It started out as a typical morning:
"Meow. Meow. Meoowww." Woke up. "Meow." Sauntered into the kitchen. "Meoww." Started boiling water for coffee (since moving into our place in Portland we decided to stick with French press and love the taste!). "Meow." Brushed my teeth (Faint "Meowww" can be heard from the kitchen). Pretty basic stuff.
What wan't basic was not feeling it for a run. After a somewhat heavier week of miles (still recovering slightly from the ultra) and a 10 miler on Thursday, my legs were sending all kinds of mixed signals to my brain while I was out in the parking lot waiting for my GPS to latch onto a signal. I had an 8 mile workout that I absolutely love (1 mile warm-up, 2 miles at 10k or half-marathon pace depending on the time in training, 1 mile 15-20 seconds above marathon goal pace, and keep alternating until 8 is reached then cool down) but I just wasn't feeling it at that time. I didn't know what I'd end up doing--"At least 6 miles," I told myself. So I took off for the track (about 1.5mi away) and after a mile my legs were feeling nice and loose again. One of the best bits of running advice I've ever read/heard: "Never judge a run by the 1st mile."
After that first mile and nearing the track, I decided to run a sandwiched speedier 3 miles (1.5 warm-up, quick 3 miles, 1.5 cool-down) on the soft-surfaced oval, something I knew my legs would hug me for if they could. When I get there, I immediately notice a woman running in lane 1 at a very nice pace. Little did I know that I would find myself trying and failing to catch her for 3 miles (which I broke up into 1 mile at a warm-up but still-quick pace, and 2 miles at a faster pace) on the track!! I found out after my 3 miles were over that she was running 400s and then 200s with no break (and barely a rift in her pace either; she was killing it out there!). I asked and she told me that she was training for the Olympic Marathon trials which she needs to qualify for by mid-January 2016 with at least a 2:43 (6:13/mile). No wonder it felt like I was chasing a ghost out on the track!
This is her, Lyndy Davis, after winning the first half-marathon distance event of the Portland-famous Shamrock (can you guess the date?) Run.
I will definitely be on the lookout for this talented runner when the trials come around..and for training solo on the track (although I think she had a coach or perhaps her mom with her walking some laps)..whew! That's all I can say.
Came across a story of this man the other day:
Hey who put that there! He does NOT slightly, almost definitely, resemble a caveman or neanderthal depicted as walking.
Who is this guy on the left? Just the oldest person to complete the famous ultra Badwater...twice: The 292 Mile Badwater Double. That's 14,600 feet of ascent and extreme heat that he put himself through for 41.5 hours. I want to do be able to do that when I'm 70 (his age). Maybe not actually do it, but at least be able to!
Okay and before I wrap up this post, please take a look at a video I came across yesterday.
Paste this into your search field and just see what soda really is. Please. And then continue reading the article and find out why the experimenters had to keep re-experimenting with coke.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150813-the-man-who-turns-fizzy-drinks-into-huge-lollipops
That's all for today and likely the weekend! Enjoy it, wherever you are and with whomever you're with.
Happy Running!!
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