Kathleen's Adventures

Friday night Augie, Jen, Luke, and I headed to the Mucky Duck to see Radney Foster. It was an awesome show. I always forget how much I like live music until I go see it again. Radney is an awesome songwriter who has written many songs you would recognize as ones that others have recorded. Some of them are: Just Call Me Lonesome - Dwight Yokam Sure Fine Way to Start - Sarah Evans Raining on Sunday - Keith Urban Godspeed - Dixie Chicks Shows like his take me away to a little fantasy world where nothing is wrong. Everything is perfect there. People you love will love you back, no one will ever break your heart. Anything is possible in this little world, and happiness is in abundance. The short time I spend in that little world is a bit euphoric and is almost a breath of fresh air. It is always sad when you have to walk out the door, as the show is over, and the real world is waiting for you right outside. Sometimes though I do get to take a little bit of that world (even if just a smile...

Is what I am sure the early morning Pre -Cash employees are thinking on Thursday mornings now at 5:45am when a few of us run up and down their 12 story parking garage over and over. It is 1/2 mile up and 1/2 mile down and we run it 3-4 times per workout. Sadly, that is the closest thing to a hill we have in these parts. The St. George Marathon is downhill for about 22 miles and uphill for about 4 miles. Those 4 miles happen from mile 7-11. The climb at mile 7 alone is nearly 350 feet. It is going to kill us! I guess we are doing our best though to train for it. The other issue is the 22 miles of downhill. Sounds awesome for speed, and it is, along as your quads don't turn to pure much way before they are allowed to. Anyone know of a 22 mile downhill I can use for my last super long run? ....didn't think so. Here is a good pic of the St. George elevation:

Lots of posts today... In regards to my previous two posts about "life", I forgot to add that one of my favorite songs (Trials, by Jackopierce) sums it all up pretty well: All the lessons I’ve learned All the money I’ve burned All the things that I thought were but they weren’t All were trials that added up to her All these lovers making compromise Trying to make sacrifice for love Hoping things will only get better but they don’t Only posed to see them fall I know I’ve seen it before I do believe that failed relationships, broken hearts, and just dumb mistakes are all trials that lead you to the perfect solution. You just have to have the patience to ride through them and the clarity to see them as what they are: trials. If you don't see them as trials and try to force something that isn't, you may end up falling. I am so thankful that I have yet to fall, and I hope I never do. The last line of the song is "What I do not deserve I do not deny." I'...

A friend has just asked me to further explain the idea behind running your long runs slower than goal marathon pace (GP). I'm certainly no running expert, but I read everything I can get my hands on when it comes to training, and I have yet to come across any training plan or article that says you should run your training runs at GP. I wanted to share some of the good info I have come across and point people in the direction of more info if they want it. I have tons of sources, in no particular order, so here I go... 1. Jack Daniels' VDOT paces . This is what I use to determine my training paces for my weekly track workouts. This workout is the fastest workout I do during the week, and is what is responsible for my speed come race day (i.e. speed comes from shorter, fast workouts, endurance comes from LSD (long slow distance) runs). Using my 5k pr of 24:27, I get a VDOT value of 39.33. With that VDOT, it recommends a long run pace of 10:14, and predicts a marathon time of 3:52 ...

I went back and read my post and it sounds like I may be kind of just whiny and lonely. That really isn't the case at all. I don't want just anyone to show up in my life - I want the right one to show up in my life. Waiting for whoever that person has been a huge exercise in patience, but I do believe good things come to those who wait. I don't want to be with someone right now just to not be alone. Hanging out with myself isn't all that bad! I'd much rather be alone than be with someone I'm not totally thrilled about. I have always seen a lot of people around me in relationships just because they seem convenient, or it seems like people can't stand to be alone. If that is what they want, more power to them, it just really isn't what I'm looking for. So, I will continue to wait as patiently as possible, but then again, those who know me know that sometimes patience isn't exactly my strong suit! Oh well, such is the life!

So hurry up and get here! However cliche and cheesy John Mayer's words may be, he does have a point: Staying home alone on a Friday (well, actually today is Sunday...) Flat on the floor looking back (actually in my bed...) On old love Or lack thereof (ding!ding!ding!) * After all the crushes have faded And all my wishful thinking was wrong I'm jaded I hate it * I'm tired of being alone So hurry up and get here So tired of being alone So hurry up and get here * Searching all my days to find you Not sure what I'm looking for I'll know where When I see you * Until then I'll hide in my bedroom Just staying up all night just to write A love song For no one * I could have met you in a sandbox (at Lupe's?) I could have passed you on the sidewalk (running single file on Memorial?) Could I have missed my chance and watched you walk away * You'll be so good You'll be so good for me I know you'll be so good For me For me

I had a good run today. It is nice to be able to say that because I feel like I haven't been able to say that very often lately. The main reason is most likely the weather, but I'm sure plenty of other things factor into that as well. I ran 18 miles with Kenyan Way in just over 11:00min/mile pace and I'm very happy with that. That pace fits in the range of recommended long run training paces for my St. George goal time, and heat is not factored into those training ranges, so I'm even more happy. It is still slower than the KW schedule has for me, but I'm just not sure I will ever be able to run that fast! Shellie and I also spent the afternoon visiting Lisa for probably the last time before she has her baby girls. It was great to see her and we spent a few hours just catching up and eating some of Stephanie's Cookies . Tomorrow is a semi-long bike ride in the morning and a short recovery run in the evening. I just have 2 more super long runs (20+ miles) ...