Another morning, Another mile

Or 3 mile repeats!

It was such a beautiful morning to run too! The weather was perfectly cool and crisp! I love mornings like this. Makes ya want to run and run and run. 

Good group showing today too which is always nice! It's a good thing we aren't grumps in the morning! :)

Did a warm up walk over to Copperfield housing development. It's just across the street from the Rec Center so it's close and easy. I had mapped it out yesterday for mileage and if we went all the way around the development and then the "green space" we would come right in at a mile. Perfect! And it's a small, community/neighborhood so the CAR situation is a minimum! I think there were maybe 2 cars out this morning. Granted it was "o'dark thirty" but even Fabulous Farrell road has at least 5 cars at that time!  We started with a warm-up job around the "green space" while Boss Lady delivered some coupons to a friends mailbox in the area. The green space all the way around is exactly .25 miles...or so the untrusty Nike app says (more on that later!)

And then we started off to the left, once we figured out where to leave our waters!  The first mile was good. It was fast. 10:22/mile. See! TOLD YOU IT WAS FAST! I mean seriously, my "planned pace" for these 1600's is 11:30/mile. I ran it in 10:22! Boss Lady said she would time me. I kept up with her for at least .75 of the miles. She is seriously fast! I told Holly that it was ridiculously fast. I mean seriously, how does someone run that fast?! And that isn't even Boss Lady's regular pace! AMAZING!!!!

Second mile, not so pleasant. Cristen and I kinda hung to the back a little not too far behind. We could still hear their conversations. We didn't have any of our own. I was concentrating on breathing and not dying. Cause running that fast it felt like I was going to die. Did that one in 10:40/mile. So I'm slowing down a little. To be expected. GEEZ! STILL FASTER THAN MY NORMAL PACE...BY 2 MINUTES!

Holly, or maybe it was Katie, asked Cristen if she was training for anything. Nope. She's just "along for the ride". I want to be along for the ride someday. Maybe over the winter? Nah, I will always be training I think. Always improving.

The third mile, I wanted to go to the right. My head and heart just wanted to go another way. See things from the other side. I think mentally I thought it would go faster. Not really. 10:50/mile.  But still on my target pace! Maybe it was the switch up? Maybe it was the beautiful sunrise. I asked Boss Lady to take a picture since she has her phone in her hand when she runs. It was so pretty. It gave me a renewed sense of be up that early. Usually we are running west when the sun comes up so I don't see it. 

However, keep in mind that the last mile should have been faster than the first. But when I come out of the gate MORE THAN 2 MINUTES FASTER than my average race pace of 12:38/mile it's kinda hard to keep going like that. I will continue to work on it. I have 4 1/2 weeks left until Akron.

At the end of the third, Boss Lady and I were discussing the times and mileage. I don't think my "untrusty Nike app" reached the full mile or it was over the mile by the time I was "allowed" to stop, each and every time. She said "you know when it's off by .10 or .15 miles, it's a lot and it can really hurt your time." Yep. She's absolutely correct. Why would I want to keep running when I don't have to?! So, I have now purchased the watch. I caved. Gave in to the running bug/cult/groupie/wannabe whatever and bought a running watch. Garmin 205 to be exact. I considered the Garmin Forerunner 305 as that is what Boss Lady and Holly have. It's about $140 MORE than the 205. And the one significant difference is that the 305 has a heart rate monitor and the 205 does not. I don't need anymore gadgets (Kelly, wink!) I'm good. So now I will have a watch and will be able to get a more accurate and concise time and mile reading. It will be fun. It will be worth it. I can't wait to use it on my LR 10 miler on Friday! YES!!!!!!!!!

I also managed to get to the gym Tuesday morning with BFFAE! Quick walk on the treadmill and then some leg weights. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel after the spill I took Monday morning. I was stiffing up pretty bad by the time I went to bed. But the Aleve did the trick and I was up and at it Tuesday morning!  I am going to the gym again Thursday morning. This time for some arms and up body weights! I missed my gym time with my BFFAE! 

Me and Cristen!

Cristen turned the big 4-0 yesterday! I know quit a few people who are turning the BIG 4-0 this year! I am not (hehehehe...just wanted to add that...hate me later!) So proud of her! She's just "along for the ride!" at 40!

 

SO PROUD OF THIS KIDDO

On another note, tonight is Nate's first scrimmage as a middle school football player. I am so excited for this!!! For the last 5 years there have been two football teams...PURPLE and GOLD. Just a lot of kids playing football and almost every pee-wee league has 2 teams per grade. But TONIGHT begins a ONE TEAM play. It will be so nice to see all these boys who have been friends since kindergarten or so come together and play on one team. Unfortunately, his game jersey number has changed from #13 to #74. He still has #13 as his practice jersey. Huh, #13. Half-marathon is 13.1! I think #13 just may be my new lucky number.

Until Friday...

Run. Strong

-t-