Three Things Thursday: Crazy, Busy, Fast

1. Crazy
Last weekend was nuts. We had a 2-day dog show here in Seattle, I had a baby shower, and me and Mr. T had a concert. That’s a lot of schedule-y stuff for us.

• Dog show: Bennie was a nightmare; a borzoi owner scolded me; we almost missed the show on Sunday (maybe not a bad thing)
• Baby shower: Got dropped off immediately following the dog show; had to leave early
• Concert: Got home 30 minutes before sitter arrived; picked up friends; Mr. T realized he forgot his wallet; the restaurant couldn’t make shepherd’s pie in the two hours we waited for it (or Irish Nachos — just ask Chelsea at Will Run for Food); spotted a dude in a Utilikilt and Vibrams pre-show; awesome concert (Great Big Sea) except for crazy-arms-guy in front of me

Chelsea and me pre-concert

2. Busy
On top of everything else, I had a freelance writing job I needed to finish up in addition to work I’d taken home from the office. Both had to be done by Sunday night.

3. Fast
I seem to have found some speed. Yesterday, I ran 3.5 miles with Mel at a 9:30 pace and did not die. We even chatted/laughed the entire time. Monday’s 5 miles was at a 9:09 avg pace and last Friday’s virtual 5K was a PR for me at 26.12 (8:26 avg pace). And it seems easy. Okay, not easy, but I’m not killing myself (except for the 5K — I was really pushing myself on that one). Where did this speed come from?

I think there are a couple factors:
a) My weight is down. I’ve made it to 155 — only 10 pounds to go!
b) My quads and stomach muscles are strong thanks to cross training (mainly Jillian Michaels’s 30-Day Shred video, actually)

I also think I’m more confident in my running than I’ve been in a long, long time. This speed has sort of surprised me, though. Did you ever surprise yourself with your running abilities? Do share!