Whirlwind Week!!

Hi Bloggies! Did you miss me? Sorry I haven't posted since Saturday- it has been a week filled with workouts, projects, and not nearly enough rest.
  Sunday, I ran a 5k downtown with a St. Patty's Day theme.  That's me second to left- I sort of forgot to wear green.. Though I think my teal shirt kind of counts? Plus, I feel like my red hair gives me automatic costume points- I mean, I walk around all day long with Irish pride on my scalp!

   The race was INSANELY crowded, so my buddies and I only managed to find a spot in the middle of the pack to start. This meant that we started 3 minutes after the official start, but it was a blast to see them all again after not really getting a chance to do so all winter! We all met through a  Half-Marathon training through a local running store in the summer, and have since run tons of races together. They are such a fun bunch, and even though everyone is older than me, I love that they treat me like an equal and gab about tempos and gels as much as I do!
    My time was 24:22, mostly because the first mile I was elbowing half of the city's population to try and find a nice spot so I could settle into my pace.I think I could have shaved off 2 minutes if I had started nearer to the front, but I don't regret staying with my crew- we all danced along to the heavy metal playing at the start line and coordinated plans to gather as much free beer as possible (them, obviously, not me. I was more interested in some green sludge).  I ended up elbow 2 people, nearly ramming into someone, and running on the sidewalk for a good portion of the race, but I had so much fun I didn't even care! My legs felt awesome, which was a nice change after the drudgery of the previous day's long effort. I really pushed myself the last half-mile, and when I saw my coach near the finish line, you bet I kicked it into high gear! It was the first 5k where I was excited to keep running instead of dreading it, because I finally feel like I have a handle on a faster pace, so sprinting isn't scary anymore- it's exciting!!
    Monday was a morning 7-miler with Spin Class in the evening, which totally kicked my butt. My legs were exhausted halfway through, but I felt so good afterwards and the next morning totally powered through another easy 7-miles. I ran another 4 later on in the day, then spent some quality time with Paula Deen and the Arc Trainer- two of my favorite things.
   Today was a speed workout, with 20 minutes total speed and 9 miles when all was said and done. I woke up excited for it, but also covered in sweat... Fever? I went through the warm up miles convinced I was getting sick because I've been feeling nauseous all week and was so hot upon stepping on the 'mill that I didn't even need to wear a shirt to warm up in (my basement feels like an igloo, so I always wear layers to run in). The workout went really well, though, and I finished the rest of the morning routine feeling great. The fever? Turns out the heat in our house was up too high... The nausea? Nerves for the ULTRA I AM PACING THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    This is the type of scenery I will be spending my Saturday in- running 13.7 miles with one of my best running buds, enjoying the trails and trying to keep him sane while he completes 31.5 miles. I can think of no better way to welcome Spring!