with Jenny K

4 easy miles with Jenny K

Not a great start to a race morning - Volleyball team breakfast driving and rounding up teenage girls.   So we ended up leaving for the race late.   On the way, I realized I left my Garmin home, so I would be running by feel the entire time.  If you know me, you know I have no sense of pace...what-so-ever.

Goal:   Stay mentailly strong and do not give up

Jenny and I got to the start about 30 min early and chatted with a few people and really tried to stay warm and debated leaving our long sleeves or not.

We lined up and started out on the trail.  The course for this race takes you on another part of the trail system that I have never run, which was very nice since we seem to run the same 10-12 miles all the time.    I fell in quite a ways behind the lead pack and started out as the 4th girl.    I passed the 3rd girl about .5 mile in and then was 3rd until about mile 6.  I really did not want to pass the two lead girls that early on, but they were slowing and I was feeling good.   Passed the girl dressed as Wonder Women and then the lead lady about 2 min. later.  I could tell the lead lady was struggling, so if I could run strong and stay focused, I would be good.   The out portion of the race always takes longer then the return,  and while I like the trail system, the up and down on the levees drives me crazy.   Short steep climbs 3-4 times each way, plus some normal idoliations of up and down on the course.   I continued to feel pretty good until we turned for the last two miles and hit a wall of wind.   These last two mile were hard, very hard.   I just kept focused on running and trying to push as much as possible.    I had no idea what my time was, but based on effort I felt like I would have been faster than 1:48, but I will take it.  I ran strong and didn't give up.