Speed work

Kind of pretty don't you think?  Just crop out the feedlot that is currently empty and less stinky and it is a beautiful shot.  I sure do love the flint hills and I love the scenery on my runs of corn fields and bean fields and green hills.  What I don't love?  Speed work. I know it makes me faster and I know that it has helped me tremendously but i just shudder whenever I see it on my schedule.  I had a talk with my coach the other day about how I hate it and how mentally, the big "I can't" comes out every time I attempt it.  I don't mind hill repeats or 400 meter repeats as they have recovery.  I HATE pace runs and tempo runs.  Especially when they are doled out in minutes.  Yikes.  My coach heard me and is trying some creative speedwork to get my mental game back in the door.  Like last night's pace run.  Instead of dictating a pace, she let me choose what I wanted to do and she broke up the pace run time wise so instead of 30 minutes with a 10 minute warm up and cool down, she let me do a warm up, 15 minutes at my chosen pace, three minutes recovery, and 15 minutes at my chosen pace with a 10 minute cool down.  That was much easier to wrap my mind around, even if I did have a slower pace for the second 15 minutes.  I still am not a fan but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?  I am just glad that the weather has been cooperating so I can run at night with my hubby's crazy work schedule.  I have to admit, I like running in the morning so that it is done and I can process the rest of the day earlier, but I am not a fan of the feeling I feel after many mornings of 5 am wake up calls.  I do pretty precise science most days and shuffling through it like a zombie is less than ideal.  So needless to say, I have been enjoying the night runs and the increase in sleep lately.

I am really looking forward to this weekend!  I have already completed my long run for the week so only have short runs left so no big running this weekend.   Since she is injured and can't run, my BRF (that's best running friend for those of you new to my blog) and I are headed to topeka to let us act like kids again andrew play at the Discovery Center, .  Many pictures to come because it is the COOLEST place ever for kids!  We have taken him before but I really think he can do the next level of fun stuff they have there and it is suppose to be Bubble Fiesta from 11-3 which sounds like it could get messy!