Still "running 'round"

The spring is finally here! I can not only smell it now (oh, the smells of blooming trees!), but see it and feel its warmth. In fact, it is almost summer right now, as we are hitting 77F today. What reminds me I am completely untrained for my upcomeing races in the heat...

I took Monday morning off, but ran at night easy with upper body weight workout. Easy with Charlie on Tuesday morning and track workout at night. It was tough and different - we did 4x1200m (with 400m rest) followed by 6x200m. What was different are the routes: every even number of 1200m (#2 and #4) we ran normal way around the track, and every odd (#1 and #3) was really odd: we head around the track half-way, took a sharp turn and steep uphill towards the street, turned onto a cider-wood-chip old track and ran around it, then sharply went back down on that steep part (one very fast gal fell horribly on it) and half-way around the normal track. As much as I suck on uphill "fast leg turn-over", there was yet another proove I suck much more on flat - my times (while equal between each other) were 10 sec faster on the "odd" repeats.
Wed was another easy morning outing with doggie and hill repeats on a treadmill at night. I managed to not take a single walk break and not suck on air for 8x3 min at 6% grade at 10 min/mile (on 2 min same pace rest at 1%). Then I proceeded to do a full leg routine and added much of plyometrics I avoided so far for the most part. The man I meet at this gym every time (who apparently knows what ultrarunning is) found my military squat-jumps to be entertaining to say the least:)
Thursday I ran to work, and after work ran staright to the track for mile repeats (Lisa's S-B prescription). It was hot, man! I did two on dead legs (although not too far off from last week's, only by couple of seconds), but on third one bailed after the first lap. I figured I am looking for trouble and injury doing hard workouts 3 days in a raw - need to space them out somehow. But mostly because I was completely dehydrated (I think i mentioned I don't drink practically at all during my normal life - unless I am in a race) and not adjusted to sudden weather change. I ran 4 miles home after that along a local highway in a sport-bra - something I'd never do out of shame, but I was desperate. I will head out for some "heat training" in an hour and add on an easy night run/upper body at the gym tonight.

Weekend is coming, and it'll be busy with family stuff. I need two long runs (hopefully really long one in the Gorge on Sunday, with 4 am wake-up - and if all goes well, I'll make another ~90M week), Stephen has his first boxing tournament, it's a Russian Orthodox Easter Sunday (as well as Catholic Easter and Passover - it happens sometimes), and although we don't celebrate anything, it is a day to be around together...and do yardwork! May be we'll do b-b-q too. The Orthodox Church is actually around a corner (I just found out), so may be I'll stop by for my Mom's sake and be a good girl. Alex had started on guitar lessons, but missed out signing up for next SAT test. End of quater is this week, wonder about the grades...I also signed up Oleg and myself for Salsa lessons for a month of May at local PCC college - trying to find some "us" time. This whole week was filled with various dentist appointments for kids, and next two will be the same. I feel like a cab driver at times. Work had dropped to a ditch in respect of results, and this is why I really don't like science - you do things, and they don't produce an outcome. I loose my motivation rather quickly on that.

Zane Grey 50 in AZ is just around the corner, and yes, it'll be an "effort run" for me. With this year's course going opposite direction, I am hoping to run same time as last year (given my lower fitness level yet over a 1000 feet less climb). I can't wait to travel! I am a travel junkie:) Of course, next weekend is Peterson Ridge 60k, where I am looking to maintain an even pace (it is "flat" by trail standards) and, heaven permits, run under 7 hrs. Need goals, right? :) Most exciting though, since it is another local run, I'll see plenty of my friends there! May be we can all discuss that Memorial Day training camp father Clem proposed. It should be fun, and I am certainly in a huge need of altitude training!

This weekend is a Mad City National 100k race - I am so interested to hear from there! Wish all running best of luck with 30F and lots of pavement! Fly fast!

Also check out this article I found on Andy's blog - awesome read!