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August 19, 2005
Last of the summer bunions
Luckily, not on my feet...I'm talking about my running club's summer race series. Last night R. and I ran the 4.5 miler, which was held at one my favorite local running trails - Burke Lake. It was a touch humid, but nowhere as bad as it has been all summer. While I was warming up for 2.5 miles, my legs felt heavy and tired even though I took Wednesday off. I started the race slow ~9 minute pace with the general idea not to further destroy my legs for Saturday's 22 miler. Once we hit the dirt trail, though, my legs suprirsingly felt inclined to go faster. Probably because I know the trail well and kept telling myself the end was near. I eventually settled into ~8's or a bit faster, which felt controlled and only slightly uncomfortable (with tired legs), and I picked off some people too. Although my time was almost a couple minutes slower than last year, I was pleased that I felt decent and wasn't getting passed by throngs of runners. I'm trying super hard to enjoy the small feats of today and not live in yesterday's victories. If I can accomplish that then maybe I won't be constantly disappointed in myself. The dilemma of being Type A...I've been in a rut, feeling mostly flat and uninterested - maybe the anemia or overtraining or stress. Who knows? Regardless, I think I may need a break from marathoning after Chicago. My current mentality is "why bother running hard if you know it's not going to be a PR race?" Sure, for the love of it, for fun...but I've done 10 marathons. I just want to kick some arse already! So, that's my mindset for the moment. Maybe I'd be better off if I could adopt the "okay, whatever" attitude.
As I mentioned, I took Wednesday off, though I lifted upper body and did some light leg exercises in the AM. My other best friend Y. was in town with her husband (in class) and adorable little girls. We took the Metro to the National Zoo and had a great time seeing the animals, especially the panda who was practically putting on a show. We didn't get to see the newborn, though. On Tuesday, I ran an easy, uneventful 10 miles. I wanted to lift but was uncertain about dinner plans with Y's family, so I just went home.
My plan is to run 3-4 miles and lift after work. I need to go to bed early to wake up in time for 8 stealth miles before the club's 7am start time tomorrow. I'm hoping my legs will hold up and the humidity will hold out until after the run. It's soooo nice not to have to worry about school work or trotting around town. Prime time for sneaking in naps and some crosstraining. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Posted by Leilani at August 19, 2005 01:09 PM
Comments
I know what you mean about feeling "blah" about marathon training. I have not run nearly as many marathons as you, but I've already had that feeling of "well if I'm not going to PR, what's the use?" I know my attitude will eventually have to change because at some point in my life, I'm just not going to run any faster, but I think that's a hard thing to swallow. Either way, good luck with your 22 miler this weekend. I hope you feel awesome! :)
Posted by: Beth at August 19, 2005 07:37 PM