HM Coming Up...

So I am about two weeks out form my half marathon on Sat the 16th. I am getting excited, but I am also doubting myself.

 

I really really want to PR at this race and I would be really happy if I could finish with a 1:40xx something. I hope this is not a far fetched goal.

 

I have been putting in the track workouts and doing hill repeats up and down Capitol Hill every week. But I guess the one thing I have been lacking is doing tempo runs. I kind of try to mix these into my long runs but haven't been doing that great with it.

 

Last week I ran 12 miles at an 8:00 min pace - but I probably only ran 6 miles hitting a 7:50 pace. My half marathon goal pace is a 7:40 and it just seems like it is going to very hard or near to impossible to do.

 

True I ran a 14k at this pace a few weeks ago, but could I hold that pace for another 4.5 miles? I don't know? Then there is the issue of running up that big stupid Calvert hill. I haven't ran that hill at all during training and during Capitol Hill repeats I can usually only hold a 8:30 pace running up that stupid thing. I plan on running most of the course this weekend as my final long run to include the fun hill. Maybe this will give me a better gage to were I am at? Or at the very least make me feel more confident going into the race.

 

Happy Thurs. All :)

Missing a Workout...

Do you ever have one of those days you just don't feel like doing anything?

I had one of those days last Saturday, although my day did not start off like that. I guess the fatal mistake I made was going to do errands first before doing my 2 hour trainer ride. By the time I got home from running around VA it was about 2 o'clock. I was hungry as I didn't really eat lunch but I tried getting on the trainer anyhow. 5 minutes into the spin I was hungry. surprise. So I got off and ate a little snack. I tried getting back on about a half hour later and lasted only 5 minutes again. I just didn't feel into it and knew I would get nothing out of the workout.

About an hour later - I was mad at myself and knew I would be mad at myself for skipping the workout. I had no time to do it the next day as I would be coaching for 12 hours. So attempt number 3 on the trainer came and went. Once again I only lasted 5 minutes and got off the thing.

For the next two hours I watched M take his turn on the trainer and I wasn't jealous and I wasn't upset. Yes I completely missed my workout for no good reason other than being lazy. Yes I know it's bad to skip workouts. Yes I know that this workout leads up to another workout. But I skipped it anyhow.

I do not miss workouts very often and I def am not making a habit out of this! I had the day off of work on Monday and thought about squeezing this ride in with my long run & swim that were moved from Sunday. But then I thought I would just make myself super fatigued for the rest of the week doing all 3 sports on the same day. Not worth it.

Anyhow, if you miss a workout - do you try to make it up or just let it be?

Happy Wednesday All :)

VA is for Lovers 14k Race Report

Ok, so I'm finally writing my race report for the VA is for the Lovers 14k.

 

We (being M and I) drove down to VA Beach on Friday night and stayed with our friends Jill and Mike. They were also racing :)

 

Race morning I had a bagel and banana then the 4 of us headed to the field house. Parking was a little bit of a mess and we had to park farther away than expected. Not too big of a deal and we just gear checked our coats.

 

The nice thing about this race is that the start line is right outside the field house and the finish line is actually inside the field house. We got there about an hour before the 9am start time and it was so nice to hang out somewhere warm and pretend to stretch.

 

It was a super cold and windy morning (maybe 35 with at least 20mph winds) so we only gave ourselves about 15 minutes of standing outside before the race started. M and I had entered the couple challenge, but you actually don't have to run together. They just add your times together for your score. So I started in coral 2 with my M so he could hug and cuddle me to keep me warm even though I was suppose to be in number 1. Not really a big deal, but it was a little annoying weaving in and out of the runners at the start.

Miles 1 - 3: 7:19 - 7:39 - 7:46

I always always go out fast at the beginning. But I was really just trying to get around some of the slower runners and find my comfy zone. I really wasn't paying any attention to my watch until it beeped at mile 1 and I saw I was running to fast. My goal was to run a 7:45 pace so during miles 2 and 3, I got my pace to where I wanted it.

 

Miles 4 - 6: 7:45 - 7:44 - 7:40

I was feeling pretty good even though the wind was being a bitch. I actually probably shouldn't have bothered looking at my watch because this pace felt comfortable. I guess that is the weird thing about wearing a garmin though, you think you have to run a certain pace even though you don't. Maybe I could have ran a little faster if I just ran by feel instead of looking at my watch every time it beeped. During these miles I was also thinking "I have to keep up this pace, I can do it, I want to post on twitter that I got my legs back. I ran fast (for me)." I know.... the little things that keep us motivated during a race.

 

Miles 7-8.66: 7:51 - 7:56 - 4:57

Whomp Whomp Whomp. I was starting to get tired and we were really running into a head wind. I felt like I wasn't moving. I was pissed with the 7:51 mile and I was even more pissed at the 7:56 mile. It wasn't that I was giving up, it just felt like I wasn't moving. My plan was to run the last two miles a 7:30 pace, but I guess I just couldn't do it? I certainly did not give up though like the last couple of races. I kept pushing myself and brought my pace back down to a 7:30 for the last .66 of a mile.

 

Here are my final results:

Overall: I am pretty happy with this race and I am glad I finally had a good race. My goal was a 7:45 and I did that, I ran a 7:40 pace. Yet I am still nit picking my race apart and wishing I ran faster. I guess I will never be happy? I guess I will always want and expect more. Anyhow, it was a fun race and it was fun to hang out with my friends after wards in the nice warm field house and have a beer. M and I did great as a couple (Team MCKIWI) and placed 24th out of 185 couples! 

Happy Friday All and good luck to all marathoners this weekend!