Day 3, Week 1: Tempo runs save my house from destruction.

I hate tempo runs.

There, I said it.  I shouldn't hate them because they are the reason you gain endurance and can run 26.2 freaking miles without dying.  But I hate them because I wrap them in negativity in my mind like this:

*Looks at training schedule and sees a tempo run*

OH MY GAWD I CAN'T RUN THAT MANY MILES AT THAT PACE

*Conveniently forgets that she did a race a few weeks ago where she did, indeed, run that pace at that very same mileage*

So, basically, I have to get over myself.  I wish I could say that's what happened this morning when I actually went and did my tempo run.  I wish I could say that I chopped down the uncertainty tree I have planted about tempos and had a huge breakthrough and now I will love them forever and ever amen.

But I didn't.  Instead, yesterday I came home to parts of my house destroyed by the large dog.  So I pretty much had to do a tempo this morning to wear that sucker out and save my house.  You see, in my house, a well-exercised dog leaves my stuff alone until he gets pissed off at some other random thing and tries to eat more baseboard.

We had a good 6 mile tempo (1 mile warm up, 5 actually at what the plan calls "long tempo pace." I didn't do the cool down because I'm stupid like that and I was short on time).  Temps were in the 50s, there was no wind, and I got to wear a snazzy headlamp in the dark morning with a dog attached to me pulling/dragging me along because he acts like a crazy sled dog taking needed medicine to sick children in Alaska every time we do a turn around--so what's not to love?  I also tried out those FlipBelt water bottles I mentioned in this post.  Here are my conclusions about these water bottles:

• If I had a smaller FlipBelt (one that actually fit), the weight of the water bottle would not have dragged the belt down around my thighs every mile or so
• Putting the bottle so you're carrying it on your back is a good idea until you realize you didn't really line it up with the holes and you end up looking like you're having a seizure running down the road trying to get the bottle out while running
• Yes, I do know I could stop and get the bottle out instead of continuing to run but where's the adventure in that, dammit
• Next time I'll remember to put it in the front of the belt and put my phone in the back
• If these water bottles ever leak boy it's going to make a huge mess on your keister
• It's still WAY better than carrying an annoying heavy sloshing bottle for 6 miles

So, overall, I dig them.  Good job, FlipBelt.

Tomorrow's workout: Bike ride.  How long?  As long as I feel like it.  End of post.