Recap of my Sunday Long Run - 8 miles!!!
We went to the Chicago car show on Sunday morning (it's imperative you go to this thing the moment it opens and then get out an hour later because it becomes so crowded...at least on weekends.) Kiddo loved being able to sit in a car without a carseat and press all the buttons without us yelling "noooo!" She was smitten with the idea of sun-roofs. I don't think she understands that if we ever got one we aren't going to be sticking our heads out of them while driving to see the sights.
So I spent an hour on my feet, but no biggie...that's most weekends.
When it was time for my Long Run I was well fed and well hydrated but I had a bit of a headache and I wasn't so super excited to run 8 miles. I said to my hubby "I really don't want to run right now" and god bless his response "GOOD! It means you'll feel even better when you are done" Thanks honey, I needed that. He also may have promised me pajama pants and couch sitting while watching Beyonce, etc. on the Grammy's.
So how did it go? Goal was 10:52 pace +/- each mile. I had an "idea" of where I'd be running in order to get the miles in and also getting a change of scenery, so this was not really my normal route at all. I told my hubby I'd check in with him along the way, if he'd be so kind to send me encouragement. I ended up texting him while running (something I can do at LR pace as long as I'm not like crossing a street) and in return he'd send me a funny or inspiration gif or pic. It really helped!
Edited to note that my texts were just like "Mile 1 done"
Nothing more.
Mile 1 was an insanely close to perfect 10:51! My second mile and most of the rest ended up being on sidewalks instead of the street just because I was in busier areas and most of my miles were straightaways with very limited amounts of turning. I'd go a few miles before turning, etc.
Mile 2, 3, 4 & 5 were pretty consistent
10:46, 10:41, 10:43, 10:42
I think this is due to me unconsciously turning my 10:50-ish into a 10:20/10:30 without notice sometimes. Not the whole time. I tend to naturally go back to the slower pace on my own or I'll see my watch and slow myself. It's both. I'd say I was pretty consistently seeing the 10:40 to 10:55 on my watch and that made me happy that I was hitting those times and feeling comfortable. I was pleasantly surprised.
Mile 6 and 7 has some "moments" though. I had been gradually climbing uphill (very gradually) but with the wind at my back or to my one side and then I got to a long street where we were at about the highest point in Chicago. And what I didn't realize was that the sidewalk would dip down to acommodate for driveways and then climb back up where the lawns stay high and then dip back down a little. It was fun looking at the huge houses on this street but this was hillier than I'm used to. It's good I've got this hilly area...I will come back to it on future runs. (and, no these are nothing compared to most people's hills I'm sure.) I will say I got jelly legs...weak knees...something on the way down a prolonged down at the end of the long strip and I was getting hit HARD with wind. It was not a fun feeling. I got stuck at a light and then when it was time to run again my legs took a while to get going again. I did walk up the super steep (to me) uphill back to higher flat ground because my knees and thighs were just weak feeling? It was weird. Once I got up top it was wind in the face and I soldiered through it but I felt a little bit pushing a bit harder than LR. My legs felt better after a few minutes of getting going again.
Mile 6 & 7 were exactly the same. 11:08 & 11:08
For a "hard mile" for me to only be 11:08 is a good feeling. My old LR was 11:10 and I'd often go higher during longer mileages.
My last mile I started zig zaggin back in the residential area and the wind was cut out of the equation. I did a 180 on pace and ended up with Mile 8 10:19
Oops!
And then I was still over a mile from home Oops again!
I think I misjudged how diagonally the one big street was. Now I know it'll be a perfect route for a 9 mile run. I walked in the WINDY COLD WIND the whole way home. Oops.
Lessons learned...Bring water on my next run. I would have appreciated it since the wind did dry out my mouth something fierce at the end.
Sustained downhills are hard and feel weird!
And 8 miles isn't so scary anymore. (13.1 still kind of is...but only kind of.)
I also know roughly where the Grand Californian, the Matterhorn, the Disney castle, and the red hat ladies are in my neighborhood. At least on that route.
Tink Training Week #4 - Looking Ahead
Monday 2/13: Bachelor. Nick better snap out of his Eeyore "I'll never find love, boo-hoo" emo-self and remember that being on a beach with a bunch of hot ladies isn't so hard.
Start falling in love, that's what I came to see!
Tuesday 2/14: 3 miles at EA - Happy Valentines Treadmill!
Thursday 2/16: 6 miles Tempo (1.5 WU, 3 Tempo, 1.5 CD) grumble grumble 3 mi T...grumble
Sunday 2/19: 6 miles LR - sweeeet! OH WAIT...it's blind!!! D'oh. That's ok...I got dis.
