Training Update

I'm not one of those people that takes technology with me when I go on vacation.  As a result, I feel a bit overwhelmed blogging when I return home.  This is especially true with the recent visit to Fairbanks.  I will be writing two or three more entries on that, but right now I'd like to fill you in on my training back here in California.  It has been great! 

After I overcame the initial jet lag, I was surprised to see that my allergy symptoms had disappeared.  In fact, during the first two weeks we were home, I used my inhaler just once before a run (this morning's 4 miler, because my lungs felt "weird").  I'm still puzzled why I felt better, but maybe it was a bizarre form of recovery to go to frozen Alaska for two weeks.

Beautifully frozen run I have yet to blog.

Sunday, Matt and I went on my 9mi marathon race pace run.  We spent the afternoon baking bread and catching up on home stuff, so we ran 4 miles, pulled the bread from the oven, and quickly hit the other 5 miles.  I couldn't believe that I had so much energy.  Initially the run was going to be easy, but I had just 35 minutes to get out and home, not enough time for an easy paced run.  While pulling the loaf from the oven and coaxing it from the pan, I told Matt that I might as well finish out the miles fast.  The first four miles were untimed, but judging by effort they were well below the requisite 8:00/mi. pace.  The remaining five were great: 7:51, 7:55, 7:52, 7:51, 7:57 (used Matt's watch that doesn't connect to the computer).

Thursday was the tempo run.  It has been mostly windy and sunny here since we returned home; the running is beautiful.  Matt wore the watch and I mindlessly followed him.  I am always surprised how much easier it is for me to keep a pace when I have someone else to follow.  If he sped up, I did; if he slowed, I did.  It was only on one spot during the return trip, with that 10mph tail wind, that I began to wheeze.  Matt noticed my labored breathing and called out from up ahead, "Oops!  Too fast, sorry."  When he returned to the prescribed pace, I relaxed again.  Here's the workout:

5 miles (3 at tempo pace of 7:20-7:30/mi).

As planned, this week is without a long run.  Tomorrow, both Matt and I are racing at the Foggy Bottom 10 Miler.  Instead of using a half marathon as a benchmark race before the Avenue, we decided on this mostly flat local race.  Hopefully the weather is as nice as it was today.  My goal is to run between a 1:15-1:18.  That will bring me below my half marathon PR pace and within the range calculators predict for my Avenue goal time.  My time at Foggy Bottom last year was 1:22:22.  I was a little burned out for that race (three weeks after the Little Su 50K).  Matt is hoping for something in the 1:00-1:05 range.  Wish us luck!

Fairbanks is famous for her long sunsets.