Workouts:
9/19: Continuing on with feeling crummy, Elliptical a.m. and Cutdown Run (8 MIles) p.m. This one was hot and smokey and ended in tears on the side of the road (It happens). Definitely didn't help my Run- Esteem, but made sure to keep reminding myself of various factors and think back to better workouts. Tried to stay within myself during this time, resisting outside confirmation from my coach, being ok with ME.
9/20: 8 Miles
9/21: 6 Miles and Swim
9/22: 6 MIles with 4 x 20 and drive to Jackson
9/23: Jackson Hole Half Marathon: 1:32:XX
After talking with Jeff and knowing that I was amidst heavy marathon training, target race was 1:32-33. I was not hopeful or happy week prior as this was my first running race back in a year and I needed a boost. Curtis, Adam and I picked up our packets on Saturday and camped out leading into Sunday. The race was run smoothly except I was not a fan of no cups on the course as a sustainable push. I sign up for races for this purpose, not having to carry my hydration. Thankfully, Adam supplied hydration via a bike throughout the course so ended up working out fine. The whole race was executed well except the blisters on my feet and this nagging side stitch I have been continuing to get while running hard. I started out alone, behind a pack of men, slower than I noted beforehand and there were no other girls around. I continued with my race plan. Starting low 7s and working my way down. The last few miles creeped back into the low 7s but other than that, men started dropping and a few miles out I was just behind the lead guy. While I know this race was small and there were only about 150-200 competitors, I could not help but smile when I cam across the finish line, first woman, second runner. There is something to be said about a small race and coming out on top. The mental benefits sometimes override the numbers and while I always want to push harder and run faster, this made for a wonderful first race back and ended with some laughs with like-minded runners and good push before I left for California to work.
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| Realizing I have some major blisters on those feet |
9/24: Early morning, Main St 4 Miles and 10 MIles with 4 x20 when I arrived in Palo Alto
9/25: Found Shoreline park which was a drive from my hotel to run my tempo in the morning. It was 2 Mile w/u, 8 MIles ( 7, 6:45...) 1 c/d. First few miles were just fine. Last two very hard, I pushed harder than I have in a while and am dying to get past this mental/physical barrier for a next gear, but will come with more time and experience.
GOLD Review
A story of friendship, family, life balance, passion and much more in regards to interpersonal relationships. But intertwined within all of this was a competitive sport aspect which resonated with my personality and experience that I have had. It highlights track cyclists and goes back and forth from two women, friends with the same coach and their two very different lives that have crisscrossed through the years. Zoe, the more competitive of the two, derives her fire for competition through experiences of the past and while the competition is masking a deeper issue, she is able to use this energy to drive her to win countless competitions. Her friend, is a talented rider who harbors less of the resentment and is happier in her life situation but has not won as many competitions. There are many themes throughout the novel, but a concept which struck emotion in me was the idea that, athletes can thrive off either bad experiences or living in emotional turmoil. Zoe was always hesitant to accept help for her mental stability as she would might lose her 'fire' to win. As I have dealt emotional ups and downs but also have been in the process of being more aware of my emotional state and effects, will I lose my drive to control, to win and if so then what....
Something that I fear, but also something that I know will adapt with life and that I can purposefully contemplate in re-discovering my energy and where to place it.
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