Latest Workouts and Retail Therapy

It's been about two weeks since I filled you in on training updates.  Nothing too exciting to report about. I'm tapering and trying not to feel too anxious.  I'm running less miles, and it's nuts how you start to doubt your athletic ability yada yada yada.

Training Updates (since the last update)

Wednesday 11/11-It was Veteran's Day.  I felt very conflicted on that day.  I'm a veteran.  I served four years in the United States Army right out of high school...  I ended up leaving the military in 2000 to go back to school.  The military that I experienced was very different than the military post 9/11.   I'm proud to have served my county, however,  a part of me feels guilty for not having served any time in a combat zone.   I didn't run that day.  I did go shopping. (More on that later)

Thursday 11/12- 8 Miles.  2 Miles warm up 4 Miles at Goal Pace, and 2 Miles cool down.  My left hip has started to bug, me I don't know if  it's  from the colder weather. Once I'm warmed up I'm fine.  I chose a route that was mostly flat..  The downside, is that I had to cross a  few busy intersections, and I ended up playing chicken with a delivery truck during mile 5....  I need to be careful!!
Here's the data:

Friday 11/13 5 Miles So now my hip is sore.... Is it from the tempo pace from yesterday?  After about three miles into my run. I noticed that my hip was sore on the same side that I wear my arm band to carry my phone.  I took my armband off and switched it to the other side. It was like magic my hip started to feel better.....

Side bar:  I started to have hip problems at the end of last year-beginning of this year.  I kept trying to figure out what the cause was.  Holding my kid on my hip? Running in improper shoes? Running on the shoulder of the road that is uneven?  Too much speed work?  Well it turns out that I really have lost a ton of flexibility on my left side.  So my stride is probably a bit shorter that it used to be.... I think the arm band was shortening my stride even further...

While I love my new armband for working out at the gym. I don't think I will be using it for long runs anymore.... Welcome back fanny pack!

I'm sorry to have strayed from you.

Saturday 11/14-Rest

Sunday 11/15-9.2 Miles..  I wore my fleece vest and I just stuck my phone in the pocket.  My hip was feeling okay.  I ran the first 3 miles easy, and then I eased into some goal paced running. Here's the data.

Monday 11/16-  Three miles easy, and then a short strength training workout.

Tuesday 11/17-Rest, but I was feeling fidgety so I did some planks, and some stretching.

Wednesday 11/18- 7 Miles 2 miles warm up, 4 miles at goal pace, 1 mile cool down.  I ran these along the Pittman Wash Trail.  The fist half was uphill, the second half was downhill.
Man I was so worried last week, because I felt like crap. My legs felt sluggish, and my hip was achy. The taper is working... Now that I switched back to my waist pack, my hip is feeling better, and I don't feel nearly as tired this week...Here's the data

Thursday 11/19 2 Miles easy, and they felt really sluggish...

Friday 11/20-  I ran 5 miles in the cold, I didn't feel too sluggish, and I did a few strides during the last mile.

Retail Therapy

I'm a runner on  budget.... So I enjoy finding good deals.... I have been on the lookout for discount running shorts.  I have been to TJ Maxx, Ross, and Marshall's to find shorts, and lately I haven't found anything.  On Veteran's day I went to Nordstrom Rack and I found two pairs of shorts for less than $15.00 each.

Today I found another pair of clearance shorts....I had seen these around forever, but at $75.00 I have siad, "oh Hell no!" many times.  When I found them for 75% off at the local running shop I couldn't resist.

Brooks Pure Project Shorts

Christmas came early!!

Well that's all I've got for now.  Marathon is next Saturday! I will probably do a summary of this training cycle post next.

As always Thank You for reading!!!

There is a lot of wiggle room between a 3:40 and a 3:30 marathon.... Setting myself up for success instead of failure

So now that we are in countdown mode, I'm starting to take an honest look at my marathon goals.

A 3:40 marathon seems doable..In fact it seems like a perfectly reasonable goal. (8:22 pace per mile)

A 3:30 marathon could possibly happen if the stars align (8:00 pace per mile)

Now which time goal should I shoot for?   In the past I would have just went for that 3:30- Hell I've even attempted to run faster than that.   But, I still have yet to break 3:30

Last year I was totally in for a rude awakening during the Las Vegas  Rock N Roll Marathon when my first mile was an 8:45.. In the past I would have had to reign it in because my first mile is in the high 7's low 8's....  But, I'm not the same runner that I was 5-10 years ago.  FWIW  I would run a screaming first half, bank some time, and then positive split the heck out of the second half.

Now that I am older and wiser, and my legs need a bit more time to warm up.  My natural speed isn't what it used to be.  However, my endurance and patience have grown over the years.

I really did stick my head in the sand about my race goals(too much pressure) because I thought a 3:35 would be too hard, and for some reason I thought that I would have to average 8:05 per mile. It turns out that I have to run 8:12 per mile.

When I started this training cycle, I always tried to run my tempo runs at 8:00 minutes or faster which is 3:30 pace. I think I will always be hungry for that sub 3:30.  But, if I lose sight of what I am actually capable of, then I'm setting myself up for failure.

So I came up with a plan, that will let me run within my ability, and hopefully run a negative split 2nd half.
I used Excel to create my own pace band...  My strategy is to warm up the first 4 miles, drop down to a easy tempo pace for miles 5-20, and then "race" the last 10k.

If everything goes well, I will totally be happy with a 3:35 marathon.  If I'm feeling so good, and that 8:15 pace feels easy, I'm still going to stick to my plan until mile 20.  If I feel really great I can run 7:45 pace for the last 3 miles.

I just hope the weather cooperates and it isn't too cold or windy.  But, I can't control the weather.

Thanks for reading!

Last Long Run Done Now it's Time to Taper

This last long run left me feeling a little underwhelmed, but I will focus on the positives....
I did a really horrible a job of choosing my running route.  I think I didn't want to stress out too badly about this run, so I stuck my head in the sand, and tried not to think about it.  On Thursday I remembered that I didn't have any gels on me.  I'm so glad I remembered to buy them.  This would be my first long run in the cold.  All of my previous long runs, have been in summer like conditions.  I didn't want to over dress.  I wore shorts, a t-shirt, and arm warmers.

Friday 11/6
I had this idea of staying close to home, and running either 4 x 5 mile loops by my house or 5 x 4 mile loops.  I didn't want to have to cross a busy intersection, nor did I want to climb too many hills...
Within the first two miles, I realised the route I chose sucked.  The first mile was uphill, the next was right into a busy school zone during the morning drop off...The next couple of miles weren't so bad, but it was already time to head back towards my house.  I'm thinking, "how am I going to run this 4 more times?  I did a few loops in the park to tack on some distance.

I went by my house during mile six to grab a drink of water, and to pick up my energy gels.
Mile 1-9:51
Mile 2-8:46
Mile 3-8:49
Mile 4-8:49
Mile 5-8:48
Mile 6-9:06
I headed out to do another 4 mile loop but in the opposite direction.  During mile seven my daughter's day care calls, and needs me to pick her up before noon.  They think she may have pink eye... great.
Mile 7-9:34
Mile 8- 9:02
Mile 9-9:01
Mile 10- 8:44  I ate a gel during this mile.
Mile 11- 8:57
I swung by my house again to drink some Gatorade, and I got a morale boost from seeing my husband. I was also crushed because I really wanted to be done running... I headed out for six more miles.
Mile 12- 9:14
I'm headed back up a grade and the wind is blowing in my face.  I keep wondering when I'm going to finally warm up.
Mile 13-8:59
Mile 14-8:52
I hit a turnaround point to start heading back home. I"m feeling good, and I want to pick up the pace.  I also opened up a caffeinated gel around this point.
Mile 15- 8:25
I realized that I still needed to add some more distance to my run, back up the hill I go.
Mile 16- 8:44
Hello downhill running, finally.
Mile 17-8:16
Mile 18- 8:15
That caffeinated energy gel made me thirsty!!! I was close to the park so I stopped for water at the fountain.
Mile 19-8:30
Mile 19.22- 1:57....
I passed by my house for the last time, and called it a day. I'm kind of mad at myself for not running the extra .78 miles to make it up to 20 miles.  Here's the Garmin and Strava Data for transparency.

This route was not ideal for even splits.  Damn hills.

I had hoped that this last long run would have been a little faster. But, I'm happy to report that I didn't have a horrible bonk, like I did during the last two 20 milers.  It was nice to feel stronger towards the end.

After my run, I took a quick dunk in the back yard pool..It's even colder than an ice bath at this point...

Then I took a shower and headed to daycare to pick up my kids.... FWIW, my daughter didn't have pink eye.  It was only allergies.  My date day with my husband, will have to wait for another day... Womp womp....

They were very happy to be picked up early from preschool.

Saturday 11/7- Rest

Sunday  11/8 I slept in, and went running in the afternoon.  I ran a little over six miles.  I felt tired, but not so bad.

Strava Mobile was acting funny, so I took a picture of my stats
in case I had to upload manually.
No I'm not obsessed with you Strava.
I'm not I swear!

Monday 11/9  Maintenance work in the gym... I ran two miles on the treadmill to warm up, and then I did a whole body workout.  I did the following exercises for circuit training.

1st Circuit
Flat Bench Press 
Hamstring Dead Lifts 
Back Rows with Bar

For my next circuit I used a 25lb EZ curl bar for the following exercises: 
Bicep Curls 
Upright Shoulder Rows 
Overhead Shoulder Press 
Good Mornings 
Squats 
Single Leg Lunges

Last circuit: 
Push ups 
Mountain Climbers

Tuesday 11/10-  I drove over to Sunset Park, and I ran a few miles at goal pace on the actual race track...I ran 1 mile to warm up, three miles at goal pace, and a mile cool down.  Here's the data:

So.... I guess I now have to really decide what I want my goal to be....  I really want to run a sub 3:40 marathon.  Even more I want to run a sub 3:30 marathon, but I realize that might be too far out of my reach....

There is a lot of wiggle room between 3:30 and 3:40.... I think I will save my thoughts for the next blog post...(I have a lot to say)...

As always thank you for reading.

23 days to go!! Training Updates-Last week's and some of this week's training log.

So today is technically my Friday (woo-hoo).  Tomorrow will be my last long run, I'm taking the day off of work to run, and to possibly go to the movies or just hang out with my husband without the kids.  We don't have too many date nights, so we make up for it with personal days off from work.

Anyhow I need to get this blog caught up with my training updates before my spotty memory forgets the details of previous runs.  Last week was a lower volume week, but I had one hard work out, and two mid distance runs that were leaving my hip feeling cranky towards the end of the week.

Training updates

Tuesday 10/27- 7.2 miles.  I headed out to the Pittman Wash again, I had planned on running some trails, but instead I found the perfect bike path for intervals...

I decided to do some 800 meters.  I was tired from the weeks previous 20 miler, so I think that's why I didn't want to think t0o hard or put too much pressure on my split times for the 800's.  I tried to run these by feel/effort and I tried to only look at my stopwatch.  I don't have a fancy Garmin, so I use my Forerunner 10 to track the distance, and then I use a regular stop watch, to time the interval.

Who needs a fancy Garmin when you can just do this?

I ran about two miles to warm up, I was lazy and I didn't really stretch out well... For my recovery I would slowly jog for two minutes.  The bike path was also part of the Pittman Wash Trail but, I have never run on this stretch before.  It was very flat, and empty...  Here's the data:

Perfect for running repeats

Here are the times I recorded manually for the 800 meter intervals:

3:33, 3:38, 3:35, 3:31, 3:30, 3:35.

The first two repeats felt easy, the last two were very hard.  Go figure...After the work out,  I jogged a little over a mile to cool down.

Wednesday 10/28-  4 miles  recovery.  I went to the gym on my lunch break, and did a short circuit training workout, and then I ran the miles at recovery pace.

Thursday- 10/29 Two a day.  11.3 miles total.  I wanted to get  a short run in before work, so I ran an easy 2.9 miler before work.  At lunchtime,  I wanted to run a little over an hour.  I ran 8.4 miles of rolling hills.  Here's a picture of the elevation.

This route climbs 580 feet over eight miles, with most
of the climb happening the first five miles.

For pace, I tried to run by feel. I didn't want to run tempo, because I just had done a speed workout on Tuesday.  Another thing I have noticed is that now that the temperatures have cooled off, my feet have shrunk.  It felt like me feet were slip sliding around in my shoes.  I will need to wear thicker socks this winter.

Friday 10/30 3.1 Miles recovery and they felt like crap.  I went to Cornerstone Park, to run  a few easy miles.  I just felt tired, and I couldn't really lift my legs that high to run, this run felt like a shuffle... I was supposed to run 4-5 miles, but my left hip which hasn't bothered me in awhile started acting up.  I knew my running form must have been really shot to shit and it was time to call it a day.

Saturday 10/31-  Rest-  I went to the pumpkin patch with my kids. Does that count?

Sunday 11/1- 10 miles  3 miles warm up, 6 Miles at Goal marathon pace, and 1 mile cool down.  So I have kind of figured out what aggravates my hip... Lots of Hills or Lots of Torque from Tempo pace...I gave myself three miles to warm up.  The three miles were slightly uphill, but, My hip felt fine.  The next six miles were downhill, so I ran the goal pace miles a little faster than goal pace because of the downhill.  I also ate a gel during mile 5 to practice fueling. My goal was to feel relaxed but, running steady...Here's the data.

After my run, I took a very quick soak, in my freezing cold swimming pool.  

Almost the same as an ice bath right?

Monday 11/2- Rest, I got a surprise invitation to meet for lunch.  My husband is now vegan, and most of the time we try to eat healthy.  Sometimes not so much.

Did you know Mc Donald's french fries are vegan?

We went through the drive thru, to get french fries, and soft drinks.   It was nice to see my husband since our work schedules leave us working on opposite ends of town, its' nice when we can meet up.


Tuesday 11/3- 10.75 Miles.... This was another tempo goal pace workout.  2 Miles warm up, 7 miles at Goal Pace, and 1.7 mile cool down. Since hills had aggravated my hip last week, I tried to find a route that was reasonably flat....hahaha.  I work in an area, that is adjacent to the foothills/mountains of Southern Henderson.  You can only run in one direction for so long before you encounter hills....  I ended up running a loop course to get 10 flatish miles in.  There was still 420 feet of climbing. My feet hurt during the first two miles.  Now that it's cold my feet need a few miles to warm up.
I had hoped for this to be a cut down run, going from 8:30, 8:15, 8:00, but I ran the first two miles of the tempo section too fast.

 Here's the data:

The reason I chose this route, is that   I wanted to run with as little interruptions as possible, and I also chose this route so I would  not have to cross too many busy intersections...  For fuel, I didn't have any energy gels, but I did eat some leftover Halloween candy (a box of Dots)

This workout was a huge confidence booster.

Wednesday 11/4-  Strength training in the gym, and then 4.1 miles recovery.

Thursday 11/5- 5.1 Miles in the dirt at Cornerstone Park....

Tomorrow is my last long run.  I'm not sure if I'm going to do the full 20.  I plan on running between 16-18 miles but, if I feel good, I will complete the 20.  I also don't want to run this all out.  I do not want to "race" this 20 miler.  I do want to run some tempo pace towards then end, but I definitely want to start out conservatively.

Well I guess that's all I have for now...  Thank you for reading!

Putting all of my eggs in one basket- One month out! Let's try not to have too many meltdowns this month okay?

This year I didn't really race much.  This year was about rehabbing my weak left hip and adding enough mileage to run a quality marathon this fall.

That being said I do miss the feeling of toeing the line....I don't plan on racing before my marathon.  I just hope that everything will come together for me on November 28th.  My taper begins in about 10 days...  I'm torn on whether I want to do another 20 miler or scale it back to 16-18 miles.  So far I have done two 20 mile runs.  I have never completed three separate 20 milers in one training cycle.  Is a third 20 miler too much?

Another thing that is in the back of my mind, is that I am so afraid that I will catch the stomach flu or some other icky the week of the race.  I didn't think that was possible until that happened to me earlier this year, when I was excited to race a 5k.

Another thing that's making me twitchy and anxious to race is that the  Rock n Roll Las Vegas Marathon is in three weeks.  I'm just going to stick my head in the sand and not pay attention to the race coverage on TV.  I would be excited for my friends racing, but I really don't think a lot of local runners will be participating.

I think the Competitor group may be loosing it's edge because I saw the race being offered on Groupon.

I guess not too many people are excited to pay
full price for an overprice marathon.

Man I would be pissed if I paid $150+ for the marathon and then saw that it was being offered on Groupon several weeks later.

Other Running News

The Las Vegas Track club has been going through some changes.  The membership has declined in recent years, and they have chosen  to restructure some of their races.  Their next big race will be their annual Turkey Trot 5k and 10k.  This year for the first time ever, they will be offering prize money!!

I set my 10k PR on this course.  It's a fast one!

Cash Prizes to Top 3 Men & Women in 10K & 5K

     $200, $100, $50

Normally I would love to take my chances at some prize money  but, this race falls one week before the marathon.  So I won't be attending this event either....

Shoe Issues?

Today I went for an 8 mile run at lunchtime, and my shoes felt a lot bigger than usual..  I know my feet swell up a little bit in the summer time, but it really seems like they have now shrunk a whole half size. WTF? 

You fit just fine last month.. In fact I couldn't even wear my
thicker socks with you because you fit too snugly.

 This was one of the reasons why I moved away from the Brooks Adrenaline last year,  My feet didn't feel secure in the heel portion of the shoe.  I'm hoping with thicker socks this issue will go away....  Just another thing to fixate on before the race.... 

That's all I've got for now.  Thanks for reading!

Strava what you do to me... 5 weeks to go, 15 in my Nikes and 5 more in my Brooks

We are one week closer to the marathon and I survived another heavy load week... Earlier this Summer I joined a Strava running club, and it has been nice to have virtual training partners. I'm a competitive person so I try not to take Strava too seriously....Then this happened...

I'm not hating on you 1st place runner..  
I'm glad that we are virtual training pals and
I appreciate the miles you log. 

I had been in  1st place and then I was knocked off the top spot by a runner, who by coincidence ran .1 miles longer for the week....

I was actually tempted to hop on the treadmill to run an extra mile... But, that wouldn't have made any sense running wise.....  I guess this can be why Strava is so addictive.  When I try to explain Strava to non running people it sounds like I'm talking about fantasy football or Dungeons and Dragons....However, this nifty tool has added an extra level of entertainment/enjoyment to marathon training this year....I realize that  it can become a slippery slope for sure. Especially when it's the off (recovery) season.

Training Updates

Tuesday 10/20:  7 miles  Tempo Tuesday!! I decided to do some exploring today.  I went running for the first time ever at the Wetlands Park.  I have always talked myself out of exploring because this location is pretty remote, and during the summertime I can not risk getting lost...

Look at all the different paths you can take!

Many years ago, I tried to run through the Wetlands via Hollywood, because I was told that it goes all the way through to Broadbent Rd.  I ended up getting lost that day, and I was fortunate that I ran into a worker from the water treatment plant.... It may have been a much different story, if that would have happened in July.

But, getting back to the Tempo workout. I ran about a half mile, and then I was at the main entrance to the Nature Preserve. I asked the park rangers, which way to go.  They were very helpful, and they even gave me a map.
 I took a few pictures

and then I got my workout started.  I decided to do 5 x 5 minute pick ups with 2 minutes of active recovery in between the intervals.  5 minute pickups are like 1000 meter repeats without the track.  I tried to run the intervals close to half marathon pace. (7:15-7:30 per mile), after the workout I jogged another mile for recovery.




Wednesday 10/21:  Two a day, before work I did a short strength training workout. I have been neglecting the weight room lately... I forget how much I enjoy strength training.  Here's the short workout that I did:

Incline Push-ups
Regular Push-ups
Around the world lunges (body weight only)
Hanging Plank chin ups

Side Step ups onto a bench with a knee lift
Lat pull downs.

At lunch time I ran 6.5 easy miles.  Last week I was worried about my waist pack, and carrying it for the marathon.  My blogger buddy Grace suggested that I try an armband to carry my phone.  I was hesitant because I have had negative experiences with armbands before.  But, I decided to head to the local running shop to look at my options.  I ended up choosing this armband...

My phone is a tight fit, but overall I am very pleased with my new piece of equipment.

Also on this day, I wore a pair of dress flats for work that I hardly ever wear.  They are a half size too big, but I wear them with insoles so I didn't think it would be a big deal.  Well a day of casually walking around in shoes that were just a little too big caused my heel/plantar fascia to feel tender....Great.. Just in time for my long run.


Thursday 10/22: Rest

Friday 10/23: 20 miles 15 in my Nikes and 5 more in my Brooks.... So I will try not to ramble about this run too much....

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Pre run breakfast Pancakes two eggs, and a few orange slices.

I decided to do my long run at Sunset Park, to avoid traffic, and to run a little bit of the marathon course.  I had planned on wearing two differnt pairs of running shoes.  My feet were feeling a little tender so I decided to start off my run in my Nike Structure Triax shoes.  This shoe will correct any heel striking/arch collapsing that my feet will sometimes do.  But, the downside to these shoes is that they are really firm, and I have never ran longer than 14 miles in these shoes...I worry that my knees or hips will feel the pounding in the later miles....I also worried that my new armband would piss me off over 20 miles....  The weather was actually chilly(?) My plans were to just survive the 20, maybe finish off with tempo pace....

The first hour seem to take forever, and the last hour actually went by the fastest ( I know strange).  I felt stronger this time around compared to the last 20 miler that I ran....
Here's the data:

I stopped by my car between miles 7-8 to grab a bottle of water & more fuel, and then again around mile 15.  This time I ran into a bathroom to go, and then I ran to my car to swap shoes and pound some Gatorade.

For fuel, I ate the following: 2 or 3 dates, 4 Powerbar Energy blast chews, 1 20 oz bottle of water that I carried during miles 7-13 , 1/2 of a 16oz bottle of Gatorade, and one Powebar energy gel...

At mile 18 I decided to pick up the pace, and at mile 19.5 I was rewarded for my efforts with a horrible bonk again.  The last half mile of this run sucked so bad.  I'm proud of myself for running past my car to even out the 20 miles...  After I finished I felt really shitty.  I ended up throwing up a little bit. (I should have know better than to eat oranges before I run)  they didn't bother me during my run.

I stretched, and let my heart rate come back down, and then I drove home. I stopped to pick up my ice....I took an ice bath as soon as I got home...



Saturday 10/24-Rest
Sunday 10/25- 7.2 miles....  That first mile is always the hardest... Once I got moving and the legs warmed up, I didn't feel so trashed. I'm tired  but I actually felt like I could pick up the pace a little bit, and I did a few strides during the last mile. Here's the data:

Monday 10/26.... Rest..... I had hoped to workout either today, or on my lunch break... But, I'm tired and farting around on my lunch break seemed like a better idea...  

Well that's all I've got for now.  Thank you for reading!

**** Disclaimer**** I have been running in the Desert Southwest for going on 12 years.  I respect the desert and the heat.  Please use caution when running trails or in remote areas during the hot/dry months.

Six weeks out, training updates, and other odds and ends.

Six weeks out..... I'm looking forward to the taper.  But, first I must get through two more heavy load weeks (50 miles).
Last week was a lower mileage week.  I thought I would have spent more time in the gym lifting weights- but, I used that time instead to get caught up on work during lunch breaks, or just resting...

So I have about 10 days worth of training updates.  This is what happens when I forget to blog for a week.

ETA:  Once I wrote all of my workouts out, I realized that I have done 3 x 9 miles tempo workouts in ten days... I think I know what my favorite workout it now, or this is the only type of distance workout that I like to do....At least the workouts were sort of different.

Training updates

Saturday 10/10-Rest

Sunday 10/11- 9.1 mile tempo run.  I had been feeling tired from Wednesday's 20 miler. I ran two miles to warm up, 5 miles at GP, and a little over a mile to cool down.  Here's the data:

 I also practiced eating a gel while running tempo pace.  Fueling can be difficult when running tempo pace.  But, during a marathon, I will have to be diligent about getting enough calories in. 

Monday 10/12-  Strength Training and a 3 mile run at recovery pace.  

Tuesday 10/13 - 6 miles... I ran without my Garmin, and I had no idea what pace I should have been running, Tempo? Easy?  It was a hot day, and this run felt like a chore.

Wednesday 10/14 - Rest

Thursday 10/15  9.1  Miles total Hilly Tempo workout.. 2 x 2 miles at half marathon pace.  I ran two miles that were uphill to warm up.  I then got the work out started.  The first tempo mile was down hill, but then I got to climb back up.  I then ran a mile at recovery pace, followed by two more tempo miles.  Then I had a two mile cool down.  This workout went by fast.  I felt well rested and there was nice cloud coverage... Here's the data.

During the recovery mile I ate a Heed Hammer Gel.  Last year I really liked Heed.  This year not so much.  I have been using Powerbar Energy Gels.  I'm not super crazy about these either, but the texture is much lighter than the Heed Hammer Gel....

Friday 10/16  5 miles recovery at Cornerstone park.  Fall is finally here!!!  There was cloud coverage and it was nice and cool.

Saturday 10/17 Rest

Sunday 10/18 - 9.1 mile run with a fast finish.  I ran without my waist pack (more on that later)....  It is so nice to not have to bring my hand held bottle with me.  I don't really notice the extra weight in the summertime, because I need hydration.  But, now that the temps are cooler, I can run without it, and my stride is feeling more efficient.  I didn't plan on picking the pace up towards the end.  But, I was feeling lazy for "just" running 9 miles, and I wanted to try to run a little tempo pace towards the end.

Here's the data:

For dinner last night I made Vegetable Tempura and it was so freaking delicious!

Blotting the grease with paper towels.  I also served this with
white rice.  Vegan doesn't always mean healthy :)

Monday 10/19- 10.7 miles...... I ran these all of these miles at an easy pace.  I didn't have time to fit 10 miles in before work, or at lunch so I had to split the miles up. I ran 3.36 miles before work, and 7.36 miles at lunchtime.....

Other odds and ends.

I bought another pair of hot pink Brooks Adrenalines.  I found this pair of shoes on clearance (again)

Someone has to buy all of the left over hot pink shoes.
Sierra Trading post had these babies for like $60.00

I actually wore them fresh out of the box for my 20 miler in my last post.  I had been saving them, for closer to the marathon.  But, my other Adrenaline's were done....

I'm also wondering if I'm going to wear my waist pack for the race.... I have a mental block when it comes to racing with a waist pack.  Deep down I'm worried that my waist belt will either start sliding around, bouncing, or I will cinch that sucker too tight and end up with horrible chaffing and will lose sensation in my hips.  I have this pretty neat shirt that has a kangaroo pocket in the front, and my phone fits in there nicely...

I wore it yesterday for my 9 miler, my phone bounced around some, but it was manageable.
My biggest concern is that it will be too hot to wear this top to race in.... I wish I had enough disposable income to bite the bullet and buy an ipod nano.  But, I don't want to go through the hassle of purchasing songs through Itunes, when I already pay for a music subscription on my phone (Slacker Music App).

I'm sure that I will drive myself nuts trying to figure out what to wear for the race, and I will probably find other things to fixate on soon.....
Don't mind me...  It's all par for the course with marathon training.

I think that's all I've got for now.  As always thank you for reading!!