The secret to a 5mile PR...cowboys of course!

chilling out with middle cherub

I have been away on my holibobs for the last wee while and have been neglectful of my blog and reading those that I so enjoy. We escaped the heat and humidity of Houston for the....heat and, at times, humidity of Wainscott, Long Island. I got to run on the beach, in the ocean, up hills and down hills WOOP WOOP! I love the countryside feel the place my mother in law lives has, I also feel like I CAN run there, no terrible humidity dragging me down, which is nice. 

I did run but not very much and not all that often. I was under strict instructions from Coach Doug to the it easy 'nothing more than 6 and all at recovery pace'. And yes, I did as I was told, for the most part. I also ate everything in sight as usual so came home with an extra 4lbs too, all bought and paid for ;) 

Enjoying a shoeless run next to (and in) the Atlantic

I managed to squeeze a little race in which I treated as low key, not to be taken too seriously 8k - Southampton Firecracker. I ran it in around 34mins which is way slower than I would have liked but to be fair my hubbie and I had gone out on the town 2 nights prior and I had taken it upon myself to sample every single cocktail East Hampton and Amagansett had to offer. This resulted in the worst 2 day hangover ever, I thought I might actually die at the 2 mile mark when vodka, gin and every other type of alcohol started to sweat from every pore! I only actually feel fully recovered a week after this painting of the town red and am VERY happy to be back into my more comfortable clean living lifestyle that having 3 kids demands (I have to be on my game to cope with them, the merest whiff of a hangover and they'd eat me for breakfast). 

So, this week I have just been getting back into it, still not on a set schedule, I'll get that this weekend, just putting in a few miles here and there and enjoying a 'balls out' (tempo/threshold) 5 miles on the treadmill today. 

Ok, time to explain the slightly obscure and up until now completely ignored title of this blog. I have discovered the 'Country Music Channel' and have been plugging myself in every day this week during my sessions at the Y. I never listen to music when I run but I think I'm on to something here. Oh my goodness there are some nice looking cowboys out there, where exactly I'm not sure, as currently living in Texas I feel I ought to be surrounded by them but not so much as a glimpse in over 2 years. But here they all are, singing their handsome hearts out on my treadmill at the Y - who knew?! I actually pulled the plug on them at around the 2 mile mark today as in reality I can't listen to music and run hard, I find I have to focus on....the hurt? Not sure but I need to concentrate 100% on running when I'm in balls out mode. 

Anyhoo, I haven't attacked this run for ages and I've missed it. So today I went for it, started at 6:30 pace and after 2 miles started to pick it up (once I'd ditched the cowboys). I finished in 31:27 for a nice new 'balls out 5' PR of 63seconds. I am totally shattered now but am happy to know I am still improving and maybe all that speed work over the summer was worthwhile! I also think I have more in there, I mean it was hard but I could conceivably start at 6:15 pace and go from there, will give it another crack in a week or 2. 

I have asked Coach Doug to give me lots of hill work, tempo runs and BIG miles in the build up to Houston, all of which I'm sure he would have anyway (I did mention before how he asked if I thought 100 miles a week was doable). 

A change is as good as a break and I think the last 2 weeks of easy, no focus, just run and enjoy has been good for me. I used to HAVE to take 2 weeks off when I was at school from running between cross country and track which I hated. I felt so out of shape after it but I did agree in principle it was probably a good idea to do it, it always made me more determined to shed that sluggish feeling and get back into shape if nothing else! This time round, I didn't stop entirely just stepped it down a lot and ran for fun and now I am as recharged as I can be with my 3 little cherubs to chase after.

I also drank enough alcohol for a year and danced my little socks off, for the 1st time in around 100 years, in a place that didn't strictly speaking have a dance floor - whatever. Something interesting you don't know about me, I am the best dancer in the world when I'm drunk, or so I believe :)

The 4lbs have gone and I have 13 miles on the cards tomorrow with M. 

Happy days :)

We had a jam packed day in NY which the kids LOVED (no cowboys here either)