Checking Out Some Booty

AM: 65 mins. (9 miles)I would've loved to meet up with the CRC group that was running long on the trails of Francis Beatty Park this morning, but unfortunately I was scheduled for work beginning at 9 so it just wasn't going to happen. Instead, I set out for a slow medium loop from home. The 24 Hours of Booty ride, a fundraiser with over 1500 participants, was in progress on the Booty Loop, and I wanted to check out the scene.Riders taking off at...

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Easy Recovery

AM: 66 mins. (9 miles)After yesterday's effort, it's no surprise that Caitlin and I were feeling absolutely terrible on this morning's run. Fortunately Jordan had no intentions of pushing the pace and everyone finished in one piece. That's about all you can hope for on a day like tod...

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Kicking Booty

AM: 3 mile w/uTarget: 3x3 miles @6:20 pace or faster (Caitlin); 2x3 miles @Caitlin's pace (me) w/4 mins. restActual (me): 18:22 (6:10, 6:13, 5:59); 18:00 (6:03, 6:06, 5:52)2.5 mile c/dTotal: 12 milesCaitlin absolutely rocked this workout. Anyone who can run 3x3 miles faster than marathon pace at 5:45 in the morning in the middle of summer deserves some serious props. She also did a great job of summarizing it in her blog, so since I'm already behind on blogging I'm going to take the easy way out and link you there. What I will say is that we made...

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It's a Small World After All

AM: 75 mins. (10 miles)Today's run covered familiar territory, but it was made significantly more interesting by the presence of a new face. Scott Schilter, the national sales manager for Nuun, is in town traveling with Jordan for a few days. I picked Scott up from the airport yesterday evening and within the span of a few minutes we discovered that we knew about two dozen of the same people, as he previously worked for both Brooks and Adidas. (Those people include, but are not limited to, my buddy Rousey whom we just saw in San Diego, my former...

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Double the Workout, Double the Fun

Early AM: 3 mile w/uGoal: 8x800 @2:45 w/250m recoveryActual: 2:36, 2:36, 2:36, 2:38, 2:38, 2:37, 400 in 73.51.5 mile c/dTotal: 9 milesLater AM: 1 mile w/uDrills, 5x30m "high knees" uphill5x2:30 hill circuit~3-4 milesIf you ever want to make the morning feel like an entire day, try cramming in two workouts and no meals into the span of four hours. That just about sums up my Tuesday.To be fair, I brought it upon myself. I'd already planned to do 800s with Caitlin this morning when I agreed to help out at a middle school cross-country camp. I guess...

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Freedom Park Meetup

AM: 80 mins. (10.5 miles)Well, I definitely learned my lesson yesterday. When the alarm went off this morning I didn't even think twice about sleeping in. Instead, I nudged Jordan a few times to ensure that both of us were awake, then got up and put on my costume. In addition to beating the heat, the main incentive for the early run time was a scheduled meetup with Caitlin in Freedom Park. We left our respective abodes at 6:15 and met a few miles into our runs before joining up for the rest of a medium loop. The pace was quite slow--I was going...

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Week in Review

69-70 miles3 days in Cali4 airports4 miles o'fun in DilworthThe first half of this week was pretty swell. It's hard to complain about enjoying a little R&R with palm trees as the backdrop. As for the second half of the week...well, I'm glad it's over. There is certainly something to be said for coming home and sleeping in your own bed, but it's hard to feel encouraged by this utterly debilitating weather. Surely this will be coming to an end by this time next month?? A girl can dre...

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Sleeping In

AMish: 80 mins. incl. 5x60 sec. surges (11 miles)I had the best of intentions this morning. I'd gone to bed the night before planning to get up and join the CRC group long run at McMullen Creek Greenway. But when our alarm went off at 6:30, my body was screaming at me that it needed more sleep. To be fair, I'd already been passed out for over eight hours, but I guess two consecutive days of 9+ hours on the sales floor plus yesterday's race had sufficiently zapped my energy reserves. Jordan got up; I rolled over.My reward for sleeping in was the...

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Run For Your Life 4 Miler

AM: 3 mile w/u + stridesTarget: 4 mile race @22:30 or fasterActual: 23:07 (5:52, 5:41, 5:54, 5:39)1+ mile c/dTotal: 8 milesHating lifeThere are several scenarios in which a girl could find herself in the Jack in the Box men's bathroom at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. The least licentious of which, and the one that necessitated my time in said bathroom, was that it was 10 minutes until race time and the port-a-potty lines were too long. The fact that...

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Reacclimation

Friday, 7/23AM: 8.5 milesThursday, 7/22AM: 6 miles15 mins. corePM: 4 milesCan I go back to San Diego now?? Seriously, for the past week I've been jogging 7-minute pace on my easy runs without even batting an eye, but upon returning back to this sauna called Charlotte I can barely maintain 7:30 pace on my morning runs without feeling utterly wiped out. This doesn't bode well for the 4 Miler on Saturday or for the pleasantness of my mood, but unfortunately there's not much to be done about it now. Everyone's dealing with the same conditions, and...

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So Long, Farewell

AM: 57 mins. (8 miles)PM: TravelWow. Where did the time go? As is usually the case, our vacation--and our final vacation run--passed way too quickly. This morning Jordan and I rose early to put in one final loop around Balboa Park and up Oompa Loompa before departing eastward. I can't say I'm looking forward to the heat and humidity that await me, but at least I can confidently assert that I made the most of the advantageous training conditions while...

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Balboa Park Fartlek

AM: 3 mile w/uTarget: 5 min, 5 min, 3 min, 3 min, 1 min, 1 min hard all w/3 min. restActual: Above1+ mile c/dTotal: ~9 milesPM: 29 mins. (3.5-4 miles)I asked Coach Jordan for a workout, and he did not disappoint. Though it doesn't look that tough on paper, I was completely gassed by the end of this. Most of that I attribute to the undulating terrain and uneven footing of the park. Had I done this same workout at the same pace on the flat dirt of...

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Easy Oompa Loompa Loop

AM: 55 mins. (7.5 miles)PM: 33 mins. (4+ miles)Nothing but easy Balboa Park running on tap today. This morning Jordan and I did an abbreviated version of the loop I ran solo on Friday, including the always humbling shuffle up Upas (aka Oompa Loompa). We enjoyed a few more easy miles on the grass in Balboa Park in the evening before heading off to dinner with my college friend Amy.Balboa Park bell tower at duskI'm not sure what tomorrow holds, but...

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Week in Review

77-78 miles4 AFDs3 days in San Diego0 days above 80 degrees =)Well, as you can see, my mileage experienced a significant bump this week. A quick look back at my 2010 Weeks in Review shows that I haven't run this many miles all year; in fact, I can't find a Week in Review of over 75 miles since the week of March 22, 2009. The fact that I achieved this week's mileage with only two doubles--one of those being a paltry 8 and 3--is even more encouraging. I'm sure it will be difficult to reach this number again until the temperatures cool off in Charlotte,...

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Mission Bay Long Run

AM: 1 hour 36 mins. incl. 5x90 sec. pickups (14 miles)PM: Rousey!!!Seeking out a change of scenery for our long run, Jordan suggested we drive out to Mission Bay near the Sea World headquarters and run out along the ocean. Again, this would mean that our entire run would be on pavement, but just like yesterday we thought the ocean's stunning vistas would make for more than a fair tradeoff. Jordan's schedule called for 14, and though I haven't run...

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Harbor Run

AM: 65 mins. (9.3 miles)Post-run apple fritter worthy of our good buddy Scotty DMy partner in crime joined us late last night, and I was excited for the two of us to have a chance to catch up on the week's happenings while on our run this morning. For the second day in a row we had absolutely gorgeous weather--blue skies, warm sunshine and low humidity--and it was truly a joy just to be outside soaking it all in. Instead of returning directly to...

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First Balboa Park Run

AM: 60 mins. (8-8.5 miles)PM: 3 milesWhen I woke up this morning I could hardly contain my excitement for the prospect of running in Balboa Park. We've run here many times since Jordan and I started visiting his dad here, and though I suspect the usual route would grow tiresome after a while we haven't yet come here enough for the novelty to wear off. This time, however, would be the first outing I'd undertaken solo, as Jordan won't arrive from NorCal...

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Must. Remain. Calm.

AM: 58 mins. (8 miles)15 mins. corePM: A little piece of hellTo start our respective days o'travel off right, John and I met at Boyce to run a few easy miles on soft surfaces. He's headed to the beach with his parents and I'm off to Cali, and both of us know we'll be running on pavement quite a bit in the coming days. Though driving to McAlpine isn't as convenient as hopping on the bike path from my front door, sometimes it's worth the effort.The...

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Controlled Burn

AM: 3+ mile w/uTarget: 8 min., 6 min., 4 min., 2 min., 1 min. all faster than the one beforeActual: 8 (5:56 through mile), 6 (5:37 through mile), 3 (~2:40 through 800), 2, 12+ mile c/dTotal: 10 milesAfter some debate about whether to do this on the roads or brave the muddy postdiluvian trails at McAlpine, we opted to hit the trails and hope for the best. While completing our warmup it became clear that while there were certainly some treacherous sections, the first 3k of the course was more or less dry and runnable. So, while we knew it might be...

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Easy Tuesday

AM: 77 mins. (10.5 miles)In what is turning into a Tuesday routine, I rose early-ish to put in a slow, relaxed LFPL by myself. Jordan and John are working out at PDS before Jordan heads to Cali for his Chrome sales meeting, and I can't double tonight because of class. Ten miles is a bit ambitious for a solo run, but once I zoned out and lost myself in thought the time passed quickly. On tap for tomorrow is another now-habitual early morning workout with Caitlin and the CRC cr...

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The Air We Drink

AM: 61 mins. (8.5 miles)PM: 5 milesWithin the first few steps out the door this morning, I could tell this one wasn't going to be a record beater. Either I was going to commit to sub-60 from the outset or I wasn't, and today I most emphatically wasn't. Instead, Jordan and I kept the pace relaxed and conversational the entire time, trying to stay afloat in the sweltering humidity. I mean literally the air has so much moisture that you can almost swallow it. I find this utterly disgusting and yet another reason why I'm excited to head to a drier...

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Week in Review

68 miles5 AFDs3 CRC runs1 Medium Loop recordSolid week of running, solid week of spending time with friends. I'm excited to continue training with Caitlin and the CRC crew, and I plan on getting in one workout with them next week. After that, I'm headed to San Diego! I cannot WAIT to spend some time soaking up the California sun (sans humidity, by the way) and relaxing with friends. We'll probably throw in a few runs for good measure as well. With all that to look forward to, Thursday can't come soon enou...

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Sunday With Friends

AM: 75 mins. (10.5 miles)PM: 15 mins. coreNormally I prefer to do my Sunday long runs at McAlpine, since I figure my body needs all the soft surface exposure it can get. However, if my options are to run with people at the Dowd vs. run by myself at the trail, I'll choose the company every time. Plus, I didn't plan to run more than 70 or 80 minutes today, so that further enabled my decision to run with the CRC peeps. Jordan and I rolled up to the Dowd at 7:30 to discover quite a crowd, which is always cool to see. We set off in the direction of...

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CRC Tempo Run

AM: 3+ mile w/uTarget: 30 min. tempo starting @6:15-20, then fasterActual: 5.05 miles (6:12, 5:56, 5:47, 5:50, 5:44, :17)2+ mile c/dTotal: 10.5 milesI feel like a broken record saying this, but boy was it humid out there today. Ugh. On a more positive note, the other part of this run that is becoming a regular occurrence is the sheer quantity (and, fortunately, quality) of people who came out to partake. Our workout posse seems to increase in numbers by the day; if we keep up this growth rate, our late summer tempo runs could like more like cross-country...

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Early Medium Loop

AM: 8.5 milesJordan and I woke up pretty early to put in an easy medium loop before a day's work. Before bed last night I'd made tentative plans with Caitlin to meet up on the bike path in Freedom Park, but for whatever reason that encounter never took place. Either way it kept me committed to getting out the door when I said I was going to, so as far as I'm concerned she held up her end of the bargain!In the evening I had fleeting thoughts of doubling but quickly displaced them with a two hour nap. That might hinder my standard 10pm bedtime, but...

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Ugh

PM: 6 miles15 mins. coreAll I remember about this run is that Jordan and I went through Freedom Park and it was really hot. Since that same sentiment could apply to about 98% of our summer runs, the rest of the details remain hazy and indistinct as I'm typing this three days lat...

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(Another) Way Too Early Morning Workout

AM: 3+ mile w/uTarget: 6x1200m w/3 min. restActual: 4:18 (2:56 through 800m); 4:04 (2:44), 3:57 (2:39), 4:00 (2:42), 3:59 (2:43), 3:59 (2:43)2+ mile c/dTotal: 10.5-11 milesFor the second time in less than a week, we had a stellar turnout for this 6am workout. Basically it was the usual suspects from last time (myself, Caitlin, Spada, Thomas and Justin), plus a few newbies (Billy and Pezz) plus Jordan and Paul, who were apparently just along for the warmup and some easy miles. The most notable of these additions was Pezz, who would probably contend...

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Unintended Double

AM: 10.5 milesPM: 3 milesNormally, when I don't skip class and/or request my professor to meet me early so I can attend a track meet duel, doubling on Tuesday is not an option. As such, Jordan and I parted ways after one Freedom Park loop this morning, he to run home and me to continue onward for a Long Freedom Park Loop. I've only done this loop once or twice and never solo, but this morning the time passed surprisingly quickly. I vowed to be super conservative after our uptempo run yesterday morning, even going so far as running in the grassy...

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Speedy Medium Loop

AM: 60 mins.8.6 milesOkay so I know this is a handful of minutes slower than Jordan normally runs this loop solo, but I was still pretty pleased with the effort out there this morning. Especially since we hadn't hit the ground with the intention of pushing the pace. Had I known we were so close to cracking the monumental 60-minute barrier, I wouldn't have allowed Jordan to dilly-dally around to an 8+ first mile like he always does. Next time it's ...

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Week in Review

61 miles12.5 laps at the MPHS track.2 seconds away from victory4 AFDsOops. So yeah, when I added up the weekly mileage in my head on Sunday morning, I was convinced I'd only reached 55. That's about where I expected and wanted to be. 61, while only a few miles more, is still probably a bit much for my final "down" week. Oh well, I'm feeling good (blistered feet and bruised ego notwithstanding) and I'm enjoying the time on my feet. As far as I'm concerned, that means I should keep doing what I'm doi...

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4th of July Shenanigans

AM: 80 mins. (11 miles)15 mins. coreTo start the holiday off right, Jordan and I slept in to the delicious hour of 9am. I'm sure it's just what our hard-working and industrious founding fathers would've liked to see. Fortunately we made up for our laziness by strapping on the boots and heading to Boyce for a hot and sunny romp through McAlpine. After a few weeks of down time my head is full of all sorts of grandiose plans for the fall and winter...

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Solo Medium Loop

AM: 8.5 milesSometimes working on Saturday ruins everything. Instead of enjoying a fun group long run followed by a post-workout brunch at Zada Jane's, I was stuck selling shoes to the likes of Allen Strickland all day. Them's the breaks sometimes. I dragged myself out of bed and headed out for a solo medium loop, which was surprisingly enjoyable despite the early hour. There's certainly something to be said for these cooler temperatures.In the end, work wasn't too bad. We watched the World Cup and Wimbledon, then closed early so everyone could...

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Running With the Boys

AM: 5+ milesPM: 5.5-6 milesJordan and I both felt less than stellar on our short morning loop, but fortunately the evening jaunt was much better. It also helps that the temps have cooled down drastically in the past few hours and the humidity is virtually nonexistent. It's almost unfathomably nice for early July, although I can't help being a bit peeved that the front didn't roll in prior to that horrendous 5k on Tuesday. Oh well.We also had my (former) teammate Mike Crouch along for the evening run. He's staying with us for a few days before traveling...

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Way Too Early Morning Workout

AM: 2+ mile w/u13x1 min on; 1:15 off2+ mile c/dTotal: 8-8.5 milesWow, was this early. I woke up at 5:00 on the dot and struggled to pull myself together before leaving for McAlpine just before 5:30. I would be meeting Thomas Eggar and Stephen Spada at the Old Bell entrance and running with them to meet Caitlin and Justin Breland, who had parked at the main entrance. The sky was still dark as we parked our cars and silently started off down the trail. My legs didn't feel too banged up from the 5k I'd raced a mere 36 hours prior, but I also had doubts...

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