Update and a half

Well it's been a century or two since I last updated. In October of last year, I PRed at the Race for the Cure. Then in January I ran the Disney Half Marathon in Orlando, complete with snow and sleet. Easily the most horrible running experience of my life. Between not enjoying the training for it in general and not having an enjoyable race day, I decided that there would be no more long races in 2010. When the River Run came and went without me, it was the most glorious feeling to be tucked in my bed, sound asleep. I was getting to the point that I didn't like running, and there's no point in dragging myself through long runs if it meant I ended up hating the sport. My weight has been an issue as it is -- if I burn out on the one consistent exercise format I have, that won't be good.

 

So, short runs! Yay!

 

As I mentioned, the Race for the Cure was a great race for me. The weather was absolutely ideal -- 60 degrees and sunny. I managed to keep a 10min/mi pace through the entire thing, no walk breaks (I think my official pace is 10:02 or something, since the course is always a bit long). It was a challenge, but I felt so accomplished at the end of it. So that was my goal this year -- PR again in the same race. I'm super-optimistically shooting for 9:30, but I'll be happy with anything faster than 10.  Right now I have roughly 3 months. I can currently run 3 1/2mi intervals at 9:30.. that's a long way from 3.1mi with no walk breaks! I'm sort of doing a couch-to-5K type plan (which is odd for someone who's run a marathon to say) to get to the speed I want. I find that just trying to run faster over a set distance is more difficult for me. So if I start out at the pace I want, over short distance, I'm hoping it'll be more productive and I can just start to increase the distance and eventually stitch the intervals together. We'll see how that works out soon enough!

 

I've also focused a lot more on general fitness as opposed to running this year. I've been doing more weight circuit training since I joined a gym with a friend. And I've been doing intervals like I mentioned.. but I haven't been doing any long runs. I think this will probably hurt me in the long run (um, no pun intended), since I was running 7-10mi on the weekends this time last year. I need to kick it up in that department. I don't think just the intervals are going to be enough to get me to my goal. It's going to be rough though, considering that I haven't run outside since probably early June..? It's HOT out there!