Log #15: Lactarded

Oh my GAWD those LT runs are tough.

I got up at 6:00 am tired as hell. I was up until midnight last night because Wednesday nights are practice with my band. I pounded a Red Bull and a granola bar (my pre-run routine) and laced up.

I knew very quickly into my run that it'd be an interesting workout. About .8 miles in, the shoe lace on my left shoe caught on my right foot sending me down HARD on the pavement. As I landed, I'm pretty sure I said, "ooh?" I scraped my hands up really good, and got the shocked look from a girl runner coming the other way. "Are you ok?" I told her I did it on purpose.

I've decided I hate shoelaces.

So I kept going, I got to my 2 mile mark where the LT portion is supposed to start, and lo' and behold I'm at the bottom of a hill. I made a series of mental calculations and decided I'd be stupid to start my LT run by going uphill, so I paused my GPS and kept my 8:30 pace over the hill. When I got to the bottom, I turned the GPS back on and took off.

In NASCAR races, there is a trick drivers do called "drafting." This is when a driver stays just behind another car, cutting down on wind resistance and enabling them to go just as fast as the guy in front of them without using as much power. In running, I'm not sure it works the same way, but what DOES happen is this: You'll run behind someone, and without thinking about it you'll end up lock-stepped with them, and in essence they pull you along behind them. It makes it easier to run. This guy was running ahead of me just as I started the LT, and he seemed to be going about the right pace, so I just stayed behind him. I felt MUCH stronger on this LT run, and actually managed to keep the pace pretty much the whole time, minus some stops for traffic lights during which I'd run in place.

After the LT section, I was once again a mess. I jogged for a half mile, then walked a bunch, jogged some, walked some more, and then pathetically jogged home. I hit my 6 miles, and here were my splits:

9:10 (keep in mind I fell on my face)
7:50 (Uhm... whoops?)
6:50 (Crap)
7:12 (That's better!)
8:22
8:21

Those last 2 miles are a little misleading... I was stopping and walking alot, and I'd turn off the GPS when I did that. When I was running, that was my pace.

As you can see the LT miles were a little fast, which actually makes me feel good. If I can learn how to run the correct pace, I should be able to nail this workout sooner or later (hopefully by August 21). I'm glad this workout is over, and I'm looking forward to a nice bike workout tomorrow. I may do my long run Saturday since my band has a show Sunday. 10 miles is the goal. If I can keep booze out of my system unti l then I should be golden!

On a related and pleasant note, my shorts are loose as hell on me now. I've lost about 5 pounds since I started this training buildup, and I've lost at least an inch on my waist.