Time: 5:45AM
Where: Bryant and Wedgwood
Workout: 3.5 miles steady state around the ‘hood.
Mobility: Foam roller targeting my lower back and IT band.
Notes: 34:02 including one traffic light. My BolderBoulder training is lacking but as long as I get a couple of 6-milers in before the end of the month I should be ok. The route I took is uphillish then flat then downhillish. Excellent running temperature today.
Music: Foo Fighters

SoundCrossfit May Challenge Day 2 – check!

Time: before work
Where: DT Bellevue Park.
Workout: 3.5 miles, 1′ on, 1’30” off x 8. Last run before race day!
Notes and observations: great weather! I wish Saturdays forecast could be as pleasant. Still feeling good. Trying to avoid the crud that’s been going around the office.
Music: the killers, hot fuss, for old times sake.

Time: before work
Where: Bellevue
Workout: 3.5 miles, rolling hills
Notes and observations: I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. No blisters. No weird aches and pains. No huge struggles uphill. And I’ve most definitely just jinxed myself. One more run to go before race day. I’m contemplating what my next fitness goal will be. Cross fit, maybe. Not training for a marathon, that’s for sure.
Music: Fun.

Time: 7:30a
Where: Burke-Gilman trail headed towards Wallingford & back
Workout: 8 miles LSD
Notes and observations: I like this thing they call tapering. A nice run, maintaining a decent pace for most of it. I learned that the Gu station on the course is at 7.8 miles so this was a good test to see how I felt at the eight-mile mark. I had been going off the after 50 minutes of activity benchmark, but I felt pretty good. Forecast calling for 60s.
Mile 1: 9.14
2: 10.01
3: 9.24
4: 9.30
5: 9.45
6: 9.32
7: 9.14
8: 9.14
Music: my “gym” playlist. Lots of randome stuff but I recall hearing a lot of Abba.

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.