Mentally tough morning

Tuesday morning was a struggle to get out of the bed. This heat and humidity makes me think of pea soup. I finally drug myself out of bed, and now getting the running before work was going to be a challenge. Procrastination is not my friend.

The plan was for 5 miles, 2 easy, 2 at tempo, and 1 easy for cool down. The goal pace for tempo was 8:39 but my legs just wouldn't quite turn over like I wanted.

So, what do you do when you need inspiration? You dig deep, and I thought of Dimity (@dimityontherun) from Another Mother Runner who rocked her first IronMom this past weekend. If she can finish strong after that, this run is a piece of cake.

I ended up being a little short on the distance (needed to get to work). But very happy with how it ended up.

The face shot was horrible, so the shoes will have to do. Definitely a #realrun.

 

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Can this weather hold?

I left work almost on time tonight. Headed home instead of the gym to sneak in 3 taper miles before dinner. After a rainy day, the sun was shining and I could wear a skirt and test my shirt for Sunday (glad I did). Since time was on my side, I started making dinner first to get it started. Spinach ravioli bake was a first time recipe and a hit with both me and hubby.

But back to running. Why can't I slow down when I know I have such a big goal in front of me? The first mile chimed at 9:07 which is race pace. Slow the heck down. I did manage a little better for the rest. Must have been the 70 degree weather, birds chirping, sun out that made me do it.

Love that blue sky.

And the bright pop of yellow in the yard.

And just because I was having a craptastic day until I saw this, and I actually laughed out loud.

Credit

I'm heading to the treadmill on Thursday for the last run so I can slow down and give the legs a rest. Fingers crossed. And the shirt tag on the side chafed me, so I need to perform some tag surgery. This is the one and only running gear that has caused chafing, go figure it would be a shirt for my first half. Glad I listened to advice and tested everything.

 

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Taper time or not

I am getting excited. This time next week, I will be in Virginia Beach hopefully sleeping prior to a 7 am start for my first half marathon.

Even with the stress of work, I have gotten my runs in and I have tried to focus on improving my pace. I used McMillan to set my ranges, but found I was running more of my weekly runs on the slower end of the range.

My running partner, L, wanted to push the pace for this last long run to see if she was ready to tackle a sub-2 goal next weekend. I told her to go ahead and she what she could do. I was feeling pretty good and stayed with her the first mile and a half before I dropped back a bit. But not as much as I thought I would need.

I can't believe I was able to do this, and it was completely doable.

I checked to see how this compared to other "fast" times for me. My three faster times were all races with great PRs for me. Hopefully, this is a good omen of times to come. Fingers crossed.

My toes are green and ready. And I loved being comfortable wearing flip flops this afternoon.

I will be tapering the rest of the week.

 

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Long run done ... 12 miles

Even with a stressful week at work, I had a fairly good run week.

A 6 mile progressive run on the treadmill for Tuesday and a 5 mile treadmill run on Wednesday were on the schedule. About half way through the 6 mile run, I realized I have been loafing on my paces during the week. Most of my long runs have been faster than the during the week runs. Time to pick up the pace. Well, that's what McMillian tells me.

So I picked it up for an average pace of 9:39 for Tuesday by bumping up the speed each mile. I have to say the faster I went, the better and easier it felt. On Wednesday I decided to start out faster and it was pretty much 5 miles of a sucky run, but I averaged 9:27.

I was trying not to be head case, but 12 miles had me worried. Eleven was tough. So instead of staying home and resting up, I had a late dinner date with my bestie and the girls to celebrate two birthdays. I behaved with one glass of wine and a fairly well-balanced dinner. No greasy food, and only one small piece of dark chocolate infused with chili for dessert. Unfortunately, I didn't head to bed until midnight with an alarm set for 6:30. Ughh!

Most of my buds were dropping back to the 9 mile group this week ... and I forgot my music. Luckily, my normal partner was able to do the full 12 with me. She had a tough week & didn't hit her weekly runs. All went well until about 11 when I felt the crazy ITB "awareness." I realized I was getting lazy with my form and cadence, so I paid more attention to finish it off. I will say that I knew we would hit 12 miles before the parking lot. I told L that when the watch hit 12, I was done. No room for over-achievement today.

I felt strong after the run ... much better than after 11. Here's the only photo of the day, another L & I from a local mom's group. She is going to do awesome in her half next week.

I did need an almost 2 hour nap to recover after watching my Tar Heels get obilerated by the Hurricanes.

Do you use McMillian or other pace calculator?

If you do, how often are you successful in hitting all your goal paces?

I need to work on this more consistently.

Does anyone else's Garmin have crazy estimates for your calorie burn?

I do wear my HRM, and it reported I burned 13 calories for each of the first 2 miles. Are you kidding me?

 

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Long run catch up

My first 11 mile run weekend was a little chaotic thanks to a winter storm that blew through the mid-Atlantic. Thankfully the run was cancelled early Saturday morning due to snow and icy sidewalks. Very little off the beaten path gets cleared in our town. Not enough bad weather to need lots of snow equipment. Everyone usually waits for it to melt.

We the long run postponed until Sunday, a friend and I ventured out later on Saturday for our 4 mile recovery run a day early. The roads were fine, sidewalks were still iffy. The route was nuts, but good chatting time with a friend and 4 miles done. It takes out and back to a whole new level.

Fast forward to 9:30 on Sunday morning, and we were off to conquer 11 miles. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, it was a tough run. It was an out with a loop and back down a long road where we were on sidewalks (not my favorite surface). The loop was through a park which had a great frozen pond, but I didn't think my running partners would appreciate the photo stop. I also forgot to restart my watch after a brief map checking stop, so I lost about 0.4 mile. And I want that 0.4 on the record.

I wasn't worried about pace. I just wanted to get it done, so I was pleasantly surprised on how close I was to a consistent pace. And I finished strong at the end. When we stopped, my first thought was "Snapalicious" to describe how my hamstrings felt. Glad it was done, and I knew I could have gone longer.

The next week is a roll-back week so I could rest a bit before ramping up to 12. Tell me why I want to do this again.

Oh yeah, to accomplish something new. And to push myself out of a comfort zone. Definitely pushed on this one.

 

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2012 Recap

• Best race experience? Definitely the Richmond HCA 8k in November. I ran healthy and fast ... for me. My BF's text was "All I have to say is HOLY #%*#, you rocked it!!!"
• Best run? Hitting 7 miles for the first time with my running coach and her husband in October. I was great to have her enthusiasm for hitting a new distance.
• Best new piece of gear? I’m loving this Target top. Sleeves long enough for my arms, thumb holes, a little longer in the back, and a pop of pink-purple.
• Best piece of running advice you received? Keep running my own pace. I averaged 172 steps per minute across all runs for 2012. A major improvement from 2010 and 2011.
• Most inspirational runner? I have started following several running bloggers over the last year. I am amazed at their journeys and honesty. I am thankful to have people who are willing to share which helps me with my running and life balance.
• If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? Commitment to the plan.

I had a great running year.

4 5ks (2 virtual), 1 8k, and 1 10k. I also got partially over my fear of the bike. 227 miles completed on the bike. It was some great cross-training over the summer, and added perk was time spent with my husband while biking.

I also made the big plunge into half marathon distance. I know this is no big deal for many of you, but after battling ITB pain for almost 3 years, it is scary to ramp up the mileage. I have been doing it slowly and carefully, but have found my legs like to go a little faster. To compromise, I run once a week with a group that is a little slower than I would normally. I don't mind slowing down if I had good company to chat.

These stats have me thinking of a number for 2013. Should I aim for 1000? The Type A in me says yes, but the doesn't want to be injured part says no. I would like to make sure I include yoga, strength training, and biking. I should also learn to swim, so a triathlon could be a maybe down the road. 800 running miles is the goal.

Looks like it's going to be a great year. A new PR on day 1 (more on that later). And slowly increasing the mileage. I'm aiming to tackle a tough 9 miler this weekend. So excited for this year.

 

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HCA 8K Race Report

I could sum this race up with one word for me = AWESOME!

I was ready and excited after last week's great run where I knew I had a little speed in my legs.

The weatherman was calling for 32 at the start on Thursday, but thankfully changed to 40 by Friday night. I hate the cold, and it takes me forever to warm up.

Of course, I tossed and turned trying to sleep. We had guests coming in for the weekend and they wouldn't be getting to our house until close to midnight. Thanks to hubby for staying up to greet them. Then I was afraid I would oversleep, so I woke up early.

So once I was up, temps looked promising. I quickly dressed and downed a slice of PB bread and some coffee before heading out. The race starts three blocks from my office, so I had a plan for parking which can be a little crazy for the race. As I headed outside, I saw a person walking down the street in a short dress and flip flops. I kept looking and realized it was my best friend (who lives across the street) to come wish me luck. She is AWESOME, and she snapped this picture for me.

I am crazy conservative and wore this wild outfit. I love how running has done that to me.

I met up with the Mother Runners for a group photo.

K and I are standing in the back. K is so cute and she was nervous about the race, but I knew she would do great. The plan was for me to stay with her as long as I could, but not hold her back because she is speedy for a new runner.

We jumped into the back of the first corral (never thought that would be the right place for me, but it was perfect). And we were off. The course takes you right down Broad Street through the VCU campus (go Rams). I was hanging with K as we zig-zagged through slower runners. And my Garmin started yelling at me for a heart rate alert ... way too high. I think I was super amped trying to figure out if I could stay with K (we were running 8:40) and I was panicking if I could run 5 miles at that crazy pace. It felt tough but good, but I had never done that for more than a mile.

So, I let K go and my HR dropped. Good decision because then it was just me doing what felt right for me and not worrying about holding her back.

Now my secret goal time was 44 but I told everyone I was hoping for 45. The course is an out and almost back with a strong downhill finish, and I am always slower on the downhill due to my ITB. So I started planning that if I could keep up with mid 8s, I could bank time to slow at the end (I know, most people speed up but I'm weird).

I turned on my iPod at about 1.5 miles to go and it was the perfect mix of songs to pep me up. I kept checking my cadence and I was hitting 90 or above, AWESOME. And then we hit the downhill. I checked my time, and wondered what in the heck was going on because I was way faster than I planned. Note to self: train on more downhills. This course led you right down to the river, and I was afraid I would fall (and tear the knees on my wild pants).

I actually got faster with my pace and turnover on the downhill.

What the heck, I couldn't believe this time as I was crossing the finish line. And I could see K just ahead of me. My official time was 42:34 (26th in my age group), and I couldn't have been happier.

And I can't believe I didn't take a single picture at the end. I think I was too surprised to think clearly. And I had NO knee pain = AWESOME.

I cheered on some other runners from my group and wondered around a bit with some friends before finally heading to the car and in search of a Starbucks. I was ready for coffee and my spinach wrap.

And what does any obsessed runner do when they get home? Upload the Garmin to over analyze my running and start planning for the next race. An almost 15 minute improvement from last year. I am so ready to tackle that half marathon. Now, which one do I pick?

And just because (one more time) AWESOME.

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Oh week, where have you gone?

This week has flown by because I was in a training class all week for work. I spent most of last weekend prepping for a crazy week. Luckily hubby was in town more this week, and could help juggle the pick-up and drop-off of Little Dude. Instead of my usual 3 mile commute (I know, whine, whine, whine), I had to travel to the other side of town in morning traffic. I can't imagine traveling in traffic every day. My hubby has to drive 90 miles each way every day, often in heavy traffic. I have no idea how he manages that. I would go ape crazy.

So, now back to the week recap.

Last Saturday's group run was a mentally tough run. I was looking forward to 5 miles with the ladies. I wasn't worried about the mileage, and was looking forward to the company since I normally run alone during the week. When I got there, it was only a group of 5 runners with 1 coach. One speedy runner that is normally 30 seconds to a minute faster pace per mile than me, me, then the rest of the pack who are normally 1-2 minutes/mile slower than me. I refer to the first girl as jack rabbit. She is so sweet, but I knew it would not be smart to stick with her. I have a healthy ITB and want to keep it that way. But, I couldn't go as slow as the rest of the pack and keep my cadence where I wanted it to be. So, solo it was.

The course had some strategically placed inclines (hills when you are tired or struggling). I think running it on my own when I thought I was going to have others to chat with just made it tougher.

5 miles/50:15/Pretty consistent pacing ranging from 9:53-10:17 minute miles.

I wish I hadn't volunteered to push mow our lawn because my legs were toast after the run and the mowing.

The rest of the week went like this.

Great run with BF AK on Monday while I vented about hubby.
3 miles/30:57

Horrible, terrible, awful, solo run on Thursday. It was 86 degrees (so hotter than the last several runs). I picked a hillier route than normal to get the mileage, forgot to start my watch at in intersection (so probably added on 1/2 mile), & was racing to finish in time to pick up Little Dude. I ended up taking several walk breaks to drink. My heart rate was soaring and I couldn't get my pace slower. I was tempted to stop at 2.5 and switch runs with the next day. I decided to push through because I wasn't sure if I would have time for 4 on Thursday. Glad I pushed through because the 2nd half was better than the 1st.

4 miles/40:44/Just glad it was done.

Had time for one more run on Thursday. Quick run with AK, definitely better than Wednesday's run, but not awesome. I spent more time stretching and foam rolling that running, but made me feel good afterwards.

2.5 miles/26:01

At least I'm consistent with my pace, but I need to slow down on long runs? Any advice on how to accomplish this?

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Long run with crazy GPS

So I set off Saturday morning with my running group to knock off 4.5 miles. Since it's only my second week running with this group, I'm still trying to figure out which part of the pack to be in. With all my ITB issues, I have really tried to stay away from the front because I know I am my worst own enemy with keeping up with others. I started off with the same girl from last week and we slowly cruised along for the first two miles. Then she told me to go ahead and catch up with the group just ahead of us because she wanted to drop back a little. I was feeling great, so I sped up a little to join them. We were chatting and easily making progress. We hit a stoplight at mile 3 and I paused my Garmin.

 

And then it went haywire when the light quickly changed and I tried to start it again. No luck, it was paused and it wasn't budging. It's done this one other time and the only thing that I found to reset it was to wait a few minutes and try to hold two of the buttons at the same time. Since this was my long run (and I'm so OCD), I pulled out my phone to use one of the running apps on it. It was fast to start and I put it back in my pocket for the rest of the run.

 

And then we missed a turn because most of the roads on our route are some version of Place, Drive, Way, Trail. You get the idea. We got to where we thought we should turn but it didn't match the queue sheet, so we went ahead. And then realized we should have turned already. Luckily, we just missed a loop, so we did an estimated out and back on that road to make up the mileage. We were all laughing as we headed back to the start.

 

I was a little afraid to be running without my Garmin to tell me my cadence or pace. Everything is feeling so well right now, I don't want to screw anything up by trying to keep up with speedy ladies. But the end of the run came, and I felt great. No pain, just some tight quads later in the day. Just a sign of a good workout. :)

 

So, I finally got the Garmin to reset and this is what it said.

 

Okay, so it kept the mileage in memory and just kept tracking time before I got it to reset. So when I clicked on the activity, this is the craziness I got.

So, I now biked 3337 miles in 149 hours. I wonder what cosmos the satellite pinged off to get this reading. What's even crazier is that is still kept some of my lap data.

I told you were slowly cruising for the first mile or so. When I added up the numbers I remembers from my Garmin + the other app, I ended up with around 4.8 miles in 47 minutes. Oh my Lord. I went way too fast the last mile and a half, but it felt great.

Here's hoping for less Garmin craziness the next time.

 

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So tonight was supposed to be ...

a 2.5 mile walk or slow jog, but I just couldn't convince my legs or my brain. I was able to sneak out a few minutes early so I could squeeze in a run before needing to pick up Little Dude.

2.5 miles in 23:47. My fastest pace I think I've recorded yet. I finished right at Little Dude's school, so I picked him up and we walked home.

Love that kid's energy. But I gotta slow down.

 

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