Another bullseye

Well, key run #2 is dead and buried (just like I felt before I started). It's a long story.

My boss was away yesterday, and the weather was perfect. What better way to celebrate finishing work before 6 than a brick workout with my man?

We headed out to Scorching Bay to ride/run through some of the course for Monday (it's a public holiday here), just a nice 20k out and back and a quick 2.5k loop on the run course. The first 5k or so of the ride was awesome- spinning along in an easy gear at about 23-28mph and I felt confident in my improved cycling skills- so nice to ride easy on fresh legs. Guess I should have twigged! Of course we met the headwinds after that, and apart from one stretch it felt as if they never left us (though they obviously must've) The super speeds were more the result of a massive tailwind than my buff legs. Still, I had gears left for Africa, and I definitely know my technique has improved- I stayed above 13mph on the hill in both directions, my fast is faster and my slow is faster too!

The run was fine- I was thinking about doing my tempo run last night to free up this morning, but decided at the 1.25k turnaround that I wasn't into doing the loop two more times, even though I felt like I could have held the pace (about 7:58). I had pulled ahead of P early on, which was quite fun, but he was right on my tail (being polite by not passing) on the way back, and when I told him to move his sorry ass at the end, he sure moved it. We would have had maybe 150m left and I think he must've finished about 100 metres ahead of me!

Had a quick stretch (it was after 8 and I was hungry, OK?), then P opened the boot (trunk..) to get the bike rack. Close boot. Put rack on boot. Put bike on rack. Grab lock. Grab key for lock. Wait. Grab key? Key not in pocket. Key not in door of boot. Key not on ground. Uh-oh.

So there we were, phones, credit cards, sweaters and water in the car. Us and my bike (minus the front wheel) on the outside. Fortunately it wasn't long before someone came past with a phone we could borrow, we only had to wait about 35 minutes for the AA, and it was warm enough to be outside in skimpy summer workout gear (with a little jumping about to keep warm!). Also, it meant we could justify Thai food for dinner! Like I said to P, I would have chosen the evening we had over an evening at home or at work any day!

BUT, getting home at 9:30 and eating Thai food did mean I was feeling very full and very tired at 5:15 this morning when my horrid alarm went off. And very disoriented ten minutes later when I re-awoke! I was still drinking my coffee, surreptitiously, on the bus to the gym, and I absolutely could not face food, so I wasn't feeling that confident about hitting my pace target for this morning's tempo run (8:15s). But thanks to my trusty ipod, I did! I did my 4 miles in 32:20, 8:05. Cool.

So, as a result of this week's runs so far, I think I can confidently base my goal pace around an 8:00 10k pace. This means that my intervals should be done at 7:15 pace (1:46 for a 400/3:30 for an 800) and my tempo runs should be between 8:15 and 8:30. My long runs will be based on PMP, which is still 9:09 (ambitious 4:00 pace). FIRST gives me a PMP of 8:45 (3:50ish), but it ain't going to happen, not the first time, and definitely not on the Rotorua course.

I felt like I deserved the muffin I had with my marathon-buddy before work. I'm tossing up at the moment whether to do an Oly on Feb 11th, or whether to run with her and hopefully help her finally break 2:00 in a half that day. I don't know. I really hate that half, but I really want her to break 2:00, and it would be interesting to see what "racing" together is like. Hmm.

I also had a good swim today. It was lunchtime and I didn't have much time, so I had 40 minutes max. And in that 40 minutes, I did 2k. I did wear flippers for about 500m, so it's not great, but it was also pretty crowded, and I spent a lot of time getting caught behind a woman who thought breaststroke in the medium lane was a good idea. And how random are girls who swim properly wearing string bikinis? Give me my speedos any day.

Worked late again, and shouldn't be posting at all. Should be doing dishes and getting ready for tomorrow, but the dishes can wait, so will get ready and then maybe have some camomile tea while I read my book.

(ps: not that I'm 12 or anything.. but this is post #69 *giggles*