Success is in the air! Week of Apr 21-Apr 27 in Review

If you thought the last post detailed a good week, then this post will detail what I considered an even better week. Our goal this week was to run every day of the week, have one double, one good tempo run, and an excellent long run!  The week started off extremely well. I was fortunate to get to run with Kimi over lunch every day this week. We had some solid 8 and 9 mile runs near 6:50 mile pace. nailed our double on Tuesday just like we had planned. Wednesday followed with another solid run, which brings me to Thursday and our workout day.

*The Workout* The goal was a 4 mile tempo run with each mile right at or slightly under 6 min pace. This would bring us in at just under 24 minutes. If you would have asked either of us prior to the workout just how we thought it would turn out, neither of us would have guessed what resulted. We did our two mile warm up and then gathered ourselves. We looked at each other with one last attempt to gather confidence from the other and then counted down. 3-2-1-Go! The timer's were started and we were on our way. We came through the first half mile on pace to run a 5:52 which I just assumed would slowly creep up closer to 6min. It didn't! We rolled through the second mile in the exact same time and then began the third mile which is slightly more uphill. Much to my surprise, the pace never climbed above 5:55 during the entire uphill portion of the mile. After clipping off a 3rd mile at 5:51, I got rather excited for the finishing result. I looked at Kimi and chuckled a bit, "let's make this an epic finish!"  We increased the intensity a bit and were now holding strong at 5:45 pace through the first half mile of our 4th mile. The intensity picked up some more and now with only a quarter to go, we were on pace for a 5:42.  I looked at Kimi and said, "we can still break 5:40!"  We dug deeper and cranked up the intensity even more. We managed to clip off a 5:38 by the finish and were both very excited about the workout.  Perhaps this would be the workout that we will both look back at and remember as the turning point in our 2014 training cycle.

Next up was the task of having an awesome long run.  We headed out to Willard Saturday morning be since I had some friends that were running the Railroad 8k.  Our goal was to get there early enough to try and time it up where we could see my friends finish and possibly help one of them on to the end.  We didn't get started quite early enough to finish with him but we did get to cheer both of my friends on during their run as we were running in opposite directions in the later part of our run. We switched it up and decided to run towards Springfield first. It's about 6 miles to Spf making it 12 miles when we arrived back to Willard. All we had to do was run out 2.5 miles and turn around and go back to the car at this point. Of course, the last 2 miles are usually the toughest 2 miles simply due to fatigue, but on this particular run, we were rolling and clipping off a consistent sub 6:50 per mile pace until the wind picked up and made the last two miles tough. With our determination to finish the goal of an excellent long run, we dug deep and kept pressing onward. We managed to keep the final two miles under 7 min against the wind and finished our 17 mile run with a pretty stellar average of 6:51 per mile. FINALLY, we had the type of long run we had grown accustomed to during our 2013 marathon training adventures.

*Sunday was an adventure all in itself. It took us all day to get the texturing finished in our living room, kitchen, and guest bathroom. * Now just to get it painted and get some new floors. :)

Goals:
67 miles
1 workout
17 mile long run

Actual:
67 miles
1 - 4 mile tempo - 23:20!
17 mile long run!

Things are trending upward! Week of April 14 - April 20 in review

Last week ended up being a really good week. It sure didn't start that way though. Monday- no running at all. Kimi and I were still a little tired from the weekend and with the cold weather, it was quite easy to just take the day off.  We decided that we were still going to reach our goal of 60 miles even if we took the day off so we calculated out what we would need to do to accomplish the goal and that's exactly what we did. We only needed to do one double in order to get to our 60 miles.  Our goal was to hit the miles, complete one workout (possibly two) and have a solid 16 mile long run.

We started our quest Tuesday with a solid 10 mile run. We ran 9 miles on Wednesday and followed that up with our only double of the week on Thursday. Thursday morning was also our workout day. We contemplated on what workout to do this week and finally landed on 800's on the trail. The goal was to run 6 of them. So far this year, workouts haven't been coming as easily as we would both like for them to feel, but we pushed through and completed the workout.

Ahhh, FRIDAY!!  Thank God for Friday's. Friday is our day to trot a nice easy 3-5 miles depending on the week.  This week, we needed to trot a 4 miler. With the Go Girl! Half Marathon Health and Fitness Expo, I had to get up and do my run early in the morning while Kimi was able to do hers over her lunch break. I spent the rest of the day enjoying the company of Connie Craven of Renewal Massage sharing a booth at the expo.

Saturday was the Go Girl race day. Connie, Kimi and I set up my tent to offer the participants the opportunity to have a post race soft tissue treatment/massage experience. There was a wonderful turnout for the event. I don't know the exact numbers yet but this was by far the most people that I've treated at a race so far.

Following the race, Kimi and I went home and decided to take some time to eat lunch and rest a little prior to venturing out to rock a 9 mile run. We had discussed doing a workout this afternoon but instead decided to go to Wilson's Creek Battlefield to get some hill work in. The run didn't start out feeling very good and I was shocked at the turn of events as this run just got better and better. We were rolling up the hills and down the hills like it was no big deal which is shocking considering we haven't been to a reasonably hilly terrain in quite some time.  My only fear was that we might have over done it one day prior to our long run.

Sunday = Long Run Time*  We were determined to make it 16 miles today. I knew it was going to be tough but I was determined. The funny thing about determination is that it doesn't always win out over the bodies fatigue. The way out wasn't terrible but with a slight breeze at our back, I knew it was going to be a long 8 miles back based on the pace of the trip out. We made the turn and headed back. Mile 9 clicked off and then the fatigue started to really get to us. In my mind, I always feel like if I can just make it back through Willard to where the trees begin to line the trail again, then I can make it the rest of the way putting one foot in front of the other. It didn't go quite as planned. Our bodies were winning the battle over our minds. Fatigue set in and we had to stop and take a short break. We decided to go ahead and take our Carb Boom energy gels during that break to fuel us the rest of the way back. We started back into the return trip and made it a couple miles before we simply needed to take a rest again. At that point, I was determined to finish up the run with no more stops. It wasn't easy. Following Rock The Parkway, I have been battling a blister on my left big toe that just won't quite heal up before I get back on it and get it inflamed again.  For the final two miles, that blister was really burning. I knew that if I stopped, it would be even harder now to get going again so I trudged on to the finish. It wasn't the prettiest of runs but I have definitely had worse.

All in all, it was a great week. I completed the goal of 60 miles, along with a hilly run, one double, and one reasonable 800m workout.  Let's hope that next week goes even better as the goal is to increase the miles up to 67 miles.

On another note, I did manage to complete the Kitchen ceiling texturing Sunday afternoon, so all in all it was a great Easter!

Goal:
- 60 miles
- 1 workout
- 16 mile long run

Actual:
All the above!

As well as could be expected - Week of April 7 - 13 in review

Last week was an interesting week. The weather was wonderful (finally) and we had a decent week. Kimi and I ran every day of the week. To say it was without struggle would be a lie but we managed to get through enough to give Rock the Parkway a shot. We'll get to that in a bit. First, let's detail how the week actually went.

We started off running solid miles and at pretty decent paces. Since moving to our new home at the end of February, we are still trying to establish some decent routes. Kimi came up with a new one that would allow us to get on some asphalt (rather than sidewalks) and off the South Creek Greenway trail (at least some). The new route is a bit tougher than some of the other routes we have been running lately. We ran that route early in the week and did quite well. The plan was to do a speed workout on Wednesday night. We drove up to the Frisco Trail so we could give it a go. The plan was to run 1k, 1k, 800, 800, 600, 600, and then some 400's to finish out. The weather was decent so we both thought it was going to be a good workout. However, during the warm-up, both of us simply felt sluggish. It was suddenly difficult to run a warm-up pace.  We made an executive decision and decided to cut the workout for that evening and give it a shot the next morning instead.

Thursday morning was crazy windy, and warm. Not complaining about the warmth since this is much appreciated. The warm up was quite a bit better than the night before but still didn't feel great. Knowing that we were going to be racing in a couple days, we decided to shorten the workout and eliminate the 600's. We started the first 1k and worked ourselves into it. Not our greattest split but not terrible either. The second 1k was quite a bit better.  Our 800's were both reasonable though taxing. After the two 800's we were both feeling the fatigue. Let's just say that our 400's didn't go great but we did manage to get through the workout eventually.

Rock the Parkway is one of the events that Kimi and I have both run before and simply ran ok at. Two years ago, Kimi ran Rock the Parkway and was the overall winner with a time in the 1:19's and I had a top 10 finish with a time around 1:16:30. The goal of this weekend was to complete the half running hard and using it as a workout.  I started out relatively conservative compared to my more recent halfs running the first mile in 5:50 and the second around 5:45. It was around the 3rd mile that I knew it was going to be a difficult day. I was simply laboring much too hard at this point in the race to really think I was going to run a great time.  I did manage to hang onto 5:50 miles for a good portion of the event until about mile 7-8 where a pretty good hill got me. I couldn't manage to keep the mile under 6:00. In fact, that mile clipped off around 6:10. Thankfully I managed to get it going again as soon as I got back to the parkway for the return trip. The return trip wasn't nearly as easy thanks to the head wind but I managed to fight hard as I could see the 9th place runner and 10th place runner both struggling and slowly coming back to me. I pressed onward hoping that I could still get that top 10 finish that I had achieved 2 years ago.

With 3 miles remaining, I was now running solely in 9th place with the 10th and 11th runners trailing just a little ways back. I started to feel my big toes developing some monster blisters on them (just like the last time I ran this event). It was becoming painful and I wasn't sure how I was going to get through to the finish.  Then I reminded myself, it's going to hurt no matter the pace, but the sooner you get back, the sooner you get your shoes off to relieve some pressure.  So I pressed the pedal down again with a mile to go. I had gone from running 5:50 pace to now letting it all go at a clip of 5:35 pace. I could just almost see the finish when I heard the 10th place finisher creep up right next to me. I dug deeper and dropped the pace down to 5:31 almost immediately.  Thankfully, he didn't have much fight left in him and he quickly fell back behind. I pressed the remaining .1 mile to the finish and was actually somewhat pleased with how I finished up. I stood at the finish waiting for Kimi.  I was very pleased to see her coming in with no other females in sight. She was going to be the winner for the second time at this event.

All in all, it was a good week. We now know that we both have a lot of work to do to get ourselves ready for our next big event coming up in June. Be prepared to be impressed as our miles start to ramp up and we start rolling in the near future.

Check out the progress in our house remodel!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BlIGykvCIAA0N2d.jpg

Another week bites the dust! Week of 3-31 thru 4-6 in Review

This was another great week for both of us. The goal this week was to hit 60 miles and have a solid 15 mile long run along with at least one good workout to start developing a little turnover. If you read my last post, you already had just a little insight to how the week was going. With Kimi working some long days so she could attend a continuing education seminar over the weekend, it was a challenging week. It's interesting how challenging weeks bring out the discipline in you so you can make sure that you get everything accomplished. Kimi and I did our first workout on Wednesday. It wasn't anything crazy fast or anything crazy long. We did a simple fartlek of 2 min on, 2 min off for 4 miles followed by 1 min on, 1 min off for the 5th mile. It wasn't as easy as either one of us had hoped it would be but that's to be expected with the way our training had been over the winter. Needless to say the least, but we managed to struggle through and finish up the workout.  I woke up Thursday expecting to feel awful after our first workout. Thankfully, that was not the case. I had what I would consider a turning point type of run. I was planning a 10 mile run but never expected it to feel the way it did. I started out with a 6:55 first mile, which is pretty good. I looked at my watch and thought to myself, "hmm, that's odd, I don't feel like I'm going that fast."  The second mile clipped off around 6:50 and with that, my confidence started to grow because it was simply feeling easy. The next mile clipped off around 6:45, and that was the uphill mile so once again I gained more confidence and the excitement for what could be during the remaining portion of the run grew even more. Then it just got easier as my body found a groove that just felt great. I clipped off mile after mile at or near 6:42 until the final two miles.  This is one of those places where you can go one of two ways. Either your body starts to feel fatigue or you get so excited at the final result that you just let loose and roll it in.  As I neared the 8 mile mark on this Thursday, the clouds rolled in, and rain started falling. I knew right then and there that this was definitely a turning point type of run. I was so excited to take on the challenge of finishing hard with the rain drops pelting me in the face that I simply turned up the intensity. Little by little, the pace went faster and faster. I finished up the run with a 6:35 and a 6:20.

If you think back to your history books and recall all of the wars ever fought, you will remember that they always detail a "turning point in the war."  I truly believe that last week was that point for both Kimi and me. I knew we still had to get through the weekend and it was no slouch of one for Kimi. A fire has been lit under that girl and she's starting to get into a groove. Sunday afternoon was going to be our biggest challenge. After Kimi's continuing education seminar, we were headed up to the Frisco Trail to knock out the final run of the week.

*The Long Run*
A beautiful day near 55 degrees with a moderate wind of about 13-15 mph according to my weather app. Chance of rain was around 30% so there was no telling whether we would get soaked on this one. On the drive to the Frisco trail, I looked at Kimi and told her, "Today is going to be a battle, but all you have to do is find a way to win!"  Then I also reminded her of the Nike slogan "Just Do IT" which is my phone's lock screen background. Much to my surprise, the run was feeling quite easy on the way out towards Willard.  That's when I remembered the wind direction. Of course, it was directly behind us. I looked at Kimi after 5 miles into the run and reminded her, "the way back through Willard is going to be a difficult battle that we have to find a way to win!"  We took our Carb Boom and a quick drink just before turning around to head back into the wind so that we wouldn't have to struggle even more with breathing as we were headed into the wind. Sure enough, the wind was doing exactly what I feared. The struggles began.  We were still 6.5 miles away from the car and the only relief we would get from the direct head on wind would be by some of the trees lining the trail on the South side of Willard. Once again, I  turned to Kimi and said, "we just have to make it through Willard, and then we'll get some relief."  I was so proud of Kimi as she fought and fought against the wind. She was determined to make the entire run today, and it was going to be a good one no matter what.  As we made it closer and closer to the end, the excitement began to build. At 1 mile to go, we could nearly taste the finish line now. I pointed out to Kimi that this was going to be a 'turning point in the war' and that we were well on our way now. We made it to the finish and I was quite pleased with our time. We had managed to maintain a pretty healthy pace the entire way back despite the headwind and onset of fatigue.

All in all, it was a great week. The plan was 60 miles, and I nailed it again.

*for those interested, I also began the ceiling texturing and I think it looks pretty good if I do say so myself.

Week Goal = 60 miles
Actual = 60 miles

FINALLY!!! Now we're getting somewhere! :)

Things are finally looking up and trending in a positive direction. It wasn't easy, but I did manage to string together enough miles to get to exactly 60 miles last week. I even skipped one day during the week just feeling tired. However, instead of letting that one day mess up the entire week plans, I quickly rebounded with a double on both Thursday, and Friday to get my miles right back on track like I had planned. Kimi is starting to get back into the flow of things also. Following her two sick weeks, she has now managed to complete a 43 mile week and a 53 mile week.  If the weather will cooperates this week, she might even climb on up to 60. It's been a tough week on her because she's having to try to cram her work hours from 5 days into 4 days. And of course it's not because she's getting a 3 day weekend. No, she has a continuing education seminar this weekend. So all in all, if she manages to get through the week with 60 miles, she will feel quite accomplished I'm sure. Kimi also participated in the Frisco Highline for Scouting 5k on Saturday last weekend. She isn't greatly pleased with her time because that's her first 5k over 18 min in a while but looking back at what she's had to deal with the last month or so, it isn't all that bad either.

The jury is still out on whether we will be participating in the Rock the Parkway half marathon next weekend. That will depend mostly on how this weekend goes. We need to have a quality long run Sunday to get our confidence where it should be.  That's going to probably be our deciding factor about whether we will go ahead and give it a shot.

I know it's the middle of the week, but I don't want to go into details about how this week is going so far. Let's just say...it's going quite well and you should look forward to my next blog post with all the details.

Week Mileage Goal = 60 miles
Actual Miles = 60 miles