Fit for Speed: 800 Repeats

I had the final Captain's meeting for Bike MS, so I had to go to the AM running class. I was absolutely shocked as to how crowded the SMU track was at 5:30am. There were all sorts of running groups out running the dark. The lights didn't get turned on until the SMU soccer team came out for practice around 6am. The warm up was 2 laps around the track, at a comfortable speed. Today's workout was 800 meter repeats @ 5k pace (9:30 min/mile). My goal time was 4:40 min (lap of 2:20 min). Consistency is key with speed training, I was monitoring my pace watch like a hawk. Thankfully I had a pace buddy, she had the exact same speed target as I did, so we ran together the entire morning. Of course talking was kept to a minimum since it was early and we were running fast.

800 meters = 2 laps around the track = .5 miles

800 Meter Repeat Results

1. 4:37 min

2. 4:44 min

3. 4:45 min

4.4:43 min

5.4:41 min

Total miles for the workout (including warm up): 3 miles

Fit for Speed: Speed and Endurance

Today's Fit for Speed workout was not only about speed, but incorporated endurance too! We took the long way from the RunOn! store to the SMU track for our warm-up, it was about 1.25 miles. At the track, we did 10 minutes at 15k pace (10:15 min/mile) and 10 minutes 10k pace (9:50 min/mile). I finished the 20 minutes with an average pace of 9:55 min/mile and ran just over 2 miles. For the cool down, we ran ~ .75 miles back to the RunOn! store. If you're counting, that is about 4 miles for the workout!!

Lancaster County Ride

Team Deloitte met on Saturday, April 14th for the Lancaster County Ride. Just a week and a half before, tornadoes blew through the city, but the ride was on! This was my fourth year to ride in the bike rally but this year was my favorite, mainly because I have the best riding buddy and the bluebonnets were breathtakingly beautiful!

Team Deloitte @ the Start Line

The ride started at 9am, and the wind was already blowing strong at 20-30miles per hour. It was a south, south east wind, which meant the first 30 miles were directly into the wind.

The Route

The Lancaster ride is also known for its hills!! Who said Texas was flat?!? I can attest that it is not.

The Climbs

Darrell and me @ mile 18

Another great thing about this ride is there are plenty of photo opportunities along the route! The scenery is beautiful. And you never know when you might climb a hill, turn a corner and ride right through a zoo!!

Team Deloitte + Camel @ mile 52

The climbs were tough, but we all finished strong!! I think we're ready for the MS 150!

Darrell and me @ the finish line (mile 63!!!)

Fit for Speed: Ladder Drill

After my Magic Mile Tuesday, I was excited for my first Fit for Speed workout! Tonight we did ladder drills at a 10k pace! Fit for Speed uses the McMillian Running Calculator to determine the pace for the workouts. Based on my Magic Mile results, my 10k pace is 9:55 min/mile. In interval training, consistency is key! The middle distance (1200M- 3 laps of a standard track) was by far the hardest set. On the last distance (400M- 1 lap of a standard track), I felt like a horse headed for the barn!

Ladder Results:

400M 2:04 min

800M 4:40 min

1200M 7:11 min

800M 4:52 min

400M 2:09 min

It was much easier going up the ladder than coming down! My favorite part of the class so far is the team dynamic and social atmosphere. The first lap or two around the track, I could hold a conversation with my pace buddy. By the end, we were doing less talking and more breathing!

I'm looking forward to my upcoming bike rides this weekend! Let's hope the weather is nice.

Fit for Speed: Magic Mile

After running 4 half marathons, I wanted a new challenge! The speed training class offered at RunOn!, Fit for Speed, sounded like the best way to not only improve my mile time, but learn new running techniques to incorporate in my training! I registered a few days ago and was nervous before the start of class today! I felt like a little kid before kindergarten.

Today, I met my coach, Alissa. She's a distance runner too and I am really looking forward to learning tips from her throughout this training class. As a warm up, we ran from the Dallas RunOn! store to the SMU track. Then, the fun part, the magic mile- a mile at 100%. The time is used as a base for my training for the rest of the course. I ran my little heart out, cough and all! I am quite pleased with my magic mile and I'm really looking forward to improving my mile time!

Magic Mile Result: 8 minutes 35 seconds

1/4 mile splits: 1:50, 2:06, 2:17, 2:22

Tour Dallas +

There are many things I love about April, it is my birthday month, wild flowers are in fresh bloom, the weather is perfect, and it's the month of bike rallies!

The first bike tour of the season is one of my favorites, Tour Dallas. Darrell and I did the 30 mile route, but we wanted to get extra mileage, so we rode to and from the ride from a teammates house and did an extra lap around the lake. We ended up with 52 miles for the day!

Tour Dallas Plus

Me with my favorite training buddy

Pinterest Challenge: Canvas Wall Flower

I spent the first two months of 2012 in an audit room, with my 10-key, looking at debits and credits and tying out 10-Ks. After the report was filed (yay!) I was anxious to use the right side of my brain and get creative!

After pinning 528 pins to my boards on Pinterest, and with Young House Love's Pinterest Challenge, I was inspired to 'Stop Pinning and Start Doing'!

My Inspiration

I wanted a new piece of art to go over my bed, and loved the idea of creating my own. I used It's Doable as a guide, but changed it to suit my taste and color pallet.

I wanted a dark, rich purple color for the base and bold purple, maroon and blue pedals with a bright yellow center to really pop! I used plain scrapbook paper, rather than paper with designs on it, to keep mine more simple.

I love how the pedals spill over the side of the canvas. The colors really look great together.

It looks great over my bed! I need to lower it, but I didn't want to use a hammer at midnight and disturb my neighbors.

I can't wait to start my next Pinterest project- what's your vote: Frankie Silhouette or Texas Love?