21...and Done!

Saturday morning was my last truly long run before MCM.  21 Miles.  Wowsah.  While I was not exactly looking forward to a run that long, I knew I could do it, with 20 and 16 milers under my belt in the last 6 weeks.

So, in the 5am darkness on a muggy, rainy, morning, my group and I took off.  Although the humidity was brutal, the first loop around the lake was no big deal.  Then we turned off the lake and went up into the neighborhoods and hit the hills.  (And this particular area has a set of hills known as "The Dolly's" in reference to Dolly Parton's rather generous...curves...ahem.  LOL.)  Still, we persevered and made it back down to the lake at mile 12.  We took a quick bathroom and re-fueling break, then headed back out for one more loop of the lake...and yes, it was still raining.

I hit a really rough spot mentally around mile 18, and I found myself fighting back tears.  I was tired, soaking wet, cranky, and seriously doubting my ability to run the first 20 miles of MCM at the needed "beat the bridge" pace.  However, my awesome group got me through it and we continued on, finally getting back to our cars and post-run golden oreos (yum!).

3 of my group members & me post-run...and dripping wet (even though it doesn't look like it in the pic)!

Photo proof!  21 done!

I got home, examined my new blisters (even with tons of lube, with all that rain, blisters were inevitable), took an ice bath, and put on my recovery/compression gear.  We opened the doors to the now rain-cooled temperatures and let the cats explore the backyard a bit while I relaxed on the couch.  I spent the rest of the afternoon watching a couple movies and the Longhorn football game, virtually "cheering" on a bunch of my friends running the Disney Tower of Terror 10 Miler, and finally I crashed hard around 11pm and got some sleep.

So, now those super-long runs are done for this particular training cycle!  It's taper, taper, taper from here on out!  The next 3 weekends call for 12, 10, and 8 milers, respectively.  Thank goodness - those are going to be some very full weekends anyway, even without trying to squeeze long runs in!

• Do y'all ever have trouble mentally pushing through a run when you know your body can do it?
• How do you deal with race-related fears?
• Any helpful ideas for coping with the stress I'm feeling worrying about pace for MCM?

Fitness Center & Football

I did this past weekend's "long" run on a treadmill at the LAX Marriott.  Up at 4:30 and on a machine by 5:00.  Boring, right?  It wasn't as bad as it sounds.  I had 10 miles on my schedule, but really only had time for 9 before I had to stop to get ready to leave.  I split the run into 3 mile segments, just in case I needed to relinquish the machine to anyone waiting to use it (which I ended up not needing to do).  After each segment I took a super quick water & gel break, then got right back at it.  I can't say it was the most thrilling run I've ever done, but I've got to give props to the fitness center.

They had really nice equipment with plenty of each kind of aerobic machine, and every machine had it's own TV built in to it.  Didn't bring headphones?  No problem - they provided disposable pairs.  They had stacks and stacks of clean hand towels and several different sanitizing wipe stations to wipe down the machines when you were done.  There were several water coolers, including one full of ice water with lemon and lime slices floating in it for an invigorating citrus touch!  Feeling wiped out after your exertion?  How about a nice, chilled, Eucalyptus-infused washcloth?  Amazing.  To top it all off, they had trays of fresh fruit available for a post-workout snack.  My only complaint is that the facility was too hot - it felt like a sauna in there - especially once more people came in as it got later.

I was really pleased I was able to get in almost all of my scheduled mileage - I had been concerned about whether it would really be feasible on the road.  I guess it just goes to show that it's possible with a little determination and commitment to force myself to get up and going and get it done even while traveling.  Nice.

And after the run we headed to The Rose Bowl to watch UT beat UCLA!  It was an incredible football game for us.  Add in a day at Disneyland on Sunday, and it was a great weekend!

Saturday's Treadmill Run:

• 9 miles; 2:04:34; 13:50min/mi avg. pace

What's On Tap?

Two posts in two days!  I'm on fire!  Which, actually, I'm not!  We're experiencing a freak "cold front" this week that has reduced daily high temps to the mid 80's - I'm pretty sure I'm in heaven!  I got in a outdoor run after work last night, which I haven't done it literally months because it's just been too dang hot!  It was still warm at 85 degrees, and sunny, so I didn't have a great pace, but it felt amazing just to be out there pounding the pavement.

Yesterday's stats:

• 10 minute warm-up walk
• 3 mi; 0:39:54; 13:18 min/mi avg pace

I'm just gonna apologize in advance for the craziness of the next few weeks.  I will do my best to keep the blog updated after each long run, but there is so much going on, I'm not promising anything...  'Cause, yup, it's going to be a full rest of the month!

So what's on tap for the next few weeks?

• 18 mile training run (WOW!) & football game
• 9 mile training run & trip to L.A.
• 9 mile training run
• Wine & Dine Half Marathon

Crazy, right?  It may be busy/full, but I'm really looking forward to it.  Well, maybe not-so-much looking forward to the 18 miler, but it'll be another big milestone for me, so that's something to look forward to!  And in the middle and the end of the month - a Disney trip on each coast - what's not great about that???

Birthdays, Munchkins, and Football!

Not only was last weekend a long holiday weekend, but it was also my birthday weekend!  I headed down to Austin early Friday afternoon to meetup with some high school and college friends, and we went out for mexican food at one of our favorite restaurants.  Knowing that we had a 9-mile training run in the morning, we kept the night kinda low-key, but did end up eating a lot of not-ideal pre-run food.  And stayed up too late because we were having a "Girls' Night In" sleepover...

All my non-running friends thought that the three of us runners in the group were absolutely nuts when we set our alarms for 5:15 on Saturday morning - but we had some miles to cover and wanted to beat the heat (as best we could).  What else was on the schedule?  The Inaugural R.O.T.E. Munchkin Run: Half-of-a-Half-Marathon!  That's right, a virtual race covering 6.55 miles with Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins (or the equivalent) as a post-race snack?  Yes, please!  So the 3 of us printed out the bibs, ran our 6.55 miles, and snapped pics afterward with our donut holes!

I didn't run the miles at my race pace, since it was part of a 9-mile training run, but was still ok with my time.  After the "race," I got in another 2.45 miles - with the sun out so the finishing miles weren't so great, but they were done!  And considering the less-than-ideal "prep" from the night before, I'll take it!

After the run, we got cleaned up and re-joined the rest of the group for a yummy breakfast!  Throw in some time in the pool, watching movies, dinner with my family, and a winning football game, and it was an all-around great weekend!

Saturday's stats:

• R.O.T.E. Munchkin Run: Half-of-a-Half-Marathon
• 6.55 mi; 1:28:19; 13:29min/mi avg pace
• Remaining mileage
• 2.45 mi; 0:34:35; 14:07min/mi avg pace

Tailgating = Trouble

BBQ chicken, brisket & sausage, potato salad, coleslaw, deviled eggs, homemade rolls, baked beans, pound cake, cookies, and ice cream all made up the spread at my office's annual pre-Thanksgiving tailgate party today.  It was an amazing feast - and I ate entirely too much of it to be comfortable.  So, I started my treadmill run this evening feeling pretty yucky.  I still ran parts of the scheduled 3 miles, but ended up walking more than I'm happy with...  But what's the most important part?  I still did it.  I sucked it up, and made myself do it.  3 miles.  And am so glad that I did.  I felt much better afterward, and it made me that much more pumped for the 5-mile Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning!!!

Today's stats:

• 3 mile run/walk; 0:46:03; 15:21 min/mi

Excitement, Anticipation, and Expectation

I leave for Austin today after work.  The sense of anticipation for this new Longhorn football season has been building since that fateful night in The Rose Bowl last January.  The 2010 home opener is this weekend, and I am so excited I can hardly stand it - I can't wait for the guys to get out on the field so I can see for myself what they can do!

All summer we heard talk of "realistic expectations" for this year's team - speculation ping-ponged between the hopes and dreams of another road-to-the-championship-season and the reality of having a sophmore QB and a team "still working out the kinks."  There's a big difference between the two.  But I'm confident in my guys, and I expect it to be a good season.  However I'm not hoping for anything extraordinary (not that I wouldn't welcome the unexpected pleasure of something great happening!).

So what does this have to do with my running training?  I see the correlation, even if you don't.   I have these lofty dreams of flying through the half marathon in January, finishing with a spectacular time, and setting a new PR that will astonish and amaze everyone - myself included.  The chances of that actually happening?  Minimal to none - as in zip, zero, zilch.  I'll work my butt off for the next 119 days, and have fun doing it; I'll experience challenges and accomplishments along the way; I won't be winning any medals or setting any records on race day.  But I'm okay with that - the trick is to keep the dreams and the reality well-balanced, and to remember that there's always the chance of the unexpected happening to keep the dream alive!