Week in Review

80-81 miles2 doubles6 days in Texas6 AFDsI feel like a broken record saying this but, well, all things considered this turned into a decent week. Despite battling sickness and dealing with the now routine hassles of traveling, I managed to notch one okay workout and one respectable long run with friends. It was great to spend some time relaxing with my parents and indulging in some home cooked meals, but I must admit it was a bit of a relief to finally touch down in Charlotte after 16 days on the road.Next up: a week of (gasp) no travel! Well,...

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Salem Lake Long Run

1 hour 55 mins. (16 miles)This long run went 100% better than the run in Ft. Worth last week (or, specifically, 100% better than the last 30 minutes of the run last week). I felt strong and relaxed throughout, and for once wasn't dying to stop as we approached the two-hour mark.The preparation for this run actually began almost a month ago, when Jenna, Tanya and I had agreed to meet up at a new running venue after a hectic November of traveling. Jenna, who now coaches at High Point, often takes to these trails on the weekend with her team, and...

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MPHS Track Workout

2.5 mile w/u + stridesTarget: 2400, 2000, 1600, 1200, 800 w/400 jog; start @6:00 pace and cut downActual: 8:55 (5:57 through mile); 7:20 (5:52); 5:43; 4:11; 2:42 = 37:20 for 6 miles2 mile c/dTotal: 10-10.5 milesJust before bed last night, no doubt wrapped snuggly in a tryptophan-induced haze, my dad asked Jordan and me if we'd like to accompany him to the Mt. Pleasant High School track in the morning. Pops is gearing up for a five-person relay at the White Rock Marathon next weekend and was looking to put the finishing touches on his speedwork....

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Turkey Trot Meets Great Flood

1 hour 40 mins.12 milesWhile many of my friends in Charlotte, Atlanta and Dallas were lacing up their boots for a formalized Turkey Trot, Jordan and I were meeting up with my dad in the kitchen of my parents' East Texas home to drink some coffee in preparation for our own trot of sorts. Though no such official event exists in the Piney Woods region, my dad nonetheless assembled over a dozen of his friends and fellow local runners to partake in an early morning pre-feast run. Naturally, Jordan and I were the featured celebrity guests, which no doubt...

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Week in Review

83 miles4 doubles5 days in Austin2 days in Ft. Worth1? AFDWhat a week. Austin was incredibly busy--I enjoyed neither the luxury of sleeping past 5:30am nor cracking open a computer until Friday--but it was also a great time. Rarely does the opportunity present itself to reunite with so many familiar faces, and I'm incredibly thankful that I was able to see old friends and new while down in the Lone Star State.As far as running goes, overall I'm pleased with the week. If nothing else, getting in the volume was an accomplishment considering how busy...

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Cowtown Long Run

1 hour 46 mins(~14-14.5 miles)Yup, the inevitable finally happened. I'm sick.In hindsight, this is an ineluctable conclusion to the past few weeks of crazy travel, crazy work hours, a lot of running, a lot of free alcohol and not a lot of sleep. As early as last Sunday afternoon, I came to the realization that it was not a question of if I would get sick, but rather when. In that respect I suppose it's a miracle that I didn't feel the first tell-tale...

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The Running Event Indie 5k

2 mile w/u + stridesTarget: 5k race @sub-18Actual: 17:29 (5:47, 5:38, 5:37); 5th place woman2 mile c/dTotal: 9 milesFor those of you not familiar with The Running Event, it is essentially a giant industry trade show. Virtually every vendor you've heard of (Asics), and some you haven't (Thermajock), attend and set up display booths in a giant expo hall. When I say "every vendor," I mean everything from footwear to socks to accessories to nutrition products. If you can picture a brand that exists in your local running store, it's a safe bet that...

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Week in Review

80-81 miles4 days in FTL2 doubles13.1 miles along the beachApologies all around, as I'm seriously behind schedule in typing this up. Though the post is dated for Sunday, it's actually the following Friday as we speak. Things have been crazy busy in Austin (which is another post) and this is literally the first time I've cracked open a computer since I blogged about my race in the hotel lobby on Sunday afternoon.What I do remember about the week in question is that it was seriously frontloaded to accomodate my travel and work schedule for 13.1....

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13.1 Ft. Lauderdale

2 mile w/uTarget: 13.1 @not super slowActual: 1:25:30 (minus a few, er, stops); 3rd femaleTotal: 15-15.5 milesIf there's one thing I love doing on a Sunday, it's waking up at 3am. Let's just say that neither myself nor Nora, the Florida sales rep, were super pumped when my alarm sounded at a time when cool people are probably still awake. For uncool people like us, the alarm meant it was time to wake up and head over to the finish line where we would...

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Success! (Finally)

2 mile w/u + stridesTarget: ~5 miles uptempo (~6:30 pace) down the McMullen Creek Greenway; then in-and-out miles back (3 hard @6:00)Actual: 35:35 for 5.8 miles (6:15, 6:06, 6:05, 6:04, 6:03, 4:37 for .8); 6:30 (.8), 5:52, 7:28, 5:50, 7:30, 5:58 (on dirt)1 mile c/dTotal: 14.5-15 milesPraise Jesus, I'm not as terrible as I thought. In fact I would venture to say that, not unlike the greatest runner of all time, I'm contemplating coming back from brief thoughts of retirement. (Obviously that's where our similarities end.)Details to follow soon, but...

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Week in Review

80 miles2 doubles1 day in Ft. Lauderdale5 AFDsUnfortunately there's not a whole lot to share this week. Other than Wednesday's well-intentioned but poorly executed tempo run, all my other runs were just "easy" jaunts designed to put in the miles. Saturday morning I took part in an early morning run club with the Runner's Depot crew in Davie, then Sunday I was back in action at McAlpine enjoying the crisp autumn temperatures with Jordan. I wish I could say I felt awesome on either or both of those days, but the truth is every part of me just feels...

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Craptastic Tempo Run

2+ mile w/uTarget: 60 min. tempo starting @7:00 and cutting downActual: 52 mins; splits 7:18, 6:52, 6:31, 6:23, 6:22:, 6:19, 6:20, 5:08 for .81 miles (6:23 pace)(courtesy of OK Runner blog)2.5 mile c/dTotal: 12.5 milesWelp, this pretty much sucked. Though I can't remember the last time I did an hour long tempo, both Jordan and Caitlin assured me that the first half would feel easy because we'd be starting at such a lackadaisical pace. That was the plan, but when it came to executing it I fell flat on my face (well, metaphorically; I feel like...

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