Xtraining
45 Minutes on the elliptical - with breaks every 15 minutes to do Ab work.

Today I am going to rest - schedule says to run - but I've had a busy weekend - Let's just say I got home at 7am this morning.

July 28
Group Run -Central Park
14.2 Miles - Holy Crap!
2 Hours 17 Minutes 52 Seconds
Pace - 9:42
On only 4 hours of sleep.

It was really hot and humid yesterday -So hot and humid that when I 'dried' off a bit - i just had a layer of Salt on my arms. I rubbed it off and had a pile of white salt on my shorts.
The hardest part about this run, and what I think slowed me down was stopping for water - I had a bottle that I carried for the first 6 miles - but then I drank it all - so i would stop at the fountains in the park for water - (i'd stop my watch). And when I re-started, my knees were just telling me to F-off - then I'd get them back into a zone - and it would be time to stop again. I also tried Eating while running for the first time - I ate a rasberry flavored gel pack after an hour of running - it was not that bad tasting - it just is really thick and was hot from being in my shorts.



July 27
Rest Day

5.1 miles @ Cunningham Park
44:41
pace -8:45

This run made me STINKY.

Xtraining
40 minutes on the Elliptical.

HILLS!
I can't make the Group Run t-nite - so I did the Hill workout on my own this morning.
I went back to "Bitch Hill" - last time I ran up that c-bag 8 times, today I did it 10 times.
TIRED! Running up hills is freaking hard!
I did a mile plus warm-up run - ran the hills, then did a 5 minute cool down run.
Stretch & eat!

3 miles
28:30
pace 9:30

I do not feel good today. When I hit the 1.5 mile mark - all of a sudden my back started hurting and I wanted to throw up. So I stopped, hydrated for a minute, stretched a bit and then started up again. I then started cramping and so i stopped again, stretched and then finished up as best I could. I got 3 miles in - which was on the schedule (3-5) and I have been told that there will be days that you just feel like shit when you are running, and days where you will feel like a well oiled machine.

This week is a 'recover' week. So we are running less to give our bodies a chance to heal, re-energize.
So today is a rest day. We could run 3-6 miles or rest. I chose to rest, I've been pushing pretty hard lately.

RACE!
I participated in the 4 mile "Run for Central Park"
Weather: 73 Deg., 94% Hum. and Cloudy.
Time: 32:24
Pace - 8:06

Yeah! If you read below my goal was to have 8:38 or better, and I'd say I did!
Humidity is the worst thing to run in - I was DRIPPING, but I felt great when I crossed that finish line.
Racing is FUN!!

3.1 miles
26:47
pace: 8:38

tomorrow I am participating in a 4 mile race. I hope to maintain a pace of 8:38 or better.

Xtraining
Short on time today -30 Minutes on my elliptical machine.

Day off.
I am taking today off, and will do a run or xtrain on friday (my normal day off).
Too much going on today to get a work out in.

Group Run - Central Park
Freakin Hot!
7.1 miles
1:08:05
Pace 9:35
we were told to keep the pace 'conversational' - I wanted to run faster - but the weather was ridiculous, so I played it safe.
We ran the northern loop of the park - 4 times, plus a warmup/cooldown stretch. My head was soaked with sweat by the end of it. I wish I was rich and had a pool.

XTRAIN
15 minutes elliptical, Ab work, 15 min Elliptical, Ab work, 15 Min Elliptical, Quad work.

4.65 miles (I know so specific! Seconds count!)
42:33
pace: 9:09
I'm stiff from yesterdays long run, my quads are the stiffest.
I ate my cliff bar at 5:30am - but did not run till 8am - so I need to eat later - or not be so slow in getting up!

Long Run - Alone

I couldn't make it to the Group Run today - it just did not fit in the schedule.
So I ran on my own. I thought it was 12 miles, but I just re-mapped it and it was 11.7 - so close!
Time - 1:53:57
Pace 9:44

slightly off pace - but i did almost shit my pants! Furthest I've run so far! I felt pretty good during it, I was starving around mile 9 - I have to buy some goo to see how my body likes it.
*******************************************************************

NOTE!!!
I REMAPPED AGAIN - 11.7 did not feel right and the gmap site was acting funny when i was mapping earlier - so I just re-mapped, and re-mapped to double check.

12 MILES!! YES! The above pace felt off - because I actually felt really good for all but the last mile of this run (where i wanted to shit my pants!)
So NEW PACE 9:29
that is HOT!

YES! I am back on the streets!
It has only been two days, but it was seriously upsetting.
4.5 miles
40:00
Pace 8:53
I woke up at 5:30am to eat a Cliff Bar, then I fell back asleep, but i fell asleep with a half eaten Cliff bar on my arm, the heat of my body gave it permission to stick to me a bit. I don't remember what time I finished, I was sleepy!
I got up at 7:30 - walked Satch, then went for my run.
It felt good.
Tomorrow I am doing my first solo long run, as I can't make it to the group run.

I was held up in the City last night.
First I couldn't leave work because of a horrible thunderstorm. I had Satch with me (dog) and he is very afraid of storms, so there was no way I could take him into the pouring rain and lightning.
Then when the storm finally let up, we walked to the car (husbands company car) - it wasn't there - it had been towed.
Then the tow yard informed me I couldn't get the car until an unpaid parking ticket was paid, which had to be paid during the hours of 9 & 5, it was 1 AM at the time I discovered the tow. My husband is in Vegas, so when I called him about the ticket, he didn't know anything about it - I looked it up on the internet (luckily I could go back to work to check) it was a ticket "associated" with the car - so somewhere another employee that works at my husbands company got a ticket on their car, didn't pay it - and it got "associated" with my husbands car somehow.
Thankfully I had a friend at work still - who lived in Queens, and he gave Satch and I a ride home.
So I got home well after 2AM.
If Stress counts as a workout - than I am fucking kicking ass Today.
If it doesn't - Another day off from trainings. Boo.

I'm making today my rest day this week.
I had to choose over Xtraining or Sleep - I had to choose sleep - or I'd be a zombie today.

Tonight is a Group Run - but I can't make it - so I did my workout this morning.
Mother Fuckin HILLS!
I ran a warm-up mile (or so) then I found what I will call "Bitch Hill"
She is long and she is steep. I ran up 8 times (recovered going downhill)
then finished off with a cool down mile.
Not sure of total distance - doesn't matter - it was all about the hills.
It was a 40 minute workout, I was done by 8am.
what has happened to me? why am I acting like an adult?

Xtraining Day
I did 45 Minutes of Elliptical Work. I decided to keep working on the abs/quads so I did 15 minutes on the Eliptical, then Ab work, 15 Mines & Ab Work, ending with 15 minutes and Quad/hip work.
All at 7:30 am - I'm working all day every day this week, so I have to be an early riser to get it all in.

4.2 Miles
36:56
pace: 8:47

I woke up mother f-en sore! The "XFactor" kicked my abs and quads. I need to do more of this stuff to be in complete shape.
But the question is - Will I do it?
The run still felt good. As I post this pace, I remember back to June, when I was running 9:30ish pace - I like that I am running faster, hard work is paying off.

Group Run Central Park
The training schedule said that today was 9-11 miles - so I was excited - I like running further and further. But instead we did the "XFACTOR" - an intense cross training workout. So I was bummed, but I still got a good beating. We met at Bethesda Fountain. From there I ran 5 minutes north east (Cat Hill) 5 Minutes back, 10 minutes of cross training (ab work, lunges etc), 5 minutes south east and back, 10 minutes xtrain, 5 minutes north west and back, 10 minutes xtrain, 5 minutes south west and back, 10 minutes of xtrain/stretching.
I think I have to return my asics - they rubbed my tendon today - mother fuckers.

Day Off
Must wash running gear - it stanky!

6.1 Miles
54:25
Pace: 8:55
A nice day to run, light breeze blowing.
I ran from my apartment building to Cunningham Park (about 2.5 miles) then I ran the Park loop and back. My return trip was slighlty longer in distance as I chose a different route at th end of the run to mix it up. I felt good today, I had my standard two mini bagels as a pre-run meal. I'm going to try a Cliff bar for Saturday's run to see how my energy is on one of those.
Knee feels strong, I'm going to Ice just to be safe.
I type like a robot.

There is a group run tonight -I can't make it because of work. T-nite Hill Training begins, this is where we will get stronger and faster. I had to adapt the scheduled session to my neighborhood. I ran a 1.75 mile warm-up that ended at a steep hill. I then ran up it using a low-stride method (to preserve energy) 11 times - recovered on my way down the hill. I don't feel like I got the workout I would have gotten at t-nites run, I need to find a longer hill. I then ran a cool down mile.
So I don't really have a pace to report - but i ran for 43 minutes.

4 miles
36:18
Pace 9:04
I was supposed to run 3-5 miles - i chose 4, my knee did not feel 100 percent, and I am fearing injury that would put all this training into the toilet, I also did not have a chance to eat before I ran - so the energy was a little low.

XTraining day
45 minutes on the Elliptical

My tendon feels 100% - my knee is about 90%. I'll ice and stretch a little more tonight - then hopefully get a 5 mile run in tomorrow - I'm itching to put my running shoes on.

My knee felt wonky again this morning. I grabbed my running gear, but as I went to put it on, my knee told me to take it easy. Luckily the schedule has July 4th as an "Off" day - so I am going to switch them - Take today off, and on Tuesday I'll hopefully run the 3-5 miles scheduled for today.
I'm going to Ice again before bed.

Group Run in Central Park
10.2 miles
1:37:11
Pace: 9:31

For the first 5 miles we ran in Pace Groups. I was with the 9:30 group. We actually ran it a bit slow I think - around 9:45. The final 5 miles I was on my own, I picked the pace up a bit, the tendon on top of my ankle had been acting up a bit in the first 5 miles, and in the last half it started again. It would get really sore, i had a couple sharp pains, and then it felt fine. It has been sore on and off today post run. I'm going to ice both knees and my ankle before bed.