It has been 3 runs since my last confession, oh I mean post.
Let's see ....
I ran 4 miles on Tuesday and Thursday morning. We actually met at 6:15 on Thursday so we didn't have to run in pitch blackness and that extra sleeping time was bliss.
4 miles now seems easy ... well, at least Tuesday did. Thursday, E and M were way ahead of me and I just couldn't catch back up with them. They promised me that they weren't flying either, but they just. seemed. so. far. ahead.
Today we ran almost 7 at Salem Lake. Plan called for 8, but Liz suggested 7 and no one was opposed. Great run with the exception of dashing through the flooded out dam so our last 1/2 mile was in squishy wet socks and shoes. Gross.
Next week is going to seem like a cake walk. (hopefully - don't want to jinx myself) 4 on Tuesday, 4 on Thursday, 1 on Friday and then .... race day!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Saturday, August 22
So today was "the" day. Not "the the" day, but that one on the training calendar that has brought some dread and "ugggghhhhs" since I received the training guide over some three months ago.
13 miles.
Really? I have to run the half before I run the half? I have always done training programs that ended at 10 miles, so these last few weeks have all been new to me.
As Saturday drew closer, I was actually kind of excited about it and not as nervous as I almost felt like I should be.
I packed up my supplies the night before - tons of Gu chomps in my SPI belt, water bottle, hat, moleskin for my blisters, etc.
We met that morning, chatted, stretched, and were off. Basically our plan was to run to Summerfield and back. (!) We lucked out with overcast skies and shade on this course.
We had a pretty big group that was all sticking together and it started breaking up when we got further into Bur Mil. All of a sudden, M. and I noticed that E. was a little further back then she had been. We knew she wasn't a fan of big packs like we were in, so we didn't think much about it. We looked again and she wasn't there. Liz caught up to us and told us that she wasn't feeling well and they had stopped and called her husband to come and pick her up. This was awful news ... we knew how devastated she would be, but she's also one of our group of three! We've all become so used to running together that it's hard when one of us isn't around. Her son had been sick, so we thought she must have caught this bug. Yuck. We had to keep going, but we both just felt so bad for E.
We made it to our turnaround point and then had to run about a mile or so back to get to the cooler with Gu, bananas, Gatorade, etc. We hit the restroom, fueled up and were back on the Greenway.
It took me a while to get my legs going again ... they felt like they just weren't moving. I ate a couple of Gu's and felt better. It was still hard to believe that we were going to do this!
On the way back, we had some welcome rain. It was really beautiful - not a downpour, but just a nice heavy sprinkle. I was worried that it would get steamy after it finished, but it didn't.
We hit the stoplights and I stopped Garmin for one of them. Bad mistake - I looked down and realized that I never restarted it. Luckily, we figured out that it had been 1/2 mile since we run this course all the time. After some mad math skills, we figured out where we were and what we needed to finish up. We headed to do the "little loop" and then onto Grease Alley.
I think by this point, I just wanted it to be through. We caught up with some of the girls going 12 and made it back to the cars. It was hard not to want to really push it on GA, but we had a little further to go than usual. When we made it back, we asked others what their distance had been and we realized we should do a little parking lot loop. M. and I looked at each other and we were off. Crazy, but I didn't want to have run that far to end up at 12.5. So, we did a little loop and were back to enjoy some much needed Gatorade.
M. had also brought along some ice cold water that was wonderful. E. had left me her bottle of Gatorade that had been chilling in her car. So, so nice.
While the run wasn't easy, it definitely gave me the motivation to know that I can do this in a couple of weeks. I am still worried about heat, humidity, and lack of shade in VB, but what can I do? I do hope I can quicken my time by a little, but if I can finish and feel good, I'll be happy with that as well.
DISTANCE / TIME: 13.09 Miles 2:28:36
FUEL: Pre: Nutrigrain waffle with peanut butter and banana, 1/2 cup of coffee, During: Gu chomps, 1/2 banana at turnaround
13 miles.
Really? I have to run the half before I run the half? I have always done training programs that ended at 10 miles, so these last few weeks have all been new to me.
As Saturday drew closer, I was actually kind of excited about it and not as nervous as I almost felt like I should be.
I packed up my supplies the night before - tons of Gu chomps in my SPI belt, water bottle, hat, moleskin for my blisters, etc.
We met that morning, chatted, stretched, and were off. Basically our plan was to run to Summerfield and back. (!) We lucked out with overcast skies and shade on this course.
We had a pretty big group that was all sticking together and it started breaking up when we got further into Bur Mil. All of a sudden, M. and I noticed that E. was a little further back then she had been. We knew she wasn't a fan of big packs like we were in, so we didn't think much about it. We looked again and she wasn't there. Liz caught up to us and told us that she wasn't feeling well and they had stopped and called her husband to come and pick her up. This was awful news ... we knew how devastated she would be, but she's also one of our group of three! We've all become so used to running together that it's hard when one of us isn't around. Her son had been sick, so we thought she must have caught this bug. Yuck. We had to keep going, but we both just felt so bad for E.
We made it to our turnaround point and then had to run about a mile or so back to get to the cooler with Gu, bananas, Gatorade, etc. We hit the restroom, fueled up and were back on the Greenway.
It took me a while to get my legs going again ... they felt like they just weren't moving. I ate a couple of Gu's and felt better. It was still hard to believe that we were going to do this!
On the way back, we had some welcome rain. It was really beautiful - not a downpour, but just a nice heavy sprinkle. I was worried that it would get steamy after it finished, but it didn't.
We hit the stoplights and I stopped Garmin for one of them. Bad mistake - I looked down and realized that I never restarted it. Luckily, we figured out that it had been 1/2 mile since we run this course all the time. After some mad math skills, we figured out where we were and what we needed to finish up. We headed to do the "little loop" and then onto Grease Alley.
I think by this point, I just wanted it to be through. We caught up with some of the girls going 12 and made it back to the cars. It was hard not to want to really push it on GA, but we had a little further to go than usual. When we made it back, we asked others what their distance had been and we realized we should do a little parking lot loop. M. and I looked at each other and we were off. Crazy, but I didn't want to have run that far to end up at 12.5. So, we did a little loop and were back to enjoy some much needed Gatorade.
M. had also brought along some ice cold water that was wonderful. E. had left me her bottle of Gatorade that had been chilling in her car. So, so nice.
While the run wasn't easy, it definitely gave me the motivation to know that I can do this in a couple of weeks. I am still worried about heat, humidity, and lack of shade in VB, but what can I do? I do hope I can quicken my time by a little, but if I can finish and feel good, I'll be happy with that as well.
DISTANCE / TIME: 13.09 Miles 2:28:36
FUEL: Pre: Nutrigrain waffle with peanut butter and banana, 1/2 cup of coffee, During: Gu chomps, 1/2 banana at turnaround
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Wed. August 19 & Thurs. August 20
I didn't run on Tuesday morning (Maddy up all night long = Mommy with no sleep = Mommy too tired to drag her ass out of bed at 5:00AM to run).
So, I decided I would go on Wed. night with the scheduled pace run / show & go.
Wednesday -
First, it was hot.
Second, I hadn't eaten a lot that day.
Third, I kept up with Liz, Susan L., and Abbie for the first mile.
Needless to say, this wasn't one of my better runs and I couldn't really run a faster pace, because I had already been running a faster pace. I ended up doing 4.25 which was still respectable I guess, but I just didn't feel good doing it.
I just hate having bad runs this late in the game and it makes me worry about the heat & humidity for Va Beach. Oh well ... I will happily stay in denial that at 7AM on race day we're somehow going to have cool temps and overcast skies. A girl can dream, right?
DISTANCE / TIME: 4.29 miles / 45:31
Thursday -
So I met our small group of ladies on Thursday and this time, it went better. It was still humid, hot, and muggy. I don't think I had a dry spot of clothing when we were done. We were a much smaller group than normal. I think everyone is over training at this point and just trying to get through it. This was our last "long" run for the weekdays, so it's nice to look forward to an easy 4 miles next week.
We ended up going 5.5 of our scheduled 6. We made it back to the parking lot and we could have run circles in the parking lot or gone to GA. Neither sounded good and no one was dying to do another half mile, so it all worked out well.
I received my confirmation for the race last night, so that is always exciting to see it in print. I put my finishing time at 2:20. Not so sure about that anymore, but I don't think it's too far off to switch it either. I'm still debating about signing up for one of the pacing groups ... need to ask the other girls.
Now, to stay positive for the big 13 on Saturday! It is crazy to think that I'm running a half marathon (give or take a tenth of mile) in 2 days! And then another one in two weeks!
DISTANCE / TIME: 5.51 miles/ 1:00:53
FUEL: Pre-run: waffle with peanut butter and 1/2 banana, water. During: 1/2 pack of GU chomps.
So, I decided I would go on Wed. night with the scheduled pace run / show & go.
Wednesday -
First, it was hot.
Second, I hadn't eaten a lot that day.
Third, I kept up with Liz, Susan L., and Abbie for the first mile.
Needless to say, this wasn't one of my better runs and I couldn't really run a faster pace, because I had already been running a faster pace. I ended up doing 4.25 which was still respectable I guess, but I just didn't feel good doing it.
I just hate having bad runs this late in the game and it makes me worry about the heat & humidity for Va Beach. Oh well ... I will happily stay in denial that at 7AM on race day we're somehow going to have cool temps and overcast skies. A girl can dream, right?
DISTANCE / TIME: 4.29 miles / 45:31
Thursday -
So I met our small group of ladies on Thursday and this time, it went better. It was still humid, hot, and muggy. I don't think I had a dry spot of clothing when we were done. We were a much smaller group than normal. I think everyone is over training at this point and just trying to get through it. This was our last "long" run for the weekdays, so it's nice to look forward to an easy 4 miles next week.
We ended up going 5.5 of our scheduled 6. We made it back to the parking lot and we could have run circles in the parking lot or gone to GA. Neither sounded good and no one was dying to do another half mile, so it all worked out well.
I received my confirmation for the race last night, so that is always exciting to see it in print. I put my finishing time at 2:20. Not so sure about that anymore, but I don't think it's too far off to switch it either. I'm still debating about signing up for one of the pacing groups ... need to ask the other girls.
Now, to stay positive for the big 13 on Saturday! It is crazy to think that I'm running a half marathon (give or take a tenth of mile) in 2 days! And then another one in two weeks!
DISTANCE / TIME: 5.51 miles/ 1:00:53
FUEL: Pre-run: waffle with peanut butter and 1/2 banana, water. During: 1/2 pack of GU chomps.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Saturday, August 15
Our plan on Saturday was 12 miles. It just doesn't seem possible that we are already there.
It was a little overwhelming to think about the number, but also kind of exciting. I knew if we could do this distance on Saturday, then there was no doubt that we could do the half. Not that there really has been any doubt, but I really just want to be able to feel good during the race, have fun, and hopefully finish strong.
We were doing a 7 mile and then a 5 mile loop. I wasn't too thrilled about the course at first, but it ended up being great because after the 7 miles, we took a short break, ran to the bathroom, ate 1/2 banana, and kept on going.
This was honestly one of those runs that I really don't remember. There were some hard parts, some easier parts, some parts that I thought felt looooong, but honestly I remember looking down to see our distance and we were already at 10 miles. That felt wonderful and I knew we could get through the rest fairly easy. Maybe it was my caffeine in my Gu Chomps, but I felt pretty good as we were coming into Country Park and that is normally the part that I hate.
I tried to push it at the end, but didn't feel like I had that much left. My right hip was hurting and my feet were a little sore, but all in all, I felt pretty good. Surprisingly, I wasn't as exhausted as I expected to be when it was all over.
I really stretched out when I got home, rolled on the foam roller, and even used some of my topical ibuprofen on my hip. It all seemed to help, because I really wasn't that sore today (Sunday).
I hope I'm not being "that girl" and blabbing the entire time. Some days I feel like I am, so I hope my fellow running buddies will speak up and tell me to shut my pie hole if needed! : ) We did see "that guy" i.e., biker who basically buzzed Liz and also "that guy" who was flopping his feet so hard that it made us all hurt for him. We also saw barefoot guy again and he just really amazes me. It *almost* makes me want to try it once just to see what it feels like, but I think I'll just imagine that one instead.
Oh, and a little coffee with breakfast may = breakfast of champions for me and no tummy issues.
DISTANCE / TIME: 12 miles / 2:14:12
FUEL: Pre-run: Whole Grain waffle with peanut butter and 1/2 banana, water, some coffee, during: Gu Chomps and 1/2 banana.
It was a little overwhelming to think about the number, but also kind of exciting. I knew if we could do this distance on Saturday, then there was no doubt that we could do the half. Not that there really has been any doubt, but I really just want to be able to feel good during the race, have fun, and hopefully finish strong.
We were doing a 7 mile and then a 5 mile loop. I wasn't too thrilled about the course at first, but it ended up being great because after the 7 miles, we took a short break, ran to the bathroom, ate 1/2 banana, and kept on going.
This was honestly one of those runs that I really don't remember. There were some hard parts, some easier parts, some parts that I thought felt looooong, but honestly I remember looking down to see our distance and we were already at 10 miles. That felt wonderful and I knew we could get through the rest fairly easy. Maybe it was my caffeine in my Gu Chomps, but I felt pretty good as we were coming into Country Park and that is normally the part that I hate.
I tried to push it at the end, but didn't feel like I had that much left. My right hip was hurting and my feet were a little sore, but all in all, I felt pretty good. Surprisingly, I wasn't as exhausted as I expected to be when it was all over.
I really stretched out when I got home, rolled on the foam roller, and even used some of my topical ibuprofen on my hip. It all seemed to help, because I really wasn't that sore today (Sunday).
I hope I'm not being "that girl" and blabbing the entire time. Some days I feel like I am, so I hope my fellow running buddies will speak up and tell me to shut my pie hole if needed! : ) We did see "that guy" i.e., biker who basically buzzed Liz and also "that guy" who was flopping his feet so hard that it made us all hurt for him. We also saw barefoot guy again and he just really amazes me. It *almost* makes me want to try it once just to see what it feels like, but I think I'll just imagine that one instead.
Oh, and a little coffee with breakfast may = breakfast of champions for me and no tummy issues.
DISTANCE / TIME: 12 miles / 2:14:12
FUEL: Pre-run: Whole Grain waffle with peanut butter and 1/2 banana, water, some coffee, during: Gu Chomps and 1/2 banana.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Thursday, August 13
How is it that our training almost over!?!
We set out this morning fully expecting rain. Lucky (if you ask me), we had a cooler morning, but no rain. It was probably the coolest morning since our training started. We set off for 6 miles and there ended up being 5 of us that stayed together.
Luckily, we all remembered Gu and we decided to do a few hills, but take the more scenic route.
We were all pretty quiet the entire run, but it was nice to be out there and feel good.
Garmin must have been a little bit off, because we ended up going 6.55 instead of 6. Whooops. I hadn't checked our time, but everyone else was freaking out that they were going at a snail's pace based on their time. Luckily, it all worked out.
Nice run today ... still a bit nervous for Saturday's 12 miler. And I have to go out and celebrate a friend's birthday that evening. Not that it won't be fun, but I'll probably need to dress up, wear cute shoes, and try not to hobble around like an old lady!
DISTANCE / TIME: 6.55 miles / 1:12:19
FUEL: Whole wheat bread with peanut butter & banana, water. 1/2 pack of Gu Chomps during run.
ACHES & PAINS: Right hip. Did some stretching this morning and also this evening, but it feels like I have a big knot in my hip. Blisters are OK. They flare up a little in the mornings, but are generally under control.
We set out this morning fully expecting rain. Lucky (if you ask me), we had a cooler morning, but no rain. It was probably the coolest morning since our training started. We set off for 6 miles and there ended up being 5 of us that stayed together.
Luckily, we all remembered Gu and we decided to do a few hills, but take the more scenic route.
We were all pretty quiet the entire run, but it was nice to be out there and feel good.
Garmin must have been a little bit off, because we ended up going 6.55 instead of 6. Whooops. I hadn't checked our time, but everyone else was freaking out that they were going at a snail's pace based on their time. Luckily, it all worked out.
Nice run today ... still a bit nervous for Saturday's 12 miler. And I have to go out and celebrate a friend's birthday that evening. Not that it won't be fun, but I'll probably need to dress up, wear cute shoes, and try not to hobble around like an old lady!
DISTANCE / TIME: 6.55 miles / 1:12:19
FUEL: Whole wheat bread with peanut butter & banana, water. 1/2 pack of Gu Chomps during run.
ACHES & PAINS: Right hip. Did some stretching this morning and also this evening, but it feels like I have a big knot in my hip. Blisters are OK. They flare up a little in the mornings, but are generally under control.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 11
I forgot to post after our run on Tuesday. Now I really don't remember anything about it, so here goes.
It was our first mid-week run to do 6 and we all forgot to bring Gu. That was a mistake. I felt fine on the first 3 miles or so, but really could have used a little fuel by mile 4.
It was a good run - I felt pretty strong and I honestly can't remember a lot of the details. It was muggy and I felt like my breathing was a bit wheezy, but other than that, it was good. So weird to say "Oh yeah, I ran 6 miles before work this morning." You would think it wouldn't be strange to say that, but it still does ... even after 13 weeks of training!
DISTANCE / TIME: 6:03 / 1:06:44
FUEL: Whole grain waffle with peanut butter, banana? Geez, I can't remember! Water
It was our first mid-week run to do 6 and we all forgot to bring Gu. That was a mistake. I felt fine on the first 3 miles or so, but really could have used a little fuel by mile 4.
It was a good run - I felt pretty strong and I honestly can't remember a lot of the details. It was muggy and I felt like my breathing was a bit wheezy, but other than that, it was good. So weird to say "Oh yeah, I ran 6 miles before work this morning." You would think it wouldn't be strange to say that, but it still does ... even after 13 weeks of training!
DISTANCE / TIME: 6:03 / 1:06:44
FUEL: Whole grain waffle with peanut butter, banana? Geez, I can't remember! Water
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Saturday, August 8
Wowee, 10 miles. I think I should start posting about our long runs earlier in the day because by the time it gets to be evening, I can't remember all the details. So, here goes nothing.
We started out at what felt like a very slow pace this morning. I'm not saying that we should be bustin' it out of the gate, but I just felt like I was barely moving. My legs felt a little heavy and I was wishing that I could just have a sip of coffee to get a little caffeine.
We got on the greenway and spread out and before I knew it, we were on the rolling hills and heading toward the park. There was a little snafu once we got to the park ... do we stay? Do we turn around? What do we do? Luckily, E said ... let's go do a loop in the Visitor's Center and everyone followed. Liz made it over there and we actually ended up going back for one more loop. It was a little confusing, but it was fine. No hills. We did our Gu's - somewhere around 3.6, I think.
I think the Gu must have given me the little boost that I needed and before I knew it, we were back in BMP. E and I chatted the whole way, we saw some interesting runners (the barefoot guy, the guy that shouted out that we were a better looking group than his running group, walkers, baby Braxton, etc.)
We had decided that we were going to try to finish on the greenway and avoid the slow and painful hill by the driving range. We were at 7.25 miles and I wasn't 100% sure that we had enough greenway to do this, but then we realized we did. I swear, don't give me math and running combined with early morning. I just can't do it. It's awful - I feel like an idiot, but it just doesn't work in my head!
We were moving right along, good conversation, we got to the turnaround point and were heading back. I started having some pretty bad cramps and was pretty worried that I needed to stop and run for the bushes. Ugh. I debated to E if I should stop and walk and she said no. In retrospect, that was the right thing to do. Walking would have made it 100 times worse. We hauled booty, E. told me some inspiring stories about her college Volleyball coach and before we knew it, the Garmin finally rolled to 10.00.
And we stopped.
Whoo-hoo! 10 miles done.
I'm a little sore in my right hip. Just finished some stretches for that and both of my blisters acted up a little bit. I did use my moleskin today, but something must still be rubbing.
I'm a little worried that they may act up on all of my long runs, but hopefully they either won't be too bad or maybe they could possibly heal up before then.
DISTANCE: 10.00 / 1:52:26. Best long run time so far! Whoo hoo!
FUEL: Pre-run: Whole wheat tortilla, peanut butter, banana and water. During: Gu chomps, water. And we don't want to talk about after, but there was a yummy burger from Natty Greene's and a little chocolate mint ice cream!
We started out at what felt like a very slow pace this morning. I'm not saying that we should be bustin' it out of the gate, but I just felt like I was barely moving. My legs felt a little heavy and I was wishing that I could just have a sip of coffee to get a little caffeine.
We got on the greenway and spread out and before I knew it, we were on the rolling hills and heading toward the park. There was a little snafu once we got to the park ... do we stay? Do we turn around? What do we do? Luckily, E said ... let's go do a loop in the Visitor's Center and everyone followed. Liz made it over there and we actually ended up going back for one more loop. It was a little confusing, but it was fine. No hills. We did our Gu's - somewhere around 3.6, I think.
I think the Gu must have given me the little boost that I needed and before I knew it, we were back in BMP. E and I chatted the whole way, we saw some interesting runners (the barefoot guy, the guy that shouted out that we were a better looking group than his running group, walkers, baby Braxton, etc.)
We had decided that we were going to try to finish on the greenway and avoid the slow and painful hill by the driving range. We were at 7.25 miles and I wasn't 100% sure that we had enough greenway to do this, but then we realized we did. I swear, don't give me math and running combined with early morning. I just can't do it. It's awful - I feel like an idiot, but it just doesn't work in my head!
We were moving right along, good conversation, we got to the turnaround point and were heading back. I started having some pretty bad cramps and was pretty worried that I needed to stop and run for the bushes. Ugh. I debated to E if I should stop and walk and she said no. In retrospect, that was the right thing to do. Walking would have made it 100 times worse. We hauled booty, E. told me some inspiring stories about her college Volleyball coach and before we knew it, the Garmin finally rolled to 10.00.
And we stopped.
Whoo-hoo! 10 miles done.
I'm a little sore in my right hip. Just finished some stretches for that and both of my blisters acted up a little bit. I did use my moleskin today, but something must still be rubbing.
I'm a little worried that they may act up on all of my long runs, but hopefully they either won't be too bad or maybe they could possibly heal up before then.
DISTANCE: 10.00 / 1:52:26. Best long run time so far! Whoo hoo!
FUEL: Pre-run: Whole wheat tortilla, peanut butter, banana and water. During: Gu chomps, water. And we don't want to talk about after, but there was a yummy burger from Natty Greene's and a little chocolate mint ice cream!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wed. August 5 & Thurs. August 6
Tuesday
We had a hill workout last night that was actually sprints, drills, and hills! The drills were ok - things like we used to in boot camp. We then did the sprints that were actually up a hill, so we really almost did 8 hill repeats.
The first sprint was great - I had a burst of energy and really pushed it. I'm sure you can guess how the other three turned out! Yep, not so good. We then moved onto the hill repeats. They are just hard. No way around it, I always feel like I'm struggling.
We did a 5 minute jog afterward and seeing the lightning strike in the distance made us all hustle to get done. Luckily, we were in our cars when the drops starting falling.
Total distance: 2.39 miles. I was surprised we actually did that much.
FUEL: Handful of Annie's bunnies and 1/2 pack of GU Chomps. Not one of my finer nutritious meals!
Wednesday
We met this morning for 5 miles. Oh, I was about 2 seconds away from texting E. and going back to bed. But that required walking down stairs to get my phone and I knew by then, I should just get up and do it. I just feel like I'm trying to get a cold and I keep trying to tell myself that exercise will blast it out. It totally sounds like something my Mom would have told me as a kid, so we'll see if it works.
Today's run was OK. I felt pretty steady the whole way and we kicked it up a bit at the very end. Just not one of those runs that I loved, but I didn't hate it either. I think I was talking the entire time, but it just seemed to get me down the path a little quicker. I hope I'm not becoming "that girl." I guess I'll take the hint if everyone starts wearing their iPods again!
DISTANCE / TIME: 5.01 miles / 55:31
FUEL: Trying out Liz's idea of a whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter and 1/2 banana. Water.
We had a hill workout last night that was actually sprints, drills, and hills! The drills were ok - things like we used to in boot camp. We then did the sprints that were actually up a hill, so we really almost did 8 hill repeats.
The first sprint was great - I had a burst of energy and really pushed it. I'm sure you can guess how the other three turned out! Yep, not so good. We then moved onto the hill repeats. They are just hard. No way around it, I always feel like I'm struggling.
We did a 5 minute jog afterward and seeing the lightning strike in the distance made us all hustle to get done. Luckily, we were in our cars when the drops starting falling.
Total distance: 2.39 miles. I was surprised we actually did that much.
FUEL: Handful of Annie's bunnies and 1/2 pack of GU Chomps. Not one of my finer nutritious meals!
Wednesday
We met this morning for 5 miles. Oh, I was about 2 seconds away from texting E. and going back to bed. But that required walking down stairs to get my phone and I knew by then, I should just get up and do it. I just feel like I'm trying to get a cold and I keep trying to tell myself that exercise will blast it out. It totally sounds like something my Mom would have told me as a kid, so we'll see if it works.
Today's run was OK. I felt pretty steady the whole way and we kicked it up a bit at the very end. Just not one of those runs that I loved, but I didn't hate it either. I think I was talking the entire time, but it just seemed to get me down the path a little quicker. I hope I'm not becoming "that girl." I guess I'll take the hint if everyone starts wearing their iPods again!
DISTANCE / TIME: 5.01 miles / 55:31
FUEL: Trying out Liz's idea of a whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter and 1/2 banana. Water.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Tuesday, August 4
I woke up this morning really not wanting to run. Maddy was up at 2AM and then it took me a while to fall back asleep. I was also just in a funk and knew that I needed to run, but it was the last thing that I wanted to do. I knew if I could just get my ass dressed and out of the door, then I would have no choice so that's what I did.
We talked about routes for a bit, waited for M., our nearly arrested runner that morning, and we were off. In our weekly email from Liz yesterday, it noted how she wanted us to try some pacing once this week. The schedule was 1 mile warm up, 1/2 mile pace (hard, but still comfortable), 1 mile regular/cool down a little, 1/2 mile pace again, then the last 2 regular (I guess).
I think we could have all analyzed the hell out of what to do, and how to do it, but luckily M. said, "let's just run faster" and we were off. The first time really felt good - I think we all looked strong and it was fun. Really ... it was fun. It does feel good to push it from time to time. I think I just let the mental side and those little voices in the back of my head tell me that I can't do it.
Well, trying to get back to a level where I felt like I could breathe was a bit harder. Perhaps I went out a little faster than I should, but I just felt like I needed to run.
We went out to our turnaround point and I tried not to get too worked up that I was in the back. We headed back into the park and E. suggested that we do the 1/2 mile pacing a little earlier so we wouldn't hit the big hill when we were still in fast mode. That is why I love my running buddies ... they are still smart at 6AM!
We started running fast again, but I don't know if I was really pushing it as hard this time. I still had a hard time getting back to normal breathing when we were done. I think all I could think about was that the hard part was done. The thing about pacing / running faster that I struggle with is that I feel like I'm so much slower after I've pushed it. I know it has to be good to break it up and do something different, but I have to wonder if it's better to just stay at a consistent level.
GA is also feeling very loooooong lately. Always on the return run. It did today. I finally got to a place where I felt like I had more energy, so I just went for it. Saw my friend, L. and talked with her for a bit. We were at a totally different pace, so I had to move on. It was awkward because I was kind of turned back towards her.
So, I finished and I was faster than our usual runs. Whoo-hoo!
I think more than anything, I think I need to just run and keep my head out of it. I can sit there and tell myself that I'm tired, I need to go to the bathroom, I think my blister hurts, but it does no one any good.
Just run.
TIME / DISTANCE: 56:13 / 5.19 miles / 10:49 pace
FUEL: A few PB on whole wheat crackers, 1/2 banana, water
We talked about routes for a bit, waited for M., our nearly arrested runner that morning, and we were off. In our weekly email from Liz yesterday, it noted how she wanted us to try some pacing once this week. The schedule was 1 mile warm up, 1/2 mile pace (hard, but still comfortable), 1 mile regular/cool down a little, 1/2 mile pace again, then the last 2 regular (I guess).
I think we could have all analyzed the hell out of what to do, and how to do it, but luckily M. said, "let's just run faster" and we were off. The first time really felt good - I think we all looked strong and it was fun. Really ... it was fun. It does feel good to push it from time to time. I think I just let the mental side and those little voices in the back of my head tell me that I can't do it.
Well, trying to get back to a level where I felt like I could breathe was a bit harder. Perhaps I went out a little faster than I should, but I just felt like I needed to run.
We went out to our turnaround point and I tried not to get too worked up that I was in the back. We headed back into the park and E. suggested that we do the 1/2 mile pacing a little earlier so we wouldn't hit the big hill when we were still in fast mode. That is why I love my running buddies ... they are still smart at 6AM!
We started running fast again, but I don't know if I was really pushing it as hard this time. I still had a hard time getting back to normal breathing when we were done. I think all I could think about was that the hard part was done. The thing about pacing / running faster that I struggle with is that I feel like I'm so much slower after I've pushed it. I know it has to be good to break it up and do something different, but I have to wonder if it's better to just stay at a consistent level.
GA is also feeling very loooooong lately. Always on the return run. It did today. I finally got to a place where I felt like I had more energy, so I just went for it. Saw my friend, L. and talked with her for a bit. We were at a totally different pace, so I had to move on. It was awkward because I was kind of turned back towards her.
So, I finished and I was faster than our usual runs. Whoo-hoo!
I think more than anything, I think I need to just run and keep my head out of it. I can sit there and tell myself that I'm tired, I need to go to the bathroom, I think my blister hurts, but it does no one any good.
Just run.
TIME / DISTANCE: 56:13 / 5.19 miles / 10:49 pace
FUEL: A few PB on whole wheat crackers, 1/2 banana, water
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Saturday, August 1
How the heck did it get to be August and how the heck did we get to this point in our training? I hate to worry about what's to come, but next week is 10! Eeek! Scary! It's not like I haven't done it before, but it just seems like a long way to go ... plus, I'm going up to 13 miles and I know there's no talking E into doing that with me! Or is there!?!!?? E, what can I bribe you with? Starbucks? Target c9 running tanks? : )
We ventured out to a new place - SL, about 30 minutes away ... not new to the me, but new to the group for our long runs. It was also somewhat new to me, because I had only been 5 miles on this trail before and never done the whole loop.
I started out by forgetting the Garmin which made me feel a bit out of whack. But, if I were going to ever forget it, this was the run to do it on. There are mile markers every mile, with the exception of the 7th mile. What's up with that ... everyone knows that I like to know where I am in the run.
I've been having a couple of blister issues and they weren't awful, but I could feel them on this run. Especially any downhill bits or when I landed on a rock or other bump in the road. I had applied Body Glide to both feet, and put band aids over my left foot. My right foot now looks worse than my left. Ugh. I don't know if to try to pop them today and give them a rest before Tuesday. I just don't want to be worrying about this when we are only getting into longer distances from here on out.
We Gu'ed at almost 3.5 and I tried the new Gu blocks with caffeine and I do think they gave me a nice little boost of energy. But, by about mile 6, I was just ready to be finished.
The last part went by pretty quickly until we came to a huge downhill and then a huge uphill. They were both so steep and not fun. At least they were short. We ended up going through the parking lot & not finishing on the trail, so we aren't sure if we shaved a bit off of our distance by not staying on the trail.
I would definitely like to run there again ... nice change of pace and I felt better that I have now run the entire loop. It would be great for long distances ... there are bathrooms, water fountains, even a place to buy Gatorade.
DISTANCE / TIME: 6.67 miles / 1:16
FUEL: Pre race, whole wheat bread with PB, water, banana. During: half pack of Gu blocks. After: Yummy Herby Turkey bagel and I'm still starving!
WHAT I WORE: C9 tank, Nike shorts (love), Old Brooks. Note to self ... go back to new Brooks. Liz thought these might be too old and could be making the blisters worse.
We ventured out to a new place - SL, about 30 minutes away ... not new to the me, but new to the group for our long runs. It was also somewhat new to me, because I had only been 5 miles on this trail before and never done the whole loop.
I started out by forgetting the Garmin which made me feel a bit out of whack. But, if I were going to ever forget it, this was the run to do it on. There are mile markers every mile, with the exception of the 7th mile. What's up with that ... everyone knows that I like to know where I am in the run.
I've been having a couple of blister issues and they weren't awful, but I could feel them on this run. Especially any downhill bits or when I landed on a rock or other bump in the road. I had applied Body Glide to both feet, and put band aids over my left foot. My right foot now looks worse than my left. Ugh. I don't know if to try to pop them today and give them a rest before Tuesday. I just don't want to be worrying about this when we are only getting into longer distances from here on out.
We Gu'ed at almost 3.5 and I tried the new Gu blocks with caffeine and I do think they gave me a nice little boost of energy. But, by about mile 6, I was just ready to be finished.
The last part went by pretty quickly until we came to a huge downhill and then a huge uphill. They were both so steep and not fun. At least they were short. We ended up going through the parking lot & not finishing on the trail, so we aren't sure if we shaved a bit off of our distance by not staying on the trail.
I would definitely like to run there again ... nice change of pace and I felt better that I have now run the entire loop. It would be great for long distances ... there are bathrooms, water fountains, even a place to buy Gatorade.
DISTANCE / TIME: 6.67 miles / 1:16
FUEL: Pre race, whole wheat bread with PB, water, banana. During: half pack of Gu blocks. After: Yummy Herby Turkey bagel and I'm still starving!
WHAT I WORE: C9 tank, Nike shorts (love), Old Brooks. Note to self ... go back to new Brooks. Liz thought these might be too old and could be making the blisters worse.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)