Week 46: 22 miles and Lil Rhody (1:10)
One spin class, an anything goes class, minimal road running, and a couple runs in Pisgah with Griffin. End of the week we were in Rhode Island to kick off the holidays with our "Rhode Island Thanksgiving" with Gregs family. Of course, this includes the Lil Rhody Runaround. It was a nice day. I didn't run as well as I wanted- or could expect really, but I didn't wipe out like a couple other people did and I did better than last year. Still not a PR though. Maybe next year. Greg won again and we all ended up at Jonny's for dinner afterward before the drive back to NH.
Week 47: 18 miles and Pie and Glove 5K (23:05)
Hit the row machine again nad elliptical, anything goes class, Pisgah with Grif and a spin class. Also went to NY where we ran the Pie and Glove 5K in Corning again for Thanksgiving. Not quite the family affair like in Rhode Island...maybe next year we'll get more family out there, but as it was it was just me and Greg. Greg had a great race and I felt okay about mine too. Not a PR- although the perfect place and weather to do so. But considering my lack of training I think it was good- even out kicked someone at the end...gotta try to do that more often, didn't know I had it in me. Was one place shy of a pie - thankfully. I had been maintaining my weight all fall, so I thought, and got on the scale and almost lost my mind. Ooops! Not a fun feeling right beofre the holidays, but I will have time for doubles once school is out. Anyway, we did get the family out for a hike in the Finger Lakes National Forest - that was fun. They host a 50K every summer that we may have to consider- usually close to July 4th though. We'll explore more of that area in the future I hope.
Week 48: 32 miles and Pearl Harbor Masters 5+ Road Race
More row and elliptical, hills on TM, 4 hill sprints, Pisgah with Grif (and Greg), and another trip to RI. On friday afternoons I like to get home early so that I can go running "with" Greg in Pisgah. Griffin thinks this is especially fun. She has taken to starting out with Greg and then feels like she has to come back and check on me. It just warms my heart when I see her on a hill looking down at me. It's especially cute when I come around a corner of a turn onto a trail and she's there making sure I have gone the right way! Once I acknowledge her she takes off for Greggie again (not usually catching him before needing to check on me again) Greg and I will run 8 miles while she probably gets 12! Fast! It's wonderful, but it is getting tough on her- although she wouldn't admit that. I wish I had an owl's view of her running on the trails through the forest by herself in between me a Greg. I can't imagine what someone would think if they ran into her- but if someone was out there she'd come and be at my side immediately- always the protector. Anyway, we trraveled to RI for the URI blue/white meet for Greg to run in. It was fun to watch and then we hung out with Matty P and Jill for dinner. The next day I got to do a Master's only race with Pard. Greg ran along side me while Pard proceeded to kick my ass. I did outkick someone again to win my age group. Didn't run tough - Just not that into these days. Decent mileage comapratively though.
Week 49: 15 miles and Jingle Bell 5K Run in Concord (23:41)
Cardio machines, couple spin classes, anything goes and one run in Pisgah. Can't rememebr what was going on this week that kept me from running much. It was the last week of classes and therefore hectic. The "anything goes" classes I've been taking on Tuesday mornings is a class at the YMCA in which Bre (instructor) has us do whatever she wants. Most of the time it is strength- weight I wouldn't normally do myself. She's a hater when it comes to running, but as long as I say the weight lifting helps my running she tolerates my talk of mileage- although I try to avoid it. I do think it helps alot, but my other day of strength is more runner specific and will include drills. This week she had us (it's me an one other person) doing sprints in the gym- again not something I'd do on my own, but probably should. Anyway, it's a good class and I hope it continues in the new year and maybe will have a couple more people.
This week we also went to the Jingle Bell Run in Concord. This is my 5K PR (22:43) course and I won my age group last year. Unfortunately now that I am in another age group it was unlikely that I'd repeat. For some reason this race is packed with 40 something females that are way faster than me. So I wasn't too concerned about place but like this course. It was a really cold, wet day, so I wanted to see if I could at least get close to the Pie and Glove time I had run a couple weeks before on a flat course in perfect weather. Well, not to be. I didn't have any kick this week even though the couple females ahead were close enough for the taking. I was about 36 seconds slower than in Corning. I was tenth overall female....in the top 10, 6 were 40 or older (a 50 yo beat me), including the overall female winner. The rest were in the early twenties and teenagers. The first 30 something was a couple minutes behind me. Funny. I ended up taking third in my age group since they didn't double awards for the overall 3 and got a cool water bottle. haha Greg won again, but not near his time in Corning either. Overall, for some reason we like this race and will probably do it again.
Week 50: 29 miles
Ahh classes ended this week. Last week couldn't have gone any slower. Now to get some weight off. Doubled 3 times this week- meaning I ran in the morning and did a spin class in the evening. Six hill sprints. Got into Pisgah 3 times including Sunday in which we ran in our first flurries of the season. Sundays I usually reserve for a strength/cycling class. Bre- yes, the same girl from Anything Goes class, does a combination class of strength for 45 minutes and then a spin class right afterward. It's awesome. The weights are usually bodyweight, stability ball, or light weight in nature because of the number of people. It's a good workout though- and the spin class afterward usually wards of any soreness that might otherwise occur. It puts me in a predicament about where to put my long run in my week, but I'll deal with that later....gotta deal with these pounds first! However, this sunday I couldn't say no to Griffin's little face and the chance to run in flurries in the woods. It was beautiful. Bring on winter.
Week 51: 32 miles
More doubling with spin classes and sometimes treadmill. Anything Goes class included sprints on the track. Started a new "drills" workout at the YMCA. The Y has an indoor track in which 12 laps is a mile. So I warm up for 3 laps then do a different drill at the shorter ends of the track on the next 6 laps and then do 3 laps. I have two miles worth of drills: walking lunges, high knees, bounding, lateral band walks, etc. I hope to do that weekly. On Sunday we began the holiday travels to NY but first we run. So Greg was going to run in Pisgah and I decided to run through Pisgah and then around via Horseshoe road and back to our house on roads. Well, Greg told me later that Griffin didn't like this at first and as I went the upper road to the Horseshoe parking lot and Greg went the lower road into the park she decided to sprint ahead to where she could take another trail that intersects with the one I was on. Don't tell me she doesn't know the trails! So cute. Anyway, Greg stopped her and then went on their way into the park while I made my way around on the roads. It was a nice run before a long drive to NY.
Week 52: 18 miles and 1580 miles for the year.
Only ran once on the orads in Corning NY with Griffin then made it back for a spin class. Thursday we got our first snow storm so I did a couple DVDs at home (Tae Bo anyone?) . Got out with Ramona on Saturday for a run on my old marathon training route to Surry Dam. Low key week.
That's the year. It's a process, and I love it!!
