This Is *Technically* Fun

I've come to the point in my training where I have started technical runs: speed intervals, tempo runs, and long runs.

In case you missed it, I'm running the Chicago Marathon with Erika in October!

I've been looking forward to the technical work for a while since the first month was all easy runs.

Don't get me wrong, base building is very important. But I built up prior to starting the plan, and then had to slow my pace to train.

So to recap, you should never skip base building:

Just-also-very-boring.

ANYway, the day finally came for speed work! My first run was 8x400s. I started out pretty well...maybe a touch fast. Unsurprisingly, I started to slow down. I would run my 400 and then try to keep jogging through my recoveries. But halfway through, my jogs shifted to:

Walk.

Sip.

Jog.

I'm getting a slightly better handle on it. All of my interval work is like this.

I've started to focus on my race nutrition in the past couple of years, so I practice that during most of my runs too.

Last week I had my first long run, and I decided to wear my official Team Coeur shorts to see how they will do on race day. I'm used to little pockets in the front for stashing my food, but these have generous pockets on the back, cheek side. So I stuffed them with my food and didn't think about them until it was time to eat.

I think it may have looked a bit strange.

Definitely strange.

(My husband suggested those pockets may be meant for stashing keys and other non-edibles.)

I asked my team members for ideas and they recommended stuffing my food in the sports bra's generous pocket.

Err, on second thought, I'll probably just stick with my FlipBelt for now.

At least I have 10 more weeks to sort it all out.

Questions:

1. What is your favourite way to carry your nutrition and hydration during training?

2. What is the strangest thing you've ever seen a runner do?





UPCOMING POSTS: FOOD STUFF, THINGS I SEE ON MY RUNS

It's Time for Speed Work!

I'm not fast. 

I was born 11 days late and I've been trying to catch up ever since. My body has 2 settings:

Setting #1:

Inevitably followed by Setting #2:

Every single morning.

I can be slow. Maddeningly slow.

I understand this because when people are slower than I want them to be it is maddening.

But when I do try to hustle, especially when I'm encouraged to do so by others, my brain and body just stop communicating and I freeze up.

System error from brain to muscles.

Well, now that I've been hitting new distances in my training and races I really want to pick up the pace so I'm not out on the course all day (especially if I want to do even longer races). And that's clearly a problem given the above information.  So my new goal is speed work!

Just call me "Maverick".

I will be returning to indoor cycling classes, going to the track, and working on swimming faster. I even got some fancy flippers.

Stay tuned!

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P.S. I may not be speedy yet, but at least I can do the hustle!

If you're too young to know it or just want to enjoy, please visit a lovely compilation of 70s ladies and gents Doing the Hustle. It really gets going at the 30 second mark.

UPCOMING POSTS: SWIMMING DRILLS, RUNNING SPEED WORK, A SHOE REVIEW

My Tempo Run Made Me Want to Vom...and Maybe Move to the Arctic Circle

I have been training pretty religiously for the upcoming Rock n Roll half marathon.

The other week I was supposed to run mile repeats: 4 at an 8:54 pace, with a warm up and cool down mile on either end.  I decided to try the treadmill since many commenters have told me that was where I could control the pace and it would be FLAT.

I knew that particular pace would be a long shot and I wound up in a loop of speeding up, then slowing down every time I started to feel a little green around the gills.

 And watching TV while running didn't help.  Already moving picture +bouncing up and down = more nauseous.

I was pretty sure I was looking like a bit of a hot mess, based on the looks I got from passers by.

Once I was done, I hopped off the mill and wiped my face with a paper towel ('cause I'm classy like that) and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.

Even after my cool down, I continued to feel sweaty.  Really sweaty.

I drove home with the windows down and still felt sweaty.

I still felt sweaty when I flopped down in front of the TV.

I hopped in the shower.

I finally was starting to feel normal.  I got dressed.

And then I started to feel sweaty again.

It took a good hour to feel normal again. And for the record, it was not hot outside. It was cold and raining.

What month was it, you ask?  Why, this month, of course.  And around here, we have a special name for it:

Yup.  It totally sucks donkeys.

UPCOMING POSTS:  LONG RUNS, YOGA, RACE RECAPS, AWARDS, AND ONE I'M GOING TO KEEP A SECRET...muahahahaha (That was creepy, wasn't it?)

Oh!  And in case you missed it, hop on over to Watch MeGo Run to check out my guest post!