I hate to admit it, but I'm a bit disappointed in my run today...
I decided to try something a little different with my treadmill run today. First, I decided I was going to run these 3 miles as fast as I could. This meant starting at a much faster pace than I'm used to starting with and keeping it for as long as possible. The second change was to do it without my ipod. As much as I love the distraction of music, I really wanted to focus all of my thoughts on running... an attempt to motivate myself as I ran instead of waiting for my music selection to inspire me. My first two miles started out great, but just past the 2 mile mark, I wasn't sure I could hold on any longer. I suppose my large dinner could be to blame for that. But, for the first time, I actually had to bump the speed setting back down for a few minutes. It may have been an unrealistic goal, but I was really hoping to run in the 24's. Unfortunately, with my reduced speed, I just wasn't able to pull it off and ended up just over 25 minutes. I suppose I shouldn't be too disappointed with an 8:22 mile pace, but if I'd held my original pace just a little bit longer, I really think I could have finished 6 seconds faster. I suppose that just gives me a goal to shoot for next time.
In addition to that, I actually found it interesting to run without music again... it had been some time since I'd done that and I kind of enjoyed talking myself through my run. Although, I suppose a few negative thoughts in there could also be to blame for my decision to slow down. Nevertheless, I felt pretty upbeat throughout the entire run and it was probably good for me to spend 25 minutes focused on one thing. Hopefully next time I shoot for this goal I'll only have to spend 24 minutes focused on one thing :)
Friday, October 28, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Day 56 (10/25): 4 miles / 36:14
What an absolutely gorgeous day! Too bad I had to run in my dreary basement...
Still, I managed to get in a good workout and I'm thrilled with where I am physically right now. My training schedule called for 4 miles and I decided to try something a little different. One thing I've loved about training on the treadmill (and there aren't many times you'll see the words 'treadmill' and 'love' anywhere near one another in this blog) is that I can force myself to increase my speed throughout my run. For most people, as you get tired, you tend to slow down. Even if the excitement of finishing causes someone to pick up their pace at the end, it is usually the miles in the middle that are run at a slower pace. A treadmill eliminates that issue altogether. As I've mentioned before, it is always my goal to increase my speed as I go and never to decrease it along the way. This forces me to learn how to pace myself properly and, because I like to push myself at the end, if I have the energy left to do it, I rarely keep my pace: I always increase the speed over the course of the last mile. Today was similar, but with an added twist.
For the most part, I start somewhere between 6 and 6.5 mph. After the first mile, I increase it a few tenths and, the last mile I try to increase the speed every tenth of a mile so that I'm sprinting the last .1 or .2 miles. (Because, even though I haven't yet learned how to run 26 miles, God knows I'm going to be prepared to give it my all for that last .2!)
Anyway, today I started at 6.5, moved up to 6.6 for mile 2 and up to 6.7 for mile 3. My total time for the first three miles was 28:10. My goal, however, was to see how fast I could run my last mile after finishing the first 3. I was quite thrilled to run it in 8:04. This is certainly not the fastest mile I've ever run, but to be able to run that time after having already run 3 miles was pretty exciting.
Getting philosophical for a moment, I have to admit that I was far more excited about what this meant for me mentally rather than physically. It was one of those reminders that sometimes there's a little more left to give, even when I'm not certain that's the case. This, I'm guessing, will end up coming in quite handy as I continue to add to my ever growing list of commitments.
These days I feel like I'm setting a new goal for myself every week. Hopefully I will know when I've reached my limit. Until then, I guess I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that today's life lesson is used wisely and that, when I need a little something extra to get through my day, hopefully I can find the energy I need. I find I was pretty boring when I didn't have any goals... and I'm liking the new me.
Still, I managed to get in a good workout and I'm thrilled with where I am physically right now. My training schedule called for 4 miles and I decided to try something a little different. One thing I've loved about training on the treadmill (and there aren't many times you'll see the words 'treadmill' and 'love' anywhere near one another in this blog) is that I can force myself to increase my speed throughout my run. For most people, as you get tired, you tend to slow down. Even if the excitement of finishing causes someone to pick up their pace at the end, it is usually the miles in the middle that are run at a slower pace. A treadmill eliminates that issue altogether. As I've mentioned before, it is always my goal to increase my speed as I go and never to decrease it along the way. This forces me to learn how to pace myself properly and, because I like to push myself at the end, if I have the energy left to do it, I rarely keep my pace: I always increase the speed over the course of the last mile. Today was similar, but with an added twist.
For the most part, I start somewhere between 6 and 6.5 mph. After the first mile, I increase it a few tenths and, the last mile I try to increase the speed every tenth of a mile so that I'm sprinting the last .1 or .2 miles. (Because, even though I haven't yet learned how to run 26 miles, God knows I'm going to be prepared to give it my all for that last .2!)
Anyway, today I started at 6.5, moved up to 6.6 for mile 2 and up to 6.7 for mile 3. My total time for the first three miles was 28:10. My goal, however, was to see how fast I could run my last mile after finishing the first 3. I was quite thrilled to run it in 8:04. This is certainly not the fastest mile I've ever run, but to be able to run that time after having already run 3 miles was pretty exciting.
Getting philosophical for a moment, I have to admit that I was far more excited about what this meant for me mentally rather than physically. It was one of those reminders that sometimes there's a little more left to give, even when I'm not certain that's the case. This, I'm guessing, will end up coming in quite handy as I continue to add to my ever growing list of commitments.
These days I feel like I'm setting a new goal for myself every week. Hopefully I will know when I've reached my limit. Until then, I guess I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that today's life lesson is used wisely and that, when I need a little something extra to get through my day, hopefully I can find the energy I need. I find I was pretty boring when I didn't have any goals... and I'm liking the new me.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Day 55 (10/23): 6 miles / 53:38
I have no idea how I ran this a minute and a half faster last weekend. I gave this one my all. Must have been the 2 extra days off this week.
Nevertheless, despite how it sounds, I'm not at all disappointed in today's run. It was another beautiful day and I'm rather enjoying my 6 mile route. Well, aside from passing the most amazing smell of burgers and fries at lunch time. I will definitely have to find an alternate route for the days when I don't eat lunch until after my run. I tell you, if I carried money with me when I ran, I might be tempted to stop for lunch right in the middle of those 6 miles. And something tells me that might defeat the purpose.
And aside from the area around Red Robin, where I spent my time wiping the drool from my chin instead of the sweat from my brow, I spent the majority of my run thinking about my most recent non-fiction read: "The Necklace" by Cheryl Jarvis. It's a story of 13 women who pool their money to buy a diamond necklace and share it. It becomes an interesting experiment and changes each of their lives in its own way. Very intriguing. Nevertheless, it has reminded me of my goal to get involved with more charity work and I spent a good bit of time trying to think of ways I might do that. The women in this book get involved in some pretty wonderful things and I started to think about what my friends and I might be able to accomplish if we worked together on a charitable cause. Much like my legs, my mind was racing with little ideas and I can't wait until tomorrow to email them and see what they think.
Not that I have any idea how I'm going to fit yet another project into my already busy day, but this is one I'm definitely going to make work.
Nevertheless, despite how it sounds, I'm not at all disappointed in today's run. It was another beautiful day and I'm rather enjoying my 6 mile route. Well, aside from passing the most amazing smell of burgers and fries at lunch time. I will definitely have to find an alternate route for the days when I don't eat lunch until after my run. I tell you, if I carried money with me when I ran, I might be tempted to stop for lunch right in the middle of those 6 miles. And something tells me that might defeat the purpose.
And aside from the area around Red Robin, where I spent my time wiping the drool from my chin instead of the sweat from my brow, I spent the majority of my run thinking about my most recent non-fiction read: "The Necklace" by Cheryl Jarvis. It's a story of 13 women who pool their money to buy a diamond necklace and share it. It becomes an interesting experiment and changes each of their lives in its own way. Very intriguing. Nevertheless, it has reminded me of my goal to get involved with more charity work and I spent a good bit of time trying to think of ways I might do that. The women in this book get involved in some pretty wonderful things and I started to think about what my friends and I might be able to accomplish if we worked together on a charitable cause. Much like my legs, my mind was racing with little ideas and I can't wait until tomorrow to email them and see what they think.
Not that I have any idea how I'm going to fit yet another project into my already busy day, but this is one I'm definitely going to make work.
Day 54: (10/22): 4 miles / 35:00
It was a beautiful day for a run outdoors! And after an amazing sushi dinner last night (here's my shout out to Shannon) and a planned night out this evening, it was a great way to fit some exercise into my otherwise gluttonous weekend.
This weather is absolutely perfect for running... sunny and 50s... if it could stay like this for a few more weeks, I'd be in heaven. Don't get me wrong... I prefer sunny and 80s for any other purpose. I'm talking strictly about running weather here. If this was My Adventures In Obtaining The Perfect Tan, we'd be looking at an entirely different kind of entry :)
This weather is absolutely perfect for running... sunny and 50s... if it could stay like this for a few more weeks, I'd be in heaven. Don't get me wrong... I prefer sunny and 80s for any other purpose. I'm talking strictly about running weather here. If this was My Adventures In Obtaining The Perfect Tan, we'd be looking at an entirely different kind of entry :)
Friday, October 21, 2011
Day 53 (10/20): 4 miles / 38:49
After Monday's planned day of rest and Tuesday's very much unplanned stomach bug sidelining me for two more days, I was anxious to get moving again. I can't say I felt particularly well during these 4 miles, but I was determined to make it happen.
The training schedule called for 3 miles on Tuesday, 4 on Wednesday and 3 on Thursday. Already down 7 miles for the week, I decided to go for 4 today. Well, I shouldn't say I 'decided'. In fact, I struggled with the decision for almost the entire first 3 miles. My first thought was to take it easy and slowly get myself back up to speed. Then, with the realization that the Cleveland Marathon is exactly 7 months away, I thought I should push myself a little harder so I wouldn't fall too far behind with my training. About a mile in, I settled for the goal of running 3 miles at a steady 10:00 pace and to revisit the decision once I saw how I felt. I had moments throughout the next 2 miles where I figured 3 was more than enough. But, in the end, when I reached the 3 mile mark, I knew I had it in me for at least another mile. At that point, all bets were off. I knew I wouldn't be setting my sights any further than 4, so I was determined to get the rest of my workout completed in as little time as possible. Not wanting to rock the boat (or my stomach, as the case may be), I slowly increased my speed every tenth of a mile, finishing my last mile in 8:49. Not exactly a record setting day, but there was no doubt when I finished that I probably should have given myself a little longer to bounce back. Fortunately, I did get all 4 miles in and I'm proud of myself for pushing harder when I could have easily taken another sick day.
I wonder what would have happened if I had pushed myself this hard in high school?
The training schedule called for 3 miles on Tuesday, 4 on Wednesday and 3 on Thursday. Already down 7 miles for the week, I decided to go for 4 today. Well, I shouldn't say I 'decided'. In fact, I struggled with the decision for almost the entire first 3 miles. My first thought was to take it easy and slowly get myself back up to speed. Then, with the realization that the Cleveland Marathon is exactly 7 months away, I thought I should push myself a little harder so I wouldn't fall too far behind with my training. About a mile in, I settled for the goal of running 3 miles at a steady 10:00 pace and to revisit the decision once I saw how I felt. I had moments throughout the next 2 miles where I figured 3 was more than enough. But, in the end, when I reached the 3 mile mark, I knew I had it in me for at least another mile. At that point, all bets were off. I knew I wouldn't be setting my sights any further than 4, so I was determined to get the rest of my workout completed in as little time as possible. Not wanting to rock the boat (or my stomach, as the case may be), I slowly increased my speed every tenth of a mile, finishing my last mile in 8:49. Not exactly a record setting day, but there was no doubt when I finished that I probably should have given myself a little longer to bounce back. Fortunately, I did get all 4 miles in and I'm proud of myself for pushing harder when I could have easily taken another sick day.
I wonder what would have happened if I had pushed myself this hard in high school?
Monday, October 17, 2011
Day 52 (10/16): 3 miles / 26:14
After last night's birthday celebration, this morning's early start, and the copious amounts of food consumed this afternoon, I'm shocked I was able to get off the couch, let alone run 3 miles. My legs were definitely a little sore from yesterday, but I managed to get through it. I gave some serious consideration to calling it a day after mile 2, but I knew I'd appreciate tomorrow's night off that much more if I didn't cut any corners tonight. This week's training is pretty low key with another 6 miles scheduled for next weekend. I'm pretty sure I can fully recover by then :)
I have to admit that I spent the majority of my run thinking about the finish line. And I don't mean that in some sappy, poetic way where I was daydreaming about the thrill of the finish, the reaching of a goal and the accomplishment of a dream. I literally stared at the distance reading on the screen and willed the numbers to tick by just a little bit faster - yearning for the moment when I could hit the 'stop' button and be done. Even my running playlist seemed depressing to me and I found myself skipping through almost every song trying to find something to pump me up for a big finish. I never did find it. Only after I finished did I think of the song I really wanted to hear: My Body by Young the Giant. This was, by far, the best song recommendation from a fellow runner. This song might just have been what I needed. Fortunately for me, I was able to get by without it... but I may have to re-work my play list so that this is always the last song I hear :) Thanks, Kristy!
So, until next time, I do believe it's time to get started on enjoying my day of rest...
I have to admit that I spent the majority of my run thinking about the finish line. And I don't mean that in some sappy, poetic way where I was daydreaming about the thrill of the finish, the reaching of a goal and the accomplishment of a dream. I literally stared at the distance reading on the screen and willed the numbers to tick by just a little bit faster - yearning for the moment when I could hit the 'stop' button and be done. Even my running playlist seemed depressing to me and I found myself skipping through almost every song trying to find something to pump me up for a big finish. I never did find it. Only after I finished did I think of the song I really wanted to hear: My Body by Young the Giant. This was, by far, the best song recommendation from a fellow runner. This song might just have been what I needed. Fortunately for me, I was able to get by without it... but I may have to re-work my play list so that this is always the last song I hear :) Thanks, Kristy!
So, until next time, I do believe it's time to get started on enjoying my day of rest...
Day 51 (10/15): 6 miles / 52:05
One word... AMAZING! I can not believe how great it felt to run these 6 miles. It was a typical fall day... cool, overcast and incredibly windy. I wasn't sure running outside was going to be the best idea, but I'm so glad I did it.
My first 3 miles were all around a 9:00 mile pace and, being that I finished with an average pace of 8:40, my last 3 miles were obviously a whole lot faster (somewhere around 8:20 each). The reason for this, of course, is that a good bit of the first half of this run was uphill and into the wind. After the 3 mile mark, it was all downhill from there. No... literally... it was all downhill with the wind at my back. I imagine that made up for the large time discrepancy.
And, of course, I had my philosophical moment right around the 3.5 mile mark when I turned a corner and had the wind at my back... Sometimes you just have to stay the course, no matter how difficult it seems. There will be times when things don't seem to be going your way, but they're bound to turn around eventually :)
Enough of the cheese... back to reality...
As I mentioned before, it was a typical fall day and I had 52 minutes to appreciate it. Fall in Ohio just doesn't last very long and, before you know it, winter is upon you. It was great to get a chance to appreciate the changing colors, the falling leaves and the indescribable smell of the season. Of course, the half mile radius surrounding Red Robin doesn't exactly smell like 'fall', but it did make me hungry for a burger and fries. And, shortly after that, someone in the area was baking some kind of apple deliciousness... the scent of apples and cinnamon followed me a short distance further. Maybe that explains the faster second half of my run... I couldn't wait to get home to eat!
All in all, I would say today was a huge success. I felt great from my first step to my last and am proud to say I've tackled 6 miles. The increase to 7 miles is still 3 weeks away and I'm already looking forward to it!
Now it's time to celebrate with a few beers and maybe a couple shots... Happy Birthday Michael! :)
My first 3 miles were all around a 9:00 mile pace and, being that I finished with an average pace of 8:40, my last 3 miles were obviously a whole lot faster (somewhere around 8:20 each). The reason for this, of course, is that a good bit of the first half of this run was uphill and into the wind. After the 3 mile mark, it was all downhill from there. No... literally... it was all downhill with the wind at my back. I imagine that made up for the large time discrepancy.
And, of course, I had my philosophical moment right around the 3.5 mile mark when I turned a corner and had the wind at my back... Sometimes you just have to stay the course, no matter how difficult it seems. There will be times when things don't seem to be going your way, but they're bound to turn around eventually :)
Enough of the cheese... back to reality...
As I mentioned before, it was a typical fall day and I had 52 minutes to appreciate it. Fall in Ohio just doesn't last very long and, before you know it, winter is upon you. It was great to get a chance to appreciate the changing colors, the falling leaves and the indescribable smell of the season. Of course, the half mile radius surrounding Red Robin doesn't exactly smell like 'fall', but it did make me hungry for a burger and fries. And, shortly after that, someone in the area was baking some kind of apple deliciousness... the scent of apples and cinnamon followed me a short distance further. Maybe that explains the faster second half of my run... I couldn't wait to get home to eat!
All in all, I would say today was a huge success. I felt great from my first step to my last and am proud to say I've tackled 6 miles. The increase to 7 miles is still 3 weeks away and I'm already looking forward to it!
Now it's time to celebrate with a few beers and maybe a couple shots... Happy Birthday Michael! :)
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