Week 13??!! Already

Man, time is flying now.
Here it is week 13, the end of October.
Ironman Florida is Saturday and Sunday I secure a spot for next year. I am nervous just thinking about it.

Anyway, marathon training...
as a single mom, today I had to ask my neighbor for a favor. Actually I called to get her daughter to babysit but she offered to just have my kids come over and play with her son. So at about 11:00 I took my kids next door and told her husband that I was running 8 miles but would just do loops of our neighborhood. If he needed me just flag me down.
I really dreaded the idea of running loops of the neighborhood but luckily there are two slightly different ways to run a mile. So I alternated. I am sure the whole neighborhood thinks I am insane, but that isn't new. At least this time I wasn't riding my trainer in my driveway with my helmet on!!!
I started slow, but really wanted to get done as fast as possible so I wouldn't have to impose on my neighbors for long.
It was fairly windy. When the sun was out and the wind was at my back, I was comfortable in my shorts and long sleeve shirt but when the clouds took over and the wind became a head wind I was cold.
I pushed a little hard for a general aerobic run and finished the 8 miles in 1:11:35 8:57 pace. My average heart rate was 159 but maxed out at 174. A lot of that last mile was at the higher end.
My husband will finally return tomorrow but not until later in the day. So my 9 mile VO2 max run will have to be done after work sometime. I have sent Lana sleepy thoughts in hopes that she sleeps in tomorrow and has to run with me in the evening. I don't want to break and enter at the track alone!!!