How to do speed work

Step 1.

Make sure you are in a major time crunch.

Step 2.

Make sure step 1’s time crunch forces you to have to send work emails in an extremely timely manner.

Step 3.

Run your freaking ass off on the treadmill until you are required to respond to a work email.

Step 4.

Stop running and send work email.

Step 5.

Realize you only have 3 minutes until you have to send the next email.

Step 6.

Go balls to the wall for the next 3 minutes. I mean, really make those legs hurt.

Step 7.

Send the next email.

Step 8.

Realize this is the most ridiculous workout you have done in a long time but its working because you are sweating like a friggin pig.

Step 9.

Lather, rinse, repeat steps 5-8 until you complete your desired distance.

 

No joke… This was my run last night. I felt so ridiculous having to stop every few minutes to send an email out, but damn, my legs were quivering by the end. That’s gotta count for something, right?! The art of multitasking was in high force. In the end, my speed work sesh kicked ass AND I completed my work tasks successfully. I may have to try out this form of speed work more often.

P.S. Have you noticed that little countdown on the left hand side of my page? No? Well, it just so happens to say that my PR 5k race is in 24 freaking days!!!! How did that happen so fast? In just over 3 weeks, I am going to put all this speed work to the test.

P.P.S. Have you seen the Boston Strong BIC bands that are available for pre order?

The ENTIRE purchase prices goes to “The One Fund Boston” in order to help families affected by the Boston Marathon tragedy. It makes me love BIC Bands even more. I preordered mine! I hope it comes in time to wear to the RnR SD half marathon! 🙂

P.P.P.S. Enter my Nuun Giveaway!!! You have until tomorrow!

Rock n Roll San Diego Training: Week 5

How the heck have I already completed 5 weeks of training?!

Last week was a crazy week. Like many of you, I seemed to move on auto pilot. I was glued to the news at home and at work. It was a good thing I work in news and part of my job is to watch it. My coworkers and I would pause and watch every breaking news event that happened. Unfortunately, it seemed to happen way too often. It was one thing after another. It was absolutely unrelenting. At least, it ended on a good note. Thanks to the amazing men and women in uniform in Boston, we all could sleep a little easier Friday night.

The events in Boston motivated me so much last week. I wanted desperately to run for all of those who can’t anymore.

Monday, I got 3.11 miles in. It was an emotional run. I came home from work early and just wanted to do two things: hug my husband and run. I did just that.

Tuesday, I wore a race shirt to work. Runners unite.

Wednesday, I ran 4.09 miles in honor of Boston. So many people around the US were running 4.09 miles in remembrance of the explosions happening 4 hours and 9 minutes into the marathon. It wasn’t much but I felt like I needed to do something to honor the victims, no matter how inadequate my gesture was.

Last night, I had 8-9 miles on tap. I decided to just take this run easy. I have been doing a lot of speedwork in order to get ready for the West Seattle 5k (my PR race), so I was due for some easy miles. My run was going GREAT. I finished the first 10k in 1 hour 12 min. Absolutely the pace I was going for with an 11:37 average. Besides my stomach cramping up a bit, I was feeling strong and decided to push it a bit more my last few miles. I was going to stop at 8 miles, but I was feeling so strong that I kept going. I finished 9 miles in 1 hour 42 min 53 seconds. It was an 11:26 average. That’s what we call negative splits babayyyyy!!

Total mileage for week 5 training: 16.2 miles.

My training plan called for 16 miles. Nailed it!

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Looking to dedicate some miles to Boston?
Fellow blogger Pavement Runner has come up with a way for all of us runners around the world to come together in honor of this tragic event. He is calling it Boston Strong. Cities ALL over the WORLD are planning short group runs to happen tonight. We are talking from San Diego to Paris, people. Ahh it gives me chills. Check out this link to find where a run is happening in your city! http://pavementrunner.com/boston-strong-city/

Unfortunately, I get off work too late these days and won’t be able to make it to #BostonStrongSEA in Green Lake, but I will get a run in for the nationwide event.

Will you be running Boston Strong in your city?