This is a record number of posts for me in one week. I'm not sure why I'm posting again because lately I hate my blog and have been thinking of killing it off. I feel like I have nothing interesting going on, when really, that couldn't be further from the truth. But anyway, I just had to check in and vent about The Biggest Loser.
After a few years of not watching, I decided to give it another shot. Why is the show so intense now? I understand the workouts are going to be rough considering these contestants haven't worked out in years or in some cases, have never worked out. But I swear it's just a matter of time before someone drops dead! People are puking all over the place, falling off treadmills, fainting, hyperventilating...way to make exercise look fun! Maybe I'm ultra sensitive since I take my personal training exam in a week (eeek!!) but I can't imagine putting someone through something so torturous. I know, I know, it's television. But to me it's conveying the wrong message and it's anything but "reality" TV.
Another thing that really gets my panties in a bunch is Jillian Michaels. I've mentioned my despise for her when commenting on other blogs but never talked about her here because I didn't wanted to get all fired up. Does she have to be such a beotch? And the yelling...will you just shut up?!? She should take some lessons from Bob. Me likey Bob. But I'll be honest; my extreme dislike of Jillian isn't solely due to her rants and scary mean face on the show. The day I flipped the page in a magazine and saw the ad for her weight loss supplement line put the nail in the coffin. I find it very hypocritical that she's out there teaching people about a healthy lifestyle and whole foods and yet she's pushing a flippin' diet pill which claims "Two Capsules Before Main Meals and You Lose Weight...That's It!" Makes...me...sick.
And lastly, does anyone else think it would be that big of a deal if they let the contestants keep their shirt on when they get weighed? I understand that fraction of a pound the shirt adds will affect their weight loss percentage and may put them under the dreaded yellow line, but I feel like it's exploiting the contestants a little bit. Especially when the camera man zooms in so you can see every stretch mark. Give them some respect. What we fail to think about is that after these contestants drop a ton of weight, they still have to deal with what the weight did to their physical appearance. They will have to carry around pounds and pounds of excess skin and some will resort to surgery to remove it. Some people will struggle more with what they look like after losing weight than what they looked like when they were heavy.
Any thoughts? Right now I'm thinking I'm done with the show. I tried...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Cavalacade of Curiosities
Have you seen or heard of the Brooks Cavalacade of Curiosities? The Brooks cavalacade is a running inspired mobile carnival experience which travels around the country to running events, stores and Rock n Roll marathons. You might have seen the huge blue bus cruising down the highway, which I heard is around 18 feet high. The bus sets up shop and there a ton of fun carnival games where everything is free and you can win prizes. There's also the opportunity to get your gait analysis done for free, which I have been dying to do. Well, the cavalacade is on its way to the Paul Short run at Lehigh University in PA this week and guess who gets to help out with the event...meeeee!! The event is expected to draw in around 6500 people and so far it's looking like an incredible day, 74 and sunny! I am so excited to help out with this and can't wait to meet a ton of great people. So if you're in the area and not doing anything on Friday between 8am and 7pm, swing by...I'll help you cheat at the games so you win something! ;-)
This is a big week for me of running with some tough workouts and my peak mileage week. It's only Wednesday and my legs are already feeling a little tired. I haven't taken a true day off in a while so I'm thinking this Sunday needs to be a rest day. And after I get through this week, I'm going back to running only 5 days a week at the most with the flexibility to ditch a run and cross train whenever the heck I feel like it. I had a great 8 miler yesterday and knocked out 6 - 800's right around a 7:10 pace. The first one felt a little challenging but after I pulled myself together, the miles flew by and I felt great. Towards the end the legs were tired but I definitely had a few more in me. I'm thinking next week I'll shoot for 10! Tomorrow I have a 7 miler with the middle miles at marathon pace. I'm hoping I can settle in and find the pace easily because I haven't done a tempo run in a loooong time. These are the runs that I feel really got me ready for Philly last year. Drilling marathon pace into my mind and body and knowing what the pace felt like really paid off.
This is a big week for me of running with some tough workouts and my peak mileage week. It's only Wednesday and my legs are already feeling a little tired. I haven't taken a true day off in a while so I'm thinking this Sunday needs to be a rest day. And after I get through this week, I'm going back to running only 5 days a week at the most with the flexibility to ditch a run and cross train whenever the heck I feel like it. I had a great 8 miler yesterday and knocked out 6 - 800's right around a 7:10 pace. The first one felt a little challenging but after I pulled myself together, the miles flew by and I felt great. Towards the end the legs were tired but I definitely had a few more in me. I'm thinking next week I'll shoot for 10! Tomorrow I have a 7 miler with the middle miles at marathon pace. I'm hoping I can settle in and find the pace easily because I haven't done a tempo run in a loooong time. These are the runs that I feel really got me ready for Philly last year. Drilling marathon pace into my mind and body and knowing what the pace felt like really paid off.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Saved the Best for Last
After running Philly half marathon on Sunday, then doing the 800's on Thursday, on top of working out every day, my legs were dead tired after an easy 5 miler on Friday. I knew it might make my 18 miles on Saturday tough, but I've been wanting to push it on a long run so I figured now would be a good time. Our goal was to hold around a 9:30 pace, which is actually faster than I normally do my long runs. I usually run anything over 15 closer to a 9:45. I'm of the mentality that you do your long runs slow so you're fresh and ready for the quality speed workouts during the week. As much as it annoys me to run them slow, it paid off for me last year so I'm sticking with it!
We started, half asleep, around 5:45am and from the get go my legs felt like lead. After 4 miles or so I finally woke up a bit and started to find my groove. With each mile though, my legs grew more tired and a few times I felt like just stopping dead in my tracks. I didn't know we had plans to run "Shawmont Hill" until we were 7 miles into the run. And that's probably a good thing because had I known, I might have turned around and headed back early! Shawmont Hill is sort of a right of passage around here and I'll never forget the first time I ran it. I thought only the "real" runners could handle it so needless to say I thought I was pretty tough shit when I conquered it the first time. Anyway, it's a mile long hill (not a gradual incline...this is a HILL) which I haven't run in over a year. Normally this beast is a fun challenge but doing it 14 miles into a run made it pretty painful. Once I hit the top of the hill, my legs just wanted to walk back to the car. Actually, I think I would have preferred to be carried back.
Up to the point of Shawmont, we had been running under 9:30s but the hill slowed us down quite a bit. After I recovered from the painful climb I decided that I wanted to see what I had left in me. Marathon pace on tired, screaming legs sounded like the perfect idea! I pushed through and ran that last mile at 8:14, just 2 seconds slower than my marathon goal pace. Honestly, that last mile felt the best out of the entire 18 miles. Pace felt good, stride was comfortable, and my legs felt fresher than they had the entire run. After a tough week of running, I was happy that I was able to pull that run off and finish so strong.
Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - 5 mi, lift
Tues - 8 mi (6 x 800)
Wed - 5 mi, lift
Thurs - 7 mi (mid miles at MP)
Fri - 5 mi
Sat - 20
Sun - Off or cross train/lift
We started, half asleep, around 5:45am and from the get go my legs felt like lead. After 4 miles or so I finally woke up a bit and started to find my groove. With each mile though, my legs grew more tired and a few times I felt like just stopping dead in my tracks. I didn't know we had plans to run "Shawmont Hill" until we were 7 miles into the run. And that's probably a good thing because had I known, I might have turned around and headed back early! Shawmont Hill is sort of a right of passage around here and I'll never forget the first time I ran it. I thought only the "real" runners could handle it so needless to say I thought I was pretty tough shit when I conquered it the first time. Anyway, it's a mile long hill (not a gradual incline...this is a HILL) which I haven't run in over a year. Normally this beast is a fun challenge but doing it 14 miles into a run made it pretty painful. Once I hit the top of the hill, my legs just wanted to walk back to the car. Actually, I think I would have preferred to be carried back.
Up to the point of Shawmont, we had been running under 9:30s but the hill slowed us down quite a bit. After I recovered from the painful climb I decided that I wanted to see what I had left in me. Marathon pace on tired, screaming legs sounded like the perfect idea! I pushed through and ran that last mile at 8:14, just 2 seconds slower than my marathon goal pace. Honestly, that last mile felt the best out of the entire 18 miles. Pace felt good, stride was comfortable, and my legs felt fresher than they had the entire run. After a tough week of running, I was happy that I was able to pull that run off and finish so strong.
Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - 5 mi, lift
Tues - 8 mi (6 x 800)
Wed - 5 mi, lift
Thurs - 7 mi (mid miles at MP)
Fri - 5 mi
Sat - 20
Sun - Off or cross train/lift
Thursday, September 23, 2010
My First 800's!!
Well, if I'm going to even think about racing Philly marathon, I think it's time to get my butt in gear when it comes to speed work. Last year my training consisted of mostly tempo runs but this year I wanted to change it up a bit. I still plan to do one run a week as a tempo run but decided to use another mid week run as a speed workout. Yesterday I decided that extra speed would be in the form of Yasso 800's! I have never done them before and didn't know what to expect, but I went to bed excited last night to give them a try this morning. Still not wanting to push it too much, I decided that I would recover from each one for a half mile, instead of a quarter mile.
If (you notice I say "if" a lot when it comes to racing Philly…I'm still not dead set on what I want to do this year) I were to race Philly, I would love, love, love a 3:35. That means I should do each 800 in 3 minutes 35 seconds, or a 7:10 pace. (Right?? I had trouble figuring this out so I hope I did them right!) Based on what I've read, I should be up to about six 800's at this point in training but since I'm a little behind and just starting I thought I'd do three (which turned into four) and then next week try to double that.
I warmed up for 2 miles then went to town.
#1 – ave 7:13 (still waking up, but feels ok)
#2 – ave 7:07 (this feels good!)
#3 – ave 7:10 (wheeeeee!!)
#4 – ave 7:10 (I'm suppose to do 10 of these???)
Total – 7 mi in 60 minutes
These weren't nearly as bad as I thought they would be and I felt really good. My legs were getting a little tired come #4 but I was able to push through without problem. I wanted to do a few more but didn't think it was a smart decision with it being my first time trying this workout. I'm already excited for next week to do some more. It makes it so much more interesting and fun when you change it up a bit and add some speed!!
Thanks for all the nice comments regarding the Philly half on Sunday. Post race and all this week I've been feeling great. I really feel like my old self again. :-)
Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon – off
Tues – 7 mi
Wed – Swim
Thurs – 7 mi w/ 800's
Fri – 5 mi, lift
Sat – 18 mi
Sun – 5 mi, lift
If (you notice I say "if" a lot when it comes to racing Philly…I'm still not dead set on what I want to do this year) I were to race Philly, I would love, love, love a 3:35. That means I should do each 800 in 3 minutes 35 seconds, or a 7:10 pace. (Right?? I had trouble figuring this out so I hope I did them right!) Based on what I've read, I should be up to about six 800's at this point in training but since I'm a little behind and just starting I thought I'd do three (which turned into four) and then next week try to double that.
I warmed up for 2 miles then went to town.
#1 – ave 7:13 (still waking up, but feels ok)
#2 – ave 7:07 (this feels good!)
#3 – ave 7:10 (wheeeeee!!)
#4 – ave 7:10 (I'm suppose to do 10 of these???)
Total – 7 mi in 60 minutes
These weren't nearly as bad as I thought they would be and I felt really good. My legs were getting a little tired come #4 but I was able to push through without problem. I wanted to do a few more but didn't think it was a smart decision with it being my first time trying this workout. I'm already excited for next week to do some more. It makes it so much more interesting and fun when you change it up a bit and add some speed!!
Thanks for all the nice comments regarding the Philly half on Sunday. Post race and all this week I've been feeling great. I really feel like my old self again. :-)
Here I am rockin' the uniform!
Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon – off
Tues – 7 mi
Wed – Swim
Thurs – 7 mi w/ 800's
Fri – 5 mi, lift
Sat – 18 mi
Sun – 5 mi, lift
Monday, September 20, 2010
Philly RnR Half Race Report
Once again we had the best weather for this race. If anything it was a little warm but it was sunny and gorgeous out. Leading up to Sunday I had phantom pains like crazy.* To the point where I was convinced something was actually wrong with the Achilles again. I decided that I wouldn't make up my mind as to what to do come Sunday until I lined up at the corral. Not how I prefer to do things, but it was the only way to keep me from losing my mind.
I slept great on Saturday night and woke up Sunday morning completely calm. I haven't had any real bad race jitters since Philly marathon last year. I guess nothing will ever compare to the angst of going for that BQ. When I got down to the start of the race I got a little nervous because I still hadn't figured out what I wanted to do. But I kept thinking that shooting for a 1:40, 7 weeks since the boot, was being a little too cocky based on a 5k and literally no preparation for that pace. There was one thing I knew for sure when I lined up in the corral...I didn't want this to be a miserable experience. This is probably my favorite race and I wanted to enjoy it, while still putting in a good effort. So a few minutes before the gun went off, I decided to start off at 8 minute miles, which is quicker than my goal marathon pace.
Race started in waves and running through the city was tight in spots. My legs felt pretty heavy around mile 3 but this is par for the course with me. I started having some doubts in myself early on and that worried me a bit. If I could only shut off my head when I ran I'd be in great shape! Heading out of the city and back pass the start at the art museum really picked me up. There was a lot of crowd support and I was heading onto familiar territory and knew exactly what I had in store for me. The 4 miles out Kelly Drive were a little boring and there were a few times I wondered if I mentally had this in me. I ran into a few other Brooks IDers, two of which were struggling, so I took some time to slow down and run a bit with them. There was no mistaking us out there on the course, we were glowing in our little uniforms! Which by the way, weren't so bad to wear. After a few playful jabs from some of my running club friends, I was happy to be wearing it...I'm a sponsored runner and that's pretty freaking cool!
When I hit the turn around spot at Falls Bridge and only had 4 miles left, the miles ticked by quickly. At this point I wasn't really paying attention to my pace or projected finish time. I realized during the race that I didn't care too much about my finish time and eventually stopped paying attention to my pace and the clocks. With a mile left in the race, I had a ton left in the tank. I held back until I got a little closer to the finish because I knew we had a bit of a hill and then I kicked it into high gear. I finished feeling great!
I won't lie; my legs were a little tired while running but I felt absolutely fine when I crossed that finish line. Throughout the race, I could easily hold a conversation and never once felt taxed or out of breath. I even could have kept going beyond the 13.1 miles if I had to. Standing around after the race, I didn't even feel like I had just run, except for the fact that one beer made me feel a little silly. So while this wasn't a PR for me, it served another purpose...if this pace was manageable, maybe a 8:12 for Philly marathon would be doable if I put in the time and effort to get ready for it (I did some thinking about racing Philly yesterday throughout the race, more on that another day).
Overall, it was a GREAT day! I ran smart and enjoyed the race. I'm happy with my decision not to race it and am even happier that a 1:43:58 finish felt almost easy.
*I have not had ONE pain since Saturday night. The Achilles didn't bother me a bit yesterday and even this morning, it feels fine. Those phantom pains are enough to send me over the edge.
I slept great on Saturday night and woke up Sunday morning completely calm. I haven't had any real bad race jitters since Philly marathon last year. I guess nothing will ever compare to the angst of going for that BQ. When I got down to the start of the race I got a little nervous because I still hadn't figured out what I wanted to do. But I kept thinking that shooting for a 1:40, 7 weeks since the boot, was being a little too cocky based on a 5k and literally no preparation for that pace. There was one thing I knew for sure when I lined up in the corral...I didn't want this to be a miserable experience. This is probably my favorite race and I wanted to enjoy it, while still putting in a good effort. So a few minutes before the gun went off, I decided to start off at 8 minute miles, which is quicker than my goal marathon pace.
Race started in waves and running through the city was tight in spots. My legs felt pretty heavy around mile 3 but this is par for the course with me. I started having some doubts in myself early on and that worried me a bit. If I could only shut off my head when I ran I'd be in great shape! Heading out of the city and back pass the start at the art museum really picked me up. There was a lot of crowd support and I was heading onto familiar territory and knew exactly what I had in store for me. The 4 miles out Kelly Drive were a little boring and there were a few times I wondered if I mentally had this in me. I ran into a few other Brooks IDers, two of which were struggling, so I took some time to slow down and run a bit with them. There was no mistaking us out there on the course, we were glowing in our little uniforms! Which by the way, weren't so bad to wear. After a few playful jabs from some of my running club friends, I was happy to be wearing it...I'm a sponsored runner and that's pretty freaking cool!
When I hit the turn around spot at Falls Bridge and only had 4 miles left, the miles ticked by quickly. At this point I wasn't really paying attention to my pace or projected finish time. I realized during the race that I didn't care too much about my finish time and eventually stopped paying attention to my pace and the clocks. With a mile left in the race, I had a ton left in the tank. I held back until I got a little closer to the finish because I knew we had a bit of a hill and then I kicked it into high gear. I finished feeling great!
Official Time -- 1:43:58
Average Pace -- 7:56
Overall -- 1988 / 15411
Division -- 88 / 1603
I won't lie; my legs were a little tired while running but I felt absolutely fine when I crossed that finish line. Throughout the race, I could easily hold a conversation and never once felt taxed or out of breath. I even could have kept going beyond the 13.1 miles if I had to. Standing around after the race, I didn't even feel like I had just run, except for the fact that one beer made me feel a little silly. So while this wasn't a PR for me, it served another purpose...if this pace was manageable, maybe a 8:12 for Philly marathon would be doable if I put in the time and effort to get ready for it (I did some thinking about racing Philly yesterday throughout the race, more on that another day).
Overall, it was a GREAT day! I ran smart and enjoyed the race. I'm happy with my decision not to race it and am even happier that a 1:43:58 finish felt almost easy.
*I have not had ONE pain since Saturday night. The Achilles didn't bother me a bit yesterday and even this morning, it feels fine. Those phantom pains are enough to send me over the edge.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Dress Rehearsal
I figured I better make sure the belly shirt fit before race day so I did a little dress rehearsal when I got back from my run tonight. I think seeing it in pictures helped a bit; it's not as bad as I thought. It's still a little flashy for me, but maybe I'll run faster in it because I want to do the outfit proud!
I appreciate all the feedback about my goals for Sunday and as of this morning, I had pretty much decided to run it a little faster than marathon pace and shoot for 8:00 min/miles. But since I'm so convinced I'm psyching myself out, I decided to email my doctor to get his two cents. I explained everything from having absolutely NO pain while running, walking, and doing stairs but that I do have those phantom pains when I'm just laying on the couch. I went into a lot more detail and filled him in on my recent paces, my 5k results, that I got to 18 miles 2 weeks ago, etc...all in just a little over a month out of the boot. Well, I heard back and he said to go for the 1:40. He did say he wants to talk to me more about it, but that I should "think 1:40." So, I'm thinking I might give it a shot. I will be honest, I'm a little scared because I just don't have the confidence in my speed right now. But I won't know until I try, right?
I appreciate all the feedback about my goals for Sunday and as of this morning, I had pretty much decided to run it a little faster than marathon pace and shoot for 8:00 min/miles. But since I'm so convinced I'm psyching myself out, I decided to email my doctor to get his two cents. I explained everything from having absolutely NO pain while running, walking, and doing stairs but that I do have those phantom pains when I'm just laying on the couch. I went into a lot more detail and filled him in on my recent paces, my 5k results, that I got to 18 miles 2 weeks ago, etc...all in just a little over a month out of the boot. Well, I heard back and he said to go for the 1:40. He did say he wants to talk to me more about it, but that I should "think 1:40." So, I'm thinking I might give it a shot. I will be honest, I'm a little scared because I just don't have the confidence in my speed right now. But I won't know until I try, right?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
One Week till Philly Half
We got back last night from a quick trip to Michigan to visit Andy's family. This was our last trip for the year and I couldn't be happier. I never thought I'd say it, but I'm vacation/traveled out!! We had such a crazy summer with something going on almost every weekend. As much as I enjoy having a fun filled life, I'm a home body at heart and need my sleep and weekend naps! Traveling disrupts that and it takes me days to recover. But now we're home and I'm excited for a lot of down time...especially as we enter race season.
Speaking of races, next Sunday is the Philly Rock n Roll half marathon. This is probably my favorite race of the year and I'm curious to see how different it is this year with it being a RnR event. They also changed up the course a bit so I'll be running the part that is most challenging for me mentally at the end, instead of towards the beginning. I was thinking that I'd like to shoot for a 1:40 finish (which would be ~ a 2 min PR) but today I started having some doubts. Still obsessed with reinjuring myself, I'm wondering if it's safer to use this as a tune up for Philly marathon and run it at marathon pace. I honestly have no idea right now which way I'll go but I did print up a pace band for 1:40 just in case. :-) And to get myself excited, I just read my race report from last year. Man, I was beaming after that race. THAT is the reason I like racing so much. Nothing beats the feeling when you push yourself to a new limit. How could I even be rambling about the possibility of not shooting for a PR this weekend? Grrr, that stupid injury really got the best of me mentally. I need to shake these phantom pains and doubts soon. But just to be safe, I'll noodle it for a few more days before I make a firm decision.
I have my first Brooks event the day before the race since this is a Brooks sponsored race. I'll be meeting up with other Brooks IDers for a group run on a portion of the race course then there will be brunch and free swag. Woo hoo! I love me some free stuff. It'll be fun to meet some other members and see if anyone else is as scarred by the belly shirt as I am.
My schedule is a little messed up this week due to traveling and the fact that I'm also not sure how much I really want to do. Last year I didn't taper at all for this race but I'm thinking I might take it nice and easy this week so I don't take any chances. Here's what I'm shooting for this week:
Mon - off
Tues - 7 mi
Wed - cross train/lift in AM, short run in PM
Thurs - 7 mi
Fri - cross train
Sat - 4 mi
Sun - 13.1 mi
Speaking of races, next Sunday is the Philly Rock n Roll half marathon. This is probably my favorite race of the year and I'm curious to see how different it is this year with it being a RnR event. They also changed up the course a bit so I'll be running the part that is most challenging for me mentally at the end, instead of towards the beginning. I was thinking that I'd like to shoot for a 1:40 finish (which would be ~ a 2 min PR) but today I started having some doubts. Still obsessed with reinjuring myself, I'm wondering if it's safer to use this as a tune up for Philly marathon and run it at marathon pace. I honestly have no idea right now which way I'll go but I did print up a pace band for 1:40 just in case. :-) And to get myself excited, I just read my race report from last year. Man, I was beaming after that race. THAT is the reason I like racing so much. Nothing beats the feeling when you push yourself to a new limit. How could I even be rambling about the possibility of not shooting for a PR this weekend? Grrr, that stupid injury really got the best of me mentally. I need to shake these phantom pains and doubts soon. But just to be safe, I'll noodle it for a few more days before I make a firm decision.
I have my first Brooks event the day before the race since this is a Brooks sponsored race. I'll be meeting up with other Brooks IDers for a group run on a portion of the race course then there will be brunch and free swag. Woo hoo! I love me some free stuff. It'll be fun to meet some other members and see if anyone else is as scarred by the belly shirt as I am.
My schedule is a little messed up this week due to traveling and the fact that I'm also not sure how much I really want to do. Last year I didn't taper at all for this race but I'm thinking I might take it nice and easy this week so I don't take any chances. Here's what I'm shooting for this week:
Mon - off
Tues - 7 mi
Wed - cross train/lift in AM, short run in PM
Thurs - 7 mi
Fri - cross train
Sat - 4 mi
Sun - 13.1 mi
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Three Things Thursday
1) I just had to check to make sure it was indeed Thursday after I entered the title of this post. Although it's only a 3 day work week for me, that just makes it all the more insane. Everything I do at work has a timeline and there's pretty much something due every single day. So that doesn't allow for much down time, or reading blogs...that's why I haven't been commenting as much lately.
2) I've been sleeping terrible this week, probably because of number 1 and because Andy can't not regulate his body temperature at night and is restless...drives me insane. It was in the 50's last night and he had to get up to turn on the AC. When I woke up this morning, he was all curled up under the comforter. Whatever. Anyway, I've been very consistent with my morning runs but pushed off my 7 miler this morning because I knew it would be craptastic. All my runs have been great and my paces are right where I want them to be. I didn't want to ruin my streak for what I knew might end up being an hour of misery. I'm hoping to get out of work at a decent time to squeeze it in tonight but if it doesn't happen...
3) I'm ok with that! I can't believe I just said that but I am. I've come such a long way in having confidence in running/training over the past 2 years. This time in 2008 you couldn't have paid me to miss a run. It was all about getting the miles in and there was never any excuse good enough to push off a run...including being sick. If I had to skip one, I made sure I made it up on an off day. These days, I don't even tally up my total mileage for the week. I mean, I have a ball park idea of where I'm at but I could really care less about hitting some target each week. As long as I'm getting in my long run and having quality workouts, I know I'm doing just fine. I realize now that race day performance doesn't come down to whether or not I missed a few runs during training and I'm ok with life getting in the way sometimes. So if I feel up to running when I get home tonight, I will. If not, I'll paint my nails...I'm thinking it's an OPI Funky Dunky kind of weekend.
2) I've been sleeping terrible this week, probably because of number 1 and because Andy can't not regulate his body temperature at night and is restless...drives me insane. It was in the 50's last night and he had to get up to turn on the AC. When I woke up this morning, he was all curled up under the comforter. Whatever. Anyway, I've been very consistent with my morning runs but pushed off my 7 miler this morning because I knew it would be craptastic. All my runs have been great and my paces are right where I want them to be. I didn't want to ruin my streak for what I knew might end up being an hour of misery. I'm hoping to get out of work at a decent time to squeeze it in tonight but if it doesn't happen...
3) I'm ok with that! I can't believe I just said that but I am. I've come such a long way in having confidence in running/training over the past 2 years. This time in 2008 you couldn't have paid me to miss a run. It was all about getting the miles in and there was never any excuse good enough to push off a run...including being sick. If I had to skip one, I made sure I made it up on an off day. These days, I don't even tally up my total mileage for the week. I mean, I have a ball park idea of where I'm at but I could really care less about hitting some target each week. As long as I'm getting in my long run and having quality workouts, I know I'm doing just fine. I realize now that race day performance doesn't come down to whether or not I missed a few runs during training and I'm ok with life getting in the way sometimes. So if I feel up to running when I get home tonight, I will. If not, I'll paint my nails...I'm thinking it's an OPI Funky Dunky kind of weekend.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
18 and Some Speed!!
I'm so glad I'm not alone in the phantom pain department! It's weird but since I posted about that and started getting comments back, the weird sensations have subsided. Proves that they were all in my head, I guess.
I got out for my first 18 miler since June on Saturday. Friday night I actually confessed to Andy that I was a little nervous. I have been fairly aggressive with upping my long run mileage and I was worried my body wouldn't like it. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about! Woke up Saturday to beautiful weather and couldn't wait to get out there. But before heading out I had my normal struggle as to whether or not I should eat something. I still really struggle with eating before a long run. I know I'm about to burn a ton of calories and need the fuel to sustain the effort, but I can't quiet the voices in my head that tell me I shouldn't eat because calories are "bad." When I add this pre run food to the calories (180) I'll consume while running, it freaks me out...more than little bit. But I need to learn to practice what I'll soon preach to my clients. So I toasted up a slice of Ezekiel and had a banana. Throughout the run I ate one Clif margarita blok every 2 miles (starting at mile 5) and 360 calories later, I finished the 18 miles feeling like a million bucks! I could have easily kept going but since I was already pushing the distance, I decided to call it a day. The next time I get worked up about eating, I need to remember how I felt during and after this run...fueling properly is a must!
I really wanted to go for a swim on Sunday since it's been a few weeks since I got in the pool but it was so nice out I couldn't justify being indoors. Instead Andy and I headed to Peace Valley Park and walked the path around the lake. By the end of the 6 mile loop, my legs were feeling the effect of the previous days 18 miles. Yesterday I was just not feeling up for much but I forced myself out the door for an easy 4 miles. I headed a new way and just ran by feel where ever my feet wanted to take me. I ended up with 5 miles at an 8:50 pace and was so happy I didn't listen to my lazy self and got off the couch.
When I woke up today my legs were a little sore but I had 7 miles and speed work so I was anxious to get to the gym. I wanted to use the treadmill for this workout to make sure I hit my pace since I was a little tired and knew I'd lag if I went outside. I did 3 ladders at a 7:40 pace. Slower than what I was doing 6 months ago but on target for my half marathon goal pace. By the third ladder my legs were getting a little tired but everything else felt great. This was my first speed workout since the winter and it felt so good! It got me thinking that maybe I should attempt to race Philly Rock n Roll half in 2 weeks...
Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - 5 mi
Tues - 7 mi
Wed - cross train and lift
Thurs - 7 mi
Fri - off (traveling)
Sat - 4 mi
Sun - 15 mi
I got out for my first 18 miler since June on Saturday. Friday night I actually confessed to Andy that I was a little nervous. I have been fairly aggressive with upping my long run mileage and I was worried my body wouldn't like it. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about! Woke up Saturday to beautiful weather and couldn't wait to get out there. But before heading out I had my normal struggle as to whether or not I should eat something. I still really struggle with eating before a long run. I know I'm about to burn a ton of calories and need the fuel to sustain the effort, but I can't quiet the voices in my head that tell me I shouldn't eat because calories are "bad." When I add this pre run food to the calories (180) I'll consume while running, it freaks me out...more than little bit. But I need to learn to practice what I'll soon preach to my clients. So I toasted up a slice of Ezekiel and had a banana. Throughout the run I ate one Clif margarita blok every 2 miles (starting at mile 5) and 360 calories later, I finished the 18 miles feeling like a million bucks! I could have easily kept going but since I was already pushing the distance, I decided to call it a day. The next time I get worked up about eating, I need to remember how I felt during and after this run...fueling properly is a must!
I really wanted to go for a swim on Sunday since it's been a few weeks since I got in the pool but it was so nice out I couldn't justify being indoors. Instead Andy and I headed to Peace Valley Park and walked the path around the lake. By the end of the 6 mile loop, my legs were feeling the effect of the previous days 18 miles. Yesterday I was just not feeling up for much but I forced myself out the door for an easy 4 miles. I headed a new way and just ran by feel where ever my feet wanted to take me. I ended up with 5 miles at an 8:50 pace and was so happy I didn't listen to my lazy self and got off the couch.
When I woke up today my legs were a little sore but I had 7 miles and speed work so I was anxious to get to the gym. I wanted to use the treadmill for this workout to make sure I hit my pace since I was a little tired and knew I'd lag if I went outside. I did 3 ladders at a 7:40 pace. Slower than what I was doing 6 months ago but on target for my half marathon goal pace. By the third ladder my legs were getting a little tired but everything else felt great. This was my first speed workout since the winter and it felt so good! It got me thinking that maybe I should attempt to race Philly Rock n Roll half in 2 weeks...
Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - 5 mi
Tues - 7 mi
Wed - cross train and lift
Thurs - 7 mi
Fri - off (traveling)
Sat - 4 mi
Sun - 15 mi
Friday, September 3, 2010
Phantom Pains and Belly Shirts!
I just ordered 2 new pairs of shoes and a shirt using my Brooks discount. That discount can be deadly but I've managed to not go too crazy. I've been really happy with the Brooks Adrenaline so I'm sticking with them. I have to order a size 9.5 wide, though, which makes me feel like a giant...But if they feel good, that's all that matters.
I've been meaning to post a picture of the Brooks racing uniform but I haven't had the balls to put it on yet and model it for a picture. Take a look at this shirt. This thing is so small, it's ridiculous. I usually wear a size small or medium and I ended up ordering an XL in this one and it's still a tight fit! The Rock n Roll Philly half is a Brooks sponsored event so I'll be sporting the belly shirt in just a few weeks. Hot.
I have my first 18 miler since June tomorrow and I'm actually a little nervous. Each long run rattles me a bit because I'm scared I'm doing too much and risking injury. When am I going to get past this fear of getting hurt again? I swear I'm having phantom pains in the Achilles, too. I am not in pain, definitely not in pain, but I have weird sensations in the area and think about it all...the...time. Has anyone else ever gone through this post injury? I'm beginning to think I'm even crazier than I thought.
I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend. We don't have much planned except for the first Michigan football game of the year. GO BLUE!!
I've been meaning to post a picture of the Brooks racing uniform but I haven't had the balls to put it on yet and model it for a picture. Take a look at this shirt. This thing is so small, it's ridiculous. I usually wear a size small or medium and I ended up ordering an XL in this one and it's still a tight fit! The Rock n Roll Philly half is a Brooks sponsored event so I'll be sporting the belly shirt in just a few weeks. Hot.
I have my first 18 miler since June tomorrow and I'm actually a little nervous. Each long run rattles me a bit because I'm scared I'm doing too much and risking injury. When am I going to get past this fear of getting hurt again? I swear I'm having phantom pains in the Achilles, too. I am not in pain, definitely not in pain, but I have weird sensations in the area and think about it all...the...time. Has anyone else ever gone through this post injury? I'm beginning to think I'm even crazier than I thought.
I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend. We don't have much planned except for the first Michigan football game of the year. GO BLUE!!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
McMillan Says...
I can't believe it's September already. Where did the summer go and why do I feel like I completely missed it? I started the summer training for my second Ultra, spent the middle of the summer in a boot, and finished the summer with 117.8 miles in August! I am really happy with my mileage for August considering I had myself convinced I wouldn't be running much coming out of the boot and definitely not in any shape for marathon training. I'm glad I was wrong!
This week starts the 12 week training cycle for Philly marathon. I wasn't sure what I would do with my upcoming marathons and thought I'd wait till this point to see how I was feeling. I wanted to make sure I was able to up my long run distances and build a solid base up quickly without problems. Now that I've done that and had 2 successful 5ks, I think it's time to consider my options for Philly. All along Philly had been my goal race for 2010 and I wanted to shoot for a PR...more specifically a 3:35. With the whole boot debacle, I wasn't sure I'd even attempt to race this year but now that McMillan is telling me it's possible, I might have to give it a shot. ;-)
I'll be honest though, the thought of holding an 8:00 minute pace for 26.2 miles scares the crap out of me. I know I said that last year about an 8:20ish pace and I did it, but I remember how I felt crossing the finish line and how badly everything hurt. I can't imagine shaving 20 seconds per mile off my time. But I think I want to go for it. If I don't I'll be left wondering if I had it in me...
Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - 4 mi
Tues - 7 mi (with some intervals)
Wed - lift
Thurs - 6 mi
Fri - 4 mi and cross train
Sat - 18 mi
Sun - cross train and lift
This week starts the 12 week training cycle for Philly marathon. I wasn't sure what I would do with my upcoming marathons and thought I'd wait till this point to see how I was feeling. I wanted to make sure I was able to up my long run distances and build a solid base up quickly without problems. Now that I've done that and had 2 successful 5ks, I think it's time to consider my options for Philly. All along Philly had been my goal race for 2010 and I wanted to shoot for a PR...more specifically a 3:35. With the whole boot debacle, I wasn't sure I'd even attempt to race this year but now that McMillan is telling me it's possible, I might have to give it a shot. ;-)
sorry, this is as big as I could make it to fit on the page!
I'll be honest though, the thought of holding an 8:00 minute pace for 26.2 miles scares the crap out of me. I know I said that last year about an 8:20ish pace and I did it, but I remember how I felt crossing the finish line and how badly everything hurt. I can't imagine shaving 20 seconds per mile off my time. But I think I want to go for it. If I don't I'll be left wondering if I had it in me...
Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - 4 mi
Tues - 7 mi (with some intervals)
Wed - lift
Thurs - 6 mi
Fri - 4 mi and cross train
Sat - 18 mi
Sun - cross train and lift
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