Monday group run: 5 miles with Fleet Feet
TODAY WAS MY FIRST GROUP RUN EVER. I've been meaning to try the group runs FOREVER, but today it finally worked out with my schedule (me having the time, the runs being offered and matching with my run for the day.) So I headed over to Fleet Feet for the run. Matt tagged along. He got there early and told me there was indeed parking and snagged a map for me of the route.
I showed up SUPER EARLY and stretched. I didn't know anyone so I mostly kept to myself. I didn't want to demo the Nike's that they had brought. It was too close to my race, so while I'd like some Nike road shoes, I didn't try anything on (this was partly being shy.) Eventually a few people I knew showed up. The speed coach matched me up with someone. A friend from work showed up. And eventually it was run time. (So stretch on your own before the run starts.)
There was an announcement about the Nike demo and the upcoming 10k and then at 6:06 we were off.
I have never run in a group this big. Maybe 40 people set off down the street together. It was really congested for the first half mile and then it thinned out some. I started running behind two fit ladies in purple. My first mile was too fast. 8:18. I was going for easy place so that I'd have enough energy for the Tuesday speed workout.
Mile 2 was 8:48 up a monster hill (where I passed the ladies in purple.)
And I have never been so glad for traffic lights. I welcomed those breaks waiting for the signal to cross.
Mile 3 was 8:24.
We ran through downtown and into the hipster neighborhoods. I wondered what the motorists thought of such a big group of runners. Maybe they see it all the time? I certainly don't.
Mile 4 was 9:03. I was getting tired and walked a bit. Another runner checked on me, but I walked maybe 10 steps and then ran when he started catching up. I just needed the tiniest break.
Mile 5 was 8:08. I was just going with the group and the group picked up the pace.
Maybe it was a tad faster than I should have run (for an easy run), but I think it was a good challenge, and could see myself getting faster going on group runs. I wasn't too tired after the run (despite the walk break). I felt great. And had a tiny little runners high in the third or so mile. I felt great.
After the run people were more talkative (after they got some water). I talked to an instagram friend, met a girl I know from my BodyPump class and went home (though I would have liked to go get a burger.)
Tuesday: Speedwork
Today was mile repeats at the track. (!!!!)
My goal was 7:30 miles. Three miles.
The group was small today: 4 people.
A couple and another guy I didn't know.
The girl was fast! (Maybe if I work hard, I'll be that fast!)
Mile 1: 7:24 (fast girl wasn't even breathing hard!)
Mile 2: 7:27
Mile 3: 7:09 (I cranked it up that last 200 meters so see how much faster I could run.)
I ran 1/2 mile cool down (and a half mile warm up to make miles.) I think my splits were pretty even. I was pushing, but not my hardest until the last mile.
I think I could definitely break 7 minutes for a mile this year.
Wednesday: OFF
I was tired. It was hot. I didn't want to run. I went home, ate a salad and took a nap.
Also, I've been going to the salad bar at Publix once a week. It's my default for when I want a healthy meal but don't want to cook.
Thursday: Indoor track
It was 90 degrees out and I didn't want to run outside. I was going to run trails, but I opted for the indoor track instead.
My training said 4-6 miles. I thought 5 sounded good. The plan was easy miles. So the first two I didn't look at my watch and cranked out two miles in exactly 16 minutes. So then I decided to try and hit 8 flat for all of my miles. At 3 miles I had lost some time and was at 24:10, then the next mile was 8 and then I cranked the last mile out at 7:27. My watch said 39:37 when I was down. Though my Garmin was all sorts of off since it doesn't measure distance that accurately for an indoor run. I swear it pinged me for a mile right at the mile line on the track but I had to run another whole lap to get my watch to say 5 miles.
So it wasn't an EASY run. Maybe moderate? I did push it a little. Especially at the end.
Friday off
I was supposed to go to pilates today, but pilates was canceled. So I did 15 minutes on the exercise bike and got bored with that. So it was an off day. I wanted a nap anyway.
Saturday: Long run
Today the training plan called for an 8-10 mile run. I opted for 8 and went out to Sandy Creek Park to run the loop.
I was invited to the Athens Road Runners group run, but I didn't want to run 8 miles on pavement this close to the race. I'll take a trail.
I went to my niece's soccer game first, and then went to the park (it was supposed to rain earlier in the day.)
1. I fell in the first mile and skinned up my leg. Ugh.
2. In mile 2, I tried to hop a wide mud puddle, missed and splashed my shoe in water. This led to problems in miles 6-7 because I got a nasty blister from running in a wet shoe. Also my split for mile 2 was super slow. I think the watch was wrong it was so slow. I was running 8:40 pace and it said 9:50. (9:50 is an acceptable pace, but it's not what I was running.
3. Mile 3. A white-haired man passed me. He said "I like your pace." I jumped because he scared the shit out of me. I was listening to music and never see other runners out there. He completely snuck up on me. His dog ran my pace for half a mile or so and then he started walking and I passed him, and never saw him again. Trail ghost reminding me to be more aware or surroundings? Maybe.
4. Mile 4 was okay.
5. Mile 5 was the mile of walking. I tend to walk the uphills. It's a brutal course.
6. On mile 6, the blister from that mud puddle started hurting. My Pandora station went out. So I stopped and tried to pop the blister and get music. I tried voice commands for Siri to play my playlist but she wasn't having it. I had to manually turn my run playlist on. This is when my phone stopped working.
7. Mile 7 was awful.
8. Mile 8 was slow and I barely got it done. I got to 8.11 so Strava would give me 8.1, but Strava gave me 8.0. Thanks.
That blister was hurting my foot so bad I took off my shoe and walked the rest of the trail in one shoe and the other barefoot. Once I got to the road I walked .4 miles barefoot back to my car. My texts to Matt failed to send and my Garmin wouldn't synch to my phone.
That loop felt a lot worse than last time and was more than 30 seconds slower a mile. It was still within an acceptable range. I think I was just tired from all the increased miles.
Sunday: 3 miles
I attempted to scout the course for the 10k I'm running this weekend. I drove to Winterville and ran three miles. I got one loop correct and then didn't quite run the last 3 miles of the course. I stopped a lot in the last mile to figure out which way the course went. I ran some of the course. And it is indeed flat. Pretty. And it's all on the road. I thought there would be more sidewalks, but not really.
My legs were BEAT from the long run. I thought it might be a disaster of a run BUT nope. I started too fast. I looked down and my watch said 6:40 pace. I ended up running a 7:13 first mile (7:32 on the watch. I had to stop to cross the road. Then and 8:17 and 8:18 which is a little fast to be an easy pace, but I don't know how fast to run on the road.
I also went to yoga class Sunday night. Yoga is bliss. I love it. I left feeling limber and completely relaxed. The happy kind of woozy.
Week in review: 5 runs + 1 yoga class
Days running: 5
Miles this week: 25.4
Miles this month: 51
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