Jess, Linda said you're looking for advice on tempo runs and speedwork. I'd read the article from Runner's World that is linked below. That will help on tempo runs.

For speedwork, there are a number of different strategies and you could consult www.runnersworld.com and search for speed work. I would also suggest a strategy I used back in college that worked very well for a national champ in the 10K. The workout includes:

10 x 100m starting at a jog and gradually working up to full sprint, then back down - 15 seconds between each 100
10 x 200m with the same strategy - take 20 seconds between sprints
10 x 400m - same strategy - you can even take a minute between sprints here

Build it up to 800m if you can. When I say sprint obviously this is going to be a different pace as the distance gets longer. But if you do this twice a week it will really build up some leg speed and strength. The key is to not let you muscles continually train at the same pace. Teach them to run at different paces on different days and your performance should improve considerably.

Best way to run this program is on a track since you don't have to worry about inclines or measure distances. If you have a school that has an accessible track, get out there. Otherwise, find a lightly traveled neighborhood street and measure out the distances.

You can also build mile-repeats into your workouts. Spend a day running a one mile loop at race pace. Run five miles with a reasonably short break between repeats. You can also do hill workouts if you have a good gradual uphill. I'd also suggest a fartlek which includes varying paces within a longer run. I would typically at 7:00 minute pace for 6 or 7 miles but I'd run a fartlek at these paces to improve strength and stamina: mile 1: 7:30, mile 2: 6:00, mile 3: 7:00, mile 4: 5:30, mile 5: 7:00, mile 6: 5:00, mile 7 - 7:00.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your training!

Craig

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-263-265-12224-0,00.html

Great photos, thanks Craig. I LOVE the photo of you and your parents Jess!
Ya know, we REALLy are faboulas!
If anyone wants to come out and swim the lake just let me know.
Ashley and I started running and swimming together today. We are
shooting for Wed., Friday and Sunday but I can always fit a swim in
or boat whoever wants to come out.
Kathy

I added some photos to our Flickr page (see below for the link) from the huuuuge batch Craig took (Thanks, Craig!). I tried to pick the ones where we looked the least pained. ;-)

--Jess :)

Lots of photo documentation!

I set up a flickr album for our pictures from the big day. There are several up right now, and I'll post again when we get more up:

Click to check them out!

The official race photos are here, but be forewarned that there are a LOT of them.

--Jess :)

pictures

My neighbors made a poster for me.

We did it! :-D

Today was totally amazing and worth every single morning I had to get up and drive to the Y in subzero temperatures at 5:15 in the morning. It was worth every single biking, um, mishap (a couple of which I think might leave scars). It was even worth that very first horrifying plunge (I can't call it a swim, because it wasn't) in Lake Geneva.

Between nervousness and my borderline-OCD need to be on time, I ended up at the park at 5:20, which gave me ample time to set up my stuff and freeze. I'm glad I had a pair of gloves in the massive pile of junk in my back seat. Once my fellow rockstars arrived, we got marked (which, by the way, so didn't wash off in the shower), checked out the newbie meeting, and did introductions with our respective posses. Then it was time for the swim!

I was pleasantly surprised at how little trouble I had getting through it, and I was pleased with my time. I only got bumped into a couple of times, and never actually got kicked in the head. ;-) And please allow me to say one more time how much I love my rental wetsuit. (And Linda, anytime you need another wetsuit rescue, I'm your woman!)

On to the bike. I'll be honest--it was scary, especially when I got toward the end of the course and the lane wasn't closed to traffic like I thought it would be. I did fine (thanks to Linda and Kathy making me face up to the cars in the two weeks leading up to the event) right up until I got back to the park entrance and there was chaos because they were letting people out before all the bikers were back in. I ended up having to walk it back into the park, but I finished! Oh, and I did fall once on the way--I stayed upright, but I can't say the same thing for poor Thor. ;-)

I'm thrilled with my time on the run: 27:58, which is 1:27 faster than my previous best. I was ready to be done by the time I finished, though.

I'll definitely be continuting my triathlon career (come on, I own a tri-suit and a bike now!), but I need to work on my bike proficiency or find an event with a truly closed course first. I've been eyeing this book at Schuler's for awhile, and I'm going to pick it up tomorrow. I'm shooting to be ready for another event by late August or early September.

I know I've said this before, but it really has been an honor to do this with you guys. Linda, your perseverence through your mom's illness has been inspiring and Kathy, you've been a rock (not to be confused with rockstar, which we all are!) for everyone.

Here's a photo of us with our medals. I'll figure out what to do with the rest of them when I see what we have. (I'm thinking it might be easier to set up an online album somewhere and just put a link here since posting more than five pictures at a time here is kind of a pain).



And with that, I'm off to bed--I'm a little more tired than I thought I'd be!

--Jess :)

PS--My favorite congratulatory comment came from my brother who is currently in the middle of moving to Seattle (quite literally--he was in one of the Dakotas when my parents talked to him last night). I sent him a text message saying we finished, and his reply was "Nice work, bada$$." Haha.