Fit for Distance: Marathon- Week 5

Week 5 (8/19-8/25) Results: 
Sunday: 12 mile long run (splits: 10:59, 10:39, 10:18, 11:07, 10:17, 9:22, 9:36, 10:01, 10:16, 10:47, 9:55, 10:37; avg 10:11 min/mile)
Tuesday: 6 mile group run (splits: 10:26, 10:39, 10:40, 10:35, 11:10, 10:59; avg 10:45 min/mile)
Wednesday: 4 mile solo run (splits: 10:42, 10:34, 10:24, 10:28; avg 10:33 min/mile)
Thursday: 7 mile group run (splits: 10:54, 10:35, 11:03, 10:39, 11:01, 10:34, 10:55; avg pace 10:50 min/mile)

Total Weekly Mileage: 29 miles

I loved the Sunday long run route. I've lived in Dallas all of my life, with the exception of when I went to college in College Station and when I lived in Houston for a summer during an internship. I've ran in several races that start/end downtown Dallas. I always LOVE running downtown. It is so neat to run past the tall buildings I grew up with.

Fit for Distance: Marathon- Week 4

Week 4 (8/12-8/18) Results:
Sunday: 11 mile long run (splits: 11:16, 10:26, 10:56, 10:17, 11:12, 11:19, 10:59, 10:50, 11:21, 10:49, 11:29; avg 11 min/mile)
Tuesday: 6 mile group run (splits: 10:50, 10:30, 11:00, 11:02, 10:43, 11:26; avg 10:56 min/mile)
Thursday: 6 mile group run (splits: 11:07, 10:32, 10:57, 11:06, 10:26, 11:05; avg 10:53 min/mile)
Friday: 4 mile solo run (splits: 10:57, 10:09, 10:56, 10:34; avg 10:39 min/mile)

Total Weekly Mileage: 27 miles

I'm not sure that the marathon distance has really set it yet. My total weekly mileage was just over the 26.2 miles I will be running on December 9.

Fit for Distance: Marathon- Week 3

Week 3 8/5-8//11 Results:
Sunday: 10 mile long run (splits: 10:24, 11:23, 10:36, 11:18, 10:38, 10:37, 11:01, 10:19, 11:57, 11:41; avg pace: 11 min/mile)
Tuesday: 6 mile group run (splits: 11:18, 11:05, 10:34, 10:32, 10:59, 9:31; avg pace 10:54 min/mile)
Wednesday: 4 mile solo run (2 miles outside, 2 miles on treadmill in Jamaica)
Thursday: 5 mile solo run (5 miles on treadmill in Jamaica)

The long run on Sunday was rough. I rode 50 miles on Saturday, 8/4 and my legs were already tired going into the long run.  Through the encouragement of my coaches and my self determination, I was able to complete the 10 mile run.  My legs were beyond sore afterwards.  My coaches gave me a ton of tips to try to help ease my sore muscles. On the way home from my run, I stopped and got a bag of ice and took my first ice bath after I showered off.

I sat in the ice bath for 10 minutes. I felt much better afterwards!

My family and I went to Jamaica for a family vaca! We had a blast. I can add Montego Bay to my list of foreign cities in which I've ran.  I ran outside, on the resort property, then I wised up and took advantage of the resort gym and ran on the treadmill!

Fit for Distance: Marathon- Week 2

Week 2 started off with a bang (more like a crash!).  On Saturday, 7/28, on mile 39 of a 40 mile bike ride, I had an unfortunate meeting with the road. The road was not kind, it left a mark (in the form of road rash) on my right leg.  I picked myself up (with Darrell's help!), dusted off the grass and dirt, and rode the mile home. I rested the rest of Saturday, to heal as much as I could before my long run on Sunday, 7/29.  Through blood, sweat and tears, I made it through the 8 mile run.

Week 2 (7/29-8/4) Results:
Sunday: 8 mile group long run (splits: 10:55, 10:33, 10:51, 11:12, 9:52, 10:44, 9:56, 10:40; avg pace: 10:37 min/mile)
Tuesday: 6 mile group run (splits: 10:50, 10:46, 10:41, 10:15, 11:16, 11:02; avg pace: 10:45 min/mile)
Wednesday: 3 mile solo run (splits: 10:38, 12:54; 14:48; avg pace: 12:42 min/mile)
Thursday: 6 mile group run (splits: 11:23, 10:42, 10:58, 11:19, 10:58 10:59; avg page: 11:04 min/mile)

Weekly Mileage Total: 23 miles

Fit for Distance: Marathon- Week 1

Marathon Training has officially begun!! I am training with RunOn!, who designed the training plan, which is 20 weeks. We meet three times a week, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Long runs are always on Sunday. I will run on my own one or two times a week, and cross train (bike ride). To beat the heat, we run at 5:15am Tuesday/Thursday. I get to sleep in a little bit on Sunday, as the run doesn't start until 6am. HELLO early mornings!


Week 1 (7/22-7/28) Results:
Monday: 3 mile solo run (splits: 10:38, 9:45, 11:10; avg pace 10:32 min/mile)
Tuesday: 5 mile group run (splits: 11:11, 10:10, 11:10,10:20, 10:55; avg pace 10:47 min/mile)
Thursday: 5 mile group run (splits: 11:06, 10:59, 10:42, 10:27, 10:55; avg pace 10:49 min/mile)
Friday: 4 mile solo run (splits: 10:40, 10:44, 11:00, 10:59; avg pace 10:54 min/mile)

Weekly Mileage Total: 17 miles

Marathon Monday

Today marks my first official run of my marathon training schedule! It was a solo run, which is symbolic, I think.  I started running on my own in 2010. Now, four half marathons and two years later, here I am, training for a marathon. I'm not alone though. I'm on this journey, together with my family, my friends, and my training buddies and coaches. I'm supported in every way possible. I have the best cheerleaders. I am so thankful for everyone on my marathon journey with me! The support and encouragement is appreciated.

Over the past month and a half of Marathon Monday posts, I've enjoyed capturing my experiences training for a marathon.


Marathon Monday- June 4: The Beginning
Marathon Monday- June 11: Born to Run
Marathon Monday- June 18: Training Plan
Marathon Monday- June 25: Running while traveling
Marathon Monday- July 2: Marathon History
Marathon Monday- July 9: Olympic Running Gear
Marathon Monday- July 16: Too Hot to Handle


Twenty weeks from now, I will be writing a blog post about my experience running a marathon!  It is crazy to think that between now and then, I'll run hundreds of miles, travel around the world to watch the world's greatest athletes compete, work my butt off, and sweat my butt off, and accomplishing one of the biggest dreams I've had.

My marathon training is more than a journey, it is 26.2 miles to a dream come true. 

Marathon Monday

After 8 weeks of training, I ran in the Too Hot to Handle 15k at Norbuck Park on Sunday, July 15th! This was the first of a few races I'm using as part of my training before the BIG race on December 9, 2012!

Too Hot to Handle Route

It was a relatively 'cool' day in Dallas for July- which isn't saying much as it was still HOT. The high that day was in the low 90s, and the low was 73 degrees! The course was an 'out and back', and ran along the east side of White Rock Lake.

I ran the race with a couple of my running coaches from RunOn! and a couple ladies from my training group in Richardson!  Amy is the left, I'm in the middle and DeAnn is the right, in both pictures.

                             Before the Race                                                 After the Race

It is a good thing the 'After' picture doesn't really show how wet and sweaty we are!  It was a fun race and I am super happy I beat my goal pace, 11 min/mile!

Official Results 2012 Too Hot to Handle 15k 
1 hr 41 minutes and 26 seconds (avg pace of 10:54 min/mile)

XTrain: Southfork bike ride

After over three weeks off the bike due to my vacation to Italy and Greece, I got back into the saddle and rode with my favorite training buddy Darrell out to the Southfork Ranch in Parker, Texas. 

Route

Darrell and me in front of the house

The ride was adapted from the RMB ~30 mile route, and it ended up being just over 32 miles.

32 Mile Results (5 mile splits)

Mile 5: 16.64 mph

Mile 10: 17.45 mph

Mile 15: 17.30 mph

Mile 20: 15.53 mph

Mile 25: 17.34 mph

Mile 30: 16.48 mph

The overall ride average was 16.60 mph with a total ride time of 1 hrs and 58 minutes.  It was really  neat to see Southfork Ranch, the home on the original Dallas TV show, and the remake.  I wasn't alive for the original, but I'm enjoying watching the new series. 

Fit for Distance: 15k- Week 8

Week 8 (7/8-7/14) Results:
Sunday: 9 mile group run (my splits didn't work for this run; avg 11:12 min/mile)
Tuesday: 6 mile group run (splits: 11:25, 9:57, 10:28, 11:15, 10:48, 10:31; avg 10:52 min/mile)
Thursday: 5 mile group run (splits: 10:46, 10:47, 10:39, 10:35, 10:51; avg 10:44 min/mile)


Weekly Mileage Total: 20 miles


Sunday's run was my first long run since Week 5, I missed 2 weeks of long runs for my Italy/Greece trip! It was nice to be back and running with my group!  This was the last Week of the 15k class- next up: the Full Marathon class!

Marathon Monday

The Olympics are just around the corner and I couldn't be more excited.  I am awe struck watching extraordinary athletes achieve their life long dreams of competing in the Olympics. As this year is the year of my marathon, I plan to watch both the women and men's marathon race.

I am extra excited this year as I will be attending the 2012 Paralympic Games in London August 27- September 3.  I received the official announcement that I was selected to attend the Games the afternoon before I left for a two week vacation to Italy and Greece.  Of course, the first thing I did was call my family to share the good news. The second thing I did was purchase a Nike USA dry-fit running tank-top!

I am super excited to wear my USA tank-top in London. I am also planning on taking my pair of Texas-flag shorts to run in, with leggings because the temps in London are about 40- 55 degrees, which is 35 degrees cooler than I'm used to running in!

Fit for Distance- Week 6 and 7

Week 6 (6/24-6/30) Results:

During Week 6 and 7 , I was in Italy and Greece for vacation. I love running while on vacation. It is a great opportunity to see the city, with a different perspective.  I did not run as many miles as listed on my training schedule, but I got extra miles everyday from walking so much around Italy and Greece. I built up my arm muscles by dragging my suitcase everywhere.

Sunday: 3 mile run- Cinque Terre, Italy
While in Cinque Terre ("The Five Lands"), I ran along Monterosso Beach. There was maybe only .5 miles of flat road (in the middle) that I was able to run on, I also ran up hills (east and west side).  I'm not sure why the map below has me running in the ocean, I can assure you, I stayed on land during my runs!  I did spend some time in the ocean later- the beach was amazing. Regardless, my view while running was amazing!

Route

Cinque Terre- Monterosso

Tuesday: 3.5 mile run- Florence, Italy
While in Florence, I ran near the Duomo (church). The streets and sidewalks (if they exist) are narrow. There are so many bikes, vespas, people, cars, buses, trucks, etc that I felt like I was playing the Atari game, Frogger, where I was the frog. I learned that running around the 'block' may add more miles than anticipated.

Route

Florence (between the buildings is the Duomo)

Thursday: 4 mile run- Athens, Greece
In Athens, there were wider streets and sidewalks, but just as many people, various vehicles, etc as there was in Florence. As a runner, it was neat running in Athens, the home of the first modern day Olympics in 1896 and again in 2004. I could feel the history beneath my feet.

Route

Athens

Sunday: 2 miles (5x hill repeats) Mykonos, Greece
Similar to Cinque Terre, there was very little flat road to run. So, I made the best of the situation and practiced hill repeats.  The hill repeats may not have been that fun, but at least the view was nice!

Route

Mykonos Hill

*The above picture is me walking down the hill (again, dragging my suitcase).

Tuesday: ~4 miles- Milan, Italy
My Garmin watch did not work while I was in Milan. I just ran around the city. Milan was the most 'American'-like city I visited. It felt like New York City or LA. And the sidewalks were a normal size! I actually saw other runners out too- I waved. Apparently that is an American thing to do... as the wave wasn't returned, but only a confused look.

Friday: 4 miles- Dallas, Texas USA (avg pace 11:14 min/mile)
After two weeks of travel, I was happy to return back to the US and back to my running group!! I was welcomed back with three 1 mile repeats, with a .5 mile warm up and cool down. It was a tough run back!

Marathon Monday

When I first decided to train for and run a marathon, I did a little research to learn more about it. I discovered that the marathon has deep history and very interesting facts! 

Official Distance: 26 miles 385 yards (commonly known as 26.2 miles)

The marathon was established in honor of the Greek solider Pheidippides, who served as a messenger in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. He was sent from the battlefield to Athens and announced "Rejoice, we are victorious" declaring the Persians has been defeated.

The marathon was one of the modern Olympic events, which was hosted in Athens in 1896. Seventeen competed in the 40k race (24.8 miles).  The distances of marathons continued to vary, usually around 25 miles, until the London Olympics in 1908, when it was extended to 26.2 miles.  It started at Windsor Castle and finished past the White City Stadium (the original finish) at the East Lawn, where the royal children could watch the race from their nursery. The official distance was formally established in the 1920s.


This year, the year of my marathon, I am fortunate enough to visit both of these historic places!  I was in Athens, Greece in June and will be in London for the Paralympic Games in August and September.

Athens, Greece- Panathenaic Stadium

I'm in good company when it comes to marathon runners! George W. Bush ran his first marathon after serving as his father's campaign advisor for the presidential election in 1992. He ran the Houston Marathon in 1993 and finished in 3 hours and 44 minutes!

I will be running the Dallas Marathon (formally known as the White Rock Marathon), which was established in 1971, and is the longest-running marathon in Texas. The race will be capped out at 25,000 runners for 2012 and I will be one of them!

Marathon Monday

I love to travel!  I am fortunate enough to sometimes travel for free, aka business travel, which takes me places I never would have gone on my own, like Le Mars, Iowa.  But it is even better when I travel for personal reasons because I get to choose the destinations! In the last year or so, I've been able to run in Boston, Duluth, and most recently Italy and Greece! As a runner, I always pack my running shoes and clothes.

My running shoes at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece

While in Italy and Greece, the only city where I noticed other runners was Milan, Italy, which is basically an Italian NYC or LA. I find runners (and bikers) in Dallas to be rather friendly. Even at 5am, runners will wave to each other when they pass by. While running abroad, I found my waves to only return odd stares. 

I am looking forward to my running adventures in Jamaica (early August) and London (August/September)! 

Fit for Distance: 15k- Week 5

Week 5 (6/17-6-23) Results: 
Sunday: 9 mile long run (splits: 11:05, 10:35, 10:57, 10:51, 10:45, 10:30, 10:46, 10:27, 10:50; avg 10:47 min/mile)
Tuesday: 6 mile group run (splits: 11:32, 11:19, 10:43, 10:54, 11:02, 10:57; avg 11:04 min/mile)
Wednesday: 3 mile solo run (splits: 10:27, 10:53, 10:25; avg 10:37 min/mile)
Thursday: 5 mile group run (splits:11:21, 10:54, 10:45, 11:32, 11:14; avg 11:09 min/mile)

Total Weekly Mileage: 23 miles

Thursday was my last group run before my Italy/Greece trip! I'm going to miss my running group, but I'm looking forward to running while I'm traveling abroad.

Marathon Monday

I'm planning on training with RunOn! for my marathon. I completed the Fit for Speed class in May then started the Fit for Distance: 15k class. My marathon training officially starts in July. The 15k class is a marathon readiness class, as it prepares me for an 8 mile base, which is required in order to join the full marathon training class. I trained for each of my half marathons on my own, however I wanted to train with a group for a full marathon, for accountability and companionship on the long runs.  I have really enjoyed meeting new running friends and getting to know the people in my pace group.

"The reason we race isn't so much to beat each other...but to be with each other." Born to Run, page 252

Fit for Distance: 15k- Week 4

Week 4 (6/10-6/16) Results: 
Sunday: 8 mile group run (splits: 11:15, 10:43, 10:52, 11:02, 11:11, 11:03, 10:56, 10:45; avg 10:59 min/mile)
Tuesday: 5 mile group run (splits: 10:50, 10:16, 10:57, 10:38, 12:22; avg 11:03 min/mile)
Wednesday: 3 mile solo run (splits: 10:37, 9:43, 10:19; avg 10:14 min/mile)
Thursday: 5 mile group run (splits: 11:35, 10:53, 11:11, 11:02, 11:18; avg 11:13 min/mile)

Thursday's workout was hill repeats- we went up and down a big hill 5 times in Richardson, in addition to running to and from the hill site, for a total of 5 miles!

Marathon Monday

I recently finished the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall.  He writes about 'the greatest race never seen' and inspires runners and non-runners alike.

My running history is brief really. I started my career at Deloitte in January 2009, after graduating from college three weeks before. My first year was a challenge. In Jaunuary of 2010, I needed something else to focus on, besides work. On a whim, I registered for the inaugural Dallas Rock'n'Roll half marathon, even though I had never even ran a 5k or more before. I trained during busy season and ran my first half marathon on March 28, 2010. I was hooked. I ran my second half marathon in October 2010 in Disney World. My third and fourth half marathon was the Dallas Rock'n'Roll on March 27, 2011 and March 25, 2012 respectively. I really enjoy my annual tradition of running a half marathon during busy season, it is a great stress reliever during my busiest time of the year. In fact, I've already registered for my fifth half marathon, the Dallas Rock'n'Roll on March 24, 2013, just over three months after my marathon!

 Five years ago I wouldn't have thought I'd be training for a marathon. I wouldn't have guessed I would already have ran four half marathons.

 "We were born to run; we were born because we run." Born to Run, page 93

 My running self was born, at the age of 23 when I completed my first half marathon. Now, at the age of 26, I know I was born to run this marathon.

XTrain: Collin Classic 42 mile bike ride

It has been over a month since Darrell and I rode together- since we finished the MS 150 on May 6.  I couldn't wait to ride with him again!  The Collin Classic was one of our first bike rallies last year. The weather was wonderful. Of course it was hot, it is June in Texas and there was a light breeze. We had a wonderful ride! 

Darrell and I

2012 Collin Classic - 42 mile route

42 Mile Results (5 mile splits) 

Mile 5: 16.84 mph 

Mile 10: 17.54 mph

Mile 15: 17.96 mph

Mile 20: 17.10 mph

Mile 25: 16.84 mph 

Mile 30: 16.87 mph

Mile 35: 17.41 mph

Mile 40: 17.37 mph 

Overall ride average was 17.3 mph with a total ride time of 2 hours and 24 minutes. My bike speedometer said  17.1 mph. Darrell and I kicked butt on this ride- I'm very happy with the speed for the distance that we rode! 

Fit for Distance: 15k- Week 3

Week 3 (6/2-6/9) Results:
Saturday: 7 mile solo run (splits: 10:34, 10:36, 10:35, 10:56, 11:26, 11:14, 10:51; avg 10:53 min/mile)
Tuesday: 5 mile group run (splits: 11:17, 11:01, 10:53, 10:40, 11:27; avg 11:04 min/mile)
Wednesday: 3 mile solo run (splits: 10:21, 10:20, 11:28; avg 10:30 min/mile)
Friday: 5 mile solo run (splits: 10:46, 10:22, 10:52, 11:19, 10:26; avg 10:45 min/mile)

Total Weekly Mileage: 20 miles

On Saturday, while still in Minnesota, I did my long run solo.  I started my run at the Black Bear Hotel and Casino Resort where we stayed and I ran under I-35 along MN 210.

Running seven miles by myself, I was pretty lonely, until at mile 4 I met a friend.

A deer!! She came out of the woods, and we both stopped in our tracks and starred at each other. I'm not sure who was more surprised, the doe or the city girl. I'm willing to bet it was me.  She ran off into the woods and I continued on my run. That's something I don't see on my runs in Texas!

Marathon Monday

It is official- I'm running a MARATHON! That's 26.2 miles.  I am registered for the Dallas Marathon on December 9, 2012.

After my fourth half marathon, I started to think "what's next?".  Then everything started to come together, and I knew I was destined to run a marathon. 

For the next 27 Mondays, I'm going to blog about my marathon experience. There will be 26 posts about my training and the 27th and final 'Marathon Monday' post will be about my marathon! This is, of course, by design. It is not coincidence that I am running a race that is 26 miles during my 26th year of life on earth in the city that I was born and raised in or that there will be 26 posts about my training (1 post representing each year that has led me to this point) , and 1 post about the race (representing the future and how the marathon has changed me).

I am excited for the journey that is ahead over the next 187 days. I know that this marathon will change me, for the better. I know that I will be stronger because of it. I can't wait to share this journey with you.

Fit for Distance: 15k- Week 2

Week 2 (5/27-6/1) Results
Sunday: 6 mile group long run (splits: 11:15, 10:36, 11:00, 11:06, 10:41, 10:45; avg 10:43 min/mile)
Tuesday: 4 mile group run (splits: 11:08, 11:01, 10:46, 11:23; avg 11:05 min/mile)
Wednesday: 3 mile solo run (splits: 10:43, 10:56, 10:32; avg 10:47 min/mile)
Thursday: 5 mile group run (rained out, on treadmill @ 10:54 min/mile)
Friday: 3 mile solo run (splits: 10:27, 10:26, 10:37; avg 10:32 min/mile)

Total Weekly Mileage: 21 miles

On Friday, I got to run from the farm my Grandma grew up on into town.

The weather in Minnesota was perfect for my mid-morning run. Normally, I listen to music on my solo runs, but about half way though my 3 miler, I shut the iPod off and listened to the sounds of nature- my shoes hitting the packed gravel road I was running on, the birds chirping, the leaves blowing. It was beautiful.

XTrain- RBM 36 mile bike ride

Thankfully, my RunOn! Fit For Distance class has room in the schedule for cross training- like bike riding! On Saturday, I did a 36 mile ride with the Richardson Bike Mart (RBM) crew. The weather was beautiful, of course it was hot and slightly windy, but that is too be expected in Texas for May. 

36 Miler Results (5 Mile Splits) 

Mile 5: 15.81 mph

Mile 10: 17.16 mph

Mile 15: 19.80 mph

Mile 20: 16.95 mph

Mile 25: 15.02 mph

Mile 30: 13.68 mph

Mile 35: 14.61 mph

Overall ride average: 15.85 mph, with a total ride time of 2 hrs and 15 minutes. My bike speedometer said 16.3 mph, which reads straight from my bike, rather than from a GPS. I'm not sure which is more accurate. Either way, I'm pleased with my average speed! 

Fit for Distance: 15k- Week 1

After successfully completing the Fit for Speed class last week, Tuesday was the first class for the Fit for Distance: 15k class! It is an 8 week class. I will be missing a few classes for my summer travels, but I will hopefully get the chance to run while on vacation- which is always a fun experience!

Week 1: 5/20-5/26
Sunday: Magic Mile ( I used my 8:14 Magic Mile from my last Fit for Speed class)
Tuesday: 5 mile group run (avg pace 11: 34 min/mile)
Wednesday: 3 mile solo run (1 mile splits: 10:34, 10:50, 10:44; avg pace 10:43 min/mile)
Thursday: 5 mile group run (1 mile splits: 11:02, 10:46, 11:09, 11:10, 7:35- only .6 miles; avg pace 11:08 min/mile)

Total Weekly Mileage: 13 miles

I'm looking forward to my second group running class!

WildRide!

WildRide! 40 mile Bike Route

After a much deserved week off after the MS 150 on May 5-6, I rode in the WildRide! with some of my fellow Deloitte teammates! 

Team Deloitte

Since it was a 'short' ride (compared to the MS 150!), we decided to ride hard and fast!

WildRide 40 Mile Results (5 mile splits) 
Mile 5: 16.23 mph
Mile 10: 18.79 mph
Mile 15: 17.92 mph
Mile 20: 16.98 mph
Mile 25: 17.42 mph
Mile 30: 16.88 mph
Mile 35: 15.40 mph
Mile 40: 13.88 mph

Overall ride average: 16.57 mph, with a total ride time of 2 hrs 27 minutes. My bike speedometer read 16.7 mph. It was interesting how 'short' the ride felt, after riding 153 miles two weekends before. 40 miles seemed to fly by- literally too with my high average!

Fit for Speed: Magic Mile

After 6 weeks, tonight was the last Fit for Speed class. We repeated the Magic Mile. Before class today, I received an email from my coach saying that we weren't allowed to use our pace watches today. AHH!  Taking a pace watch away from a runner is like taking a calculator away from a CPA. But my coach was confident that running without a pace watch was the best idea. Now, I have to agree that she was right.

Magic Mile Results: 
April 10, 2012: 8 min 35 seconds (1/4 mile splits: 1:50, 2:06, 2:17, 2:22)
May 17, 2012: 8 min 14 seconds (1/4 mile splits: 1:50, 2:00, 2:10, 2:14)

I improved on every 1/4 mile split and was overall more consistent. I saw a 21 second improvement in my mile time, or just over 4%!  I am thrilled with the results.

I loved the Fit for Speed class! The workouts were a challenge, but in a good way. I enjoyed learning new training techniques that I'll hopefully use on my own.

I think I'm hooked on RunOn! classes. Up Next: Fit for Distance- 15k

Fit for Speed: 800M and 400M Repeats

Tuesday's workout was alternating 800M and 400M repeats @ 5k pace!

Target: 400M: 2:22 mins and 800M: 4:45 mins

400M = .25 mile; 1 lap around the track
800M= .5 mile; 2 laps around the track

800M and 400M Repeat Results
1. 800M: 4:31 (2:19, 2:12)
2. 400M: 2:06
3. 800M: 4:33 (2:16,2:17)
4. 400M: 2:07
5. 800M: 4:40 (2:19, 2:21)
6. 400M: 2:14

Total: 2.25 miles

I was under my target pace on ALL of my attempts. Yay! This workout was a combo between the 800M Repeats and 400M Repeats workouts from earlier in the class. My 400M repeats this time were comparable to the faster 400M repeats at my 2 mile pace a few weeks ago! My 800M repeats this time were faster than a weeks ago too!

Overall, I think that I have improved over the last 6 weeks from this class.  On Thursday, we'll repeat the Magic Mile, and hopefully it will be faster! I'm looking forward to starting my next run class on Sunday- Fit for Distance: 15k!

Fit for Speed: Mile Repeats

Thursday's workout was Mile Repeats @ 10k pace!!

Target: 9:50 min/mile (2:27 lap splits)

Mile 1: 9:35 (2:29, 2:22, 2:20,2:24)
Mile 2: 9:44 (2:22, 2:23, 2:30, 2:28)
Mile 3: 10:08 (2:26, 2:31, 2:34, 2:37)

I was well under my target pace on the first mile, slightly under on the second, but by the time we got to the third mile, I really struggled and was 20 seconds over my target.

I'm not sure my legs were fully recovered from the MS 150 the weekend before or the hills from the class before, so this workout was a challenge. I don't think Mile Repeats are my favorite drill from my Fit for Speed class.

Fit for Speed: Hill Repeats

Just 48 hours after finishing a 153 mile bike ride, I was back to training in full force! 

Tuesday's workout was Hill Repeats at the BIG hill in the Loving Hills set, the hill on Westshore Dr. I'm plenty familiar with the Loving Hills on a bike, but I had never ran them. There's a first for everything! 

For a warm-up, we ran from the White Rock YMCA parking lot down the Loving Hill to the bottom of the hill on Westshore Dr. To determine the distance in which we'd run up the hill, we ran at 90-100% full speed for a minute up the hill, and marked that point. We ran down the hill, then back up to that same point SIX more times. If you're counting, that is SEVEN times up and down the big hill. For the cool down, we ran back up the Loving Hill to the YMCA. That makes a total of EIGHT hills, up and down. My legs rock. 

For the record, the "Loving Hills" aren't any more lovely on two feet or two wheels. 

Bike MS: Frisco to Fort Worth Day 2

 2012 Bike MS Day 2 Route

After completing Day 1 and the Team Fiesta, Darrell and I slept like rocks and were ready to ride on Day 2!! The ride started with a lap round the Texas Motor Speedway. 

Team Deloitte @ Start Line Day 2

It was so much fun riding around the track! 

Darrell and I @ TMS

The wind was still strong out of the south, but the route was less into the wind than Day 1. 

Team Deloitte @ Lunch

Day 2 Ride Elevation

Day 2's elevation was slightly less than Day 1. I finished Day 2 with the same average as Day 1, 15.3 mph!

The group I rode with crossed the finish line together, as a team! It was so much fun riding and finishing together!

Team Deloitte Crossing the Finish Line

 Of course, Grandma and Mom were at the finish line again cheering us on, again. 

We did it!! 

I had a blast training for and riding the MS 150 with Darrell. I can't wait for our next MS 150, in Columbia, Missouri in September 2012. 

Bike MS: Frisco to Fort Worth Day 1

2012 Bike MS Day 1 Route

After months of training, the day was finally here for the 2012 Bike MS Ride!  I was so giddy and excited before the ride, I hardly slept the night before! I woke up at 3:30am on Saturday ready to ride!  Ha!

Team Deloitte met at the start line bright and early at 6am for a team picture!  Everyone was geared up (pun totally intended) for the first day of our two day journey.

Team Deloitte

I had the best training and ride buddy this season- Darrell!  

Darrell and me @ the Start Line

The wind was blowing strong out of the south around 15-20 mph the whole day.  The first half of the ride headed north (with a nice tail wind) and then headed west. We basically flew to lunch. My average speed was 18.9 mph at the lunch stop- mile 47.

Day 1- Lunch Stop (mile 47)

It went downhill from there. Except not literally. The remaining 37 miles from lunch to the Day 1 Finish at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) was uphill and into the wind.

Day 1 Ride Elevation

The hills were 'lite' compared to the hills we experienced at Germanfest and Aledo, but the wind made Day 1 a challenge.

At the last rest stop, mile 71, I was more than ready to get to the finish line and enjoy a fiesta with my teammates!

Darrell and me @ Mile 71

Darrell and I had the best cheerleaders waiting for us at the finish line- my Mom and Grandma!

Finish- Day 1

After 84 miles in the saddle (with an average of 15.3 mph!), Darrell and I traded our bike helmets for sombreros! It was FIESTA time!!

We couldn't party too hard... since we had 67 miles to go on Sunday (Day 2) before completing our 150+ mile journey!

Fit for Speed: Tempo Run

Thursday's workout was a 30 minute tempo run @ 15k pace (10:15 min/mile). The class ran from the Mockingbird RunOn! store down to Katy trail and back. It was another hot run. I guess it is here to stay... better get used to it!

My average pace for the run was 10:59 min/mile, a little slower than my target.

Fit for Speed: Ladder Drill

Tuesday's work out was a ladder drill @ 10k pace (9:50 min/mile). Compared to the last ladder drill a couple weeks ago which increased by laps, this workout increased by a minute up until 5 minutes, then back down, with a minute recovery jog between each ladder.

Ladder Drill Results
1 min: avg 9:06 pace
2 min: avg 9:44 pace
3 min: avg 10:16 pace
4 min: avg 9:58 pace
5 min: avg 9:41 pace
4 min: avg 10:28 pace
3 min: avg 10:48 pace
2 min: avg 10:33 pace
1 min: avg 10:29 pace

Overall average: 10:16 min/mile

I was a little slower than my target pace, but overall it was a good workout!

Muenster Germanfest Metric Century Bike Ride

Muenster Germanfest Metric Century Bike Route

Team Deloitte met on Saturday, April 28th for the Muenster Germanfest Metric Century (60 miles) Bike ride! 

Team Deloitte

The ride started at 11am and it was already warm- gotta love Texas. The wind was blowing at a strong 20+ mph out of the south, which made the first and last 10 miles directly head on into the wind. Once we finally made the turn to head west at mile 11, riders cheered in glee! Forty miles later (at mile 50), we made the final turn to head back south to face the wind, yet again. We were just a stone's throw away from the Oklahoma/Texas boarder.

Ride Elevation

Once again, Darrell and I put our climbing legs in high gear! We climbed a total of 1430 ft, including one Category 5 hill! Darrell and I both hit our top speed ever on this ride, nearly 40 mph down a hill (around mile 40 on the above ride elevation chart).

Darrell and me @ start line

After the ride, we went to the Germanfest! After riding 60 miles, sausage, bratwurst and sauerkraut never tasted so good!

Team Deloitte/Professional Yodelers

April was full of bike rallies! I had a blast riding with my training buddy Darrell and my cycle friends. The MS 150 is right around the corner!