52 Miles this Month

It sometimes amazes me: a month with lots of no running days and I still managed to put in 52 miles of running! I have been finding it hard to adjust working along with bad weather to get into a rhythm of training. Lots of ups and downs this month. Some really great training runs; setting a PR in a race but yet it was also fraught with days of no running because of work or weather.  2 weeks of races in a row also seemed to take their toll. I was especially tired after the 10k.  But....today I ran 5 miles and it was easy and pleasant. Perhaps it was because the sun was shining and it was not snowing or raining. This weekend was one of cold icy rain, sleet, and snow...oh and did I say wind also??  It was not a pleasant introduction to winter but, for sure, it was an interesting month for running.

OCTOBER 22, 2011 10K

This morning was a very early and chilly start, but a beautiful day to run. About 40 degrees F. The Big 8 10k Race had a late start due to a fender bender on the course.  The 8am start was 30 minutes late. Not much fanfare other than an air-horn to begin it.  This was definitely a challenging race.  Small uphill, downhills to start, and then mile 3 and mile 4 were totally uphill. It seemed like it would never end. At one point I had to do a little bit of race-walk; then I regained my uphill pace. I read somewhere that you should just try to maintain on the uphill and then use the downhill to make up time. When we finally got to the downhills, I certainly felt the speed increase. I just wish I could have kept it up!! The last mile was uphill! It was a bit of a grind but I decided to dig in a bit.  Some one on the sideline was shouting..."Don't quit! Keep it up! Dig in and turn it up!" I know it was not my coach....but I was encouraged to try and turn it up some more. Overall, it was a great race and totally satisfying to see my time as I reached the finish line!! Because...my last race (flat course)  was 1:04:04 and today I got a PR!!  1:02:15  That is a minus 2 minute difference on a challenging course. Yes...it was a great day for a race! I am more than pleased!