Week 3 done!  I hit all the required durations ( and then some) but my pace took a hit.   It was the first week with the new hires and I seriously underestimated what training 2 brand new people at the same time would be like.   I felt like I was running laps all day.  I had to change my heels for flats halfway through Monday and I wore flats the rest of the week.  This made navigating the maze of chairs easier but seriously pissed off my feet and legs.   Grrr, I missed my boots.

Monday- Rest

I love rest on Mondays.  I had tried to change to being a Monday runner but it’s hard.   Plus we didn’t get out of work until 6 and I felt like I had run 5 miles already.

Tuesday- Plan 40:00 Easy

Our area was hit with some odd monsoon weather so we had high temps and high humidity.   Ugh.    It was so rough my mother canceled her tennis practice.  She never cancels so I knew it was ugly.   I was debating going to the gym but decided for work town instead.  Work town is consistently around 65* but I don’t like running there for a few reasons.   1- the humidity is always high (like 70+) and my lungs hate me.  2- I feel like I have to wear pants.  I know it’s all in my head but the idea of running in shorts and having a customer spot me freaks me out.  I am so weird. 3- I have one route.   There are very few sidewalks and the roads have non existent shoulders.

This route is an out and back that starts with an elevation of 150′ and drops to 0 then back up again.    My GPS had troubles getting a signal so mile 1 was way off.    I ran with traffic for most of the out portion- that side of the street has a sidewalk.   Once I hit the state park I thought I was going to have to cut my run short.  There was construction in front of the Inn and I couldn’t see a way to the path that gets me to the beach.   The street has no shoulders.  I spotted what looked like tire tracks and bolted across to the path.   Then damn near ate it on the slippery Eucalyptus leaves.  Walk break!   

I ran to the end of the trail this time instead of just the beach and found the best natural stairs.  Seriously I did a little happy dance at the top.  I love running in the dirt.   Too bad the trail portion is maybe a little more than .5 mile.   I took another walk break after I almost did the splits on the Eucalyptus leaves on the way back and then ran on.  Mile 4 had 100 ft gain and I ran most of it with my lungs on fire but pulled off a 10:06.  Which I think is the fastest I’ve run that even when I was in top shape.  Sweet!  4.05 ish Miles- 42:37

Wednesday- Rest

TOM came to visit, I rested.  TMI?  🙂  Plus I had a doctor’s appointment with my gastro and Atkins is here to stay.  He is also ordering a new CT to see why I have had the odd, intense pains.   Boo.

Thursday- Plan – Speed work

This time was a doctor’s appointment with my primary so I can have my thyroid levels checked since I take a nap damn near everyday.  Sometimes on the floor.  🙂   I changed before leaving work so I could head straight to the gym after my appointment even though my stomach hated me that day.   Then I saw something on Facebook that pissed me off hurt my feelings and the last thing I wanted to do was run.  I just wanted to sulk in a corner and binge eat pizza.    I went home first.  Somehow I pushed myself out the door 45 minutes later.  It was a slow, hot miserable run.  Seriously it was a slower pace than my long run this week.  And I was chased by a damn dog.  If it hadn’t been on a chain, I would have been bleeding.  As it was I ran into traffic which wasn’t smart.   4 Miles -47:52.   Then I ate pizza.  🙂

Friday- Rest

More running around like a crazy person at work.  It was so flippin’ busy.  I am so jealous of everyone who had the day off.

Saturday- Rest

I wanted to run my long run in the morning but I wasn’t feeling well and had a headache.    I enjoyed a calm 4th with my family and finally watched McFarland, USA.  And I call myself a runner?  It was really good and even more interesting when I thought I heard work town called out during their first meet.  I did!!!  They competed against work town!  Man, that must have been a drive.    Turns out the first time they went to the beach was actually 4 miles up from work town too.   They changed the location in the movie.  Still it was cool hearing that.

Sunday- Long Run- Plan 1:10:00

Again, I woke up feeling rough and could not get going.  I kept telling myself to get out of bed but it wasn’t happening.  I finally headed out for my long run around 3.  I still didn’t feel great so even though I wanted 10, I was aiming for anything over 6.   My mother was out on a walk so the first 4.5 miles of my route was looping around streets and meeting back up with her.  Yay for walk breaks!   Then she went on her way and I continued running.   One of these days I will find a long run that doesn’t have over 800 ft of elevation gain.   I also had my first snake sighting of the summer.   I refrained from screaming like a little girl but I did run into the middle of the street again.  Luckily it was a back road but I really need to work on that.    Mile 7,  I stopped and spoke with an older gentleman out working on his van.  At that point I’d run past him 3x so I think he thought I was crazy. Somewhere along the line I got my math wrong so I hit my driveway at 10.5 miles- 1:58. Considering all the walk breaks in the beginning and a few hills towards the end and I was actually at the high-end of where McMillan says I should be? Sweet!   I made it in time for Sunday dinner.  Family doesn’t mind if you’re sweaty right?All in all, it was a slow but solid week.  Not too bad.   I also officially registered for Big Sur in November on Sunday.   I booked the hotel a few months ago and followed through with the race.  🙂  Woo hoo!   Now I just need to actually register for my goal race in October.  Oops.

This week, my goal is actually complete my speed work and have fun at my half on Sunday.  And then eat cake- Because it’s my birthday.  🙂

How was your 4th?

How do you react to snakes?

Do you live in a hilly area or flat?

 

 

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