Fuel SMART,Train HARD, Run FAST.

Progression run. I studied out the 10 mile course for next Saturday and tried to duplicate the last 5 miles of the run- the toughest part since it climbs up for several miles to the finish. Ran the first 5  just under 8 pace.

The course around mile 6 goes up for 3/4 mile then levels out or slowly climbs for another 3/4, then climbs another 3/4. So at mile 6 I increased incline to 3% at 7:15 pace, leveled out around mile 7 and picked up pace to 7:08. Around mile 8 increased to 7:00 at 3% for 3/4 mile. Last 1.25 miles, picked up the pace to 6:00 with finishing speed at 5:00 for the last lap. Felt relaxed and controlled today. Maybe it was due the two days off that I didn't mean to take off:)

I can do whatever I want. That's what I told myself when I couldn't find my other "specialty orthotic." I just had to run with out- and you  know what, I felt great. I may never put them on again. I may or may not be willing to risk an injury in the process...we will see. Oh that would be cool to not need them. Who says you need them anyway and what do they know? Answer will come in time, I am sure. 

 5 easy miles on the treadmill.

After scrubbing black permanent marker off of 5 major walls and my cream colored couch this morning, I went to the treadmill to get my game on.

Ran the first 5 miles at 8:00 pace then tried to simulate the 10 mile course again by turning up the incline to 3% at 6:53 pace for miles 6 and 7.. I felt surprisingly pretty tired at this point but knew it would get better after the incline. With 3 miles left to go, dropped the incline back to 0 and ran miles 8,9,10  in 6:30, 6:20, 6:00 with a sprint in the last 400 at 11mph. Last 3 miles in 18:50. I tried to imagine race day- running to a first place finish. Hopefully all goes in my favor this weekend.

I may be in trouble. Ran 1/2 mile before my OTHER ankle did the exact same thing as its right counterpart did last month. Barely made it through a mile before I quit. I have some aggressive plans to prep it the best I can from now until tomorrow's 10 miler. No faking this one, so it's either there or it's not. So scared. I'll go in and have it shot up on Monday so it has some time to heal before the half. What is the deal with these crazy weak ankles!

**BEWARE, this post is negative in nature. It contains bizarre analogies of monkeys, tempertantrums, monkeys having babies, excuses, and winning about hills. You'll likely say to yourself, Shut up Tara! You may even post it. Ha ha, I know you will:) However an honest race report** 

 Where to start here. I have put off writing this report because I have been waiting for the negative monkey to get off my back. I know he exists because Nan calls it the "Third place monkey" (http://nan.fastrunningblog.com/blog-01-29-2011.html) and he was on my back whispering negativity while I ran to the finish line in third place. So, since he is still lingering around I will have to end with a list of positives.

I had little sleep due to my 8 year old vomiting and my 2 year old getting use to his new bed, by falling off every couple of hours screaming. Boo hoo, no one sleeps well the night of a race anyway. 

I woke up feeling like a train had ran me over twice and felt a little ill, but I think I planted that in my own head to feel sorry for myself at the time. See how I'm building up to a race of excuses? I know.

I arrived 30 minutes before and prayed my ankle would take a vaca so I could run. It  killed for the 1 mile warm-up so I mentally threw the race in the trash. I think that's when I met up with the monkey.

We lined up to the start and I saw Kam. He looked a little lost. Turns out he ran an unintetional tempo 6 mile warm-up due to getting lost and just made it back for the start. We started 5 or so seconds from the start.

I went out conservative. Lots of girls were ahead, maybe six.  My plan was to run a even effort for the first 3-4, use the hill miles 4-7 like interval work and pound out whatever I had left for a solid 5k.

Miles 1-3 (6:45, 6:08, 6:37) Felt stale x2. My fault for a weeks worth of poor training. The first mile began to climb then had a good downhill for mile 2. Somewhere in the first mile there was a screamer. MarkP talks about this in his post too. It was bizzare, but entertaining. Just after the 2 mile mark, a girl sprinted past me to catch up with the first place girl. She recruited a pacer. Lucky. First 5k was somewhere in the high 19's judging by splits. In fourth place here.

Miles 4-6 (6:55, 8:06, 7:46) were all over the place as you can tell. Impossible to get into a rythem but I knew this would be the case. There were periods of near speed walking  to surges seconds later, only to be slowed down by another hill. Around 3.5 the first of two climbs began. I don't remember much here other than thinking about walking.

Mile 7 (8:49) deserves its own paragraph. Crazy steep. Lost sight of the top 2 girls. The monkey had a baby during this mile and it also came along for the ride. The baby specialized in throwing baby fits, much like the one that was going on in my head. Mantras were gone, all I could think was " you are slow, tired, and injured so walk". I didn't walk, I just listened to monkeys mock me:) BUT, I had a plan to shake them off come mile 8!

Miles 8-10 (6:02, 6:32, 6:54) Go time. I knew this is where I would be able to gain on the ladies. Second place girl created quite the gap during mile 7 and I had just passed the girl in 3rd. Mile 8 was a nice downhill I tried to push. Mile 9 seemed to be somewhat downhill as well. One guy passed me, but I passed two others. The last mile to the finish was a surprise. Uphill! At least it was only uphill for about .5 with the rest gradual down to the finish. I passed one more guy as I sprinted to the finish. I saw the leaders of the wolf pack as I crossed. They didn't say a word to me, but I waved and smiled- then about fell on my face. No need to talk to me, since I didn't beat them:) I told them "good race" later on, and they nodded. So I am making improvements. Next race I will have to try out my drafting techniques once again- just to create an equilbrium. It's only fair.

Ran backwards on the course to give unsolicited coaching to the other runners coming in. Some tolerated it, while others were clearly bothered:)

Met up with Kam to run a 4 mile coo ldown so he could get 20 for the day. I wasn't sure I could do it, but seemed to put along ok. We had awkward periods where we both took turns walking for no apparent reason then had to remind each other to run. quite the cool down. We were both spent. I went back to get a massage. As I waited in line a surge of chills hit me to what has now tuned out to be flu symptoms. Yea for me.

Okay, the positives! Great weather with no wind, ankle pain was at a minimum and did not effect my race, I didn't have to pay a babysitter, and I haven't thrown up yet. Anyone can have a million excuses for why they didn't perform. If I had won, I wonder if I would have had as many complaints. Today wasn't my day, and I can learn why it wasn't to make the next race better.

Not sure where I stand in the series at this race now. Was ranked 1st, but likely 2nd, possibly 3rd. It is all pretty close. I need to have 3 quality weeks till the half.

6 sluggish miles this morning with a girls group.

I haven't been to the gym in a month. I always feel guilty when I walk past the weights up the to cardio room. I need more strength training.

Workout: 

10 min Row machine

10 min Arc Glider

5 miles on TM consisting of-

Mile 1 @ 8:00, mile 2 @7:08, mile 3 @ 6:40, miles 4 and 5 steady change of pace 400's, alternating pace from 5k pace to marathon pace (6:03/6:40) for two miles. 34:30/7:06 AP. Felt fine today, need to do more, faster speed work but have been lazy and scared.

5 min cool down on elliptical, squats, one leg balance stuff, and rolled out muscles.

Easy 8 with the last 3 at tempo. Focused hard effort on the hills and tried to stay on the grass as much as possible. Still running without my orthotics, so I may be on borrowed time. I Need to start ramping up my mileage and not taking days off. Elites say so.

I had no choice; I had to run on the treadmill today. 15 miles at 7:30 AP. I was starting to get bored after the first couple of miles so I went upstairs for some food to eat while I ran. Why not, I was watching TV. Popcorn seemed fitting, but I knew it would be overkill. Settled for Gatorade and a banana. Felt fine during run. but stiff in the knees and ankles for the last couple miles. My two year old had a ball sitting in front of the treadmill and watching his Tomas trains zip by on the belt while I ran. After jumping over a few trains I made threats for time out but it only encouraged him. Ughhh, well he takes after me.

 If any of you have been blessed to see some of my work on Allie, Andrea, Jake K, Kam and Burt's blogs then you will also appreciate this poem I wrote to myself.

She likes to go on runs to tone her buns.

But if you saw her average mileage for the week, you might suggest a little tweak.

You'll find her on the treadmill when options are grim, jumping over trains she almost looses a limb.

 Eating on the run, you can always anticipate. From popcorn to Gatorade, she does not discriminate!

From visualization to race simulation, she has her eye on the prize. From drafting to strategizing, the hills are her demise.

Yes, you are reading a poem I wrote about me, also in third person as you can see.

Why? Because we can post just about ANYTHING says the FRB King!

Just use words like toot, flatulence and gas-cause it all applies to the mass!

Such language will protect you from editing and red lines, take my word for it, I've personally seen the signs!  

So go ahead, write poems about yourself I would advise, however, it may lead to your blogs demise!

So hide your kids, hide your wives and hide your husband’s 'cause running  saves lives!

 Happy racing, long run or day off to all:)

Motivation is slipping lately for many reasons, hopefully it's a phase. RSV has gone wild at my home and while I have not been infected, the sleepless nights with the kids are wearing me thin. Looking around my house looks like something out of a horror film. The shades are closed and bodies are laying all over the house looking lifeless with bouts of coughing fits. At any point you'll hear weak voices calling, "mmmmmmooooooooooommmmmm" and then nothing. It's driving me crazy. It's all I can do to not scavenge through our emergency supplies, grab a mask and incubate myself in a room with towels stuffed under the door threshold.

Maybe a break after the series for a while from racing would be good. I'll likely get out of the rut in a week or so.

5 miles @ 7:30

This post would make another good poem...

My motiviation is slipping, my weekly mileage is dipping.

Sleepless nights have got me bad, with little zombies not calling for dad. 

Thy're here and there, their everywhere! From the couch to the floor, I'd like to push them out the door.

In my sleep I dream of  running, but suddenly awake to see them coming!

"I'm sick!" one said, and then they hog the bed!

There's feet in my face, punches to the gut. Can you see why I'm in a rut? I'm turning into a nut! 

Mmmmmmmoooooooommmmmm...I hear them cry. I think I might die!

I run to my room to take a break, but I hear them coming, it's more than I can take!

My door opens with phlegm to the face! "Can't they cover their mouths!?" I rather be hit with mace.

So I go for a run, just 5 miles - I feel like a bum. But it's all I can take to get a little break!

In the short time it's taken to write this post, I can't count out who's thrown up the most! Into the bath while I do a little math. They're ALL spilling their guts as they sit on their butts:)

It's going to be fine, I'll clean them up because they're mine. For tomorrow will be okay- it's the start of a brand new day.

Be glad you're not me today. Happy running. I love my poems. 

7 easy on Davis Blvd. early this morning. I saw a cougar (not a lady:) and ran the other way. 

Not completely sure if I got much out of today. I have had some inflamation knots in my left knee and shin for some reason so took some time off the legs. 25 mins elliptical with some fast intervals , then a 1 mile run to see where my legs were at for tomorrow's long run. All is well.

12 miles of hills with Andy and Kam this morning. 7-45-8 AP. Started at Muller Park Jr. High, made our way to Legacy Trail then talked the guys into running me home since I had to leave early  They initially told me no and I thought they were kidding. I now know they were not and apparently Kam wanted to punch my face. The way back was rough. I was pretty tired when I got home, I'm sure they were with 8 more to go. Good run.

6  easy miles with the ladies group by the temple. I made an agreement with one of the girls that we would stay off sugar together. I failed later in the day. Hopefully she's having more success.

8 miles down Main this morning. After 4 miles, turned around and did 3min at half marathon pace with 3 mins rest till I got home. It ended up being 5x750m with 3 min rest. The hills made it interesting and challenged the pace. Good workout.

TM running today at the gym. I wanted to get some downhill miles. Workout consisted of 1  mile warm up then put TM on decline at 3% and ran a 10k.

Splits were 6:22, 6:18, 6:18, 6:18, 6:11, 5:40 and 5:11 for .2. First 5k was in 19:38, second 5k in 18:41 with total time of 38:19. I resisted the urge to go faster but allowed that in the last 1.5 miles. Felt good and comfortable- the decline was nice. 1 mile cool down and stretching. I think I'll get some plank action in tonight during commercials of American Idol.

Note to self, running in the dark feels like you are running in place, the first half of my splits indicate that as well:) I got up extra early today to fit in a longer run. Although I had a head lamp and LCD shoe lights, I felt like I was running in place inside a black hole. My eyes never adjusted until the sun began to rise. Loped around the first 7 miles around 8:24 pace. Took a GU and pushed the pace the last 10k in around 43 mins. Felt very relaxed. Splits were nothing special but had some effort behind them. The first mile was a climb and the rest were rolling...8:12, 7:16, 7:35, 7:03, 7:08, 7:08. Knees are sore.