Day 24 was a day off, but I went on 12 mi ride, which felt like nothing after running all week. Day 25 I was to run 6 miles at marathon pace (11 min mile). The speed days must be kicking in because I ran 10 min miles for all but one of the six miles. For some reason, mile 2 took me 12 minutes. So, I finished my run 4 minutes early, which I think is pretty good.
Day 26 (Friday) was a 3-6 mile run. I worked happy hour and didn't get to eat much before running, so I only did 5. Was pretty uneventful. I sprinted last half a mile because I was so hungry. Today, I'm going for the 8 mile run. :)
Miles Thurs: 6
Miles Fri: 5
Miles for week: 21
As always, let's check in on Angie: http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Days 22 & 23, Recovering....
Day 22 called for 0-6 miles. I wanted to go ahead and try for the upper end of 6 miles. 6 miles seems like nothing compared to 10, but I had to keep in mind that it seems like the day's run after a super-long one like Sunday's seems more difficult than the long one. Your body just hasn't recovered yet. Also, when I know I'm doing a really long run, I get this rush of adrenaline which continues til almost the end of the run and makes it a lot easier. This is what I am hoping for on race day. Anyway, I chose to do the 6 mile run around Wilson Park. It kinda sucked. First, it was super hot and humid with no breeze. Second, I was super-tired and didn't drink enough water. By the third time around the park, I was so miserable and overheated I had to stop and walk a few paces or I knew it was gonna get bad for me. It turned out to need just a few paces to cool down a little and get going again. I debated about stopping a 4 miles, but by the time I got around the park I was feeling up for the full 6 again and finished. It wasn't quite marathon pace but I was just happy to make it as far as I did when I felt bad to start.
Day 23, today, was Speed Day. Since the three miles last week were so easy, I wanted to do a half mile sprint followed by a quarter mile recovery jog for 6 miles. However, I got up really late today and ate too close to my run time. It's not easy to sprint half a mile with food in your stomach. Eww. So, I did the 1/2 mile run, 1/4 jog thing for 4 miles. I'm really not that worn out from it now, so I prolly could have gone for the full 6. Just wasn't feeling it today. I can tell that my sprinting is getting faster. I have more speed days than I thought so maybe next week I can try for 6 again and actually do it. Last speed day, I did some power yoga to offset the tightness in my muscles which I am about to do again right now. Tomorrow is a day off. I had planned on going swimming but I think it's supposed to rain. Might ride my bike instead. Hard for me to go a day without physical activity.
Miles Monday: 6
Miles today: 4
Miles this week: 10
Let's check in on Angie, see how she's recovering after her 10 mile run: http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
Day 23, today, was Speed Day. Since the three miles last week were so easy, I wanted to do a half mile sprint followed by a quarter mile recovery jog for 6 miles. However, I got up really late today and ate too close to my run time. It's not easy to sprint half a mile with food in your stomach. Eww. So, I did the 1/2 mile run, 1/4 jog thing for 4 miles. I'm really not that worn out from it now, so I prolly could have gone for the full 6. Just wasn't feeling it today. I can tell that my sprinting is getting faster. I have more speed days than I thought so maybe next week I can try for 6 again and actually do it. Last speed day, I did some power yoga to offset the tightness in my muscles which I am about to do again right now. Tomorrow is a day off. I had planned on going swimming but I think it's supposed to rain. Might ride my bike instead. Hard for me to go a day without physical activity.
Miles Monday: 6
Miles today: 4
Miles this week: 10
Let's check in on Angie, see how she's recovering after her 10 mile run: http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
Monday, June 27, 2011
Day 21, The Ten Miler
Day 21 (Sunday), the suggested run was 5-10 miles. I went 8.5 miles last Sunday without too much pain, so I had been considering pushing for the full 10 miles this week. Running 10 miles is a really huge deal to me because I have finally hit double digits in mileage, I'm a third of the way through a marathon, and I'm turning 30 in two weeks, so a 10 mile run makes me feel pretty much like a badass. I felt especially encouraged by the comparative ease with which I did the 7.5 on Friday, so I spent most of the week on pins and needles to see what I could do for my long run. I carbed up pretty much all day until about 4 pm so that by 8, I wouldn't be too full to run. I drank a quart of water and 1/2 a Blue Sky Cherry Soda about an hour before to give myself a mild sugar rush and plenty of hydration for the run. I had guessed that I would finish in an hour and 56 minutes based on distances and times I've recorded on a spreadsheet since March.
So, I head out at 8 and right off the bat I have a massive cramp in my lower left calf, which unfortunately was bothersome for the duration of my run. For some reason, I always have my first tired moment around 4 miles, then not til around 6 or 7. I turned around at the 5 mile mark on the bike path. I went about another mile and a half when 4 young guys I put to be around high school age passed me. They slowed down until I caught up and sort of surrounded me, asking me questions about running, how far had I gone, how long had I been running, etc. 3 of them continued down the bike path, but one stayed with me for nearly a mile. Oddly enough, I didn't feel creeped out by these kids - they were really sweet. I continued to talk to the one who was who lagged behind with me, surpised that over 7 miles into my jog I could carry on a conversation with someone. Finally, this kid invited me to 'hang out' after my run. I told him that I didn't think it would be a good idea, that I was a little old for him. He said ok and caught up to his friends. I kinda felt bad but I got to thinking I was nearly twice his age. Good God. I'm getting old. At least he helped me kill a mile of my run.
Once I hit the 8 mile mark, I was pretty tired. Once I hit the 9 mile mark, I was feeling a little out of it and my coordination was a bit off. Fortunately, I was so exhausted that I forgot all about the stupid, annoying cramp in my leg. It took all I had to keep my body upright and keep my feet hitting the pavement the right way. I stopped jogging about 50 yards from my apartment to walk out the tiredness in my legs. I finished in one hour, 53 minutes, three minutes before I had projected. Had I been three minutes faster, I would have finished exactly at marathon pace, so I feel pretty damn good about my time. Also, I figure by next week I could do 11. I'll admit I really felt that last mile today. I wanted to stop but I knew that if I stopped, it would just take me that much longer to walk home. So, if this makes any sense, I completed my goal distance today because I was genuinely too tired to stop. Stopping meant I had to consciously think enough to have my brain tell my legs to stop running and reset to walking. This is surprisingly difficult after long distances. After I got home, stretched out, rested, and drank some water, I went to Wendy's, where I got the best baconcheeseburger I think I have ever had. It seemed like the best thing ever. Tomorrow is the 0-6 mile. I think I will shoot for the six so I can make up what I missed from the marathon pace run last Thursday. I'm just sooo excited I made it through today so well. Running 10 miles at age 30 is one thing I can cross off my bucket list.
Miles today: 10
Miles this week: 32.5
Let's see how Angie's 10 miler went: http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
So, I head out at 8 and right off the bat I have a massive cramp in my lower left calf, which unfortunately was bothersome for the duration of my run. For some reason, I always have my first tired moment around 4 miles, then not til around 6 or 7. I turned around at the 5 mile mark on the bike path. I went about another mile and a half when 4 young guys I put to be around high school age passed me. They slowed down until I caught up and sort of surrounded me, asking me questions about running, how far had I gone, how long had I been running, etc. 3 of them continued down the bike path, but one stayed with me for nearly a mile. Oddly enough, I didn't feel creeped out by these kids - they were really sweet. I continued to talk to the one who was who lagged behind with me, surpised that over 7 miles into my jog I could carry on a conversation with someone. Finally, this kid invited me to 'hang out' after my run. I told him that I didn't think it would be a good idea, that I was a little old for him. He said ok and caught up to his friends. I kinda felt bad but I got to thinking I was nearly twice his age. Good God. I'm getting old. At least he helped me kill a mile of my run.
Once I hit the 8 mile mark, I was pretty tired. Once I hit the 9 mile mark, I was feeling a little out of it and my coordination was a bit off. Fortunately, I was so exhausted that I forgot all about the stupid, annoying cramp in my leg. It took all I had to keep my body upright and keep my feet hitting the pavement the right way. I stopped jogging about 50 yards from my apartment to walk out the tiredness in my legs. I finished in one hour, 53 minutes, three minutes before I had projected. Had I been three minutes faster, I would have finished exactly at marathon pace, so I feel pretty damn good about my time. Also, I figure by next week I could do 11. I'll admit I really felt that last mile today. I wanted to stop but I knew that if I stopped, it would just take me that much longer to walk home. So, if this makes any sense, I completed my goal distance today because I was genuinely too tired to stop. Stopping meant I had to consciously think enough to have my brain tell my legs to stop running and reset to walking. This is surprisingly difficult after long distances. After I got home, stretched out, rested, and drank some water, I went to Wendy's, where I got the best baconcheeseburger I think I have ever had. It seemed like the best thing ever. Tomorrow is the 0-6 mile. I think I will shoot for the six so I can make up what I missed from the marathon pace run last Thursday. I'm just sooo excited I made it through today so well. Running 10 miles at age 30 is one thing I can cross off my bucket list.
Miles today: 10
Miles this week: 32.5
Let's see how Angie's 10 miler went: http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Days 19 & 20
Day 19 (Friday) was a 4-7 mile run. I jogged from my house to Wilson Park, around the park 8 times, & back home, which totaled to 7.5 miles. I hadn't varied my route much, so this was my first run around the park in a while. The city pool was showing Yogi Bear, the movie on a giant screen, so that was kinda cool. For the first 2 miles, I was not feeling like running at all, just wanted to go home and lie down. But I pushed through it & wasn't all that tired when I finished. Also, I did the entire run at marathon pace (11 min miles) so I was pretty happy about that.
Day 20 (Sat) was 4-6 miles. I had to go at 3:30 because of work at 7. This was a terrible idea. Because of the heat, I was going for the 4 miles. It was a horribly miserable, awful run. The first 2 miles, I was hot, but I'd slowed down to avoid overheating. By mile 3, I had to stop and walk the rest of the way, because I could tell I was getting close to a heat stroke or something. What's weird is I can run after 6 or 7 even with out it being so bad, but anything earlier in afternoon is not doable for me even with temp difference of 2 or 3 degrees. I got to thinking though - I take a medication with a side effect that makes it harder for your body to regulate it's temperature. There are disclaimers all over bottle about danger of overheating with use. I take it right before I go to bed, so I think maybe it hasn't worn off completely by afternoon, which may be affecting some of the runs I try to do earlier in the day. Also, direct sunlight beating down on you feels good for a mile or two, but beyond that, I want some damn shade.
Tonight, I want to do 10 miles. However, I really got my butt kicked at work last nite, so I may not go quite so far. My goal is to have done a 10 mile run by my birthday which is in 2 1/2 weeks, so I'll have two more Sundays if tonight doesn't work out.
Miles for Fri: 7.5
Miles for Sat: 4
Miles this week: 22.5
Let's see what's up w/ Angie:
http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
Day 20 (Sat) was 4-6 miles. I had to go at 3:30 because of work at 7. This was a terrible idea. Because of the heat, I was going for the 4 miles. It was a horribly miserable, awful run. The first 2 miles, I was hot, but I'd slowed down to avoid overheating. By mile 3, I had to stop and walk the rest of the way, because I could tell I was getting close to a heat stroke or something. What's weird is I can run after 6 or 7 even with out it being so bad, but anything earlier in afternoon is not doable for me even with temp difference of 2 or 3 degrees. I got to thinking though - I take a medication with a side effect that makes it harder for your body to regulate it's temperature. There are disclaimers all over bottle about danger of overheating with use. I take it right before I go to bed, so I think maybe it hasn't worn off completely by afternoon, which may be affecting some of the runs I try to do earlier in the day. Also, direct sunlight beating down on you feels good for a mile or two, but beyond that, I want some damn shade.
Tonight, I want to do 10 miles. However, I really got my butt kicked at work last nite, so I may not go quite so far. My goal is to have done a 10 mile run by my birthday which is in 2 1/2 weeks, so I'll have two more Sundays if tonight doesn't work out.
Miles for Fri: 7.5
Miles for Sat: 4
Miles this week: 22.5
Let's see what's up w/ Angie:
http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Day 18
Day 18 was supposed to be 6 miles at Marathon Goal Pace. Mine is 11 mph. I knew it would fairly easy for me to maintain this pace for 6 miles as I had done it for 8 1/2 and 7 with no heart attacks or major issues. I always start with a short brisk walk to sort of warm up before I jog usually about 2 minutes. The first mile I did in about 12 min counting warm up walk. I wanted to see if I could make up the time and also set myself up to slow down a little at the end when my body was tired. When I got to mile 2, I looked at my clock and it was 8 min later (it doesn't display seconds) so I had done a full mile in less than 9 minutes and wasn't worn out yet. I turned a curve in the path and gasp there were no more lights on the bike path. It was pitch black. No way was I going 2 miles in the dark. I turned and decided to see if I could do another 8 or 9 minute mile. At mile 3, I checked my time and it was somewhere around 9 minutes. During the 2nd half of the 4th mile, I began to feel REALLY sick. I realized all I'd had to eat that day was low-calorie cereal with walnuts and a small godiva vanilla sundae chocolate bar I'd snagged at Barnes and Noble to keep from passing out. I allowed myself to walk a little, mostly the last quarter mile home, which blew my speed timing. Even with the walking, it was 14 min.
So my run was truncated because of no light, I burned myself out too quickly, and I didn't eat enough beforehand. Part of this was because I had gone to run errands and wound up being gone about 3 hrs longer than I'd planned. I'd gotten lost in the cookbook section of Barnes and Noble. I did wind up running by the mall - I had a gift card to use. I was in the dressing room under the fluorescent lights where I noticed that my body is subtly beginning to change as a result of my training. Usually I hate the way I look in most dressing rooms, but today the godawful fluorescent lighting revealed minute but definitely noticeable improvements in muscle tone. I hadn't noticed any visible differences yet and was beginning wonder if I ever would. I am certain that the pints of Ben & Jerry's and bags of chips I've consumed for the past few weeks slowed down my fat-burning process, but maybe I am finally working that off. Anyway, I dawdled around the mall too long and by the time I got done grocery shopping, it was after 9 pm and I'd not really eaten since breakfast, which is pretty unusual for me.
Miles today: 4
Miles this week: 11
And let's check in on Angie:
http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
So my run was truncated because of no light, I burned myself out too quickly, and I didn't eat enough beforehand. Part of this was because I had gone to run errands and wound up being gone about 3 hrs longer than I'd planned. I'd gotten lost in the cookbook section of Barnes and Noble. I did wind up running by the mall - I had a gift card to use. I was in the dressing room under the fluorescent lights where I noticed that my body is subtly beginning to change as a result of my training. Usually I hate the way I look in most dressing rooms, but today the godawful fluorescent lighting revealed minute but definitely noticeable improvements in muscle tone. I hadn't noticed any visible differences yet and was beginning wonder if I ever would. I am certain that the pints of Ben & Jerry's and bags of chips I've consumed for the past few weeks slowed down my fat-burning process, but maybe I am finally working that off. Anyway, I dawdled around the mall too long and by the time I got done grocery shopping, it was after 9 pm and I'd not really eaten since breakfast, which is pretty unusual for me.
Miles today: 4
Miles this week: 11
And let's check in on Angie:
http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
Days 16 and 17 - Speed stuff
So Day 16 is a speed day. I alternated sprinting 1/4 mile and jogging 1/4 mile, for 3 miles. It was much easier to use the jog time to recover. I noticed that when I sprint I use different muscles than jogging, so sprinting is a relief from jogging and vice versa. This makes total sense to me, but I had never thought about it before. Another unexpected bonus is that Speed Day brings out my inner child and puts me in a great mood. Next week I am going to try sprint for 1/2 mile, jog 1/4 mile.
Day 17 (Wed) was a day off. I actually wanted to get out for short run, but made myself rest so my muscles can recover. I think I'll be increasing my distance for the upcoming week by quite a bit so I will probably be happy I rested by Sunday. So, my day consisted of hanging out by the pool, cleaning my apartment, and a late-night bike ride to George's. Since I didn't run and had rode my bike, I indulged in a Blue Moon and 2 Washington Apples. Then I came home and made nachos (and drank a bunch of water) while watching Anthony Bourdain. Not a bad day at all.
Since Angie is tracking her weekly mileage, I decided it's a good idea to do the same...
Miles this week: 7
And as always we should check in on Angie's blog:
http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
Day 17 (Wed) was a day off. I actually wanted to get out for short run, but made myself rest so my muscles can recover. I think I'll be increasing my distance for the upcoming week by quite a bit so I will probably be happy I rested by Sunday. So, my day consisted of hanging out by the pool, cleaning my apartment, and a late-night bike ride to George's. Since I didn't run and had rode my bike, I indulged in a Blue Moon and 2 Washington Apples. Then I came home and made nachos (and drank a bunch of water) while watching Anthony Bourdain. Not a bad day at all.
Since Angie is tracking her weekly mileage, I decided it's a good idea to do the same...
Miles this week: 7
And as always we should check in on Angie's blog:
http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
Monday, June 20, 2011
Days 14 & 15
Day 14 was a 4-8 mile run. I set out with the intention of 8 miles, but I missed the .25 mile marker on Mud Creek Trail and wound up going 8.5 miles without stopping. I ran miles 3-5.5 in a near sprint because there are no lights on this part of the path and I HATE not being able to see. Was so jumpy that I yelped everytime I heard something in the woods off the path. Still, the extra speed in the middle did not seem to burn me out any extra. The last 1.5 mile was agony. At one point, I felt something twist in my lower abdomen. Whatever it was, it resulted in a sharp pain that continued through the night. I remember thinking to myself that I may have actually bounced out an ovary or some other non-vital organ, leaving it behind on bike path. Also, starting in about mile 6, I felt like I had an ice pick through my lower left leg, which had been cramping all day. Anyway, I made it home and felt pretty good. I think I could have held out for 9 miles, but 10 would definitely be too much for this week. I have three more Sundays before my birthday. I would like to do a ten mile run by then. Would be pretty cool to be able to jog ten miles at age 30.
Also, saw some pretty weird stuff on the bike path this week. I was coming around a curve and could hear someone yelling on the other side. I thought maybe it was coming from the UA cross-country field, but turns out it's this huge, 6 1/2 foot tall, sweaty, scary guy who's approaching from opposite direction and yelling crazy stuff about Jesus out loud in front of everybody. Things such as, "Jesus will avenge you all", "He is coming," etc. Soooo weird. Among other strange things, I saw random t-shirts, bath towels, etc lying on ground. Someone dumped trashbags of clothing into Scull Creek. Also, saw some discarded boxer briefs. It surprises me how often I see underwear of all varieties on bike path.
Day 15 was 0-6 mile run. I had planned on going on POD bike ride today, but I showed up where we were supposed to meet and no one was there. Turns out it was canceled. Since I was already out, I went on a 10 mile ride by myself. It was really hot, but nice to be out in sunshine. I am a total sunshine junkie. Later, in the evening I attempted a 4 mile run, but I switched to walking by 2.5 mi because my calves were cramping and I just did not feel well. A young, not-bad-looking guy on a bicycle snatched up some fresh flowers as I was approaching and gave them to me, when I was within about a mile of my apartment. It was really sweet and happened just as I was feeling really down on myself for breaking down and walking. So I guess I walked a little over a mile of my run today. Still not too bad considering how much I had done the day before. Tomorrow is speed day. I am going to try for the full 3 mi speed run. Seems like it really helped Angie already.
Let's see how she's doing... http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
Also, saw some pretty weird stuff on the bike path this week. I was coming around a curve and could hear someone yelling on the other side. I thought maybe it was coming from the UA cross-country field, but turns out it's this huge, 6 1/2 foot tall, sweaty, scary guy who's approaching from opposite direction and yelling crazy stuff about Jesus out loud in front of everybody. Things such as, "Jesus will avenge you all", "He is coming," etc. Soooo weird. Among other strange things, I saw random t-shirts, bath towels, etc lying on ground. Someone dumped trashbags of clothing into Scull Creek. Also, saw some discarded boxer briefs. It surprises me how often I see underwear of all varieties on bike path.
Day 15 was 0-6 mile run. I had planned on going on POD bike ride today, but I showed up where we were supposed to meet and no one was there. Turns out it was canceled. Since I was already out, I went on a 10 mile ride by myself. It was really hot, but nice to be out in sunshine. I am a total sunshine junkie. Later, in the evening I attempted a 4 mile run, but I switched to walking by 2.5 mi because my calves were cramping and I just did not feel well. A young, not-bad-looking guy on a bicycle snatched up some fresh flowers as I was approaching and gave them to me, when I was within about a mile of my apartment. It was really sweet and happened just as I was feeling really down on myself for breaking down and walking. So I guess I walked a little over a mile of my run today. Still not too bad considering how much I had done the day before. Tomorrow is speed day. I am going to try for the full 3 mi speed run. Seems like it really helped Angie already.
Let's see how she's doing... http://thefull26point2.blogspot.com/
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