Well hi! So, when I last left off it was 30 days to my marathon and of course I was panicking. I'm happy to say I survived, and the doctors are pretty sure my feet will grow back... Nah, just being silly.
I don't want to go full on recap (and it's been a couple months since the race, so I don't think I could get too detailed). But to put it in list form:
* Goal was sub-5, dream was 4:45:xx. I missed my dream but hit goal - 4:52:00. And proud of every minute.
* The first 10 miles were pure joy. I was rocking along, yelling at spectators, grinning like an idiot. Probably lost some energy there but worth it.
* I liked the junk food stations. That coke sure tasted good.
* My legs turned to concrete for ~60 seconds at mile 24. Pushed through.
* I ran the entire thing, only walking through one water stop.
* I ended with a smile, which is good in one way (not dead) but bad in other ways (not dead? left something on the course).
* My mom was at the start and the end to cheer me on. She almost didn't make it because of Sandy and associated power failure at her house (power was out for 10 days!). I will admit to being a selfish bitch and being sad that she thought she wouldn't make it; I was an extra super bitch because she was still without power! Miraculously she got her power back in time and was able to come down to cheer me on. I thanked her by being a total wench once the race was done, all sorts of cranky and fussy. I think it was some form of blood sugar thing. But god bless my mom - she put up with it as best she could.
Overall I loved it, will definitely be doing another. Not this year (2013), most likely 2014.
I definitely feel like I thrived in the higher mileage weeks in training. I'm also finding my paces on easy runs are faster which is a great feeling.
2013 will be more about getting faster at the half marathon. Going to train at high mileage weeks still; I ended 2012 at 1857 miles. I definitely think I can get to 2000 this year, as long as I don't get lazy or sick.
Here's to a promising year of running and joy!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
One Goal Left
I come back to my sadly neglected blog to announce - I hit my fourth goal for 2012 - 1500 miles. As of today I am at 1505. Thank goodness for marathon training. With that goal, I have one left - sub-5 for my marathon. Will I make it?
I'm semi-optimistic. I like to think that if I pace right that I can slide under the wire. I ran the BAA half this past Sunday. I was aiming for a 2:10 to give me more confidence. I ended up with a 2:13. How could three minutes take away so much trust?
I have 30 days left to Richmond. I hit most of my training - most. I just came back from a great vacation in Hawaii where I ended up running 3/4 of what I had been - including missing two long runs. I came back with mental games and fear, but got back in the game pretty quickly.
I have two long runs left - long defined as > 15. This weekend is supposed to be 20. My last long was 18 about a month ago. I'll have to see how I feel to decide if I want to push to 20, or just go with 18.
30 days. I'm excited but not too stressed. And even if I don't get sub-5 I'm still happy to be going and happy to be trying.
I'm semi-optimistic. I like to think that if I pace right that I can slide under the wire. I ran the BAA half this past Sunday. I was aiming for a 2:10 to give me more confidence. I ended up with a 2:13. How could three minutes take away so much trust?
I have 30 days left to Richmond. I hit most of my training - most. I just came back from a great vacation in Hawaii where I ended up running 3/4 of what I had been - including missing two long runs. I came back with mental games and fear, but got back in the game pretty quickly.
I have two long runs left - long defined as > 15. This weekend is supposed to be 20. My last long was 18 about a month ago. I'll have to see how I feel to decide if I want to push to 20, or just go with 18.
30 days. I'm excited but not too stressed. And even if I don't get sub-5 I'm still happy to be going and happy to be trying.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Am I On the Edge?
Back. Sadly back. I spent two weeks in my favorite place in the world (Maine!); one week of vacation, one week of remote work. I got to spend some good time with my family but I also stuck with my training schedule about 80% of the time.
I got up mornings to run between 8-17 miles. I stuck with my eat then run routine but my body is so adapted to a certain cycle that it actually was 1.) eat bagel + drink diet mt. dew , 2.) sit in bathroom for an hour and a half waiting for my body to get all it's pee needs met so that I don't have to beg bathroom usage along the route, 3.) go outside and stretch, and 4.) run. The reason for hiding in the bathroom is that while I was getting up at 5-6, everyone else was not. I needed to avoid annoying everyone and since I didn't hear any complaints I considered it a success.
The routes I ran were pretty fun. If I ran to the right I would go about two miles out and run into a beautiful view of the sea. If I went to the left I go to run a mile and get to the pier and see the carnival rides! I've been going on vacation to the same town for 32 years and I still got to see new things by being on my feet vs in the car.
Breakfast was supplied at the main house for our group but I missed it most of the time because of my timing. I did get to eat the favorite meal of french toast twice, but I did miss out on some conversations by missing out on breakfast.
I got to spend a lot of time resting on the beach. That was definitely a good thing. The bad thing was that even with that rest I still felt exhausted a lot of the time which lead to missing out on some of games in the late evenings. That exhaustion got worse the second week when I was running/working/playing at night.
I look back at the vacation and don't regret the time spent training. I expect next year to be on a less rigorous schedule and be more relaxed about when I would run. I also got to do some runs with my cousins which was really fun. I just wish I wasn't so different in my schedule than the others were.
With the above said I am becoming increasingly concerned with overtraining. I don't think I'm there - yet. My main problem is the exhaustion. I also am concerned that I might not be eating enough for how much I am training. I find myself fighting against my body on long run days when I get really hungry. I get hunger pains and sometimes resist eating which makes no sense. I got so hungry yesterday that nothing appealed and I didn't eat. Bad.
I feel good about how well I am doing with my training after 7 weeks. As I enter week 8 I'll be back to the strength training that I missed while I was away, will look at scheduling another massage, and will be rotating in new running shoes. As always I will be watching myself to not overdo it but at the same time challenge myself. Balance!
I got up mornings to run between 8-17 miles. I stuck with my eat then run routine but my body is so adapted to a certain cycle that it actually was 1.) eat bagel + drink diet mt. dew , 2.) sit in bathroom for an hour and a half waiting for my body to get all it's pee needs met so that I don't have to beg bathroom usage along the route, 3.) go outside and stretch, and 4.) run. The reason for hiding in the bathroom is that while I was getting up at 5-6, everyone else was not. I needed to avoid annoying everyone and since I didn't hear any complaints I considered it a success.
The routes I ran were pretty fun. If I ran to the right I would go about two miles out and run into a beautiful view of the sea. If I went to the left I go to run a mile and get to the pier and see the carnival rides! I've been going on vacation to the same town for 32 years and I still got to see new things by being on my feet vs in the car.
Breakfast was supplied at the main house for our group but I missed it most of the time because of my timing. I did get to eat the favorite meal of french toast twice, but I did miss out on some conversations by missing out on breakfast.
I got to spend a lot of time resting on the beach. That was definitely a good thing. The bad thing was that even with that rest I still felt exhausted a lot of the time which lead to missing out on some of games in the late evenings. That exhaustion got worse the second week when I was running/working/playing at night.
I look back at the vacation and don't regret the time spent training. I expect next year to be on a less rigorous schedule and be more relaxed about when I would run. I also got to do some runs with my cousins which was really fun. I just wish I wasn't so different in my schedule than the others were.
With the above said I am becoming increasingly concerned with overtraining. I don't think I'm there - yet. My main problem is the exhaustion. I also am concerned that I might not be eating enough for how much I am training. I find myself fighting against my body on long run days when I get really hungry. I get hunger pains and sometimes resist eating which makes no sense. I got so hungry yesterday that nothing appealed and I didn't eat. Bad.
I feel good about how well I am doing with my training after 7 weeks. As I enter week 8 I'll be back to the strength training that I missed while I was away, will look at scheduling another massage, and will be rotating in new running shoes. As always I will be watching myself to not overdo it but at the same time challenge myself. Balance!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tap Those Toes!
Week 4 of marathon training was completed on Sunday.
Highlights:
* Back on my feet fully and back on track after back ouches.
* Getting a really awesome feeling when I complete a week with 9, 10, and 11 mile runs - and none of them are my long runs
* Lowlight is that I skipped personal training but I think it was the right choice; I probably would have thrown myself back in too far with that
Right now I am feeling vaguely stiff and achey in the mornings. I had a massage on Monday that was good and also interesting in that now I don't have the pain in the back but more around my tailbone? It's not bad but it is interesting.
I ended the week by going and getting new new shoes. The new there twice is not an accident; I had bought a pair of Mizuno Inspire + another pair of Ravenna 2s (on sale!) at Dick's but in size 6. Vanity kept me from buying a half size up, which is a mistake I believe. I need more room right now. The black toenails are pretty much an obvious sign. So I returned both pairs and went to my LRS and got Brooks Adrenaline 12. They are a bit more supportive than the Ravennas and I do wonder if they might be too supportive. I made the mistake of going in to be fitted the afternoon after 9 miles so I think there was some stiffness that might have made my walking a little off? I'm going to give them a chance, though. I wore them this morning for a 6 miler and they felt good!
I still want to get another pair of shoes so I can rotate but that's going to the backburner. I leave this Friday for VACATION! So happy. It's my absolute favorite time of the year and I can't believe it's ALMOST HERE. My mom drives up tomorrow afternoon so I am WFH and I CANNOT WAIT.
I do plan on following my schedule while I am on vacation but at least I will be able to sleep on the beach instead of having to go to work after those runs. YAY BEACH!
Oh, and the title of this post? I've fallen madly in love (in a female crush way) with Sutton Foster. So fierce.
Highlights:
* Back on my feet fully and back on track after back ouches.
* Getting a really awesome feeling when I complete a week with 9, 10, and 11 mile runs - and none of them are my long runs
* Lowlight is that I skipped personal training but I think it was the right choice; I probably would have thrown myself back in too far with that
Right now I am feeling vaguely stiff and achey in the mornings. I had a massage on Monday that was good and also interesting in that now I don't have the pain in the back but more around my tailbone? It's not bad but it is interesting.
I ended the week by going and getting new new shoes. The new there twice is not an accident; I had bought a pair of Mizuno Inspire + another pair of Ravenna 2s (on sale!) at Dick's but in size 6. Vanity kept me from buying a half size up, which is a mistake I believe. I need more room right now. The black toenails are pretty much an obvious sign. So I returned both pairs and went to my LRS and got Brooks Adrenaline 12. They are a bit more supportive than the Ravennas and I do wonder if they might be too supportive. I made the mistake of going in to be fitted the afternoon after 9 miles so I think there was some stiffness that might have made my walking a little off? I'm going to give them a chance, though. I wore them this morning for a 6 miler and they felt good!
I still want to get another pair of shoes so I can rotate but that's going to the backburner. I leave this Friday for VACATION! So happy. It's my absolute favorite time of the year and I can't believe it's ALMOST HERE. My mom drives up tomorrow afternoon so I am WFH and I CANNOT WAIT.
I do plan on following my schedule while I am on vacation but at least I will be able to sleep on the beach instead of having to go to work after those runs. YAY BEACH!
Oh, and the title of this post? I've fallen madly in love (in a female crush way) with Sutton Foster. So fierce.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Ow ow MOMMY!
Week three of training finished on Sunday.
* Miles run - 39. This includes a long run of 16 miles Monday followed by a full day of work.
* I had an awesome streak - 16, 8, 5 were Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday.
* Wednesday was also personal training where I was strong and in good form.
Notice how the above is all early in the week? That's because Thursday things turned around. I went to pull my gym bag out of my car and OW. Lower back spasms straight down into my leg. That led to two days off work/in bed; I couldn't bend down to the floor, and I had a legitimate fear more than once that I would not be able to get out of the tub.
A lot of mental games along with the back pain. Was this going to derail me? Was I ever going to be able to run again? What if I can't - I'll get fat again! The last thought led me to overeat chocolate, which of course is very helpful.
I ended up going to the doctor on Friday afternoon. She took a look at my back and immediately said I was very tight. I ended up being told everything I had been doing - warm baths with epsom salts, IcyHot, painkillers - was exactly right. She told me to take a triple dose of Advil as needed and offered muscle relaxants, which I declined. I asked her about my training and she said this was a very common problem with marathon training and that I could keep going (yay!).
Hearing from the doctor that I wasn't going to die made a huge difference mentally. I ended up doing a walk (with some short running bursts) Friday night, and was back out running on Saturday. All in all I missed one full day of training + cut short my Saturday run since it was my first back.
Right now I have some remaining back aches but it feels better when I run. I'm trying not to take too much of the Advil because 1.) I don't want it to be a habit and 2.) it can be bad for the liver over the long run, especially when taken right before running. I'm also deliberately stretching more post-run and am adding a light walk at night followed by stretches/hot bath.
I'm entering my fourth week of training and am doing my best to keep sane and balanced between not over thinking the back thing but also not ignoring it. I also plan on getting in for a good massage on Thursday to help with the remaining tightness. I have personal training tomorrow and I've warned my trainer in advance so we should be able to work well but safely.
Cross fingers week 4 is better than week 3!~
* Miles run - 39. This includes a long run of 16 miles Monday followed by a full day of work.
* I had an awesome streak - 16, 8, 5 were Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday.
* Wednesday was also personal training where I was strong and in good form.
Notice how the above is all early in the week? That's because Thursday things turned around. I went to pull my gym bag out of my car and OW. Lower back spasms straight down into my leg. That led to two days off work/in bed; I couldn't bend down to the floor, and I had a legitimate fear more than once that I would not be able to get out of the tub.
A lot of mental games along with the back pain. Was this going to derail me? Was I ever going to be able to run again? What if I can't - I'll get fat again! The last thought led me to overeat chocolate, which of course is very helpful.
I ended up going to the doctor on Friday afternoon. She took a look at my back and immediately said I was very tight. I ended up being told everything I had been doing - warm baths with epsom salts, IcyHot, painkillers - was exactly right. She told me to take a triple dose of Advil as needed and offered muscle relaxants, which I declined. I asked her about my training and she said this was a very common problem with marathon training and that I could keep going (yay!).
Hearing from the doctor that I wasn't going to die made a huge difference mentally. I ended up doing a walk (with some short running bursts) Friday night, and was back out running on Saturday. All in all I missed one full day of training + cut short my Saturday run since it was my first back.
Right now I have some remaining back aches but it feels better when I run. I'm trying not to take too much of the Advil because 1.) I don't want it to be a habit and 2.) it can be bad for the liver over the long run, especially when taken right before running. I'm also deliberately stretching more post-run and am adding a light walk at night followed by stretches/hot bath.
I'm entering my fourth week of training and am doing my best to keep sane and balanced between not over thinking the back thing but also not ignoring it. I also plan on getting in for a good massage on Thursday to help with the remaining tightness. I have personal training tomorrow and I've warned my trainer in advance so we should be able to work well but safely.
Cross fingers week 4 is better than week 3!~
Friday, July 06, 2012
Feed me, Seymour
Second week of marathon training.
* 14 mile run in heat = taking more breaks than I wanted, but FINISHED. Then got in a car and drove for 4 1/2 hours to Mom's house, no break for lunch. Me =/= smart at that point.
* Mid-week runs - two around Mom's neighborhood, relatively hilly. Still hot, still adjusting.
* Third mid-week run - on a nice very shaded path. Meant to be 12 but started late enough that I didn't want to deal, swapped with 6 mile run.
* Yesterday's 12 mile run, same path mentioned above. New experience - #1 and #2 trailside. And I do mean trailside; about a foot before dropoff. Luckily no one saw me. Other new experience - running only in sports bra. It was HOT. I wanted to give up at 6 miles but didn't. But - walking at some points. Don't feel too bad about it, actually; I feel like I gave my all.
* Today = day off. Yay! First since Memorial Day, as I was finishing out the RW summer streak.
Notes from this week:
* I WAS STARVING. Really, seriously, hunger hunger. It's harder/awkward feeling this way in someone else's house. My choices aren't here and it was one of those strange hungers that was hard to satisfy.
- Mitigation plan - Good snack planning when I get home because this is going to continue while in training.
* It was hot. Hot hot hot.
Mitigation - Need to consciously ignore the Garmin and SLOW DOWN even more. Consistent running > some walking > not finishing. Let's get more in the first group, but second is still okay. Time on feet.
Next week:
* Books on yoga for running on their way to the library - yay!
Overall still excited/happy with my training. My butt belongs outside! Running tan FTW!
(Tan, not burn - sun tan lotion also mandatory)
(Still starving)
* 14 mile run in heat = taking more breaks than I wanted, but FINISHED. Then got in a car and drove for 4 1/2 hours to Mom's house, no break for lunch. Me =/= smart at that point.
* Mid-week runs - two around Mom's neighborhood, relatively hilly. Still hot, still adjusting.
* Third mid-week run - on a nice very shaded path. Meant to be 12 but started late enough that I didn't want to deal, swapped with 6 mile run.
* Yesterday's 12 mile run, same path mentioned above. New experience - #1 and #2 trailside. And I do mean trailside; about a foot before dropoff. Luckily no one saw me. Other new experience - running only in sports bra. It was HOT. I wanted to give up at 6 miles but didn't. But - walking at some points. Don't feel too bad about it, actually; I feel like I gave my all.
* Today = day off. Yay! First since Memorial Day, as I was finishing out the RW summer streak.
Notes from this week:
* I WAS STARVING. Really, seriously, hunger hunger. It's harder/awkward feeling this way in someone else's house. My choices aren't here and it was one of those strange hungers that was hard to satisfy.
- Mitigation plan - Good snack planning when I get home because this is going to continue while in training.
* It was hot. Hot hot hot.
Mitigation - Need to consciously ignore the Garmin and SLOW DOWN even more. Consistent running > some walking > not finishing. Let's get more in the first group, but second is still okay. Time on feet.
Next week:
* Books on yoga for running on their way to the library - yay!
Overall still excited/happy with my training. My butt belongs outside! Running tan FTW!
(Tan, not burn - sun tan lotion also mandatory)
(Still starving)
Saturday, June 30, 2012
I can fly!
I spent $30 bucks on this image - it's going everywhere. That's me (duh) at the race this past Sunday. Pros - both feet off the ground, which is good to see. Not too much waist fat showing. Pretty cool angle on the legs. Arms look muscle-y. Cons - I think I'm held up by the combo high arms/clenched fist action. Need to work on that.
I started marathon training this past Monday. The first day was six miles - and it was hard. What - I can't PR and then bounce right back? Inconceivable! After that first run, however, I have to say all the rest were super great. The one that I had the most nervousness about was on Tuesday - 5 miles easy + 5 miles moderate = 10 miles total. I've done 10+ miles multiple times but for some reason this was overblown in my mind. Happily I really got into it and ended up with a great run - followed by a series of great runs all the way through this morning. I'm feeling extremely confident about this training schedule - but talk to me in 19 weeks when I'm approaching the race!
I also am going to be finishing a running streak on July 4 - the Runner's World streak. I am totally looking forward to it - I think I need a rest!
Today's run was 4 miles - breaking in new shoes! Well, relatively new; they were a pair of orange Ravenna 2s that I got several months ago when I saw they were releasing a new model. Wearing them really made me realize how beat down my three pairs I run in (Asics 2160, 2150, and Ravenna 2s) are. They are all in the 250-300 mile range.
I want to get another new pair of running shoes, and right now I am drooling over the Mizuno Wave Elixir since I saw someone wearing them at the 10K. I'm also thinking of the Inspires as a more day to day shoe. I might get both. I'm worth it! Plus saving my knees is worth it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)