Whew, today was a busy day!
Kept my running day to one, singular 7 mile run @7:48pace. I had to squeeze it in between my morning short (6am-10am) shift at the bakery, and a 12 noon docs appointment I had before rushing off to teach. I'm really glad I did though, because after work, I had to drive home to my parents' house for a cat-sitting weekend. Anddd, it was 80 degrees when I was running at 10:30, which was amazing! Especially chugging a Blue Powerade Zero (aka crack) after in less than a minute. Yum....
Honestly, my legs felt pretty tired today. I'm happy with the fact that I am pushing through these runs. I'm getting nervous about Sunday, because I have a 20 miler planned and I really NEED it to be quality. As for tomorrow, it will be another easy day. Unfortunately I have to get up at 4am to make it to the bakery from here by 6am. And, I'll have to run afterward, as well as drive the hour back. Buzz kill #2 is the fact that I have to work Sunday as well. Weekend = non existant. It's all good though, because my parents' comp me with food $$ (which is the easiest way to win me over!) and our cat is a cutey.
Ok, I'm off. I have a feeling I'll be in bed soon after my 4:45am wakeup this morning, and in anticipation of my 4am wakeup tomorrow. Yeah, exciting stuff on a Friday night!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
30- quicky
Quicky tonite.
12 miles today; 5 in the morning, 7 at night with Mike. Morning was tough, night was better. Need to pack now. Tomorrow = busy day. Hungry. Off to get some fro yo from the freezer for dinner. Because I'm classy like that.
It's all good.
12 miles today; 5 in the morning, 7 at night with Mike. Morning was tough, night was better. Need to pack now. Tomorrow = busy day. Hungry. Off to get some fro yo from the freezer for dinner. Because I'm classy like that.
It's all good.
Long Overdue (long) Boston Recap
Ok, I don’t want to totally blow off my Boston recap, but honestly I don’t have much to say. The experience itself was good in that I was able to learn a lot about my training and about what I am doing right and wrong. Really though, it was kind of anticlimactic doing it a second time. I’ll try to keep this short and sweet:
My friend and I flew out of Detroit with her mom on Saturday afternoon. It was stressful/dramatic getting to the airport and we almost missed the flight. I won’t go into details, because everything was happening between my friend and her mom, but it was a rocky start. Thankfully, we all got to Boston safe and sound and headed right to the expo. After doing all of the normal pics and collecting our stuff/freebees, we headed to “Legal Seafood” to meet some of my friends’ moms’ friends. (dinner with lots of people I didn’t know…..) It was actually fun though, they were all cyclists and I’m pretty OK with talking it up with anyone. Plus, Legal Seafood had really good gluten free rolls! Ha, simple pleasures…… We then headed out of Boston to the house we were staying at (which were more friends of theirs, who I didn’t know.) We got there late and crashed. Unfortunately, I slept horribly that night because one of the little kids was throwing up in the bathroom that ajoined to our all night…..buzz kill…..
Sunday was spent pretty chill-like. We did a short run, got some groceries, and tried to avoid the sick little kids. Mostly, we just sat/laid in bed. It was the most sitting I’ve done in probably a year! Nice, but nerveracking. By 7pm, I just wanted to go to bed and get started!
Race day. Wake up pre-5am, which was no big for me because I do that so often. We got a ride into Boston, and boarded the busses. The bus ride seemed to take FOREVER which I remember from last year. Once in Hopkinton, we met up with my training bud who I always talk about (his name is Mike, maybe I should just start calling him that!) I think he was grateful to have people to chill with. Coffee + banana + brushing my teeth (yeah, I have a fetish about having minty fresh breath when I run) and I was ready to race. We all walked to the buses together. We joked because my bus was this lame white schoolbus that looked totally out of place, and I was in the last corral of Wave 1. Lame bus for the slowest ones! We split into our corrals and I was finally alone. It actually felt really good to finally be away from the stress of traveling and mingling with people and just be able to focus on myself and my run. But it was also weird because I felt like I was just in Hopkinton! Seriously, time flies!
The race began, but I hardly knew it because I was so far back! It took a good 10 minutes for me to get to the start. But, when I hit it, I took off. I really tried to keep my pace chill, but honestly I suck at that. Every time I felt like I was going ‘slow’ I would look at my Garmin and see 7:14 or something like that! But it felt ok. For now.
Let me rehash that my goal for this race was only to requalify without killing myself or making my body too sore to stop training. I was ‘training through’ this race for Bayshore. However, I think that is easier said than done. To be honest, part of me was hoping I could just pop off an amazing time without trying. Yeah, that would be the crazy part.
By mile 10, my pace was feeling less effortless. I know I came through in around 75 minutes. I was 1:39 at the half, but knew it wouldn’t last, so I backed off. I had been trying those “gu chomps” things throughout the race, but I was not sure if they were really helping. (I’ve never eaten goo or anything during a race). Mostly, they just got stuck in my teeth and I kept thinking about how many cavities they would be giving me! After Wellsley, I still felt OK, but my “OK” was registering a slower pace than my previous “ok”. The thing is, I felt like I consciously backed off, but was upset with how quickly my pace dropped. Seriously, it felt like in the blink of an eye I went from 7:30s to 8:30s to 9:15s. That was the most depressing part. How quickly my pace slipped away. The rest of the race I just packed it in. I knew I would requalify, but I knew I wouldn’t PR or Boston PR, which I was OK with me. I ended up running a 3:37:something. Second half split = depressing, but I kind of accepted it and just went with the flow. Best part of the race was when I gu Chomp fell out of my little running short-pocket thing and into my panties. Yeah, nice and sticky. And it happened going up heartbreak hill. That made for a fun last 5 miles with the gooey-ness all up in my grill…..if you know what I mean……
OK: reflection time. Here’s the thing. I got back into running two days later (swam for first two days). If you have been following my blog you know that I picked back up my training to a higher level this week. So on that front, Boston was a success. It taught me the lessons about my training that I mentioned in a previous post. Again, a success. Lastly, I was able to run a ‘decent’ time with minimal taper (both pre and post race.)
With that said……
I would be lying if I said I was completely OK with it. I just feel so worried/paranoid that I will never be able to PR again. Like my 3:18 was a total fluke. I even wish sometimes that I never ran that time, because then I wouldn’t be so disappointed with my 3:3X finishes that I have had basically for the last 2 years. It’s not that there is anything wrong with running in the 3:30s, but I just don’t feel satisfied with it, when I know I have/can do better. I have been training harder than ever for the last year, and I wonder sometimes if there is a missing piece. Why isn’t my racing getting better? I have set the bar really high for myself, and don’t seem to be stepping up come race day. And that is tough. I’m trying not to dwell on it though. All that I can do is keep pushing 100%. So that’s what I’ll do.
Wow, this turned into a doosy! I’ve been writing it on my breaks at work today, and now I shall hit ‘publish.’ Hopefully I’ll be back tonite with a recap of the day’s runs and such. For now, I have to run (literally) to meet up with my group for run #2 of the day! :)
My friend and I flew out of Detroit with her mom on Saturday afternoon. It was stressful/dramatic getting to the airport and we almost missed the flight. I won’t go into details, because everything was happening between my friend and her mom, but it was a rocky start. Thankfully, we all got to Boston safe and sound and headed right to the expo. After doing all of the normal pics and collecting our stuff/freebees, we headed to “Legal Seafood” to meet some of my friends’ moms’ friends. (dinner with lots of people I didn’t know…..) It was actually fun though, they were all cyclists and I’m pretty OK with talking it up with anyone. Plus, Legal Seafood had really good gluten free rolls! Ha, simple pleasures…… We then headed out of Boston to the house we were staying at (which were more friends of theirs, who I didn’t know.) We got there late and crashed. Unfortunately, I slept horribly that night because one of the little kids was throwing up in the bathroom that ajoined to our all night…..buzz kill…..
Sunday was spent pretty chill-like. We did a short run, got some groceries, and tried to avoid the sick little kids. Mostly, we just sat/laid in bed. It was the most sitting I’ve done in probably a year! Nice, but nerveracking. By 7pm, I just wanted to go to bed and get started!
Race day. Wake up pre-5am, which was no big for me because I do that so often. We got a ride into Boston, and boarded the busses. The bus ride seemed to take FOREVER which I remember from last year. Once in Hopkinton, we met up with my training bud who I always talk about (his name is Mike, maybe I should just start calling him that!) I think he was grateful to have people to chill with. Coffee + banana + brushing my teeth (yeah, I have a fetish about having minty fresh breath when I run) and I was ready to race. We all walked to the buses together. We joked because my bus was this lame white schoolbus that looked totally out of place, and I was in the last corral of Wave 1. Lame bus for the slowest ones! We split into our corrals and I was finally alone. It actually felt really good to finally be away from the stress of traveling and mingling with people and just be able to focus on myself and my run. But it was also weird because I felt like I was just in Hopkinton! Seriously, time flies!
The race began, but I hardly knew it because I was so far back! It took a good 10 minutes for me to get to the start. But, when I hit it, I took off. I really tried to keep my pace chill, but honestly I suck at that. Every time I felt like I was going ‘slow’ I would look at my Garmin and see 7:14 or something like that! But it felt ok. For now.
Let me rehash that my goal for this race was only to requalify without killing myself or making my body too sore to stop training. I was ‘training through’ this race for Bayshore. However, I think that is easier said than done. To be honest, part of me was hoping I could just pop off an amazing time without trying. Yeah, that would be the crazy part.
By mile 10, my pace was feeling less effortless. I know I came through in around 75 minutes. I was 1:39 at the half, but knew it wouldn’t last, so I backed off. I had been trying those “gu chomps” things throughout the race, but I was not sure if they were really helping. (I’ve never eaten goo or anything during a race). Mostly, they just got stuck in my teeth and I kept thinking about how many cavities they would be giving me! After Wellsley, I still felt OK, but my “OK” was registering a slower pace than my previous “ok”. The thing is, I felt like I consciously backed off, but was upset with how quickly my pace dropped. Seriously, it felt like in the blink of an eye I went from 7:30s to 8:30s to 9:15s. That was the most depressing part. How quickly my pace slipped away. The rest of the race I just packed it in. I knew I would requalify, but I knew I wouldn’t PR or Boston PR, which I was OK with me. I ended up running a 3:37:something. Second half split = depressing, but I kind of accepted it and just went with the flow. Best part of the race was when I gu Chomp fell out of my little running short-pocket thing and into my panties. Yeah, nice and sticky. And it happened going up heartbreak hill. That made for a fun last 5 miles with the gooey-ness all up in my grill…..if you know what I mean……
OK: reflection time. Here’s the thing. I got back into running two days later (swam for first two days). If you have been following my blog you know that I picked back up my training to a higher level this week. So on that front, Boston was a success. It taught me the lessons about my training that I mentioned in a previous post. Again, a success. Lastly, I was able to run a ‘decent’ time with minimal taper (both pre and post race.)
With that said……
I would be lying if I said I was completely OK with it. I just feel so worried/paranoid that I will never be able to PR again. Like my 3:18 was a total fluke. I even wish sometimes that I never ran that time, because then I wouldn’t be so disappointed with my 3:3X finishes that I have had basically for the last 2 years. It’s not that there is anything wrong with running in the 3:30s, but I just don’t feel satisfied with it, when I know I have/can do better. I have been training harder than ever for the last year, and I wonder sometimes if there is a missing piece. Why isn’t my racing getting better? I have set the bar really high for myself, and don’t seem to be stepping up come race day. And that is tough. I’m trying not to dwell on it though. All that I can do is keep pushing 100%. So that’s what I’ll do.
Wow, this turned into a doosy! I’ve been writing it on my breaks at work today, and now I shall hit ‘publish.’ Hopefully I’ll be back tonite with a recap of the day’s runs and such. For now, I have to run (literally) to meet up with my group for run #2 of the day! :)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
31- elbow tan!?!
Ok, I'll just get right to it, because I gotta crash soon....
Today = good running day. Running 15 miles this morning was close to ideal. I got to run between 9am and 11am ish, the temp was perfect. It was sunny (which I LOVE) but alittle more windy than I would have liked. As I mentioned before, where I live now is really cool in that I can go in the direction of the 'city' or the 'country' when I am running. Today I did a new rolling-hill route through country roads. I went by a few farm and saw (and smelled....) quite a few horses and goats! It was actually really pleasant. I held a 8:10 pace on average, which I am OK with right now. The worst part was having to jump in the car right away for my 45 minute commute! Not so great on the legs....
Which brings me to post-work. I met up with my running club at a local 5K, which was really nice in that it was on my way home from work. I ran the '1 mile fun run' with my friends' little daughter, which was super cute! Then, it was time for the 5K. After putting in 16+ miles at this point, I had no expectations except to have fun and not totally embarress myself. I haven't raced a 5K in awhile and my speed is pretty lacking right now. I was acutally really happy with it though- I felt decent and ran a 20:29 without feeling like I was pushing too hard. Andd, in combination with all my running today made for a 20 mile day (with additional running at the 5K). Not bad for a Wednesday! And I got a sweet mug for placing! Free stuff makes me happy :) And one of my students was there and did really well too! I was so proud of her- too cute!
Legs are TIRED now though. I will push through it tomorrow, but it will be more chill pace/distance wise. My post title is referring to the fact that I am getting a tan in the creases of my elbows from having bent arms while running. Sweeeet. You know you're a runner when........
And I'm off to get ready to do it all over again....
Today = good running day. Running 15 miles this morning was close to ideal. I got to run between 9am and 11am ish, the temp was perfect. It was sunny (which I LOVE) but alittle more windy than I would have liked. As I mentioned before, where I live now is really cool in that I can go in the direction of the 'city' or the 'country' when I am running. Today I did a new rolling-hill route through country roads. I went by a few farm and saw (and smelled....) quite a few horses and goats! It was actually really pleasant. I held a 8:10 pace on average, which I am OK with right now. The worst part was having to jump in the car right away for my 45 minute commute! Not so great on the legs....
Which brings me to post-work. I met up with my running club at a local 5K, which was really nice in that it was on my way home from work. I ran the '1 mile fun run' with my friends' little daughter, which was super cute! Then, it was time for the 5K. After putting in 16+ miles at this point, I had no expectations except to have fun and not totally embarress myself. I haven't raced a 5K in awhile and my speed is pretty lacking right now. I was acutally really happy with it though- I felt decent and ran a 20:29 without feeling like I was pushing too hard. Andd, in combination with all my running today made for a 20 mile day (with additional running at the 5K). Not bad for a Wednesday! And I got a sweet mug for placing! Free stuff makes me happy :) And one of my students was there and did really well too! I was so proud of her- too cute!
Legs are TIRED now though. I will push through it tomorrow, but it will be more chill pace/distance wise. My post title is referring to the fact that I am getting a tan in the creases of my elbows from having bent arms while running. Sweeeet. You know you're a runner when........
And I'm off to get ready to do it all over again....
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
32- winter!?!? WTF
This morning it was thirty something degrees on my morning run at 7am. Even more disturbing was the fact that there was a wind chill!?!? WTF. I'm not a fan.
However, despite the conditions, there was running to be done. Specifically 12 miles with 6x1000 tempos thrown in. I'm not gonna lie, my legs felt sluggish right away when I woke up this morning, and I wasn't sure how this run would go. I know that I'm asking alot of my body jumping in even harder post-Boston, but I'm really just focusing on pushing through the tiredness this week and hopefully coming out stronger. The repeats went pretty well (especially the ones that were with the wind vs. against it!) When I was finished, my legs were tired though. I kept my rolling stick handy in my passengers seat today so I could roll out my right quad while driving (at stoplights of course! ;)
Fast forward through the work day to tonite. I met up with my training bud at the track and we knocked out 400 repeats at 1:17-1:19 pace. The workout was only a few miles, but it was good to get some leg turn over again. Now my legs are officially spent. Hoping to recover overnight because I have *planned* a mid-long run + a 5K race tomorrow. We will see how that goes......
On another note, I seem to be constantly hungry since Boston, and it is really bothering me. Perhaps I will try to do a fueling post to get some insight from others about how my eating compares to other runners, because maybe I'm lacking in something? I'm not even all that sure how many calories I 'should' be eating in regards to my lifestyle + jobs + running. If anyone knows of any good bloggers out there or info, I would appreciate it!
However, despite the conditions, there was running to be done. Specifically 12 miles with 6x1000 tempos thrown in. I'm not gonna lie, my legs felt sluggish right away when I woke up this morning, and I wasn't sure how this run would go. I know that I'm asking alot of my body jumping in even harder post-Boston, but I'm really just focusing on pushing through the tiredness this week and hopefully coming out stronger. The repeats went pretty well (especially the ones that were with the wind vs. against it!) When I was finished, my legs were tired though. I kept my rolling stick handy in my passengers seat today so I could roll out my right quad while driving (at stoplights of course! ;)
Fast forward through the work day to tonite. I met up with my training bud at the track and we knocked out 400 repeats at 1:17-1:19 pace. The workout was only a few miles, but it was good to get some leg turn over again. Now my legs are officially spent. Hoping to recover overnight because I have *planned* a mid-long run + a 5K race tomorrow. We will see how that goes......
On another note, I seem to be constantly hungry since Boston, and it is really bothering me. Perhaps I will try to do a fueling post to get some insight from others about how my eating compares to other runners, because maybe I'm lacking in something? I'm not even all that sure how many calories I 'should' be eating in regards to my lifestyle + jobs + running. If anyone knows of any good bloggers out there or info, I would appreciate it!
Monday, April 26, 2010
33- It's Go Time.
Well, I promised a post about where my training is headed, so here goes! :)
Let me start by saying that I haven't had the best luck with 'training plans.' The most thought/planning that I put into a plan was before I started Boston training, and it quickly fell apart once I injured my back and was out for 3+ weeks. With that said, I'm always leery to set too much in stone. Buttt, I'm also very ambitious and recognize that I have a limited training window to hit if I have any hopes of smashing my PR at Bayshore. So, I'll be hitting it pretty hard. How hard you ask? Well, I'm hoping to toe that line between peak performance and burn out/injury pretty closely. This means that the next three weeks, I hope to be doing nothing but my jobs, followed by training and anything that contributes to improving that training (ie rest, good food, sleep, reading about running lol). I'm totally OK with devoting even more of myself to this. Because when I step out to that starting line, I want to have no regrets. And I won't.
So with my refreshed knowledge via "Advanced Marathoning" in combination with the lessons I learned about myself and my training through running Boston, I'm going to take the training planning one week at a time. The things that I'm going to change from previous (thanks to my new knowledge) include the following:
- split runs on recovery days in order to maximize recovery w/o sacrificing milage (ie today's 10 miles was split into an AM 6 and a PM 4)
- speed work on Tuesdays (I did this alittle during previous training, but need to do it more regularly)
- dedication to the mid-week medium-long run
- 20 milers - atleast 2
- long runs must finish faster than I start (ideally marathon pace) I'm very good at running 13-15 miles at my marathon pace, but it is the last 10-13 that really matter. I need to teach my body to hit it hard at that point.
- tempos.
- keep up with my swimming to maximize recovery
So there you go. That's the gist of it. I have this week mapped out and I'm hoping it will go according to plans. I'm still dealing with the fatigue of hitting it pretty hard post Boston and have to watch my one knee and foot that don't feel quite 'right.' Other than that, I'm pumped. I may not PR at Bayshore, but you better believe I will do anything and everything in my power to make it happen.
Let me start by saying that I haven't had the best luck with 'training plans.' The most thought/planning that I put into a plan was before I started Boston training, and it quickly fell apart once I injured my back and was out for 3+ weeks. With that said, I'm always leery to set too much in stone. Buttt, I'm also very ambitious and recognize that I have a limited training window to hit if I have any hopes of smashing my PR at Bayshore. So, I'll be hitting it pretty hard. How hard you ask? Well, I'm hoping to toe that line between peak performance and burn out/injury pretty closely. This means that the next three weeks, I hope to be doing nothing but my jobs, followed by training and anything that contributes to improving that training (ie rest, good food, sleep, reading about running lol). I'm totally OK with devoting even more of myself to this. Because when I step out to that starting line, I want to have no regrets. And I won't.
So with my refreshed knowledge via "Advanced Marathoning" in combination with the lessons I learned about myself and my training through running Boston, I'm going to take the training planning one week at a time. The things that I'm going to change from previous (thanks to my new knowledge) include the following:
- split runs on recovery days in order to maximize recovery w/o sacrificing milage (ie today's 10 miles was split into an AM 6 and a PM 4)
- speed work on Tuesdays (I did this alittle during previous training, but need to do it more regularly)
- dedication to the mid-week medium-long run
- 20 milers - atleast 2
- long runs must finish faster than I start (ideally marathon pace) I'm very good at running 13-15 miles at my marathon pace, but it is the last 10-13 that really matter. I need to teach my body to hit it hard at that point.
- tempos.
- keep up with my swimming to maximize recovery
So there you go. That's the gist of it. I have this week mapped out and I'm hoping it will go according to plans. I'm still dealing with the fatigue of hitting it pretty hard post Boston and have to watch my one knee and foot that don't feel quite 'right.' Other than that, I'm pumped. I may not PR at Bayshore, but you better believe I will do anything and everything in my power to make it happen.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Happy Birthday to me!
Oh man, today has been a good day. Filled with all of my favorite things in life; running, food, family, shopping, and now finally relaxing at my parents' house with my mom. The half marathon this morning was INTENSE! I can't believe I ran an ultra (50K) on the same trail last fall. There is literally not a single flat stretch on the trail. It was actually really fun though, I saw a guy that I ran with last summer up north and got to chat with him, as well as meet lots more cool runners on the trail. The atmosphere of these 'trail types' is so different than road races. Lots more chatting and conversation, and alot less spandex and aloofness. Like I've mentioned before, I love roads and am not much of a trail person overall, but at the same time I appreciate the 'zen like' attitude of lots of these runners. When I was talking to one guy about Boston and Bayshore (my upcoming marathon), he asked where Bayshore was and I told him Northern Michigan and that it was a great course and blah blah. He turned to me and said simply "I don't run many road marathons, only trails; much more interesting!" I laughed in my head because although that is probably true, I never would have thought of it that way! Different strokes for different fokes! Anyway, I ended up running about a 9min pace and finishing around 2 hours which I was pleased with for my last 'easy' day and the difficulty of the trail. I literally ran to my car to rush home and change for brunch! It was so. good. Seeing my sis and bro-in-law wasn't bad either ;). They left to drive back to Chicago (after seeing my new place ;), my pops drove up north and my mom and I braved the crowds of IKEA. It was pretty nuts, but we did get some good ideas atleast. Drove an hour back to my parents' house and here I am, blogging on my NEW PINK laptop! (ie B-day present from my parents) I ordered the laptop a few weeks ago through my dad's work figuring I would just pay him the $$ when it came in. Amazingly, my parents' decided to give it to me as my b-day present which was so great. Now I have a 'portable' laptop back, after mine died a few weeks ago. Life is good.
So the plan is this, since I know I've bored y'all already with my post: Tomorrow I start back in on my "official" training. I've been rereading "Advanced Marathoning" (aka my running bible) so tomorrow I will unvail my training stuff. Then, Tuesday I can do a quick Boston recap. Sound good? For now, I'm off to enjoy the tail end of my b-day while rolling all of those trail-hills out of my tired quads!
So the plan is this, since I know I've bored y'all already with my post: Tomorrow I start back in on my "official" training. I've been rereading "Advanced Marathoning" (aka my running bible) so tomorrow I will unvail my training stuff. Then, Tuesday I can do a quick Boston recap. Sound good? For now, I'm off to enjoy the tail end of my b-day while rolling all of those trail-hills out of my tired quads!
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