Pine Belt Pacers Forum

Sat - 8 miles biking
Sun - 16 mile ride with Susan and Eric. Fun!

34 miles biking for the week.

Monday - 10 miles @ 9:30 pace and then yoga. So thankful to be healthy and motivated to get out the door. Nothing better than marathon training!

This week's training.

http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com/

Ended last week with 63.2 miles of running (all time high for me), 4 miles walking, 4 miles bike, 3 yoga classes.

Sunday - Tupelo marathon - 4:18 - training run. For race report and pics - see blog - http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com/

Monday - easy 30 min walk after the Labor Your Legs 5k.
Looking forward to some yoga on Tues.

All I have to say is, "Wow!" What an amazing week! What an amazing "training run"! Whatever you're doing, it's working. You look great too! Keep it up.

Susan - thanks so much for the sweet note. That made me feel good. Nice way to start the day. Thanks!

Tues. - walked 30 min with Chad and Scarlett
pm - went to serenity yoga - such a nice relaxing class. We did pigeon pose which is "the best" for post marathon stretching, (for runners in general)

Wed. - am first run since the marathon. Ran in Bent Creek with Amber. Felt ok, not bad at all, I will say my breathing was somewhat labored(air is thick), but other than that, a decent run. Heading back to yoga again this morning.

Thurs. - 5 miles easy and yoga
Fri. - walk 30 min easy
Sat - am thinking I will head to the trail and run 10 miles. I hope to run the first 2 easy, and then push the pace for the next 7-8 miles. I will be flexible with this one because I am still just 1 week out from the marathon, but so far I feel good this week, and hope that I will feel like running at a good pace. I hope to finish in time to go to yoga @ The Yoga Room.

Sat and Sun run details
http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com/

This week - last tough week before short taper.

Monday - tough, tough workout today. Headed to the trail today a little after 8:00am. The plan was to get a total of 7 miles with a 1 mile w/u, 5 X 1 mile repeats, and 1 mile c/d. So I started and headed down toward USM. While I was in my w/u mile I saw Tracy H. and Michelle M. probably finishing up their long run in preps for an upcoming marathon. I finished the mile w/u and ran the first repeat 7:42, still heading toward USM. Nice to go down, when running mile repeats (you know mile repeats are my favs, NOT.). Unfortunately, if you start out going down, eventually you have to turn around. 2nd repeat 7:41 heading up, ouch! By the time I started the 3rd repeat, "the bottom fell out", pouring rain. It is always my intention to run with "whatever the weather gives me" for the day. My philosophy is, it may be this exact weather on race day, so I need to get accustomed to running in it. You see, I am a totally lucky and thankful girl when it comes to my running, training, health, life, etc., BUT I am NOT so lucky on race day weather. Normally, it's a "heat" thing, but who knows, this time it could be rain. So I continued on with my run. Shortly after, my good intentions gave way. With heavy shoes, heavy legs, and heavy breathing, I caved at .68 still at 7:45 pace. Ok, I will just do 2 800s, and then my other 2 mile repeats. I tried "pulverize the monster", "light as a feather","strong", "finish the workout" but my internal monster won out. Dang it! So I walked back to Jackson, got some water and regrouped. Tried waiting for the rain to let up a little, it did slack up a little, but I decided I needed to move on with the workout. So I did 2 more repeats, 7:42, and 7:51, 1 mile c/d and 1 mile walk.

So this is good and bad. Great that I finished the planned workout, kind of (too much rest between later repeats). Not so great that I let the weather "get me." This is exactly what I am talking about "improving my mental toughness."

Soooooo need to learn to push through this kind of "stuff."
This evening I lifted weights, core work, push ups, lunges and squats, and I will head to yoga this evening. It's a new yoga, pilates infusion class. 2 more weeks of unlimited yoga classes. It's really hard to make it to so many classes, but I am getting stronger each week, at a rapid pace.

As I write this, I am getting ready to head out to meet Missy for an easy 4 mile run on the trail. This will give me 40 miles running for the week, 6 yoga classes, and 4 miles walking, and 6 miles biking.

I had a great week of running.
The details are below:
http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com/

Tues. @ Thames in the sprinkling rain. Awesome workout!
Details:
http://happyfeet26-2.blogspot.com/

You don't have to worry about me slapping you, girl! I'm happy for anyone who has a good day. You can bet when I do, I won't be able to keep it to myself. Not to brag (well maybe), but you need to be able to share the good and the bad. You have been so diligent in your training and have worked so hard, you deserve it! And, seeing someone else doing so well actually gives me hope that if I keep doing what I'm doing, it will happen for me too. Also, I think people feed off of each other's energy. I'd rather feed off positive energy than moaning and groaning any day. Keep up the good work!

Wed - walk 30 min and yoga
Thurs - yoga and walk 30 min with Chad and Scarlett
Fri - jog 2 miles, 6 X 20 second sprints and walking for a total of 35 min.
Sat. - went to Laurel for the 5k. With no cold front in the area, I decided to go to Laurel instead of Biloxi. Before the race I had pretty much determined that a pr was out of the question with the heat at 75 degrees with a real feel of 85 degrees and 92% humidity at 8:00. Audrey and I warmed up for 1.5 miles. Before the race started we were dripping with sweat. I started off at a good pace for the first mile, on pr pace 7:24. Shortly into the second mile, I quickly realized, nope today is not going to be the day. So instead of "pushing it, and killing myself,(SGM 1 week away) I decided to ease up just a little and get closer to my marathon tempo pace of 8:00 per mile. 2nd mile 8:03, 3rd mile 7:58, and :48 for the .1 So I finished with a time of 24:15. Last year I ran 24:01 - if I recall that would have been racing the whole race. Last tempo before SGM.

Today, I finally partially set up my home yoga room. I still need to dress it up and give it some yoga atmosphere, but for now it's funtional. It's been about 2 years since I have done any home yoga classes. I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to "dressing" the room up.

Sunday - Jogged 8 miles and walked the final 1.5 miles home. During the 1.5 miles I did 6 X 15 second sprints. Last medium length run before SGM.
Ended this week with 5.5 miles walking, 27 miles running, 5 yoga classes.

Send some good thoughts my way Sat. - Adopt a mile.

So Sat. is the BIG day, St. George, Utah marathon (26.2 miles). I feel ready to go. I thought a fun way to get my friends involved would be to ask you to adopt a mile. Miles 18-26 are the tough, brutal miles - duh! So I am asking that each of you pick a mile. If things go well, I should be at mile 18 @ 8:27 am mountain time (9:27 am CST) this Sat. Oct. 3rd and @ 26.2 around 10:40 am mountain time (11:40 am CST), if I have a GREAT day. This is according to my pace chart, and depends upon the race starting on time, and if things go as planned, etc. etc. If I am on pace at that point, each mile will be around 9:00 min. apart, after mile 18 @ 9:27 CST. I want specifics (ex. Amy - mile 22, Sarah - mile 18, etc.). If you have run a marathon previously, I have to ask you to step up and send good thoughts for each of the miles, 18-26 - 9:27 CST - 11:40 CST, or later. You know exactly what I'm going through so send extra good vibes my way.

You can either list your name and mile here, or you can list them facebook, twitter or you can send me an email. I am hoping to have a few friends "with me" for each of the final miles. Will be needing some good thoughts at this point of the race. Let me know if I can count on you on Sat.

No fee, just fun!

I have heard more than once the wall is 20 miles, well you still have 6.2 to go, the last several marathons I've ran I look so forward to 20 because that is when my resolve and determination (and GUTS) gets strong, so I'm with you from 20 to 26.2. Hope you have a great race and safe trip.

(OK, so I came back to the post to edit it. I am officially brain dead, probably from all of the marathon training miles since June 22, my official start to training for the SGM. Anyway, the post should be to adopt mile 18-25, so I am moving all of the 26 people up to the last mile which is 25. No ultras for me yet!)

So I have been asking everyone to pick a mile to send me good thoughts during the St. George Marathon this Sat. 18 - 25 Oct 3rd. I want my friends to help me get to the finish.

This is what I have so far:
1-26.2 - Dawn
Mile 8 - Jennifer the Veyo hill, brutal I'm sure
Mile 16 - Greg and Connie
Mile 17 - Christy
Mile 18 - Erin C, Chris
Mile 19 - Janet (celebrating meeting Janet @ USM and our escapades), Chris
Mile 20 - Keith, Chris,Steve and Kathleen(think of CO trails) Kelly
Mile 21 - Susan,Aunt Barbara, Sherri, Keith, Chris
Mile 22 - Meg, Keith, Chris
Mile 23 - Tara, Keith, Chris, Eric, Felice
Mile 24 - Tim, Keith Chris (smiling this mile to celebrate "the run, my health, my love of the run, etc.)
Mile 25 - Amber (if not brain dead or literally dead, remember 25 traits), Robbie, Keith, Chris, Linde, Dawn, Uncle Ray, Keith, Chris

.2 - Charles (I guess this means I'm supposed to "kick it in" like Charles would do)

I hope to add more names before Sat. Not sure how much internet time I will have after Wed. but definitely will be taking the lap top because I am slightly addicted to it.

Tonight was my last interval workout before the marathon on Sat. I fully expected it to be a solo track workout. To my surprise Charles showed up to run with me. He wanted to help me with my final workout. So nice! So we warmed up for a mile. Just as I was starting to run a few strides, Jodi arrived. Nice! Melissa was also on the track doing her own workout, and later Susan and Eric showed up. So I finished the strides and started my 11 X 400 workout. I ran the first one, and then Charles joined in for the next 8 or 9 400s with me. I averaged 1:44 for the 11 400s. After Jodi finished her warm up she joined us for several 400s also. So nice to have company for this final workout before the marathon on Sat. Jodi will be running the Chicago marathon in 2 weeks. She will have a great race. Charles, Eric, and I ran the 1 mile c/d down. I ended the night with 6 miles. We finally had a cool front last night so the track workout was so nice.
Again tonight, I feel strong and ready to run on Sat. Looking forward to it.
It will be fun, hard, beautiful, challenging, awesome, invigorating, agonizing, mind boggling, exhilarating, ..... I feel strong, I feel ready, I am tough, I can PR on Sat.
If you have already signed up, thanks.
Please sign up!