16x400m Repeats

Goal:
16x400m with 1 min rest at 78-83

Actual:
3 mile warmup
16x400m at 78-83 with 1:00 rest
2.5 mile cool down for 9.5 miles total

pm:  4.5 miles for 14 miles total

After learning that I've got low iron and that I'm trying to do too much at this point in my life, I decided to do 400s.  Why 400s? Because they are easy to handle mentally and I didn't have to even look at my splits on the speed loop.  I was fortunate to have the company of Spada and Caleb for this workout in the early morning hours on the Dilworth Speed Loop.  We started off and I felt okay, not too winded but not a walk in the park, either.  I let Caleb and Spada speed ahead in front of me, and felt no worry. I didn't look at my splits, which helped a lot.  Towards intervals 10, 11, and 12, I felt terrible, and when I looked at my splits after the workout, my times reflected this (81-83 splits here), but then I was able to pull it back together by the last set.  In fact, I really wanted to quit after 12 intervals, but I vowed to myself prior to the workout that if things started getting tough that I would just slow it down.  I didn't even have to slow it down once I reached what I thought was my breaking point; I just needed to get my mind focused and in the right spot and I was able to fight through my own mental shortcomings.  All in all, the focus of this workout was to run fast time.  Instead, it was to come out of it feeling mentally stronger than when I went into it, and I achieved just that.

(Wedding Shower) Week in Review

75 Miles
16 mile long run
1 Tempo Fail (third time in a row)
4 Doubles
4 Days in Carbondale

As you tell above, there's a couple of common themes going on here: (1) that I keep failing at workouts and (2) that I've been busy with a whirlwind of wedding festivities.  My wedding isn't anytime soon...not until December 29th, but it's more fun to have these types of things in the beautiful fall weather.

So, about number (1).  On my long run with Garrett, I realized that I'm in the exact same spot that I was in back in November of 2011, before the Oympic Trials.  In fact, if you go back and read my blog from that month, you'll notice that the tone was tainted with a bit of negativity, because running just wasn't easy.  I realized that I had really low iron during that period, so it was nice to have an answer then.  I haven't gotten my iron checked yet, but I'm just going to go ahead and assume that iron is the issue.  Right now, my mind isn't in the place it needs to be in order to finish a marathon.  I want to toe the line in Philly knowing that I'm in the best mental and physical shape of my life.  I know that I've been running an average of 80-90 miles over the summer and that I also haven't been injured for a prolonged period of time since 2005.  Those two factors combine probably point to that the fact that I am physically in shape, but my mind and my iron aren't where they need to be.  The challenge of running is to fight through it when it gets tough and mentally challenging.  This is a big year for me--competing at the Olympic Trials Marathon, starting a new role at the Bank, and planning a wedding all in the same year is quite a lot.  All great things, of course, but I am such a planner and over-thinker that sometimes I put too much stress on my mind and body that for a couple of weeks every year, I just crumble and feel tired and whiney.  Everyone has their moments, and this is mine. I hope to get it out of my system by like, oh, tomorrow, in time to fully enjoy this beautiful fall weather that Mother Nature has finally bestowed upon us in North Carolina.  Of course, I'll take my iron pills, continue my ab regime, keep on taking dance lessons, writing the CRC newsletter and the other stuff I cram into a day while working full time at BOA and cross my fingers that it'll all come together by the time I get to Philly.

So--enough about running.  Let's talk about getting married! Getting married is quite possibly one of the best things ever to happen in your life not just because you marry your very best friend ever, but also because all of your family and friends treat you like you're a princess.  Seriously, I thought I was spoiled already, but I REALLY got spoiled this week.  Everyone is so very nice and throws big parties, makes delicious food, and buys very nice presents.  I felt like Cinderella after she met the Beast, when she got rich.  Bachelorette parties and wedding showers are so much fun and I am so blessed and grateful to have such awesome family members to host fabulous events for Garrett and me as we embark on a life together.  After my sister organized a trip for 8 girls in wine country, she continued her mastery by helping my mom organize a scavenger hunt and dinner for 30 guests at our Carbondale farm.  My mom and dad picked 50 cucumbers and cut 100 watermelons from their own garden for us to enjoy.  My other parents--Scott and Ann--drove all the way from Greenville, NC, which is a 16+ hour drive, to see us and to partake in the festivities.  It was definitely and great weekend with terrific weather and even better friends and family.  Thanks to all who came out...I'm so grateful to know you all!

Looking forward to even more wedding events as the date draws closer...and also to better running!

(Bachelorette) Week in Review

78 Miles
3 Doubles
3 Runs with Wake Girls
11 Mile Long Run
3 Mile Tempo Fail

So this week started off with a terrible tempo, which seems to be the theme for me the past couple of weeks.  I had a goal of running 5 miles, and I only ran 3 and felt awful.  My left hamstring was still preventing me from getting the full range of motion and I just felt like it wasn't worth it to push it.  It was also exceptionally humid, which didn't help my breathing.  I've also come to the self-diagnosis of having low ferritin because I get this feeling like once a year and I hate running, feel terrible, am tired all the time and take forever to recover and absolute crap workouts.  In a nutshell, that's how I feel.  I know that with a couple of week's time, I'll get over it and feel more confident again, but such is the ebb and flow for running for me right now.  Of course, since the week started off on a mediocre note from the running perspective, I was more than ecstatic for my bachelorette weekend in California, where I would be reunited with Michelle, Selina, Liz and Marley--four of my former teammates at Wake.  Also, my sister, Athena and Anna would be making the trip from California.  By the time I got off the plane in San Fran, the crisp, cold, fresh air greeted me with a great welcome and I immediately knew running would be better here.

Debauchery occurred on Thursday night at the bars in downtown San Fran, and then after that, a much more low key and relaxing trip commenced.  We made family dinner every night, floated the river in our backyard with deflated tubes, hiked in the redwoods, winery-hopped in Sonoma County and relaxed in a hot tub.  I felt like I was back in college because every morning the five of us trekked outside in the 50-degree weather to run together...even if it was only for 45-60 minute runs, they were a blast.  On Sunday, we made our way to Sonoma Coast State Park on the beach, in hopes of running along a trail on the cliff of the ocean.  The first six minutes of the run were up and down a cliff, and we were all huffing and puffing, secretly hoping that this wasn't going to be the entirety of the run. Fortunately, the terrain leveled off and we were left in the dense fog that was blocking our view of the expanse of the ocean only 500 feet from us.

By the time Monday came around, I didn't want to leave our blissful river cabin in Guerneville, California, but I knew that the Democratic National Convention was calling my name back to Charlotte to witness some of the mayhem going on back here.

Week in Review

100 Miles
20 Mile Long Run
1 Workout - Funnel Tempo
4 Doubles

So, the reason for my absence from my blog is that Garrett returned from Evansville, Indiana to begin his off season which is quite possibly one of my most favorite times of the year because I get to spend time with him again.  Needless to say, I am three weeks behind on my blog, which makes me think of how I would get so upset when Jordan Kinley didn't update his blog for quite some time. I'm pretty sure that no one missed the blog except for my mom, who reads it regularly to keep up with my life.

Besides running 100 miles this week, it was otherwise rather uneventful.  I completed a mediocre 7.5 mile tempo in the humidity with the boys, and then ran an awesome 20 miler on Saturday at McAlpine with Aaron and a couple others.  It was the first time that I've run with Aaron in quite some time, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I'm definitely feeling a little out of whack in my running right now, which is unfortunate.  My left hamstring has been causing some annoyance, but nothing painful (thank god).  I'm trying to manage that while also keeping my mileage up.  Fortunately, the next two weeks are slightly down weeks as I'll be traveling to San Fran for my bachelorette party and then to Illinois for a wedding shower.  Lots of time will be spent in the air or in a car, so I know it will be tough for my body to recover properly.