5/15/12 - Tempo Run

Nothing too terribly impressive...just got out and did some tempo miles, and it felt pretty good.

6:13, 6:17, 6:15, 6:22
6.5 miles

Felt good to get a few faster miles in when I feel as slow as I feel.  Right now, I'm definitely setting a little internal goal of just one sub-6-minute mile.  That seemed to once be a regular thing.  NOW, it's a definite milestone.  But one I am definitely moving towards.

As for this run, I started out faster than I'd planned...wanted to come in that first mile somewhere around 6:20-6:25, like the last time I did this.  But once I saw that first mile, I just hung in there as long as I could.  The 4th one was DEFINITELY the hardest one, but feeling good that I pushed through to the finish.  Feeling better and better with each passing mile...

Foiled Again

Well, after getting up at 5:30 and heading out to the race at roughly 6:00, I arrived only to be told that the race was being called due to lightning.  I sorta had a feeling when I woke up that would be the case, but I was up and needed to be prepared for the race to go on.  So, I hopped into the bathroom, put on my Brooks shorts, my Tri On The Run singlet (no I'm not a Tri runner, nor do I run for On The Run), and headed out.  I was nervous, no doubt.  No races in 23 months.  Mentally ready to post a time slower than I have ever done for 10k.  All in all, it was going to be an interesting morning.

But that will have to wait now.  Instead, I did an 10-11 mile run in 1:17 around noon today.  It felt good, although I realized I was not entirely as hydrated as I should have been.  Nothing I could do about it while out there, that's for sure.  But I made it through the run and felt pretty good. 

I had no time to stretch as I needed to get back home to make it to my daughter's dance recital. 

So, it was a good day, for sure, but not getting to put my racing legs on and use them kinda put a slight damper on things.  Fortunately, I live to fight another day.

Later all! 

Getting Ready...

So, no posts for a little while... I bet some of you think that means no running, huh?  :-)  Well, not the case.  Now, have I been running every day?  Heck no... are you kidding?  The routine is so hard to establish with the current schedule I keep.  But, that's all on me.  I suppose I could change it at any time, to a degree, to accomodate some more running.  Honestly, though, it's not been the priority it once was...life is different, pursuits are different, all in all, things are just a little different.  I struggle with it from time to time, but a reminder of the end result I'm after helps bring me back.

So, with all that being said, I'm preparing for my first race in nearly 2 years.  The last race I ran was back in June 2010...I ran a 16:01 for 5k.  As a matter of fact, if I look at my prior races, they were a 5k in 16:01, a 5k in 15:51, a 10k in around 34:00, a half marathon in 1:13...

Saturday, there will be no PR, no blistering pace, no age-group award, probably.  All it will be is for 2 purposes, and I'll do whatever I need to do to achieve those two purposes.  It's funny when you have to mentally prepare for both the pain and the humility of the moment.  As I improved a couple of years ago, I tried to remain humble, grounded and focused on what I wanted.  Now, being a runner that resembles the runner I was allllllllllll the way back in 2000 when I first started running on the roads, I'm reminded of how easy it is to lose track of all the possibilities...both positive and negative.  What makes this all easier to handle is that I have never forgotten where I came from, what I went through, and all that it has taken to get to where I was.  And now to be back at the beginning, it's a strange feeling.  But for me, running has taken on a deeper, more meaningful purpose and direction.  I like it...it moves me, drives me, and carries me in a way that it never has before. 

I enjoy running again, which is awesome, because I spent a lot of time after the injuries began when I didn't enjoy anything about running.  It's good to have that enjoyment back in my heart.

But, let's keep it straight...I'm one who has never improved without running with a little anger on the inside.  And there is no shortage of fuel to add to this fire that is growing. 

I'll post race details after what promises to be a busy but fun weekend.