I was able to squeeze a run in after Valerie's volleyball game and before it was completely dark. I ran/walked 3.34 miles in under 40 minutes. Runkeeper clocked my miles at 12:22, 10:22, 11:52. I felt like I was moving quite a bit faster in the first mile and I'm certain the mile 1 alert was at least .1 if not .2 miles off the actual distance, so that may account for some of the time discrepancy.
Val and I attended our first Bat Mitzvah this weekend. Val's friend, Samantha, did an incredible job. I can't imagine how much study and practice was required for preparation, quite a lot! Congratulations, Sam! I thought the service was fascinating and very well done. And I was teaing up through much of it. I was so proud of her.
I had a little trouble with the eating plan on Saturday because we had lunch served after the Mat Mitzvah service and it was certainly not low-carb based. I would have LOVED the spred if I could have had all those carbs, though. Darn! I somehow got out of there with 5 carbs left for the rest of the day, so it was a tough afternoon and evening. I ended up just 3 carbs over budget by the end of the night, which is pretty good considering where I was at 1pm.
I'm on day 8 of the low carb diet and doing fine. I'm down 4 pounds. It's funny how I don't crave bread at all, but I really want to be able to eat more nuts and have wine with cheese and crackers. Not yet. I'll get through induction and then get those back into the diet in a few weeks. I don't want to blow the diet head-start process I'm going through now. This is not the type of diet that can be cheated. It's all in or don't do it at all. Just watching carbs doesn't have the impact I'm looking for right now. I'll get to the "just watching carbs" stage later, though.
And then we'll have a wine and cheese and cracker party!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
Feeling good about progress
Day 5 on the low carb diet. I forgot to weigh in this morning, but I'm guessing I'm down a total of 3 pounds from Monday. Yes, I know most of it is water. But it's long-term water loss, it doesn't come back the next day. And I feel like I'm making progress.
I love my carb manager iPhone app! It has given me the information I needed to alter my previous low carb plan into something more healthy - and it should be more effective, too. With less fat and more fiber, I should find it easier to drop these extra pounds. This week, I've eaten limited quantities of raspberries, blackberries, cucumbers, V8, and tomatoes and quite a bit of lean meat, romaine and spinach salad. I've also had less healthy things like cheese, nuts, steak, protein drinks, eggs and cottage cheese. The balance in the food choices is a major improvement from my meat, cheese, and eggs focus during my 2004 low carb diet. I had no idea how many calories I was getting from fat! That couldn't have been good. I hope the new plan is at least effective as before.
I did get that run in yesterday. Runkeeper tracked me at 3.11 miles in 38:23. That's sad if you know I ran that distance in under 30 minutes in May this year. Ouch. Oh well. I haven't run much since May, probably just once a week or so. These are the consequences.
Although I didn't plan to run today, the weather was just too perfect and I found myself at home alone for much of the evening. So I laced up my shoes and headed out. It felt pretty good to put in 5 miles in 60 minutes. I walked most of the first mile to loosen up. My mile splits were negative, so I must have gotten the hang of it out there. Miles 2-5 were executed with a 2 minute run to 1 minute walk ratio. Runkeeper clocked my splits at 16:14, 12:05, 11:45, 10:42, and 9:48.
I love my carb manager iPhone app! It has given me the information I needed to alter my previous low carb plan into something more healthy - and it should be more effective, too. With less fat and more fiber, I should find it easier to drop these extra pounds. This week, I've eaten limited quantities of raspberries, blackberries, cucumbers, V8, and tomatoes and quite a bit of lean meat, romaine and spinach salad. I've also had less healthy things like cheese, nuts, steak, protein drinks, eggs and cottage cheese. The balance in the food choices is a major improvement from my meat, cheese, and eggs focus during my 2004 low carb diet. I had no idea how many calories I was getting from fat! That couldn't have been good. I hope the new plan is at least effective as before.
I did get that run in yesterday. Runkeeper tracked me at 3.11 miles in 38:23. That's sad if you know I ran that distance in under 30 minutes in May this year. Ouch. Oh well. I haven't run much since May, probably just once a week or so. These are the consequences.
Although I didn't plan to run today, the weather was just too perfect and I found myself at home alone for much of the evening. So I laced up my shoes and headed out. It felt pretty good to put in 5 miles in 60 minutes. I walked most of the first mile to loosen up. My mile splits were negative, so I must have gotten the hang of it out there. Miles 2-5 were executed with a 2 minute run to 1 minute walk ratio. Runkeeper clocked my splits at 16:14, 12:05, 11:45, 10:42, and 9:48.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Let's try this again
Wow, it's been such a long time since I updated this blog! I had to really think to remember my password.
I have no excuses, really. Just the usual busy summer things as well as too much going on at work. To be honest, I've also been having serious motivation issues with running. My fitness plan in early July lasted a little over a week and then crashed and burned. It must have been more of an idea than a plan since it didn't stick.
I'm slowly getting back into it now. It's amazing what a few months of running just once a week can do to my endurance! Bye, bye half marathon distance! Hello run/walk 3-5 miles at a time.
A lot has happened over the summer, so I won't even try to catch you up on all the happenings. I will share that I replaced my Blackberry with an iPhone 4, though. I don't know how I lived without the great apps, web browsing, and video support. I'm using a Runkeeper application to track and post my infrequent runs. Although I highly recommend the application, it has not always been accurate. If you want accuracy virtually all the time, stick with the Garmin watch.
My last few runs were 3.19 miles on 8/17, 3.39 on 8/26, 5.04 on 8/31, 3.5 on 9/4, and 3.02 on 9/5. I hope to add a run this afternoon/evening and I'll probably get soggy in the process since rain is expected all day. I'm also doing yoga once or twice a week.
In addition to trying to exercise more often, I've started a low carb diet again. The low carb approach has worked wonders for me in the past, but that was pre-cancer. Since my breast cancer surgery, I've been reluctant to use the low carb diet again because I didn't implement it in a very healthy way. However, I recently did some research and learned how to use the low carb approach while being more nutritionally sound. I also got an iPhone app (Carb Manager for 2.99) that helps me track my progress. The Carb Manager app focuses on tracking carbs, protein, and fat, however, it also tracks and graphs more comprehensive nutrition details compared to USDA daily recommended intake (vitamins, minerals, calories, sugar, etc.). Now that I know my daily fat/protein ratio, I have drastically changed my eating habits. I had no idea eggs were so fatty! Anyway, I'm down 2 pounds in just a few days and plan to keep it up for at least 2 weeks. At that point, I'll decide whether to extend the accelerated weight loss or slow it down by slowly adding the good carbs back into my diet.
Since I haven't been running as often, I'm behind on all my running and HR technology podcasts. The bright spot in this is that I'll have new-to-me episodes to listen to on all my runs for quite a while.
I have no excuses, really. Just the usual busy summer things as well as too much going on at work. To be honest, I've also been having serious motivation issues with running. My fitness plan in early July lasted a little over a week and then crashed and burned. It must have been more of an idea than a plan since it didn't stick.
I'm slowly getting back into it now. It's amazing what a few months of running just once a week can do to my endurance! Bye, bye half marathon distance! Hello run/walk 3-5 miles at a time.
A lot has happened over the summer, so I won't even try to catch you up on all the happenings. I will share that I replaced my Blackberry with an iPhone 4, though. I don't know how I lived without the great apps, web browsing, and video support. I'm using a Runkeeper application to track and post my infrequent runs. Although I highly recommend the application, it has not always been accurate. If you want accuracy virtually all the time, stick with the Garmin watch.
My last few runs were 3.19 miles on 8/17, 3.39 on 8/26, 5.04 on 8/31, 3.5 on 9/4, and 3.02 on 9/5. I hope to add a run this afternoon/evening and I'll probably get soggy in the process since rain is expected all day. I'm also doing yoga once or twice a week.
In addition to trying to exercise more often, I've started a low carb diet again. The low carb approach has worked wonders for me in the past, but that was pre-cancer. Since my breast cancer surgery, I've been reluctant to use the low carb diet again because I didn't implement it in a very healthy way. However, I recently did some research and learned how to use the low carb approach while being more nutritionally sound. I also got an iPhone app (Carb Manager for 2.99) that helps me track my progress. The Carb Manager app focuses on tracking carbs, protein, and fat, however, it also tracks and graphs more comprehensive nutrition details compared to USDA daily recommended intake (vitamins, minerals, calories, sugar, etc.). Now that I know my daily fat/protein ratio, I have drastically changed my eating habits. I had no idea eggs were so fatty! Anyway, I'm down 2 pounds in just a few days and plan to keep it up for at least 2 weeks. At that point, I'll decide whether to extend the accelerated weight loss or slow it down by slowly adding the good carbs back into my diet.
Since I haven't been running as often, I'm behind on all my running and HR technology podcasts. The bright spot in this is that I'll have new-to-me episodes to listen to on all my runs for quite a while.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Unplugged and a new plan
We just got back from a week unplugged. My family went to the semi-wilderness in Canada and had no mobile phones or access to email. It took a few days to get used to it, but was nice to slow down a bit. I'll admit that Ken, Val, and I turned on our phones immediately after crossing the border back into the States on Saturday, though. It took awhile for my Blackberry to sync all the emails and tweets and facebook updates I missed.
In the Canada wilderness, the evil biting flies kept me from running during vacation. A few hours of kayaking was the extent of my exercise, so I'm really itching to get moving again. Truth be told, I haven't exercised much since I completed my Trifecta of running events this Spring, so I'm well past due.
I ran this morning and logged 3 miles slow (~11:30 pace with 3:1 run/walk intervals). Then I walked another 1.36 miles to spend a total of 60 minutes to demonstrate (to myself) my commitment to my new training plan. Actually, it's not a training plan. Just a fitness commitment to help me with motivation and keep me interested.
While running, I listened to a Steverunner intervals episode about his fascination with all things involving endurance. He can collect pennies for 40 years and feel a sense of accomplishment for filling a 5 gallon glass water container. I think that shows amazing tenacity and stamina, as does running marathons. What's even more impressive to me is that he has committed to running for so many years; running as a primary exercise activity.
I'm not very good at maintaining. I'm a vision, ideas, passion, and action kind of person who craves change. I get bored and need to mix it up a bit to keep interested and motivated.
After my trifecta, I got burnt out with running so now I'm going to try to expand my training to include strength and flexibility training along with running. I also want to be more consistent with exercise.
So my new plan is to try to find an hour per day every day of the week for my workout. With just an hour, I won't be engaging in the longer runs. I'll just run/walk/run an hour 3 days a week. I'll also spend an hour 2 days a week on yoga and an hour 2 days a week on core/arms strength training.
I hope I can make this plan stick for awhile. I have such a crazy schedule with work and the kids' sports schedules. I know making time for me is critical, though. Send me some of those perseverance vibes.
In the Canada wilderness, the evil biting flies kept me from running during vacation. A few hours of kayaking was the extent of my exercise, so I'm really itching to get moving again. Truth be told, I haven't exercised much since I completed my Trifecta of running events this Spring, so I'm well past due.
I ran this morning and logged 3 miles slow (~11:30 pace with 3:1 run/walk intervals). Then I walked another 1.36 miles to spend a total of 60 minutes to demonstrate (to myself) my commitment to my new training plan. Actually, it's not a training plan. Just a fitness commitment to help me with motivation and keep me interested.
While running, I listened to a Steverunner intervals episode about his fascination with all things involving endurance. He can collect pennies for 40 years and feel a sense of accomplishment for filling a 5 gallon glass water container. I think that shows amazing tenacity and stamina, as does running marathons. What's even more impressive to me is that he has committed to running for so many years; running as a primary exercise activity.
I'm not very good at maintaining. I'm a vision, ideas, passion, and action kind of person who craves change. I get bored and need to mix it up a bit to keep interested and motivated.
After my trifecta, I got burnt out with running so now I'm going to try to expand my training to include strength and flexibility training along with running. I also want to be more consistent with exercise.
So my new plan is to try to find an hour per day every day of the week for my workout. With just an hour, I won't be engaging in the longer runs. I'll just run/walk/run an hour 3 days a week. I'll also spend an hour 2 days a week on yoga and an hour 2 days a week on core/arms strength training.
I hope I can make this plan stick for awhile. I have such a crazy schedule with work and the kids' sports schedules. I know making time for me is critical, though. Send me some of those perseverance vibes.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Trifecta reflection
Whew! School's finally out and all those Spring events are now fond memories. Among them is my Spring 2011 trifecta. I thought it sounded like a great idea to train for 3 events at once. The very opitimy of multi-tasking: 3 running events in 3 weeks. And this from someone who usually does 3 events in a year.
The Poco Loco started the madness in me. Initially I thought this was a 4 mile run and then learned it was a 13.1 mile run. Hmmmm. Well, I figured I would have to train for it, but it would be worth traveling to Boston and meeting Adam, Eddie, and Steve who have accompanied me for miles and miles of training via podcast. The event also introduced me to other podcasters and bloggers, all of whom I now follow on blog, twitter, and/or facebook. Shortly after returning from Boston, I wrote about these wonderful people.
The Poco Loco event was very laid back. I'm not sure how long it took us to run the 13+ miles, but I know it was more than 3.5 hours. We stopped frequently to ensure we didn't get too spread out and to switch up who was running with who. We ran in a large group the first 3 miles or so and then split into fast, medium, and slower groups. I was usually in a medium group but ran beside different people after each stop. It was a wonderful new experience to run with a group and talk and such. I'm usually silent while I listen to the voices through my earphones. Running and talking requires slowing down a bit and more breath control.
Event #2 was a week later at home, in Columbus Ohio, where I ran the Capital City Half Marathon in 2 hours and 24 minutes, almost a full 5 minutes faster than I ran the event in 2008 (before breast cancer). I was thrilled with the accomplishment!
Before the race, I was standing in the 2:15-2:29 corral and having dillusions of grandeur.
The last event in my trifecta was the Race for the Cure 5K. I ran this with my daughter and she kicked my butt big time. I beat her by 10 minutes last year and she beat me by 1:17 this year. I didn't see her the whole last mile. I was very proud of her run and mine too. In 2008, I ran the race in under 30 minutes, but didn't have a chip and so I had no official time. This year, I got the official sub-30 time: 29:53.
Since the wildly successful completion of the trifecta, I have been wildly unsuccessful at keeping my training going. I had a week or two during which I didn't run at all because of an issue with my right hip flexor and IT band. Typically, though, I've run about twice a week for about 3 miles each run. My 5Ks have been about 32 or 33 minutes. On 5/31, I went crazy and did a 4 miler in 45:35. I've been playing softball, volleyball, and mowing the lawn to supplement the lack of running. But it's just not nearly the same level of exercise.
It's time to get back on the road. I've missed it. The music is calling me now. Maybe I'll listen to music for a few runs and then catch up with my podcasts.
The Poco Loco started the madness in me. Initially I thought this was a 4 mile run and then learned it was a 13.1 mile run. Hmmmm. Well, I figured I would have to train for it, but it would be worth traveling to Boston and meeting Adam, Eddie, and Steve who have accompanied me for miles and miles of training via podcast. The event also introduced me to other podcasters and bloggers, all of whom I now follow on blog, twitter, and/or facebook. Shortly after returning from Boston, I wrote about these wonderful people.
The Poco Loco event was very laid back. I'm not sure how long it took us to run the 13+ miles, but I know it was more than 3.5 hours. We stopped frequently to ensure we didn't get too spread out and to switch up who was running with who. We ran in a large group the first 3 miles or so and then split into fast, medium, and slower groups. I was usually in a medium group but ran beside different people after each stop. It was a wonderful new experience to run with a group and talk and such. I'm usually silent while I listen to the voices through my earphones. Running and talking requires slowing down a bit and more breath control.
Event #2 was a week later at home, in Columbus Ohio, where I ran the Capital City Half Marathon in 2 hours and 24 minutes, almost a full 5 minutes faster than I ran the event in 2008 (before breast cancer). I was thrilled with the accomplishment!
Before the race, I was standing in the 2:15-2:29 corral and having dillusions of grandeur.
This is great. I've been here before. I can do this. I may even stick with the pace person and do a 2:20. I'm in shape. I'm faster than last time.
Oooo, and when I'm done with this race I will have done a full marathon if I add last week's half to this week's half. I wonder if I could put it all together and do the full marathon in October. I'll bet I could. Especially if I used my new gymboss to run-walk-run the race.
Yes, that's it, I'll knock out this race, do the Race for the Cure next week, and then just keep training at this level and do the full marathon. It will be amazing!At mile 8, the 2:20 pace person passed me and kept pulling away. At that point, I was somewhere totally different in my self-talk.
She isn't walking much through those water stops like she promised. She must be going too fast. Why can't I keep up with her? I've been in front of her for more than half the race. Grrrrrr. Damn, this is hard. I really need to find a portapotty soon. Why did I think I could ever do a marathon. That's crazy. How am I even going to finish this race?Between miles 8 and 13, I struggled and did a lot more walking than I wanted. To compensate, I ran faster than I should have, too. It was not a race run strategically. It was a pure "hold on to the end" type of event. but it was great to come in with a new PR.
The last event in my trifecta was the Race for the Cure 5K. I ran this with my daughter and she kicked my butt big time. I beat her by 10 minutes last year and she beat me by 1:17 this year. I didn't see her the whole last mile. I was very proud of her run and mine too. In 2008, I ran the race in under 30 minutes, but didn't have a chip and so I had no official time. This year, I got the official sub-30 time: 29:53.
Since the wildly successful completion of the trifecta, I have been wildly unsuccessful at keeping my training going. I had a week or two during which I didn't run at all because of an issue with my right hip flexor and IT band. Typically, though, I've run about twice a week for about 3 miles each run. My 5Ks have been about 32 or 33 minutes. On 5/31, I went crazy and did a 4 miler in 45:35. I've been playing softball, volleyball, and mowing the lawn to supplement the lack of running. But it's just not nearly the same level of exercise.
It's time to get back on the road. I've missed it. The music is calling me now. Maybe I'll listen to music for a few runs and then catch up with my podcasts.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Need to mix it up now
I haven't run since my 5K personal record on Sunday. However, I played competitive volleyball on Sunday night. Neither of those activities gave me a hint that I was injured. Evidently I am. Or something crazy is going on with my right hip flexor and IT band.
We had a significant rain storm all day today so I went to RPAC (OSU's Recreation and Physical Activities Center) to run on the track that got me through my winter training. I felt fine climbing the 4 flights of stairs to the track, but on the first step I knew I was in trouble. I tried running a lap (1/8 mile) to loosen up, but I was limping badly. So I stopped and stretched for about 10 minutes, focusing on hip flexor, IT band, and lower back. I also did lunges. My second running attempt wasn't any better. So I got on a stationary bike located inside the track.
I have friends and family who think it's crazy that I can run half marathons but completely refuse to do any activity involving a cycle. I know it's great cross training. And I know most people think cycling is much easier than running. I don't.
I pedaled 2 miles in 11:20. That's sad, I know: Many people can run that distance faster than I can cycle it. At just 5 minutes, sweat was already pouring off me. After the tortuous 2 miles, I went back to the track to try to run again. No dice. So I walked a mile. Then I did the 2 miles on the bike again. And another mile walk.
I finished up the workout in the weight room. I spent 30 minutes on arms, chest, abs, and back. No leg work, though.
After my crazy trifecta of running events (2 half marathons and a 5K in 3 weeks), I've been thinking I need to mix it up a little and add some other activities to my training. I guess this injury forced the issue today.
I should have hit the pool, but I was already in running clothes and it's been so long since I swam. Since the bilateral mastectomy, swimming is so much different than before. I used to be a pretty good swimmer and had a lot of upper-body strength. Now it's tough to do even my favorite stroke, breaststroke. Butterfly is impossible (not that I could do it well before the surgery, though). I even get tired pretty quickly with freestyle and can't keep a straight line during backstroke. I guess all those excuses should be reasons for starting to swim again instead of excuses not to do so. Maybe. Then there is the embarrassment of putting a flabby belly in a swim suit. Oh yea, I guess that's another reason that is masquerading as an excuse. Drats.
We had a significant rain storm all day today so I went to RPAC (OSU's Recreation and Physical Activities Center) to run on the track that got me through my winter training. I felt fine climbing the 4 flights of stairs to the track, but on the first step I knew I was in trouble. I tried running a lap (1/8 mile) to loosen up, but I was limping badly. So I stopped and stretched for about 10 minutes, focusing on hip flexor, IT band, and lower back. I also did lunges. My second running attempt wasn't any better. So I got on a stationary bike located inside the track.
I have friends and family who think it's crazy that I can run half marathons but completely refuse to do any activity involving a cycle. I know it's great cross training. And I know most people think cycling is much easier than running. I don't.
I pedaled 2 miles in 11:20. That's sad, I know: Many people can run that distance faster than I can cycle it. At just 5 minutes, sweat was already pouring off me. After the tortuous 2 miles, I went back to the track to try to run again. No dice. So I walked a mile. Then I did the 2 miles on the bike again. And another mile walk.
I finished up the workout in the weight room. I spent 30 minutes on arms, chest, abs, and back. No leg work, though.
After my crazy trifecta of running events (2 half marathons and a 5K in 3 weeks), I've been thinking I need to mix it up a little and add some other activities to my training. I guess this injury forced the issue today.
I should have hit the pool, but I was already in running clothes and it's been so long since I swam. Since the bilateral mastectomy, swimming is so much different than before. I used to be a pretty good swimmer and had a lot of upper-body strength. Now it's tough to do even my favorite stroke, breaststroke. Butterfly is impossible (not that I could do it well before the surgery, though). I even get tired pretty quickly with freestyle and can't keep a straight line during backstroke. I guess all those excuses should be reasons for starting to swim again instead of excuses not to do so. Maybe. Then there is the embarrassment of putting a flabby belly in a swim suit. Oh yea, I guess that's another reason that is masquerading as an excuse. Drats.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
2011 Race for the Cure 5K
After a tough training run on Thursday (5K in 32:19), I wished I didn't have a timing chip for today's race. I thought that I should just run it slowly with my daughter, Valerie (13). Val also had a timing chip, but I thought about giving it away to a friend who wanted one. Now I'm so glad we both had timing chips.
As it turned out, I would have loved to stay with Val during the race - she kicked butt. She ran the 3.1 miles in 28 minutes and 36 seconds (28:36) with an average mile pace at 9:14. She beat me by a minute and 17 seconds. Since she had not trained for the distance, I suggested she do a run-walk-run plan and gave her my new Gymboss to help her do 3 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking. She wore the Gymboss, but said she "followed what [her] body said" instead - look out Zen Runner, Val is joining your following.
Michelle (my sister-in-law) and I ran with Val for the first mile which was a brisk 9:35. We keep calling to Val to slow down and stay with us. Michelle was going to stay with Val while I took off, but we realized early in the race that our plan was flawed. She was certainly pushing us hard.
Val and Michelle slowed for a walk interval at about mile 1 and I kept running. Just a few minutes later, Val caught up to me. She and I ran a little while together and then she took off ahead. I knew she had her phone, so I just let her go. She was feeling good and having fun I just couldn't match her pace. I was running an 8:30 pace at the time and she was leaving me in the dust, so I slowed to a reasonable pace for me and let her go.
I caught a glimpse of Val several times during mile 2 because she walked occasionally and I almost caught her once. But I don't think I saw her at all during the last mile.
I had my Garmin which tracked my miles at 9:35, 9:40, and 9:09. According to official race results, my time was 29:53 with an average pace of 9:38. Val ran 28:36 with a 9:14 pace. Val was 19th in her age group for runners with time chips. I was 51st in my age group. Out of survivors, I was 17th out of 31 timed survivors. I was surprised how few were timed. There were over 50,000 people at the event today and just 31 of them were timed 5K running survivors. Crazy! Just being in that small minority was an honor.
After the run, we got freebees and caught up with another member of our team, Nate Agnoli (age 15) who ran the race in something crazy like 20 minutes. Then we walked against the current and found some others on our team (Jason, Ken, Ken's mother, my brother-in-law, and 3 young nephews) who did the 1 mile fun walk. We finished the walk with them and then spent about as much time trying to get out of the parking garage as we did on the run/walk course.
So that's my (and Val's) race report for the 2011 Komen Race for the Cure in Columbus, Ohio. It was a great day and great run. However, it was just the beginning of a great day for Val. She is hanging out with her cousins in the afternoon, has a softball scrimmage at 4pm, and a formal dance (Jr High May Dance) at 7pm. She will sleep well tonight!
As it turned out, I would have loved to stay with Val during the race - she kicked butt. She ran the 3.1 miles in 28 minutes and 36 seconds (28:36) with an average mile pace at 9:14. She beat me by a minute and 17 seconds. Since she had not trained for the distance, I suggested she do a run-walk-run plan and gave her my new Gymboss to help her do 3 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking. She wore the Gymboss, but said she "followed what [her] body said" instead - look out Zen Runner, Val is joining your following.
Michelle (my sister-in-law) and I ran with Val for the first mile which was a brisk 9:35. We keep calling to Val to slow down and stay with us. Michelle was going to stay with Val while I took off, but we realized early in the race that our plan was flawed. She was certainly pushing us hard.
Val and Michelle slowed for a walk interval at about mile 1 and I kept running. Just a few minutes later, Val caught up to me. She and I ran a little while together and then she took off ahead. I knew she had her phone, so I just let her go. She was feeling good and having fun I just couldn't match her pace. I was running an 8:30 pace at the time and she was leaving me in the dust, so I slowed to a reasonable pace for me and let her go.
I caught a glimpse of Val several times during mile 2 because she walked occasionally and I almost caught her once. But I don't think I saw her at all during the last mile.
I had my Garmin which tracked my miles at 9:35, 9:40, and 9:09. According to official race results, my time was 29:53 with an average pace of 9:38. Val ran 28:36 with a 9:14 pace. Val was 19th in her age group for runners with time chips. I was 51st in my age group. Out of survivors, I was 17th out of 31 timed survivors. I was surprised how few were timed. There were over 50,000 people at the event today and just 31 of them were timed 5K running survivors. Crazy! Just being in that small minority was an honor.
After the run, we got freebees and caught up with another member of our team, Nate Agnoli (age 15) who ran the race in something crazy like 20 minutes. Then we walked against the current and found some others on our team (Jason, Ken, Ken's mother, my brother-in-law, and 3 young nephews) who did the 1 mile fun walk. We finished the walk with them and then spent about as much time trying to get out of the parking garage as we did on the run/walk course.
So that's my (and Val's) race report for the 2011 Komen Race for the Cure in Columbus, Ohio. It was a great day and great run. However, it was just the beginning of a great day for Val. She is hanging out with her cousins in the afternoon, has a softball scrimmage at 4pm, and a formal dance (Jr High May Dance) at 7pm. She will sleep well tonight!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Porta-potty strategy brings PR!
The second race of my trifecta was this weekend. The Capital City Half Marathon was in downtown Columbus and I was there bright and early for an 8am start. The weather was perfect!
I went out pretty fast and felt great, but was ready to hang up the towel before mile 9. Oops. The numbers don't show the total story because I really struggled the last 4 or 5 miles. My Garmin line graph illustrates the run much more effectively as it shows me alternating fast and slow paces very frequently during the last 5K. This is a bad habit for me when I lose patience. It is not an efficient use of energy.
Depite the struggle to hang on, I was able to pull off a 2:24:18 finish, a personal record (PR) for me by almost 5 minutes. My splits were 10:18, 10:19, 10:36, 10:31, 10:27, 11:17, 10:53, 10:31, 10:52, 12:26, 11:40, 11:28, and 11:02.
This was only my 2nd official half marathon race. In 2008, I was just looking to finish and was thrilled to come in under 2:30. Comparing that race to this one, I notice the following:
I trained well for this race and worked hard to hang on when I was tired. However, I know the real reason I got this PR was my porta-potty strategy.
I went out pretty fast and felt great, but was ready to hang up the towel before mile 9. Oops. The numbers don't show the total story because I really struggled the last 4 or 5 miles. My Garmin line graph illustrates the run much more effectively as it shows me alternating fast and slow paces very frequently during the last 5K. This is a bad habit for me when I lose patience. It is not an efficient use of energy.
Depite the struggle to hang on, I was able to pull off a 2:24:18 finish, a personal record (PR) for me by almost 5 minutes. My splits were 10:18, 10:19, 10:36, 10:31, 10:27, 11:17, 10:53, 10:31, 10:52, 12:26, 11:40, 11:28, and 11:02.
This was only my 2nd official half marathon race. In 2008, I was just looking to finish and was thrilled to come in under 2:30. Comparing that race to this one, I notice the following:
- I tanked much earlier in this race (mile 9 instead of 11).
- I had a quicker turn-over rate and more speed when I had the energy to turn it on. My speed training was much more effective this year.
- The extra GUs I consumed during the race didn't seem to solve the problem of losing energy. I really wanted to just stop running and walk the last 4 miles. Then, again, it could have been even worse without those 3 GUs.
- My legs were tired. I'm not sure if this was because of the sore IT bands I've been battling the past month or so. Or perhaps this is to be expected after running 13 miles just a week earlier for the Poco Loco. Then again, maybe I just don't have as much endurance as I did in 2008. For whatever reason, my legs tired early and I've been much more sore post-race than ever before.
- This year I cut out a porta-potty stop: 2 in 2008 and 1 in 2011.
I trained well for this race and worked hard to hang on when I was tired. However, I know the real reason I got this PR was my porta-potty strategy.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Poco Loco - the people
I ran the first time since the Poco Loco today. I put in 5 miles in 50:46 with splits at 10:39, 10:39, 10:33, 9:36, and 9:17. I was surprised to feel issues in my right thigh again today. I had almost no trouble with my hip flexor or IT band during the 13.7 miles of the Poco Loco, so I thought I kicked that almost-injury. I didn't run at all for 6 days prior to the run in a last ditch attempt to solve the problem. However, it flared up again during my training run today. I fell off the wagon and quit maintaining the Aleve meds, so perhaps that's contributing to the recurrance.
But enough of injuries and training updates. I promised an update about the Poco Loco.
I ran with everyone in the group at some time during the event and had a great time. Eddie and Adam posted a great pic of the group.
Steve Runner - Steve grew up just outside of Boston and lives just a few hours from there now. He was our host for the Poco Loco and did a great job organizing the event. The pre-party at Grendel's Den was a good time and I loved hanging out on Harvard Square before the event. I even stopped to see the headquarters of Car Talk, a fun radio show on NPR. The post party was at Sunset Grill and Tap which had a huge beer list and great food. I already knew a lot about Steve from listening to his podcasts, Phedippidations and Intervals for several years. I found him to be much like I experience him when he's in my head on a long run. He has a way of inspiring others while being humble and even self-deprecating at times. It works for him, though. I especially love the way Steve encourages runners of all abilities. He marvels at the fast and ultra runners and is equally impressed with new runners who are struggling with just a mile or two.
Zen Runner - Adam Tinkoff is the founder of the Mojo Loco (of which the Poco Loco was one event) and is such a great guy. He and Eddie Marathon host the Slow Runner's Club, on which I was a guest in January. Adam believes strongly in the run-walk-run method and has done 2 marathons and is scheduled for 3 more. He really walks the talk about taking it easy and enjoying the running experience. He's also the nicest guy you'll ever meet. Adam was giving hugs and encouragement all the time. I learned that Adam is an art director for a major consulting company and I know one of his colleagues from the HR Technology Conference I attend each year.
Eddie Marathon - Eddie made my day several times during the Poco Loco. He was really supportive and genuine and it just felt great to be around him. I was also very inspired by his story and zest for life. Eddie is also a cancer survivor. He beat it, too and now is amazingly fit and healthy and runs events and races, including marathons, all the time. He and Adam (Zen Runner) are running the Chicago Marathon to raise awareness and support for the Diabetes Action Team. Eddie's mother recently passed away because of complications with Diabetes. Contribute to their run and this great cause!
Jim Snyder - Jim is the runswim2 follower on this blog. He frequently comments on my posts and is always either encouraging or funny or both. Jim gets credit for encouraging me to begin running. I had spent 4 years working out with a trainer and knew I needed to add cardio to continue making progress. I had never seriously considered running until I met Jim at a conference and he talked about the marathons and triathlons he was doing. Actually, he was running the Columbus Marathon just a few days after the conference. It wasn't long after that meeting that I decided to train for the Race for the Cure 5K. Since then, Jim has been a great mentor to me for things related to HR technology, leadership, and running. He is also a great friend. During the Poco Loco, he seemed to appear out of nowhere just when I was fading and needing some encouragement.
Nicole Wong - Nik (Painter Nik) is a strong runner and all around fit person. She was also very fun to hang out with. She, Tim C, Jim, and I ran the last couple miles together and I really enjoyed that leg of the event. Nik was laughing and joining in with Tim as they teased me for kicking into a different gear at the end of the run. I was running about a 9:30 pace for the last mile or so. I could see the end and wanted to take off. I sat by Nik at the post-party and we both had martinis. Hers was melon and mine was sour apple. They were great. I hope to get a chance to hang out with Nik again. You can learn more about Nik and Dan at http://4feetrunning.blogspot.com/.
Mister Fonzie - Dan is Nik's husband and he was the only other runner besides me who has never run a marathon. He's done 5 half marathons and has been working on increasing his speed for shorter distances. I got turned on to Nik and Dan's podcast, 4 Feet Running, just as they put it on hiatus. I listened to many archived episodes, though and enjoyed them very much. I'm very much looking forward to their post-Poco Loco podcast. Dan and Nik rode with Jim and I to the post-party and we had a great time encouraging Jim to be a rebel and do a U-turn to park right in front of the place. It was the best parking place we had the whole trip - and he put the car just two inches from the curb too. Dan was so funny when he just had to get a picture of that expert parking job.
Tim Cleary - Tim was so great to run with! He's a much faster runner, but he made a point of running with me several times along the course. He even asked me about HR technology so we were able to talk a bit of shop during the run. I was impressed that he really did his homework on his teammates. Tim was really fun toward the end of the race when he was convinced I had underreported my pace as I kicked it up a notch. He was tracking the pace with his Garmin and was surprised as we picked it up at the end. I also loved Tim's Poco Loco head band that he wore to the pre-party. It was a pleasure to run with Tim. You can find him at http://www.abueloruns.com/
Tim Doiron - Tim has a great spirit for life and a very impressive story. He has successfully kicked type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise. He's lost 50 pounds and now runs marathons as well as many other races. He extended the offer through Slow Runner's Club to coach others through the process of kicking type2 diabetes, too. Tim's wife, Deborah, made celebratory cup cakes for us (they were GREAT!) and Tim got Poco Loco t-shirts made for the team too. Find Tim at http://www.rundervrun.blogspot.com/.
Deb Kumar - Deb amazed me with her 12 year career of running marathons, half marathons, and even competing in triathlons. She is a mother of two daughters and talked to me about wanting to be an example for her daughters as she continues to be active and healthy. I'm very impressed with her dedication to training while being a mom and holding a full time job as a high school science teacher. I know it's not easy to balance all of that! Also, her husband, Jay, is a runner too and so they have to juggle their schedules to ensure they both get their training done.
Jay Kumar - Jay is another one of "those guys" - those faster runners. He was inspired to run when he met Deb and she was training for Boston. He caught the bug too and has run 14 marathons and many relays. After the Poco Loco run, Jay and Deb came up to my suite as several of us took turns in the shower. While we were waiting, they turned on a hockey game and I learned that Jay also plays hockey and soccer. They are both big hockey fans. Jay ay hosts the non-running themed podcast Completely Conspicuous and writes a column about running in the Salem News.
Chris Russell - Chris is another Massachusetts local. He is the host of a very popular running podcast, Run Run Live and the author of The Mid-Packer’s Lament and The Mid-Packer’s Guide to the Galaxy, short stories on running, racing, and the human comedy of the mid-pack. Chris was one of the fast runners in the group but took the time to run with some of us slower team members, too. He is very out-going and had me smiling at his Hawaiian shirt prior to the race. Chris is very active on twitter. You can find him all over the web at cyktrussell.
Kevin Zelechoski - Kevin is tall. Really tall. He is also a long distance runner. Really long distance. Kevin does ultra-distance running; 50K and 50 mile races. In 2010, he did a 100 mile race! Yes, 100 miles on foot! Kevin was in the faster running group and really looks the part: His gear is a cut above what I have ever seen in a race. The faster group included several different people at different times, Neil, Chris, Kevin, Jay, and others. When they got too far ahead, they stopped and waited for the other groups. Then we all took off again and the groups changed a bit as some of the faster runners joined other groups. I was impressed that the fast guys were intentional about hanging with the rest of us even though they could have finished the course in a quarter of the time.
Alett Mekler - Alett was injured and so she rode her bike for part of the course with us. She was at the pre-party too. She was very fun to talk with and her energy was contagious. Alett was supposed to be running a marathon elsewhere during the Poco Loco, but she joined the group when she was slowed by her calf injury.
Neil Bearse - Neil did the unthinkable. He interested Steve in an Apple product. No kidding. He showed Steve around his iPad and Steve got hooked - even after countless skits on Pheddipedations about how inferior the apple products are, Steve finally gave in. Neil is very heavy into social media and knows much about web based marketing. He is also the host of a new podcast, the Ghost of Radio, which features independent musicians. Find out more about Neil at http://neilbearse.com/
John Ellis - John wasn't able to run with us, but he took the time to meet us outside the Museum of Science along the route. He talked with us there and some of the techies, Steve and Eddie, I think, got audio of the event. We were all standing around John as his disciples. John also attended the post-run party. John advises many runners as they train for marathons, including Steve, and he lives along the Boston marathon course.
So you see, the Poco Loco event was heavily stocked with interesting and fun people. I had a wonderful time and encourage others to host Mojo Loco events. Invite these and other fun and inspirational runners to run and play with you!
But enough of injuries and training updates. I promised an update about the Poco Loco.
I ran with everyone in the group at some time during the event and had a great time. Eddie and Adam posted a great pic of the group.
Steve Runner - Steve grew up just outside of Boston and lives just a few hours from there now. He was our host for the Poco Loco and did a great job organizing the event. The pre-party at Grendel's Den was a good time and I loved hanging out on Harvard Square before the event. I even stopped to see the headquarters of Car Talk, a fun radio show on NPR. The post party was at Sunset Grill and Tap which had a huge beer list and great food. I already knew a lot about Steve from listening to his podcasts, Phedippidations and Intervals for several years. I found him to be much like I experience him when he's in my head on a long run. He has a way of inspiring others while being humble and even self-deprecating at times. It works for him, though. I especially love the way Steve encourages runners of all abilities. He marvels at the fast and ultra runners and is equally impressed with new runners who are struggling with just a mile or two.
Zen Runner - Adam Tinkoff is the founder of the Mojo Loco (of which the Poco Loco was one event) and is such a great guy. He and Eddie Marathon host the Slow Runner's Club, on which I was a guest in January. Adam believes strongly in the run-walk-run method and has done 2 marathons and is scheduled for 3 more. He really walks the talk about taking it easy and enjoying the running experience. He's also the nicest guy you'll ever meet. Adam was giving hugs and encouragement all the time. I learned that Adam is an art director for a major consulting company and I know one of his colleagues from the HR Technology Conference I attend each year.
Eddie Marathon - Eddie made my day several times during the Poco Loco. He was really supportive and genuine and it just felt great to be around him. I was also very inspired by his story and zest for life. Eddie is also a cancer survivor. He beat it, too and now is amazingly fit and healthy and runs events and races, including marathons, all the time. He and Adam (Zen Runner) are running the Chicago Marathon to raise awareness and support for the Diabetes Action Team. Eddie's mother recently passed away because of complications with Diabetes. Contribute to their run and this great cause!
Jim Snyder - Jim is the runswim2 follower on this blog. He frequently comments on my posts and is always either encouraging or funny or both. Jim gets credit for encouraging me to begin running. I had spent 4 years working out with a trainer and knew I needed to add cardio to continue making progress. I had never seriously considered running until I met Jim at a conference and he talked about the marathons and triathlons he was doing. Actually, he was running the Columbus Marathon just a few days after the conference. It wasn't long after that meeting that I decided to train for the Race for the Cure 5K. Since then, Jim has been a great mentor to me for things related to HR technology, leadership, and running. He is also a great friend. During the Poco Loco, he seemed to appear out of nowhere just when I was fading and needing some encouragement.
Nicole Wong - Nik (Painter Nik) is a strong runner and all around fit person. She was also very fun to hang out with. She, Tim C, Jim, and I ran the last couple miles together and I really enjoyed that leg of the event. Nik was laughing and joining in with Tim as they teased me for kicking into a different gear at the end of the run. I was running about a 9:30 pace for the last mile or so. I could see the end and wanted to take off. I sat by Nik at the post-party and we both had martinis. Hers was melon and mine was sour apple. They were great. I hope to get a chance to hang out with Nik again. You can learn more about Nik and Dan at http://4feetrunning.blogspot.com/.
Mister Fonzie - Dan is Nik's husband and he was the only other runner besides me who has never run a marathon. He's done 5 half marathons and has been working on increasing his speed for shorter distances. I got turned on to Nik and Dan's podcast, 4 Feet Running, just as they put it on hiatus. I listened to many archived episodes, though and enjoyed them very much. I'm very much looking forward to their post-Poco Loco podcast. Dan and Nik rode with Jim and I to the post-party and we had a great time encouraging Jim to be a rebel and do a U-turn to park right in front of the place. It was the best parking place we had the whole trip - and he put the car just two inches from the curb too. Dan was so funny when he just had to get a picture of that expert parking job.
Tim Cleary - Tim was so great to run with! He's a much faster runner, but he made a point of running with me several times along the course. He even asked me about HR technology so we were able to talk a bit of shop during the run. I was impressed that he really did his homework on his teammates. Tim was really fun toward the end of the race when he was convinced I had underreported my pace as I kicked it up a notch. He was tracking the pace with his Garmin and was surprised as we picked it up at the end. I also loved Tim's Poco Loco head band that he wore to the pre-party. It was a pleasure to run with Tim. You can find him at http://www.abueloruns.com/
Tim Doiron - Tim has a great spirit for life and a very impressive story. He has successfully kicked type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise. He's lost 50 pounds and now runs marathons as well as many other races. He extended the offer through Slow Runner's Club to coach others through the process of kicking type2 diabetes, too. Tim's wife, Deborah, made celebratory cup cakes for us (they were GREAT!) and Tim got Poco Loco t-shirts made for the team too. Find Tim at http://www.rundervrun.blogspot.com/.
Deb Kumar - Deb amazed me with her 12 year career of running marathons, half marathons, and even competing in triathlons. She is a mother of two daughters and talked to me about wanting to be an example for her daughters as she continues to be active and healthy. I'm very impressed with her dedication to training while being a mom and holding a full time job as a high school science teacher. I know it's not easy to balance all of that! Also, her husband, Jay, is a runner too and so they have to juggle their schedules to ensure they both get their training done.
Jay Kumar - Jay is another one of "those guys" - those faster runners. He was inspired to run when he met Deb and she was training for Boston. He caught the bug too and has run 14 marathons and many relays. After the Poco Loco run, Jay and Deb came up to my suite as several of us took turns in the shower. While we were waiting, they turned on a hockey game and I learned that Jay also plays hockey and soccer. They are both big hockey fans. Jay ay hosts the non-running themed podcast Completely Conspicuous and writes a column about running in the Salem News.
Chris Russell - Chris is another Massachusetts local. He is the host of a very popular running podcast, Run Run Live and the author of The Mid-Packer’s Lament and The Mid-Packer’s Guide to the Galaxy, short stories on running, racing, and the human comedy of the mid-pack. Chris was one of the fast runners in the group but took the time to run with some of us slower team members, too. He is very out-going and had me smiling at his Hawaiian shirt prior to the race. Chris is very active on twitter. You can find him all over the web at cyktrussell.
Kevin Zelechoski - Kevin is tall. Really tall. He is also a long distance runner. Really long distance. Kevin does ultra-distance running; 50K and 50 mile races. In 2010, he did a 100 mile race! Yes, 100 miles on foot! Kevin was in the faster running group and really looks the part: His gear is a cut above what I have ever seen in a race. The faster group included several different people at different times, Neil, Chris, Kevin, Jay, and others. When they got too far ahead, they stopped and waited for the other groups. Then we all took off again and the groups changed a bit as some of the faster runners joined other groups. I was impressed that the fast guys were intentional about hanging with the rest of us even though they could have finished the course in a quarter of the time.
Alett Mekler - Alett was injured and so she rode her bike for part of the course with us. She was at the pre-party too. She was very fun to talk with and her energy was contagious. Alett was supposed to be running a marathon elsewhere during the Poco Loco, but she joined the group when she was slowed by her calf injury.
Neil Bearse - Neil did the unthinkable. He interested Steve in an Apple product. No kidding. He showed Steve around his iPad and Steve got hooked - even after countless skits on Pheddipedations about how inferior the apple products are, Steve finally gave in. Neil is very heavy into social media and knows much about web based marketing. He is also the host of a new podcast, the Ghost of Radio, which features independent musicians. Find out more about Neil at http://neilbearse.com/
John Ellis - John wasn't able to run with us, but he took the time to meet us outside the Museum of Science along the route. He talked with us there and some of the techies, Steve and Eddie, I think, got audio of the event. We were all standing around John as his disciples. John also attended the post-run party. John advises many runners as they train for marathons, including Steve, and he lives along the Boston marathon course.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Poco Loco Boston
What an incredible weekend in Boston at the Poco Loco! A group of 16 runners got together to run a half marathon course around the Charles river and I was fortunate enough to be one of them.
I don't have time to write now since I just walked in the door, but I wanted to get a quick note posted tonight. I'll write more later.
The reason for the Poco Loco event was to get together with runners who know each other via social media (blogs, podcasts, twitter, facebook, etc.). We had a meet-up on Friday night at a bar on Harvard Square, ran the course on Saturday morning/afternoon, and then went out for a dinner and post-run party on Saturday night.
As for the run itself, I did very well. The course ended up being a bit long, something like 13.7 miles and we stopped a lot, including a very long stop after about 7 miles where I went to my hotel room, washed the salt off my face, ate an energy bar, and refilled my waterbottle. It was a very slow pace most of the run, but the last mile or so, I did in under 10 minutes, maybe under 9:30. I didn't have my Garmin on (it was low on batteries), so I just asked others about pace and such. A day later and I'm a little sore going down stairs, but other than that, I'm just fine. Yea!
It was incredible to meet everyone and so many people inspired and impressed me. I want to write about them so look for a post very soon.
I don't have time to write now since I just walked in the door, but I wanted to get a quick note posted tonight. I'll write more later.
The reason for the Poco Loco event was to get together with runners who know each other via social media (blogs, podcasts, twitter, facebook, etc.). We had a meet-up on Friday night at a bar on Harvard Square, ran the course on Saturday morning/afternoon, and then went out for a dinner and post-run party on Saturday night.
As for the run itself, I did very well. The course ended up being a bit long, something like 13.7 miles and we stopped a lot, including a very long stop after about 7 miles where I went to my hotel room, washed the salt off my face, ate an energy bar, and refilled my waterbottle. It was a very slow pace most of the run, but the last mile or so, I did in under 10 minutes, maybe under 9:30. I didn't have my Garmin on (it was low on batteries), so I just asked others about pace and such. A day later and I'm a little sore going down stairs, but other than that, I'm just fine. Yea!
It was incredible to meet everyone and so many people inspired and impressed me. I want to write about them so look for a post very soon.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Tight 7 miler
One week until the Poco Loco half marathon in Boston!
I'm going to require some serious tapering this week or perhaps I will completely lay off running and try to repair. My IT bands and hip flexors are incredibly tight and sore. They are decreasing my mobility significantly. At times during my run today, I was almost limping while doing a slow jog. Not good. I'm not really in pain, though, just uncomfortable and annoyed. It's definitely a muscle thing, so I should heal fairly quickly, right?
Well, I got my run in today, but I did it slowly and with long, frequent walk breaks. I put in 7 miles in 1:22 with splits at 11:02, 11:15, 11:27, 11:52, 11:28, 13:02, and 12:03.
I'm going to require some serious tapering this week or perhaps I will completely lay off running and try to repair. My IT bands and hip flexors are incredibly tight and sore. They are decreasing my mobility significantly. At times during my run today, I was almost limping while doing a slow jog. Not good. I'm not really in pain, though, just uncomfortable and annoyed. It's definitely a muscle thing, so I should heal fairly quickly, right?
Well, I got my run in today, but I did it slowly and with long, frequent walk breaks. I put in 7 miles in 1:22 with splits at 11:02, 11:15, 11:27, 11:52, 11:28, 13:02, and 12:03.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Bruised IT band
Yesterday (Thursday), I had 45 minutes to get in a run that should take 60 minutes - or longer if I could take the time to stretch before and after.
I ran 5 miles in 51:25. My training plan called for mile 2 and 4 to be fast. I complied as best I could. My splits were 11:11, 8:49, 11:28, 9:05, and 10:45. During the run, my right hip flexor was giving me grief off and on (especially during and right after walk breaks during the slow miles). Afterward, my hip flexor and IT bands were tight, but not as bad as on Tuesday.
While I watched Val's softball game, I pressed on my right IT band (along the outside of my thigh) and tried to work out the balled up places along my thigh. Now I have 10 bruises that run up and down my leg. Nice. I must bruise pretty easily because I've done that to myself before, but never creating as many as 10 bruises. Usually I have just one or two places where I pressed too hard with my fingers and broke some blood vessels while trying to loosen a muscle.
My hand is swelling a bit more than usual right now. I wear my custom Lymphedema glove when I run, but I also wear it occasionally when my hand swelling seems to be more pronounced than usual. This week, I've worn it for a couple of hours just around the house and on the way to work. I think I'll put it on this morning after I publish this post.
The kids are off school today and I'm trying to get some work done from home. Actually, I got quite a bit done already and am taking a break to record yesterday's run information. I was planning to run today, too, but I'm waiting to see if my right hip flexor and IT band loosen up a bit. Right now, they are limiting my walking motion, so it's not looking good. I'm pretty beat up. I took some ibuprofen and will do some stretching after I get a little more work done.
I ran 5 miles in 51:25. My training plan called for mile 2 and 4 to be fast. I complied as best I could. My splits were 11:11, 8:49, 11:28, 9:05, and 10:45. During the run, my right hip flexor was giving me grief off and on (especially during and right after walk breaks during the slow miles). Afterward, my hip flexor and IT bands were tight, but not as bad as on Tuesday.
While I watched Val's softball game, I pressed on my right IT band (along the outside of my thigh) and tried to work out the balled up places along my thigh. Now I have 10 bruises that run up and down my leg. Nice. I must bruise pretty easily because I've done that to myself before, but never creating as many as 10 bruises. Usually I have just one or two places where I pressed too hard with my fingers and broke some blood vessels while trying to loosen a muscle.
My hand is swelling a bit more than usual right now. I wear my custom Lymphedema glove when I run, but I also wear it occasionally when my hand swelling seems to be more pronounced than usual. This week, I've worn it for a couple of hours just around the house and on the way to work. I think I'll put it on this morning after I publish this post.
The kids are off school today and I'm trying to get some work done from home. Actually, I got quite a bit done already and am taking a break to record yesterday's run information. I was planning to run today, too, but I'm waiting to see if my right hip flexor and IT band loosen up a bit. Right now, they are limiting my walking motion, so it's not looking good. I'm pretty beat up. I took some ibuprofen and will do some stretching after I get a little more work done.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Got away with it!
My legs have never been this tight for so long in to a run!
I went out to run 5 miles and for 3.5 or 4 miles, my legs were so tight I couldn't run faster than an 11 minute mile pace (with no walk breaks). My legs just wouldn't open up to my normal stride. I was taking small steps to avoid injury.
To cope with the issue, I slowed down and concentrated on breathing and relaxing to try to loosen my IT bands, hip flexors, and upper glute/lower back, especially on the right side. I even stopped a couple of times to try stretching, lunges, high leg and kick butt drills, and to massage my cramping IT band, but nothing helped until it finally loosened on its own a little before mile 4. On a more positive note, slowing down and concentrating on breathing and such made the run not seem so far or so difficult from an endurance point of view. My "wind" held out just fine and I didn't feel like I was pushing my aerobic endurance.
It was rainy most of the day and the forecast promises more of the same all week. I was able to flex my work schedule to find time between storm cells today, thank goodness. I ran 5 miles in 53:17 with splits at 11:06, 10:57, 10:58, 10:27, and 9:43.
Working through the adversity was tough, but I felt like a fairly hearty runner out there in the rain and in "almost pain" but getting in the run anyway. And I did it without causing actual injury. I know . . . that's probably all luck, right there. Continuing to run after a mile or so when I knew I wasn't loosening up was probably not the best runner decision, especially just 11 days before the Poco Loco half marathon. I've put in far too many miles to have a silly decision like that derail my 3 events in 3 weeks running bonanza. Glad I got away with it today.
My 3-in-3 bonanza includes a half marathon on April 30 (Poco Loco in Boston), a half marathon on May 7 (Columbus Capital City Half), and the Komen Race for the Cure 5K on May 14. It's probably crazy to do two half marathons in a row. I wish I could flip-flop the May 7 and May 14 races so the 5K is between the half marathons. Oh well, I'm going to give it a try anyway. Hope my luck continues to hold out. Knock on wood.
I went out to run 5 miles and for 3.5 or 4 miles, my legs were so tight I couldn't run faster than an 11 minute mile pace (with no walk breaks). My legs just wouldn't open up to my normal stride. I was taking small steps to avoid injury.
To cope with the issue, I slowed down and concentrated on breathing and relaxing to try to loosen my IT bands, hip flexors, and upper glute/lower back, especially on the right side. I even stopped a couple of times to try stretching, lunges, high leg and kick butt drills, and to massage my cramping IT band, but nothing helped until it finally loosened on its own a little before mile 4. On a more positive note, slowing down and concentrating on breathing and such made the run not seem so far or so difficult from an endurance point of view. My "wind" held out just fine and I didn't feel like I was pushing my aerobic endurance.
It was rainy most of the day and the forecast promises more of the same all week. I was able to flex my work schedule to find time between storm cells today, thank goodness. I ran 5 miles in 53:17 with splits at 11:06, 10:57, 10:58, 10:27, and 9:43.
Working through the adversity was tough, but I felt like a fairly hearty runner out there in the rain and in "almost pain" but getting in the run anyway. And I did it without causing actual injury. I know . . . that's probably all luck, right there. Continuing to run after a mile or so when I knew I wasn't loosening up was probably not the best runner decision, especially just 11 days before the Poco Loco half marathon. I've put in far too many miles to have a silly decision like that derail my 3 events in 3 weeks running bonanza. Glad I got away with it today.
My 3-in-3 bonanza includes a half marathon on April 30 (Poco Loco in Boston), a half marathon on May 7 (Columbus Capital City Half), and the Komen Race for the Cure 5K on May 14. It's probably crazy to do two half marathons in a row. I wish I could flip-flop the May 7 and May 14 races so the 5K is between the half marathons. Oh well, I'm going to give it a try anyway. Hope my luck continues to hold out. Knock on wood.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
13.1 today
Today I ran my last long run before the Poco Loco (April 30). I went out hoping I could do 13.1, but knowing that I was stiff and had been nursing an "iffy" knee and very tight lower back. I stretched quite a bit before going out and then ran 6 miles before taking a break to stretch more.
My Garmin says I ran 13.1 miles in 2:28:30, but it is mistaken. I paused the clock and GPS for 15 minutes after mile 6 during which time I used the facilities, got more water, and stretched. Still, adding 15 minutes to the Garmin time is not a terrible time for a half marathon for me. My only official half marathon was in 2008 and I ran it in 2:29:10, which included 2 on-the-clock portapotty stops. So I'm a little slower now, it seems. That's not surprising. I probably weigh 10 more pounds. And I haven't been as consistent in my training as I was for that first race. Oh, and I'm walking some of each mile now.
My miles were 11:09, 10:59, 11:10, 11:04, 10:47, 11:45, 11:38, 11:32, 11:54, 11:25, 11:18, 11:09, and 11:33. I think my running pace was fairly consistent at an 11 minute mile and my time variances are due to the amount of time I walked during the mile.
Next week, I'm only scheduled to run 3 miles on Tuesday, 5 on Wednesday, 6 on Saturday (may move this to Friday). I think I should alter the schedule a bit since that is a pretty light. Maybe I'll add a Friday run. Counting my run today, I got 25 miles in this week. What should I run next week? Only 13 miles seems light. Would 18 be a respectable number of miles?
My Garmin says I ran 13.1 miles in 2:28:30, but it is mistaken. I paused the clock and GPS for 15 minutes after mile 6 during which time I used the facilities, got more water, and stretched. Still, adding 15 minutes to the Garmin time is not a terrible time for a half marathon for me. My only official half marathon was in 2008 and I ran it in 2:29:10, which included 2 on-the-clock portapotty stops. So I'm a little slower now, it seems. That's not surprising. I probably weigh 10 more pounds. And I haven't been as consistent in my training as I was for that first race. Oh, and I'm walking some of each mile now.
My miles were 11:09, 10:59, 11:10, 11:04, 10:47, 11:45, 11:38, 11:32, 11:54, 11:25, 11:18, 11:09, and 11:33. I think my running pace was fairly consistent at an 11 minute mile and my time variances are due to the amount of time I walked during the mile.
Next week, I'm only scheduled to run 3 miles on Tuesday, 5 on Wednesday, 6 on Saturday (may move this to Friday). I think I should alter the schedule a bit since that is a pretty light. Maybe I'll add a Friday run. Counting my run today, I got 25 miles in this week. What should I run next week? Only 13 miles seems light. Would 18 be a respectable number of miles?
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Quick run
I put in a quick run today before mowing the lawn and heading to Val's game. I ran a 5K in 31:20 and went on to finish 4 miles in 40:50. My splits were 10:24, 10:13, 9:47, and 10:25. It was sunny and 71, but felt much hotter. I was certainly sweating more than during my 8 mile run yesterday. I walked twice for a short time during the 5K and twice during the last mile.
See my previous post for an update on Val's softball games yesterday and today.
See my previous post for an update on Val's softball games yesterday and today.
Dad of the Year
The umpire didn't show up for Val's softball game in Hilliard yesterday so Ken was volunteered (by me, mostly) to fill in so they could play. My only requirement was that he wear a mask behind the plate - he got a baseball in the face just this weekend while playing ump during Jason's practice.
I was very impressed with Ken - as was the other volunteer umpire who actually was certified for high school softball games. Ken called a great game and was very professional about it. He had to make several calls against our team, including two at the end of the game which resulted in our loss. On one of them, he even over-ruled the other umpire who had called the girl out at 3rd. Ken had a better view from the front and saw that she was tagged too high (in the shoulder) and, after conferring, the Hilliard player got the base. He also called that girl safe at home when the throw came in to Val too high to get the tag on in time.
Ken was almost sick about the game and about offering to help. On the ride home, he kept imagining Val getting treated terribly by her teammates on the bus. He expected her to be very angry with him when she got home. However, that's not how it happened at all. Val came home and was fine; did her homework, ate food, got ready for bed, and she treated her father and everyone else fine (and that's saying a lot for a teenager on any day of the week). When Val was headed to bed, I told her I was proud how she handled her father umpiring and making calls against her team. She responded by giving Ken a compliment. She said he did a good job at the game and he called the pitches better than some of their real umpires. She was proud of him, too. How cool is that?!?!
I told Ken that he taught his kids many things on that day. He set a good example for volunteering. He ran a competent game with good sportsmanship and a positive attitude. And he was fair. He did not make calls that favored his own team, but called them as he saw them. Val said that the other girls thought he was a very fair as an umpire. Although it was not easy, Ken was a great example for his kids today. In return, I give him the Father of the Year award! Great job, Ken!
Val had another game tonight. She is catcher and took a foul tip in the shoulder (above the chest pad) in the second inning. She played through the rest of the inning and even batted and made a run. No one knew she was hurt. However, her arm seized up and she couldn't throw when heading out for the third inning. So she sat the bench with ice on her shoulder and was sad and angry that she was letting her team down. Her team did great, though and they won with a 10 run rule in the top of the 7th. We went out to Dairy Queen with some of her teammates afterward and she was invited to a birthday party for tomorrow night. Yea! All is good with the world now.
I was very impressed with Ken - as was the other volunteer umpire who actually was certified for high school softball games. Ken called a great game and was very professional about it. He had to make several calls against our team, including two at the end of the game which resulted in our loss. On one of them, he even over-ruled the other umpire who had called the girl out at 3rd. Ken had a better view from the front and saw that she was tagged too high (in the shoulder) and, after conferring, the Hilliard player got the base. He also called that girl safe at home when the throw came in to Val too high to get the tag on in time.
Ken was almost sick about the game and about offering to help. On the ride home, he kept imagining Val getting treated terribly by her teammates on the bus. He expected her to be very angry with him when she got home. However, that's not how it happened at all. Val came home and was fine; did her homework, ate food, got ready for bed, and she treated her father and everyone else fine (and that's saying a lot for a teenager on any day of the week). When Val was headed to bed, I told her I was proud how she handled her father umpiring and making calls against her team. She responded by giving Ken a compliment. She said he did a good job at the game and he called the pitches better than some of their real umpires. She was proud of him, too. How cool is that?!?!
I told Ken that he taught his kids many things on that day. He set a good example for volunteering. He ran a competent game with good sportsmanship and a positive attitude. And he was fair. He did not make calls that favored his own team, but called them as he saw them. Val said that the other girls thought he was a very fair as an umpire. Although it was not easy, Ken was a great example for his kids today. In return, I give him the Father of the Year award! Great job, Ken!
Val had another game tonight. She is catcher and took a foul tip in the shoulder (above the chest pad) in the second inning. She played through the rest of the inning and even batted and made a run. No one knew she was hurt. However, her arm seized up and she couldn't throw when heading out for the third inning. So she sat the bench with ice on her shoulder and was sad and angry that she was letting her team down. Her team did great, though and they won with a 10 run rule in the top of the 7th. We went out to Dairy Queen with some of her teammates afterward and she was invited to a birthday party for tomorrow night. Yea! All is good with the world now.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Olentangy Trail
Today was beautiful! Sunny and lower 60s. Val had a softball game on the west side of Columbus tonight, so I decided to run at OSU and shower at RPAC before heading to the game. I find it difficult to run on campus because it's too small. Okay, yes, I know. I hear your exclamations and shouts of disbelief. OSU is one of the largest schools in the nation. It is far from a small school. However, running more than 5 miles on campus requires venturing on some very busy streets and doing multiple loops. I wasn't feeling particularly loopy today, so I decided to do an out-and-back on the Olentangy Trail between OSU and the Park of Roses.
Overall, I was satisfied to complete 8 miles in 1:26:25. I felt pretty good throughout, although it was a little warm during a stretch of the trail with no shade. I suppose I should mention that I was off the clock about 5 minutes or so when I stopped at a portapotty (mile 4) and stretched a little before continuing the workout, so my actual time for the 8 miles was probably 1:30 or 1:35. I hope we can find enough facility stops at the Poco Loco in Boston. I seem to have the bladder of a fly.
I was scheduled to do a 7 mile run with 5 of it at tempo, but I couldn't hang on to the tempo today, so I settled for 8 miles with 3 of them at tempo and another quicker mile thrown in for good measure. My splits were 11:21, 9:39, 10:18, 9:41, 11:05, 10:14, 11:31, and 12:28.
I tried some new podcasts because I'm caught up with Steverunner, Geekgirlrunner, the Slow Runner's Club, and Run Run Live. I wish I would have downloaded some Extra Mile podcasts instead: I enjoy Kevin and hearing everyone call in with race reports.
Although I wasn't thrilled with the three podcasts I previewed on my run today, I did learn something new. One runner complained that his legs get tight and won't relax during a marathon. He has learned to address the problem by walking a little at water stations and then running much faster for a hundred yards or so to catch back up with the pace group. He believes the longer stride and stronger push-off stretches his legs and helps them perform better as he relaxes back to marathon pace. Hmmm, that's a very good idea. I'm going to try it. I struggle with chronically tight calf and IT band muscles. Sometimes they invite the lower back, hips, and hamstrings to participate in the fun too.
Overall, I was satisfied to complete 8 miles in 1:26:25. I felt pretty good throughout, although it was a little warm during a stretch of the trail with no shade. I suppose I should mention that I was off the clock about 5 minutes or so when I stopped at a portapotty (mile 4) and stretched a little before continuing the workout, so my actual time for the 8 miles was probably 1:30 or 1:35. I hope we can find enough facility stops at the Poco Loco in Boston. I seem to have the bladder of a fly.
I was scheduled to do a 7 mile run with 5 of it at tempo, but I couldn't hang on to the tempo today, so I settled for 8 miles with 3 of them at tempo and another quicker mile thrown in for good measure. My splits were 11:21, 9:39, 10:18, 9:41, 11:05, 10:14, 11:31, and 12:28.
I tried some new podcasts because I'm caught up with Steverunner, Geekgirlrunner, the Slow Runner's Club, and Run Run Live. I wish I would have downloaded some Extra Mile podcasts instead: I enjoy Kevin and hearing everyone call in with race reports.
Although I wasn't thrilled with the three podcasts I previewed on my run today, I did learn something new. One runner complained that his legs get tight and won't relax during a marathon. He has learned to address the problem by walking a little at water stations and then running much faster for a hundred yards or so to catch back up with the pace group. He believes the longer stride and stronger push-off stretches his legs and helps them perform better as he relaxes back to marathon pace. Hmmm, that's a very good idea. I'm going to try it. I struggle with chronically tight calf and IT band muscles. Sometimes they invite the lower back, hips, and hamstrings to participate in the fun too.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Fat lip
On Friday, I put in a very quick 5K (30:00) with splits at 9:44, 9:48, and 9:34. It was supposed to be an easy 3, but I was squeezing in a run before heading to Val's softball game and I didn't have much time. Actually, I think I should count the run into the house, rushing through a shower, jumping into clothes, and racing to the car as part of the workout, too. I doubt my heart rate dropped during the whole process. I got to Val's game in New Albany ith 1 minute to spare.
Today I was scheduled for a 13 mile run, but I didn't get out in the morning as planned. Instead I ran in the heat of the day and it was 83 degrees F! My run was only 10 mile and was more of a walk than a run, really. I walked a lot more than usual, that's for sure. The 10 miles took me 2:05:52 and my splits tell the story: 10:29, 11:16, 12:19, 12:11, 13:16, 12:29, 11:51, 14:17, 14:37, and 12:59. I started out with good intentions to put in the time as I have for most of my runs, but I allowed myself more and more walk breaks as I went along. I stopped at a friend's house at about mile 4, replentished my water, and chatted for about 10 minutes off the clock. I also stopped at the library to get more water and use the facilities. I decided I wasn't in a hurry and was just wanting to do enough miles to qualify the run for a long run status. I hope 10 miles qualifies. It's not the 13 I'll have to do on the April 30 and May 7, but it was a warm couple of hours.
When I got home, I was sore and stretched a little and then got in the shower. Ken came in and talked to me and asked how my run was, if he could get me anything, etc. and it wasn't until I got out of the shower that I saw that he was the one who needed helping. He was running Jason's baseball practice and got hit in the nose/top lip with a foul tip. His lip is huge and looks very sore. His nose isn't broken and doesn't look too bad, but he says it's a bit torn up on the inside. His teeth made it though the ordeal unbroken, thank goodness.
Tomorrow, Val has to dress up at school and we found that she didn't really have any Spring dress clothes that fit, so we made a trip to Kohl's before church tonight. Val will be wearing a skirt (that's a shocker!). Many of her softball friends reported that they were planning to wear skirts, so I guess that opened the door for the possibility for Val. She's usually a t-shirt and jeans or sweats kind of girl. When dressing up, the jeans are tan or black and the t-shirt may be a bit more fitted and without words or pictures. So an outfit with a skirt, sleeveless shirt, and sweater jacket will be quite a stretch for her. Yea, Val!
Today I was scheduled for a 13 mile run, but I didn't get out in the morning as planned. Instead I ran in the heat of the day and it was 83 degrees F! My run was only 10 mile and was more of a walk than a run, really. I walked a lot more than usual, that's for sure. The 10 miles took me 2:05:52 and my splits tell the story: 10:29, 11:16, 12:19, 12:11, 13:16, 12:29, 11:51, 14:17, 14:37, and 12:59. I started out with good intentions to put in the time as I have for most of my runs, but I allowed myself more and more walk breaks as I went along. I stopped at a friend's house at about mile 4, replentished my water, and chatted for about 10 minutes off the clock. I also stopped at the library to get more water and use the facilities. I decided I wasn't in a hurry and was just wanting to do enough miles to qualify the run for a long run status. I hope 10 miles qualifies. It's not the 13 I'll have to do on the April 30 and May 7, but it was a warm couple of hours.
When I got home, I was sore and stretched a little and then got in the shower. Ken came in and talked to me and asked how my run was, if he could get me anything, etc. and it wasn't until I got out of the shower that I saw that he was the one who needed helping. He was running Jason's baseball practice and got hit in the nose/top lip with a foul tip. His lip is huge and looks very sore. His nose isn't broken and doesn't look too bad, but he says it's a bit torn up on the inside. His teeth made it though the ordeal unbroken, thank goodness.
Tomorrow, Val has to dress up at school and we found that she didn't really have any Spring dress clothes that fit, so we made a trip to Kohl's before church tonight. Val will be wearing a skirt (that's a shocker!). Many of her softball friends reported that they were planning to wear skirts, so I guess that opened the door for the possibility for Val. She's usually a t-shirt and jeans or sweats kind of girl. When dressing up, the jeans are tan or black and the t-shirt may be a bit more fitted and without words or pictures. So an outfit with a skirt, sleeveless shirt, and sweater jacket will be quite a stretch for her. Yea, Val!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Training Lapse
I haven't been keeping to my training plan . . . and I know it's probably the most critical few weeks of the plan. I've put so much time and energy and heart into the past 3 months, you'd think I could keep the momentum for the last few weeks . . . . yet I have so many excuses. Chief among them includes very sore muscles and places rubbed raw on my feet. Perhaps a very light week or two will be beneficial? I can dream, can't I?
This weekend, I skipped my long run entirely. To try to make up for it, I expanded my Monday run a bit. I was scheduled for 3 miles but ran 6 miles in 1:03:30 on the indoor RPAC track. We had a crazy day of thunderstorms and hail so I really had no choice. Despite running only 6 miles and having what should have been fresh legs, my run was tough and I was very sore immediately following and throughout the evening.
On Tuesday I didn't have a run planned. I attended Valerie's first softball game of the season. She made the Jr. High softball team and was their starting shortstop. She had a good game overall and made a couple of outs. Our team lost by something crazy like 14 to 0, though. The other team had a pitcher a full foot taller than Val and weighed about 150 pounds. She was firing in pitches only a few girls even connected the bat with the ball. Val was one of just 2 girls that put the ball in play, but got out at first base. The game was played despite the weather being 44 degrees with a wind-chill of 36. At various times, we had ice and slush raining down on us as we sat on aluminum bleachers. I was freezing. Although I wore my trail runners so my feet stayed dry, they were very cold and frozen. Burrrrr. Her next game is tomorrow and should be in the 60 degree F range.
Today I was scheduled to run 8 miles with 4 miles as speed work. I struggled through the 8 miles but ignored the speed part. I just wasn't up for it. I should have taken a GU with me or ate something on the drive home. I was totally wiped out. I also had a sore place on the bottom of my foot that was bugging me from mile 4+. Really, the only time I felt pretty good was mile 2. It was a strange run. My total time for the 8 miles was 1:26:59 with splits all over the place: 10:51, 9:58, 10:51, 11:01, 11:10, 10:50, 11:17, and 10:53. I walked whenever I felt like it, which was more frequently in the later miles than the early ones.
On a more positive front, work and home life is going quite well. I had a wonderful visit with my grandmother and parents who visited last week from Nebraska. I just love having them here. We visited and planned home improvement projects and Dad and Ken made quite a bit of progress on some of those projects. We now have trim in the basement. The kids' shower head is no longer held on by duct tape. We have a new kitchen faucet. And the blue tape directing visitors to use the correct doorbell is no longer required. Although I was off work all week during their visit, I kept up with email and have been very productive so far this week. I suppose the break did me some good, after all.
This weekend, I skipped my long run entirely. To try to make up for it, I expanded my Monday run a bit. I was scheduled for 3 miles but ran 6 miles in 1:03:30 on the indoor RPAC track. We had a crazy day of thunderstorms and hail so I really had no choice. Despite running only 6 miles and having what should have been fresh legs, my run was tough and I was very sore immediately following and throughout the evening.
On Tuesday I didn't have a run planned. I attended Valerie's first softball game of the season. She made the Jr. High softball team and was their starting shortstop. She had a good game overall and made a couple of outs. Our team lost by something crazy like 14 to 0, though. The other team had a pitcher a full foot taller than Val and weighed about 150 pounds. She was firing in pitches only a few girls even connected the bat with the ball. Val was one of just 2 girls that put the ball in play, but got out at first base. The game was played despite the weather being 44 degrees with a wind-chill of 36. At various times, we had ice and slush raining down on us as we sat on aluminum bleachers. I was freezing. Although I wore my trail runners so my feet stayed dry, they were very cold and frozen. Burrrrr. Her next game is tomorrow and should be in the 60 degree F range.
Today I was scheduled to run 8 miles with 4 miles as speed work. I struggled through the 8 miles but ignored the speed part. I just wasn't up for it. I should have taken a GU with me or ate something on the drive home. I was totally wiped out. I also had a sore place on the bottom of my foot that was bugging me from mile 4+. Really, the only time I felt pretty good was mile 2. It was a strange run. My total time for the 8 miles was 1:26:59 with splits all over the place: 10:51, 9:58, 10:51, 11:01, 11:10, 10:50, 11:17, and 10:53. I walked whenever I felt like it, which was more frequently in the later miles than the early ones.
On a more positive front, work and home life is going quite well. I had a wonderful visit with my grandmother and parents who visited last week from Nebraska. I just love having them here. We visited and planned home improvement projects and Dad and Ken made quite a bit of progress on some of those projects. We now have trim in the basement. The kids' shower head is no longer held on by duct tape. We have a new kitchen faucet. And the blue tape directing visitors to use the correct doorbell is no longer required. Although I was off work all week during their visit, I kept up with email and have been very productive so far this week. I suppose the break did me some good, after all.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Parents/Grandma visiting
I just put in 7 miles in 1:13:37. It was a tough day to be motivated because my parents and grandmother are visiting from Nebraska and I would have preferred to spend that hour with them instead of pounding the pavement. However, they are here for a week, so I can't totally neglect my training during that time, especially since Poco Loco is in just 29 days!
Today's run was supposed to include speed work, but I wasn't feeling too speedy. I did kick it up a notch every other mile as planned, but my slow miles were slower than planned. My fast miles weren't breaking any speed records, but I felt it was very respectable to be under 9:50ish for a fast mile. I know I've done this workout more successfully, but I'm just glad it's done today. My miles were 10:20, 9:08, 11:14, 9:20, 11:57, 9:41, and 11:52.
In other news, we've had a great week visiting with my parents and grandmother. We've played several hands of cribbage, gone for walks, and made many wonderful meals. Val's great grandmother taught her how to make proper mid-western gravy and the kids had their first real hot roast beef sandwiches. We've been keeping Grandma busy! She also bought some books at the library and helped us pick out Val's new backpack and binder for school. On Sunday, we'll go to church and then out to a nice brunch at the 94th Aero Squadron.
As is our tradition when my parents visit, we are making significant progress on home improvements for their new house and ours, too.
For my parent's house, Dad got the lawn cleaned up and fertilized and a new furnace filter installed. We also met with the contractor and made decisions on their new garage. The contractor is thinking the project will begin in mid-April.
In my house, we got new kitchen faucet, a replaced shower head for the kids' bathroom, a decent video game/karaoke stand for Jason's room, reorganized shop area, and removed an old doorbell. We also had Mom and Dad's contractor come to our house to look at our bathroom. Our shower is leaking and we need to decide how to replace it. Of course, I want a total bath remodel: Drop the huge soaking tub and create a huge walk-in shower. Ken was more open to the idea once we met with the contractor. Tomorrow, we'll go to some tile shops and a plumbing fixture store so we can get an idea of how much all this might cost.
Today's run was supposed to include speed work, but I wasn't feeling too speedy. I did kick it up a notch every other mile as planned, but my slow miles were slower than planned. My fast miles weren't breaking any speed records, but I felt it was very respectable to be under 9:50ish for a fast mile. I know I've done this workout more successfully, but I'm just glad it's done today. My miles were 10:20, 9:08, 11:14, 9:20, 11:57, 9:41, and 11:52.
In other news, we've had a great week visiting with my parents and grandmother. We've played several hands of cribbage, gone for walks, and made many wonderful meals. Val's great grandmother taught her how to make proper mid-western gravy and the kids had their first real hot roast beef sandwiches. We've been keeping Grandma busy! She also bought some books at the library and helped us pick out Val's new backpack and binder for school. On Sunday, we'll go to church and then out to a nice brunch at the 94th Aero Squadron.
As is our tradition when my parents visit, we are making significant progress on home improvements for their new house and ours, too.
For my parent's house, Dad got the lawn cleaned up and fertilized and a new furnace filter installed. We also met with the contractor and made decisions on their new garage. The contractor is thinking the project will begin in mid-April.
In my house, we got new kitchen faucet, a replaced shower head for the kids' bathroom, a decent video game/karaoke stand for Jason's room, reorganized shop area, and removed an old doorbell. We also had Mom and Dad's contractor come to our house to look at our bathroom. Our shower is leaking and we need to decide how to replace it. Of course, I want a total bath remodel: Drop the huge soaking tub and create a huge walk-in shower. Ken was more open to the idea once we met with the contractor. Tomorrow, we'll go to some tile shops and a plumbing fixture store so we can get an idea of how much all this might cost.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Visit from parents and grandmother
This is Spring Break week and we are having a wonderful time with my parents and grandmother who are visiting from Nebraska.
Although I wanted to hang out with my family instead, I forced myself out for the 3 mile run that I skipped yesterday. My miles were 10:03, 9:46, and 9:26 for a 3 mile run in 29:17. I was supposed to do an easy run, but it was chilly and I wanted to be doing other things, so I pushed it a bit to get it overwith ASAP.
I wore my new shoes again today and noticed that my legs got sore about half way through the run. I wonder if my problem was not overuse of muscles, but underuse of shoes. Perhaps I got injured from doing a long run in my new shoes a couple of weeks ago. I think I'll lay off the new shoes until after my 3 running events in April/May. I thought the new shoes would help me train and run better in those events, but now it seems they are a liability. Perhaps they'll be better once broken-in, but now is not the time to test that theory.
Although I wanted to hang out with my family instead, I forced myself out for the 3 mile run that I skipped yesterday. My miles were 10:03, 9:46, and 9:26 for a 3 mile run in 29:17. I was supposed to do an easy run, but it was chilly and I wanted to be doing other things, so I pushed it a bit to get it overwith ASAP.
I wore my new shoes again today and noticed that my legs got sore about half way through the run. I wonder if my problem was not overuse of muscles, but underuse of shoes. Perhaps I got injured from doing a long run in my new shoes a couple of weeks ago. I think I'll lay off the new shoes until after my 3 running events in April/May. I thought the new shoes would help me train and run better in those events, but now it seems they are a liability. Perhaps they'll be better once broken-in, but now is not the time to test that theory.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Half marathon in 2:25:40
I've have tight and very sore calf muscles, IT bands, and hips this week, so I skipped my scheduled slow 2 miler on Friday to allow more recovery days for my long run. I wasn't even convinced my long run was going to be particularly long, today. I was scheduled for 12, but was hoping for just 8 injury-free miles.
Today's run was totally different than last week's. Last week, I felt great and was much faster than expected. Today, I felt beat-up and was hyper-aware of my sore muscles throughout the run. When I over-use them, my calves and IT bands have a habit of balling up. It can be a chronic problem as they don't recover easily because they are continuously contracting, even when at rest. Sometimes it gets so bad that I can't run. I was sending relaxation vibes to my muscles so they didn't get any worse. Also, to play it safe, I stopped to walk every time I felt them tighten enough to impact my stride.
At half past 5 miles, I caught a burning sensation in my hip/IT band/hip flexor area. The relaxation vibes didn't knock it down immediately, so I slowed to a walk and pondered the fate of the run. I was about 3 miles from home and Ken was with the kids at baseball practice, so I figured I was going to get in 8 miles, even if I had to walk the last three. The burning subsided after walking about 3 minutes, so I resumed running and walking according to the directions of my muscles.
Last week, at the end of a fast 11 miles, I was feeling great and could have run 2 more miles at a 10 minute pace easily. Today I struggled a lot with the last 2 miles, just like I did in my 2008 half marathon during which I alternated ~60 meter tempos with ~60 meters barely jogging. It was brutal then as it was today. I knew alternating very fast and very slow is not a productive way to run, nor is it wise for someone with a light injury, so the last mile I quit running fast and walked less frequently. I was just tried to hold on to what was likely going to be an unofficial half marathon PR (personal record) for me.
Today's 13.1 mile distance was measured by my Garmin and clocked at 2:25:40. In 2008, I did that distance in an official 2:29:10, but I stopped at the porta-potty twice on the course. Today my splits were 11:21, 11:05, 11:13, 10:21, 11:26, 11:44, 11:09, 10:57, 12:11, 11:27, 10:51, 10:45, and 10:18 with no stops.
I'm not sure it was wise to do a really long run this weekend, but I had the time and was dressed well for the sunny run with the temperature in the upper 30's F. It wasn't an easy run, but I think I learned quite a bit.
I learned to listen to my muscles when they are tired and to walk at the first sign of tightening.
I learned that during a walk break, I gain significant energy, attitude adjustment, and back flexibility by putting my arms in a tight swimmer's spike above my head and then pressing my shoulder blades together as I slowly bring them down to my side. I guess loosening my shoulders and chest muscles helps me run in better form. I must run hunched over too much and it puts a strain on my back.
I learned I tend to forget the GU nourishment when I run and I need to be more intentional about it. I didn't take a GU until mile 11 today. Ooops.
I learned I can go easier on my sore muscles by not intentionally pushing off and just letting momentum carry me along. I'm not very fast with that method, but when running beat-up and sore, it seems to be a good strategy for being able to run further before fatigue.
I learned that geese can be damn aggressive and dangerous. Just after mile 7, I got dive-bombed by a goose. He/she was purposely aiming for my head. It surprised me and I actually screamed (not typical behavior for me). I bailed off the trail and came to an abrupt stop just past where he/she landed. The goose was on the ground now but still showing me how huge it was with the full wing span and was hissing with a wide open beak. What was that all about? My first thought as I took off running again was that the adrenaline boost was going to have a negative impact on the rest of my run.
Some teenagers were walking toward me on the path and certainly had heard, if not seen my goose encounter. I warned them of the danger, but their smiles responded with "what a pitiful old wimpy lady." A few minutes later, I heard a scream and slowed to watch them from the other side of the pond. The first one was brave and tried to run past it. She was rewarded with a startling ground chase. As I ran on, the other teenager was strategizing how to navigate the fowl roadblock. Perhaps they learned something today, too.
Today's run was totally different than last week's. Last week, I felt great and was much faster than expected. Today, I felt beat-up and was hyper-aware of my sore muscles throughout the run. When I over-use them, my calves and IT bands have a habit of balling up. It can be a chronic problem as they don't recover easily because they are continuously contracting, even when at rest. Sometimes it gets so bad that I can't run. I was sending relaxation vibes to my muscles so they didn't get any worse. Also, to play it safe, I stopped to walk every time I felt them tighten enough to impact my stride.
At half past 5 miles, I caught a burning sensation in my hip/IT band/hip flexor area. The relaxation vibes didn't knock it down immediately, so I slowed to a walk and pondered the fate of the run. I was about 3 miles from home and Ken was with the kids at baseball practice, so I figured I was going to get in 8 miles, even if I had to walk the last three. The burning subsided after walking about 3 minutes, so I resumed running and walking according to the directions of my muscles.
Last week, at the end of a fast 11 miles, I was feeling great and could have run 2 more miles at a 10 minute pace easily. Today I struggled a lot with the last 2 miles, just like I did in my 2008 half marathon during which I alternated ~60 meter tempos with ~60 meters barely jogging. It was brutal then as it was today. I knew alternating very fast and very slow is not a productive way to run, nor is it wise for someone with a light injury, so the last mile I quit running fast and walked less frequently. I was just tried to hold on to what was likely going to be an unofficial half marathon PR (personal record) for me.
Today's 13.1 mile distance was measured by my Garmin and clocked at 2:25:40. In 2008, I did that distance in an official 2:29:10, but I stopped at the porta-potty twice on the course. Today my splits were 11:21, 11:05, 11:13, 10:21, 11:26, 11:44, 11:09, 10:57, 12:11, 11:27, 10:51, 10:45, and 10:18 with no stops.
I'm not sure it was wise to do a really long run this weekend, but I had the time and was dressed well for the sunny run with the temperature in the upper 30's F. It wasn't an easy run, but I think I learned quite a bit.
I learned to listen to my muscles when they are tired and to walk at the first sign of tightening.
I learned that during a walk break, I gain significant energy, attitude adjustment, and back flexibility by putting my arms in a tight swimmer's spike above my head and then pressing my shoulder blades together as I slowly bring them down to my side. I guess loosening my shoulders and chest muscles helps me run in better form. I must run hunched over too much and it puts a strain on my back.
I learned I tend to forget the GU nourishment when I run and I need to be more intentional about it. I didn't take a GU until mile 11 today. Ooops.
I learned I can go easier on my sore muscles by not intentionally pushing off and just letting momentum carry me along. I'm not very fast with that method, but when running beat-up and sore, it seems to be a good strategy for being able to run further before fatigue.
I learned that geese can be damn aggressive and dangerous. Just after mile 7, I got dive-bombed by a goose. He/she was purposely aiming for my head. It surprised me and I actually screamed (not typical behavior for me). I bailed off the trail and came to an abrupt stop just past where he/she landed. The goose was on the ground now but still showing me how huge it was with the full wing span and was hissing with a wide open beak. What was that all about? My first thought as I took off running again was that the adrenaline boost was going to have a negative impact on the rest of my run.
Some teenagers were walking toward me on the path and certainly had heard, if not seen my goose encounter. I warned them of the danger, but their smiles responded with "what a pitiful old wimpy lady." A few minutes later, I heard a scream and slowed to watch them from the other side of the pond. The first one was brave and tried to run past it. She was rewarded with a startling ground chase. As I ran on, the other teenager was strategizing how to navigate the fowl roadblock. Perhaps they learned something today, too.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Clean carpet on which to stretch sore muscles
Yesterday I put in an easy 3 miles, trying to work out my sore muscles from my great long run on Sunday. My miles were 10:47, 11:02, and 11:25 for a total of 34:52. I walked some of every mile and even stopped to stretch a bit on the clock.
Today I was still feeling some calf and IT band soreness. I debated postponing my scheduled run because another day of recovery would be smart. Also, I simply wasn't in the mood for a 6 mile run with 4 of it at tempo. However, in the end, the weather forecast forced my hand, or my legs, I guess. Tomorrow the high will be 20 degrees F cooler with a wind chill even more intimidating. So I decided to take advantage of the relatively good weather and run this evening.
My run was pretty good, especially considering my attitude going in to it. I ran 6 miles in 1:03:04 with splits at 11:38, 10:13, 9:55, 9:45, 9:35, and 11:51. I successfully completed the scheduled 4 mile tempo run with a mile warm up and cool down. I walked several times in the first and last miles and a couple of times during the 4 mile tempo when I felt my back and hips tightening enough to alter my stride. Chris Russell kept me company with his Run Run Live podcast.
Now my calves are very sore and getting worse by the hour. So, I'm going to stretch a bit and relax on my professionally cleaned carpet. I have the most wonderful husband in the world! He surprised me today by getting the carpet cleaned. The dirty and stained carpet has been driving me crazy. Now I can go Zen.
Today I was still feeling some calf and IT band soreness. I debated postponing my scheduled run because another day of recovery would be smart. Also, I simply wasn't in the mood for a 6 mile run with 4 of it at tempo. However, in the end, the weather forecast forced my hand, or my legs, I guess. Tomorrow the high will be 20 degrees F cooler with a wind chill even more intimidating. So I decided to take advantage of the relatively good weather and run this evening.
My run was pretty good, especially considering my attitude going in to it. I ran 6 miles in 1:03:04 with splits at 11:38, 10:13, 9:55, 9:45, 9:35, and 11:51. I successfully completed the scheduled 4 mile tempo run with a mile warm up and cool down. I walked several times in the first and last miles and a couple of times during the 4 mile tempo when I felt my back and hips tightening enough to alter my stride. Chris Russell kept me company with his Run Run Live podcast.
Now my calves are very sore and getting worse by the hour. So, I'm going to stretch a bit and relax on my professionally cleaned carpet. I have the most wonderful husband in the world! He surprised me today by getting the carpet cleaned. The dirty and stained carpet has been driving me crazy. Now I can go Zen.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Glasses
First pair of eye glasses: age 44. Not priceless. $20 and not yet convinced they are worth it.
I finally took the optometrist's advice and bought some +1.00 reading glasses at Walgreen's. So naturally, I had to try them out this evening. I found the typeface was larger and with more crisp edges, but reading with the glasses made me a little nauseous.
I read my mystery novel for about 30 minutes, half with glasses and half without. I wonder if glasses take some time to get used to, like Val's contacts. Or maybe I should give it another 6 months or a year before I try reading with glasses again.
Although I had time to run tonight, I chose to give my legs and hips a break. Instead, I walked about 35 minutes; probably just under 2 miles. The weather will be getting worse this week, so I hope I can stay on target with the training.
I finally took the optometrist's advice and bought some +1.00 reading glasses at Walgreen's. So naturally, I had to try them out this evening. I found the typeface was larger and with more crisp edges, but reading with the glasses made me a little nauseous.
I read my mystery novel for about 30 minutes, half with glasses and half without. I wonder if glasses take some time to get used to, like Val's contacts. Or maybe I should give it another 6 months or a year before I try reading with glasses again.
Although I had time to run tonight, I chose to give my legs and hips a break. Instead, I walked about 35 minutes; probably just under 2 miles. The weather will be getting worse this week, so I hope I can stay on target with the training.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
11 miles in 1:59:21!
What an encouraging long run today! I ran 11 miles in 1:59:21! I'm sore and tight, but I could have run another 2.1 miles to make the run a full half marathon (13.1 miles). I would have done so, too, if it weren't for Val's softball team family meeting tonight. That's okay. I was scheduled to run 11 and I did it in very good form.
I did some walking, but not on a regular schedule. I walked a little each mile, but never a full minute. I walked up most of the hills to save my legs and energy, though. I also consumed 2 strawberry banana GU gels along the way. I took one at mile 6-ish and one at mile 9-ish. According to my Garmin, my average mile pace was 10:50 today. That's incredible for me! The mile splits were 11:11, 10:53, 10:51, 10:28, 10:26, 10:21, 11:22, 10:39, 11:16, 11:08 and 10:37.
In the middle of the run, when my pace sped up a bit, I found myself chugging along on momentum and it felt like I was expending less energy than usual to get further. That was a really great feeling and I knew it would help me get through this long run. The weather helped, too. It was mostly cloudy and about 60 degrees F while I was out there. I listened to the Slow Runners Club while running and zenrunner and eddiemarathon helped distract me from the run and made the time fly.
Today must have been THE day for great long runs. Steverunner ran a full marathon (26.2 miles) for his long run today. Like me, he has been struggling with his training, so I'm sure it was a great pick-me-up run for him, too. Congrats, Steve!
I did some walking, but not on a regular schedule. I walked a little each mile, but never a full minute. I walked up most of the hills to save my legs and energy, though. I also consumed 2 strawberry banana GU gels along the way. I took one at mile 6-ish and one at mile 9-ish. According to my Garmin, my average mile pace was 10:50 today. That's incredible for me! The mile splits were 11:11, 10:53, 10:51, 10:28, 10:26, 10:21, 11:22, 10:39, 11:16, 11:08 and 10:37.
In the middle of the run, when my pace sped up a bit, I found myself chugging along on momentum and it felt like I was expending less energy than usual to get further. That was a really great feeling and I knew it would help me get through this long run. The weather helped, too. It was mostly cloudy and about 60 degrees F while I was out there. I listened to the Slow Runners Club while running and zenrunner and eddiemarathon helped distract me from the run and made the time fly.
Today must have been THE day for great long runs. Steverunner ran a full marathon (26.2 miles) for his long run today. Like me, he has been struggling with his training, so I'm sure it was a great pick-me-up run for him, too. Congrats, Steve!
Friday, March 18, 2011
More than a little crazy
I've gone crazy! I just realized that I'm running 3 events in 3 weeks this Spring. Since I rarely run more than 2 or 3 in a year, this is certainly out of character!
On April 30th, I'll be running the Boston Poco Loco with steverunner, eddiemarathon and zenrunner from Slow Runners Club, runswim2 (renowned for punny blog comments), and several other runners, podcasters, and bloggers. Two teams will run ~6 miles up either side of the Charles river where we'll meet and webcast a live halftime show. Then we'll run back (~6 miles) to our cars and head out for a celebration party/dinner at a local pub near Harvard Square. I'll look for Car Talk's Tappet Brothers while I'm there!
One week later, on May 7, I'll be limping through the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus. Way back in December, I thought this sounded like a good idea since I had to train to run 13 miles for the Poco Loco anyway. Now I'm wondering if I was more than a little crazy in my thinking (or lack thereof).
A mere week after the half marathon is my annual Komen Columbus Race for the Cure 5K. For 6 or 7 consecutive years, I've run the Race for the Cure in honor of my friend Cathy Cooper who lost her battle with breast cancer. Last year I also ran as a survivor myself. Join our team (Kick it with Kelly) or contribute to the cause by donating in our team's name. Ken and Jason will be leading the 5K Kick it with Kelly walking group. Valerie and I will be running in the 5K chip-timed group. Ken's sister, Michelle was asking about coming too (actually, she reminded me to sign up!), so I expect her to join the team in the next day or so. Thanks for kicking my butt to get registered, Michelle! Please join us in this wonderful, inspirational event.
So, yes, I'm participating in running events three weeks in a row! I know I'm breaking so many running rules with this schedule. Oh well, as with pirates, the rules for runners are really more like guidelines anyway. I'm sure the injury gremlins will take pity and allow me my excesses just this once.
As for my training for all these events . . . well, it's going okay. So far, I've put in 12 miles this week: 3 on Monday, 7 on Wednesday, and 2 today (10:15 and 10:11). I hope to run 10 or 11 more miles on Sunday.
On April 30th, I'll be running the Boston Poco Loco with steverunner, eddiemarathon and zenrunner from Slow Runners Club, runswim2 (renowned for punny blog comments), and several other runners, podcasters, and bloggers. Two teams will run ~6 miles up either side of the Charles river where we'll meet and webcast a live halftime show. Then we'll run back (~6 miles) to our cars and head out for a celebration party/dinner at a local pub near Harvard Square. I'll look for Car Talk's Tappet Brothers while I'm there!
One week later, on May 7, I'll be limping through the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus. Way back in December, I thought this sounded like a good idea since I had to train to run 13 miles for the Poco Loco anyway. Now I'm wondering if I was more than a little crazy in my thinking (or lack thereof).
A mere week after the half marathon is my annual Komen Columbus Race for the Cure 5K. For 6 or 7 consecutive years, I've run the Race for the Cure in honor of my friend Cathy Cooper who lost her battle with breast cancer. Last year I also ran as a survivor myself. Join our team (Kick it with Kelly) or contribute to the cause by donating in our team's name. Ken and Jason will be leading the 5K Kick it with Kelly walking group. Valerie and I will be running in the 5K chip-timed group. Ken's sister, Michelle was asking about coming too (actually, she reminded me to sign up!), so I expect her to join the team in the next day or so. Thanks for kicking my butt to get registered, Michelle! Please join us in this wonderful, inspirational event.
So, yes, I'm participating in running events three weeks in a row! I know I'm breaking so many running rules with this schedule. Oh well, as with pirates, the rules for runners are really more like guidelines anyway. I'm sure the injury gremlins will take pity and allow me my excesses just this once.
As for my training for all these events . . . well, it's going okay. So far, I've put in 12 miles this week: 3 on Monday, 7 on Wednesday, and 2 today (10:15 and 10:11). I hope to run 10 or 11 more miles on Sunday.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Spring, shoes, and scheduling classes
Spring is here! OK, not yet, but it sure felt like it today. It was lower 50s and sunny so I ran outside in my neighborhood wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and sunglasses. I also wore my new running shoes. I'm an Adidas person - I love my Adidas Adizero Tempo, but the new version of that shoe is too deep in the forefoot and toe and I couldn't buy it. So I picked up the Adidas Supernova Glide at my local running store. I've only run in them once, but so far, so good. I may go online and look for some old tempos for races, though, because they are a "faster" shoe and I've really loved them.
I ran exactly what I had scheduled today: 7 miles, alternating slow and fast miles. Although my Garmin reports that I ran 7 miles in 1:12:41, it's a little misleading because I was off the clock several times after completing the mile loop (talked to Ken when he got home, ditto for Jason, got more water, etc.). My mile splits are accurate, however: 10:34, 8:56, 11:38, 8:53, 11:45, 9:01, and 11:40. I was really pushing hard on the fast miles and needed significant recovery time. During the slow miles, I walked several times during the mile to facilitate recovery and to be ready for the next fast burst.
I spent about 30 minutes stretching after the run. My lower back and glute were tight on the right side before I ran, so I did a little stretching before the run and between miles, too.
I'm also having some issues with blisters on a toe and the bottom of my foot, but these were issues prior to trying the new shoes. I've been putting Vaseline between my toes (thanks for the tip, Jim!) and that seems to keep it from causing pain or breaking. I'm also trying to be shoeless Kelly around the house so my toe gets lots of air. The blister still fills up whenever I run, though.
Tonight we need to determine Val's classes for 8th grade. This is important because beginning next year, some of her classes will apply toward high school credits and will be on her transcript. I can't believe that's starting already! Unfortunately, scheduling is pretty much up to the child and parents. The school provides guidance at a big parent meeting for an hour this evening and with handouts, but I wish it was more hands-on and individually focused. The handouts didn't even mention that most colleges require 3 years of foreign language - this was an aside comment the principal made during the presentation. I'm glad I was paying attention! Val hadn't planned to take foreign language.
I got some good news at the parent meeting, though. Val won't have to take physical education (PE) in 8th grade or high school because she will have at least 2 seasons of a high school sport or marching band.
I ran exactly what I had scheduled today: 7 miles, alternating slow and fast miles. Although my Garmin reports that I ran 7 miles in 1:12:41, it's a little misleading because I was off the clock several times after completing the mile loop (talked to Ken when he got home, ditto for Jason, got more water, etc.). My mile splits are accurate, however: 10:34, 8:56, 11:38, 8:53, 11:45, 9:01, and 11:40. I was really pushing hard on the fast miles and needed significant recovery time. During the slow miles, I walked several times during the mile to facilitate recovery and to be ready for the next fast burst.
I spent about 30 minutes stretching after the run. My lower back and glute were tight on the right side before I ran, so I did a little stretching before the run and between miles, too.
I'm also having some issues with blisters on a toe and the bottom of my foot, but these were issues prior to trying the new shoes. I've been putting Vaseline between my toes (thanks for the tip, Jim!) and that seems to keep it from causing pain or breaking. I'm also trying to be shoeless Kelly around the house so my toe gets lots of air. The blister still fills up whenever I run, though.
Tonight we need to determine Val's classes for 8th grade. This is important because beginning next year, some of her classes will apply toward high school credits and will be on her transcript. I can't believe that's starting already! Unfortunately, scheduling is pretty much up to the child and parents. The school provides guidance at a big parent meeting for an hour this evening and with handouts, but I wish it was more hands-on and individually focused. The handouts didn't even mention that most colleges require 3 years of foreign language - this was an aside comment the principal made during the presentation. I'm glad I was paying attention! Val hadn't planned to take foreign language.
I got some good news at the parent meeting, though. Val won't have to take physical education (PE) in 8th grade or high school because she will have at least 2 seasons of a high school sport or marching band.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Short run on a nice day
Today I had a short run planned and I knew I was up for it. I came home after work and, thanks to daylight savings time, had plenty of time to change, run 3 miles (33:18), shower, and eat - all before dark. I may even get this post done before night falls. How about that? I never thought I'd be so happy to lose an hour.
Unlike this weekend, I didn't have too much of an inner fight to get out on the road today. My mile splits were 11:26, 10:31, and 10:20, which illustrates how I felt while out there, too. I started a little tight but loosened up and got moving better as I went along.
I'm not sure what caused the difference in motivation and attitude between this weekend and today. Perhaps it's a mental thing about putting in a long run. I was supposed to run 10 miles this weekend. I think my dread multiplies by 2 for every mile that's scheduled longer than 4 miles, though I don't know why. I didn't have any trouble with 6 miles last night and could have easily run several more.
Send positive motivation vibes to me on Wednesday. I'm scheduled for 7 miles with 3 of of them as speed work. I'm hoping for terrific weather and lots of time on my hands. Yea, right. Dream big.
Unlike this weekend, I didn't have too much of an inner fight to get out on the road today. My mile splits were 11:26, 10:31, and 10:20, which illustrates how I felt while out there, too. I started a little tight but loosened up and got moving better as I went along.
I'm not sure what caused the difference in motivation and attitude between this weekend and today. Perhaps it's a mental thing about putting in a long run. I was supposed to run 10 miles this weekend. I think my dread multiplies by 2 for every mile that's scheduled longer than 4 miles, though I don't know why. I didn't have any trouble with 6 miles last night and could have easily run several more.
Send positive motivation vibes to me on Wednesday. I'm scheduled for 7 miles with 3 of of them as speed work. I'm hoping for terrific weather and lots of time on my hands. Yea, right. Dream big.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The dark place
While the kids had a great weekend in sports (see previous post), I did not. I went to a dark place in my training.
Today, I was minutes away from vowing to quit running forever. It was a dark place.
It was a tough week for training. I put in 4 miles on Monday and 3 miles on Wednesday and both were fine runs. However, 15 minutes after my Wednesday run, I had a chest cough, with no warning I was getting sick at all. The cold persisted despite meds and fighting it with all my might.
On Friday I planned to run 10 miles, but didn't get out of work early enough to do it . . . and I was tired and unmotivated.
On Saturday, I was going to run the mileage at Bowling Green, but we got a late start and by the time we got there it was 4pm and cold and blustery (very windy). I took a nap in the hotel before heading to the swim meet at 5:30pm.
On Sunday, we were going to leave Bowling Green early so I was going to run at home instead. We left later than planned because Val was having fun with her friends and we wanted to encourage her. When we got home at 4:30pm, I was tired, unmotivated, and added GI issues to my cold symptoms. Again, I took a nap.
When I got up an hour later, I was dejected. And angry at myself. And tired. I knew I had lots of reasons to skip the run today - very little sleep in the hotel last night, chest cold, and GI issues - but I also knew that what was really stopping me from running was my lack of motivation. It was those demons of inactivity dragging me down.
I seriously considered hanging up the towel forever. I thought I should just quit running. Afterall, I'm not like the other runners I know. I struggle with motivation more often than I look forward to a run. I don't ramp up endurance very quickly. I weigh too much. I'm slow. I only run 3-4 times a week on a good week. And I'm way behind where I should be in training for the half marathon. I'll be significantly slower than my 2:29 in 2008.
All of those facts were staring me in the face and it seemed hopeless. I considered being a No Show at the half marathon on May 7 and even dropping out of the Poco Loco. Although the Poco Loco is supposed to be an easy, fun run for all involved, I'm just not sure I can run 6+ miles out and 6+ miles back.
While it was starting to get dark outside, I went through a dark place of runner gloom. I couldn't believe that I was only going to get 7 miles in this week. And then I decided, with much termoil, that running 3 miles today was better than not running at all. I knew I could physically do it, if I could just mentally kick my butt out the door.
So I did. I got out there and ran. I think what finally got me out the door was the realization that I was going to feel like crap all evening and all day tomorrow if I didn't get out and at least try to run now.
The run went suprisingly well, albeit slow. I ran 6 miles in 1:09 before my GI issues forced me inside again. I think my legs and wind would have allowed me to run 4 more, though. I was feeling really good and was enjoying the run.
Now I feel 80% better than I did all weekend. This is always the story, you know. It's always the same. I always feel much better after I get out there. Heck, I even feel much better WHEN I am out there. Yet, it's often a challenge to take that first step. And this weekend, it was much more than a challenge. The struggle was worth it, though. I won.
Today, I was minutes away from vowing to quit running forever. It was a dark place.
It was a tough week for training. I put in 4 miles on Monday and 3 miles on Wednesday and both were fine runs. However, 15 minutes after my Wednesday run, I had a chest cough, with no warning I was getting sick at all. The cold persisted despite meds and fighting it with all my might.
On Friday I planned to run 10 miles, but didn't get out of work early enough to do it . . . and I was tired and unmotivated.
On Saturday, I was going to run the mileage at Bowling Green, but we got a late start and by the time we got there it was 4pm and cold and blustery (very windy). I took a nap in the hotel before heading to the swim meet at 5:30pm.
On Sunday, we were going to leave Bowling Green early so I was going to run at home instead. We left later than planned because Val was having fun with her friends and we wanted to encourage her. When we got home at 4:30pm, I was tired, unmotivated, and added GI issues to my cold symptoms. Again, I took a nap.
When I got up an hour later, I was dejected. And angry at myself. And tired. I knew I had lots of reasons to skip the run today - very little sleep in the hotel last night, chest cold, and GI issues - but I also knew that what was really stopping me from running was my lack of motivation. It was those demons of inactivity dragging me down.
I seriously considered hanging up the towel forever. I thought I should just quit running. Afterall, I'm not like the other runners I know. I struggle with motivation more often than I look forward to a run. I don't ramp up endurance very quickly. I weigh too much. I'm slow. I only run 3-4 times a week on a good week. And I'm way behind where I should be in training for the half marathon. I'll be significantly slower than my 2:29 in 2008.
All of those facts were staring me in the face and it seemed hopeless. I considered being a No Show at the half marathon on May 7 and even dropping out of the Poco Loco. Although the Poco Loco is supposed to be an easy, fun run for all involved, I'm just not sure I can run 6+ miles out and 6+ miles back.
While it was starting to get dark outside, I went through a dark place of runner gloom. I couldn't believe that I was only going to get 7 miles in this week. And then I decided, with much termoil, that running 3 miles today was better than not running at all. I knew I could physically do it, if I could just mentally kick my butt out the door.
So I did. I got out there and ran. I think what finally got me out the door was the realization that I was going to feel like crap all evening and all day tomorrow if I didn't get out and at least try to run now.
The run went suprisingly well, albeit slow. I ran 6 miles in 1:09 before my GI issues forced me inside again. I think my legs and wind would have allowed me to run 4 more, though. I was feeling really good and was enjoying the run.
Now I feel 80% better than I did all weekend. This is always the story, you know. It's always the same. I always feel much better after I get out there. Heck, I even feel much better WHEN I am out there. Yet, it's often a challenge to take that first step. And this weekend, it was much more than a challenge. The struggle was worth it, though. I won.
Yea for Val and Jason!
Val made the cut for her Jr. High Softball Team this week. After the first day of try-outs, she was confident she'd make the team, but it was a good ego boost on both Wednesday and Thursday when she found she had made the cuts.
Val wasn't going to try-out for softball if she was swimming at State Jr Olympics this weekend. She could not have missed practices to attend tryouts, and of course she would not volate the tapering requirements for the week of the meet. Since OSSC decided to put all 4 fastest girls on one team, they couldn't take 2 relays in her age group because the B team was just short of qualifying. Although Val was very upset, perhaps it was meant to be because she's now on the softball team. We picked up new cleats for her this weekend and now she's ready to hit the field with gusto.
This weekend, Jason swam a great 50 backstroke in his State Jr. Olympics medley relay. He hung in there with all those state qualifiers and was in the top half of the heat when he got to the wall. His team came in 4th in their heat. Ohio State Swim Club's (OSSC) 9/10 boys are really amazing this year. They qualified 3 relays: the A relay came in 2nd (behind a team that set the JO record), the B relay came in 13th, and Jason's C relay was 22nd. Jason's C relay beat 2 other teams' A relays. There were 27 relays overall.
Val's friends did well in the meet, too. Kelsey was 2nd in the 50 breast and 1st in the 100 breast as an 11-year-old in the 11/12 division. Miaya was 8th in the 50 back. Miranda was 3rd in the 100 fly. If Val had qualified to swim at State, she would have bested 3 swimmers in the 100 breast and 6 in the 50 breast (comparing her Regional time to their State times). The competition was pretty tight on the 50 breast, the difference between 6th place and 19th place was just .6 seconds. That's crazy!
Overall, OSSC placed 8th out of 41 teams.
Val wasn't going to try-out for softball if she was swimming at State Jr Olympics this weekend. She could not have missed practices to attend tryouts, and of course she would not volate the tapering requirements for the week of the meet. Since OSSC decided to put all 4 fastest girls on one team, they couldn't take 2 relays in her age group because the B team was just short of qualifying. Although Val was very upset, perhaps it was meant to be because she's now on the softball team. We picked up new cleats for her this weekend and now she's ready to hit the field with gusto.
This weekend, Jason swam a great 50 backstroke in his State Jr. Olympics medley relay. He hung in there with all those state qualifiers and was in the top half of the heat when he got to the wall. His team came in 4th in their heat. Ohio State Swim Club's (OSSC) 9/10 boys are really amazing this year. They qualified 3 relays: the A relay came in 2nd (behind a team that set the JO record), the B relay came in 13th, and Jason's C relay was 22nd. Jason's C relay beat 2 other teams' A relays. There were 27 relays overall.
Val's friends did well in the meet, too. Kelsey was 2nd in the 50 breast and 1st in the 100 breast as an 11-year-old in the 11/12 division. Miaya was 8th in the 50 back. Miranda was 3rd in the 100 fly. If Val had qualified to swim at State, she would have bested 3 swimmers in the 100 breast and 6 in the 50 breast (comparing her Regional time to their State times). The competition was pretty tight on the 50 breast, the difference between 6th place and 19th place was just .6 seconds. That's crazy!
Overall, OSSC placed 8th out of 41 teams.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Just an update
My run was rushed again today. I got out of work late and hurried over to RPAC. I ran 3 miles in 29:56. Since I knew it was a short workout, I ran the whole thing in a fairly consistent pace (no walking). Afterward I had to postpone the shower to hustle to pick up Jason from swim team practice.
Valerie is in softball tryouts this week. If she was swimming at the Ohio Junior Olympics, she would not have tried out for softball this year because swim practice would have been mandatory this week. Val seems to be doing well and is having fun at tryouts. She made the first cut today. Another cut takes place on Friday.
We're headed to Bowling Green this weekend so Jason can swim backstroke with his medley relay at the Ohio Junior Olympics. His relay is faster than 4 other relays which is great news because it's tough to be seeded last place. I hope Jason has a good experience at State JOs.
I'm not sure when I'll get my long run in this week. It was scheduled for Saturday, but we'll be driving to Bowling Green in the morning and will be there through the day on Sunday. I'll have to take a look at my schedule and move things around. Maybe I can run on Friday.
Valerie is in softball tryouts this week. If she was swimming at the Ohio Junior Olympics, she would not have tried out for softball this year because swim practice would have been mandatory this week. Val seems to be doing well and is having fun at tryouts. She made the first cut today. Another cut takes place on Friday.
We're headed to Bowling Green this weekend so Jason can swim backstroke with his medley relay at the Ohio Junior Olympics. His relay is faster than 4 other relays which is great news because it's tough to be seeded last place. I hope Jason has a good experience at State JOs.
I'm not sure when I'll get my long run in this week. It was scheduled for Saturday, but we'll be driving to Bowling Green in the morning and will be there through the day on Sunday. I'll have to take a look at my schedule and move things around. Maybe I can run on Friday.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Ants and our first iPod
After work today, I ran 4 miles in 39 minutes exactly. Seriously. I know that sounds nearly impossible, but I clicked the watch to stop and 39:00 was the actual time displayed. I ran inside on the RPAC track because I was in a hurry. I worked late and had to pick up Jason after swim team practice, which gave me less than an hour to get changed, find a locker, and run. I guess that's one way to force myself to do a speedy workout.
I spent all evening working on my daughter's new iPod touch - an early birthday gift and congratulations gift for her hard work and dedication to qualifying for State Junior Olympics in swimming. She's thrilled.
Val's room has those [insert bad words here] pavement ants again. They are getting in through the brick. The kicker is that we pay a service to stop such things from happening and Ken is not a happy camper about it tonight. To rub salt in the wound, Val won't sleep in her room, so she's sleeping with me tonight and Ken is on the couch or in Val's room or in a basement bedroom. I guess that's some serious incentive for getting the service out here ASAP to get rid of these ants. This happened about 4 years ago and was terrible. I can't believe they are back!
I spent all evening working on my daughter's new iPod touch - an early birthday gift and congratulations gift for her hard work and dedication to qualifying for State Junior Olympics in swimming. She's thrilled.
Val's room has those [insert bad words here] pavement ants again. They are getting in through the brick. The kicker is that we pay a service to stop such things from happening and Ken is not a happy camper about it tonight. To rub salt in the wound, Val won't sleep in her room, so she's sleeping with me tonight and Ken is on the couch or in Val's room or in a basement bedroom. I guess that's some serious incentive for getting the service out here ASAP to get rid of these ants. This happened about 4 years ago and was terrible. I can't believe they are back!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Slow 9 in the rain
I ran my long run in the rain today. It was about 50 degrees and misting when I went out and it got cooler and more rainy as I went along. I was dressed perfectly though:
My long run today was 9 miles; the same mileage as last week. However, I was 6 minutes slower today as I finished in 1:43:55. I was outside in the rain instead of inside on the flat track, so perhaps that's one reason for the slow down. I also didn't follow a run-walk-run ratio, I just walked whenever I decided I should walk. My splits were 11:18, 11:10, 11:19, 11:20, 11:31, 11:19, 12:11, 11:35, and 12:04.
The good news is my back didn't hurt much today. Last night, Ken helped stretch my legs and rubbed my back and I'm sure that's why my back didn't tense as much today. My legs are really tired, though - and my IT bands and hip flexors are tight.
Tonight Ken and I are kid-less as both kids surprised us by getting invited for sleepovers. Weird. That never happens spontaneously! So I'm signing off now so Ken and I can decide what to do with our surprise freedom. Should we go out and have a wild night on the town or stay in and have a quiet romantic evening at home? Either would be great, as we rarely get just "us" time.
Have a great weekend! I will!
- sleeveless dri-fit shirt
- shell-only Marmot jacket with zipper vents under the arms
- a ball cap to keep the rain off my face
- light leggings that fell just below the knee with shorts over them
- my fabulous Vasque trail running shoes
My long run today was 9 miles; the same mileage as last week. However, I was 6 minutes slower today as I finished in 1:43:55. I was outside in the rain instead of inside on the flat track, so perhaps that's one reason for the slow down. I also didn't follow a run-walk-run ratio, I just walked whenever I decided I should walk. My splits were 11:18, 11:10, 11:19, 11:20, 11:31, 11:19, 12:11, 11:35, and 12:04.
The good news is my back didn't hurt much today. Last night, Ken helped stretch my legs and rubbed my back and I'm sure that's why my back didn't tense as much today. My legs are really tired, though - and my IT bands and hip flexors are tight.
Tonight Ken and I are kid-less as both kids surprised us by getting invited for sleepovers. Weird. That never happens spontaneously! So I'm signing off now so Ken and I can decide what to do with our surprise freedom. Should we go out and have a wild night on the town or stay in and have a quiet romantic evening at home? Either would be great, as we rarely get just "us" time.
Have a great weekend! I will!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Homework miles
I was able to run outside today; another beautiful day in central Ohio. I was scheduled to do a short, easy run (2 miles, but I did 3). I ran a 5K in 32:52 with splits at 11:02, 10:28, and 10:27.
It wasn't as easy going as it should have been, but I was out there getting in the miles and smarter runners than me assert that is what matters most. I'm going with that. These were ungraded homework miles.
It wasn't as easy going as it should have been, but I was out there getting in the miles and smarter runners than me assert that is what matters most. I'm going with that. These were ungraded homework miles.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Regional championship swim meet
It's been a busy few days for our family. We had a 3 day Regional Championship swim meet Fri-Sun this weekend. I officiated every session and the kids swam very, very well.
Val got 1st in the medley relay (her team had a JO qualifying time), 1st in the 100 breaststroke (won by 11.7 seconds!), 2nd in the freestyle relay, 3rd in the 50 breaststroke (only .6 seconds off the JO time), 6th in the individual medley (all strokes), 8th in the 100 freestyle, 9th in the 50 freestyle, and 10th in the 50 butterfly.
Jason got 3rd in the 50 backstroke (dropped lots of time in this event!), 3rd in the freestyle relay, 4th in 100 backstroke, 4th in the 50 freestyle, 10th in 50 breaststroke, 10th in 50 butterfly, 11th in the Individual Medley (all strokes), and 12th in the 50 freestyle.
Both kids swam events in the mornings and then made it to finals all three evenings. The days were long, but rewarding.
We were 95% sure Val would be going to the state meet the weekend of March 11 since both OSU medley relays in her age group qualified. However, when the coaches moved the 4 fastest girls to one relay, the second team wasn't fast enough to go to the state meet. Val was devastated since she is 12 and next year ages up to the 13/14 group with new time standards.
Despite the tough news Val received, we are going to the state meet. Jason's amazing time in his 50 backstroke made him the top backstroke choice for the 9/10 boys B medley relay that qualified for state JOs. Two boys who are ranked in the top 10 in the state were able to make up for the 1.33 seconds Jason is shy of a state cut. Therefore, a second relay for 9/10 boys qualified and Jason is now a member of that team.
Because of the swim meet and then yesterday's retirement party for a staff member, I didn't run for 4 days. Today I put in 6 miles in 1:04:26 outside in beautiful weather. My miles were 11:15, 10:23, 10:21, 10:43, 10:34, and 11:02. I was scheduled to do 6 miles with 4 of them tempo at a 10:19 pace, so I fell a bit short of the schedule in pace, even though I did the mileage.
Val got 1st in the medley relay (her team had a JO qualifying time), 1st in the 100 breaststroke (won by 11.7 seconds!), 2nd in the freestyle relay, 3rd in the 50 breaststroke (only .6 seconds off the JO time), 6th in the individual medley (all strokes), 8th in the 100 freestyle, 9th in the 50 freestyle, and 10th in the 50 butterfly.
Jason got 3rd in the 50 backstroke (dropped lots of time in this event!), 3rd in the freestyle relay, 4th in 100 backstroke, 4th in the 50 freestyle, 10th in 50 breaststroke, 10th in 50 butterfly, 11th in the Individual Medley (all strokes), and 12th in the 50 freestyle.
Both kids swam events in the mornings and then made it to finals all three evenings. The days were long, but rewarding.
We were 95% sure Val would be going to the state meet the weekend of March 11 since both OSU medley relays in her age group qualified. However, when the coaches moved the 4 fastest girls to one relay, the second team wasn't fast enough to go to the state meet. Val was devastated since she is 12 and next year ages up to the 13/14 group with new time standards.
Despite the tough news Val received, we are going to the state meet. Jason's amazing time in his 50 backstroke made him the top backstroke choice for the 9/10 boys B medley relay that qualified for state JOs. Two boys who are ranked in the top 10 in the state were able to make up for the 1.33 seconds Jason is shy of a state cut. Therefore, a second relay for 9/10 boys qualified and Jason is now a member of that team.
Because of the swim meet and then yesterday's retirement party for a staff member, I didn't run for 4 days. Today I put in 6 miles in 1:04:26 outside in beautiful weather. My miles were 11:15, 10:23, 10:21, 10:43, 10:34, and 11:02. I was scheduled to do 6 miles with 4 of them tempo at a 10:19 pace, so I fell a bit short of the schedule in pace, even though I did the mileage.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
9 miles and sore back
I don't have time to write much tonight because I need to pack for the 3 day swim meet that starts tomorrow morning, early. We'll be at Regional Championships Friday morning, Friday evening, Saturday morning, Saturday evening, Sunday morning, and Sunday evening. Both kids are swimming each day. I'll be officiating the whole meet. Ken will be managing our kids, tracking times, offering encouragement, and handling logistics.
Since the meet is in Worthington and we'll have 3 and 4 hour breaks between preliminaries and finals, we decided to get a hotel suite with 2 bedrooms and a kitchen. We got a great deal and will be close to all the swim action. I think the hotel will make it special and fun and I'm really looking forward to having a place to crash between sesssions.
I scheduled my weekly long run for today because I'll be too busy to do it this weekend. So tonight after work I put in 9 miles. I planned to do 8, but was able to squeak out another mile at the end. Since I was an overachiever, you're probably thinking I was handling the run pretty well. Not really. My lower back was very tight and painful after mile 3. I stopped a couple of times to stretch it (on the clock), and that helped for a half mile or so before it would work its way back (no pun intended) where it was before. It's pretty sore even now as I sit in the desk chair.
Overall, I'm pleased with my run, though. I actually did the scheduled long distance and then some. My miles were 10:37, 10:32, 10:13, 10:48, 11:43, 11:02, 10:20, 10:17, and 12:06. I walked about 1 minute of every mile except the last mile during which I walked 3 minutes. My overall time for 9 miles was 1:37:42.
Since the meet is in Worthington and we'll have 3 and 4 hour breaks between preliminaries and finals, we decided to get a hotel suite with 2 bedrooms and a kitchen. We got a great deal and will be close to all the swim action. I think the hotel will make it special and fun and I'm really looking forward to having a place to crash between sesssions.
I scheduled my weekly long run for today because I'll be too busy to do it this weekend. So tonight after work I put in 9 miles. I planned to do 8, but was able to squeak out another mile at the end. Since I was an overachiever, you're probably thinking I was handling the run pretty well. Not really. My lower back was very tight and painful after mile 3. I stopped a couple of times to stretch it (on the clock), and that helped for a half mile or so before it would work its way back (no pun intended) where it was before. It's pretty sore even now as I sit in the desk chair.
Overall, I'm pleased with my run, though. I actually did the scheduled long distance and then some. My miles were 10:37, 10:32, 10:13, 10:48, 11:43, 11:02, 10:20, 10:17, and 12:06. I walked about 1 minute of every mile except the last mile during which I walked 3 minutes. My overall time for 9 miles was 1:37:42.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Short, easy run
My Lymphedema appointment went fine today. The PT specialist said my measurements were down from last time, especially my upper arm which worried me by being bigger than usual at my last appointment. She agreed that the glove was a good fit and gave me kudos for managing the swelling well. She sent me off with instructions to keep up what I've been doing. However, today my hand has been swelling more than usual - last night too. I think I'll wrap it in the finger and ace combo wrap tonight. I hate that thing.
This evening I was scheduled to do a short easy run. I added a mile to it, though, because I don't expect to get many miles in this week due to the kids' Regional Championship swim meet which occurs all day and all evening on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I plan to do my long run on Thursday.
Tonight I put in 3 miles in 30:58 with the splits at 10:28, 10:10, and 10:19. I was on the RPAC track and was in good company. I was lapped by my colleague, Tom, who is an impressive marathon runner and an Ironman triathlete.
This evening I was scheduled to do a short easy run. I added a mile to it, though, because I don't expect to get many miles in this week due to the kids' Regional Championship swim meet which occurs all day and all evening on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I plan to do my long run on Thursday.
Tonight I put in 3 miles in 30:58 with the splits at 10:28, 10:10, and 10:19. I was on the RPAC track and was in good company. I was lapped by my colleague, Tom, who is an impressive marathon runner and an Ironman triathlete.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Shorter runs going well
Although I've had trouble with my long runs this training period, my shorter runs are going very well.
Today I was scheduled to do 5 miles with 3 of them at tempo. Since the weather was crappy (rain, sleet, and snow), I ran on the indoor track at RPAC while the kids were at swim practice.
My first and last miles were slow and don't really deserve time stats, but I'll note them anyway. The first was 10:38 but I stopped half way through, off the clock, and stretched for a few minutes and then I stopped after the first mile and stretched more. My cool down mile was 13:01 and included quite a bit of walking because I was spent after running the 3 mile tempo.
The middle three miles were at a continuous sub-9 minute pace. Sub-9 is extremely fast for me for just one mile, let alone 3. My miles were 8:54, 8:59, 8:50 and I didn't even keep an eye on the time during the run. Truth be told, age has caught up with me and I need glasses. When I'm running, I can only read the total time of the workout on my Ironman watch. The current split time display is too small. I guess that's one way to wean myself off of the need for speed. However, I can still read the split in recall mode after the run.
My 5K was 28:13 because I walked a bit during the last .1 mile of the 5K distance. If I would have been shooting for a 5K instead of just 3 miles, I probably could have dug deeper for a sub-28.
As it was, I struggled to hang on to the quick pace, especially during the last mile. I was continuously reminding myself that this was a tempo run and, as a former musician, I knew tempo meant I needed to try to stay at the same pace all the time. The most effective things I did to cling to the tempo were to manage my breathing and force my body to relax when I got tense and tired.
During the run I wore my new Lymphedema glove. It is so much better than the old glove, so I think I'll keep it. I have an appointment with the Lymphedema specialist tomorrow morning and will get her opinion on the fit.
Today I was scheduled to do 5 miles with 3 of them at tempo. Since the weather was crappy (rain, sleet, and snow), I ran on the indoor track at RPAC while the kids were at swim practice.
My first and last miles were slow and don't really deserve time stats, but I'll note them anyway. The first was 10:38 but I stopped half way through, off the clock, and stretched for a few minutes and then I stopped after the first mile and stretched more. My cool down mile was 13:01 and included quite a bit of walking because I was spent after running the 3 mile tempo.
The middle three miles were at a continuous sub-9 minute pace. Sub-9 is extremely fast for me for just one mile, let alone 3. My miles were 8:54, 8:59, 8:50 and I didn't even keep an eye on the time during the run. Truth be told, age has caught up with me and I need glasses. When I'm running, I can only read the total time of the workout on my Ironman watch. The current split time display is too small. I guess that's one way to wean myself off of the need for speed. However, I can still read the split in recall mode after the run.
My 5K was 28:13 because I walked a bit during the last .1 mile of the 5K distance. If I would have been shooting for a 5K instead of just 3 miles, I probably could have dug deeper for a sub-28.
As it was, I struggled to hang on to the quick pace, especially during the last mile. I was continuously reminding myself that this was a tempo run and, as a former musician, I knew tempo meant I needed to try to stay at the same pace all the time. The most effective things I did to cling to the tempo were to manage my breathing and force my body to relax when I got tense and tired.
During the run I wore my new Lymphedema glove. It is so much better than the old glove, so I think I'll keep it. I have an appointment with the Lymphedema specialist tomorrow morning and will get her opinion on the fit.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Long run today
My long run today was 7 miles in 1:16:15. I was disappointed in myself. Not because of the speed (or lack thereof), but because of the mental stuff. I've been dreading this run for a few days. All morning I was dreading going out. The weather was fine. It was the distance that had me spooked. I haven't been very successful during my long runs lately and I was afraid I couldn't do it.
When I finally shoved myself out the door, I didn't have a very good plan. I just put on the Garmin, grabbed a water bottle and headed out. The first mile I did well with a 3 minute run to 1 minute walk ratio. After that, the walking and running were not well timed. I just put them in whenever. Overall, I'm sure the run part of the ratio was higher than 3 since I caught myself running 5 minutes or more without a walk break. I never walked more than a minute, though.
My miles were 10:54, 10:52, 10:48, 11:00, 11:32, 11:00, and 10:09. It wasn't easy on me physically, either. I felt like a blister was starting on the outside of my arch and my back was tightening up throughout. I was very ready to be done at 7 miles as planned. No extra mile today.
I had negative self-talk sporadically throughout and after this less than optimal run. The Poco Loco is almost 2 of these runs back-to-back. Certainly I'm not ready for that. I couldn't just say, "hey, that was a good 7, let's go do it again!" I know I've still got a couple of months to train, but I like to be very well prepared for all events and I'm just not feeling it.
On a positive note, I wore my new Lymphedema glove while running today and I like it much better than the old one.
When I finally shoved myself out the door, I didn't have a very good plan. I just put on the Garmin, grabbed a water bottle and headed out. The first mile I did well with a 3 minute run to 1 minute walk ratio. After that, the walking and running were not well timed. I just put them in whenever. Overall, I'm sure the run part of the ratio was higher than 3 since I caught myself running 5 minutes or more without a walk break. I never walked more than a minute, though.
My miles were 10:54, 10:52, 10:48, 11:00, 11:32, 11:00, and 10:09. It wasn't easy on me physically, either. I felt like a blister was starting on the outside of my arch and my back was tightening up throughout. I was very ready to be done at 7 miles as planned. No extra mile today.
I had negative self-talk sporadically throughout and after this less than optimal run. The Poco Loco is almost 2 of these runs back-to-back. Certainly I'm not ready for that. I couldn't just say, "hey, that was a good 7, let's go do it again!" I know I've still got a couple of months to train, but I like to be very well prepared for all events and I'm just not feeling it.
On a positive note, I wore my new Lymphedema glove while running today and I like it much better than the old one.
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