Just Another Day at the Oval Office

Fridays are track days.  The kiddo is at preschool (for one more week) and I am able to spend a little bit of time by myself usually without interruption.  The last couple of weeks the track and football field have been filled with middle and high schoolers playing games and running around.  It has made for an interesting time, but I've been able to get in my workout.  This week it was one minute to five minute intervals at fast times.  The one minute interval was done at a sub-6:00 pace and the five minute intervals was a 6:26 pace.  I was moving!  Getting faster!

But that's not the most interesting thing that happened to me at the track.

Another runner came to the track that morning and he looked serious.  He warmed up off the track and then came back and did some drills.  The dude could drill.  I stopped to get a drink and he started talking to me.  He asked me about my Hokas and if I liked them.  Funny, considering he was covered in head-to-toe Saucony.  Literally - shirt, shorts, shoes, spikes.  Everything.  He asked me what I was training for.  I then said, "you look pretty serious."  He said, yeah, that he trained in Ann Arbor (boo!) that he ran the 1500 and that he was heading to Philly for a race this weekend.  He asked me my name, I asked him his, we shook hands, and went about our workouts.  I watched him run.  Holy crap was he fast!

When I got home I googled him.  Of course.  And I found out he's kind of a big deal.  His name is Julian Matthews and he runs for New Zealand's national team.  Yes, he's sponsored by Saucony.

And he's a nice guy.  I left him a message on his Facebook page and he responded wishing me luck at the aquathlon world championships.  He listened and seemed to care.  Cool guy.

So maybe I ran those intervals fast because the training is paying off and I'm getting more fit.  Or maybe it's because one hell of a stud athlete was sharing the track with me and I wanted to save face.  Either way, it was a great day at the oval office.

Getting Faster

After a long break, because frankly I don't like the workouts, I headed back to the track this week.  I'm only going to get faster if I do faster workouts, right?  The workout this week was 2 X 1200 and 4 X 800 with 2:00 rest interval in between each.  Ugh!  Anything longer than a 400 is too long, in my opinion. 

I had barely started my warmup and my iPod said to me, "battery low."  Crap!  So, I turned it off to conserve battery and use it during the actual workout.  The workout started, turned on the iPod and again, "battery low".  Not even 100 meters into the first 1200 and the iPod died.  Shoot!  I would be doing a track workout sans iPod.  This was going to suck. 

But it didn't suck, too badly.  I mean, I didn't enjoy it, but I was turning pretty good paces.

1200 - 5:08 (6:51 pace)
1200 - 4:58 (6:37 pace)
800 - 3:17 (6.34 pace)
800 - 3:17 (6:34 pace)
800 - 3:21 (6:42 pace)
800 - 3:18 (6:36 pace)

Guess those 53 days of running in a row did me good.

Track!

I did the best thing I could do for myself as I prepared for this week's track workout: I did not look at what my paces were supposed to be before I did the workout.  I knew I couldn't hit them as I'm still working my way back into shape and it's also hotter than hell outside right now too, so I just wanted to do the best I could at the workout based on the shape I'm in right now.  This was a great strategy.  The workout was a ladder of sprints: 400, 600, 800, 1200, 800, 600, 400, all with a 400 rest interval.  And here's how I did:

400 - 1:36 (6:26 pace)
600 - 2:32 (6:47 pace)
800 - 3:28 (6:58 pace)
1200 - 5:15 (7:02 pace)
800 - 3:23 (6:48 pace)
600 - 2:34 (6:53 pace)
400 - 1:36 (6:26 pace)

The best part is that my head was in the game.  I only had to collect myself maybe three times, but I kept going.  Not knowing my paces kept me from getting frustrated at how "poor" I was doing.  But let's face it, those paces above are not poor.  They're not where they should be; they're not where I want them to; but I'm getting it done.  That's half the battle.

A Long Road Back

I was reminded the other day by a friend that it took 9 months to bake my baby and it was going to take 9 months to get my body and my running back.  I was really reminded of this when I stepped on the track last night.  I have a plan to try to PR in the half marathon this fall.  I thought this would be a slam dunk - pregnancy hormones are going to carry me there.  What I didn't bank on is how hard it was going to be to actually get back into shape.  The plan started today...

1 mile warm up
12 X 400 at 1:29
1 mile cool down

I knew I was going to struggle.  Dave gave me a pep talk - don't give up.  Just keep going no matter the pace.  The pace was hard, although I wasn't that far off.  What was hard was the energy level.  I just don't have it yet.  By midway in this workout I was toast and I called it a day.

1. 1:31
2. 1:29
3. 1:31
4. 1:31
5. 1:32
6. 1:32

It's going to be a long road back to where I was before I got pregnant.  I wish it was going to be easy, but it's not.  I still have some weight to lose.  I have some inches to lose.  I have some speed to get back.  But, I'm going to keep at it and hopefully it will all come back.

Tough Decisions

As much as I hate to admit it and try to deny it, I am a small town girl. How can I not be when I have returned to my roots? After graduating from college and getting married, I settled in that small town and returned to my school and began coaching track. Last year was my sixth year coaching. I have watched boys and girls become young men and women. This past fall at a football game I saw one of my former students with her husband. Wow!

Yesterday I made a bold decision. I resigned my coaching position. I cried A LOT. I love that school. I love the other coaches I can now call my friends. I love the kids. But, things have changed rapidly at the school and I felt like my role had become obsolete. Until last year it was just me coaching the distance runners. This past season I had a staff. Midway through the season I saw things from the outside and realized I wasn't doing anything. The new cross country coaches don't even know who I am. Doesn't that seem problematic? Track meetings have been held without me. Shouldn't I be part of the decision making?

Truth be told, I wanted to quit a year ago. I had coached a girl all the way to state and she was my first who would be running competitively in college. I had achieved what I set out to do. But, there were other people I had been coaching for a few years that I wanted to see through to their final season. Really, though, won't there always be somebody to see through?

Resigning this position is bittersweet. It's the first and only job I have loved. There are new adventures to have, though, and it's time to look forward without regret.

District Champs!

First Day of Spring

Today is the first day of spring and it's sure going to feel like it...high temp. today, 25 degrees.

And now you say, today's not the first of spring Meredith?! Well it is for me. Today is the first day of spring track practice, and I have no idea what this is going to bring. For the first time in 6 years I have other coaches helping me. The team is very young too so there's lots of room to improve. And if I can get them to wear hats and gloves, practice should go smoothly. :)