Sunday, February 28, 2010

WEEK 8: 30 miles including DH Jones 10-miler (Amherst, MA)

Previous week miles: 30 miles
Monday: Strength Circuit + TM x 5miles easy + Core express with Acea
Tuesday: 10 miles TM (2 x 5 miles with a small break in between (stomach issues); did hills x 8 and 1/2miles pickups x 3); a struggle but i feel better now...
Wednesday: power out most of the morning; core + stretch. Good day to have off.
Thursday: Circuit Madness, 3.5 miles TM (1 each at HMP/10KP/ 5KP) + Spin with Acea; TIRED Legs
Friday, 5am: Spin with Ramona +core; pretty darn tired...
Saturday: 1.5 mile, dynamic warmup/short hills
Sunday: DH JONES 10-MILER, Amherst, MA; 1:20:24 (my watch from startline- 8:02 pace)
Miles this week: 30

Another week where my legs got really tired by the end of it. Actually throughout, but nutrition wasn't great and sleep wasn't great. Need to work on that- it does make a big difference.

So the race today... I was actually truly  nervous because I didn't want last week to be a fluke!  Luckily I found someone to go with and Ramona and Bob picked me up on the way. Lots more fun when you have people to wait around with. We did get there pretty early because Bob had to register- it's really not far from my house and there's a Whole Foods!!! woo-hoo! So we did a lot of sitting around, obsessing on what exactly to wear, and then warmed up (couple pee stops too, of course). My goal was to come close to my time last week even though the hills were supposedly going to be a lot harder...so my "out loud" goal was 1:20...my "in my head" goal was less than 1:20- did I really think I could throw in a couple more 7:30's after being soooo surprised about last weeks results? yes I did...silly girl. Mile 2 was 7:30 (downhill)...that's about it. (I'll get there in time, patience hasn't ever been a strong character trait for me! :)) Bib #55...another double number...i like it.

There were a lot of people at this race and I just kinda jumped in mid-pack for the start....was a little worried the first mile would be a 9 min/mile with all the people chatting away around me, but I got way over to the side and passed alot of people on the very first hill and hit Mile 1 at 8 flat. Whew. The second mile was 7:30...and then the hills started. Not what I would call rolling hills like last week...HILLS. But then down hills too so I held to the 8 min/mile pace ok. Finally passed an 8 year old at mile 6...didn't think I'd ever catch him! The race was a BLUR. All of a sudden the mile 6 marker was there...holy crap. Then mile 8...oh bye bye little 8 year old...drats. I can only hope he is a future olympic champion (Jason Beaver, 7:56 pace).

I guess I was losing it a little bit here, but no whining in my head like last week. I had been warned that mile 9 had a hill. Well I thought I had made it up the mile 9 hill and then looked at the right turn and at another hill! That one killed me. Mid hill- I hit the mile 9 marker right around 1:12- 8 minutes to the finish. There was a very nice girl who obviously had finished EONS ago cheering everyone up the hill-  thank you skinny, fast, wench...just kidding, i wish I had seen her after to say thanks (yah, because I would walk up to a complete stranger and say something! HAHAHHAHA).

OK, so I made it over and then it's all downhill from there with a weird spin around the parking lot to the finish. By my watch- which I started when I crossed the start line said 1:20:24 (20 seconds slower than last week).  Not bad.  I'm happy with that- i really died on that last hill so I'm lucky it didn't get into 1:21...Gun time was 1:20:39.  I waited around for Ramona and Bob because I knew they weren't far behind and we headed inside to see who won and if they had a soda. The only time she drinks soda too!! I had some tightness in Left Hammy (surprise) and Right quad, but nothing serious and feel fine now.

Inside we saw that the finish was a pretty close one and must have been exciting- then i could see how the the finish in the parking lot would be cool. Of course I was hoping our local guy, Justin Fyffe (50:58/5:06), had won, but he got beat by 5 seconds by a guy from CT (Brendan Callahan). Another Keene guy was third, Mark Miller (51:49/5:11), and Greg Hammett (54:09/5:25), 16th.  Heidi Westover from Walpole finished first for the females (57:58/5:47pace- jeez).  I don't know what all their expectations were, but that's AWESOME!! No soda, so we headed out pretty quick to find a convenience store and head home.

All and all a good day and I am still stunned by how fast the miles seemed to go by- better than struggling for each one.  Some stomach issues now (a couple brief scares during the race) and I'm not sure if it was the swig of gatorade or the Clif shot (I usually use GU). I'm going to stick with GU and water from now on, because one of those 2 things is causing some serious cramping right now and I am scared to go to the grocery store. But this is why I test these things out before the half marathon! :)

This week: Stick to what I've been doing. I'm already looking forward to a long run next weekend 15-17, ahhhh its going to be glorious....get outside as much as possible and keep it short on the treadmill if possible. Recheck nutrition (wish I could go to the grocery store) and GET SOME SLEEP! Don't lose focus now! :)

Next up: THREE WEEKS TIL New Bedford Half Marathon...sub 1:50 should be a breeze if I hit mile 10 at 1:20!!! ("Out-loud" goal ;))

Next 10-mile race will be a trail race (April 10th)- my first ever, so no time goal- not falling down is the goal! Hopefully my friend Dave Sontag will be healthy and motivated enough to join me on that one! ;)

In the future I need to get a road 10-miler under that 80 minute mark for sure.  I kinda can't believe I'm a solid 8 minute miler!  BUSTING MY ASS TO GET MID-PACK!   WOO-HOO! (maybe I should change the name of the blog?! lol)   It's a process...and I love it!

I found some pics online...coming up the last hill and me and Ramona joging back to our car! HAHA










I forgot to take a pic of the three of us at todays race...but I got a pic emailed to me of Nick at the meet in NYC this week....he's the white kid on the far right... pretty cool...



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