This was a pretty cool and fun week, but lets start from the beginning!
Monday:
Power Vinyasa.
We got lazy and didn’t run this day.
Tuesday:
Track: ”Whistle” workout.
This was a “fun” workout, and mostly a challenge for the mind versus the usual physical workout. It entailed running at “M” pace (about 15 seconds faster than your 5K min/mi pace), until coach blew the whistle. Than you would commence easy running, until the next whistle, at which point you would jump back into “M” pace. All we were told beforehand was that we would be running 20 minutes total of hard running, and that the longest hard running time would be 3.5 minutes. We never knew when a reprieve would come, or even when the workout would be over. At one point, we had been running easy for what seemed like an eon. All of us started dreading the “3.5 minute” whistle. When the whistle finally came, we picked up our pace, and prayed it would be a short 3.5 minutes. Well, it was! We found out later that coach had lost track of time during our easy run, and had let us go twice as long as he had planned. Also, I don’t think we ever ran a hard 3.5 minutes! Mind tricks!
I wasn’t really sure what to measure during this workout, so I started Garmin at the beginning, and stopped him at the end. Garmin measured 4.1 miles all together, with an 8:32 avg pace. I held 7:45 for all the hard runs, and was pretty consistent (according to Garmin) until the very last lap. My legs were toast! I finished out the day with a total of 6 miles (including warm up and cool down).
This was a super challenging workout for my mind. It reminded me so much of the later stages of a tough race, when it feels like there must be an eternity before you will reach the finish line! When the final whistle came, I was right in front of coach, and exclaimed a very battered “YAY!” I had seen several people drop out before the end, but I was determined to finish strong.
Wednesday:
Power Vinyasa
Thursday:
Vinyasa
Friday:
A friend of ours invited us for a run after work (followed by the Beer Fest). We ran for 4 miles around the waterfront, and through downtown. It was pretty warm out there, so we took it easy. While we were running along the East Bank, we ran into Julia Lucas!! (To quote J, “Of Ian And Julia?”, haha!) I love to read her (and her Husband, Ian Dobson’s) blog! She is super nice in person, and chatted with us for awhile. Who else loves living in Oregon?!
After our run, we headed over to the Oregon Brewer’s Fest and tasted some good beers for a few hours before closing.
Saturday:
Beer Fest (again, if you go when it opens, there aren’t any lines!), Brunch with J, and Vinyasa with J :)
J agreed to go to yoga with me! After it was over, he agreed that there were definitely some muscles that running doesn’t work! ;)
Sunday:
Bowerman AC 5k Recap
This race was unique for 2 reasons: 1) It started at 7PM, 2) It took place on the Nike Campus (in Beaverton). The course looped around the outskirts of the campus (on road) for 1.75 laps, and finished right in the middle. It was a great course, but unfortunately, super hot (85°). There were some super fast runners there (prize money!) We met one guy who was in town with his girlfriend, and decided to join in the race for fun. He ended up just outta the $$ at 4th, but 14:40 is nothing to be ashamed of! :)
I was planning on trying to start at an 8:00 min/mi pace, and go from there. I was pretty confident I could PR from my previous 5k (27:40 last March), but wanted to see how well I could do. We started with the usual large pack of runners, a little dodging, but not too bad. It didn’t feel too warm when we began, but that quickly changed. Much of the course seemed pretty shaded, which was helpful, but hot is hot. We made it to the 1 mile marker, and I felt like we may have gone out too fast.
Mile 1: 7:30
Oops! But I was hoping I could hold on. We rounded back through the start line (at about 1.5 miles), and I only noticed the water stop after I’d already passed it. I was so thirsty! (Water stops in 5k’s seem silly, until you’re delirious from the heat!!) Less than a lap to go, and I was hurting! I slowed down a bit. I wanted to finish, after all. And hit the 2nd mile marker.
Mile 2: 7:43
Soon after that second mile marker, everything was feeling pretty good, except for my head, which told me it wanted to pass out. I tried to keep going, I really wanted to, but I had to stop, and walked for probably at least 30 seconds (gar! in a 5k!!). It was a little frustrating, but I felt better after the walk. After I rounded my visual marker, I picked myself back up and continued on. No more walking. Just get it done!
Mile 3: 8:34 (Thanks walk break!) :(
Soon after the 3rd mile marker, we turned off the loop to close in on the finish. I was NOT feeling good (but who does at the end of a 5k?) But I knew it would be over soon! I booked it as fast as I could and crossed the finish line, drenched in sweat, ravenously thirsty, and very bleary eyed.
Mile 3.1: 0:35.24 (6:50 avg pace)
Final Time:
24:25 (New PR!) (7:52 avg pace)
Overall, I’m happy with my time, and I know I did as well as I could under weather circumstances. But I still curse that walk break! I’m hoping to break 24:00 on my next one, as long as the weather cooperates.
After I was done, I found J (who’s knee did ok during the race), and he got me water, and several more cups of water. I was so thirsty. We hung around after the race to catch up with friends, and watch the leaders collect their prizes. While we were waiting, who did we see? Kara Goucher! (What a week for elite-female-runner-spotting!) We snagged a photo with her, and chatted about her pregnancy and running. She was super nice, and didn’t mind all the attention we gave her. So exciting! While we were there, we also spotted Alan Webb, Amy Yoder Begley, and Adam Goucher.
Super sweaty, striking a pose with Kara Goucher! (P.S. Yay for green!)
Overall, super great week! And a new PR! We have another 5k planned Aug 13th. It’s another evening race, but hopefully the weather will be friendlier! My legs are already feeling great today, even after yesterday’s race. Every other race has left me super sore. Maybe my legs are getting used to this whole “running” thing?
Next up:
Monday:
Power Vinyasa (J’s first heated class! :)
Tuesday:
Track
Wednesday:
Power Vinyasa
Thursday:
Vinyasa
Friday:
Running
Saturday:
Long Run
Sunday:
?
I’m still on a Loosey Goosey schedule, but I’m still liking it, for now. I want to add more running to the schedule, but I’m loving the yoga too much to cut that back. Someday I’ll find the perfect balance.
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