2010 update

This year so far I have signed up for 1 half marathon - on April 10th and am failing miserably to prepare for it. This is my first time attempting to run in cold weather and frankly, while it's nice than humidity - the several feet of snow we've gotten in the past month hasn't helped! WAY back in January I hit my season high og 5 miles...this past Saturday should have been a 10 miler. My goal is to get back in gear this week - no more excuses for not running - even in 30 degree temps!
One of my coaches shared with me that spring runs are naturally faster than summer runs due to the temps. So I have high hopes for my time in April. I'd at least like to look and feel prepared by then, so it's back to running for real this week!
Other races I'm considering -
Frederick Douglass 10 Miler in May
Philly Rock N Roll 1/2 marathon in September (I was too sick to run this last year and it is a beautiful course...I have to do this one to prove to myself I can do it!)

routines = positive outcomes

So I felt bad to have not blogged at all as promised throughout my training process. In order to entertain my readers I thought I'd make my 12 mile run fairly dramatic for you...so I almost past out. Just to give you something to read about...how nice of me right?
OK...so the drama was unplanned and unwelcome but did happen just the same. This morning was PERFECT for a 12 mile run - decent temperature, low humidity and good cloud cover with a slight breeze - can I order that for labor day weekend in VA Beach please? The 12 miler was great - I felt good, other than my one hip which was a pain in the @#$%* but I finished feeling good - mentally and physically!
My title for the post is what I learned today - keeping to routines equals positive outcomes...deviating from them are not quite as good of an idea.

My routines -
RUN and follow coaches directions for walk breaks/speed etc. -check!

Eat fruit punch sports beans every 45mins or so to refuel along the course - kinda check! (first mistake seen in hindsight - I ate my beans at 45 mins and 1hr 40 mins...I should have eaten them again at 2:25 but I knew how close I was to being finished at that point so I decided to save my dollar bag o beans and skip the food.)

Return from run and eat some goodies at the park - check! (I had an awesome blueberry muffin from Cafe scossa and some meat and cheese.)

Wait for other runners to finish and head to the bagel bakery for an ET bagel with egg, bacon and cheese - OJ and large coffee. (THIS IS WHERE IT ALL WENT WRONG!)

Since my full marathon bagel bakery buddies had to run an extra 6 miles more than me today and because a friend from PA was coming to visit so I'd be short on time to eat at the bagel bakery - I opted to go home and shower, head back to the park and wait for my girls then eat breakfast. This planned worked out fairly well until after 20 mins or so after arriving back at the park showered and feeling refreshed I began to feel light headed and nauseas. If you know ANYTHING about me, you know NOTHING is worse to me than feeling like I'm going to puke. I tried breathing through it and then told Lea Ann I was feeling weird. She tried to get me to sit but I refused. Then I felt like I was going to be sick so I tried heading for the car - I wanted to save face and not puke in front of people. I took about two steps before she arrived with water and made me sit only seconds before my legs gave out anyway. I felt like I was in a tunnel and everyone's voices got fuzzy. Amy ran over with wet paper towels and ice - we went over who they could call to come get me and what I ate since I stopped running - roughly 90 mins ago. They decided it was low blood sugar. I shared that I had not gone to the bagel bakery right after as I have been doing now after every run each season and it all clicked. After some orange slices and grapes - and sitting with ice on my face and neck I felt MUCH better - and needless to say took myself to the bagel bakery. I didn't even make it out of the parking lot before my oj was open and half gone!
I arrived back home to my friend sitting in front of my house waiting for me...oops on timing! I was SO thankful for Amy and Lea Ann this AM - for figuring out what was wrong with me as well as helping me through it. I am SO thankful that didn't happen at home or while I was in the shower - or driving for that matter. That's the one thing that really hit home today about living alone - no one would know if I wasn't ok! Scary.
Other than a decent headache and normal stiffness/soreness in my knees and hips I am feeling just fine.
What lesson did I learn - DON'T skip the sports beans at the end of a run just to save $1 and stick to your routine - I wanted so bad to wait for my girls to eat but waiting 2 hours was NOT what my body needed - and it clearly showed me that today.

Loving this weather

So I agreed to go running this morning but that was before I realized just how sore I was from my workouts on Friday. I did eventually roll out of bed and met M & I at the park at 7. We ran 5 1/4 miles and enjoyed the company, conversation & weather. After getting a large skim, sugar free almond latte, we strolled back to the park and off the the Y I went. :o) Great start to a Saturday morning. I am SO looking forward to training starting up again - good Saturday morning runs followed by the bagel bakery. :o)

feelin good...

The YMCA is closed today due to it being Good Friday so I couldn't depend on the Y for my workout. Since it was suppose to rain all day, when I woke up and saw the sun peeking through the clouds I decided this was the time to get up and run...kind of a now or never feeling. I wanted to run/walk a total of 5 miles and once I got started I decided I would change to running 4 miles continuous and walk the rest. I ended up challenging myself and ran 5 miles in 59 minutes - which included a 5 min walk to warm up and five 1 minute walk breaks...so the run time was pretty good, especially for me! I walked the last 1.15 mile loop. It was beautiful and I feel great.

It's a beautiful mornin...ahh ahh ahhh....

And that is was - weather was PERFECT for a run this morning. When I arrived at the park it was 69 degrees with LOW hunidity. Lovin it...and as Ms. D sang at the 2nd water stop - "It's a beautiful mornin..." I decided to run 8 miles rather than 6 for my recovery run. Since it's been a while since I've run some long miles I decided I needed to do a longer run to boost my confidence. At the end of the 8 I felt good and actually said to my running buddies that I could do another 5 if I needed to. I just hope race day is as nice and that I am feeling as good!
I will miss the 14 miler next weekend and so I'll attempt that on my own. I am bummed that I'm going to miss out on our BIG run - it's the final big run before the 1/2 marathon and I'd love to celebrate it with everyone. This week my goal is some longer maintenance runs to help prepare.

Catsup

Let's recap and catch up.
This past Saturday 7/26 - 6 mile recovery run began at 6:20 - the weather was wonderful. It was warm but the humidity was low with a nice breeze. The six miles went by without pain or trouble. Our group finished in 1:18 - 3 minutes faster than pace time which was not viewed highly. The key this coming Saturday's 12 miles will be to take it SLOW. I am planning on running behind M since she paces herself perfectly! I am going to finish the 12 without walking the last few miles!!!
This week - Today was my first maintenance run of the week. With moving and a crazy schedule it's been hard to figure out time to run without putting it off. So N and I decided we would do 3 shorter maintenance runs in the AM before she leaves for work so that it does not hang over our heads to do in the evening. This morning we did a 28 min. run - it was super humid to the point of misting. We had a good run though, worked out some of the stiffness in the first few run cycles.
What's next:
Tonight - Moving more boxes to the new place - hang curtains - move boxes to the shed out back - possibly put the finishing touches on the fish stand we painted on Saturday.
Wednesday - Run in the AM - grad work - packing - moving boxes when N gets home.
Thursday - Run in the AM - go to new place to set up Internet and hopefully finish grad work for the semester- back home to pack and move more stuff including TV!
Friday - Go to new place EARLY and wait for Direct TV to show up - unpack boxes while waiting - Home to move final things - relax and get ready to run in the am.
Saturday - Up way too early - run 12 miles - get bagels and shower - pick up rental truck at 12 - pack it at 1230 - run to get pizza while people unload - eat pizza - organize apt and unpack. Clean old apt and return truck. RELAX!!!
Sunday - Unpack and clean old apt if necessary - RELAX before Nicole's fundraising party at Clay Bakers from 6-9 - COME PAINT PEOPLE!

I am looking forward to Monday when I am done with classes for the summer, done with packing and can relax in the new place and make it more like home!

ow...

Ok...if you can't handle a whiny post stop reading now!
Saturday was the 11 mile run. I did it all to myself, it's all my fault! Having done no, I repeat no, maintenance runs in the past 2 weeks I deserved every ounce of pain and suffering I felt Saturday. The 11 miles was tough. Since the full marathoners had to do 14 - we met them at mile 3 and started our trek around 7am and it was HOT and HUMID! Right off the bat J and I took the lead and began to run in front of M and T- bad idea. We sped up which felt fine at the time but did not end up well. Around our mile 3 we realized we were going about 30 seconds faster than pace and were advised to slow down. We followed directions but on the trip to the next water stop I began to get goosebumps. I remembered that was not a good sign and asked Amy at the stop what that meant. While she said as long as I was sweating it was fine, she advised me to take a salt packet. That was as pleasant as doing a shot - yuck! I knew I needed to eat but had no desire. I forced myself to eat my sport beans when all I wanted to do was drink. I was keeping well hydrated and had diluted gatorade in my bottle but if I drank all I wanted I could feel the water sloshing in my stomach when I ran (not fun). We kept pushing through, taking it slow while I could feel blisters forming on the bottom of my feet. Around mile 8 with the goosebumps coming and going I decided to walk the remaining 3 miles. It was such a mental battle - I knew I wanted to finish strong but felt aweful - I was so thirsty, no wanting to eat but needing to, legs and feet hurting etc. I figured I'd at least still finish the 11 miles and just walk the remaining. I walked quickly and after a mile my body started to feel better. I had finally drank enough fluid but the aches and pains had fully set in. I kept up my quick speed walking and met up with another running group and finished with them. Regardless I finished 11 miles mostly running, some walking.
But...I STILL feel it. My body feels like a mac truck ran over me. I have 3 HUGE blisters on each foot and every muscle is sore - including my shoulders since N and I painted the Living room and kitchen of the new place yesterday. I walk like I am eighty and am taking tylenol religously. I've learned that maintenance runs are key (duh) and that a full marathon is NOT in my future!

10 mile high

So...do I dare say that the 10 miler was enjoyable? Ok...I will...it was fun! After the pain and bad attitude of last week I was hesitant to run this morning. Waking up at 5:10 to 69 degrees and 100% humidity was not the best. I was tired but knew I had to do this. I had decided, per advice from Coaches Lea Ann and Amy, to drop back a pace group - take it slower and see how things went. Bonus of dropping back a group was being able to run with my buddy Marian. Funny fact - my whole pace group ended up with different pace groups this week - G went up to a 4:1 and 12:30 pace, S dropped to a 3:2 and 14:00 pace. I dropped to a 13:30 pace but kept the same run ratio of 3:1. We picked up Tracy around mile 3 and were just happy as can be. We ran on pace, with a few water stops we finished only 3 mins past pace time at 2 hours and 18 mins. The first 7 miles were a piece of cake - no huffing or puffing, no hip pain. We just ran and talked and time passed so quickly. A bit of pain set in around mile 8 - I stretched a bit with not much relief. We just kept chugging along and talking. Bonus treat of sweedish fish and skittles at the water stops. Around mile 8/9 it started to hit that I had been running for 2 hours. My hip was bugging me a bit, I was getting a little more out of breath and started to check my watch to see when walk breaks were coming. This was the first week where I was not checking my watch from mile 1. The miles came and went so quickly, walk breaks spaced well - I never felt the need to count down until the end. By the last mile, transitioning from walk to run was tough as my legs just didn't want to go anymore. No numbness, no major pain - just fatigue. We finished strong after a few last sweedish fish! I felt GREAT! It was a totally different experience from past weeks. It's amazing what a few extra minutes to run slow will do.

On a side note: I recently read about Secret Anti Perspirant - Clinical Strength Sport in Self magazine. I bought it even though it cost $9!!! It said it blocked wetness and was made specifically for athletes. After reading the directions I was skeptical because it said to apply the night before. So...you want me to put on deodorant the night before I run and not reapply in the morning? Sounded sketchy to me but I did it. Surprisingly enough it worked...well...really well! I am definitely going to use it on run days. I was not quite as stinky as I normally am after a run, and on a 100% humidity day that's pretty impressive.

Another note: Wright Socks - Anti Blister - not so much! I have a huge blister on my big toe - it started to develop last Saturday - went away and came back in full force today. I'm not writing off the company but I blistered in my anti blister sock...hm.

Overall - GREAT day - totally encouraged to keep going. Next week is only a 5 miler...woohoo!!! I can't believe I only have to run 3 more miles than what I did today on race day. That's so crazy.

good music - takin it slow

Ok...so my bad attitude has turned around a bit. I forced myself to get up this morning even though my bed was comfy and Good Morning America was on. I took my Ipod with newly downloaded songs as well as a bottle of water and off I went.
It felt great. I had some great music, the weather was sunny but breezy and I took it easy. The web site said I ran a 12 1/2 min mile which is still 30 seconds faster than pace time, but it felt so much slower than what I've been doing lately - which explains my frustration with running. If running at this pace feels this good I can continue just fine. I did ask Amy if I should drop back a group to slow down - with 10 miles looming this Saturday. At least my mood about running has improved and with 10 miles coming up I'm going to need a positive attitude!

I'm done with running

Well, not really but the novelty of it has worn off. I went on a maintenance run this afternoon - 3:1 pace for 36 mins - faster pace than normal - and I did not enjoy myself. Nothing hurt, although I was huffin and puffin, sweatin and super thirsty (note to self - take water bottle on run when it is over 80 degrees.) And to be perfectly honest I don't feel like running anymore. I only ran for 36 minutes - Saturday's run will be slightly less than 4 times that. YUCK! I don't know - maybe I should drop back a pace group and do it a little slower - or maybe I should just suck it up and do it without complaining. Regardless I am feeling less than motivated to run, but go figure I am motivated to eat well and exercise. Ha. I've already dropped 4 of the pounds gained during fried food and sweet tea extravaganza. I am enjoying eating healthy and going to the Y. I guess I am just in some need of running motivation. This is where it's getting hard for me - mentally and physically.

Wasting Money

So my theme for today was stop wasting money. I pay $38 a month to be a member of the YMCA. Several months ago (maybe February) I stopped going to the Y because the parking was ridiculous. OK so that was an OK excuse for a while but then I just got lazy. When running started I enjoyed doing so outside and continued to donate $38 to the YMCA every month without using their services. So today I went - for the first time in a LONG time. So long that I hadn't seen the renovations. After being slightly intimidated by the new machines and layout I had a great workout. I only did 15 minutes on the elliptical because my main purpose was to weight train. I sucked up the embarrassment and read the instructions on most machines because they are so different from the old ones. I lifted for about a half hour - I have a feeling I'm going to be quite sore tomorrow. I've certainly missed working out and will continue. When I did the hip abductor and adductor machine I could feel I was working the area that has been bothering me during my run. I am going to faithfully do that machine and hopefully strengthen so that the hip pain does not continue. The stretching I did yesterday and today has certainly helped with any post run soreness. I can barely tell I ran 9 miles yesterday. Apparently I was not stretching well enough before!
My other wasting money realization was my weight watchers online donation. I pay to use their services online to track my points, find recipes etc. and lately because I've been eating so poorly I haven't tracked my weight or points. I did so today - I logged my weight in and cringed when I saw my pounds lost go down with my weight gain. I restarted my week today and ate wonderfully! I did well on fruits and veggies and ate balanced meals. I ate totally on points today and even had ice cream without going into any flex points. I even earned 3 points in activity at the Y.
So...no more wasting money - I WILL go to the Y more faithfully and use my weight watchers online subscription. I am actually going to a gentle yoga class tomorrow morning that says it focuses mainly on flexibility. I'm hoping I don't look like a fool and that I enjoy it. While tomorrow morning is suppose to be HUMID, tomorrow evening shouldn't be bad so I'll do my maintenance run then. Two workouts in one day?? Who is this person? :)

9 down...4 to go

At 5 am - I woke up wondering why my alarm was going off but I thankfully felt pretty awake. I ate breakfast, got dressed and headed out the door way early. Our run began a little late since poor Robin had to organize everything by herself this week since Amy and Lea Ann were out of town. My group walked to the 1 mile marker to meet up with our full marathoner addition to our group. From the 1 mile mark we headed on our way. It was hot and humid and but the running wasn't too bad. I had taken 2 Tylenol this morning to hopefully avoid the hip pain I've been feeling while running. It did in fact help. My much needed water stop was at the end of rails to trails and enjoyed filling up on water and Gatorade and eating a few skittles. Totally loved having the skittles at each water stop - nice sweet treat along the way. About half way through S started to feel her ankle bothering her after injuring it earlier this week. We agreed to send her home to rest it rather than injure it further. I wanted so bad to be done at 5 corners. For weeks now 5 corners has been the stopping point. It was painful to realize that after 5 corners we had 2 more miles to go. By this point I was worrying about continuing to run. I kept checking my watch and counting down to the next walk break - my right foot started to go numb as the pain in my right hip increased. I stopped to stretch a bit but with little relief. By the time we were mid loop behind the Y, my leg started to go numb. I decided I needed to walk a bit more and we took a little longer of a walk break. At the 8 mile mark I just couldn't do it. G was wonderful and waited with me walking as I needed to. We walked at least half of the final mile - running maybe 2 mins or so at a time and walking for 2 or 3 mins. When the 9 mile marker was in sight we decided to just run to finish. Walking did relieve some of the numbness but not all. It certainly did not help my mood, but we did finish only 4 1/2 mins after our goal pace time. With the amount of walking we did, as well as a few minutes spent at water stops, I was surprised and pleased that we finished so close to pace time. We must have been running faster than a 13 min. mile.
After the run I munched on some watermelon then headed to bagel bakery with D and her daughter. I never in my life have looked at a bagel and not devoured it. I just didn't really want it. I should have just bagged it up and ate when I felt better but I did eat it and drink some OJ. I spent a good amount of time in the bathroom when I got home - not sure why though. I ate Shot bloks rather than sport beans this run - I wonder if that had any effect or not. I think next week I'll try only sport beans and see if that helps. I took a cold shower and stretched and am forcing myself to drink a G2 to replace some salt since I was VERY salty at the end of the run. So overall I was a little disappointed in my amount of walking and my numb foot and leg but I just need to mentally keep a positive head about it. My goal this week is to get both maintenance runs in as well as 2 trips to the Y to lift a bit. If the numbness continues during my runs this week or during next Saturday's 10 miler I'm going to make a doctors appointment.

8 miler

This morning Nicole and I woke up at 6:15 and got ready to run. I fought a bad mood about having to run. After not running for a whole week and gaining a ridiculous amount of weight I felt slightly less than peachy when we started out. I was huffin and puffin and I could feel the fact that I had put on weight. My hips keep getting super sore but they are not popping anymore. The weather was perfect - mid 60s and slightly breezy - great for a run and it did help my mood. Overall the run went well - we finished right on target time - 1 hour and 44 mins. My goal today is not to sit too much since I am S O R E already. I have so much to do before I head back to the land of fried food and sweet tea on Saturday, including a 5 and 12 page paper for my grad classes. I figure I'll so my maintenance run Thursday and then the 9 miler back with my pace group will be on Saturday at 6am - eek (not in reference to the running but the time change).

an hour ago...

An hour ago I was dressed to run and on my way out the door. I arrived back home 10 minutes ago! Who is this crazy person who inhabited my body this morning and caused me to get out of bed at 5:10? It only took 4 days to actually get myself out of bed early enough to run! This morning was a gorgeous 67 degrees. With my dying Ipod on I started with a 4 min. walk then ran for 11 min, 2 min walk, 9 min run, then decided to actually do my run walk ratio of 3:1 for a few cycles and finished with a 3 min walk. The Ipod lasted until the last minute of my final walk! The first thing I did as I came in the door was get a glass of water and a bottle of G2. Currently sipping those after stretching while cooling off. Normally at this time of the morning I've just woken up and eaten breakfast with Nicole - if I even am awake.
So today I've decided I'm not counting points - I stopped yesterday after I ate half a donut, a cookie, some appetizers at Chilis, and a Mint Mocha Chip Frappachino. (Oh yea and crab dip from the Pub)...It was the last day of kids...I had to celebrate. I am the same weight this morning as I was yesterday morning so running should help that not to catch up with me. Today is our staff party and our celebratory Shorebirds game tonight. In the grand scheme of life these 2 days off points won't kill me. I'm not even going to attempt to count - although I'll control what I can. Friday is back on points and being good - especially since I don't want to feel the effects of eating poorly while running 7 miles on Saturday!
Off to make spinach dip, shower, and grab breakfast - hm...do I get a bagel or just stick with cereal at home.???

heat wave

This recent heat wave has halted by maintenance runs. With temperatures in the low 100s when I arrive home from school I've decided to stay inside and not run. Why not go to the Y and run you ask? I've never before run on a treadmill and the thought of trying to figure out how to do so while adjusting it to my run walk ratio feels daunting. I thought about running Monday morning at 5:20 - my alarm went off - I turned it off. I thought about running Tuesday morning at 5:30 - my alarm went off - I sat up in bed - talked to my cat - layed back down and fell asleep. I am thinking about running tomorrow morning at 5:30. I shall set my alarm and hopefully make it out of bed. It might help if I lay out my running clothes tonight. I figure with tomorrow's 5am temps at 71 that will be my best shot at running this week. I can't go from last Saturday's 6 miler to this Saturday's 7 miler without running at all during the week. With the staff party and Shorebirds game Thursday night and Ellen's birthday Friday night (night of rest before the run) - tomorrow is my last chance. Positive thoughts for the 5:20 wake up and 5:30 run tomorrow OK?

10K

So I ran a 10K today!!! Today I ran farther than I ever have before (are you noticing a pattern with that statement?). My pace group was one person smaller but we did just fine! Other than my hips being a little sore and it being ungodly humid I felt great. I woke up this morning to 73 degree temps at 5:45am with 100% humidity! It was so humid you could see it in the air. Yick! The 3:1 pace is great for me - most times the walk break comes just when I need it and other times I count down to it, later in the run of course. We stopped at both water stops, refilled, got wet towels and ice and kept on going. I ate my fruit punch sport beans as we approached mile 4 - they rock by the way - sweet and not hard to eat at all - although it did take me more than my 1 minute walk break to get them all in. I totally wanted to take more walk breaks in the last mile but I knew I could do it - it just would have been more enjoyable to keep walking rather than running. I pushed through that and ran. Seeing the 6 mile mark was awesome - we hit it 3 mins early according to our pace time but we kept running to finish the 6.2 to make it a 10K. I was tired & really sweaty when I was done but I really couldn't complain much about the run - I felt great - eating and drinking along the way kept my body in balance. Next week...7 miles. I still can't believe I'm doing this!

4 miler and beyond

Saturday's 4 mile run went very well. My pace group and I finished 2 minutes faster than we were suppose to but we were feeling good. It's encouraging to know we can slow down a bit. The 3:1 walk ratio is great. It had been awhile since I had done a 3:1 since I normally train at a 4:1. I never felt as though I wouldn't make it to the walk break. The five mile seems less daunting now that I've experienced the 4 mile with such positive results. My hip was super sore after but I've been working on stretching it the right way. After I ran today I couldn't even begin to stretch it but I babied my hip through the stretch - inch by inch - until I could stretch it properly without pain. So far so good. Really other than the hip popping and pain I feel great. Tomorrow I think Nicole and I are going to go for a bike ride as our cross training. This could be my week to eat right and exercise - while getting a good night's sleep Friday. Could the stars really align to make me put all my "requirements" in place at once? We shall see.
I'm cutting it short because it's beautiful out and company is coming over soon. :) Happy running!

It's raining and cold!

Why yes Amy I know it could rain on race day...and of course it could be 45 degrees but after training for 5 months I'd run anyway...however I backed out of running 45 mins. today. It's cold and rainy! I did cross train though - a 40 minute pilates dvd...spent much of it laughing and attempting the moves. I can totally feel that I worked my muscles but it was certainly harder than the pilates class that we had at school. So...I shall run tomorrow...I promise - but if it's cold and rainy I may just opt for going to the Y.