Race Report: C Mile Test

Previous PR: 6:06 (10/18/20, 10/25/20)

90% Goal: 6:15
50% Goal: 6:10
10% Goal: 5:59
Result: 6:06 (PR-reaffirmation)

Training:

I opted into something different this time. A friend/teammate of mine with a ton of knowledge/experience in the field offered to write a plan for me (and my training partner) based on our specific desires and schedules. We ended up with a flexible plan that offered:

• 5-6 runs a week (1 day w/hills or strides, 1 beastly track workout, 1 fartlek/tempo, 1 long run day, and 1-2 easy, short run days)
• ~30-40mpw

I generally ran 5 days a week, struggled a bit with stroller fartleks (and switched halfway to doing these solo), and did LIIFT4 (lifting + HIIT) workouts on 3-4 days each week. I also struggled with nutrition this time around. For the past couple weeks, I haven't been planning out meals/snacks, and that's meant a lot of not-so-great choices have been made since I'm feeling hungry all the time and over-eating. 

Before:

I had a rough week of the trial, dealing with some form of illness/allergies Saturday through Tuesday. Work was a bit stressful. Food choices weren't the greatest (example: entire box of crackers on Monday). I really wasn't sure I'd even run the mile on Thursday. 

I did zero mental prep for this race. Even the goals on the top of this page were all written after-the-fact, based on what I think I thought I could do. I literally showed up to the track this morning still unsure if I'd run a full mile. My body felt fine enough, but what was "fine enough" when I was trying to run faster than I've ever run before less than 48 hours after feeling so crappy I laid in bed for two hours during the morning napping? 

My legs did not feel ready during the warm-up, but, having two miles did help. I felt better and more ready by the end of it, at least. I'd planned on giving it a whirl and seeing how I was at the two lap mark. If I was close to 3:00, I'd keep going. If I was already dead, I'd cut and plan on making a second attempt this weekend. I think in a lot of ways, I was already planning on a second attempt, and today was just a "see where you're at" trial. 

Mile:

Lap 1 87s

Even with the bonus 9m at the start of this lap (to make it a true mile and not just 1600m), I hit the 100m (109m) line in 20s. Too fast. This lap felt comfortable enough as I settled in, though. I didn't look at my watch again, trusting my teammate for my split. Just gotta get through one more lap and then see how you feel... 

Lap 2 ?

It was on this lap that I felt like "oh, hey, maybe I can do this today". Pace seemed reasonable, though it certainly required effort to maintain. I remember hearing 2:52, 2:53 from my teammate as I crossed the line (whether that's actually what she said or not, I'm not sure, because she told me she'd started accidentally counting aloud in her native language at one point- maybe I mis-heard). I remember thinking "ooh, just hang on" and "nice job banking so much time". 

Lap 3 93s?

Banking time is a terrible, terrible thought to have during a mile. It's too short. There is no "banking time", only "wasting effort". I definitely felt like the first half of this lap was hard. The third lap is always the worst. You're more than halfway,  but you've gotta run a whole lap before you can say "just one more".  My quads started burning on this one, and I started noticing the wind on the back stretch of the track. 

Lap 4 ???

In my head, I could still make it, but I also knew it was going to take a lot to get there. My legs hurt. I wanted to slow down, to recover enough to kick more at the end, but I also knew that wasn't an option. Well, my head did at least. Per my pace graph, it looks like I might've slowed down in anticipation of a final kick for the last 100m. 

Garmin on top, Polar on bottom

I wasn't thinking about time for the last few laps, though. I was just thinking "give this a good, solid effort, and you can be done with it". . 

Post-Mile Reflections:

I'm not excited about my 6:06 finish time, but I'm also not disappointed with today's performance either. The fact that I'm now regularly defaulting to a 6:06 mile is pretty freaking awesome. 

I went into today without focus, without a real goal, and without any sort of pacing plan... and still half-a__ed my way to hitting my PR. That's kind of a win, right? 

Yet again, I feel like my inability to commit to 90s laps for the first 800m is my biggest problem. In my head, I'm so worried of not giving myself any wiggle room on Lap 4, that I tend to go out too fast... which bites me in the end. I learned this lesson several times before, but never commit to executing a 3:00 800m when I go for the mile because I'm worried about being too slow. 

Clearly, I need to re-think that approach, because stubbornly running "whatever comes out" in the first 800m for these past few trials hasn't yielded the results I want to see. :P 

Post-Training Cycle Reflections

(1) workout I found most helpful:

• the confidence I gained from my 2:47 800m TT was incredible, but my body probably got more out of the extended fartlek workout I did on the treadmill:  

2 x [2 min hard (2 min easy), 3 min hard (3 min easy), 4 min hard (4 min easy)] at 5K pace

It felt like I had to keep digging deeper and deeper to execute the next hard interval, and that was really good for me. 

(2) things I learned:

• I can't get the most out of a pace-changing workout if I'm pushing a stroller, especially one with the baby in it.  The only times I had success with stroller workouts were doing longer intervals with my older one. 
• Thinking about fartleks or time-based workouts as track workouts helps me execute them better. Thinking about doing "8x45s @ MP" leads me to underperform, but thinking about 8x200m makes me focus more on pace, imagine visual distance markers, and execute the workout much better... even though they're exactly the same workout for me.

(3) things I'm proud of: 

• becoming a consistent 6:06-on-a-not-so-great-day miler
• making the 7-8mi long workouts happen (at pace!) on Thursdays before work, even if it means a 3:45am alarm
• being able to run a ~95s 400m for my training partner's lap lap of her mile (though this also means that I didn't beat my legs up enough since I did that < 5min after finishing my own mile) 

So, yet again, here we are, six months later, and I'm closing out another mile time trial entry with the same line: 

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

LIIFT4: Week 6/8

Week-beginning Thoughts:

We're on Week 6 of this now, are we? 

Cool.

Monday

Did: LIIFT4, 4ish mi run/walk with stroller @ 10:05/mi avg
Trying hard to maximize the last "build" week of the program with increased weights. Also got in a quick lunch run with the stroller, though I walked a few hills.

Tuesday

Did: LIIFT4, 6.23mi @ 8:32/mi avg as the Stay Home Virtual Half/10K/5K race
Anytime the baby sleeps 10 hours, it's a good day. Got up, worked for a few hours, got in a morning LIIFT session, worked some more, and then headed out for my 10KTuesday lunch run date with my husband.

Awhile ago, I'd signed up for a Virtual 10K race, intending on using it as a reason to do more than just run through one of my early morning 10KTuesdays. About two miles into today's run, I realized this was the week of the race... and I might as well take advantage of the faster than usual pace I was running alongside my husband.

...so I picked it up, without telling my husband what I was doing, and pushed on.

At 3.9mi in, I was feeling good. At 4.0mi, I was ready to be done... and checked my watch probably about 5 times in the next half mile, willing it forward. 

It wasn't my fastest 10K by far, or even a true race, but it definitely felt good to push as a tempo run. I haven't done any sort of pace work for the past few months, and it was kind of nice to have a chance.

Hooray, we're done!

Sweet shirt.
"Run where you play have to, because you can't go anywhere else right now"

Wednesday

Did: ATC Core Workout, 3mi easy @ 8:30/mi?
Atlanta Track Club's providing some free workout classes during the pandemic, so Jerry and I thought we'd do Coach Amy's core class together as a mid-morning break. Nothing too fancy, but a nice way to spend 30min "together".

Went out later that afternoon for an easy run that turned into an unintentional fast one. Once I got going, I just kind of locked in an enjoyed the push. Felt good, though, to do the same pace on today's "easy" 5K that I did during yesterday's "race". 

Thursday

Did: 5K on treadmill @ 10:00/mi, LIIFT4
I really wanted to go run outside today, but not enough to deal with this mess of downpour + wind solo. 

blergh

After a lot of back and forth with myself, I decided watching a TV show while running was enough incentive to get on the treadmill. Starting up, even the 6.0mph felt insanely fast. I stuck with it, but it wasn't until 2.8mi in that I finally felt warmed up and wasn't constantly wanting to stop. Finished out the 5K, and proceeded to LIIFT4.

I think I say this every week, but I'm insanely proud of myself for sticking with a weight lifting/strength training program this long. I've always struggled with motivation to lift, especially solo, but this program seems to be jiving well with my current lifestyle and needs. 

plus, I'm loving the "Weight Tracker" spreadsheet
SO MUCH VISUAL PROGRESS

Friday

Did: LIIFT4, 1mi on 'mill @ 10:00, 2mi on road @ 8:32/mi avg
I really wanted to get up and run before the dawn this morning. I set my alarm for 4:30 and everything.

...but then the baby was up from 11:30pm to 1am, and I couldn't get back to sleep until almost 2:30am myself.

After turning off my alarm at 4:30, I was woken up a little before 6am by more baby cries, shortly followed by my husband dropping baby on my lap/bed because he'd been hit in the face by baby's head and needed to get some ice on his cheekbone ASAP. 

Got LIIFT in (last workout without weights! woooo!), then ran a mile on the 'mill while I was on parent-duty, then hopped outside for a quick 2mi on the roads before my husband's 7:30am meeting and return to parenting. 

Saturday

Did: 10.01mi @ 9:43/mi avg, yoga
Another morning with my family on the greenway. Felt pretty awesome to be singing "Captain Vegetable" from Sesame Street (circa 1990) as a trio while keeping a 9-something pace. 

Sunday

Did: 5.01mi with stroller @ 8:49/mi avg, 30min yoga
"Treated" myself to a run at the river, whose parking lots have been closed for the past month. Parked offsite and ran to/from the main paths.

Total Weekly Mileage: 34.49

Week-ending Thoughts:
I "ran the rainbow" this week. Teehee

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. 

5K Training: Week 8/12

Week-beginning Thoughts:
Life feels busy. Time to find a way to slow down and smell the roses.

Monday

Scheduled: rest
Did: rest
There's nothing quite like going through your day still smelling the poop from when you changed your baby at 5:30am, despite washing your hands and arms six times. 

Tuesday

Scheduled: 6.3mi with hills
Did: 3.27mi WU @ 9:30/mi, 6x200m hills (<8:00/mi)/200m recovery, 2x200m hill (easier)/200m recovery, 1mi CD = 6.24mi @ 9:28/mi avg, Big 5
Pretty solid workout here. 

Wednesday

Scheduled: XT
Did: 20min strength training, 15min yoga
Baby slept until 4am, then got up for a quick change/feed before allowing me to get up and get a half-baked workout in before getting ready for work. :) Woo, look, ma, I cross-trained! 

with my cat

...and then, after work, I helped my older one practice on a pedal bike, which wrecked my back from all the hunching over to support him, but was super fun. :)

Thursday

Scheduled: 2mi WU, 8x300(@ mile pace)/100m, 2mi CD
Did: 1mi WU, 8x300(@ mile pace)/100m, 1mi CD = 4.4mi @ 8: 49/mi avg, Big 5
Oh, man, am I feeling my arms/shoulders/back today! Ooooof.
Thought I only had a 1mi WU/CD when I got to the track-- oops.
Wasn't sure what I needed to hit for my 300m, but I'd had 67.5 in my head. 

#1- 68.5s
Whelp, there goes that... I think I might've let myself give up a little after this one. I didn't want to be push that hard, and it was easy to make excuses. 
         My back is sore. 

That has nothing to do with your legs, and, if you're not twisting, 

you shouldn't even feel your back too much.

       I have a time trial Saturday; I should take it easy. 

This workout was specifically given to me by an Olympian coach for

two days before my GOAL race one season. NO modifying necessary.

       I'm on my period. 

So what?

I didn't give up completely, but didn't push myself to where I needed in order to get the most out of this workout. I showed up, and that was about it.

#2- 70.5
#3- 70.3
#4- 72.6
#5- 73.8
#6- 75.2
#7- 75.1
#8- 72.6

Friday

Scheduled: 3-4mi easy
Did: 3.0mi on treadmill @ 9:49/mi avg, Big 5
It throws my whole day when I don't just run first thing after waking up. I "only" waited until 6am, but it was still so hard to stop what I was doing and run after I'd gotten started with my day.

Saturday

Scheduled: 2mi WU, 5K Time Trial, 2mi CD
Did: 7.11mi total @ 8:53/mi avg, Big 5
Race Report

Sunday

Scheduled: 4-5mi easy with stroller
Did: 5.0mi with double stroller @ 9:50/mi avg, Big 2
Definitely felt a lot better than the day after a PR should have :) In fact, this felt just like every other Sunday Runday ever. 

Total Weekly Mileage: 25.75

Week-ending Thoughts:

• Loving what the tempo workouts have done for me :D 
• Looking forward to pushing hard over the next four weeks to see just what I can do at my goal race

5K Training: Week 4/12

Week-beginning Thoughts:
I'm feeling pretty good.

Monday

Scheduled: rest
Did: Stroller Strides, 3mi zoo walk
Good times with kids and friends.

 

Tuesday

Scheduled: 10K with strides

Did: 6.26mi @ 9:36/mi, another 5mi of museum walking

Did a few strides as part of today's 10KTuesday route in preparation for tomorrow's race.

Wednesday

Scheduled: XT or rest

Did: warmup + Resolution Run + cool-down = 2.19mi @ 9:44/mi avg, Big 5

Good start to the year.

Thursday

Scheduled: 1mi WU, 10x400(1:44)/400, 1mi CD

Did: 1mi WU, 8x400(<1:44)/400, 1mi CD = 6.24mi @ 9:11/mi avg, Big 5, Stroller Strides

Had the ROUGHEST night of (lack of) sleep in a long time + hard race the day before + cold rain starting = modified the workout a bit to only do 8 repeats instead of 10. This was the right call.

Splits:

1:43

1:42

1:42

1:40

...and then I focused on leaning forward, pulling my elbows back, and using my core to keep my body from twisting

1:38

1:38

1:39

1:38

...and dropped a few seconds/lap without any increase in perceived effort.

Huh. Maybe there's something to focusing on my form. ;)

Strides Life

Friday

Scheduled: 3mi easy

Did: Stroller Strides

Figured Wednesday made up for this run.

baby <3s strides

Saturday

Did: 10.01mi (4WU, 4tempo, 2CD) @ 9:25/mi avg, Big 5

Another day where I did NOT want to workout, and only really made it out there because another mother runner was meeting me, and I knew we could spend the first 4 (if no thte full 10) miles commiserating over our babies' poor sleep habits, and encouraging/supporting each other in all things life. 

WU: 10:19, 9:59, 9:46, 9:40
Tempo: 8:36, 8:44, 8:29, 8:06
CD: 10:09, 10:15

While it might look like I had good paces, I'm actually pretty disappointed with this workout. I'm excellent at naturally "kicking" to finish a race, or gradual progressions. What I need more practice at is hitting a slightly uncomfortable pace, and then holding it, consistently, for a few miles. I didn't really focus on the purpose of the workout during the run, and it showed. Yet again, I have a super-fast "last mile", and some lack-luster "other miles". 

One of the workouts I saw when I was developing my plan involved a "strong finish" after tempo miles or distance. I think that's probably what I want to focus on next time I have a tempo run-- maybe something like 3mi at 8:00, and then drop the hammer for one?

this might be my weirdest run outfit ever:
calf sleeves, knee-length compression shorts, a 100% reflective sports bra, arm sleeves, a wiiiide earband, and a visor, plus a light-up vest (hadn't planned on taking my shirt off today... lol)

Bonus: my amazing husband even took the kids for an hour after his run so that I could go upstairs and try to nap mid-morning. It didn't work out (after 20min, my oldest came up to use the bathroom singing "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" VERY loudly), but the thought was nice. 

Sunday

Did: 4.5mi stroller run @ 9:53/mi avg, Big 5

Went out in the afternoon due to other events, but had company, which made it manageable to get out after lunch. Had another issue where I overdressed and wound up repping the SportsBraSquad. 

Total Weekly Mileage: 29.2

Week-ending Thoughts:

• Good-bye, maternity leave :'(

West Coast Running

Week-beginning Thoughts:
Uggggghhh. Insufficient sleep + sick + baby + about to travel to the west coast for a week of 7am-11pm nonstop stuff = ANXIETY. 

Monday

Did: 4.44mi walk

Traveled to California for a conference, and walked around Disneyland to orient myself with food options and potential 10KTuesday routes. I currently have no voice, which does not bode well for a conference (especially one at which I'm a presenter), but hopefully a lot of sleep will help... 

Tuesday

Did: 6.23mi @ 9:51/mi avg

Running solo wasn't too bad this morning. The routes I found recommended by other runners online were as advertised: "well-lit and comfortable, save a few homeless people at bus stops". I felt good for the first 5K, and then my body kind of shut down and I went from running mid-9s to mid-10s almost instantly. 

Wednesday

Did: 3.14mi @ 10:08/mi avg, 1hr dance party

Made a post in our Summit conference app about running, and got enough responses to organize a little structural engineering run club. Wooo!

We did a nice 5K loop, then I sat at conference sessions for 8+ hours... and then enjoyed a fun dance/karaoke party with my structural engineering colleagues.

I don't know if it's the running, dancing, or just all the sitting, but I had a lot of postpartum pubic bone soreness overnight. :( 

Thursday

Did: 3.67mi @ 9:31/mi avg, Big 5

The Run Club has doubled in size! :D Definitely feeling all this high heel-wearing, though. Oof, my calves were tight today. 

We're all Structural Engineers 

Friday

Did: 3.1mi @ 9:25/mi avg, Big 5

My last day in Anaheim had another successful turnout for the 6am Structural Engineering Run Club. If I hadn't had this group, I would not have gotten out of bed to run... but I'm glad I did. I enjoyed a few fun miles of talking with a guy who's running the Atlanta Marathon next year and another one who was training for the Paris Marathon with his wife, until she got pregnant with their first kid. No matter where I go, I love how running can bring me closer to new friends. 

Saturday

Did: 3.12mi with double stroller @ 9:32/mi avg

Considering I'm supposed to run a 5K with the double stroller tomorrow, I decided I could use some practice... today. lol. The first bit was super tough (despite being on flat riverside paths) and I saw my watch say "12:25/mi" for a good bit. Oof. Wound up with a solid pace, though, and enjoyed some precious time with both my little ones. 

Sunday

Did: Atlanta Lab Rescue 5K-- 3.12mi with double stroller @ 8:40/mi avg

see separate entry, forthcoming

Total Weekly Mileage: 22.38

Week-ending Thoughts:

I think I used the words "structural engineer" multiple times throughout this post. Do you know what a structural engineer is? We're responsible for making buildings stand-up. We use statistical models to determine expected forces on structures throughout their lifespan (everything from how many people and what type of "stuff" will go inside to hurricane and earthquake forces), and physics/math to design beams, columns, and floor systems that will support all of these loads. 

Every building, from your house to the MLB park down the street, has a skeleton supporting it from the inside out. An architect determines the size, layout, and look of the building, but it's the structural engineer who makes it stand up. 




Oh, and on the running side of things:

• I'm thrilled that my Achilles issue is finally GONE
• Proud to have run a 5K almost every day this week
• I love running with both my little ones in the double stroller, even if it is FREAKING HARD to push 100lbs of stuff up hills