Race Week!- Training Updates, Race Goals & Plan, and the rest of the nitty gritty

Race week is here!!!

Rock N Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Training Updates

Week 12
October 16-22

Monday 10/16- 6.9 miles. This was a speed work tempo effort.  It was supposed to be 2 miles warm up, 2 x 1.5 miles at half marathon effort. My goal pace for this workout was 7:40 per mile.  At this point in my training 7:40 pace should feel manageable.  During the summer months, I was able to hit a mile and longer intervals at 7:30 pace.
On this day it was a little warm (about 73 degrees).  But, that's not really that hot.  I hit the first mile at 7:50, and I felt like I was dying, the last half mile of the interval was a struggle, so I took my 400-meter recovery easy, and I stopped to stretch.  During the 2nd interval I hit 7:50 again, and my left leg from my hip down to my calf was on fire.  My legs felt tight and I just had no more to give.  I bailed early and ran a short cool down.

Later on that night I noticed that I was feeling overall fatigue and not just running fatigue.  My sinuses were inflamed and I figured that I had caught a slight cold.


Tuesday 10/17  3.9 Miles-I still felt under the weather but, not too horrible.  I was supposed to run for 45 minutes at general aerobic effort, but I thought that I  had forgotten my socks in my gym bag at lunchtime.  15 minutes into my lunch break I found my socks.  I only had time for a 35-minute run, and I decided to run a little faster than general aerobic effort.

Wednesday- 10/18 Rest-  I had to pick up last minute accessories for my kids Halloween costumes

Thursday 10/19 Rest- I was still feeling crummy so I took another rest day

Friday 10/20- 7.8  Miles for the day.  I ran 3.1 miles of fasted cardio on the treadmill at 5:30 in the morning, and at lunchtime, I ran 4.7 miles at general aerobic effort.

Saturday 10/21 10 Miles- 3 miles general aerobic, 6 miles tempo effort, 1 mile general aerobic.  There is so much road construction happening in my neighborhood right now.

So I moved my run a few blocks away.  This was a sort of flat area, and the change of scenery was nice. Here's the data

Sunday 10/22  1.8 mile hike with my kids  My right plantar fascia is bugging me, but sometimes moving around helps to relieve some of the stiffness in my feet/ankle.

Week 13

Monday 10/23 4 miles recovery effort.  This was my last run in one of my favorite pairs of shoes.

Thank you for lasting close to 300 miles.  I will still wear you
to the park and to the grocery store.

Tuesday 10/24- 3.7 miles recovery effort and a few strides, And just like that it's freaking hot again.  The daytime high is 93 degrees.  I did this run early in the morning.

Wednesday 10/25- 7.3 miles  3 miles general aerobic, 3 miles at goal half marathon effort, 1.3 mile cool down.  I did this workout at 8:00am. I had the day off from work because my parents are in town from California.
I did this workout at Sunset Park so I wouldn't have to worry about traffic.  My goal half marathon pace is 7:38 per mile.  Here's the data.

This workout lifted my spirits.


Thursday 10/26- Rest

Friday 10/27- 3.5 Miles at recovery effort

Saturday 10/28- Rest

Sunday 10/29- 8.6 miles at a relaxed effort. I averaged about 9:20 per mile.  I have been feeling really uneasy about running on bike paths in my neighborhood, so I ran the same loop three times so that I could stay close to home.


Week 14

Monday 10/30- 4.2 miles recovery effort and strides.

Tuesday 10/31- Rest

Wednesday  11/1- 9 miles and the last "big" workout of this training cycle.  2 miles warm up, strides, 2 x 2.5 miles at half marathon effort, and a cool down. I drove out to an area that I used to live and run in because I wanted an area that was somewhat flat, free of traffic, but not too isolated. It has a two mile loop with minimal turns.   I did this workout on my lunch break.  I was able to hit 7:35 average pace for the first 2.5-mile interval, but the second interval was closer to 7:45 pace.   But, I'll take it.  I stopped my watch three times during the 9 miles.  Once during the first mile to use the bathroom, Once during the strides to stretch, and after the 2nd interval to catch my breath.  Here's the data.

Thursday 11/2 30 minutes at recovery effort.  My right ankle and foot are bothering me.  But, again running out the stiffness helps.

Friday 11/3 5 miles on the treadmill. 48 minute at general aerobic effort.  This run was frustrating because my ankle was bugging me and my foot pod wasn't working.

Saturday 11/4- Rest

Sunday 11/5 6.3 Mile  35 minutes at maintenance effort 20 minutes at tempo effort.  I was feeling a little tired from Wednesday's speedwork.  My calves felt really tight.  But, my foot and ankle were feeling fine.

Week 15
Monday 11/6- Rest

Tuesday 11/7- 40 minutes maintenance effort-

Wednesday 11/8- 35 minutes recovery effort, 6 x 30-second strides at 10k effort.  Tapering is so weird.  During the recovery effort my legs felt heavy I wasn't breathing hard, I just felt sluggish.  But, when it was time to do the strides, I had to back off on my pace because I was running them at 5k effort...

Thursday 11/9 -Rest

Friday 11/10 - 30 minutes recovery effort, 6 x30 second strides at 10k effort.   I did this run first thing in the morining and it was still dark outside.


Summary of this Training Cycle
Well, I'm glad that I'm not racing a marathon this weekend.  I still had a 16-week training cycle and I averaged about 27-32 miles per week.  Each week had a long run of 8-11 miles and there was at least one structured speed work session, and one cut down run.
I don't think I could have fit any more running into my schedule. Next week I sit for the Auditing and Attestation section of the CPA exam  (November 16th), and I'm saving all of my prayers for the exam instead of this race.

Running has been a wonderful outlet, but it has also been a stressor as well.  I put high expectations on myself and when I don't nail a workout I will feel bad about not being as fast as I used to be.

I used to race more often, but as I get older I find that I end up choosing one or two goal races per year, and put my eggs into those baskets.  I do enjoy the build up over the training cycle and the "high" that racing a goal race can bring.
I'm hoping to not take myself as seriously next year, and try to find more low 5k and 10k races.

Race Strategy
I plan on doing a short warm-up of 1-2 miles, but they may be hard to accomplish trying to get in and out of the corrals.  I expect and hope that the security on the strip will be tight.

The first two miles will be on a slight incline, and the start is crazily crowded so I hope to hit the first two miles at 7:55-7:45 pace, we then flip a u-turn and run on a very slight decline for the next 8 miles, I plan to drop down to 7:40 pace,  The last three miles will be on slight incline but my goal is to drop down to 7:30 pace and hold on for dear life.

Race Goals

A-Sub 1:40- I will be absolutely flabbergasted if I break 1:40 (7:38 per mile)
B -1:42:30 This is closer to 7:45-7:50 pace per mile and sounds within reach.
C Sub 1:45-  I should be able to accomplish this goal




Thoughts and Fears
After the events of October 1st, I've been trying to move on, but the grief and anger still come and go.  I'm also a bit nervous about racing on the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday night. I don't want to live my life in fear, but the thoughts of a copycat shooter have briefly put fear in my mind.

I have discussed with my husband possible contingency plans if something were to happen.  I plan on carrying my car key fob with me in case I don't make it back to my gear check bag.  I also told my husband to answer any and all phone calls on Sunday night even if he doesn't recognize the number.

Normally I enjoy wearing bright colors when I run

but I think instead I am going to wear black.

I also bought some new shoes a few weeks ago.

I found these on sale at the Nike Outlet for $59.99 Normally
the Lunar Glide is $120.  I didn't like these shoes for
marathon training, but I like a lighter shoe for speed workouts
and I have done some of my longer runs in this shoe.

The weather should be perfect.  The start will be around 70 degrees but there won't be any wind.  And with the sun going down it will cool down into the 60s.

See you on the other side and thank you for reading.

Rock n Roll LV is in less than 4 weeks-11 Training Updates and More

I had hoped to write another post before too much time had passed.  Get ready for another lengthy bloated post.

The city of Las Vegas was shaken to its core on October 1st.  I will express my feelings later on in this post.  I'm going to do my best to keep things in chronological order. So I will pick up where we left off from my last post.

Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Training Week 6
September 4-10

Monday 9/4- 4.5 miles.  This was 45 minutes on the treadmill at recovery effort.  I did this run first thing in the morning. It was a fasted cardio effort.

Tuesday 9/5- 6.5 miles Track work!! 1.5 miles warm up, strides,  3 x 1 mile with 400-meter recovery 1-mile cd.  This was another early morning fasted effort.  The weather is so much cooler in the mornings. I'm a total lunchtime runner, but if I expect to run mile repeats at a quality effort, then I must get up early and run.  I have finally reached a sweet point where my kids are sleeping in a little later, and I can knock out a run before they wake up.  It was dark when I left the house, and I headed over to the high school track.  There was a workout group there so luckily I didn't have to climb the fence.  I finished my warm-up and strides, and my goal was to hit these at 7:30-7:40 per mile.   Here's the data 7:37, 7:32, 7:29.  My recovery was a 400-meter jog.   After the workout, I ran a mile to cool down.

This workout gave me hope that just maybe I might be able to go sub 1:40 for the half marathon.

Wednesday 9/6- 4 miles recovery effort on the treadmill (fasted cardio)

Thursday 9/7- Rest- My new shoes arrived.  My mother in law gave me a gift card for Nordstrom Rack and I was able to find a pair of Brooks Ravenas on clearance online.  I rotate about 3-4 pairs of shoes at a time to help them last longer, and to meet the ever-changing needs of my sissy feet.  On some days I want squishy soft support, some days I want to feel the road, and some days my weak calves/arches need more arch support.
I try to wear the shoes for at least 300 miles, and then they will become yard work, take the kids to the park shoes, and then they will be donated.  I admire the runners that can run 500 miles in a single pair of running shoes.

Brooks Ravena 7

Friday 9/8- 5.1 miles at General Aerobic effort. I take my new shoes out for a test drive.   I got up early and headed out the door, I live in the foothills of the Las Vegas Valley near Sunrise Mountain.  My neighborhood is sort of hilly, and we have great views of the Las Vegas Skyline from our neighborhood.  I am always fascinated with the view of the strip.  A few years ago I actually wrote a post about this. 
I sometimes take pictures during my runs to capture the beauty.

And I fail miserably at catching what my eyes see, and what my
low budget cell phone is capable of taking.

 It was humid, and there was a little bit of lighting in the distance.  About 5 minutes after I took this picture it started to rain.  Then it started to rain really hard, I picked it up a little during the last two miles so I wouldn't get too soaked.  I was having mixed feelings about my shoes.  They were nice and firm and supportive. But, there is hardly any padding at the end of the toe box.  These shoes fit, I don't think I need to size up.  I have long skinny feet and long toes, If I size up my feet will slide around inside the shoe. I ended up with a hot spot and a blister on my toe.

Saturday 9/9- Rest, I did go for a swim in the pool

Sunday 9/10 10 Miles- 3 miles warm up/GA effort, 6 miles steady state, 1 mile cool down.
I ran the last three miles of steady state a little faster than prescribed.  But, I felt good the temps were cooler (compared to July), and I don't have to lug around my handheld water bottle.  Here's the data.

More swimming  with my kids in the afternoon
Total Miles for the week- 30.1 Miles

Week 7
Monday 9/11- Rest Day

Tuesday 9/12- 4.2 miles.  40 Minutes recovery first thing in the morning.  I think I am feeling less creeped out about running in the dark.  But, I did feel a little tired.

Wednesday 9/13- 5.4 miles- 45 minutes relaxed/General Aerobic effort, and a few strides.  I think this might actually be the last "hot" day of the year.  Today it was 96 degrees but, it was low humidity. This is the end of the Monsoon season and it is kinda early for it to start cooling down.

Thursday 9/14- 7.5 miles -Track work!!! 2 miles warm up, strides, 4 x 1200, cool down.  I woke up early to head to the high school track.  I'm working with a coach this training cycle.  And I worry that he may be underestimating my ability.   My coach is great because he errs on the side of caution, and wants to keep me healthy and injury free.  But, I am stubborn and want to push past the prescribed paces so that I can feel confident about the upcoming half.


 I was supposed to hit 7:30 pace for the intervals and I ended up hitting closer to 7:15-7:20 pace.   Here's the Strava data (but, the data is skewed because I ran on the track)

For the 1200 meters intervals, my split times were 5:32, 5:30, 5:32, 5:30



 I also tried my best to run a recovery effort that wasn't totally lax.

Friday 9/15- Rest, In other news, I'm expecting my exam results for the Business Environment and Concepts section of the CPA exam.  I'm starting to prepare myself for the results in case I don't pass. :



Saturday 9/16- 4.3- 40 minutes at recovery effort and a few strides. And it's finally cool enough to wear my compression socks for recovery!

Compression socks are impossible to
wear during the summer months.

Sunday 9/17- 10 miles 94 minutes at a relaxed effort.  This was a hilly run.  During one of the uphill climbs in a residential neighborhood, I got chased by a stray dog.  It was a little powder puff of a dog.

Totals miles for the week 31.8

Week 8
Monday 9/18-3.4 miles- 35 minutes recovery effort at Cornerstone Park at lunchtime.  This was supposed to be a rest day, but I'm starting to wig out because I am supposed to receive my exam results the following day.


Tuesday 9/19- 6.3 miles -I woke up and checked online, and I found out that I PASSED the Business Environment and Concepts portion of the CPA EXAM!!!!!   I wanted to pinch myself because I had already prepared for the worst.  I'm currently studying for the Audit and Attestation section of the exam.  I am going to take the next exam on November 19th.  (fingers crossed)

At lunchtime, I ran a general aerobic step-down run.  I ran 6.3 miles.  The weather was a pleasant 70 degrees.  For reference last year the daytime high was 96 degrees.

Wednesday 9/20- 3.5 Miles at a recovery effort first thing in the morning.  The mornings are starting to feel nice and chilly

FWIW- I have been doing fasted cardio for the past couple of weeks, and I feel that it has kickstarted my metabolism somewhat.  I have also made a few tweaks to clean up my diet (less beer, less cheese, less junk).  By adding fasted cardio, I have been able to lose about 4 lbs.  I'm hoping to possibly lose a few more pounds before race day.


Thursday 9/21- 11 miles This was 3 miles warm up, 6 miles at steady state pace, and 2 miles cool down.  It was a horrible windy morning. I ended up switching up my planned route because I felt like I was running in place when I was running into the wind.  Here's the data.

 Today was my anniversary.   My husband and I have been married for 21 years.   We don't really surprise each other presents anymore.  But, that evening we were listing to music in our backyard.  We both have eclectic tastes that overlap. We listen to a little bit of everything  That night we were listening to the band Cake, and we wondered when they were going to be in concert in Las Vegas next.  We used to go to concerts all of the time before we had children.  It turns out that Cake was going to be in Las Vegas in two weeks (October 5th).  We treated ourselves to great seats.

Friday 9/22-Rest! We headed to Southern California to visit family in Oxnard, CA.  It's about a 5 hour drive from Vegas.

Saturday 9/23- 3.7 Miles at recovery effort.  I felt dehydrated and tired during the run. But, man I love my old stomping grounds.  Oxnard is at sea level and it is pancake flat.

Sunday 9/24- Rest we drove back to Las Vegas, so weird that the temps are cooler in Vegas than in California

Total Miles for the week 27.9

Week 9

Monday 9/25-5.5 Mile maintenance effort run.  Here's the data.

I slept like crap that night.  Maybe I had too much caffeine too late in the afternoon?

Tuesday 9/26- 5.5 Miles this was another maintenance effort run.  I felt a little tired and groggy.  It was a good thing I wasn't daydreaming.  A car got really close to me going around a blind turn. It was full on in the shoulder of the road.  I'm pretty sure I said, "what the f*ck?"  When the car passed me.

Wednesday 9/27- Rest

Thursday 9/28-6.3 Miles-Speedwork 2 miles warm up, strides, 2 x 2000 (fasted cardio) effort.  This was supposed to be run at half marathon effort, and I ran the first 2000 meter interval way too fast. I ran this workout at the park right around the corner from my house.  They finished resurfacing the track.  It used to be a rubber track, but now it is paved asphalt.    Here's the data.

I was able to average 7:10 pace for the first interval, and 7:12 pace for the second interval.  This workout was a huge confidence booster.

Friday 9/29-10.2 miles  Friday Steady effort 10 Mile run.  I was expecting to feel wiped out from yesterday's speed work.  But, I slept well on Thursday.  I covered 10.2 miles at 8:59 pace.  It was great, because I only got stuck at one red light, and this run went by relatively fast.

Saturday 9/30- Rest  I know that I mentioned above that I am cleaning up my diet.  But, I felt like making treats for my family.  Homemade pizza and Chicken Parmesan were on the menu.

I did roast some veggies to round out the meal.

Sunday 10/1-  4.2 miles short recovery effort.

I went to bed that night thinking about the upcoming work week.

Total mileage for the week. 31.7 miles


Week 10

Monday 10/2- 6.6 miles-
My husband woke me up at 4:30 am to the horrifying news.  Our city was ravaged by a gunman at the Mandalay Bay.  Over 50 people are dead, and hundreds more are injured. Shock is what I am feeling most of the day.  I didn't want to go to work,  I began calling friends and family that may have been at the concert.  I am grateful that I am able to locate them.  I went to work hoping that I would see all of my coworkers.  Las Vegas is a huge city, but it is also a small intertwined community.  I have been to the Mandalay Bay resort dozens of times.  The Rock n Roll Marathon actually begins right in front of the Mandalay Bay Resort, and I have stood on that concert field many times.  (I am not trying to make this about me, I'm just trying to process the absolute horror that I felt).

My heart feels broken. I ran for one hour at lunchtime.


Tuesday 10/3- 4.4 Miles at recovery effort.

Wednesday 10/4 7 miles.- Speedwork-  2 miles GA effort, 4 miles at half marathon effort,1 mile cool down. This was angry running.  I think I was in shock for the first two days.  And this morning I woke up so mad.  I can't stop asking "Why?!"  How could someone be so inhumane to execute 58 people and maim and injure so many more?   How could someone be so sadistic that they planned to assassinate hundreds of people?

I had hoped to channel some of my frustrations into my speedwork out.  Instead, my pace was uneven, and I felt like I was on the verge of tears the whole way.  Here's the data.

That day I went to a prayer vigil to mourn the victims.

Thursday-10/5 3.1 Miles at recovery effort.  We had planned to go see Cake that night, but the concert ended up being postponed.   We felt that it was the right decision, it would have been hard to go out and try to have a good time.

Friday 10/6 Rest

Saturday 10/7 11 Miles- 3 miles warm up, 6 miles tempo effort, 2 miles cool down.  I'm not feeling as angry anymore (just sad), and today's workout was a bit more productive.  I chose an area that is pretty flat, Here's the data

Sunday 10/8- Rest

Total mileage for the week 32.1

Week 11

Monday 10/9- 5.2 miles This was 45 mintes recovery effort and 6 x 20 second strides.  I wore heels to work today, and when it was time to run at lunch, my calves were so knotted up for the first two miles.  It seems now that I am getting *cough* cough* older I have to run for at least 20 minutes just to get all of the kinks out.

Tuesday 10/10-7 miles-Speedwork 2.5 miles warm up, strides, 4 x 800 meters.  I drove out to an isolated area so that I wouldn't have to worry about traffic, and I wanted to find a flat stretch of road.  I took the warm-up miles easy and then tried to push the pace for the 800's. Goal pace was 7:10 and I was able to meet the goal pace.  Here is the data for the 800's 3:30, 3:32, 3:30, 3:35.  This workout whooped my ass.

Wednesday 10/11 3.5 Miles at recovery pace

Thursday 10/12- Rest

Friday 10/13- Two rest days in a row. Sweet!  I took my kids to the doctor for their annual wellness exam and we also got the flu shot.

Saturday- 10/14 8.1 miles 75 minutes of relaxed running...  This was one of those pretty mornings that was nice and quiet, and I got to see the sun rise and reflect on the Las Vegas Strip.

I may be from California.  But, I have  lived in the Las Vegas
valley for nearly 15 years
 and this is where I consider home.

I also snuck in 4 x 1-minute pickups towards the end of this run.

Sunday 10/15-4 miles at recovery effort.

Weekly Mileage 27.8 Miles 

So now we are just about caught up.  The half marathon is less than a month away, and due to the events that happened on October 1st, the Competitor group has decided to move the start/staging area of the race away from the Mandalay Bay Resort.   I think many runners were feeling apprehensive about starting there.    And I feel that it is respectful to keep that area as a place of mourning.


I'm sorry for the long post.  I just needed to share my thoughts with you all.

Thank you for reading.

August was mild-For the most part and RNRLV Half Marathon Training Weeks 1-5

As hot as the month of July was, we had a fairly nice August.  I started running again outside at lunchtime, and on Jul 31st  I started a training cycle for the Las Vegas Rock N Roll Half marathon.  Then the last week of August became unbearably hot again, and I have had to put lunch time running on hold. (Boo!)


I have been to the track on three separate occasions for speed work,  and last month I sat for the first part of the CPA exam (Business Environment and Concepts).  I have to wait two more weeks before I find out if I passed or not.  It could go either way.

I started working with my coach again, and I am really enjoying half marathon training.  My mileage has topped out at 36 weeks, and I don't feel beat up.  The first part of August was humbling.   My speed is not where it used to be.  But, as the weeks pass I feel that I am starting to build back up some of my kick.

We also moved our treadmill out of the garage into a spare bedroom in our home.   I never thought that I would be using the treadmill first thing in the morning.  But, it seems to be working out great, and I'm also trying to get used to fasted cardio. (more on that later)

So let me catch you up on the last few weeks of training.  I'm so sorry if this bores you to tears.

Week 1
July 31-August 6
Mon 7/31- 5.5 Miles General Aerobic Effort-Lunchtime aggravation.  See this is why I hate working out at my workplace gym.  The treadmill cut out on me two minutes into my run, and I had to hop on another treadmill
Tues 8/1- 4 miles in the AM at recovery effort on the street.

Wed 8/2- 6 miles on the treadmill at lunchtime- General aerobic effort

Thur 8/3-Rest

Friday 8/4- 6 miles outside!  There was great cloud coverage, and the temps were only 90 degrees

Saturday 8/5 Rest

Sunday 8/6- 9.2 Miles- My long run was only supposed to be 75 minutes but I tacked on 20 extra minutes

Total Miles 30.6

Week 2
August 7-13

Mon 8/7- 4.3 Miles Lunchtime running outside- Recovery effort and a few strides

Tuesday 8/8 -Rest

Wed 8/9- Track Work- 2 Miles warm up, strides 3x 400 with 400 meter recovery, (1:40, 1:40, 1:43)
2 x 400 with 200 meter recovery (1:43, 1:44) 1x 800 (3:32), cool down.

I did this workout in the morning, and it was still hot! But, at least I didn't have to hop the fence to get into the track.  In July I got stuck on a fence

Thur 8/10- 4.2 Miles recovery effort in the morning.

Fri 8/11-Rest

Sat 8/12-10 Miles 70 Minutes General Aerobic, 20 Minutes tempo.  This run was humbling.  I was supposed to run 70 minutes at 9:00 pace, and 20 Minutes at 8:00-minute pace.  I thought this run would be a piece of cake.  But, during the tempo portion, I was having trouble maintaining 8:15 pace.

I left the house at 7:15 in the morning, but I should have left the house an hour earlier.  It was way too hot.

Sun 8/13-Rest

Week 3
August 14-20
Mon 8/14- 1 hour- 40 Minutes Recovery Effort 20 Minutes Steady Effort.  I ran this at lunchtime, it was hot but somehow not as brutal as Saturday's run.

Tues 8/15-4 Miles 40 minutes recovery effort at lunchtime.  I forgot my hat.

Wed 8/16- Speedwork 5.8 miles.  2 Miles warm up, strides, 3 x 1000. This workout sucked (again)   I think I was feeling a lot of emotional stress. My exam was scheduled for the following day, and it was also broiling hot when I did this workout at noon.  I was supposed to hit 7:08-7-12 pace, and I didn't even come close (4:33-7:22 pace, 4:47-7:46 pace, and 4:25-7:05 pace)

Thur 8/17 Test day!!!  I hope I did enough to pass the Business Enviornment and Concepts section.

Fri 8/18- 6.5 Miles  one hour run. I took the day off from work so I could decompress, and go for a nice run.  I went to Sunset Park to avoid traffic.

Sat8/19-3.4 Miles at recovery effort with a few strides


Sun 8/20- 10 miles 15k cut down run.  Finally, a run where I was able to finish strong! I so needed the ego boost after Wednesday's horrible speed work.  Here's the data.

Week 4
August 21-27
Mon 8/21- I went in for my annual exam, and to have some blood work taken.  It has been several years, and I just want to make sure that I am healthy.  I told the Dr. that I was concerned about some weight gain.  I'm still about 10-15 pounds over my ideal race weight.   My metabolism may be slowing down.  My goal is to lose 5-7 pounds before RNRLV on November 12th.

 At lunchtime, I ran 3.2 miles at recovery effort, and I managed to fit in an oil change for my car too. #multitasking

Tues 8/22-5.4 Miles General Aerobic and strides.  I needed a change of scenery, so I drove out to Reunion Trails Park.

It was eerily quiet.  Reunion Trails is a large park with running trails, but I didn't see a single person while I was out there.

Wed 8/23-Rest- Retail Therapy.  I went to TJ Maxx and I purchased two new running hats for less than $20

My other hat is hot pink.  This hat
is my emergency one, in case I forget one
at home.  I plan to keep it in my desk just
in case.

Thur 8/24- Speed work- 5 Miles- wu, strides, 9x 200 meters, 200 meters recovery.  This ended up being a fun workout.  I wasn't able to get to a track so I ran this workout on my lunch break.  I ran this around a business park.  I guestimated the 200's as 50 seconds hard and 1:10 recovery.

Running laps around a business park.

Fri 8/25- 4.2 Miles recovery effort.  My mind was racing (worry, and PMS rage) and I didn't feel like running.  But, running is sometimes how I deal with stress and worry.  I have other coping skills, but running seems to be the best one sometimes.

Sat 8/26- 8.1 Miles a one hour step down run, and a 1 mile cool down.  40 minutes at 9:00 pace and 20 minutes at 8:00 pace.  I think I may be turning a corner, and the workouts are feeling a little better  Here's the data for the step down run.

Sun 8/27- 4 Miles on the treddy!  I slept in and went running at 10:00 am.  We moved the treadmill back inside,  This treadmill has been everywhere. Inside, outside on the patio, and in the garage.  It was dying a lonely death in the garage, so we moved it back in.  

And as much as I prefer to head outside for a run.  The treadmill is great for squeezing in a recovery run. Or for waking up at a ridiculous hour to run, and not disturb anyone else.

Week 5
August 28-September 3
All of a sudden it went from 98-100 degrees back up to 110!!!

Mon 8/28- 5.4 Miles on the mill before work.

Tue 8/29- 4.4 miles Fasted cardio- I got started at 5:19 am.  I used to eat breakfast first thing in the morning. But, I 'm experimenting with fasted cardio in an effort to lose a little weight.   I'm trying to teach my body to burn fat, instead of carbs.  I'm not doing this every morning.  And I'm not intentionally trying to starve myself.  In other news after 200 miles, I feel like I have finally broken in my Mizuno Wave Elixirs.

I bought these shoes in February and starting wearing them in March.  I paid $55 for them, and I loved them when I tried them on.  After wearing them for a few long runs, they were way stiffer, and I had considered giving them away when I started to have ankle issues.  But, I'm cheap and I wanted to get my money's worth out of this pair.  So I saved them for recovery efforts.  After 200 miles they finally feel broken in.

Wed 8/30- Rest

Thu 8/31-7.1 Miles -Warm up, 2 x 1.5 miles at half marathon effort, cool down. This was another fasted run first thing in the morning.  I was able to leave the house at 5:40 am and it was still dark.  The weather was a cool 80 degrees.  And this workout went better than I hoped.  I was able to average 7:45  for the first 1.5 mile interval and then 7:40 for the next interval.  My goal pace is 7:38 so I feel that I am starting to inch closer and closer to my goal.


Friday 9/1- 4.1 miles on the treadmill at recovery effort.   It is getting easier and easier to roll out of bed and hop on the treadmill.  The only downside to running on the treadmill is my Strava habit.  I'm a big Strava addict, and treadmill runs do not count towards any of the monthly distance challenges.... I can understand why. But, I still don't like it.


In other news, the county has started doing renovations to my local park.  This park is right around the corner from my house, and this is where I take my children when they are bouncing off of the walls.

Last October

Last Thursday

They are repaving the jogging track and hopefully adding a splash pad for the kiddos.  I just wonder how long all of this is going to take.  I'm really grateful for the upgrades I'm just impatient and want the park to be put back together soon.

I'm hoping to start posting on a weekly basis again.  Thank you for reading.

Three Degrees of Hell Stage 2 Race- And other updates

I have about two months to update you on- I apologize in advance for the rambling nature of this post.

Last month (June) I had been in a funk, because the weather was really hot, and I had been nursing a tendon injury in my right foot.  Tight calves may be the main cause. But, all of my trail running/hill climbing wasn't helping things either.  

Jenn and I at Whitney Mesa

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Armagosa Trail in Henderson

Horizon Ridge

I have had zero desire to work out at noon in my workplace gym. After dealing with a treadmill heckler, and lackluster gym equipment, I just don't want to deal with it. Instead, I am working out in the mornings at home.  I do very short 15-20 minute bodyweight/kettlebell workouts in my garge gym. Sometimes I run on the treadmill, or if I'm lucky I get a short 2-3 mile run in before work.

Three Degrees of Hell Stage 2

I did race a fun trail event earlier this month.  It was a gnarly trail race, and it was part of a three stage race series.  The first race took place on Friday night at 7 pm.  The second race took place at 7 am on Saturday, and then the final event was on Saturday night at 7 pm.  There were 7k and 7-mile options for each stage.    I decided to race the Saturday morning race out at Rainbow Gardens.

Pre Race

Rainbow Gardens is located on the South East side of the Sunrise/Frenchman's mountains.   I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the hottest times of the year in Las Vegas.  The daytime high on Friday was 115, and the morning low on Saturday was 92 degrees.  My friend Jenn raced on Friday night, and then she spent the night at my house so we could travel to Saturday mornings race together. (It was really close to my house)

We left the house at 6 am, The race started at 7 am, but I wanted to make sure that I had enough time, to park, and use the porta johns before the race.  I didn't really plan on warming up, it was already 95 degrees before the start of the race.   There had been tents for us to stand under to protect us from the sun, and there was wonderful fresh fruit.  But, the fruit was attracting bees and hornets, so standing under the tents had been close to impossible

There were coolers full of drinks and ice.  I kept grabbing ice and rubbing it on my shoulders and arms to keep my body temperature lower.  I also stuffed ice in my bra and in my hat.  

My head looks pointy because I have ice cubes under
my cap.

Trying to stay cool in 95-degree temps before
the start.

Triple Dare Running was the group that was hosting the event.  They are a smaller low key trail racing company.  But, what they lack in size, they make up for in enthusiasm,  The race atmosphere felt like a party.  The aid stations were well stocked and they had awesome volunteers.  Since I wasn't doing the three stage series, my goal was to race this as hard as I could and hopefully place overall.

The race

 I lined up near the front, I carried a hand held bottle with me (racing without water was not an option)  The gun went off, and I found my groove, we had to climb up a slight incline, 

and then   about a quarter mile later on I noticed that I had forgotten to start my Garmin (shit).... After that, the course went downhill for a mile, and then the real climbing began.

Mile 1- 8:20

Mile 2- 10:27

During the second mile, I got passed my two ladies and a few dudes.  There was an aid station at the 7k turn around point.  I stopped briefly to stuff more ice down my bra, and inside my hat.

Mile 3- 9:36

We started to get close to the 7 mile turn around point, and I'm slowly closing the gap on a woman that is ahead of me.  I get to the 7-mile aid station, and I stop briefly to drink a cup of Powerade, and for more ice.  There was a guy misting down the runners with water which was a nice plus.  When I hit the turn around point I noticed that I  was the 5th female overall.

The course on the way back was mostly downhill, so I tried to open up, and catch as many runners as I could.

Mile 4- 8:52

Mile 5- 7:39

The course flattened out again, and there was a short incline back to the start. 

Mile 6- 9:01

During this mile, I passed a woman and a few dudes.

.5 4:23

Garmin Time 59:41

Official Race Time 1:01:44

Here's the data

When I finished, I was told that I was the 5th woman overall.  The top 5 got a plaque but, there was a mix up and I was actually 4th woman overall.  It stinks becuase I had to give back my 5th place plaque, and I was told that I would recieve my award in the mail.  So I ended up leaving empty handed.  Womp Womp.

Me and Jenn post race

  

I felt great during the race, but that night.  My right ankle/foot started to bother me (again!)  I finally put two and two together, and I realized that hill climbing/trail racing is the main issue that is causing the problems in my right foot. After this race, I ended up taking a whole week off from running.. Just to let things heal.

Shout out to my girl Jennifer!!! She raced all three races and she ended up placing 5th overall in the entire race series.  

So freaking proud of you!

Life Updates

In June I went to California to attend my graduation ceremony.  

It was a quick weekend trip, and  my husband and kids met up with my parents in So Cal, and we even squeezed in a quick trip to Disneyland.

In less than a month I will be sitting for my first section exam, as part of the CPA exam.  There are four tests, and I have 18 months to pass all four sections.  

What's next?

I decided that I will be racing the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half marathon.  It has been 18 months since I have raced a half, and I'm looking forward to  throwing myself into another training cycle.  I plan to stay off of the trails and focus on faster paces on the roads.  I have reached out to my coach Brent Bowers again,  My goal is a sub 1:40 half.   

Retail Therapy

In June when I was in a funk, and not looking forward to working out,  I treated myself to some new running shorts.

I found a few good deals on Amazon.  I had been on a hunt
for running shorts with pockets.

I also bought a new pair of shoes.

Saucony guide 9.  I love this shoe.  It's so soft yet supportive.

And finally,   I treated myself to a new office chair. ( my work paid for it)

Sitting is the new smoking.

My hips were feeling creaky from my other office chair.  So I ordered this little guy on Amazon.  I sit down all day long....My hamstrings and glutes just atrophy from sitting all damn day.   I try to get up several times a day.  But, the majority of the day I am sitting down.  I can tell that this chair is going to improve my posture, and I can already tell the difference in my hips.

Well that's all I have for now.  I'll try to update you again sooner so my posts aren't ridicuosly long.  Thanks for reading!