Feb 29 "Having Faith and God's plan" ----- Boston 2012

 “Faith isn’t the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It’s simply taking God at His Word and taking the next step.”

----Joni Erickson Tada

I believe that all things happen for a reason and it is not my place to question why. Still, it does not stop me from wondering and thinking about situations that occur and trying to find answers.  We go through many stages in our lives and I know that when things are going well, I do not find myself asking God why he has been so good to me, or what I have done to deserve this.  I accept what I have been given and am grateful to the Lord for my gifts.  I do however take a step back and review situations when they do not favor me and wonder if my Faith is going to be strong enough to get me through a tough time.  I understand the power of prayer and pray everyday, thanking the Lord for all that I have been given, asking Him to keep watch over my family, to give me strength to stay healthy and to help me get through difficult times.  I am not sure where the emotion or feeling of "Hope" falls into all of this.  Is it wrong to "Hope" really hard for a particular outcome if I am living my life with Faith?  Part of me says that I need to completely trust Him and know that He will provide the answers that I need.  And then, there is this little part of me that wants to keep pushing the issue thinking that it will lead me to the answer that I want to hear.  I know that God answers all of my prayers.  It is just that sometimes, the answers He gives are not what I want to hear.  I pray for strength in the coming months.  May I always remember that He has a plan for me.  I just need to take a step back, let Him tell me what it is and trust in Him.

Planned Workout:

7 miles

7 mi EZ at 9:00 pace with 6x 30" strides on 1' in last mile

Completed Workout:

7.3 mi.

Warm but muddy on path.  Enjoyed the 30' sprints on the last mile.

NikePlus Challenge

Was  2594

Now 2587       Moved up 7 spots 

Feb 28 "Theres No Place Like Home" ----- Boston 2012

"Theres No Place Like Home"

“Close you eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, there's no place like home.”

Thats exactly how I felt when I took off for my morning run down my old familiar street.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed being out of town and I had a great time, I just missed my regular running route, familiar surroundings and friends.  There was a chill in the air when I walked out the door at 5:15 a.m..  It was a crisp 27 degrees and there was a slight wind blowing out of the north.  My legs were still wound up from the weekend, tired, but not sore.  I was itching to get out and run, even if the workout called for an EZ pace.  Half mile into my run I glanced at my watch and read an 8:44.  Too fast, but comfortable.  It was going to take a lot of concentration to slow down.  I decided not to fight it and cruised to the mile marker where I was going to meet Susan.  She runs a little bit slower than me so I was running with her to help her with her pace and work on some speed.  We were shooting to run 9:00 min miles.  That was the pace I was supposed to be focused on today so I though it would be a good fit.  Saw Kristy and Amy already on their way back as we were just getting started.  They are always out so early, its crazy!  I'm not sure what time they actually start their runs, but man it has got to be early.  Amazing!

The path had some scattered patches of frozen ice and divots from heavy footprints digging into the loose gravel.  I ran part of the route on the grass and successfully dodged some low tree branches as we made our way to the bridge.   Pace was going great.  A little bit faster than expected but Susan was doing awesome and holding her own.  A good sign.   Just before the 2nd mile marker I gave Susan the good news.  We were not going to take a break at the halfway point.  It was going to be a quick turn around and head back.  I knew that she could do it, she just needed to have some confidence and she would be fine. Before you knew it, we were back at the gazebo and done with our run.  We averaged an 8:51 pace.  Great time for her.  She did awesome.  Faster than she thought she was going to go and she was still standing.  I am really proud of her for sticking with it and giving it her all.  It is the same thing that I have been working on for the last few months, learning that your body CAN even when your mind says it can't.  I'm looking forward to doing some more runs with her soon.  

I had one more mile to run and I was home.  Ahhh, a nice easy jog and there I was, back standing in front of my brick Georgian.  Home Sweet Home.  

Workout number 1 was in the books. 

 Planned:  Run.

Completed:  6 mile run - 

Came home and woke up Ian for school.  Got him breakfast and we headed out the door.  Back to the house, sat down at the computer and started working til it was time to get ready for my second workout of the day, swimming.  Headed to the Courts and was looking forward to catching up and swimming with my good friend Mary Ann.  Water was warm and managed to get a lane. Yippee.  I was so happy to be back in the pool.  It has been a while since I swam and I was curious to see how my stroke was going to fare. I found out shortly that I could benefit from some additional swimming workouts.  Wow.  I was really stinking up the pool.  My stroke needs a lot of work.  I felt like I took 10 steps backwards.  I was going to have to really pick it up if I was going to feel good about this workout.  From this point on, all signs point to Boston and I needed to get myself in gear.  I really wanted to push and work hard.

Second Workout

Planned Workout:  Swim

Completed:  Swim

Legs were tired but really pushed myself at the end.  

Third Workout:  Core

I requested a core workout from my coach.   I felt like I needed some more work in that area.  I came upstairs after my swim and did my core routine.  All workouts for today are done.

Now, I was officially exhausted.  Came home and napped for 2 hours.  Needed some sleep to get through the rest of the day.  

I am so glad to be back home and in my routine.  I am hoping the rain holds off in the morning so I can run outside.  But really, after running through snow and bone chilling winds, would a little rain really be that bad?  

Nike Challenge   moved up to 2594th place.   Up 14 Spots.

Tin W

Feb 27 "And The Oscar Goes To..." ----- Boston 2012

And the Oscar goes to...

And the Oscar Goes To…

Well all good things must come to an end.  What a magical weekend this has been for me.  I had a chance to escape the cold of Chicago and head south for a race.  Ran the fastest half marathon of my life, got to go inside the Tenn football stadium, eat dinner along the Tenn River, make lots of new friends, watch the most famous women’s basketball coach in the world coach her team on to victory and spend the weekend with my brother and sister in law.  The skies were sunny, the temperature was warm (warmer than Chicago) and the flowers were blooming,  God is so good to me. 

An All-Star weekend wouldn’t be the same without thanking those that have made this possible.  So, in honor of it being Oscar weekend, I would like to spread the joy and thank some people that are behind the scenes and helped make this all possible.  To my friends Anne, Becky and Susan who always make me smile when we run together. Your love and commitment to running keeps me grounded and helps me see the big picture.  To Julie, Jorge, Nancy, Kurt and Mark, thank you for your support during the track workouts and at the Courts.  Watching the effort you put forth pushes me to run harder and faster.  To the ERC, when I see you on the path, you inspire me to keep running harder and faster.  Seeing all of you out there always gives me a big boost of energy.  To Stephanie, thank you for all the advice and for sharing your competitive spirit.  You are an amazing runner and I have learned so much about competing from speaking with you.  To Ashley, thank you so much for running with me on that cold morning and for joining me on a swim workout.  Your easy runs always push me to run harder and have made me better.  I am so happy that I have been able to run with you and hope we can get some more runs in before Boston.  To Liz, thank you for being a true team player.  For coming to the track early in the morning even though you were injured to cheer us on as we did our workouts.  Amazing.  To Charlie and Beth for showing me a wonderful time in Tenn and chauferring me around so I could get to the race and keep my commitments to my training schedule.  And most importantly for getting tickets to the Vols game.  I will never forget that feeling of walking into the stadium and witnessing “greatness”. To my good friend Jennie, thank you for your support and for giving me some cool Mizuno running shoes and attire.  Those shoes help me carry your drive and commitment to being a super athlete and even more amazing person.   To my Coach and friend Susanne Davis who has helped me become a better runner both physically and mentally.  For taking me to that next level and teaching me to believe in my abilities.  For creating a program that is second to none and for answering my tons of questions.  And, most importantly, for pushing me harder than I would ever push myself.  I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me for the last month and a half of training for Boston.  To my loving son Ian, who always asks me how my runs are.  Who lets me hug him even though I am sweaty and who will one day smash my ½ marathon time.  Thank you “Bear” for always being there with open arms.  Your hugs and kisses are priceless!  To my daughter Shannon who is preparing for her first marathon, thank you for your support and taking an interest in what I do.  I love that we exchange workout information and your excitement about your race has energized me on more than one occasion to tackle my workouts and keep working harder.  Can’t wait to cheer you on in Eugene.  I love you more than you will ever know!  And, a huge THANK YOU to my husband, John.  Thank you for letting me spend countless hours working out.  For making sure that my diet keeps improving and that I am eating right.  For supporting me in every way manageable and for always being there with a kiss for me.  And especially for letting me come out to Tenn to run another race.  I am the luckiest woman in the world and I love you Babe. 

Most importantly, I would like to thank the good Lord for the abilities and opportunities that He has given me.  Every morning that I am able to get out of bed healthy and strong I feel so blessed.  I know that without the Lord looking down on me and smiling, none of this would be possible.

Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

Ok, so maybe with my thank you list I would have been cut off from the mike at the Oscars.  I just wanted to take a moment and share my gratitude with all of the people that have helped me get this far.  All of you were with me at my race in some way or another and for that I am truly grateful.  I look forward to creating new memories that I will be able to file away and use in Boston.

Carpe Viam my friends.   Carpe Viam (Seize the Road).

Workout Today

Planned:   Day off

Completed:  Travel Day – Day Off    Legs are tired.

Nike- Run the Earth Challenge

Was #  2665     

Now # 2608     with 847.63 miles run to date

Moved up 57 spots.

Leaving Tenn

So long Knoxville.  Thanks for the
great time.

Sweet Home Chicago

Ian and I with our medals.  He won
a gold medal for his drum solo!
Great job Bear.

Feb 26 "All Roads Lead To The Summit" ----- Boston 2012

All Roads Lead To The Summit

I can't believe that I slept in so late.  My eyes finally cracked open sometime after 8:00 a.m.  It felt sooooooo good to lay in bed.  My legs were tired, my body was tired and if I didn't need to get up and use the bathroom, I would have stayed in bed for another hour.  I had such an unbelievable day yesterday that there was only one way that I was going to be able to top it.  Today, I was going to my first University of Tennessee Women's Basketball Game coached by the famous Pat Summit.  I am a huge fan of Pat Summit and seeing the Lady Vols play has been on my bucket list for a long time.  Today, I was going to scratch it off my list.  Charlie and Beth are professors at the University so they were able to get tickets for the last home game.  But first, I needed to flush my legs from the run yesterday.  So, I headed to the rec center at the University and biked 20 miles.  My legs were tired but not stiff.  The bike ride was in my workout schedule and it was just what I needed to wake them up.  It felt so good to get them moving and it was fun working out with the college kids.  I only wish that I would have had more time to spend at the rec center.  There were open basketball courts and I was itching to shoot some hoops.  Too bad I couldn't spend some more time there.  Oh well, maybe next time I am in Knoxville.  

Got home, showered, had some lunch and then we headed to the game.  Game time was 3:30 but I wanted to get there earlier so I could take it all in.  When I stepped inside my jaw dropped to the ground.  It was the most amazing place I had ever seen.  Walking past all those banners of former players including one of Pat when she was younger was amazing.  Then, I walked up the stairs and looked down.  There it was, "The Summit".  I never saw so many people wearing orange in my life.  It seemed that everyone had either an I back Pat shirt, or a jersey or a light blue Women's basketball shirt on.  Its funny because sometimes you dream about something and imagine that it is going to be so amazing and cool and then you see it in person and it is even better!  Thats what makes dreams worthwhile.  The "Summit" was loud, rowdy and fun!  Pat honored all the Tenn seniors and in a classy move, even honored the Seniors from Florida.  The Lady Vols took on the Gators and came out victorious.  We stuck around for the Pat Summit show and listened to her speak which was very interesting.  It was a fun day and something I will never forget.  Thanks so much Charlie and Beth for the opportunity of a lifetime!

Championship banners, missing 2008 in the picture.

The Summit

The Scoreboard

Pat and I

Senior Day

Senior Day "Pat Summit Show"

Enjoying the game

Pat Summit (center)

Today's Workout:

Planed:  Trainer Cycle

Completed:  20 mile ride

What a fantastic way to recover from a race!   I had the best day ever!!!!!

Feb 25 Scenic City Half Marathon, Chatt Tenn. --- Boston 2012

Scenic City Half Marathon

4:00 a.m.  alarm has gone off and I am up and getting dressed for my race.  Laid everything out the night before so I wouldn't forget anything.  Quickly got dressed, grabbed some dry cereal for the ride and Charlie and I headed off to Chattanooga.  I was so tired and I was worried about what a two hour car ride was going to do to me.  I wanted to be sure that he was going to stay away driving so I was fighting going to sleep until we were about 45 minutes outside of the city.  Finally I closed my eyes and sneaked in a power nap.  I awoke just as we were pulling into the city.  We still had an hour and a half before the race started so we headed back to the Choo Choo hotel where we could wait in the lobby and stretch our legs.  Started talking to the manager of the hotel restaurant and shared with him that I came in from Chicago to run this race.  He asked if I was hungry and gave me some free food for energy.  Nice guy.  

It was a sunny day but not as warm as I thought it was going to be.  The temperature at start was close to 30 with the wind blowing but I knew that the sun would warm things up as the morning progressed.  Running for me in the 30s is always good. I've had some of my best runs in this type of weather.  My body responds well to running in shorts at that temperature.  Decided on a long sleeve shirt and a Boston knit hat. Ditched the gloves before the start.  Found out later that was a mistake. Could have used them. I had lined up for the race towards the very front of the pack and at 8:00 a.m. we waited with baited breath for the sound of the starting gun.  What?  We are in Tenn and there is no gun to shoot at the start?  Unheard of.  So, they did the next best thing.  They started it with a famous familiar slogan, "Ready, Set, Go".  No kidding. That was how they started the race.  Ok. No big deal.  Didn't want to get caught behind anyone that wasn't sure what pace they were going to run.  I knew that I was going to try and run an 8 or 8:10 pace and I didn't want anything to get in the way.  As we headed down the first hill we made a quick right turn and were on our way.  I knew that my pace was quick, I just wasn't aware of how much until someone yelled out, "that was a 7:14 mile".  7:14?  Oh noooo, I need to slow down.  So, I pulled back a little bit but then told myself, to run the way my body felt.  As long as I wasn't hurting and the pace felt comfortable, keep this speed and see how far I could go.  I was so focussed on the keeping my pace under 8:10 that the miles just flew by.  Coach told me to break the race up into quarters and that was exactly what I did.  The course was full of rolling hills and had a 1 mile hill around mile 9 that was crazy steep.  The best part about running up the hill was that I knew once I was at the top, I would have a 5k left.  When I did my two mile warm-up before the race, I ran it out and back on the last mile of the course.  So, when I got to mile 12, I knew exactly how much further I had to go and where I could push myself to the finish. I checked my watch and knew that if I kept going this fast, I would PR.  With a strong push to the finish I crossed the line and read my time;  1:42:31.  A new PR.  

I texted my husband and coach to share the good news.  I could not believe how good I felt and how fast I ran.  With a quick check of the results board I saw that I had finished first in my age group.  WoW!  That was a big surprise.  The race was fun, hilly, challenging and best of all, well organized.  I would definitely come back and run it again.  

Choo Choo Train, Choo Choo Hotel

Lucky Mizuno Shoes-Thanks Finchie.

After the race.

First In Age Group

1/2 Marathon Medal

I always think that the best way to test your training is to put it to use and race.  This race showed me that all of the effort and training I have put forth is working.  My body and mind have gotten stronger and I am looking forward to continuing to work on getting ready for Boston.

Mile Times for Half Marathon

Mile 1    7:36

Mile 2    7:22

Mile 3    7:39

Mile 4    7:28

Mile 5    7:35

Mile 6    7:52

Mile 7    8:05

Mile 8    7:54

Mile 9    8:33

Mile 10  7:48

Mile 11  8:00

Mile 12  8:09

Mile 13  7:51

.1             :31

Total Time 1:42:31    New PR           Previous PR 1:46:36

**********************************************************************************

My afternoon recovery was spent taking a tour of the University of Tenn campus with Charlie and Beth.  So cool, saw the football stadium up close, rode on a campus car, saw some academic buildings and enjoyed the fresh air.  A great afternoon.  Took Charlie and Beth out to dinner and walked around the downtown market area.  And, to top it off, went to a party that night and celebrated the day with some champagne and met a lot of new people.  It was a great day and by the time my head hit the pillow at 11:30, I was exhausted and looking forward to sleeping in.

Inside the Football Stadium

Taking a tour of campus

The Power T

General Neyland

Outside of Neyland Stadium

The torch

Feb 24 I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane..... Boston 2012

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane....

Today is the start of a big weekend for me.  Its time to see just how hard I was working in my training runs and workouts and test them in a race.  I had originally planned on just doing the Polar Dash before Boston, but since that turned into more of a snowy training run, Coach suggested that I see if I could find another 1/2 in a warmer climate.  My brother-in law and his wife (Charlie and Beth) live in Tennessee, and invited me down to watch Pat Summit's last last home basketball game.  Being a huge fan of Pat Summit and with her medical condition, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see one of the best coach a game.  When I checked things out, I found a 1/2 marathon in Chattanooga, about an hour and a half away the very same weekend.  The timing could't have been better.  Bought a plane ticket, registered for the race, packed a bag and I was ready to go.  

Saying good-bye to Ian

Snowfall morning of flight

Then, it happened, good 'ol Chicago weather.  Just when you think you have it figured out, it tricks you.  A big snowstorm was headed our way and that could really throw a wrench in things.  When I went to bed lat night, it had just been raining so I wasn't too worried about waking up to 2 feet of snow.  Although it has snowed that much overnight in the past, I just didn't think that was going to be the case in the morning, or should I say, I was praying it wasn't going to be the case.  Firs thing I did when I woke up was run to the window to see what had happened.  I wasn't sure how much snow there was on the ground but I think that I lucked out.  The cars and the driveway were looking pretty white, and I was going to have to brush of the snow but it didn't look like that much had fallen.  I had a 30 minute bike ride at the Courts that I needed to do before I stepped on the plane so hopefully the streets would be clear enough and I could make it there and back quickly.   Drove through some falling snow and slushy streets, but got my ride in, and made it home to leave for my flight by 7:10.  Said good-bye to my son and headed to the airport.  My flight to Tenn was leaving at 9:30 and with the weather being kind of crazy, I wanted to be sure that I had enough time to get through security and to the gate without any hassles.  Decided to take the side streets to the airport as the Chicago expressways are notorious for coming to a standstill when the weather gets bad.  My husband John did an awesome job of calming my nerves and  getting me to the airport in plenty of time.  I wasn't going to check my bags as running clothes are not what you want to lose the day before a race. Everything is a carry-on.  It was 8:00 and I was sitting at the gate.  I still had an hour and a half before my flight, so now it was time to relax.  Here is what I did before I got on the plane.  By accident, I found the prettiest and cleanest bathrooms at O'Hare airport.  

Concourse A...Beautiful

In all my years of traveling, I have never seen airport bathrooms that looked this great.  Even George Costanza would love these.  Next it was time to purchase some traditional "trashy" reading material for the flight.  I headed to the nearest news stand so I could pick something out.  I'm not going to say which one I chose, but it was pretty bad.

Good trashy reading material.

Time to take a peak outside and see if panes were moving and snow was being removed so planes could take off.

Snow Removal In Progress

Flight departed on time and we were heading to Tenn. Thank you American Airlines.

Beautiful Tenn

 Landed in Knoxville and met up with Charlie.  First stop was Chattanooga at the Choo Choo Hotel to pick up my running stuff.  This is a small race.  There are 500 half-marathoners running the race so there was not an expo.  Not even a bag to put your stuff in.  Collected my chip, number and racing shirt and met some friendly folks.  I met the race director and talked with him for a bit.  The race is put on by the local running club.  A big endeavor for a small group.  But they looked like they knew what they were doing, so I wasn't too worried.  Course map showed some hills, one that was a mile long.  Oh, good!

Race Number-Scenic City Half

It was already starting to get late, so instead of eating out, we went to the local grocery store and purchased the pre-race essentials, pasta, bread and bananas.  Cooked a big dinner and headed to bed.  I was tired and had to get up early for the race the next day.  Race time is 8:00 a.m. but I need to be up at 4 and leave at 5:00 a.m.  It was a 2 hour drive to Chattanooga.  Not really any different than some of the other days when I run.

Feb 23 The Boston Marathon Jacket Revealed --- Boston 2012

Finally the day that I have been waiting for arrived.  The big question burning in almost every Boston Marathoner's mind other than how big really are the "hills of Newton" and "Heartbreak Hill", is, what color scheme will Adidas be using for the marathon coats and merchandise.  The answer to this burning question came in an email yesterday.  The 2012 color scheme is orange/red and black.  Orange/Red and black?  Thats what I said.  Hmmm, I'm going to look like a pumpkin wearing my coat.  This is always the fun part, opening the emails from Adidas as they try to entice you to purchase every product which displays "Boston Marathon 2012".  I have to admit, that the first year I ran this race, I purchased a lot of souvenirs.  A real lot.  So much so, that I was glad we took the train home because we didn't have to pay for an extra piece of luggage.  Last year, not so much.  I bought the coveted coat and a few running shirts.  It is truly amazing all of the things that you can buy.  From stuffed teddy bears wearing Boston t-shirts, to Boston Beer Mugs for carbo loading, to rings, necklaces and shoes.  The best part about taking a peek at merchandise early is that you can get an idea of what you want to buy when you get there.  And, of course you can avoid the rush and buy your coat before you even step on the plane.  But, thats not for me.  It has to be purchased at the Expo and hang in my hotel closet until after I cross the finish line.  One of the things that I did notice about this year's coat is that they went back to embroidering the logo on the front and back of the jacket.  Last year in an effort to cut costs and increase profits, Adidas went to a screen print for these two emblems on the coat. Same price as the year before, just made and looked a lot cheaper.  The runners at the Expo were upset and let Adidas know what they thought about the jacket.  So, this year, the cost of the jacket is $10 more but I will gladly pay extra for the nice clean look the embroidery gives it.  The color isn't too bad.  I am sure that after Marathon Monday, it will be very easy to spot runners of this esteemed race as we wander through the streets of Bean Town.

If you've been to one marathon expo then you've been to them all.  Not true when it comes to Boston. When you get there, you know that you have arrived.  It is the coolest feeling to look around at all the other people there and know that they speak the same language of "hard work and commitment" as you.  There are vendors selling the usual shoes, shorts and trinkets, t-shirt vendors, charity groups, pacer tables and of course the course preview film that runs about every 15 minutes.  Famed runners take you through every mile of the course  and it is every hard to find a seat for any of the showings.  I love to watch it.  It really gets me pumped up for the race.  I even video taped it so that I can forever look back and relive this historical path to greatness.  The wall of good wishes is fun to write on and read.  You have to get there early to find some space to leave your message and of course, you have to get the complimentary poster with all the names of the runners for this year's race on it.  The writing is small and honestly I have never been able to find my name on the posters from the previous years, but it is a cool keepsake and like I said, its FREE (while supplies last)!!!!!!

So as I continue my workouts, I will ponder what I am going to purchase this year and when I go to sleep at night, I will run the course in my sleep and count the days until I am able to hit the road when it counts!

Today's Workout

Planned:  4 Miles

Completed:

4 Miles

Update on Nike Plus Challenge - Run Around The Earth:

Started the day in 2,665th place.  After my run this morning, I moved up to 2,642.  I moved up 13 spots. Yippee!!!!!!!!

2642 up 13 

Feb 22 Are You Going To Be A Wimp...Or Are You... -Boston 2012

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'"

- Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner

It was hard to get up today for my early run.  I think my body was looking for some more sleep.  Have a lot of things going through my mind and this stress kept me up longer than expected.  As I dragged my body out of bed, I reminded myself of how good I was going to feel after my run.  That mental thought is sometimes one of the most important things to get ready before the run.  Oh boy, my bed looked so lonely when I got out of it.  It took every ounce of strength to keep moving out the door.  Today's run was a mental one and one that I needed to really focus on so I can keep improving.  It was getting over that hump of convincing my mind that my body could do this.

Today's run was a mixture of things.  Since I needed flat, hilly and distance routes, I decided to head to Vallette to start my workout there.  First part of the workout was a 20' warmup ez.  I ran the streets of South Elmhurst to get the time in.  Then I had a 2' hill run, steady and strong, but not all out with an easy down.  That was good and even better that I was able to dodge the car that came flying down the street sending me onto the grass.  The hardest part of the workout was coming up.  This was a 4 x 4' flat at 7:53 pace with 2'ez btwn.  I thought about doing the sprint part on the flat grass, but I was afraid that I might run into a four legged animal  that might not be so friendly.  So, finally after convincing myself that I could do this, I hit my watch and took off.  Terrible.  I had the speed and the pace, but I was wasting so much energy on wild movement.  Gasping for a breath, I made it to the end of my first 4', bent over and tried to suck in as much air as possible.  My form was so bad, I knew that if I was going to complete this drill, I needed to get my head in the game and regain some proper running form. So, I lined up for my second 4' run, hit my watch and took off.  Wow, with a little concentration, I hit my mark, and wasn't running like a mad woman. Much better.  This was tough but there was only one thing I could do and that was keep on going.  I was not going to give up.  This will only make me stronger.  Lined up for my 3rd 4'.  Even better.  Legs felt like they had jets in them.  Felt like I was flying and once again, I was sucking wind at the end.  Kept saying to myself, "one more run", "one more run".  Hit the watch and took off; 4th 4'.  Come on, get going.  Oh hey, theres a guy on the path running in front of me.  Okay, let's run so fast we pass him.  And....thats exactly what I did.  Eyes focussed straight ahead, arms pumping my legs, lungs ready to burst out of my chest and I had my marker in sight.  Almost...almost...almost there........Whew!  Made it.  Bent over and sucking wind, I had reached my final goal.  Wow.  I felt so awesome.  I was so happy that I did this workout.  It was tough, but I hung in there and finished the set with a 10' cool down.  

Planned Workout:  7 miles

Completed Workout:  6.7 miles

NO WIMPS ALLOWED!