The need for Speed...and little conversation...

Ok. So WHAT if I like to do marathons and races for the medals (left: Jen & Kathleen, after finishing the 2009 Goofy Run in Disney last year. Two races (1/2 & full marathon) for three medals) I'm more of a social runner. I like to visit. But, for the very first time, I am including speed work in my training program. My friend, Marilyn, hooked me up with this program. It has hill training, too. Yikes. I've learned, just this morning, that serious speed & hill work (or any!) and visiting are not possible...for me.

The reason I need speed and hill work for this marathon is that I'm further behind on my base training bc of what my body's been through the past several months with my recovery. I wasn't permitted, nor could I muster the energy, to run for three months, following my craniotomy. Heck, I couldn't even lift our baby (1 1/2 Yr old Harper), for what felt like an eternity! Anyway, I need to get serious and follow a program that increases my endurance so that I make it through the 26.2 (S)Miles of fun. :) Like that one...

So, my alarm went off at 5 am. I'm listening to one of my doctors (opthomologist: Lance Bergstrom is a dear friend)tell me how important rest is and how my eye sight and recovery will benefit from 8 full hours of sleep every night. My husband's a night owl, so that leaves little time for us, when we're both training, and he does his shorter distance runs in the evenings during the week. That's a whole other blog post...anyway, I'm up and ready for speed.

With my homegirl, Jennifer...or JLo, as I call her), next to me (she's doing hills this morning), we chart our course...on the treadmills. :) Less laundry and less of a chance (not zero, but less of a chance of slipping and getting hurt, like on the ice). I'm off for my first interval of speed. Here's what I did: warm up 10 minutes, 4 x 60 second alternating intervals of 6.7 speed and 8.0 speed, increasing the speed .1, for every interval. Then, it breaks down into 4 x 30 second intervals @ 8.5 speed (JLo pushed me to do 8.5). Am I explaining that correctly. At any rate, I am happy to report that I didn't fall off the back of the treadmill,a nd got to chit chat through my cool down.

Mission Accomplished!