Yeah!!! It's HEART month! I think I will RUN more fast races?!!!? wow that sounded weird... Brain says... you don't like short races! They Hurt! They are Expensive! YOU are slow! SHUTUP Brain! Get out of my way! GOAL: Suffer past the comfort zone.February 1, Cardiff Kook 5k/10k...yes a 10k!!!, 6 miles, much better.. nope - coach says. 5k very fast, and even faster than last time. Ugh, more pain. NO Brain!... more fun, more speed! Attitude Change! Lot's of TriClubSD friends were there which made it so much more fun!
This time, no more thinking about tomorrow's workout, no more holding back to a perceived max effort. No looking at my HR zones. JUST RACE HARD! Coach said to warm up with a gentle 2 miles but with 4 x 50 meter sprints? how far is that? Type A personality...I don't know what that means? a block? should I measure it first? what if it's too far, too short? OMG....just GO!!! I jogged and sprinted 2x each direction. I stopped at a bathroom. I stopped to fill my water bottle. so relaxed that I trotted toward the corral with 10 SECONDS before the race started! OMG my heart was in my throat, I jumped into the corral, and the gun went off! I looked straight ahead. I swung my arms. Nip Hip Nip Hip.... I looked at the 10k runners on the other side. I wanna be over there! NO I don't! I just kept going HARD. I begged for the turn around. I saw my Coach on the other side with such intensity and focus on her face that it made me try harder and I turned the corner pushing into mile 2. Suddenly, I realized, Brain says, ya know...I don't really like mile 2. It's in limbo, the middle mile, meant to just be painful and endure pain until the last mile marker . Well, if you don't like it, then run faster! But what if?.....OH SHUT UP BRAIN! I can't hear the metronome beeping!
I can see the ENCINITAS sign ahead. Thank goodness Limbo land is almost over. Time for mile 3..go so hard you think you might throw up...yes a new goal! It was exhilarating to run so free and not think! Since races tend to be different distances, I would try to improve my pace, even if the elevations changed. Last month 5k #1 was 9:03 average. Not bad since I love to run a 10 minute pace! and THIS 5k #2 finished at 8:56 average pace and a 5th place! WOW! I JUST RAN 3 MILES IN THE 8's?? Hey BRAIN! I thought you said I was a 10 min mile runner! This adrenaline rush is fun! What's next?
Feb 8 - San Dieguito Half - this is a hard half with 5 rolling hills. I ran it 2 weeks early just to recall
where I needed to push harder. Alas, after a 46 year tradition, this year, they changed the course to 3 long hills. I planned to run with two faster runners to try to stay out of my comfort zone. When we took off, my leader bolted far too fast for me but I hung on for one mile since part was down hill but I had to let her go because I was wheezing and knew this was too soon. It was magical to PR one mile though! I listened to my metronome and settled into a slightly uncomfortable pace. I needed to maximize the downhill and hold steady on the up hill. This run was very painful on the body. I longed for that flat middle 2nd mile like on the 5ks! I tried to chase runners in front of me and high five the runners on the other side of me. We were suffering together and that support was priceless. I love our TCSD club. I hoped I could beat my 2:12 time from the previous course but this was a new course. Coach said I could do it in 2:05 but that seemed impossible with the hills. I ran with as much intensity as I could manage steadily and out of my comfort zone but as the last hill approached, my pace was averaged at 9:33 and my brain said I was a failure. There was no way I could meet my goal with one more hill to go. I was sad and the last hill 
Feb 15 - California 10/20 - a coastal run with 20 music bands in 10 miles. This was a last minute add. I have not run this event before but 10 miles sounds awesome with friends and music and mostly flat. It's the last 5k of a half marathon that is the worst so this would be perfect....oh and then the Coach's goal arrived on my schedule. "THIS IS NOT A RACE"... what?? "This will teach you pacing and then ALL OUT on the last couple miles." Goal was to run 5 miles 9:40 pace, 6-7mi 9:20 pace, 8-9 mi 9:00, empty the tank mile 10. OMG a nightmare plan, but I would try. Again I don't see myself running faster than 9:00 min pace but Coach's vision is always clearer than mine. We showed up to greet lots of fellow TCSDers and had a fun group picture. THEN SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPENED!!! You know when you see other athletes that are simply amazing and just love to watch them go? I am awe struck by so many club members and one of them is Jim Murff. He is 6'4" and is the fastest swimmer I have personally ever 
known. We are of similar age and he runs a 7 min mile! WOW - not human in my eyes...Jim came to me before the run and asked me to pace him!! I'm sure I blinked multiple times! WHAT?!?!?!?!? Jim, seriously, I can't do that. You know I run in the 9's on a good day. Jim says, "YES REALLY, I need to run your speed because I'm slightly injured so I need to run steady and slower." Well. hmmm. I rolled it around in my head for a second. I told Jim my coach's plan and off we went. Suddenly I HAD A JOB AS A PACER!! ME?!?! We took off together and the first thing I saw was that it took two of my strides to one of his strides! That's hilarious! I swear it seemed like he was running through sand to stay by my side! However we got through the corral crowds and then suddenly we were sub 9min pace! wow ! I guess I sensed his stride discomfort which made me want to run faster naturally. I had to keep reminding him we had to slow down a little so we could burst at the end. We naturally slowed at the first hill going out and jogged through an aid station every 2 miles to help the run average. I felt great! It was so odd to have to keep slowing us down as we naturally hovered around a 9 min pace. The 20 bands over 10 miles really wasn't that impressive. Some were horrible and there were sections without any music and then they were too close but running with Jim was the main attraction for me! He made me feel so awesome! We watched the 5 min mile runners pass us on the other side and then rounded the corner. We had another slight hill to overcome but we held our pace steady. Finally, we were ready to run down that first hill so we picked up the pace with free gravity. My other fast running buddy, Alexis, was with us by then. We ran down to mile 9 together as I squealed FREE SPEED LETS GO!!! I ran as fast as I could until it flattened out and then Jim came up from behind and turned on his turbo legs and he ran like lightning! We wove around until the last mile 10 where Alexis and I were together and then she took off too. Nothing like seeing that finish line banner and emptying the tank. I was about 5 seconds behind where Jim waited for us with open arms! Wow that was soooo much fun! Jim said he had never felt so good running 10 miles before. It was so awesome to run with him! I can't wait to see Jim on the IMAZ course with Marcus in 2015!
Mixed in with all my "THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE OMG I JUST DID IT " running intervals scheduled by my coach, I have also been climbing and climbing and climbing on my bike. Great Western Loop has become a regular cycling route with 40 miles of 3700 ft of climbing with a couple extended routes adding 12 miles and 1100 ft of additional climbing. I have volunteered my workouts on Saturdays to other 70.3 racers at the club and have met some great people. I'm hoping to find some women that cycle at my pace so we can be cycling buddies but in the meantime, it is rewarding to build confidence in others when they push themselves through the climb at GWL too.
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