Hiii! So it's been forever again since I last wrote. My bad. There just never seems to be enough time or when I do find time I'm reminded of how I still don't have my own laptop (goal is to still buy one by end of April!). I swear, I don't know how true bloggers find time to write EVERY DAY! So this post will be another recap of my past week of work outs PLUS an update on my latest 10K.
Monday, Jan 24th
32 mins of Total Body on the Elliptical at level 8
32 mins of Random Hills on the bike at level 10
30 mins of strength
Tuesday, Jan 25th
ran 4.35 miles on the Treadmill
Wednesday, Jan 26th
15 mins of Total Body on the Elliptical at level 10
2.2 miles on the Treadmill
Thursday, Jan 27th
REST
Friday, Jan 28th
2.01 miles outside
Saturday, Jan 29th
REST
Sunday, Jan 30th
10K RACE DAY!!
Race day was here. I was EXTREMELY nervous/anxious/scared all at the same time since I hadn't ran 6 (or even 5!) miles since the last 10K a whole month ago. But I felt mentally prepared for this challenge. I laid all my clothes out the night before. Made a decision to lose one layer up top since I've been uncomfortable/getting warm the last few times I ran outside. Got directions to the race. Looked up and studied the race route so no big surprises awaited me. Ate a Carb-loaded dinner. And went to bed earlier than usual. I should also note that I had a lot of self control this weekend since we had Kara's big-Beiber-birthday Bash Friday night. I knew I had to limit myself of adult beverages and 25 cent wontons to not make the race any worse for myself than I was already anticipating it to be.
Race morning was chilly- 22 degrees and that is what it would remain for the duration of the race. There was a light wind, the sky was clear and the roads- for the most part- bare. I got to the race an hour early so I could stretch, go to the bathroom and had plenty of time to walk .4 miles to the starting line. The crowd for the 10K was not nearly as large as it was the last race. Probably about 250 people this time. Part of that had to do with the 5K starting 40 mins before the 10K to avoid over crowded trails. So after seeing the small-er crowd I began to pray that I do not finish DEAD LAST!
Once the gun shot, I felt good and ready to do this. I tried to remain as hopeful/positive/optimistic as possible. The first mile began and the group began to spread out with some disappearing way off into the distance ahead of me while there were a few others trailing behind. I felt good once I saw the first mile marker. 1 down and 5 more to go! Then mile 2 began to feel extremely looong. I knew that we got to loop back and head towards the start once I hit mile 2 so maybe all my anticipation made it seem a lot longer than it actually was. Then mile 2 came. And mile 3 came. And I realized I knew I had to do this entire 3 mile loop again BUT I remained positive about it. And I still actually felt pretty good. I wasn't dying of exhaustion yet. Then mile 4 seemed ridiculously long again. But then before I knew it I passed the 5 mile marker. 1 MORE TO GO! At this time I was starting to get the urge to want to walk a bit BUT I didn't! I hung in there. If I made it this far there's no way I could give up and walk now. Then before you knew it I crossed the finish line at 1:04:18! And I was shocked! This was almost 4 whole minutes off of my time from my last 10K!! And I didn't think I was going any faster than I usually run. In fact I could've sworn this race's time would be worse than last times because I wasn't feeling so tired and I didn't feel like I was going fast (or my version of fast which is prob pretty slow for most runners). So I was really, really happy with my results. Plus Brad was there at the Finish line taking pics of me and Vanessa (which are extremely unflattering so I will NOT be posting them) and it's always nice to know you have people there rooting for you. I mean, these runs have been HUGE accomplishments for Vanessa and myself! It's fun to share the experience with others.
So here I am a day after the race still feeling really pleased with my results from yesterday. And if anything I just feel more motivated now to begin my Half Marathon Training Program. I'm still ironing out some of the deets but once I have it finalized I'll post it. I definitely could not have ran another 7 miles after yesterday's race but now I'm beginning to think that it's definitely a possibility in the distant future (meaning May 1st, hopefully!).
As for the rest of my week, I was going to take a night off tonight and recover from the race. I'm definitely feeling it in my knees and calves today. BUT we're under a Severe Winter Advisory until tomorrow and then a Blizzard Watch until Wednesday so if I don't go to the gym tonight I might not be able to get there for a few days. So tonight I'm hoping to get some good stretching in, some light cardio, and focus more on upper body strength exercises.
Ok, lunch is over. Back to work I go. Until next time!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
A Quick Catch-Up!
Hi all!
My apologies for not writing so frequently. I've been extremely busy but haven't completely lost track of my running schedule. So I'm gonna give you a quick update on my last few work outs/days.
Beginning with last Tuesday! Last Tuesday I went to the gym again. I decided to try the "Random Hills" work out. I set it for 30 minutes with an additional warm-up and cool-down. This was good for me! There were times I was struggling and I had to slow the speed down for a bit but for the most part I was able to complete the work out with minimal adaptations being made. I'm still adjusting to treadmill speeds/inclines and trying to find the right levels for me for each work out. For this work out my max speed was set at 5.5 and max incline was 6.5. I ended the work out by running 2.8 miles of hills in 30 minutes. I was feeling pretty good after this so I did an additional 20 minutes of "Random Hills" on the bike logging another 5.6 miles at level 10.
Wednesday I surprisingly went on a run in sunny California! Although, the sun wasn't out anymore by the time I was able to go for a run. I was hoping to do a nice easy run and well, I suppose it wasn't too difficult but it turned into a 4 mile run. I guess I can't complain since part of it was through sand and the rest of it was along the beachfront. Plus it was an opportunity to run in 60+ degree weather! Who knows when I'll see that again around here... :(
Thursday and Friday were too busy or I was too exhausted to even think about going for a run. These 3 day trips with one FULL day of location shooting are exhausting BUT tons of fun! Then Saturday I flat out slacked. It was in the single digits when I was contemplating on going for a run and after being in warm weather for a few days I couldn't bring myself to do it. Putting on all those layers and venturing out there seemed like the worst idea ever.
Today I was struggling too. I really, really didn't want to run. So I killed time by doing a pilates DVD. By the time I was done with the DVD it had reached 10 degrees so I figured I better do it while the sun is out. Plus I figured this might be my only chance to run outside before the 10K Race next Sunday...eek! Oh, and I figured it would help justify all the yummy Game Day food I'd be inhaling for the Packer Game! Ha...oops. Surprisingly, I had a pretty pleasant run for taking a couple days off and eating lots of delicious but not so good for me food on location. I only had planned to do a 2 mile Easy Run and I ended up doing 2.76 miles instead. I used one of the "coaching" programs on the RunKeeperPro App and it worked out pretty nice. They give you updates as you run, tell you when you hit a mile and give suggestions for either speeding up, slowing down or even walking for an interval. I chose the "2 Miles with Rest" program and that consisted of a 5 minute warm-up, 1 Mile at a steady pace, .25 Miles at a slower pace, and 1more Mile at a steady pace. Like I mentioned before it was chilly out but the sun shinning and lack of wind played a huge part in the success of this run. It also helped that the sidewalks were fairly clear of snow or it was packed down so hard I felt pretty stable maintaining a good pace on it.
As for the rest of the week, I'm hoping to get to the gym Mon, Tues and Wed, take Thurs off, do a light, easy 2 mile run outside Friday morning (cause I have the day off, yippee!), rest Sat and 10K RACE DAY SUNDAY! I'm not sure what my work outs will be yet at the gym but hoping to do one run of at least 4-5 miles, another day of at least 3 miles and then either a shorter speed work out or some more random hills. I'm gonna try and add in some cross training if possible too but I want to make sure I don't over do it and have no energy left for this upcoming weekend's run. Also this week I need to finalize my 1/2 Marathon Training Schedule. If any of you have suggestions or have used programs that you really liked please send the tips my way!
Alrighty, that's it for now. Until next time!
PS: WAY TO GO PACK!!! SUPERBOWL 2011 HERE WE COME :)
My apologies for not writing so frequently. I've been extremely busy but haven't completely lost track of my running schedule. So I'm gonna give you a quick update on my last few work outs/days.
Beginning with last Tuesday! Last Tuesday I went to the gym again. I decided to try the "Random Hills" work out. I set it for 30 minutes with an additional warm-up and cool-down. This was good for me! There were times I was struggling and I had to slow the speed down for a bit but for the most part I was able to complete the work out with minimal adaptations being made. I'm still adjusting to treadmill speeds/inclines and trying to find the right levels for me for each work out. For this work out my max speed was set at 5.5 and max incline was 6.5. I ended the work out by running 2.8 miles of hills in 30 minutes. I was feeling pretty good after this so I did an additional 20 minutes of "Random Hills" on the bike logging another 5.6 miles at level 10.
Wednesday I surprisingly went on a run in sunny California! Although, the sun wasn't out anymore by the time I was able to go for a run. I was hoping to do a nice easy run and well, I suppose it wasn't too difficult but it turned into a 4 mile run. I guess I can't complain since part of it was through sand and the rest of it was along the beachfront. Plus it was an opportunity to run in 60+ degree weather! Who knows when I'll see that again around here... :(
Thursday and Friday were too busy or I was too exhausted to even think about going for a run. These 3 day trips with one FULL day of location shooting are exhausting BUT tons of fun! Then Saturday I flat out slacked. It was in the single digits when I was contemplating on going for a run and after being in warm weather for a few days I couldn't bring myself to do it. Putting on all those layers and venturing out there seemed like the worst idea ever.
Today I was struggling too. I really, really didn't want to run. So I killed time by doing a pilates DVD. By the time I was done with the DVD it had reached 10 degrees so I figured I better do it while the sun is out. Plus I figured this might be my only chance to run outside before the 10K Race next Sunday...eek! Oh, and I figured it would help justify all the yummy Game Day food I'd be inhaling for the Packer Game! Ha...oops. Surprisingly, I had a pretty pleasant run for taking a couple days off and eating lots of delicious but not so good for me food on location. I only had planned to do a 2 mile Easy Run and I ended up doing 2.76 miles instead. I used one of the "coaching" programs on the RunKeeperPro App and it worked out pretty nice. They give you updates as you run, tell you when you hit a mile and give suggestions for either speeding up, slowing down or even walking for an interval. I chose the "2 Miles with Rest" program and that consisted of a 5 minute warm-up, 1 Mile at a steady pace, .25 Miles at a slower pace, and 1more Mile at a steady pace. Like I mentioned before it was chilly out but the sun shinning and lack of wind played a huge part in the success of this run. It also helped that the sidewalks were fairly clear of snow or it was packed down so hard I felt pretty stable maintaining a good pace on it.
As for the rest of the week, I'm hoping to get to the gym Mon, Tues and Wed, take Thurs off, do a light, easy 2 mile run outside Friday morning (cause I have the day off, yippee!), rest Sat and 10K RACE DAY SUNDAY! I'm not sure what my work outs will be yet at the gym but hoping to do one run of at least 4-5 miles, another day of at least 3 miles and then either a shorter speed work out or some more random hills. I'm gonna try and add in some cross training if possible too but I want to make sure I don't over do it and have no energy left for this upcoming weekend's run. Also this week I need to finalize my 1/2 Marathon Training Schedule. If any of you have suggestions or have used programs that you really liked please send the tips my way!
Alrighty, that's it for now. Until next time!
PS: WAY TO GO PACK!!! SUPERBOWL 2011 HERE WE COME :)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
I Be Up In The Gym Workin' On My Fitness
Ok, just because I haven't been writing doesn't mean I haven't been running! I actually have logged THREE more work outs since the last time I wrote. Thursday I had my first day at the new gym, Saturday I "attempted" to do a long run, and Monday was another gym day.
Thursday I was actually excited to go to the gym. I haven't been to one in probably almost a year since I've been so dedicated to running my runs outside. So I was looking forward to a nice, indoor treadmill run. Treadmill running is actually a pretty good training tool for myself since I can really control the pace I'm running and force myself to go faster for longer. It also just keeps me really in tune with how much my pace fluctuates! I began by choosing to do a 30-minute run. I did a 5 minute warm-up, then made myself run a mile at a 10 min/mile pace, then I felt the need to lower my pace to an 11 min/mile pace for the next 5 minutes and then I upped it to a 10 minute pace again and I repeated that for one more mile. Not gonna lie, I felt a little pooped at the end of my 30 minutes and I couldn't wrap my finger around how the 2 people next to me were able to run so fast! The one girl was going on 60 minutes of steady running too. No slowing down for her. I'm telling you looks can definitely be deceiving when it comes to how fit somebody actually is. And this is one of my biggest challenges- I need to try and find out how to increase my endurance so I can run faster and longer without feeling so exhausted. The entire time I was running I kept having visions of myself tripping, falling and causing a huge scene AND I was only running at a fraction of everybody else's speed. Once my 30 minutes plus a cool down was done on the treadmill I did 15 minutes of hill intervals on the elliptical to just switch it up a bit. This felt good and it was nice to get a little arm work out in.
Last Wednesday and Friday were my 2 days off last week.
Saturday I knew I had to do a long run since I hadn't done a run over 3 miles since my last 10K. So my plan was to do 5 and if I felt good to try and do 6. But the second I stepped outside and started running those plans quickly went down the tubes. It was one of my most awful runs ever! I felt like I had gone running for the first time! I was exhausted. Panting out of breath in the first mile. Feet were cold and wet. My face and neck were freeeeezing from the wind and the cold temps. My thighs were burning and freezing at the same time. The zipper on my pants was rubbing weird on my ankle. I felt hot on top at times though thinking I had one too many layers on. It was just bad all around. Now I guess I should preface the situation a bit. It was only 16 degrees out and it did snow the night before so there was a fresh few inches of un-shoveled snow on the sidewalks making it pretty difficult to tread through with the lack of traction. It was what running through sand probably feels like. My mom actually made me feel better about this run when she said that if it weren't for those conditions I probably would have been able to run another mile or two. So my 5-6 miler turned into a 4 miler. I guess I should also admit that I couldn't run the entire 4 miles. In fact, I probably walked a combined total of almost one whole mile...boo. I know. The only good that came from this was that I felt sore. And tired. And like I had actually had a decent work out because of all this exhaustion.
Sunday I took the day off for my Dad's birthday celebration.
Last night, Monday, I braved the snowstorm we were in the midst of having and went to the gym again. I set the timer for 50 minutes and hoped to run as much of that time as I could. I finished the work out with running 4.5 miles at 10, 11 and a few minutes of 9 minute/mile paces. And it felt good. Next time I'm going to push myself even further to run more at 9-10 minute paces and less 11. I think I may even try to do some treadmill speedwork since I'm not able to get to the Pettit Center this week.
To be honest, I'm not sure what the rest of my week is going to look like as far as working out goes. I leave bright and early tomorrow morning for a photo shoot in Cali for a few days and the last time we worked a shoot out there I slept for almost an entire day once I got back. Eeek! That'll not be good for my training since I've got another 10K coming up! But who knows, maybe I can fit a beach run into my schedule in sunny California this week!
Until next time!
Thursday I was actually excited to go to the gym. I haven't been to one in probably almost a year since I've been so dedicated to running my runs outside. So I was looking forward to a nice, indoor treadmill run. Treadmill running is actually a pretty good training tool for myself since I can really control the pace I'm running and force myself to go faster for longer. It also just keeps me really in tune with how much my pace fluctuates! I began by choosing to do a 30-minute run. I did a 5 minute warm-up, then made myself run a mile at a 10 min/mile pace, then I felt the need to lower my pace to an 11 min/mile pace for the next 5 minutes and then I upped it to a 10 minute pace again and I repeated that for one more mile. Not gonna lie, I felt a little pooped at the end of my 30 minutes and I couldn't wrap my finger around how the 2 people next to me were able to run so fast! The one girl was going on 60 minutes of steady running too. No slowing down for her. I'm telling you looks can definitely be deceiving when it comes to how fit somebody actually is. And this is one of my biggest challenges- I need to try and find out how to increase my endurance so I can run faster and longer without feeling so exhausted. The entire time I was running I kept having visions of myself tripping, falling and causing a huge scene AND I was only running at a fraction of everybody else's speed. Once my 30 minutes plus a cool down was done on the treadmill I did 15 minutes of hill intervals on the elliptical to just switch it up a bit. This felt good and it was nice to get a little arm work out in.
Last Wednesday and Friday were my 2 days off last week.
Saturday I knew I had to do a long run since I hadn't done a run over 3 miles since my last 10K. So my plan was to do 5 and if I felt good to try and do 6. But the second I stepped outside and started running those plans quickly went down the tubes. It was one of my most awful runs ever! I felt like I had gone running for the first time! I was exhausted. Panting out of breath in the first mile. Feet were cold and wet. My face and neck were freeeeezing from the wind and the cold temps. My thighs were burning and freezing at the same time. The zipper on my pants was rubbing weird on my ankle. I felt hot on top at times though thinking I had one too many layers on. It was just bad all around. Now I guess I should preface the situation a bit. It was only 16 degrees out and it did snow the night before so there was a fresh few inches of un-shoveled snow on the sidewalks making it pretty difficult to tread through with the lack of traction. It was what running through sand probably feels like. My mom actually made me feel better about this run when she said that if it weren't for those conditions I probably would have been able to run another mile or two. So my 5-6 miler turned into a 4 miler. I guess I should also admit that I couldn't run the entire 4 miles. In fact, I probably walked a combined total of almost one whole mile...boo. I know. The only good that came from this was that I felt sore. And tired. And like I had actually had a decent work out because of all this exhaustion.
Sunday I took the day off for my Dad's birthday celebration.
Last night, Monday, I braved the snowstorm we were in the midst of having and went to the gym again. I set the timer for 50 minutes and hoped to run as much of that time as I could. I finished the work out with running 4.5 miles at 10, 11 and a few minutes of 9 minute/mile paces. And it felt good. Next time I'm going to push myself even further to run more at 9-10 minute paces and less 11. I think I may even try to do some treadmill speedwork since I'm not able to get to the Pettit Center this week.
To be honest, I'm not sure what the rest of my week is going to look like as far as working out goes. I leave bright and early tomorrow morning for a photo shoot in Cali for a few days and the last time we worked a shoot out there I slept for almost an entire day once I got back. Eeek! That'll not be good for my training since I've got another 10K coming up! But who knows, maybe I can fit a beach run into my schedule in sunny California this week!
Until next time!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Mission...Possible?!?
I know, I know, it's been awhile since I've blogged and I'm sure you all are thinking that means I've fallen off the wagon again and well, that's semi true. After my last 10K I did decide to take an entire week off of running. Last Monday I did 'Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred' and thought it'd be good to do that every day last week BUT that plan quickly changed when Brad decided to take the laptop to Madison with him that had the DVD inside it. So then I looked at it as a sign to just recover mentally and physically for a week and get geared up for some real training (half marathon in May!!!).
I'm going to start following a 'Half Marathon Training Schedule' beginning in February so until then I'm going to keep up with my current schedule: at least 3 runs a week (easy, speed work/hills, long weekend run) AND in addition to these runs I've finally joined a gym so I'll be doing some cross training hopefully at least another 2 days a week.
Now an update on my week. So far this week I've ran twice and did the Insanity Fit Test.
Sunday I did a nice little 3 miler. I eased into it at a pretty slow pace since I had been off for an entire week and was worried that the run was going to kick my a**. The first mile was really difficult. It was 16 degrees out, sunny and there was a fresh light blanket of snow on the ground. So I didn't know if I was going to make it for 3 whole miles. After mile one, I walked for a song and then I felt good and was able to run the rest of the way. Towards the end I was feeling real good and even added on a lap up the hill!
Monday I did the Insanity Fit Test. It's about a 25 minute cardio work out testing 8 different levels of physical fitness. Brad and I did the Insanity with Shaun T videos last year around this time and they're such good work outs that I thought maybe I'd start doing them every once in awhile as some cross training. It's sad to admit this but Tuesday I woke up sore just from doing the Fit Test! I guess I worked some muscles that haven't got much action the last few months.
Tuesday night I decided to do my hill repeats that I wrote about a few weeks ago AND I was able to add 1 extra lap up the hill! It was extremely difficult though cause we were in the middle of a snow storm and the sidewalk leading up the hill was only half shoveled. It was tiring and my thighs were burning but after it was all done I felt good about it.
One last change I've made this week is finally being more attentive to my diet. I went to the grocery and bought healthy things that I can make for lunch every week as well as a few nutritious snack options. Then at night I'm trying to stick with meat or fish and a vegetable. When possible I'm going to try and stay away from eating carbs at night. Now, don't get me wrong there will still be nights that I'll probably opt for pasta, tacos or sushi but I will vow to watch my portions. I think just getting in the habit of eating more balanced meals throughout the day should help me out.
As the new year begins, I'm feeling good and excited about the changes to my lifestyle. A few more days of working out and eating better can only do good things for me. This new mission of mine I believe is very possible to accomplish.
Until next time!
I'm going to start following a 'Half Marathon Training Schedule' beginning in February so until then I'm going to keep up with my current schedule: at least 3 runs a week (easy, speed work/hills, long weekend run) AND in addition to these runs I've finally joined a gym so I'll be doing some cross training hopefully at least another 2 days a week.
Now an update on my week. So far this week I've ran twice and did the Insanity Fit Test.
Sunday I did a nice little 3 miler. I eased into it at a pretty slow pace since I had been off for an entire week and was worried that the run was going to kick my a**. The first mile was really difficult. It was 16 degrees out, sunny and there was a fresh light blanket of snow on the ground. So I didn't know if I was going to make it for 3 whole miles. After mile one, I walked for a song and then I felt good and was able to run the rest of the way. Towards the end I was feeling real good and even added on a lap up the hill!
Monday I did the Insanity Fit Test. It's about a 25 minute cardio work out testing 8 different levels of physical fitness. Brad and I did the Insanity with Shaun T videos last year around this time and they're such good work outs that I thought maybe I'd start doing them every once in awhile as some cross training. It's sad to admit this but Tuesday I woke up sore just from doing the Fit Test! I guess I worked some muscles that haven't got much action the last few months.
Tuesday night I decided to do my hill repeats that I wrote about a few weeks ago AND I was able to add 1 extra lap up the hill! It was extremely difficult though cause we were in the middle of a snow storm and the sidewalk leading up the hill was only half shoveled. It was tiring and my thighs were burning but after it was all done I felt good about it.
One last change I've made this week is finally being more attentive to my diet. I went to the grocery and bought healthy things that I can make for lunch every week as well as a few nutritious snack options. Then at night I'm trying to stick with meat or fish and a vegetable. When possible I'm going to try and stay away from eating carbs at night. Now, don't get me wrong there will still be nights that I'll probably opt for pasta, tacos or sushi but I will vow to watch my portions. I think just getting in the habit of eating more balanced meals throughout the day should help me out.
As the new year begins, I'm feeling good and excited about the changes to my lifestyle. A few more days of working out and eating better can only do good things for me. This new mission of mine I believe is very possible to accomplish.
Until next time!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Run Into The New Year 10K!
Well ladies and gents, my first 10K is complete! It was NOT an easy task but I was able to accomplish it and end 2010 by running my first 6.2 miles.
I was extremely nervous going into Friday's run. I didn't get the greatest night of sleep prior to the run because I kept having dreams that I was going to sleep late and miss the race. AND the race didn't even start until noon so considering I haven't slept in that late since college it was very unlikely that I would have slept through it. Then Friday morning I woke up and had 2 pieces of toast about two hours before the run. After that it was time to get dressed. As predicted, it was extremely warm out for a December day in Wisconsin: 55 degrees!! So despite all my training in the frigid temps preparing myself for the worst running conditions, it was complete opposite- warm, overcast, light rain at times and absolutely no snow. I was now faced with a dilemma, what do I wear?! Surely, I could not wear all my usual layers because I would roast to death. So I started stripping down the layers. Got rid of the hat, gloves, fleece and windbreaker pants leaving only my dri fit running tights, tall socks, shoes, dri fit tank, l/s Run Into The New Year shirt and light weight zip up hoodie. And to be honest with you, this was still too many layers. I should have lost one more layer up top. By the time I reached my first mile I was itching to shed a layer but had nowhere to put it and I was definitely not going to leave my hard earned Nike hoodie on the side of the road and call it a day. So I had to suck it up and learn from my mistake.
Now, for the running details. The course was broken into a 3.14 mile loop that you ran twice if doing the 10K option. It was primarily flat with real minor inclines towards the end of mile 3 and 6. Over 1,800 people signed up to race that day so the course was pretty full at times. I started off running at a pretty slow pace because I was so worried that I'd overdo it at the beginning and not have enough energy to finish. Once I saw how slow my first mile was I knew I needed to try and pick up the pace a little bit. This is when I began to feel fatigued ALREADY and I was only in my second mile. I knew I still had a long way to go so I tried to get lost in my music and just run. As we were approaching the end of mile 3 you better believe I had thoughts of being like, "screw the 10K, I should just finish and pretend I thought I signed up for the 5k!" BUT I didn't do that, as everyone was cheering for the finishers I began my second lap. Mile 4 felt extremely long and lonely! There weren't too many people ahead of me to look at. I could still see Vanessa a few feet ahead of me but that was it. It was weird how by this time a race of 1,800 people felt so empty compared to when we first started. Once I hit mile 5, I was happy because I had made it this far and was almost done. I felt a bit sluggish and my calves were cramping a tiny bit but I wasn't giving up. No walking allowed. Then finally I hit the 6 mile marker and I knew the finish line awaited me around the corner. I tried to muster up any energy I had left inside of me to try and run the last 2 blocks as quick as I could and I finished my first 10K in 1:08:24.
I was relieved to be done. And was pretty content with my time. I didn't really have a goal time in mind, I more so just wanted to complete the entire 6.2 miles without walking. And I DID IT!
Now I have a time that I can work on beating in the future. I think Vanessa and I are going to do the 10K route for the Great Lakes Expo Run at the end of January. So I have decided to take a few days off of running and enjoy the first few days of the New Year by relaxing, watching football and indulging in some good food. Then starting Monday I'm going to attempt to pay attention to my diet more. I've been eating so much crap and loving it but hating it at the same time. It tastes so good at the time but I can feel what it does to my body and it really adds to that sluggish feeling I'm getting while running. So as I venture into my first week of low carb, healthy eating I hope to do some light runs as well as cross training. I think this is another area that I can really improve on. I may be doing well at running 3x or so a week but I need to do more if I want to achieve better overall fitness. I'm not sure what I'll do yet, I've got some ideas but I know I need to be a lot more disciplined. Last year at this time I began my INSANITY craze so maybe I'll do that again a few days a week?! We'll see...that's some pretty intense stuff. Whatever I chose, I'll be sure to write about it so def stay tuned! And if any of you have suggestions for workouts please let me know! I love trying new things and if it worked for you, all the better reason to try it!
Alrighty, that's it for now. Until next time!
Ahhh! I almost forgot! I don't know what got into me but I signed up for my first official Half Marathon!! I'll be attempting to run the Cincinnati Flying Pig Half Marathon with my family this upcoming May!!
I was extremely nervous going into Friday's run. I didn't get the greatest night of sleep prior to the run because I kept having dreams that I was going to sleep late and miss the race. AND the race didn't even start until noon so considering I haven't slept in that late since college it was very unlikely that I would have slept through it. Then Friday morning I woke up and had 2 pieces of toast about two hours before the run. After that it was time to get dressed. As predicted, it was extremely warm out for a December day in Wisconsin: 55 degrees!! So despite all my training in the frigid temps preparing myself for the worst running conditions, it was complete opposite- warm, overcast, light rain at times and absolutely no snow. I was now faced with a dilemma, what do I wear?! Surely, I could not wear all my usual layers because I would roast to death. So I started stripping down the layers. Got rid of the hat, gloves, fleece and windbreaker pants leaving only my dri fit running tights, tall socks, shoes, dri fit tank, l/s Run Into The New Year shirt and light weight zip up hoodie. And to be honest with you, this was still too many layers. I should have lost one more layer up top. By the time I reached my first mile I was itching to shed a layer but had nowhere to put it and I was definitely not going to leave my hard earned Nike hoodie on the side of the road and call it a day. So I had to suck it up and learn from my mistake.
Now, for the running details. The course was broken into a 3.14 mile loop that you ran twice if doing the 10K option. It was primarily flat with real minor inclines towards the end of mile 3 and 6. Over 1,800 people signed up to race that day so the course was pretty full at times. I started off running at a pretty slow pace because I was so worried that I'd overdo it at the beginning and not have enough energy to finish. Once I saw how slow my first mile was I knew I needed to try and pick up the pace a little bit. This is when I began to feel fatigued ALREADY and I was only in my second mile. I knew I still had a long way to go so I tried to get lost in my music and just run. As we were approaching the end of mile 3 you better believe I had thoughts of being like, "screw the 10K, I should just finish and pretend I thought I signed up for the 5k!" BUT I didn't do that, as everyone was cheering for the finishers I began my second lap. Mile 4 felt extremely long and lonely! There weren't too many people ahead of me to look at. I could still see Vanessa a few feet ahead of me but that was it. It was weird how by this time a race of 1,800 people felt so empty compared to when we first started. Once I hit mile 5, I was happy because I had made it this far and was almost done. I felt a bit sluggish and my calves were cramping a tiny bit but I wasn't giving up. No walking allowed. Then finally I hit the 6 mile marker and I knew the finish line awaited me around the corner. I tried to muster up any energy I had left inside of me to try and run the last 2 blocks as quick as I could and I finished my first 10K in 1:08:24.
I was relieved to be done. And was pretty content with my time. I didn't really have a goal time in mind, I more so just wanted to complete the entire 6.2 miles without walking. And I DID IT!
Now I have a time that I can work on beating in the future. I think Vanessa and I are going to do the 10K route for the Great Lakes Expo Run at the end of January. So I have decided to take a few days off of running and enjoy the first few days of the New Year by relaxing, watching football and indulging in some good food. Then starting Monday I'm going to attempt to pay attention to my diet more. I've been eating so much crap and loving it but hating it at the same time. It tastes so good at the time but I can feel what it does to my body and it really adds to that sluggish feeling I'm getting while running. So as I venture into my first week of low carb, healthy eating I hope to do some light runs as well as cross training. I think this is another area that I can really improve on. I may be doing well at running 3x or so a week but I need to do more if I want to achieve better overall fitness. I'm not sure what I'll do yet, I've got some ideas but I know I need to be a lot more disciplined. Last year at this time I began my INSANITY craze so maybe I'll do that again a few days a week?! We'll see...that's some pretty intense stuff. Whatever I chose, I'll be sure to write about it so def stay tuned! And if any of you have suggestions for workouts please let me know! I love trying new things and if it worked for you, all the better reason to try it!
Alrighty, that's it for now. Until next time!
Ahhh! I almost forgot! I don't know what got into me but I signed up for my first official Half Marathon!! I'll be attempting to run the Cincinnati Flying Pig Half Marathon with my family this upcoming May!!
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