Tuesday Night Workout

Waverly and I both had good workouts tonight.

I really didn't set a goal for Waverly other than to do our normal eight (8) laps in lane 7 (for 2.217 miles.) She ran 4.1 on the concrete Sunday night and had basketball practice last night.

While I carry forward the times from the last three (3) weeks, it really isn't being done to "judge" the performance. (The fact that - at 11 - she is out there working towards a goal is a win in and of itself.)

December 12th - 26:21.16
December 19th - 25:32.20
December 26th - 25:29.44
January 2nd - 25:50.11

Her splits tonight were: 3:08.73, 3:17.25, 3:17.80, 3:21.54, 3:21.12, 3:15.15, 3:13.07 and 2:55.45. The only thing that I tried to do tonight after we finished the 5th lap was to try and speed up a little each lap to simulate the push for the finish line on the 14th! Her very last lap was the fastest of any in these four weeks.

Since the Luke's Locker and The Woodlands Team In Training groups are training for the half and the full marathon, respectively, there were two (2) different objectives for the evening. The plan for the evening was as follows:

Miles 1-2: Warm up at 45 - 60 seconds slower than race pace
Miles 3-4: Goal race pace
Mile 5: Just faster than goal race pace, then cool-down with an easy 1 mile.

I did pretty good the workout pretty good. When I was reviewing the splits on my watch, I realized that I missed a lap in miles 3-5!

Mile 1 -- 2:32.00, 2:39.79, 2:39.43, 2:36.59 -- 10:17.81
Mile 2 -- 2:37.17, 2:39.62, 2:39.60, 2:34.84 -- 10:31.23

(Both of these were too fast. For me to run a 4:30 marathon, which is a best case scenario, that requires a pace of 10:18 per mile. The plan is to give it my best shot as long as the weather cooperates - i.e. as cold as it was tonight in The Woodlands - 46 degrees.)

Mile 3 -- 2:35.00, 2:30.53, 2:34.34, 2:37.00 -- 10:16.87
Mile 4 -- 2:34.98, 2:33.64, 2:32.68, 2:31.57 -- 10:12.87
Mile 5 -- 2:31.31, 2:31.17, 2:33.27 -- 7:35.75

Mile 6 -- 12:11.34 in lane 3 -- 11:48/mile

I've been very, very thankful that I've had the chance to be in town to be able to get ready for Houston with friends -- and to get Waverly ready to try and beat her PR for the 5K.

Regardless what kind of day I have on January 14th, my satisfaction, as a parent, comes from knowing that I was able to be there and help her meet her goals - and to see her be excited of the opportunities that she's been given. I didn't do that two years ago with her and for some reason, the regret has come to the surface this evening as I write this.

Yes, I took her and my Dad to the Marine Corps Marathon 11 weeks before the Houston Marathon that year to see me finish my first, but I don't have all of the memories that I do from running with her last year - the best experience ever - and seeing her be prepared for this year's event.

I know she is proud of the accomplishment although it is usually Dad that brings it up with people. If she never says anything, how do I know that she's proud of the accomplishment?

Last year, on Christmas Eve (which is when my family gets together), we gave Waverly a very nice black-and-white Chevron Houston Marathon race jacket as her reward for sticking out the training. It just so happened to be the evening after she finished her last long run -- a run of the Half Marathon course that she did in 3 hours, 3 minutes.

When we're out running or at an event, that is what she wears!

I've been very blessed. This past year, she had the chance to have her picture taken with Kelly Keane at the Expo, Sean Wade took the time at the Expo - from reading the blog - to wish her well on running the Half, talk to Bart Yasso's wife, Laura, in Little Rock as well as meeting and talking to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. I'm sure that there are some things that I missed, but even one of those is more than what a lot of other kids have the opportunity to experience.