Been awhile...

I know, I know its been awhile. Still been training.
I had a great 4 miles last Friday evening. Not sure if it was the new shoes or not?? I did 4 miles at 5:17pm. Of course that is not really the best time to go out. Sun was brutal and starring right at me on my way out.
I did it in 55min and 59.27secs. That is a 13:59 pace!!!!! Wow best training 4 miles that I have had!! Pretty cool and I had just done 4 miles at my Mount Trashmore the night before.
I went to ride my bike (very old and not so great bike that was given to me) on Saturday for XT. Checked tire pressure and away I went. Got about .35 miles away and started to hear the front tire rubbing the brake funny. I looked down and could see part of the tire separating from the rim. I stopped and as I went to lean over to look at what the problem was, the tire EXPLODED!!! Boom, dog's barking and a car alarm went off. So I walked the bike home and went in the pool instead. Put the bike out this morning for bulk trash and someone came by last night late and took it. New that would happen and thats good I figured so.
I did 12 miles yesterday and that was pretty tough. I always have problems when I go over 10miles. It's like a wall and I have to just get over it. I know I can do it because I have done it before, its just a mental thing I guess. I got out in the am around 6:15am to try and beat the heat and humidity. It worked for awhile but you can only hold it off for so long. When I got up I had part of granola bar (I can't eat too much in the AM). I had some water and a sport bean. I got all my gear on including my CamelBak Flashflo with my water. I also carried a cell phone, lip balm, sunscreen stick, poncho, gel and another sport bean. Was doing well and carrying along nicely and not pushing for speed and kept about a 15:30 pace until mile 6 when I had to turn around and go home. After mile 6 came the bean to make sure my electrolytes were doing well. At mile 8 as I turned to go South I started to notice some storm clouds in the distance, but couldn't tell which way they were going. At mile 9 I took my gel, mmmmm chocolate. That helped and kept forging ahead. At mile 10 was starting to notice more thunder and the clouds were moving toward me because at this point I am moving East. With one mile left the grey dark clouds were over me and as I went around the corner next to an Optimist Field I heard the Lightening alarm go off. That means lightening has been detected within 6 miles. I figure I need to try (try) and push myself a bit to get moving to get home. The weather did do one thing and that was stir up the air with a great breeze and cooled thing off about 10 degrees!!! At .80 left I see my "pit crew" show up (my mom) asking if I was ok and I said yes. I told her to meet me at the corner of our street just in case the weather turned worse. I got there and said it was ok for her to keep going and I would meet her at home. Got home and things were ok. Took me 3hours 2min and 52sec. Not my best time, but again I wasn't out for speed. I just want to survive and not kill myself in the heat. I can't wait for the WDW Half in Jan. I think I may do great seeing as how I usually do no training in the summer. My best Half time is 3hours 11minutes. I hope that this WDW half or the ING half after that that I get a 3hour 10min.
Today is my rest day and I am also off from work - YES!!! My left hip is bothering me a bit, just sore and my right big toe is sore today (I have had surgery on it aobut 2 years ago). So a rest day is good for me today.
Ordered a new sports bra and a pair of shoes from runningwarehouse.com last night, so anxiously awaiting them to try them out.
Got out the suitcase and carryon bag for my upcoming flight to CA. I have alittle less than 5 weeks until I go!!!

--Tracy

Pooped Out Sunday

I left my house Sunday morning and was out walking at 6:25am. By the first mile I was a sweaty dripping mess. On tap was a nine mile walk. 4.5 miles out and then back. (Don't like going around in circles very much.) Was doing pretty good and had an average 14:30 pace. Was drinking water about every 3 miles and had a clifshot at mile 6.5. VERY VERY HOT and HUMID!! By mile 7.5 I could feel I was slowing down and getting physically tired. Not sure what was up with that, normally 9 miles is not that big of a deal. The last mile was tough and about hald of that I was strolling at about a 20min pace. Got home and in the kitchen to get ice cold water was feeling a bit dizzy. Got in the pool to cool off and float around to get off my feet. Felt good but the pool was a chilly 84 degrees.
Took my shower and ice bath to chill out my muscles.
I have decided that training for a half marathon in the summer in southern Florida is a stuipd idea. I also need to get out earlier and maybe do a walk in Friday and not Saturday before my long walks on Sunday. Only 8weeks until the DL 1.2!!!
Good Training everyone.

Weston July4th 5K

Today I had a 5K local race in Weston, FL. About 500 or so people. Very, very humid. All I had to do was step out of the car and the sweat came pouring down. I met an ex-coworker. She is what I like to call a wogger. She jogs and wals. She had been having some shin pain so hasn't been out wogging consistanly for about the last 2weeks or so.
The race started at 7:10am and I got to the start line about 7:12am. Time was based on gun time and not chip time. Did very well with pacing and caught up to the older lady (in her 80s) and passed her at mile 1.6 or so. I came across the finish line feeling good and could've kept going for a bit longer. The timing system used was the first time for the South Florida area made by ChronoTrack Systems. It is a tag that goes in your laces and is diposable, so after the race you don't have to have someone remove it. It's yours and you can keep it as a suvi or throw it away. Pretty cool. Just not too excited because if all the other timing people change then my Championchip that I own will be retired. My friend crossed the finish line about 3 minutes after me. Official time was 41:24 for 3.10 miles. My Garmin 405 had 3.14 miles in 41:30 with pace of 13:14. That's pretty good. Trying to do 5ks in under 13:30 pace so that was a victory for me.
I just have a feeling that when the weather is a bit cooler and drier I will put in better numbers.
Training for the Disneyland Half Marathon is coming along nicely. I think I will avoid this race in the future. It's just so hot training in the summer. I have 1 month and 26 days until the big event.
Have a great 4th of July everyone. God Bless America.