I’ve done some moderately hard tempo runs and some fast finish miles here and there but yesterday I decided to do mile repeats. I’ve been focusing on building distance and not speed. But I really wanted that “how I feel after I kill a speed workout feeling”. So naturally, I did the mile repeats. They always hurt and I’m always left with the feeling of, I just worked hard for that and I’m glad I did- now let me conquer the rest of this day.

If I was in the peak of my training, I would likely do 5 repeats and I honestly considered doing 5, but instead finished with a strong 4. As I was finished up the 4th, I let the thought enter my head again to perhaps do 5, but decided I was happy with the effort I put out and there was no need to prove that I could in fact do a 5th. Sometimes it is important to get the extra in and push through it, but sometimes it’s equally as important to end feeling strong knowing that you can keep pace and crush the last repeat.

I have done a good job listening to my body for the MOST part in this post surgery journey, minus 2-3 runs….. (remember this one… ouch… I do) when most of my body was ready but a few areas were not). Today, I knew 4 was enough, and I was perfectly content with it.

The workout went down like this:

15 minute warm up

4 X 1 Mile @ 6:25, 6:22, 6:22, 6:15 with quarter mile jogs between sets.

15 minute cool down

Building a high mileage base has helped with my confidence for a workout like this. If you think about running around 7-10 miles most days of the week, then 4 mile repeats, while the pace might be hard and taxing does not seem like that many miles. I can mentally wrap my head around less than 26 minutes of hard running.

I do believe I’ll be focusing more on the high miles rather than the speedy speedy stuff through the rest of my Boston training though. It’s what makes me happy right now and is much less stressful than the pressure of speed work.

I know I’ve said it a lot recently, and I’ll probably say it many more times; I really don’t know if there is a PR in April, but workouts like this and my 20 on Saturday are giving me confidence that it could be within reach. The 4 week recovery after next week won’t be nearly as intense as the 6 weeks I had back in October, not to mention this surgery won’t take as much out of my physically.

Regardless of all that talk, I’m starting to enjoy my running in a different way. Although I have been a mom for a year and a half now, my alone running time has become more and more valuable and helpful for my sanity as of late. I haven’t been seeing it as a task I need to get done as much as I used to, I’ve been seeing it more as a freedom.

I’ve always enjoyed what running brings me, but the freedom right now has been something I’ve needed more than ever recently. I love that I have chosen to stay home with Marshall and I by no means have it rough at all. (My sister does this with two kids and her husband is overseas for months at a time… I know I have it made) But man no matter how you slice it being in charge of another human being all day everyday can just wear you down sometimes and running has proven to be my saving grace time and time again. I honestly don’t know how people do it if they don’t workout. I would be crazier than I already am without it.

That being said, I’ll just say I feel like the luckiest lady alive that I get to be Marshall’s mom.  

Children’s Museuming…. what we do in between naps once a weekish to get out of the house! Pretty sweet to live so close to such an awesome place.

My dad was in Indy this week taking my mom to the airport & asked us to go to the RV show at the fairgrounds. Sure, why not? And these boys sure are cute with their popcorn. Also, I’m pretty sure Marshall mattered the word PEE while we were there.

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The Carmel Road Racing Group is an event management company that I’ve been working with a bit and when Todd presented the idea of this Thursday Night 5K series for $10 a race- I thought it was a fantastic idea. A chipped 5K that doesn’t mess with your Saturday morning long run and for that price? Why wouldn’t people be into it? So there were two races in August and there is one more Thursday, September 19th.

Marshall duties kept me home for the first of the series, but I was able to run the second one last Thursday and was excited to brush up the 5K PR. I’m not too keen on waiting the entire day to run a race, but whatevs. I went to the gym in the AM and ran 3 miles easy and then before the race warmed up about 2 miles with Glenn.

Keep in mind, this is a small race, (79 people ran) but Glenn won the last one and wanted to win this one. Looking at the times for the first one, I figured I could win for the women too, depending on who showed up. It wasn’t what I really cared about though, I really just wanted that new time.

When I was signing people in, Sarah Overpeck, (who I found out is super speedy) registered and I figured she’d probably take the win after a little chit chat when she told me she was running the Indy Women’s half as a training run and would prob run somewhere between 1:25-1:30. So at that point, I decided to make it my goal to hang with her as best as possible. When we talked prior to the race, she said she has recently found our blog- if you are reading- HI SARAH!

Another person running was Dan, who does speed work on Wednesdays with us. He and I are pretty equal in our pace, when we are both present at speed work, we run together, so I was happy to have him there to help give me a plan of where I should be in the race. I knew running with him would be a realistic pace for me.

Here’s the start! The shirtless guy in front of me is Glenn. Too close. Photo Credit: Terry Fletcher

The race breakdown:

About 30 seconds after we took off, I looked up and realized Glenn was only about 10 steps ahead of me and made a conscious decision to settle down… I was in over my head if I was that close to him and needed to slow down.

I let Sarah take off in front of me once we settled into the mile and ran with Dan through the first mile. After the first mile, Dan sped up and was running with Sarah for the majority of the rest of the race. I had them in a pretty close distance but stayed back. I kept wondering if I had it in me mentally more than anything to move in, but stayed back where I was “comfortable”. I gained a little bit in the last mile, but didn’t have it my head to want it enough to push in and pass.

Here are my Splits:

Mile 1- 5:58
Mile 2- 6:15
Mile 3- 6:23

Results Here

Average pace: 6:14 (thanks to that 5:58- err actually not thanks to… probably would have been quicker  if that first mile would have been slower and the other two faster)

I went out too fast. I should have went out at 6:10 or so and tried harder to be consistent. When I saw 5:58 on my watch, I knew that wasn’t manageable for the whole race. BUT, I haven’t raced a 5K in soooo long and my speed work indicates that I should probably have been able to hold closer to 6:05-6:10 pace. I just need to race smarter.

Somewhere around mile 1.5 probably.  Photo Credit: Terry Fletcher

I gave up a little bit mentally somewhere around 1.75-2.75. It wasn’t totally giving up mentally, but I wasn’t fighting very hard. I was able to pick it up a bit at the very end, but know I could and should have pushed that last mile in closer to 6:10-6:15 pace. I honestly just wanted to be done though. Also, I remember looking at my watch somewhere around 14 minutes thinking- oh good Glenn is still out here suffering and I bet he is working a lot harder than me. He usually does.

Photo Credit: Terry Fletcher

Now- after some good internet stalking I see that Sarah is a very good runner, with a sub three marathon under her belt. She was doing this run as a workout (as was I) but I’m sure she’s got a much speedier 5K in her too. I was happy to have someone to keep me motivated during the run.

Dan and Sarah somewhere in the middle- probably around mile 2. I’m creepin in the back, mostly holding on, thinking about chasing down.   Photo Credit: Terry Fletcher

Finishing it up! Dan was hurting- he’s going to kill his time on the next one for sure.   Photo Credit: Terry Fletcher

Conclusion: 

• A good warm up is key to success in a short distance race like this. I’m glad we did 2 miles prior.
• Trying to negative split a 5K might be more discipline and harder work than negative splitting a distance race. Control that first mile!!
• I want to break 19:00 in this distance, not sure when, but it will by my next goal for the distance. 
• I kind of like the idea of working on the 5K PR. 
• The mental game for a 5K is completely different than the mental game for a half or full marathon. I already knew that, but haven’t put it to action in such a long time.
• The CRRG Merrell 5K Series is pretty awesome. And you should run the next one. 

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What: Speed work- let’s get fast people.

When: Wednesday, June 26th, 5:30am (every Wednesday at 5:30am).

Where: Broad Ripple (DUH), on the monon. Meeting in parking lot next to EINSTEIN’S.

Why: To improve running performance while working on speed and stamina.

This weeks workout: 1 mile warm up, 2 X2 mi, 1 mile cool down.

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The Hootch.

What happened with that ride? Oh yes, Sunday turned into a rest day. The problem here is that that was in my mind the last “big” ride I planned on doing. I know I have time for more, but I really just didn’t want to venture into the 60 miles ride after this weekend. I’m just kind of over the long bike rides that take 4 hours or so.

It’s really reminding me of marathon training when you are soooo ready for your taper but you HAVE to get the last 20 miler in. The last marathon I trained for, I had wanted to do my last 20 on Friday, then I pushed it to Saturday and I ended up doing it on Sunday. I know Like the 20, I know I’ll make myself do this 60, it’s just… WHEN. It’s such a big chunk of time and I don’t want to give that chuck up.

This morning when I brought it up to Glenn and told him I wanted to make sure I got in one more, but what if I wait until next week during 4th of July time, because he has Wed-Fri off work and he could stay with Marshall one of those days while I ride (and I can hopefully find someone to ride with!)… or he can ride with me and we can get someone to watch Marsh) He politely told me it would be good if I could get in to get 2 more 60 milers in. whomp, whomp. Way to kill my buzz. I’m not going to do that. Nope, not happening. I just don’t want to. One more is fine with me.

And moving on….. some good news about my bike situation– I asked my friend Stacie if I could borrow her road bike. AND it’s a YES!! She has a bike that is pretty much brand new and at least 7 lbs lighter than my bike. When the Vern at T3 told me I could add 2-4 mph (I’m guessing with the little experience I have, it will be more like 2 mph) with a lighter bike, it was my goal to get my butt on a lighter bike. THANK YOU Stacie. Haaks are having dinner on the Hein’s soon.

Holy Moly I just looked at my calendar, dude this race is less than two weeks away. So, basically I need to work hard this week.

My to do list on the bike this week:

• Learn how to change a tire. 

• Get in four good rides, one being at least 50 miles. (Had a good 27 miler today on the trainer)

• Even though some of those rides are happening at the gym- I need to get comfortable on Stacie’s bike.

• Be confident.

My to do list in the water this week:

• Three quality swims. 

• Focus on form.

• Be powerful.

• Be confident 

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The details:

Who: Whoever wants to join- all speeds are welcome!!

What: Speed work- let’s get fast people

When: Wednesdays at 5:30am

Where: Broad Ripple (DUH), on the monon behind Thr3ewismen

Why: To improve running performance while working on speed and stamina

This weeks workout: 5 Mi Total

• 1 Mi W/U
• 3 X 1600 w/ 3 min jogs between
• 1 Mi C/D

Don’t you wanna run like these ladies? Let’s do work.

We would LOVE to have you at our speed sessions. We will prescribe a weekly workout start with a warm up and cool down together. It’s gonna be fun. And hard. And totally worth your time.

Questions? Email us at: Outforarun.training@gmail.com

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