Shamrock Shuffle and Training

March has been good to us here in North East Ohio!  The weather is beginning to come around and that means good footing, and more daylight for me to run in! I still have to use the treadmill on my shakeout runs while the kids sleep or join me.  But I am happy to be outside for the vast majority of training. 

We took a team of 5 to Shamrock Shuffle 8k on March 29th in Chicago, and we had such a fun goofy time together!  We left early Saturday morning, and got to know each other a little better on the drive! It was a lot of fun and the trip went quick.  After dinner, and picking up our packets my nerves started to get moving.  I LOVE racing, but as I get fitter, I don't really know where my fitness is, and I really want to see the improvements I have made show up on race day.  I struggled to get to sleep despite feeling very tired.  But once the morning showed up, and I had a couple cups of coffee I felt ready to get this thing started.  I promised myself no regrets, and that had to start the first mile.  I didn't want to go out in 5:20 and suffer a terrible death for 4 miles.  My goals were the following.  1. Top 20,  2. come through 5k around 17:40, 3. last mile my fastest, 4. Be in a position to help my team if I am needed (I was 4th on our team and 3 score).  Ellie had a dream she wore spikes to the start line, I tried to get her my flats, but she wouldn't take them.  She then got disqualified for jumping in in the middle of the race...and I beat Kelsi!  None of that happened! Shew! 

 

As we warmed up, my nerves were really getting me going.  I hate not being sure of what I am capable of! But the gun went off, and I felt right at home. I stayed calm, and let people go that I wanted to be near, feeling that they were out too fast.  I hit the mile split in 5:43, and felt great.  I started to pass a lot of women from here.  I passed 2 miles 5:33 later, and heard a man yelling places, I was 24th.  So I needed to catch at least 4 women.  I tried to push this mile and grabbed on to the back of a group of guys. 5:44 for the next mile split.  I tried to push again, and came through 5k in 17:41. This mile the wind proved to be stronger than I had given it credit for, and 5:55 for mile 4 was slow.  I remembered what I told my teammates and started to really push up the last hill on the course about 800-1000m out. I finished and Kelsi, Jess, and Ellie were smiling and waiting for Lizzie and I!  We had all run great! 

Kelsi was 5th in 27:30, Jess 8th in 27:38, Ellie 9th in 27:45, me 18th in 28:38, and Lizzie 78th in 31:36.  We finished 2nd in the team competition to Hansons, and we felt good about that.  We knew on paper they were a faster team than we were, but we had hoped to mix it up, and sneak away with a win.  Over all their top 3 were 45 seconds total faster than our top 3. But we were all smiles!

Jess, Kelsi, Ellie, and I all smiles! (wishing Lizzie was in this)

Another step forward, and another day closer to chasing down my goal race in Duluth on June 20th! I am happy about the improvements I have made in the past month, and look forward to a 5 week training block going into USA 25k Championships on May 9th.  Time to get in some miles and build some more fitness! 

Coming up the bridge to the finish.

Finishing up!

Training March 2-8th 

80 miles 

Track workout on treadmill due to ice - 1k, 2k, 1k, 1k, 2k, 1k splits were 3:26, 7:10, 3:25, 3:24, 7:06, 3:23.

Tempo on the treadmill due to weather again- 10 miles 1:02:11 -6:16 ave.

Long run -18 miles OUTSIDE!!

March 9-15

80 miles

Track workout indoor track- 5x1 mile with 2 min recov. 5:40, 5:39, 5:38, 5:37, 5:33

Tempo outside 2 mile loop- 10 miles 1:01:44 -6:10 average

Long run 18 miles AP Riverview loop last 8 @6:59 pace

March 16-22

76 miles 

track workout outdoor track- 2 miles, 1.5 miles, 3x800, 1 mile.  Splits were 11:24, 8:29, 2:43, 2:42, 2:41, 5:32. 

tempo 4 miles 6:02, 6:00, 6:00, 5:54- hard effort for me.

long run 14 miles 

March 23-29

63 miles 

track workout outdoor track- 3x1000, 2x600, 4x200.  Splits were 3:19, 3:19, 3:19, 1:55, 1:56, 35, 36, 35, 35.

Race - Shamrock shuffle 8k- 28:38