Upping the tempo

Another week of training ticked off in the build up to the Houston marathon in JAnuary. It has seemed like a very distant goal for a while now but is creeping closer and closer.

This week saw my biggest mileage of the build up thus far with 74 miles. I felt tired until around Thursday after my race last Saturday. I went straight into a 10 recovery the next day and then faster work on Monday as usual (.5 mile/.25 mile repeats). 

Wednesday saw my usual threshold paced run on the Treadmill but as discussed with Doug I upped the speed a little from 6:30 to 6:22/mile. I've been feeling very comfortable at the 6:30 f0r a while now and felt there was room to speed it up a bit without changing the purpose of the session. I was a little tired still from the race but as suspected it felt relaxed but with a little more emphasis on the 'hard' in 'comfortably hard'. I had asked to run it at 6:20 but the treadmill options are 6:18-6:22 so I erred on the side of caution.

I topped the week off with my longest run  FOREVER this morning with 18 miles. I ran with my 'old' group, I haven't run with them for ages and have been feeling bad about it and wanted to touch base with them. It was fun and only felt like 14 miles as the last 4 became a somewhat heated political and religious debate! I love this type of thing and found a fellow sparring partner in one of the groups new members. Let's just say we have very different views on...everything! He said at the end it was nice to 'meet' me (we had met once before, I must be VERY memorable!) Anyway, I'm not sure he meant it entirely but it was all in good humor and again, turned 18 into 14. 

I didn't get much sleep last night, my own fault just ended up going to bed far too late so am currently fighting the urge to nap. We have been at soccer all morning and have a Halloween party this evening which I need like a hole in the head. I just got distracted and read that back - what a PARTY POOPER! The kids are looking forward to it and it will be fun I'm sure. I'm not getting dressed up, I actually hadn't even thought of that until just now......but the kids are so that counts right? I am way more relaxed about it than I would usually be and I realise it's because I actually have something to wear. No, I'm not someone who is really into clothes (I used to be a bit but then I had kids and turned into a bag lady, is a translation required here I wonder? Not someone who loves bags, rather a homeless person. I never know which of my many expression translate over here.) 

I have had a bit of a week of disasters in the communication stakes. Despite all apparently speaking English I have found since moving to Texas I have to search for the words I need as the vocabulary is HUGELY different and my sense of humour just does not translate. Feeling a little exhausted with it and like the alien abroad that I am. Maybe I just need a trip home, it's been a while.

Back to the clothes thing! Sorry, this is all over the place, see tired. Since having kids and my weights being up and down and now with all this running, I haven't had any clothes that fit me properly for....years. I HATE shopping and avoid it like the plague but did venture into GAP last week and found some trousers that really fit me! It's not a big deal but its so nice to feel relaxed that I know I have something and that I may look semi respectable! I grabbed some tops too so I'm all set :) Oh, for all you hipless wonders out there, 'sexy boyfriend' GAP jeans are the way ahead, I got 2 pairs. Will probably get every color, hey they fit 'if it aint broke.....!'

Its easy to know when I'm tired I ramble the biggest heap of...... :) 

Taper week this week and then Houston half next Sunday, if it's as cold as it was this morning (car said 53 at 5am!!!!!!!!!) I will be happy. I only had shorts and a vest on and only wished I'd put on a long sleeved top for the first half mile. I never run in anything other than shorts and am not a fan of a long sleeve unless its freezing. 

Oh, I forgot the most important bit, a red angry bird, Tinkerbell and a garden gnome. You were desperate to know of course ;)