Test run on the Achilles didn't go as planned today. When I first started it was a little stiff but in less than a 1/4 mile, I felt great. No pain whatsoever. I was smiling and cheering to myself. Well, around 2.5 miles, it started bothering me. Not so much pain, but discomfort. That came and went for the rest of the 5 mile run. When I got home I iced immediately and it felt really tight. That's the best way to describe it...really tight. I went about my morning and when I headed down the stairs a little bit later, I had a pretty intense pain shoot up the entire back of my leg. It continued to bother me most of today but only when I did stairs. When I flex it feels really tight and sore, too. It's loosened up now, but I just spoke with the doc and he said what I was thinking all along...that I probably shouldn't run on Sunday. Since this was just a pacing gig, and not a run for a personal goal, it's not smart to mess up my other goal of running the Ultra this summer. I have to get an MRI at this point because the doc felt that if it was something minor, I would have been feeling better by now. So no running until the MRI but I am allowed to cross train. I'm trying to stay positive but I'm completely crushed. I just cried my eyes out but am calm now. It's not the end of the world...there will be other races and by playing it smart now, I'll be healthy and able to run them.
So, it's cross training and lifting for me right now. Hopefully I'll be able to line up at the start line at DE in a few weeks.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Achilles
On Sunday I went for a short, easy run with Andy. When I got home and went upstairs, I noticed a weird feeling on the back of my heel. It wasn't pain, but it was definitely there and just felt weird...maybe a little tight? Well, on Monday I ran 7 hard miles. I really kicked my butt with the speed work and gave myself a good workout. When I first hopped on the treadmill, the tightness was there and it might have progressed to discomfort, but I was able to run without it bothering me once I warmed up. Throughout the day on Monday it got progressively worse and by the time I left work, there was pain with each step I took. Pretty intense pain, too. When I woke up yesterday, there was no denying that the discomfort that had been there previously had turned into real pain. I tend to avoid the doctor at all cost and will run through pain but this was actually bad enough that I knew I needed to do something. So, I took off from running and called a podiatrist I know through my running club. But I didn't call just any podiatrist. Oh no...I called Ira Meyers who just happens to be the WINNER of the 1986 Philadelphia marathon. Holy heck, can you imagine?? Just incredible. Totally inspiring being around him and talking about running. And although my insurance didn't cover this visit, I absolutely wanted to see an athlete and talk to someone who understood how important it was for me to get this under control.
Anyway, I saw Ira this morning and it turns out I have a slight tear in my Achilles. There's no running until Friday and I'm on a pain killer/anti inflammatory and I have to fit in 2 physical therapy sessions before Sunday. Yes, before Sunday. Remember that little pacing gig I have at NJ this weekend? Well, I'm determined to be at that starting line. Whether or not I can do it comes down to my run on Friday. I offered to take off until Sunday if I had to but Ira actually said I need to run on Friday to test it out. Thre are 3 scenarios:
1) No pain, run goes well (that's good!)
2) Pain in beginning but goes away during course of run (that's ok)
3) Pain in beginning which doesn't go away and gets worse (that's not good)
So I'm hoping and praying for a #1 on Friday but will take a #2 over a #3. This is the first time I'm dealing with an injury that's actually keeping me from running. I know it's only a few days but I feel messed up by it already. I'm nervous and anxious and just hope I feel like a million bucks come Friday.
Anyway, I saw Ira this morning and it turns out I have a slight tear in my Achilles. There's no running until Friday and I'm on a pain killer/anti inflammatory and I have to fit in 2 physical therapy sessions before Sunday. Yes, before Sunday. Remember that little pacing gig I have at NJ this weekend? Well, I'm determined to be at that starting line. Whether or not I can do it comes down to my run on Friday. I offered to take off until Sunday if I had to but Ira actually said I need to run on Friday to test it out. Thre are 3 scenarios:
1) No pain, run goes well (that's good!)
2) Pain in beginning but goes away during course of run (that's ok)
3) Pain in beginning which doesn't go away and gets worse (that's not good)
So I'm hoping and praying for a #1 on Friday but will take a #2 over a #3. This is the first time I'm dealing with an injury that's actually keeping me from running. I know it's only a few days but I feel messed up by it already. I'm nervous and anxious and just hope I feel like a million bucks come Friday.
Monday, April 26, 2010
To Race Or Not To Race
I don't know what it is, but I'm just not content with the thought of running marathons "for fun." There is something in me that makes me want to push hard and race and give it everything I got. While this isn't an issue with NJ next weekend since I'm pacing, I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do at DE marathon in a few weeks. While I'm not sure I'm in peak condition, I've been thinking I'd run hard and shoot for a 3:40. If it wasn't my day, then I'd take what I learned at Shamrock, back off, and enjoy the rest of the race. This all sounded good until this morning when I looked at my traininig schedule for the week immediately after the race....
That's a 62 mile week with my first weekend of back to back long runs for the Ultra. While I do think I recover fairly quickly, I'm wondering if I'm going to feel up for such a high mileage week. And is it worth the risk of injury? DE is only 2 months out from the Ultra, probably not the best time to be taking any chances of overdoing it. And with all the high mileage I'm about to put in over the next few months, I should really focus on staying healthy. I was talking with a running friend about this and she made a really good point. She said, "What is racing DE going to get you that you don't already have? You already qualified for Boston 2011." Very true. My original intent of running Shamrock, NJ and then DE was to get my marathon maniac status. The thought of racing crept up for Shamrock and I gave it a shot. I was never supposed to race DE, it was suppose to be a long training run. Whether or not I race it will not take away the fact that I'm running a marathon and it won't take away the fact that I ran 3 marathons in under 90 days and earned my marathon manaic status. As much as it kills me, I'm thinking it's best for me to play it safe with this one.
And besides, there's already Philly marathon on my schedule in November. I'm going to race this one and shoot for a PR and another BQ. Racing this one will get me something I don't already have.
Mon - off
Tues - 7 mi
Wed - 10 mi
Thurs - 7 mi
Fri - off
Sat - 20 mi
Sun - 18 mi
That's a 62 mile week with my first weekend of back to back long runs for the Ultra. While I do think I recover fairly quickly, I'm wondering if I'm going to feel up for such a high mileage week. And is it worth the risk of injury? DE is only 2 months out from the Ultra, probably not the best time to be taking any chances of overdoing it. And with all the high mileage I'm about to put in over the next few months, I should really focus on staying healthy. I was talking with a running friend about this and she made a really good point. She said, "What is racing DE going to get you that you don't already have? You already qualified for Boston 2011." Very true. My original intent of running Shamrock, NJ and then DE was to get my marathon maniac status. The thought of racing crept up for Shamrock and I gave it a shot. I was never supposed to race DE, it was suppose to be a long training run. Whether or not I race it will not take away the fact that I'm running a marathon and it won't take away the fact that I ran 3 marathons in under 90 days and earned my marathon manaic status. As much as it kills me, I'm thinking it's best for me to play it safe with this one.
And besides, there's already Philly marathon on my schedule in November. I'm going to race this one and shoot for a PR and another BQ. Racing this one will get me something I don't already have.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Happiness...
While I was admiring my tan feet and painted toes the other day at work (I have a thing for tan feet, they look so cute in sandals), I glanced at my tattoo and it came to me. My new blog title was there right in front of me all this time!!
(yes, I do have toes, I was hiding them in the picture because I was missing several toenails)
I ran 7 miles after work last night and felt like a million bucks. I was wondering if that would zap some of my energy for my 13 miler this morning, which I did less than 12 hours later, but it didn't at all. I had such a great run today. The miles just flew by and it was absolutely beautiful out. I picked it up for the last 3 miles and ran around race pace to feel that pace on tired legs and at times I felt that pace was easier than the long run pace. Overall I averaged a 9:22 and I wish I was still out there.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend...I know mine started off perfect!!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Check Is In The Mail
WOO HOO!!! Boston lodging form is in the mail with my one nights deposit! I can't believe how early I'm doing this but based on what I've heard from all my Boston veteran friends, the sooner the better. I'm using marathon tours and you need to fill out a form listing your top 5 choices of places to stay. They are listed based on their distance from the finish line. After you mail the form in, you will hear back in a few weeks as to which hotel choice you got. Since some of my biggest fans are going with me, I'm trying to stay as close to the finish as possible. That way they can stay in bed as long as they want and putz around the finish line area until I come smiling across the finish line! Seriously, April 18, 2011 can't get here soon enough!! I'm smiling just filling out the form...can't imagine how I'm going to be come race day!
Running has been going really well this week. I went out on Monday after my 18 miler on Sunday and my legs felt really heavy. I wanted to take it nice and easy but it turns out that my legs wanted to run an 8:30 pace so I went with it. When I woke up yesterday at 5am to run, I was so exhausted. On my way to the gym I actually contemplated turning around and going back to bed. Well, I'm so glad I didn't. I ended up running 7 miles with 4 of them at 8:20 (race pace) and 1 between 7:30-8:00. Once again, the pace felt great. My breathing was normal, I did my own little talk test (yes, talk out loud to myself at the gym to see how I'm doing) and was talking fine, and I could have kept going at that pace. These runs gave me a little glimmer of hope that I might just be able to race Delaware marathon on the 16th. Still undecided about that. Tomorrow and Saturday's run will be all about dialing in the 9:45 pace for NJ marathon. I'm really looking forward to wearing that pacer shirt...how cool will that be!?!?
Oh, I'm also thinking of changing the title of my blog. When I started this little thing, I never knew I'd actually keep up with it OR that people would actually read it. I've always hated "running journal" so I'm going to change it. Just a heads up if you see something new in your blog roll! And I'll take suggestions!!
Running has been going really well this week. I went out on Monday after my 18 miler on Sunday and my legs felt really heavy. I wanted to take it nice and easy but it turns out that my legs wanted to run an 8:30 pace so I went with it. When I woke up yesterday at 5am to run, I was so exhausted. On my way to the gym I actually contemplated turning around and going back to bed. Well, I'm so glad I didn't. I ended up running 7 miles with 4 of them at 8:20 (race pace) and 1 between 7:30-8:00. Once again, the pace felt great. My breathing was normal, I did my own little talk test (yes, talk out loud to myself at the gym to see how I'm doing) and was talking fine, and I could have kept going at that pace. These runs gave me a little glimmer of hope that I might just be able to race Delaware marathon on the 16th. Still undecided about that. Tomorrow and Saturday's run will be all about dialing in the 9:45 pace for NJ marathon. I'm really looking forward to wearing that pacer shirt...how cool will that be!?!?
Oh, I'm also thinking of changing the title of my blog. When I started this little thing, I never knew I'd actually keep up with it OR that people would actually read it. I've always hated "running journal" so I'm going to change it. Just a heads up if you see something new in your blog roll! And I'll take suggestions!!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Boston Monday!
Jill at Finishing Is Winning posted a great topic today for her "Brain Exchange" Monday...
Topic: BOSTON!
Do you get excited about the Boston Marathon? Um, YES!!! I was actually a little depressed yesterday that I wasn't in Boston myself. Having qualified for 2010 and not being there was rough. And this was even after a great trip to Jamaica. When I woke up this morning the first thing I did was log on to see how my friends were doing on race day. It bummed me out a little to see the pics they posted on the bus to the start line...I so wish I was there right now.
Have you ever ran or do you hope to one day run in the race? No, I haven't run it yet but I'll be running in 2011. The nice thing about a late fall marathon is that it gets you entry for 2 years. Thank goodness too considering Boston sold out for 2010 the week before I qualified at Philly. I'm also planning to race Philly again this fall and try to qualify for 2012.
Will you watch today and if so will it be watching in person, on TV, on the computer? I've been trying to watch all morning but you have to pay for the live feed. What the heck is up with that?? Like the fees associated with this marathon aren't enough, can you at least plop it up on the internet for free?
Do you have anyone special running this year? I have a lot of friends running and know a lot of bloggers who are out there, too. It's been fun tracking them and they are all kicking butt right now!! At the half Jack and Dave are on their way to BQ again (1:40:12, 1:44:34). And while Lakshmi and Dana aren't at the half yet, they are running strong!! And then there's Kate, who's been sick as a dog, and is on pace for a 3:52 finish right now! I have goose bumps thinking about these guys...keep it up!
Any great Boston stories to tell? I'll answer this question next year!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I really felt like crud all weekend. Not sure what was going on but I definitely wasn't refreshed after a relaxing week long vacation. I could barely keep my eyes open on Saturday and ended up taking a 2.5 hour nap. Even after that, all I wanted to do was go back to bed. Sunday wasn't much better and waking up early was almost impossible. But still, I pulled myself out of bed at 6am and headed out for a solo 18 mile run. I wasn't sure I had it in me, and started worrying about how prepared I was to even pace NJ marathon in 2 weeks, but I just took it easy and things went ok. I'm not sure what my pace was because I had to stop and start the Garmin for multiple bathroom trips (my stomach was not happy with me yesterday). Each time I went into the bathroom, I lost my satellite so I had to turn off my watch and restart it. While I was shooting for a 9:43 pace to practice pacing for NJ, I think I finished closer to a 10 min mile. I was comfortable and enjoying the run and was happy I was even out there based on how I felt the past few days so I didn't push it. Towards the end of the run, I really picked it up a bit and ended feeling pretty strong. The best part was that I could have kept going.
NORMA -- can you send me the link to your blog? I lost the email with the invite and haven't been able to respond to your comments because they aren't linked to your email address.
Topic: BOSTON!
Do you get excited about the Boston Marathon? Um, YES!!! I was actually a little depressed yesterday that I wasn't in Boston myself. Having qualified for 2010 and not being there was rough. And this was even after a great trip to Jamaica. When I woke up this morning the first thing I did was log on to see how my friends were doing on race day. It bummed me out a little to see the pics they posted on the bus to the start line...I so wish I was there right now.
Have you ever ran or do you hope to one day run in the race? No, I haven't run it yet but I'll be running in 2011. The nice thing about a late fall marathon is that it gets you entry for 2 years. Thank goodness too considering Boston sold out for 2010 the week before I qualified at Philly. I'm also planning to race Philly again this fall and try to qualify for 2012.
Will you watch today and if so will it be watching in person, on TV, on the computer? I've been trying to watch all morning but you have to pay for the live feed. What the heck is up with that?? Like the fees associated with this marathon aren't enough, can you at least plop it up on the internet for free?
Do you have anyone special running this year? I have a lot of friends running and know a lot of bloggers who are out there, too. It's been fun tracking them and they are all kicking butt right now!! At the half Jack and Dave are on their way to BQ again (1:40:12, 1:44:34). And while Lakshmi and Dana aren't at the half yet, they are running strong!! And then there's Kate, who's been sick as a dog, and is on pace for a 3:52 finish right now! I have goose bumps thinking about these guys...keep it up!
Any great Boston stories to tell? I'll answer this question next year!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I really felt like crud all weekend. Not sure what was going on but I definitely wasn't refreshed after a relaxing week long vacation. I could barely keep my eyes open on Saturday and ended up taking a 2.5 hour nap. Even after that, all I wanted to do was go back to bed. Sunday wasn't much better and waking up early was almost impossible. But still, I pulled myself out of bed at 6am and headed out for a solo 18 mile run. I wasn't sure I had it in me, and started worrying about how prepared I was to even pace NJ marathon in 2 weeks, but I just took it easy and things went ok. I'm not sure what my pace was because I had to stop and start the Garmin for multiple bathroom trips (my stomach was not happy with me yesterday). Each time I went into the bathroom, I lost my satellite so I had to turn off my watch and restart it. While I was shooting for a 9:43 pace to practice pacing for NJ, I think I finished closer to a 10 min mile. I was comfortable and enjoying the run and was happy I was even out there based on how I felt the past few days so I didn't push it. Towards the end of the run, I really picked it up a bit and ended feeling pretty strong. The best part was that I could have kept going.
NORMA -- can you send me the link to your blog? I lost the email with the invite and haven't been able to respond to your comments because they aren't linked to your email address.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Wish I Was Still There
THANK YOU SO MUCH for those who signed the petition. As of this morning, my sister was still expected in court on Monday in Russia to legally make Grace their little girl. However, due to the volcano erupting in Iceland, their flight was cancelled today while driving to the airport. I can't believe there is yet another thing getting in the way of bringing this baby home. I just talked to my sister and while she sounds exhausted, she's hanging in there. I can't believe the strength she has shown through all of this. She is such a tough cookie. I might even eat a cupcake for you, Jeanette!!
We made it back from Jamaica last night and had an amazing trip. We had beautiful weather, relaxing days, and fun nights. We met some great people and drank too many tasty cocktails. I might even go as far to say I had my fill of champagne for a while! Of course I slept like a rock on vacation and came home to get no sleep last night. Newman was so happy to have us home he kept me up all night. I woke up feeling lousy, my eyes all swollen and my throat sore but I forced myself out for a run. Turned out to be a fabulous 4 miler!! I didn't shoot for any pace and just ran based on how I felt and I averaged an 8:44 with the last mile at 8:20. I could have, and wanted, to keep going but I have an 18 miler tomorrow so I decided to take it easy today. With NJ marathon just 2 weeks away, I'm going to practice my race pace for the 4:15 group tomorrow and get used to the 9:43 pace. I was wondering if anyone wanted to run with me tomorrow but everyone around here is at Boston...I can't believe I should be there right now!! So jealous of the excitement everyone must be feeling but I'm there with them in spirit.
Good luck to all the Boston marathoners on Monday, I'll be watching from my desk and tracking you!!! RUN HARD!
Here are a few pictures from the trip...makes me sad looking at them. Can't wait to get back.
We made it back from Jamaica last night and had an amazing trip. We had beautiful weather, relaxing days, and fun nights. We met some great people and drank too many tasty cocktails. I might even go as far to say I had my fill of champagne for a while! Of course I slept like a rock on vacation and came home to get no sleep last night. Newman was so happy to have us home he kept me up all night. I woke up feeling lousy, my eyes all swollen and my throat sore but I forced myself out for a run. Turned out to be a fabulous 4 miler!! I didn't shoot for any pace and just ran based on how I felt and I averaged an 8:44 with the last mile at 8:20. I could have, and wanted, to keep going but I have an 18 miler tomorrow so I decided to take it easy today. With NJ marathon just 2 weeks away, I'm going to practice my race pace for the 4:15 group tomorrow and get used to the 9:43 pace. I was wondering if anyone wanted to run with me tomorrow but everyone around here is at Boston...I can't believe I should be there right now!! So jealous of the excitement everyone must be feeling but I'm there with them in spirit.
Good luck to all the Boston marathoners on Monday, I'll be watching from my desk and tracking you!!! RUN HARD!
Here are a few pictures from the trip...makes me sad looking at them. Can't wait to get back.
Our open air, beach front room!!
Our verandah, where we had champagne happy hours.
A stretch of 7 mile beach
My favorite sunset picture
Relaxing, listening to music with my favorite guy.
This local walked the beach all day, every day, on one leg. This is when he sang to me.
Our traditional Red Stripe in Margaritaville before we get on the plane...so sad.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Please Help
As a lot of you know, my sister has been going through the adoption process for years. We've had some really hard times over the past few years but we're finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Little Grace Katya is suppose to come home to join our family on Mother's day weekend. What perfect timing!!
Well, I'm not sure if you heard, but some stupid, cold hearted woman recently sent her Russian adopted child back to Russia on a plane with nothing other than a note. Now Russia is considering a suspension on all adoptions. I am having a hard time even typing right now. My sister (and the rest of our family) wants this little girl home with us so badly and I'm freaking out at the thought of someone ruining this for us. PLEASE...can you take one second to fill out the attached petition? There's a little girl who really needs us...
http://www.jcics.org/Russia.htm
Well, I'm not sure if you heard, but some stupid, cold hearted woman recently sent her Russian adopted child back to Russia on a plane with nothing other than a note. Now Russia is considering a suspension on all adoptions. I am having a hard time even typing right now. My sister (and the rest of our family) wants this little girl home with us so badly and I'm freaking out at the thought of someone ruining this for us. PLEASE...can you take one second to fill out the attached petition? There's a little girl who really needs us...
http://www.jcics.org/Russia.htm
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Yea Mon!!
I have no idea what day or time it is and I love it!! Jamaica is such a beautiful place and as usual, I'm soaking it all in. We arrived on Friday afternoon and upon arriving at the resort were upgraded to a beach front room. We have a fabulous view on a quiet part of the resort and the beach is perfect. It's insanely hot and the sun is a little unbearable today (hence why I stopped in for a quick post), but it's all good!! I've managed to pull my lazy ass out of bed each morning so far to go for a run. The first day I only lasted 3 miles on the treadmill because it was so hot in the gym area but finished up with a few loops on the half mile track. I ran that again today and it was just so peaceful. I could have kept going forever. Going for a run first thing in the morning and not having to rush around and worry about stupid crap is such a nice way to start the day. We're actually staying at the hotel which hosts the Jamaican marathon expo and the start/finish of the race. I will be back one day for that run...
Well, I think it might be time for a dip in the pool then a Red Stripe at the pool bar. Life sure is rough.
Well, I think it might be time for a dip in the pool then a Red Stripe at the pool bar. Life sure is rough.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
No Luck
For those of you who didn't enter, the NYC marathon lottery took place today. Just a few minutes ago, to be exact. I logged on at exactly 12:30pm to see this:
What a bummer. I was really hoping to be selected for this, but apparently I'm not so lucky. In the words of my sister though, "you still have Boston...and you had to earn that one...not a stupid lottery!" So true! Reminds me that earning my spot into races is really how I want to get in. Even before I qualified for Boston, I always said that I refused to run it any other way than putting in the hard effort and qualifying. I'm all about running for charity and raising money, and I've done that myself for other races, but this wasn't an option for me when it came to Boston. And I'm thinking it's the way to go for NYC, too. Qualifying for NYC isn't easy and I need a 1:37 half marathon (or 3:23 full, which I'm smart enough to know is unattainable), but hey, it's a new challenge. Bring it on!! I'm thinking Philly half marathon in September is a good time to go for this since I was already planning to race this hard and try to PR again this year. Now, I'll need to take 5 minutes off my time to qualify, which won't be easy, but it's worth a shot!
I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to post again before we leave for Jamaica. I took off tomorrow to do some running around and get my long run in, so I'm really struggling to make it through these last few hours at work right now. This vacation is long over due and I can't wait for a week away with Andy. Lazy days on the beach, afternoons at the pool bar, happy hour watching the sunset...doesn't get much better than that. Hope everyone has a great week!!
Marathon registration status: Not accepted
What a bummer. I was really hoping to be selected for this, but apparently I'm not so lucky. In the words of my sister though, "you still have Boston...and you had to earn that one...not a stupid lottery!" So true! Reminds me that earning my spot into races is really how I want to get in. Even before I qualified for Boston, I always said that I refused to run it any other way than putting in the hard effort and qualifying. I'm all about running for charity and raising money, and I've done that myself for other races, but this wasn't an option for me when it came to Boston. And I'm thinking it's the way to go for NYC, too. Qualifying for NYC isn't easy and I need a 1:37 half marathon (or 3:23 full, which I'm smart enough to know is unattainable), but hey, it's a new challenge. Bring it on!! I'm thinking Philly half marathon in September is a good time to go for this since I was already planning to race this hard and try to PR again this year. Now, I'll need to take 5 minutes off my time to qualify, which won't be easy, but it's worth a shot!
I'm not sure if I'll get a chance to post again before we leave for Jamaica. I took off tomorrow to do some running around and get my long run in, so I'm really struggling to make it through these last few hours at work right now. This vacation is long over due and I can't wait for a week away with Andy. Lazy days on the beach, afternoons at the pool bar, happy hour watching the sunset...doesn't get much better than that. Hope everyone has a great week!!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Ultra Schedule
Running and scheduling had me so stressed out last week that I actually disliked running. Not for long, but there were a few times that I just thought about giving it up and was wondering if I could transfer my entry for the Ultra. After a good nights sleep, I snapped out of that but I was still not feeling right about things. For the first time I wasn't even looking forward to my long run on Saturday. That has never happened! I thought it might help if I got organized and put something on paper, so I spent some time putting together a schedule for the Ultra. It definitely helped and once I had something in front of me, I felt much more relaxed. I ended up having a great 13 miler on Saturday and instead of taking off on Sunday, I headed out with Andy for an easy 3 miles...which turned into a little over 6 miles with a few miles at a 8:00 pace. I felt great and wanted to keep going, but unfortunately, I had to get home to get ready for Easter. I was so happy to have 2 great runs after a crummy week of hating the sport.
Anyway, I'm going to fly by the seat of my pants over the next few weeks, but come May 17th, I have a game plan. Leading up to that, though, I have 2 marathons to get through. First up NJ on May 2nd then two weeks later, Delaware on May 16th. I was going to use DE marathon as a long training run for the Ultra but now I'm having second thoughts. After what happened at Shamrock, I just don't want to pass up an opportunity to redeem myself. I still don't feel I'm as prepared as I was for Philly, but I'm going to work on that over the next few weeks. I'm going to start dialing in that 8:20 pace and getting used to it again. I don't have much time to prepare, but based on my Frostbite 5 miler results and how I felt the first 16 miles or so of Shamrock, I'm hoping there's some fitness left in this body to pull off a 3:40.
So, here it is...my draft Ultra schedule. Pink just denotes my Fridays off from work. Right now I peak at 77 miles but I will be adding more miles to that week to make it to 80! I also plan to split up one of the 10 milers each week into a double and do 5 miles before work and 5 miles after. My goal is to run 75 miles, but the schedule only shows 50 because I've been going back and forth as to how far I want to go. I'll have to fill you in later on that...
Friday, April 2, 2010
Working Hard
I've been working out a ton lately and it's finally catching up to me. I've been putting in some doubles and just this week I worked out 3 times in under 24 hours. Not just running, but I'm incorporating a lot of cross training and lifting again into my routine. I'm so much happier since I rejoined the gym and am able to do more than just run. My body clearly hit a plateau with a straight year of only running and I needed to change things up. I've noticed a lot of changes with the cross training/lifting and a lot of my little aches and pains have gone away. My hip and sciatica bothered me for the longest time but these pains have slowly gone away. I really think it is due to using other muscles and strengthening those not used when running. I kick myself for missing out on a year at the gym. So, back to the point...I've been feeling a little lot worn out lately. Well this morning when I hopped on the elliptical for a 5 minute warm up before lifting, I noticed the display said my heart rate was 126. Whoa! I had pretty much just rolled out of bed so I wouldn't expect my heart rate to be much higher than normal. My resting heart rate is 48 and I struggle to get my heart rate up when doing cardio as it is. If I hit 120 during a hard effort I'm happy. Apparently, my metabolism sucks but my heart is very efficient!! I wasn't sure how accurate the machine was so I jumped off to take my HR myself and it was indeed high. Now, this didn't stop me from lifting and then running, but I did find it interesting since I've been feeling so beat up lately. Not sure if you know, but you can monitor if you're body is recovered by your resting heart rate. If you take your heart rate first thing when you wake up and it's elevated, this is a sign of over training, sickness, not recovered, etc. I guess it's a good thing I'll be relaxing here in a week:
Looking forward to some runs in the warm weather we're having this weekend. Going to be close to 80! It will get my body used to running in Jamaica. The place we're staying at has a huge open air gym and a track!! I plan to work out each morning so when I drink copious amounts of champagne I don't have to feel guilty about it!!
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