Day 3, Week 10: I did mile repeats this morning and now I need a hug.

I do love speed work.  I really, really do.  I've told you all this before.

Except when I see "3 x 1600m" on the training plan.  The dreaded mile repeats.  When I see those on my plan I collapse in front of my treadmill and ask the running gods what I have done to deserve this fate. (Answer = be the idiot that signed up for a marathon)

WHYYYYYYYYY

Notice how the animals are acting like this is perfectly normal.  Because it is.  Not really.

But the important thing here is that I did it.  I got through it.  Because as much as I hate mile repeats, I know they're good for me and I will be thanking myself for doing them in mile 23 of my marathon when I just want to sit down and swear at other runners stepping over me.

How did I get through it, you ask?  Well, I do turn on the TV in front of the treadmill so I don't experience visual hallucinations by staring at a blank wall the entire time.  But for a mentally tough workout like this, my music is a must-have.  Let me now reveal the musical motivation I used this morning on the 'mill:

1. Shape of You (Major Lazer Remix) - Ed Sheeran
2. You Can Cry Tomorrow - Betty Who
3. Thinking About You (feat. Ayah Marar) - Calvin Harris
4. California Love - 2Pac
5. How Will I Know (Junior Vasquez Club Mix)
6. HandClap - Fitz & The Tantrums
7. Adventure of a Lifetime - Coldplay
8. Most Girls - Hailee Steinfeld
9. E.T. - Katy Perry
10. Sounds Good to Me - Nelly
11. Classic - MKTO
12. Temple -  BlasterJaxx
13. 24K Magic - Bruno Mars
14. Cheap Thrills - Sia (feat. Sean Paul)
15. Flawless (Go to the City) - George Michael

As you can see, it's a pretty eclectic (eccentric?) mix.  However, all of these songs get my running mojo going and helps me overcome the mental anguish that is mile repeats for me.

And because I made it through the workout this morning, I think I deserve a hug.  I'm going to go find one now.

Free hugs and learnings below:

• I do need hugs after a mile repeat session.  That and mounds of chocolate.
• Anyone that does mile repeats deserves a hug.  After they towel off first, though.
• Sweaty runner hugs make the world go 'round.  FYI.
• Doesn't everyone wear a visor on the treadmill?
• I find that there is a direct relationship between the vapidity of a song and how much I like to run to it.

Tomorrow's workout: Some peripheral heart action goodness with Cathe

Day 1, Week 4: Reason #1 I love the TC Marathon + My long run in 3 parts

Before we get to the details of today's long run, let's talk about that Ultra Loony Challenge I mentioned yesterday.

Why do I love this race so much?  Reason #1:  Challenging course.

Here I am glad the challenge is over.

The first half of this race can fool you because it's pretty stinking flat, making you feel pretty invincible by mile 13. But after mile 18 you get into some challenging hills, and not to mention that the 3-mile stretch down Summit Avenue at the very end takes you gradually uphill.  It's an uphill you can't see, but your quads can feel with every single step by that point in the race.  There is also a nice monster hill at mile 21 that I usually greet with some pretty colorful swear words.

As much as I hate the hills, I always feel accomplished when I manage the back half of this course with grace and dignity and minimal swearing.

Anyway, enough of that.  Reason #2 will be up for your perusal tomorrow. On to the long run that was Sunday "Long Run" Funday.  Today's workout was 18 miles at 45 minutes below marathon pace.  Below you can see how that went:

Why two runs?  Well, really this run happened in three parts.

Part 1: Six miles with the large running god-approved large dog.

I got up way later than I wanted to because of the hot weather we were expecting (90 degrees), but I still managed to hook up the large dog and get out with him before it got too hot.  Here he is contemplating his running goals for the days run.

"My goal for this run is to drag mom into the ditch whenever possible."

We also took a pre-run selfie, during which the running gods saw his derp-face and found it pleasing to them.

During the run, we stopped often at the little aid station I set up by the mailbox so he could grab a drink and I could grab nutrition and water as needed.  The nut lays down every single time to drink from his water bowl, and just when I think he's too tired to run anymore, he pops up from the ground and tries to take off again regardless of what I'm doing, usually dragging me a few feet before I can get my rhythm back.

After 6 miles of resisting him pulling me into ditches and trying to chase passing cars, I put him back into the house with plenty of ice cubes in his water bowl and strict orders to sit on Dad and wake him up.

Part 2: 8 miles of hot running hotness.

I went back out and ran 8 more miles as the temperatures slowly started rising.  And rising.  And rising some more.  Where I run has very little shade (miles and miles of corn and soybeans don't lend themselves well to shading runners), so the hot was even hotter than the hot would normally have been. I was never more happy for the cold bottles of water in my little aid station, especially since I only wanted to do 3 more miles after dropping off the dog and I kept convincing myself to run one more sweaty hot mile, one mile after another.  So it was kind of like the picture below, only with hotness and not a tornado.

I decided I would stop at mile 14, which was my next scheduled stop for nutrition.  I got back into the house a hot sweaty mess.  The dogs didn't see my mess, though - they saw me as one giant salt lick.

Part 3: I will finish this run, dammit.

While the AC in the house fully tempted me to sit down and take a nap in it, I was determined to finish this run.  This determination mainly came from the fact that my brain kept reminding me that I was running a marathon this weekend, which if I didn't know was 26.2 miles long, so I needed to get this distance in.  I hopped on the treadmill and did those last 4 miles, even though once I got on the 'mill I'm sure I entered a rift in the space-time continuum whereby time slowed down because those 4 miles took FOREVER.  Before I entered the rift I had to get rid of a stowaway first, though.

After the run I was greeted by the house one-cat welcoming committee, whom I suspect really greets me so he can lay on the warm treadmill belt and laugh at my efforts to work so hard yet go nowhere at all.

And thus concludes my Sunday long run adventure for this week.

What can we learn from all the pictures and blathering above?

• The running gods approve of the large dog as a running partner
• That aid station thing was pretty smart
• Running in the heat was pretty stupid
• The treadmill is cat-approved
• Got the run done, even if it was in three parts.  Next!

Tomorrow's workout: Upper body weight lifting goodness and reason #2 why I love TC Marathon!