Slow Ride... Take It Easy

I have a confession.

There's a little voice inside of my head that constantly says (when I'm running):

"You need to be running all of your training runs below 9 min/mile. Now pick up the pace."

The only exception is during the first half of my long runs. I shoot for a 9:10-9:25 pace for the first half and then sub-9 for the last half.

Why the arbitrary sub-9 min/mile stance? Not sure. Part of it is because I feel like I have been training long enough to where I should be able to do that. Another part is that my goal for the Heartbreak Ridge Half (8 weeks from Saturday) is a 1:43. That's a sub-8 minute mile pace. If I can't hold sub-9 during training runs, how can I expect to do this?

I do have a coach, and I'll likely ask him about this when he gets back from his vacation (fabulous 13-day European cruise). I feel like I already know what he's going to say. I've asked him about hydration, fueling and LSD for long runs and he gave me a simple, straightforward explanation for each. Then he closed with:

"Hope that helps. Entire chapters have been written about this topic." 

I love it. He helps this overthinker stop overthinking.

My bet is that he's going to tell me to run by how I *feel*. If I *feel* like doing a sub-9, go for it. If I want to do a 10 min/mile, that's cool too. One of his basic rules is that one should alternate hard days with easy days. No two hard days in a row. Another one of his tenets is below (Bahaha! You have to keep reading if you want to know. PFFFFFFT!!!)

Today's run was an easy run for me. After completing 6 miles of interval training yesterday, I headed out this morning with my primary running partner and another runner and decided to just go ahead and follow their lead. It felt good, but as I looked down at my Garmin (when it finally got light enough outside), I felt really guilty seeing a 10:07 for my pace.

"Don't think about it. Just go with it. Your body needs this relaxed pace. You've been achy lately. Maybe you need to slow down. This feels good." 

At 2.5 miles, I turned around and headed back home while the girls continued on. Mike wanted to be able to go to his masters swim practice, and I only needed to do 5 miles. Time to head back.

I could have really stressed and picked up the pace to sub-9, but I decided not to. I'm gonna take it easy today.

Final Score:

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	00:48:16	5.00	09:38
1	00:10:10	1.00	10:10
2	00:09:48	1.00	09:49
3	00:09:39	1.00	09:40
4	00:09:26	1.00	09:26
5	00:09:07	1.00	09:07
6	00:00:03	0.00	11:09

Positives to take away from the run:

1) I ran by how my body *felt*. How can that be a bad thing?
2) I did what my coach encourages me to do: finish the last half of the run stronger than the first half.
3) If nothing else, I still ran this slightly faster than what the McMillan Running Calculator says I should do for a "recovery jog" based on my goal race pace. Today, I felt like I really needed a recovery jog. Tomorrow is my weekly hilly 8-miler (or at least as hilly as you can get in Yuma).

Mcmillan Running Calculation for my 1:43 Half Marathon Goal:

Endurance Workouts	Pace/Mile	Pace/K
Recovery Jogs	9:48 to 10:18	6:05 to 6:24
Long Runs	8:48 to 9:48	5:28 to 6:05
Easy Runs	8:48 to 9:18	5:28 to 5:47

Do you have that inner voice that tells you to "pick it up" even when you know you should be going slower?

Do you incorporate "recovery jogs" after a hard day?

Wacky Wednesday

Today's installment comes from my medicine cabinet. I giggle every time I see it.

Marathon Fresh Scent? Say what?

I've only done 2 marathons, and ain't nothin' "fresh" scent-wise about them. Who came up with this name? My guess is a non-runner type.

Napa Valley Part III: That's a Wrap

Ok, last post about Napa. Promise.

So here we are on our final full day.

Gotta be honest. Even if it were the Orient Express, it would have been nearly impossible to top the day prior. 

That being said, we were still a little surprised when we went inside... 

 There was a little bit of this... And by this, I don't really mean LiLo. I mean there was a chick who was wearing black pantyhose (in July?!?!) with the control top portion sticking out of her skirt. 

 Saw some of this...

Saw random Rockabilly couple. 

Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

It was some good people watching. And I'm not kidding when I tell you that Mike looked over at me before we boarded the train and asked me if I thought one of the stops would be at Walmart so people could get their bargain shopping done. 

Here I am on the train. Note the old-timey decor behind me.

So that's about it for the train.

Highlights: 

*I giggled at the people across from me because they were drinking a bottle of white zin (In Napa?!?!).

*We ate our lunch (not too bad) and then were sent to the "dessert car"afterwards. Our table was right by the shitter. Nothing like the savory smell of ass as you're trying to eat your chocolate cake.

*Mike and I laughed hard at some douchebag who actually "swished" wine in his mouth during his tasting. This is after he stuck his nose in the glass, whiffed it and acted like it was Opus One (SO NOT). Who does that? 

*It took forever and we were ready to get off by 2:30.

On the way back, we decided to stop off at a winery I had passed on my run.

Paraduxx Winery. Gorgeous. 

And to start off Mike's 40th right, we ate at Hurley's for dinner.

The name was quite fitting. Sure felt like this after dinner.

And that's that!

See you again in a few, Napa Valley. 

I Love You, Allison

Napa Valley Part IIb

Ok, so no 2-year old right now, but I do have an incredibly BORING synthesis paper waiting for me. OMG. I'm taking the absolute worst class EVER. Can't wait until August 6th when it is OVER.


So let's get to it...

 Next stop was here. Purchased some overpriced Chardonnay. 

 Then I requested that we stop at this fun place. I was kind of red wined out at this point in the day. Let's have some bubbly!

 Look at all those flutes. Yummy.

Very hoity toity I must say...

 Last stop of the wine tour... Super swanky Auberge du Soleil. Can you believe this view? I guess that's why it costs like $5K for a weekend at this pad. 

After resting back at the hotel, we had dinner at the world-famous French Laundry. 

Ok, so that's a lie. 

The French Laundry was walking distance from our hotel, however. Apparently, you need to call 8 weeks in advance to get a reservation. Maybe next trip.

We did eat at REDD, however. Wow.

 So good, I almost cried.

Grainy photo courtesy of Google. I got tired of taking pictures at this point.

Next up: Napa Valley Wine Train and it's surprising (or not so?) Walmart clientele.

Napa Valley Part IIa

Why Part IIa? Two reasons. I know you are probably like me and have a short attention span + I have a 2-year old trying to drink (spill) my cold cup of coffee while I blog. Time is of the essence, people.

Anyway...

This time last week I was finishing up a gorgeous 13-miler on the Silverado Trail in the Stags Leap District in Yountville/Oakville. Sure, I had been stared down by an ominous black bull in a pasture (and I picked up the pace...Yikes), and I also ran past a freshly killed baby deer on the side of the road (poor guy). Despite that, it was in the 60s, I could see fog from my breath, hot air balloons launching from the hillside, and I got a view of several gorgeous wineries. Ahhhhhh. Perfection.

I got back to the room, showered, went to breakfast with Mike and had a GIANT freshly made Belgium waffle loaded with fruit, syrup and whipped cream. Yum.

At 10:00 am, this arrived to whisk us away on one of the Best. Days. Ever.

 G Money

 Shoot. Too much light.

 Look what was waiting for us inside.

Champagne at 10 am? Don't mind if I do.

And here come the wineries!!!!!

1st stop... Silenus Winery. We bought a $75 bottle of Cab here. Throttle back, Johnsons!

 Next... Salvestrin Winery. This one was really fun.

 We got a tour of the vineyards. Very educational. Holy cow, there is a lot to know about growing grapes.

 Really old. I think he said Dr. Crane planted this one in 1912 maybe? 1908? Whatever. It's old. Did you know that grape vines are good for about 30 years? Then they need to be torn out and new ones planted.

 Tough day.

 Next up... Regusci Winery

 Wow.

 Perfect place for a picnic lunch. Our driver hooks us up. Can you believe this royal treatment? I almost feel like Princess Kate. Almost.

Vineyard dog. There were signs everywhere asking people not to feed him. Hahaha! I don't think anyone listened.

Artistic FAIL. Step away from the camera, Mike.

To be continued... Post lunch tour coming soon! Hiccup.

Desperation

So... Napa Part II or Whiny McBitchfest? We'll go with the latter for now.

I am officially justified in my bitching now. The Weather Channel has identified Yuma as the country's hottest city. 

Yes, I'm bitter. Very bitter.

I'm feelin' ya, kid. I actually did flip off the sun this morning. I really did. Ask my running partner, Kim. She laughed.

I got back from my 8-miler and sucked down a container of coconut water. Then I went outside to see if the pool would be refreshing. Since it felt like a bathtub, I opted to spend a couple of minutes doing some cryogenic chamber therapy.

...in our garage deep freezer.

Alternative super sexy view.

I truly can't believe I have SEVERAL more months of this BS. 

Deep Thoughts

...with Allison Johnson

...and Rombauer Chardonnay. Quite tasty right about now. I can see why it's called "Danville Crack."

So how do we teach our kids good sportsmanship and the importance of doing their best? Good question. I'm referring to the dramatics of last week's swim meet where Evan didn't win *every* event and acted as if he lost several Olympic gold medals. Oh, and also how he wanted to pull off his teammate's borrowed goggles (our goggles) so that his eyes would get water in them, sting really badly and then he'd LOSE.

Today, I brought out the big guns. I apparently can't lecture the kid successfully but maybe Coach Norman Dale from the film Hoosiers can. I casually call Evan over during the clip and ask him to listen.

Ok, I'm a total sucker for motivational locker room speeches by random (often fictional) high school/college coaches. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the part where he says, 


"And most important, don't get caught up thinking about winning or losing this game. If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says. At the end of the game, in my book, we're gonna be winners!"


Ooooooh, gives me goosebumps!!! I was all excited!


Me: "Evan, did you hear what that coach just said? What do you think about that?"


Evan: (shrugs shoulders, totally bored) "I thought it was dumb." (walks away to go finish Webkinz game)


DAMN FOOL KID! 


You must be dead inside to not want to hear Coach Dale! But yeah. Go ahead and sit on the couch all afternoon during the AMC Rocky Marathon and listen to this sh*t.

What the F was that? Wow. We're talking IQ below 70 here and/or speech co-written by fellow boxer:

I know a lot of people think I'm dumb. Well, at least I ain't no educated fool. ~ Leon Spinks
(Yes, Dad. I totally remember the two of us dying laughing during one of his post-fight interviews years ago.)

Lecture from parents and Coach Dale = unsuccessful

Back to the drawing board!

What's your favorite movie speech?