Faster?

Got out the door this morning to do my weekly hill sprints. I bumped it up to 6 this week without really feeling like I was going to keel over and die or anything. I take that as a good sign and encouragement to keep at it. I think that maybe next week I'll do some flat speedwork on Key Highway to mix it up a little. I ran a nice 1 mile warmup this morning and then did 6 X ~0.1 mile hill sprints. I didn't have time this morning to download them onto the computer so I don't have any times or caloric burn stats, which I have decided I need to start recording on here again. I got lazy with that as well. Tomorrow's workout will consist of a nice 5 miler along the usual course. Nothing too strenuous because I have to do my long run this Saturday since I'm out of town on Sunday morning and will want to sleep in one day this weekend.

I registered for the St. Joseph's Medical Center Run to Remember 5K on September 11. I didn't find out about this race until the day of last year and thus missed it with great regret. It goes through downtown Baltimore and around the Inner Harbor, as most Baltimore city races tend to do. They hold it every year on 9/11, which is kinda cool. It'll be at 7AM, so I should be able to run it and be at work by 8:30. Only cost me $23 with the Active.com ripoff charge included.

I am getting closer to making a decision on the Full Moon Run on the 16th. I may shell out $10 to move my campsite reservation back a day so I can be back in Baltimore a day earlier and thus get two runs in before the race on that Saturday night. However, I am loathe to spend money uneccesarily, especially for a trip whose greatest attribute is its cheapness (taking the one time charges of the gear out of the equation, the entire week long trip will cost me around $150 including gas and park fees). However, having that extra day in Baltimore might be worth $10.

Finally, this week's theme for Runner's Lounge Take it and run Thursday is "Look Back, Look Ahead". I didn't remember setting goals for myself back in January, but a quick look through my archives proved me wrong. Here are some of my resolutions and the status on them:

1. Run at least one half marathon: Done! I made it through the National Half Marathon back in March and have plans to run the Baltimore Half in october and hopefully the Richmond Half in November.

2. Run my first full marathon (tentatively Baltimore in October): This one is on hold for at least the next year as the CFA is quickly consuming what free time I have. I barely have enough time to get in shape for the half!

3. Improve to a sub-8:30/mile pace: In progress. I'm consistently running an average pace of about 9:00-9:20, which is OK all things considered. Speedwork and tempo/fartlek running and getting to the gym for non-running exercise will all help me get this resolution down.

4. Reduce my consumer debt by at least 50%: To date, I've reduced my consumer debt by about 40% overall, so I will demolish the 50% goal by December. The wedding/honeymoon has put me back some, but it's a worthwhile expense and one that I can pay off by passing the CFA in December. All in all, this is not a running resolution, but the less money I have to send to Visa, the more I can spend on races and shoes. I should be consumer debt-free by this time next year.

To this list I would add some amended resolutions:

5. Pass CFA Level I in December (in lieu of b-school or law school)
6. Incorporate strength training into my workouts.

There were some other resolutions that won't be met simply because my plans have since changed (i.e. I won't be going to law school ever, and business school isn't for a while yet) but they've been replaced by new ambitions. Overall, I think I am making great progress on my resolutions (both old and new) and should be happy with my end result come Decemeber 31, 2008.