Race Report: Miler Method #4, Take 2

Knowing I'm physically capable of my goal time, but being held back by mental strategy/execution is a weird sort of purgatory...

Previous PR: 6:06 (10/17/2020)

90% Goal: 6:10
50% Goal: 6:00
10% Goal: 5:XX
Result: 6:06ish

Training:

This was a second take at a mile time trial following the six-week Miler Method bootcamp, with Coaches Sierra and Nick Willis. 

• 6 runs a week (1 hill or strides, 1 tempo + track intervals, 1 tempo, and 3 "easy" days)
• intermittent core/strength workouts (that I actually did most of this time around)
• ~35-40mpw
• one additional week with some easy running and some pacing drills three days out from the mile

Before:
After a whole lot of distractions going into my original mile trial last week, I made a conscious effort to prioritize myself and my running goals this week. I ate well. I thought about running a little bit every day. I planned my work week out (hour by hour) on Monday so that I could just execute tasks instead of having to expend energy figuring out what to do, how to do it, and prioritizing (note: this didn't actually work because my deadine was shifted again, but I didn't let that knock me off my game the same was I did last week). 

There's no wind forecast for "race day", but the temperatures are a good bit higher than they were last weekend (64 vs 48) and we've got 100% humidity and a chance of drizzle. I'm not too thrilled about this, but I'm also trying to remember that I ran a 6:08 earlier in the year, during July.... in Atlanta. Surely I can handle a little heat. 

I feel confident. I did a couple easy miles on the treadmill this morning (day before the mile) and felt so strong. My core felt engaged. My legs felt energized. I felt like I had all of this energy and enthusiasm inside just waiting to be unleashed. 

I'm also a bit nervous. What if I can't control that energy and I go out too fast. What if I aim for even splits, nail 90s each time, but then totally biff the last lap? What if, what if, what if... 

I want to write "I'm going to break 6 tomorrow" right now. But I'm scared to make a claim that I can't guarantee. I know I'm capable of it. This might be as confident as I've ever been about any race/time goal in my life, but writing it down is cocky, and then, if I don't get it... well, then it's embarrassing. 

Night Before:

Had tacos and a shot of bourbon (for luck), did some yoga, laid out my clothes, and set an alarm... Let's do this. 

Pre-Mile: 

I woke up at 3:45am, sans alarm, again, after a relatively good night of sleep. The warm-up felt... warm. While we didn't have any wind, it was 100% humidity and mid-60s, much warmer than last week. By the end of the 15min WU, I'd taken my singlet off, and was solidly moist. 

After my strides, I still didn't feel "ready", but I never truly do. My teammate lined up at mile start, and I jogged up to punch it at the line... and then, hearing "No" from her, stopped and turned around. 

"I said 'Go'," she said, confused. 

"Oh... I thought you said 'no', and hadn't hit your stopwatch yet.... sorry."

Mile:

Lap 1 a very manufactured 89s split (but probably more like 84-85s)

We had a second start, and this time the start was a bit off on my end since I wasn't sure I'd actually hit my watch at the line. It took me about 20m to verify it was good, and then hit my stride.

I hit the 100m in 19s. It should have been 22.5, if it were truly 100m (but it's a little longer with those extra ~9 for the full mile on a 400m track). In my head, I knew I was too fast, but let myself reason it away, saying that I always kick a little to start, but settle in. Plus, I'd had an 88s start last week, with wind, with a bad attitude, and still had a good time. I should be fine.

200m split: 41 (should have been 45)

I should have stopped here... taken a breath, maybe let my teammate run first, and then tried again... but that wasn't even a thought in my mind. Instead, I just kept running, thinking how easy this felt. 

As I came down the straightaway to close Lap 1, I shouted to my teammate to read the split times louder, since I couldn't hear her.

"81, 82, 83..."

Considering I was going for 90, I really should have stopped then. Instead, I kind of did a weird artificial slow-down to hit my first 400m in a far more reasonable 88-89ish seconds.

Lap 2 92s

I don't know why I didn't process in the moment that I'd completely overrun my time and what, exactly that was going to do to my last couple of laps. On Lap 2, I still felt good. I don't remember what my split was, but I think it was somewhere around 91-92. I also remember feeling vaguely pleased that I was "on pace" (cough, for that lap, cough).

Lap 3 96s

"Ugh, it's hot," I remember thinking on this lap. This is where it started to huuuuuuurt. Unlike last week, I couldn't "lean in" to this lap. It just sucked the whole way through. I felt myself spiraling downward, and knew it was gonna be a bad lap as soon as it started.... 96s. Ouch, there's no coming back from that one. 

Lap 4 ?

Still, I did what I could to try to slowly build that last 400. It was a lost cause, though. I hated every single second of that lap. I thought about cutting the course to make up time... but you can't cut the course on a track. lol. Even if I'd been able to, it wouldn't have done anything. Everything hurt, but I still tried to build effort, if not speed, throughout the last lap. 

My watch had 5:34 with a little under 200m to go. Knowing there was no way I was running a 26s 200m, it was hard to not just throw in the towel and jog it in... but doing that would mean I wouldn't know what that last bit felt like, so I kept going.

"Don't give up. This isn't going to be what you wanted, but you can still get something worthwhile out of it."

I didn't know what my time was when I crossed the line, but remember telling my teammate:

"Don't go out too fast. OMG, don't do it. It's the absolute worst."

If you ask my teammate, she had ~6:07 on her clock. I split my watch at 6:05.9. So, we'll call it 6:06ish. 

^how not to run a mile

Post-Mile Reflections:

I'll admit I was disappointed with how this run shook out. After a stellar performance on way too much bourbon, taco shells, poptarts, and an IDAFG attitude last week with wind, I had a ton of confidence going into this weekend.

...and, again, I proved to myself that I need to find something between those two extremes in terms of mental prep. I wasn't nervous about this "race". Truly, I thought I had it in the bag. Maybe I was so rarin' to go that I didn't let myself have the right sort of calm, collected approach that I end up with on my more carefree days. 

Whatever it was, I was absolutely amazed that I could run the same(ish) time as last week, and have it feel completely different. Last week didn't feel easy, but it felt strong, and hard in all the right aways. This week, it was just horrible. So much horrible, hard, and exhausting... all too soon. 

So, takeaways:

1. There might be something to that comment a friend made that:

 "Maybe that’s the trick, you train so well that you enter the goal race with an “idgaf” attitude and bam, PR. You say you always have your best races when you don’t care 😉"

2. I think I could benefit from having one of my faster friends pace me through the first 400m and the last 200m. I did this for my teammate today, and absolutely loved being able to keep her on pace (or, at the very least, show her how far ahead she was at the 200m and slow her down before it was too late) and then bring out a kick for her in the end. Either way, I could use some practice pacing myself. 

3. It's really satisfying to have the confidence to say "I can run a 6:00 mile" even though I haven't done it yet. It's also really frustrating to know that it isn't physical ability holding me back; it's mental. Physical ability seems like it's "easier" to handle. If you can't run that fast, then you can't run that fast, and there's something concrete that makes the goal unattainable for you right now. There's a reason it can't happen, and reason that can't just "go away" with some positive thinking. 

Knowing that the reason I haven't hit 6 yet is mental is harder for me. It's me holding me back. It kind of feels like I'm 16 again, learning how to drive, and I'm trying over and over again to keep my car on the driveway as I go around and around our little turnaround circle...  My parents are telling me "constant radius" over and over, reminding me that this is "simple", and there's nothing wrong with the car; it's me who has to figure out when to turn the wheel and when to STOP TURNING IT FURTHER. But, instead of finding the direction the wheel needs to go and holding it there, I'm messing with it the whole time, unable to settle in, over-correcting and under-correcting and, as a result, going all over (or off, rather) the path. 

My body's capable of a 6min mile. I just need to figure out how to execute it.

Next Steps:

I really want to try again soon, and get it done, cross this goal off of my list... but I also know that I need a bit of a break from these moving deadlines (man, both this one and work are just killing me right now. I hate not being able to cross anything off as "complete"). 

So, I'll take some time, enjoy getting back to my regularly scheduled long runs, instead of extending the "taper madness" for another week. Maybe I'll give it another go in early November on a day where I'm "feeling cute, might PR". Maybe I'll decide to do another round through the training plan I covered these past six weeks before trying again. I'm not sure yet, but I'll give it another go sometime. I'm capable of it...  I just have to get out of my own way. 

Race Report: Miler Method #4

Previous PR: 6:08 (7/25/2020)

90% Goal: 6:25
50% Goal: 6:15
10% Goal: 6:05
Result: 6:06 (PR)

Training:

I opted into a new round of Miler Method, with Coaches Sierra and Nick Willis, and got a different plan this time around:

• 6 runs a week (1 hill or strides, 1 tempo + track intervals, 1 tempo, and 3 "easy" days)
• intermittent core/strength workouts (that I actually did most of this time around)
• ~35-40mpw

Before:
Unlike past miles, I've had zero taper madness. Work has been pretty stressful the past few weeks (constant deadline shifts, where I'm urgently trying to wrap up work and put it in deliverable format only to find out 1-2 days before that "Oh, we're not issuing this week. We'll issue next week". Uggggh), and it's thrown me off my run game for sure. On top of that, a friend of mine was doing his first full Ironman (which was also going to be his first full marathon) this past Friday. I put a lot of effort into prepping for that (chalking up his course, making fun posters, verifying tracking software, etc), and worry a little that I might've used up all of my enthusiasm and energy on that effort... and dressing the family up for a Boo at the Zoo event (Halloween is my favorite). 

My husband asked me how I was feeling about my mile Friday night, and I honestly replied, "Not good. I think I may have inadvertently checked out of this cycle pre-maturely."

It wasn't intentional. I just feel like the past week I haven't been able to focus on running at all. I haven't kept up with this blog every day (like I usually do), and that, plus all the work/IM/Halloween/family stuff, has really made the mile "out of sight, out of mind" for me. I don't really feel confident going into tomorrow, but I'm also really at peace with that.

I'll go out tomorrow and do whatever my body can do. I'm expecting to hit somewhere around 6:15-6:25, and then probably take this coming week to get my head back in the game and make another go at it next weekend or the weekend after. 

Night Before:

I definitely had a "whatever" attitude about this mile, and that carried into everything I did tonight. I tried to take 30min for some mindful yoga as a "reset" after the kids went to bed, but it didn't really help. The evening was dominated by stress, bourbon, and munching on taco shells and poptarts. 

Pre-Mile: 

I woke up at 3:45am, sans alarm, after a night of bad dreams about running the mile. I Brushed my teeth, took my Halloween make-up off, shoved some shredded wheat in my mouth, and headed to the track. Even driving there, I was kind of 50/50 on whether I wanted to even bother with the mile or just go as support for my teammate. 

When I arrived, I took a moment to watch our coaches' pep talk for the mile trial. It was just what I needed to hear: reminders of not going out too fast, and also reminding us that wind/weather and how your body feels impact your time... a lot. "Don't feel like 'it's Sunday, I've gotta do my mile'" was my biggest takeaway. 

It was windy when my teammate and I got out of our cars, and I was grateful I had a jacket (I never run with or bring jackets-- that kind of shows how "whatever" I felt about this mile). We talked a lot on our way to the track and through the warm-up about our coaches' words and what each of us wanted. Knowing she was better equipped than me, I deferred to her for execution. We decided I'd run mine first, with her giving me 400m splits, and then I'd do the same for her. 

Mile:

Lap 1 88s

I took off with an "eh, let's see how this goes" attitude, and tried to push a little harder to make sure this didn't turn into a tempo run. I decided to take this opportunity as a "trial" and see how close I could get to the 90s even splits each time... without actually looking at my watch to check myself throughout the laps. I took one little peek at the 100m mark (20s-- too fast already, :P), and then tried to settle in. It was only four laps, right? 

Lap 2 92s

Well, I did a good job settling in here. I had some struggles around both curves (where the wind was the hardest), but accepted it. I found my breathing, and "embraced the suck". 

Lap 3 90s

Just gotta get through this one and then it's one more lap to the finish... My legs felt surprisingly good here, though I know my breathing was becoming a bit ragged. I've done enough miles now (especially the one recently) to start developing a sense of how each lap feels, and where my mind goes on them. It's been nice. 

When my teammate called out the 90s split, my mind got excited. OMG. I've done it. I just have to keep this pace, and I've got my 6:00 mile. I can do this.

Lap 4 ???

Knowing I just had to keep the pace (and feeling like I could still kick), I set off on my last lap. The wind was hard between 0-100m and 200-300m, but I still felt like I was maintaining the effort I needed. I didn't kick at the 200m mark, wanting to save some for after I got through the wind. In my head, I had the 6:00 in the bag, and every second I could shave off on the last straight-away was beautiful bonus... but I kicked anyways.

...and didn't get it. 

Post-Mile Reflections:

I didn't know what my time was when I finished. It wasn't until later that my teammate said that, by her watch, it was a 6:06 that I learned I hadn't even come close to the 6:00 mark.

How did I lose SIX WHOLE SECONDS on my last lap? Neither of these graphs seem accurate enough to explain. Oh well. 

pace via Polar

pace via Garmin

Maybe instead of "saving my kick", I slowed down too much in the last turn. Maybe the wind was just too strong (it was only reported as 6mph, but maybe that's enough)? I don't know, and I'll never know. I'm kind of okay with it, though. 

When I woke up this morning, I wasn't even sure I'd bother running a hard mile today. If I did, I wasn't sure I'd even come close to a 6:20. 

I ended up with a new PR... and I'm not even excited/proud about it, but neither am I disappointed. I'm just kind of apathetic? It's kind of like, "Oh, cool, that mile happened", but nothing more. Maybe that's a testament to my emotional/mental state right now, or maybe it's because I didn't view today as any sort of culmination of the past six weeks of training, just as "another run". Either way, I'm looking forward to trying again next weekend, if the weather's right, because I know I can break 6. 

Miler Method #4: 800m Time Trial

MM#4: 800m Time Trial

Scheduled: 

• 15-20min WU
• 4x70m pickup strides (faster than MP), catch breath
• 2x200m @ goal 800m pace (0:40s with 2:30min recovery)
• 5-10min rest, then 800m (2:40=1:20/400m = 0:40/200m = 0:20/100m)
• 10min CD
• 2-3x Strength

Did: mostly as scheduled, 4.48mi @ 9:13/mi avg, plus 2x Strength

I had a very fitful night of sleep, waking up a handful of times in the night, anxious about the trial. Blergh.

The last time, when I saw 3:45am on my clock, I figured it was close enough to my 4:05 alarm that I might as well get up. My legs were not awake, but my glutes felt much better than they have the past few days. Hooray, yoga/stretching. 

Warm-up

It was chillier than usual today (53), so I actually had to look at my "what to wear" spreadsheet to figure out what would be comfortable. I opted for shorts, calf sleeves/socks, and a singlet, with a light long sleeve for the warm-up/cool-down, and an earband. This was a good call. 

I could tell when I drove up that the lights were already on at the track. This was NOT a good sign. The track is usually pitch black. Now we had to worry about being kicked off by the school. :/ 

My training partner and I opted to warm-up on the roads instead today. If there was a chance we'd only have 5min of time on the track, we wanted that to be used for our 800m time trials, not for warm-up. 

The warm-up was hilly, but nice. My legs still didn't feel totally warmed up as we headed to the track for the workout, but I reassured myself by remembering I never feel completely warmed up. 

Strides

I hate being on the track when the lights are on. I feel so... exposed, like a fish in bowl. Plus, there's always the fear that football practice is going to start, people will show up, and we'll be asked to leave. 

Seriously, why are the lights on at 4:45am?!?!

I did my strides, trying to let my legs remember how to turn over, thinking about "greasing the wheels" instead of "using up fuel". I don't know what pace I did them at, or exactly how far I went, but attempted to do about 3/4 between the track's 100m marks, slowly making my way around the oval, with little recoveries in-between. 

2x200m

I knew these were supposed to be at 0:40, and I also knew I could do that. I did the first in 39, and it felt HARD. That's okay, though, it's supposed to hurt. 

I was supposed to take 2:30 recovery, but didn't remember that and only took 90s. 

The second one was exactly 40s. OK, cool. Now, just do that four times.

After the 200s, I was supposed to take 5-10min rest. Between worries of getting kicked off the track and neither my training partner nor I remembering this step (we recalled the "catch your breath" instruction, which was supposed to separate the strides from the 200s, instead), I only ended up taking three minutes to recover before the time trial. 

800m

My coaches advised me to try to hit the first lap in 85s, aiming for 2:48 (much more comfortable of a stretch goal than the original, rough estimate of "800m @ MP, subtract 20s").

When I started off, though, I had the original 2:40 "goal" in my head. I didn't think it was a realistic goal for me, but I also wanted something to strive for that would make me push as hard as I could. 

Let's start with the positives:

• No injuries.
• I ended up running the fastest 800m I've ever run. (wooo, PR)
• My splits were consistent/I was able to hone in on a pace and keep it
• I had a little left in the tank to kick.
• We did NOT get asked to leave the track.
• I learned what NOT to do. 

So, what went wrong? In a word, self-sabotage. In addition to not letting myself recover enough from the strides/200s, I did a really silly thing that I'm so embarrassed to admit:

I thought it was a good idea to lap my watch every 100m so that, "after the trial", I could see how my pace changed over the 800m.

My husband's reaction, when I told him after the fact, was a facial expression I cannot even begin to describe, and an incredulous: "YOU LAPPED YOUR WATCH EVERY 20 SECONDS?!?!?"

Erm... uh... yes. 

When you put it that way, it sounds just as ludicrous as it was/is. That meant every 20s, I was thinking about reaching across my body, then interrupting my stride/form to find and push a button, before returning to form. While it's not like I stopped to press the button, I'm certain this impacted my time by at least 2-3s because I was thinking about lapping my watch and going through those motions for a good portion of the very short time I was running... instead of, y'know, just running fast.

...but I have data?

(totally NOT worth it)

I could have had my partner record my splits, or only lapped at the 400m... or just realized there was no actual reason I needed this data whatsoever and NOT WASTED ANYTIME. :P

The run itself was tough. It hurt a bit at times, but I think I was more concerned about:

1) trying to listen for noises of people coming to use the track/tell us to leave

2) when my next stupid lap button press had to happen

3) "saving some" for the next lap, next 200m, whatever

than running as fast as I could. 

It was far more challenging mentally than physically for me, which I think is true every time I run a hard mile. I felt the same sort of "concrete block" feeling that I had during the West End Mile in 2017, where I knew I could go faster, but my body wasn't doing it.  My legs also felt like jell-o at times. Lots of feelings, and lots of mental distractions. 

That said, I still had something "in the tank" to kick a bit on my last 100m, which was a nice feeling. 

Actual Time: 2:51.3 (i.e. I totally could've/should've hit 2:48...)

Reflections

Despite PR-ing today, I'm not nearly as satisfied as I should be. I had a lot of distractions and poor choices that contributed to not running my best. Still, I think I've learned a lot from today's exercise that'll help me on the mile in two weeks. 

Oh, and I got my strength circuits done post-run, too. (sidenote: the planks were much harder than usual)

5K Training: Week 12/12

Week-beginning Thoughts:
Oh, hi, there, race week. Didn't see you coming.... 

Monday

Scheduled: rest
Did: rest
Really thought about going for a treadmill run this morning, but was too tired. Got up at 2:30am with a nightmare/baby (two separate things, lol), was "free" at 3:30am, couldn't sleep but was too tired to run, so I worked a bit on emails and other things, then tried to go to sleep at 4:45am, but was too cold... finally got to sleep (maybe?) around 5:15am, just in time for my 5:30am alarm. Ugghhhh, Mondays.

Tuesday

Scheduled: WU, 1mi Race Pace, CD
Did: as scheduled! RP = 7:14/mi for today, total = 6.44mi @ 9:14/mi avg, Big 5
I didn't really feel like running fast today... but made it happen.

Wednesday

Scheduled: rest
Did: rest
Didn't have a voice today. Goody, goody. At least I don't feel sick otherwise.

Thursday

Scheduled: 1mi WU, 8x300/100, 1mi CD
Did: 5.0mi on treadmill @ 9:44/mi avg
I just couldn't make myself do speedwork solo on my treadmill this morning. I've realized I really do NOT like speedwork on the 'mill. Instead of me pushing myself on the track, it's the belt mandating I stay on top of it. Not a fan.

So, I watched Outlander and just ran easy instead.

yepppp, I've checked outtttttt of this training cycle

Friday

Scheduled: 3mi easy
Did: 3mi easy on treadmill @ 9:41/mi avg
After all-day volunteering for the US Olympic Team Trials - Marathon, I did not feel like doing much of anything... but felt obligated to get the miles in. 

So, I slugged it out on the treadmill. Man, I am so NOT into running this race this weekend. :/ 

Alright, that's done.

Saturday

Scheduled: rest
Did: volunteering for the kids' race, volunteering for the Trials
I. Am. So. Tired. 

Sunday

Scheduled: 2mi WU, 5K Race, 2mi CD
Did: 1.34mi WU, 5K Race (Report), 2mi CD = 6.48mi @ 8:58/mi avg, Big 5
...and then I did another 3.7mi (partially with the double) @ 9:49/mi avg
Had a good run at Publix-- exactly what I went out there for, and exactly what I wanted today. It was actually really nice to have zero pressure and get to enjoy seeing a lot of friends that I don't get many opportunities to hang out with these days. :)

...and then, after noon, I took my family out for another few miles on the greenway because it was a beautiful day. It felt good to run. Clearly I didn't race this morning if I was able to run double digits comfortably... lol. 

Total Weekly Mileage: 24.64

Week-ending Thoughts:
This week shook out so well. While I didn't have a goal race or a PR on Sunday, I already achieved what I wanted four weeks ago, so I didn't need to. :) I got to enjoy being a part of the Olympic Trials, and still enjoy my race. Yay. Life is good. 

Race Report: Publix 5K

Previous PR: 22:36 (11/4/18)
Goals: um, I didn't really have any. Thought breaking 23:00 would be a great day, and anything under 24 would be a good one
Result: 23:40


Training:
This was technically a 12-week 5K plan that I made up myself, though, after I PRed at my time trial on week 8, I haven't exactly been true to the plan. I don't think I've had a tempo run since the time trial (I had them weekly going into it, which made a HUGE difference). I've done some pickups and some hills, but, really, I can't say I've been in-training for the last four weeks. I got my PR, and then just went through the motions to finish out the cycle.

Pre-Race:
Thoughts from the Night Before the Race


Race:
I kind of half-assed a warm-up (which literally served as a warm-up, because I needed to not freeze after I took my extra clothes off), and found my way to the start corral a few minutes before the gun went off. I didn't really think about pacing. Just ran however fast I felt like, dodging all the people who really shouldn't have been in Wave 1 (or, at least not as far up in that wave). 

Mile 1 was hillier than expected, but I knocked it out in 7:10. 

I definitely couldn't sustain the pace thought, and I knew it. I wasn't here to PR today, and I let myself just enjoy the course, making sure to put a solid effort in, but more of a tempo run pace than an actual race.

Mile 2- 7:52 Yeah, definitely just running to run now. There were SO MANY hills on this course that I was glad not to be going for a PR. While the net elevation gain was only about 26', that's a deceptive stat. 

Mile 3- 7:53. At least I'm consistent?

Last 0.1-- 6:04/mi pace. Still had a kick.

Reflections:

• I had exactly the sort of race I wanted to have today. After several days celebrating the running community by volunteering at the Olympic Trials and kids race, I got to participate in the sport I love so much. Today, I was grateful to be healthy and happy just to be out there. 
• I'm totally not in the right mindset to jump into mile training right now, and am also glad to have a couple months "off" before that starts up.
• Yay, Atlanta Track Club

The Night Before the 5K

So, tomorrow's my goal race... or, at least, it was supposed to be. PR-ing my time trial a few weeks ago at Hearts and Soles kind of shot my motivation. I mean, when you reach your goal before you had planned, it's kind of hard to keep going. I suppose I could have taken that shiny new PR and used it to say, "Heeeey! You're even faster than you thought. Keep training this way, and you'll be even faster at your actual goal race."

...but I really haven't.

Instead, I've let lots of cold, rainy Thursdays without teammates drive me from the track to the treadmill for half-baked speedwork (or, worse, lazy miles without any speedwork). I've let the fact that I've had at least a day each week with someone in my family under-the-weather be an excuse to take it easy. I've let myself seriously check out of the last four weeks of 5K training, because, well, quiet honestly, I no longer want to PR at Publix.

I started off this training cycle wanting to get myself back in "fast shape", and I nailed it. Instead of raising my goal, I was content to check the "PR" box and call this cycle good.

And you know what?

I am 100% cool with it.

I'm actually really glad that tomorrow isn't my goal race. I'm nowhere near in good enough shape for it, and I don't mean training-wise. Spending the last two days on my feet downtown, volunteering for the Olympic Marathon Trials, has been amazing, but it's really exhausted me. Couple that with attempting to be at least a decent co-parent for my husband when I've been in the house, and I don't think I've got anything left to give tomorrow.

I am soooooo grateful I had the race I had at Hearts and Soles four weeks ago. Now I can just enjoy running tomorrow without feeling like I'm slacking off on the goal I'd set for myself. 

So, what do I want for tomorrow? Um, idk.

Honestly, it's 7:30pm the night before the race, and I still haven't figured out:

• how I'm getting to the race (MARTA or driving)
• what time I need to leave my house (or even wake up)
• what I'm wearing/bringing

These are things I'm normally have SET two days in advance. 

So, yeah, I haven't even thought about what I want to run. Guess I'll figure that out before the gun goes off tomorrow?