So Not a Good Idea

For a decaffeinated vegetarian who gave up sugar for Lent... to do a hard 6-mile track workout after work, during which I consumed one Gu (Expresso with 2x CAFFEINE!), only to drive directly to the grocery store afterwards to buy fried chicken (I have no idea! I had a craving!), a Coke (the Real Thing. First one in years!), and 10,000 malted milk balls.

There's a war going on in my stomach and I think I'm losing.

Last night's workout:

There was snow on the track, so we headed to a local neighborhood where coach had mapped out 1200 meters (first 800 downhill, final 400 up. you don't get that on a track), and a 400 recovery loop.

5x 1200, 400 recovery, 1 mile warmup and 1 mile cooldown. It was dark. I was hungry. It was 10F, and I still managed to overheat.

My target pace: 7:40

mile 1 1200 (followed by 400 recovery is what I meant to say): 7:51
mile 2 1200: 7:27
mile 3 1200: 7:41
mile 4 1200: 7:33
mile 5 1200: 7:25

I don't get how some people can talk and laugh while they're doing a track workout. At least I don't get how they can carry on while my lungs are coming out of my nose. It's most annoying.

I Speak Track

Tonight's track workout made my head spin the first time I read it:

6x800 @I=Interval pace
4x100 @R=Race pace
400/100 recovery

I mean seriously. That's almost as bad as swim workouts!

With my handy magnifying glass, a sturdy cup of tea, and a thesaurus, I uncovered the hidden meaning:

Run around the track twice (=800), six times, at your interval pace (according to the chart our coach had previously given to us based on our 10k pace—calculate your own track paces with McMillan's race calculator—it's endless good fun!)

Wait, where was I?

Right: run around the track twice (=800) six times at your interval pace: 5:00 minutes.
After each 800, run once around the track (=400) to recover.
After you finish all of that, THEN run 100 meters (the straightaways) at your Race pace: :34 seconds, with 100 meters recovery, and do THAT four times.

Oh yes and don't forget to warm up for 1 mile and cooldown for one mile.

As usual, I was in No Mood. My pace group has dwindled from 10 or so women to me and one other chick (the one I lied to last week, heh). We are well matched. She was in No Mood either.

Here's how it all Went Down:

1 mile warmup: 12:14

6x800 @ 5:00 minute pace/400 recovery
1st 800: 4:47
2nd 800: 4:57
3rd 800: 4:56
4th 800: 4:59
5th 800: 4:59
6th 800: 4:54

Next: 4x100 @ :34minutes/100 recovery
1st 100: :29
2nd 100: :27
3rd 100: :29
4th 100: :26

1 mile cooldown: 12:15

We totally could have done the 800s faster, but I kept slowing us down so we would hit our pace. The 100s we did faster than we were supposed to because we both just wanted to get it the hell over with. When I play with McMillan, I get an 800 time of 4:41.1 to 4:54.1, so no comprende where the coach is getting 5:00 minutes from, not that I'm complaining.

I just do what the man at the front of the room tells me to do.

Inauguration and Track Workouts*

*I'm sure there's real clever headline in there somewhere, but I'm too lazy to think it up. Submit your entries in the comment field.

Number One Daughter and I went down to the National Mall on Inauguration day. Lucky for us we got turned back early trying to get close, so we didn't get caught up with the ticketholders, those very lucky people who managed to nab the elusive-yet-highly-sought-after-sometimes-standing-room-only tickets that were close up...and who sadly got stuck outside of the gates and saw nothing. Major fail.

We, on the other hand, settled for the Jumbotron on the grounds of the Washington Monument. Covered with every article of clothing we owned, plus hand and foot warmers, we froze.

Freedom of speech. It's a weird and wonderful thing.

Back of the White House, from the Washington Monument grounds, early a.m. About 20 minutes after I took this, people stood should-to-shoulder right up to that fence. Not such a safe arrangement.

Jumbotronics.

Happy Inaugural Day, Nod!

The huddled masses, waiting, waiting, waiting.


It took me a while to realize that people were not just waving at the Jumbotron.


Afterwards: NOD and BF on the loooong walk back to the MetroBus. Once we got out of the spine-crushing crowd, it was smooth sailing. Definitely beat waiting in two hour lines for Metro (tip to out-of-towners: MetroBuses are often faster and less crowded during peak events).

As soon as the (mangled) oath of office was taken, we beat it out of there, because I had to get home and start getting ready for the Bytes and Books ball at the lovely Folger Shakespeare Library on Capitol Hill.

I was there on a press pass, so I was sort of working (although if you're one of my bosses reading this, I was TOTALLY working every minute). We missed George Lucas (he was being honored), along with Ted Kennedy (who hospitalized earlier that day), so there wasn't a whole lot to do. So I schmoozed.

Let me just say that I have a lot to learn about schmoozing. My feet, despite looking incredibly hawt
were killing me, so I sat down at one of the few tables, along with an older gentleman and his wife. He was retired, military, jolly looking. He was soon regaling me with stories about...his mattress (I am not making this up), the one with magnets in it (still not making this up), that cured his back (yay), and how his cure was so complete he had to start selling this product (ut-oh) and he is now into multi-level marketing (need. exit. now.) and he wanted to know, did I take vitamins? Um, yes! (Can I go?)

Retired General: I want you to try the water from my filtration system, and then try your water, and then I'm going to test how strong you are, and I'll be able to tell you if you're getting the right vitamins (riiiiiight)

RG: I'm afraid I must ask you something personal (wait for it): What color is your urine? Is it very yellow? You know you are just urinating out all those supplements, don't you?

Me: So NICE to talk to you, must dash...

How is it possible, I ASK YOU, for me to sit next to the ONE MULTILEVEL marketer in the entire room and NOT only that, to sit next to, oh, I'm going to take a wild guess and say, probably the ONLY man in that room of tuxedos and ball gowns who wanted to know WHAT COLOR MY URINE WAS?? HOW????

And, here, (for the two of you not on FaceBook), is your moment of Zen:


Track Workouts!

Last Wednesday's track workout:
6x400, at a 2:25 pace, with 400 recovery, a mile warmup and a mile cooldown. I did this:

1 mile warmup: 12:08
1st 400: 2:06
Recovery: 3:02
2nd 400: 2:09
recovery: 2:58 (2 miles)
3rd 400: 2:16
recovery: 3:05
4th 400: 2:27
recovery:2:59 (3 miles)
5th 400: 2:25
recovery: 2:59
6th 400: 2:21
recovery: 3:02 (4 miles)
1 mile cooldown: 12:02 5 miles

Yay me, although my coach did tell me I needed to slow down. It's such a bother getting told that.

Heh.

Tonight's track workout was canceled, because .00001 inches of snow fell in Washington D.C., so school was canceled, so no track. Instead, we were sent to the treadmills to do 4x800 with 400 recovery, which in treadmill lingo meant 5 minutes at threshold pace (I have NO idea what that means, I just like saying it). It means run faster, I think. So I did 5 minutes at 9:20 min/pace and 3 minute recovery. Times four. Plus one mile cooldown. It felt good too.

So, what have you been up to?