Moving week - FINALLY!!!!

Sunday, December 25th
Rest day - First day ENTIRELY off since the 24th of October

Monday, December 26th
20' bike + 35' weights
60' bike PM

Tuesday, December 27th
10' core + 45' bike

Wednesday, December 28th
45' bike + 20' upper body strength

Thursday, December 29th
45' bike + 20' lower body strength
45' bike PM

Friday, December 30th
60' bike + 15' core
40' bike PM

Saturday, December 31st
20' bike + 30' elliptical + 15' weights

Last FULL week living in Houston!

Sunday, December 18th
30' bike (AM)
30' seated elliptical (noon)
25' bike + 5' core (PM)

Monday, December 19th
45' seated elliptical
20' bike + 30' weights PM

Tuesday, December 20th
45' seated elliptical
50' swim (1600m)

Wednesday, December 21st
Neuromuscular Therapy (AM)
35' seated elliptical
*bad foot pain today!

Thursday, December 22nd
60' seated elliptical
30' bike + 15' strength PM

Friday, December 23rd
45' seated elliptical

Saturday, December 24th
2 hour bike (outdoors while Jake ran)

Another week closer to running

...That's my new "motivation" phrase. Every day that passes means I am one day closer to being able to run again. I have been getting so discouraged because the pain is not clearing up (in fact, lately it has seemed worse) and I very desperately want to be back, running on my own two feet again. Every evening I am going to remind myself - I am one day closer to running.

Here's the DL on last week's training:
Sunday, December 11th
65' swim (1600m + 10' aqua jog)
30' weights PM

Monday, December 12th
55' bike + 20' core

Tuesday, December 13th
Neuromuscular Therapy AM
60' swim (1600m)

Wednesday, December 14th
50' bike + 30' weights
30' aqua jog

Thursday, December 15th
50' bike + 10' core

Friday, December 16th
40' bike + 20' weights

Saturday, December 17th
40' bike + 20' weights

Getting closer to wearing TWO normal shoes!

I feel like I'm finally making progress and I hope to be transitioning into a normal shoe in the next two to three weeks! Anyhow, here's the training from this last week:

Sunday, December 4th
10' core + 60' bike + 30' strength

Monday, December 5th
15' core + 50' bike
50' bike PM

Tuesday, December 6th
20' bike + 40' strength + 20' bike

Wednesday, December 7th
60' bike

Thursday, December 8th
15' core + 50' bike
30' bike PM

Friday, December 9th
20' bike + 50' strength

Saturday, December 10th
70' swim (1600m swimming + 10' aqua jogging)
15' core + 50' bike PM

Still fighting the same battles..

Sunday, November 27th
30' rowing

Monday, November 28th
45' swim (1600m)
50' weights + 5' bike PM

Tuesday, November 29th
30' rowing
15' core + 30' bike PM

Wednesday, November 30th
15' bike + 40' weights

Thursday, December 1st
50' bike

Friday, December 2nd
40' bike + 30' weight

Saturday, December 3rd
60' bike + 20' core

Officially out for a while...

Last week's MRI confirmed that I now have two stress fractures: One in the third metatarsal and one in the first. Running, the elliptical, etc are now out of the question for a while...

Sunday, November 20th
30' rowing + 10' bike

Monday, November 21st
40' bike
30' rowing + 10' leg weights PM

Tuesday, November 22nd
40' bike
10' rowing + 30' upper body weights + 10' bike PM

Wednesday, November 23rd
30' bike

Thursday, November 24th
30' strength + 40' outdoor bike

Friday, November 25th
40' basketball + 20' light strength

Saturday, November 26th
40' bike
40' strength + 20' bike PM

One day at a time- That's the plan!

Sunday, November 13th
20' bike + 40' weights + 40' elliptical

Monday, November 14th
30' aqua jog + 30' swim
20' bike + 15' core PM

Tuesday, November 15th
30' elliptical
45' weights + 30' elliptical PM

Wednesday, November 16th
60' swim

Thursday, November 17th
10' core + 45' elliptical

Friday, November 18th
30' bike


Saturday, November 19th
30' elliptical + 10' bike + 15' rowing
30' weights PM

Bikes & Weights & Pools - Oh My!

Sunday, November 6th
15' bike + 45' strength + 45' bike

Monday, November 7th
60' swim
20' bike + 10' core (PM)

Tuesday, November 8th
45' strength + 30' bike

Wednesday, November 9th
30' bike

Thursday, November 10th
30' ab workout
10' rowing + 50' spinning class

Friday, November 11th
40' weights + 30' bike

Saturday, November 12th
30' bike

Continuing to Cross Train - Hopefully Starting to Heal?!

Sunday, October 30th
60' bike

Monday, October 31st
60' rowing + 15' strength

Tuesday, November 1st
40' bike + 20' swim
20' bike + 15' core (PM)

Wednesday, November 2nd
20' leg strength + 30' swim

Thursday, November 3rd
15' core + 45' swim

Friday, November 4th
35' bike + 20' arm strength
35' bike + 20' leg strength

Saturday, November 5th
20' bike + 15' core

The 1st of the boring updates! :)

Sunday, October 23rd
2M warm up + 8M @ 6:09 AP
**See previous post for details**

Monday, October 24th
Rest & Doctor Appt - Stress Fracture in 3rd metatarsal

Tuesday, October 25th
20' arm cycle + 40' bike + 15' core

Wednesday, October 26th
40' rowing + 20' swim + 15' strength

Thursday, October 27th
20' arm cycle + 20' bike + 20' swim + 15' core

Friday, October 28th
20' arm cycle + 35' strength + 20' bike

Saturday, October 29th
30' bike + 15' core + 30' bike

Fall 2011 Training Summary & Race Recap

Basic Summary of fall training based on what I recorded on logarun.com this fall.

Weekly mileage progression from this fall's training. The taper worked perfectly!

I'll start with a race recap!

Sunday, October 23rd

2M warm up + 8.09M @ 6:09 pace + cop car ride home

• Pace Progression: 6:09, 6:04, 6:06, 6:15, 6:02, 6:05, 6:09, 6:13, 5:56 (only 32"!)

Today was supposed to be my first half marathon - It ended up being my first 8 mile run at half marathon pace! :)

I got in a 20' warm up, did drills and a few strides, and then it was time to race. My preparation plan turned out PERFECT. My stomach sloshed a lot on the warm up and strides, but by race start I was fine and knew I was hydrated and fueled up. 

The first mile felt a little aggressive to me even though it was right on my goal pace, but after that I got into a rhythm and felt GREAT. I had Emily Daum (and some guy that I don't actually know!) to run with the entire time and they were perfect for pacing purposes! I made sure to take deep breaths and relax my arms every half mile or so to keep fresh and thankfully never had any problems with that. I of course had my usual noisy breathing, but I have come to accept that as normal for me! :) 

The first time my foot started to really scare me was as we turned onto Shepherd, which I believe was somewhere around 4M? I chose to continue running and focused on splaying my toes out while my right foot was in flight to see if that would relieve the nerve. I continued this for the next four miles and dreaded every downhill and turn.

The gatorade stops were new to me and I will have to work on that for sure. I splashed it everywhere and choked on what little made my mouth! When I finally gave in to my foot at 8 miles I was starting to get a good second wind. I took some gatorade just a little before that point and was really rejuvinated. I hesitated for the last minute or so and started wincing and panicking out loud - that's when I knew it was time to stop. A big time bummer because there was finally a tail wind and I knew took note of some good downhill stretches I would hit coming back when we ran the first half.

All in all, I am happy with today's run. I felt very prepared and I really enjoyed the longer race "style". I love having a no pressure start and a relaxed enough pace to look around and enjoy the experience. I am usually an even splitter (if not negative), so the longer races suit me well. I'm pumped that I was sub goal pace and feeling so good, which tells me that I've found a training system, taper plan, and pre-race nutrition plan that I can be very confident in next time I toe the line. This was just God's way of giving me a good race rehearsal and now I know that when I am healthy again I can set a much higher goal.

I liked my fall training very much and believe it did wonders for my fitness level. My 5k PR felt so good and I know I am in shape for a solid half right now as well. I am excited to feed off of this training period when I am healthy again, and hopefully see some major PR's across the board this spring.

As for now, sitting, standing, walking, etc are KILLING me. My foot is throbbing and begging me to find a dream podiatrist to make it happy again. :) Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! 

And that's all for now, folks! :)

Week 14: Taper Time! The hardest part! :)

Sunday- 10.16.11
Easy: 6M (not timed)
Felt good and not sore or fatigued muscularly... definitely a lot of pain in the foot though! :(

Monday- 10.17.11
Rest day.
3M shakeout (8:00 AP)

Tuesday- 10.18.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 5k @HMP + 1M cool down

• Surface: paved 5k loop
• Total Time: 19:15 (6:11 AP)
• Pace Progression: 6:12, 6:19, 6:05
• Comments: Rough run this morning... It was very windy and my watch's screen was WAY off. I looked down at about 600m and was at 8:45 pace, at 1000m I was 6:35 pace, at 2000m I was 5:56 pace - And those were supposed to be average for the distance (not real time pace). In saying that, I went back forth a lot mentally about effort level and what pace I might actually be running. When I saw the 5:56 early in the second mile, I eased up a lot which explains the 6:19. Just wish the watch showed these times as I ran?! Got the job done regardless. Time to rest up for Sunday!

Wednesday- 10.19.11
Easy: 5M

• Surface: Tom Bass Park - paved and rolling hills
• Total Time: 38:01 (7:35 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:06, 7:39, 7:28, 7:11, 7:01
• Comments: Very pretty run during my lunch break - the only downsides were the strong winds (it's an open loop around a lake) and a pain beneath my left glute (bone/joint pain). Other than that it was a nice run and break in the day.

Supplemental Work: 3x12 light strength session in AM

Thursday- 10.20.11
Easy: 5M + strides

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 40:05 (8:01 AP)
• Pace Progression: 9:00, 8:00, 7:55, 7:58, 7:10
• Comments: Cold again!!! Think 45 degrees! Anyways, I passed Mr. Benson (my friend's dad about 5 minutes in so I slowed down to run with him for a while... hence the 9:00 first mile). My muscles feel strong and such, but my foot and "butt" are hurting so bad. :( Taking advil all day and will ice tonight. Oh, and I threw the strides into my fifth mile, which explains the drastic change in pace!

Friday- 10.21.11
Easy: 4M w/ 3', 2', 1' at HMP

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 30:36 (7:35 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:40 (1st mile), 7:43 (2nd mile), 6:13 (3'), 7:33 (3' recovery), 6:10 (2'), 7:34 (2' recovery), 6:08 (1'), 7:37 (finishing out the run)
• Comments: I almost didn't run this morning because my foot has been so painful, but I'm glad I did. It was GORGEOUS weather and the surges felt surprisingly easy to hit. I kept looking down halfway through them and finding I was 5:45-5:50 pace... Had to put a cap on it during the second half of them! :) Hoping to be healthy enough on Sunday to have a solid race and see this gift and traing that the Lord has blessed me with come through.

Saturday- 10.22.11
Easy: 3M + strides

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Comments: No watch for this one- just got in the mileage and kept things relaxed! Still major pain in my foot, but other than that I'm ready to race!!!

Week 14 Total Mileage: 33M
Total Seasonal Mileage: 638M

Week 13 of Training. Tune-Up 5k on Saturday!

Sunday- 10.9.11
Easy, Long: 75'

• Surface: Terry Hershey Park (paved with rolling hills)
• Total Time: 75' (calling it 11M)
• Comments: Very sluggish run on the way out, but the way back was a good, solid uptempo pace. Probably hit 10k pace for a good portion of the run. Ran in the rain and storm with Jake - hence the faster run home!
  

Monday- 10.10.11
Rest Day
25' shakeout with Jake

Tuesday- 10.11.11
Workout: 2M w/u+ 2x400 + 2x15' @ HMP + 2x400 (3' jog recovery b/w everything) + 1.3M c/d

• Surface: Memorial Park (dirt loop for 15', concrete track for 400's)
• Pace Progression: 71, 72, 6:14, 6:08, 73, 73 (6:10 AP for 15's) (4:59 AP for 400's)
• Comments: Good workout, but much harder effort than I wanted to put out this week. Hoping that 6:15 to 6:10 pace feels MUCH better in about a week and a half when I race?

Supplemental Work: Light strength session

Wednesday- 10.12.11
Easy, medium long: 9.5M

• Surface: Memorial Park loop
• Total Time: 1:12:30 (7:37 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:46, 8:02, 7:47, 7:43, 7:30, 6:04(?????), 7:30, 7:37, 7:35
• Comments: NO CLUE what happened with my Garmin during that sixth mile. I know we ran 9.51 miles because I know the route, so I trust the Garmin that sense. The total time for the run comes out to a 7:37 average, but I KNOW we didn't bust out a 6:04 in the middle. Not sure what happened! Regardless it was a nice morning out and I enjoyed catching up with Amanda during the run. Props to her for winning the 10 for Texas 10 miler this weekend!!

Supplemental Work: 50xV-Sit Russian Twist, 1x60" pedestal routine, 25xcrunches, 25xreverse crunches, 60"xback extensions

Thursday- 10.13.11
Easy: 6M

• Surface: Memorial Park Loop
• Total Time: 48:25 (8:04 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:26, 8:03, 8:14, 8:02, 7:54, 7:44
• Comments: I'm feeling really stiff, achey, and tired but I think it's just from some rough nights of sleep. Hoping to keep things light and easy tomorrow so that Saturday I wake up a bit more fresh and springy.

Supplemental Work: Light strength in AM

Friday- 10.14.11
Easy: 5M
Strides: 3x100m

• Surface: Tom Bass Park paved trail with rolling hills
• Total Time: 38:42 (7:47 AP)
• Pace Progression: 7:47, 8:00, 7:54, 7:44, 7:36
• Comments: Very short, light day today- hopefully not too short or light? Looking forward to tomorrow's race!

Saturday- 10.15.11
Race: 5k (3M warm up + 2M cool down)

• Surface: paved path at Oyster Creek Park (very windy with a few rolling hills & two 180 turns- literally!)
• Total Time: 17:55 (5:47 AP)
• Pace Progression 6:01, 5:36, 5:42
• Comments: Very difficult course as far as running a fast time goes, but I'm pumped about how easy it was to break 18 anyways. The course was basically a V-shape and on a 3ft wide trail. The turning points were literally "stop, turn, run" and when you turned around you spent the rest of the run against the flow (think 400 people walking/jogging in clumps). After a 6:01 first mile and no nearby females I decided to keep it simple and make it a good tempo effort. Next thing I knew I came through the second mile and ran 5:36 for it- Surprise! When I got to 2.5M and saw my average pace was 5:47 for the run, I was like, "hey, I can break 18 still!" so for the last .5M I switched over from just win it mode to break 18 mode. Yay! Good run, though!

Supplemental Work: Light strength session

Week 13 Total Mileage: 52.5M
Seasonal cumulative mileage: 609M

Week 12 of Training. Getting more race specific!

Sunday- 10.2.11
Easy, Long, HMP Workout: 12M w/ 8-11 @ HMP

• Surface: Sidewalks and Streets
• Total Time: 81:52 (6:53 AP)
• Pace Progression: 7:59, 7:16, 7:23, 7:07, 7:06, 6:54, 6:55, 6:54, 6:12, 6:07, 6:05, 6:39
• Comments: Very nice afternoon run with my husband! I was concerned that we ran the first part too steady for the HMP portion, but those 3M ended feeling great once I made the jump in pace and got settled. The last mile could easily have been kept at HMP, but no need to push buttons now! 

Supplemental Work: 2x12 strength session

Monday- 10.3.11
Rest Day
3M easy shakeout with Jake (8:15 AP) + 2x60" pedestal routine

Tuesday- 10.4.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 3 x 2M @HMP, 2' rest + 2M cool down

• Surface: Memorial Park Trail
• Total Time: 16:40, 37:04 (6:11 AP), 15:30
• Pace Progression: 6:12, 6:10, 6:10
• Comments: I struggled a lot more with today's workout than with the previous HMP workouts we've done. My breathing was more strained and my muscles felt tight and heavy. I think part of the problem was that I never got warm (first run in the cooler weather), so I will have to experiment with that over these next few weeks. Glad Jake made the call to do only 3 reps this week. I had planned on 4 but I think that would have overdone things today. Better to save the extra effort for a day I'm fully healthy.

Supplemental Work: 3x15 strength session

Wednesday- 10.5.11
Easy, Medium Long: 10M 7M (overselpt)

• Surface: Treadmill (1% incline)
• Total Time: 54:35 (7:46 AP)
• Pace Progression: Not sure- Started at 9:20, spent 2nd mile in 8:00 range, spent the remainder between 7:47 and 7:19.
• Comments: After the initial shock of oversleeping and the rushed decision making process- I opted for a 7M run on the treadmill. I will tack on 3M tonight with strides and just swap today's run with tomorrow's. It will work out well because I'll have Friday to run easy and Saturday to knock out my workout. The run felt good aside from my head and throat. No muscle fatigue or soreness.

3M double in 23:20 (7:46 AP) + 0.5M strides (4:24 AP)

Thursday- 10.6.11
Easy, Medium Long: 9M

• Surface: Dirt path and streets near Rice
• Total Time: 73:00 (8:06 AP)
• Pace Progression: 9:47, 8:42, 7:59, 7:49, 7:50, 8:17, 7:42, 7:35, 7:17
• Comments: Not sure that my Garmin worked well this morning. We were in downtown Houston and Jake ran with me the entire time. The first 2 miles were definitely slow, but not slow enough that we only ran 8:06 pace for the run. Jake's thinking it was closer to 10 miles altogether. Not a bad run... Still pretty tired (sleepy tired and tight/ heavy muscles both).

Supplemental Work: 3x12 upper body strength, 3x10 varying leg raises

Friday- 10.7.11
Easy: 6M
Strides: 0.5M of strides

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: N/A (no watch today!)
• Comments: Very nice, comfortable run. I started with a slow jog and finished at a solid pace, feeling very good doing so. Did the strides on Memorial Park's concrete track... 100m stride on the straights and 100m jog on the curves for mile (1/2 mile total of strides).Very happy with this morning as a recovery day.

Supplemental Work: 2x60" [pedestal routine, v-sit russian twist, superman]


2M easy shakeout in PM

Saturday- 10.8.11
Workout: 3M warm up + 12x400 (60" rest) + 1M cool down

• Surface: hard track in Hull!
• Pace Progression: 83,81,81,80,79,80,79,79,78,78,77,77 (5:17 AP)
• Comments: I was definitely happy to see what this pace felt like - certainly was not what I expected. Seems like the half marathon work was more effective than I thought! 60" is a lot of rest and only 12 reps is short, but still... 3M at 5:17 pace is a blessing after months of 6:15 pace work.

Week 12 Total Mileage: 60.5M
Cumulative Seasonal Mileage: 556M

Week 11 -- Remembering why I train!

Sunday- 9.25.11
Easy, Long Run: 15M

• Surface: Memorial Park  dirt loop (9M), streets (6M)
• Total Time: 1:46:46 (7:03 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:34, 7:52, 7:44, 7:18, 7:00, 6:54, 6:48, 6:50, 6:49, 6:40, 6:27, 6:54, 6:43, 6:44, 6:25
• Comments: Nice run this morning... got in miles 7-11.5 with a group and took a Clif Bar gel at 6M. Other than that, a typical solo run without stops. Ready to see this new volume take effect in a few weeks.

Supplemental Work: 2x12 Strength session

Monday- 9.26.11
Rest Day
Easy, shakeout: 2M in 15:55 with Jake

Tuesday: 9.27.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 6M progression + 2M cool down 6x1M (60" rest) + 800m + 1.5M cool down

• Surface: Memorial Park trail/ paved street for mile reps
• Total Time: N/A
• Pace Progression: 6:08, 6:08, 6:05, 6:04, 6:01, 5:55 (6:03 AP), 2:40
• Comments: Very controlled workout. Could've done several more reps easily... 1' rest was more than enough. Glad to have Jake there to set the pace!

Supplemental Work: Form Drills before workout + 2x12 weights in PM

Wednesday: 9.28.11
Easy, Medium Long: 12M

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 1:32:30 (7:42 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:15, 7:51, 7:45, 7:36, 7:39, 7:34, 7:36, 7:40, 7:51, 7:39, 7:25, 7:36
• Comments: Ran the first 7 miles with Amanda Barth - she's definitely a great person for me to run with as we are about the same fitness level! It was nice to pass the run talking rather than zoning out. :) Stopped at 7.5M to relieve myself in the bushes... It was getting bad... And spent the rest of the run recovering and getting back into rythym! Hah. My foot seems to be healing somewhat, but my hip flexor (which I've found is actually my groin) is still where it was before. Another run down, regardless!

Thursday- 9.29.11
Easy: 7M
Strides: 6x100m .5M of strides- varied lengths

• Surface: Rice dirt loop - similar to Memorial Park Trail but with several curbs/roots to watch for
• Total Time: 56:30 (8:04 AP); 2:20 (4:40 AP)
• Pace Progression: 9:16, 8:07, 7:48, 7:57, 7:49, 7:37, 7:58, 4:40
• Comments: The run was a bit rough today... My joints are feeling stiff and achy and my groin is definitely still an issue. The pace was more even than it appears, just had several turns/ water puddles/ people to dodge so some miles had more of a stop-and-go pace to them. Glad to have Jake to keep me from totally loosing it mentally because I was definitely ready for a break today. Got in the .5M of strides again, I believe it took about 7 strides altogether.

Friday- 9.30.11
Shakeout: 2M easy + 1.2M with pick ups (AM)
Workout: 2M warm up + 2x3M (6:15, 6:10) + 4x400m fast, 400m slow

• Surface: Paved roads/ sidewalks
• Total Time: 18:38 (6:12 AP), 18:22 (6:07 AP)
• Pace Progression: 6:08, 6:13, 6:12, 6:11, 6:05, 6:04, 77, 80, 81, 79
• Comments: Scratched the workout in the morning due to major lack of sleep this week. Not much more alive this afternoon, but at least I was warmed up and awake enough. Jake paced me perfectly so it wasn't a bad workout at all - the second loop was much more comfortable. Starting to get settled with this pace.

Saturday- 10.1.11
Easy: 6M  3.5M
Strides: 6x100m

• Surface: Memorial Park Loop
• Total Time: 29:10 (8:20 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:45, 8:20, 8:10, 7:57
• Comments: Called the run after 3.5M because of pain in my Achilles. It has been hurting since last night's workout, but got increasingly tight over the run. I'll spend today trying to take good care of it. Very disappointed though, as my arms and legs felt surprisingly loose and fresh (could have been because I was running so easy though!).

Total Mileage for the Week: 63.5M

Cumulative Seasonal Mileage: 495.5M

Week 10 of Training... Patiently Building Up

Sunday- 9.18.11
Long: 12M w/ 10x400m pick-ups every mile starting at 2.5

• Surface: Memorial Park Loop
• Total Time: 87:49 (7:19 AP)
• Pace Progression: 9:06, 8:11, 7:33, 7:25, 7:19, 7:10, 7:09, 7:04, 6:54, 6:42, 6:37, 6:38
• Comments: So grateful to get in this run despite the hip flexor and foot pain I have been battling. Decided 2.5M in that I needed something to break up the monotony today, so I threw in a 400m pick-up at the 1/2M every mile. Definitely a good choice as the run passed much more quickly. No Gu this week- just a sip of water at 6M and a rice cake before the run.

Supplemental Work: Strength Session

Monday- 9.19.11
Rest Day
Easy, shakeout: 2M @ 7:30 AP
Supplemental Work: 2x60" pedestal routine

Tuesday- 9.20.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 6xAlt Miles (6:45/6:15) + 2M cool down w/ 6 pick-ups

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 16:50, 38:35 (6:25 AP), 14:45 (7:01 AP for the full 10M)
• Pace Progression: 6:35, 6:13, 6:44, 6:13, 6:38, 6:09
• Comments: Very nice workout. I did not expect the 6:45 miles to feel so comfortable... had I known how much recovery they would give me I may have picked up some of the miles in the middle rather than trying to stay close to the goal paces. I was too hesitant to push it because I expected things to get much more challenging by the end. Dropping the pace for the last mile was perfect, though- Jake pulled me through the last 400-800m at a good pace which (in my opinion) made the workout a success. I still don't feel like I've gotten in a good day of work if I'm not feeling some tension and burning by the end.

Supplemental Work: Strength Session

Wednesday- 9.21.11
Easy, Medium Long: 11M

• Surface: Memorial Park loop and trail
• Total Time: 90:00 (8:10 AP)
• Pace Progression: 9:58, 9:00, 8:50, 8:21, 8:28, 8:04, 7:44, 7:38, 7:35, 7:38, 7:35
• Comments: Felt TERRIBLE today. Woke up with a stomachache because of hunger- ate an extra rice cake before the run- had an uneasy stomach the entire run/ felt weak- am now sitting at work, still feeling poor. Not sure what the deal is today. Maybe just need a night of early to bed?! Hopefully! Still pain in the hip flexor and foot...

Thursday- 9.22.11
Easy: 7M
Strides: 0.5M of strides (7)

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 53:20 (7:37 AP)
• Pace Progression: 7:57, 7:48, 7:43, 7:31, 7:26, 7:31, 7:26; averaged 4:42 pace for the strides.
• Comments: Nice comfortable run with Nicole Richardson. Great to hear about her training and catch up with her before her big marathon this Sunday. Looking forward to seeing how it goes! Still a lot of pain in my right hip flexor and foot, also noticed pain beneath my left knee today. Blehhh.

Easy Shakeout: 2M at 7:45 on gravel loop near apt

Supplemental Work: 2x12 Push-Ups prior to run, Form Drills prior to strides + Myrtyl routine after strides; light core in PM

Friday- 9.23.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 15'@HMP, 10'@10k, 5'@5k, 3'@3k + 1.6M cool down

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop + pavement for the 3' segment
• Total Time: N/A 10.23M total - (6:46 AP for workout portion - 6.62M)
• Pace Progression: 8:47 w/u, 6:11, 6:03, 5:53, 5:30, 7:40 c/d
• Comments: Paces are close but not exact (I got different results when I put in the times/distance in my logarun.com website than what my Garmin says. Regardless, this was a tough workout for me. Each hard segment felt like it should be my last but Jake kept challenging me to do the next. Glad to have finished it out - and definitely thankful for the switch to the road for that last rep. Still needing to work on my hip flexor and foot...

Supplemental Work: 3x12 strength with light weights

Saturday- 9.24.11
Easy: 7M 53:00

• Surface: Dirt/ poor footing at Buffalo Bayou XC course
• Total Time: 53' (about 7M)
• Comments: Ran 4M in the heat, solo, and followed it up with the guys while they cooled down. Not a bad run. I waited until the evening to see if my hip and foot would ease up a bit with the extra rest... might've helped some!

Supplemental Work: 4x15 Push-Ups


Week 10 Total Mileage: 62M (1 long, 2 workouts, 4 easy, 2 shakeouts)
Cumulative Seasonal Mileage: 433M

Week 9 of Training... Praying for a healthy foot!

Sunday- 9.11.11
Easy, Long: 15M

• Surface: Memorial Park loop
• Total Time: 1:53:11 (7:32 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:53, 8:33, 7:54, 7:41, 7:21, 7:45, 7:37, 7:30, 7:25, 7:20, 7:15, 7:13, 7:04, 6:58, 6:42
• Comments: Very grateful to have gotten this run done with the way my foot is feeling. I was really sluggish and fatigued for the first several miles, but woke up on the last 4 or 5. Took a Gu at 6M with some water, stopped for another sip at 12M. Longest run ever completed! :)

Monday- 9.12.11
Rest

Tuesday- 9.13.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 6M steady (6:45-6:35) + 2M cool down

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 39:10 for steady portion (6:27 AP)
• Pace Progression: 6:43, 6:32, 6:23, 6:23, 6:29, 6:17
• Comments: I had a really hard time judging pace so some it wasn't a very even run. There were several miles where I checked the pace halfway through, was running too fast or too slow, and over-compensated for the second half. Aside from that I felt strong... There were even several points where I had to tell Jake to slow down or not go faster because we were sub-pace. BIG TIME hip flexor pain today!

Supplemental Work: 3x12 strength workout

Wednesday- 9.14.11
Easy, Medium Long: 11M 90 minutes

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt path
• Total Time: 90:00 -- about 11M (8:10 AP)
• Comments: Decided to stop wearing my Garmin on the true easy days... I know the distance of most trails at the park anyways so I still have an idea of what I'm running. Kept things VERY relaxed today as my hip flexors are causing a lot of pain, but other than that it was a great run.

Thursday- 9.15.11
Easy: 6M
Strides: 6 x 200m 5 x 25 seconds

• Surface: Memorial Park Loop
• Total Time: 47:05 (7:49 AP)
• Pace Progression: 9:00, 7:39, 7:39, 7;39, 7:36, 7:22
• Comments: Nice relaxed run but still very, very strong pain in my hip flexors. Can't lift my knees or do leg swings at all!

Friday- 9.16.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 3x10' @ 6:15, 4' recovery + 2M cool down

• Surface: Memorial Park Loop
• Total Time: N/A - 10M for the day - 6:40 AP for fartlek/ 6:11 AP for hard segments
• Pace Progression: 6:11, 6:10, 6:12
• Comments: Felt pretty good muscularly but still struggled with my breathing. Much easier mentally than the 4x 8' workout. Still very terrible hip flexor pain.

Saturday- 9.17.11
Easy: 6M
Strides: 6x200m 4x17" 

• Surface: Spring Branch ISD XC Meet course (dirt and grass)
• Total Time: 45:08 (7:31 AP)
• Pace Progression: N/A
• Comments: Need to figure out what's going on with my hip flexors... that's about all I can comment on right now...

Week 9 Total Mileage- 58M (1 long, 1 medium long, 2 workouts, 2 easy)
Cumulative Seasonal Mileage: 372

Week 8 of Training... Focusing on health!

Really looking to take some pressure off of my right foot this week. I intend to make it into a slight down week in terms of mileage and intensity, and I am hoping to stay on softer surfaces for all of my runs. Better to nix this ache now than fight it and be sidelined later!

Sunday- 9.4.11
Long, Easy: 12M + .7M easy back to the car

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 85:09 (7:05 AP)
• Pace Progression: 9:01, 7:13, 7:20, 6:59, 7:05, 6:49, 6:42, 6:48, 6:52, 6:51, 6:41, 6:48
• Comments: Actually got in 12.7 for the day, but jogged the last .7 at 8:00 pace for recovery to get back to the car. Not a bad run at all with the cooler weather, but it was definitely a bummer to fight the wind again. Haven't had to deal with that since we left Dallas! Ate the usual rice cake before my run and took a Gu at 4M with a sip of water, as well as another quick sip of water at 7M.

Supplemental Work: 3 x 12 of 4 strength supersets

Monday- 9.5.11
Rest

Tuesday- 9.6.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 6 x alt miles (7:15/6:15) + 1M cool down

• Comments: In effort to hold true to this week's commitment of focusing on health, I am refraining from any running again. I spent yesterday and today in my walking boot and have taken 1 Ibuprofen with each meal. If I get the opportunity I will cross train and mimic the workout; tomorrow is slated to be similar to today until I am confident that my foot is ready to train hard again.

Supplemental Work: 3 x 12 of 4 strength supersets

Wednesday- 9.7.11
Medium Long, Easy: 10M
Cross Training: 85' bike w/ 4 x 5' at 110+ RPM

• Comments: Beyond ready to run tomorrow, but also very thankful for the chance to get in a good effort this morning on the bike. I am frustrated with missing two runs this week, but I am also very proud to have remained patient and confident in the training I have done. Cross training and rest are never easy for runners, but this is the first time I have had the maturity to put long-term health and fitness before my immediate gratification of accomplishing a workout. Making progress!

Thursday- 9.8.11
Easy: 6M
Strides: 6 x 100-150m
Easy: 8M w/ 6 x 200m pick-ups

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 62:35 (7:50 AP)
• Pace Progression:8:51, 8:17, 7:55, 7:48, 7:45, 7:30, 7:32, 7:02
• Comments: I did not want to do any full out sprints this week with my foot still sore- so I opted for pick-ups during my final mile of the run... LOVED this! It felt great to run in the cooler weather and I am hoping to be on the downhill slope of this "healing" week!

Supplemental Work: 10 x 60" core exercises

Friday- 9.9.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 4 x 8' @ HMP, 3' recovery + 2M cool down

• Surface: Dirt path at Memorial Park (less loose than the loop)
• Total Time/ Distance: 32' hard running- ~5.2M (6:07 AP)
• Pace Progression: 6:06, 6:07, 6:10, 6:01
• Comments: Ended up with about 9.5M for the day, but really struggled through the workout. As Jake pointed out, I feel strong muscularly and I am recovering fairly quick; but, I loose breath and have great difficultly with the longer reps mentally. Unfortunately I know how to improve my muscular strength- I don't know how to improve my lung functioning/breathing and I don't know how to get over the mental barriers of longer reps. Always something to work on, I guess!

Saturday- 9.10.11
Easy: 8M w/ 5 x 200m pick-ups in the last 1.5M
Strides: 6 x 100-150m

• Surface: Memorial Park Loop
• Total Time: 62:23 (7:46 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:40, 8:08, 7:50, 7:55, 7:40, 7:29, 7:25, 7:05
• Comments: Enjoyed taking an easy run around the loop with my Ipod playing. I find it so relaxing to just go for a comfortable, "lazy" run with my music! I think I will start running 1M natural, restarting my watch, and then getting in my daily run after that.

Week 8 Total Mileage- 55M (1 long, 1 medium long, 2 workouts, 2 easy)
38M + 8.5M x-training (1 long, 1 workout, 2 easy, 1 cross-training)


Cumulative Seasonal Mileage: 314M

Week 7 of Training... Back to Work!

Saturday marked 6 weeks of training, which is precisely how long most sources say it takes for training to take its toll and the body to adjust enough to see some results. I finished out that first segment of my base with a 10k race- which turned out to be more of a hard tempo as I lost motivation during the second half. I am now ready to get back to work and realize just how far I have to go in the next few months. Hoping to adjust to this new mileage and higher intensity well!

Sunday- 8.28.11
Long, easy: 12M

• Surface: Memorial Park for first 2M & last 2M, streets for middle 8M
• Total Time: 1:25:00 (7:08 AP)
• Pace Progression: 7:45, 7:18, 7:22, 6:46, 6:55, 7:02, 7:01, 7:06, 7:16, 6:55, 6:57, 6:38
• Comments: Ran with 2 men and a lady from BCRR this morning... first time running with a group since college! Loved how quickly it made the run go, but found it a little different stopping for a drink every 3-4M and having the pace jump around so much. Definitely a good thing for me to get used to though!! Very thankful!

Monday- 8.29.11
Rest Day.

Tuesday- 8.30.11
Workout: 1M warm-up + 6M progressive (7:00-6:45-6:30) + 1m warm-down

• Surface: Memorial Park loop
• Total Time: w/u & c/d - easy, progression - 40:07 (6:41 AP)
• Pace Progression (2M increments): 6:55, 6:41, 6:27
• Comments: Thankful to have a training partner (Nicole Richardson) for the w/u, c/d, and first 2M of the progression. Definitely a HARD effort today- not at all as simple as it should have been. My arms are strong, but my glutes, hamstrings, and calves are weak. I am really struggling with lung capacity right now as well. My breathing has been very labored.

Supplemental Work: 2 x 45" core (pedestal routine, arm/leg extension, v-sit russian twist, bridge); 3x12 of 4 strength supersets (very challenging strength workout... I will probably be sore tomorrow!)

Wednesday- 8.31.11
Medium long, easy: 10M 80'

• Surface: Memorial Park Loop
• Total Time: 80:00 - Avg Pace/ Mileage guess is 8:00/ 10M (no garmin)
• Pace Progression: N/A
• Comments: VERY relaxed run today which was much needed. I accidentally forget the Garmin at home, but I think it was a blessing in disguise. Just enjoyed a lackadaisical run on the trail.

Thursday- 9.1.11
Easy: 7M
Strides: 6x100m

• Surface: Memorial Park loop
• Total Time: 54:50 (7:50 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:45, 8:14, 7:55, 7:36, 7:35, 7:32, 7:16
• Comments: Starting to wonder if the increased mileage is a bad idea for me? None of my "easy" runs this week have been anywhere close to the paces they used to be. I don't feel sore or beat up, but I just am not running nearly as fast- even with the same effort levels (if not more). Increased the length of my strides today. Rather than .06M, I went .11M - so almost doubling them. Felt good and fast on these.

Supplemental Work: Form Drills + 2 x 45" core (pedestal routine, v-sit russian twist, opposite arm/ opposite leg extensions)

Friday- 9.2.11
Workout: 2M warm-up + 6 x 5' @10k pace, 90" recovery + 2M warm-down (took 3' instead of 90" recovery after 4th surge)

• Surface: Memorial Park side trail - gravel is slightly less loose than the loop
• Total Time: 30:00 hard running (5:55AP) - 5.2M hard running total
• Pace Progression for surges: 5:55, 6:02, 5:52, 5:59, 5:49, 5:54
• Comments: Definitely a good, challenging workout for me. I was pleasantly surprised by the paces though, as I had expected the goal of 6:10 too difficult. Looks like I underestimated the training thus far. I would still like to work on my breathing, though. That seems to be my big struggle right now... managing to keep it controlled and calm.

Supplemental Work: 3x12 of 4 strength supersets

Saturday- 9.3.11
Easy: 7M
Strides: 6x100m

• Surface: Memorial Park loop and some pavement
• Total Time: 56:30 (8:04 AP)
• Pace Progression: N/A - did not have the Garmin set to auto-lap
• Comments: Took things very easy today to get in a good recovery before tomorrow's long run. Scratched the strides to be safe with my foot that has been aching this week.

Week 7 Total Mileage- 54M (1 long, 1 medium long, 2 workouts, 2 easy)
CUMULATIVE SEASON MILEAGE: 276M

Week 6 of Training... Time for a tune-up race!

Sunday- 8.21.11
Easy, Long: 12M

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop and trail
• Total Time: 1:28:40 (7:23 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:41, 8:04, 7:44, 7:38, 7:27, 7:16, 7:09, 7:03, 7:03, 6:58, 6:53, 6:39
• Comments: Enjoyed this run very much. I am finding that even though I run at roughly the same pace on my long runs as I do on daily runs, the long runs pass much more quickly, feel more comfortable and relaxed. Definitely grateful for my health right now. I am also thinking I should start leaving off the 1st mile of all my runs and determining average pace/ mileage based on the remainder of them... I think it would be a better picture of my week's training!

Supplemental Work: Strength Session in PM

Monday- 8.22.11

Easy: 6M  50 minutes
Strides: 6x100m

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 50:00 (n/a AP)
• Pace Progression: n/a (forgot my garmin!)
• Comments: Great day to forget my garmin... got in a nice, relaxed daily run and some very solid strides. Looking forward to knocking out a good fartlek tomorrow.

Supplemental Work: Form Drills + 2x45" pedestal routine

Tuesday- 8.23.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 15 x 1' @5k pace, 2' recovery (8M total)

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop (very loose on the gravel in my flats!!)
• Total Time: 2M easy, 44:05 for the 6M (7:22 AP)
• Pace Progression (surges): 5:42, 6:00, 5:43, 5:43, 5:35, 5:42, 5:30, 5:37, 5:44, 5:30, 5:41, 5:33, 5:31, 5:32, 5:32 (5:38 AP for surges)
• Comments: Terribly slow warm up, and clearly a slow start to the workout, but easily could have run several more surges and done the first half much faster. I was scared to push too hard early on, but ended up with way too much left in the tank. 6M in the 45 minutes though, so not a waste of a day at all. DEFINITELY need to figure out what is wrong with my back.. extremely painful still.

Supplemental Work: Strength Session + light core work
Wednesday- 8.24.11
Easy, Medium Long: 9M

• Surface: Memorial Park Dirt Loop
• Total Time: 1:06:30 (7:22)
• Pace Progression: n/a (did not take mile splits today)
• Comments: Enjoyed a very nice run with my husband. Found it almost relaxing and freeing to know I was not recording mile paces. I think I tend to get caught up in the competition of making each lap faster than the previous! On a side not, it looks like 7:22 is my natural "go-to" average pace. Check out the AP for the bulk of my runs this week!! :)

Supplemental Work: 2x45" (pedestal routine, opp arm/opp leg extension, v-sit russian twist)

Thursday- 8.25.11
Rest Day.

Friday- 8.26.11
Easy: 6M
Strides: 4x100m

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt trail
• Total Time: 48:00 (8:00 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:55, 8:10, 7:58, 7:52, 7:46, 7:28
• Comments: Extremely slow run today.... but felt very fast and almost forced. I never got out of breath or weak, etc, but just did not feel like I should be running so hard for such pitiful paces. Strides were a good 30" slower than usual as well (4:45ish as opposed to 4:15ish). Not sure what was happening today.

Supplemental Work: 2x45" (pedestal routine, opp arm/opp leg extension, v-sit russian twist)


Saturday- 8.27.11
2.5M warm up + 10k Race + 1M cool down

• Surface: Straight, paved roads in Kingwood, TX
• Total Time: wu & cd- N/A, 38:21 race (6:08 AP)
• Pace Progression: 6:13, 6:12, 6:07, 6:05, 6:06, 6:10, 5:53
• Comments: Not what I was hoping for as far as total time/ pace, but a good solid effort and chance to compete, nonetheless. I felt great up until about  3.5-4M and then started to fatigue and lose my breath. Definitely did not handle the last half well mentally, so that is something to work on.

Week 6 Total Mileage- 51M (1 RACE, 1 long, 1 medium long, 1 workout, 2 easy)
CUMULATIVE SEASON MILEAGE: 222M

Week 5 of Training... Keeping the ball rolling.

Sunday- 8.14.11
Easy: 7M

• Surface: Dirt path along George Bush Park Trail
• Total Time: 50:57 (7:17 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:41, 7:29, 7:21, 6:59, 6:54, 6:53, 6:41
• Comments: Nice, cool morning on the trail. Welcome company from my husband, Jacob Phillips, made the run pass much more quickly. I'm feeling very strong and healthy still, so looking forward to a good week of training.

Monday- 8.15.11
Easy: 6M
Strides: 6x100m

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 43:22 (7:14 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:11, 7:22, 7:09, 7:04, 6:53, 6:44
• Comments: Felt GREAT physically today, but my back was by far the most painful it has been. I almost stopped the run several times and was very tempted to skip the drills and strides. Not sure how to relieve this tension or these spasms. For now I'll just be consistent with the advil.

Supplemental Work: Form Drills

Tuesday- 8.16.11
Workout: 1/2M warm up +  6M progressive/steady

• Surface: Apt complex treadmill @ 1% incline
• Total Time: 40:45 (6:47 AP)
• Pace Progression: 7:03, 6:53, 6:40 (last 4 miles)
• Comments: Not a bad run physically, but TERRIBLY boring. This run went by slower than any run I can think of in a long time, but I am so thankful to have it in. 5 weeks into the season and still haven't missed a run!

Wednesday- 8.17.11
Easy, MLR: 8M

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 58:55 (7:22 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:33, 7:39, 7:24, 7:17, 7:06, 7:06, 6:59, 6:53
• Comments: Enjoyed Jake's company on the run again. My legs were a tad heavy this morning, but it was not bad at all and aside from the humidity, the run felt very nice. (The humidity still puts a strain on my breathing at times).

Supplemental Work: Light strength session

Thursday- 8.18.11
Easy: 6M
Strides: 6x100m

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 47:10 (7:52 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:43, 8:02, 7:53, 7:42, 7:29, 7:24
• Comments: I wanted to make this run as relaxed and easy as possible, so I was not planning to wear the Garmin. I ended up deciding to wear it so I would get an idea of what pace a TRUE recovery run is for me right now. I definitely felt much more refreshed after the run. Tomorrow is a workout and I am already at my highest weekly mileage! Gotta stay healthy!

Supplemental Work: Form Drills

Friday- 8.19.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 4M tempo

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 25:12 (6:18 AP)
• Pace Progression: 6:24, 6:19, 6:16, 6:14
• Comments: Very difficult run aerobically. I expected the loose gravel to be my biggest struggle transitioning from treadmill tempos to outdoor/ natural tempos, but the humidity and lack of a forced pace was my greatest challenge. Not a bad run, but definitely not a confidence boosting run. I'm a little anxious going into next week's 10k race knowing how hard tempo pace feels for 4 miles right now.

Supplemental Work: 3x12 upper body strength, 2x12 lower body strength

Saturday- 8.20.11
Rest day.

Week 5 Total Mileage- 40M (2 workouts, 1 MLR, 3 easy)

CUMULATIVE MILEAGE FOR SEASON: 171

Week 4 of Training... Focusing on Consistency

I'm coming off of week 3 a little discouraged by the toll the humidity has taken on my training. My daily runs have become slower, despite my increased efforts (my attempts to get the runs back to normal paces). I've even felt drained doing to light work on my easy days in the evenings.
In light of that, I'm going to focus my attention on consistency this week... trusting that if I am consistent in getting the miles, strength, and intensity we have scheduled, it will pay off in the end. Nothing I do will go to waste, so even if I don't feel like it's as good as it should be, it will still improve my fitness.

Sunday- 8.7.11
Workout: 2M warm up + 4M tempo

• Surface: Apt complex treadmill
• Total Time: easy 2M for warm up, 25:00 (6:15 AP) tempo
• Pace Progression: 6:32, 6:17, 6:09, 6:02
• Comments: Much better feeling run than I've had lately... possibly due to a morning off and possibly due to running indoors? Regardless, I'm happy with today's run. Feeling strong muscularly and aerobically, but still need to work on maintaining solid form when I get tired.

Monday- 8.8.11
Rest day.

Tuesday- 8.9.11
Easy: 6M

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 45:04 (7:31 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:19, 7:49, 7:29, 7:17, 7:18, 6:53
• Comments: TERRIBLE pain still in my back, but went ahead and did the entire run, drills, and strides regardless. Aside from my back I feel great. Muscularly and aerobically I feel as though I am progressing properly. I will say that my runs have been starting slower lately though... it's taking me much longer to get warmed up and loose.

Strides: 6x100m
Supplemental Work: Form Drills, Myrtyl Routine + simple core work (trying to get past this back injury from Saturday)
Double: 30' stationary bike

Wednesday- 8.10.11
Workout: 3M easy + 8x 2' fast, 1' easy

• Surface: Memorial Park- Dirt loop for the warm up, timing track for the fartlek
• Total Time: NA
• Pace Progression: w/u and recovery segments were easy, surges were 5:41, 5:34, 5:25, 5:26, 5:30, 5:18, 5:30, 5:21
• Comments: Not a good day as far as feeling fresh or fast. I was weak from the first few steps of the run, but got it in nonetheless. Had to add an extra 2' recovery halfway through the workout... which you couldn't tell by looking at the pace of my 5th surge! :) Another day is in the books now, though, so I really can't complain. Looking forward to better days! :)

Thursday- 8.11.11
Easy: 6M

• Surface: Primarily grass and dirt, with some concrete at Terry Hershey Park; rolling hills
• Total Time: 49:09 (8:11 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:56, 8:29, 8:17, 8:08, 7:43, 7:35
• Comments: Terrible, terrible run. Went straight to CVS, made very good use of their restroom, bought some pepto bismol and sprite, and am still miserable as of 10:45 this morning. Need to figure out what I ate that was so bad. Legs were heavy as well, which also contributed, I'm sure, to the slow pace.

Supplemental Work: 3x12 strength session

Friday- 8.12.11
Easy: 6M
Strides: 6x100m
10M long run

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 1:16:00 (7:36 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:36, 8:01, 7:44, 7:42, 7:36, 7:27, 7:27, 7:29, 7:13, 6:47
• Comments: Had terrible chest pain starting 6M in, probably due to the loss of bodily fluids or me drinking water to rehydrate (still sick to my stomach... meaning several emergency pit stops during the run!). Other than that... it was a GREAT run. Muscularly I felt very strong and the run went by extremely fast! LOVE long runs!!

Saturday- 8.13.11
Long: 8M
Moving day... switching yesterday's run to tomorrow!

Week 4 Total Mileage- 35M (1 long, 2 workouts, 2 easy)

Week 3 of Training... Transitioning into doubles

Last week was a good first week of training in the Houston area. I found my new schedule a bit intimidating, but with the early evenings I was able to keep up with everything. Just have to be sure to keep getting in bed by 9! This week I will be adding a 30' double of x-training to help me transition into my running doubles here in a few weeks.

Sunday- 7.31.11
Easy: 5M

• Surface: Dirt path on George Bush Park Trail
• Total Time: 36:13 (7:14 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:00, 7:21, 7:13, 6:57, 6:44
• Comments: Another nice run on soft surfaces. It has been taking a while for me to wake up in the mornings, but once I get going I've been feeling pretty good.

Strides: 4x100m
Supplemental Work: Form drills, 1x45" H-Core Routine + Back Routine + Myrtyl Routine in PM
Double: 30' stationary bike

Monday- 8.1.11
Workout: 800m WU + 5M progressive 4M progressive, 2' rest, 1M tempo

• Surface: Dirt path at Memorial Park
• Total Time: 32:24 (6:29 AP)
• Pace Progression: 6:45, 6:37, 6:29, 6:29, 6:04
• Comments: Started way too fast and paid for it during the rest of the run. Made a decision after not improving on pace in the 4th mile to rest before starting the final one. Hopefully next time around I'll do better pacing and get in the workout as intended.

Supplemental Work: strength session
Double: 30' elliptical

Tuesday- 8.2.11
Rest day.

Wednesday- 8.3.11
Easy: 5M

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 37:10 (7:26 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:16, 7:33, 7:22, 7:10, 6:49
• Comments: Slower run again (seems to happen every time I have a day off after a workout/strength and then start back up), but nothing to be upset with. Glad to be consistently finishing runs sub 7:00 pace.

Strides: 4x100m
Supplemental Work: Form Drills, 1x45" H-Core Routine + Myrytl Routine in PM
Double: 30' stationary bike


Thursday- 8.4.11
Long: 8M 9M

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Total Time: 1:09:20 (7:42AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:56, 8:02, 7:50, 7:43, 7:39, 7:26, 7:21, 7:19, 7:03
• Comments: Obviosly got off to a slow start, but other than that it was not a bad run. VERY humid out which made fatigue set in a bit earlier in the run. Thankful for Jake's company on the last 3 miles. Added a mile to the run as my loop is closer to 3M so it's easier.

Supplemental Work: strength session

Friday- 8.5.11
Easy: 5M

• Surface: Dirt path at Memorial Park
• Total Time: 37:48 (7:34 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:19, 7:50, 7:28, 7:21, 6:51
• Comments: Better run than most of my post-strength-day runs have been. Definitely still not used to this humidity, but I'm glad to have been consistent with the mileage, strenth, and supplemental work thus far.

Supplemental Work: 25 x Around the World core + Back Routine in PM
Double: 30' stationary bike

Saturday- 8.6.11
Easy: 5M

• Surface: dirt path George Bush Park Trail
• Total Time: 37:30 (7:30 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:13, 7:41, 7:21, 7:11, 7:02
• Comments: I am beginning to think the x-training doubles are pushing me more so than I expected. This week's runs have been physically challenging for me despite the slower paces. I'm a bit worried about it, but am trying to remember that the perseverance through this part will eventually pay off and I'll get back to my usual paces.

Strides: 4x100m
Supplemental Work: Myrtyl Routine + 1x45" H-Core Routine
Double: 30' stationary bike

Week 3 Total Mileage- 35M (1 Long, 1 Workout, 4 Easy)
15M x-training (10' = 1M)

Week 2 of Training... Week 1 of working!

Last week went as well as can be expected with it being my first week back AND a crazy, hectic moving week. This next week is my first week working downtown and I've been warned there will be some overtime. Hoping to stay consistent with the training and rest regardless!

Sunday- 7.24.11
Easy: 5M

• Surface: Gravel/dirt path at Crosspoint Church
• Total Time: 38:06 (7:37 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:21, 8:07, 7:36, 7:10, 6:50
• Comments: 3rd night in a row of less than 5 hours of sleep... I'm trying a sleep-aid tonight to see if it will help. Definitely having a difficult time finding somewhere to run here.

Supplemental Work: 25xAround the World Core, Back Routine in PM

Monday- 7.25.11
Easy: 5M

• Surface: Paved path for 1st mile, George Bush Park Dam Trail for last 4
• Total Time: 35:42 (7:09 AP)
• Pace Progression: 7:33, 7:20, 7:01, 6:54, 6:54
• Comments: Great place to run once the sun is up, just not a good idea at 5AM. Perfect morning for a run though... felt much more awake and fresh.

Strides: 4x100m
Supplemental Work: Form Drills, 2x30" H-Core + Myrtyl Routine in PM

Tuesday- 7.26.11
Long: 8M

• Surface: Apartment Complex Treadmill
• Total Time: 58:15 (7:16 AP)
• Pace Progression: Averaged 8.2 for first 4 miles, 8.5 for next 3, 9.0 for last mile
• Comments: Never ever try to do a long run on a treadmill without headphones or a friend! Other than boredom, not a bad run at all. Right arch and was achy but nothing bad.

Supplemental Work: Strength Session

Wednesday- 7.27.11
Rest Day.

Thursday- 7.28.11
Easy: 5M 40:00 

• Surface: Loose dirt path at Memorial Park
• Total Time: 40:00
• Pace Progression: Unknown
• Comments: No Garmin reception at the park, hence the adjustment from 5M to 40'. Enjoyed running on soft surfaces, though. Feeling slightly sore this afternoon so maybe I got in more quality than usual on the strides?!

Strides: 4x100m
Supplemental Work: Form Drills, 2x30" H-Core Routine + Myrytl Routine in PM

Friday- 7.29.11
Workout: 3M easy + 8x1'fast, 2'easy

• Surface: Memorial Park dirt loop
• Comments: Great workout. I felt very strong, powerful, and controlled on the surges; and haven't felt beat up or sore in the least during the day. Excited for future workouts!

Saturday- 7.30.11
Easy: 5M

• Surface: Dirt path in George Bush Park
• Total Time: 37:01 (7:24 AP)
• Pace Progression: 8:02, 7:31, 7:26, 7:05, 6:57
• Comments: Aside from some stomach issues (had to make a pit stop in the bushes about 4M into the run!) this was a very nice run. I'm so excited about how strong I'm feeling on these runs. I'm finally to the point where I look up (not down) and run upright and tall instead of with weak form.

Supplemental Work: 25 x Around the World Core, Strength Session in PM

Week 2 Total Mileage- 35M (1 long, 1 workout, 4 easy)

The start of the 2011-2012 training!

The coming week will be extremely busy (which I will explain at a later point), so I'm typing up my planned training schedule in advance! Updates and details will be entered when time allows! :)

Sunday- 7.17.11
Long: 6M

• Surface: Dirt path at Trinity Trails
• Total Time: 43:05 (7:11 AP)
• Pace Progression: 7:41, 7:13, 7:03, 7:03, 7:01, 6:59 

Monday- 7.18.11
Easy: 4M

• Surface: Paved streets in Mansfield
• Total Time: 29:31 (7:23 AP)
• Pace Progression: 7:59, 7:23, 7:07, 6:59
• Comments: Felt much more forced today during the first half of the run. Also felt some sharp, aching pain in my chest/heart beginning about 2M in.

Supplemental Work: 

25 x Around the World Core + 1 x Back Routine

Tuesday- 7.19.11
Easy: 4M

• Surface: Paved streets in Mansfield
• Total Time: 28:50 (7:13 AP)
• Pace Progression: 7:50, 7:13, 6:59, 6:47
• Comments: Much more comfortable today than yesterday. My foot is still aching off and on, but nothing to keep me from running.

Strides: 4x100m. 6x.06M uphill strides (accidentally did 2 too many)

Supplemental Work: 2x30" H-Core + Form Drills + Myrtyl Routine

Wednesday- 7.20.11
Workout: 1xTrinity Park Loop easy + 1xTrinity Park Loop @ tempo effort

• Surface: Dirt and sand path at Trinity Park
• Total Time: 30:58
• Pace Progression: 18:00 first loop, 12:58 second loop
• Comments: I felt very tired and lethargic this morning, but when I started the tempo loop I suddenly woke up. The pace felt controlled but hard, and I finally felt like I was running well again. The loops are supposedly about 2.1M, which makes the tempo segment about 6:10 pace.

Supplemental Work: PM Strength Session*

Thursday- 7.21.11
Rest Day.

Friday- 7.22.11
Easy: 4M

• Surface: Dirt path at Trinity Park
• Total Time: 28:!2 (7:03)
• Pace Progression: 7:41, 7:04, 6:46, 6:39
• Comments: Another nice morning on the loop. I feel so comfortable and strong on my runs lately.

Strides: 4x100m
Supplemental Work: 2x30" H-Core, Form Drills, Myrtyl Routine in PM

Saturday- 7.23.11
Workout: 2M easy + 2M @ tempo

• Surface: Asphalt loop at Bear Creek Park
• Total Time: 29:06 (7:16 AP)
• Pace Progression: 16:56 first loop, 12:10 second loop
• Comments: Much more humid than I expected here in Houston, but not a bad run at all. Definitely want to keep looking for some nice softer surfaces. 6:05 pace for the tempo felt hard, but still controlled.

Supplemental Work: Strength Session*

Week 1 Total Mileage: 26M (1 long, 2 workouts, 3 easy)

*Strength Plan: 2 sets, 30" rest
Squat w/ 10lb dumbbells x 12
Push Ups x 10
Pulldown w/ 10lb dumbbells x 10
Traveling Lunge w/ 10lb dumbbells x 12/leg
Military Press w/ 10lb dumbbells x 10
Upright Row w/ 10lb dumbbells x 10
Step-Up w/ 10lb dumbbells x 12/leg
Triceps Pushdown w/ 5lb dumbbells x 12
Wall Sit x 45"
Bicep Curl w/ 10lb dumbbells x 10
Leg Curl w/ 30lb x 12
Heel Raises x 18
Toe Raises x 18

A brief training log interruption...

...to share some big news for our family.

Things are CRAZY busy right now, so I'm going to try to share this story with as much detail as possible, without taking too much time! :) Here goes...

Jake and I have always been taken care beyond anything we could ask here at DBU. The staff has been encouraging, supportive, and very understanding of everything that has come our way. We love the DBU family, ABSOLUTELY love our cross country and track family, and of course love the Dallas area.

During the first spring of our marriage, we talked quite a bit about the possibility of relocating to the Houston area, and did some research on jobs and  schooling but nothing ever worked out or fit with what we were looking for. We did not want to leave running, nor did we want to leave a setting where we were so well cared for. We have a full support network here with the team and athletics staff. What we did want was a chance for Jake to train fully, the opportunity to take care of and be a part of our extended family while they're still here, and (selfishly) more than 2 weekends a year to spend together at our home!
After our efforts all lead to dead ends, we committed ourselves fully to Dallas. Jake became even more steadfast in his recruiting and seasonal plans, we started a Dallas area post-collegiate USATF team, and we settled into a long-term apartment lease. Upon graduation, we decided for me not to go into a full time job right away so that I could spend time figuring out what I wanted to do and (finally) finishing the unpacking and decorating process for our apartment in Mansfield!

In early July we traveled to NY to compete at the USATF Club National Track Championships. Unfortunately, we both had poor races and were frustrated with how things had panned out. God has blessed us with a physical gift and a passion for the sport, and we feel as though we have not been as responsible with investing in it as He deserves us to be. We decided to make changes to commit more fully to our training. Taking the extra time to drive 45 minutes to run on softer surfaces, resting every time we did not have to travel, etc. Of course, with the life of a college coach, this is a challenge, but we had committed to this life and were ready to take on the task.

Out of the blue, Jake heard from a friend last Tuesday saying that he knew of a job in Houston that he thought would be good for me. We figured there was no harm in sending in my resume. On Wednesday, I got a call to schedule a phone interview. On Friday I had the interview, on Monday I had the job. When we found out that this was a real possibility, we made a quick trip to Houston to see if it was even an area we would be interested in living, etc. On our way out, we stopped by a running store to grab some shoes for Jake. Long story short, he walked out with his dream job opportunity. A job he had been longing for since high school. Our only remaining worry? Breaking our apartment lease. The office quoted our dues at $2300 and we were ready to pay because God had already opened so many unexpected doors. On our way out, we were told that they actually had a sister site in Houston (RIGHT where we were looking) and we could transfer our lease. Wow.

So there's the story. This will not be an easy change as we love this team and school so much, but we are excited to be near family, be able to more fully commit to this gift from God, and share evenings and weekends together (something we have yet to do since our wedding!).

There are so many more "God stories" involved in this change, but I am out of time for now! Keep us in your prayers!

Fall 2011 Breakdown - Part 1

Goal Race: Houston Half
October 23, 2011

Secondary Race: USA 10M
October 9, 2011

Strength/ Core Outline:
Long Run Days & Workout Days- Strength Session

Easy Days- Core + Form Drills
Post-Strength Day: Around the World Core, Back Routine
Pre-Strength Day: H-Core, Myrtyl Routine, Form Drills

Mileage Progression:
Week 1- 26
Week 2- 34
Week 3- 33
Week 4- 39
Week 5- 36
Week 6- 41
Week 7- 53
Week 8- 57
Week 9- 55
Week 10- 60
Week 11- 65
Week 12- 54
Week 13- 66 *Secondary Race Week
Week 14- 38
GOAL RACE

Reflections on my 2010-2011 season.

The remainder of this week (all the way through Monday, the 18th) will be dedicated purely to recovery. I will not be running, x-training, or doing core during these 8 days... definitely not any runner's favorite week of the year! But I do realize that this week is just as important to my training as every other week during the year, so I'm sticking to the plan and letting my body rebuild. It's a great chance for any nagging aches and pains to fade away and for me to get a fresh, more-motivated mentality toward next season's training and racing.

During this week, I'd like to take some time to reflect on my previous season... what worked, what didn't, what I enjoyed, what I struggled with, my confidence boosters, my weak areas, etc. I'm hoping to get genuine criticism from others as well (feel free to comment and chime in!), and at the end of the week, I'll put it all together and see what changes we may want to incorporate into next year's plan.

• Turnover - I feel very underdeveloped in terms of my turnover. Even when I am fresh and doing strides or speed work during the week, I struggle with moving my legs quickly enough for a strong "kick". This is something I'd like to improve for the coming year.
• Goal: Do not get passed in the last 200m of 2011-2012 races.
• Means of achieving it: EVERY workout will be finished with sprints. Not strides, but full blown sprints.
• Aggression - Watching videos from this year's races (Washington Indoor, Texas Relays, USATF Championships), I found that my first move in EVERY race was to cut to the inside and tuck in. Of course, these were competitive races and I should not be leading any of them, but I never went out with a lead pack, or even a group just faster than me. Conservative is the best word to describe my racing, and that only leads to regrets... not personal bests.
• Goal: Go out with the ladies slated to beat me in 2011-2012 races and hang on as long as I can.
• Means of achieving it: Practice starting workouts hard (slight state of oxygen debt) to get accustomed to recovering and settling into race pace without stopping.
• Form - In almost every picture or video I have seen of myself racing, I am heel-striking and have poor knee lift. This makes my stride look weak and relaxed, not intense or as though I am truly racing or working hard.
• Goal: Improve natural foot strike, knee lift, and stride in general.
• Means of achieving it: Weekly hill sprints. I have gotten more confidence and felt more changes as a result of these than any other changes I made this year.
• Muscle Size - I am the runt. On the line with competitive women, I look so puny and  weak. There is no bulk to my muscles at all.
• Goal: Increase the size of leg muscles by 1" before the 2012 season closes.
• Means of achieving it: Research a proven strength plan and nutritional guidance. Commit to it for the full year.
• Short Rest Time - Many of my workouts this spring had 60+ seconds of rest between each rep. This is important because it allows for greater intensity and more speed work, but I have found that I struggle in races when I can't take a "quick" break to shake out my arms and legs and catch my breath. I became accustomed to the mental and physical recovery when things started to hurt.
• Goal: Negative splits in 2011-2012 races. This will require the physical and mental toughness to press on when it gets too uncomfortable.
• Means to achieve it: Incorporate more workouts with little-to none rest. This includes tempo runs and fartleks or intervals with short rest periods.
• Less Track Work - Looking over my training logs, the only times I experienced injuries this year were after multiple long track workouts and races. Additionally, my best races came in the fall during cross, at which point all of my workouts were effort based and off the track. 
• Goal: No side-lining injuries and confidence in effort based workouts (without the need for splits or comparing times from week to week).
• Means of achieving it: More fartleks, hill workouts, and road/trail based training.

Additional notes:
Mileage - I love it. I love long runs, I love doing shake out runs, and I love having the option to go out for an un-timed, un-measured jog when I feel like it.
Variance - I love it. I love short, more intense runs followed by long steady runs followed by speed intervals, etc. I don't want a cookie-cutter repetitive training plan.
Racing - The more I race, the less I train. I would prefer to have fewer races and space them out more so that I can build up several weeks of consistent training in between each one.

USATF Club National Championships = Here.

I may not be ready, but I have paid my entry fee, bought plane tickets, and reserved a hotel room.
AKA... Time to race.
I've got nothing to lose, so I'm going to pretend like I am the most fit I've ever been and I'm going to lay it all on the line this Friday.

Sunday, July 3rd
45' natural run on more amazing dirt trails in Seabrook, Texas. Absolutely incredible location for training. Once again, a slow, weary shuffle on the way out, but a nice, steady run coming back.

Monday, July 4th
Massage and rest all morning! Definitely a nice change for a day! :)
20' shakeout in the afternoon + light core work.

Tuesday, July 5th
2M warm up + drills + 800m of striding straights and jogging curves.
2x400, 2M tempo, 2x400. (30" between 400s, 60" between 400s and 2M). Ended up running 87, 86, 12:36, 84, 85. The times are the paces I was planning to aim for, but I came away discouraged still. I am just worried about how difficult I'm finding these paces. Even tempo pace feels like I'm really pushing things.
800m cool down.


Wednesday, July 6th
4M natural run + 4x100m relaxed strides.


Thursday, July 7th
30' natural run + drills


Friday, July 8th
25' wu + 10k USATF Club Championship Race. 37:50 for 5th place. Terrible race, but that's all I could ask for with the training I have gotten in. 18:50 through the 5k, which makes the second 5k a 19 flat. Rough day! Hopefully I will be able to go into the meet much more prepared next year, so I'll call it a good learning opportunity and leave it at that!


Saturday, July 9th
NOTHING! Officially on break until Monday, July 18th!!

Last full week of training before USATF Nationals!

Primary goal: Get 100% healthy.

Sunday, June 26th
90' natural run on the Trinity Trails. Started doing 1' pick-ups every five minutes at the 40' mark. Not a bad run aside from stomach issues. Still feeling very slow though!

Monday, June 27th
45' natural run on the sidewalks in Mansfield. Terrible acid reflux and still a very uncomfortable stomach.
8x30" uphill strides. Had to adjust the plan a bit as the track was locked up this morning.

Tuesday, June 28th
6M progression run with Jake at Fish Creek Trail. 40:01 for the run with 2M splits of 14:42, 12:59, 12:16. I definitely appreciate Jake's company and encouragement this morning. I've been discouraged with my training lately, so a positive voice was nice. This week was slower than last, but I'm going to just be patient and keep working.
1x60" pedestal routine.
25' stationary bike with mini interval pyramid in the afternoon.
1xAb/back workout.
2x10 general strength.


Wednesday, June 29th
60' stationary bike with intervals + 20' elliptical.
25' natural run with Jake on Town Park Trail in the afternoon.


Thursday, June 30th
2M warm up + 800m of striding the straights, jogging the curves.
1x1600 (5:56), 3' rest, 2x800 w/ 60" rest between each (2:54,2:54), 60" rest, 4x400 w/ 30" rest between each (84,83,83,82), 60" rest, 4x200 w/ 30" rest (39,39,38,39). I wanted to start at 10k pace and cut down throughout the workout, so mission accomplished on that side. What worries me is how HARD it is for me to breathe right now. I was struggling to hit pace for the entire workout (very first lap was a 91). Just need to keep taking care of myself and be patient? Altogether, 6M running and 3.5 of it at race pace. 


Friday, July 1st
50' easy in the morning in Hull, TX. Threw in a few surges on the way back due to such a slow shuffle on the way out.
1M easy in the afternoon with Jake. Followed it up with drills + 4x100m strides.

Saturday, July 2nd
70' natural run on an amazing dirt path in Seabrook, TX. Another slow run going out, but got into a good rhythm on my way back. About 9 miles.

Weekly Mileage: 48 running + 11 x-training.

Just short of 3 weeks until race day!

Sunday, June 19th
45' relaxed run on grass with Jake.
30' stationary bike in the afternoon.
1x30" H-Core + Jay Johnson's back routine + 1x30" H-Core.
3x8 strength workout. 

Monday, June 20th
45' natural run + 8x200m (38", 30" recovery). I did the entire run on grass fields and the track. It was very windy and I felt pretty drained for the first 30' or so, but then I started to wake up. 200's were rough due to the high winds but I got them done in 35, 37, 38, 37, 37, 36, 38, 36.
30' stationary bike in the afternoon.
Flexibility work + Myrtyl Routine.

Tuesday, June 21st
6M progression run on Fish Creek Trail... I definitely forgot how many rolling hills there are out there! 39:17 for the total run with 2M splits of 14:03, 12:49, 12:24. I'm still having a lot of difficulty breathing well. My chest rattles with every breath and anytime I try to get a good, deep breath I am forced into a coughing fit. Maybe time to see a doctor?
30' stationary bike in the afternoon.
1x60" pedestal routine + 1x20 Around the World Core + 3x6 strength work + 1x60" pedestal routine.

Wednesday, June 22nd
60' stationary bike + 20' elliptical.
3M easy run on a treadmill in the afternoon.
flexibility + form drills.

Thursday, June 23rd
Travel all day.
Doctors offices/ ER in the evening. No luck at all. And no working out.
Anyone who wants to play doctor and try to diagnose my blood tests can leave a comment. :)

Friday, June 24th
16' warm up, surging the straights after the 1st mile in effort to loosen up and prep my unsettled, acidic stomach.
1M at 10k pace 88, 3:02, 4:33, 6:02. Rough, rough mile. Called the workout after this because I felt so sick.
3.5M easy to get in the mileage.
30' easy run in the evening.

Saturday, June 25th
55' easy run on a hilly country road.

Weekly Mileage (10' x-train = 1M): 55 total, 17 via x-training.

First chance at a normal week of training!

After over a month of traveling and partial training due to health issues, this will be my first chance at a week of consistent training to carry me into the USATF National Championships. I will be praying for God's mercy on health and weather so that all will go smoothly! I'm grateful for the ability to train and I want to make the absolute most of it!


Sunday, June 12th
55' easy on grass in the morning.
25' easy on trails with Jake.

Monday, June 13th
45' easy on the grass and track + 6x200m (30" rest) in 36, 39, 37, 37, 37, 36.
40' stationary bike in place of a second run. Hoping to take some of the load off of my feet.
1x30" H-Core + Jay Johnson's back routine + 1x30" H-Core.


Tuesday, June 14th
45' w/ 6M progression on Merrifield Road with Jake. 15:20, 13:15, 11:44 2 mile splits for a 6M time of 40:20. I felt the strongest I've ever felt muscularly and mechanically, but absolutely terrible aerobically.
2x30",1x60" pedestal routine without rest.

Wednesday, June 15th
75' stationary bike with 10x30-60" surges during the last 20'.
3x100 running arm simulations with 5lb weights.
3M on the treadmill in 22:35. Eased into and felt nice and relaxed.
3 x standing core routine. I enjoyed this one... it was a fun change to the usual workouts and definitely a challenge for me.

Thursday, June 16th
15' easy + 4-6-4-2 (200m recovery) + 19' easy + 6x300 (100m recovery). The warm up felt terrible, but the mid-workout run felt much better. Goal pace was 80" for the entire workout. Actual times were 77, 2:01, 78, 36, 58, 59, 58, 57, 57, 57. Not a failure of a workout, but much more challenging aerobically than I expected so I came away a bit discouraged.
30' stationary bike instead of a second run.
3x6 leg strength workout.

Friday, June 17th
Rest day for cardio work!
40' core + flexibility. Basically I put my watch on a 30" timer and just started exercising... every 30" I switched exercises. I got the entire standing core routine and pedestal routine done, as well as a majority of the back routine and several random moves. A fun way to change up my core for a day.

Saturday, June 18th
10.3M loop in 72:30 at White Rock lake... passing the 10 mile mark at 70 minutes. Not a bad run pace wise, but it was more tiring than I would have liked it to be. I intended to run the last 30' at tempo pace but settled for just finishing the run controlled.

Weekly Mileage (10' bike = 1M): 56M total... 41M of running.

Brazil... miserable flight... DALLAS!

SO happy to be home!

Sunday, June 5th
45' easy run on treadmill + 25' bike.

Monday, June 6th
50' easy run on treadmill + core.
*starting to feel crummy

Tuesday, June 7th
40' bike + strength + core.
*feeling worse... keeping things relaxed today

Wednesday, June 8th
45' natural with Jake on the Town Creek Park.
*still feeling terrible. 10 hour overnight flights do not help! :) hopefully the run helped sweat some of this out.

Thursday, June 9th
70' easy at the golf course in Mansfield. Got kicked off the course with 2' left in the run... such a bummer since I love the site so much!
3M double on treadmill + 2x30" pedestal.
*still not feeling well at all but the runs have actually made me feel better.


Friday, June 10th
20 x Around the World Core. 
*Still sick, trying to knock it out today.

Saturday, June 11th
76' for the 10.4 mile loop at White Rock Lake (starting and finishing at the Norbuck parking lot). Felt very comfortable and efficient today. Good run.
5' easy + strength workout + 5' easy.
*getting better... hopefully on the downhill slope now.

Mileage: 41 miles

Travel to Brazil.

The next 12 days or so will be shaky in terms of training. Although, as I mentioned at the end of last week's log, I really don't feel like I'm training right now. I feel more like I'm just trying to live a decently healthy/ active lifestyle off of these 20'-30' easy runs. It's been frustrating. I want to be fit and fast when we get to NY for the National Championships in July. It's all in God's hands...

Sunday, May 29th
wu drills + 30' natural on the grass fields at the soccer complex. It was a very windy morning but other than that, not a bad run. Just wish it were longer. Much longer. Or at least had some surges in it.
30' natural run on at the complex again. Two pretty good runs today. A couple weeks of this and maybe I'll be fully healthy and back into normal training.

Monday, May 30th
50' natural on the grass at Norbuck Park in Dallas. Felt pretty tired today, which meant "natural" was a bit more like a shuffle for the first half of the run.  Definitely thankful to get in the extra minutes before this trip though.

Tuesday, May 31st
off... full night/ day of travel.

Wednesday, June 1st
40' bike + core + strength

Thursday, June 2nd
60' bike + core

Friday, June 3rd
Off... Jake was sick and I couldn't get to the fitness facilities alone.

Saturday, June 4th
20' bike + core + strength.
30' easy run on treadmill PM.

Last week of training before Brazil.

I'm not sure if I've explained this yet or not, but Jake and I will be on a mission trip in Brazil for 10 days starting next Monday. The chance of us being able to run is slim to none... and there definitely will not be an opportunity for true workouts. With that knowledge, we decided to make these last 2 weeks in the states a sort of mini-racing block and just have fun with it. When we get back, we'll ease back into the mileage and workouts, and hopefully be back up to par by the USATF Club National Championships in early July.
Another note on my training right now is that we are unsure of some aches I've had in my right foot where my old stress fracture was. As a precautionary measure, we're keeping as many runs as possible on grass and cutting each run down to 20-30 minutes max.

Sunday, May 22nd
21' medium on the golf course with Jake. Not really a medium-paced run, but it felt medium because we started a bit faster than I should have. Calling it 3M. LOVED the golf course though. No muscular pains from the race (I feel like I didn't race at all), but still nursing a sore left hamstring from Austin.
20 x Around the World Core.
20' natural double with Jake on the grass inside the track. Probably just under 3M again, but this time it felt much better because we built into it. I really focused on running on my toes, picking up my knees, and bringing my heels closer to my butt. I figure if I'm going to be limited to shorter runs, I should be able to make some improvements in form without hurting myself.
2x20m neuromuscular drills + 3 build-ups.


Monday, May 23rd
30' natural with Jake on the golf course. Jake slowed it down a bit for me today, so it was a more comfortable run; although I was still pretty beat from the past few days! Calling it about 3.75M? Not sure though... may have been closer to 4, but I doubt it.
myrtyl routine + 2x40" pedestal routine.
20' easy run on grass fields at the sports complex.

Tuesday, May 24th
20' easy + 4x100m strides on grass fields at the sports complex. My muscles are still very tight and worn down, but by the end of the run I was feeling a bit more loose. I put in some extra time on dynamic stretches, leg swings, and some static stretching this morning so hopefully it helps.
***Tonight's race got cancelled due to weather, so I'm making today my rest day and I'll pick back up tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 25th
12' wu + drills + 3 x strides + 2 x 2k (600-1200-200), 3:30 recovery + 15' cd. The goal was to go 5k pace (86"... 2:09 for the full 600), tempo pace (93"... 4:39 for the 1200), kick (whatever I could do). Splits came out to 2:04, 4:30, 38, 2:09, 4:34, 38. The 200s were by far the most challenging physically, the 1200s felt long mentally but were fine physically, the 600s were nothing but it was difficult to judge pace.
25' natural double on a new paved path in Mansfield. Good find for future runs!!

Thursday, May 26th
30' natural run on the grass fields at the sports complex. I'm not sure what the deal is, but even with such reduced mileage and easy runs, I'm still feeling pretty beat and worn down?
20' natural run on the grass at the sports complex again. Felt better than this morning, but still not quite up to par.
20 x Around the World Core.


Friday, May 27th
30' natural around the apartment complex... My foot was a bit more painful today, but I imagine it was because I was on the concrete. Not terribly worried.
2x20m neuromuscular drills + 2x100m strides + foam rolling. I got a brutal massage yesterday and was told I need to start living off of epsom salt baths and baseball massages.
24' natural with Jake on the Linear Creak trail in Mansfield.

Saturday, May 28th
20' natural warm up + light core work. No race for me today. My foot and knee both feel sub-par and risking health for the USATF National Championships is not worth a small 5k road race. Definitely not a fun choice, but I'm trying to be smart!
40"xH-core Routine + 3 x 40" running arms, calf raises + 25' bike. Just enough to sweat a little. Nothing that will make me any faster... :/ That's the problem with my "training" right now...

Total Mileage: 35M + 25' x-training.

First full week back in training!

Sunday, May 15th
w/u drills + 60' natural run on Town Lake. Calling it about 8.5M. Felt much better towards the end... I'm finally not sore at all from last week's speed work, but I am still pretty tired.
leg circuit + 40" pedestal routine + myrtyl routine.


Monday, May 16th
w/u drills + 6M medium on Fish Creek Trail with Jake. I'm calling it medium because effort-wise that's what it was. Pace-wise it was more of a natural run day as we averaged just under 7:20 pace. I was just very tired, stiff, and heavy this morning. Hopefully it's from all the travel and this afternoon's shakeout will help?!
20' shakeout + 6 x 8" uphill strides + 40" pedestal routine + myrtyl routine.


Tuesday, May 17th
w/u drills + 20' shakeout + leg swings. I still feel pretty awful... This was much more of a 20' shuffle than a 20' shakeout!
Might be catching some sort of sinus thing from Jake? Two doses of sinus medicine, some allergy medicine, and 2 doses of Advil... hope they work!
25' natural + neuromuscular drills + 7x100 strides + 1M race + 10' c/d. The race went better than I expected on the starting line (I was feeling terrible), but still nothing like what I'd like for it to be. 5:23 is terribly embarrassing. Splits were 79, 82, 82, 80 with the last  lap being the long one.
10' w/up (shuffle) + 3x100 strides + 800m race + 2:30 c/d. 2:35 with 400m split of 76. I was so beat and tight while warming up I was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish. Once the gun went off I felt better, but my 2:35 wouldn't give you that impression. Again... embarrassing. Cut the cool down short and omitted the strength work scheduled for today.

Wednesday, May 18th
Now I definitely think I'm getting sick. Can't stop sneezing, etc and achy/feverish. Ridiculous!
20' shakeout in the morning.
Definitely sick. Not running. Hopefully this passes quickly.

Thursday, May 19th
Feeling a little better... at least not nauseous or shaky/jittery anymore.
16' easy + neuromuscular drills + 2x100 strides + 10' natural. Felt better on the strides and the last 10' than I did at the start. Definitely getting more healthy physically, but we're calling the training to a standstill until we leave for Brazil. My old stress fracture is flaring up and we'd rather be safe than sorry.

Friday, May 20th
10' natural + w/u drills + neuromuscular drills + 10' natural. All of this was done with Jake on grass... short and rushed due to a bad storm coming in. Better than nothing, nonetheless...

Saturday, May 21st
10' easy + drills + 10' easy + strides + 5k road race + 16' cd (SMG Fun Run). Finished first for the ladies with an 18:01... SO CLOSE... and yet so far! Hahah. Still waiting for my time to break 18! The course was nice but it was very hilly and a very humid morning. I led from the start and was solo for the entire race except for about 50m that a HS boy surged with me, ha. Good experience though.

Mileage: 44.