I'm a Morning Runner

I tried to change up my routine today and run after work. I thought maybe the extra sleep in the morning would make a difference in how tired I've been feeling and possibly give me some more energy. While I did manage to stay awake on the car ride into work this morning (Andy drives us into work, thankfully), I'm not sure it was worth the lousy run I had tonight. I ran 6 miles in my expected time, but I felt terrible doing it. I got cramps, which I never get, my legs were heavy and my breathing was off. I know we all have bad runs from time to time, but I'm chalking this one up to the time of day. I'm just so used to my routine, I can't handle changing it up. But, I will give it one more try and run next week with the club from North Wales Running Company(http://www.northwalesrunningco.com/). Hopefully there will be another rep there and I can score some free stuff!! :-)

Just realized that I'll be running again in 9 hours...it never stops.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

I woke up this morning feeling pretty beat up. My knees are sore and I just felt overall tired. The fact that I have 8 weeks of training to go only made me feel more down and out. But I managed to get to the gym to lift and that helped a lot. Then to make me feel even better, Andy made me a fantastic dinner tonight. I usually do all the cooking because I need to have all the control over what I eat and how it's made. I tried not to "supervise" too much and think I did pretty well. Andy was understanding, as usual, and told me everything that went into the meal and significantly reduced the oil that it called for. Dinner was delicious! We had rock fish baked with pineapple and orange slices and a green bean/red bliss potato side dish (made with balsamic vinegar and onions...my favorite!). I even had a glass of wine with dinner, which is a complete no-no for me on a night before a morning run (which over the past few months has been every night!). But I'm trying to relax a little and not be so rigid with my life. Sounds silly, but having that glass of wine and breaking a rule of mine was really difficult. I'm usually plagued with guilt when I break one of my own rules, but I'm hoping writing about it will help me address it and let it go...

I'm scheduled to run 45 miles this week with a long run of 20 miles on Saturday. Work is going to be really busy with some late nights so I imagine this will be a tough week.

First 20 Miler!

Well, I did it! I successfully ran my first 20 mile run. We started in the dark, ran through the rain and finished in the humidity. I feel ok...I'd be lying if I said I felt great, but I feel pretty good. We averaged a 9:30 pace and it took 3 hours 10 minutes. The last few miles were tough, and we didn't talk quite as much, but we keep chugging along. My back really bothered me and the longer I went, the pain spread. It seems to spasm while I run and right when I'm done, but after I lay down for a little bit, it subsides. Anyway, it's not worth talking about the pain...I DID IT!! That's all that matters. I am SO proud of myself. I never in a million years thought *I* would run 20 miles.

So, it's time to go lay down. I'm heading out with friends to watch the Michigan game and I'm going to have a good time. I deserve it!! GO BLUE

Runners Lounge

While reading Blyfinn's blog (http://eric-running.blogspot.com/) I came across a link to Runners Lounge. How have I not known about this site?? Anyway, today is Take It and Run Thursday (TIaRT) and the topic is to describe how to conquer a marathon/half marathon in 26/13 words or less. While I haven't completed my first marathon yet, I do have PDR fresh in my mind...

My thoughts on the half:
Believe in yourself, enjoy the scenery, smile and have fun!

I'm glad no one told me I was being followed!

Uh oh

Turns out there might be a problem with the team wins from PDR. Apparently not all the results are posted and I think another AARC team might have come in first. But until the result page changes, I'm enjoying the victory!!

Andy and I had off today and aside from a long walk at Valley Green, we did absolutely nothing. It was a very relaxing day. Although I have to say, it killed me to not run today. Several times I considered heading over to run with the club tonight but Andy convinced me to take it easy. I'm scheduled to run 42 miles this week with a long run of only 13. However, I'm changing it up a little and I'm going to run my first 20 miler on Saturday. I can honestly say, I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully it won't take too long so I can squeeze a nap in before we head out to watch the Michigan game!

Personal Best!...and Team Win!

I just got home from running the Philly Distance Run (half marathon) and while I just missed the goal I set for myself, I did have a personal best. I finished in 1:46:48. The weather was absolutely perfect and the run was very scenic. My back is really hurting right now, but other than that, I feel great. I'm off to take a well deserved nap!!

I woke up and checked the times for the run and it turns out my AARC team won the Open Women's division!! Check it out...I came in first for our team!!

http://www.ingphiladelphiadistancerun.com/elite/results/pdr/2008/teams/RCOF2008_Teams_1_ClubOpenWomen.htm

A Week Ago

A week ago, I was cheering on my teammates as we each finished our last legs of RTB. Today, I'm trying to relax before PDR tomorrow morning. I'm SO excited! The weather is going to be beautiful and I feel great. I was dying to go for a run this morning but knew I should take it easy so I did some light cardio and lifting instead. It's crazy how antsy I feel if I don't run. Anyway, all the pictures from RTB were posted. There were a ton, but I organized a few into a slide show which can be found at the link below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30751428@N08/show/

Sleepy Heads

I know 7:45 am is an early start time, so here is the info if you're interested in keeping track of the race this weekend.

Comcast SportsNet will air the race locally and FSN will air it nationally. You can check out www.ingphiladelphiadistancerun.com for air dates. Or you can follow my progress with recorded times at the 5K, 10K and 10 mile marks. Go to website I listed and click on the LiveResults bug on the home page during the race.

For anyone who wants to come watch the race in person, here is the course map. It's a great set up in that from one location you can see start, 4 mile mark and the finish. And I love having supporters on the course!
http://www.ingphiladelphiadistancerun.com/Assets/runphilly/pdf/pdr_08_coursemap_color.pdf

Philly Distance Run

I'm anxiously awaiting PDR this Sunday! When I ran my first half marathon in December 2007, I had no idea what to expect. I shocked myself when I finished with a 1:51:20 because I had never run that far in my life and it was only my third race to date (prior to the half, I ran a 5 and 10K). My goal was to finish...and if I could finish, do it in under 2 hours. Looking back at that race, I was no where near where I'm at today. I have so much more confidence in my running now and know I'm capable of a lot more than 13 miles. I have a goal in mind for this Sunday, but I'm going to keep that to myself and try not to hold myself to it. I need to remember my ultimate goal for this year and that's the marathon. I can not risk pushing it and getting hurt during this race, especially since I'm coming off of Reach the Beach.

I'm continuing to run this week, but don't plan on doing anything longer than 6 miles and will keep my runs at a moderate pace. My main focus this week is catching up on all the sleep I lost while in New Hampshire.

Great Experience

I just got home from running the RTB relay and it was an incredible experience!! After driving up to New Hampshire on Thursday, checking in at the race, then eating dinner, we in our rooms and in bed around 11pm. I didn't get much sleep, maybe 3 hours at best. We were up at 5:15am Friday morning to head to Cannon Mountain for the start of the race. I took off for our team around 8:25am and it was great going first. Everyone was there to see me off and that's the last time the whole team is together until the finish line. I wasn't able to get any rest before my second leg, which started at 7pm. It just started to rain when I started this leg, but it was only 4 miles so it wasn't too bad. After everyone in my van was done with their second leg, around 1am, we stayed at the transition area to get some rest. I slept in the van and got 3 hours of sleep. We were awake and getting ready to head to the next transition area around 4:30am. I started my third, and most difficult, leg at 6:50am. This leg was not only more difficult because of the distance (9.4 miles) and topography (steep climbs and rolling hills), but I was exhausted and completely alone. At this point in the race, teams are so staggered that you can run a few miles without seeing any other runners. The scenery on this leg was so pretty and peaceful that I was a little sad when it was all over. After my van finished, we checked into our hotel in Hampton Beach, got cleaned up, and headed to the beach to cross the finish line with the second half of our team. We finished around 4:30pm on Saturday afternoon then went out to celebrate. Lisa, Lenore and I managed to stay out a lot longer than we planned and once again didn't get much sleep. And believe it or not, we were up early Sunday morning to go for a run!! Oh, and it was raining...I think we're all sick in the head.

As for my mileage, according to my leg descriptions, I was suppose to run 20.9 miles but my Garmin totaled 21.3 miles. I have to say, those 21.3 miles were the most memorable miles I have ever run. On the ride home everyone was talking about next year but I'm not sure there will be a next year for me. It was such a good experience I'm not sure I want to do it again and risk it being any different. It's a trip I'll never forget and I think I might be happy leaving it at that.

Off to New Hampshire!

I'm all packed and ready to go. It was interesting packing and trying to keep it to one moderate sized duffel bag, but packing each outfit in a big Ziploc bag really helped. I was able to squeeze all the air out of the bags and it saved a lot of room. Andy will be dropping me off shortly and we hope to be on the road by 8:30am. I'm really excited and hope to have lots of good stories when I get back. Thanks to everyone who called, emailed, etc wishing me a good trip...it meant SO much!! Think of me tomorrow morning at 8:20am as I start off for the Ambler Stampede...

Flattering

A woman who works out every morning at the gym came up to me today and asked what I was training for. It's silly, but that was really flattering. It was like someone noticed the hard work I'm putting in and knew it must be for something. We chatted for a while about running and training and the commitment it takes to get ready for a marathon. I didn't understand it myself before I started training, but it's really like a second job. I have to get up and do it every day, no matter how tired I am, how much I don't want to run, etc. I can't make excuses and just take a day off and everything I do is planned around my running schedule. I'm sure this doesn't sound like much fun, doesn't even sound fun to me when I read it, but I'm loving it and what it's done for me, my health and my life.

Shawmont Hill

I ran 14 miles today and the route we took went up the infamous "Shawmont Hill." The hill is a mile long steady climb, for which the local running club Shawmont is named after. It was good practice for the hills I'm about to face in New Hampshire this week. Speaking of that, I found out today that if someone gets hurt during RTB, that we all move up a leg. Since I'm # 1, that means I have the biggest chance to end up doing 4 legs. Hopefully no one gets injured and this won't be an issue. Here's a picture of the team from our meeting last Thursday. We leave in a few days...I can't wait!

Going Out!

I'm surprised I did it, but I actually changed my long run this weekend to Sunday and I'm going out tonight! At the last minute, Hanna ruined some plans and an old friend I haven't seen in 8 years is coming into town tonight instead of tomorrow. I think this might be the first Friday night that I've gone out on all summer...actually, it's been longer than that. I'm still getting my long run in, though. Due to Hanna, a few people from the running club were more than willing to hold off on running until Sunday so we're meeting then instead. I'm looking forward to having 2 nights of the weekend without having to 1) go to bed early to be well rested for my long run or 2) being exhausted after having done a long run.

We leave for New Hampshire in exactly one week...I can't wait!!

Start Time

We were assigned our start times for RTB today and I'll be starting off for Ambler Stampede at 8:20am. This is perfect as I prefer to run early and before eating any big meals for the day. We have our last team meeting this Thursday to discuss any last minute items and to answer any lingering questions. Surprisingly, I'm doing ok considering the fact that I really don't know what I'm getting myself into...for those who don't know me, I like details and plans! But I have the feeling that this is going to be a trip that teaches me a lot. From how to survive 4 days with little to no sleep, to how to cope when you're trapped in a van with stinky people, to most importantly...not having control and being forced to go with the flow.

Running is going well this week. We have a traveling fun run this Saturday and although I'm scheduled to do 18 miles, due to weather and RTB next week, I might scale it back a little. Off to do more work from my couch...I'd rather be running...

Relaxing...

Just got home from a fast 6 mile run at Valley Green. My running schedule is a little up in the air this week. I'm scheduled to do 40 miles this week, but I'm not sure I want to push myself and do 18 on Saturday when I have RTB next weekend. I might add some mileage to my runs during the week and cut back a little on the long run.

So, with my workout done for the day, I'm relaxing in my pj's watching Gustav coverage. I'm going to enjoy this day off and do nothing because the next few months of work (and running!) are going to be terrible.