A Full and Crazy Last 2 Weeks

It's now been almost 2 weeks since my last big race. I was feeling pretty good after the race. Wednesday, I let you all in on the next BIG race goal I have planned and the 12 weeks of training that lay ahead. Thursday I got hit with a bad stomach flu. I mean B.A.D. I lost 5 pounds in one day.

No Road Trip For Me

It also means I sadly wasn't able to go to the Texas Independence Relay with the team I was captaining, the Queens of the Road. I love all these ladies, so not getting to spend all weekend with them left me so sad. I spent some of my time sick in bed getting everything set up for them, but I did have to be there when they picked up the rental vans since they were in my name. I almost lost it and started crying. It was good I didn't go because I was badly dehydrated and was sick off and on the rest of the weekend.

Before they left on their adventure - love these girls!

I was finally better enough Monday to run and do an hour of strength training with my trainer. And then on Wednesday, I did some heart rate training with a midday run. I tried to stay at a high Heart Rate Zone 2. And my mile splits reflected why I need to train at this heart rate zone. The first 3 miles had fairly consistent splits. And then the next 3 miles I was about 30 seconds per mile slower. Serious cardiac drift. Also showed me I can't maintain Zone 2 for very long runs in training right now.

Another Race As Training

Today I leave for Hells Hills 25K. Last year it was 2 weeks after my first trail race, and this was my first trail 25K. I finished in 3:56 and learned a lot about trailrunning. I wasn't planning on running it this year, but after having to stay home last weekend and being a sad Sally about it, Steve suggested I go to Hells Hills. Such a sweet husband!

I decided to run it and use it in my training to practice that HR Zone 2 more. Since we saw Wednesday that my pace suffers after just 3 miles at a high Zone 2 range, my plan for Hells Hills is this...

• 1st mile is the only real uphill and we're all sorting ourselves out in the line through the single track switchbacks, so I'll stay back and take mile 1 super easy.
• Mile 2 (by Garmin which isn't entirely accurate) at Zone 1.
• Mile 3 at mid- to high-Zone 2.
• Then alternate Zone 1 and Zone 2 miles through the rest of the race.

So my goals again are

1. to practice Zone 2 and hopefully get some more Zone 2 miles out by doing intervals with easier Zone 1 miles.
2. to get some trail time.
3. to gather some data about what my trail paces tend to be in each of the Zones.

Now it would be nice if I also have a shiny new PR with my second ever trail 25K and on the same course! But last year I was more trained to run harder at that distance. Since then I concentrate so much on marathon or 50K distances that I think I have lost a lot of speed at the half marathon or 25K distance.

And of course, I'll pick up a pretty medal. That's not all bad! Not bad at all (I actually really love this year's logo!).