70 days and counting...

this is me from last year's two cities half marathon.  i can't believe it was almost one year ago.  last july, i started my half marathon training with a 5 mile tempo run which took me 1:00:30. that is a 12:05 pace, and i weighed 179 lbs.  that is 40 pounds more than i weigh now.  by october, i ran a 10 mile long run on the treadmill in 1:54:14, an 11:25 pace. and i ran the half marathon in 2:23:57, a 10:58 pace.  i started out running 13 miles a week, maxing out at 25 miles a week. all that seems like a lifetime ago. i made huge improvements over that training cycle, but i wanted more.  i wanted to be faster. 

70 days until the marathon..70 days to prepare.  70 days to give it everything i have. yesterday on my schedule was 10 miles with 6 at tempo (8:30). 8:30...wow...to look back to where i was last year and the improvement since then. i'm excited, but i'm pushing for more.  i was a bit nervous for this run, especially since my last tempo didn't go so well.  i really wanted to go out and nail this run.  tempo runs are not my favorite, but that is because they are hard. ultimately, i know that these are the runs that are going to make me faster. these are the runs that are going to get me to my goal.

the run went well. i'm not stoked about it, but not disappointed either.

the 2 mi warmup felt great...9:57, 9:35

speed up to LT pace...thinking this isn't so bad...8:35 HR 167

start to get in the groove...couple hills in there...8:03 HR 171

oops...think i pushed a little too much that last mile, getting tired...8:37 HR169

gotta keep "checking in"...8:39 HR169

last two miles...keep going...8:30 HR 168

last one...push...8:35 HR 168

2 mi. cooldown...10:03, 9:21

10.03mi/1:30:07/avgHR 163/avg 8:59

that is the fastest i have ever run 10 miles...a 6 minute PR...WOW!

and that is the first time my avg pace has gone under 9:00  Wahoo!!

and today i had 5 nice easy recovery miles.  5.67mi/57:37/avgHR 146/avg 10:09

getting ready for my first 20 miler tomorrow.

can't wait!!

note to self:  "you can have anything you want, if you want it badly enough."-Abraham Lincoln