The third quarter of this year brought some of the hottest and nastiest weather in Dallas history. For real, it was the hottest summer on record with 71 days of 100+ (usually +) degree weather. This was made worse by the fact that we never really cooled off below 88 degrees at night, setting records for warmest overnight lows. It was just plain gross around here and made running the last thing that I wanted to do some days. Opening the door and being smacked in the face with 88 degrees at 5:00 am is just plain defeating. I am happy to say that I ran strong through this quarter...but I know that I did my fair share of whining, complaining, and nashing of teeth.
So here's a look at the goals and progress for the third quarter:
1. Build a streak of 1000 mile years by running 1100 miles in 2011.
2. Build upon 2010's success by maintaining/surpassing Personal Records in each distance.
3. Build a streak of sub 2 hour half marathons by building on the half marathons that I completed in 2010.
4. Add variety into training and races by mixing in different challenges (distances, relays, multi-day events, etc.)
5. Run a marathon in 2011
1. Build a streak of 1000 mile years by running 1100 miles in 2011.
I tried my best to stay on top of my mileage this quarter, despite the heat, and I did a pretty good job. I ran 101.7 miles in July, 82.85 miles in August, and 109.38 in September bringing this quarters total to 293.93. That is a new record for quarterly mileage and is 26.5 miles more than the third quarter last year. September's total is a new monthly record for me and comes courtesy of marathon training. I am well on track to make and exceed my 1100 mile goal for the year. I might be a huge run nerd over these numbers, but it is just fun to see where smart and consistent training can take them!
2. Build upon 2010's success by maintaining/surpassing Personal Records in each distance.
Umm...yea...I don't really have any progress to report on this goal. I think that "maintaining" is the best goal over this quarter because of the heat and I did okay with that...mostly. I was within a minute of my 5K PR on a very hot July morning and I came within my usual 2:00 half marathon range on a hot September morning. We all know that the Hottest Half (my August half) does not count for time, that is just the deal I make with myself when I sign up for a half marathon in the middle of August. I thought that I would PR a 20K a couple of weeks back at Tour des Fleurs but the six miles of hills and high humidity meant that it was not my day to be speedy. However, I got a new PR for distance with the El Scorcho 25K in July. The good news is that fall is here and that is PR season for this runner. Bring it!
3. Build a streak of sub 2 hour half marathons by building on the half marathons that I completed in 2010.
Again, not too much to report on this goal either. I am thinking that I need to fire my goal writer for making these so darned hard! I am happy that I eeked out a 2:01 half marathon last weekend when the temperatures were just under 80 degrees at the start. Again, looks like fourth quarter is a great time to attack this goal!
4. Add variety into training and races by mixing in different challenges (distances, relays, multi-day events, etc.)
Variety and new challenges has been a focus of mine this year and I have really enjoyed mixing it up a bit. I added a new race distance this quarter--25K and I did it in the boldest way--at midnight!! Talk about getting outside of your comfort zone! I have also continued to seek out social runs, trail runs, and social trail runs. I continue to add challenges to my upcoming schedule--perhaps the one I am most excited about is the New Year's Double. That's right...I will be running a half marathon on New Year's Eve and another half marathon on New Year's Day!
5. Run a marathon in 2011.
Here it is....on August 22 I officially began training for the Dallas White Rock Marathon to be run on December 4. I selected a sixteen week training plan so I am nearly halfway through with my training. It has been exhausting at times, but certainly nothing out of my reach as a runner. October will be my biggest month of training and will include my first twenty mile run! Yikes! I have really been enjoying the training and have learned lots of good lessons so far. I am looking forward to the second half of my training.
So there you have it! Thankfully we seem to have survived the summer. October 1st came and brought with it beautiful temperatures with morning lows into the upper 50s/lower 60s. The fourth quarter and first quarter are my favorite for running and I am excited about all of the possibilities that lie ahead!
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