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June 23, 2006

Back back back back to the track

MG is crying (screaming?) in her crib right now. It's time for bed and we've bought into the idea that babies need to learn to soothe themselves to sleep. Going in and pacifying her does her no favors because then she'll never learn how to get herself to sleep. Oh forget it. I can't stand it. I'm going in to give her her pacifier. My parents used the 10-minute test for us and I don't have any problems getting myself to sleep.

Ok, so we ruined that lesson. But it's quiet in here now. Aaaahhhhhhhh.

I haven't been averaging more than 25-30 miles each week. I've been doing two easy 4-5 milers with strides, 10-14 with hills on the weekend, and one good workout. It's a nice sustainable schedule. It's not going to get me a marathon p.r., but I don't even know what I want out of running right now anyway, aside from having fun being outside with my friends ...

and my dad! Scheduling required an afternoon run in the middle of the week for the workout, so my dad and I headed over to meet Al's Ship of Fools. I've never done a workout with my dad, so it was pretty cool.

This was actually my second track workout since coming back. A few weeks ago a group of us girls met the local Brooks rep at 5:30am for a 2x(3x200, 2x300) workout. It wasn't too bad a workout since the 200s were supposed to be done at mile pace and the 300s at 5K pace. Of course, we did them faster than we were supposed to, but it wasn't all out.

Tuesday's workout, however, started off with a timed mile. Lawdy. There was a "fast group" and a "fun group," and I self-seeded myself with the "fast group," since, really, how can a timed mile be fun? Dad chose to run with the "fun group." I knew I'd likely be one of the slower people in the group, but that kind of thing never bothers me anymore. It's not like I'm going to get left behind on the track. Try as they might to get away from me, I'll never be more than 200 yards away. Ha.

I started the mile at what I thought was kinda comfortable, but I was running with a guy that I'm usually near - sometimes ahead, often behind - in races, and I had a sinking feeling I was starting too fast. When I asked him what kind of shape he was in, he replied "fairly good" and said he'd like to go under six. That was a good sign I needed to back off a bit. My pr mile (on a track and not a downhill road mile) is 5:57, and I figured that going for a mile pr in one's third workout after having a kid less than five months prior was just asking for that *smite* key to be pressed. We went through the first quarter in 1:28 I think. I ended up with a 6:08 overall, and third-to-last in the group. But I was cool with it.

We did an Indian file mile after the timed mile, and I thought we were done. Then Al announced that we were to do an 800 at the same pace we did our mile. I didn't think that sounded all that bad until I realized, when our quarter spilts were called (I didn't have my watch), that people were not running their mile pace and were doing the damn thing all out. What do I do? Knock myself out or come in last? I came in last. And it's questionable as to whether I knocked myself out. I did a 2:58.

Dad's workout was about half of ours, and he finished pretty strong. Hopefully he liked it enough to go back.

I'm pooped! Yay weekend!

Posted by jenandmats at 8:24 PM | Comments (2)

June 18, 2006

Oh I still have it

Before we had decided it was time to have kids I worried aloud one morning to a friend what running would be like with a more complicated family dynamic. When would I have time to do workouts? How could I do long runs on Saturday mornings *without* my hour-plus nap later that day? My friend (who has two kids) tried to console me by saying "oh, once you have kids you'll find running doesn't matter so much anyway." She couldn't have said anything wronger to me. THAT, my friend, was what I was afraid of. Although I had been talking about it in terms of practicalities, what worried me more was that, with the addition of something even more important than running that I would lose the passion and the fire for running. That sounded horrible.

Fast forward a few years later, this past Wednesday I met two friends for a tempo workout. The plan was to do a moderately hilly 3.5 mile loop with 4x5 minutes tempo. I actually thought that sounded easy, since the alternative was 2x10 minutes. On the first tempo interval I started out all bouncy and strong, feeling great. When I started feeling it a little I looked down at my watch. It had only been about a minute and a half. Crrrrraaaaap. But I kept on keepin' on for the remainder of the five minutes. I was gasping at the end. My enthusiasm was already waning. I started a little more conservatively for #2, but less than a minute into it we made a right hand turn that had a serious incline for about 200 yards. I started feeling like I might barf. I told myself that I was just getting back into running and that I didn't need to do four intervals; two was plenty. (For those of you who have seen the most recent Kathy Griffin special on cable where she talks about getting that "pre-diarrhea feeling," I think that's an accurate assessment of how I was feeling, although hers came from embarrassment; mine was physical exertion.)

But I found it in me to finish the set. I reminded myself how hard it is to get over quitting a workout, then I made an effort to relax a little, and dug in for the rest of the set and the last two. I was completely wiped at the end, but extremely happy that I'd finished strong.

I think if running "didn't matter so much" to me anymore I wouldn't have finished the set. Hell, I might not even have started the set! I'm glad to know I still have it.

We had our first restaurant diaper blowout this evening. It was the worst blowout we've ever had anywhere I think. It was gagworthy. On a less disgusting note, we introduced MG to eating with a spoon today. It was very exciting, although we had to cut it short because she got tired and fussy. She's getting so big and fun!

Posted by jenandmats at 7:16 PM | Comments (6)