The fact that I am posting about LAST WEEK'S run first should let you know just how busy and crazy things have been lately!!!!! Seriously, the fact that I am keeping up, although flying by the seat of my pants, is a miracle!!!! :D
Brandy and I ran together last week...... we slowed things down quite a bit! She had just done a FULL Duathlon and I was trying to figure out heart rate training........ Will get into that later!!!! First of all, it is so dangerous running....... especially, when you come across a snake!!!!! Ok, the below snake was in fact dead, but none-the-less, it was a FREAKIN snake!!!!!! Annnndddd, a snake that I DID NOT see!!! Brandy spotted it only after I had passed it!!! It still gave me the heebeegeebees! I used the zoom feature on my phone to capture this photo!!!!!! You know, just in case!!! LOL! :D
Oh, and this was not the only thing that was dangerous on our course, we got chased down by 2 pitiful puppies!!! And, let me tell you, they were puppies, yes, but VICOUS puppies!!!! Luckily, splashing them a bit with our water bottles got them off our backs!!!! This was truly not a good day for heart rate training..... seriously, my heart rate hit the roof between the snake and the puppies!!!!!
Anyway, back to this heart rate training.... I looked up a site in order to figure out how to calculate my ranges........ this is what I came up with........
I had my garmin set to vibrate when my heart rate went above range. It seemed to vibrate every 10 seconds! ANNOYING!!! UGH!! Anyway, I ran with brandy for 8 miles (bottom map)because that was all the she had on her schedule..... Then, I ran an additional 3 miles (top map in below picture)..... and I slowed things quite a bit in hopes that my heart rate monitor would stop screaming at me! Oh my goodness, it was so hard to stay slowed and controlled... but, I did it!!!!
Well, during my weekly check in with the Coach that designed my training plan, I expressed that I tried this heart rate thing and gave him the data......I then asked his thoughts..... In a very polite, but direct manner, the coach told me to throw out the heart rate training for the mean time and then instructed me to collect data for the next 10 days.... basically, my rest heart at first awakening, and then at various other times when running..... he is going to help me at speed work on Monday to get HR from that work out...... come to find out, he is extremely knowledgeable about heart rate training and actually did it in the 80's!!! YAY!!! I was so excited!!! My friend from Belgium sent me a book on heart rate training a few months back..... ever since, I have been intrigued!!! I was going to try to perform this for my marathon training, but honestly, it was too complex at the time and I didn't need the extra stress. However, the coach slowed my runs during my training and this in theory probably worked like heart rate training does....... seriously, strange how my body got conditioned for 26.2 miles in a few months by just running..... and running "steady pace." So, I am collecting data..... and then, the coach will help me get my correct parameters to train by so that I am not running to slow or too fast!!!! I can not wait!!! So excited!!!!!
Yesterday, we celebrated the NUMBER 1 guy in my life!!! He turned 7!! Here he is in his "basketball" attire! He lives and breathes basketball at the moment!!! He aspires to be a Globetrotter!
Of course, the cake was a basketball theme :!
We celebrated with family and friends from his class!! Ben was so excited that these people took the time out of their day to celebrate him!!! He had a blast!!!!!! He said it was the best birthday ever..... my heart smiled!!!
OK.... TODAY.... SUNDAY LONG RUN!!!
We had a big group!!!!! It was fun.... I hung out for 5 miles and then branched off since I only had 9 miles on schedule!!! It was BEAUTIFUL weather!!!! Couldn't have asked for a better morning run!! (Brandy turned around and caught me taking picture!! LOL)
9.02 miles at an average 9:34 pace!!! Tried to stay as consistent as I could.....
Probably the best Mother's Day gift!!! A mason jar to store treasures with my son's hand print!! LOVE!
Gotta run..... have to work walk in clinic 1-4 today...... HAPPY MOTHER's DAY everyone!!!