Slow and steady doesn't win this type of race...

I would call this week a good one. Monday is usually a strength and stretch day according to the Hal Higdon plan. I use body pump for strength, but I really do struggle on getting stretching in. I know I need to put a lot more time into stretching if I want to stay injury free, but I just come up with a lot of excuses...and really that's all they are. I can talk your head off about how I don't really have time, but in all actuality, I don't make time.
On Tuesdays, I do an early morning run with a friend who is also going to do a half in October. She is doing the Duke City, and I am doing the Day of the Tread, a week a part. We only do a short 3.4 miles, but it is a good incline/hill workout to get our endurance up. :) We are going to start a new course this week though; it will be easier, but longer.
On Wednesdays, I do body pump again. Now that it got added at my gym, it is my new addiction, really. I also get a few miles of running in at night.
I skipped Thursday this week.
I have been coaching a lot of volleyball for my school this week, and it has been fairly demanding. I have barely had any extra time this week, but it is a fairly short season.
On Friday, I woke up early and ran intervals. I did 8X400; this is also a part of the Hal Higdon plan.
Saturday was a slow 4 miles, I felt like crap and couldn't seem to hit a decent speed. The arroyo by our house is nice, but it is either all downhill heading west, or all uphill heading east, and it is no longer my favorite.

Today was my long run and I really felt good about it. I used my Garmin connect to look up how I was doing at nine miles when training for the last race, earlier this summer, and I discovered that I am running about a minute a mile faster! This is very encouraging because I am starting to really figure out how to run...I think, at least! I ran from my house around Academy and back, which as nine miles exactly.
I am ready to try and be a little better than I was last race, although I know how difficult this is going to be because I am 5,000 ft. higher in elevation. I am still trying to figure out how to do it because the two weekends before my race, I will be hunting out of town. It will definitely be interesting. Steph says she will try to get an 8:30 min/mi pace, and I just don't know if I can do it alone.
I can try though, but finishing this one might just be enough for me...oh I wish this was true.
Well runners, I hope that you have a fantastic week, and I will keep you posted, maybe with a little more detail.