September in Review

Total Miles:  184.49 down from 188.63 miles last month. 124.4 miles last September. Dang it. So close to my highest mileage month again. Considering I had two weeks of taper in there, I was pretty excited. If I hadn't been sick the last weekend, I would've gotten there but rest was more important when I was feeling under the weather.

Total Time:  31:26:46 down from 32:15:598. 

Total Runs: 26 runs for an average of 7.1 miles/run.

Highest weekly mileage: 

9/10/2018 – 9/16/2018:	52.2 mi	9:01:02	10:23 / mi

Yes, that says I ran 9 hours that week. My mind is BLOWN. Highest mileage week ever!!

Most hardcore run: 3x1600 m. repeats too soon after eating an anniversary burger and cheeseballs. Woof. Don't ask how I ran the paces I did.

Favorite run: 20 mile long run with Melissa. This was night and day compared to the first 20 miler of the cycle, even if they were almost identical times. This was so much stronger.

Favorite Race: While Sioux Falls half wasn't truly a race for racing sake, it was a great opportunity to practice MP miles. Melissa and I felt like we were holding back the pace so much and it felt so great. 

Favorite Jam: Weezer's cover of Africa is still one of my top songs! Also enjoying Eminem's Til I Collapse on any speedwork. I'll probably listen to it on repeat the last 5k-10k of TCM.

September in Review

Total Miles:   124.4 miles down from 140.7 miles last month. 53.8 miles last September.

Total Time:  21:20:46 down from 24:45:18. Average pace dropped from 10:34 to 10:18! Whoop!

Total Runs: 24 runs, an average of 5.18 miles/run.

Highest weekly mileage: 

9/4/2017 – 9/10/2017:	43.1 mi	7:21:29	10:15 / mi

Favorite run: 8 miles with 2x1200, 2x1000, 1x800 @ 3k-5k pace at the track with Toni. Fastest paces I've ever ran for this workout. Hard but doable--our current endurance speedwork motto!

Most hardcore run: 8 miles with 5x1200. Uff da.

Favorite Race: Sioux Falls Half Marathon, even though it was less a race and more a long run with a medal.

Bike Miles: 0 miles.

Favorite Jam: After the coffee run before we took of for the Twin Cities weekend, I fired up an old school jam for us to enjoy while we took our free 'spresso shots. LOL.

September in Review + Goals

September in Review

Total Miles: 57.4 down from 67.8 miles last month.  Down from 101.8 last September. 

Total Time:  10:38:32 down from 11:48:27 last month. 

Total Runs:  5 runs, averaging 11.48 miles per run. At one point my average distance per run was 14 miles. Ha.

Highest weekly mileage: 9/1-9/7 24.4 miles. Uff.

Favorite run: My 11 mile mid-week mid-long run that started my back pain.

Most hardcore run: 18 miles that almost killed me. I should just ban 18 milers from my training. 16, 17, 19, 20. Who needs 18?? Not me.

Favorite race: Sioux Falls Half Marathon.

Bike Miles: 40. Longest solo ride. Whoop!

Favorite Jam: Still obsessed with Sia's Chandelier. I may listen to it on repeat for the duration of the Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon.

September Goals

• Run my highest or 2nd highest mileage month ever.
• Run three long runs as scheduled. Shockingly I completed 2/3 despite my body trying to decide if it wanted to be broken or not.
• Run all three speed sessions as scheduled. 
• Run a strong half at the Sioux Falls Half Marathon.
• Every other day core work, hip stretches, and drills.
• 1 buddy run or ride a week.
• Attend a group run!
• 2 20+ mile bike rides. 1 40, by my calculations, that works.
• Make 2 new meals using my veggie box ingredients.
• Get 3-5 pounds closer to my racing weight. Maintained. Food is just too delicious. Oops.
• Food as fuel!

September in Review + Devil's Workout

September In Review

Total Miles: 121.2 up from 114.5 last month. (86.1 miles from September 2010.)  Oh hai similar injury post SF half.... we see each other again....

Total Time: 18:56:33 up from 18:04:30 last month. (13:18:55 last September.)

Total Runs: 19 for an average of 6.38/run.

Highest weekly mileage:

9/26/2011 — 10/2/2011:

35.1 Mi

5:28:01

Favorite run: My 13.1 training run where my time was almost the same as the SF half time.  :P  It felt effortless and the weather was gorgeous.  And I ran through my old stomping grounds, which is always fun. 

Most hardcore run:  I always loathe mile repeats and tempo runs that are longer than about 4 miles, so I felt pretty b.a. when I knocked out my 3 x1600 m repeats and 7 mile run with 5 at tempo (in which I hit 1000 miles for the year without realizing it... so yeah... that's fun...)

Favorite race:  It didn't turn out at all like I expected, and in hindsight, I probably should've dropped out of the race, but I finished my 7th consecutive Sioux Falls half marathon, and only 3rd time going sub-2.  So I'll take it.
Bike Miles: 25.  Yay.  Only because of semi-injury.  Boo.

Favorite Jams: My heart's a stereo.  I've been listening to it on repeat for interval workouts.  LOVE.

_____________

Speaking of mile repeats, I had more to take care of on Monday.  When I was looking at my training program before starting the run I realized, "neat-o I haven't taken a rest day in a week, this should be fun!"  Luckily because it's race week I only had 2 x1600 m repeats on the schedule which doesn't seem as scary as 3+.  The goal pace of 7:37 was slightly daunting, however.

Not sure what's got in to me lately, but I knocked those puppies out in 7:30 and 7:29, and definitely had enough gas for more.  Bring on Fargo!  Oh yeah... I'm racing tomorrow.  So fingers crossed for me, eh?

And in horribly bad race photo news, here are some of the train wreck shots from the Sioux Falls half. 

So yeah........ it was just a smidge warm...........

Whoa. That's a bit creepy.

The craziest thing happened when I uploaded my Garmin data from Wednesday night's workout:  I had posted the exact same (down to the second) time from my 8 miles on Wednesday and my 7 miles on Tuesday.  Like whoa....right?  I'm not sure I could ever in a million years do that by trying.

I took Monday off to give the legs some downtime, but I was itching for a run.  I expected the legs to be trashed after running some hills, but they were raring to go.  Tuesday morning I hit the bike path for an easy 7 miles.  After reviewing my revised training program, I was only supposed to do 4.  Uh.... oops.  I ended up doing 7 miles in 1:09:07. 

Wednesday after work I had an 8 mile run with 7 miles at a tempo pace of 8:23.  For some crazy reason (perhaps because I was able to average an 8:25 pace for 10 miles on some crazy hills) this pace didn't freak me out.  Dare I say it.... I was actually excited for a tempo run.  --gasp!--  But first I had to eat half a box of fruit snacks.  No joke.  I couldn't stop.  And then I had a tummy ache.  And then I had to convince myself I could run a killer tempo run.

I did an easy warm up mile and then got to work.  I was surprised at how great I felt for the first few miles.  Like really good.  Hmmm...  At the 4 mile turn around I snatched some water and jumped on the heels of some dude (obviously a wrestler, don't ask how I knew, you could just tell, ya know?).  He did not like the fact that a chicky was keeping up with him.  He would speed up, then slow down, repeat x 10.  I finally passed him, only to have him sprint past me 1/2 a mile later.  I assumed he was finishing up his run.  Nope.  Slowed down and then stayed in front of me.  Oh well.  It helped to pace me on my run I guess.  :)  Plus he quit a mile and a quarter before me, so I obviously won.  It was dark during the last 2.5 miles, so I wasn't able to see my pace on my Garmin.  I also wasn't able to tell what my mile times were, so I couldn't guage if I needed to speed up or slow down.  The good news is, at no point in the run did I want to die and/or give up.  Yay me.

1. 9:54 
2. 8:24 
3. 8:17 
4. 8:25 
5. 8:28 
6. 8:24 
7. 8:16 
8. 8:30

Magically for me my average pace ended up being 8:23 on the nose.  Heck yes.  Jerbear: 1  Tempo Run:  1200 0 this time around.

September in Review

Total Miles: 86.1 down from 115.9 last month. (Last September 101.4)

Total Time: 13:18:55 down from 18:22:53. (15:42:37 last Sept).

Total Runs: 13 for an average of 6.62/run

Highest weekly mileage: 9/6--9/12: 30.6 miles

Favorite run: It was only a one miler, but I had been 1 mile shy of 1000 for the year after having knee issues for most of September.  I was a smily cat when my knee was ok with me jogging out a mile on the treadmill. :)

Most hardcore run: Well after going through my training log for September, it doesn't look like I had a very hardcore run.  I really struggled with running hard (obviously) and psyched myself before even starting some tough tempo and speed workouts.  No hardcore runs = no hardcore races.  Lesson learned.  :)

Favorite Race: It's lucky that it was my only race of the month, because there wasn't awhole lot that was "favorite" about it:  Sioux Falls Half Marathon.

Bike Miles: 89.7

Favorite Jams: Katy Perry's Teenage Dream and Rihanna's Only Girl. 

Check out Shut up and Run's sweet ipod giveaway!

Dear Gym, I already hate you and it's October 1st.

Yesterday I was a Slacker McSlacker and decided not to run.  WHOOPSIES.  My legs/quad/ITB (right) were still kind of sore from the killer quarter workout from Tuesday.  They sent me a thank you note for the break actually, so I'll go with it.  I did get some serious time in on my super secret artsy fartsy project (photos to come upon completion) that I needed sunlight to do.  So all was not lost.

Since it was 30+ mph winds yesterday and pouring rain today, still no journeys on Miss Polly.  :(  But I did get in a kick booty tempo run.  I had 5 miles with 1 mile warm up, 3 miles at 8:19 and 1 mile cool down.  Since it was freezing + pouring rain + pitch black at 8pm when I got off work, I high tailed it to the gym.  Let's just say I already hate going to the gym.  Not sure how I'm going to train for a HM in December once the SNOW comes.  And don't even get me started on marathon training starting in January.  :( :(

The tempo run actually went pretty awesome.  I did have some soreness in my right ITB again, but nothing some stretching didn't fix.  I tried to concentrate on really good form during my tempo miles and found that the pace I was running was pretty much my striding-out/good form pace.  Good to know I guess.  I did play around with the speed by .1 after the first mile came in way under the goal pace.  Apparently the treadmill isn't very exact.

1. 9:46 (warm up) 
2. 8:07 
3. 8:14 
4. 8:17 
5. 9:26 (cool down) 

In other news, not nearly as many oglers at the gym, so we'll give tonight two thumbs up.  One thing I twittered about that I found pretty funny was a convo I accidentally eavesdropped on.  One thing you will never hear coming out of my mouth:  Man, I really hate cutting my triceps short.....  Meatheads, gotta love em I guess.

September in Review

Total Mileage:  101.4 miles (down 35 miles from last month which is fine since I did a mini-taper for the HM and took some time off post-race for recovery).

Time Spent:  15:42:37

Number of runs:  19.  Only 1 less than last month.  

Average run distance:  5.34

Highest weekly mileage:  35 miles the first week of September.

Favorite run:  Probably the 6 x 400 m. repeats from this week.  I love to do some hardcore speedwork.

Most Hardcore run:  Other than the previously mentioned one, I don't feel like I've really had a hardcore run.  I've been taking it easy for most of the month to let my body heal properly.

Favorite Race:  Sioux Falls Half Marathon.  You remember this one right?  No?  Ok...well I PR'd by 13 minutes (down to the second) and took 26 minutes off of my poopy time from last year.  And I smiled my way through the whole damn thing (as is evidenced by the pics snapped!)

Also, go to Amanda's blog at Run to Finish for an energy bar giveaway!!