Week in Review

96 miles
25k long run in 1:46
5 doubles
4 runs with Jon G.
4 airports (BOS, ATL, BNA, PHL)
1 AFD (oops)

Despite my most valiant effort, I couldn't quite eek out triple digits this week. Actually, that's not true; I could've doubled back for a four-mile slog after my long run on Sunday, but there would be absolutely no point or purpose other than to pad the total. I was actually proud of myself for exhibiting that much self-restraint (aided by a full belly and light buzz after my boss's birthday BBQ on Sunday afternoon, but still).

That said, overall it was a solid week of training, buoyed by runs with some of my favorite people (Wil in Atlanta, occasional guest blogger Jon in Nashville) on some familiar stomping grounds like the Chattahoochee River and the Shelby Bottoms greenway. On Thursday night I was all set for a fun cross-country style race at Percy Warner Park in Nashville with Jon (newly transplanted to the area--as in, he just moved there Monday) but, alas, the typically mercurial summer weather intervened in the form of thunderstorms and torrential downpours, so it was not meant to be. Instead, we did 8x20 second strides on Friday morning and I felt quite accomplished.

Back at home on Saturday morning, I slept in delightfully late only to realize I had managed to miss the entirety of the World Championships marathon (as if I didn't already feel lazy enough). To my surprise, one of my new Italian acquaintances from my Sardinia trip took the silver medal! I "raced" against Valeria at the Chia Laguna Half-Marathon (I use that loosely, seeing as she finished over a mile ahead of me and probably did not walk four times) and I spent a bit of time with her and her family at the resort throughout the trip. She's a nice woman with an incredible story, and it was cool to see that she courageously led the entire race and pushed the pace despite the conditions, prevailing over all but one competitor for a silver medal. If that wasn't enough inspiration for my long run the next day, I don't know what is!

While there are probably no medals of any color in my immediate future, I'm happy to report that I felt stronger and fitter this week than I have any time in recent months. Slowly but surely, my fitness is coming along and I'm making progress toward a great fall season!

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Summer Preview Workout

3.5 mile w/u
Target: 4 mile tempo @5:50 pace, 1 mile jog, 6x1 min. surges
Actual: 5:34, 5:52, 5:58, 3:00 (for .5), 1.5 mile jog, 6x1 min. surges
1 mile c/d
Total: 11.5 miles

Unfortunately the title of this post refers to the unseasonably warm weather that awaited me for this Sunday afternoon workout in Atlanta. Never mind that a week ago I was slogging through 30 degrees and freezing rain in Central Park; when I pulled into the Chattahoochee River parking lot at 1pm today I was greeted with bright sunshine and a muggy 82-degree temperature reading. One could argue that I shouldn't have put this off until the hottest part of the day, but I sort of didn't have a choice. Sort of.

My quick Atlanta trip began around 3pm yesterday afternoon when I trekked down I-85 for my friends Jennie's and Leo's going away party. Leo just finished up chiropractic school so the duo is off to Ohio, their home state, to begin their careers. Our friend and Jennie's now-former employer Genie Beaver from West Stride hosted the soiree, which was filled with laughter and great conversation and the occasional tear-inducing toast. I'd planned all along to crash at Jennie and Leo's because, well, that's what I do--right up until the minute I learned that their U-Haul was literally loaded up and ready for their 7am departure this morning! Fortunately Genie and her husband Todd graciously offered to host me at their home, an offer I readily accepted as I didn't really have a Plan B secured. By the time the party and ensuing cleanup wound down and we were settled in for a few SNL skits, it was almost 1am. 1am?! I didn't even make it to 11pm last weekend and I was in NYC! So, needless to say, after this shockingly uncharacteristic late night none of us were in any hurry to wake up on Sunday. I lounged in the guest bedroom until the indulgent hour of 8:30am before rising to greet kiddos Sylvia and Carlyn...then I drank a cup of coffee...then another cup...then Todd made pancakes...then another cup...aaaand next thing I knew it was past noon and I was still in my PJs. Sigh. Would that the run could've magically completed itself. Instead I reluctantly changed clothes--read: put on a sports bra--and bid my wonderful hosts adieu. So, that's my compelling justification for waiting until the afternoon to run. Take it or leave it.

Once I negotiated my way into a parking spot in the overcrowded lot, the time for procrastination was over. After warming up with one loop around the dirt I came to the sobering realization that the weather was definitely going to factor into my performance. Instead of running another dirt loop for my tempo portion, I opted to branch off onto Columns Drive, a completely flat five mile out-and-back residential street that branches off from the river's other parking lot. With its wide bike lanes and smooth asphalt, I deemed it a better venue for attempting a fast run than the exceptionally crowded river loop. Minus a steady influx of cyclists, it would be relatively free of pedestrians and other obstructions and was also well-marked with reliable mile markers. If this tempo was going to happen, it was going to happen out there.

From the first step I could tell I was running too fast. The wind was at my back and I was unsure of myself, doubting the moderate effort level that my body required to produce a 5:50 mile. I came through the first mile in 5:34 breathing heavily, annoyed at my rookie pacing mistake. I made a conscious effort to back off for mile two but the generous tailwind made moderation difficult even despite my rapidly fatiguing legs. I split 5:52 and knew I would enjoy another half mile with the breeze at my back before making a wide U-turn at the traffic signal and crossing to the opposite side of the road. As soon as I did, the wind and penetrating sunlight hit me like a ton of bricks. Combined with the accumulation of lactic acid from starting out waaaay too fast (current 5k race pace, anyone?), I knew things were going south in a hurry. When I split 3:00 for the first half of the final mile, lungs burning and breath ragged and legs practically sprinting, I knew it was time to shut it down. I jogged the final stretch of Columns and counted down the minutes until I reached the parking lot and its promised water fountains. After several minutes of rest and what felt like several gallons of refreshing agua, I was ready to hit the dirt once again. Spurred on in equal parts by my frustration at the truncated tempo and my overwhelming desire to finish the run, I pushed pretty hard on the surges. By this point I was in no small danger of overheating, but I sought the shaded treeline as much as possible and vowed to rehydrate like crazy as soon as I was done. In the end I should've probably run another mile or two, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I finished off with some drills and stretches and a huge bottle of water in the parking lot before departing for the nearest smoothie purveyor. If these are the conditions I have to look forward to in the coming months, my body better get ready to do a better job of adapting than it did today. Perhaps my system is just shocked and bewildered that the conditions seem to have skipped straight from winter to summer with no refreshing spring grace period. Regardless, it's time to HTFU. If you don't know what it means, just read Jordan's socks.

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Road Trip: ATL

Sunday: 15.5-16 miles @Kennesaw Mtn. National Battlefield Park
Saturday PM: 8-8.5 miles @Chattahoochee River trails
Saturday AM: 8 miles w/West Stride training group

Twas an epic road trip weekend for Jordan and myself. The destination: Atlanta. The objective: Craft and Karhu wear test run at West Stride. The payoff: Hanging out with friends and knocking out some great runs.

It started Friday afternoon, when Jordan and I loaded up Felix the "sport wagon" and set off in the southbound direction on I-85. We didn't have anything on the agenda for Friday but needed to be up bright and early for a Craft and Karhu wear test run at West Stride on Saturday morning. After a brief stop in Greenville we arrived in Atlanta just in time to grab some dinner and call it an early night.

Saturday morning dawned crisp and cold--quite the relief, as I'd only brought Zero and Zero Extreme base layers for wear testing and it was 80 degrees up until Friday! The gang at West Stride was expecting 50-75 people for the run, which meant that Jordan and I pulled out all the stops by setting up a tent, table, flag and samples in the parking lot. There was a flurry of activity when the wear test samples were brought out, and within minutes I'd handed out every piece in the box. The run through the affluent surrounding neighborhoods was a lot of fun and I heard tons of positive feedback about the Craft base layers--a few people even asked to buy the shirts that were on their backs! Always a good sign when people are that excited about the product.

In the early afternoon Jordan and I paid a visit to Fleet Feet John's Creek, our partner for 13.1 Atlanta, before driving back to midtown to meet my friend Jennie for a photography session. In addition to working at West Stride, training for the next Olympic Trials and earning a massage therapy license, Jennie is also an accomplished photographer (check out her site here). Apparently she is helping shoot for an Atlanta running calendar and was in need of some super hot girls (myself, obviously, and her friend Kyla) to run for some photos. I don't know whether or not we fit the bill, but we did get honked at eight different times by men who appeared to be of all ages and ethnic persuasions, so I consider that a victory any day of the week.


A less technical section of the Chattahoochee River trails

Next on tap after my supermodel shoot was a trail run with JSK at the Chattahoochee River. Jordan has been here with me once before but we barely made it up into the technical trails, so today was a special treat. The weather could not have been better for a run, and the sound of autumn leaves crunching under our feet supplied the perfect soundtrack for our afternoon miles. Having not been on trails for a while I found myself quite timid on some of the more technical sections, which meant that every few minutes Jordan would gap me by about 50 meters before feeling guilty and stopping to wait. This sequence was repeated at least half a dozen times before he grew exasperated with the tortoise and left me to fend for myself. By the time we made it back to the parking lot the sun was dipping below the horizon and I was thoroughly exhausted--and, of course, hungry. We hadn't eaten a proper meal all day and I was ready to tear something up. Fortunately we'd made plans to rendezvous with Jennie and her husband Leo for a fun night out at Antico, an authentic local pizza place. The menu is stark and simple and they import all their ingredients from Italy, which means they close up shop each night when they run out of provisions. The coolest part is they make the food while you watch (the limited selection of table seating is located literally in the middle of their kitchen). Oh, and it's BYOB and BYOD (dessert). How can you not love that? And, just in case there was any doubt, let me confirm that the pizza was amazing and the atmosphere was loud and boisterous, just like I imagine a real Italian pizzeria would be. We left feeling full and tired and ready to crash early.


A map of our Sunday run--we went from the Visitor Center
to Kolb Farm and back

Sunday morning saw us returning once more to West Stride for a staff meeting/clinic, which wrapped up around 10:30. From there it was time to conquer the mountain--Kennesaw Mountain, that is, a spot just north of Atlanta with miles and miles of glorious wooded trails. I'd only planned on putting in 12 or so miles, but about 30 minutes in Coach Jordan decided I must be feeling peppy (not sure what part of my labored breathing and heavy footfalls offered that indication) and encouraged me to keep going. Since he wasn't dropping me every two minutes like yesterday I decided to take him up on it and continue to the eight-mile mark at Kolb Farm. The trails were hopping with runners, walkers, horseback riders and even the occasional costume (several times we passed a guy wearing a full body skeleton suit who unbeknownst to me was actually my friend Kate's husband). My quads and hammies were throbbing at the turnaround point, already fatigued from an hour of undulating trails, but from there I had no alternative but to return from whence I came. The final 20 minutes were incredibly tough--I'm too lazy to look it up now, but I don't think I've run two hours more than a time or two in the past year--but I still managed to enjoy the serene beauty of the trails and the gorgeous autumn weather. Nature could not have delivered a better morning, and despite my aching body I had a blast exploring new terrain with Jordan. What a perfect end to our weekend road trip.


Beautiful Kennesaw Mtn. trails

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Farewell Group Run

120 mins.
15-16 miles

I had a fabulous long run today with Jim, Meredith and Ashley at the river. Ashley picked me up at 8:30 to carpool for the drive, and we met the other two just before 9:00. Ashley was attempting her longest run ever and I realized this would be my longest run since MCM (sad, I know), so we all agreed to keep the pace slow and easy. We embarked on a circuitous route that kind of took us everywhere--started out on the flat loop, ran all the way out Columns Drive, did a few loops in the trails on the other side of Johnson Ferry, came back down Columns, did a short loop up in our usual trails, then finished on the flats. My legs felt great the entire time and had I been alone I would've pushed the pace, but the company and conversation definitely made it worth my while to relax and keep things slow.

After the run we headed straight to the Flying Biscuit for what very well might end up being my farewell brunch. A cold front was blowing in and the temperature was lower than when we began the run, so were eager to get inside for some coffee and sustenance. After stuffing our respective faces we deemed the entire outing a rousing success.

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Oh Crap I Forgot a Title

AM: 4 miles + strides, drills
PM: 62 mins.
8+ miles

I was slated to meet Meredith this morning for a reunion run of sorts down at the river, but she had a fitful night of sleep and decided to postpone. She had the day off work so we agreed to meet around 4pm. Since I now had the morning free, I decided it would be prudent to put in a few easy miles. I suppose I could've gone off in search of this guy's house, since apparently he lives in my neighborhood...maybe tomorrow. Instead I stopped off at the familiar spot on St. Charles Ave. and did some strides and drills before heading home.


Street musician who is an afternoon/evening fixture on the
corner of St. Charles

The afternoon run with Meredith was well worth the wait, as it was a beautiful day to be at the river. We had a great time catching up and running in the trails, and I was pleased to notice that my legs felt stronger than they usually do on the toughest hilly sections. I think my fitness is starting to come around, which is more than a little exciting. I capped off the evening by watching the Sooners die a horrible death in the BCS championship game at Jeff Campbell's house and offering up a heartfelt rendition of "Livin' On a Prayer" during the halftime Rock Band extravaganza.

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Saturday at the River

81 mins. + drills
11 miles

I was supposed to do 14 today but it just didn't happen. I woke up early to meet Meredith at the river before she went to work, and the time we spent in the hilly trails totally wiped me out. I dropped her off at ~57 minutes and another dirt loop was all I could manage. My hamstrings and quads were just trashed. In an attempt to gain something from the run, I did a few of the new drills Coach G-Unit showed me at the end. They didn't help my legs feel any better, but at least the run wasn't a total wash.

The rest of the day was spent doing laundry, packing and running errands. It's difficult to pack for two weeks' worth of travel that comprises three different climates, especially when someone is threatening to limit you to only one suitcase, but so far things are shaping up nicely. Fingers crossed.

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When it Rain, It Pours

59 mins.
~8 miles


My rainy view of downtown on the drive home

The title of this post could very well be the title for my life at this moment. But for blogging purposes, it also serves as the title for my morning run. When I awoke at 6:15 the rain seemed to be taking a break after having fallen on and off all night, and a quick look at the weather forecast on my phone showed that the rain was slated to continue all day. Meredith and I decided to meet at the river for a run in hopes of catching the eye of the storm.

Our hopes held out for about 30 minutes, at which point the skies opened up and the deluge began. We were still in the forested trails for the next ~15 minutes, but as soon as we reemerged on the flat loop we were instantly drenched. As much as I hate starting a run in the rain (and we all know I have an aversion to melting), it was actually kind of fun to tromp around in the puddles for the remainder of the run. Yesterday's warm front has held steady and it was well over 60 degrees, which no doubt helped keep things comfortable. I'm also not nearly as sore as I anticipated from yesterday's track workout, so that kept things pleasant as well. Overall, despite being thoroughly soaked at the end, Meredith and I had a great time out there this morning.

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Group Run at the River

90 mins.
12 miles

I had a lovely group run this morning with Jim, Meredith, Jennie and her husband Leo. This was the first time these two pairs had met each other, so I brokered the introductions and then let comradery take its course. Actually all parties got along swimmingly and it was a fun time.

Jennie and Leo only wanted to go an hour or so, so we did a pretty basic loop up in the trails and then dropped them off back at the parking lot. Jim and Meredith and I did another flat 5k loop and then they also called it a day. I decided to run another 12 minutes or so to bring it to an even 90. Jeff had 13 on my schedule for the morning, but my legs are feeling rather fatigued from yesterday's effort and I didn't want to push things too much. Besides, it looks like I could crack 60 miles on the week, which is pretty stupendous. 61 would just be showing off.

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Almost a Workout

AM: 4 miles
PM: 3 miles

So this afternoon I had a tempo on tap. Originally Jeff wanted me to do 5 miles at 6:20 pace, but after realizing that I am slow and out of shape he amended this to "6 miles, if you think you can handle it, at whatever pace you can run, don't look at your watch." With the sad state of affairs my running is currently in, I was more than happy to accept the latter instructions.

However, it turned out things were not to be. I opted to drive to the river for the run to stay on the softer surfaces, but by the time I got out there it was cold and almost dark. After one time around the flat loop I was freezing and my stomach was all screwed up and I just wasn't in the mood. I didn't take any mile splits but I did glance at my watch at the finish, and it looks like I did 5k in ~21 minutes, with the first mile being a warm up. That's definitely not fast, but the two miles I ran uptempo actually felt pretty decent. I'm going to give it another go tomorrow, hopefully with better results.

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Massage for My Legs, Lima Beans for My Foot

58 mins. + strides
8 miles

I met Meredith at the river this morning for one of our standard trail runs. She was coming off a few days' break (having run a 5k on Thanksgiving AND a half-marathon on Sunday while visiting her family in Florida) and only wanted to go ~45 minutes, so we turned back a few minutes earlier than usual. After dropping her off I had about 10 minutes to kill, so I jogged out for five and then did some strides on the way back. Overall I'm still feeling a bit sluggish and my foot is sore, but things could be worse. At least I didn't maim myself playing video games like my teammate. Between her ankle, Scotty's foot and my general lack of fitness, Team OK Runner Elite (also known as Team JJJSM) needs to achieve some monumental improvements before next weekend. Who would've thought Jordan would be the healthy one?? The irony abounds.

Also of note, I got a massage tonight. Hopefully this will help my hamstrings loosen up and change my life. Is that too much to ask?

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Chilly Morning at the River

60 mins.
8 miles

When I woke up at 6:15 this morning to meet Jim and Meredith at the river, my first thought was: "Yeah, getting up this early definitely sucks." This was immediately followed by: "Well you better suck it up, because this time tomorrow you'll already be at the airport." So, without further grumbling, I got suited up and hopped in the car to meet them at the river.

The air was quite chilly on the heels of a cold front after yesterday's rain, and the coolness was even more accentuated by our proximity to the river. Nonetheless, we had a solid run, and my legs felt closer to being normal than they have any time in recent memory. All parties were eager to wrap this day up and head home for the holidays--myself to Texas, them to Florida to visit both sets of parents--so most of the run was spent discussing exactly what and how much we were going to eat over the course of the weekend. Good times.

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I'm Quitting Running and Joining a Band

AM: 63 mins.
8-8.5 miles
PM: Rock Band 2

I met Jim and Meredith at the river late in the morning for an easy run. The problem is, none of my runs seem very easy these days. Today I was severely sore/fatigued in the hamstring and quad area, and my legs never really felt like they loosened up. I was grateful for the company, as I would've probably turned around at 10 minutes if I were solo, but I continue to grow frustrated with how slow and out of shape I feel.

In the afternoon I joined in on a marathon session of Rock Band 2 at Jeff's house. I've played this game once before with Brooke and Jordan at the Starr's and it's definitely a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon/evening. I dazzled the crowd with my vocal stylings on a variety of hits such as "We Got the Beat," "More Than a Feeling," "Simple Man" and "Jesse's Girl." If this whole running thing doesn't work out, I certainly wouldn't rule out professional karaoke singer as one of my fallback options.

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Solo Trail Run

83 mins.
10.5-11.5 miles

After a fun night out and sleepover with Brooke, I woke up pleasantly surprised that my foot actually felt a bit better. That said, I still wanted to be cautious. So, although I didn't have plans to meet anyone, I hopped in the car and drove out to the river for the second day in a row to put in some miles. After two miles around the flat loop I headed up into the trails for the majority of the run. Last night's rain had packed the pine needles and fallen leaves into a soft (if sometimes slippery) carpet, and the colors were simply gorgeous.


Fall colors on the trails

It's hard for me to nail down the exact distance for this run because the pace was so varied. I felt like I was flying during some portions, but it was pretty slow going on other sections (both uphill and downhill) due to the technical footing. I did clock 3:10 for the final half mile on the flat trail back to the parking lot, but I was consciously pressing at that point. All I know is I was completely cashed by the end of the run and my calves, ankles and hip flexors were quite fatigued. Overall, a solid hard effort.

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Lions and Coyotes and Foxes, Oh My

60 mins.
8 miles

I woke up early this morning and met Jim and Meredith at the river for one of our standard runs through the trails. I haven't seen them since before I left for DC, so it was great to catch up and spend some time together. They're definitely some of my favorite peeps in Atlanta. Also, have I mentioned how beautiful the trees are right now? Yup, they still are. It sure makes running more enjoyable when the scenery feels like something from a postcard.

Also of note, Jim mentioned that he heard recently on the news about coyotes that have been roaming the wooded areas of Atlanta. In fact, a female customer came into his store the other day asking if they had pepper spray because she had seen one on a run recently. So it looks like in addition to worrying about falling or getting lost in the trails, I now have to worry about coyote attacks as well. Awesome. That led me to tell them the story about the woman this week who was bit by a rabid fox while running. She managed to run a mile to her car with the fox still eating her arm before stuffing it in her trunk and driving to the emergency room. Unreal. What a badass.

I was supposed to double in the evening but took a pass, in equal parts because it was pouring outside and because I wanted to rest my foot. I continued the pea/lima bean icing system throughout the day and really started to notice an improvement during the evening. I'm hoping a steady icing regimen can nip this problem in the bud.

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Afternoon Trail Run

60 mins.
8 miles

After spending a few hours working at Finish Line this afternoon (I heart my job), I detoured to the river on my way home for an easy run in the trails. I've never been out there in the middle of a weekend afternoon, and there were tons of walkers/joggers/bikers (and one guy doing something jujitsu-like) enjoying the beautiful fall afternoon.

I started the run with two miles on the flat dirt loop, then headed up into the trails that I've run so often with Meredith, Jim and Jeff. This was my first time to run up there alone, and I was mildly concerned about either falling or getting lost (which is why I texted Jordan before the run to let him know my whereabouts in case of any misadventure). Miraculously, neither of these occurred, and instead I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I was almost sorry to see the loop come to an end.

Unrelated, I'm pretty sure my cold is getting worse. Better go pop some pills.

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8 Mile (Not the Eminem Version)

AM: 1.5 mile w/u
Target: 8 mile tempo; 4 @6:40 then cut down
Actual: 25:55 (6:29 pace); 6:30, 6:19, 6:18, 6:14
1.5 mile c/d
Total: 11 miles
PM: 26 mins.
3.5 miles

Today was pretty much my last hard workout before MCM. Let's all pause for a moment to allow that to sink in and perhaps throw up a celebratory fist pump. Anyhow, I decided to do this out at the river, utilizing the road on Columns for the first five miles and finishing with the three-mile loop on the dirt. The air was cool, if a touch humid, and I was quite chilly in my racerback top for the first mile or so.

Once I got out onto Columns, I settled into a comfortable pace rather quickly. Unlike last Saturday's tempo, which involved fighting a substantial headwind, today there was only a light breeze to speak of. As a result, I felt quite comfortable throughout the first five miles, and my breathing was steady and even. That feeling was short-lived once I stepped back onto the dirt path, however, since I was simultaneously trying to pick up the pace and struggling to maintain traction on the loosely-packed dirt. Don't get me wrong, it's a great training surface, but it definitely felt slow when contrasted with the asphalt. That said, I was pleased with my strong finish (and even more pleased to be done with workouts!), so I was quite the happy camper on my wog back to the car.


View of Midtown skyline at sunset from Piedmont Park

This evening was my third night in a row for group runs, this time a Nightlife run at the Phidippides location in Midtown. I ended up falling in line with a few guys who work at the store and, as a result, the pace was a touch quicker than I was expecting or would've liked. We dialed it back a notch on the back half of the run, which felt much more comfortable. Afterwards I enjoyed samplings of pizza, cookies and pumpkin-flavored Hershey's kisses--that's right, I said pumpkin--and counted the run a success on account of the free dinner.

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I Heart Mondays

AM: 90 mins.
~12.5-13 miles
PM: 30 min. walk

So today I was technically scheduled for 16, but I had a pretty solid hunch that wasn't going to come to fruition. My legs are experiencing some residual soreness from the 6x2, and yesterday's massage left me feeling pretty banged up as well. I headed to the river with hopes of at least getting in a solid 90 minutes, but beyond that I didn't expect much.

Since Meredith had a planned day off, it was just Jim and myself today. Pretty much from the outset I could tell we were banging out a decent pace, and when we hit Columns Drive at 1.5 miles we settled in to about 6:55-7 min. pace for the next five. From there we hit the dirt again, took a brief detour uphill through the wooded trails (which slowed the pace but definitely didn't diminish the effort), then finished up with another mile or so on the dirt path. I dropped him off at the Cochran Shoals parking lot just after 9.5 miles and decided to do another 5k dirt loop before calling it a day. By this point my legs were pretty fatigued, but I timed the final mile just for kicks and was surprised to see the split just over 6:40. I jogged around in the parking lot for a few minutes to finish things up. While I didn't meet the distance requirement for this run, I'm pretty sure I ran at least 8-9 miles of it at or below 7 min. pace, so I'm pleased with the effort.

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Sunday Morning in the Trails

AM: 90 mins.
12 miles
PM: Excruciating massage

Since yesterday's workout was pretty lengthy, I was able to dial things back a bit on Sunday. I spoke with Jim and Meredith last night about meeting me, and they were 75% in but thought they might want to sleep in for a day. Meredith said she'd call me by 7:15am (15 mins. before our scheduled meeting time) if they were going to bail. When I arrived at the Cochran Shoals parking lot around 7:25 I still hadn't received a call, so I decided to jog around for a few minutes and then meet them back at the lot. I checked my phone at 7:30 and saw I'd had a missed call from then a few minutes earlier...not a good sign. I waited until 7:35 and then resigned myself to the prospect of running alone.

I decided to do a loop and a half on the dirt path and then head up into the wooded trails to kill some time. I was about two miles into the run when I saw Jim approaching from the other direction. Turns out he and Meredith has arrived just a few moments after I left Cochran Shoals and decided to split up and each run a different direction around the loop in hopes of catching me. Jim and I turned around and met Meredith about a half mile back, then continued into the trails for the rest of the run. I was pretty much thrilled to see them, as I was feeling tired and slow from my Columns Drive workout and wasn't stoked about grinding this out solo.

That said, the run still felt fairly hard, as we were back in the hilly and technical trails for most of it. Fall has definitely, well, fallen around here, and the multicolored leaves that now carpet the ground are quite pretty. Unfortunately their presence necessitates paying extra close attention to where you're putting your feet, as it's now easier than ever to overlook a stray rock or root that's in your path. The absolute last thing I need at this juncture is to twist an ankle. Luckily this wasn't an issue today, and I thoroughly enjoyed running and catching up with my friends.



In the afternoon I headed to Massage Envy for my first session with Michael, who specializes in cranio-sacral massage. Basically he thought that my hamstrings were constantly tight because of issues with my lower back, which is plausible, and so he did a series of techniques designed to balance out my spinal fluid or something. Apparently my sacrum was stuck in the extended position, which is not a good thing, so he tried to relax it back to how it is supposed to be. Then he explored my hamstrings and quads and had a jolly time breaking up all the myofascial tears. I just tried not to cry, as it was extremely painful. He seemed quite pleased with his work by the time we were finished and I signed up for another session next Sunday before leaving for MCM.

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Columns Drive Workout

Target: 2x6 miles @6:30 or faster w/10 min. rest
Actual: 15 min. w/u (2 miles); 6:29, 6:26, 6:26, 6:15, 6:27, 6:29; 10 min. rest (1 mile); 6:29, 6:33, 6:25, 6:32, 6:25, 6:23; 4 min. c/d (.5 miles)
Total: 15.5 miles

There are some workouts you look at on paper and know you'll be able to hit out of the park. There are also some you just hope you won't screw up too badly. For me, this workout certainly fell into the latter category. I decided to utilize Columns Drive for five of the six miles, finishing up the final mile of each interval on the dirt loop. After sleeping in way too late before driving out to the river, I finally started this workout around 10am, which made the conditions a tad warm but not terrible.

One thing I recently noticed about Columns when I started doing harder runs there is that it's a false flat; the first 2.5 mile section out to Johnson Ferry is a very gradual, continuous uphill, which obviously means that the 2.5 miles back to the river is slightly downhill in equal measure. Today there was a strong headwind on the "out" sections, which meant that the first 2.5 miles of each interval were, put simply, a struggle. I definitely looked forward to the point where I could turn around and feel a reprieve. As you can see, I took full advantage (perhaps too much so) of the return trip on the first interval, where I got a bit carried away and clocked a 6:15 mile in the middle of things. Otherwise the splits were very consistent, acceptable but certainly not spectacular, and I managed to grind things out at approximately the correct pace.

Nothing much else of note except that I took an espresso-flavored Gu in between the two intervals, which was quite tasty. Until now I'd been "practicing" with Clif Shots because that's what's provided at MCM, but after sampling Jordan's berry Gu last weekend I discovered that I liked the consistency and flavor much better. With this the case, my new plan is to carry a few in my pockets at the race and also make sure Jordan has some at the ready.

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It's a Beautiful Day

74 mins.
10 miles

Had a fantastic morning run with Meredith at the river. It was 48 degrees at the start--definitely the coolest morning in, well, forever--and I actually wore long sleeves and capris. This is pretty much my favorite weather, as fall is my favorite season and October is my favorite month, so I'm all around a happy girl right now. Oh, and my legs felt pretty decent after yesterday's high mileage, which was an added bonus.

I consciously chose not to go out for an evening run, as I'm trying to cut my mileage back this week. Plus I had about five loads of laundry to do and bags to pack for tomorrow's trip, so the daylight kind of just got away from me. Now I'm headed to Jim and Meredith's to watch the VP debate, which promises to be a glorious train wreck. Not a bad day all around.

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