November Training

Well, the year had been rather disappointing and instead of doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results (insanity) I decided I needed a change.  It was an extremely tough decision, but I decided to change up my training with a new coach as of November 1st.  I LOVED my last coach, I had been with him for almost 4 years and I have all the confidence in the world in him.  However, I felt like I needed to try to impress someone new.  Mike was great and always found the silver lining, however I somehow knew if it didn't go well he'd make it okay, which is great and he did.  But it was almost like I lost that drive to try to impress him (or my team for that matter) because I was old news or they/he wouldn't think of me any less.  Twisted I know, but I needed a change that was going to light a fire underneath my butt again.

So November 1st, I started a new, intense, training program.  The biggest difference was the emphasis on my recovery days.... run SLOW.  I'm not talking crazy slow, but 8 minute pace.  Yes, this was very hard at first.  The day after a race or workout it wasn't abnormal for Emily and me to push the pace, running some sub 7 minute miles, totally unnecessary.  In addition, we've added a lot of strength routines (ugg these are so time consuming!), and hard efforts for all my long runs on top of 2 workouts plus a turnover workout.  So really, those 8 minute recovery days are so needed as they only occur 3 days a week!

Despite all the workouts I wanted to keep my promise to my team that I would run both Stockade-athon and Troy Turkey Trot.  Stockade-athon didn't go so well, however I do believe a lot of it was mental.  For some reason I told Mollie to go and take off just after mile 4 when another female came up on us.  I should have went.  This was technically an easier mile on the course and I let them go.  At this point in the race I was thinking I should just shut it down and finish as a workout, damn it I have to finish because we only had 3 people on our A team to score, me being the third.  Surprisingly (or not so much) this was my slowest mile of the race.  Given the course, this should not have been the case!!!

2 days later I had a workout.   I got stuck operating late at work for almost 12 hours.  When I got home it was dark, cold and raining--so miserable.  But I had to do the work.  I headed to SUNY for a 3 mile warm up, then got on the track.  Hit the workout (okay the first rep was a little slow, but its so hard to judge your pace in the dark, you always think you're running faster!), got home had a protein shake before passing out.  I continued the week with a good 10k tempo at a small race in Hudson Falls on my way up to Lake George for my cousin's bachelorette party.  After a fun afternoon/evening with the ladies I passed out in my bed at the house they rented to catch some sleep before a hard long run the next morning.  I woke up to nasty freezing rain/sleet/snow the next morning, I was about to throw the hard long run out the door.  Thankfully, some of the Willow Street gang agreed to meet me at Zim Smith and Brittany was still up for doing the workout. 14 miles total, with the first 2 being an easy warm-up.  We averaged 6:26 for the next 12 miles, making it a good day.

60 degrees one day, then snow the next!  Glad I
got to wear my new Skechers crop top before bra season is over!

Then came Thanksgiving, the Troy Turkey Trot.  I didn't have much confidence going into the race and already told everyone that asked if I was going to win again this year "No".  I said my teammate had been running great and I wasn't so I was hoping for second place.  I had a race strategy going into the race in attempt to get me just under 37 minutes.  The first mile was a little slick!  We go over a bridge that we then make a 180 degree turn around a cone to come back on.  A guy in front of me fell.  I literally stopped dead in my tracks to make that turn.  Brittany was ahead of me, but I kept telling myself not to get too far back, stay within distance.  By mile 1 I pulled up along the side of her and continued to go.  I was pleasantly surprised when I came through mile 3 pretty much right where I wanted to be.  Then came mile 4--wow I didn't die, then 5--really?!, mile 6 and the finish.  I ran 36:26, 8 seconds slower than my PR for the distance a year ago.  I was excited.  I didn't think I was in shape for that, or my legs would respond after the heavy past week and a half of training...wait that means I am in shape?!  It's amazing how running can be so mental....

Willow Street took the 1-2-3 sweep and clearly won the team division.  A great day for running and to eat lots of food after!