Happy Halloween!!

RUN 6.1 miles in ???

The Garmin didn't make it, it died around mile 3.

This wasn't with the normal Thursday group. It was raining pretty heavy and still dark out. When you're building to a race, it's easy to convince yourself to run no matter what. When you're the only one of your friends building to a race, it's hard to convince them to run no matter what. So no group run this morning, DH doesn't like me running alone in the dark. I don't blame him!

But the mid-60's weather, foggy rain, and outstanding fall colors were too strong of a pull--as soon as a few rays of light hinted at dawn I was out the door. I was wet within minutes and to my surprise pretty warm too! It was beautiful!

Some of the trees glowed a bright yellow, red, or orange against a flat gray misty sky. Normally you don't notice one particular tree as you run by, but today certain ones were fantastically glowing. If I could have taken pictures I would have!

And so ends October. My race is now 10 days away! This run felt great, fast and strong. But technically I'm tapering too, so I resisted the pull for more mileage and went home.

indoor bike

BIKE 1:12 and 21 miles, 12.5 mins on then 2.5 mins rest
COMMUTE 6 miles bike

I realized at some point recently that I've done the vast majority of my biking indoors this year. That's kinda sad. OK yeah I do my midweek riding early before dawn, and that's been the bulk of my bike "training" this year, but still I think that Frea was a very minor player this year for mileage. Puppy probably has more miles than Frea! And trusty old Bird has been indoors all summer.

I had grand plans of doing a century this October, but my biking didn't bounce back after a summer of ultra running. As I've said before, bike training helps my running but not vice versa.

Those few times I did put too many miles on the trainer I could feel that pez animus left knee injury lurking--the same injury I had last April after my ankle injury pushed me indoors on the bike.

Another grand plan for this year was planning a long trip up towards home on the bike, approximately 220 miles of rural roads this fall. Obviously that didn't happen either.

I did what I needed to do this year to meet my goals, and next year I'll do the same. Still it's a sad thing to realize how much I rode indoors this year!

Fall of rain, and leaves!

SWIM: 2400y in about a hour, sets of 400 different ways
RUN: 7.5 miles in 1:08, 9:04 m/m pace in FoPa

The morning swim was supposed to be a little earlier morning (I ended up getting there around 8am!) but I was slow to leave the house. The "training plan" I'm "following" in my new little book called for and Endurance Form swim, so I picked the one I was gonna swim last Friday and went with it.

Saw D at the pool for the first time in months! Then focused on my swim. As always I start off feeling great but my form degrades as time goes by, especially as a set gets longer. Today was 400's in different ways: 8x50 drills, 400, 2x200, 400, and 4x100. I was OK with the shorter sets, it was the 400s that suffered at about the 300y mark. And that's not surprising! I don't have the muscular endurance for it yet.

But my form would get awful, and at some point I'm drilling in bad habits. Some reading I did later in the day suggested avoidance of the long sets for this exact reason. Problems I'm noting: my head swivels left and right, my left shoulder drags in the water (off balance rotation), my catch is non-existent, and my timing is such that I "stall". I've looked at more swim toys like ankle bands and beeping-tempo devices to improve front quadrant swimming and cadence, respectively, but at what point do these tools go from help to hinder? Probably at my level, anything is a help.

The run was also going to be earlier, but since my swim ended around 930 I decided to get to work instead and run over lunch. I was also hoping to catch some rain on my run, but it happened that by the time I ran I had only a light rain. The plan was 4-5 miles but I was feeling good, the weather was perfect, the leaves and fall colors were bright and beautiful...nothing like work! So I did the FoPa loop instead of the planned out-n-back.

I went without my Garmin to keep the run casual instead of paced, but instead I spend the run wondering my mileage. Would it be this? I skipped that, what would that have added up to? Is this going to be an even number?

I would have guessed 6.9 miles, but MMR says 7.5. Whoop!

Bees at the RnR STL

For my birthday, I wanted to cheer a corner of the RnR STL as it passed by our house. Because cheering in a costume is more fun with friends, we made an event of it. Between the iron bee, basset bee, banana, santa, pinata, and others--I had an awesome morning!! I love this stuff!

Thanks to my DH who puts up with me and my crazy friends, and cooks us bacon and eggs :)

Last long run, last miles FAST

RUN 17.1 miles in 3hrs 10:30 something pace
RUN 5.9 miles in 50 mins 8:20-something pace
Total of 23 miles in 3:50

This was really one long run, but was broken into two very distinct segments. My original plan was a long trail run with TV, but since both of us have nagging mild pains that could become injuries we changed plans. He at least stayed home to rest. Me? Nah. I ran. A lot.

The first 3hrs with RM and BS. This was BS's longest run evah! And I think RM's longest training run evah! I remember those days, I still have them, but they are fewer and far between. This segment was super casual, talky, and fun. I LOVE these runs--social but with a goal to keep it serious. I kept drifting ahead of them towards the end, BS was less talkative and hurting. RM 's injury was holding off (with some Rx help). My knee was hurting but not enough to stop me. More of an ache than a pain.

I sipped my EFS, probably didn't drink enough, and really enjoyed the time. Great conversation that covered everything from Club business to the symphony, to orbital trajectories. I laughed to think we were out there long enough for the trees to change between the first and last loops.

The 2nd segment was alone. I was at 17 miles and thought I'd just out-n-back to round up to 20. But when I hit the halfway point I didn't want to turn around. So I didn't, figuring I could make a zoo loop. But when I hat that split point I didn't want to go left to the zoo. So I didn't, figuring I could just hit the next hill then go left. But I didn't. Why?

Because I was having the damnedest awesome last few miles to a long run!!! I was clocking 8:20 ish miles to my surprise. But the real boost was the feeling--I felt STRONG, FAST, FRESH, I felt the PUSH I want to feel the last 6 mile of a marathon. In my mind, I was running MiTi and closing the gaps to competitors. It was as if these were my first miles of the day, like the first 3hrs didn't happen. Amazing.

It was hard to stop, I could have kept going, but to no gain. I walked instead and marveled over what just happened. The rest of the day my energy was phenom. No crash until late.

My knee? Ached during and after. Hurts to kneel on. And late in the day after bending it felt a sharp painful twinge. See what happens tomorrow.

Short weekend, so rode today. And signed up for MiTi!

BIKE 18 miles in 1hr, indoors.  23 min intervals (2 min rest)

I would have loved to do the 2hr ride I had initially planned, but a full workday and a trip to the vet kept that from happening.

I signed up for iron distance #4 today. 303 days until the Michigan Titanium!

Happy Birthday
to me.
Nine months of
training!

Oh oh sometimes, I get a good feeling :)

"Birthday" run

RUN 6.4 miles in 1:05

This was my "birthday" run. Not actually on my birthday, but this was the day I'd get to see my friends so that's when I celebrated it. A few extras showed up! RM with D and BS. Yay! I ran with RM and D the Endurance Dog.

We had bacon and bee pops (they looked like mutant flying cows) afterwards. When people ask what I'm doing for my birthday, I'm so happy to say spending it with friends. I have the greatest!