Ready or not…here we come! Chi Town Bound!

Last week was our last official week of training.  Taper begins tomorrow…yay! It was a successful week for me.  I felt good on all my runs and feel READY! I had some fun runs…most of them this last week involved rain.  We are like the postmen/women – no matter what the weather we run. 🙂

Here are my rain-soaked donkeys and I was a drowned rat most runs…but that is what memories are made of. 🙂

Run #1 – 6 x 600 with 400m rest – comparable to past 600s.  Some better some not…but overall consistent and felt good.  It was one of the sunny runs of the week. 

2:32

2:36

2:41

2:42

2:29

2:34

Run #2 – Ladder – 4 x 200 w/ 1:30 rest; 3 x 400 w/ 1:30 rest; 2 x 1000s w/ 3:00 rest – WET!!!

200s – :44, :45, :44, :43  – consistent and GOOD

400s – 1:37; 1:37; 1:43 – consistent again…:)

1000s – 4:22 and 4:26 – HARD but done! 🙂

Ladders – THUMBS down!

Run #3 – 18 miler  – 2:47:59 – 9:20 pace – I knew I needed a change of pace and scenery to mentally get this run done.  I decided to go to Cleveland and try out their greenway.  I knew I would be able to get around 9-10 there and then would have to double back at times.  I was willing to do that because I needed to be able to run and not know how much more I had to go because I knew the landmarks.

When I woke up Saturday, after sleeping in,  it was pouring down rain. 😦  Yoli called and invited me to run with them.  I hadn’t been up long and couldn’t get it all together to meet up with them.  I debated staying closer to home but then decided to stick with the original plan.  I drove to Cleveland and I am sooooo glad I did.

The run was supposed to be a time trial but considering the rain wouldn’t go away and I had to do some trail and river running…I was pleased with my time! This was a fun run believe it or not.  I listened to Pandora and sang along as I ran in the rain. I loved to play in the rain as a child and I was reliving those memories.  God sent song after song about being there in the storm or hurricane…there were numerous songs about rain…it was humorous at times but also I viewed it as a blessing for my soul.  He was showing me He will get me through what He started!  I was soaked when I was done…but it was fun!

At one point, I ran by a prayer garden.  I ran to it and stopped.  It was a blessing in the rain as well.  I prayed for the girls. I prayed for our trip. I prayed for our run.  I prayed we would run well, finish strong and glorify Him in all we do.  As I keep stating, He is the reason we run and He has brought us this far…He will help us through to the finish line.  We are excited!!!

Run #4 –  10k – Today, I still had my 10k left.  My thinking was the hay is in the barn…I don’t need the run. 😉  About that time, Yoli text me and asked if I had run yet.  Of course, I had not.  She made me do it…:)   I am glad I did because it was a great run on tired legs. I am ready.

DONE with official training….LET THE TAPER BEGIN!!!!

We have been working hard and we are all ready for Chicago. It has been a fun journey with amazing friends and an awesome coach.  Four of us will conquer Chi Town together – Iron sharpening Iron….Proverbs 27.17 – As iron sharpens iron,  so a friend sharpens a friend.  We will all start in different corrals and run our own race.  He has prepared the way and we will travel the streets of Chicago taking it all in. My prayer is for safety, strength and endurance.  

Later in the week I will post information on how to track our run, if you are interested.  I ask that as we finish this week of tapering you will join us in praying that we glorify Him with every move and every step….pray for safe travel…pray for a safe and strong run finishing the race He set out for each of us!

 

Hebrews 12.1 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

Exodus 23.20 

 “See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.

RUNNING BLESSED!!!