Speedy Gonzales

Wednesdays on the schedule are not only a moderately 'long' run, but they also incorporate some sort of speed work.  Let me tell you, this girl doesn't like marathon speed work because what that means is that you are looking at mile repeats, threshold pace or tempo runs.  Sigh.  At least with speed work in the Spring you are doing repeats of MUCH shorter distances...manageable distances, not to mention the fact its not 90-100 degrees outside.

So the schedule yesterday called for 8 miles with 3x1.5 miles at 8:45/8:51 with a 4mr in between.  This actually aggravated me more than anything because well a) its 90-100 deg outside AND you want me to run additional mileage as well?  Good God who ARE you?  I call you CrazyCoach.  :o)

So I thought ok, how can I alter this to make it 'manageable' for someone like me?  I mapped out a 7 mile route, with the last 2 miles being as straight of a shot as possible and on pavement as much as possible (since the route was Rice/Hermann).

Well halfway around Hermann after I stopped for water at what turned out to be a BROKEN water fountain, a couple of Roadrunners passed me and I fell in behind...before I realized what had happened I had turned on the path instead of going straight up Cambridge.  This now meant that my route was going to be 8 miles.  

So after 6 miles (10:18 avg pace) which ended up being thankfully just past a water fountain around Rice, I took a short break to rinse off and 'adjust' before starting the 7th mile...off I went.

I have to mention that I was advised to set my Garmin to read lap pace instead of actual pace, which helped A LOT.  I was able to see what my mile was going to come in at based on my speed at any given moment.  I pushed until I at least got it just past a 9 min mile as I was going to be ok with that. 

Mile 7:  9:06

This put me basically at the corner of Shepherd and Bissonett where I walked it out for the 4 min in the corner store parking lot.  The sweat was just POURING out of me...I knew that if I could just come in at that pace or slightly over/under I would be happy.  I didnt ever think for one moment I was going to get close to what I was supposed to run them at.  Once I hit Hazard heading ever so close to home, I looked at my watch and it was reading 9:00 and I thought OK, you just need to step it up a bit and make this mile come in at under 9:00 no matter what it takes...

Mile 8:  8:58

I still can't even quite believe I pulled this off as well as I did.  Yes I was in a bit of pain later on...and still a bit of it this morning...stiff...but I'm alright  :O)

Not sure how tonights run is going to go though...

p.s.  Heat index yesterday at time of run was 93deg.  A cold front!!  ha!

No GoGo the Day after GaGa...

Boy howdy!  Let's see...on Monday up at 5am, work all day in 4in heels.  Rush home to get ready for concert, switch out 4in heels for 5in heels.  6 more hours in those.  Some standing, some sitting, some jumping up and down and some just all out dancing.  The shoes to the right are the ones I wore to the GaGa concert.  Cute huh?

In bed around 12:30am-ish.  Sleep till 6:30.  Back to work and yes...back in 4 in heels.  What can I say?  I love my heels!

Add to that mix on Monday night, briefly noshed on appetizer, 2 dirty martini's, 1 beer and 1 glass of water.  This made for a very hungry girl yesterday (wanted to binge but held it together), and slightly dehydrated.  Thankfully I wasn't hungover in the true sense of the word.

All of this only made me want to go home straight from work and lay on the couch. 

The schedule said 6 miles, and I thought...ok just go to the gym, run what you can comfortably and make up for it with some weights.  So thats what I did.  I ran 45 min on the treadmill and then did about 30 min of weights.  I felt better for having gone and thought I deserved a pat on the back seeing as how I actually managed that crazy of a Monday (20 hour long day basically) and still managed to get some sort of a workout in! 

Feeling much better today and its a good thing too.  I have a 7 mile route mapped out for tonight and I. HAVE. TO. GO. THE. DISTANCE.   I need to quit dilly dallying around on my Wednesday runs (whch is to be a moderate distance and some 'faster than MGP' miles in there).  If it wasn't so darn hot/humid for this training it wouldn't be a frackalacka problem! 

We'll see how it goes...at least today we are still reaping the 'benefits' of all the rain...'cooler' temps...look what's comin' though...

Couple of pre-Gaga photos (more later)

I made these glasses...just me, a glue gun, some beads and a few rhinestones...

Or maybe these glasses would be better?

I bought this 'vintage' prom dress at a resale shop for $10.  Lace overlay.  Its a short dress you just cant see the hemline due to the bathroom sink!

Will upload photos from my camera later this evening!

The show was AH-MAZE-ING...there are no words, but I'll try ... later ...

Lottery? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Lottery!

Unofficially I received an email on Saturday that told me I had qualified for a HARRA guaranteed spot for entry into the 2011 Houston Marathon if I so chose and bypassing the lottery which opens tomorrow.  (Those races, dues and volunteering paid off for the past 4 years...)

Today I received the OFFICIAL email that I had guaranteed entry.  Good times, good times.

Chicago Marathon - October 10, 2010
Dallas White Rock Half Marathon - December 5, 2010
Houston Marathon - January 30, 2011

Good times, good times...

Sunday: ran at 9am...not so smart...but still...got in 4 miles and then off to work at Luke's again.

6 more days till I have a day off!!! Don't feel too sorry for me, the extra days/hours are self-induced to pad the bank account with extra dollars while I have the opportunity...speaking of which I need to email them my availability for August...

After that 16 miles on Saturday and then working on my feet for almost 7 hours there...that's not gonna happen again...well it will this coming Saturday as I have 17 miles to do, but not in August! No way no how! My runs will be 20+ every other weekend and I am NOT working after those!!!

I am sooooooo behind on reading blogs...I dont read them over the weekend and on Mondays all the catch up is crazzy!!!

I leave you with this...because tonight is Lady GaGa and I couldn't be more excited!!!! I will have pictures of our outfits sometime later in the week!!!!!!!!!!! I swear when she does 'Teeth' tonight I am going to go nuts!!!!!!!!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Kenyan Way - Long Run - 16 miles

Temp: 80
Dewpoint: 73
Humidity: 92%

I started at 4:45am.  And yes that was the data...at that was at 4:08am. 

16 miles.
10:19 average pace.

Started cratering in mile 15, about 1/2 way through that I ran/walked till I got back to base, then I just ran an oh so slow mile 16 on the loop there.  Ran too fast of miles in 13 and 14 with Erin...and I should have taken a gel at the last water stop, but I didnt.  One gel for 16 miles is not a good idea...

No rest for the weary.  Working at Lukes Locker today.  And I have to run 4 or 5 miles tomorrow as I wont be able to run on Monday because its LADY GAGA CONCERT NIGHT WITH THE GIRLS!!!  whoop!!!

A bit of a better run today.  I left the casa around 5:20ish or so and first ran to Darque Tan.  With all the icky weather and working weekends I havent (and wont) have the pool time I am use to, so I stopped off there (which its less than a block away) and tanned first.  Then I set out for a short 4 miler instead of the 6 on the schedule.

The dewpoint today was higher than I ever remember it being:  77.  And with humidity at 74% and the temp at 86 (due to cloud cover mainly), it was more like swimming than running.  I ran nice and easy but man it was still rough out there...I didnt have any blood sugar issues so thats a good thing...must have been the 2 oatmeal cookies I had today :o)

The nice thing was that about 1/2 mile from home it started pouring down rain so that was actually kind of nice! 

I am stressing out about the long run on Saturday...Its been a long time since I've done 16 miles and yeah its only 1 more than the multiple 15 milers I have done, but its more the weather conditions that have me a bit worried...I just hope to survive with minimal damage to my psyche.  I am just ready for the next 3 long runs to be over with so we can get to long one week/short the next...for whatever reason I handle those much better.