Closer Than the Shirt on Your Back

Well, I didn't fall apart. Or go hide in a cave (though it is tempting at times).
That's the good news!

The bad news is that I am most certainly carrying the double-dominant gene for stubbornness- which can be both a blessing and a curse. 

(If you missed my last post, you might want to catch up there first. I must have hit on something with many readers, because I have been blessed with encouraging and heartfelt comments, G+ comments, tweets and emails ever since. Thank you for every single one of them.)

Update:
My foot is still a little "off", but I have decided that it is tendonitis of some kind or another.

Birthday Trail Run

Birthdays aren't over-hyped in my home, but they MUST be celebrated. :)

Don't get me wrong, cake is great... but, my idea of how to best celebrate another year is to find something new to conquer or explore, then spend the next few days refueling and recovering!

Sunday, a friend and I met up in a nearby town at an hour that really should be spent under fluffy covers with a soft pillow. We did a quick transfer of gear and discussed our options again. Then headed to the North Umpqua River outside of Glide, OR.

North Umpqua River, as seen from Mott Bridge

Kristen had a plan for a loop that included about 6 miles of the trail called the "Mott" segment, with a 6 mile return down a different trail. (This would be about 2 miles longer than I have ran in over 6 months.)

Skies had been wet, and the climate is always cooler up in the Cascades. So, we dressed in layers and I brought some essential trail items "just in case". :)

We arrived at our destination at dawn and found a nice, weathered outhouse. And some guy in a van who looked like he spent the night there. He was going to bike the first section we planned to run.

First bit of trail as we headed out..

As we headed upriver, I noticed right away that the trail was beautiful, but had a lot more rocks than another segment downriver. There were some close calls, as sometimes those rocks and roots can sneak up on a runner!  I was glad I had on my Brooks PureGrits, because they allow me to "feel" the terrain without slipping. This was probably the scariest bit of running trail I have ever been on. I am sure I will see scarier though!

The single-track got rather narrow at one point, with a steep wall on one side and a drop off to the river on the other side.. And there were 2 trees across the path. I thought of the cyclist and hoped he was an expert! O_o 

At the end of the Mott segment, we took a bridge (built by the CCC in 1936) across the river. Then we ran along the road for about 1/2 mile before picking up the Riverview trail back down.  This trail was much wider, having been made for forestry vehicles.

Tiny mushroom growing near a campground outhouse :D

Downhill = fun running!!

I don't know any of our actual distance or pace information, since we left before I got a good GPS reading. Oops! Chances are good we might have lost the signal anyway.

Afterwards I was fortunate to get a hot shower at Kristen's house before heading home. If you ask me- a hot shower is a real treat after a cold run! So is a little cake :)

***
Do you do anything "running related" to celebrate your birthday?

What items would you take "just in case" if you were heading out to run new territory?

Cake, ice cream, or neither?

I wore safety pins and came home with a necklace! ~ Autumn Trails 10 Miler

It's been a while since I raced!
Had I known how long I would spend rehabbing and rebuilding from a running injury, I might have made a certain 26.2 mile training run in February count a little more.

Yesterday I pinned on a bib for the first time in 50 weeks and headed to a local race, called "Autumn Trails".

My favorite shoes right now- Brooks PureGrit2

This race has been around for a few years, but I was never interested until this year. My injury recovery training has led me off the road (as much as possible) and to different terrains where I could focus on things like scenery, form and footing, rather than pace.
It's been refreshing. My body likes it.

I arrived early, after eating a PB with Honey and coffee, and registered (with some deliberation) for the 10 miler. (The other choices were 3.5 miles, 6 miles, and 16 miles.) Given the nature of trails, this was an approximation. We were advised to bring copies of the trail map. Luckily I had practiced this trail 3 or 4 times in the last several weeks, so I had a general idea of where to run and where to turn around.

My race goals were (in no particular order) :

- smile
- pay attention to my foot and run accordingly, run my own race
- ignore my pace and try to keep a moderate-high heart rate as much as possible
- NOT trip 

I wore my fuel belt with water, which leaks ALL over the place and needs to be replaced.

The start times were staggered, but at 10:05 the 10 milers left and took a loop around a flat bark path, which made a great warm-up. Before long, runners spread out and we all headed up to the Ridgeline trail.

The next few miles were a steady uphill climb with several switchbacks. I could see that there were at least 2 women ahead of me, but I had no way to tell for sure until we reached a turning point. My arm warmers came off right after crossing Fox Hollow road.

We didn't have a downhill until about mile 3. But it's hard to say how far we had gone exactly.  My map distances are most likely off in a few places, since we probably lost our GPS signals in the dense tree cover. In any case, I could only smile when my Garmin beeped with an 11 something mile.

I'm throwing this in just for kicks, but the elevations and distances are most likely off here and there.

I trucked along a steep downhill, with many tight corners, to the farthest turn around (near mile 4), and saw that there appeared to be only one other woman in front of me racing the 10 miler. I circled round the water station, but didn't stop since I had my own- then I headed back up the hill for more fun.

Through all of this, my foot felt great. I was not in aerobic agony, but feeling tempo-ish, with legs a bit on the rubbery side here and there.

It was clear the leading female was a strong uphill runner.
Strategy started to enter my thoughts a bit, and I reckoned that maybe I could catch her on the downhill-- which we had a lot of coming up. Once we crested the highest point on the route- somewhere after mile 5- it would be almost all downhill (or in my mind it was).

The last three miles of the race were very exciting. I started to catch up with the leader, and actually was on her heels after the Dillard turnaround. This hairpin was tight, and the top 3 ladies all got a good look at each other passing on the single track. Here I discovered another woman was catching up with us both.

As we headed back towards Fox Hollow rd., it was uphill mostly. I reasoned with myself that I could let the leader get ahead a bit because I could catch her on the downhill. That was a mistake. She had more in the tank than I thought she did, and she knew she had 2 other ladies on her heels.

My mind was focused on a few different things now: 

-light feet with fast turnover (egg beaters),
-don't let yourself relax,
-don't slip or trip,
-and when you get to stable/flat ground GUN it.

She definitely was aware that I was there.

As we switched to a flat trail at Martin street I gave all I had left. I didn't have enough time to pull in ahead of her at that point, so we finished 2 seconds off of each other.. Interestingly,  the third female had also tried to catch us.  Her finish time was the same as mine. I had NO idea how close she had gotten in the last mile!
***
Other stuff:
After the race, I stayed to visit with some other racers: Lauren, who just recently ran the Chicago Marathon and some friends who live in Roseburg and raced the Grape Crusher (road race) the day before. I also had some time to visit with the 1st and 3rd female and get to know them properly. :) Both very nice ladies!

There were some fantastic post-race foods! Qdoba catered, and Muscle Milk, water or beer were there for racers.

There were good aid stations set up at each race junction with water and gels.

Course marshals were out, but one was not at a critical junction for the 16 mile racers, so many of them missed a leg they were supposed to run. I like how the race director handled it though! He quickly determined among the racers who were finishing the16 if they had taken the leg that went behind the butte. If not, he put them in a new category all their own, for "13 milers". Then he assigned awards for those people separate from the 16 milers. It was all very organized and classy- a good solution since no one intended to miss their turn.
***

Official stats say I ran the 10 miles in 1:19:58~ An 8:00/mile pace.
I won't worry too much about that.
It felt good to get in a workout. :)

***
One last thing..
The photographer did an excellent job, but I need to learn how to take better race photos. Not a single photo of me with a smile!! 

Next time I will remember to stop for at least one good one.

Next time. 

~Fall Trail Special~

I had this great idea that I would do a Vlog (video blog) a couple of weeks ago, and I even posted one to Google+ ...

It was up for 5 minutes and then took it down as fast as I could. O_o
Not sure what inspired me to put myself out there on video, but maybe I'll try that again next year..heh.
Maybe not.
Instead, readers are stuck blessed with a photo blog of my adventures over the last few weeks.

There has been a fair bit of good fall weather here, so it would be a sorry thing not to lace up my PureGrits and take them for some old-fashioned abuse! Brooks would be proud. (HoneyStinger should be too, though I have been eating a years supply of goodies I planned to use for racing and training fuel as snacks.)

  Ridgeline trail ~ Eugene, OR

This year my boys are in school one day a week, (I still home school the other 4 days).
It's been an adjustment for us all; but, one perk has been that I am in the Eugene area weekly now, and am free to run trails for a few hours that day! :D

I'm so grateful my parents will watch our youngest while I go running on Ridgeline, or one of the other local paths.
***

Another spot I have fallen in love with is Cooper Creek Reservoir. There are views of the blue/green reservoir through the woods almost the whole way.

 Cooper Creek Reservoir ~Sutherlin, OR

This trail is almost 7 miles if ran as an out-and-back.  It's easy to re-run part of the trail to add in some more mileage. And, I'm the kind of nut who would do it three times to make a very rolling 20 miler (Someday... not anytime soon).

I was there on the weekend and ran into 2 or 3 groups of people. On a weekday I would be surprised to see anyone at all.
***

Most recently, I was able make a trip I've been wanting to do for some time: a close-to-home "destination run" ~  the North Umpqua Trail.

 At the top of "Bob's Butte" with new friends! ↑ 

A Facebook group of Roseburg area runners met and covered a short section (just over 7 miles of the 79 mile trail) together, taking many stops to rest, stretch and take pictures -- perfect for where I am with running right now.

We had a great time visiting, getting to know each other, talking about anything and everything, and taking in the gorgeous fall scenery.    I can't wait to go back!
***

Things have been going well, but this week is a cutback for me. It's very easy for me to try to keep adding to my mileage when things feel as good as they have....It's much harder to restrain myself when the weather is great and I have more opportunities to run. 

I'm still running much lower mileage than I was at last year at this point, but, considering the restart I made in August, I've put in quite a bit of time on the trails and gravel roads in the last few weeks. I tried moving from 3-4 runs a week to 5.

This is a lazy graph, because I'm not bothering to tinker with the colors right now. 

Almost all running has been at easy heart rate (< 140) and about half on trails or gravel.

Now my foot is giving me hints that it would like to adjust for a bit. This time I will take the cues- A cutback is in order. I am trying to remind myself this is still more running than I did when I first started out on my journey- and I had no injury issues to contend with back then. It's about keeping a positive perspective, enjoying each run, and staying smart right now. And a massage with some stretching doesn't hurt either...

I don't know what's in store for the rest of the year for running. I'm considering a low key race in November. That may, or may not, be able to happen. Either way, I am blessed just to be back "in it" and able to enjoy the incredible trails Oregon has to offer.

****
How do you feel about taking cutback weeks? 

Have you ran any fantastic destination runs lately?

Does the idea of a VLog make you nervous? 

Wet.

Lovely weather for a trail run Sunday ... 
Puddles and storms didn't keep me home! ;)

Please excuse the blurry shot of the Lake Marie trail. I didn't have time to focus the camera before it got soaked. 

I think they built that handrail just for people like me who might slip off the edge into the lake. :)

Recent workouts: 
-Saturday  7.5 mi road run, EZ heart rate
-Sunday 5.7 mile bark/water trail run, EZ heart rate
-Monday  1 hour bike indoor
-Tuesday am >6 mile road run. Not sure of distance.  I think i turned off my garmin when I pulled my armwarmers off and didn't notice for a bit. Grr. pm 3 mile trail/grass run
-stretching each day+ PT exercises


#GRATEFUL to be able to run! And for so many other things.... ♥ 

Progress, Pitfalls + What gets me FIRED UP.

Why am I smiling here? 

Because I am thinking to myself...

a) "Ah, It feels good to be a runner again!" 

b)  "I can't touch my toes. All of this yoga and I can't touch my toes still." 

c) "I just made it around a 400M loop 20 times and only tripped over a root once, narrowly avoiding a face-plant. 

d) all of the above

         (See answer below.*)

Stretching out post-run makes me smile~ even when a snail could pace me.

Considering where I was only a couple of months ago- zero running for 8 weeks, the last few weeks I've seen some real improvement. I am starting (finally) to feel like a runner again! After 4 failed attempts to return to running, only to have PF bring it to a halt in the second week, I am now up to running consecutive days and 6 milers.
This isn't marathon training, and not even close to the mileage I was running in February, but it's forward progress.

To get back into running, I have relied on a schedule that gradually increases my time running each day.   (See "Rule of Two" Article ► HERE )

 "This system of starting with a 10 minute run and increasing by two-minute increments may seem slow at first, but it builds quickly if your body is truly healthy and ready for the progression.  A runner rebuilding with four runs per week will be running 42 minutes after only four weeks. If the body isn’t ready, its better find out earlier by paying attention to pain clues, otherwise potential setbacks are much larger." 

This is THE MOST CAUTIOUS running return I have ever made. 

It is not my style.... trust me.

If I had my way, I would have shot out the door after my layoff and ran a 20 miler the first week back. (I think I did that once ..but a much shorter layoff and a race was on the line =D .)

       I'm sure you are curious.. so here are some recent run details:

-My longest run since returning has been 62 minutes, and a little over 6 miles.
-Most of the runs have been timed, but ran with only heart rate and total time showing, (my goal being to run for time and under 139 heart rate--my personal, easy pace top-end)
-Most runs have been on gravel and fairly flat, the remainder were on pavement, a bark trail and once a week I get on grass for 20 minutes +/- .

 For the data nerds.
Go ahead and laugh... Just don't tell me O_o .

-Although my pace has improved (at or under 139 HR), I feel like I am dragging bricks. A little speedwork would feel nice, and experience shows it would certainly eliminate that dragging feeling....
-Stretching daily is now a focus, whereas before I would brush it off or do the minimum. I still would rather run than stretch, which leads me to another topic.. 

Running a local gravel road

Running Traps and Temptations

There is a point I get to when I am base building, where I get absolutely BORED with running just easy pace. And there is a little voice in the back of my head that says.."You would feel much better on all your runs if you just did a little bit of speed today."

Unfortunately, it happens to be the worst time to hear that voice... Just as I am leaving the injury zone.

Revisiting PF is not on my bucket list. And there is the long haul to look at... the longer I spend base building, (within reason), the better a base I will have for speed work, races, etc...It is injury protection in the bank- or it should be, if you are a "normal" runner. (Not saying I am normal.)

Q: Do you face any Running Temptations or Traps?

Truthfully, I would be in a poor spot to race right now.

But, I might entertain the idea of wearing a bib and running with a group on a trail somewhere.
                              No pressure...
               Just to say I HAVE ran a race in 2013. It's tempting.

Photo from a trail we hiked in Eugene. 

Finally: What has me fired up?

This story, from NBC.

Perhaps you have already heard? 
A woman enters a half marathon....
During the race she takes a wrong turn, asks race organizers permission to change to the full marathon (mid-race!). She gets permission and goes on to place 1st female and also Boston Qualify.
I hope this is not going to set the stage for future road races in the US.

Am I being too harsh? Perhaps I am too competitive, and think racers should stay on their race course.
You can read my comment to NBCSports here, and add your own. Or, leave your thoughts here in the comment section.

Q: How do you feel about racers being allowed to change their distance in the middle of a race?  

*If you answered d) you are correct!

Brooks PureGrit2 trail shoe review

I got my first pair of trail shoes via Brooksrunning.com and have managed to put about 100 miles on them so far.

The PureGrit2 ($110) weighs 8.2 oz for ladies', and 10 oz for the men's shoes. This is considerably lighter than many trail shoes on the market, but slightly heavier than the original PureGrit.

And they feel light...weighing less than my usual road trainers by an ounce. (Weight makes a big difference, especially in racing if you encounter water, as anyone who has ever ran in very wet shoes knows!).

These are part of Brooks Pure line and are designed with a 4mm heel-toe drop. There is good arch support within them, but they still maintain a "natural" feel. The asymmetrical lacing feels comfortable, and once laced, I don't notice them again.

Compared with Brooks Cascadia8, these are a sleeker, nimbler model. The Cascadias feel more like a rugged hiking/running shoe with a wider toe box (too wide for my foot), but the PureGrits fit more closely with less sole and bulk to the upper.

How they performed
I was able to test the PureGrit2 shoes on a variety of trail surfaces: gravel, bark, grass, packed dirt and slick mud. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I was unable to test them in loose sand, snow or icy surfaces.

 The hardest test for the shoes was certainly mud, but in my 7 mile run with mud I lost traction only twice- both times going downhill on a very slick slope, and only momentarily. Overall, they handled very well on each trail  they were worn.

The flexibility rivals my other speed shoes, but they are still sturdy and protective.  And as far as protection goes, there were no issues with rocks poking through to my feet. I suspect there is something (thin plastic maybe?) within the bottom of  the shoe to prevent this.

The PureGrit2s seem to almost repel mud.

Water penetrated my PureGrit2s when going through puddles, but the mesh upper fabric design allowed for it to drain quickly. My friend, who wore regular trainers on the same muddy run, had mud caked on her shoes when we finished.

A couple of cautions
The heel tab/achilles notch hits my foot a little higher than in some other shoes. Wearing longer socks will  keep them from rubbing sand or dirt into your foot. Gaiters are also recommended for especially gnarly trails.
If you are new to the 4mm platform, take your time adjusting to them.

Evaluation
The PureGrit2 are an excellent lightweight trail training and racing shoe. I would strongly recommend them to anyone, especially those interested in a trail shoe with lots of flexibility and a lower heel drop.

Paying it Back

Ever wondered what a trail 50k in Western Oregon is like in April?

We've been experiencing some unseasonably warm and dry days here..until a few days before the Shotgun Trail Blast. Then things turned more typical- wet and wetter. I had the Shotgun Trail Blast on my radar but was unable to race it this year. Since I am still pretty new to trails and trail races, I thought I might volunteer this for fun anyway.

Racers at the start of the 50k- Different waves for each distance

 The course was looped - 5.2 mi X 6 for the 50k racers, X 3 for the 25kers. I was assigned to an aid station about 2 miles from the finish line (.25 if you are not racing).

When I went to relieve the first shift, I found 2 ladies standing on the muddy trail by the table, wearing soaking-wet sweatshirts. I can only assume they were there from 9am until I got there at 12. It had been raining non-stop.  They seemed glad to see me and quickly made their way back downhill.

For the next three hours I was water-girl, Gatorade-girl, gel dispenser, keeper-of-the-first-aid-box, and cheerleader. I loved it!

Under my rain coat, I wore 3 layers of shirts and stayed mostly warm by walking up and down a stretch of about 40 yards so I could see if anyone was coming. There weren't a load of racers in the combined 25-50k, so there were some longer stretches with no one coming through.  I passed the time filling cups, arranging gel packages and hiking my little track. I also timed myself at wall-sits against a fir tree several times. :)

Photos with permission from Long Run Picture Company

Whenever racers appeared I cheered and also asked to see how they were feeling. There were a few complaints about being "done" or "wet", but most were happy to keep moving through. The station was at a slippery downhill hair-pin turn, and I saw several racers almost bite it. Luckily there were no accidents, but as the race wore on, the mud got thicker and slicker.

The last racers came through at about 3:20pm. I packed up the folding table, garbage bag, first aid box, and made a short hike back to the finish line shelter. Some delicious, hot food catered by Qdoba, was waiting for me there (Or maybe it was for the racers, but there was enough for me too..).

A few things I took away from the experience:

• It was surprising how many people wore regular trainers. It was muddy and trail shoes are the only way to go in those conditions. Mud just cakes onto regular trainers and makes them very heavy.
• It didn't appear that anyone brought a change of clothes after the race, or for changing into during. I offered a shirt to a lady but she didn't take it. Perhaps it would have been wet in 5 minutes. I hate wearing a rain coat to run in, but I hate being cold more.
• Nearly everyone coming through on the trail said "thank you" . This happens at other races I have volunteered, but I think the trail racers are especially thankful to see another body there for them - just in case.
• The race company, eclectic edge, does a great job organizing their races. I enjoy volunteering, but they also offer a discount on future races for volunteers as an incentive- a nice gesture. There were loads of medals, awards and random prizes- and lots of wet, dirty but satisfied, finishers.
• For sure, this was a challenging course. The first man might have passed me only once in my shift, but was running well and it still took him 4:38 for the 50K. The first female finished in 5:46, and she was definitely running. Trails just can't compare with road times.

I'll be heading back there once things dry out a bit, as there is a fantastic trail network at Shotgun Creek- (though beware of many roots and rocks). Hopefully I can slosh through the mud next April with a bib on, but after this weekend, I'll know what to expect!

Goals

Goals
I'm not really sure which direction I will go with running right now. In a way that's nice, but knowing myself it won't last long. :)

I miss my long runs, and am ready to get back into training that lasts a little longer than an hour and a half.

There is something pulling me towards the trails. I don't know if it is because they work so many different muscles/tendons/ligaments, or because of their beauty and the appeal of new routes. Or, maybe it's because pace matters so little off the road and into the wilds.

 I did a little mapping of gravel road "trails" close to home, and there are a few great looking runs, but I can't do them alone. They take a person deep into the BLM and no one would hear me scream if a cougar (or a 2-legged predator) attacked. But, man would I love to get a few people to join me! Maybe I need to host a group run. Bribery!?

In the meantime I joined a few virtual challenges (a first for me). Michael is hosting a "5k a day" challenge for the month of December. So far, so good....What I didn't think about was how tired my legs would be after a week off. A day of rest sounds pretty good, but so far my legs haven't fallen off yet!

Also, I joined up with a "5 by the 5th" challenge hosted by Mommy Run Fast and Run to the Finish. There are some prizes involved, but this is more of a reason to connect with other bloggers and have fun..and maybe a good excuse for some speedwork :).

Off to town tomorrow to volunteer as a race marshal! Hope to see some friends at the local Jingle bells 5k, 8k, 12k. Volunteering at races is fun, and it will give me chance to scout a new course. Win-win!

Are you racing a Jingle Bells race?

If you missed my giveaway, today's the last day!

Looking forward to a few things:

Some new shoes!!!

I LOVE my Brooks PureConnects, but can hardly wait to see how the PureConnect2  (And the other Pure shoes) will feel (available December 1st) !

The PureDrift, available January first,  promises to be fun and freeing-- I will keep the sock liner in, but without it the shoe will be zero-drop. 

And...also looking forward to some of this:

  

A little bit of easy trail running at one of my newest favorite spots: Dorris Ranch. 

There IS a trail once you get through the filbert orchards. I like the soft ground under the trees, which is less traveled (and not as muddy yet).

Ah...
Just me and the squirrels.

I am REALLY going to enjoy volunteering at this RACE on Sunday! 

Usually I race it, but I know it will be a blast to help out (with a friend!!) instead this year. :) I am coming fully caffeinated and will be ready when the all the crazies rush my table to register day of race.

And...who ISN'T looking forward to this? 

(But not until after a 3.11 mile run, maybe???) .

I am so blessed to have my health and my family to spend Thanksgiving with. God has been very good to me this year (always!!), and I am thankful. 

 How about you?

What are you looking forward to? 

Do you have any special plans for Thanksgiving Day?

Good workouts.

I'd like to introduce you to my "track":

I actually have two of them conveniently close to home.

This one is marked with mileposts, and there is a little elevation gain and loss on the way out and back, but nothing significant.

The view recently, as I was finishing up an easy run- (this was the field on the left side as you go down the road toward the mountains.) Alfalfa hay is now sitting in a pole barn.

My last training post left off with a bad workout. A couple of days later (and 2 easy runs), and I "enjoyed" a hard interval workout. I scrapped the time trial for the week and opted to work on Vo2 max in the form of 6x1,000m intervals at just faster than 5k pace, with 2-3 minute jogs between.
The goal was to spend about 20 minutes at as close to my heart rate max as I could hold.  I hit 5 of the 6 out of the park- the sixth was really just to see if I had any juice left --and I didn't :).

The interval data: a satisfying set of oxygen-sucking saw blades.

This week will peak my mileage for this 5k experiment. If possible, depending on what races are available in the next 4-8 weeks, I might try to hold at 60 MPW +/- for a bit before dropping. One thing about trying to peak for a 5k is that with my long run capped at an hour and a half, I am having to run a lot of sessions to make my weekly goal. It makes me appreciate where we live even more, since I can sometimes disappear for a short run while the boys hang out with grandparents or cousins.

My easy pace, going by heart rate, is ranging anywhere from 9:30/mile (usually on trails) to  7:50's. I noticed the easy paces picked up once the weather got cooler and I started doing interval training.

Part of my game plan is to hit the weights at least 2 times- but more optimally 3 times- a week. I often forget to enter these short visits to the home gym into my training log, but they are still being done and I can feel the effects...usually 24-48 hours later.

At least every week I try to incorporate some sort of  trail run into my routine. Since trails and intervals don't mix, this usually ends up being on a recovery run or easy run day. (sidenote: I use the term "trail" liberally to include my gravel driveway which, when added to a small dirt path area above our house, equals about a mile [half uphill and half downhill].)

Today I ran about 8 miles on this "trail", which was  s  l  o  w, but given the inclines, I ended up doing more of a set of lactate threshold repeats than an easy run. It was a lovely follow-up to my early morning easy run, where yesterday's weight workouts and 8 miles with basic speed (12x100M at mile race pace) kinda caught up to me around mile 4. Hello DOMS!

In general, it feels good to be running strong again. 

I know it can't stay this way without a rest break. A person cannot continue to spiral up indefinitely; but, at this moment, I am loving the adventure and the climb.
***

What does your track look like?

Have you ever trained for a 5k? This is actually the first time I have, though last summer's training might have suited me well for one, I raced 10Ks instead.