"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life."
-Greg Anderson
This past week I reached a goal that I had silently set for myself, which was to win this ridiculous cross country race in Richmond. I've run it twice before and finished second both times. There's something about being second that really gets to me. Plus, both times I have run this race my time has been awful. My 6k PR of 20:17 is faster than I've run on this 5k course before. So, I was happy to win the race and happy to run 19:45. The time doesn't really matter, especially considering I've followed up both of my previous Maymont races a week later with a road 5k over 2 minutes faster. Ok, enough about that. The course is ridiculous though, I'm not exaggerating.
The rest of training this past week went well. I was not sore at all from the 22 miler, which was kind of unexpected. I took Monday off, ran 4 miles easy on Tuesday, 7 miles in 50 minutes on Wednesday, and took off Thursday (mainly because I was so exhausted and stressed from work that all I wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed- which I did). On Friday I ran the 5k and totalled 9 miles. Saturday I ran about 3 miles at the meet, sprinting up and down various parts of the course while my team raced. On Sunday I took it easy and ran my 17 miles with Pete. Total: 40 miles for the week.
I'm really looking forward to seeing my family in two weeks, doing some apple picking, and of course running this marathon. After the marathon, I'm also looking forward to a few other races I have planned. I'm not sure if I'm going to run another marathon in the early spring. I think it might be a good way to keep my base going over the winter before switching gears for my first track season in a loooong time. Not sure if a steeplechase is in the cards but hopefully a few fast 5ks and 1500s. I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's get through the next two weeks before I make any more big plans.
Showing posts with label marathon training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marathon training. Show all posts
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
22 Miles. Yup, That's Right.
I've been extremely bad about updating my training here. My life has been centered around work for the past few weeks and my training has taken a slight hit. Fortunately, it seems that my reduced training volume has really helped my iron levels get back to normal. I knew it would be tough to fit in my runs once school started up again but this year has been straight up ridiculous. I'm on another committee, plus I have six classes with two preps (since I'm teaching two subjects) which means I also have to write double the lesson plans. We also held our first cross country invitational which was totally worth it but a royal pain in the ass.
So... last week was pathetic. I ran 5 miles, and then 7 miles of fartlek, did NOT run on friday or saturday morning but ended up running about 5 miles while setting up cones for the meet and running to put volunteers in place. I was supposed to run 17 miles on Sunday and ended up doing 18 in 2:18. I slowed down a lot in the last few miles because it was so hot and I was really dehydrated (I only had a 20 oz bottle with me). I actually stopped at Starbucks and asked for water when I was 2.5 miles from home. I don't know if I would have made it if I didn't get that water. That's a whopping 35 miles for last week.
This week I ran 5 miles at our cross country meet on Tuesday, then 5 miles on Wednesday and 6 miles on Thursday. One of those days was a fartlek day that I did a lot of sprinting but I don't remember right now and don't feel like getting up to check. Yesterday was the first cool, rainy day in what feels like forever and I ran 9 miles with Bella. Then today it was still 64 when I woke up (I even got to sleep in!) and overcast. It warmed up a little during the run and rained a little but it still felt sooo good compared to every other long run I've done for this marathon. Since this was my last real long run before the race, I wanted to push it and run a solid pace for the entire run. Well... I ended up running 20 miles in 2:25 and then tacked another 2 to make it my longest training run EVER... and finished in 2:39:26. I averaged 7:14 per mile for 22 miles! The fastest I did any of my long runs this summer was around 7:40 pace and I felt like garbage for the last few miles then. Today I felt great. I won't overanalyze this, but sure am happy to finish my last long run with a good day.
47 miles this week... This definitely gives me some confidence for my race in 3 (yikes!) weeks. I would also like to mention that I am borderline addicted to Lauren Fleshman's Picky Bars and everyone should buy them from her website pickybars.com. They have helped me get through my work day AND my training. AND they taste amazing.
So... last week was pathetic. I ran 5 miles, and then 7 miles of fartlek, did NOT run on friday or saturday morning but ended up running about 5 miles while setting up cones for the meet and running to put volunteers in place. I was supposed to run 17 miles on Sunday and ended up doing 18 in 2:18. I slowed down a lot in the last few miles because it was so hot and I was really dehydrated (I only had a 20 oz bottle with me). I actually stopped at Starbucks and asked for water when I was 2.5 miles from home. I don't know if I would have made it if I didn't get that water. That's a whopping 35 miles for last week.
This week I ran 5 miles at our cross country meet on Tuesday, then 5 miles on Wednesday and 6 miles on Thursday. One of those days was a fartlek day that I did a lot of sprinting but I don't remember right now and don't feel like getting up to check. Yesterday was the first cool, rainy day in what feels like forever and I ran 9 miles with Bella. Then today it was still 64 when I woke up (I even got to sleep in!) and overcast. It warmed up a little during the run and rained a little but it still felt sooo good compared to every other long run I've done for this marathon. Since this was my last real long run before the race, I wanted to push it and run a solid pace for the entire run. Well... I ended up running 20 miles in 2:25 and then tacked another 2 to make it my longest training run EVER... and finished in 2:39:26. I averaged 7:14 per mile for 22 miles! The fastest I did any of my long runs this summer was around 7:40 pace and I felt like garbage for the last few miles then. Today I felt great. I won't overanalyze this, but sure am happy to finish my last long run with a good day.
47 miles this week... This definitely gives me some confidence for my race in 3 (yikes!) weeks. I would also like to mention that I am borderline addicted to Lauren Fleshman's Picky Bars and everyone should buy them from her website pickybars.com. They have helped me get through my work day AND my training. AND they taste amazing.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Tag! You're It!
Last week I ran 44 miles, 20 of which were a long run I did in NY. My other runs last week were Tuesday where I did 5 miles in the morning and a 6 x1000 meter workout in the evening. On Wednesday I did 6 miles in the AM, and 6 miles in the PM. And... I drank a few too many martinis after the long run. Won't be doing that again. The ride home from NY was rough.
If you though that was bad, so far this week I ran 5 miles on Tuesday and a 7 miles fartlek workout today with my cross country team. Well, actually we had a 50 min long session of tag inside since there were severe thunderstorms. I can't even remember the last time I played tag, but it was seriously a lot of fun. I felt bad for all of the other teachers who were in their classrooms doing work while I was playing tag. Of course, I had to stay later to get the rest of my work done but I felt a lot better after my run than before.
We travelled to NY for labor day weekend to meet my niece and for my cousin's wedding so I missed THREE days of training in a row. The first two were because I had to work through practice a few times just to get my lesson plans done and everything else ready for school. The third was me being lazy. I missed running yesterday because I had to do lesson plans while my team was running again, and I was starving by the time I got home. Hopefully I can get back on track, but I've just been so stressed and busy. I've already lost two pounds, and I am definitely not trying to lose weight. At least I've been able to remember to take my supplements every other day.
Tomorrow is Friday!! I know I am not going to feel like running after work, and I'm not sure if I can squeeze in a run in the morning. We are hosting a cross country meet this weekend and then things should settle down a little. We have basically two more weeks of training and then we start our taper, so I really have to make the effort to get my training in. This 18 week training plan is no joke.
If you though that was bad, so far this week I ran 5 miles on Tuesday and a 7 miles fartlek workout today with my cross country team. Well, actually we had a 50 min long session of tag inside since there were severe thunderstorms. I can't even remember the last time I played tag, but it was seriously a lot of fun. I felt bad for all of the other teachers who were in their classrooms doing work while I was playing tag. Of course, I had to stay later to get the rest of my work done but I felt a lot better after my run than before.
We travelled to NY for labor day weekend to meet my niece and for my cousin's wedding so I missed THREE days of training in a row. The first two were because I had to work through practice a few times just to get my lesson plans done and everything else ready for school. The third was me being lazy. I missed running yesterday because I had to do lesson plans while my team was running again, and I was starving by the time I got home. Hopefully I can get back on track, but I've just been so stressed and busy. I've already lost two pounds, and I am definitely not trying to lose weight. At least I've been able to remember to take my supplements every other day.
Tomorrow is Friday!! I know I am not going to feel like running after work, and I'm not sure if I can squeeze in a run in the morning. We are hosting a cross country meet this weekend and then things should settle down a little. We have basically two more weeks of training and then we start our taper, so I really have to make the effort to get my training in. This 18 week training plan is no joke.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
*Actual* Recovery Week
The main topic of conversation around here is that the Dismal Swamp is on fire. This has been going on for weeks, and it is still only 10% contained. Depending on the wind direction, it can be quite dangerous to be outside. It takes some planning to avoid running when (and where) the smoke is at it's worst. This morning I was lazy and slept in and when I opened my front door I was hit with a thick waft of smokiness. I ran anyway, and managed to make it through without major respiratory probs.
Besides the impending school year (ugh) the other major thing on my mind has been my iron levels. I've been taking a multivitamin and emergenC pack every day as well as my slow-release iron tablet. I tried and failed at giving up coffee so I've just been taking the iron at lunch time. I've been really good except for yesterday because I was in shopaholic mode. Pete and I somehow got so into shopping that we missed lunch, then got stuck in traffic, so we didn't eat "lunch" until 5pm. We still had to do our tempo run too, so I skipped the iron pill (it can cause stomach issues). I still can't believe how much things can change in a few days. I could barely finish 5 miles at 7 min pace last Sunday. Last night I wanted to see how I felt running faster so I did Pete's tempo with him. We ran 4 miles at 6:45 pace and it felt easy, just like it should. I'm supposed to do a 22 mile long run tomorrow, but I may just do 20. I have to be careful not to get super excited and push myself over the edge again. Low iron can be a tricky thing.
Monday off
Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: 12 miles
Thursday: 5 miles
Friday: 4 miles AM/ 9 miles PM (w/ 4 mile tempo 6:45 pace)
Saturday: 7 smoke-filled miles
Sunday: (22)?
Besides the impending school year (ugh) the other major thing on my mind has been my iron levels. I've been taking a multivitamin and emergenC pack every day as well as my slow-release iron tablet. I tried and failed at giving up coffee so I've just been taking the iron at lunch time. I've been really good except for yesterday because I was in shopaholic mode. Pete and I somehow got so into shopping that we missed lunch, then got stuck in traffic, so we didn't eat "lunch" until 5pm. We still had to do our tempo run too, so I skipped the iron pill (it can cause stomach issues). I still can't believe how much things can change in a few days. I could barely finish 5 miles at 7 min pace last Sunday. Last night I wanted to see how I felt running faster so I did Pete's tempo with him. We ran 4 miles at 6:45 pace and it felt easy, just like it should. I'm supposed to do a 22 mile long run tomorrow, but I may just do 20. I have to be careful not to get super excited and push myself over the edge again. Low iron can be a tricky thing.
Monday off
Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: 12 miles
Thursday: 5 miles
Friday: 4 miles AM/ 9 miles PM (w/ 4 mile tempo 6:45 pace)
Saturday: 7 smoke-filled miles
Sunday: (22)?
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
VO2 Max'n It Up!
Woke up early again this morning, and hit the snooze three times. Somehow I managed to drag myself to the park for this workout. I only had 9 easy miles yesterday, so I think it was just me being lazy.
Anyway, the 2 mile warmup was pathetically slow, but I loosened up a little towards the end. It was very humid and smoky, but since the repeats were pretty short it didn't affect me very much. The workout was 6 x 800 with 90% rest. I decided on 2:30- 2:45 for rest, because I figured I would run 2:50- 2:55 for each repeat. The goal was to work at 5k race pace, which is a pace that should be close to your VO2 Max pace. 2:55 per 800 is an 18:07 5k, and 2:50 is 17:36.
Well, I stuck on that pace pretty well for the first three, but it actually felt too easy. My times were:
2:55
2:49
2:49
2:48
2:46
2:37
They're actually half mile times, not 800s since it's on the park trail, but the difference isn't significant. Since the marathon will be on a bike path, it's more useful to do the repeats on similar terrain (rather than on the track). 4 mile cooldown after the workout was slow but didn't feel terrible. I like these types of workouts sooo much more than the long tempos. Bring it on, VO2 Max intervals!
I appreciated all of the walkers and runners on the trail this morning who encouraged me... "Did you just sprint for half a mile?" ummm, yeah I guess. I even got a "You go girl!"
Anyway, the 2 mile warmup was pathetically slow, but I loosened up a little towards the end. It was very humid and smoky, but since the repeats were pretty short it didn't affect me very much. The workout was 6 x 800 with 90% rest. I decided on 2:30- 2:45 for rest, because I figured I would run 2:50- 2:55 for each repeat. The goal was to work at 5k race pace, which is a pace that should be close to your VO2 Max pace. 2:55 per 800 is an 18:07 5k, and 2:50 is 17:36.
Well, I stuck on that pace pretty well for the first three, but it actually felt too easy. My times were:
2:55
2:49
2:49
2:48
2:46
2:37
They're actually half mile times, not 800s since it's on the park trail, but the difference isn't significant. Since the marathon will be on a bike path, it's more useful to do the repeats on similar terrain (rather than on the track). 4 mile cooldown after the workout was slow but didn't feel terrible. I like these types of workouts sooo much more than the long tempos. Bring it on, VO2 Max intervals!
I appreciated all of the walkers and runners on the trail this morning who encouraged me... "Did you just sprint for half a mile?" ummm, yeah I guess. I even got a "You go girl!"
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Setting Goals and Stuff
My high school coach used to help us set goals before the state meet. He would give them to us with our itinerary before we boarded the section 2 bus. It went something like this:
name "ultimate goal" "realistic goal"
Jess 1st 1st
Elizabeth 5-10 15-30
Mollie 15-20 25-50
You get the picture. I changed the names other than mine. As you can see, I wasn't an all-star in high school. I think I was more excited about the hair ribbons and glitter than actually being focused on my racing performance.
Anyway, in the spirit of good old Coach Mindel, I have decided it's about time to set some goals for my race. We didn't really get time goals from Mindel since the weather and terrain were so unpredictable in NY in November. This race is in October and is basically flat, so I feel comfortable making time and place goals. Okie here goes:
name "ultimate goal" "realistic goal"
Mollie 1st 1st- 5th
Mollie 2:55 3:00- 3:10
That was scary. I wrote 2:59 at first, and then I felt like a wimp, so I changed it. At least I have a goal pace now, with plenty of time to work towards it.
So the other part of this goal-setting involves what happens after October 9th. My coach at JMU always encouraged us to make "process" goals rather than "outcome" goals. So taking his wisdom into account, the real goal of this marathon is to get in decent enough shape to be able to run a (gasp) race on the track. I'm going to wait until after the marathon to set any further goals because it's making me nervous just thinking about it. Obviously it would be nice to say, oh I want to set a PR in the (1500/ 5000/ whatever) but I can't even imagine that right now.
So this week has been pretty low key training-wise. After my crappy long run last Sunday, my cold took on a life of its own. It seems to be going away, but it may also be gearing up for one final push. I had 10 miles on Tuesday which I did with Pete, and 15 yesterday. Both of those runs were at a very easy pace, around 8 min/mile. I wanted to run faster, but I also want to make sure I'm fully recovered from this cold by Sunday. Today I had a 5 mile recovery run, and I also did the ab ripper from p90x. I never actually did the p90x system, but I like some of the workouts, especially the yoga and ab ripper. I started doing the yoga workout too, but had to get showered before the guy from the glass company came to fix our window. I might do that one tomorrow.
Oh, btw, its still flipping HOT.
name "ultimate goal" "realistic goal"
Jess 1st 1st
Elizabeth 5-10 15-30
Mollie 15-20 25-50
You get the picture. I changed the names other than mine. As you can see, I wasn't an all-star in high school. I think I was more excited about the hair ribbons and glitter than actually being focused on my racing performance.
Anyway, in the spirit of good old Coach Mindel, I have decided it's about time to set some goals for my race. We didn't really get time goals from Mindel since the weather and terrain were so unpredictable in NY in November. This race is in October and is basically flat, so I feel comfortable making time and place goals. Okie here goes:
name "ultimate goal" "realistic goal"
Mollie 1st 1st- 5th
Mollie 2:55 3:00- 3:10
That was scary. I wrote 2:59 at first, and then I felt like a wimp, so I changed it. At least I have a goal pace now, with plenty of time to work towards it.
So the other part of this goal-setting involves what happens after October 9th. My coach at JMU always encouraged us to make "process" goals rather than "outcome" goals. So taking his wisdom into account, the real goal of this marathon is to get in decent enough shape to be able to run a (gasp) race on the track. I'm going to wait until after the marathon to set any further goals because it's making me nervous just thinking about it. Obviously it would be nice to say, oh I want to set a PR in the (1500/ 5000/ whatever) but I can't even imagine that right now.
So this week has been pretty low key training-wise. After my crappy long run last Sunday, my cold took on a life of its own. It seems to be going away, but it may also be gearing up for one final push. I had 10 miles on Tuesday which I did with Pete, and 15 yesterday. Both of those runs were at a very easy pace, around 8 min/mile. I wanted to run faster, but I also want to make sure I'm fully recovered from this cold by Sunday. Today I had a 5 mile recovery run, and I also did the ab ripper from p90x. I never actually did the p90x system, but I like some of the workouts, especially the yoga and ab ripper. I started doing the yoga workout too, but had to get showered before the guy from the glass company came to fix our window. I might do that one tomorrow.
Oh, btw, its still flipping HOT.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Uh oh. It's Almost August.
I've had cross country on my brain a lot this week. That's the tough thing about coaching a fall sport; even though you have the summer "off", it's really just the month of July because fall sports in Virginia start August 1st. Well, it's been awhile, but when I was in high school in Averill Park, New York, we did not start practice August 1st. We started the week before school, at the end of August, and we still managed two state championships during my three years of cross country. Don't get me started on that third year scandal... we should have been three for three but we had some administrative issues (ahem).
My cross country team is what you might call a "developing program". I spend the entire season basically tricking them into running longer and faster, while keeping it fun and adding in some cross training for kids whose primary sport is not running. I do scavenger hunts, relay races, and workouts where you pick a card from a pile and do whatever is on the card. We do more tradititonal training too, but I always do my best to make it fun, if not an opportunity to build some character. Having an entire month of practice in the heat of August is not my idea of a good time, and I know my team agrees. So we are starting pre-season conditioning the second week of August, and "try-outs" start August 15th. I wish I could start later, but we have to have a certain number of practice days before our first race.
I think part of the reason I've been thinking about cross country so much is that I am wondering how I'm going to fit in all my training with what I have scheduled for my team. This is going to require some really annoying planning. I'll just put that off for now.
Training has been great this week, but I do have some minor shin pain. It's on both sides, just regular old shin splints, so I'm doing some ice baths and ice cups after my runs. I should be taking ibuprofen too, but I keep forgetting. Tuesday was 10 miles than I ran with Pete. It was supposed to be split up into two runs but we had dinner plans last night so I just did it all in the morning. Today was 14 miles, which I did in 1:48 (7:45 per mile). Finally my Wednesday runs are feeling good.
My cross country team is what you might call a "developing program". I spend the entire season basically tricking them into running longer and faster, while keeping it fun and adding in some cross training for kids whose primary sport is not running. I do scavenger hunts, relay races, and workouts where you pick a card from a pile and do whatever is on the card. We do more tradititonal training too, but I always do my best to make it fun, if not an opportunity to build some character. Having an entire month of practice in the heat of August is not my idea of a good time, and I know my team agrees. So we are starting pre-season conditioning the second week of August, and "try-outs" start August 15th. I wish I could start later, but we have to have a certain number of practice days before our first race.
I think part of the reason I've been thinking about cross country so much is that I am wondering how I'm going to fit in all my training with what I have scheduled for my team. This is going to require some really annoying planning. I'll just put that off for now.
Training has been great this week, but I do have some minor shin pain. It's on both sides, just regular old shin splints, so I'm doing some ice baths and ice cups after my runs. I should be taking ibuprofen too, but I keep forgetting. Tuesday was 10 miles than I ran with Pete. It was supposed to be split up into two runs but we had dinner plans last night so I just did it all in the morning. Today was 14 miles, which I did in 1:48 (7:45 per mile). Finally my Wednesday runs are feeling good.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Brutal Week
But I made it through! And Pete finally got the clearance to run... so after he gets through this cold he caught from staying in the dorms at JMU he'll be reading to resume (slightly abbreviated) training.
Saturday was 7 miles and 10 x100. I ran 5 miles with Bella and then did an ins and outs type workout around my neighborhood so I could make sprints part of the rest of my run. It was pretty easy and I felt good. Later we met some friends for sushi and way overpriced drinks. The best part of the evening was that we stopped at a frozen yogurt shop called Sweet Frogs and got some serious sugar highs. I can't remember everything I put on mine, mostly peanut butter cups, oreos, and hot fudge. Pete's weighed twice as much as mine and I think he put one of everything on his. Fatty.
Sunday, ugh. I spent most of the time I was supposed to be sleeping in a fit of pain. I have never experienced the monthly curse as bad as this, and even though I haven't had children yet I swear it felt like labor pains. Luckily it went away after about three hours so I got 2-3 hours of sleep total. I woke up at 5am, got everything ready, and Pete and I drove to the oceanfront for our long run. Technically the park doesn't open until 7, but we were able to sneak in through a side trail and start running by 6. Overall, the run went well. I didn't bother to drink coffee in the morning so I felt pretty sluggish for about 5 miles, but I figured it was more important to hydrate due to the extreme heat and humidity. I did the run on an out and back 7 mile stretch so I could stop and refill my water. My only hiccup was when I finished my second 7 miles Pete was still out running on his own and I couldn't find where he put the water. I kept running until I finally found him and then we went to the car. I filled up with G2 instead, so it ended up being a good thing. The last three miles were pretty rough, although not as bad as some of my Wednesday runs have felt. I ended up running 2:42:22, which is about 7:42 per mile for 21 miles. I would have liked to be closer to 7:30, but considering the heat, the conditions of the trail, and the fact that it was my longest training run ever, I'm satisfied.
Afterward we walked to the beach and soaked in the ocean for a few. By the time we got home I was wiped out, and I slept for about three hours (after a shower of course). I spent basically the rest of the day on the couch watching movies. It was too hot to do anything outside, and I'm doing all of my chores today since I have the day off from running.
So that's it! Here's how the week went:
Monday: off
Tuesday: 5 mile tempo, 10 total
Wednesday: 14 miles
Thursday: 5 miles recovery
Friday: 11 miles
Saturday: 7 miles with 10 x 100 sprints
Sunday: 21 miles!
Total : 68 miles
Saturday was 7 miles and 10 x100. I ran 5 miles with Bella and then did an ins and outs type workout around my neighborhood so I could make sprints part of the rest of my run. It was pretty easy and I felt good. Later we met some friends for sushi and way overpriced drinks. The best part of the evening was that we stopped at a frozen yogurt shop called Sweet Frogs and got some serious sugar highs. I can't remember everything I put on mine, mostly peanut butter cups, oreos, and hot fudge. Pete's weighed twice as much as mine and I think he put one of everything on his. Fatty.
Sunday, ugh. I spent most of the time I was supposed to be sleeping in a fit of pain. I have never experienced the monthly curse as bad as this, and even though I haven't had children yet I swear it felt like labor pains. Luckily it went away after about three hours so I got 2-3 hours of sleep total. I woke up at 5am, got everything ready, and Pete and I drove to the oceanfront for our long run. Technically the park doesn't open until 7, but we were able to sneak in through a side trail and start running by 6. Overall, the run went well. I didn't bother to drink coffee in the morning so I felt pretty sluggish for about 5 miles, but I figured it was more important to hydrate due to the extreme heat and humidity. I did the run on an out and back 7 mile stretch so I could stop and refill my water. My only hiccup was when I finished my second 7 miles Pete was still out running on his own and I couldn't find where he put the water. I kept running until I finally found him and then we went to the car. I filled up with G2 instead, so it ended up being a good thing. The last three miles were pretty rough, although not as bad as some of my Wednesday runs have felt. I ended up running 2:42:22, which is about 7:42 per mile for 21 miles. I would have liked to be closer to 7:30, but considering the heat, the conditions of the trail, and the fact that it was my longest training run ever, I'm satisfied.
Afterward we walked to the beach and soaked in the ocean for a few. By the time we got home I was wiped out, and I slept for about three hours (after a shower of course). I spent basically the rest of the day on the couch watching movies. It was too hot to do anything outside, and I'm doing all of my chores today since I have the day off from running.
So that's it! Here's how the week went:
Monday: off
Tuesday: 5 mile tempo, 10 total
Wednesday: 14 miles
Thursday: 5 miles recovery
Friday: 11 miles
Saturday: 7 miles with 10 x 100 sprints
Sunday: 21 miles!
Total : 68 miles
Friday, July 22, 2011
I'll Huff... and I'll Puff... and I'll Blow Your House In!
I'm not even going to bore myself by writing about the heat anymore. I've been waking up early all week, and it sucks, but I'm hoping it's not going to be like this for the rest of the summer. I know if I can make it through 68 miles this week, I can pretty much make it through anything. In typical fashion, I slogged through Wednesday's 14 miles. I have yet to feel any better on these Wednesday runs. They flat out suck. Thursday was a recovery 5 miles which I ran with Bella. Today's run was 11, and I actually felt good! I did the first half in 44 min, and came back in 42 (the route is actually a little longer than 11 miles, which I was happy to find out a few weeks ago). While I was running back, I couldn't believe I was actually feeling better with each mile. That rarely happens in the heat, and it usually goes the other way. For some reason I started about that fairytale The Three Little Pigs, and the wolf who tries to blow their houses in. Couldn't get it out of my head. Maybe it was because I was huffing and puffing a lot, I don't know.
Tomorrow is supposed to be 7 miles and some sprints and Sunday's run... 21 miles! This is going to take some planning. I actually was thinking today that I need to get some handheld water bottles because the gatorade bottles I've been using are annoying to hold. I hate to buy gadgets, but I borrowed my brother Brandon's a few weeks ago and I actually liked it. I also might need to break down and buy some new running shoes, since I've been doing all of my training in Nike Free's and I probably need to get something with a little cushion. My poor feet and shins are kind of sore from all of the sidewalk running this week.
Tomorrow is supposed to be 7 miles and some sprints and Sunday's run... 21 miles! This is going to take some planning. I actually was thinking today that I need to get some handheld water bottles because the gatorade bottles I've been using are annoying to hold. I hate to buy gadgets, but I borrowed my brother Brandon's a few weeks ago and I actually liked it. I also might need to break down and buy some new running shoes, since I've been doing all of my training in Nike Free's and I probably need to get something with a little cushion. My poor feet and shins are kind of sore from all of the sidewalk running this week.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Sweet Relief
67 degrees this morning... aaaahhh. My 12 mile run on Wednesday went well considering how hot and humid it was, much better than I felt last week.
Bella ran the whole ten miles with me today, and my 5 mile recovery run yesterday as well. She runs about 6:45-7:00 pace until she gets tired, and in cool weather she can keep that pace up for 8-10 miles or more. She's a good training partner, except for when she takes a sharp turn to go after a bunny or a squirrel. I ate it once last fall, but I guess my reaction time has improved since then.
The week has felt really easy, almost too easy. I just have 5 mile recovery run tomorrow and a 15-miler on Sunday. I may try to make up for the marathon pace run that I missed last Sunday (I ended up just running 18 at a regular pace because of the heat) and turning the 15 into a race pace run.
Not much else to report... pretty chill week, just enjoying the time off and getting settled into our house. Looks like a nice beach weekend ahead!
Bella ran the whole ten miles with me today, and my 5 mile recovery run yesterday as well. She runs about 6:45-7:00 pace until she gets tired, and in cool weather she can keep that pace up for 8-10 miles or more. She's a good training partner, except for when she takes a sharp turn to go after a bunny or a squirrel. I ate it once last fall, but I guess my reaction time has improved since then.
The week has felt really easy, almost too easy. I just have 5 mile recovery run tomorrow and a 15-miler on Sunday. I may try to make up for the marathon pace run that I missed last Sunday (I ended up just running 18 at a regular pace because of the heat) and turning the 15 into a race pace run.
Not much else to report... pretty chill week, just enjoying the time off and getting settled into our house. Looks like a nice beach weekend ahead!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Week in Review
I've been lacking motivation lately, so I listened to some Mitch Hedberg stand-up on my iPod (I never run with my iPod, this was yesterday on my day off). I've heard his stand-up so many times I have it memorized, but he never fails to crack me up. Here's some motivation Mitch Hedberg-style:
I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later.
Last week:
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 9 miles
Wednesday: 11 miles
Thursday: 8 miles
Friday: 9 miles
Saturday: 5 miles
Sunday: 18 miles
Total: 60 miles!!
So... I felt pretty awful this week. I skipped the marathon pace part of the 18-miler on Sunday because it was incredibly hot, but the effort was there. I ended up running 1:21:58 for the 18 miles, almost 4 minutes slower than last week. Of course, last week it was 60-something, overcast and raining. This week it was high 80's, sunny and very humid. I guess I have to wake up even earlier. Oh well, another lesson learned.
We went to the beach Sunday afternoon (I made a big effort to re-hydrate though), and when we came back I was toast... didn't get much accomplished yesterday either because I felt like crap. Today's run started off pretty rough, but I felt great by the end. I love running really fast (tell me again, why am I running a marathon?) so today was fun, only 8 miles and then 10 x 100 meters, which I rocked.
I wonder what my new neighbors think when they see me sprinting back and forth in front of my house?
I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later.
Last week:
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 9 miles
Wednesday: 11 miles
Thursday: 8 miles
Friday: 9 miles
Saturday: 5 miles
Sunday: 18 miles
Total: 60 miles!!
So... I felt pretty awful this week. I skipped the marathon pace part of the 18-miler on Sunday because it was incredibly hot, but the effort was there. I ended up running 1:21:58 for the 18 miles, almost 4 minutes slower than last week. Of course, last week it was 60-something, overcast and raining. This week it was high 80's, sunny and very humid. I guess I have to wake up even earlier. Oh well, another lesson learned.
We went to the beach Sunday afternoon (I made a big effort to re-hydrate though), and when we came back I was toast... didn't get much accomplished yesterday either because I felt like crap. Today's run started off pretty rough, but I felt great by the end. I love running really fast (tell me again, why am I running a marathon?) so today was fun, only 8 miles and then 10 x 100 meters, which I rocked.
I wonder what my new neighbors think when they see me sprinting back and forth in front of my house?
Friday, July 8, 2011
Close Call
Thank you to the lady in the POS Cutlass Supreme who stopped in the middle of the crosswalk to shove a doughnut in her mouth. You could have easily stopped before the crosswalk and let me continue running, especially because there were no cars coming in either direction. I understand that doughnuts taste good, but in the future you may want to wake up 30 seconds earlier and eat that at home since you can't seem to handle driving, chewing, and turning your head at the same time.
That happened yesterday, but it really bugged me. Any close calls I have ever had while running have involved people at fast food establishments. For some reason, they get so excited by their purchases that they forget to check for pedestrians or other cars.
Wednesday's run was supposed to be 14, but I could only get in 11 before my dentist apptointment (no cavities!) unless I skipped the shower (ew). I should have just done my scheduled recovery run yesterday, but I wanted to make up the mileage I had missed so I ran 8 miles instead of 5. Today I woke up feeling like garbage and contemplated skipping my run altogether, but Bella was really hyper so I decided to run 3 with her and see how I felt. It was really humid and almost 11am by the time I finished, but I got in 9 miles. Pretty slow and I feel awful now, but at least it's done!
Not much else to report, just laying low and doing a lot of work on our house. We're having a mini-cookout tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to a nice weekend!
That happened yesterday, but it really bugged me. Any close calls I have ever had while running have involved people at fast food establishments. For some reason, they get so excited by their purchases that they forget to check for pedestrians or other cars.
Wednesday's run was supposed to be 14, but I could only get in 11 before my dentist apptointment (no cavities!) unless I skipped the shower (ew). I should have just done my scheduled recovery run yesterday, but I wanted to make up the mileage I had missed so I ran 8 miles instead of 5. Today I woke up feeling like garbage and contemplated skipping my run altogether, but Bella was really hyper so I decided to run 3 with her and see how I felt. It was really humid and almost 11am by the time I finished, but I got in 9 miles. Pretty slow and I feel awful now, but at least it's done!
Not much else to report, just laying low and doing a lot of work on our house. We're having a mini-cookout tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to a nice weekend!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
13 Weeks To Go!
Last week was a short week because of our vacation. I somehow managed to squeeze in 40 miles in 3 days. After Lake Placid, we drove to my hometown in upstate NY and stayed with my sister and brother-in-law. From Thursday afternoon until yesterday afternoon we basically slept, ate, ran, and laid out by the pool. It was fabulous.
I jumped back into training on Friday with an 11-miler and Saturday with the same distance. Sunday's 18-miler turned out much better than I had hoped. Pete rode the road bike next to me and Brandon ran the first 9 miles with me as well. I had planned to go about 75 minutes per loop to end up with about 2 hours and 30 minutes for the run. It was warm, but rained (heavily at times) for most of the run, and I think the overcast skies made the very hilly loop seem easier than usual. We ended up running the first 9 miles in 70 minutes. I felt really good until the beginning of the second loop (after about 5 minutes it's straight uphill for a mile) but I ended up pushing myself to hit the same time as the previous loop. My final time was 2:17:17, well under the time I was trying to hit. Marathon training is starting to work it's magic.
Monday was a rest/ travel day. It sucked having to leave NY on the Fourth of July. A lot of my cousins were up for my sister's baby shower, the weather was perfect, and we had such a good time seeing everyone. Unfortunately we had to bite the bullet and take off at 2pm. Traffic wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, so we got good sleep last night. This morning I picked up Bella from the boarders and ran part of my 9 miles with her. I think those rest days paid off because I'm feeling really good and looking forward to this week!
Friday: 11 miles
Saturday: 11 miles
Sunday: 18 miles
Total: 40 miles
I jumped back into training on Friday with an 11-miler and Saturday with the same distance. Sunday's 18-miler turned out much better than I had hoped. Pete rode the road bike next to me and Brandon ran the first 9 miles with me as well. I had planned to go about 75 minutes per loop to end up with about 2 hours and 30 minutes for the run. It was warm, but rained (heavily at times) for most of the run, and I think the overcast skies made the very hilly loop seem easier than usual. We ended up running the first 9 miles in 70 minutes. I felt really good until the beginning of the second loop (after about 5 minutes it's straight uphill for a mile) but I ended up pushing myself to hit the same time as the previous loop. My final time was 2:17:17, well under the time I was trying to hit. Marathon training is starting to work it's magic.
Monday was a rest/ travel day. It sucked having to leave NY on the Fourth of July. A lot of my cousins were up for my sister's baby shower, the weather was perfect, and we had such a good time seeing everyone. Unfortunately we had to bite the bullet and take off at 2pm. Traffic wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, so we got good sleep last night. This morning I picked up Bella from the boarders and ran part of my 9 miles with her. I think those rest days paid off because I'm feeling really good and looking forward to this week!
Friday: 11 miles
Saturday: 11 miles
Sunday: 18 miles
Total: 40 miles
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Week Four... Olympic Fever!
We're in Lake Placid celebrating our two year anniversary...and not running. Unfortunately I'm using a lot of muscles that I don't normally use and I'm really sore! We might go for a run tomorrow, but we've been saying that every day. I feel a little antsy, like I want to go for a run. I think that's a good thing though. I'll be excited to start up again later this week.
Week four went like this:
Tuesday 14 miles total
Wednesday 10 miles
Thursday 5 miles recovery
Friday 11 miles
Total: 40 miles
We cheered on our brother in his first tinman (half ironman) and we've been kicking back since then. Sunday we hiked Whiteface (my fourth time, Pete's first time), toured the Olympic sites, rented stand up paddle boards, and met up with some family that lives nearby for a four person four-hour dinner. We also drove by the Olympic Training Center, the site of many fun APXC times at the OTC Peak When It Counts Running Camp.
Training resumes Friday and I have an 18 miler on Sunday before my sister's baby shower... I think I'm going to enjoy this time off until then.
Week four went like this:
Tuesday 14 miles total
Wednesday 10 miles
Thursday 5 miles recovery
Friday 11 miles
Total: 40 miles
We cheered on our brother in his first tinman (half ironman) and we've been kicking back since then. Sunday we hiked Whiteface (my fourth time, Pete's first time), toured the Olympic sites, rented stand up paddle boards, and met up with some family that lives nearby for a four person four-hour dinner. We also drove by the Olympic Training Center, the site of many fun APXC times at the OTC Peak When It Counts Running Camp.
Training resumes Friday and I have an 18 miler on Sunday before my sister's baby shower... I think I'm going to enjoy this time off until then.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Injury... yeah... about that
So I'm going through a bit of a trial right now. Every runner despises it, yet we all have to face it in one form or another at some point.
The dreaded injury has struck and landed in my calves. It's an extremely uncomfortable all-encompassing tightness in my gastroc and soleus. No matter how much you stretch or when you stretch, the feeling does not go away. I ran through it for a couple of weeks, but knew the feeling was beyond the sore or tight feelings that are expected from time to time. I found myself very drained from mentally managing the pain through the longer runs. Eventually, even the short 5 mile recoveries became dreadful. It really started to aggravate me to the point that I was losing it. I was seeing improvements from my training (besides the calf pain) and I just wanted to continue in my training progress problem free.
I sucked it up and went to my PCP (who I made sure was a runner before I selected him 2 years back). He assumed (as did I) that it was just adhesions that needed to get worked on in the muscles. I had the pleasure of taking more time out of a day on Wednesday to go to the PT, who was nice, but admitted that she spends far less time treating athletes than she does treating people who are older and/or rehabbing from surgery. She proceeded to go through an extensive regimen of tasks to narrow down the problem (range of motion measurements, massages, stretches, 101 questions, treadmill tests, etc.). I found myself repeating the same descriptions and answers over and over. After 2 hours I went home. The next 2 days I ran more and I hurt more.
I went back on Friday and we did ultra sound and intense myofacial release, to no avail. And, wait for it.... another treadmill test. We spent another large amount of time where she asked- "Does this hurt? Is this the same pain?" She's the type of person who thinks out loud and her questions were becoming more frequently followed by her saying "that concerns me" or "that's not good". She finally admitted that she thought the pain is not a result of the adhesions or any muscular imbalances.
I asked her what direction this was heading and she said it could be a form of compartment syndrome. I don't believe I have a bad case of it (which requires surgery), but it does suck, so after I meet with her tomorrow we will have a final verdict on where I'm headed.
I took the liberty of consulting a friend who's been through the ringer with compartment syndrome. She had a bad case of it and had to have the full surgery where they release all 4 compartments in the lower leg or "calf" muscles. She referenced me to Glasson Sports Medicine in VB that specializes in working with athletes. Evidently their staff is top notch. That appointment is still being arranged by my PCP, so hopefully I can get to a visit and answer soon.
Until then, I'm running, but the runs are shorter. Can we say annoying?
The dreaded injury has struck and landed in my calves. It's an extremely uncomfortable all-encompassing tightness in my gastroc and soleus. No matter how much you stretch or when you stretch, the feeling does not go away. I ran through it for a couple of weeks, but knew the feeling was beyond the sore or tight feelings that are expected from time to time. I found myself very drained from mentally managing the pain through the longer runs. Eventually, even the short 5 mile recoveries became dreadful. It really started to aggravate me to the point that I was losing it. I was seeing improvements from my training (besides the calf pain) and I just wanted to continue in my training progress problem free.
I sucked it up and went to my PCP (who I made sure was a runner before I selected him 2 years back). He assumed (as did I) that it was just adhesions that needed to get worked on in the muscles. I had the pleasure of taking more time out of a day on Wednesday to go to the PT, who was nice, but admitted that she spends far less time treating athletes than she does treating people who are older and/or rehabbing from surgery. She proceeded to go through an extensive regimen of tasks to narrow down the problem (range of motion measurements, massages, stretches, 101 questions, treadmill tests, etc.). I found myself repeating the same descriptions and answers over and over. After 2 hours I went home. The next 2 days I ran more and I hurt more.
I went back on Friday and we did ultra sound and intense myofacial release, to no avail. And, wait for it.... another treadmill test. We spent another large amount of time where she asked- "Does this hurt? Is this the same pain?" She's the type of person who thinks out loud and her questions were becoming more frequently followed by her saying "that concerns me" or "that's not good". She finally admitted that she thought the pain is not a result of the adhesions or any muscular imbalances.
I asked her what direction this was heading and she said it could be a form of compartment syndrome. I don't believe I have a bad case of it (which requires surgery), but it does suck, so after I meet with her tomorrow we will have a final verdict on where I'm headed.
I took the liberty of consulting a friend who's been through the ringer with compartment syndrome. She had a bad case of it and had to have the full surgery where they release all 4 compartments in the lower leg or "calf" muscles. She referenced me to Glasson Sports Medicine in VB that specializes in working with athletes. Evidently their staff is top notch. That appointment is still being arranged by my PCP, so hopefully I can get to a visit and answer soon.
Until then, I'm running, but the runs are shorter. Can we say annoying?
Week Three
Lily: Ted, you may be single and childless, but you're totally a dorky dad.
Ted: I don't think I like your tone, young lady.**
Pete is still working on his injury so I had to go it alone today. Total time was 1:57:42, but I actually ran 15.3 miles due to that extra distance between the end and beginning of the loop so I averaged 7:42 per mile.
The park was really nice this morning, lots of dads fishing or going for walks with their families, which made for some good people-watching. I decided to practice drinking water while running, and I took a GU block every three miles. I find the gels to be so disgusting, so I tried the blocks and success! I like how you can just take one block instead of trying to hang on to a half-full gel pack.
After the run I had about ten minutes to get ready to meet Pete's dad for brunch. We went to the art show at the oceanfront afterwards. It was fun to browse through all the different artists, but as we got further up the boardwalk it turned into lots of tourists in too-small bathing suits eating turkey legs.
Anyway, I would say Happy Father's Day, but I know my dad will not be reading this (which is the same reason I'm not going to bother writing it on facebook). I already called him this morning, and we'll see him on Thursday for a belated FD celebration in NY. Dad is "old school" and prefers to get all of his information and gossip by word of mouth, so facebook is out of the question.
Week Three:
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 10 miles (4 tempo)
Wednesday: 13 miles
Thursday: 5 miles recovery
Friday: 9 miles general aerobic
Saturday: 5 miles recovery
Sunday: 15 miles long run
total: 57 miles
(**from the How I Met Your Mother episode, Not A Father's Day**)
Ted: I don't think I like your tone, young lady.**
Pete is still working on his injury so I had to go it alone today. Total time was 1:57:42, but I actually ran 15.3 miles due to that extra distance between the end and beginning of the loop so I averaged 7:42 per mile.
The park was really nice this morning, lots of dads fishing or going for walks with their families, which made for some good people-watching. I decided to practice drinking water while running, and I took a GU block every three miles. I find the gels to be so disgusting, so I tried the blocks and success! I like how you can just take one block instead of trying to hang on to a half-full gel pack.
After the run I had about ten minutes to get ready to meet Pete's dad for brunch. We went to the art show at the oceanfront afterwards. It was fun to browse through all the different artists, but as we got further up the boardwalk it turned into lots of tourists in too-small bathing suits eating turkey legs.
Anyway, I would say Happy Father's Day, but I know my dad will not be reading this (which is the same reason I'm not going to bother writing it on facebook). I already called him this morning, and we'll see him on Thursday for a belated FD celebration in NY. Dad is "old school" and prefers to get all of his information and gossip by word of mouth, so facebook is out of the question.
Week Three:
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 10 miles (4 tempo)
Wednesday: 13 miles
Thursday: 5 miles recovery
Friday: 9 miles general aerobic
Saturday: 5 miles recovery
Sunday: 15 miles long run
total: 57 miles
(**from the How I Met Your Mother episode, Not A Father's Day**)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
I'm calling it a long run
Yesterday I had to run 13 miles, and for some reason my training plan calls this a medium-long run. I disagree.
I ran during lunch, at the hottest time of the day, but it was still cooler than last week's 11 miler. When I got back to school, anyone who saw me in the hallway was all "wow, is it hot out there?" and "you're all sweaty". Is that the best you can come up with? One of the teachers in my hallway asked me how far I ran. "Five miles?" he guessed. "No, thirteen." His jaw dropped to the floor. I don't get why that's such a big deal.
I am so happy school is almost over. People are getting on my nerves in a big way. Driving to work is obnoxious. The state of VA sells "vanity" plates at a very affordable price, and the trend is for basically everyone to get a personalized license plate. It's bad enough I have to sit in traffic, but then I am forced to read the license plate on the vehicle in front of me. Dear driver of the blue Ford Escape with the license plate "ESSKAPE", why? Clearly your frontal lobe is lacking something. And I'm pretty sure Jesus did not sacrifice Himself so that he might be part of your clever license plate message, "4HM4EVA".
I ran during lunch, at the hottest time of the day, but it was still cooler than last week's 11 miler. When I got back to school, anyone who saw me in the hallway was all "wow, is it hot out there?" and "you're all sweaty". Is that the best you can come up with? One of the teachers in my hallway asked me how far I ran. "Five miles?" he guessed. "No, thirteen." His jaw dropped to the floor. I don't get why that's such a big deal.
I am so happy school is almost over. People are getting on my nerves in a big way. Driving to work is obnoxious. The state of VA sells "vanity" plates at a very affordable price, and the trend is for basically everyone to get a personalized license plate. It's bad enough I have to sit in traffic, but then I am forced to read the license plate on the vehicle in front of me. Dear driver of the blue Ford Escape with the license plate "ESSKAPE", why? Clearly your frontal lobe is lacking something. And I'm pretty sure Jesus did not sacrifice Himself so that he might be part of your clever license plate message, "4HM4EVA".
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Rest Day and Tempo Run
Monday was a rest day, so Pete and I met some friends for Mexican in VB. We sat outside, because it was so nice. Compared to last week, it feels amazing outside. Very low humidity, nice breeze, high 70s. I was only going to have one maragarita, but since it was our day off I went for another. The food was reeeally good too. I ordered the enchiladas, which are my current fave.
Tuesday's workout was a 4-mile tempo at 15k to half-marathon pace. I drove to the same park from Sunday with a 1.5 mile loop. After a 2 mile warm-up, I got some water and used the disgusting port-a-potty. I wanted to go in the woods but I didn't have the nerve to do it with so many poeple around. Ugh that bathroom is so nasty.
The tempo went well. I aimed for 6:40 pace and ended up averaging 6:38's, for a total time 26:33.49. The actual time was 27:06, but I had to subtract the time it took me to run the 50 meters between the "end" and "beginning" of each loop. Splits from my watch (so I can clear it for my run today):
9:54.04 (1.5 miles)
16.78 (between "end" and "beginning") 10:10.82 total
10:03.73 (1.5 miles) 20:14.55 total
16.31 (between) 20:30.86 total
6:35.72 (last mile) 27:06.58 end time
subtract 33.09 seconds
total time: 26:33.49
I am probably going to run during lunch today (since we actually get a full hour and a half for lunch on half days). I might be a little over since I am supposed to run 13 miles today. Two more school days left, and both are half days. Summer cannot get here soon enough!
Tuesday's workout was a 4-mile tempo at 15k to half-marathon pace. I drove to the same park from Sunday with a 1.5 mile loop. After a 2 mile warm-up, I got some water and used the disgusting port-a-potty. I wanted to go in the woods but I didn't have the nerve to do it with so many poeple around. Ugh that bathroom is so nasty.
The tempo went well. I aimed for 6:40 pace and ended up averaging 6:38's, for a total time 26:33.49. The actual time was 27:06, but I had to subtract the time it took me to run the 50 meters between the "end" and "beginning" of each loop. Splits from my watch (so I can clear it for my run today):
9:54.04 (1.5 miles)
16.78 (between "end" and "beginning") 10:10.82 total
10:03.73 (1.5 miles) 20:14.55 total
16.31 (between) 20:30.86 total
6:35.72 (last mile) 27:06.58 end time
subtract 33.09 seconds
total time: 26:33.49
I am probably going to run during lunch today (since we actually get a full hour and a half for lunch on half days). I might be a little over since I am supposed to run 13 miles today. Two more school days left, and both are half days. Summer cannot get here soon enough!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Gettin' Paper
Track season is finally over!! One more week of school, and then summer break begins. I just found out that our school district has a surplus for the year and they are giving all teachers a 2.5% bonus this summer. That will go to good use, either for our house or for our vacation in Lake Placid.
Training has been going well, although the heat has been a serious factor. We lucked out yesterday because we slept in and didn't start out run until almost 9am. The plan was to run 4 miles, then 6 miles at marathon pace, and then finish with 4 more miles to make 14 total. We drove to a nearby park with a 1.5 mile loop, and decided to modify the workout so that we did 4 x 1.5 miles at marathon pace, with a short jog/water break in between. Times for the repeats were:
10:56 (7:20 at mile)
10:44 (7:00 at mile)
10:23 (6:45 at mile)
9:52 (6:40 at mile)
I got a little carried away on the last one because I wanted to run under 10:00, but I didn't feel like I was running an all-out interval. I didn't feel lactic acid at any point in my workout either. I was pretty pleased with the workout and it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be.
We spent the afternoon at the beach, which was sooo relaxing. When we got home last night we hung out with our neighbors for a little bit and made dinner. It was a great day, and made up for Saturday.
(*I had to take a Praxis test, then drive straight to Richmond for a track meet. The lightning started after the first event, then we all waited around for three hours before they had to cancel the whole meet. I was pissed but didn't want to let my athletes know. I had really been looking forward to this meet because it's one of the few in VA with a girls steeplechase, and now we have to wait until next year. Plus, Pete got a speeding ticket in some crappy town between here and Richmond. The officer had really bad teeth.)
Week Two:
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 8 miles with 10x100m strides (9 total)
Wednesday: 11 miles
Thursday: 5 miles recovery run
Friday: rest
Saturday: 5 miles
Sunday: 14 miles with 6 miles at marathon pace
total: 44 miles
Training has been going well, although the heat has been a serious factor. We lucked out yesterday because we slept in and didn't start out run until almost 9am. The plan was to run 4 miles, then 6 miles at marathon pace, and then finish with 4 more miles to make 14 total. We drove to a nearby park with a 1.5 mile loop, and decided to modify the workout so that we did 4 x 1.5 miles at marathon pace, with a short jog/water break in between. Times for the repeats were:
10:56 (7:20 at mile)
10:44 (7:00 at mile)
10:23 (6:45 at mile)
9:52 (6:40 at mile)
I got a little carried away on the last one because I wanted to run under 10:00, but I didn't feel like I was running an all-out interval. I didn't feel lactic acid at any point in my workout either. I was pretty pleased with the workout and it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be.
We spent the afternoon at the beach, which was sooo relaxing. When we got home last night we hung out with our neighbors for a little bit and made dinner. It was a great day, and made up for Saturday.
(*I had to take a Praxis test, then drive straight to Richmond for a track meet. The lightning started after the first event, then we all waited around for three hours before they had to cancel the whole meet. I was pissed but didn't want to let my athletes know. I had really been looking forward to this meet because it's one of the few in VA with a girls steeplechase, and now we have to wait until next year. Plus, Pete got a speeding ticket in some crappy town between here and Richmond. The officer had really bad teeth.)
Week Two:
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 8 miles with 10x100m strides (9 total)
Wednesday: 11 miles
Thursday: 5 miles recovery run
Friday: rest
Saturday: 5 miles
Sunday: 14 miles with 6 miles at marathon pace
total: 44 miles
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Time
Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.
~Earl Nightingale
I put off actually training for a marathon for one reason. It's not the pain, or the hunger, or the actual race that I dread.
It's staying on a strict training schedule. It's the actual amount of time that one has to devote to this goal some 18 weeks in the future. No thank you.
My self-discipline with regard to training has always been below average. When left to my own devices I always find an excuse to skip a workout. After college, I didn't feel like running for awhile. When I got the urge to run, I would, but otherwise I didn't give it much thought. My friend asked me to train for a marathon with her in grad school (turns out 3 days a week is not proper marathon training) and I hated it. I hated spending three or more hours on a saturday running. That memory has unfortunately stuck with me and discouraged me from catching that elusive marathon bug. Fine with me.
I've been running some local races this year, and I've been first or second in the 5ks and 10ks. I'm amazed at how I've been able to get by on residual fitness in the shorter races, although the longer races are more of a struggle. I mentioned before that I may be a bit lazy, right? Well I also hate losing. So, along the way I decided to maybe train for a marathon-- not some crazy 100 mile per week training plan, but something workable. Why? Because I miss the feeling of being in really good shape and being able to beat everyone.
I read an article in the May 2011 edition of Runner's World that compared being in good running shape to a secret superpower that no one really cares about.
(excerpt, link below)
FADE IN
DEEP WOODS—DAYTIME
A LOVELY YOUNG WOMAN lies on the ground, a snakebite on her thigh. A DOCTOR cradles her head, as she bravely fights for life.
DOCTOR
She only has two hours to live, and the only antidote is five miles away! We have no transportation and no way to communicate! She's doomed unless...someone here can run 10 miles in 90 minutes or less!
THE FOOTBALL STAR, THE CLASS PRESIDENT, and THE HANDSOME MUSICIAN look down helplessly.
PETER steps forward. He peels off his jacket, revealing a running singlet.
PETER
I'll be right back.
So it may seem like a pointless endeavor at times, but at least you're using your time wisely. I don't know how anyone else feels, but I get a lot more satisfaction from spending those 60 minutes working out, rather than watching The Bachelorette.
(*to be fair, our new cable hasn't been hooked up and I didn't really want to go back to our apartment just to watch whatever crap is on our DVR anyway)
Week two started off with 8 miles, and 10x100m strides. Pete and I did part of our run with Bella, and she did the strides with me too. Number 8 of 10 was really fast because she was trying to catch a fox that crossed the street in front of our house.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297-519-13920-0,00.html
~Earl Nightingale
I put off actually training for a marathon for one reason. It's not the pain, or the hunger, or the actual race that I dread.
It's staying on a strict training schedule. It's the actual amount of time that one has to devote to this goal some 18 weeks in the future. No thank you.
My self-discipline with regard to training has always been below average. When left to my own devices I always find an excuse to skip a workout. After college, I didn't feel like running for awhile. When I got the urge to run, I would, but otherwise I didn't give it much thought. My friend asked me to train for a marathon with her in grad school (turns out 3 days a week is not proper marathon training) and I hated it. I hated spending three or more hours on a saturday running. That memory has unfortunately stuck with me and discouraged me from catching that elusive marathon bug. Fine with me.
I've been running some local races this year, and I've been first or second in the 5ks and 10ks. I'm amazed at how I've been able to get by on residual fitness in the shorter races, although the longer races are more of a struggle. I mentioned before that I may be a bit lazy, right? Well I also hate losing. So, along the way I decided to maybe train for a marathon-- not some crazy 100 mile per week training plan, but something workable. Why? Because I miss the feeling of being in really good shape and being able to beat everyone.
I read an article in the May 2011 edition of Runner's World that compared being in good running shape to a secret superpower that no one really cares about.
(excerpt, link below)
FADE IN
DEEP WOODS—DAYTIME
A LOVELY YOUNG WOMAN lies on the ground, a snakebite on her thigh. A DOCTOR cradles her head, as she bravely fights for life.
DOCTOR
She only has two hours to live, and the only antidote is five miles away! We have no transportation and no way to communicate! She's doomed unless...someone here can run 10 miles in 90 minutes or less!
THE FOOTBALL STAR, THE CLASS PRESIDENT, and THE HANDSOME MUSICIAN look down helplessly.
PETER steps forward. He peels off his jacket, revealing a running singlet.
PETER
I'll be right back.
So it may seem like a pointless endeavor at times, but at least you're using your time wisely. I don't know how anyone else feels, but I get a lot more satisfaction from spending those 60 minutes working out, rather than watching The Bachelorette.
(*to be fair, our new cable hasn't been hooked up and I didn't really want to go back to our apartment just to watch whatever crap is on our DVR anyway)
Week two started off with 8 miles, and 10x100m strides. Pete and I did part of our run with Bella, and she did the strides with me too. Number 8 of 10 was really fast because she was trying to catch a fox that crossed the street in front of our house.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297-519-13920-0,00.html
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