Check out the website for my brother-in-law's new law firm. He's focusing on Social Security Disability and ERISA Long-Term Disability law.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
I'M A MARATHONER
I so did it!!! Yeah baby!
February 28, 2010 I completed the Rock n Roll Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans, LA. My official time was 4:47:39 with a pace of 10:59.
Wow, what a feeling to finish my first marathon. I need time to reflect, but at this moment it definitely ranks as one of the greatest/toughest things I've ever done in my life. Training was by far the roughest part. Running 5 days a week (or at least attempting to run 5 days a week) and rearranging all weekend plans around the long run is tough. Also, the soreness and recovery from long runs is very difficult along with the strain it puts on family and friends dealing with you when you are sore and can hardly walk.
But, on the flip side, finishing the marathon was one of the most amazing moments of my entire life. I won't put it at number one but it is definitely up there. I will say though finishing was my proudest moment EVER. It is hard for me to find the words to describe the experience. I'm a perfectionist and my run yesterday was far from perfect, but surprisingly I am finding it hard to be disappointed in myself. I didn't give up. I finished. It was hard and I persevered. This feeling of pride is very strange to me, but it is wonderful.
Sorry for the sappiness, but yesterday was a very emotional experience. I am so proud of myself, but I'm also so in awe of my husband and my family's support. I couldn't have done it without them and I honestly mean that. Today, I can't help but reflect on how lucky I am to have that kind of support in my life. It is an amazing thing to have and not everyone is fortunate enough to have people that love and support them unconditionally. It reminds me that I need to remember how lucky I am and always stay grateful.
THANK YOU Ryan, Lindy, Loyd, Mom, Dad, Sophie, & Preston!! Thanks for being there. Thanks for supporting me. Thanks for being proud of me. And, thanks for giving up 2 (yes 2) birthday parties for me.
Okay, I'm done with the emotional stuff. On to the race.
Here is my recap:
I arrived shortly after 6am. Ryan dropped me off under the overpass and I walked to the start. I felt very alone because I wasn't in a group and it was just me. Sometimes crowds intimidate me, so I spent my time standing in line for the port-a-potties TWICE. Then, amazingly, it was 7am and time to get in my corral. I felt a little claustrophobic at first, but then we started moving. I didn't cross the start line until 7:30 and then we were off. I was sooooo nervous. At that point, I didn't know how my body would react to running since I hadn't run in two weeks. I also didn't know what my knee would do since the last run I had to cut short due to the pain. At this point, I just didn't know if I would make it 1 mile, 2 miles, 10 miles, or the whole 26.2.
Around the 1.7 mile mark on my Garmin, my knee started to hurt. Ugh. Why oh why. This sucks big time....But, I made the decision that I was not going to quit and I would just have to block out the pain. I ran a few more miles and by mile 4 I began to not notice it as much. I don't know if psychologically I had blocked out the pain, or if it just wasn't there anymore. At this point, I was on a good pace ranging between 10:00 and 10:30. The beginning miles were physically relatively easy but psychologically it was hard knowing how many miles were left to go. It was also hard not knowing how my body would hold up and anticipating the pain that I knew was going to greet me in the later miles.
I tried to enjoy myself by taking in the crowds and the scenery. Then, we were done with Uptown and on to the Warehouse district. I got excited because I knew my family would be waiting. And around mile 10...there they were. Oh, what a sight for sore eyes. I gave my nephew and niece a high five and I felt good. I ran through the French Quarter at a super fast pace. The excitement got to me and I sped up to about 9:45. I also saw some friends on Decatur and yelled and waved to them. All was good....
Until it wasn't...around mile 12 things started to get tough. I don't know what happened, but I got tired and my knee pain came back with a vengeance. I could feel it pulling and I could tell I was starting to limp. By 13.1, I couldn't even begin to process the fact that I had another half left. I angrily looked at all the half-marathoners that were running next to us. I hated them at that moment. I know it was irrational, but I did. I held on to the fact that Ryan was rushing to meet me at mile 15. I thought things would be better once I saw him and he refilled my PowerAde. There he was and I almost broke down seeing him. He gave me encouragement and my PowerAde. I must have looked bad because I saw concern in his eyes. He then asked if I wanted "an Aleve." I thought; however, that he said "Do you want to leave?" My eyes lit up and I said "YES." He then reached into his pocket and tried to hand me something. I was so confused until I realized he had two blue pills in his hand. Ugh. He said "aleve" not "leave." I declined the pills because I had already crunked 3 earlier. He gave me a quick hug and I was off again. 11 miles left...that is a long way....
I tried to pump myself up. At mile 17, I would only have single digits left!! Yeah, that didn't work when I looked to my right and saw the crowds of people crossing mile 24 on their way to the finish line. WOW...what a loser I am. All these people are almost done and I still have freaking 9 miles left. NOT HELPFUL. This was the hardest 4 miles of my life. I started to doubt myself. I also really slowed down. I was ranging from 11 minute to 12 minute miles. 12 MINUTE MILES....I've never run that slow...EVER. Oh well...I knew as long as I kept moving I would eventually finish. It was fun to think to myself "In two hours, I'll be a marathoner"...."In 90 minutes, I'll be a marathoner"..."In 1 hour I'll be a marathoner." That was a great motivator.
Then...finally...I got to mile 21 and we started to head back towards the finish line. I started to feel good again. I knew that I could finish. At mile 22 I got an amazing surprise. Ryan had walked over 2 miles to see me (I guess he was worried with how I looked at mile 15 and wanted to find a way to see me again before the finish). I was so HAPPY to see him. I threw my water bottle at him (it felt like a 20 lb weight at that point) and yelled "I'M GOING TO BE A MARATHONER IN 45 MINUTES." I could see the pride on his face. At this point, we both knew I was going to finish. It was an amazing moment. No more doubts. No more worries about the flu. No more obsession with how bad my knee felt. I was going to finish!!
I'm not going to lie, the next 5 miles hurt, but I had the confidence back. I just kept moving and every mile marker got that much sweeter. As I turned towards the finish line and passed mile 26, this guy in front of me turned around, and with an amazed look on his face he proclaimed "We did it!" I wasn't running fast, but I had my head held high and ran towards the finish line. I saw my family waiting including Ryan (I still don't know how he made it back from mile 22 in time...magic I guess). To make him happy, I did the John Wall dance. That got a big whoo hoo from the crowd. And there was the finish line. I crossed and did not know what to do with myself. I wanted to raise my arms in the air in victory, but I couldn't. I started to tear up. It was just amazing. There are no words...
February 28, 2010 I completed the Rock n Roll Mardi Gras Marathon in New Orleans, LA. My official time was 4:47:39 with a pace of 10:59.
Wow, what a feeling to finish my first marathon. I need time to reflect, but at this moment it definitely ranks as one of the greatest/toughest things I've ever done in my life. Training was by far the roughest part. Running 5 days a week (or at least attempting to run 5 days a week) and rearranging all weekend plans around the long run is tough. Also, the soreness and recovery from long runs is very difficult along with the strain it puts on family and friends dealing with you when you are sore and can hardly walk.
But, on the flip side, finishing the marathon was one of the most amazing moments of my entire life. I won't put it at number one but it is definitely up there. I will say though finishing was my proudest moment EVER. It is hard for me to find the words to describe the experience. I'm a perfectionist and my run yesterday was far from perfect, but surprisingly I am finding it hard to be disappointed in myself. I didn't give up. I finished. It was hard and I persevered. This feeling of pride is very strange to me, but it is wonderful.
Sorry for the sappiness, but yesterday was a very emotional experience. I am so proud of myself, but I'm also so in awe of my husband and my family's support. I couldn't have done it without them and I honestly mean that. Today, I can't help but reflect on how lucky I am to have that kind of support in my life. It is an amazing thing to have and not everyone is fortunate enough to have people that love and support them unconditionally. It reminds me that I need to remember how lucky I am and always stay grateful.
THANK YOU Ryan, Lindy, Loyd, Mom, Dad, Sophie, & Preston!! Thanks for being there. Thanks for supporting me. Thanks for being proud of me. And, thanks for giving up 2 (yes 2) birthday parties for me.
Okay, I'm done with the emotional stuff. On to the race.
Here is my recap:
I arrived shortly after 6am. Ryan dropped me off under the overpass and I walked to the start. I felt very alone because I wasn't in a group and it was just me. Sometimes crowds intimidate me, so I spent my time standing in line for the port-a-potties TWICE. Then, amazingly, it was 7am and time to get in my corral. I felt a little claustrophobic at first, but then we started moving. I didn't cross the start line until 7:30 and then we were off. I was sooooo nervous. At that point, I didn't know how my body would react to running since I hadn't run in two weeks. I also didn't know what my knee would do since the last run I had to cut short due to the pain. At this point, I just didn't know if I would make it 1 mile, 2 miles, 10 miles, or the whole 26.2.
Around the 1.7 mile mark on my Garmin, my knee started to hurt. Ugh. Why oh why. This sucks big time....But, I made the decision that I was not going to quit and I would just have to block out the pain. I ran a few more miles and by mile 4 I began to not notice it as much. I don't know if psychologically I had blocked out the pain, or if it just wasn't there anymore. At this point, I was on a good pace ranging between 10:00 and 10:30. The beginning miles were physically relatively easy but psychologically it was hard knowing how many miles were left to go. It was also hard not knowing how my body would hold up and anticipating the pain that I knew was going to greet me in the later miles.
I tried to enjoy myself by taking in the crowds and the scenery. Then, we were done with Uptown and on to the Warehouse district. I got excited because I knew my family would be waiting. And around mile 10...there they were. Oh, what a sight for sore eyes. I gave my nephew and niece a high five and I felt good. I ran through the French Quarter at a super fast pace. The excitement got to me and I sped up to about 9:45. I also saw some friends on Decatur and yelled and waved to them. All was good....
Until it wasn't...around mile 12 things started to get tough. I don't know what happened, but I got tired and my knee pain came back with a vengeance. I could feel it pulling and I could tell I was starting to limp. By 13.1, I couldn't even begin to process the fact that I had another half left. I angrily looked at all the half-marathoners that were running next to us. I hated them at that moment. I know it was irrational, but I did. I held on to the fact that Ryan was rushing to meet me at mile 15. I thought things would be better once I saw him and he refilled my PowerAde. There he was and I almost broke down seeing him. He gave me encouragement and my PowerAde. I must have looked bad because I saw concern in his eyes. He then asked if I wanted "an Aleve." I thought; however, that he said "Do you want to leave?" My eyes lit up and I said "YES." He then reached into his pocket and tried to hand me something. I was so confused until I realized he had two blue pills in his hand. Ugh. He said "aleve" not "leave." I declined the pills because I had already crunked 3 earlier. He gave me a quick hug and I was off again. 11 miles left...that is a long way....
I tried to pump myself up. At mile 17, I would only have single digits left!! Yeah, that didn't work when I looked to my right and saw the crowds of people crossing mile 24 on their way to the finish line. WOW...what a loser I am. All these people are almost done and I still have freaking 9 miles left. NOT HELPFUL. This was the hardest 4 miles of my life. I started to doubt myself. I also really slowed down. I was ranging from 11 minute to 12 minute miles. 12 MINUTE MILES....I've never run that slow...EVER. Oh well...I knew as long as I kept moving I would eventually finish. It was fun to think to myself "In two hours, I'll be a marathoner"...."In 90 minutes, I'll be a marathoner"..."In 1 hour I'll be a marathoner." That was a great motivator.
Then...finally...I got to mile 21 and we started to head back towards the finish line. I started to feel good again. I knew that I could finish. At mile 22 I got an amazing surprise. Ryan had walked over 2 miles to see me (I guess he was worried with how I looked at mile 15 and wanted to find a way to see me again before the finish). I was so HAPPY to see him. I threw my water bottle at him (it felt like a 20 lb weight at that point) and yelled "I'M GOING TO BE A MARATHONER IN 45 MINUTES." I could see the pride on his face. At this point, we both knew I was going to finish. It was an amazing moment. No more doubts. No more worries about the flu. No more obsession with how bad my knee felt. I was going to finish!!
I'm not going to lie, the next 5 miles hurt, but I had the confidence back. I just kept moving and every mile marker got that much sweeter. As I turned towards the finish line and passed mile 26, this guy in front of me turned around, and with an amazed look on his face he proclaimed "We did it!" I wasn't running fast, but I had my head held high and ran towards the finish line. I saw my family waiting including Ryan (I still don't know how he made it back from mile 22 in time...magic I guess). To make him happy, I did the John Wall dance. That got a big whoo hoo from the crowd. And there was the finish line. I crossed and did not know what to do with myself. I wanted to raise my arms in the air in victory, but I couldn't. I started to tear up. It was just amazing. There are no words...
Recap of Weeks 6-1
So, I never updated my blog. The reasons will become apparent, but here is the recap.
Week 6: Tuesday 5 miles, Wednesday 2 miles, Friday 10 miles, Saturday 20 miles. My first 20-miler went great. I finished in 3:31 with at 10:35 pace. And then I partied because the Saints made it to the Super Bowl.
Week 5: So, it seems I partied too hard after my 20-miler, so I caught a cold. I managed to run 5 miles on Wednesday, then I was done. Coughing, sneezing, the works. I tried to return to my training on Sunday, but only made it a mile and then I had to stop.
Week 4: I ran 5 miles on Tuesday, then attempted 10 on Wednesday. I made it to mile 5 and then my knee swole up like a balloon. I had been injury free in my training until this moment. It hurt like all get up, so I iced it and prayed it was a one time thing. I rested for a couple days and then ran 5 miles on Saturday and then 21 miles on Sunday. I finished in 3:41 with a 10:32 pace. Then, the SAINTS WON THE SUPERBOWL!! You can tell I ran 21 miles because I was red as a lobster!
My knee felt fine, until....
Week 3: I ran 5 on Tuesday and 8 on Wednesday, then Friday I attempted just a few miles and had to stop because the knee pain was back. I tried again on Saturday and only made it 6 miles before the pain became too much to bear. I went to a physical therapist who diagnosed it as bursitis (an inflamed bursa). Basically, the only thing I could do is rest it and take Aleve. Mardi Gras arrived, so I decided to rest my knee by going to parades, a Mardi Gras ball, and having a blast with my family and friends who came in from out of town. No running for me.
Weeks 2-1: Mardi Gras left and the flu arrived. Yep, that is right, two weeks before my marathon I got one of the worst flus I've ever had. I guess I had too much fun?!?! I don't know but it sucked. I was on my butt for almost two weeks. Yes, from Tuesday of Week 2 through Friday of Week 1 (2 days before the marathon) I felt like poop! I kept waiting to feel better, but it wasn't happening. So, no running for me. I barely did any moving for that matter.
Wow, what an end to the training process....but don't worry...there is good news on the way....STAY TUNED!
Week 6: Tuesday 5 miles, Wednesday 2 miles, Friday 10 miles, Saturday 20 miles. My first 20-miler went great. I finished in 3:31 with at 10:35 pace. And then I partied because the Saints made it to the Super Bowl.
Week 5: So, it seems I partied too hard after my 20-miler, so I caught a cold. I managed to run 5 miles on Wednesday, then I was done. Coughing, sneezing, the works. I tried to return to my training on Sunday, but only made it a mile and then I had to stop.
Week 4: I ran 5 miles on Tuesday, then attempted 10 on Wednesday. I made it to mile 5 and then my knee swole up like a balloon. I had been injury free in my training until this moment. It hurt like all get up, so I iced it and prayed it was a one time thing. I rested for a couple days and then ran 5 miles on Saturday and then 21 miles on Sunday. I finished in 3:41 with a 10:32 pace. Then, the SAINTS WON THE SUPERBOWL!! You can tell I ran 21 miles because I was red as a lobster!
My knee felt fine, until....
Week 3: I ran 5 on Tuesday and 8 on Wednesday, then Friday I attempted just a few miles and had to stop because the knee pain was back. I tried again on Saturday and only made it 6 miles before the pain became too much to bear. I went to a physical therapist who diagnosed it as bursitis (an inflamed bursa). Basically, the only thing I could do is rest it and take Aleve. Mardi Gras arrived, so I decided to rest my knee by going to parades, a Mardi Gras ball, and having a blast with my family and friends who came in from out of town. No running for me.
Weeks 2-1: Mardi Gras left and the flu arrived. Yep, that is right, two weeks before my marathon I got one of the worst flus I've ever had. I guess I had too much fun?!?! I don't know but it sucked. I was on my butt for almost two weeks. Yes, from Tuesday of Week 2 through Friday of Week 1 (2 days before the marathon) I felt like poop! I kept waiting to feel better, but it wasn't happening. So, no running for me. I barely did any moving for that matter.
Wow, what an end to the training process....but don't worry...there is good news on the way....STAY TUNED!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Hi again!
Okay, I'm horrible about posting, but I've been busy. If you haven't noticed, I'm training for a MARATHON. Hahaha.
Time for a recap.
Week 7
Week 7 was a blast. Okay, I probably wouldn't have said that in week 7, but looking back I'm happy. Tuesday I ran 4 miles. Wednesday was 8 in 1:16 (getting faster :). Friday I ran 5 and Saturday 4. Sunday was the big day. I ran my first 25k!!!
I hate waking up early, but I got up in the 5:45 am range. I ate peanut butter on wheat and drank a bottle of water. I took a shower and got ready. Made it out the door for about 6:40am. Got to the race early to pick up my stuff. It was my first time using a timing chip!! It was pretty cold and I hadn't prepared for that. Everyone was dressed as if we were in a blizzard but I had shorts and a short sleeve shirt.
The race started at 8am and boy was it cold and windy. The first three miles sucked. The wind was in my face, my hands were cold, and pretty much everyone was passing me. I had a good pace though and was trying not to worry about what "place" I was in. Turns out most people were running the 10k and they turned around at the 5k point. At this point, it was a lot less crowded and I got into stride. The sun also came out and I was glad I had gone with the less is more approach. From miles 3-6 I ran next to an older man that was a lot of fun to talk to. I have learned from my last couple of races that I run at the "silver fox" pace. I like this because older men are fun to talk too and also tend to keep a steady pace. At 6 miles, my friend stopped to take a gu and I kept going. My husband was at mile 6 to cheer me on as well. I started to feel good and I picked up the pace a bit. I ran alone for a while and as we got closer to the turn around point, I started passing people. It was clear that people had gone out too fast, had worn too much clothes, or weren't prepared for the distance. I decided to pick up the pace again and just make it through.
The second half was easier because the head wind became a tail wind at the turn around. I started to slow around mile 12, but then I saw them. My family had come out around mile 13 to cheer me on. Besides Ryan at mile 6, they were literally the only fans at the entire race. I had not seen a single other person cheer us on except for some of the people handing out the water and Ryan. It was my mom, dad, sister, nephew, and niece. I gave them high fives and was ready to finish the last 2.5 miles.
I finished in 2:28:19. I was 22 out of 63 female finishers. My pace was 9:32.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Long time, no post
Well marathon training is really heating up which is one of the reasons I'm having a hard time finding the time and energy to update this blog. But have no fear, I have not quit. I'm still on track and ready to rock this thing.
I'll update my weeks in order. I will go bad news first and then good news. I contemplated updating in reverse order to try and bury week 12 and pretend it never happened, but alas, I need to be held accountable.
Week 12 = 4 miles. Yep, that is it folks. 4 measly miles. A million and one factors converged to make this my worst week of training ever. I won't go into all the details/excuses as there are too many to list and kind of depressing. Needless to say, it was a bad week and there is no justifying it.
Week 11 = Things didn't get much better in week 11. It was kind of a hangover week where I was emotionally exhausted and also caught a cold.. I managed 6 miles on Tuesday which was kind of mistake. I was in Omaha, NE and the dry air combined with my cold combined with the pressure from my flight caused me serious pain. I couldn't sleep the rest of the week because my nose and face felt on fire. Again, I chickened out on my other mid-week runs.
But, I got back on track shortly after getting home from the NE. I ran 4 miles on Friday and 15 on Saturday. And OH BOY, 15 was NOT pleasant.
My failures in the beginning of the week and the prior week really had me ill prepared to handle my first 15 miler. 14 miles was an absolute breeze compared to 15. The problem wasn't actually the run, it was the aftermath. I did the 15 in 2:39 which is a decent pace, but as soon as I stopped, my legs completely revolted against the rest of my body. I hobbled to my car and seriously did not know how I was going to drive home. I had no control over anything waist down. I couldn't walk to cool down or stretch. It's not that I didn't want to but I could not move my legs. I got home, kind of in a daze, and took a shower. I was feeling a little better so I decided to head out to Target to get a dress I had wanted to wear on Sunday at the Teddy Bear Tea. I got in the dressing room to try the dress on and my body shut down. I couldn't do anything. It took me 40 minutes to get the dress. I could barely walk to the check out line. I got home and got on the couch. I couldn't move. Ryan kept saying unhelpful things like "it's okay," "you did good," "you can do this." Okay, I know those don't sound like bad things to say, but in the moment it was not what I wanted to hear. To me it sounded like "toughen up," "it's not that bad," "stop complaining." So, I did the only thing left I knew to do, I started bawling. It just hurt so bad and I couldn't move. It may have been the worst pain I had ever felt and to know I intentionally inflicted it upon myself made it that much worse. I couldn't imagine willingly volunteering to run 16, 18, 20, and 26.2 miles in the future. I was ready to say, "It's just not worth it!" But, it is not in me to give up so I knew I just had to grin and bear it.
The next few days were not fun. I could barely walk and stairs were out of the question. I had a fun time at the Teddy Bear Tea the next day, but being in heels was pretty painful. I drank champagne and tried to not move too much.
Luckily, things got better.
Week 10 = Merry Christmas and cheers to an AWESOME training week. I ran a total of 32 miles and more importantly survived and felt great after 16 miles on Saturday. The week went as follows: 4 miles on Tuesday, 6 on Wednesday, 3 on Thursday, 16 on Saturday, and 3 on Sunday. Saturday's 16 miler went way better than expected. I finished in 2:48 which is right on my 10:30 pace and more importantly I didn't feel like cutting off my legs when I was finished. After my horrible 15 mile experience, I read up and asked around and learned that a key element was missing from my training the ICE BATH. So scary but so necessary. So, Ryan and my mom were prepared when I got home from the run. (We were staying at the 'rents house to celebrate the family Christmas). I got in the tub of cold water and Ryan started adding the ice. I won't lie folks, it SUCKED. My feet felt like they were going to freeze off. It was very painful, but Ryan was a good hubby and held my hands and talked me through it. I stayed in for a mere 10 minutes but boy what a difference it made. I felt great after the run and even managed to run a slow 3 miles on Sunday. GREAT WEEK!
Week 9 = Happy New Year and another AWESOME week! That is right. I managed to string two good training weeks together in a row. The key I believe is that there was no work travel because of the holidays so I got to do things on my own terms. No cruddy hotel treadmills! The week went as follows: 4 miles on Tuesday, 7 on Wednesday, 4 on Thursday and 18 on Saturday. The 18 miler went as well as can be expected. What can I say, it was tough. 18 miles is a long way to run and my legs were not thrilled with me upon the finish, but I did it and survived and at this point, that is all I can ask for. At mile 15 I ran into a baby deer frolicking around in the brush. She looked like she was having some fun. It scared me and I scared it. At first I became concerned that a momma deer would jump out of the woods and attack me, but then I thought about it and realized death by momma deer sounded like more fun than running the last three miles. But, alas, there was no momma deer to attack me which meant I was forced to finish and finish I did in the miraculous time of 3:08. Right on pace!!! The next few hours were not pretty, but I managed 5 minutes in an ice bath and woke up Sunday feeling better.
********************************************************************************
So, ladies and gentleman, there are only 8 short weeks left until this marathon. Can you believe we are in the single digits!?!?!?! I have a training race on January 17th. It is a 25k (which converts to 15.5 miles for you non-runners). I like to call it a 25k and not a 15 miler, because thinking of running 15 miles brings up very unpleasant emotions. Anyways, the end is near and I can't wait to get this over with....I mean run this marathon and do a great job!!
I'll update my weeks in order. I will go bad news first and then good news. I contemplated updating in reverse order to try and bury week 12 and pretend it never happened, but alas, I need to be held accountable.
Week 12 = 4 miles. Yep, that is it folks. 4 measly miles. A million and one factors converged to make this my worst week of training ever. I won't go into all the details/excuses as there are too many to list and kind of depressing. Needless to say, it was a bad week and there is no justifying it.
Week 11 = Things didn't get much better in week 11. It was kind of a hangover week where I was emotionally exhausted and also caught a cold.. I managed 6 miles on Tuesday which was kind of mistake. I was in Omaha, NE and the dry air combined with my cold combined with the pressure from my flight caused me serious pain. I couldn't sleep the rest of the week because my nose and face felt on fire. Again, I chickened out on my other mid-week runs.
But, I got back on track shortly after getting home from the NE. I ran 4 miles on Friday and 15 on Saturday. And OH BOY, 15 was NOT pleasant.
My failures in the beginning of the week and the prior week really had me ill prepared to handle my first 15 miler. 14 miles was an absolute breeze compared to 15. The problem wasn't actually the run, it was the aftermath. I did the 15 in 2:39 which is a decent pace, but as soon as I stopped, my legs completely revolted against the rest of my body. I hobbled to my car and seriously did not know how I was going to drive home. I had no control over anything waist down. I couldn't walk to cool down or stretch. It's not that I didn't want to but I could not move my legs. I got home, kind of in a daze, and took a shower. I was feeling a little better so I decided to head out to Target to get a dress I had wanted to wear on Sunday at the Teddy Bear Tea. I got in the dressing room to try the dress on and my body shut down. I couldn't do anything. It took me 40 minutes to get the dress. I could barely walk to the check out line. I got home and got on the couch. I couldn't move. Ryan kept saying unhelpful things like "it's okay," "you did good," "you can do this." Okay, I know those don't sound like bad things to say, but in the moment it was not what I wanted to hear. To me it sounded like "toughen up," "it's not that bad," "stop complaining." So, I did the only thing left I knew to do, I started bawling. It just hurt so bad and I couldn't move. It may have been the worst pain I had ever felt and to know I intentionally inflicted it upon myself made it that much worse. I couldn't imagine willingly volunteering to run 16, 18, 20, and 26.2 miles in the future. I was ready to say, "It's just not worth it!" But, it is not in me to give up so I knew I just had to grin and bear it.
The next few days were not fun. I could barely walk and stairs were out of the question. I had a fun time at the Teddy Bear Tea the next day, but being in heels was pretty painful. I drank champagne and tried to not move too much.
Luckily, things got better.
Week 10 = Merry Christmas and cheers to an AWESOME training week. I ran a total of 32 miles and more importantly survived and felt great after 16 miles on Saturday. The week went as follows: 4 miles on Tuesday, 6 on Wednesday, 3 on Thursday, 16 on Saturday, and 3 on Sunday. Saturday's 16 miler went way better than expected. I finished in 2:48 which is right on my 10:30 pace and more importantly I didn't feel like cutting off my legs when I was finished. After my horrible 15 mile experience, I read up and asked around and learned that a key element was missing from my training the ICE BATH. So scary but so necessary. So, Ryan and my mom were prepared when I got home from the run. (We were staying at the 'rents house to celebrate the family Christmas). I got in the tub of cold water and Ryan started adding the ice. I won't lie folks, it SUCKED. My feet felt like they were going to freeze off. It was very painful, but Ryan was a good hubby and held my hands and talked me through it. I stayed in for a mere 10 minutes but boy what a difference it made. I felt great after the run and even managed to run a slow 3 miles on Sunday. GREAT WEEK!
Week 9 = Happy New Year and another AWESOME week! That is right. I managed to string two good training weeks together in a row. The key I believe is that there was no work travel because of the holidays so I got to do things on my own terms. No cruddy hotel treadmills! The week went as follows: 4 miles on Tuesday, 7 on Wednesday, 4 on Thursday and 18 on Saturday. The 18 miler went as well as can be expected. What can I say, it was tough. 18 miles is a long way to run and my legs were not thrilled with me upon the finish, but I did it and survived and at this point, that is all I can ask for. At mile 15 I ran into a baby deer frolicking around in the brush. She looked like she was having some fun. It scared me and I scared it. At first I became concerned that a momma deer would jump out of the woods and attack me, but then I thought about it and realized death by momma deer sounded like more fun than running the last three miles. But, alas, there was no momma deer to attack me which meant I was forced to finish and finish I did in the miraculous time of 3:08. Right on pace!!! The next few hours were not pretty, but I managed 5 minutes in an ice bath and woke up Sunday feeling better.
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So, ladies and gentleman, there are only 8 short weeks left until this marathon. Can you believe we are in the single digits!?!?!?! I have a training race on January 17th. It is a 25k (which converts to 15.5 miles for you non-runners). I like to call it a 25k and not a 15 miler, because thinking of running 15 miles brings up very unpleasant emotions. Anyways, the end is near and I can't wait to get this over with....I mean run this marathon and do a great job!!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Success!!!
Week 13 was a glowing success. I followed the schedule exactly!!! Breakdown is as follows:
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 6 miles
Thursday: 4 miles
Saturday: 4 miles
Sunday: 14 miles
Total: 32 MILES!!
I won't lie, 14 miles was probably one of the toughest long runs I've had in a while (my first long run of 6 miles was probably the toughest because of the heat and my foot hurting), so this probably ranks as 2nd hardest. Last week's 12-miler seemed pretty easy (relatively speaking). On the 14-miler my legs were really hurting for the last 3 miles . I'm guessing it is because of my high mileage the rest of the week. But, it was a success so I'm happy and feel like I am getting back on schedule. I don't have a time however because my garmin's battery ran out in the first mile. I think I ran it in about 2.5 hours which is decent. I ran two 7 mile laps which mentally is not my favorite thing to do, but I did it and that is all that matters...right??
This week I'm going to slightly pull back to give myself time to recover which is probably a great idea considering the pathetic fitness center they have at the Sheraton I'm staying at. Today I attempted to run 4miles on the treadmill at said fitness center, but the treadmill obviously hadn't been recalibrated in at least 10 years. To get to a comfortable jog, I had to put the mph at 9.0. I normally run between 5.5 and 6.0. I decided I couldn't base my run on distance because it was clearly off so I decided to run for 45 minutes to get as close to 4 miles as possible. The treadmill said I ran 7 miles in 45 minutes which for me is pretty much impossible. Oh well, at least I got a little exercise in.
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 6 miles
Thursday: 4 miles
Saturday: 4 miles
Sunday: 14 miles
Total: 32 MILES!!
I won't lie, 14 miles was probably one of the toughest long runs I've had in a while (my first long run of 6 miles was probably the toughest because of the heat and my foot hurting), so this probably ranks as 2nd hardest. Last week's 12-miler seemed pretty easy (relatively speaking). On the 14-miler my legs were really hurting for the last 3 miles . I'm guessing it is because of my high mileage the rest of the week. But, it was a success so I'm happy and feel like I am getting back on schedule. I don't have a time however because my garmin's battery ran out in the first mile. I think I ran it in about 2.5 hours which is decent. I ran two 7 mile laps which mentally is not my favorite thing to do, but I did it and that is all that matters...right??
This week I'm going to slightly pull back to give myself time to recover which is probably a great idea considering the pathetic fitness center they have at the Sheraton I'm staying at. Today I attempted to run 4miles on the treadmill at said fitness center, but the treadmill obviously hadn't been recalibrated in at least 10 years. To get to a comfortable jog, I had to put the mph at 9.0. I normally run between 5.5 and 6.0. I decided I couldn't base my run on distance because it was clearly off so I decided to run for 45 minutes to get as close to 4 miles as possible. The treadmill said I ran 7 miles in 45 minutes which for me is pretty much impossible. Oh well, at least I got a little exercise in.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Confession Time
I finished week 16 with 23 miles. I had to cut my long run short on Sunday to 8 miles because of Grandma's shrimp stew. Totally worth it!!
Week 15 didn't go so well. I only managed to run two days that week. I was in Tucson for work and unfortunately the hotel did not have a fitness center. I have no excuses for Thursday and Friday of that week though because I was home and didn't get off my lazy butt. I ran 3 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday for a pitiful total of 13 miles.
Week 14 went a little better. I ran 4 miles on Tuesday, 5.5 on Wednesday, and 4 on Thursday. I wasn't able to run on the weekend because of various life events, but made up for it on Monday with a long run of 12 miles for a total of 25.5 miles.
This week I have 28 miles planned and hope to stick with my training schedule for here on out. Only 3 months to go and it is do or die time. When I have more time to blog, I may update everyone on my run-ins with nature including 2 deer sightings which almost gave me heart attacks. I'm kind of a scaredy-cat if you didn't already know that. Also, I want to post pics before my long run next week so everyone can see just how ridiculous I look with my ten million add ons hanging off of me.
Week 15 didn't go so well. I only managed to run two days that week. I was in Tucson for work and unfortunately the hotel did not have a fitness center. I have no excuses for Thursday and Friday of that week though because I was home and didn't get off my lazy butt. I ran 3 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday for a pitiful total of 13 miles.
Week 14 went a little better. I ran 4 miles on Tuesday, 5.5 on Wednesday, and 4 on Thursday. I wasn't able to run on the weekend because of various life events, but made up for it on Monday with a long run of 12 miles for a total of 25.5 miles.
This week I have 28 miles planned and hope to stick with my training schedule for here on out. Only 3 months to go and it is do or die time. When I have more time to blog, I may update everyone on my run-ins with nature including 2 deer sightings which almost gave me heart attacks. I'm kind of a scaredy-cat if you didn't already know that. Also, I want to post pics before my long run next week so everyone can see just how ridiculous I look with my ten million add ons hanging off of me.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Week 16--Midweek Post
So much to catch you guys up on....
I ended Week 17 with a total of 26 miles. I ran 11 on Sunday to round out the week. Then, I took the first three days of this week off. I was just burnt out and was super busy. We have new carpet and tile in the house and are working on the finishing touches like sealing the grout and getting the shoe molding installed and painted. I also hired a housekeeper to take some of the burden off me. Hopefully once this is all done, I will be refreshed and have a renewed interest in training. Well, I'm trying to get back on track so last night I ran 6 miles on the treadmill in just under an hour. It was nice to run again although I was upset with myself for not following the training plan. I plan to run 6 on Saturday and 12 on Sunday to end the week with a respectable 24 miles. Let's see if that happens considering tonight we are having a fun night out at a fancy restaurant for my sis's birthday.
In other birthday/training news, my lovely husband got me a Garmin 305 for my birthday. I haven't taken it out of the box yet, but I'm excited to use it on my runs this weekend! It will be fun to keep track of my pace/mileage/heart rate!! YAYAY!
Also, the finisher's medal has been revealed. Here it is!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Week....I Forget...Update
Okay, so I'm tiring of this whole training business. Maybe it is because life is busy or because I'm having blood sugar issues or because the marathon seems too far away, but my motivation is lacking. In spite of this, I still managed to fulfill most of the mileage last week. I ran 5 on Tuesday, 7 on Wednesday, 3 on Thursday, and 11 on Sunday. Nothing too exciting occurred. I did have a run in with nature on Wednesday as a snake slithered by and shortly after a cardinal almost flew into me. That got my heart racing for sure, but other than that, it has been uneventful. I have a couple longer runs planned for today and tomorrow, but I have a feeling I may cheat and shorten them a bit and just run a little longer this weekend. I'm finding that I really enjoy my one longer run of the week, but the running in the 4-8 range during the week is really getting me down. Partly because if I want to do it outside I have to wake up super early and that just hasnt been happening and if I don't wake up, I have to do it on the treadmill at night which sucks. I need to just get my butt out of bed but I just can't seem to talk myself into it at 5:45am. Also, next week is a pull back week, but maybe I will trade and run more next week.
And, at the wise suggestion of a commenter I have altered my goals. I have 3 goals.
Attainable: Finish marathon in under 5 hours
Moderate: Finish marathon in under 4:30 hours
Pie in the sky: Finish marathon in under 4:15
So there you have it in writing. Less than 4 months to go!!!
And, at the wise suggestion of a commenter I have altered my goals. I have 3 goals.
Attainable: Finish marathon in under 5 hours
Moderate: Finish marathon in under 4:30 hours
Pie in the sky: Finish marathon in under 4:15
So there you have it in writing. Less than 4 months to go!!!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Training Recap
Back from beautiful Marshall, TX. Training last week was not the best. I managed 5 miles on Tuesday and 7 miles on Wednesday, but then took off Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Sunday I tried to make up for my slow week and ran 10 miles. It was a good run with beautiful weather and candy lined streets.
This week I am attempting not to skip any of my short runs. Like last week, I've run 5 miles on Tuesday and 7 miles on Wednesday. I'm planning a 4-5 mile run tonight.
I'm getting slightly fatigued with this whole training thing. I've scheduled a doctor's appointment for tomorrow to make sure there is nothing wrong besides just being tired from training. I'm having some moments where I feel very weak and just overall icky. This doesn't happen during my runs and sometimes happens on my rest days. So, it could be stress, allergies, the weather change, over training, or something that is not good. Hopefully I'll get some answers tomorrow but I'm not completely confident that this is something that is easily diagnosed, but we shall see.
This week I am attempting not to skip any of my short runs. Like last week, I've run 5 miles on Tuesday and 7 miles on Wednesday. I'm planning a 4-5 mile run tonight.
I'm getting slightly fatigued with this whole training thing. I've scheduled a doctor's appointment for tomorrow to make sure there is nothing wrong besides just being tired from training. I'm having some moments where I feel very weak and just overall icky. This doesn't happen during my runs and sometimes happens on my rest days. So, it could be stress, allergies, the weather change, over training, or something that is not good. Hopefully I'll get some answers tomorrow but I'm not completely confident that this is something that is easily diagnosed, but we shall see.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Signed up for the Marathon!
I signed up today and paid my money. No turning back. I'm going to rock this thing.
Also, I'm changing up my training schedule. We are now 18 weeks out so today will be Day One of Week 18. I'm also changing the weeks to start on Monday and end on Sunday that way my weekly mileage totals will not get messed up when I switch my long runs from Saturday to Sunday. Most training plans are 18 weeks long so today is the official beginning of training!!!
Also, I'm changing up my training schedule. We are now 18 weeks out so today will be Day One of Week 18. I'm also changing the weeks to start on Monday and end on Sunday that way my weekly mileage totals will not get messed up when I switch my long runs from Saturday to Sunday. Most training plans are 18 weeks long so today is the official beginning of training!!!
Double Digits Baby!
Yesterday, Sunday, I completed my first 10-miler. AND I did it in 1:45. No, not one minute and 45 seconds. One hour and 45 minutes. If my calculations are correct, which they very well may be wrong, I averaged 10:30 miles. THAT IS AMAZING. I'm starting to get the confidence to actually believe that instead of just finishing....I'm going to kick this marathon's a$$! Okay, so maybe that is an overstatement but with 4 months left to train I'm feeling really good about changing my goal time to 4:30. Okay....so maybe it is wrong to get ahead of myself and all the books say to just finish your first one and not worry about times, but 4:30 isn't a particularly fast time and I keep underestimating myself, so maybe just maybe I can run faster and longer than I think I can.
So, that is the latest news. I did a bad job of recapping last week because I was super busy and just a little disappointed in myself for not following my schedule last week. But, here is the update:
Sunday: 9 miles in 1:42 (sore from 5k so went super slow, but it was a good, fun run...i love running slow!!)
Monday: off
Tuesday: 4 miles on treadmill in 41 minutes
Wednesday: tired, stressed, busy + full of excuses
Thursday: same
Friday: same
Saturday: 4 miles on treadmill in 42 minutes
Big announcement later today...stay tuned. :)
So, that is the latest news. I did a bad job of recapping last week because I was super busy and just a little disappointed in myself for not following my schedule last week. But, here is the update:
Sunday: 9 miles in 1:42 (sore from 5k so went super slow, but it was a good, fun run...i love running slow!!)
Monday: off
Tuesday: 4 miles on treadmill in 41 minutes
Wednesday: tired, stressed, busy + full of excuses
Thursday: same
Friday: same
Saturday: 4 miles on treadmill in 42 minutes
Big announcement later today...stay tuned. :)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
1st 5k Report
So, I haven't been the best about updating the blog recently but time seems to be an issue with me these days. I ran on Monday (4 miles), Tuesday (5 miles) and Wednesday (4 miles) of this week. For Wednesday's run I woke up at 5 am to complete it before the research project in LA began. I'm super proud of myself for that....but then, on Thursday I was so done with everything. I was tired, work was stressful and long, and I just didn't find the time to get any running in. Friday was all day on a plane (almost literally) as my flight was delayed because of a faulty ceiling panel on the plane, so again no running. Ultimately, the week started out good but was ending poorly until....my very first race!!!!!
So, I haven't run a 5k since high school and was very skeptical of my ability to run fast. I mean, I know I can run at least 8 miles, but most of my training runs I only average between 10-11:30 minute miles. So, I was content to run this 5k and finish in the 30 minute range.
I barely woke up in time this morning. I was still tired from my day of travel and was a bit off because of the time change, but I forced myself out of bed. I didn't really eat healthy yesterday so as I was getting ready I warned Ryan that I might come in last place and finish in over 30 minutes. Ryan seemed annoyed and a bit disappointed in my lack of ability, but we wound up getting out the door by 8:15...only 15 minutes late. I arrived and got my number and then we waited....and waited...and waited. This was actually probably a good thing for me because it allowed me time to wake up. It also gave my competitive spirit some time to wake up as well. Ryan kept picking out people as goal people to beat and while I was skeptical, I really wanted to do well and not come in last place.
So the race began. This was a small race and it really started abruptly. I wound up by accident being the the front (on the far left side) while everyone was bunched up on the far right side. So, I just started running as fast as I thought I reasonably could maintain. I really had no clue how fast I should be going. There was a small pack in front of me and as I ran, no one was passing me. I just kept waiting and waiting for the crowds that were back at the start line to come up and pass, but they just weren't. It was really weird....but I kept running and trying to keep pace with this really old man that seemed to know what he was doing. There were no mile markers, but I must say I ran the whole first mile with no one passing me which was really odd. At some point, a guy that looked in his 40s passed me and I was running next to this little kid that kept sprinting then slowing down then sprinting then walking which got kind of annoying because I kept having to worry about where he was because we kept going back and forth passing each other. Anyways, we got to the first turn around, and much to my surprise, there was hardly anyone close behind me. As I kept running, I realized that I probably would beat most of the people Ryan told me I need to beat because it didn't look like anyone was running particularly fast, and a lot of people were walking by this point.
The race then recrossed the start line and went out and back for the final mile. This was really funny because at this point very few people had gotten to that point, so Ryan, assuming that I was going to be at the back of the pack, wasn't even watching. I turned the corner and happened to turn my head and I made eye contact with Ryan. He looked surprised and all he could muster was a thumbs up. He was really shocked to see me in the front of the crowd. I think he was really proud of me and I could see it on his face....along with the utter surprise.
At this point, I knew it was almost done and I started running as fast as I could. I usually like a really slow pace so I made sure to push myself to go faster than normal. I felt good and 3 miles is starting to feel pretty short to me which is a great feeling. One chick passed me but then lost steam pretty quickly, so I re-passed her. I wound up finishing in 24:20. I was the fifth overall female to finish and finished first in the 25-29 age group. I even got a medal!!! I wound up finishing at the same time as two 70+ old men which was kind of funny, but I did wind up beating A LOT of men which was fun. I probably finished in the top 20 overall. I think not many people took the race very seriously, but the big accomplishment is the confidence boost knowing I can run faster than I thought I could. Maybe this is a lesson that I need to start thinking more positively....
So, I haven't run a 5k since high school and was very skeptical of my ability to run fast. I mean, I know I can run at least 8 miles, but most of my training runs I only average between 10-11:30 minute miles. So, I was content to run this 5k and finish in the 30 minute range.
I barely woke up in time this morning. I was still tired from my day of travel and was a bit off because of the time change, but I forced myself out of bed. I didn't really eat healthy yesterday so as I was getting ready I warned Ryan that I might come in last place and finish in over 30 minutes. Ryan seemed annoyed and a bit disappointed in my lack of ability, but we wound up getting out the door by 8:15...only 15 minutes late. I arrived and got my number and then we waited....and waited...and waited. This was actually probably a good thing for me because it allowed me time to wake up. It also gave my competitive spirit some time to wake up as well. Ryan kept picking out people as goal people to beat and while I was skeptical, I really wanted to do well and not come in last place.
So the race began. This was a small race and it really started abruptly. I wound up by accident being the the front (on the far left side) while everyone was bunched up on the far right side. So, I just started running as fast as I thought I reasonably could maintain. I really had no clue how fast I should be going. There was a small pack in front of me and as I ran, no one was passing me. I just kept waiting and waiting for the crowds that were back at the start line to come up and pass, but they just weren't. It was really weird....but I kept running and trying to keep pace with this really old man that seemed to know what he was doing. There were no mile markers, but I must say I ran the whole first mile with no one passing me which was really odd. At some point, a guy that looked in his 40s passed me and I was running next to this little kid that kept sprinting then slowing down then sprinting then walking which got kind of annoying because I kept having to worry about where he was because we kept going back and forth passing each other. Anyways, we got to the first turn around, and much to my surprise, there was hardly anyone close behind me. As I kept running, I realized that I probably would beat most of the people Ryan told me I need to beat because it didn't look like anyone was running particularly fast, and a lot of people were walking by this point.
The race then recrossed the start line and went out and back for the final mile. This was really funny because at this point very few people had gotten to that point, so Ryan, assuming that I was going to be at the back of the pack, wasn't even watching. I turned the corner and happened to turn my head and I made eye contact with Ryan. He looked surprised and all he could muster was a thumbs up. He was really shocked to see me in the front of the crowd. I think he was really proud of me and I could see it on his face....along with the utter surprise.
At this point, I knew it was almost done and I started running as fast as I could. I usually like a really slow pace so I made sure to push myself to go faster than normal. I felt good and 3 miles is starting to feel pretty short to me which is a great feeling. One chick passed me but then lost steam pretty quickly, so I re-passed her. I wound up finishing in 24:20. I was the fifth overall female to finish and finished first in the 25-29 age group. I even got a medal!!! I wound up finishing at the same time as two 70+ old men which was kind of funny, but I did wind up beating A LOT of men which was fun. I probably finished in the top 20 overall. I think not many people took the race very seriously, but the big accomplishment is the confidence boost knowing I can run faster than I thought I could. Maybe this is a lesson that I need to start thinking more positively....
Monday, October 12, 2009
Week 4--Recap
So, I've been MIA, but that doesn't mean I have given up. Just had a busy weekend. On Thursday of last week, I completed the trifecta of not waking up for my morning run, but again, I made up for it in the afternoon. I ran 4 miles on the treadmill in a little under 40 minutes. I'm working to run faster on my short runs in order to improve my speed and get ready for my 5k that is next Saturday.
Then on Saturday, I set out to kick 8 miles's butt again. And.....I did. I completely rocked it and am so proud of myself. I stayed at my parent's house and so I ran in the back of their neighborhood. It was a great route and I really felt great the entire time. My knees hurt a little, but nothing that was too bad. I felt like I was going really slow and wound up finishing in 1:32, which is slow but good...and then I realized that I went too far in one direction so I actually ran over 8.5 miles when I relooked at my route map. But the great thing is, even if I had taken 1:32 to run the 8 miles, it still would have been a great run. I just felt really good, had a positive mental attitude, and actually felt like I had more in the tank when I was done.
So now Week 5 begins. I did a little too much imbibing on Saturday night at the LSU party, so I skipped my Sunday run. I plan to make it up this afternoon. Obviously it will be inside because it is a monsoon right now. And then I'm off to LA for the week, so now begins the ultimate question, can I keep up with my marathon training schedule while busy on the road???? The answer to that question and much more on the next installment of "iheartryan's running blog."
Hahaha, so much suspense.....
Then on Saturday, I set out to kick 8 miles's butt again. And.....I did. I completely rocked it and am so proud of myself. I stayed at my parent's house and so I ran in the back of their neighborhood. It was a great route and I really felt great the entire time. My knees hurt a little, but nothing that was too bad. I felt like I was going really slow and wound up finishing in 1:32, which is slow but good...and then I realized that I went too far in one direction so I actually ran over 8.5 miles when I relooked at my route map. But the great thing is, even if I had taken 1:32 to run the 8 miles, it still would have been a great run. I just felt really good, had a positive mental attitude, and actually felt like I had more in the tank when I was done.
So now Week 5 begins. I did a little too much imbibing on Saturday night at the LSU party, so I skipped my Sunday run. I plan to make it up this afternoon. Obviously it will be inside because it is a monsoon right now. And then I'm off to LA for the week, so now begins the ultimate question, can I keep up with my marathon training schedule while busy on the road???? The answer to that question and much more on the next installment of "iheartryan's running blog."
Hahaha, so much suspense.....
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Week 4 -- Wednesday
Wake up FAIL. Again, I hit snooze too many times and did not make it out for a morning run. So, after work I went. Ran 5 miles in 53:23. I'm trying to run a little faster in preparation of my first 5k next week. I managed to meet my goal of running faster than 11 minute miles, but I would like to run the 5k in less than 30 minutes which obviously does not seem possible at this point. Oh well. If I could manage a 10 minute mile pace that would make me happy. It seems so easy on the treadmill, but when I get out on the open road, I guess I go much slower. Oh well. We will see how I do next Saturday.
Week 4 -- Tuesday
I hit my first major milestone on Tuesday.....I ate my first bug. Yep, I'm very proud of my accomplishment. It was just one of those days. I set my alarm for 6:45am and much to Ryan's chagrin, I hit the snooze about 4 times before it was finally time for Ryan to get up for work and he turned the alarm off altogether. So, no morning run for me. I left work about 4:45 and headed to the Y. Got there, and of course there were no treadmills open. UGH. So, I headed home to get ready for an outdoor run. Got all my stuff, except my watch, and headed out. Didn't make it to my route until 5:30, so there it began. My first race of the season.....a race against the sunset. So, I started out on my run and soon realized I had forgotton my watch. Oh well. Keep running. About half a mile into it, I ran into a swarm of flies. Ate a few, a few got in my eyes, and rest were stuck to my sweaty face. I was like a human spider web. Not my best moment. Oh well.
I made it to milemarker one and instinctively looked down at my left wrist. Yep, my watch still wasn't there. It unfortunately had not magically appeared. In my mind I was thinking, this could have been my fastest mile 1 ever and I would have no way of knowing, but deep down I knew it was much more likely that it had been my slowest mile 1 ever so I was sort of glad I didn't have a watch to make myself feel bad about it.
So, from there it was on to mile 2. I HATE mile 2. It is always my worst mile. I always feel like quitting. It is so funny how mile 8 can feel better than mile 2. But anyway, I soldiered on and conquered mile 2. And you know the best thing about finishing mile 2, is I get to mile 3, which is my favorite. Mile 3 always seems to fly by. At that point, I'm always sufficiently covered in sweat and for some reason that feels a lot better than the beginning miles where I am half wet half dry and I can feel the sweat tricking down. Once I get to mile 3, I stop feeling it and just accept the grossness and kind of hit my groove. Anyways, the last 2 miles were uneventful. I even got a bit of a kick in the end which is always fun. So, I accomplished 4 miles in about 43 minutes (give or take). Not bad, not good, but I finished them and tomorrow is another day. :)
Oh, and in other news, I signed up for my first race today. I'm going to be competing in a 5k on October 17th. 3.1 miles sounds really easy, but I want to get a good time so I'm going to attempt some tempo runs next week to improve my speed. Can't wait and I will post pictures after the race!!
I made it to milemarker one and instinctively looked down at my left wrist. Yep, my watch still wasn't there. It unfortunately had not magically appeared. In my mind I was thinking, this could have been my fastest mile 1 ever and I would have no way of knowing, but deep down I knew it was much more likely that it had been my slowest mile 1 ever so I was sort of glad I didn't have a watch to make myself feel bad about it.
So, from there it was on to mile 2. I HATE mile 2. It is always my worst mile. I always feel like quitting. It is so funny how mile 8 can feel better than mile 2. But anyway, I soldiered on and conquered mile 2. And you know the best thing about finishing mile 2, is I get to mile 3, which is my favorite. Mile 3 always seems to fly by. At that point, I'm always sufficiently covered in sweat and for some reason that feels a lot better than the beginning miles where I am half wet half dry and I can feel the sweat tricking down. Once I get to mile 3, I stop feeling it and just accept the grossness and kind of hit my groove. Anyways, the last 2 miles were uneventful. I even got a bit of a kick in the end which is always fun. So, I accomplished 4 miles in about 43 minutes (give or take). Not bad, not good, but I finished them and tomorrow is another day. :)
Oh, and in other news, I signed up for my first race today. I'm going to be competing in a 5k on October 17th. 3.1 miles sounds really easy, but I want to get a good time so I'm going to attempt some tempo runs next week to improve my speed. Can't wait and I will post pictures after the race!!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Week 4 -- Sunday
Long time no see. Work/life got in the way of training last week. I'm really glad I got my 8 miles in on Wednesday. So, I didn't run on Friday or Saturday. But, overall it was a good weekend for other reasons.
So, here we are at the start of week 4. I decided to get out there this morning and run 6 miles to make up for my failure to run 4 miles yesterday, but the weather wasn't really cooperating. I wound up making it 5+ miles in about 1 hr, but then the waves on the lake prevented me from going any further down the path. As I turned to finish, the wind just about knocked me over. I was exerting a lot of energy but not getting very far, so I called it a day after making it to my car. I don't know the exact mileage.....wish I had one of those nifty garmin watches that tracks that sort of thing....
So, here we are at the start of week 4. I decided to get out there this morning and run 6 miles to make up for my failure to run 4 miles yesterday, but the weather wasn't really cooperating. I wound up making it 5+ miles in about 1 hr, but then the waves on the lake prevented me from going any further down the path. As I turned to finish, the wind just about knocked me over. I was exerting a lot of energy but not getting very far, so I called it a day after making it to my car. I don't know the exact mileage.....wish I had one of those nifty garmin watches that tracks that sort of thing....
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Week 3 -- Thursday
4 miles on the treadmill. 41 minutes 40 seconds. Felt good but a little long. Knee is now stiff. Oh well. See you in Madison....
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Week 3 -- Wednesday
I did it! 8 miles and it felt great. Love the fall weather. I didn't go particularly fast, but my only goal was finishing. I did it in 1 hour and 30 minutes. It was a good course and a beautiful day. I still need to work on waking up earlier. I didn't get out of bed until 7:30. Ate breakfast, hydrated, and got ready. Didn't make it to the route until 8:30 and then did 10 minute of warm-up. That meant that I didn't get home and showered till almost 11am. Yikes. Good thing I took the day off of work!!! So, today was a great day (and I ordered tile and carpet for the house to boot!!!!), but now I'm exhausted and just ready for Ryan to get home so we can chill.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Week 3 -- Tuesday
Not much to report today. I hadn't planned on doing any running because I was supposed to be at a research project in Philly all day and then catching a late flight to Texas. As it turns out, both projects got canceled or postponed, so here I am with nothing to do. Anyways, I decided to go to the gym and take it easy today. I ran 2 miles in 20 minutes and then lifted some free weights. I wasn't feeling particularly great, so I cut it kind of short on the weights. (Just to give you a clue about my mindset, I went to Smoothie King after the gym. I decided to get two smoothies using a coupon I had. I decided I wanted a Berry Punch and a MangoFest. I order the Berry Punch and then asked for a Blackberry Dream. I have no idea where that came from. I've never had one of those and didn't even know they existed. I guess it is on the menu next to MangoFest and I somehow read it out loud. I didn't even catch it in time to change my answer. So I sit here drinking my blackberry dream and realizing this whole training thing is way more tiring and mentally exhausting than I ever imagined.)
So, today was uneventful but tomorrow is pretty important. It will be my first attempt at 8 miles. I've decided to move up my long run to Wednesday since I will be in Madison all weekend. I still plan to head out on a trail in the WI, but I think it is a better idea to shoot for 6 miles in a strange town instead of 8. Wish me luck!
So, today was uneventful but tomorrow is pretty important. It will be my first attempt at 8 miles. I've decided to move up my long run to Wednesday since I will be in Madison all weekend. I still plan to head out on a trail in the WI, but I think it is a better idea to shoot for 6 miles in a strange town instead of 8. Wish me luck!
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