Wow! That was even more difficult than I anticipated! And, even though I'm still looking forward to marathon day, I can't say that I'm looking forward to adding another 6.2 miles onto today's run.
Also unexpected was my time. I figured it would take me close to 3.5 hours... definitely not under 3. I stuck with my usual 6 mile loop, which was a bit on the boring side, but at least I knew where the mile markers were for pacing purposes.
First 6 miles: 51:25 - an 8:34 pace
Second 6 miles: 51:30 - an 8:35 pace
Last 8 miles: 1:11:07 - an 8:53 pace
The last two miles were, by far, the most difficult and I'm still unsure if it had more to do with the miles, the speed or the fact that I had to stop for every traffic light. It will definitely be interesting to see how this long run compares to marathon day just for the fact that I won't have to stop at every intersection along the way. Don't get me wrong... that break is great when I feel like I could use an extra minute to stretch, but getting moving again, especially during those last few miles... well, that's just excruciating. It's the one really nice thing about treadmill running... you don't ever have to stop... not that I would have wanted to run today's 20 miles on one :)
And now I believe I'll rest for a little while...
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Day 130 (4/28): 4 miles / 28:26
Today was the Race at the Rock to benefit Flat Rock Homes. Flat Rock provides residential care and therapies to children and adults with profound mental and developmental disabilities. The day started with a special athletes race, which was followed up by a 4 mile race and a 1 mile walk. Needless to say, it was an inspirational way to start my day. For more info on Flat Rock Homes, go here.
I was thrilled with today's run and was glad to have a race under my belt before the marathon. I was even more excited to see my split times... times I haven't come close to in many years... Mile 1: 7:23, Mile 2: 7:17, Mile 3: 7:00 and Mile 4: 6:46! I finished 2nd place female and 7th overall out of 91 runners. No doubt the number of runners at the marathon will be slightly more overwhelming, but I feel really good about where I'm at right now and I'm excited that the big day is now only 3 weeks away.
Bring it on!!!
I was thrilled with today's run and was glad to have a race under my belt before the marathon. I was even more excited to see my split times... times I haven't come close to in many years... Mile 1: 7:23, Mile 2: 7:17, Mile 3: 7:00 and Mile 4: 6:46! I finished 2nd place female and 7th overall out of 91 runners. No doubt the number of runners at the marathon will be slightly more overwhelming, but I feel really good about where I'm at right now and I'm excited that the big day is now only 3 weeks away.
Bring it on!!!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Day 129 (4/26): 7 miles / 1:03:07
Oh, how I love running...
And I can't get over the fact that, these days, I consider 7 miles an easy workout.
What? Am I nuts?
Yep! :)
That is all.
And I can't get over the fact that, these days, I consider 7 miles an easy workout.
What? Am I nuts?
Yep! :)
That is all.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Day 128 (4/24): 10 miles / 1:29:05
My first day at the Y and I've never felt better.
Okay, well that's a bit of an exaggeration... but I do feel pretty damn good. I'm guessing it has something to do with the open space and tons of natural light... it has a tendency to foster slightly more upbeat thoughts than my dark and dreary basement. And I feel rather inspired surrounded by all of these people working out around me.
Today was scheduled for 10 miles and I was definitely nervous about it... it's been a week and a half since I've gotten in a good long run and I've begun to question how it will go. Nevertheless, I'm planning to give it my best effort.
After dropping my son off at the child care center (and feeling certain that they'll be paging me to return for something in no time at all), I head upstairs to the gym. These treadmills are a little overwhelming compared to the one at home, but I decide to keep it simple. No hills or crazy training programs. Just set the speed and run for as long as I can. These crazy contraptions have built in tvs and I find myself completely uninterested in music and settle in with an episode of Law & Order. Seriously... how many episodes air on a daily basis? And while I've never watched the show regularly, I have seen my fair share of reruns. It's the only show I can think of where I've never seen the same episode twice.
Amazingly enough, the time passes quickly. In fact, I don't remember the last time that a long run went so smoothly. It took the first two miles to loosen up the muscles, but the rest felt like a breeze. I even continued to increase the speed over the course of the entire run and was amazed at how good I felt when I finished. In fact, I ran my last mile in 7:35. And I honestly felt good enough to keep going. Such a wonderful turnaround from how I've been feeling for the last 10 days.
Nevertheless, I still intend to follow up today's run with more ice and heat and lots of stretching. I still plan to do my best to stay smart about the whole thing. It's so close now that I can almost taste it...
*As a side note, and not exactly related to training, I discovered one other thing during today's workout... In years past, during many attempted starts to getting in shape, whenever someone was next to me on the treadmills, I always felt the need to compete with them. I'd sneak a peek at their speed and attempt to go just a little bit faster and, if that wasn't an option, I tried to run longer. If all else failed, at the very least, I tried to look better doing it. Don't get me wrong, I don't look 'good' running... but I made an effort to look strong and confident and not at all out of breath. I guess I'm just a little bit competitive when it comes to these things.
But something's different now...
At some point late in my workout, someone hopped on the treadmill beside me. Oddly enough, I was never tempted to check on her speed or distance and I certainly felt no need to compete with her. However, I noticed several times that she looked over at the screen in front of me. I don't know that she was at all impressed or whether she thought I was simply nuts. For all I know, she was actually looking past me and couldn't have cared less about what I was doing. Nevertheless, as she looked over one last time before stepping off the treadmill, I imagined that she was in awe of my endurance and amazed that I had already run 9 miles and showed no signs of stopping. Then I realized that I was thinking of her as the me from a few years ago. Suddenly, a very cool thought came to mind... 'old me' is very impressed with 'present day me'. She's strong, confident and, by god, she's able to run 10 miles on a treadmill! So, whether the unknown stranger beside me was impressed or not, I found that I was actually pretty impressed with myself... and that's a damn good feeling.
Okay, well that's a bit of an exaggeration... but I do feel pretty damn good. I'm guessing it has something to do with the open space and tons of natural light... it has a tendency to foster slightly more upbeat thoughts than my dark and dreary basement. And I feel rather inspired surrounded by all of these people working out around me.
Today was scheduled for 10 miles and I was definitely nervous about it... it's been a week and a half since I've gotten in a good long run and I've begun to question how it will go. Nevertheless, I'm planning to give it my best effort.
After dropping my son off at the child care center (and feeling certain that they'll be paging me to return for something in no time at all), I head upstairs to the gym. These treadmills are a little overwhelming compared to the one at home, but I decide to keep it simple. No hills or crazy training programs. Just set the speed and run for as long as I can. These crazy contraptions have built in tvs and I find myself completely uninterested in music and settle in with an episode of Law & Order. Seriously... how many episodes air on a daily basis? And while I've never watched the show regularly, I have seen my fair share of reruns. It's the only show I can think of where I've never seen the same episode twice.
Amazingly enough, the time passes quickly. In fact, I don't remember the last time that a long run went so smoothly. It took the first two miles to loosen up the muscles, but the rest felt like a breeze. I even continued to increase the speed over the course of the entire run and was amazed at how good I felt when I finished. In fact, I ran my last mile in 7:35. And I honestly felt good enough to keep going. Such a wonderful turnaround from how I've been feeling for the last 10 days.
Nevertheless, I still intend to follow up today's run with more ice and heat and lots of stretching. I still plan to do my best to stay smart about the whole thing. It's so close now that I can almost taste it...
*As a side note, and not exactly related to training, I discovered one other thing during today's workout... In years past, during many attempted starts to getting in shape, whenever someone was next to me on the treadmills, I always felt the need to compete with them. I'd sneak a peek at their speed and attempt to go just a little bit faster and, if that wasn't an option, I tried to run longer. If all else failed, at the very least, I tried to look better doing it. Don't get me wrong, I don't look 'good' running... but I made an effort to look strong and confident and not at all out of breath. I guess I'm just a little bit competitive when it comes to these things.
But something's different now...
At some point late in my workout, someone hopped on the treadmill beside me. Oddly enough, I was never tempted to check on her speed or distance and I certainly felt no need to compete with her. However, I noticed several times that she looked over at the screen in front of me. I don't know that she was at all impressed or whether she thought I was simply nuts. For all I know, she was actually looking past me and couldn't have cared less about what I was doing. Nevertheless, as she looked over one last time before stepping off the treadmill, I imagined that she was in awe of my endurance and amazed that I had already run 9 miles and showed no signs of stopping. Then I realized that I was thinking of her as the me from a few years ago. Suddenly, a very cool thought came to mind... 'old me' is very impressed with 'present day me'. She's strong, confident and, by god, she's able to run 10 miles on a treadmill! So, whether the unknown stranger beside me was impressed or not, I found that I was actually pretty impressed with myself... and that's a damn good feeling.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Day 127 (4/23): 3 miles / 28:58
Another frustrating run... but I'm trying to stay optimistic that I'm headed in the right direction...
I find myself incredibly determined to get back on track. Usually I rather enjoy an excuse to be lazy, but that's gotten very old over the last several days and all I really want to do is run again. Only one week to go before my longest scheduled training run before the marathon... 20 miles... and I don't feel prepared for it at all.
Today's goal was 5 miles and, after mile 1, I was feeling rather confident in my ability to accomplish that goal. Unfortunately, only a mile and a half later, I began to feel a good deal of discomfort and was sure that 5 miles would be a mistake. I fought through it for another half mile, but I wasn't willing to push it any further. And so I find myself coming up short once again.
The real problem here is that I'm torn about how to handle this situation. Clearly, injuries need to be taken care of... they require rest and I'm all for doing what needs to be done. My issue is that I can't decide what's actually happening here... Am I doing too much too soon? Should I be pushing through it? Or am I being a total sissy about the whole thing? I've never had a very high pain tolerance and don't have many injuries to compare this to. I don't actually know how much pain I'm dealing with here... in fact, I can't even call it pain, which really makes me feel like I'm going a little too easy on myself. The fact is, not everything feels great all the time. It's quite possible that I'm uncomfortable because, during my week of barely running, my muscles tensed up a bit and now need a little work to get back to where they were. But with only 4 weeks to go before the big day... what if I'm wrong?
With 3 miles under my belt, I opt to call it a day and spend the next hour considering where I'm at and where I want to be. The fact is, injured or not, I'm running this marathon. If I have to crawl across that finish, I will do it. Over the course of the next hour I make up my mind. I'll do what I can to take care of the injury, but it's time to start pushing a little bit harder. If I can't handle any pain at all, I'll never make it through the marathon, so it's time to suck it up and see what I'm capable of. Tomorrow is a new day and I look forward to the challenge. I'll certainly continue to play it smart... but I'm also going to push myself a little harder. I'll never know what I'm capable of if I don't try.
I find myself incredibly determined to get back on track. Usually I rather enjoy an excuse to be lazy, but that's gotten very old over the last several days and all I really want to do is run again. Only one week to go before my longest scheduled training run before the marathon... 20 miles... and I don't feel prepared for it at all.
Today's goal was 5 miles and, after mile 1, I was feeling rather confident in my ability to accomplish that goal. Unfortunately, only a mile and a half later, I began to feel a good deal of discomfort and was sure that 5 miles would be a mistake. I fought through it for another half mile, but I wasn't willing to push it any further. And so I find myself coming up short once again.
The real problem here is that I'm torn about how to handle this situation. Clearly, injuries need to be taken care of... they require rest and I'm all for doing what needs to be done. My issue is that I can't decide what's actually happening here... Am I doing too much too soon? Should I be pushing through it? Or am I being a total sissy about the whole thing? I've never had a very high pain tolerance and don't have many injuries to compare this to. I don't actually know how much pain I'm dealing with here... in fact, I can't even call it pain, which really makes me feel like I'm going a little too easy on myself. The fact is, not everything feels great all the time. It's quite possible that I'm uncomfortable because, during my week of barely running, my muscles tensed up a bit and now need a little work to get back to where they were. But with only 4 weeks to go before the big day... what if I'm wrong?
With 3 miles under my belt, I opt to call it a day and spend the next hour considering where I'm at and where I want to be. The fact is, injured or not, I'm running this marathon. If I have to crawl across that finish, I will do it. Over the course of the next hour I make up my mind. I'll do what I can to take care of the injury, but it's time to start pushing a little bit harder. If I can't handle any pain at all, I'll never make it through the marathon, so it's time to suck it up and see what I'm capable of. Tomorrow is a new day and I look forward to the challenge. I'll certainly continue to play it smart... but I'm also going to push myself a little harder. I'll never know what I'm capable of if I don't try.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Day 126 (4/22): 5 miles / 59:59
Well, it wasn't exactly a record-setting day... but I'm getting there.
The hamstring injury I've been dealing with had me a little nervous and, because I'm so afraid to get this close and not accomplish my goal, I probably overdid it with the time off. Nevertheless, I'm determined to be in the best shape possible for marathon day, so playing it safe this week still seemed like the best option. Today was no different.
While I did intend to get in a few more miles, I found that my legs weren't really interested in the same game plan. I decided to take it one mile at a time. I wasn't necessarily happy to stop between each mile, but for various reasons, I'm glad I did.
After mile 1, I stopped for a good stretch. To avoid pulling anything further than I already had, I've avoided a lot of stretching this week. Today's tight muscles definitely reflected that fact, so it felt good to get in a good stretch during my run.
After mile 2, I stopped for a brief walk and some stairs. And, while everything else feels pretty good, I'm disappointed to find that running is the only time I feel any discomfort. This, of course, worries me. Oddly, I decide to try one more mile.
Mile 3 feels a little better, but there's no question there's still some discomfort. I decide I'm absolutely not throwing in the towel for the day. My pace isn't exactly record breaking anyway, so what's the difference if I take another break and run more later? With my mind made up, I finish my third mile, then take a nice long break to stretch, ice, heat, ice, heat, stretch.
After a little more down time, I actually make it back to the treadmill for mile 4. I'm proud of my persistence today. A tub of mini cupcakes in the fridge seems far more inviting and I'm impressed I've managed to tear myself away. Mile 4 feels even better than the first 3, further confirming that saving the cupcakes until later was the way to go. Nevertheless, I feel the need to continue being smart and I wrap up this small addition to my workout with a little more stretching and a little more ice.
Mile 5 almost doesn't happen, but, for some strange reason, my son is now obsessed with playing in the basement. His insistence on going downstairs gives me no excuse and I find myself back on the treadmill for another mile... and I'm so very glad. This mile actually feels pretty good and gives me some renewed hope that things are going in the right direction.
I decide to call it a day after that. It's taken me just 7 hours to complete all 5 miles, but at least I'm back to running. It's been a crazy week without regular workouts and I'm glad to be back. Something tells me these next couple of weeks will be difficult after so many days off, but I'll accept the challenge and do the best I can. And, in the meantime, I'll focus on tackling those mini cupcakes. :)
The hamstring injury I've been dealing with had me a little nervous and, because I'm so afraid to get this close and not accomplish my goal, I probably overdid it with the time off. Nevertheless, I'm determined to be in the best shape possible for marathon day, so playing it safe this week still seemed like the best option. Today was no different.
While I did intend to get in a few more miles, I found that my legs weren't really interested in the same game plan. I decided to take it one mile at a time. I wasn't necessarily happy to stop between each mile, but for various reasons, I'm glad I did.
After mile 1, I stopped for a good stretch. To avoid pulling anything further than I already had, I've avoided a lot of stretching this week. Today's tight muscles definitely reflected that fact, so it felt good to get in a good stretch during my run.
After mile 2, I stopped for a brief walk and some stairs. And, while everything else feels pretty good, I'm disappointed to find that running is the only time I feel any discomfort. This, of course, worries me. Oddly, I decide to try one more mile.
Mile 3 feels a little better, but there's no question there's still some discomfort. I decide I'm absolutely not throwing in the towel for the day. My pace isn't exactly record breaking anyway, so what's the difference if I take another break and run more later? With my mind made up, I finish my third mile, then take a nice long break to stretch, ice, heat, ice, heat, stretch.
After a little more down time, I actually make it back to the treadmill for mile 4. I'm proud of my persistence today. A tub of mini cupcakes in the fridge seems far more inviting and I'm impressed I've managed to tear myself away. Mile 4 feels even better than the first 3, further confirming that saving the cupcakes until later was the way to go. Nevertheless, I feel the need to continue being smart and I wrap up this small addition to my workout with a little more stretching and a little more ice.
Mile 5 almost doesn't happen, but, for some strange reason, my son is now obsessed with playing in the basement. His insistence on going downstairs gives me no excuse and I find myself back on the treadmill for another mile... and I'm so very glad. This mile actually feels pretty good and gives me some renewed hope that things are going in the right direction.
I decide to call it a day after that. It's taken me just 7 hours to complete all 5 miles, but at least I'm back to running. It's been a crazy week without regular workouts and I'm glad to be back. Something tells me these next couple of weeks will be difficult after so many days off, but I'll accept the challenge and do the best I can. And, in the meantime, I'll focus on tackling those mini cupcakes. :)
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Day 125 (4/18): 1.5 miles / 19:43
Not too much to write about this week, but I'm doing my best to be patient with an injury to my hamstring after Saturday's long run.
Following the advice of a fellow runners, I decided to take an extra day off this week to give the injury time to heal. That time off has given me the chance to become better acquainted with my friends Johnny McIce Pack and Heating Pad Sally... I have to say, these are pretty good folks to know :)
So, even though I was scheduled to run 9 miles today, I decided to hop on the treadmill with no particular distance in mind just to see how it felt. I made no effort to go fast and found that, after the first mile, I was actually feeling pretty good. It was my goal, however, to stop before I felt any discomfort... which is a very difficult thing to gauge. I decided that it was better to play it safe, so I ended my run at 1.5 miles and walked another half mile because I wanted to feel like I'd at least made an effort to get in a decent workout (unfortunately, I think I worked up more of a sweat trying to track down my spider friend that kept disappearing under the couch in the basement before I could smash his sorry ass... my apologies... I really hate spiders).
After my very brief workout I did notice the hamstring tightening up again, but I spent some more quality time with my new best friends and really felt good after that. As sad as I am to not be logging the miles I should be, I am glad to at least see some progress. The last thing I want is to come this close and wind up injured for marathon day. And with only 4 weeks to go, now is the time to be playing it smart.
Sadly, my spider friend didn't make it... my condolences to his little spider family...
Following the advice of a fellow runners, I decided to take an extra day off this week to give the injury time to heal. That time off has given me the chance to become better acquainted with my friends Johnny McIce Pack and Heating Pad Sally... I have to say, these are pretty good folks to know :)
So, even though I was scheduled to run 9 miles today, I decided to hop on the treadmill with no particular distance in mind just to see how it felt. I made no effort to go fast and found that, after the first mile, I was actually feeling pretty good. It was my goal, however, to stop before I felt any discomfort... which is a very difficult thing to gauge. I decided that it was better to play it safe, so I ended my run at 1.5 miles and walked another half mile because I wanted to feel like I'd at least made an effort to get in a decent workout (unfortunately, I think I worked up more of a sweat trying to track down my spider friend that kept disappearing under the couch in the basement before I could smash his sorry ass... my apologies... I really hate spiders).
After my very brief workout I did notice the hamstring tightening up again, but I spent some more quality time with my new best friends and really felt good after that. As sad as I am to not be logging the miles I should be, I am glad to at least see some progress. The last thing I want is to come this close and wind up injured for marathon day. And with only 4 weeks to go, now is the time to be playing it smart.
Sadly, my spider friend didn't make it... my condolences to his little spider family...
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Day 124 (4/14): 18 miles / 2:38:33
Another "longest run ever"... and I'm realizing that I'm only going to have a few more of them, so I'm trying to appreciate the personal accomplishment... which is hard to do with so many sore muscles :)
Nevertheless, I'm feeling really good about today's run. My game plan was to run my usual 6 mile loop 3 times giving me the opportunity to keep track of my pace. I'm a little concerned about whether or not I'll be prepared for race day as far as pacing myself is concerned, so I'm really working on that on my long run days. I'd say I was pretty successful in that department today:
First 6 miles: 54:05 = 9:01/mile
Second 6 miles: 51.55 = 8:39/mile
Last 6 miles: 52:33 = 8:46/mile
My main goal was to not start out too fast, so I really made an effort to shoot for a 9:00 mile pace. After that, I figured I would go with whatever pace felt comfortable to me. I'm a little surprised that the pace for my second loop ended up being as fast as it was, but I would have to say that I definitely was feeling my best during those 6 miles (which I find particularly surprising given the fact that the rain had started... I had contemplated heading home, but I realized that, come marathon day, there won't be an inside track in the case of inclement weather... I'd have to be prepared for bad weather and figured it was as good a time as any to practice running in the rain). Towards the end, there was no question I was starting to feel it and I'm just thrilled my pace only slowed by 7 seconds per mile... it was definitely a struggle.
And it was right around the start of my third 6 mile loop that I started to think about how tired I really was and, as usual, considered cutting my long run short. But this was a little more serious than my usual thought process. I was really feeling the fatigue in my legs. Fortunately, a very important thought occurred to me at that particular moment. I wasn't training for the marathon because it was easy... this whole thing wasn't going to be easy at all. If it was, a lot more people would do it. Around mile 14 I had to give myself a major pep talk... and I reminded myself that, if I expected to survive race day, I needed to prepare my body for what it was going to feel like. I needed to get used to fighting through the pain, ignoring the discomforts and stop considering the possibility of quitting. It was exactly what I needed to push through my last 4 miles. It wasn't easy and I'm likely to be hurting for days... but that little pep talk will surely come in handy in 5 weeks when I'm certainly going to be feeling the pain and the temptation to quit... I'll need to remind myself that, while this is likely the hardest thing I will ever put myself through, it will be with a purpose... I will finish this race because it is a dream of mine... a goal worth accomplishing... pain and all, I will cross that finish line... because I can.
Nevertheless, I'm feeling really good about today's run. My game plan was to run my usual 6 mile loop 3 times giving me the opportunity to keep track of my pace. I'm a little concerned about whether or not I'll be prepared for race day as far as pacing myself is concerned, so I'm really working on that on my long run days. I'd say I was pretty successful in that department today:
First 6 miles: 54:05 = 9:01/mile
Second 6 miles: 51.55 = 8:39/mile
Last 6 miles: 52:33 = 8:46/mile
My main goal was to not start out too fast, so I really made an effort to shoot for a 9:00 mile pace. After that, I figured I would go with whatever pace felt comfortable to me. I'm a little surprised that the pace for my second loop ended up being as fast as it was, but I would have to say that I definitely was feeling my best during those 6 miles (which I find particularly surprising given the fact that the rain had started... I had contemplated heading home, but I realized that, come marathon day, there won't be an inside track in the case of inclement weather... I'd have to be prepared for bad weather and figured it was as good a time as any to practice running in the rain). Towards the end, there was no question I was starting to feel it and I'm just thrilled my pace only slowed by 7 seconds per mile... it was definitely a struggle.
And it was right around the start of my third 6 mile loop that I started to think about how tired I really was and, as usual, considered cutting my long run short. But this was a little more serious than my usual thought process. I was really feeling the fatigue in my legs. Fortunately, a very important thought occurred to me at that particular moment. I wasn't training for the marathon because it was easy... this whole thing wasn't going to be easy at all. If it was, a lot more people would do it. Around mile 14 I had to give myself a major pep talk... and I reminded myself that, if I expected to survive race day, I needed to prepare my body for what it was going to feel like. I needed to get used to fighting through the pain, ignoring the discomforts and stop considering the possibility of quitting. It was exactly what I needed to push through my last 4 miles. It wasn't easy and I'm likely to be hurting for days... but that little pep talk will surely come in handy in 5 weeks when I'm certainly going to be feeling the pain and the temptation to quit... I'll need to remind myself that, while this is likely the hardest thing I will ever put myself through, it will be with a purpose... I will finish this race because it is a dream of mine... a goal worth accomplishing... pain and all, I will cross that finish line... because I can.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Day 123 (4/12): 1/2 mile / about 5:00
So I know I was scheduled for a 5 mile run, but multiple things led me to the conclusion that 5 miles might not be the best idea for me today...
Concern #1: I know that running shoes are supposed to last a maximum of about 500 miles. I was pretty sure I hadn't reached that point yet, but figured I was probably getting close. Of course, once I started thinking about it, I was curious to know exactly how many miles I'd run since I started training, so I decided to actually add them up. To my astonishment, the total came to 497.2 miles! Several thoughts: Thank you, New Balance, for suggesting a pair of shoes for me that have managed to last this long! Congratulations to me for actually running that many miles! And, holy cow, no wonder my body parts aren't always functioning properly! This made buying a new pair of shoes an immediate priority!
Concern #2: With my focus now on a new pair of running shoes, I ended up spending most of my evening walking around Crocker Park looking for the New Balance store. I guess I should have paid more attention to its location before choosing a parking lot so far away. This is not to suggest that I walked several miles... but I did walk a good bit in not-so-great work shoes carrying a 35 lb kid that preferred the luxury of a free ride instead of hoofing it with his mother.
Concern #3: Everything hurts. Not exactly painful... but a lot of discomfort. Everything just feels out of whack. My feet, my shins, my hips, my thighs... everything is just a bit off.
So, I put on my new running shoes hoping to start the process of breaking them in. I jogged a half mile on the treadmill just to loosen up, then I spent the next 45 minutes stretching. I imagine some of my discomfort was probably caused by my worn out shoes and some of it was from pushing myself harder than necessary for every workout. I really do need to find a happy medium on my pace for some of my runs. Constantly competing with myself is not doing me any good.
But, until I get all of that sorted out, which won't likely be any time soon, I decided that an extra day off might do me some good. I'm still planning to take the day off tomorrow, as well, and hope that my body bounces back for Saturday's long run. I can't say that I'm particularly excited about running 18 miles... but I'm very excited to prove I can do it :)
Concern #1: I know that running shoes are supposed to last a maximum of about 500 miles. I was pretty sure I hadn't reached that point yet, but figured I was probably getting close. Of course, once I started thinking about it, I was curious to know exactly how many miles I'd run since I started training, so I decided to actually add them up. To my astonishment, the total came to 497.2 miles! Several thoughts: Thank you, New Balance, for suggesting a pair of shoes for me that have managed to last this long! Congratulations to me for actually running that many miles! And, holy cow, no wonder my body parts aren't always functioning properly! This made buying a new pair of shoes an immediate priority!
Concern #2: With my focus now on a new pair of running shoes, I ended up spending most of my evening walking around Crocker Park looking for the New Balance store. I guess I should have paid more attention to its location before choosing a parking lot so far away. This is not to suggest that I walked several miles... but I did walk a good bit in not-so-great work shoes carrying a 35 lb kid that preferred the luxury of a free ride instead of hoofing it with his mother.
Concern #3: Everything hurts. Not exactly painful... but a lot of discomfort. Everything just feels out of whack. My feet, my shins, my hips, my thighs... everything is just a bit off.
So, I put on my new running shoes hoping to start the process of breaking them in. I jogged a half mile on the treadmill just to loosen up, then I spent the next 45 minutes stretching. I imagine some of my discomfort was probably caused by my worn out shoes and some of it was from pushing myself harder than necessary for every workout. I really do need to find a happy medium on my pace for some of my runs. Constantly competing with myself is not doing me any good.
But, until I get all of that sorted out, which won't likely be any time soon, I decided that an extra day off might do me some good. I'm still planning to take the day off tomorrow, as well, and hope that my body bounces back for Saturday's long run. I can't say that I'm particularly excited about running 18 miles... but I'm very excited to prove I can do it :)
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Day 122 (4/11): 9 miles / 1:20:50
This was a rough one, but I'm so glad I finished it. I ran my first 4 miles outdoors while the sun was still up. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish 9 miles in the 30+ minutes of remaining daylight (was a 4:00 mile pace really too much to ask?), so I ran the last 5 on my treadmill at home. I have to say, that transition is a pretty sucky one. Going from fresh air and sunshine to a dark, unfinished basement... it's actually a little depressing. Which might have something to do with why I had such a hard time convincing myself to run all 9 miles. Each mile seemed like an eternity and I frequently had to talk myself into continuing.
At mile 5 I thought 'heck with it, I'll just run tomorrow's 5 miles today and run 9 miles tomorrow'... I didn't have to worry about that nonsensical theory winning out... I knew there was no chance of that one happening.
At mile 6 I told myself I only needed to go 1 more... that 7 miles was close enough to 9... I could just call it a day. The good news was that, once I was within 2 miles of finishing, I knew I just needed to suck it up and run all 9. To be that close and not finish it just seemed plain stupid.
Let's hope that logic comes back to me on marathon day... maybe somewhere around mile 22. After all, if I've run 22 miles, I better not quit with only 4.2 to go. Maybe I'll start a list of the things I need to tell myself at each mile marker... just a few words to keep me going... just an idea.
When all was said and done, I averaged an 8:59 pace... not too shabby considering my state of mind. Let's hope this weekend's long run doesn't come with the same challenges... 18 miles of self-pep-talks might get a little old :)
At mile 5 I thought 'heck with it, I'll just run tomorrow's 5 miles today and run 9 miles tomorrow'... I didn't have to worry about that nonsensical theory winning out... I knew there was no chance of that one happening.
At mile 6 I told myself I only needed to go 1 more... that 7 miles was close enough to 9... I could just call it a day. The good news was that, once I was within 2 miles of finishing, I knew I just needed to suck it up and run all 9. To be that close and not finish it just seemed plain stupid.
Let's hope that logic comes back to me on marathon day... maybe somewhere around mile 22. After all, if I've run 22 miles, I better not quit with only 4.2 to go. Maybe I'll start a list of the things I need to tell myself at each mile marker... just a few words to keep me going... just an idea.
When all was said and done, I averaged an 8:59 pace... not too shabby considering my state of mind. Let's hope this weekend's long run doesn't come with the same challenges... 18 miles of self-pep-talks might get a little old :)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Day 121 (4/10): 4 miles / 34:24
All in all, another successful workout. I'll admit to not wanting to run at all, but I'm guessing that had something to do with today's weather. The winter is usually my lazy time and, with the weather being so summer-like and out of the ordinary lately, I've felt like I've had this extra little bit of energy. Today, unfortunately, we got back to our usual Cleveland weather... cold and snow... so very strange after the weather we've had these last few weeks. I can't say it was unexpected... just a little disappointing. So, I just didn't feel like doing much besides lounging around in my pjs all day. It took everything I had to put on my running gear, lace up the shoes and head to the basement for a 4 mile treadmill run. Lucky for me, my workout actually took far less effort.
Of course, that's not to suggest that I didn't work hard for today's run... it was just easier to handle once I was moving.
My first mile took about 9:10, my second 8:55 and my third around 8:40. And while I'd love to say that I pushed myself particularly hard for my last mile just to see how fast I could go, the truth is that I really wanted to get the workout over with so that I could finish watching a tv show I'd recorded weeks ago and hadn't yet finished before my son woke up from his nap. Regardless of the motivation, I'm proud of the fact that I ended my workout with a 7:39 mile.
And I don't know that I can give full credit to my music for my strong finish, but I will say that it certainly didn't hurt. With just under a mile to go Rascal Flatts' song Stand came up on my playlist. This song is actually far slower than anything else I have on my playlist because I usually prefer a faster beat during my runs, but it just seems to get to me every time I hear it and, even with the slower tempo, I never seem to slow down when it plays. For those who know country music, I'm sure you're familiar with the song. If not, you should definitely give it a listen: Rascal Flatts - Stand
And while I have to admit that my life hasn't exactly been a struggle... there is very little for which I've truly had to fight... I do think that anyone can relate to its lyrics...
I guess it's the idea of becoming a stronger person... regardless of what you might be fighting, internal or external, real or imagined, everyone has something to overcome. This song makes me feel like anyone can find that inner strength and can be more than they are today. I love the idea of that, so I'm particularly moved every time I hear it. In fact, when the song ended, I played it again. I might have to make sure it makes it into my marathon day playlist... maybe right around mile 20 when I'm pretty sure I'll need all the motivation I can get :)
Of course, that's not to suggest that I didn't work hard for today's run... it was just easier to handle once I was moving.
My first mile took about 9:10, my second 8:55 and my third around 8:40. And while I'd love to say that I pushed myself particularly hard for my last mile just to see how fast I could go, the truth is that I really wanted to get the workout over with so that I could finish watching a tv show I'd recorded weeks ago and hadn't yet finished before my son woke up from his nap. Regardless of the motivation, I'm proud of the fact that I ended my workout with a 7:39 mile.
And I don't know that I can give full credit to my music for my strong finish, but I will say that it certainly didn't hurt. With just under a mile to go Rascal Flatts' song Stand came up on my playlist. This song is actually far slower than anything else I have on my playlist because I usually prefer a faster beat during my runs, but it just seems to get to me every time I hear it and, even with the slower tempo, I never seem to slow down when it plays. For those who know country music, I'm sure you're familiar with the song. If not, you should definitely give it a listen: Rascal Flatts - Stand
And while I have to admit that my life hasn't exactly been a struggle... there is very little for which I've truly had to fight... I do think that anyone can relate to its lyrics...
When push comes to shove, you taste what you're made of
You might bend 'til you break 'cause it's all you can take
On your knees you look up, decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong, wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand
Every time you get up and get back in the race
One more small piece you of you starts to form into place
I guess it's the idea of becoming a stronger person... regardless of what you might be fighting, internal or external, real or imagined, everyone has something to overcome. This song makes me feel like anyone can find that inner strength and can be more than they are today. I love the idea of that, so I'm particularly moved every time I hear it. In fact, when the song ended, I played it again. I might have to make sure it makes it into my marathon day playlist... maybe right around mile 20 when I'm pretty sure I'll need all the motivation I can get :)
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Day 120 (4/7): 12 miles / 1:42:22
So much for that leisurely run I had planned...
I don't know why, but I can't just set out for an easy run... ever. I truly did intend to take it easy today, partly because Thursday's workout was a hard one and partly because I didn't feel I had anything to prove. And somehow, if I can find some way to turn my workout into a personal competition, I do it. Every time.
Today I reached that point at the 6 mile mark. My plan was to run my usual 6 mile loop twice. I stopped to use the restroom at home at the end of the first loop (once again, coffee is not my friend on long run days), which turned out to be a great place to check my watch. The first six miles took me 52:18. An 8:43 mile. A much faster time than I was shooting for.
So, what would I do for the second half of my run? I had three options: go faster, go slower or try to keep the same pace. Since it was my intention to run at a slower pace today, the option to go slower seemed like a good way to go. Then again, that didn't seem to make much sense as far as training was concerned. I have to assume that it would be more beneficial to be working on maintaining a pace, regardless of what that pace might be. So, the obvious answer was to try to go exactly the same pace for the second loop. Unfortunately, with my ability to turn every little thing into a competition, I couldn't help but wonder if I could run the second loop faster. I knew, however, that this was not the answer to my desire for an easy day, so I told myself that I would attempt to maintain my current pace. Of course, I was also very aware of the fact that I was completely bullshitting myself... there was no chance I was going to have a time in my head and not try to beat it. Regardless of what I told myself about training smart... I knew I was going to bust my ass to beat that time, no matter how much it killed me.
And beat that time I did... my second loop took me 50:04, a total of 2:14 faster, making my per mile pace a little more than 22 seconds faster. The last 6 miles of my 12 mile run were at an 8:21 pace... not the least bit leisurely.
And while there's no question that I don't need to be pushing myself this hard, I don't regret it in the least. Every little improvement is so exhilarating and proves, once again, that I'm far more capable than I ever give myself credit for. It reminds me that anything is possible... with a little extra effort, anything can be achieved. Yes, I am that cheesy (and am giving some thought to starting a second blog... sort of a 'Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy' meets 'Super Cheesy Motivational Clichés'... it'll be sweet).
I don't know why, but I can't just set out for an easy run... ever. I truly did intend to take it easy today, partly because Thursday's workout was a hard one and partly because I didn't feel I had anything to prove. And somehow, if I can find some way to turn my workout into a personal competition, I do it. Every time.
Today I reached that point at the 6 mile mark. My plan was to run my usual 6 mile loop twice. I stopped to use the restroom at home at the end of the first loop (once again, coffee is not my friend on long run days), which turned out to be a great place to check my watch. The first six miles took me 52:18. An 8:43 mile. A much faster time than I was shooting for.
So, what would I do for the second half of my run? I had three options: go faster, go slower or try to keep the same pace. Since it was my intention to run at a slower pace today, the option to go slower seemed like a good way to go. Then again, that didn't seem to make much sense as far as training was concerned. I have to assume that it would be more beneficial to be working on maintaining a pace, regardless of what that pace might be. So, the obvious answer was to try to go exactly the same pace for the second loop. Unfortunately, with my ability to turn every little thing into a competition, I couldn't help but wonder if I could run the second loop faster. I knew, however, that this was not the answer to my desire for an easy day, so I told myself that I would attempt to maintain my current pace. Of course, I was also very aware of the fact that I was completely bullshitting myself... there was no chance I was going to have a time in my head and not try to beat it. Regardless of what I told myself about training smart... I knew I was going to bust my ass to beat that time, no matter how much it killed me.
And beat that time I did... my second loop took me 50:04, a total of 2:14 faster, making my per mile pace a little more than 22 seconds faster. The last 6 miles of my 12 mile run were at an 8:21 pace... not the least bit leisurely.
And while there's no question that I don't need to be pushing myself this hard, I don't regret it in the least. Every little improvement is so exhilarating and proves, once again, that I'm far more capable than I ever give myself credit for. It reminds me that anything is possible... with a little extra effort, anything can be achieved. Yes, I am that cheesy (and am giving some thought to starting a second blog... sort of a 'Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy' meets 'Super Cheesy Motivational Clichés'... it'll be sweet).
Friday, April 6, 2012
Day 119 (4/5): 4 miles / 30:29
What the...?
I don't have any idea how that happened, but I imagine it might have something to do with the guilt I was feeling for my lack of running this week... I guess I thought I'd make up for it with an incredibly fast run... who knew that a 7:37 pace was even a possibility???
At the start my legs were still a little sore, but definitely better than the day before, so I opted to push through it. My first mile was just shy of 8:00, which had me a little nervous with 3 miles to go. Then I remembered... last weekend I ran 16 miles... 4 was nothing compared to that. I wasn't sure if I could keep up with that pace, but I also knew there was no reason not to try.
So, all in all, I would call today's workout a huge success. Not only that, but in a few weeks I'm scheduled to run a 4 mile race... and now I know what time to shoot for :)
I don't have any idea how that happened, but I imagine it might have something to do with the guilt I was feeling for my lack of running this week... I guess I thought I'd make up for it with an incredibly fast run... who knew that a 7:37 pace was even a possibility???
At the start my legs were still a little sore, but definitely better than the day before, so I opted to push through it. My first mile was just shy of 8:00, which had me a little nervous with 3 miles to go. Then I remembered... last weekend I ran 16 miles... 4 was nothing compared to that. I wasn't sure if I could keep up with that pace, but I also knew there was no reason not to try.
So, all in all, I would call today's workout a huge success. Not only that, but in a few weeks I'm scheduled to run a 4 mile race... and now I know what time to shoot for :)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Day 118 (4/4): 3 miles / 27:30
Just not feeling it.
I have a few things I'm battling this week... fortunately, none of them are a big deal... unfortunately, they're all effecting my training.
Issue 1: Not nearly enough hours in the day. My scheduled 2 days off quickly turned into 3 when my day for myself on Tuesday left me with absolutely no time for my scheduled 4 miles. Not that I'm complaining... my "me day" included shopping for some much needed clothes (this running thing is really great for weight loss... not so great on the checkbook) and a massage, which I truly felt I'd earned. Earned or not, I enjoyed every minute! A few hours of my evening were spent with my son and, after he went to bed, I had a million little distractions to deal with. I'm fairly certain that, when all was said and done, I didn't really accomplish anything, including (sadly) my training.
Issue 2: It would appear that the amazing massage from my "me day" did me more harm than good. Odds are that my body is all out of whack and I probably needed exactly what was done. Regrettably, it's caused some muscle soreness that I wasn't anticipating and, until I can work out the kinks, I'm finding that I'm a little uncomfortable. And getting around for my day to day activities is one thing... but running was something else entirely. I normally reach a point of soreness or fatigue toward the end of my run, but today I was actually uncomfortable from my very first stride. I gave myself a mile to loosen up and, when that didn't happen, I stopped for a few minutes to stretch. Unfortunately, this didn't seem to make much of a difference. So I gave it another mile. With no improvement, I opted to walk for a bit to see if that would help. Mile 3 was still very uncomfortable and I decided that it wasn't worth a potential injury. With 5 miles still to go for today's scheduled workout, I called it quits. I did spend some quality time with a few ice packs, worked on a whole lot of stretching and threw in a little yoga for good measure. But, even after all of that, I still felt like I didn't do enough. Either way, that was all I could give it for today.
My sad lesson for this week: If I'd skipped Tuesday's massage and run instead, I'd probably be feeling pretty darn good right now :(
And I'm officially giving up the massages until after marathon day... when there will be no question that I will have earned it :)
I have a few things I'm battling this week... fortunately, none of them are a big deal... unfortunately, they're all effecting my training.
Issue 1: Not nearly enough hours in the day. My scheduled 2 days off quickly turned into 3 when my day for myself on Tuesday left me with absolutely no time for my scheduled 4 miles. Not that I'm complaining... my "me day" included shopping for some much needed clothes (this running thing is really great for weight loss... not so great on the checkbook) and a massage, which I truly felt I'd earned. Earned or not, I enjoyed every minute! A few hours of my evening were spent with my son and, after he went to bed, I had a million little distractions to deal with. I'm fairly certain that, when all was said and done, I didn't really accomplish anything, including (sadly) my training.
Issue 2: It would appear that the amazing massage from my "me day" did me more harm than good. Odds are that my body is all out of whack and I probably needed exactly what was done. Regrettably, it's caused some muscle soreness that I wasn't anticipating and, until I can work out the kinks, I'm finding that I'm a little uncomfortable. And getting around for my day to day activities is one thing... but running was something else entirely. I normally reach a point of soreness or fatigue toward the end of my run, but today I was actually uncomfortable from my very first stride. I gave myself a mile to loosen up and, when that didn't happen, I stopped for a few minutes to stretch. Unfortunately, this didn't seem to make much of a difference. So I gave it another mile. With no improvement, I opted to walk for a bit to see if that would help. Mile 3 was still very uncomfortable and I decided that it wasn't worth a potential injury. With 5 miles still to go for today's scheduled workout, I called it quits. I did spend some quality time with a few ice packs, worked on a whole lot of stretching and threw in a little yoga for good measure. But, even after all of that, I still felt like I didn't do enough. Either way, that was all I could give it for today.
My sad lesson for this week: If I'd skipped Tuesday's massage and run instead, I'd probably be feeling pretty darn good right now :(
And I'm officially giving up the massages until after marathon day... when there will be no question that I will have earned it :)
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Day 117 (3/31): 16 miles / 2:18:18
Long... that's about the only word I have to describe it... today's run was crazy long. With this being the farthest I've ever run, I was pretty excited to see how it would feel... and pretty darn exhausted when it was done. And finishing with a per mille pace somewhere around 8:39, I'd say exhausted was about the only way I could expect to feel.
Today's weather was a little cooler starting out in the high 30s and probably ending up somewhere in the mid-40s by the time I finished. It was overcast with a little bit of a breeze... it was actually a great running day.
I needed a restroom break at mile 6 (something I'll need to work on before marathon day... maybe the half a pot of coffee an hour before running is the problem... hmmm... certainly something to consider), which worked out well since my route is a six mile loop, so I was back at home anyway. And, since I just can't seem to part with my watch, I noted that I'd been running at just under a 9:00 pace. I felt good, so I decided it was best not to question it. I really make an effort to run my long runs based on my comfort level and not my time. I've learned not to question my times since I'm obviously faster than I ever seem to give myself credit for. With 10 miles to go, I was feeling pretty confident.
I added an extra mile to my second loop so that, by the time I got back to my house I only had 3 miles left... I figured the fewer miles I had left when I got back to my house, the better chance I'd have to not throw in the towel early. And I was right... with only 3 miles to go, I wasn't even tempted to stop. As tired as I was, I knew what I really wanted was to finish all 16 miles and the thought of stopping early never crossed my mind.
It was at mile 13 that I took some time to consider where I would be on marathon day. It had nothing to do with my physical condition or what kind of time I might finish with. I simply considered the fact that, if this was marathon day, I'd be at the half way point with 13 miles still ahead of me. Of course, my first thought was that I was simply glad it wasn't marathon day... I didn't feel like I could handle another 13 miles. But, I also realized that the reason I wasn't ready for another 13 had a lot to do with the fact that I knew I only had 3 more to go. When I started my run, I knew I had 16 miles ahead of me and I counted down those miles as I went along. If I had been counting on a total of 26 the entire way, I would have been far better prepared for the idea of 13 left. In fact, reaching that point would likely be a little mental boost... knowing that every step meant fewer miles left ahead than miles already behind me. But jumping from the thought of 3 miles left to 13... that was more than I could really handle at that point. So I simply took the time to consider how I felt physically... I wasn't trying to psych myself out with the idea of 13 miles ahead... I just thought about how I was feeling at that moment so that I might know what to expect on marathon day. Sure, I was tired and sweaty and was starting to note muscle soreness and foot discomfort... but after considering all of these things, one very important thing occurred to me... I felt better at that 13 mile point than I ever thought possible before now. I felt strong and in control. I knew I could reach the finish without stopping. With 13 miles behind me, there was no question that I had more in me. This was an eye opening moment and one I needed more than I realized. I felt more confident at that moment than I've felt during all of my training so far. And with 7 weeks of training still ahead, I'm feeling very good about how far I've come, where I'm at now and, most importantly, how much more I can accomplish in the future.
When people ask me if I've set a goal for the marathon, I've always had the same answer... I just want to finish. I have no interest in qualifying for Boston (don't get me wrong, I wouldn't try not to... I'm just saying), I have no specific time in mind... I simply want to cross that finish line. And today I realized that, even if I'm crawling at the end, I absolutely plan to finish that race. After all, I've just run 16 miles... what's another 10?!? LOL... okay, okay... that's just a silly statement. But still...
Today's weather was a little cooler starting out in the high 30s and probably ending up somewhere in the mid-40s by the time I finished. It was overcast with a little bit of a breeze... it was actually a great running day.
I needed a restroom break at mile 6 (something I'll need to work on before marathon day... maybe the half a pot of coffee an hour before running is the problem... hmmm... certainly something to consider), which worked out well since my route is a six mile loop, so I was back at home anyway. And, since I just can't seem to part with my watch, I noted that I'd been running at just under a 9:00 pace. I felt good, so I decided it was best not to question it. I really make an effort to run my long runs based on my comfort level and not my time. I've learned not to question my times since I'm obviously faster than I ever seem to give myself credit for. With 10 miles to go, I was feeling pretty confident.
I added an extra mile to my second loop so that, by the time I got back to my house I only had 3 miles left... I figured the fewer miles I had left when I got back to my house, the better chance I'd have to not throw in the towel early. And I was right... with only 3 miles to go, I wasn't even tempted to stop. As tired as I was, I knew what I really wanted was to finish all 16 miles and the thought of stopping early never crossed my mind.
It was at mile 13 that I took some time to consider where I would be on marathon day. It had nothing to do with my physical condition or what kind of time I might finish with. I simply considered the fact that, if this was marathon day, I'd be at the half way point with 13 miles still ahead of me. Of course, my first thought was that I was simply glad it wasn't marathon day... I didn't feel like I could handle another 13 miles. But, I also realized that the reason I wasn't ready for another 13 had a lot to do with the fact that I knew I only had 3 more to go. When I started my run, I knew I had 16 miles ahead of me and I counted down those miles as I went along. If I had been counting on a total of 26 the entire way, I would have been far better prepared for the idea of 13 left. In fact, reaching that point would likely be a little mental boost... knowing that every step meant fewer miles left ahead than miles already behind me. But jumping from the thought of 3 miles left to 13... that was more than I could really handle at that point. So I simply took the time to consider how I felt physically... I wasn't trying to psych myself out with the idea of 13 miles ahead... I just thought about how I was feeling at that moment so that I might know what to expect on marathon day. Sure, I was tired and sweaty and was starting to note muscle soreness and foot discomfort... but after considering all of these things, one very important thing occurred to me... I felt better at that 13 mile point than I ever thought possible before now. I felt strong and in control. I knew I could reach the finish without stopping. With 13 miles behind me, there was no question that I had more in me. This was an eye opening moment and one I needed more than I realized. I felt more confident at that moment than I've felt during all of my training so far. And with 7 weeks of training still ahead, I'm feeling very good about how far I've come, where I'm at now and, most importantly, how much more I can accomplish in the future.
When people ask me if I've set a goal for the marathon, I've always had the same answer... I just want to finish. I have no interest in qualifying for Boston (don't get me wrong, I wouldn't try not to... I'm just saying), I have no specific time in mind... I simply want to cross that finish line. And today I realized that, even if I'm crawling at the end, I absolutely plan to finish that race. After all, I've just run 16 miles... what's another 10?!? LOL... okay, okay... that's just a silly statement. But still...
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