Running form

Video from a 5x400 interval workout, this was the last interval. Jake pointed out that my form changed about half-way through and became springier and shorter. I started this one a little conservatively then ramped it up, for a 1:18 quarter mile, a 5:12 pace.

It's weird to watch yourself run...kind of like hearing an audio recording of yourself.  I still think I have a goofy bit of spaghetti arms.

 

Pace of the final interval - started conservatively. Kicked it up with 100 to go.

2010 Virginia Triathlon Series Standings

I raced in five events in the Virginia Triathlon Series, the minimum number to be eligible for a series-end award. As I understand it, and I am probably oversimplifying, points are awarded primarily on how you do compared to the average times of the top 5 finishers. There are probably close to 20 races spread throughout the state, so it's hard to gauge how you compare to the full group of athletes in your age group until it's all tallied.

I discovered today that I ended up in 4th out of the Master's (40+) women. Yes, I'm pleased and humbled. Mostly I am reminded that I do this simply because I love the training and the racing and the community of athletes. The same can be said of Coach Jim, who finished 3rd in the men's master division, just barely edged out of 2nd.

My goal this year was to race in five races and do my best.  I raced happy, healthy, and strong, with three sprints and two olympic distance races under my belt. I got stronger and more confident swimming in open water. My kids are running, working out, and finding joy in moving their bodies. It's a winning direction for all of us!

Boston Marathon

Yesterday at 9 am, registration opened for the 115th running of the Boston Marathon!  I filled out the darn online form about 30 times, and Jake probably did another 20 for me, before a kind soul posted a different link on Facebook that finally worked.  I have a spot, subject to qualifying time verification.  The race filled at 5:03. Just over 8  hours to fill 25,000 spots.

Thanks to filling out the form so many times, I have that qualifying time memorized: 3:38:38!

I got my hotel reservations a while ago, paying a ridiculous amount to be in a hotel right by the finish, but the logistics of staying somewhere cheaper were too overwhelming. Sometimes splurging is worth it.

 

She's got legs

I always used to wish for skinny thighs. Finally, I don't mind these non-pencil thin legs now that they serve a useful purpose.

Good training weeks pop up at the oddest times

The last week and a half I have not felt super fabulous. I'll spare the details because it would just sound whiny anyway, but suffice it to say I'm just off, for whatever reason. It happens.

But unless I am dreadfully sick, gross, or contagious, I do tend to stick to workouts. I believe you can sweat out a lot of bugs, and most of the time I do feel better after a workout. Plus I take a pretty big hit to my mental/emotional well-being if I go too long (i.e. a day) without.

It's a good thing, because I have had a few of my best ever workouts this very week!

The first one was on Monday, when we hit bench. I've had a mental hangup about the idea of benching 135 lbs. It's a bar and one of the BIG 45 lb plates on each side. It's where the guys start, so it's in guy-benching territory, even if barely! We've been working on bench, steadily and consistently every week. I focus on doing the reps Jake wants without looking at what he has loaded to try to take the mental part out of it. On Monday, I hit a strong 2 at 130 I discovered after the fact, so rather than go for my "hang-up" weight of 135, we jumped to 140. I told myself to stick to my groove, just get a tad tighter, and to power through without giving myself a chance to think about how it felt. I just stuck to what works and wouldn't you know it that 140 lifted up with no hesitation!

The second good workout was today, when I had an interval workout on the track: 10x200m. I was wearing my new Saucony Kinvaras, a lightweight minimalist running shoe, for the first time. And I l-o-v-e them!



After a conservative buildup I was set loose on the last two intervals to give a near-max effort. I ran the final one in 36 seconds, or the equivalent of a 4:33 mile pace. It was the fastest I had ever run. EVER. Over 13 mph under my own power. It was totally exhilarating!!

As I was running, I recall thinking that I would like to go faster but I was at a loss for how. It was such an out-of-body experience, with my brain feeling disconnected somehow from the body. My legs were turning over as fast as they could, arms too. Next time I'll think about opening up my stride some. This gave me some perspective on the challenge of running a sub-4 minute mile....faster than I went and 8 times further! Unreal.

That glimpse of speed left me hungry for more. And just last weekend Joan Benoit-Samuelson set a Chicago Marathon age group record for running in 2:46 at age 53. So one never knows!