One Last Tempo with Laurie and Eric

Goal:
12-14 miles with 7 miles wave tempo starting at 548 (target range 546-555) and alternating with 615-625

Actual:
3.7 mile warmup
7 mile wave tempo in 41:05 @ 540, 608, 543, 604, 535, 615, 540
2.7 mile cool down for 13.4 miles total

My last big workout before Grandma's Half was a success.  After Saturday's bomb of workout, I needed that!  It was quite possibly my last tempo as a permanent resident of Charlotte and with Laurie, so I'm glad I can leave on a positive note.  At 5:50AM, I warmed up with Michelle and Phill before dropping them off and continuing on my way to get Laurie and Eric.  We decided to do two loops of the 2-Mile Dilworth Speed Loop before heading down to the Sugar Creek Greenway for the remaining miles.

Laurie and I started it off a little quick, but the pace felt reasonable so I went with it.  After that one, Eric told us that we "weren't being disciplined," but he was wrong.  Whenever I go out too hard, I calculate what are the odds that I can continue at that pace or faster and if the odds are in my favor, I continue pushing forward.  Today was one of those days where the odds were good and I ignored Eric.  Oddly enough, I felt pretty terrible on mile 5 because I had a weird breathing issue / stomach cramp that was making it very difficult for me to maintain my composure.  I told myself to just ignore it and it would go away.  Sure enough, it did.  It's these sort of tactics I need to employ in the race should something go terribly wrong.

I felt really good about this tempo and it shows that running 5:48 pace or faster for the half in just 10 days is completely within reason.  As Terry told me a couple weeks ago, running sub 5:50s should feel quite manageable in the first hour at Grandma's and the last 15 minutes or so will just have to come from racing tough.  I am ready.

3 x Broken 1.5 Mile Repeats

Goal:
3x1.5M with each 800m at a different pace @ 254, 300-307, 240-245 with 3:00 rest.  Option to do one mile of 30s on / off if I feel good

Actual:
2.7 mile warmup
3 x 1.5 mile with 3 min rest for 5.3 miles in 31:12 minutes for 5:53 pace
2:51, 2:57, 2:37 (3:02 for .4 mile of rest)
2:45, 2:59, 2:39 (3:04 for .4 mile of rest)
2:44, 2:58, 2:36
4.4 mile cool down in 34:00

This workout was awesome! It was really fun to break the 1.5 mile into 3 different segments with different target paces.  It also helped tremendously that at 530AM Laurie, Aaron and Eric joined me.  We did this on the 2 mile speed loop but went on the turnaround at Park Road so we didn't have to do a sharp turn on the faster 800m. This worked out perfectly as the jog back to the start was about 3 minutes exactly. 

We took out the pace too fast on the first 800m and Eric stated frankly after 400m this fact.  Aaron said "okay."  We continued on our way.  I was feeling good and it appeared Laurie was too so I didn't really want to hold back any and I vowed I would hit the same paces (or roughly around them) for the remainder of the workout.  On the last set, Aaron took off with just 400m to go and I already knew we were rather quick. Although I finished last by a couple of meters, I felt really pleased with what I had accomplished.  Granted, it wasn't many miles of work because the focus is on my big workout on Saturday, but these paces were fairly easy to hit.  

I think the average pace without the rest for the 4.5 miles of intervals was 5:34, which is exactly what I ran in the 8k this past weekend.

At this point in my training cycle, I feel like things are just really falling into place. It's nice to be able to run 5:53 pace with 3:00 jog rest for over 5 miles and not feel like it was anything crazy. I felt really strong out there today and knew that even if we went out a little fast in the first 800m that I would be able to run just as fast for the remaining 2 intervals.   Now I just hope I can do the same on Saturday.

Solo Pyramid Workout

Goal:
2k @ 547 (75 sec) - 1k @525 (2min) - 600m @ 520 or faster (2min) - 600 (2min) - 600 ( 2-3min) - 1k (75sec) - 2k

Actual:
3 mile warmup
2k in 5:38, 1:20 (1:15)
1k in 3:21 (2:01)
600m in 1:58 (2:03)
600m in 1:58 (1:52)
600m in 1:58 (3:01)
1k in 3:20 (1:16)
2k in 5:35, 1:19
6 miles total with rest in 38:00
3.25 mile cool down for 12.25 miles in am
4.5 miles in pm for 16.9 miles total for day

I forgot how much I absolutely LOVE speed workouts.  Somehow, even without my standard entourage of workout buddies, I was able to absolutely crush this workout...and enjoy mostly every second of it.  I love when a plan falls together.  

My paces were faster for the 2k and 1k segments at the beginning and I realized that since I had taken it out hard in the beginning that I would have to match that pace in the end.  I did just that.  I actually was quite thrilled with this workout and hope that it bodes well for my 8k this weekend in Durham.  I didn't say much on my cool down to Michelle because I don't want to jinx anything.  Plus, I need to be killing the endurance workouts at this point, so hopefully it all means a good half marathon is to come. 

Pre-Race w/ Tim

Goal:
10 miles with 4-5 x 400M @ 80 w/ 90s rest, 1 mile @ 530-535, 2:30 rest, 4-5 x 400m @ 78

Actual
3 mile warmup
4x400m in 78, 78, 78, 76 (w 72-84s rest)
1 mile in 531 (2:16 rest)
4x400m in 78, 78, 76 75 (w/ 80-87s rest)
3 miles cool down for 10+ miles total

Today’s 5:30AM workout can best be summed up with Tim’s Facebook post:

Speedwork with Caitlin. Very 'unique' motivation. I heard "hurry up old man," the lie of "after these 400s this 535 mile will feel super easy," "you dropping back motivated me to speed up even more" and my personal favorite "don't pass out cause you're way too heavy for me to pick up and move”

While the above makes me look like an arrogant POS, I promise that Tim enjoyed every second of this workout.  We really pushed each other on the 400s and I definitely ran faster because Tim was there.  I feel really fast and strong going into Cooper River.  Now I’m just hoping that the win cooperates some!

2 x Broken-Two-Mile

Goal:
2 x 2m via 550-600 pace through 1.5 miles, then fast (245 or faster) last 1/2 mile. 3:00-4:00 jog between. If no worse for the wear after, then prior to cooldown do 6-8 x ~100m strides at a fast but controlled effort (e.g. anywhere from mile to 3k race pace).

Actual:
4 mile warmup in 30:00
2x2 mile at 11:23 - 550, 533 (2:48/2:44), 3:21 jog rest, 11:12 - 539, 533 (2:51/2:42)
4 mile cool down in 29:00 with 6x ~100m stride for 12.5 miles total

It’s always a huge confidence booster to nail the workout one week prior to a goal race!  Around 8AM on Saturday, I headed out the door to meet Phil and Eric at the Speed Loop for some two mile repeats with a faster last half mile.  I knew that this workout would be mostly solo after the first mile since I had prescribed a different workout for Eric as he preps for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.  Sure enough, after 1 mile into my first set, I felt really good and was already a couple steps ahead of Eric.  I barreled ahead, with my own will and determination propelling me forward.  I pushed through a little too hard on that last mile, but my legs felt absolutely great. During my jog rest, I mentally prepared to ensure the same speed was maintained in the second set.

Fortunately for me, I did just that and came through 1.5 miles in a solid 5:40 pace and picked it up to a 2:42 last half mile.  I was really thrilled to hit these paces without much effort.  Especially after such a dismal mid-week workout, I was happy I didn’t have any stomach issues on this one.  I’ve really enjoyed the workouts that Terry has given me over the past couple of weeks.  They’ve really zoned in on my goal 10k pace (5:30-5:35) and have allowed me to come out feeling strong and confident for Cooper River in just 7 days.

After the workout, I hopped in the car for a quick day trip to Durham to make our final decision on housing.  Within 8 hours, I saw two houses, ate lunch with my in-laws and determined that the carriage house truly is the perfect fit for Garrett and me to live in during our time in Durham.  Basically, we will live in Hope Valley Country Club, which is nestled only half a mile from established greenways, but also filled with several road loops that I’m sure I can turn into my own new “Speed Loop.”  I am excited!

4 x 2 Miles on DSL

Goal:
4x2 Miles @ 6:00-5:50 with 2:00 jog rest...Stick with 6:00 to ensure you can hit 4 repeats

Actual:
3+ miles warmup
4x2 miles with 2:00 rest 8M total in 46:43
Splits:
600 / 556 (11:56) 1:59 rest
552 / 552 (11:44) 2:06 rest
548 / 547 (11:35) 2:01 rest
544 / 544 (11:28)
2.4 miles cool down for ~14 miles total

This is exactly the workout I needed to boost my confidence.  Considering that just four weeks ago, I struggled to hit 555s for three repeats, running the same workout but with an addition rep seemed almost impossible to me.  I’ve been battling a cold and just ran a good 10k on Saturday, so I felt like the odds were not in my favor.  However, in the early pre-dawn hours, Eric and I hit the Dilworth Speed Loop and surprised each other.  Running side by side down Worthington and Tremont Avenues, we found a rhythm that helped push the other along and bested our own expectations.  Before the third set, I told Eric that I wanted to slow it up in the beginning.  We did, but after 600 meters, I knew I felt good so I kept rolling the pace to drop it down.  I was not glancing at my watch, but Eric dropped back and said “we are too fast” and I said “okay” and kept rolling.  When we came through our mile split in 5:48, he told me “remember now that I warned you to slow down.”  When we finished that one, we both put it out in the open that sometimes our workout strategies make it difficult for the other.  I like going on feel and ignoring my watch (and sometimes my own workout time goals) whereas he likes to conserve energy and check his garmin constantly and wait to open up until the last interval.

After we got that out there, we agreed to try to hit the same pace for the fourth and final set. We came in a hair faster through the mile and then Eric really opened up on the last mile to beast out a 5:3x mile while I came in perfectly even.

I’m thrilled about this workout and where it indicates my fitness lies.  The times weren’t blazing fast, but I wasn’t uncomfortable until maybe the last mile.  Even so, I was completely relaxed and never felt like I was completely ruining my body.  It’s great to see that things are finally coming together after a long break over Christmas.

5x(1000m-400m) on the Speed Loop

Goal:
5-6x(1000m @ 3:29-3:34-200m rest-400m @ 78-80 -400m rest) for 12 miles total

Actual:
3 mile warmup
5xabove with splits of:
1000m-(200m rest)-400m-(400m rest)
3:34-(69)-79-(2:06) mile in 602
3:34-(62)-79-2:15 mile in 5:55
3:34-(66)-79-2:11 mile in 5:59
3:34-(68)-79-2:08 mile in 6:01
3:33-(69)-79- mile in 6:01
6 miles total in 38:51 with the rest included
3 mile cool down for 12 miles total

With a sore achilles on Saturday, I was a littler nervous going into this workout because I wasn't sure how it would hold up in the cold and with a little bit of speed.  However, I hadn't felt anything on my runs on Sunday and Monday, so I crossed my fingers that the sore achilles was just a temporary ache that cropped up in the peak of my marathon training cycle.

At 530AM this morning, I ran to the speed loop to meet Laurie and Mike.  The plan was to run the 1200m Dilworth Speed loop for the 1000m-200m part and then to run straight into the 400m fast, turn around and jog right back to the start...and repeat five times.  For each 1000m interval, I started out pretty slower (~88s for 400m) and then made a move to pick it up to hit the slowest end of my pace target. Laurie commented on my tactics, which I hadn't really noticed at first.  Laurie would drop after 800m since she still is recovering from Chicago.

The 400s I was hoping to be faster, but right now my 5k pace is technically around 80s based on my 5k time from August, so I was pleased with my ability to hit right below that.  Admittedly, it was definitely a shock to the system to run 5:20 pace, but I felt very strong and held perfect form. Laurie also commented on my form...Maybe she's trying to boost my ego?

Overall this workout felt really good and I purposely chose not to run a 6th interval, not because I was tired, but rather because I want to truly take a down week.  I didn't have any achilles issues, but I still want to be smart and take it easy during this week when I have the chance.  Laurie and I have the Governor's Cup Half Marathon on Saturday in Columbia, SC, where we hope to tie and take home a nice prize purse so I know I'll get in some good work there.

Pre-Race 1000s

Goal:
10-12 miles total with 5x1000m, odds at 5:50 pace (1:00 rest), evens at 5:30 pace (2:00 rest). 6th one 30 sec on / off

Actual:
2.6 mile warmup
3:37 (1:02)
3:26 (1:58)
3:35 (1:05)
3:26 (1:55)
3:34 (2:06)
30 sec on/off 1000m in 3:39
3 mile cool down for 10 miles total

I ran this solo, except for the first interval where I briefly had Phil and Tim running with me.  After that, I was pretty lonely, but I figured it didn't really matter since I have a half marathon this Saturday.  Not much to report, except that I came away feeling prepped and ready for hopefully a great half on Sunday in DC.  About mid-morning, Meagan texted me:  "So, your half is cancelled?"  I had no idea what she was talking about, but after some facebook stalking, I discovered that the Woodrow Wilson Half course went right through a national park, which was closed due to the government shutdown.  The half was cancelled, but I didn't know that during the workout.  If I had, I definitely would have done a couple more repeats.

3x2 Mile in Dilworth

Goal:
3x2 Mile with 2:00 Rest at 5:55-5:50

Actual:
2.8 warmup
3x2 with 2:00 rest in 5:55, 5:54, and 5:47 averages
3 mile cool down for 12 miles total

Just like last week, I had Laurie and Eric for company again on the Dilworth speed loop. My legs felt pretty sluggish, but the company made it easy to get it done.  Laurie took off on the last mile, and I hung back again because my legs just didn't have that extra gear to go any faster.  It was just one of those workouts where I got it done for the sake of getting in the work, but I didn't have any real pleasure while doing it.

4x1.5 Mile in Dilworth

Goal:
4x(800m rest @ 3:30-3:45, 1.5 miles @ 5:50...8 mile average should be ~6:10

Actual:
8 miles in 47:21 with splits of 605, 544, 510, 542, 605, 544, 605, 546
13.2 miles total

This workout went great.  Thank goodness for Laurie and Eric because they really pulled me along. This was just one of those days when everything just clicked. I felt good and the rest seemed way too easy, so we of course didn't maintain that pace.  Most of our rest times were between 3:15-3:25 and then we had a pretty quick first .5 mile of our "on" portion.  Laurie pulled away from me on the last interval, but my legs could still feel some of the lingering effects from the mile race so I let her go.

3x(2k-1k) on the Speed Loop

Goal:
3x(2k @ 5:50, 60-70 sec rest, 1k @ 535-540, 3:30 rest)

Actual:
2.8 mile warmup
2k in 7:30, 65s rest
1k in 3:31, 3:30 rest
2k in 7:14, 65s rest
1k in 3:31, 3:30 rest
2k in 7:13, 65s rest
1k or 25s fast and 35s slow with Laurie in 3:40
1.7 mile cool down for ~ 12 miles total

You can expect to always find me on the two mile speed loop on Wednesday mornings.  It's been my standard workout place for the past couple of weeks and will continue to be so until December. 

I was slow on the first 2k because I wanted to run with Pezz and Laurie for at least a portion of their wave tempo, so I hung with them until my Garmin beeped at me to slow down for my short rest.  This workout was easy for me aerobically, but I was a little disappointed that I wasn't able to go much faster on the 1k.  I still hit the target pace that Terry had prescribed, but I wanted at least one of them to be under 3:30.  I also felt like the rest after the 1k was too long.  If I ever do this workout again, I'd love to do with 2:30-3:00 rest just to put a true test to my fitness gains.

4x2 Mile with 2:00 Rest

Goal:
4x2mile with 2 min rest @ 6:00, 6:00, 5:50, 5:50

Actual:
2.5 mile warmup
4x2 mile with 2:00 rest in 47:36
5:58 / 6:00 - 11:58 (2:01)
5:53 / 5:58 - 11:51 (2:00)
5:52 / 5:58 - 11:49 (2:15)
5:58 / 6:00 - 11:58
1.8 mile cool down for ~13 miles

Honestly, if it weren't for Billy and Phil, I definitely wouldn't have done this workout.  I went to bed last night with a sore ab, and I just thought it was a tummy ache at that point.  Little did I know that the pike ab exercise I did on Tuesday morning would such a negative effect on my pathetically weak ab muscles.

On the warmup, it felt like someone was stabbing my lower ab with a knife.  My form was all messed up and I felt like I was hunching over to accommodate for the pain.  I decided to do the warmup and try one interval and assess the odds of my workout success after that.  Before starting, I performed a little self massage on my lower right ab and reluctantly toed the line with the boys.  Surprisingly, the ab wasn't too bad on the first one, so I decided to go for another one.  On the second, it still wasn't great, but not noticeably terrible like it was on the warmup.  Somehow I was able to finish all four of the intervals without pulling any ab or fainting from pain.  These weren't at the times that I had been hoping for, but given the circumstances, I was really pleased with this effort.

10x1000M with 1:00 Rest

Goal:
8-10x1000m @ 5:45-5:48 average (3:34-3:36) with 1:00-1:10 jog rest

Actual:
3.1 mile warmup
10x1000M @ 5:44 average (3:34/km) with 1:00-1:20 jog rest
1.5 mile cool down for 12 miles total

Splits:
3:37 (1:00)
3:34 (1:20 - water)
3:29 (1:03)
3:33 (1:04)
3:35 (1:19 - water)
3:34 (1:00)
3:39 (1:10 - fell asleep)
3:33 (:59)
3:36 (1:03)
3:34

As always, this run took place before sunrise, as both Laurie and I departed our houses and met halfway on East Blvd. Typically, our pace increase 60+ seconds from low 8:00s to low 7:00s once our paths meet, but this morning was different.  With an unspoken agreement, the looming monster of a workout prevented our legs from going any faster for the warmup.  Perhaps the humidity played a role as well because it was definitely sticky out there--Laurie even stated matter-of-factly: "Today, it's 100% humidity."  I wasn't particularly thrilled when the warmup ended and inevitably the workout had to start. When it did, we started out perfectly on pace.  Then, of course, we got a little excited and ran the fastest interval of the day on #3.  I hoped it wouldn't ruin the rest of the workout for me.  The 1000m speed loop proved to be a perfect location for this because the finish line was exactly a 55 second (brisk) jog back to the start line.  I averaged around 6:05-6:25 pace for the miles with the rest included, so that indicates how truly fast the rest was.

After the 5th, Laurie headed home and the rest of the workout was left up to me.  I should note that finishing a workout of this magnitude never happens for me. Sure, I can run 16x400m all day, but anything over 800m in distance and over eight repeats in duration...typically I wimp out after six. Perhaps in the past, I was too aggressive on the pacing, so I reminded myself of this fact throughout. 

Indeed, today truly was different.  I found an inner resolve (that's definitely not normally present) to complete this workout, no matter what.  Doing eight repeats?  Not even an option--only ten!  That little voice inside my head that I talked about last week?  Gone. 

The only thing that didn't go right happened when I fell asleep on #6, which just turned on another switch in my brain to push harder.  I focused on running fast without straining and knew, even when it started to hurt the most--around the 9th one--that I was going to finish this. This workout was definitely tough to mentally force myself to stay on pace, but it wasn't tough from a "Will I finish it?" perspective. 

It's this type of workout that will make me mentally stronger during miles 7-10 in a half marathon.  It was almost a good thing that Laurie left halfway through because it forced me to find the ability to dig deep out of my own volition.   Only positive feelings came out of this workout, which is yet another sign that I'm moving in the right direction. 

Next up:  OrthoCarolina 10k

5xMile on the Speed Loop

Goal:
4-6xmile @ 5:55 with 1:00 jog rest

 Actual:

3.6 miles warm-up to Dilworth Speed Loop

5:56 (1:00 jog - .1mile)

5:56 (1:00 jog - .1mile)

5:54 (1:00 jog - .1 mile)

5:55 (1:45 jog /water / pee break - .1 mile + stop)

5:47

~ 2 miles Cool down for 11 Miles total

After a 5:08AM alarm, I was alert and mentally ready for my workout literally one minute after I hopped out of bed.  I just hoped that my legs would respond in the same way that my mind wanted them to.  By 5:30, I was out the door for a longer warmup before meeting Eric on the Speed Loop at 6.  Of course, my legs felt sluggish and heavy on the warmup, which carried over into the first interval.  We started out pretty slow in the first 800m (~6:10 pace), but I knew that I would make up ground on the downhill on Lexington.  I felt best on the second interval but basically survived for the third and fourth.  At that point, I was utterly convinced that I was done for the day.  Even Eric  was so convinced  I was done that he left to go do some 400m repeats.  There I stood, in an RBC Bank parking lot, contemplating how I only did 4 intervals while sipping on cold water.  After Eric took off, I secretly decided to do another interval so that I wouldn't feel like such a wimp.  I created my own route and didn't look at my watch and just ran.  This ended up being my fastest one for the day, but I cheated a little because I had an extended rest period in between with lots of water. 

In assessing this workout, my paces were most likely all over the place during each interval as I would start out slow before letting a trigger go off in my mind.  "Get it together, Caitlin Work hard, push the pace."   I'm not sure if it was the voice inside my head or Eric's actual voice that pushed me below 6:00 for each mile.  Regardless, I am pleased with my resilience and determination to hit my targets, but annoyed at how hard the workout felt.  It could be due to a lack of fitness.  It could be due to being sick last week.  Or, it could just due to the 100% humidity in the air.  It's clear that I just need to put in the work and be patient because I still have just under 8 weeks until the half in DC, which is plenty of time to get strong for the longer distances.     

5x1000m on the Speed Loop

Goal:
5x1000m at 3:31-5:26 with 2:30 rest

Actual:
3 mile warmup
5x1000m at 3:24, 3:23, 3:22, 3:22, 3:21 with 2:30 jog rest
2.5 mile cool down for 9.3 miles total

pm: 6.5 miles with Nick for 15.8 miles total

The goal for this workout was to simulate my goal paces for the race on Saturday night.  With set time bonuses for the prize money, I figured it'd be easy to choose my goal paces based on those--namely: sub-17:43 ($300) and sub-17:15 ($200).  I roughly calculated the the splits and felt ready to set out on slightly less than ambitious times.  I purposely slowed down the paces because June was basically a bust of a month for mileage and I've only had four solid weeks of training under my belt.

Caleb, Billy and I met up at the Speed Loop and got to business quickly.  Caleb stuck with me, which is a change to his normal routine--sprint out ahead of me and then come back to be even with me after 300m. He made a conscious decision to just stick to my strategy and I think it worked out best for both of us.  I didn't panic that I was going out too fast and he didn't slow down tremendously.  Our splits for the 400m and 800m were generally slower and then I would mentally make a note to push it really hard in the last 200-400m.  This helped drive the paces faster so that we could run a progression of sorts for each interval.  Definitely very pleased with this as I ran faster than my goal paces and left feeling ready to run a solid 5k on Saturday night.

10x400m in Dilworth

Goal:
10-12x400m with 1:30 rest

Actual:
4 mile warmup
10x400m with 75 sec rest @ 78-80 with one at 75
2 mile cool down for 8.7 miles total

pm: 5 miles with Nick from house (13.7 miles for day)

Caleb moves to the suburbs in a couple of weeks, so I will be losing the luxury of having a training buddy just half a mile from my house.  I am really maximizing my workout time with him as the weeks pass and his inevitable move date comes closer.  Fortunately, Laurie isn't going anywhere anytime soon, so we pulled her in for some speed as well. 

This was the first workout back for the girls so we opted for the Dilworth Speed Loop instead of the JCSU track.  Laurie and I didn't even check our splits so that it was purely based on effort.  Of course I cheated after 6 and asked Caleb what he had been hitting.  My legs definitely felt a little rusty, resulting in Caleb being a couple steps ahead of me on each one.  I didn't like having him pull away from me on each one, but I found that my motivation was rather low, making it difficult to push ahead of him.  I did muster my fastest split of the day at the very end, which is always a great way to walk away from a workout.  Other than that, I was pleased wtih the first hard effort back after a 4 week hiatus.  Looking forward to getting into half marathon specific workouts. 

Tempo + 400s

Goal:
Pre Race workout with tempo + speed

Actual:
3 mile warmup
4x400m in 72, 73, 73, 72 w/ 1:30 rest b/w and 3:00 b/w set
2 mile tempo in 11:09 - 5:36, 5:33 (4:00 rest)
4x400m in 73, 75, 75, 74 with 1:30 rest
3 mile cool down for 10 miles total

Today Garrett left for baseball for the entire season, so it was silly of me to think that I'd actually wake up to do a workout with Laurie.  After a fitful night of sleep because I was undoubtedly thinking about Garrett leaving for 5+ months, I woke up to cancel on Laurie and sleep for an additional 2 hours.  By 8AM, Garrett dropped me off at work before embarking on a ten hour drive to Indiana to begin his baseball season.  Our goodbye went something like this as we left the house:

Garrett (heads for the door):  Alright, let's go.
Caitlin:  Uh...don't I get a hug or something.
Garrett (perplexed):  Oh, right...
Caitlin (gives Garrett a hug):  See you in July, I guess.
Garrett:  Yeah, I'm so excited to start pitching.

...In other words, peace out, wife!!  And Garrett left like giddy kindergartner on the first day of school while I remained the dejected, unpopular kid left behind.

Having said all that, I ran my workout in the evening with Caleb and Eric on the Dilworth Speed Loop.  I was really excited about all the splits I ran and felt really comfortable, but as I cooled down I realized that the times may have been a little too aggressive for a pre-race workout.  I'm hoping to win the 10k on Saturday, so I should have put on the brakes a little bit so I didn't feel so gassed after the workout.  We'll see what happens!

4 mile Tempo + 400s

Goal:
5 mile tempo in GHMP

Actual:
3.1 mile warmup
4 mile tempo in 23:40 5:55 (5:53, 6:00, 5:56, 5:52) + 400m in 79
3 mile cool down  for 11 miles total

The plan was to do whatever tempo Laurie was doing, but she had a rough night of sleep, so I was left to hopefully run with Jay Barringer.  Well, he didn't show up at the Dilworth Speed Loop at 6AM, so I had to find my own intrinsic motivation to get the work done.  While I am very appreciative of the running club and the plethora of group runs it offers, it has made me somewhat of a baby when it comes to working out on my own.  I guess it kind of makes sense because even in college, I rarely ran alone, and even if I did, my coach was there to support me.

To ensure that I got the work done, I decided to run the 800m speed loop four times.  After my garmin clicked off 2 miles, I headed to the standard 2 mile part and stopped after 4 miles.  Then I decided to do 4x400m to give my legs a little bit of a kick since I have an 8k coming up on Saturday.  While I would have liked to had faster splits for the tempo, I was pleased with how I bounced back after a slower 2nd mile.  The 400s didn't feel spectacular, but the point was not necessarily to go fast, but rather to get the legs going at a speed faster than tempo.

My goal for the half in June is to start out at 5:55 pace and then to gradually drop down to 5:50 so that I can be poised for a PR (faster than 1:17:50).  I think that if I continue to get these tempos done with company, I'll prove to myself that my goal is realistic.

13x400m on Speed Loop

Goal:
5 Mile Wave

Actual:
3 mile warmup
13x400m with 1:00 rest at 76-79
2.5 cool down for ~9 miles total

I was going to do a 5 mile wave tempo, but I hadn't done speed in a while and I had the Moe's Burrito Dash coming up on Saturday.  So I switched things up and opted to do a tempo next week.   Phil came out with me for the first 5 intervals, but then the top of his foot began to hurt and so he dropped out.  Later he sent me a snapchat with a picture of him in a boot -- stress reaction.  With him out, I changed my strategy because my motivation was wavering.  I relaxed as much as possible going through the first half and then once I passed the 200m mark, I changed gears to push really hard.  This method seemed to work really well for me because all of my times began to drop.  I was running 1-2 seconds faster than I had with Phil!  After I completed 13 400s, I called it a day and ran home, feeling satisfied with the effort.

Some 400s on the DSL

Goal:
14x400m with 1:00 rest

Actual:
3.7 mile warmup
4x600m (157, 200, 159, 200 w/ 1:45 rest)+ 6x400m (77, 77, 77, 77, 75, 75 w/ 75 sec rest)
3 mile cool down for 10 miles total

I had 14x400m on the schedule for today, but I really want to set myself up for a PR on Saturday, so I decided to switch it up a bit for only 3 miles of quality.  I had the pleasure of working out with Laurie for the first time in 2013 and it was a tremendous help!  All the guys that I typically work out with were all recovering from PRs from the weekend, so it was basically just the two of us on the Dilworth Speed Loop in the dark, early morning hours.

There really isn't much to report here except that I came away feeling like I got some good turnover in the legs without overly taxing myself physically.  I'm looking forward to more workouts with Laurie as we both continue to get into better shape than we are now!