You will see below that I have not been very
diligent in my training regimen. I ran
very little during the two weeks I was back in Westborough getting ready to
perform in my last Westborough Players show – “Annie”. I was pretty tired from the intensive dance
rehearsals for “Easy Street” and I didn’t feel like dealing with the cold
weather. Plus I was just not feeling
that motivated. I knew I would be able
to get back into the swing of things once I relocated and frankly didn’t have
much else to do but train.
It is a bit strange going out for a run in
the winter wearing shorts. Some days I
throw on my highlighter yellow lightweight
pullover jacket. This is partly due to
the fact that I get a little chilled by the wind and partly because it makes me
more visible. I am not complaining about
the relative warmth here in Scottsdale.
It is just not what I am used to and I have to really think about what I
want to wear before I head out. When I
was running in Westborough, I knew exactly what I had to wear when I headed out
into the cold and snow. It is an
adjustment but one I am definitely happy about.
The other thing I have noticed running out
here is how flat most of the area is where I run. Sure there are a few “bumps” that give me a
little feeling of incline. But overall
it is pancake flat. I have had to really
search routes around my apartment to find any real hills. I found a really nice hilly route north of my
place that takes me up into McDowell Mountain Ranch, or The Ranch, as it is known
around here. It is the first real incline I found where I could be
challenged. The route takes me into the
foothills of the McDowell Mountains in northeast Scottsdale and lets me run
alongside the Sonoran Desert. The views
are really beautiful and so different from New England.
After the first week of getting back to serious
training, I got an email from our marketing/promotions group at Sprouts asking
if I wanted a free entry to the Phoenix Marathon races. I could do the 10K or Half Marathon race. I chose to run the Half Marathon. Why not?
I am in relatively good shape and I have run several halfs in the
past. So, I sent them my registration
and I am all signed up to run 13.1 miles on March 2, 2013. I have no plans for time. I am just going to go out there and run for
fun. I have only 3 more weeks where I can
intensively train to run it. So, I am
going to diligently complete my workouts, taper for the race and then see what
happens.
I am feeling really good about my fitness
level despite the layoff. I know I am
mentally tough enough to finish the distance no matter what happens out there
on race day. The good news is the course
is relatively flat which should make it an easy race. It is always nice when I have a race planned
as it keeps me motivated to train harder.
I will post a race report after the race. Until then I am going to get out there on the
road and log some miles.
Jan. 7 – 5.10 miles (44:58, 8:49 pace)
Jan. 8 – 3.10 miles (26:41, 8:34 pace)
Jan. 17 – 3.00 miles (33:57, 11:19 pace)
Jan. 18 – 5.20 miles (46:48, 8:58 pace)
Jan. 19 – 7.20 miles (1:04:45, 8:57 pace) Jan. 8 – 3.10 miles (26:41, 8:34 pace)
Jan. 17 – 3.00 miles (33:57, 11:19 pace)
Jan. 18 – 5.20 miles (46:48, 8:58 pace)
Jan. 20 – 8.10 miles (1:13:51, 9:05 pace)
Jan. 21 – 6.20 miles (57:58, 9:14 pace)
Jan. 22 – 3.20 miles (25:08, 7:54 pace) – Speed Work
Jan. 24 – 5.20 miles (43:02, 8:06 pace) – Tempo Run
Jan. 25 – 6.20 miles (54:58, 8:49 pace)
Jan. 26 – 11.20 miles (1:39:37, 8:54 pace)
Jan. 27 – 9.20 miles (1:23:24, 9:05 pace)
Jan. 28 – 6.20 miles (56:09, 9:05 pace)
Jan. 29 – 3.20 miles (24:05, 7:32 pace) – Speed Work
Feb. 1 – 6.10 miles (55:39, 8:57 pace)
Feb. 2 – 10.10 miles (1:31:57, 9:06 pace)
Feb. 3 – 8.20 miles (1:11:39, 8:39 pace)
Total Miles: 106.7 miles
2013 Total Miles: 106.7 miles
