Do you ever associate smells with a specific season? To me, fall smells crisp, cool, and fresh (if that is even possible....). The summer humidity is *finally* gone, the mornings are slightly chilly, and running feels so GOOD!! I love love love running in the fall.
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| Hello St. Paul Fall Scenery.. |
I loved running cross country, and still get nervous flutters in my stomach if I go running on certain routes in the fall. The smell of the season plus being on a route where I used to do workouts just brings me back to my more competitive days. Weird? Probably..but also pretty motivating!
Too bad the fall motivation didn't kick in earlier this summer for me- maybe then I would feel more ready for the TC 10 Mile this weekend! About six weeks ago I thought, oh six weeks left, no big deal I'll kick it into high gear and be fine...and then last weekend I thought, SHIT. Next weekend is the race. My preliminary goal was 70:00 but at this point...I'm not sure that is going to happen.
Running since September 10:
13 miles the week of the 8th
14.6 miles the week of the 15th
10 (!wtf) miles the week of the 22nd
10 miles so far this week.
Is that a recipe for disaster? Yes, probably, yes. Most of my runs are at around 6:55 pace so at least I have that going for me? I guess?! Yikes. I think this is my lowest mileage...ever. Or at least since 7th grade. Oh, and did I mention that a good friend's birthday party is Saturday night? Yeah this might not be my best race.
At least I have fancy new shoes to get me going! I went to Run N Fun to see if they had any of my beloved Ravenna 3s in stock...of course not, but I found a new shoe!
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| Conveniently advertising for Run N Fun on my socks. |
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These are the New Balance 870s (last year's model, I believe). I have worn them twice and really like them! They aren't as light as the Mizuno Inspires and are definitely more "shoe" than the Ravennas. But I think they'll do just fine, though I think I might still wear my Nike racing shoes for the 10 mile (I need every advantage I can get).
Non running related:
Rodgy and I went to a local self-serve dog "spa" (
Bubbly Paws on Grand Avenue) and clearly he loved it:
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| Look at that face. So betrayed. |
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I actually did love it- I got a clean dog and my bathroom didn't look like a disaster. And since I'm clearly obsessed with dogs, this past Saturday I volunteered at the Great Minnesota Pet Together, which is an annual adoption bonanza with the Animal Humane Society and a ton of other shelter and rescue groups, at the State Fairgrounds. And I was thisclose to adopting this lover:
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| Gah those eyes...that tail....that scruffy little guy |
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Fortunately, I didn't get a chance to adopt him, because the sweetest little boy took him home as a gift from his grandma. So, it was still a happy ending! The event was a huge success despite the weather, and I was glad to be a part of it!
* If you are ill-prepared for a race, what do you do? Drop out? Suck it up and run?
* What is your favorite season & why?
I don't feel like I'm as prepared for my first marathon as I should be. I was hurt for two weeks and just got my first run over 17 miles in last week. Now I have 2 weeks left and am kind of freaking out. I'm just going to suck it up and run for the finish and no time. I'll train harder and smarter next time.
ReplyDeleteI think running to finish is a good plan if the prep hasn't gone as planned- it is a learning experience! Good luck with your marathon!!
DeleteIf I am not as prepared as I think I should be I change my race perspective. Steady, strong, and just have fun with it. Don't worry about a time and don't push yourself too hard to risk injury. Just go into it wanting to have a good time and you may surprise yourself.
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree! A good time often means a fast time!
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