10K training, Day One (an icy run!)

Just three days ago, I was wearing capris and a tank to run in; and then yesterday, it snowed pretty much all day long, and the temp dropped into the 20's. The roads were terrible when Jerry drove to work last night--his commute is normally 20 minutes, but it took him an HOUR to get there. I was supposed to go to dinner with some friends, but Jerry had gotten mandatory overtime, so I wasn't able to go; as it turns out, I'm actually glad I didn't have to drive on the roads last night.

Surprisingly, the snow accumulated and stuck around overnight. It didn't stick to the roads, though, so I was glad for that. This morning, I was thinking about running on the treadmill, but decided that I'd better run on the roads while they're still clear. So, I dressed really warm (the "feels like" temp was 14!) and headed out for a three-mile easy run.

It was awful! The roads looked clear, but they were actually very icy, so I was basically tip-toeing around as I ran, trying not to faceplant into the concrete. Thankfully, my pace was just supposed to be easy today anyway--between 9:16-10:12 per mile. With all the ice dodging I had to do, I wasn't surprised to see my pace was even slower than that. I was feeling really good, and wanted to run faster (my legs felt energetic) but I didn't want to fall.

I finished out the three miles, and my overall pace ended up being 10:10, so it was within the easy pace range after all.

The jacket I'm wearing is the Brooks one that Runner's World sent me for my photoshoot last year. I can't remember exactly what I weighed during that shoot, but I think it was about 138-140, and the jacket was definitely snug. I was happy to discover that it fits really well now! I hadn't been able to wear it at all since the photoshoot. This was the picture they used in the magazine:

Photo by the talented Peter Hoffman

Today's run marked the start of my "official" 10K training plan. I made a minor adjustment to it yesterday, in order to get rid of one running day, and only run four days a week. I'd had a fifth "optional" run day on the original schedule, but when something is optional and I don't do it, I feel guilty. I don't want to feel guilty for "only" running four days a week! So, I just adjusted the plan to be four days total: one short, easy run; one interval/speedwork run; one tempo run; and one long run.

Here is what the first 11 weeks looks like:

This is meant to prepare me to run a sub-52:00 10K. I'll probably start at the slower paces for each run, and gradually work my way to the faster end of the ranges by the end of the training plan. Then I have another (similar) plan for the next nine weeks to prepare me to go from a 52:00 10K down to a 49:00 10K. Hopefully, all goes well! The tempo runs and speedwork will have warm-ups and cool downs attached, of course. I may end up having to make adjustments as I go, but this is similar to what I was doing before, when I got relatively fast.

When I was working on my training plans, I realized that 2016 is a leap year. In 2012, I ran the Leap Year 4 Miler, which was an evening race on February 29. The next "annual" race would take place on February 29, 2016. I cannot believe it's almost been FOUR YEARS since that race! I did the race with Renee and Alicia. These were the sweatshirts they gave out for our registration fee:

I love getting sweatshirts for races! I really hope that they have this race again; I haven't seen any info about it online, so I don't know if they will.

I'm getting really excited about the thought of doing 5K's, 8K's, and 10K's again. I have to be somewhat selective, because racing gets expensive, but it's going to be fun to watch my times improve (well, hopefully--haha!).

I'm thinking of traveling for my goal 10K race next year--there is a Cinco de Mayo race in Portland that would be fun, and it's May 1st, so I think I could be ready by then (also before it gets too hot). I know I went to Portland this year, but it has become my favorite city to visit, and I really can't get enough! I could also drive up to Seattle for a couple of days as well, which is another city I'd like to visit. I have a ton of sky miles saved up right now, so it's fun to plan a destination race!

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Don't forget, tomorrow is Motivational Monday! I don't have any submissions yet for this week, so if I don't get any, I won't be posting tomorrow. Remember, whatever you share doesn't have to be an enormous milestone like running a marathon or losing 100 pounds... anything that you've accomplished and are proud of is worth bragging about! Here is how to submit a photo (please send it to the MM email, and not my regular email--it helps me stay organized). You can send them any time during the week. Thanks Friends!