Fall running goals

Since I was less than motivated to do my last sprint triathlon, I decided to let Jeremy take the last ones nearby. He's actually been riding, and well, and he has started running just in time for his half Ironman. And his swimming ability, especially for how much he swims, is just as ridiculous as always (meaning fast). It's the giant hands, surely. So anyway, he gets to race the Toad Suck Olympic distance and the Hebert Springs race if he wants. I'm done. But it's hard not to think about running this time of year since its typically the start of cross country and fall marathon training. So Jenny and I found us a really close half marathon that is 9 weeks from now, and decided on a training plan as well.

My first weekend of following the plan, which really isn't that much different than what I'd normally do just for general fitness maintenance, didn't go so well. Instead of just running 6 miles with 4 at marathon pace on Saturday, I rode 2 hours and ran 5 at about marathon pace+90 sec per mile. That's what I get for starting at 12:30 after having run out of water. It's not that I intentionally set out to run that slow. It just happened. 

Apparently I didn't adequately recover Saturday because Sunday's run, which was supposed to be 10 easy, turned into a slogging 9. I was super thankful that I hadn't charged the Garmin and it died at mile 3. That way when I walked up hills more times that I'd like to admit, I didn't feel so guilty. There's no record of it, therefore it never happened (just like that Phoenix marathon debacle).

I realized that for an entire decade of my life I trained for an October or November Ironman, and late August is prime time for tough training. I have actually never done a fall flat out half marathon (or flat out full for that matter), but I love how you train for Ironmans really hard in the hot summer, then gradually it gets cool and crisp and running speed just magically appears. I'm looking forward to that happening before the October 26th race. 

Jenny and I don't have the same goal pace since I've run probably two dozen more half marathons than that one she did (on a whim, untrained, last minute, under Jeremy's name when he hurt his knee right before). But we are planning some intervals together, whether it's with strollers up hills like last week's runs or super early mornings. Just kidding on that last part. We aren't that crazy.

Hill repeats. Come on slow poke Mommy!