Independence Day 5000

I will start by saying this week has been one that has proven to be challenging. (This weeks milage=37) It's not the milage that I find challeging, it's the lingering fatigue from last Sundays HOT 13mile run, that has been challenging to get over.(dispite proper hydration, since then) So, since then, I had been going back and forth on whether to run this race or not.
Tuesady was track work, and after spending Monday "recovering", I had about 80% legs by track morning.
I was able to produce 10 solid 400's, with a 400m PR of 1:30. So while my legs were not 100%, they were still producing good runs, today.
*Tuesday=I would race Friday!
When I awoke Wednesday, I was fatigued, headache, just not my normal up and ready to run, and even work self. I took this day off from everything.
*Wednesday=I would definitely not be racing Friday.
Thursday I did an easy paced 3, along with upper body wts. Still, I did not have the best legs under me, but they were on their way. I felt about 70% recovered on that 3 miler. *So Thrsday, I may race Friday, but would wait till Friday to see how I really felt.
Friday morning came around, and I felt pretty close to "myself". Rested, and legs not "fatigued" or sore, I decided to race...and I did.
It was a twilight race, 7:30 pm start. The weather, very nice. It was probably around 80, with a breeze, at start time...aawwww.Perfect!
I had planned to start " slow", finish "fast". (slow I mean a 7:30 pace) Well, first dowhill I noticed I was at 6:50, yikes! I slowed myself to 7:15 after noticing my too fast start.
Pretty much the hils through the course kept me at a consistant 7:24-7:28 pace...My legs that have been trying to recover all week could not give me what they have been giving me at track, in the past, ug. ( nor did those rolling hills help either! lol) The last mile I was able to drop to 7:24-7:20 pace, good, and I still managed to do 23:02 time, at a avg 7:26 pace. I knew this would not be a PR run for me, since Monday, so felt really happy about my race. :)...and, if I can produce 23:02 on tired legs on a hilly course, what can I produce with 100% legs, and maybe a flatter course?? --> July 24th Twilight 5K

**Also, GREAT job to my fellow CAR runner Amy on her PR, and awesome race night!! :) **

************

Twelve hours later I woke up planning to run 14 miles this morning.( due to travel restrictions on Sunday morning) Planning was the KEY word. I could tell about 6 miles in I was not going to be able to do 14, and even played with the idea of just doing 10,ug!( With Chicago little over 90 days away, 10 is too little.) I did end up breaking off from my running partners, and slowly made my way to 12 miles total.
Lesson learned this week: My body is tired, and I think it has been asking me all week to take off, and to please let it recover. Me being me, I do know when to stop, and think " I can work through this"....Well, body I hear you, finally. I am on vacation starting tomorrow. I promise you, body, you will get rest this week. I will cut my miles down to 15-20 this week, no speed work, just some easy "paced" maintenance runs every so often; no rigid training schedule this week either. This will be hard for me to do, but I would rather test my patience now, then run myself to sickness, or into the over-trained world, or worse injure.( That is real time loss)

Happy fourth!!

PS. If the race is small, Pacers, why could I not trade my medium shirt for small? Still upset, LOL...Amy will get this :)
GO CAR!!

Figuring this blog thing out...

I'm not much of a computer person, so I have a lot of figuring out to do when it comes to designing my blog page. My page feels inadequate, compared to all my running buddies awesome pages'! How do add the side posts on the side of my blog (ex. PR's, race schedule...) so it's not just a title? How do you add the related websites you're fan of? ( ex. CAR:) SOS...I am computer inept! :P
I am open to helpful hints. :) Thanks!

That's hot!...I mean the weather!

It's June in DC, and it's supposed to be warm out, but this heat streak is crazy! Eighty degrees at 7am, plus humidity you can see in the air, means you know you in for a hot one!

I had to do 13 miles today.( this weeks mileage=31) The first 5 miles went by really quick, and easily. We ( CAR) took to the RV park route, which is rolly hilly, but I was feeling great! Holding a good 830-845 pace, I was having my normal fun running; feeling my improvements :)...then mile 7.5 hit. ( I turned around at 6.5 out)

When I turned around, I still felt ok, but the heat was definitely on the rise, at 8am! geez...By mile 7.5ish, I could tell I needed to slow my pace, and now just go into survive this run mode. o! So I dropped it down to 9-910 min. pace. In this heat, you just do what you can to get through it.

The last 2 miles were the hottest/hardest. I veered off to the bike path (Capital Crescent) so I could have shade, and kept my eye sight somewhat downward, b/c mentally I did not want to see what distance I had left. Basically, I had to zone out...

Finally! Made it!...and I ran straight to the fountain at Fletcher's, before heading to my group, and just poured cold water over my head and neck, aahhhh! Then I proceeded to meet with my teammates/coach, who were equally drenched, lol...

13.08 done.

Tired, and drenched from ounces of sweat, and the from the water I poured on myself post run, I was happy to be done,and still feels great to get out there and run...I love this sport!

Next week it looks like it'll be 10 degrees cooler! Here's hoping!! :)

Side note... During the last 4 miles of this run, all I wanted/craved was a huge cup icy Nuun! Which was the the 1st thing I did when I returned home! I made my ice cold nuun drink, and drank it down! mmmm:)