I am grateful I can run.

The blinking cursor.  I haven't tried to write anything in ages.  Now I have a baby monitor of white noise humming in front of me.  Someone is moving.  Are they waking up?...no.  Babies are sleeping.

Here's the thing.  I love running trail.  And it makes me want to write.    Where it's like, this run, right now, under these trees, with this stifling humidity will be completely forgotten and only experienced now.  Of course, this is how almost all of the entire universe functions, but, still.  It makes me want to write to try and capture it for a few more moments. 

At the end of the street where ...No, I take that back.  It's not how the universe functions.  Those stars we see - they are the light rippling out from their original source, to be experienced again by us.  And anyone else who may be out there.  So, maybe writing about a run is like that.  If we can remember the stars, maybe it's okay to remember my runs.

At the end of the street where I live there are 72 acres of vacant land with a few miles of trail cut in that at least one of my neighbors mows regularly.  This is lovely.  Before he moved in someone less dedicated mowed them less frequently and all the shrubbery was really hard on the shins.  There's one stretch of trail that reminds me of Mike n Don's trail at Farmdale Reservoir in the Illinois River Valley.  (My heart still yearns for that Brigadoon-ish bit of God's country.  Such a special place.)  With pine trees all around and a blanket of pine needles on the ground, it feels sacred.  Not nearly as spectacular as Mike n Don's, but it has the same spirit, and no commute.  And on a hill where there has been some erosion and the red soil is so plain to see - I pretend it's not the red earth of South Carolina, but the red rock of Moab.  It makes me run faster.  Of course, in the summer, the creepy kudzu takes over a good bit of the trails down the hill.  They don't remind me of anything accept a horror film I would never watch, their long viney arms reaching, always trying to trip me up!  On the days I dare, that's when I practice my high stepping. 

Wildlife Prairie Park 4 mile Trail run

Last Saturday I ran the Wildlife Prairie Park Trail run. 4 miles of dirt, rocks, roots, hills, and valleys. Weather was perfect, which I wasn't anticipating, and so I overdressed by wearing capris instead of shorts. Sunny sky with just enough breeze to keep it pleasant.

Pre-race nerves as usual. Excellent race shirt! They were particular about distributing the size shirt you had requested on your race form--so mine fit!! Yay! (You know, race shirts that don't fit because they passed out all the smalls to people who don't know their size is one of my pet peeves.)

The race: I took it pretty easy. I ran with a very friendly retired surgeon named Rich. He was great fun! I realize just now that all the people I run with at Team Steam are women, and I miss running with men. Not that women aren't good running buddies too, but... So I ran with Rich, and since he's doing the Champaign marathon this next weekend, we took it easy.

My time is nothing to be proud of: 45:34. But, it was fun!

Now, talking about times, these are the times that have been recorded at Team Steam workouts:

4/6
2 mile ave pace: 10:23/mi

4/10
2 mile ave pace: 10:29/mi
2 mile ave pace: 11:19/mi

4/13
400 repeats: at paces: 8:04, 8:20, 8:36, 8:08, 7:52, 8:00, 8:16/mile

4/15
2 mile ave pace: 9:51/mi
2 mile ave pace: 10:17/mi

4/27
5k (3.1 mile) ave pace: 9:37/mile
5k (3.1 mile) ave pace: 10:02/mile

I'll plot them on a graph soon, but I can already see I'm improving, yay!

Running Data!!

400 m/1/4 mile repeat data from 4/13 is posted!

My times: 8:04 mile/mile pace, 8:20, 8:36, 8:08, 7:52, 8:00, 8:16.

____

2 mile loops x2 from 4/15 (1st mile up hill, 2nd mile down hill)

1st 2 mile loop: 9:51 min/mile pace, total: 19:41
2nd 2 mile loop: 10:17 min/mile pace, total: 20:33

Goal set: get a 2 mile loop in the 8s!

Track Day - 1/2 mile repeats

-Warm-up: 1 mile run to/from the cemetery
-15 minutes of 1/2 mile repeats on the track = 1.25 miles
-5 min rest
-15 minutes of 1/2 mile repeats - 1 mile.

Total: 3.25

And yesterday I went swimming for the first time in over a year. 1000 yds. It was surprisingly easy!

Man, the hills!

Today we ran around the cemetery. But don't think creepy, or boring, or plain. No, that's not how Peoria does a cemetery. Think a quaint creek, hills to make your legs burn, purple blossomed-trees, and just enough headstones scattered so that you know that you're in a cemetery, but you could almost not notice.

Apparently this is part of the Steamboat Classic. I'm starting to really look forward to that race. Aside from being a very challenging race (with all the hills), it's very pretty scenery! Different from Chicago's lakefront, but no less pretty.

Today's work out:

-1/2 mile warm-up (Should've been 1 mile, but I showed up at 6:01 and missed the proper instructions--these guys run a tight ship!)
-2 mile loop. First mile is basically up hill, 2nd mile mostly downhill
-3 minute rest
-2 mile loop repeat
-1/2 power walk back to car

Total: 4.5-5 with hellahills

Eric, I wish you could be here running these runs. You'd love 'em!!!

Another fun running day!

Yesterday's Workout:

-0.6 mile (I heard it was) warmup run down to the "Goose Loop." The Goose Loop is a D-shaped paved loop down by the river just south of the Komat'su plant. It's called the Goose Loop because it's a very popular hang out place for Canada Geese, and they leave lots of presents on the track. Running near the lake though is nice because there's a big of a breeze.
-15 minutes of 1/4 mile repeats w/ partner, with walking breaks
-5 minute water/rest
-15 minutes of 1/4 mile repeats
-0.6 mile cool down (uphill) run. Nothing like a cool down uphill run. :) I LOVE the hills here! Beat that one, Chicago. Also, these runners are really friendly. Which is to be expected as they are runners AND Peorian.

Total: 3.2-ish miles

I was beet red again when I got home. Yes, I am a competitive recreational jogger.

I love Team Steam!

Today's workout:

-1 mile warm-up, along the creek (this seems like a standard thing)
(a short rest)
-2.6 mile timed "endurance and strength" run: along the creek, in the cemetery like yesterday's 2 mile, then an extra 0.6 up a very very very steep hill! Very steep. (I assume my chip times will be posted tomorrow.)
(3 min or so rest)
-2.6 mile repeat.

Total: 6.2 miles!! Yay! And it feels great. My hamstrings felt really tight the first 5 miles or so, but then they finally relaxed a little. I met and talked and ran with two different women, which made running soooooo much more enjoyable than it has been. This really confirms for me that I am a social runner, and may as well get used to running with a running group. It seems to be a really friendly group. The coaches are great--very encouraging in a not-drill sergeant kind of way. :)

Today was much cooler weather (46F) than Tuesday (75F), which was the hottest run I've had since last year. It's really pretty, where these runs are. Wooded, winding creeks we're always crossing over, lots of old nice pretty trees. Ahh.

Running again

Last night I attended the first night of the season of Team Steam, a running group in Peoria that trains for the Steamboat Classic. I had in my head that this was your average casual friendly running club, and while, yes, they are friendly, they appear to be anything but casual. They distributed timing chips for our shoes and were told to bring them to every workout!

The first workout:

-1 mile warm-up
-interval training: 2 min, 4 min, 2 min, rest, 2 min, 4 min...I lost track.
Then:
-2 mile timed trial!
Cause they wanted to see how we'd perform on 2 miles after our muscles were fatigued. I've never heard of such a thing.

Boy, am I out of shape!! My time: 20:47. (Which, amazingly, is a pass for a woman of my age group on the Army Physical Fitness Test, a whole 66 points. But still sucky compared to where I was a year and so ago.) When I finished, I almost threw up. When I got home, Frank was quite concerned, "you don't usually look like this when you get back from a run." My face was beet red.

Oh, Tuesdays and Thursdays are going to be fun!

A Run blog, cause I need to get serious

Time of departure: 11:15am-ish

Return: 12:00pm-ish
Temperature: 43 F

Route: Around ICC
Approx Distance: 3.3 miles
Running buddy: 2008 Mix CD
Clothing: Athletic pants, sweat wicker, pink running zipper top

What did I eat pre-run? nothin'
How did I feel? Running sucks when you haven't been running. My left knee/ITB attachments were whining periodically. I was really slow for most of it.
What do I like about running? Running makes me feel happy and content.
________________________________

Since moving to Peoria, there have been a few necessary-to-a-happy-life things that I haven't established. One of those things is a running routine. Of course, it doesn't have to be running, it could be some other sort of fitness routine, but running is the best for a couple of reasons. 1) It's inexpensive. I already have all the shoes and gear I need. 2) I can do it on my own schedule at any time. 3) I already know how to do run, how to ready my body when it's cranky or isn't feeling quite right. 4) I can get fresh air and sunshine at the same time I get my exercise. 5) Running really is just the best. Nothing clears my mind as completely as a long hard run does...with the possible exception of a West African Dance class, but that is not an option here in central Illinois.

For awhile after my move, I really wasn't running at all. Then, a couple weeks ago, I started walking more, but still running less. Today though, I decided walking doesn't really do it for me. It's nice enough, it moves my blood around a little, makes my body feel a little less stagnant, but that's not enough for me. I remember talking to Eric way back when about running for the feeling you get after running. That post-run high. That's why I have to run, because running makes me happy. It's gives me a feeling of peace and contentedness. I feel calm in my joints and muscles and relaxed in my mind after a run. I can breathe deeper.

So, it was a beautiful fall day. The whole nice fall day deal: crisp air, golden-sunny blue skies, brown leaves scuttling across the pavement. And it's Halloween! A day of infamous bad weather! But it was a good day for a run. There's a cross country running course carved in amongst the cornfields on the ICC campus and it looked as though a big conference match and just ended. Hundreds of people were dispersing from that area carrying signs like, "Run, Joe, Run!" I picked up my pace running through the herd of running fans, otherwise, I was pretty much at a snails pace. Not my favorite speed to run, but I guess that's where you begin, when you're beginning again.

Merry Halloween!

The sound of the rain on the grass

The sound of the rain on the grass.  This is one of my favorite things here in Peoria, a sound I hadn't heard in a very long time.  In Chicago, rain makes the city loud.  Wet roads make for loud cars and there is enough of both in the city that there is a constant whir wherever you are.  But down here, there is not the incessant backdrop of city noise and when it rains I can hear it. 

The other day we woke up to the radio alarm, as per usual, but there was a National Weather Service alert.  Thunderstorm warning!  I'm always somewhat guarded about sensationalistic journalism, even from the weather channel, so a checked the radar.  A huge slash of red was rolling it's way across most of central Illinois.  So I went outside and saw this!  Now, don't be confused, the light color you are looking at is not cloud, that is the light shining through.  The dark gray is the cloud.  It was very beautiful.  The line between the dark cloud and the bright light was wonderfully and ominously distinct and extended from the northwest horizon to the southwest horizon.  I've never seen anything quite like it.

To the west:

To the east, still peaceful (Frank is on his way to school):

The storm was moving in at 40 mph, with wind gusts up to 60mph:

Above, the clouds were churning:

The wall of rain approached:
In other non-meteorological news: 

I've been trying to establish some fitness routine, which has suffered tremendously since the move.  I've started doing a little yoga again, and some walk-runs while listening to This American Life Podcasts, and I even took out a West African Dance video I had bought 2 years ago but never used.  I've been missing West African Dance classes something awful.  You Chicagoans are really lucky to have Idy Ciss teaching in town, and most of you don't even know it.  :)

I've also started working on some mosaics.  When I visited Portland 2 years ago, I discovered how much I loved mosaics and wanted to get into making them.  I had to move to Peoria to actually begin.  I'll post pictures when my first project is complete.  Guesses about what I'm working on?

Aaaaahnd...the news some of you have been waiting for: the unveiling of the new hobby!  I signed up today for some welding classes at the local community college.  Yep.  Welding!  More on this later.  :)

Last official Chicago "long run"

Saturday was my final "long run" in Chicago. Maybe I'll make some encore long runs when I visit, but that'll be part of a different era. Target distance today was 8 miles in honor of Eric and I having run (on and off) together for 8 years. Also, there's a 15K I'm thinking about doing in a month, and I think Eric has a half marathon in mind.

Time of departure: Late morning. Not sure; the clocks are gone in my place.
Return: We got to Alice n Friends at 12:15

Temperature: WARM, almost hot. low 70s, probably, but the sun was really powerful.
Wind Chill: eh.
Lake Temp: 50s, it looks like

Route: Down the lakefront to Addison drinking fountain, then in to the lake, and north to ANF
Approx Distance: 8 miles
Running buddy: Eric and Matt
Clothing: Shorts, t-shirt, running hat. THANK YOU, ERIC, for pressuring me to buy a running hat last year. I can't imagine sunny or rainy days without it now.

The Drive Activity: Eh.
Dog beach Activity: Hoppin'!!

What did I eat pre-run? A 600 calorie blueberry scone from Bittersweet and coffee. Yea, great pre-run snack. Maybe that's why I had side stitches.
How did I feel? I was cranky, it was hot, my diaphram and/or right intercostals were all tangled up.
What do I like about running? I like knowing that because this run sucked, the next one should feel good. IF, I ever get any good sleep at least, which is somewhat dependent on my kitty calming down about this move.
______________________________________________________

Oh, what is there to say? Last times and good-byes are always bittersweet. Maybe it was a good thing the run felt kinda crappy and I was kinda cranky. But, the lakefront was beautiful and everyone and their sister's soccer team was out playing somewhere. 6 teams I think it was playing within the vicinity of the Montrose Hill and many more up and down the path. Lots of delicious smelling BBQs. Lots of people out on the bike and running pathes. A few adventurous souls on the beaches that opened this weekend. A very happenin' Montrose Dog Beach...

We had post-run brunch at ANF, since I basically have nothing in the way of cooking materials or eating equipment. Followed by a post-run nap in my basically unfurnished apartment while waiting for someone to come buy my bookshelf:


:)

The Final Countdown!

This is where I am:

This is where I want to be:

Oh, the agony!

But, in the interest of tying up loose ends, I used a gift card a client had given me a year and a half ago to this cute boutique-y store in Winnetka called Randoons.  I used it to purchase this delightful bag:

Oh, and Matt and I ran 6 miles last night.   It was good.  Steamboat, here I come!

Life in East Peoria - Week 1 Installment

As predicted, the weather was 72 degrees and sunny on Tuesday.  Perfect for strapping all my stuff to Frank's flatbed and moving it south out of Chicago.  

The drive seemed loooong after a late night of packing, early morning of massaging, mid-day delivery of my bed frame to a third floor apartment in Uptown (yes, that's right, I sold my bed frame!), and a couple hours of carrying the big heavy boxes downstairs and strapping everything down.  Before leaving, I fed Frank some "hippie food" = tofurkey slices on sprouted grain bread with spinach and vegenaise.  Sweet pickle relish and mustard seemed to make it tolerable.  (This is to be one of my new hobbies, finding meals that are agreeable to the both of us.)  But, just in time for rush hour, we headed out of town...long drive...and we arrived in East Peoria to a lightening show which thankfully didn't turn into a rainstorm until just after we'd finished unloading all my stuff.  

We've spent the last few days unpacking, sorting, and rearranging.  We've had a few fun projects.  

• We took a sledge hammer to an old cell phone of mine.  The one the kittens tried to kill a bunch of times, that I'd dropped in a smoothie...it's totally dead now.
• I helped Frank solder on a new switch to an old broken electric guitar that he now has up and running.  Yay!  That thing is super loud when plugged into a bass amp.  I may have to dig out my ear plugs.
• I used electric pruners for the first time to trim a willow-ish tree and then pulled a bunch of weeds, at the same time giving myself a--pardon my language--tramp stamp of sunburn.  Ouch!  It still hurts back there.  Next time, longer shirt or sunscreen above the belt line.  
  
• We determined whether or not a couple of boxes of old books are sell-able on amazon.  One I've been finding very interesting to read is, Those Wonderful Old Automobiles by Floyd Clymer, published in the 1950s about the automobiles of the 1890s to the 1920s.  So interesting how inventors and marketers were trying to figure out what the future was going to be for these horseless carriages.  
• Hippie food voted Most Tolerable by Frank that I've prepared to date: Thinly sliced baked teriyaki tofu pan/stir fried with thinly sliced onions and julienned carrots over soba noodles with Soy Vay Teriyaki Sauce.   Tempeh, seitan, tofu, couscous, lentil patties..these are ALL new to Frank and he's been really great about trying everything. 

*****

I've been on two runs:

Wednesday, May 13th, afternoon - 3.8 mile Run - around ICC

I ran in the afternoon/evening around the local community college.  It sucked because I haven't been running much lately, but here are the highlights:

• Scared 1 Great Blue Heron in a water retention pond so that it took flight to another corner of the pond
• Ran by 1 motorcycle class at the college
• Saw 2 other runners
• Ran though the horticultural lab at the college and felt a sense of "home" when I saw that the lab was a U of I extension.  Seeing that old Orange and Blue and familiar font was pleasing.  I'm looking forward to visiting Urbana-Champaign soon. 
• The third mile of the run is alongside a golf course, which is pretty and I like it.
• The route has a few gently rolling hills, which are more fun than the utter flatness of Chicago's terrain.  

Friday, May 15th, 8:06am - 3.8 mile run - around ICC

It was raining and 57 degrees outside; after an argumentative internal dialogue, I was able to get myself out of bed at 7:57am, into running clothes and out the door.   Of course, the rest is relatively easy, and, despite the cold rain (or maybe because of it), this run was much more pleasant.  I saw no other runners, no birds, no fun looking classes, but it never actually sucked and I never felt like I had to sternly tell myself to keep running, I just did.  

*****

Some of Frank's bandmates are runners and are going to be doing the Steamboat Classic 15K on June 20th.  It's supposed to have two monster hills in it.  The big shocker about this: the late registration for this event is only $25.  In Chicago, I doubt there is any 5K run that is less than $35, not to mention a long run like 15K!  So I'm tentatively planning on participating.  They also run with a local running club which I will consider joining.  

With this Steamboat event in mind, I've created the following long run plan with shorter runs filling in in the next few weeks.  If I stick to it, I'll probably do the Steamboat:

Sunday, May 24th - 6-8 miles

Saturday, May 30th - 7-9miles  (Eric, you game?)

June 7th - 8-10 miles

June 14th - Batavia Triathlon

June 20th - Steamboat 15k  (9.3 miles)

Tomorrow I've decided I need to start thinking about finding a job...  

A run blog for old times sake...

for a run, for old times sake:

Time of departure: 9:00pm
Return: after 10:20pm-ish
Sunrise: 5:41am
Sunset: 7:52pm
Phase of the moon: Waxing Gibbous, 84% of moon of full.  But I don't know if I believe this to be true.  I mean, it must be because that's what the computer says, but I remember seeing a moon only half full.  

Temperature: 62-55F
Lake Temp: 38-52F  (What a difference location makes right now.)

Route: The old usual.
Approx Distance: 6 miles
Running buddy: Matt
Clothing: Rome marathon pants, LS sweat wicker, trail shoes...can't figure out where I've put my running shoes.  I guess they're in Peoria.

The Drive Activity: Quiet.
Dog beach Activity: It was dark.
People tally:  We're not counting people anymore.

What did I eat pre-run?  Some tortilla chips.  
How did I feel?  Alright.  Nervous about my knee.  (Actually, by knee I mean some weird pain near the head of my right fibula.  Not sure what it is though.)  It didn't hurt while running, but it's feeling stiff and irritated now...hmm...maybe I'll try ICY HOT.  That's still in Chicago.  
What do I like about running?  I like that Matt and I have been running on and off together for 2 and 3/4 years, Eric and I for probably 8 years now.  It's a good way to become friends with someone, I think.  
________________________________

So, my days in Chicago are winding down as my move to Peoria become eminent and with that there is an unformed list of things to do before I leave.  One (or a couple) of those things are mid-week runs with Matt.  There was a solid year when my every-other-day 6 mile runs with Matt were a central part of my life here.  They provided a backdrop, a canvass, upon which everything from the changing seasons to romantic relationships to unscientific experiments were observed, witnessed, discussed.

Our running routine developed to:

1) agree what minute to leave our respective homes

2) run towards and meet at pre-determined point equidistant from our homes

Of course, it would never happen that we'd get to the intersection at the same time.  I would leave a minute late, or Matt would run too fast getting there, or (it only happened once) Matt may over sleep, or (it happened more than once) I would over sleep.  But, today we arrived at the intersection at precisely the same time!  Matt said, ah, but not on purpose; he had been on his computer (updating his resume--yay! Matt!), and at 9:02 realized it was 9:02, put on his shoes, and left his house.  Ah, then, I said, it was serendipitous!

i feel fantastic

Okay, so I may not be in marathon shape right now, but I'm feeling pretty awesome.  I can WAD all I want; I have both enough strength and stamina to keep the knees up and to keep it going.  I'm feeling pretty strong swimming.  I think I'm running a bit faster (though not longer at the moment); I've decided to work on running faster for shorter distances for the time being.  After a couple of spin classes and one bike to/from work, I feel awesome on the bike.  I can sit seiza longer now than I'd been able to for the whole time I've been doing Aikido--somehow my quads are in better shape than they've been before.  Yoga feels pretty good...  So, all around, I'm feeling in good shape.  

Change one little thing at a time...I don't buy it

It seems to be an understood rule out there that one shouldn't try to makeover their life in one fell swoop.  Change one particular habit and after that becomes normal, change another.  But I think, go for the gusto.  Mix it up.  Why not?  Come up with a workable plan and implement it.  I started 2 of 3 business classes last Wednesday, joined the YMCA on Friday (and swam Friday, swam Sunday, Ran/did weights Monday, in a bit I'll leave to swim), and started Weight Watchers on Saturday (and I'm doing a *great* job of writing down everything I'm eating and preparing nutritious meals ahead of time--go me!) and now it's the following Tuesday and I feel awesome.  And a, "yes, *finally*, I'm moving in a direction I want to go."  I suppose it could happen that I fall on my face, but I don't anticipate such a future.  Yay!  I love getting unstuck!

Run again

Last Saturday.  9 miles with Eric and Jordan.  Cold but right around freezing, so not so bad.  Just a bit of wind from the south.  Decent clip 'cept for when we walked a bit. Running sucks until you're done.  Blueberry pancakes.

What am I doing with my life?

Looking for a sign or some inspiration or something.   

Hello? 

Running again

I went for a run today with Jamie.  4 miles.  Cold, but not super cold.

Jedi Mind Tricks

And the Art of Getting Out the Door to Run. The real story.

1) Bury deep the thoughts and feelings of how running sucks. (Once you start down the dark path...)

2) Plan to run early in the morning the night before. Upon waking, tend to the minimum of personal self care tasks, get dressed, and get out the door as soon as possible. Avoid any thought of what will happen when you cross the threshold. Make getting out the door AS SOON AS POSSIBLE your primary objective, this avoids giving the mind the opportunity to procrastinate.

3) Think about what you will eat when you're done running and how good that food will feel in your mouth, nourishing your cells.

4) Think about all the HOT bodies you'll see on the path. Think about being/becoming one of those HOT bodies someone else will see on the path. :)

5) Savor and enjoy the challenge and discipline of running long or running fast. Indulge the competitor inside of you, the seeker of adventure inside of you. Know that if you don't run this time when you said you would, it'll be that much more difficult to run next time. (This is karma!)

6) To follow up on #2, have a procedure in mind. As in:

Have running clothes readily available... Toilet. Brush teeth. Neti pot if necessary. Eat 2-4 dates. Grab gel shot. Drink water. Out the door.

7) Think about what cool place you're going to go run next. Barcelona? The Carribbean? The Great Wall? Think about other people being jealous and in awe of your exploits. (This is a desperate measure, I admit, but sometimes necessary.)

8) Remember that there will be moments where running is bliss. You have to run the sucky runs to get to the blissful ones. They do exist and they are the best of times.

9) Remember when you're done, you will be happier, calmer, and feel more at-one with the universe.

10) And the ultimate, fail-safe plan: make plans to meet a (reliable) running buddy you like to gossip with and have a ball! :)

Calling forth a paradigm shift -- Yasso Day #2

So today was another day of Yasso 800s. And after yesterday's dance class, my gastrocs were killing me. Imagine if you balled up two pieces of aluminum foil, but instead of putting them in the recycling bin, like normal people would, you stuffed them into my calves and called them muscles--that's how it felt. Try running with those legs.

Even so, today went like this:

1 mile warm up jog
stretch/massage gastrocs
#1 800m 3 min 34 sec (gastrocs didn't feel so bad. but my esophagus was burning)
#2 800m ???
#3 800m ???
#4 800m 3 min 47 sec
I started to run a 5th one, but my legs just said, "nope! I think not."
1 mile cool down jog

cough cough cough cough cough...for 20 minutes or so until I'd consumed one post-run beer and one post-run pizza slice. Finally, I stopped coughing. There was a lot of particulate matter in the air today (this is the nerd speak for I inhaled shit and it embedded itself into the back of my esophagus).

Anyhow, it was 4 miles of actual run/jogging with some recovery walk/jog laps in there. So 4- 3/4 miles total. And I was happy with these times--an improvement from last week. I think my goal next week will be to get 4 repeats under 3:40, and then I'll build from there.

I forgot to bring my watch, so I don't have times for #2 and #3, I could only beg for a timer for runs 1 and 4, but I know at least they weren't worse than the 4th one. And the 4th Yasso was equal to the first one of last week, which is interesting. Again, according to Bert (or Bart?) Yasso, I'd need to run 10 repeats of a 3min40sec 800m to be at a place where I could qualify for Boston. Which is 18 1/2 weeks away. I have time to make myself cough a lot a lot.

This is all Eric's idea, btw. I'm not naturally as ambitious as this........but ambition might be a contagious thing.

Here are what my stats would need to be to make this Boston thing a possibility:

1 mile: 6:54 (yikes! This blows my mind. I can't imagine running a sub-7 minute mile.)
5K: 22:57
10K: 47:52 (7:43 min/mile pace) (Last June I did at 10K in 52:55. A lot has happened since then, so maybe this is possible.)
10miles: 1:19:15
13.1 miles: 1:45:31
Marathon: 3:40:00 (8:23 min/mile pace)

And training paces:

9:26-10:39 Long run training pace (Sounds do able, especially now that it's not 15 degrees anymore.)
7:52 Tempo Run training pace
7:20 or 3:40/800m Yassos

Dude, so on Hal's Novice 2 or Intermediate 1 training programs, when he says 5 mile pace run, is he talking about at this 7:52 pace? Or the 8:23 marathon pace? Or, should I think in terms of 7:52 because I'll have to slow down to get water and blood oranges (if Chicago would only be so generous). I don't get it. Not that I'm going to know exactly anyhow, cause I'm not running on a track or treadmill, but what's the goal?

According to Yasso, Eric's right on target with his repeats, and Matt's on track to be in the sub-3:00 marathon club, should he choose to, which means he is waaaaaay too cool to hang out with us. :p Now we just have to do this shit 10 times (that's 5 miles worth PLUS warmup, recovery, and cooldown...and this is supposed to be less than 10% of our weekly training mileage??? Hmm).

Weird how this is such a different blog than I was writing a year and a bit ago. My interest in running has shifted. Welcome in: the paradigm shift.

Now, how do I race?