20 miler pacer for marathon

gearing up for Christmas and the marathon. trying to remember what year this photo is from. no clue. but i digress...today was another great long run. i thought a lot about the ultra marathon that i am contemplating in February. i have to do some more research on the race, the course and the demands. back to today... it was a blustery day and it was a nice compliment to the mild weather. i figured at about mile 14 that this would be the best indicator on how i will do marathon day so i picked up the pace a little. my pace was 9.26 and it was very comfortable and steady. during race day i believe that my pace will be much improved by 15 seconds per mile on average. the thrill of the day and the excitement will definitely change it from a leisurely run to wanting to be more competative. at today's pace i will not break four hours but i believe that i can do it race day. i missed finishing with the girls. i waited a while and then had to get home for the baby and the kids. we missed church :( stavro is not happy with me as he sees church as a top priority. i have to see what mileage is next week and i may run it on Saturday so he doesn't miss two weeks in a row. as a side note i really like these new sneakers brooks ghost. they have a different fit and my foot hurt some but is much improved.

twilight

what a great easy run. a 9.26 pace while pushing the baby and watching stavro on his bike. what made this run so good was the darkness and cool night air. i didn't have all the visual cues to get me to speed up or slow down. i just ran. i ran the way my son rode his bike relaxed, laid back and excited to be playing; based purely on how it felt. mia has learned to chill and enjoy the ride. she checks everything out especially her brother who wore a yellow reflective vest. it was about the activity and the connection between my children and me. it was magical without all the hassel and stress that too often comes with training. the christmas lights are already up on some of the homes and the run was relaxed and conversational. it was just under three the home loop. it was the best one with he kids. it was adventurous. F-U-N!!!

turkey trot (3:40.57 marathon pace)

i hated everything about this run except my PR of 52.28. my ipod was dead, my shirts had to be changed around during the race, i couldn't find the mile markers and of course my watch didn't work. i must have pushed the wrong button. i didn't have any point in the race that felt good except the very end when i hit the padding at the finish and saw my time. i even thought about quitting running period. when i saw my time i realized it was work especially with those hills at the beginning before i warmed up and the one toward the end. glad its over. Happy Thanksgiving!! I train for endurance running not speed racer.

stroller, stavro and sidewalks

yesterday's run:

i ran with mia and stavro just to take the pressure of time or gait off the table. i just need to get miles in little by little. it was a nice cool run for the kids.