And so the Obsessing Begins

  The Indy Monumental Half Marathon is less than 2 days away, after the Eville Half I wasn't quite as obsessively excited about this one.... until now. My obsessing has begun, I want a sub 2 hour finish and so I used a pace calculator and put in 1:58:59 for a finish and it gave me a 9:05 min/mile pace so then I put in that pace of the 5k, 10k, and 15k distance to figure up what times I need when crossing those mats in order to finish at 1:58:59 and this is what I got:
5k Mat : 28:10
10k Mat : 56:19
15k Mat : 1:24:29

   Seems doable, my fastest 5k as of yet is 25:29, my fastest 10k as of yet is 54:36 and my fastest 15k was in September and my time for that was 1:24:16 so that is close to what my time needs to be at by the time I cross the 15k mat. Said times give me:
5k - 25:29 - 8:12 min/mile
10k - 54:36 - 8:48 min/mile
15k - 1:24:16 - 9:02 min/mile

  I think, since I seem to keep having bathroom issues around mile 11, I am going to give it a good push in the first half of the race. If I can pull these same times off at their distances, I should be able to finish with a sub 2 hour time with no problem...

Fourth month of Triple Digits (in a row)

  Last night's 5.7 miler put me at 104 miles for October, so this is my 4th month in a row of triple digit miles - July: 103, August: 103, September: 111, October: 104.
First, last night's run - I couldn't sleep at 9:30 and Rocky was itching to do something, so I begged DH to let me go (he isn't too comfortable with me running that late at night) since Dorian was asleep in his crib. We were out the door just before 10, it around 60 degrees and rainy but not bad. We kept it slow and easy, this marked both Rocky and me a 3rd day of running in a row for us so I am definitely going to enjoy these 3 days of no running and just rest. 
  Just after mile 2, I saw a very distinctive shadow in a yard, this is a shadow you CANNOT mistake for anything else - a Doberman and he was a big boy. I had my pepper spray ready, hoping and praying he stayed in his yard while we went by. He did not, but luckily he was friendly with Rocky, and who knows how he would have reacted to just me. But he wouldn't get back into his yard, he wanted to play with Rocky, he towered over Rocky and for 5 minutes we stood there until his owner finally called him back inside and we were off. No more issues after that, thank the running gods.
  We ran the 5.7 miles in 1:01:20 with an average pace of 10:45 min/mile so it was definitely a slow and easy run. 
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:01
Mile 2 - 10:38
Mile 3 - 11:12
Mile 4 - 10:58
Mile 5 - 10:25
.7      - 10:07

     Okay, so I've managed to stay in triple digits for another month giving me 4 months of triple digits (in a row). That is not the only exciting thing, I began running back in the summer of 2010 but probably started my RW log until July of 2010 - since then I have logged 1,787.7 miles which will hopefully reach 2,000 by the end of this year or get close to it. Even more exciting is this year's improvement, I will surpass 1,000 miles by the end of this year for 2013 if things keep going as well as they are. Right now, as of today I am at 935.1 miles so only 64.9 miles away from 1,000 which I should easily hit in November. I am so excited, this is a huge milestone for me!
Edited after some calculations: By the end of December 2013, I will have ran 1,198.6 miles for 2013 according to my training plan (as long as things keep going as well as they are). That means an additional 263.5 miles left to go as of today! Part of me wants to add that last 2.4 miles to make it 1,201 miles....... decisions decisions decisions!!!
   I have begun "following" people on the loop, people who regularly comment on my blogs in hopes that I will get emails with new blogs they post so I can read. I don't mean to just post mine and ignore others, Dorian makes it difficult to find time to do any kind of reading, heck I can barely read RW mag or the trail running mags. It's a wonder I can get online, anyways so I am going to try and get in more with loopsters. I don't really get on the RW forums anymore, I stick around Runningahead.com and have gotten used to it.

The Indy Half is Almost Here

  And I can't wait for it to be over, which is strange..... not because I am not looking forward to it, to pushing myself and seeing if I can beat the PR I had set at the Evansville Half Marathon (during a monsoon), but because I want to put all my focus on trail running. The Get Dirty 15k Trail Run is 2 weeks from this Saturday, and I am strangely way more excited about that than the Indy Monumental Half, and that is so weird. Maybe I have gotten bored with half marathon road races.... 5ks and 10ks are somewhat different as I am still testing myself speed/pace wise and watching myself improving dramatically, but being on the road for longer distances just doesn't seem very appealing anymore. Maybe I'll feel different in the corrals come Saturday morning, or when I go to pick up my race packet Friday evening. Maybe it's because this is just barely a month after the Evansville Half Marathon and I am not quite over it, whereas before there was a 6 month period between my half marathon races. It's just weird, I've never been this less excited about a race, not even a 5k or 10k..... 
     Either way, I am trying to stay excited and looking at my race wall knowing that next Monday I will have my 5th half marathon medal hanging up there with the rest. That part is exciting, but I think I am really excited about the Winter Trail Half Marathon in January, which is going to be insane and cold and at night. My best bet to survive it is to make sure I don't avoid any extremely cold weather runs, so I can get used to being out there in the cold. Getting used to cold weather running after months of hot weather running will definitely be a chore, I got used to wearing so little clothing and now I"ll have to wear tights, and a couple layers of clothing just to keep warm.
   Either way, I am going to give it my best and hope to either get close to my recent PR or kick it's butt.

Our 5 Mile Run on the Road

  I decided to take Rocky with me on my easy run this morning, so I made sure to get us out the door by 5:30 in hopes that traffic wouldn't be too crazy. Rocky is all black, and even though his eyes will shine in headlights, a lot of people don't care and probably assume it's an animal and again don't care if they hit it. Even though I have my blinky vest thing on, that blinks 5 red lights on it both on the front and back people still don't really pay a lot of attention. Luckily the run wasn't bad at all, Rocky has been getting smarter on the leash and doesn't tug erratically like he used when we first began running back at the beginning of this month. It is also a good chance to make this his easy/recovery runs as he is on leash and has to trot or walk fast, during trail runs he is off leash and pretty much runs nonstop unless he is behind me where he'll trot quickly.
  I kept the pace as easy as possible, we ran 5 miles in 52:56 with an average pace of 10:34 min/mile so I definitely kept it nice and easy. I screwed up around mile 1.28 as the stupid garmin gave me some tip so to try and get it off the screen I accidentally hit the lap button. I have 6 laps instead of 5, I'll go ahead and put all here, that shit annoys me :( Oh and 46 degrees, 3 mph ENE winds and humidity at 87% but when chilly you don't even notice.
  Rocky will probably run with me Wednesday morning for another 5 mile easy run, and then depending on how I am feeling Sunday evening I might take him for a 3 mile easy run when we get back from Indianapolis.
Laps/splits were:
Lap 1 (1.00) - 10:49
Lap 2 (.34) - 10:46
Lap 3 (1.00) - 10:52
Lap 4 (1.00) - 10:35
Lap 5 (1.00) - 10:14
Lap 6 (1.00) - 10:09

Thoughts and What-not

  After this morning's 8 mile trail run, and seeing how great Rocky handled it I really can't wait until after the Indy Half Marathon (next weekend) because I honestly think all of my long runs will be on trails, it is so much easier on my joints and knees, but also very technical and challenging. Not to mention that Rocky loves it too, I will most likely keep Wednesday morning's progression runs on the road, along with his shortest run of the week on the Greenway during Wednesday evenings. Also starting in 2014 I will add my 5th day, an easy run, probably the shortest of my runs and on the road or Greenway. I am extremely excited, and I think a lot of the reasons I am determined to focus my runs on trails is because of Rocky and turning him into my running partner. I honestly don't know if I would be getting up so early and driving all the way to the trails (closest one is 12-18 minutes away) if it wasn't for him, I love watching him on the trails, running and sniffing and behaving like a canine. He has matured so much since running with me, he is truly becoming a great dog now, he is finding the wolf inside of him and enjoying it. Heck, I am almost tempted to run my 5 miler tomorrow on the trails but I know my legs need to start resting some.... it is hard to resist though.
Here is what I plan on my schedule being after the Indy Half, though a few races will be on some Saturdays, on those weekends I will take Rocky for a 3-5 mile trail run Sunday afterwards.
Sunday - Long Run on trails ( with Rocky, unless it's the weekend I go to run the Indian-Celina Challenge course )
Monday - Easy Run on trails ( with Rocky )
Tuesday - Rest Day 
Wednesday - Progression Run on road in early morning and then an easy 3-4 mile run on Greenway in the evening with Rocky
Thursday - Rest Day
Friday - Easy Run on trails ( with Rocky )
Saturday - Rest Day (unless there is a race)

Starting in January 2014
Sunday - Long Run on trails ( with Rocky, unless it's the weekend I go to run the Indian-Celina Challenge course )
Monday - Trail Run (with Rocky)
Tuesday - Easy Run on road or Greenway
Wednesday - Progression Run on road in early morning and then an easy 3-4 mile run on Greenway in the evening with Rocky
Thursday - Rest Day
Friday - Trail Run (with Rocky)
Saturday - Rest Day (unless there is a race)


   Of course I am always open to any changes needed, if I need an extra day of rest or even if Rocky needs to rest.

An Awesome 8 Miler on the Trails with Rocky

  After a tough night due to Dorian's sleep schedule getting screwed up, I got up just a bit after 6 a.m and got ready for my run. Yesterday evening I decided to run my long run on the trails with Rocky, but I wasn't deadset on 8 miles as I was sure if he could handle it, his longest run so far was 5.5 miles while yesterday's hike lasted an hour and 17 minutes which he was pretty much running and trotting the whole time so that was his longest time so far. He did awesome, in fact he wasn't even exhausted when we were finished.
   I decided against wearing tights, since Friday morning I felt constricted in them, I decided to wear my hoodie over my long sleeves undershirt thingy (compression type) over a sporty spaghetti strap and figured I would just stop by the Tahoe and drop my hoodie off if it got too warm. I also wore my gloves, we were out the driveway by 6:45 a.m and started on the trail around 7:10. The sun was already coming up, I didn't need my headlamp as I could see very well. It felt better wearing the capri's instead of tights, much better. It was 34 degrees with no wind, and pretty much no humidity, it felt great even in capri's.
   We ran 8 miles in 1:18:55 with an average pace of 9:52 min/mile, with an elevation gain of 137 feet and loss of 127 feet. It felt great, my body felt great and I had no pain in my legs. Heck even my injured toe from Friday morning's attack felt great. Rocky did amazing, 85% of the time he was behind me trotting so that probably helped him too.
Laps were:
Mile 1 - 10:32
Mile 2 - 10:19
Mile 3 - 10:04
Mile 4 - 9:52
Mile 5 - 9:31
Mile 6 - 9:33
Mile 7 - 9:41
Mile 8 - 9:22

   It was a great run and I am so glad I decided to run the trails with Rocky rather than the roads without him. Tomorrow's 5 miles will most likely be on the road though, as an easy and slow pace and Wednesday will either be the same or 3-4 miles with Rocky.

Trail Races Exclusively for 2014

  I am seriously contemplating running trail races for distances more than a 15k next year, and road races for 10ks and 5ks. The more I research and look around I am noticing there are a lot of trails races in Indiana that I can do, a lot of half marathons and up but right now my longest distance is a half marathon though I will be increasing my mileage next year and hopefully ending 2014 with 40-50 weekly miles. I will still run the Evansville Half Marathon, as I feel a strong loyalty to it, it was the inspiration that started my running journey and as long as I am not severely ill or injured I will run it every year.
  I won't be able to run any this year but here are a list of the races I'm interested in so far:

1. Winter Trail Marathon - Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis IN - January 25, 2014 - Distances: Quarter / 13.1 / 26.2
2. Run with the Foxes Trail Race - Martinsville, IN - May 2014 - Distances: 5k / 10k / 10 Miler / 13.1
3. Indian-Celina Challenge - Bristow, IN - June 2014 - Distances: 8 / 13.1 / 26.2
4. Honest Abe Trail Run - Lincoln City, IN - September 21, 2014 - Distance 14k
5. Knobstone Trail Mini - Morgan-Monroe State Forest - October - Distances: 5k / 10k /10 miler / 13 miler

It would be great if I could have at least one every other month next year, not so much for racing as it's a lot different than being on a road, but I love trails and it would be great to do all of these races while still keeping Evansville Half Marathon in mind, hopefully by October of next year I will have no problem with doing two half marathon races in one month. I am sure I will find more races but this one is a nice list for now, the Run with the Foxes race I most likely will run the 10 mile distance since I'll be running the Indian-Celina Challenge the following month.

A Chilly and Clumsy 5 Mile Trail Run

  This morning I almost didn't get out the door, Dorian was restless and making lots of noise. Luckily Rocky and I managed to leave, but I felt like of blah and rushed and not quite put together. Couldn't quite get my headlamp to stay on, I felt constricted in my tights and two layers of long sleeves (one was an underarmour tight like shirt, and the other was something like a windbreaker or whatever). Then my gloves and my head/ear band which didn't feel right either.
   The first 2 miles or so was really clumsy, I lost count of how many times I tripped up on a root, stubbed my foot and about sprained my ankles. It wasn't fun, I couldn't get the light aiming where I wanted it to, next trail run I will definitely carry an extra flashlight to help. This trail run was definitely a lot slower than the last ones, but strangely Rocky stayed right behind me 90% of the run which is unusual but I hope a trend. Of course there wasn't anybody else out there, I've purchased a E-Collar to help with my commands as I need him to understand that he can't just go running up on people like he does with us.... I know sooner or later something really bad is going to happen. I've used before, on Molly when she needed to learn how to walk on a leash in public around other dogs, she would bluff aggression when going towards other dogs but then once she would get to them she'd sniff and then ignore. After 3 months of using the e-collar she was so much better to walk with. I miss her.
   The last mile, actually just before we hit 5 miles I had hit some giant root that about twisted my ankle. This morning was just such a clumsy run, but I am glad I got out there anyways. We ran 5 miles in 55:03 with an average pace of 10:58 min/mile. I wasn't looking to push it, as I need to start taking it easy before the half marathon next weekend. I most likely won't run the trails again until after the race.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:04
Mile 2 - 10:50
Mile 3 - 11:21
Mile 4 - 11:21
Mile 5 - 10:15

    Did I mention it was 32 degrees, and felt like 25?

A Fast and Chilly Progression Run

  I honestly think the trail runs are helping me, this morning I was out the door just before 5:30, temperature was 43 degrees with NW winds up to 16 mph making it feel like 35 degrees but I was dressed appropriately. I started out faster than usual, not sure if it was the cooler weather or the trail running but it felt good. I did have to stop a couple of times to catch my breath but other than that it was a great run, elevation gain of 91 feet and a loss of 83 feet. I ran 6.3 miles in 56:34 with an average pace of 8:59 min/mile so not as fast as my 10k pace....... maybe a few seconds slower I think. First mile was 9:30 min/mile with the last/final .3 being a 7:46 min/mile pace.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 9:30
Mile 2 - 9:04
Mile 3 - 8:56
Mile 4 - 9:12
Mile 5 - 9:09
Mile 6 - 8:23
.3      - 7:46

    I had chose to slow down some at mile 4 so I could catch my breath, but still a fast run. This afternoon/evening I plan to take Rocky for an easy 2-3 mile run on asphalt, I don't want him going 3 days in a row with no real exercise. So far Dorian has slept well these past 2 night, hopefully tomorrow night will be the same and Rocky and I can enjoy an early morning trail run.
   

Switching Things Around

   So I've been bitten by the trail bug........ again but much stronger than any other time ever and reasons are/could be:

1. A new found bond I have with Rocky, I feel closer and more connected to him when on the trails.
2. The colder weather
3. My desire to train for next year's Indian/Celina Challenge (13.1 miler), I think that is going to be my Number One race next year, or my Number One focus for early 2014 though I still hate the fact that it is in June.
4. I tired of making excuses, the rest of winter will consist of a lot of trail running, but I cannot promise anything in summer :P
5. If I am ever going to do an ultra, I am going to have to become a die-hard trail runner (at least I feel that way).
6. Roads are getting boring

I know there are other reasons, but those are the main ones. Roads have begun to get boring for me, and I feel so much stronger and more primal on the trail than I do on the road. It is so surreal and I always tell myself I am going to get more into trails, but somehow end up making excuses or something. I find it easier to get out there and run the trails now since I've got Rocky running with me and the trails are just so much more natural for us, it's a good reason.

Other than next week's taper, where I'll keep Monday and Wednesday on the roads and easy, haven't decided how I'm going to run my 8 miler this Sunday though......... after the Indy Half I am going to change my Monday and Friday runs to the trails with Rocky, maybe have a 2 miler trail run on Wednesday evening with Rocky but we'll see as I'll keep my 6-7 mile progression run (Wednesday) on the roads. Then every other weekend long run will be at Hoosier National Forest starting in mid November as I have a 15k trail race on November 16, two weeks after the Indy race. I'll consider that one of my trail LR, I am excited with it all and hope I can finally stick to this plan and run the Indian/Celina Challenge next year and be a die-hard trail runner :)

Our 5.5 Mile Trail Run

   Dorian pretty much had me up all night with abdominal cramping and gas, from 10:30 p.m to 3:30 a.m when he finally had one good healthy fart and passed out into a peaceful sleep. Poor little boy, he woke up from a deep sleep at 10:30 screaming and crying out in pain, he finally fell back to sleep around 11:15 only to wake up again just after midnight, back to sleep around 1:30 only to be awakened by pain at 2:45 a.m. I think the Whole Wheat Goldfishies might have had something to do with it, but I was not getting out of bed when my alarm clock went off at 4:25 and luckily my mom was able to watch Dorian after work so Rocky and I waited all day.
   Rocky was excited, he knew what was coming and I have to admit I was really excited too. It wasn't as cold as I would have liked, 63 degrees but not bad and definitely better than being warmer. Rocky did really good again, we didn't run into anybody on the trail but we did spook over a dozen deer throughout the whole run. I figure they're more active in the evening/dusk hours than in the predawn hours when they are waking up. We ran 5.5 miles in 55:08 with an average pace of 10:02 min/mile so not bad at all, though might have been faster had I not had to stop and put Rocky on his leash in the last mile as we did see a couple with two Bull Terriers on the levee (they were leashed), I know Rocky is friendly but some Bull Terriers most likely don't appreciate a dog running up excitedly on them (most dogs don't). That slowed me down for about a minute but we picked the pace back up. 
   I seriously think I am going to change my Monday and Friday runs to the trails, so that Rocky and I can have some quality woods time, hopefully it will benefit me but next week I might run roads on Monday instead of the trail as I want my legs fresh and ready for the Indy Half Marathon.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:10
Mile 2 - 10:31
Mile 3 - 9:53
Mile 4 - 9:50
Mile 5 - 10:03
.5     - 9:21

   Hopefully Dorian won't have any more issues for the rest of the week, especially tomorrow night and Thursday night.

A Great 10 Miler

  I had set my alarm for 5:40 this morning, no sense in doing a long run in complete darkness for most of it....... though the first 3 miles or so was in darkness except for the moonlight. A beautiful moon too, lit up the area nicely and to go with that moon was a pack of coyotes laughing and howling and cackling in the background, barely half a mile from me I am sure of it. I started off pretty slow but gave a good kick at the end, I almost intended on just 9 miles but I thought you know what, I had 10 originally planned so I am going to do 10. The air was crisp and cold, so I was dressed accordingly, though the long socks were much so I'll be sure not to make that mistake again, I had my capri's on, a spaghetti strap sporty tank and my warmer jacket thing on over it, and gloves. It was 37 degrees but with a feels like 33 degrees, heck I thought it was 40 or something, but it felt nice. Elevation gain of 167 feet, and a loss of 162 feet.
   I ran the 10 miles in 1:42:19 with an average pace of 10:14 min/mile, not bad for starting out real slow.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:26
Mile 2 - 11:00
Mile 3 - 10:41
Mile 4 - 10:43
Mile 5 - 10:35
Mile 6 - 10:31
Mile 7 - 10:02
Mile 8 - 9:44
Mile 9 - 9:14
Mile 10 - 8:22

    Some pretty nice negative splits if I do say so myself.

An Amazing 5 Mile Trail Run Before Dawn (with Rocky)

  This morning Rocky and I got up and out the door before 4:45, and were at the northern trailhead of Angel Mounds trails by 5 a.m. It was 45 degrees and just beautiful out, I had on my capri's and a hoodie over my tech shirt but ended up taking it off by mile 2. Rocky loved it, and I loved it too but I think I might need a second light source, maybe a handheld flashlight because even though my headlamp was great, it kind of sucked having to turn it everywhere I wanted to look. Even though the trails are full of roots, I am very graceful and quick on my feet so that wasn't an issue, I love the winding trails and they are even cooler in the dark. My light shined at least 15 pairs of eyes during the run (deer and probably one raccoon). 
    We ran 5 miles, Rocky's furthest run so far. It wasn't as fast as Wednesday's 3 mile run but I was trying not to kill myself on roots since it was pitch black, except for my headlamp. We ran the 5 miles in 52:33 with an average pace of 10:30 min/mile so not bad at all for a night run.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:10
Mile 2 - 10:38
Mile 3 - 10:20
Mile 4 - 10:31
Mile 5 - 9:51

   Not bad at all, the only issue was towards end when I ran into a stump because I was so busy focusing on my watch to see if I had reached 5 miles yet and I had forgotten a stump was there.

An Amazing 3 Mile Trail Run

   The trail run almost didn't happen, my Tahoe was leaking coolant really bad and I had to get to a mechanic and didn't get it back until 5:30. Rocky and I hit the trails by 6:03, the sun was already going down but it felt great out there. 61 degrees with humidity just below 60%, it was an amazing run, even after running 4 miles this morning I felt great on the trails. Three miles in 29:03 with an average pace of 9:40 min/mile, not bad for it being pretty dark out there and I was having to concentrate on not tripping over any roots. It's a good think I am very quick and graceful on my feet otherwise I would have broken an ankle. 
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:28
Mile 2 - 9:23
Mile 3 - 9:08

    A great run, and I can't repeat amazing enough. I love running the trails, more than anything else and I wish I could run trails all the time........ and it would be really great to run them barefoot but I am too worried about gumballs and other things but oh well. After the Indy Half, I am going to start running on the trails at Audubon with more hills, crazy hills and I can't wait.

A Great 4 Mile Progression Run

   Another morning that I had to force myself up, not because I didn't get any sleep last night but because it felt so good. After a few minutes of arguing with myself after my alarm clock went off at 5, I got up and got ready. I started out just a tad faster than usual, planning for a progression run even though it was only 4 miles. Overall, it was a great run and I wish it had been longer than 4 but I promised Rocky a 3 mile trail run this afternoon so I had to save some of my miles for that. It was a beautiful morning, 66 degrees and the humidity of 100% but you couldn't tell at that point, really no cars out and I was out the door by 5:30. I ran the 4 miles in 39:43 with an average pace of 9:55 min/mile.
  Mile 1 - 10:56
  Mile 2 - 10:16
  Mile 3 - 9:42
  Mile 4 - 8:47

    We'll see how this afternoon/evening's trail run goes.

My 8 Miler a Week After Half

  I don't think I blogged my Friday 5 miler....... oh well it was 5 miles in the morning and nice :)
  Last night I had my route planned with some hills, but this morning getting up at 5 I looked outside and began second guessing my route. I took out the door around 5:21 and it was dark, except for the stars there was no light, the sun hadn't even began to rise. I was trying to figure out what roads I was going to take, I really didn't feel like doing the hills (didn't get much sleep last night) and that same route had no street lights and a lot of woods....... and the deer rut is just beginning so I really didn't want to get trampled by a buck.
  I took to the neighborhood after a 2 mile run on my side of the highway, then crossed into the only neighborhood nearby where cars actually obey the speed limit (and it looks like a neighborhood). 
  It was 64 degrees and 94% humidity, but it felt pretty darn good to me. My legs were a little tight and sore, but not bad and hopefully with some stretching today I'll feel good enough for a 4 miler tomorrow morning and then a 2 mile trail run with Rocky later that day.
  I ran the 8 miles in 1:22:14 with an average pace of 10:16 min/mile, not bad for a long run and just 8 days after kicking butt at the Evansville Half Marathon, even in the monsoon.
Laps/Splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:58
Mile 2 - 10:38
Mile 3 - 10:11
Mile 4 - 10:22
Mile 5 - 10:14
Mile 6 - 10:21
Mile 7 - 10:09
Mile 8 - 9:20

    Not bad, I made sure to pick up the pace at the last mile just to test if I had anything left in the tank.

An Easy 4 Miler

  This morning was really beautiful weather, 52 degrees and a very starry sky with no clouds. It wasn't as peaceful as I would prefer, there was a lot of traffic out even at 5:30 in the morning. For a while I didn't think I was going to get out and do my run, but luckily Dorian fell back to sleep and I was able to sneak out the door. 
   I just ran 4 miles this morning, finished in 41:37 with an average pace of 10:23 min/mile, so for the most part it was a slow recovery run which is what most of my runs are going to be between now and Indy except for two 8 mile long runs, one 10 mile long run and maybe 1 or 2 progression runs.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:59 
Mile 2 - 10:20
Mile 3 - 10:06
Mile 4 - 10:09
   I plan on taking Rocky out for a 2 mile run this late afternoon/evening, we'll run 2 miles and walk 1 mile for a cool down. He is doing so well with the runs.

An Easy 3 Miler

  I had planned on running an easy 3 miles this morning, and then running 2 miles with Rocky later this evening but Dorian made sure that didn't happen. So instead of getting 3 miles in this morning, I waited until later this afternoon and took Rocky for a 3 mile run and then a 1 mile walk to cool down. He did really well, and I cannot wait to have him running 7-9 miles with me this winter. He does so well, and is getting back into the swing of things really quick.
  Anyways, though my quads were a little sore even during the run it still felt great to get out there and run again........ even though I ran 13.1 miles just 2 days ago, I don't really feel that sore and I think a lot of it is because of the stretching and foam rolling. I can honestly say this is the soonest I've gotten back to running after a half marathon, I think after the April Half in St. Louis.... nope nevermind I ran 2 days after that one, a 4 mile slow recovery run. Either way, I am feeling good and I am just going to maintain my fitness and recovery to be ready to kick some major booty at the Indy Monumental Half less than a month away.
  Okay, today's run felt great and the temperatures have finally begun to cool off which is great. It was 64 degrees, 52% humidity which pretty much mean nothing and sunny. We ran the 3 miles in 31:40 with an average pace of 10:33 min/mile and elevation gain of 44 feet and a loss of 15 ft.
Mile 1 - 10:23
Mile 2 - 10:39
Mile 3 - 10:36

  Wednesday I am going to try and run an easy 4 miles in the morning (if Dorian lets me) and then 2 miles with Rocky in the afternoon. Both will be slow and easy.

The 2013 Evansville Half Marathon

  I slept well  last night, woke up just before 4:00 a.m and ate a cliff bar and a banana, and drank some coffee. I went back to bed until 5 which then I got up, got dressed and went for an easy 10-11 minute jog to loosen up. Got inside and started getting Dorian up, and then the husband and we were out the door and on the road by 6:05. Around 6:20 a.m, it started sprinkling.... so much for 10% chance.
  The husband dropped me off at the school (where it starts) and I headed in to use the restroom one more time. The weather said only 10% up until 9 a.m so I just told myself a little drizzle won't hurt. I head to the 2:10 corral and we listen to the guy with the mic who tells us that if severe weather like lightning or horribly high winds I guess, appear then the race would be closed..... I didn't get to hear anything after that part as people started talking, all I could think about was if this race closed before I reached that finish line I would be beyond livid. After the prayer, the gun goes off and we are on our way.
I decided to keep a stead pace, not wanting to go out too fast or too slow in case I did have to stop at a port-a-potty.
Mile 1 - 9:39
Mile 2 - 9:15
Mile 3 - 9:11
   Luckily the major hills were around the first 3 miles and done. I still felt good, then the rain came..... more than a drizzle but not awful. I wasn't ready for any gatorade or water so I kept going past the stops. I didn't think about the miles, or my garmin but just the people around me and that I wanted to finish this.
Mile 4 - 9:24
Mile 5 - 9:14
Mile 6 - 9:19
   Still feeling good at this point, more than just a little rain though.... I was praying for no lightning when I heard the thunder, I wanted to finish this race as I had trained and prepared so hard for it. I saw DH at this point, sadly the dark weather and him not knowing my camera very well ended up no good photos from him so I'll have to wait until the race photographers get their photos up online. I was still feeling good, still doing good and praying for no lightning.
Mile 7 - 9:10
Mile 8 - 9:14
Mile 9 - 9:24
   At this point my knees started to hurt, but I've ran with achy knees before I kept pushing along in a downpour..... wondering why the hell didn't I grab my hat but oh well and all that mattered was crossing that finish line faster than April's HM time..... though I was really wishing I had brought my MP3 player at this point, the voices in my head can be annoying.
Mile 10 - 9:20
Mile 11 - 9:55
   My hips started to hurt, so both hips and knees were hurting bad and causing me to shorten my strides... I kept going, determined to finish at a good time damn it. Just before mile 12, I did stop at a port-a-potty, it wasn't a huge threat but it gave my knees and  hips a little rest and I no longer had gas afterwards :) I did stop my garmin because I wanted to know the time I would lose stopping at the port-a-potty.
Mile 12 - 10:13
Mile 13 - 9:18
.1 - 7:57

     I swear as I was crossing that finish line the sky began to clear up a little, and the rain was gone (Mother nature has a lot of humor). 
Official Chip Time: 2:04:48  with an average pace of 9:32 min/mile
Overall - 602/2,015
DIVPL - 25/164
SexPL - 220/1,181

Garmin Time: 2:03:18 

  Even in this warm weather, the piss pouring rain I managed to shave another 16 minutes off of my St. Louis Half Marathon just 6 months ago. Not bad I must say, though I am not expecting any big difference next month at the Indianapolis Monumental Half, it just depends on my legs and if they recover completely from this race. Other than that, I feel great and accomplished, I got close to a sub 2 hour finish, and I know it is within my grasp.

The Calm before the Storm

  It is barely 8:00 p.m, the gun goes off tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m, and I feel like a Thoroughbred kicking at the gate. I still need to go to bed too, I think I can fall asleep but I am still nervous. I've come to terms that it isn't going to be optimal racing weather (for me) but I can deal with that, I've ran in worse conditions. I've made my mind up to set my goal of a sub 2:00 finish for the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon next month, as long as I am not sore or injured by then. Hopefully the weather will be 20 degrees cooler, because I do so much better in colder weather.

A Rainy 2.4 Mile Run with Rocky

  I almost wish I hadn't gone out the door this morning, I don't like running those roads myself and I really don't like running them with Rocky. I am sure it wouldn't be so bad before 5:30 a.m, but at 6:30 there are jerks and crazy people out on the road heading to work or school. Not to mention the rain in the first mile, it was pretty much an awful run and I don't plan on getting another run in until Saturday's race..... as long as it isn't canceled due to lightning (60% possible chance of scattered thunderstorms throughout the day), if it is I will be infuriated beyond words. Anyways, Rocky and I ran 2.4 miles in 25:33 with an average pace of 10:39, with the exception of his constant tugging and jerking me backwards it was an easy pace.
Splits/laps
Mile 1 - 11:02
Mile 2 - 10:30
.4      - 10:02

   I am at this point hoping and praying for a great race Saturday but no longer am I aiming for a PR, I just want to finish it. I set my goal PR at the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon next month with hopes of a great race there. I can't change my estimated finish time now, they closed that yesterday so I am stuck with 2:15:00 which would put me in a corral around 10:18 pacers so I'll have to work a little to get through crowds or wait until things thin out just a little and then move forward. Thankfully it is a flat course and hopefully the weather will be perfect. 

I Can't Seem to Find The Excitement Now

  A couple of sleepless nights with a skull splitting headache thanks to Dorian's hard freaking bowling-ball skull cracking into mine every night, not to mention watching the forecast threaten thunderstorms on Saturday has caused me to just about lose all excitement and anticipation for the Half Marathon this Saturday. I was still excited even up to Sunday night and yesterday for the most part, but I feel like my head is going to explode today and I don't know what to take to make it go away. I've decided to cut tomorrow's run to 3 miles, and maybe run the other 2 miles Thursday depending on the weather. At this point I really don't care if I run again before Saturday, I just want a good night's sleep and for this headache to go away. Last Thursday Dorian elbowed me right in the corner of my right eye, and it hasn't stopped hurting since, I know the muscles around there are bruised, it actually goes from my eyebrow area (Procerus) down to my cheek muscle area (Levator labii superioris). Sometimes it is even painful to swallow.
    I am just freaking angry and frustrated now, the headache and the forecast has me figuring on a horrible run that I have just about decided won't be my goal PR and I might change that to the Indy Monumental Half next month rather than expecting any great results from this Saturday. :(