Track Tuesday, a Girls On the Run Practice 5k, & a Triathlon. Whew.

So Track Tuesday happened.  And I did it!  I'm 2 for 2 on my planned workouts this week, and although Track Tuesday probably would have happened no matter what (probably being the key word here?) I definitely felt like I NEEDED to go to spin on Monday since I had publicly declared Monday to be a cycle class day on the blog.  I didn't want to let you guys down!  So there's that.  Thanks?

Anyway, Tuesday rolled around and I had 8 x 400's on the schedule.  EIGHT?  Really?  Well yeah that's only 2 miles I guess but EIGHT?!  Hmmm....

But BEFORE THAT I had the Girls On the Run Practice 5k!  I was really excited about this, we've been building this up all season (it's hard to believe the season is almost over already).  The real 5k is May 19th (GO SIGN UP HERE!), and each girl gets their very own running buddy to help them along (it's an awesome program overall, go give them all your money!).  Except half the running buddies didn't show up.  Which was a huge bummer, because like I said, we've been building up how awesome it was going to be with the girls and they were really excited.  I'd like to think there was some mix-up with the dates or places or SOMETHING and these people didn't just sign up and then not come.  Because that would be SO incredibly rude, 6 different people wouldn't do that.  Right? 

Girls on the Run Fall 5k

This is becoming quite the tangent, but anyway, I ran with two of the girls (poor them!  I mean, they like me, of course, but I'm not new and exciting, so they kind of got the bum end of the deal).  But "running" is a strong word.  We walked probably about 2/3 of it.  Am I still really talking about this?  Shouldn't I get on with the Track Tuesday part of it?!  Okay okay, I will.

So after the practice 5k Jordanne and I met up at the track and we were just chatting away and suddenly I had run 4 miles and she had run 5 (I was late, bad Ricole) and we hadn't done any speedwork yet.  So she decided to do 2 400's and I decided to do 4 but after I'd done 4 I thought about the incredibly inspiring Eugene Marathon posts I'd just read (ahem, like the huge PR's by Sweaty Emily and SarahOual) and that if I want to get fast too I need to put in the work.  That inspiration lasted for 2 more 400's, so I still didn't do all 8, but I had run 7 miles plus the 3 miles run/walk earlier so it seemed like enough for the day. 

7 miles in 59:18 (under an hour - you know I love it when that happens!)
Average Pace: 8:28

400 splits:
1:43 (6:42)
1:41 (6:40)
1:42 (6:52)
1:40 (6:34)
1:43 (6:49)
1:42 (6:49)

The last time I did this workout was March 24 and my average 400 split was 1:49.  The time before that was February 8 and my average 400 split was 1:44.  Now my average is 1:42.  Progress?  I hope so!  Did you do a speed workout this week?  Link it up with Denise and I!

AND remember how hard I was trying to win the Danskin Triathlon entry from Running, Loving, Living?  If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you probably saw my many entries!  WELL I WON!!! 

I am extremely ecstatic about it because doing a triathlon has been on my 'to-do' list for seriously YEARS, and I've somehow still never done one.  Probably because I've never bit the bullet and signed up.  And I wanted to do one this year, but given I've already signed up for several rather expensive races (oh, hello Disney Princess Half Marathon), I didn't think I should probably spend $100 on a triathlon entry (see JMan, I'm being smart!).  BUT NOW I'M GOING TO DO A TRIATHLON!  It's perfect: it's in Seattle, it's an all-women's one, and it's August 19th, which means I don't have to start training until after the marathon is over. Now I just need to convince everyone I know to sign up too.

Who wants to do the Danskin Triathlon with me?!  YOU?!  PLEASEEEE???  Who has done a triathlon?  I've never done one - please give me tips!