Holy runners!

My morning: 

• Get up at 6 and drive for an hour down a snowy 161.
• Wait in a long line of cars waiting to get into a high school parking lot at 7:40 a.m.
• Wait in a long line of people to check into the first post-holiday MIT workout
• Wait in a long line to use the ladies room
• Stand outside freezing waiting for my pace group to be called
• Run 5 miles
• Drink hot chocolate
• Go shopping

It was pretty awesome, all the standing and waiting notwithstanding. There are about 600 people in my marathoner in training program. 600! Our pace groups go from 8 minute miles to 13 minute miles to run/walk to walk. I love it, the energy there Saturday mornings is unreal. 

Plus they give us discounts at Fleet Feet Sports in Columbus.

I write a lot about the running gear I buy. Today I bought two new sports bras, of the straight jacket variety, at 50% off. I started to write a blog about the experience of buying them (and it was a new one), but my better judgement prevailed.

I got a ton of hydration products too. Including Margarita flavored shot bloks --- that made me happy. And 10-oz FuelBelt bottles. That made me really happy.

Back to the run. It was fun, there are lots of women my age in my pace group. There were about 30 of us running out and I was in a group of five coming back. It was a taper week so I only did five miles, and it ended up being closer to an 11-minute mile. I started out at the back of the group, maybe I'll move up toward the front next time.

My ankle is bumming again though. I took some time to really stretch it out and I'll do some calf raises on the balance board this week. It's not a debilitating pain, just a nagging one. 

As I mentioned on the Daily Mile, I'm flirting with the idea of moving up to the 10:00 pace group but leaning heavily against it. First, they say your training pace should be 1-1.5 mins slower than race pace. I don't know what my race pace will be, but likely around 9-9:30. Second, I just really like the people in the 10:30 group! I think I'll stay put. 

What's in store for next week?

Sunday: Morning date with my pillow, afternoon date with my couch and Stephen King book

Monday: 4 miles

Tuesday: 3 miles hills

Wednesday: 5 miles

Thursday: Sub cross training for 3 miles

Friday: Off

Saturday: 7 with MIT

Well, if you're reading, I hope you enjoyed another scatterbrained-Jessica post. Happy weekend!