Time: 8:30am, 1 hr 6 min

Where: Burke Gilman Trail, featuring the Wall of Death!

Workout: 7 miles. LSD

Splits (raw data here):

• Mile 1: 9:05 though this was probably slightly under a mile
• 2: 9:24
• 3: 10:01 though this includes a 30-sec traffic light
• 4: 9:26
• 5: 9:41
• 6: 9:37
• 7: 9:34

Notes and Observations: I was extremely cold at first. It was windy and rainy but I did it anyway. Adjusted, I’m guessing a 9:30 min mile. Ahead of my goal, which is great. A funny thought occured as I was nearing mile 7. If this were race day, I’d only be halfway done! Aiieee. I have a long way to go. Also want to jot down what I ate so I don’t forget: one slice whole wheat toast w/peanut butter and sliced banana, one cup coffee w/milk; random bites of the husband’s breakfast of a ham&cheese biscuit and the kid’s breakfast of a butter croissant.

I saw an old rowing mate, Jill, on the trail. She’s training for another Ironman, and I barely had time to get out a “hey” before she ran on. I get the sense she knew it was me from seeing my back. All those practices sitting bow seat to my two seat, staring at my back (not to mention my mediocre technique). Made me think a lot about rowing during the run, the feeling of being on a team, of tryouts and seat races. Winning is fun. Getting to the point of winning is hard, hard work. I wasn’t always willing to put in the hard work, but when I did, it paid off through making boats, winning races, and having fun, a lot of fun with my teammates, who I knew were working just as hard (ok, probably harder than me). I did it for them as well as for me.

Now, I’m doing it for me.

Finally, one last thing. Just finished Lance Armstrong’s memoir of his 2nd – 5th Tour wins, Every Second Counts. Funny to read it years after so many doping scandals have broken out, but that’s another story for another time … This excerpt is an example of the differences between a good competitive athlete and the extraordinary competitive athlete:

Every Second Counts, by Lance Armstrong

So, that is what’s going through my mind as I trudge through 7 miles.

Music: Foo Fighters and The Killers sorted by most played according to our iTunes Library. Apparently I like to play “Mr Brightside” a lot.

Time: 12:50 pm, 40 min
Where; gym treadmill
Workout: 4 mi w/intervals
Mile 1: easy, between 5.5 and 6.0
Miles 2 – 3: Baseline of 6.0 (10 min mi) and Intervals every 200m x 8: 6.5, 6.7, 6.9, 7.0 7.0 6.9 6.7 6.7. 7.0 is 8:30 min mile.
Mile 4: easy, around 6.1
Notes: Last week’s side stitches are not around this week. Must have been having GI issues before. This routine feels good. I am, however, too old to be running from Lincoln Square to the Galleria in shorts in 45 degree weather. Ha ha I grew up in New England doing just that and now I’m a Seattle wimp.
Music: Foo Fighters, One by One

Time: 12:30ish

Where: Bellevue Way towards I-90

Workout: I was supposed to do 5 miles LSD. I probably did more like 4.5.

Notes & Observations: Until I find some decent, familiar routes in Bellevue I feel like I’m floundering. On the other hand, no side stitches, and this distance is no longer a fearful one for me. I guess that’s the point, eh.

Music: Vampire Weekend

Happy VD via someecards.com

Time: 8:30am, 60ish minutes

Where: Burke Gilman Trail: From Met Market to the Wall of Death and back

Workout: 6 miles, alternating 5 minutes hard / 5 minutes easy

Notes and Observations: I have a lot, and I suspect I will if I have to run for 60 minutes, like, in a row. Started off strong, my first hard piece was like floating down the path. On the way back I realized much of this had to do with the tailwind I was benefitting from. The headwind on the way back, for my last hard piece, made it, um, hard. But each hard piece felt great and not too difficult, which now makes me wonder if, even though I’m pushing and going a lot faster than I would if I didn’t have ‘hard’ on my mind, if I should actually be going harder. Found myself at one point forcing myself to go even slower during a recovery interval because I had absentmindedly picked up the pace. Overall I felt very good after 6 miles, and was pretty surprised when I hit 3 miles (my turning point), since I was feeling so good. Much better than after the 5 miles I ran earlier this week. This new plan is showing me that I can run faster than I expected. Case in point, this conversation I had with Kent on Thursday, after my 4-mile interval workout. Prior to this conversation was a text he sent explaining that I should accelerate for 40-45 seconds each lap.

Me: Maybe you can, but I can’t run 200m in 45 seconds. More like 60 seconds.

K: That’s an 8-minute mile pace

Me: No it’s not.

K: Yes it is.

Me: No. It’s not.

K explains the math, and of course he’s right. He’s been doing this running thing since birth or something. Incorporating speed into these workouts has been an eye-opener, seriously. I’ve done it with rowing, so not sure why there was that hurdle with running. I suppose it comes from having believed from the get go that I’m not a runner and therefore I don’t have to work at becoming better or faster at it. So, at what point do I decide that I am a runner? Still deciding.

So, that is what I’m thinking about as I chug along the Burke. That, and also that I need to upgrade my running clothes. I’m wearing a bunch of things I wore when I rowed, but now I need pockets. You don’t need pockets when you row. You are rowing, not listening to an iPod, or needing to hold your keys. So, pockets. I should get on that.

Music: Foo Fighters and The Killers on shuffle. Mostly Foo now that I think about it.

A fun action shot of my little runner:

“Run with me, Mommy, run with me!”

Time: 7:50am

Where: Gym treadmill

Workout: 4 mi w/intervals

Mile 1:  easy, between 5.5 and 6.0

Miles 2 – 3: Baseline of 6.0 (10 min mi) and Intervals every 200m x 8: 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.8, 6.7, 6.6, 6.6, so approximately I was “on” for 60 – 75 seconds, then easy until the next interval

Mile 4: easy,  between 5.5 and 6.0 and I ended up walking the final 200m since I was so stinkin’ tired.

Notes and Observations: I need to figure out the side stitch issue. Otherwise it’s an uncomfortable run for the duration. Today I was just plain tired. I am guessing increasing my mileage significantly has something to do with that.

Music: The Killers, Sam’s Town. New (for me). It’s ok.

Time: 12:45pm, 52ish min
Where: Bellevue / Medina
Workout: 5 mi steady state. 2 memorable hills but not too bad
Notes and observations: side stitch almost the entire run, began to subside as I was finishing the final mile. Need to better plan my eating and hydration during the day. I discovered a part of Bellevue I thought only existed in fairy tales and architecture magazines
Music: the killers. I need to refresh my ipod