It's been a few days since I've given you all a training update, so let me fill you in on the goings on since Sunday's race. Monday I gave myself an off day - I'm pretty sure I earned that one, seeing as how I hit all my A goals on Sunday. Tuesday I eased myself back into the swing of things with an easy 6.5 miles. The first part of the run felt absolutely awful - it was like my legs were made out of cinder blocks. Every step was a disaster. But as I reached the halfway point, I started to get loose and hit a groove in my pacing, so things started falling back into place.
Wednesday I took off again - I had a workout scheduled but because I felt like such crap on Tuesday and my legs were still tired when I woke up Wednesday I wanted another day of recovery. I can really only use this whole "I had my A race this past weekend" excuse for another few days so I really want to get all the mileage (pun intended!) out of it that I can.
My work schedule has changed for the fall and I don't have to be into work until the early afternoon on Wednesdays and Thursdays, which is great because I can get my workouts done in the morning before going into work rather than spend all day thinking up excuses as to how I can get out of them in the afternoon now. This morning I used free time to get a nice long hill workout done - and there is a strong possibility I will need a nap before going into work because of it.
Rather than using the same hill I have been doing all of repeats on, I decided to go crazy and pick another one. I ran across town to a place that we used to do hill repeats on when I ran winter track in high school (shout out to the TP!). It's a little further away than I would prefer, but the incline is a lot more gradual and straight than the hill I've been using. I thought that this would make it - while not actually be easier - at least seem like it.
It did not.
I don't know what I was thinking but this was not at all any easier. I seem to remember these repeats not sucking so much when I was in high school - and then I remembered that I also did not drink nearly as often in high school (sorry to shatter the illusion that underage kids don't drink - I know that you are all shocked to hear this) nor did I think going to wing night and pounding down 15 wings was an appropriate dinner. I will let you know that those wings threatened a return trip back up my esophagus somewhere around the fifth repeat, though.
So, as you can see from the elevation chart above, I did 7 repeats on the not-as-easy-as-I-thought-it-would-be hill. I did a nice easy 2.75 mile warm up run there and then knocked out the repeats. The hill itself is pretty long, but I decided from the outset that I would count up five telephone poles and stop there. It ended up being just about .15 of a mile. In the future I might make these repeats longer and aim for a quarter mile, but seeing as how I was doing seven I didn't want to push it. Here's the breakdown:
1. 52.8
2. 56.8
3. 53.1
4. 50.6
5. 50.1
6. 51.6
7. 50.5
I chose a different route home - one that was more direct and also, by the looks of it, one that could count as an eighth repeat. It really didn't seem this big on the run, although I guess after running uphill seven times in a row things aren't always exactly what they seem to be. Note for future hill repeats: run this on the way to the hill, rather than the way home.
One thing I did notice from looking over the stats from the run was that my rest time crept up each time I finished a repeat, which means I need to do a better job of giving myself more rest in the beginning so I don't die by the end.
I don't do repeats again for another two weeks, but it will be my highest total at 8 and then I will start to go back down as I get closer to race week. Looking at the calendar, I have three more scheduled hill repeat workouts - including the 8 repeater - so I'm thinking that the other two weeks I will do less repeats but a longer distance. I am also hoping that by then the weather will have cooled down somewhat and I won't have to continue to ruin my couch as I write these reports.
On a slightly deeper note, yesterday was the 12th anniversary of 9/11 - a day that most of us will never forget. I didn't write a post because I think that we all reflect on that day in different ways and sometimes, the more things that get thrown at us about a topic, the more we tend to tune them out. However, I read a quote that I thought was pretty poignant and hit home so wanted to share it with everyone:
"On September 10th twelve years ago, millions of Americans went to bed quietly, with no thought that when they woke up their world would change forever. That night, thousands slept with loved ones for the last time. That night, hundreds packed bags that they would never open. One never knows what a new day has in store. Let us live each day to the fullest, and never miss a chance to tell those dearest to you that you love them. So tonight, and every night, if you have someone in your life that you love - tell them. . ."
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