Training week 9 and 10

Sometimes I feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day.  Don't know where the time has gone, but getting ready to enter last week's training update I realized that I hadn't put in Week 9.  So here  is a brief recap of Training week 9: Knee was sore from the 10 miler I did 5 days after the Chicago Rock N Roll 1/2 so I took it a little easier and only did 5, 5, 3, and then my tri on Sunday.  I did a 5 mile bike the day before the race and 10 laps.  It was a good week before the race and I think backing off helped me not have problems with my knee or any other body part on the day of the race.

Now onto this past week: Tuesday a.m. ran 7 miles (1hr 16 min)- not bad, Wednesday speed workout at track with Running Wild Group (1 mile warm/up, followed by 400's repeat x 6 with goal of 1 min 40-50 sec finishing time- rest of about 3 minutes between each 400, followed by 800 cool down- total 2.8 miles), then I took two days off- no cross training/swimming/biking/etc (does walking at the state fair count as cross training :)?).  Saturday a.m. I ran 15.4 miles, but the weird and strange thing is it took me 2 hours and 56 minutes to do this run. I didn't feel that slow during the run.  I walked only when I took my Sports Beans around mile 9, but still my clock when I returned was the barer of bad news- I was horribly slow on this run. I'd like to have so many excuses for this, but I really can't use ("oh those hills" or "my knees were so sore"- which they were, but still even the good old blame it on the "I was listening to a book on tape and just got caught up in the story and the narrator's cadence was so slow it slowed me down" excuse).

Coach (aka Husband) was worried about me.  He knew how far I was running and was concerned it had taken me almost 3 hours to run 15 miles. Now remind you- I don't sprint my long runs on the weekends, but come on- why can I run a 1/2 marathon in the blazing heat of Chicago in almost 2 hours and it then takes me on a beautiful cool sunny Saturday morning almost 3 hours to do 15.  I still am boggled by this experience and I've decided that I can't over analyze it because it won't change anything.  I just have to keep plugging on.

The following day I went to the gym with the intention to run 4 miles on the treadmill- this was a total cop-out.  It was a nice day, I should've ran outside, but instead I did the good old- "go to the gym" excuse. Deep down inside I knew I was still mentally getting over my horrible slow time the day before.  I ran 3 miles in 29 minutes on the treadmill and as soon as I saw the 3 miles mark I was done.  I didn't mentally have it in me to run that 1 more mile.  This is disappointing, but again I can't dwell on it and I start back tomorrow.   This is another higher mileage week and I'm hoping that the 17 miler I do this coming Saturday goes by a little bit more quickly.

One idea I have is to work on a new playlist for my long run this coming weekend.  I've really not been listening to music lately and I'm wondering if changing it up a little from my books on tape to some energetic, get the blood flowing music will liven up my step.

If anything this past week of training has reminded me of how humbling running can be- just when you are on the high of placing in top 3 for age range for a mini-sprint Tri you get brought back down to earth with a 15 miler at a 11:28 pace.