It is inevitable that there will be weeks when the biggest challenge of training is not the running itself, but rather getting around the obstacles that keep me away from running. This was certainly one of those weeks. My little windows of opportunity in the morning were plagued with illness and a whole lot of rain.
Week 6 started with an optional run (one of the features I love about my training program is the weekly run that I can skip without guilt if everything else is too crazy). I felt fine on Monday morning, but I decided that it would be wise to give my body a rest after the miles I'd just put in the previous two days (16 and 7 miles).
Monday night, I got sick with a nasty stomach bug. My "you know you're a runner moment" was when I threw up the first time, my immediate thought was, "better push my tempo run to Wednesday and just get some easy miles in the morning". The second time I got sick, the immediate thought was, "I should have done the optional run Monday morning, since I definitely won't be running Tuesday".
I thought about running the tempo run on Wednesday (no throwing up since Monday night), but I still felt a little dehydrated, so I played it safe and stayed home.
That made three days in a row of not running! I get frustrated when I skip two in a row, but three? I was a stressed-out, endorphin-deprived mess by Wednesday night.
Fortunately, Thursday morning was awesome. My plan called for speed intervals, which I honestly don't enjoy that much unless I'm on a track. However, my Best Running Buddy wanted to try some group speedwork, so three of us met up early in the morning for an Indian-Style run. We warmed up for one mile, then ran single file for about 5 miles. Every quarter mile, the runner in the back would sprint to the front of the line and set the pace until it was time for the next runner to lead the pack. We followed with a one-mile cooldown. It's always fun to run with friends. These particular friends are faster runners than I am, so it was challenging to keep up when they were leading. This run therefore qualified as a social run AND a speed workout -- two birds with one stone. Did I mention it was pouring rain? A common theme this week. 6.93 miles at 8:57 average pace.
It really feels like it's been raining most days since the beginning of July. On Friday morning, I looked at the weather radar and it was nasty, but I really wanted to get in 3-5 easy miles and I hoped I could beat the bad stuff. At first it was lovely -- a light rain and a little breeze to keep things cooler -- but I could see the black clouds rolling in with a whole lot of lightning. It hit much earlier than I had expected. My baseball cap couldn't protect my face from the sideways rain, and the streetlights came back on. I headed back home after only 1.75 miles, hoping to get a quick run after work, but knowing in my soul that it would be impossible since my husband would be at work.
Saturday morning, the weather struck again. I woke up at 4:30, looked at the radar, and went back to sleep until 6:00. The weather hadn't improved by then either, but I was fueled and prepped for an 18 mile run, so I kept checking every half hour until around 10:00, when I realized the moment had passed. It was one storm band after another all day. I did venture out around lunchtime when the rain had slowed to a light shower, but I knew my fueling would be off so I just ran as far as it felt good, which turned out to be 7 miles. The light rain didn't last long -- it was pouring most of the time. The running path was completely empty, and the heavy rain led to some giant ankle-deep puddles. I pushed the pace a bit in the beginning, and jumping puddles gave me a few unusual sore spots. Overall: 7.07 miles at 9:22 pace.
On Sunday morning, the radar looked ominous again. There was a huge storm band bearing down on us, coming from the west as our storms almost always do. Still, it looked like I might be able to get 4-5 miles in before the rain started, and I figured if I could get at least 10 miles outside, I could suck it up and finish the last 8 on the dreadmill in the garage. I started slow and easy, not having run this far since last fall. I got to 4, 5, 6 miles with no rain. By mile 7, I could see blue skies. I stopped to fill my water bottle at mile 9, and checked my radar again. By this time, the storm was miles away -- to the north! With an incredulous grin, I cranked up the music and got ready for the second half of my long run. I ended up making it a full 18 miles with not a single drop of rain! An hour after I finished, it was pouring again, and it rained the rest of the day. Getting in a rain-free long run truly was my Sunday miracle. 18.06 miles at 9:44 pace.
There is rain in the forecast every day through the end of the month. I think that getting my shoes soaked probably decreases their lifespan. My long-run shoes weren't feeling so hot on Sunday, so I will start looking for a deal on a new pair this week.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Marathon Training -- Week 5, and Thoughts on Trail Running
Once upon a time, I considered myself a trail runner. The silence of the woods, sunbeams like spotlights through the branches, the jolt of surprising a deer or a rabbit -- there is nothing like it. You have to keep your mind alert to avoid tripping over roots and thorny vines. Emerging from the woods covered in sweat and dirt after a hard run is a complete rush.
When I started running, I ran at least 2-3 times per week on a trail that cuts through a state forest near my home. It was winter, and I initially started running the trail to take advantage of the wind buffer that the trees provided. It didn't take long for me to get hooked. Most days, I never saw another soul. When I did, it was usually a friendly senior citizen out walking his or her dog. My only safety concern was worrying that I might take a nasty fall and need help getting back to my car.
As my goals shifted toward marathon running, I ran the trails a little less frequently. I didn't want to twist an ankle on uneven ground and have to miss a race. I still savored the trail runs I did have, and part of the draw was being out in what felt like the middle of nowhere on my own.
Then in the summer of 2011, a teenage girl was brutally murdered in broad daylight on a nature trail less than 5 miles from the trails where I typically ran. She struggled and fought with her attacker for around 20 minutes according to the murderer's testimony, but nobody saw or heard a thing. Details came out slowly, and it took me some time to fully process the tragedy. After awhile, I couldn't run those trails without thinking about the murder. Some days it frightened me, some days I put myself in her parents' shoes, some days it made me angry. In any event, I don't run those trails alone anymore.
I miss my trail. I miss carefree running.
There is a high-end subdivision that I often pass on my weekly long run. Amid the million-dollar homes, there are several paths that allow me to run off-road through nature, but still have the comfort of knowing that I am withing shouting distance of other people. Some days, if I have some extra time and no pace goals, I treat myself to a "trail run" through that subdivision. It's about the closest I can come to those early experiences.
Marathon Training, Week 5:
Monday -- An early trip to the dentist was Monday enough for me. I took a rest day.
Tuesday -- 3/2 negative split: The first three miles were slow and sluggish, but I breezed through the last two when it was time to pick up the pace. Funny how the faster miles were easier. 5.08 miles at 9:11 pace overall.
Wednesday -- My "trail" run was beautiful. I crossed several bridges, enjoyed the morning stillness, and finished with a few strides. Overall: 4.68 miles at 9:44 pace.
Thursday -- First day of third grade for my eldest. Technically I had time to get in my morning miles and still see her off, but I wanted to spend the morning helping her get ready instead. So I shifted a semi-long run to Sunday, hoping it wouldn't hurt too bad.
Friday -- Always a happy easy run. I was nearly done when I came across a friend who was finishing up a 17-mile run, and we enjoyed some unexpected chat time. My run was 4.05 miles at 9:13 pace.
Saturday -- Redemption from last week's slog-fest! 5 miles easy, 6 miles at marathon race-pace, 5 miles easy. This was a good strong run. I hit the race-paces easily, and mile 16 was the fastest mile of all. Overall: 16 miles at 9:27.
Sunday -- I gave myself some slack, and decided to just get the miles in without worrying about pace. I left my trusty Garmin at home and programmed the Runkeeper app on my phone to beep only when I had run 3.5 miles (the turn-around point) without telling me my pace or time. I took a few water breaks, and met some chatty kids out riding bikes with their Grandpa. It was a fun run, and my legs felt just fine, considering I'd run 16 the day before. End result: 7.52 miles at 9:37 pace.
Training still feels good. I have no major aches or pains to complain about, although I could use a massage and a pair of more supportive shoes for work.
When I started running, I ran at least 2-3 times per week on a trail that cuts through a state forest near my home. It was winter, and I initially started running the trail to take advantage of the wind buffer that the trees provided. It didn't take long for me to get hooked. Most days, I never saw another soul. When I did, it was usually a friendly senior citizen out walking his or her dog. My only safety concern was worrying that I might take a nasty fall and need help getting back to my car.
As my goals shifted toward marathon running, I ran the trails a little less frequently. I didn't want to twist an ankle on uneven ground and have to miss a race. I still savored the trail runs I did have, and part of the draw was being out in what felt like the middle of nowhere on my own.
Then in the summer of 2011, a teenage girl was brutally murdered in broad daylight on a nature trail less than 5 miles from the trails where I typically ran. She struggled and fought with her attacker for around 20 minutes according to the murderer's testimony, but nobody saw or heard a thing. Details came out slowly, and it took me some time to fully process the tragedy. After awhile, I couldn't run those trails without thinking about the murder. Some days it frightened me, some days I put myself in her parents' shoes, some days it made me angry. In any event, I don't run those trails alone anymore.
I miss my trail. I miss carefree running.
There is a high-end subdivision that I often pass on my weekly long run. Amid the million-dollar homes, there are several paths that allow me to run off-road through nature, but still have the comfort of knowing that I am withing shouting distance of other people. Some days, if I have some extra time and no pace goals, I treat myself to a "trail run" through that subdivision. It's about the closest I can come to those early experiences.
Marathon Training, Week 5:
Monday -- An early trip to the dentist was Monday enough for me. I took a rest day.
Tuesday -- 3/2 negative split: The first three miles were slow and sluggish, but I breezed through the last two when it was time to pick up the pace. Funny how the faster miles were easier. 5.08 miles at 9:11 pace overall.
Wednesday -- My "trail" run was beautiful. I crossed several bridges, enjoyed the morning stillness, and finished with a few strides. Overall: 4.68 miles at 9:44 pace.
Thursday -- First day of third grade for my eldest. Technically I had time to get in my morning miles and still see her off, but I wanted to spend the morning helping her get ready instead. So I shifted a semi-long run to Sunday, hoping it wouldn't hurt too bad.
Friday -- Always a happy easy run. I was nearly done when I came across a friend who was finishing up a 17-mile run, and we enjoyed some unexpected chat time. My run was 4.05 miles at 9:13 pace.
Saturday -- Redemption from last week's slog-fest! 5 miles easy, 6 miles at marathon race-pace, 5 miles easy. This was a good strong run. I hit the race-paces easily, and mile 16 was the fastest mile of all. Overall: 16 miles at 9:27.
Sunday -- I gave myself some slack, and decided to just get the miles in without worrying about pace. I left my trusty Garmin at home and programmed the Runkeeper app on my phone to beep only when I had run 3.5 miles (the turn-around point) without telling me my pace or time. I took a few water breaks, and met some chatty kids out riding bikes with their Grandpa. It was a fun run, and my legs felt just fine, considering I'd run 16 the day before. End result: 7.52 miles at 9:37 pace.
Training still feels good. I have no major aches or pains to complain about, although I could use a massage and a pair of more supportive shoes for work.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Marathon Training -- Week 4
I'm going to start with the last run -- it tested my body and mind like nothing has in a long time. My scheduled run was 13 miles with a strong finish. However, I missed last week's long run, which at 15 miles seemed like a more important workout to attempt. The plan said to run the middle 5 miles at my goal marathon race pace. Race-pace miles are new to me. In the previous training plans I've used, all of my long runs were at a slow, easy pace. Part of me was dreading the race-pace miles, but when I look at it logically, my goal marathon race pace falls within the faster end of my prescribed "easy" pace range, so it shouldn't be that intimidating. In fact, I averaged faster than marathon race pace in 3 out of the 4 training runs I had earlier in the week, including one at nearly 7 miles. Still, I'm always a little nervous about the unknown...
I got started at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday. According to my weather app, it was already 85 degrees with a heat index of 95. I tuned into a "This American Life" podcast, ran 2.5 miles west, then turned around to run 2.5 miles back to my car, where I had a nice icy bottle of water waiting. I like to break my long runs up into smaller segments -- it's a great mental help. Those first 5 miles were relatively slow and easy.
I eased into the race-pace miles with some upbeat music and headed east for 5 miles. Right now, my goal race pace is 9:14 per mile (hoping that cooler temps will let me push that a little faster in the fall). I easily kept the pace at 9:05 - 9:10 for the first 3.5 miles, thinking if I could do it in this heat, I'd have no problem come November. I struggled a little over the last 1.5 miles, but held the pace under 9:14. Still a good run, and at this point, I was looking forward to an easy pace for the last 5 miles, so I turned around to head west again.
I was feeling pretty beat up after the middle 5 miles, and I realized that I was completely drenched. It was overcast so it didn't seem THAT hot, but I looked like I had gone swimming in my clothes. I stopped at a convenience store to buy a cold drink, and found myself craving a sweet tea. Probably not a good idea, but I bought it, and it was delicious. Less than a mile later, I tripped over my own feet and almost fell. I was so drained that I took a few walk breaks, stopping my timer each time because I wanted to get in a full 15 miles of real running. Eventually, I decided not to push too hard, and let the timer keep ticking when I needed to walk. I just wanted to get those last 5 miles in, even if I had to crawl. I stopped to sit down once, checked the weather, and the heat index was up to 100 degrees. It was a relief to know that it wasn't just me being a wimp. I made it to the end, mostly running, with another convenient store stop, this time for cold water. Heat index was up to 102 by the time I finished, and it wasn't even 8:30 in the morning yet!
The bad news -- that run kicked my butt. The good news -- it would take a serious anomaly of nature to have a 102 heat index on race day. The mental challenges of this run aren't too different from the ones I typically hit in the last 4-5 miles of a marathon. Might as well get toughened up now -- physically and mentally. Overall, I averaged 9:52 per mile -- that's with 5 miles at 9:10, so those last 5 were really really slow. I don't want to know exactly HOW slow yet, I'll check my Garmin splits eventually.
The rest of the week was a mixed bag:
Monday: Still kicking myself from missing my long run the weekend before, and dreading yet another crazy day in the office. Monday morning's easy run wasn't so easy after all. I'm pretty sure I took some walk breaks -- I honestly can't remember. I didn't keep track of my pace. Some days are just like that. 4.6 miles.
Tuesday: Tempo Tuesday is usually good for a kick in the pants. I was still struggling with work pressure, and this run helped a little. Tempo pace ranged between 8:18 and 8:24 per mile, and the last couple of tempo miles were tough. I finished my last tempo interval just before I got to the biggest hill on my route -- YES! I was not looking forward to powering up that bad boy. Overall distance and pace: 7.52 miles averaging 8:58.
Wednesday: Seriously, this week isn't getting any easier. What my body needed on this cross-training Wednesday was a soothing massage, but there certainly wasn't any time for that. Instead, I spent about an hour doing some breathing exercises and yin yoga, with a focus on hips, hamstrings, and back. Good for the body and the mind.
Thursday: The boost I needed! I've been truly blessed in having a running buddy who inspires and pushes me. Conversation made the miles roll by quickly. We were sidelined by a storm & had to take a break a little over halfway through, but it helped with the temps. 6.9 easy miles at 9:07 pace.
Friday: An easy run to ease me into the weekend. Good ol' Grateful Dead on the iPhone, plenty of smiling faces on the running path. 4.12 miles at 9:15 pace.
My August training calendar is printed and ready to go on the fridge. First 20-miler is scheduled for August 24! Let's hope it's a little cooler outside that day.
I got started at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday. According to my weather app, it was already 85 degrees with a heat index of 95. I tuned into a "This American Life" podcast, ran 2.5 miles west, then turned around to run 2.5 miles back to my car, where I had a nice icy bottle of water waiting. I like to break my long runs up into smaller segments -- it's a great mental help. Those first 5 miles were relatively slow and easy.
I eased into the race-pace miles with some upbeat music and headed east for 5 miles. Right now, my goal race pace is 9:14 per mile (hoping that cooler temps will let me push that a little faster in the fall). I easily kept the pace at 9:05 - 9:10 for the first 3.5 miles, thinking if I could do it in this heat, I'd have no problem come November. I struggled a little over the last 1.5 miles, but held the pace under 9:14. Still a good run, and at this point, I was looking forward to an easy pace for the last 5 miles, so I turned around to head west again.
I was feeling pretty beat up after the middle 5 miles, and I realized that I was completely drenched. It was overcast so it didn't seem THAT hot, but I looked like I had gone swimming in my clothes. I stopped at a convenience store to buy a cold drink, and found myself craving a sweet tea. Probably not a good idea, but I bought it, and it was delicious. Less than a mile later, I tripped over my own feet and almost fell. I was so drained that I took a few walk breaks, stopping my timer each time because I wanted to get in a full 15 miles of real running. Eventually, I decided not to push too hard, and let the timer keep ticking when I needed to walk. I just wanted to get those last 5 miles in, even if I had to crawl. I stopped to sit down once, checked the weather, and the heat index was up to 100 degrees. It was a relief to know that it wasn't just me being a wimp. I made it to the end, mostly running, with another convenient store stop, this time for cold water. Heat index was up to 102 by the time I finished, and it wasn't even 8:30 in the morning yet!
The bad news -- that run kicked my butt. The good news -- it would take a serious anomaly of nature to have a 102 heat index on race day. The mental challenges of this run aren't too different from the ones I typically hit in the last 4-5 miles of a marathon. Might as well get toughened up now -- physically and mentally. Overall, I averaged 9:52 per mile -- that's with 5 miles at 9:10, so those last 5 were really really slow. I don't want to know exactly HOW slow yet, I'll check my Garmin splits eventually.
The rest of the week was a mixed bag:
Monday: Still kicking myself from missing my long run the weekend before, and dreading yet another crazy day in the office. Monday morning's easy run wasn't so easy after all. I'm pretty sure I took some walk breaks -- I honestly can't remember. I didn't keep track of my pace. Some days are just like that. 4.6 miles.
Tuesday: Tempo Tuesday is usually good for a kick in the pants. I was still struggling with work pressure, and this run helped a little. Tempo pace ranged between 8:18 and 8:24 per mile, and the last couple of tempo miles were tough. I finished my last tempo interval just before I got to the biggest hill on my route -- YES! I was not looking forward to powering up that bad boy. Overall distance and pace: 7.52 miles averaging 8:58.
Wednesday: Seriously, this week isn't getting any easier. What my body needed on this cross-training Wednesday was a soothing massage, but there certainly wasn't any time for that. Instead, I spent about an hour doing some breathing exercises and yin yoga, with a focus on hips, hamstrings, and back. Good for the body and the mind.
Thursday: The boost I needed! I've been truly blessed in having a running buddy who inspires and pushes me. Conversation made the miles roll by quickly. We were sidelined by a storm & had to take a break a little over halfway through, but it helped with the temps. 6.9 easy miles at 9:07 pace.
Friday: An easy run to ease me into the weekend. Good ol' Grateful Dead on the iPhone, plenty of smiling faces on the running path. 4.12 miles at 9:15 pace.
My August training calendar is printed and ready to go on the fridge. First 20-miler is scheduled for August 24! Let's hope it's a little cooler outside that day.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Marathon Training -- week 3
Sometimes you gotta leave the SuperWoman cape at home.
Week 3 started with my husband out of town and ended with my boss out of town. It was an exhausting week with lots of stress that affected every area of my life, including marathon training. I managed to have a few good runs, but didn't hit my "must-do" workout of the week.
Summary:
Monday -- Knowing my husband wouldn't be in town until Monday night, I adjusted my schedule to make Monday morning an easy cross-training day. In actuality, I wouldn't even call it cross-training. It was a little bit of light stretching before the kids woke up. Better than nothing.
Tuesday -- My training plan called for 6 miles, with the last 3 miles faster than the first 3. As of 5:00 a.m. when I woke up, there were a few tiny green blips on the weather radar, which didn't phase me. When I left my house at 6:00, the sky was looking pretty dark and ominous. Less than a half mile into my run, the bottom dropped out. Rain was coming down sideways and the lightning was everywhere. I ducked into a shelter, checked the radar again on my iPhone, and discovered that those little green blips had merged into a decent-sized storm with lots of red & yellow. I turned around and ran back to my car. I ran again after dinner Tuesday night. Running after sundown is completely different than running before sunrise. I was worried about the increased traffic. It's tourist season here, and I wondered how many drivers had been drinking or were otherwise distracted. Maybe all that worrying gave me a big adrenaline boost, because I ran much faster than usual and it felt great. I didn't run very far, but each mile was faster than the one before it. It really was fun.
Summary (total for both attempts): 4.63 miles at 8:54 pace.
Wednesday -- Instead of running an easy 4 miles, I ran 5 and picked up speed for the last 2 miles. Lots of wind on Wednesday, which helped me pick up speed at the end (9:08 pace for the last miles), but really made for a struggle in the beginning. Summary: 5 miles at 9:34 average pace.
Thursday: Cross-training -- Cardio Kick-Boxing DVD. Not my cup of tea. Boss went out of town on Thursday, and the stress at work went through the roof.
Friday: Ahhh, I love easy Friday morning runs. No pressure on the pace, just enjoying the scenery and the rhythm of the run. This was a lovely, calming start to what turned out to be an extremely tough day. Summary: 4.72 miles at 9:29 pace.
Saturday: I intended to run 15 miles, with the middle 5 miles at my goal marathon race pace. I procrastinated getting out the door, and half a mile in I was hating the run. I couldn't get my mind off work issues, my breathing was shallow, and I felt absolutely drained. Sometimes it takes me a couple of miles to get into the groove, so I decided to see how I felt at 2.5 miles. Still miserable, and dreading the faster pace that was coming up. I turned around at 2.5 and headed back toward my car. I didn't make the final decision to call it quits until around mile 4.5. I figured I had enough of a window Sunday morning to get in my full run before my husband left for work, and hopefully a day away from the office would be enough to get my running zen back. Unfortunately, when I woke up on Sunday, there were scary storm clouds in the sky, and by the time they passed, the window of opportunity had passed. It was disappointing -- the long run was the one marked as a "do-it-no-matter-what" workout on my training plan. I'm not sure if I should have kept going on Saturday or if that would have left me too drained to fully participate in Girls Day Out with my daughter that afternoon. I plan on running this one next weekend, instead of the slightly shorter long run on my plan.
Total mileage: 19.35. Hoping Week 4 will be much better!
Week 3 started with my husband out of town and ended with my boss out of town. It was an exhausting week with lots of stress that affected every area of my life, including marathon training. I managed to have a few good runs, but didn't hit my "must-do" workout of the week.
Summary:
Monday -- Knowing my husband wouldn't be in town until Monday night, I adjusted my schedule to make Monday morning an easy cross-training day. In actuality, I wouldn't even call it cross-training. It was a little bit of light stretching before the kids woke up. Better than nothing.
Tuesday -- My training plan called for 6 miles, with the last 3 miles faster than the first 3. As of 5:00 a.m. when I woke up, there were a few tiny green blips on the weather radar, which didn't phase me. When I left my house at 6:00, the sky was looking pretty dark and ominous. Less than a half mile into my run, the bottom dropped out. Rain was coming down sideways and the lightning was everywhere. I ducked into a shelter, checked the radar again on my iPhone, and discovered that those little green blips had merged into a decent-sized storm with lots of red & yellow. I turned around and ran back to my car. I ran again after dinner Tuesday night. Running after sundown is completely different than running before sunrise. I was worried about the increased traffic. It's tourist season here, and I wondered how many drivers had been drinking or were otherwise distracted. Maybe all that worrying gave me a big adrenaline boost, because I ran much faster than usual and it felt great. I didn't run very far, but each mile was faster than the one before it. It really was fun.
Summary (total for both attempts): 4.63 miles at 8:54 pace.
Wednesday -- Instead of running an easy 4 miles, I ran 5 and picked up speed for the last 2 miles. Lots of wind on Wednesday, which helped me pick up speed at the end (9:08 pace for the last miles), but really made for a struggle in the beginning. Summary: 5 miles at 9:34 average pace.
Thursday: Cross-training -- Cardio Kick-Boxing DVD. Not my cup of tea. Boss went out of town on Thursday, and the stress at work went through the roof.
Friday: Ahhh, I love easy Friday morning runs. No pressure on the pace, just enjoying the scenery and the rhythm of the run. This was a lovely, calming start to what turned out to be an extremely tough day. Summary: 4.72 miles at 9:29 pace.
Saturday: I intended to run 15 miles, with the middle 5 miles at my goal marathon race pace. I procrastinated getting out the door, and half a mile in I was hating the run. I couldn't get my mind off work issues, my breathing was shallow, and I felt absolutely drained. Sometimes it takes me a couple of miles to get into the groove, so I decided to see how I felt at 2.5 miles. Still miserable, and dreading the faster pace that was coming up. I turned around at 2.5 and headed back toward my car. I didn't make the final decision to call it quits until around mile 4.5. I figured I had enough of a window Sunday morning to get in my full run before my husband left for work, and hopefully a day away from the office would be enough to get my running zen back. Unfortunately, when I woke up on Sunday, there were scary storm clouds in the sky, and by the time they passed, the window of opportunity had passed. It was disappointing -- the long run was the one marked as a "do-it-no-matter-what" workout on my training plan. I'm not sure if I should have kept going on Saturday or if that would have left me too drained to fully participate in Girls Day Out with my daughter that afternoon. I plan on running this one next weekend, instead of the slightly shorter long run on my plan.
Total mileage: 19.35. Hoping Week 4 will be much better!
Monday, July 22, 2013
Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon Training - week 2
Week 2. The big challenge for this week was working my training plan around my husband's schedule. He left town early Friday morning and was gone the entire weekend. My options were (A) shuffle all of my quality runs, including the long run, to the beginning of the week; or (B) hire a babysitter on Saturday or Sunday morning, and pray it wouldn't be too hot or too stormy when the babysitter arrived. I opted for plan A. Here's how it went:
Monday: Might as well get the one I was dreading the most out of the way. Tempo workouts are mentally hard, especially on a Monday morning. Last week I had tempo intervals, so at least I had a little recovery time in the middle of the run, but this week called for a warm-up, continual miles at tempo pace, and a cool-down. I went in to the run not completely convinced that I was going to push the speed at all, thanks to a big Louisiana-style dinner the night before. My first mile of warm-up took over ten minutes and I thought there was no way I could go under nine, let alone the 8:17 - 8:35 range that I was shooting for. I ultimately decided to attempt the tempo but not to expect to run as fast as I can on a good day. Surprise, surprise, I stayed within target range and only checked on my pace occasionally. I'm glad I took the plunge. Overall distance and pace: 5.75 miles at 9:09 pace.
Tuesday: It's really not a good idea to run speed workouts back-to-back, but I wanted to get my quality workouts completed while I had a chance. This week's second speed workout called for speed intervals on a hilly route. I modified a little. After about a 1.5 mile warmup, I ran several loops through a neighborhood that has some pretty fierce hills (for Florida). They're not that tall, but they are steep and they are very close together. I sprinted up the hills and coasted on the way down, with very little time to recover in between. When I left the neighborhood, I continued to push my pace on the uphills and did one speed interval when it got flat. Hit the biggest hill of all during my last mile -- ouch. This workout left me exhausted. Overall distance and pace: 7.09 miles at 9:20 pace.
Wednesday: An unplanned rest day, courtesy of girls-night-out Tuesday night.
Thursday: Somehow I managed to get my 14-miler done on Thursday morning and still made it to work almost on time. I ran the first 5 miles while the sun was rising. They were SO slow. I worried about meeting my friend at 6:00 for the last 9 miles because she's much faster than me, but once we met up, she helped me pick up the pace. There were lots of starts and stops on this run, so it took much longer than the two hours and 16 minutes of running that my Garmin reported. A warm-up walk with my friend, a couple of restroom stops, a water break -- they all added up. There was no time for stretching or eating when I got home -- just time to take a quick shower, twist my wet hair in a bun, throw on the most comfortable work-appropriate clothes I could find, and haul. Fortunately, I had a yoga mat and some granola bars in my office, and I didn't have the post-run crash I was expecting. This was my longest run of the year so far. Overall distance and pace: 14.01 miles at 9:42 pace.
Friday: Husband left town at 4 a.m. No workout. Just focused on getting the kids to their respective daycares on time.
Saturday: I woke up before the kids, and ran an easy 4.5 miles around our little neighborhood. It's about a quarter mile from my driveway to the neighborhood entrance. This is usually a boring run that I will avoid at all costs, but a heavy rain storm about 15 minutes into the run made it a little more fun. I followed up with 6 short strides. Overall distance and pace: 4.86 miles at 9:11.
Lunch at Chik-Fil-A included fries. Matinee with the kids included lots of popcorn and Coke. I felt guilty afterward so I tried one of my husband's Tapout XT DVDs: Cross Core Combat. Forty-five minutes of core work and pushups made me feel like a complete wimp.
Sunday: More Tapout XT. This time I tried an upper body strength workout. Once again, the pushups killed me. I quit after 25 minutes (despite the instructor's insistence that Nobody Quits), but I pushed hard for those 25 minutes, and my body was ready for something gentler. Thirty minutes of yoga really loosened up my tight lower back and hips.
Summary: 31.71 miles for the week plus two cross-training sessions. Shuffling the schedule wasn't as difficult as I anticipated. I am a little disappointed that I didn't fit in the optional 3-4 mile run this week, but I am glad that I actually did some strength training and quality stretching to fend off injury.
Monday: Might as well get the one I was dreading the most out of the way. Tempo workouts are mentally hard, especially on a Monday morning. Last week I had tempo intervals, so at least I had a little recovery time in the middle of the run, but this week called for a warm-up, continual miles at tempo pace, and a cool-down. I went in to the run not completely convinced that I was going to push the speed at all, thanks to a big Louisiana-style dinner the night before. My first mile of warm-up took over ten minutes and I thought there was no way I could go under nine, let alone the 8:17 - 8:35 range that I was shooting for. I ultimately decided to attempt the tempo but not to expect to run as fast as I can on a good day. Surprise, surprise, I stayed within target range and only checked on my pace occasionally. I'm glad I took the plunge. Overall distance and pace: 5.75 miles at 9:09 pace.
Tuesday: It's really not a good idea to run speed workouts back-to-back, but I wanted to get my quality workouts completed while I had a chance. This week's second speed workout called for speed intervals on a hilly route. I modified a little. After about a 1.5 mile warmup, I ran several loops through a neighborhood that has some pretty fierce hills (for Florida). They're not that tall, but they are steep and they are very close together. I sprinted up the hills and coasted on the way down, with very little time to recover in between. When I left the neighborhood, I continued to push my pace on the uphills and did one speed interval when it got flat. Hit the biggest hill of all during my last mile -- ouch. This workout left me exhausted. Overall distance and pace: 7.09 miles at 9:20 pace.
Wednesday: An unplanned rest day, courtesy of girls-night-out Tuesday night.
Thursday: Somehow I managed to get my 14-miler done on Thursday morning and still made it to work almost on time. I ran the first 5 miles while the sun was rising. They were SO slow. I worried about meeting my friend at 6:00 for the last 9 miles because she's much faster than me, but once we met up, she helped me pick up the pace. There were lots of starts and stops on this run, so it took much longer than the two hours and 16 minutes of running that my Garmin reported. A warm-up walk with my friend, a couple of restroom stops, a water break -- they all added up. There was no time for stretching or eating when I got home -- just time to take a quick shower, twist my wet hair in a bun, throw on the most comfortable work-appropriate clothes I could find, and haul. Fortunately, I had a yoga mat and some granola bars in my office, and I didn't have the post-run crash I was expecting. This was my longest run of the year so far. Overall distance and pace: 14.01 miles at 9:42 pace.
Friday: Husband left town at 4 a.m. No workout. Just focused on getting the kids to their respective daycares on time.
Saturday: I woke up before the kids, and ran an easy 4.5 miles around our little neighborhood. It's about a quarter mile from my driveway to the neighborhood entrance. This is usually a boring run that I will avoid at all costs, but a heavy rain storm about 15 minutes into the run made it a little more fun. I followed up with 6 short strides. Overall distance and pace: 4.86 miles at 9:11.
Lunch at Chik-Fil-A included fries. Matinee with the kids included lots of popcorn and Coke. I felt guilty afterward so I tried one of my husband's Tapout XT DVDs: Cross Core Combat. Forty-five minutes of core work and pushups made me feel like a complete wimp.
Sunday: More Tapout XT. This time I tried an upper body strength workout. Once again, the pushups killed me. I quit after 25 minutes (despite the instructor's insistence that Nobody Quits), but I pushed hard for those 25 minutes, and my body was ready for something gentler. Thirty minutes of yoga really loosened up my tight lower back and hips.
Summary: 31.71 miles for the week plus two cross-training sessions. Shuffling the schedule wasn't as difficult as I anticipated. I am a little disappointed that I didn't fit in the optional 3-4 mile run this week, but I am glad that I actually did some strength training and quality stretching to fend off injury.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Marathon Training 2013 -- week 1
And she's off!
I am fresh off the first week of training for the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon, and I am feeling pumped!
One of my favorite things about marathon running is all the planning and research that goes into it. I decided several months ago that I was ready to start planning for a fall marathon, and I wanted to find one that would double as a fun vacation for my family and fit into our fall schedules. Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon was a perfect match. As the name would imply, the race takes place at a national park where the Battle of Chickamauga was fought during the Civil War. My father-in-law is a Civil War historian, so my husband grew up visiting battlegrounds. He is excited to pass those experiences on to our children. As for me, I may have the ocean in my veins, but I have been craving a little time in the mountains. We found a beautiful mountain chalet about 45 minutes from the starting line where I can cook my own carb-loaded meals before the race, and enjoy an expansive view of the valley below from a hot-tub or hammock after it's over. Another bonus: it's a Saturday marathon and it's a 3-day weekend, meaning I can spend all day Sunday recovering and we can drive home Monday without any expectation of me answering client emails.
The next stage of planning was deciding on a training plan. I'm a big fan of mother-runners Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell's books and podcasts, "Run Like a Mother". Their latest book, Train Like a Mother, includes training plans geared toward women with busy schedules. For each race distance, they have a "Finish It" plan and an "Own It" plan. I went with the "Own It" marathon plan -- go big or go home, right? To seal my decision, I tried out their 5K "Own It" plan this spring and it was a great fit for my goals and my lifestyle. The plans offer some variety from week to week, more speedwork than I've done before, and a weekly optional run. I usually ran the optional runs, but when life got hectic, it was helpful to know which workout I could skip without beating myself up.
Here is a summary of week one:
Monday: Donning some brand new bright orange Saucony Virratas, I set out for an easy 4-5 miles. Everything was laid out the night before, and all I had to do was gulp down some coffee & head down to the bike path, but Monday reared its ugly head & I had no motivation. I must have twiddled my thumbs in the car for ten minutes checking the weather, debating my musical selections, looking at Facebook posts, before I finally forced myself to get out of the car and start moving. I felt like a slug at first, but after a while I caught myself having fun. 4.69 miles at 9:19 pace (a little faster than my typical easy run this time of year, but within target range).
Tuesday: Tempo intervals. A 2-mile warm-up (rather than my usual 1-mile) really loosened me up, and I hit my target pace on the intervals, just barely. An extended cool-down brought me back to earth. Overall mileage & pace including W/U and C/D: 7.35 miles at 9:10 pace.
Wednesday: For cross-training I tried Shiva Rea's Creative Core & Upper Body DVD. It was yoga with sets of push-ups interspersed. I managed to get it almost finished before my son woke up and demanded breakfast. I think I only missed the final relaxation, which is always my favorite part of yoga practice.
Thursday: Life happened. My plan was to sleep in a little and do my speed workout on the treadmill in my garage. I woke up with stiff shoulders from the yoga DVD. The garage is not air-conditioned, and the humidity was oppressive. I tried moving the treadmill around to find a sliver of a breeze, all the while stewing because my husband doesn't want me to display the treadmill in our lovely air-conditioned living room in front of the lovely TV. I finally decided that I'd wait until evening and maybe it wouldn't be so humid. Never a good decision. I never end up running at night, and Thursday was par for the course.
Friday: Rather than running the optional easy run scheduled for Friday, I picked up Thursday's workout and I took it to the streets. My previous speed workouts have had prescribed distances and goal paces, but this one was based on time and perceived effort. I ran some fast 2-minute intervals with recovery jogs between, sweating buckets (because, oh yes, humidity has hovered between 80-95% all week long). Overall mileage & pace, including W/U, C/D, etc: 5.1 miles at 9:02 pace.
Saturday: Long run #1! Again, I made the mistake of sleeping a little too late, which caught up with me toward the end of this hot and humid 12-miler. I may not have carb-loaded well enough either. Or maybe I should have been taking my salt tablets sometime BEFORE mile 10. Poor planning makes for a tough run. Still I managed to make the last mile my fastest (8:59), with a whole lot of effort, a chance run through a sprinkler (which I made a point of hitting twice), and some awesomely potent musical selections. After a long shower, I spent 25-30 minutes stretching out my hips and legs with an "I-swear-it-was-made-for-me" yin yoga routine I found on YouTube. Workout summary: 12 miles at 9:44 pace.
Sunday: I thought about picking up the optional easy run that I skipped, but decided that my body could use a little relaxation. And I didn't feel guilty about it in the least. That's a step in the right direction for me. I'm a pro when it comes to beating myself up.
Summary: I like the plan. I really like it. I think the flexibility and focus on speed workouts are going to keep me motivated for the full 16 weeks. I'm also feeling good about basing my target paces on a brutally hot & humid 5k that I ran in June. I don't feel like that particular race was a good indicator of my best effort under perfect conditions, but it was my best effort under typical Florida summer conditions. When things start to cool down around here, I may run another 5k to assess my fitness level under those conditions, and then I can adjust my training paces accordingly.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Give and Take
I woke up today feeling unaccountably irritable with the world. Irritable that my son woke up the same time as I did, depriving me of my only chance for some alone time today. Irritable that both of my children were full of questions and needs while I was trying to get ready for work. Irritable that I had to go to work at all. Irritable that some people don't have to work. And so on and so forth. It all culminated in me screaming at everyone to get out of my kitchen and leave me alone.
For all of the blessings in my life, I sure do get grumpy sometimes. Usually it's when I haven't run in two or three days. That's not the case today. Although I didn't run this morning (because my training plan called for a rest day), I have had quality running workouts the past three days. I even managed to convince the kids to give me enough space last night to get in 30 minutes of much-needed restorative yoga before bedtime.
As a mother with a full-time job & a husband who works nights, I often feel that things are being taken from me: time with my family, opportunities to participate in community events, a social life, my energy. I think that's why I have latched on so obsessively to running at this time in my life as opposed to when I was younger. Running actually gives me a little something every time I lace up my shoes. Some days I receive something big: time spent with a friend or a medal for a goal accomplished. Other days the gift may be as simple as the sense of accomplishment that I get for making it out the door while the rest of the world is still sleeping.
I hate to think what this morning would have been like if I didn't have an outlet. I have apologized to my children for being a grouch, and I know that tomorrow will be a better day. Not because my attitude will magically transform or because all my troubles will have disappeared, but because I get to attack six miles of speed intervals before the sun comes up. Honestly, just the thought of that run makes me feel a little bit better today.
For all of the blessings in my life, I sure do get grumpy sometimes. Usually it's when I haven't run in two or three days. That's not the case today. Although I didn't run this morning (because my training plan called for a rest day), I have had quality running workouts the past three days. I even managed to convince the kids to give me enough space last night to get in 30 minutes of much-needed restorative yoga before bedtime.
As a mother with a full-time job & a husband who works nights, I often feel that things are being taken from me: time with my family, opportunities to participate in community events, a social life, my energy. I think that's why I have latched on so obsessively to running at this time in my life as opposed to when I was younger. Running actually gives me a little something every time I lace up my shoes. Some days I receive something big: time spent with a friend or a medal for a goal accomplished. Other days the gift may be as simple as the sense of accomplishment that I get for making it out the door while the rest of the world is still sleeping.
I hate to think what this morning would have been like if I didn't have an outlet. I have apologized to my children for being a grouch, and I know that tomorrow will be a better day. Not because my attitude will magically transform or because all my troubles will have disappeared, but because I get to attack six miles of speed intervals before the sun comes up. Honestly, just the thought of that run makes me feel a little bit better today.
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