Pre-Race Workout

Goal:
3xmile @ 5:30 +4x400m

Actual:
3 mile warmup
2xmile in 5:53, 5:53, 2:30 jog rest, 3x400m
3 mile cool down for 9 miles total

It's finally gotten pretty humid down here in North Carolin again and it's definitely taking its toll on workouts!  It definitely has an impact on my workouts and this felt harder than it should have.  I'm not sure if that's because of the humidity or if that's the way a typical pre-race workout feels. Regardless, I was grateful for Caleb's company because Laurie had to bail after the warmup since she had an allergic reaction to a prescription she had taken. Aside from the insane amount of sweat that accumulated on my clothes, nothing else of much significance happened. I'm ready for the half champs!

Week in Review

56 Miles
6 Runs
1 Day Off
4 Mile Tempo in 23:48
14 Mile Long Run

While I had hoped for more miles this week, around 65 instead of 55, I listened to my body instead.  My left glute/hamstring has been bothering me a little bit--nothing painful, but more of an annoyance.  I felt it during what was supposed to be a 5 mile tempo and cut it short at 4 miles and immediately made a massage appointment with Adrienne.  I'm not too worried about it, but it definitely is something I need to monitor.  Stuff like this makes me want to bang my head against the wall because I should have been doing the lifting routine that Garrett made for me specifically.  Alas, there is nothing I can do now except get my butt in gear for the next training cycle and actually stick to the weight plan!

There wasn't much else to report from this week.  I haven't seen Garrett in approximately 6 weeks, not that I'm counting or anything, but I am going to change that in just two weeks!  I found a really good flight deal to fly into Montreal, so I'm going from June 29-July 4 to visit him and see him pitch in a game! I typically only get to see Garrett pitch once a season, so I'm truly looking forward to see him in action on the mound.  One week until the half champs and two weeks until I see my husband!

Week in Review

70 Miles
8 Runs
1 Day Off
5k Race in 16:36 (PR)
17 mile long run

Coming off of huge PR in the 5k Friday night, I spent the rest of the weekend with my brother and sister-in-law.  It was a great way to start the week with a PR and then to finish it off with a long run at Latta Plantation, with blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs waiting for me at home.  My brother cooked not only me breakfast, but also my long run buddies, Matt and Nick.  I took a much needed day off earlier this week and then had to put in one more double than I would have preferred because I really tapered for the race.  It all worked out in the end.  This 5k PR is a great way to lead into the half champs, going in with confidence that I can PR in just two weeks time.

China Grove 5k HUGE PR!

Goal:
Win and run fast (sub 17:10)

Actual:
3.3 miles warmup
5k in 16:36(!!!!!!!!) in 5:18, 5:23, 5:23, :33, 1st place Female, 5th Overall, $250, Results
Course Record
Road PR by 25 seconds (formerly 17:01)
Just 7 Seconds off my college track PR (16:29)
3.5 miles total for ~10 miles

If you've never been to the China Grove 5k, it is an event you must do.  Unlike most Charlotte "night" races, which aren't truly in the dark, China Grove hosts a race that is quite literally in the dark of the night at 9PM.  The post-race food is definitely something to boast about as they never run out of Pizza Hut pizza, watermelon, bananas and unlimited bottles of water.  I'm pretty sure that the allure of this race also comes from the fact that the course is flat and fast, featuring a nice out and back course that has a few small inclines that won't really affect your time.  It also helps that Vac and Dash puts this race on because I'm pretty sure all of their races are just badass.

At this race, every year it is typical for summer storms dwell in the distance, with lightning cascading harmlessly across the sky, far away in the distance.  This year was no different, except the storms were even closer and more of an imminent threat.  To give you an idea of just how close that lightning was, as David and I were warming up, we seemed to be running straight into a lightning storm.  One bolt of lightning appeared above us, which resulted in the natural response from me to simultaneously jump, scream, and grab onto David's arm in a panic.  I knew at that moment that if there was lightning during the race, that I would not be able to prevent this panicked response from occurring even while I raced!

Fortunately, the lightning and rain only kept on for about thirty minutes, forcing only a fifteen minute delay on the 9PM start of the race.  We hung out in a very expansive and fancy Fire Station during the wait.  I sat around and did some dynamic stretching until they announced that the race was indeed still on.  Thank god for that message because I really felt ready for the race at that point and knew it was going to be a special night.  By the time we made it to the start line, there was only a light drizzle, which actually felt quite refreshing on the skin.  The race director didn't make us wait too long and after one false start, the bull horn finally went off to signal the (real) start of the race.

I got off the line without any incidents and settled into a nice, relaxed rhythm.  I wasn't wearing a Garmin and really just wanted to run a smart race using my own pacing powers and competitive spirit.  After the first 800m, the competition had already thinned out considerably, but I was able to keep picking off several guys.  By the time I came through the mile in 5:18, there were really only 4 other guys for me to pass before making it to David Willis, so I focused on them to catch.  After the mile, I passed two of my four targets, and continued rolling on what felt like a great pace.  By the turnaround point, I had caught the last two guys and we ran together until just past the 2 mile point (10:40), in which there was a slight downhill that I really tried to push hard on to break my goal.  I really knew that I had enough time to break 17, but I wanted to make the most of every single change in terrain that could help me be even faster.  With just under a half mile to go, I was able to make a move on both of the guys and hold them off through the finish line.  They really helped push me to break 16:40, so I was really grateful for their company!  As I crossed the finish line, I did something that I rarely do, by lifting up my arms in celebration.  I was celebrating the time even more so than the victory because this is something that I have been chasing for over two years.  It was nice to finally see all my hard work pay off with a huge PR.

I'm definitely thrilled with this race and it shows that I'm doing something right with my training right now as I don't really have a coach. I hope it translates to a good half in just two weeks!!!!!  I feel like I need to run another 5k to validate that I'm truly a sub-17:00 5k girl now.

The race start.  I'm in the middle with a purple top

The race start - I'm in the middle, to the left of the line

Finished - 16:36

Two Records were Broken - Fam in 14:19 and mine in 16:36
David was close to a PR in 16:06!

5x1000m on the Track

Goal:
3x1000m + 4x400m

Actual:
3 mile warmup
5x1000m with 2:30 rest at 3:17, 3:17, 3:17, 3:17, 3:16
3 mile cool down for ~10 miles total

Woke up at 515AM to get out the door by 530 to meet Caleb at his house before running to the JCSU Track together for our workout.  We were supposed to catch a group from the Dowd on the way, and didn't see them so kept on going towards the track.  Only David Willis showed up a couple minutes later, so it was a smaller group that we typically had at the track.  This is mainly due to the fact that several people have been heading to the Summer Track Series on Tuesday evenings to get in their workouts.

I started this workout with the expectation of running 3:20, and was pleasantly surprised to find my splits under that mark.  David was about 10 seconds ahead of me while Caleb was about 10 seconds behind me on each interval, so I was basically alone for the workout.  Sometimes I struggle when I'm in no man's land like that, so I employed some tactics to keep myself focused.  Lacking Laurie's encouraging presence, I kept my eyes straight on David's back so that I wouldn't slow down.  Everything felt very relaxed and controlled, so I came out of the workout feeling pretty confident for the race on Friday in China Grove.

In other news, Garrett was picked up by the Trois Rivieres Aigles in Quebec, Canada.  I'm hoping to get a chance to visit him in late June / early July, but it will be an expensive trip.  It's been exactly four weeks since I last saw him, so by late June I'll undoubtedly be getting a little antsy to see my husband.

Week in Review

65 Miles
0 Doubles
0 Days Off
10x1 Min Workout
17 mile Hard Progression Run
1 Lift Session

I'm behind on my blog that no one reads besides my dad, so I'm keeping this one short.  After a return trip from California, I struggled to adjust back to the east coast swing of things, which resulted in an abysmal start to the week. Fortunately, things began to look up further down the week, when I completed a solid long run with several miles at 5:55-6:15 pace.  We had a very large crew out at McAlpine on Saturday for this progression run and we all put in a good, hard effort  at 6:30 in the morning.  The rest of the weekend was spent taking naps, eating and hanging out at the pool with friends.  I worked hard to get rid of my tan line and definitely got a sunburn to prove it.   Just three weeks until the USA Half Marathon Championships at Grandma's in Duluth, MN and I am ready!