Mile Repeats.

yeah yeah yeah, I know: I'm not going to do speed work.  And I have been really good about NOT doing any since my last mile repeats (and subsequent week off...).

Tonight. I did mile repeats.

Last time (roughly 6 weeks ago): 6:58, 7:41, 7:41

First one felt GREAT, 2nd two were awful-crampy-painful.

Tonight: 6:55, 7:06, 7:11

First one felt AWFUL, 2nd two felt strong and controlled.

Rewarded myself with a Gyro Platter after 8 days of healthy eating.

The fear of planning...

As you may have guessed from my last post, I am trying to start planning my race schedule for next season.  In a perfect world, this would be my schedule next year:

March 11 Global Dolphin Beach

April Two Oceans Half Marathon

January 2009- South Africa 70.3

(regardless of my physical living location, I am going to try to plan work trips around any or all of the three above):

HOWEVER, being more realistic as to where things stand right now (and where I currently live:) , here is what I am leaning towards:

Early Season Half Iron- Tupper Lake (late June) or Black Bear (late May)

Gold Coast Sprint- Early June, already registered, love this race

Mid Season OLY- Philly(late June) or NYC* (late July)

Philadelphia Women's Sprint- Early July (did this year- flat, fast course, nicely organized)

Late Season OLY- Mighty Hamptons/Westchester/The Nation's Triathlon in DC

(Also NYRR races all year, and possibly a fall marathon) 

The snags:

1. Philly OLY is the same date as Tupper Lake HIM

2. NYC is overpriced in my opinion (however, Philly would cost more once you factor in hotel and travel to the race)

*I also still have a bone to pick with the NYC course, as in, I want to kick it's ass like it kicked mine in 2007.

3. I really wanted to go up and watch Lake Placid this year 

4. Early HIM = Finally need to invest in a bike trainer (which I am OK with)

Most of the registrations for these races are currently open or open Nov 1.  ie, I need to decide.  

Oh, and I also need to find some extra cash laying around to pay for the registration 

AND the new bike I want.

Sweet.

Honestly, I think the thing that scares me most about this planning, more than breaking out the credit card to pay for it, is that I had a great season planned out last year too.   Two Oceans, St. Anthony's, Eagleman...and it all came crashing down.  I know I have done all I can (OK, well not ALL I can, but a lot) to prevent another injury, but the fear is still there that when I try to ramp up the intensity again to train for a 10k run, or add in the biking mileage on top of the running miles, old or new injuries will set me back again.  I think/HOPE that completing the marathon takes some of these fears away, proves that I am OK and not broken and can move forward, but the fear still lingers....

Ugh, I just need to go out and run.

Bummer

They changed the date of the NYC Triathlon this year, so it again falls on the same date as Lake Placid, bummer.

And now the NJ State Triathlon is the SAME date, too!

You would think SOMEONE would realize that many people would want to do two, if not all three, of these races!?

It's so hard to plan your life 10 months in advance, especially when I am actively trying to get relocated to Africa. Feels like I am throwing away the entry fees in a way.

Oh, and $225 for an OLY? Gag me. (But when you consider, no travel costs and hotel, etc, it probably ends up cheaper, BUT still $225 upfront just KILLS me for an OLY.) I could do probably two other local OLYs for that price. 100% lame and I don't think at ALL justified, as the course/race hasn't changed at all over the past two years, just the price!

Grete's Great Gallop

Grete's Great Gallop - 1:51:34 (8:30 pace)

Distance:  13.1 Miles, 21.1 Kilometers 
Date/Time:  Oct. 4 2008, 9:00 am 
Location:  Central Park, NYC 
Weather:  49 Deg. 71% Hum. Wind 3 mph

Intervals (Grete's Gallop)							edit  |  delete
Type	Distance	Time	Total Time	Pace	Avg HR	Max HR	Notes
Mile 1l	1 Mi	8:00	8:00	8:00
Mile 2	1 Mi	8:07	16:07	8:07
Mile 3	1 Mi	8:03	24:10	8:03
Mile 4	1 Mi	8:44	32:54	8:44			Harlem Hills
Mile 5	1 Mi	8:35	41:29	8:35
Mile 6	1 Mi	8:24	49:53	8:24			Gu
Mile 7	1 Mi	8:12	58:05	8:12
Mile 8	1 Mi	9:16	1:07:21	9:16			Bathroom stop
Mile 9/10	2 Mi	17:10	1:24:31	8:35			Harlem Hills
Mile 11	1 Mi	8:45	1:33:16	8:45
Mile 12	1 Mi	8:39	1:41:55	8:39
Mile 13/.1	1.1 Mi	9:33	1:51:28	8:41

I am REALLY REALLY happy with this race.  I knew I was going out to fast.  Perhaps I could have held that pace-  I didn't want to. I reigned it in the first trip through the Northern Hills in the park, reminded myself that even though I wanted to race, it was still a training run, walked the water stops, and was able to run a pace that was within myself and comfortable to sustain for 13.1 miles.  

Don't get me wrong, my legs were very ready to be done at the end.

But after a too fast 19-miler last weekend, a tempo run on Thursday (bc I'm an idiot), and a bathroom stop, being only 3 minutes off my half marathon personal best (on a very hilly course) makes me a very happy girl.

Mentally, I was all over the place, it was the first race I have ever run that I just didn't want to be there.  I'm right on the edge, and have ONE MORE week until I start to rest.  My body knows it, and is ready to be there.  One more week.  I actually had decided to stop after 1 loop of the park (6 miles) right around mile 3.   Just didn't feel like doing any more.  It was wierd- for no reason at all, I just decided I was going to stop.   I obviously changed my mind at some point, but it was a strange feeling.   It's funny though, I ran into Dr. M, my ortho, after the race, and he said he felt the EXACT same way.  

KONA!

I have mentioned before that one of my best friends qualified for KONA at Eagleman this year, quite unexpectedly. She has worked her ASS off since June to get ready for her first Ironman.

Of course her friends here in NYC and around the country (and world) would love to be at the race to cheer her on, it just didn't work out. However, her roommate and I have put together a little suprise for her to help keep her company during her trip to Hawaii, and feel that her biggest supporters of there with her on race day.

We put together a video for her, posted it on a blog, and asked our friends and families to post good luck messages. It is turning into quite a special thing that makes me tear up everytime I go to check on it. Our friend also just posted the most HYSTERICAL video ever, and I thought I should share.

Hope you all get as big a laugh out of the latest video as I did!!!

100 Good Luck for Julia!

...And RR and Maggs, hope the nutrition advice is helpful :)

Thank you!!

Thanks Maggs!!!

...but I guess this means I need to go swimming?

A lovely mistake.

So at the grocery last night, I picked up the wrong kind of granola bar. Oh, but what a lovely mistake.....



No. Probably not the best thing for the healthy eating goal. But now I have to at least finish the box!

SO GOOD!