Recovery

AM: 5.5 milesMy legs were tired and my ego was bruised, so all I could muster this morning was a short Freedom Park loop with Jordan. Besides, I'm pulling a rare open-to-close shift at work (and down at Piper Glen no less), so running in the evening isn't much of an option. Caitlin has some crazy idea that I'm going to meet her at McAlpine at 5:45 tomorrow morning for a workout...we'll both believe it when we see ...

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Myers Park All-Comers 5k

1.5 mile w/u + stridesTarget: 5k @2 minutes faster than Tim RhodesActual: MRN 16:59.5; TR 18:59.31.5 mile c/dTotal: 6 milesYes, you read that correctly. My objective was to beat Tim by two minutes. I beat him by one minute, fifty-nine seconds and eight tenths of a second. I couldn't have scripted a more nail-biting conclusion if I'd tried--except that if I did, obviously I would've amended the ending so that I kicked the last lap about three-tenths...

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First Double in a While

AM: 5-5.5 miles15 mins. corePM: 6.5 milesFor the first time in several weeks, I manned (womaned) up an notched a solid double. The morning run was short and slow and humid and not too much fun. The evening run was slightly longer and slightly less slow and slightly less humid and a lot more fun, thanks to the fact that we met up with Caitlin and Jay and ran a new (for me) route through Elizabeth. By the end of the second run my legs were feeling fresh and loose, perfect preconditions for tomorrow night's throwdown at Myers Pa...

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Week in Review

51.5 miles1 day off1 afternoon at the pool3? AFD's (oops)I'm finishing up my second "down" week feeling rested and refreshed and ready to get back to some serious training. That was the sole purpose of my time off, and I feel like I've accomplished the goal. After this 5k debacle with Tim next Tuesday, I plan to sit down with Coach Simmons and really talk through the next month or so of training. I'm excited to build on my current fitness and hopefully position myself for some new road PR's in the fall.Also, I need to get my diet back on track....

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Perfect Sunday

AM: 73 mins. (10 miles)Some people might contend that Saturday is the best day of the week. As for me, I'd pick Sunday in a heartbeat. There's nothing better than waking up early for a long run, gorging on a post-run breakfast, then spending the rest of the day relaxing with friends or perhaps lounging at the pool. This Sunday, which was no exception, began with Jordan and I meeting Paul and Billy Shue at McAlpine for a run. Admittedly my "long" run these days isn't anything exceptional, but my legs felt surprisingly springy from the outset and...

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Another Day Off

This was a planned day off--yup, the second such day since January 8th--and it turned out to be a good choice. I was up early to spend a nine-hour shift on my feet at RFYL, and it just didn't make sense to try to squeeze in a hurried loop before or trudge through a weary slog after. Instead, I slept until 8, worked all day, then met Jordan at Denise and Tyler's place for a fun family night at the casa. I was almost busy enough to forget that I hadn't run all day...almo...

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Myers Park All-Comers Pre-Race? Sure, Why Not.

PM: 3 mile w/u + stridesTarget: 2x1k @3:25, 2x600 @2:00, 4x300 @fastActual: 3:25, 3:22, 1:59, 2:00, 48, 49, 50, 491 mile c/dTotal: 7 milesYou may be asking yourself: "Why is she doing a workout? I thought she had sworn off intense training for the rest of June." Well, for the most part, that still holds true. However, I had to modify things a bit when my boss, RFYL owner Tim Rhodes, challenged me to a race; to be specific, he challenged me to beat him by a minimum of two minutes at the Myers Park HS All-Comers 5k next Tuesday. At stake? Loser...

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Down Week #2

Thursday, 6/24AM: 1 hour 15 mins. (10.5 miles)Wednesday, 6/23AM: 9 milesTuesday, 6/22AM: 7 milesMonday, 6/21AM: 8 milesSo far this week has been quite enjoyable. I've been running some decent distances only because of Jordan; Monday and Wednesday I accompanied him to McAlpine for his workouts, then Thursday I joined him for a LFPL (Long Freedom Park Loop) during which he used me to make sure he ran "slow" instead of his usual easy pace. I don't know whether to feel privileged or insulted, although something tells me there's a fine line between...

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Week in Review

42 miles1 day off4 airports6 AFDsAt long last, I've finally been able to kick back and truly enjoy a down week. After adding up the miles, I'm surprised the numbers came out as high as they did. I wasn't expecting to break out of the 30s. Regardless, all that matters is that I'm taking things super easy and only getting out the door when I truly want to. That, in a nutshell, is the plan for the rest of Ju...

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Frisco Greenway Run

AM: 9 miles10 mins. corePM: TravelA few days before heading to Joplin, I sent a message out to Kimi Shank, a Missouri Southern runner (technically a former runner, since she just graduated). I know Kimi peripherally after having competed against her this year both indoors and outdoors, and at Nationals I'd mentioned that I might be in touch with her about meeting up to run when I was in town. As it turns out, she has since moved to Kansas City, but she hooked me up with the contact info of her former coach. And that's how Jordan and I ended up...

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Joplin Jaunt

AM: 6 miles15 mins. coreAfter a busy day of travel and an evening of math games with my cousin Preston--smartest 8-year-old you'll ever meet--Jordan and I were understandably exhausted last night. Does that justify being asleep--not just in bed, but asleep--before 9pm? Perhaps not, but the 10 hours of uninterrupted slumber was absolutely blissful. This morning we took our time getting moving and enjoyed a few cups of coffee courtesy of my aunt Kelly...

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Easy Does It

Friday, June 18AM: 46 mins. (6 miles)Thursday, June 17PM: 6-6.5 milesThe "down" week continues with more of the same. Part of me absolutely loves it, while a louder, more insistent part feels unnecessarily guilty for not doing more. I guess that's what an abrupt break after months of hard training will do to the psyche. Hopefully this weekend's diversion--a Father's Day surprise for my grandpa in Joplin, Missouri--will allow me to fully immerse myself in this break from traini...

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Back on the Wagon

AM: 53 mins.7.5 milesAfter one day off I was pretty antsy, so Jordan and I woke up early to meet Caitlin et al at the Dowd for a jaunt through Dilworth. Nothing remarkable to note, just easy time on the feet with frien...

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First Day Off Since January 8th

Well, I think the title pretty much sums it up. Today was the first day I haven't run in almost six months. And, quite frankly, I didn't know what to do with myself. When I woke up in the morning, the first question that came to mind was whether or not I should shower. I had a vague idea that most people do indeed shower before heading off to work in the morning, but in the absence of a morning run I questioned whether it was really necessary. Similarly,...

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Farewell Run With Jenna

AM: 55 mins. (7-7.5 miles)PM: 15 mins. coreOkay, so I know what you're thinking: today was supposed to be my first day off. Well, technically yesterday was supposed to be my first day off, but whatever. I really did plan on making it official today...until I realized it was Jenna's last day (and thus last run) in Charlotte before jetting off to various destinations and leaving me behind for the rest of the summer. And what kind of friend would I be if I missed her last run? So, in the spirit of solidarity, she and I met Caitlin at the Dowd at 6:30am...

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Week in Review

64 miles9 laps at the Boston Twilight 5k2 days in Boston5 AFDsThis week was pretty lackluster for obvious reasons, not the least of which including my loss of dignity to Mike DeCoste. If nothing else I am finally able to pronounce closure on this roller coaster year of running. I've had some crazy highs and devastating lows, but overall my final two semesters at Queens have exceeded my greatest expectations. Looking back at where I was before the beginning of the indoor season, barely healed from an autumn of unrealized goals, I never expected...

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Early Flight, Late Run

AM: 60 mins.8 milesJenna, Pezz, Maraya and I left the hotel at 4:30--4:30!!!--this morning to catch our 6:30 flight out of Boston. This meant we arrived back in Charlotte around the time that most people were waking up or reading the newspaper or perhaps enjoying a long run. Lucky for me, Jordan picked me up at the airport instead of doing any of the above activities, which meant he would still need to run later in the morning. Apparently he and Tyler had planned this in advance (possibly before or after Jordan was sleeping off his World Cup fueled...

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New Balance Boston Twilight 5k...Sort Of

AM: 3 milesPM: 2.5 mile w/u + stridesTarget: 5k @16:25 (5:15/mile)Actual: DNF (5:17, 10:40)2 mile c/dTotal: 6.5-7 milesYeah, I dropped out.It started raining in Waltham around late morning and never let up. Fortunately we had plenty to occupy ourselves with until the meet, as we spent the afternoon switching our television back and forth from the NCAA track meet to the World Cup to the Diamond League meet in New York. I couldn't care less about the soccer, but two track meets on TV in the same day?? It was almost like Christmas.Around 5pm we left...

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I Think I'll Go To Boston

AM: 5+ miles15 mins. corePM: 4 miles + 4x100m stridesThis morning I departed with Jenna, Pezz and Maraya for a girls' weekend in the greater Boston area. We're all slated to compete in tomorrow night's New Balance Boston Twilight meet--Jenna and I in the 5k, Maraya and Pezz in the 1500. Maraya and Pezz both qualified for US Nationals (Pezz in the steeple and Maraya in the Junior 800) and are looking to get in a fast tune-up race. I initially planned...

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The Incident

Thursday, 6/10AM: 8.5 milesWednesday, 6/9AM: 5.5 milesPM: 5.5 milesThe middle part of the week was devoted solely to recovery miles, with mixed results. I thoroughly enjoyed Wednesday's easy PM jaunt with Jordan, Jenna and Caitlin through Freedom Park. Despite--you guessed it--my legs feeling like crap, the company was good and the conversation flowed well enough to easily pass the time.In contrast, my Thursday run was very nearly ruined by an unfortunate Incident with a neighborhood hobby jogger. Now I know that many of my male running friends...

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NB Boston Twilight 5k Pre-Race Workout

AM: 3 mile w/u + stridesTarget: mile @5k pace, 2x400 @75, 4x200; all w/full restActual: 5:15, 74, 73, 34, 33, 33, 331.5 mile c/dTotal: 7 milesPM: 3 milesI was out the door at 7am to get this one out of the way before a 9am marketing meeting at work. The AG track was my destination and running comfortably fast was my goal. That's not always the easiest thing to accomplish while running solo first thing in the morning, but I was willing to give it a shot.I started out aggressively on the mile--a bit too aggressively, as evidenced by my 75-second...

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Monday Single

AM: 57 mins.7.5-8 milesIt was an absolutely gorgeous day--sunny, warm but not hot, breezy, low humidity. I wanted nothing more than to enjoy a nice morning run with Jordan...except my freaking stomach is still upset. No idea what's going on. I turned back early because I didn't feel well, only to realize a few miles later that I felt better after all, so I doubled back to catch Jordan for the final part of the run. A bit unconventional, but at least I put in time on the fe...

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Week in Review

63-64 miles3 days on the road with JSK2 crappy motels5 AFDsThe post-Nationals letdown has hit me pretty hard. I'm feeling tired and lethargic and am even struggling with a niggle in my left foot that flared up during the championship 5k. Overall I think I just need to take a break, and after next weekend's New Balance race I intend to do just that. Hopefully I can keep it together until then and still run a respectable time.On a positive note, this much more relaxed week was a lot of fun. I had a great time playing co-pilot for three days with...

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McAlpine x 2

AM: 45 mins. (6 miles)15 mins. corePM: 45 mins. (6 miles)It's not often that I get out to McAlpine twice in one day--sometimes I don't even make it out there twice in one week--but today the opportunity presented itself for several reasons. The first of those was, unfortunately, an unpleasant one: my stomach. Yes, my stomach has been topsy-turvy ever since Friday. And those of you who know me know I'm no stranger to running-related stomach ailments, but this weekend things have been much worse than usual. Maybe I have the Ebola virus or something....

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King Tiger 5k

~4 mile w/u + strides5k @17:47 (5:33, 5:38, 5:56)2 mile c/dTotal: 9+ milesTerrible. Absolutely terrible. I haven't felt this bad in a race since...well there was that 5k I ran a week ago that was pretty tough too. The only difference is in that race I ran a legit time and today I shuffled my way to a near 6-minute mile up the final hill.I really have no interest in recapping this race, other than to say it was hot and I'm tired and I'm pretty sure I need to take a break for a few weeks. Today I ran a full 10 seconds slower than at the arguably...

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All Shook Up

AM: 6-6.5 milesPM: 3 milesWow, my stomach was absolutely rocked today. I blame the $2 drafts and my spinach dip-intensive dinner. But still, I neither drank nor ate that much and felt absolutely fine when I went to bed. But for whatever reason, I could tell from the first few steps of this run that things were going to be a bit touch and go. In fact, if it weren't for Jenna coming over to hold me accountable, I could've just as easily skipped and stayed curled up in bed in the fetal position. Instead I toughed it out and even unknowingly used my...

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Jordan's Birthday

AM: 4 mile w/u + stridesTarget: 1200 @82s (4:06), 2x400 @80, 3x200 fasterActual: 4:02, 78, 80, 32.8, 32.2, 30.81.5 mile c/dTotal: 7-7.5 milesNormally I wouldn't be excited about the prospect of hitting the track at 7am for a workout. However, today I didn't mind--mostly because I knew there was a very abridged effort on tap, but also because I had a support crew joining me. So, although each of us had our own agendas once we reached the track, Jenna...

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Road Trippin'

Wednesday, 6/2AM: 6 miles15 mins. corePM: 3 milesTuesday, 6/1AM: 4 milesPM: 2 mile w/u1 mile barefoot, 1 mile w/shoes, 4x100m strides2 mile c/dTotal: 6-6.5 milesMonday, 5/31AM: DrivingPM: 45 mins. (6 miles)After a fun but thoroughly exhausting weekend, getting away for a few days sounded like a great idea. Jordan and I planned a mini-road trip that would allow him to visit a ton of his accounts while also taking us to some new places. As such, we...

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