Tuesday, August 08, 2006

There Is No Such Thing as Catching Up

Let's face it. In this world, once you've fallen behind, (kinda like in a race!), you're toast.

So, where were we?

Ah, yes, I was Very Upset at not being able to do a track workout last Wednesday night. But never fear: Of course I did it anyway! (What kind of hack do you take me for??) I borrowed a watch and did it on the treadmill at work. I did the very fearsome 4x1600 with 400 recovery, and I did it like this:

10:54
10:42
10:20
10:00, 9:50, 9:31 (meaning, I kept upping the speed for the last mile).
whoo hoo!

It felt good. I seem to actually like track workouts. Who knew?

Saturday was 10.48 miles; a step-back week, through lovely Rock Creek Park. (It was supposed to be only 10 miles. Someone lied to me, which, as you know, I always appreciate.) I did it at marathon pace, which for me is around 12:10 minute miles, and sped up at the end again. A really good hard run. (For me. At that pace. For that distance.)

And Monday was spinning.

And that brings us to today, Tuesday. When eight miles was on the schedule. How do people get in eight miles before work?? HOW?? Last night the air was impossibly thick and humid. I was afraid to go back out there this morning. So, I decided to get up at 5:30, get to work and run my eight miles there on the treadmill, since my last encounter with it went so well.

See, I forgot: I hate and detest the treadmill.

It was miserable. My pace was all over the place, topped off with a 14 min mile. (In the middle though, was a lovely 10:30 min mile! Maybe more than one!) See, because I hate the treadmill so much, I try to keep going faster on it so that the horror will end sooner.

On the plus side, I realized that I really need a point to every run. Like is it a tempo? A pace run? What?? What am I trying to do here with these eight miles? I had no idea.

It was not a winning strategy on that evil machine.

There, now we're all caught up. Or rather, now I've caught all you (all one of you) up.

So far, by the way, the no TV thing is going great! As is the no reading blogs at work!

So, I have no idea what anyone is doing, and now I have to go to bed!

Stop the insanity.

(I miss Stephen Colbert. I miss him Truly, Madly, Deeply.)

16 comments:

MNFirefly said...

Nice job on your workout this weekend.

Anita said...

Shared loathing for said treadmill would account for the nickname dreadmill. There is no music on my Ipod, no show on one of the eight televisions mounded on the walls, that can redeem the absolute monotony of walking/running in place. Wow...no television??? Color me impressed!

Donald said...

Give me thick and humid over indoors and mechanical anyday.

I couldn't do the no TV thing - they'll have to pry the clicker from my cold, dead hand.

Haight said...

SportsCenter would suck without a TV.

Laurie said...

More than one person reads your blog!

Running Chick said...

just the fact that you faced 8 miles on the dreadmill, and did it...that in and of itself makes it a tough workout that you CONQUERED. i shudder at the thought...my knees buckle with fear...envisioning 8 miles like *that.* you are a stronger woman than this running chick.

go jeanne go!

=)

21st Century Mom said...

8 miles on a treadmill = torture. And yet you stuck it out. Major points for that.

Do they have a TV in the exercise room at work? If you are going to torture yourself on a treadmill can you at least recoup some TV time while you're at it?

Mmem said...

8 miles on the tm sounds like torture. But YOU DID IT! I was kind of thinking what 21st Century Mom was...can you make TM time your 'guilty TV pleasure' time?

WTG on the 10.5 miles in the park, wow!

David said...

Can we talk about running to work?

There's only one show on TV worth watching (and the only one I watch). It starts in 40 minutes.
Project Runway. Strut Heidi. Strut!
My favorite all time line, by Tim and mimiced by Santino: "Andre? Where's Andre?"

Nancy said...

I can't do any sort of distance on the dreadmill (meaning anything more than 4 miles) unless I trick myself, by doing intervals or something like that. It's truly torture, I agree. The day I did 7 miles, I don't know how I accomplished that.

But sometimes it's a necessary evil.I should have done it today instead of attempt outside- it was just TOO hot.

brent said...

way to go jeanne!!!!!!!!!! yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave said...

8 miles on the treadmill - impressive. I have done this in the past as needed, but sometimes in order to get my mileage in during the week I run half of it in the morning and the other half after work. I have heard this still counts towards your mileage and is an added benefit because you get the afterburn effect twice in the same day...if I burn a few more calories all the better.

Kim said...

i will NOT run on a treadmill. EVER. i would rather run in thunderstorms, hail, sleet, cold or hot before getting on one of those machines! so i hear your pain! good work with the workouts though!

TNTcoach Ken said...

No television or reading blogs at work. Now you need to catch the fly with your left hand and you are ready weedhopper.....

Anonymous said...

Umm. Hi. I'm new to your site (well, not that new, b/c I just spent awhile reading through archives) & just wanted to say thanks so much for writing. I can assure you that all of your tales of training for last year's and this year's marathon will be true inspiration for me as I try to reach my own running goals.

Keep up the good work!

IronWaddler said...

Great job on the treadmill run. They are mentally challenging. Major points to you for doing it.