PJ 10 Miler race report

This is the first race I've really done since Memphis, and it was nice being in a race atmosphere again. We did PJ as a training run, my last 20, with 5 miles before and 5 after. Our plan was to run 7:40 pace, my goal marathon pace for Boston (three weeks!), for the 10 miler. No dice. Rolled through just under 7:20s the whole way, with a sub-7 final mile and a few close to 7. Awesome run considering Iroquois hills and the fact I was never running hard. I talked the whole time, probably much to my training partner's dismay.

PJ was good again this year, well-staffed and friendly. I still dislike the finish -- too much time running on the squishy grass. It did give me an opportunity to catch a girl who had passed us in Iroquois. My competitive streak makes it hard to do a race as a training run -- we did the same thing during our first 20 miler in the summer. I went into a 5k thinking of running slow and easy, just a smidge faster than usual long run pace ... so maybe 8 minute miles. I did a 23-minute 5k, somewhere in the 7s. Oops.

Definitely felt good today. Had a weird ankle thing going on late last week/early this week, but it appears to be all gone. I'm heading into happy taper time!

It's funny to remember at this time last year I hadn't even run a 10k.

Lessoned learned

Do not help your friend move her entire second floor apartment across town to a third floor apartment, in a four hour move-stravaganza, then go for a long run. Bad idea. I could tell early on I was tired -- who knows how many stairs I climbed, plus I didn't get lunch -- but was alright until around mile 15. It was those last three that weren't much fun.

And talk about not fun -- should have seen me on Monday. My arms (where I have recurring bouts of tendonitis in my wrists and arms from typing) were amazingly sore, so much so I couldn't hold a pen. My back hurt, my neck hurt, my legs hurt. I hobbled around like an 80-year-old woman all day.

So Monday became the logical off day, especially since my work schedule shifted a little this week. Tuesday I banged out 10x400 with 400 recoveries, all of which I ran faster than I thought I would, averaging 1:31 for the efforts.

I have two more 20 milers left, one this weekend and one March 29, as part of Papa John's 10 miler. Just under six weeks to go until Boston!

Weather!

My goodness, what a crazy week. Monday it was bright and sunny, a seemingly blistering 70 degrees. Tuesday it decides to be freezing again, and windy. (Plus we did 9x800 with 200 recoveries. Ouch.) Wednesday, pretty nice weather. Friday, blizzard. Saturday, blizzard. Sunday, warm and sunny.

Pretty good week for me, although feeling a little tired after hitting 60 miles last week. Got to 46 this week, hope to be back around 50 the rest of March.

I'm pretty excited about Papa John's coming up, we're planning it as a 20 mile run. Five mile warm up, 10 miles at marathon pace, five mile cool down.

OH! Think I am doing an ultra in June, in Indiana.

Too tired for more!

I <3 Mizuno

I got my apparel shipment last week, which took the better part of the day to go through - since, obviously, I needed to try on every piece. Shorts, capris, sleeveless tanks, shimmels, t-shirts ... And it all matches!

My stepdaughter started track this week, too, which I'm very excited about. She's never been on a sports team, so I commend her for picking up a sport as a high school freshman. Even if she doesn't like track, I hope it encourages her to try other things.

I am deep, deep in training right now -- probably doing a little too much. I haven't taken a day off in 11 days, but I think it's time for one. I was feeling okay until Monday, when my legs were just kind of sluggish. They weren't any better at speed session last night, which was discouraging. So probably an easy run today and Friday, with Thursday off.

Pretty hard run coming up, as my training group tackles the Iroquois "Hard 10" loop on Saturday and follows it up with an 18 miler on Sunday.