Run Log JUNE

June has been a series of highs and lows ~

Our first place finish at Hill, Yeah ~ a high

Biking with Brenda and Leslie ~ a high

The first time swimming in Lake Erie ~ a low

I've been swimming at the Y all winter.  I am a decent swimmer.  I  can swim a mile (takes me 40 minutes, but I can do it)  First time in Lake Erie ~ total panic.  Extremely rapid heart rate ~ couldn't control my breathing... so unreal to me.  I've always felt comfortable in the water & I was in total panic mode.  I made it down and back twice...but never really swimming.  I couldn't put my face in and get a rhythm.  

So I tried again ~ this time with Dodd and Mike in the kayak.  NOPE.  In my defense the waves were 2-3 feet ~ but that wasn't that wasn't the biggest issue.  I just couldn't put my face in and swim.  I made it two houses from Trisha's parents place and back twice.  Mostly doggie paddling. {more about this later as I'm going in order of my pictures}

Thursday morning NERC run group at Lake Erie Bluffs ~ a high.  We've had a steady stream of people.  It's been fun.  We've also talked the Bodies Done Right coach into doing a 20 minute core class.  I have not been good about strength training.  It's been a good day to start a Thursday.

flat Leslie was late to breakfast

Last Friday morning there were too many storms to even attempt to swim, bike, run...So we  met at Bob Evan's for breakfast ~ which included candied bacon ~ YUM  

That morning I looked at the radar and saw the storms ~ so I went to the Y and swam.  Zero problems, so I knew I hadn't forgotten HOW to swim.

On Monday we tried the lake again.  It was still scary & hard, but a tad bit better.  Then the skies darkened & we could hear thunder...and we decided to get out of the water. {genius idea} 

Angela was joining us for a run ~ and we thought we'd try and get it in as the dark clouds were over the lake.  We ran in beautiful sunshine & the storm passed without much excitement.

get-out-of-the-water sky

Lake Erie is beautiful at sunset

On Wednesday I decided I'd had enough of this stupid fear of swimming in the Lake.  I had a failed track workout ~ Guess I should talk about that.  

First track workout: 12 x 400.  ROCKED IT.  Felt like an badass beast of a runner.

Second track workout: 6 x 800.  It was hard, but I nailed the upper end of my paces.

Third track workout: 6 x 800.  It was very hard.  I hit the upper end of my paces, which were faster than the previous week.  But I felt like a failure.  It was REALLY hard.  I did not feel badass.  I felt worn out.

Fourth track workout: 5 x 1000.  WHAT?!?  I CAN'T DO THAT.  I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.  {see the bad attitude?} seriously contemplated not doing it.  I did it.  Didn't hit a single pace, but I did it.  And I wanted to count hhat as a win.  I sent that to John & didn't get the response I wanted {That's ok, you tried.}  I got the response I needed. {you said you had bigger goals}

I have bigger goals.

I have a really big goal.  It's time to trust my body and push it to do all it can.  

So with this in mind, I couldn't have two fails in a day.  I drove myself to Fairport, got in the water and SWAM.  Down and back.  Stopped once in the middle of the first lap, because I was tired, not because I was scared.  I made myself stick to my breathing rhythm that I do everyday in the pool.  I pretended the tan murk of the water was a sandy bottom {oh, look I can see the sand at the bottom of the lake} and I did it.

So today, when we woke to more storms and everyone but Leslie cancelled ~ I got in the lake and SWAM. Easy and relaxed and enjoyable.  I can do this tri.

Finished the morning with a three mile run in the tri suit.  Feeling exposed, but getting used to it.  

Leslie and I made a plan to race together on Sunday.  She'll push me & I'm going to go for it.

June Run Log:

JuneTotals:

132.30 miles for the month 
736.27 miles for the year 

245.51 miles in my Gortex Ghosts ~ not worn at all this month.

425.87 miles in my old pink Brooks Glycerin 13 

390.31 miles in my new pink Brooks Glycerin 13 

510.61 miles in my teal Brooks Glycerin 13 

223.96 miles in my purple Brooks Glycerin 14 

Training for:  Fairport Triathlon July 16, 2017 & BQ @ Columbus Marathon October 15, 2017

Cross Training: Swimming, biking, some core work, some stretching.  Need to do some everyday.  But I'm not.

My WEIGHT: A few weeks ago I was 137.  The tri suit was a tad easier to get on today, so that's good.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month:   12.06

What hurts?: nothing

Weekly mileage this month:  26.79 ~ 27.34 ~ 33.35 ~ 31.61

Favorite place to run this month: Geneva on the Lake ~ Lake Erie Bluffs...

Monthly mileage record: 156.69 ~ March 2015 {purposely ran 8 (on a treadmill) on March 30 to beat the August 2013 record}
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  26.78, October 30, 2016, Marine Corps Marathon, Washington DC

PR's:

1 mile: 6:43 (Memorial Mile 6/10/17)

5K: 22:30 (Run For the Grapes 9/28/14}
10K: 50:13 {Run for the Hills 6/22/14 & TIED the time Run for the Hills 6/21/15)
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:44:42 (Northern Ohio Half Marathon 10/4/15)

marathon: 3:57:31 (The Cleveland Marathon 5/17/15)

Balloons& Up Your Hill!

Saturday after our mile run...we went to Debonne to watch the balloon festival. This is a big even for the winery ~ and last year it was so crowded there was grid lock traffic jams on South River Road.  This year they made it a ticketed event...free tickets, but they "sold out" ~ and it really wasn't that crowded.  It was HOT and sunny & expensive.  And they only accepted cash ~ which seems a little fishy to me ~ but who am I.

We had fun.. and then the rumor started spreading that they weren't going to launch the balloons because the wind was too strong & from the wrong direction.  So we left and went to Melt.









These pictures were from last Wednesday when we met Distler/Chandler & Becca ~ The only balloon I saw this week ~ Zero at the, so called, "Balloon Festival".

We did see some parachuters jump from a plane a couple of times.  That looks SCARY and they are really moving fast when they land.  

Today was my favorite {not} race of the year.  Hill, Yeah.  The only time I enjoyed this race was when I trained hills.  Go figure.  I HATE the last two miles of this race ~ in fact I debated calling our team "I hate the last two miles of this race so I refuse to run them" ~ Since I hate them, and I refuse to run them...I decided this would be a good race to do as a relay.  Originally it was me and both Dodds.  But when Trisha wasn't training...she decided not to run.  Katie Barton joined us & she ran the fastest pace of all of us.  

Let's flash back to John Distler's quote from yesterday...when he questioned my beastliness.  And I knew he was right.  And he was.  Legs were heavy today.  Breathing wasn't exactly relaxed either.  The goal was to run marathon pace for my leg ~ I managed 8:47 overall for the 4.5...but one of those was 9:57.  Chapin Forest CLIMBS and CLIMBS and CLIMBS.  I was not prepared.  Then the last half mile drops pretty severely.  {Oh my Quads!}

I wasn't the beast I imagine myself to be...but I did ok with my tired legs.

Dodd is so strong.  He ran with me and Katie {who dropped to a 7:47 pace overall} and then finished strong.  We were first place in the co-ed division!  I like running with fast people.

It was HOT and sunny.  Mike ran the whole thing...still with his head/chest cold.  He's kinda beastly.  

A NERC posted on Facebook four pictures of Mike saying, "I'm sorry I don't know you, but you were kicking asphalt."

He even photo bombed Brenda and Leslie's selfie.  He said he had to haul ass to get in it & he did!

Then we had to get first place ice cream.

We may be stretching the limits of the PR ice cream rule...but if Dodd's driving, we get ice cream.

 

Memorial mile

Today I raced a new distance.  A mile.  I have never timed myself in a mile.  I have never done mile repeats.  I have run 7:13 minute miles in the first mile of a 5k...I've run 7:24 minute miles on the treadmill.  I had no idea what to expect.
I have been looking forward to this race since the NERC race schedule came out this winter.  At the time I was doing regular speed workouts at Spire & thought in my own head ~ I may be able to be sub 7:00.  I never said that out loud, because it seemed like a top tier ~ I'm not sure if people will laugh at me ~ goal.  I said, "I'd like to be around 7:00".
Then May happened and I didn't do speed work & I didn't even run 100 miles.  My new in my head goal ~ 7:13 ish.
And John wrote 6:45 in my training plan.
And my hopes were lifted.
And I still told people around 7:00 ish.
I told Mike John's pace for me...and kinda laughed at it.
But there was hope.

And I was scared.

It hurts to run fast.







Marcella lined up with me at the start and told me she was going to run with me.  And she took off.  I didn't dare look at my watch...I just ran.  And people ran passed me.  And I just ran.  And it felt good.  And it was downhill.  Marcella was ahead of me, by a lot.  And then there was a slight uphill just before we made the last turn.  I passed Marcella and I knew I could finish strong.  My watched beeped .04 before the finish line and said 6:30.





My official time:  6:43 (with a pace of 6:44 ~ go figure)

And I want to toot my own horn.  I'm so impressed with myself.  Still finished behind Mike (6:31) and Dodd (5:46) ~ who were beyond amazing.
And I placed 3rd female OVERALL.

Cloud nine.







And John said, "Hahaha let's see what you have in you tomorrow."

And I know he's right.