Olympic Trials Training: Week 3

Monday 12/23
The cold has evolved in a way that feels more manageable, but it appears to be contagious. Today is my Monday and my Friday, kind of. My family is not really into specifics this holiday season, so I follow the McKinnons' lead. I have dreamy notions of a mountain lodge with baileys in hot coffee and finishing a few books, then a mimosa and a fruit platter. An almond croissant. This week will be up, which will be both more easily obtained (with time off work), and not so easily obtained (being with family in Olalla). The Olalla miles will be v. hilly, which will be good stimulus.

"Ready to run with grandma today?" asks Ber. "Yeah right..." I say, knowing this is self-reverse psychology, and that she'll one-step me. She is a dervish. (I just looked up the origin of dervish...) A second run after work. Finished wrapping. Packed some bags. Finally felt like I got caught up on a growing list of to-do's.

Miles for the day - 15.3

Tuesday, 12/24
Christmas Eve. I've facilitated between guilt and semi-resolve. Running helps. Before we head south to be with the Mckinnon's, I get 10 in which feels like 15. Pretty slow moving when it comes to morning runs. It didn't feel as if I ever warmed up. The 2nd run was more exciting - pit stop at Alki, where Matthew drank bloodies skewered in shrimp & asparagus while I ran along the water, witness to scuba divers, volleyball games, rollerbladers, a unicyclist, perusing the waterfront for-sales. My brother met us at Duke's; I devoured all that was in front of me (goat cheese quesadilla, basket of bread, Caesar salad, bread bowl of chowder, fries) with 2x Irish coffees. After, we headed to the west Seattle ferry, to the McKinnon's. I didn't think I could eat more, but there in front of me was some homemade pasta in meat sauce & garlic bread & pie & cookies & a glass of wine & then a snifter of bailey's on ice, and man, there's really no stopping me. Played a raucous game of Uno, upon where, when I'd win, I'd do a victory lap around the house to taunt the children.

Miles for the day - 14.4

Wednesday, 12/25
Tip-toed down the stairs. Shoveled in a bowlfull of cheerios, gatorade. Felt like a teenager in the 90's about to play ball. There isn't service where we're at. I'd come prepared with album downloads and some podcasts. Gave myself some room to do anything between 8-10 @ MP depending on the terrain/how I felt. Found a stretch of road 1 mile long with steady climbs/downs and was able to do 9 miles at MP effort back and forth and back, no traffic, peaceful save for the yapping of medium-sized dogs perplexed by the constant circling. I flipped one off at one point. It's not exactly fun to let go of those even or pretty paces, which you have to, when the terrain is a challenge, or the gps. I had to really sit in the discomfort of letting go of something that feels good to be in control of. I worked on it. 3 up + 6:14, 5:59, 6:18, 5:47, 6:02, 6:04, 6:03, 5:51, 5:43 + 2.5 down. (*If it's worth a cent, the GAP's were all faster due to the terrain, so that makes me feel good). 1 gu. 1 flask. Nikki said I did good, so. The rest of the holiday was spent loving on each other and eating just as much.

Miles for the day - 14.5

Thursday, 12/26
Today is M's brother's birthday, which is exorbitantly special because his 40th years ago, in Vegas, was a trip I'll never forget, and each year on this day, I re-remember just how accepting this family is. The whole family has slept over at the McKinnon residence and wakes softly. I didn't sleep well last night, tried to find a different spot but all couches, recliners, were taken. Opted instead for a large pull off the lemonade container. Because of the sleeplessness, I opted out of getting the run done before everyone woke, and countered to run between meals. For breakfast the matriarch and patriarch of this fine-blooded family made us pancakes, bacon, coffee, slabs of buttered Christmas cake. After the sweet indulgences, I headed out for an easy 10.2 on the rollers of Olalla. The hills over there loom; fall before your feet like long blankets of inconceivable grandeur, and yet, when you're on them, in them, upon them, they unfold conceivably.

After, back at the house, snacked on smoked salmon and brie on crackers before we'd make the several hour drive back home, arriving in early evening. As soon as we were unloaded, I put in another 4.75 miles.

Miles for the day - 15

Friday, 12/27
Back to work. A decent nights sleep, an early rise. I didn't feel like feeling cold, and because I'm lazy, I maintained my oversized sweatsuit combo I had slept in, threw on a headlamp and went for a dark morning jog like a wrestler inducing sweat. Caught the reflection of bunnies' eyes darting thitherways. An easy 4. Back at home I'd discovered that Croissant had stolen my airpods, so half of those are missing. A french toast bagel (makes the house smell good) with Kerrigold butter and coffee with whip cream and not a dusting but a blanket of cinnamon because that shit comes out fast, and I don't do mornings super well. A shower, and a few pages from Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, in front of the fire before heading to work. Which was backed up and so I clicketyclacked my way through hours of requests, munching on cookies and coffee and oranges. It feels good to want to run, which isn't always as I navigate these tyrant hormones. The volume looms happily like a beacon. Listened to the Cain interview with Citius Mag for 8.35.

After work I had a holiday get-together with my family, where we had classic 90s ham, baked potatoes and a disassembled salad that was graciously prepared by the golf&country club. It was my husband (sickly), my brother (favorite), my "grand" mother, Bill, my mother and my step-father. They wanted to know about what happened at the Vegas 1/2, and were incredibly supportive regarding placing blame on anyone but me, which is all you can ask for from your family most of the time. These dinners/get-togethers are important to me, as everyone is forever busy or non-assertive or sick. When I was growing up, our family rented cabins on lakes and played dice games and thought ahead and made cookies and glass-encased multi-layer pudding cakes, and it would be the 1-2 times a year we'd see one another, but it was 1-2 times we'd see one another. As an adult, it's changed. Maybe it's me, only, maybe each are happy to take a break, but - if not for traditions, what roots us? It's the question I've been grappling with the last few years. Current response - teenage angst. Eventual hope - beginning my own, a way to pay back. Still, I can't tell - does anyone want it even?

There's been talk that a few of the BDP athletes will shoot for a sub-5 mile tomorrow morning (a goal before year's end), and I'm planning on being there.

Miles for the day - 12.3

Saturday, 12/28
Set the alarm early; we're meeting at SQHS at 8:00 am, which is when the sun rises right now. Packed yesterday's coffee on ice in an old Sonics tumbler, a pair of old flats. Derek & Josh are willing to burn lungjuice red. I'm still not convinced I'll toe the line, having a more race-specific workout planned of 2 x 6 miles @ MP, with a T mile in-between. Warm up around the neighborhood of my old alma mater; I moan from the grind of the hills; "I was wondering when you'd say something," says D, and I make a mental note that I am a little B. Generally speaking, I have to put on my big girl pants when I run with them, but in this instance the warm up was soft, perhaps we were all a little afraid. At the track - drills, strides, a change of shoes. D planned to do a cutdown from 75s. Off.We.Went. The first lap felt good. Then they cut down and I cut up. Hung on for as long as I could, but had more fun watching the smooth cadence of their legs and arms pull away. They came through under 5, and I managed a 5:15. Body never warmed up. But it would.

Ran an easy mile with them before taking off for the 2x6. Opted out of the fast middle mile due to the time trial. Able to use a new course, which would be friendly the first 6 and not so friendly the second 6. The benefit of doing a mostly all-out effort before you begin pace work, is that the pace work feels better than it might've. The hard part is having a ton of miles on your legs. So basically, the first set felt awesome (5:50, 5:46, 5:45, 5:50, 5:49, 5:46). Off mile real easy between. Then the second set was Ew, not EW!, but Ew. Second set (5:52, 5:50, 5:51, 5:48, 5:56, 6:10). (2) gels consumed - Spring Canaberry (delish) and a Maurten. Small flask of water. 1 peepoo stop. 3ish mile cool down back to SQHS.

After a hot shower and a protein-heavy second breakfast, Nikki scooped me up and we headed to Ber's for coffee & Bailey's while Nikki worked on my body after her own big long run. She's one of the best people I know; gave me an intensive overhaul to keep me healthy. Started my P today, which was unique, as they are. The last one lasted 2 wks, so I wasn't sure when the hell this one was coming. I feel proud and also vindicated, because I was pretty cantankerous the past week or several.

I had incredible energy the rest of the day: groceries, cleaned house, did laundry, went shopping for some home decor, rearranged, finished up some gifts, drank a can of red wine, made myself a pizza, and somehow stayed up till 1:30am watching the second season of You. So...

Miles for the day - 21.6 + PT manual

Sunday, 12/29 
Today is filler/recovery mileage. I figured anywhere from 7-10 was good depending on how my legs felt. Two of my best friends, LB & Mck came up from Seattle to spend the day with me. We met at the Vet and #legswerefeelinggood, so I was able to run 10 soft miles with them, Mck and her growing baby joining us for the first part, which felt incredibly fulfilling and special. Kept making comments about how he'll probably be a 10-pounder, because I think I'm funny. Got to catch up on the ever-full life of LB, about the Berlin marathon, upcoming trips, weddings, birthdays, our futures, until she said, "Hold up, you need to see this," and we circled back to see a behemoth of a black long haired cat mountain lion bear thing who was drooling incessantly out of sheer ecstasy at our pets. LB went longer and Mck and I got settled at Aslan, where all the beautiful people work. Ordered some great bounty bowls, waffle fries, a cider, coffee to keep my hands warm. I'm definitely in that period of training where food needs to happen hourly. To be honest, I'm always that way, the volume (of food) has just increased so it feels more intense. Us three best friends you could ever have spent the next couple hours catching up, sharing gifts, sipping coffee, picking up pills at a boutique brewery. I'm never not filled after spending time with them.

Miles for the day - 10

Miles for the week - 103.2