What should have been

Though my racing this indoor season has been on par to being the best season I've ever raced, it's been quite dismal as well. I only say dismal because this is the least I've ever raced. Up to date not including the race I'm about to recap has only been 2 and it's the end of January which in turn is closing on the end of the season. Usually by the end of December I've got 2 races under my belt coming into peak for February. Granted December going into the beginning of the New Year was super crazy for me with the whole move and whatnot, so I'm not too surprised.
Race #3 brings me to Boston to the very meet that started this blog BU Terrier Invitational. Though I'm in a very different stage in my running career than then, I still get stuck in those same disappointing reveries sometimes. This race in my mind turned into a bomb (some will disagree with me). I think that the lead up to the race was most likely what the "downfall" was. My day didn't quite start off in the most relaxing way possible and everything I usually do beforehand didn't happen. I didn't make matters any better by getting anxious & not sitting still the hours leading up to my race. My execution definitely was far from how it should have gone and though I ended with a PB, I didn't feel good about how it panned to be (this is where the disagreement is). I'm trying not to be too hard on myself because yes a best is a best, BUT I know that my racing shape should have put me at least 2 seconds faster. I'll leave it at that because I really don't want to hark on what should have been. Lesson learned staying consistent with pre-race rituals and relaxing the mind & body beforehand are key to performance. On to the next...

To all the non believers

For most of my athletic life I've come across so many people that have little faith or underestimate my abilities. I won't lie, there were times that I let others non belief in me hinder my potential. But on the counterpoint there were many times that it has fueled me to push myself even harder. I try not to let either be the driving point of my ambitious ways, because it's not healthy, mentally or physically.  Doing something because you want to prove someone wrong is not a way to peak performance, as letting someone else's lack of expectations is not a reason to take a blow to your own confidence. Of course it's finding the equilibrium of the two extremes.

Right now I'm fighting an opposition from someone that should be supporting me. I know that I'm physically in the greatest shape that I've ever been in my running career and clearly I've proven myself but yet that opposing force is still there. Thankfully as I learn more about myself and limits this season, I am able to find my calm and that inevitable middle ground (having 2 encouraging coaches and great teammates make it a whole lot easier). I will not let this person get the best of me and I'll be sure to continue to thank those people that make it all happen. I will drive myself to be my best.

Breaking barriers

After the past couple weeks being all about getting my new apartment, piecing it together and putting all my energy into only that, I wasn't quite sure how much of my training had plummeted from it. Practice had been ho-hum, and the relay leg I ran on the 6th was dismal.

Finally a week and a half later my apartment was livable, and my spirits began to lift, I decided I could put myself to the test and race an open race. One the table, another 800. I made sure I was seeded in a fast enough heat that I couldn't sit I had to push. I was confident but still a little weary from my sporadic training. There was no turning back I had to do it. I stuck with my same game plan as the 1st 800, my splits at 33-34-35-35 and not lead the majority of the race. Stepped on the track, runners take your mark, bang, I was off. Tucked my self on the lead girl's right shoulder and surprisingly held myself there. I was stepped on after the first 100 then again at the 250, which tends to happen due to the nature of my stride but rather than it deferring me it only fuels me to pick up my pace and get out of it. Went through perfectly again for the 200, and 400. Then something happened that has never happened racing an 800, I didn't loose my cadence in the 3rd lap, I came through in a 36. When I saw the clock at the 600 at 1:43 I knew as long as I didn't fall completely down a hole I was good. I pressed through, didn't kick like I had wanted but when I looked up to see my final time my fist pumped up and a super wide grin came upon my face. After years of chasing a sub 2:20 half mile, I had finally broke that barrier! Not only was it another PR it also was my goal #1 for the distance for the season. The best part that makes me giddiest of it all is, it's just the beginning and I have so much to look forward to the rest of this indoor season and most definitely the outdoor season.

It's only been since 08 I've been trying to get to this point (not that I've been counting )

When one doors closes another opens

It never ceases to amaze me that I still manage to do things big and with a huge bang/hurrah. And always last minute, like my new apartment that I sit in right now. Barring a roller coaster ride of being scammed, dealing with financial craziness and finally signing for a place on Dec 29th, when I had to be out of my place on Jan 1. In the end it all worked out but it certainly put me on edge, to a point where I put my running on the back burner (something I promised myself I wouldn't do). With it all said and done I knew it meant for new changes that I was in need of.

So here's to a 2012 opening more doors for not only me but my family & friends as well. 

Holidaze

My holiday week was spent working due to travel for me being a little bit on the difficult side and the fact that I was on the last stretch to have to find an apartment to live in by Jan 1. I took the opportunity to make some extra cash, since I did need that too. When I originally planned this I thought it was a good idea, it didn't seem so bad on paper. It turned to be a 14 hour day on Christmas Eve to be followed by midnight mass ending at 1:30am to wake up a few short hours and spend 13 hours standing with no break on Christmas Day. Only to be followed the next day with my opening indoor season meet.

As I prepped myself race day, the exhaustion was just stifling. I wanted to call it off and not run. After a long inner conflict with my body and mind, I decided to suck it up and just run, chalk it up to a practice if anything. While I warmed up and did drills I played my race in my head how I'd go through in each 200-33, 34, 35, 35 is what I wanted to pull out. Realistically I could do it, my training says so. Though I knew my head could also possibly get in the way.
I seeded myself in 2:20 with 1 girl ahead. I knew it wasn't a fast meet but I was hoping to not have to lead. As a change up from my usual lead, I decided that I'd shoulder myself with the lead girl for at least the first 2 laps then see what happens from there. Of course that didn't happen. I tried to tuck behind but the pace was too slow so I pulled out and lead for the entirety except the last 20 meters in which I didn't respond to the girl coming down my back. I did manage to go through the 1st 2 laps exactly where I wanted to be 33, then 34 for a 67 through the 400. I fell off per usual in the 3rd lap in a 38 but didn't have anyone there to really push me and came back with a 36 in the last lap for a final 2:21.72. 2nd place and a PR!! A HUGE improvement from my opening meet last year where I opened with a 2:30 something. I knew training was well beyond last year but it was better than it's ever been. I didn't hit my first goal in goal list, circumstances prevailing I knew I could have so I couldn't be too disappointed.
My original plan was to double up with the 200 to make it a good practice and to get my money's worth. After the 8 I was bombed so I teetered back and forth if I'd still race the 2. I still had some time to decide then a wave of energy hit me so I shrugged my shoulders and told myself to just do it. I lined up to seed myself at 30 since I was pretty sure that's all I had in me, with maybe a possibility of a 29. Popped on the track when it was time for my heat, crouched down into down start, and just went. I thought I came through in 29 and change then looked up at the jumbotron and low and behold it was 28.92. Another PR! it was only by 6 one hundredths but still.
I managed a meet that I wasn't 100 percent sure about to a double PR. A great way to start off my season. Only to know there's so much more potential to be harnessed in the next couple months. A great Christmas present.

Let the Track season begin

Countdown is one week till I open my indoor 2011-12 season. Hoping these past couple months of hard work will pay off. Let's go!

Hello muscles I forget that I ever had

Just when I thought I had gotten over the hump of crazy muscle soreness, I was reminded of the muscles in my hip region aka all the hurdling muscles. I decided it was time to add in an extra day focusing on my hurdle technique. I can't do too much indoor because all I have at my access to train on them are approximately 60 meters of straight away and a sometimes busy track. Though not conducive to 400 hurdles it does help to work on form, something I need to really focus on if I want to get better. The disadvantage of starting hurdles later in life is not learning proper mechanics for hurdling form, it's a little harder to shape those muscles. Not impossible just takes A LOT more work.
One area I've had trouble with the past couple years is learning to switch lead legs. I started off as a left lead leg and I really haven't taken the time to develop the right. In the short hurdles that's fine, but with long hurdles you have to have the ability to switch or you'll waste time stammering to a hurdle that comes upon the "off" leg. Another big area is my trail leg doesn't come as parallel to the hurdle as it should. That's mostly a muscle memory and making sure to keep the hip flexors loose.
I'm thankful that my schedule has allowed me to take an extra day to work on these problem areas and that my coach is free to watch and correct whatever may be off. Even just after one day I feel a little more confident in being able to lead with my right. Now I just need to get over the hump of DOMS in my hips and translate it to outdoors when the time comes.

Breakfast of Champions

Just when you think it stops it keeps going and going...oh how I love me some hills

Goals a Plenty

My week was broken pretty short due to Thanksgiving on Thursday taking away a day of practice. Nothing too exciting or noteworthy other than moving days around and somewhat leaving myself exhausted. My annual Turkey trot has become null since I can't seem to find a local 5K race to save my life, everything I seem to find are 5 milers. I'll pass on that distance.
With a rather meh week I decided to ink my goals for the upcoming indoor season. I've never actually physically penned goals, I've had target goal times I've wanted to hit, or more so a sub number I've wanted to hit, but they've stayed in my head. I've also never really shared them with anyone. So when my coach asked me to start thinking about my goals and PRs and when I'd like to hit them, I knew those sub whatever numbers I was itching to hit and pinned them to my head. Then curiously I came across a former teammates blog and pedaled back a few posts and came across a mine field. It was about her goals and how she broke them down. BAM! It was PERFECT! 3 goals per race, it made sense for me. I wasn't just looking at 1 single number I was looking at a progressive aim. For my mental realm it fit. I took the 4 races that I'd likely run in this season and thought about what I really wanted to achieve, pulled out some index cards and went to town. Of course it took about a zillion tries and cards before my prototype was to my perfection standards, but alas I was able to produce exactly what I needed and wanted. I made card after card, sticking them in places I'd always see them, then I typed up an outline of each goal and emailed it to my coach. It was one of those aha moments.

The final product

 As I make these changes in my training regimen and old habits, I'm learning more about myself and gaining perspective on how much I can push my limits. I'm feeling less stuck and things seem to be moving forward. I'm ready to bring myself to a new level, which leaves me grinning on the inside & outside.

I am thankful for my past that has taught me lessons, the present to be able use those lessons, and the future to look forward to learning more.

Happy Triple T-Day (turkey, thanks & together)!

Indoor voices please

The cold is upon us which means the move from the nice wide-turned cushiony 400 meter outdoor track to the tight banked fast 200 meter indoor track is here. I sold my first born away so I could train at pretty much the only accessible indoor track in Manhattan. Ok so maybe I sell anything but ugh it sure does seem like it. I always cringe when I have to pony up the cash to the Armory, I get that it's a good track and it's non-profit but $300 is a lot of money for ridiculously super limited hours and just the track (yes I've made this complaint about this a few time in past posts, I will leave this one at that).

Monday left me with the case of the Mondays, or better yet a lovely cold of some sort. I woke up with an elevated heart rate, a sore throat, nagging cough, oh and yes no voice. I decided to call into work, cancel client appointments, not run and rest up. I thought that was a smart move. Tuesday I was feeling a little better (less fatigued) so I bellied up went to work, whispered workouts to clients, and trekked my way to 168th St for practice. Though the fatigue was gone I should have known better that indoor track and somewhat bum lungs don't mix well. Breathing in extremely dry air at an extremely rapid pace with a cough already on top left me hacking up at least one of my lungs and almost my lunch. By Thursday I had my voice back but the nagging cough wouldn't budge. Still I managed to crank out my workouts for the rest of the week taking another extra day off over the weekend. Hopefully I'll be back to my normal self next week, 1st meet of the season is in 4 weeks, need to be set to go (because there ain't not rest for the weary).

Trouble Brewing

I came across this article Track and Field gone nuts (ok that's not the name of the article but it's my biased opinion on what it should be called) and I must share with fellow club memebers and any runners for that matter. As a club runner this disgusts me and unfortunately the battle is far from over. Please read and feel free to add your opinions in the comment section. Leave us poor club runners be, we work hard and don't get paid to do this, actually we pay to do what we love. USATF as a governing body you don't provide us with the resources necessary to thrive, so us going to people that are willing to provide funds for us only to ask for a logo to represent that funding and you denying that logo is RIDICULOUS!!! There really needs to be a overhaul here, hopefully as a whole the Track and Field nation will be able to fight and do what's fair and just.

Into the dark side

Daylight savings has left my week pretty dark. I'm all for gaining an extra hour but man does it have to get so dark so early. It puts a real damper on my running schedule since I'm typically a night runner.  Tuesday's practice left us running a lofty amount of 600's in almost pitch black. About 300 meters into the 2nd 6 the stadium lights when out.  Never a fun thing especially when you're trying to keep to a certain pace and you use your watch to gauge being on the right track. It's also not easy to see the lines on track, thankfully we didn't have to use lanes and stayed on the inside, but it's also difficult to see where you stop. Alas we were able to pummel through them all to my surprise (a little because of the dark and a little for the questioning of the ability to get through the intensity of the workout...yes there's been a lot of surprising myself with workouts).
Wednesday night while I was at the gym getting ready to do weights, dreading what machine I'd torture myself on for the warmup, one of my coworkers somehow talked me into venturing uptown to Central Park to do a run on the Bridle Path. It was only 5pm and it was already pretty dark out. My coworker had an answer though...a headlamp. On Monday he showed me this score from Home Depot, jokingly I said I should probably get one, Tues proved my joke right, and Wed I got to see just how this puppy really worked. I of course had to wear the contraption and pretty sure I was getting some strange looks from passerbys. Hey at least I know that I can see that hole or root popping up from the ground before it's too late. It may have seriously convinced me to buy one even though I rarely do night runs by myself on a dark path, but you never know when it could come in handy and hey for 6 bucks, why not.

Temp photo til I actually take 1 for myself

Thursday the stadium fixed the timers on the lights so no blackout, though I'm pretty sure that's up for debate because I might have blacked out during my workout. I never thought I'd dread 200 repeats ever, this may have seized that dread. I got through it seemingly unscathed except rep # 8 when I thought I might have to drop out or take extra rest. The rest of the week I managed to stay out of the dark with my workouts being done during the day. Next week we head to the indoors to the Armory...a whole 'nother beast.

Things that make you go...

Yes it's Friday night and I'm sitting home on my computer blogging. Do I have better things to do...if you consider laundry better things, than yeah I guess I might (this is what happens when you have to wake up early Sat to get your workout in). Is this my weekly blog post..indeed it is not, I will have my normal Sunday chronicling of my training week on Sun (or Mon or Tue).  :-)

Ok so where was I...why the random Friday blog post. It was just one of those days that made me smile on the inside and I thought I'd share on a separate recourse. Today I brought my laptop into work to do a few things for clients and to squander the internet access (yes I admit it I don't have internet at home *gasp*).  During that time I had changed my background on the desktop to a photo one of my FB friends had posted because I thought it was awesome and inspirational, but couldn't find for the life of me who the athlete was in the photo so I turned my computer to my boss/coach and asked him if he knew. While I was in showing him another coworker was in the room too and she spotted one of my sticky notes (I'm addicted to the real things & the virtual Windows ones). The sticky note she had picked up on was one with the number 57.8. Though it's not surprising that that was the one she called out, since it's fairly large in bold font, curiously she asked if that was one of my times.

 Admittingly I felt a little awkward explaining to her or anyone for that matter especially in front of my coach what the number symbolized. It's not that I'm ashamed, it's just something that I know is slightly lofty and it kinda my secret dream. I threw it to the wind and said yes it's a goal time. She knows my background so she asked if it was a 400 goal time, which I said yes and no that I need to hit that time first and foremost in the open 4 but essentially it's a 400 hurdle time. Precisely it's the B Standard for the Olympic Trials. It's funny if a nonrunner asked me I have a little less ambiguity to let them in on it but with runners I sometimes find it hard. Mostly for the fact that I know it's a stretch for me to hit that time right now, and runners know that too, so I feel a bit judged. It may just be all in my head but it's the way I feel. Anyways   I threw caution to wind this time around and something positive came out. The coach in the room (I have 2) turned and said if you keep running like you have been in practice you won't be too far off. My heart smiled at that instant. I know that I've been busting my butt in practice, and I know that I'm ridiculously stronger than I think I've ever been. Most of my teammates have seen it and told me and both of the coaches have told me on a few instances too, but it was at that moment that I knew someone else believed in me. Yes I know that all my family and friends believe in me and always have (I thank you all for that), and of course I believe in myself. It's just when someone who you look to for guidance in your dream tells you they believe in you it resonates in a very different way. I wish I could explain it but it's a feeling that I can't explain. 

After all was said and done, and the euphoric feeling carried away, I banged out a lifting workout, trained a client, then stuck around the gym to peruse the internet and cyberstalk  catch up on other's blogs and whatnot. One blog in particular I fell in love with was Lauren Fleshman's, a pro 5000m runner. In one of her posts I stumbled upon an inspirational drawing from one of her endeavors Believe I Am that capped my day off to exactly what I'm feeling. The hidden cryptic message in the rose says "I am grateful". I wish it was in the arsenal of goodies on the site to buy but instead I will attach it here and look to it and remind myself, because more than ever I am grateful.

26.2 decibels of loudness

Let's just preface this post with, no I did not run the marathon, and no I will not be running a marathon in any near future.  Though I will not lie every time I watch a marathon (live not on the tv) I always get this slight urge to race one. That's definitely off after it's all said and done.
I remembering watching my first marathon, Boston back in 2003. I was situated close to the finish line on Boylston. I remember the excitement and energy all around me. I also remember getting super emotional as I walked home passing by foil wrapped person after person. This was a few years before I started training again. I couldn't help tearing up and getting goosebumps and really wanting to go out and run a marathon. Since I was mostly only do road mileage (I use that very loosely) and any races I signed up for were road 5Ks, I thought to myself I can do this, I might really do this, you know what I'm going to plan for when I turn 25. In the back of my mind I knew I wasn't serious, I very much loathe long distances, I have since I began running. Of course as most all know that when I turned 25 I did not run a marathon, actually I found my way back to the track instead. A much better decision if you ask me.
Fast forward 8 1/2 years later and Sunday was my first NYC Marathon viewing. Last year I had to work brunch while it was going on almost directly outside of my front door and the year before was just right before I made my big move here. This year I had the morning off so I was excited to be able to watch it. Just when I thought I'd be enjoying the view at about mile 18 outside my door on 1st Ave, I somehow managed to score finish line tickets from a teammate who was not planning on using them. I didn't think that it would be hard to find a partner in crime to join me, I mean I'm on a track club. Everyone I had asked to join had managed to have other plans, finally after exhausting my list of people one of my training partners came through and said she'd happily join the viewing party from thrilling seats. Clad in running gear (because you can't go to a running event not, right?) we made sure to get there early enough to get the best seats and to see all the best runners come through the line. We procured a couple of cowbells to make even more noise and loudly cheered on first the male wheelchair winner, then a handful more men wheelchair, next the winner of female wheelchairs,  a bevy of more wheelchairs, then the crazy finish of the women elite race (which we were unable to watch unfold because the jumbotron facing us was blocked by a tree), then to the record breaking men's elite finish, and finally to the droves of sub 3 hour finishers and beyond with a huge spattering of teammates flocking every couple of runners (Pretty sure last count on the billionth email, which I really didn't count, was somewhere in the ballpark of 40 teammates entered to run). In between our raunchious displays of excitement we discussed how much engery was flowing and that we needed to race, when we'd start training for a marathon (I think we settled on her 35th birthday, my 38th), befriended a coach & family of a girl running, and explained to people who thought we looked like we should be running that we only run the .2 part of the 26.2. I really couldn't have picked a better person to accompany me. We fed off each other's kid-like enthusiasm and basked in the excitement that our sport can bring.
Is there marathon potential in my future, only when that time actually comes if it ever comes will know, until then I'll be a spectator that gets catch up in the whirlwind energy that's called the marathon and chase my 1 lap dreams on the track.

*photos to be added soon*

Step away from the challenge

Just when I thought that this week was going to be that fly by not so out of the ordinary, nothing exciting weeks where practices were good, weather was normal, everything fit into place, I somehow found myself in a hole on Friday.
Let's start at the beginning, back to 1981. I was born with competitive genes that also intertwine more or less with the perfectionist genes. Back as far as I can remember I have always tried to excel to be the best, whether it was academic or physical. And if I wasn't the best, then I wanted to be my best. I'm always up for a challenge. Though that does tend to makes it harder to back away from a challenge too. Countless times I have been provoked to an array of duels. I can't tell you how many times I've found myself racing down the middle of a street, picking my brain for the bone crushing word in a scrabble match, elbow digging in to a table while trying to pin down another's hand, or even getting lost on a run because I was "chasing" someone down, the stories are endless. The funniest part of most of my challenges is I'm often rarely challenged by my own gender, it's almost always by the opposite sex. I don't categorize myself as a feminist or girl power activist at all but I do often find myself humming the tune "Anything you can do I can do better" which does tend to fuel the fire a little bit.
Tried and true my newest confrontation again comes from the male counterpart. It started from another trainer's client at the gym. This guy comes in a couple days a week and he's always there when I'm there. Where it begins is his complaining. He walks into the trainer's area and starts the hour off moaning and groaning and continues on for the entirety of the hour. I having a sarcastic mouth and have no qualms giving him flack every time for it. Though partly joking, I am partly serious. I mean you pay someone to kick your butt, stop rambling on and just do it. Finally after one of his sessions he smartly replies to me if you think it's so easy and you won't complain than you do one of my workouts with me at the same weight. Not a problem dude, though my only requests to the challenge was it had to be a lower body workout because I do know there was no way I could lift my scrawny upper body at his weight, and that it had to be after my weekly track workout because my practice comes first. Even though I put parameters up I still knew I may be kicking myself after and probably should have just left well enough alone. But being the proud competitive feisty gal I am, I couldn't back down. I was able to lift the weight given to me, just the reps and sets got me. I also might awesomely add I held my plank the longest, a stellar 3 mins. I will say I was feeling the workout within a few hours and that's when I realized that my competitive nature may have slightly bit me in my behind. Did I learn from my mindless act...maybe..walking around rubbing your backside and legs does look a bit weird to the passerby.

Weather or not

Come rain, shine, sleet, snow, wind. hot or cold, you better believe I will still train. This might be area that most people peg me in the "crazy" zone. Though I guess they might be right, whereas most of the population tends to seek weather as their number 2 reason (time being #1) for skipping out on workouts, I on the other hand embrace it with open arms. The wackier the weather the more I want to stick my head in it and push to be in the thick of it. There's something so satisfying when I finish a workout in adverse conditions. Sometimes it's knowing that  most everyone else is avoiding it, that I take pleasure in knowing that I conquered it. Sometimes it's the blissful state it puts me in, because it's serene and quite during those times. And sometimes it's just the fact that I can't afford to miss out on a training session just because the conditions aren't favorable.  Though I thrive on adversity, don't get me wrong I do love when the weather is optimum, because I get to see what my body can really do.
My training this week was a tough one. I'm continuing to push my boundaries (in a good way). Monday I got to catch up with a friend who I was oddly thinking about a few days before but had lost her contact info. A used to be track runner turned road warrior we would occasionally meet up for longish runs when I moved to NY. She's a perfect balance to my gruff intensity, she slows me down to good pace. I needed to get in a 30min run and she was looking for someone to trot through Central Park with, perfect.
Tuesday we churned out 3 600's, I surprised myself with the 1st one hitting my target time, fell off on the 2nd, but was able to somewhat recover myself on the 3rd. Thursday was just as hard but in a different ballgame. The temperature had dropped to the 40's and it was pouring rain. While the short sprinters hung under the dry safety of the eves for some suicides, my training partner, a distance teammate, and myself endured the freezing cold rain (that I'm pretty sure was hail at some point) for rounds of 150's.

You can't see it but the rain was steadily coming down

 Saturday I was supposed to meet up with an old GBTC teammate for a workout, was planning on plyos but what started as rain caused for a change of plan as well as my unmindfulness to actually set a time to meet. I woke up to the sloshing of rain streaming down, no jumps today, so longish it run it will be. After sending a few text messages and not hearing back (no big deal, since I hadn't specified when I wanted to run) I decided I had to just get out there and do it before it gets too late and I skipout. I gear up for a wet run, then about at my halfway turn around spot low and behold I start to see white. Thankfully not the white where I'm about to pass out, but large honking white mounds. It's October and yes it's snowing. I was the only mad woman out there splashing away and slowly becoming a snowman. Alas it needed to be done and I got it done. Somehow though my frosted brain I was able to think ahead for Sunday's workout and plan a time to meet up with the visiting partner in crime. Since the ground was still covered in snow my plyo workout was thwarted yet again, jumping on snow covered grass is a little risky and an injury waiting to happen (I'm insane but not reckless). I opted to take my friend through Central Park, we had a good catch up, which meant that we clearly were not running near as fast as we probably should have. Eh either way we still managed to run at a semi decent pace for 4.5 miles so I can't complain and I did 4.5 miles(though as a distance-esque runner it may not have been optimum for her).
Another week on the books and I'm feeling like a kid waiting for Christmas, except my Christmas is track season (which coincidentally starts about the same time).

Strength in numbers

This past week was a good training week for me. Numbers wise it's looking good to be a solid upcoming season. After a dismal week the week before, and deciding to take accountability for my own actions or lack thereof, I was able to pull off some semi-impressive (at least in my own training history) feats.
It started off on Monday. After weeks of lifting I am proud to say that I can now free squat over my own weight. Made my day being able to stack the bar with 45lb plates. I do have one gripe for the day, as I was getting my run in for the day on the dreaded treadmill (never my 1st choice but most sensible since I was already at the gym), someone comes and plops on the treadmill directly next to mine. I know it seems trivial, and maybe it is, but there are over 20 other EMPTY treadmills at that time, why do you have to situate right next to me. I understand when it's busy, there's no choice, but when I'm the only person on the treadmill I just don't find it necessary. It's one of my crazy pet peeves, unless I'm training with you, there's no need to get all that up close and personal with me. Rant over, just had to get that out.
On to Tuesday's practice, which proved to show that my training is on the right track. Most of our workouts these past couple of weeks have been speed endurance building workouts, this one was more of a 400m specific workout to see kind of where we are. I wasn't quite sure how it was going to roll out, especially after not running for almost a week, a not so solid warmup and following a pretty heavy lifting session the day before. Usually this time of year, if I'm healthy, for 400's I'm hitting in the mid 70's, for 300's I'm mid 50's, and 200's anywhere from 35-32. Well much to my surprise, only after looking at my coach like he had 3 heads when he wanted 65 for our 4, I managed to come in a low 67. The crazy part was I pushing to race not even train 65/64 at the end of last season, much to my dismay, so that was quite a shock. For the 300's I pulled in some low 50's and the 200's were 31-32. A very promising start. I won't say that it was an easy feat and by the end of the workout my entire body was on fire from my lungs down deep into the muscle fibers of every body part, especially the legs. Some serious lactic acid. I'm super happy to know that I'm well ahead of where I've been in years and it's just the beginning.
My week continued on not at quite as fast of a pace. On Thursday I learned that jump roping for 100 meters  times 16 with high knees is difficult and painful but with the right group of people can be quite humorous. I'm beginning to find little joy in the things I enjoyed as a kid like skipping and jump roping. Encompassing them into the track world brings a whole new meaning to the once cute actions. Saturday morning I wrapped my week up with a long early morning trek to Van Cortlandt Park for the breakfast of champions, 10x150m hill repeats.
I'm proud I made it through a week unscathed and managed to not miss any workouts. Well almost, I did push off my yoga class I planned on doing on Sunday night, but since it was my rest day I may be able to let that one go (6 days out of 7 ought to count for something right?).

Excuses are just that...excuses

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit" -Aristotle

Highlights of my training week/week:

1. A workout consisting of only skips, no running, just skips. A cumulative 1050 meters of high skips and fast skips. Skipping will never be the same. My calves will never be the same.
2.  3 1/2 days of semi-forced rest, not because my body necessarily needed it but due to travel and emotional distress (The passing of a dear friend). 
3. Learning curves & mental notes to self:  

• Refer to entry quote. 
• Stop making excuses like #2 no matter how legit it may seem to be.
• I only hurt myself in the long run with missed workouts. Unless I'm laid up in bed or injured there's really no reason not to get out
• I always tell my clients, something is better than nothing. Take my own advice.
• Don't beat myself up over the past, what I didn't do, or what I should have done. Move on to the next day and try not to repeat the bad

Hello to a brand new week.