Hanging up my running shoes

[run.minnie.miles]

I'm not sure if the cadence drills or acceleration gliders really do that much for me, but if nothing else, it's a good warm-up. The 20-miler is actually the following weekend, but I hope it goes as well as the 17 did. We are running the half in October and then we do have a full in November, so that's where the mileage is coming from. I'm feeling much stronger going into this fall racing season than I ever have before so hoping that means good things for race times.

Ok- I clearly need to be a better journal reader! I had missed that you are doing a November marathon too! That is awesome! I have a feeling you are going to have an AWESOME fall race season! I can't imagine doing 2 full marathons in 2 months... you are a rock star!

 

[FredtheDuck]

so our overall pace was 9:44! Whoa!! Definitely much faster than usual. I was feeling it at the end, but I was pretty happy I managed to maintain that for 4 miles!

That's a stellar pace! Sounds like you got some quality running in despite some wonky schedule/weather curveballs, so nice job!!

 

[ZellyB]

Training Week(s)
8/13 - 8/26
It's 2 Weeks in 1 Update!!

​

The last couple of weeks have been a bit hectic around work and home, so just didn't get a chance to update my journal last week, so all you lucky folks get the benefit of a jumbo-sized journal post!!

Sunday 8/13 - Rest day here after an easy week of running. So nice!
Monday 8/14 - Back to the track today. 4 Cadence drills/4 acceleration gliders/3x800 (Half marathon pace). Nice and easy again today. We still keep running these just a touch fast, but not terribly, so we figure that's close enough.
Tuesday 8/15 - Chris had an early meeting plus the kids started back to school this day. WHAT???? It seems to start so early any more. Madness!

So, we ended up just running 4 miles. I guess we were both so concerned about getting done early we decided to set a pretty blistering pace for us. 2:00/:30 intervals and an overall pace of 9:44. Zoom! Zoom!
We did manage to do yoga in the evening, but we have been so inconsistent about it lately. Not good!
Wednesday 8/16 - Rest day
Thursday 8/17 - Early meetings again, for me this time, so we just did a 5-miler. 2:00/:30 intervals and overall pace of 10:32. Solid run.
Friday 8/18 - Rest day
Saturday 8/19 - Galloway group run. 8 mile run on that hilly course that I do not like! I get that hills are good training, but I really dislike this route. It's on a fairly busy stretch of road, so we have to run on the sidewalk most of the way which is narrow and not much to look at. Waaaahhh!!! I'm such a cry baby.

Anyway, this was a good, solid run. Felt good the whole way, even on the hills . :90/:30 intervals and overall pace of 10:33.
Sunday 8/20 - Rest day
Monday 8/21 - Back to the track! 4 Cadence drills/4 acceleration gliders/4x800 (Half marathon pace). We were doing well and then on our last loop around the track, Chris grabs my arm and says, "what's that on the track?" Well, hello there!

Yep! A little skunk was cruising along in front of us, so we clearly pulled up short and let the little fella find his way off the track before finish things up. I'm just really glad that Chris saw him!
Tuesday 8/22 - 6 mile run. Felt good again on this one. Ran with 2:00/:30 intervals and pace of 10:17. That's a bit faster than normal and roughly the pace we want to run our half marathon at in about a month. So, I was really assessing how I felt and I can say, I was pretty tired coming up to the end. So, mentally, I was really questioning if I thought I could have finished out another 7+ miles at that same pace. I'm not sure of the answer on that, but I guess we'll find out soon enough. Hopefully race day adrenaline would make the difference.
Wednesday 8/23 - Rest day
Thursday 8/24 - AGAIN with the early morning meetings! 5 miles today running 2:00/:30 intervals. Overall pace 10:33. Nothing extraordinary here, but we also decided running a bit shorter might not be a bad idea with our 20-miler coming up on Saturday. I was a bit nervous about this one and hoping it would go well.

Friday 8/25 - Rest day. Well, sort of. Chris and I took the day off to get our house ready for a party we were having Saturday night. We were having a bunch of people over for a fish fry and the plan was to hang out on the back patio and lay the food out on the basement table. Now, normally, the basement is my son's domain, so it was pretty rough looking down there. So, Chris and I spent the day down there cleaning up and shampooing carpet! Not maybe the best way to rest up before a 20 mile run, but the basement did look great!
Saturday 8/26 - 20-mile Galloway group run. The weather gods have been so great to us in August. It's been unseasonably cool and Saturday was no exception. It was around 65 degrees at 6 AM when we started and only low-70s when we finished. Stayed mostly overcast the whole time as well. Perfect! We did our normal :90/:30 intervals and had a big group and everyone rocked it. My watch kicked off on me somewhere just shy of 18 miles and it took me a bit to get it going again, so I'm not positive of final pace, but Chris had us right around 11:00 m/m for the run. I felt good with just some fatigue and a bit of a slow-down the last mile or so. Everyone in the group did so great and had a wonderful run. It was such a great day and it's always great to get a long run like that done successfully!

So, that's it for the running updates. I'll try to be a bit better about keeping up for awhile!!

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Tuesday 8/15 - Chris had an early meeting plus the kids started back to school this day. WHAT???? It seems to start so early any more. Madness!

So hard to believe school already started! I'm in denial. Hope the kiddos have a great year!!

I guess we were both so concerned about getting done early we decided to set a pretty blistering pace for us. 2:00/:30 intervals and an overall pace of 9:44.

I'm sure you've neeevvverrr been called this, but dang girl, you're like a gazelle! Awesome pace- your training is clearly paying off!

Saturday 8/26 - 20-mile Galloway group run. The weather gods have been so great to us in August. It's been unseasonably cool and Saturday was no exception. It was around 65 degrees at 6 AM when we started and only low-70s when we finished. Stayed mostly overcast the whole time as well. Perfect! We did our normal :90/:30 intervals and had a big group and everyone rocked it. My watch kicked off on me somewhere just shy of 18 miles and it took me a bit to get it going again, so I'm not positive of final pace, but Chris had us right around 11:00 m/m for the run. I felt good with just some fatigue and a bit of a slow-down the last mile or so. Everyone in the group did so great and had a wonderful run. It was such a great day and it's always great to get a long run like that done successfully!

Awesome TWENTY miler!! Woohoo!!

 

[FredtheDuck]

Wow! I agree with @run.minnie.miles! What a speedy week! Sounds like you had some really confidence-boosting runs throughout both weeks. Also, kudos to you for hosting a party the night before a 20-miler, then having a stellar run the next day. So exciting to see how your training is all coming together!

 

[Sailormoon2]

You may have been busy, but you have clearly been productive too! well done!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

Wow great training, girl!! It made me tired reading it! I hope when I attempt my first 20 miler in December, it goes as well as yours!

 

[roxymama]

Aren't morning meetings the best! (said no one, ever)
I'm humbled and in awe of your 20 mile run. 11 min mile for 20 miles....GIRRRRRL...you are just rocking right now.

 

[ZellyB]

So hard to believe school already started! I'm in denial. Hope the kiddos have a great year!!

They are off to a good start so far anyway. Hard to believe my babies are freshmen!!

I'm sure you've neeevvverrr been called this, but dang girl, you're like a gazelle! Awesome pace- your training is clearly paying off!
Awesome TWENTY miler!! Woohoo!!

Thank you. I'm a long way from a gazelle, but it's been nice to see steady improvement in my paces this year.

Wow! I agree with @run.minnie.miles! What a speedy week! Sounds like you had some really confidence-boosting runs throughout both weeks. Also, kudos to you for hosting a party the night before a 20-miler, then having a stellar run the next day. So exciting to see how your training is all coming together!

I'm feeling really good about where I am right now. Just hoping things continue on this path all the way through Dopey. My confidence is pretty high right now, so just excited on my progress.

You may have been busy, but you have clearly been productive too! well done!

Thank you! I'm ready for life to calm down a bit now though. Early meetings again this week have put a crimp in things. Grrr.

Wow great training, girl!! It made me tired reading it! I hope when I attempt my first 20 miler in December, it goes as well as yours!

Thank you! I have total confidence in you. You will do great! I was pretty stoked on how well I felt during the 20 miler. By far the best training run of that distance I've ever had.

Aren't morning meetings the best! (said no one, ever)
I'm humbled and in awe of your 20 mile run. 11 min mile for 20 miles....GIRRRRRL...you are just rocking right now.

Morning meetings. UGH!!


Things are good right now with training for sure. Just have to work to keep it that way.

 

[ZellyB]

Let's talk about something other than running, K?
​

So, in just a little over a week, Chris and I are heading off on an adult weekend away in lovely Las Vegas!

We are going with 3 other couple friends for a long weekend in Sin City and I'm pretty happy about it. We fly out late on Friday and get home on Monday, so definitely a whirlwind trip. Not sure we'll manage to do any running while gone, but I'm totally okay with that.

We are staying at the Aria. Which is a really nice hotel and well-located on the strip.

Pretty, right? I used some travel miles I had earned up to pay for the room and splurged a bit more to get a Vegas strip view as well. It's funny how much I love Vegas because we really don't even gamble that much, but I do so enjoy the SPECTACLE that is Las Vegas. We haven't made tons of plans, but we do have reservations for a show called Absinthe.

"Imagine Cirque du Soleil as channeled through"Rocky Horror Picture Show" and painted by George Grosz. A blend of skill, erotic innuendo and zaniness. The memorable moments make a jaded audience literally gasp."

So, yeah, can't wait. I guess the show is in a theater designed to look more like a circus tent and the stage is in the center and the seats are very close to the stage. It's billed as an adults only show and some of what I read was that it's like a burlesque/circus/comedy type of show. I'm pretty excited to see it. Then we have late night dinner reservations after the show. This part will be hard for me since I'm normally in bed by 9 PM. LOL That's all Saturday night.

Sunday is all about relaxing and having fun. We rented out a cabana at the pool at Aria that will accommodate all 8 of us for the day.

So, plenty of lounging and pool time and relaxing while consuming food and drinks. Perfect weekend as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Ariel484]

Sounds like so much fun! Have a fabulous trip speedy lady!

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

Looks like a fun trip! I just skimmed through the past few weeks and it sure looks like your training is going really well, can't wait to see how it translates to race day for you! I'm following along, love all your gifs

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

Yay! Looks like you're going to have an awesome trip! I stayed at the Vdara (very close to Aira) a couple of years ago and had a great time! That cirque show sounds fun!! If you get a chance to run in the morning, I would say take it. One of the craziest runs I've done is just a three mile run at 7:00am on the strip. It is SO dead and such a fun juxtaposition from the hustle and bustle at night!

 

[Sailormoon2]

OMG! That lounge area looks fantastic!! Have a blast in Vegas! Woo Hoo!

 

[SarahDisney]

Sounds like a nice trip! That Absinthe show sounds bizarre ... in the best possible way. I'm sure it will be really enjoyable. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Anisum]

Wow sounds like a great time! I've never been to Vegas but my family who has gone (none of whom are big gamblers) love it! Absinthe sounds amazing (and definitely like something someone would hallucinate after drinking Absinthe) and I'm definitely looking forward to hearing about your trip.

 

[FredtheDuck]

How fun! The last time I was in Vegas was 2010, when Aria was brand new. We didn't stay there, but it sure looked gorgeous. Have a great time!

 

[ZellyB]

Sounds like so much fun! Have a fabulous trip speedy lady!

Thank you!

Looks like a fun trip! I just skimmed through the past few weeks and it sure looks like your training is going really well, can't wait to see how it translates to race day for you! I'm following along, love all your gifs

Thanks for reading along. I'm hoping it translates well to race day too!

Yay! Looks like you're going to have an awesome trip! I stayed at the Vdara (very close to Aira) a couple of years ago and had a great time! That cirque show sounds fun!! If you get a chance to run in the morning, I would say take it. One of the craziest runs I've done is just a three mile run at 7:00am on the strip. It is SO dead and such a fun juxtaposition from the hustle and bustle at night!

Hmmm. I hadn't really thought about what an early morning run along the strip might be like. I might just have to pack along some running clothes after all.

OMG! That lounge area looks fantastic!! Have a blast in Vegas! Woo Hoo!

I'm really excited about it!!

Sounds like a nice trip! That Absinthe show sounds bizarre ... in the best possible way. I'm sure it will be really enjoyable. Have a wonderful trip!

It's the bizarre factor that has me most pumped. I'm hoping it's just weird enough to still be entertaining.

Wow sounds like a great time! I've never been to Vegas but my family who has gone (none of whom are big gamblers) love it! Absinthe sounds amazing (and definitely like something someone would hallucinate after drinking Absinthe) and I'm definitely looking forward to hearing about your trip.

Vegas is not for everyone, I know. But the sheer EXCESS of the place just fascinates me. It's nice too because a little Vegas time goes a long way, so just a quick weekend stay is perfect.

How fun! The last time I was in Vegas was 2010, when Aria was brand new. We didn't stay there, but it sure looked gorgeous. Have a great time!

I'm hoping it's a nice in reality as it looks on the internet.

 

[rteetz]

Have fun! We have friends who stay at the Aria all the time.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

Yay! Looks like you're going to have an awesome trip! I stayed at the Vdara (very close to Aira) a couple of years ago and had a great time! That cirque show sounds fun!! If you get a chance to run in the morning, I would say take it. One of the craziest runs I've done is just a three mile run at 7:00am on the strip. It is SO dead and such a fun juxtaposition from the hustle and bustle at night!

I would definitely try to get an early morning run in along the Strip, just to say I did it!