Back in the ATL

25 min. w/uTarget: 5x2 mins. w/2 mins. jog, getting fasterActual: Above20 min. c/dTotal: 9+ milesI'm back in my former stomping grounds to work 13.1 this weekend and kicked things off with a slumber party at Brooke's. Since I was already downtown, I decided to execute this little mini-workout at one of my all-time favorite training surfaces, the Active Oval in Piedmont Park. Back in the olden days when this blog (and my stab at becoming a serious...

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Reality Check on the Speed Loop

3.25 mile w/uTarget: 3x15 mins. @6:20, 6:10, 6:00 w/3 min. restActual: 3x15 mins. @6:02 (3 min.), 6:00 (5 min.), 6:053.25 mile c/dTotal: 14 milesWhen Jordan wrote out the proposed paces for this workout, I thought it looked way too easy. In fact, I was so confident (for some completely unfounded reason) that I estimated I should be able to coast through each interval at 6-minute pace or faster. Unfortunately there were several factors stacked against me, not the least of which being that this would make for my third hard run of the past four days....

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Week in Review

85 miles3 doubles2 workouts4 days in Mass5 AFDsWithout a doubt my best week yet! I'm getting stronger and fitter every day and slowly starting to gain back some confidence. Let's hope this carries over into the next two weekends' races, 13.1 Atlanta and the Army 10 Mil...

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Progressive Long Run

Target/Actual: 15-16 miles w/pace progressionFirst 10 mins: slow jog from my houseNext 45 mins: 7:05-7:15 paceNext 40 mins: 6:59-6:23 paceLast 15 mins: slow jog to my houseFrom my first few steps out the door this morning, I was ready to be finished with the run. Though autumn had teased us with a few brisk mornings last week, today the air hung thick and damp with 93% humidity and an oppressive dew point of 72. Trying to reconcile the post-workout heaviness of my legs with Caitlin's goal of a fast, progressive long run further heightened my dread....

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Two Workouts in One Week. True Story.

Workout #1: Tuesday, 9/202.5 mile w/uTarget: (3:00 uptempo, 1min. jog, 1:00 fast, 1 min. jog) x 6Actual: Above3.5 mile c/dTotal: 11.5ish milesAfter traveling to Massachusetts for work on Monday, Jordan and I had to improvise Tuesday's workout setting. We settled on the Marblehead Neck, a spit of land that juts out from mainland Marblehead and boasts more multi-million dollar homes than the Booty Loop. (Very Great Gatsby-ish, or at least what I envision...

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Week in Review

80 miles3 doubles3 days in ATL5 AFDsFinally a great solid week of mileage, bolstered by the knowledge that I'm mentally and physically ready to start training like a big girl next week. Other than that, I have a lot more to say and no time to say it! More to come very soon, including...drum roll please...a few real live workouts next week! Stay tuned, friends. It'll be worth the wa...

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Week in Review

70 miles2 doubles4 days in Chicago5 "tempo" miles4 AFDsWith a few weeks of base mileage underfoot, I feel confident saying I'm ready to start integrating some workouts and harder efforts into my training. Sunday's tempo mashup was a good baseline effort and now there's nowhere to go but up! One thing I know for sure is that I better get my act together soon or Meggan Franks is going to kick my butt at 13.1 Atlanta in a few weeks! Not to mention I've got Army 10 Miler the week after that, plus a few other changes on the horizon that I'm not quite...

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Chicago Half-Marathon Tempo Run

~1 mile w/uTarget: Tempo some part of half-marathonActual: 3 miles @17:52 (5:54, 5:55, 5:58); ~1 min. break; 2 miles @~12:352 mile c/dTotal: 8 milesChicago Half-Marathon starting. Photo courtesy of Chicago Half-Marathon.It doesn't take a genius or a seasoned coach to figure out that I was in no way, shape or form ready to race a half-marathon this weekend. I've been back to "normal" training for less than a fortnight, and the last time I completed...

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(Comeback) Week in Review

70 miles2 doubles0 (!!) days off4 days in DC2 hours of dancing at the Holder-Robbins weddingLadies and gentlemen, I'm back! Yes, I feel embarrassingly slow. Yes, every part of my body hurts. No, I can't even wrap my brain around the idea of attempting a workout, much less a race. But it's a start.Despite hitting "the wall" on practically every run this week--an unavoidable hallmark of the first few weeks back from injury, I've discovered time and...

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