10 days out

Switched races {again} to Napa 🍇. Farther North, people around my finish time goal – better weather and a chance for pack running.

It feels like the calm before the storm. No taper crazies, yet.

Due to unfortunate circumstances, I’ve largely been able to plan my own schedule these past 5 weeks, and running has felt like a rock, with other things so uncertain.

Our building, FSU Sandels – the one with my office and lab – closed due to concerns of black mold and radon and a high number of faculty and students having cancer and upper respiratory issues.

My graduation is less than a year away, and I have many cell culture experiments to run without a lab and with most of our equipment in lock down in our old lab while they test the building. My professor is out of the country due to personal reasons; everything seems so uncertain. On top of that looking for post docs, which I plan to pursue after graduating. Overwhelming, sad, confusing, frustrating – yet all things I must accept and find a way to move forward very soon.

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Just after writing this, the calm broke. It was an exceptionally and unexpectedly warm morning in February. Already over 60F when I started running, 65F by the end with humidity over 90%. Max – 62 dew point, a higher dew point than even I expected when I looked at the weather the evening before. Another factor being 0% acclimatization on my end.

The tempo workout was 4-3 miles with 3 min walk break. The 4 mi @ HMP (5:35) and the 3 mi a bit faster (5:30ish was what I was hoping, maybe closer to 5:32). I planned on adjusting the pace by adding 5 secs/mile. Even that probably would have been doable, or 10 seconds and a steeper progression. I started off right on the mark, 5:40 pace, but soon to realize I forgot to turn my mile lap split off, then accidentally paused my watch and then was flustered and progressed a bit too quickly, lapping the 800m splits, well under 5:40 pace. I took my 3 min walk, very warm, dried off with my towel, got a few swigs of diluted Gatorade, not sure exactly what was going to happen but leaning towards more rest as I didn’t want the pace to go slower. In hindsight I could have just started at 5:40 pace again, but my legs wanted to run faster. After a mile at 5:30-2 pace I felt like I had exercise-induced asthma, not a good sign. I made it to 1.5 mi, slowing a bit the last 800m so deciding to take a short 90 sec walk break. Started again, made it to 1 mi. Frustrated, I decided to “make up” the volume by adding 4 quick 200m’s. No surprise how, left to my own devices, I tend to overdo things, overcompensate, above and beyond. Characteristics which contribute to my success, but also tip the balance – farther, faster, lighter… a combination culminating in disaster.

The workout went not as intended but was above average work I’d say.

4 mi (5:41, 5:36, 5:37, 5:37), 3 min walk

1.5 mi (5:31-2 pace), 90 sec walk

1 mi (5:32), 90 sec walk

4 x 200m (35s) w/ 60 sec walk

 

I have a stubborn independent streak. Sometimes it even frustrates me...

Still - I’m feeling super fit, I've enjoyed training, completing my {by far} most intense marathon build! Napa, here I come 😊🍇.

Live runner tracking is available on the RTRT.me app for anyone interested in following the race/seeing the result!