Chips n Salsa training

My new running goal is to run the Chips n Salsa 10k on September 7 in under an hour. In May, I did the Zoo 10k, so I know the distance isn't a challenge. It'll be all about the time.

From About: Running, I have this new running schedule - but I changed the days. This training program has two speed workouts every week to help me with my time goal (interval and tempo workouts). Running five days a week is more than I am used to doing, but I just finished the first two weeks and have stuck to the schedule. I really like doing 10k's. It's enough of a challenge, that I have to train for it, but not impossible.

10K Training Schedule for Intermediate Runners

Week	Saturday	Tuesday	Sunday	Thursday	Wednesday	Friday	Monday
7/13	CT or Rest	4 x 400 IW	3 m run	30 min tempo	Rest	4 m run	30 min EZ
7/20	CT or Rest	5 x 400 IW	3.5 m run	35 min tempo	Rest	5 m run	35 min EZ
7/27	CT or Rest	6 x 400 IW	3.5 m run	35 min tempo	Rest	6 m run	35 min EZ
8/3	CT or Rest	7 x 400 IW	4 m run	40 min tempo	Rest	6 m run	40 min EZ
8/10	CT or Rest	8 x 400 IW	4.5 m run	40 min tempo	Rest	7 m run	40 min EZ
8/17	CT or Rest	8 x 400 IW	4.5 m run	40 min tempo	Rest	7.5 m run	45 min EZ
8/24	CT or Rest	6 x 400 IW	4 m run	40 min tempo	Rest	8 m run	45 min EZ
8/31	CT or Rest	3 m run	40 min tempo run	3 m run	Rest	Rest	10K Race!

Headlines only - full stories later

Just returned from Ireland at 1am today. I love how traveling 7 timezones west makes me wake up easily at the crack of dawn... but I could use some more sleep.

Upon my return home, I found it absolutely necessary to first tend the garden which had become overrun with weeds and basil. If anybody wants a basil plant, come and get one. I'll bring a bunch in plastic pots to SnB tomorrow. Sorry, I already threw away the weeds, but if you want weeds, stop by anytime :)

Related to Ireland and the garden... immediately upon arriving in Ireland, I realized that nearly every meal included tomatoes (cooked for breakfast, sliced on sandwiches, in side salads...), and I realized just how much I missed eating tomatoes since the salmonella scare. While pulling weeds out of the garden this morning, I discovered 3 ripe roma tomatoes and 4 jalapenos. I'm so excited!

It's only 8 weeks 'til the Chips n Salsa 10k run. I'm going for time, so I have an Intermediate runner's training schedule which I start tomorrow... at the crack of dawn.

I'll write more later about Ireland, especially after I have photos available. The quick summary: It's green, but rocky. It rained everyday. The stores sell cute summer dresses, but people wear sweaters and scarves in July. I walked and walked and walked... and ate lots of fish and chips (probably the only meal that does NOT include tomatoes).

There are many sheep in Ireland, and I bought wool yarn by the kilo. Okay, only 1.4 kilos. Most stores prefer to sell their wool in the form of sweaters, not yarn. But where's the fun in that? I also managed to nearly-finish another project during the trip. Just some finishing touches to do now that I'm at home with the rest of my knitting tools.

Enough for now, I'll fill in more details on stuff later.

Zoo Run

I have never been to the Albuquerque Zoo, yet I dutifully Run for the Zoo year after year. This year, I did the 10k in 66 minutes. Then we had a delicious breakfast at Cecilia's on Silver, which I never knew existed even though it is a mere block from Flying Star. Then my running partner went back out to do the 1-mile Fun Run with her kids and husband. For my part, I haven't run since that day... even though I now have a new goal => to run the Chips & Salsa 10k in under an hour. I have a few months to get ready for that as it's in September.

Name that hike (part 2)

Nobody was able to guess where January's hike was. In that photo, I'm sitting on a hilltop in Maryland, looking down at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia below, and the mountains in the background on the left are in Virginia. You can tell by my leather jacket and running shoes that I wasn't really expecting to do much hiking on this trip. There was no room in the suitcase for proper boots and warm, breathable clothing.

I intended to share a hike a month, but amazingly, I did not hike in the whole month of February. I made up for that in March. So... name where this hike is:









Hey, it's even got a trail sign to give you a hint! However, you may not trust a trail sign that labels this an "easy" hike.


In an unrelated matter, somebody asked about what "fartlek" is (in my run training program). I asked the same question when I first downloaded that running schedule. It's Swedish for "speed play". It's a speed-training run, where the intervals are random (run as fast as you can to the next tree, then go slow to the next stop sign...). I have been doing my own speed intervals according to a more strict regimen on the treadmill where I'm forced to keep an exact pace. This keeps me entertained while I run on the treadmill which is inherently mind-numbingly dull. But I like my treadmill time because it's more fun than anything else I can do with my 90 minutes between classes twice a week. And I think keeping to that schedule of exercising during the day helped me lose 5 pounds in the past 5 weeks.

Run for the Zoo

I am now officially getting ready to run the Run for the Zoo 10k in May. It's a ways off, but I am very badly out of shape and I found a 12-week training program for beginners that looks reasonable. I ran 2 miles on a treadmill this morning. I was hoping to do 3 miles, but I really don't like treadmills (and there's snow & ice outside). Tell me if you'd like to train with me (although most of the people I've talked to about running don't read this blog).

Beginner 10k Training Program

Week	Run 1	Run 2	Run 3	Run 4 (Optional)
1	3 mi run	2 mi run	3 mi run (easy)	x (no optional run, must rest)
2	3 mi run	1 mi run	2 mi run (easy)	2 mi
3	3 mi run	2 mi run	3 mi run (easy)	1 mi
4	3 mi run	3 mi run	4 mi run (easy)	x (no optional run, must rest)
5	3 mi run	2 mi run	3 mi run (easy)	2 mi run
6	3 mi run	3 mi run	4 mi run (easy)	1 mi run
7	3 mi run	4 mi run	5 mi run (easy)	x (no optional run, must rest)
8	3 mi run	3 mi run	4 mi run (easy)	3 mi run
9	3 mi run	4 mi run	5 mi run (easy)	2 mi run
10	3 mi run	5 mi run	6 mi run (easy)	1 mi run
11	3 mi run	4 mi run	6 mi run	x (no optional run, must rest)
12	3 mi run	2 mi run	Race!	x (no optional run, must rest)

This and other 10k training programs from AboutRunning.