It Can't all be Negative...

Of course I am talking about the advantages of the negative split .  I have decided that my goal for the next 6 months of training/running is to really work on my pacing, specifically early on in races and even just regular runs.  It is silly for me to make goals like fancy PBs in all of my races, because I just had a baby, and therefore my fitness is not what it was 6 months ago, let alone a year ago.  I am trying, but I know that I need to be realistic, and productive about my running goals these days.  Focusing on pacing will help me in the long run too, so yay!

I have always been one to go out way to fast in races.  I thought for a long time that it was just part of my personality or something, and that somehow I could just "bank" that time.  Well, I do know now after all of these years that going out too fast hurts.  And not just my chip time, but it also hurts my ego a little when I am passed near the end of the route by people I whizzed past in the first few km's.  When I think back on my best races ever, I think of races that I was either: a) stuck in a large crowd and was forced to take it slow in the beginning, or b) running with someone else that was planning a slower pace, and I stuck with them chatting until about the half-way mark before splitting off.  Hmm.  Running slower in the beginning might just be the ticket?!

So, with the help of my Garmin, I am going to attempt to stick to my goal pace in some upcoming races. I just hope I get (or keep) that energy all the way to the end of the race!

Speaking of races, I am running a 5-miler on the holiday Monday.  I am a little sad that it won't be a PB at that distance (or that course) and I really wish I could add a little asterisk to my chip time on Road Race Results that states my lack of training (with good reason?!).  Ah, well.

And what to wear to the race?!  Well...

We all know that diamonds are a girl's best friend.  But what most fail to realize is that Coolmax is a running girl's best friend!  My husband is a wonderful, insightful person that knows how to make his wife of eight years happy on their anniversary.  He bought me a bunch of new running clothes, bless his heart!!  I will be dazzling the streets of my neighbourhood with a few new tops and shorts this summer, in lovely, bright colours!
*Don't get me wrong, I do love the the bling, (and not just race medals) and my husband does seem to surprise me with lovely shiny baubles on special occasions.  But this year, he hit the mark!*


Happy Running!