Weekend!

HAPPY MONDAY!

I'm actually feeling pretty good today. It's warmer (albeit rainy and gross) and today's an active-recovery day, so no 5am alarm! WIN.

This weekend went by in a flash! I can't believe how quickly the weekends fly by.

Friday night was what has now become the norm: dinner at home and then grocery shopping with the Hubs. The night did end with a little TV with my favorite girl.

Saturday I was up EARLY to work. I was proctoring a pre-ACT test.

I was set to read trashy magazines and read lots of blogs via the good ol' iPad. Easy money. I will say-- those poor kids who had to take the test! I had a room full of 3-6 graders who were SO NERVOUS! One girl even raised her hand to ask me "I have a tissue in my pocket, is it ok if I use it to blow my nose?" YESSSSS!!!! They were adorable. The exam went by super quick and I was outta there by 11. PLENTY of time for a quick workout.

I did an official speed workout: Yasso 800's. Sorta.

When I first got there my favorite TM was taken (c'mon... you have a favorite too), so I started with a .5 mile (unpictured) warm-up in a 9:30 pace. My favorite 'mill became free so I quickly scooted over to it and started the workout. I couldn't follow the idea of Yasso 800s exactly, but I think I was pretty close...

4 minutes (.5 mile) at a 8:00 pace

4 minutes, 9:30pace

4 minutes, 7:53 pace

4 minutes, 9:22 pace

4 minutes, 7:47 pace 

4 minutes, 9:22 pace

4 minutes, 7:41 pace

4 minutes, 9:31 pace

4 minutes, 7:30 pace

4 minutes, 9:22 pace

4 minutes, 7:30 pace

Then I just kinda played around randomly with the speed for the last .75 miles or so to make it an even 6 miles for the day.

 

 

So, I finished the workout with 6 miles in 50:55 for a 8:29 average pace. 8:29 doesn't sound that fast... but, those 7:XX intervals were KILLER. I was DYING by the last one. I ended up doing 6 intervals. The idea is that if you do 10 800's at your goal hour/minute marathon time in a minute/second pace, consistently through a training cycle, you'll be ready to do a marathon in that time. So, for example, if I could do 10 800's with each one being in 4 min 00 sec, I could do a 4 hr 00 sec marathon. Does that make sense? Prob not. Google "Yasso 800s". There's a million explanations way better than mine.

 

Anyway, after a quick shower I met up with some girlfriends (including this girl) for a girls night including a paint-your-own pottery place and pizza. PERFECTION.

 

Sunday I woke up early and somehow convinced myself to go on a long run. I think the key is to get out the door within 10 minutes of waking up so your mind doesn't know what your body is doing. No time to think or talk yourself out of it.

It was COLD out there! See that FEELS LIKE 13*?? That's COLD! And, it was WINDY and there is still a crap-ton of snow on the ground here.

I was fully expecting my pace to be around a 9:45/mile, since my legs were SO TIRED and stiff from the speed work the day before and because it was so windy and I was drudging through snow a lot of the time.

 

Imagine my surprise when I stopped to pee and saw that I was on pace to do a sub 2:00 half!

I sped up a bit to break the 2:00 mark, with my last mile clocking in at 8:30, but I did it! 13.1 miles at a 9:08/mile average pace!

Felt GREAT! HUGE runner's high for the rest of the day, although I was BEAT. Long runs didn't used to take quite so much out of me, but MAN! I was dragging ass for the rest of the day. Maybe it was a combo of the Saturday speed work and Sunday long run? Either way, the rest of the day I was laaaaazy. The Hubs and I went to brunch (best buffet evvvver!) and then to see Argo. GREAT movie. Go see it. SOOOO good! I ended the night and weekend in the best possible way.

Feet up, Sadie next to me, One Tree Hill on Netflix Instant, the Hubs on his computer behind the couch making fun of One Tree Hill, a delicious beer, and blogs on the iPad. Absolutely perfection.