Time: Before work
Where: gym treadmill
Workout: 5K
Notes and observations: not what I planned, but what I ended up with. Treadmill running is hard to get back into. The first mile was really a pain and many times I considered quitting. Then a song came on where I stopped and tried to focus on that song, and was then able to bring the focus back and at least complete the three miles.
Music: the airborne toxic event
Time: 7:30 am
Where: Bryant to Green Lake and back via Roosevelt / Ravenna.
Workout: 10 miles LSD
Notes and observations: 1:41 … Good hills route, and I ran them all. The gel is still feeling iffy but I have no choice but to power through it.
Music: Foo Fighters! Yeah.
Time: 7:30a
Where: Burke-Gilman Trail, headed NE
Workout: 6 miles steady state
Notes and observations: I checked the weather the night before and my app said 90% chance of rain. I didn’t want to go out but the husband was like, “Do It!”. So I did. It was wet, but very quiet and peaceful. Barely anyone on the trail. I intended to spend the time thinking and reflecting (an ‘exercise’ I am doing for work). It sort of worked.
The run itself, uneventful. A good first mile and a great last mile. In between was just ho-hum.
But wet. Very, very wet.
Music: “Some Nights,” Fun. (Something new! Hooray!)
P.S. I did not take this picture while running. It would be nice if I wasn’t so anal and could carry my phone with me to take pictures, as I see some fun stuff out there. Wall of Death. Big yachts on Lake Union. Seaplanes taking off. Rain, lots and lots of rain. I’m too damn busy running to stop and take a picture, and I just hate to carry stuff with me. I can barely handle a water bottle for long runs. So, I went back to the trail an hour or so later and took the monkey with me so she could splash in the puddles.
Time: morning
Where: Burke Gilman and Lake Union
Workout: 14 miles, beee-atches!
Notes and observations: It was a long time and I believe I have hit the maximum number of miles I ever want to run at one time. It wasn’t that bad, actually, though my legs began to ache at the 60-minute mark. I did do something wrong with the gel situation. I tried a 2-gel routine where I usually do just one. But last time I was so dead for the last 2 miles I thought I’d at least give it a try. Now I know that won’t do. I got a bad side stitch in mile 12 and even did a bit of some walking. I hate to walk and avoid it if at all possible. It wasn’t possible. So. For race day I’m thinking just the one and then finding a water station with gatorade and trying that on for size. Time was 2:21:17. Not too off the mark considering the walking I had to do, but far slower than the pace I was holding the last two times I did 12 miles. But, I did it. That’s really all that matters at this point.
Music: Who do you think?
Time: lunchtime
Where: Loop around Bellevue north of downtown
Workout: 4.5 miles on a good hilly route. Approx 45 minutes
Notes and observations: Sometime I dread hills, sometimes I crave them. I dreaded them today but didn’t stop.
I’ve been trying different gels and chews. Unofficial survey of friends showed a preference for Gu and Clif Shot Bloks. I am a Gu girl and despite some issues a few weeks back I expect to use it during th race. Though today I tried the chew and really like them. Good for a pre workout energy boost. Don’t know if I can eat and chew while running, though.
Music: old beat the bridge playlist
The honey stinger is really sweet (it is honey) … A post workout/recovery possibility. The Gu PB was surprisingly tasty. I generally go vanilla with, um, vanilla. I think a race day plan is coming together.
Time: morning, try as I might I can’t start as early as I want to mimc race day … Race starts at 7, earliest I’ve been able to get out of the house is 7:45
Where: Burke-Gilman – Lake Union lollipop
Workout: 12 miles LSD
Notes and observations: 1:59.02
I thought I was faster than the first time I ran this length but actually was 30 sec slower. Go figure.
Tried a new Gu, next time I’ll bring a second to carry me through the last 2-3 miles. Could have hydrated more the night before. Mighty salty flavor around my lips when I got home. Always reminded of Lance and tha Tour stage where he ended up with a white paste of salt around his mouth. It was a time trial, yeah … But I digress.
A great song shuffled on with about a 1/2 mile to go. Perfect timing.
Music: Foo Fighters on shuffle. Long ago I decided this would be my race plan, so I try to save them for the long runs. Not sure how it will go with bands playing throughout the route.
Time: before work
Where: DT Bellevue Park
Workout: the usual 5 miles interval routine
Notes and observations: No meetings today, so I was determined to do some intervals. I got off the bus, headed to my office and went straight to the locker room where I dropped mystuff off and started running. I knew if I went to my desk first I’d get distracted. It was nice to have this over with and be sitting at my desk by 9am. That’s why I like the pre-work routines. Also, DT park was far less busy than the lunch hour. A few Chinese women friends walking and talking, and a handful of dogs and owners. A nice chill but not too cold. It was good.
Music: Snow Patrol
and now this running log is all caught up! when i get a chance i’ll dump my timex memory into here. Just not tonight.
Time: before work
Where: gym treadmill
Workout: four miles, race pace for miles 2 & 3
Notes and observations: At least the weather outside was crappy so I didn’t feel so bad doing an indoor workout. My desire to try to wake up early and run before catching the bus just ain’t happening. This is the next option, as my workdays are filled with meetings now. Did I mention it’s been busy already? I did? Oh. Right. One benefit about the treadmill is that I can really control the rates. It helps sometimes.
Music: I forgot my iPod! Was forced to listen to the gym radio while watching a combination of GMA, CNBC and ‘Supernatural’ reruns on TNT. Nice mix.
Time: 8:30am start time
Where: Ran to Hec Ed start line (2 miles); Race Course (5 miles); ran most of the way home (1 miles); walked rest of the way home (1 mile) = 9.
Workout: The goal for this week’s training was 11 but I ran those 5 miles at a 9:05 pace, so I’m ok with skipping out of the last 2 miles. I also spent a 2-3 hours walking around the Zoo later in the day. We’re good.
Notes and observations: My race time was not much different over last year.9:05 in 2012 vs 9:06 in 2011. Total time 45:07. However the difference for me was that I ran twice as much as I did last year. I also learned … and pushed my way towards the faster paced runners so I could having to bob and weave around the slowpokes for the first mile. Here’s what people do at Beat the Bridge. You see, the goal is to run over the University Bridge before they raise it, 20 minutes after the last runner crosses the start line. So the slowpokes try to start with the elite runners so that they have more than 20 minutes to make it over the bridge. No one told me that. You see lots of out-of-shapers huffing and puffing their way through the U-District. Meanwhile us honest runners, the ones who will actually make it within the time limit minimum huffing and puffing, are forced to stop and go around all the huffers. It’s harder that way.
Not that I’m complaining. All for a good cause. Good practice to run with loads of people. Yadda Yadda.
The weather was much nicer, though by the time I was jogging home on the trail it started sprinking and I had become quite cold. Had a little bit of a runny/stuffy nose thing going for a couple of days afterwards. Ah well.
Good race. Glad I did it.
Music: Foo Fighters. Also softly. For no good reason, really.
Time: nap time (2:30)
Where: B-G trail
Workout: 4 miles easy
Notes and observations: I missed my interval running workout this week. First time I missed it since March, when I was travelling for work. Work is again messing me up! I decided at the very last minute to run “Beat the Bridge” this year, so on Saturday ran to Husky Stadium to sign up. Only they didn’;t take credit cards and that’s all I had with me. So I ran home, showered then drove back to HS to sign up. Sheesh. All this to pay race-day fees and run with thousands of others around my neighborhood. Oh, and to fight juvenile diabetes as well.
Music: Hot Fuss