In Threes

I guess I have three runs to update about, huh?

This is what happens when I don't blog on the weekend. Oh well.

Monday night I wanted to get in more than the usual 5.5 miles but since it was our Run of the Month we had post-run plans for dinner at my favorite restaurant. I invited Jason to join us for dinner since I figure he's an official club member (he holds our gear at races and takes pictures). So I ended up running 2 miles to the club run starting point and then doing 5.5 miles with the club for a total of 7.5 miles. Worked out pretty well! My first two miles were quite speedy compared to the rest of them. Not really how it's supposed to go. At least the rest of the miles were fairly even? Anyway, it was a pretty good run for this time of year. It was warm out, but not stifling. I took my handheld water bottle and Jacob shared margarita flavored Shot Bloks.

Monday Night OPRC Plus by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details

Tuesday I did a three mile run at lunch. The sun was blazing but at least there was a cool breeze off Lake Michigan. Still, I took it easy and we stopped for water twice. The boys did the full 4 mile route but us gals just did 3. That's really all I wanted to do, anyway. My legs were pretty tired from running 7.5 miles less than 24 hours before. 10.5 miles in 18 hours? You'd think I was running a relay or something!

Lunch Run North by snmnstrz21 at Garmin Connect - Details

Then on Wednesday I tried something a little different. Wednesday is normally our track workout day but this is our "by" week. Of course, I can't leave well enough alone so I took a look at the FIRST marathon training plan on which I based my marathon training plan to see what was on the schedule for this week. The result? 4x800 @ 8:05 minute/mile w/1:30 minute rest intervals. So I decided I'd do it on the treadmill in the gym at work so that I could get it out of the way and maybe lift weights in the evening.

I did a 1.5 mile warm-up and then cranked the treadmill up to 7.5 MPH at a 1.5% incline. Woof. That first half mile felt rough. I took a 2 minute rest break instead of 1:30 and then tried again at closer to 8:20 minute/mile. Still rough. Not sure what was up with that. Too fast? Legs too tired? This cold I seem to be fighting off? I took a quarter mile rest break and then tried one more time. I only made it a tenth of a mile before I called it quits. I just wasn't feeling it. But, I'm guessing that sometimes it's smarter to end a workout early instead of pushing through when you're fatigued. I ended up doing 3 miles total on the treadmill and was sweating in places I didn't know I could sweat. So 2x800 instead of 4x800. I think the treadmill and I do better on 400 meter intervals. I'll have to remember that for next time.