Revels of Peach Keane (Redux Part III)

Your step back week looked impressive to me. You must have a lot of racing options in your area given your race schedule! And I also agree with those who like your race pic! It looks like you are someone who will not be stopped at that point in the race!

I don't know if you're purposely using the cycling as part of recovery or just for cross-training, but I think it's a great idea during a step-back week. I may try it as well, especially during this training cycle, as I find that after a couple of tough workouts, my foot and knee are in need of a little more rest than usual. Cycling may be a good solution.

Seth - I really love to ride (cycle) around here because the roads are so conducive to it and they are not at home. Despite the hilly terrain, it is absolutely beautiful (I'll remember to take some pictures this week from an overlook where you can see across Lake Erie in one direction and across Lake Chautauqua in the other). The local countryside is very picturesque and nothing like what I deal with (cars, traffic) at home in Atlanta. I'd say the biggest obstacles around here biking are nasty dogs or Amish buggies.



Still too humid here this morning and I struggled a bit during my tempo run. I just couldn't seem to get down the the pace that I wanted at the end, but I'll just write it off to not a great day and move on to the next one.

That's some great training done in the gross conditions. Good luck in the races.

Even though the weather was nicer this morning (actually 68-69F and humid rather than 75F and humid), I just wasn't feeling it. Minor issues again, but I so need to get used to this. So that is two days in a row where the runs were just yucky, and I'm not even putting in a lot of mileage. I'm sure this too will pass, but I'm feeling like such a lightweight as compared to all of you running mega miles in the worst conditions.

The humidity and heat are hard on everyone but I do think after a few weeks of it a person gets at least a little more tolerant of it. It's still a struggle though and I'm definitely looking forward to fall and some nice crisp weather!

You may have a tiny bug if you didn't feel well two days in a row. But even the lowered humidity doesn't mean it's now easy, humidity is still hard on a run, even when you have it every day as you do.

It is a blip. Blame the weather.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Even though the weather was nicer this morning (actually 68-69F and humid rather than 75F and humid), I just wasn't feeling it. Minor issues again, but I so need to get used to this. So that is two days in a row where the runs were just yucky, and I'm not even putting in a lot of mileage. I'm sure this too will pass, but I'm feeling like such a lightweight as compared to all of you running mega miles in the worst conditions.

Hope you are feeling better Michele! I had one of those days were I just wasn't feeling it on Friday and ended up cutting a 15 mile run down to 13 and actually did what seemed like the death march the last 7 miles. Don't feel like a lightweight we all have limits and we have different mileage that stresses are bodies in certain ways. Like I said above my week last week was a tough one to get through. Hang in there buddy.

Hopefully it will just pass along and you will get your mojo back soon.
If anyone is a running lightweight here, it is not you!!!

I have been paying attention to McMillans suggestions for running paces and it seems I spend a lot of time in no-man's land pacing wise. The effort is there, but the pace is not... I'm hoping the weather has something to do with it.

Thanks all for the support - I certainly do need your help more than you know especially when I'm forced to run by myself a lot and I really enjoy running company.

Anyway the good news is that it is raining, so I actually was able to get in 12 miles between the rain drops at around 11 am this morning because it had cooled down quite a bit. I ran a flatter course which still had some good climbs but also a few good downhills and some flat so it wasn't real challenging. I was very surprised when I finished to see that I averaged 8:45 per mile when i felt like I was running 9:30s. I know my Garmin is old, but I still don't think it lies. anyway, I felt good and that is the important thing. I have that small race here on Saturday on a real tough course, and hopefully we will keep this cooler weather for a few days (it is actually warmer now at 74f than it was all day). I'm planning a ride tomorrow, 2-3 easy miles and some striders. I would love to break 20 min on the course (it is 2.6-2.7 miles given the year), but with the hills and the kids, that is a a tough assignment. The kids all line up on the front row, and when you hit the first hill at 1/2 mile, they all start dropping and walking which makes for an interesting challenge.

Thanks again - I sincerely mean it!!

And John, I'm sure the weather has a lot to do with it. I found that I actually ran too fast today, but it was only 12 miles and I have been struggling. I think the take home message is that it felt much slower. Now I'll have to concentrate a lot more on pace when the miles pick up as 8:40 is awfully darn close to marathon pace for me.

Happy to read that you had a much better run today Michele. I was just saying today on how the weather has been beating me down and like you I will welcome some cool temps with wide open arms.

I'm with you also that the Garmin doesn't lie, I use to try and tell myself that but it just doesn't. I also agree with you on the fact that when I've finished some runs I was surprised to see the pace much faster then what I though it would be or what the actually effort felt like when I was running.

Again I hope you string together some more good runs buddy.

Michele, you've got our support any time you need it! It's good to have, and it's nice to think of when you're out there logging miles on your own. You're doing a stellar job with your running and you continue to inspire me. You work hard and it shows! I'm really happy you had a good run and I look forward to hopefully meeting you soon at a race. You're a stud in my book!

So I ran the crazy little fun run here in Chautauqua which has become quite a production over the years. The race has grown to over 300 runners/walkers and the coach of the local XC team at the local high school brings his kids as well as many of his graduates so that they dual it out for the finish over a very tough course. The kid who won ran 14:45 for 2.74 miles (5:22 pace) which might seem pedestrian to the fast crowd around here, but he is only 19 and the course is hilly! I managed to run 19:35 which is much better than I thought I could run simply because I never seem to think I'm ready to tackle the hill in the first mile. I was very shocked as last year I felt like I was in better shape than this year, and last year I ran 20:12. I did luck out this year in that the fast people in my AG did not show up (I was 3rd in the 40-49 AG the last two years), so I finished 6th overall (beaten by college and post-collegiate runners and one 35 yr old), 1st Master and 1st in my AG.

My FIL won the "predictive" walking division by walking within 1 sec of his predicted time. He is very competitive (at 85!) and has been practicing so he knew exactly the rhythm he needed to walk as you cannot wear a watch for the walk.

The coolest thing about this race is the competition in the Men's 80+ AG. There were/are 5 entrants! as runners, not walkers and the fastest finisher at 80 ran 24 min. The next fastest at 86! ran 26:30. Wouldn't it be cool to run that fast at 80+!

Raining? Havn't had it for maybe 2 months now.

What I would do for a little drizzle!!! Nice job on the 5k today too.

That is super fast Michele! And it is so cool that there are that many 80+ runners who run a very decent pace!!!

Great job! Yeah, we'll be fleshing out that women's 80+ division in a few years.

Masters and AG win....very nice.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote: Wouldn't it be cool to run that fast at 80+!

I'll be happy to still be vertical at 80!

congrats on another well run race! And yeah I hope to be able to walk normal at 80 and these guys are pulling off times like that! Wow, there are some studs running down there.

Congrats on your race Michele and kudos to your FIL! Well done!



Agreed that there are some amazing older folks out there still moving! Something to aspire to...

Congratulations Michele! How cool to win your AG! And congrats to your FIL as well. To be so active well into his 80's is fantastic, and a great example for everyone.

Congrats on your win! Great job!

Nice run to the both of you Michele!