Workout: XT
Elliptical 35 mins
Random Hills, Level 7
3.61 miles, 325 calories
Today was a long day. Work was slow, I was hungry and I had a headache. The last thing I wanted to do tonight was work out. But like always, when I either go straight to head home or have to turn left to go to the gym, I automatically turned left. That dang guilty conscience kicking in again...always puts a damper on things...like my relaxing evening of television awaiting me. With my head not really in the game I decided if I could suck it up and sweat it out for at least 30 minutes then I could go home, enjoy a bowl of pasta and watch 90210 (yes, I still watch that show). And that's basically what happened. I had taken the day off yesterday and haven't felt sore in awhile but my first few mins on the Elliptical were a bit brutal. My calves were extremely sore. But after a bit they warmed up and felt fine.
Today I've also began mentally preparing myself for my 4 mile Tempo Run that awaits me tomorrow. I was hoping to get up bright and early and run it at the track down the street. Sounds like a good idea right?! Too bad I've only gotten up and ran before work only about 5 times in my entire life. So in reality, I'll be running it post work tomorrow and maybe at the gym. Not gonna lie, the track and all those high schoolers after school intimidate me. And I'm not ready to run with that crowd, yet. Does anyone have any great ideas/motivators that help them get up early to work out?? I'd LOVE to be more of a morning person but I just don't think it's in my genes.
On a plus note, I had one of my favorite fresh juices this morning:
2 carrots
2 apples
1 inch of ginger
Regarding juicing, one dilemma I have been having is that this amount of juice does not fill me up from breakfast to lunch. Some recipes I've followed produce twice as much juice as this, does anyone know what a healthy recommended amount of juice is for breakfast? Or does anyone eat other things with their juice? Since I had my one cup of juice this morning I was starving by lunch and hit up the salad bar, hard. Made a bigger salad than I'm sure I needed to and then followed it up with 2 cookies. Oops. Another temptation I'm trying to have some more control over.
I'm hoping that by exposing some of my bad habits on here it'll help me kick them to the curb...or at least gain better control over them. But I'm also posting them to be honest with you all and myself. Yes, I work out a lot but that's because I like to eat, a lot. And speaking of that, I think I'm going to go get ready for bed and brush my teeth. That's one way to keep me from eating anymore this evening (cause I'm too lazy to brush twice in one night!).
Night y'all!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Brewers Mini-Marathon Training Program
Here's my tentative Training Program:
Brewers Mini-Marathon Training Program
I'm definitely going to try my hardest to stick as close to this as possible. I may have to do minor tweaks like swap Sundays/Mondays etc. BUT no matter what I'm going to make sure that I hit my weekly mileage totals.
It's funny because I was just rereading some of my past entries and here I am an entire year if not more later and I still feel the exact same way about running. It's HARD. Whether I'm indoors, outdoors running 2 miles or 4 miles, every time I do it, it's still such a challenge for me. Yes, I may be able to run a 5K a minute or two faster than I could a year ago but I feel like after all of this work I should be able to shave 10 minutes off my time! So this time around with my training I'm going to pay extra attention to my speed workouts/tempo runs/suggested mile times from RunnersWorld. I'm also going to try and watch what I eat/drink a little better than before. It's so easy to get caught up in the idea that, "hey I just ran 8 miles and burned 800+ calories so that means I can indulge in 800 calories worth of cake!" I got a juicer for my birthday this year so I'm hoping to learn how to replenish my body with fresh juices instead of sweets (well, most of the time). My aunt and uncle are avid juicers and have shared some of their favorite recipes with me but if you have any PLEASE SHARE! I'm always looking for something new to try. And I'll post some of my hits and misses just in case someone might want to give it a shot (or not).
Ok, I wrote more than I planned on for this evening. And just so you know (cause I already feel a tad bit guilty about it) I did not do my 3-miler today BUT I did do it yesterday (since I knew I had prior arrangements this evening). And those arrangements involved going to Build Your Own Burger Night...delicious...but dangerous. It was a friend's birthday so I had to! And if there's one thing I've learned these past few years it's that indulgences are great, in moderation of course.
Alrighty, bye for now!
Brewers Mini-Marathon Training Program
I'm definitely going to try my hardest to stick as close to this as possible. I may have to do minor tweaks like swap Sundays/Mondays etc. BUT no matter what I'm going to make sure that I hit my weekly mileage totals.
It's funny because I was just rereading some of my past entries and here I am an entire year if not more later and I still feel the exact same way about running. It's HARD. Whether I'm indoors, outdoors running 2 miles or 4 miles, every time I do it, it's still such a challenge for me. Yes, I may be able to run a 5K a minute or two faster than I could a year ago but I feel like after all of this work I should be able to shave 10 minutes off my time! So this time around with my training I'm going to pay extra attention to my speed workouts/tempo runs/suggested mile times from RunnersWorld. I'm also going to try and watch what I eat/drink a little better than before. It's so easy to get caught up in the idea that, "hey I just ran 8 miles and burned 800+ calories so that means I can indulge in 800 calories worth of cake!" I got a juicer for my birthday this year so I'm hoping to learn how to replenish my body with fresh juices instead of sweets (well, most of the time). My aunt and uncle are avid juicers and have shared some of their favorite recipes with me but if you have any PLEASE SHARE! I'm always looking for something new to try. And I'll post some of my hits and misses just in case someone might want to give it a shot (or not).
Ok, I wrote more than I planned on for this evening. And just so you know (cause I already feel a tad bit guilty about it) I did not do my 3-miler today BUT I did do it yesterday (since I knew I had prior arrangements this evening). And those arrangements involved going to Build Your Own Burger Night...delicious...but dangerous. It was a friend's birthday so I had to! And if there's one thing I've learned these past few years it's that indulgences are great, in moderation of course.
Alrighty, bye for now!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
for realz.
Well ladies and gents, I'm baaaack! It's been ONE WHOLE YEAR since I've blogged and I figured what a perfect time to start up again because I just signed up for my SECOND HALF MARATHON!! Eeek! I don't know what has gotten into me because to be honest with you, I haven't ran anything over 5 miles since I completed the Flying Pig Half last May.
I've been running pretty regularly but mostly only variations of 2,3 & 4 milers. And mostly on a treadmill. While I watch the Nightly News with Brian Williams. I try to run/XT anywhere from 3-5 days/week. But even after doing this pretty regularly for the past year and a half, running is still sooo hard for me! And I'm still not fast. However, I am able to find enjoyment in running (some times, def not always) like today for instance, wicked storms were a brewing and I thought it'd be fun to try and get a 3 miler in before the rain came. And I don't know what it was- the dark skies, the gusty winds, cracks of thunder and flashes of lightening- I felt super motivated to run, hard and try and beat the storm. Part of me was really excited to run in the rain but that didn't happen. I beat it. Just in time too cause I probably would have been washed away and never have made it home.
But back to my recent shenanigans of signing myself up and paying to run 13.1 miles. I told myself last year that I'd like to do a Half every year. But when the winter rolled around I was not excited one bit about signing up or training for a Half. So I didn't. And I kinda just thought that my one-year streak was simply just that. THEN out of the blue I heard about the Brewers Mini Marathon and got a really unfamiliar feeling- I wanted to run. 13.1 miles. Something about the course, it being an inaugural run and the tailgate afterwards made me pull the trigger. And my fast-friend Katie (who ran my first 5K EVER with me, and who recently got engaged AND who asked me to be in her wedding next year!) will be doing it too, making it that much more enjoyable. If anyone wants to join us, here's the link http://www.race-brewers.com/! And it's 138 days away so there's still plenty of time to train!
Speaking of training, I know it's pretty far out (approximately 20 weeks away) but I've already began concocting a training schedule. Once I have it more ironed out I'll post it on here so you can all hold me to it! And seriously. Yell at me if I don't stick to it! Cause this run is going to be hard. And I need to begin building up my endurance stat.
Alrighty. I think I've blabbed enough for now. We've got lots to catch up on since it's been an entire year and I'm sure I'll catch you up on more than you ever wanted to know before ya know it!
I've been running pretty regularly but mostly only variations of 2,3 & 4 milers. And mostly on a treadmill. While I watch the Nightly News with Brian Williams. I try to run/XT anywhere from 3-5 days/week. But even after doing this pretty regularly for the past year and a half, running is still sooo hard for me! And I'm still not fast. However, I am able to find enjoyment in running (some times, def not always) like today for instance, wicked storms were a brewing and I thought it'd be fun to try and get a 3 miler in before the rain came. And I don't know what it was- the dark skies, the gusty winds, cracks of thunder and flashes of lightening- I felt super motivated to run, hard and try and beat the storm. Part of me was really excited to run in the rain but that didn't happen. I beat it. Just in time too cause I probably would have been washed away and never have made it home.
But back to my recent shenanigans of signing myself up and paying to run 13.1 miles. I told myself last year that I'd like to do a Half every year. But when the winter rolled around I was not excited one bit about signing up or training for a Half. So I didn't. And I kinda just thought that my one-year streak was simply just that. THEN out of the blue I heard about the Brewers Mini Marathon and got a really unfamiliar feeling- I wanted to run. 13.1 miles. Something about the course, it being an inaugural run and the tailgate afterwards made me pull the trigger. And my fast-friend Katie (who ran my first 5K EVER with me, and who recently got engaged AND who asked me to be in her wedding next year!) will be doing it too, making it that much more enjoyable. If anyone wants to join us, here's the link http://www.race-brewers.com/! And it's 138 days away so there's still plenty of time to train!
Speaking of training, I know it's pretty far out (approximately 20 weeks away) but I've already began concocting a training schedule. Once I have it more ironed out I'll post it on here so you can all hold me to it! And seriously. Yell at me if I don't stick to it! Cause this run is going to be hard. And I need to begin building up my endurance stat.
Alrighty. I think I've blabbed enough for now. We've got lots to catch up on since it's been an entire year and I'm sure I'll catch you up on more than you ever wanted to know before ya know it!
Monday, May 2, 2011
I Made It To The "FINISH SWINE!!"
I know, I know I'm sure a few of you had your doubts but I DID IT!!! Sunday, May 1, 2011 at approximately 9:12 I crossed the "FINISH SWINE" completing my first Half Marathon, the Flying Pig, in Cincinnati, OH.
So here's a summary of the mornings' events:
Weather
It was raining :( Pretty hard at times too. But other than that the temperature was right around 60 degrees which was pretty comfy running weather. AND to be honest, the rain didn't really phase me once I was running since there were so many other things running through my mind like: all the spectators, don't run too fast at the beginning so I can make it to the finish, what song was going to pop up next on my playlist, admiring all the other runners, taking in the scenic view of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, etc.
Attire
I ran in my Nike Motos, dri fit no show socks, Nike dri fit running tights, the Asics technical tee that was part of our swag bag and my dri fit, light weight, white zip up Nike hoodie. In addition to these things I wore a BIC band (did an awesome job at not slipping and holding all my hair back!) and a Green Bay Packer baseball hat (to keep the rain out of my face- thanks for the last minute advice Christopher!!). I opted to not wear my arm band for my iPod and just kept it in my pocket since that's what I had done for all my previous races. And in my other pocket I carried a pack of the Jelly Sport Beans in Berry flavor to have around the 7-8 mile mark.
Pre Race Food
Prior to the race, at 5AM!, I had 2 pieces of toasted whole wheat bread with peanut butter and bananas, a water bottle with emergen-C and a few Jelly Sport Beans.
Course
The course was tough! Not gonna lie. It started out and there was so much excitement/nerves/people/music that the first three miles somewhat flew by. I was overwhelmed by all the supporters of the Pig especially at 6AM in the pouring rain! It was such a cool experience though that I got goosebumps! Twice! At the beginning and then again at the end. One kinda crappy thing about the beginning of the run is that you spend so much time just trying to get going and weaving around all the other people. My brother, Catie and I were all running the Half but pretty much split up right at the beginning cause we all trained with different paces in mind for completing this run. The first three miles of the run take you from Cincinnati, over the bridge to Kentucky, over another bridge in Newport and then over one last bridge bringing us back into Cincinnati. I took my first water break right around the 4 mile mark and it was kinda gross. The water tasted really chlorinated. Eww.
Miles 4-6 also went pretty quickly. Again, there were so many people cheering us on on 7th Street that I felt like I had an endless amount of energy and just wanted to keep running for all of them! But then I hit a wall. Ha. Miles 6-9 had a steady continuous incline aka hilly. This was tough. I saw my mom near the beginning of the first big hill so I put a smile on for her and swiftly ran past her. Then my pace seemed to be getting slower and slower and my legs began to feel heavier and heavier! This hill was kicking my a$$. I made it to mile 7 had some Gatorade this time (which also tasted like chlorine!) smiled at the old man acapella singing group and walked for about 2 minutes while I ate my Jelly Sport Beans. I was hoping this would give me that little boost of energy I was looking for to complete these hills and the rest of the race!
Mile 8 was the first time during this run that I started having doubts about finishing. My knees were aching, I was soaking wet and was still going uphill. I wanted to stop so badly but knew I couldn't. This is where being in the right state of mind mentally started to come into play. I kept telling myself that I could do this, this is what I've been working so hard for, I'm more than halfway done, I can do it! Then around mile 9 I started to see signs where the Half and Full Marathon split and I made sure about 100 times that I was in the right lane and I was NOT about to attempt to run 26 miles. Mile 9 made me happy cause I knew we were on our way back toward the finish line. Mile 10 also made me happy because I only had 3 more miles to go! Mile 11 made me EXTREMELY happy because it was an entire mile of downhill running!!! Mile 12 was still downhill a bit and I knew that the end was so close. The entire 13th mile was awesome. There were people everywhere you looked. I can't believe I'm going to admit this but it kinda made me teary eyed! Cameras were flashing left and right to make sure they were getting that monumental moment of us crossing the "Finish Swine." I had a sudden burst of energy too so was able to run a bit faster the last few feet to the finish. Then I did it! And was able to slow down and walk! I was ecstatic and overwhelmed with happiness.
One other cool thing to take note of is that I crossed the finish line around the same time as one of the marathon contestants! So that was pretty cool. He ran twice as far as me in the same time! Ha.
Post Race
Aaron was already there waiting for me. He finished a whole 40 minutes before me and even broke the 2 hour mark!! I didn't quite finish it when I wanted to. I was shooting for under 2:30 and I did it in 2:35 but I'll take it! It was my first one and can only get better from there! Then moments later Catie crossed and was able to beat the 3 hour mark! Not bad for someone who had never ran more than 8 miles!! So a BIG congrats to Aaron and Catie! It was fun sharing in something so monumental with you guys!!
We were sure to stock up on post race goodies. They had everything. You name it, we got it. Delicious. Swiss Cake Rolls, Donuts, Chocolate Milk, Cheetos, Granola Bars, Apples, Bananas, Dried Fruit, Fruit Cups, and the list goes on and on and on.
The Aftermath
We were all sooo happy to be done and proud of our accomplishment but were all also extremely sore, wet and tired. Needless to say, we had a very, very relaxing rest of the day that consisted of eating, drinking and sleeping. It couldn't have been more perfect!
Alrighty, well that's it for now. If I can think of anything else I'll be sure to write more later. As for what's next??! I'm not sure yet! But I def want to keep running as I feel like I can officially call myself a runner :)
Until next time!
So here's a summary of the mornings' events:
Weather
It was raining :( Pretty hard at times too. But other than that the temperature was right around 60 degrees which was pretty comfy running weather. AND to be honest, the rain didn't really phase me once I was running since there were so many other things running through my mind like: all the spectators, don't run too fast at the beginning so I can make it to the finish, what song was going to pop up next on my playlist, admiring all the other runners, taking in the scenic view of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, etc.
Attire
I ran in my Nike Motos, dri fit no show socks, Nike dri fit running tights, the Asics technical tee that was part of our swag bag and my dri fit, light weight, white zip up Nike hoodie. In addition to these things I wore a BIC band (did an awesome job at not slipping and holding all my hair back!) and a Green Bay Packer baseball hat (to keep the rain out of my face- thanks for the last minute advice Christopher!!). I opted to not wear my arm band for my iPod and just kept it in my pocket since that's what I had done for all my previous races. And in my other pocket I carried a pack of the Jelly Sport Beans in Berry flavor to have around the 7-8 mile mark.
Pre Race Food
Prior to the race, at 5AM!, I had 2 pieces of toasted whole wheat bread with peanut butter and bananas, a water bottle with emergen-C and a few Jelly Sport Beans.
Course
The course was tough! Not gonna lie. It started out and there was so much excitement/nerves/people/music that the first three miles somewhat flew by. I was overwhelmed by all the supporters of the Pig especially at 6AM in the pouring rain! It was such a cool experience though that I got goosebumps! Twice! At the beginning and then again at the end. One kinda crappy thing about the beginning of the run is that you spend so much time just trying to get going and weaving around all the other people. My brother, Catie and I were all running the Half but pretty much split up right at the beginning cause we all trained with different paces in mind for completing this run. The first three miles of the run take you from Cincinnati, over the bridge to Kentucky, over another bridge in Newport and then over one last bridge bringing us back into Cincinnati. I took my first water break right around the 4 mile mark and it was kinda gross. The water tasted really chlorinated. Eww.
Miles 4-6 also went pretty quickly. Again, there were so many people cheering us on on 7th Street that I felt like I had an endless amount of energy and just wanted to keep running for all of them! But then I hit a wall. Ha. Miles 6-9 had a steady continuous incline aka hilly. This was tough. I saw my mom near the beginning of the first big hill so I put a smile on for her and swiftly ran past her. Then my pace seemed to be getting slower and slower and my legs began to feel heavier and heavier! This hill was kicking my a$$. I made it to mile 7 had some Gatorade this time (which also tasted like chlorine!) smiled at the old man acapella singing group and walked for about 2 minutes while I ate my Jelly Sport Beans. I was hoping this would give me that little boost of energy I was looking for to complete these hills and the rest of the race!
Mile 8 was the first time during this run that I started having doubts about finishing. My knees were aching, I was soaking wet and was still going uphill. I wanted to stop so badly but knew I couldn't. This is where being in the right state of mind mentally started to come into play. I kept telling myself that I could do this, this is what I've been working so hard for, I'm more than halfway done, I can do it! Then around mile 9 I started to see signs where the Half and Full Marathon split and I made sure about 100 times that I was in the right lane and I was NOT about to attempt to run 26 miles. Mile 9 made me happy cause I knew we were on our way back toward the finish line. Mile 10 also made me happy because I only had 3 more miles to go! Mile 11 made me EXTREMELY happy because it was an entire mile of downhill running!!! Mile 12 was still downhill a bit and I knew that the end was so close. The entire 13th mile was awesome. There were people everywhere you looked. I can't believe I'm going to admit this but it kinda made me teary eyed! Cameras were flashing left and right to make sure they were getting that monumental moment of us crossing the "Finish Swine." I had a sudden burst of energy too so was able to run a bit faster the last few feet to the finish. Then I did it! And was able to slow down and walk! I was ecstatic and overwhelmed with happiness.
One other cool thing to take note of is that I crossed the finish line around the same time as one of the marathon contestants! So that was pretty cool. He ran twice as far as me in the same time! Ha.
Post Race
Aaron was already there waiting for me. He finished a whole 40 minutes before me and even broke the 2 hour mark!! I didn't quite finish it when I wanted to. I was shooting for under 2:30 and I did it in 2:35 but I'll take it! It was my first one and can only get better from there! Then moments later Catie crossed and was able to beat the 3 hour mark! Not bad for someone who had never ran more than 8 miles!! So a BIG congrats to Aaron and Catie! It was fun sharing in something so monumental with you guys!!
We were sure to stock up on post race goodies. They had everything. You name it, we got it. Delicious. Swiss Cake Rolls, Donuts, Chocolate Milk, Cheetos, Granola Bars, Apples, Bananas, Dried Fruit, Fruit Cups, and the list goes on and on and on.
The Aftermath
We were all sooo happy to be done and proud of our accomplishment but were all also extremely sore, wet and tired. Needless to say, we had a very, very relaxing rest of the day that consisted of eating, drinking and sleeping. It couldn't have been more perfect!
Alrighty, well that's it for now. If I can think of anything else I'll be sure to write more later. As for what's next??! I'm not sure yet! But I def want to keep running as I feel like I can officially call myself a runner :)
Until next time!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Here Goes Nothing!
Well folks, it's hard to believe that 4 whole months have already come and gone. The aches, the pains, the blisters, the headaches it's been a long ride but finally, tomorrow I'll be running in my first Half Marathon!!!
I do have to say I did a pretty good job at sticking to my training program with the exception of the last week. I haven't done a run since Monday- this is the most consecutive days I've taken off from running in about 5 months. I did my last long run, a 12 miler, exactly one week ago and I actually felt pretty good about it. By now I've learned that running is such a mental game. Once you can wrap your head around the idea of running sooo far for sooo long it's not that bad. It also probably helped that I did my long run on the nicest day we had out in about a week so it felt great to be outside. I also derailed from my planned route a bit when I found a gorgeous, quaint little park complete with running paths around a chain of ponds. Then once I left the park I happened to take a wrong turn and made my run a tad bit longer than I actually needed it to be, but again, it felt so good to just be outside. I've also learned to try not to think about my time so much. I think it ends up just slowing me down! So, this being my FIRST Half Marathon, I'm going to concentrate on just finishing it in one piece and not try and meet any crazy times. I'll save that for my second and third Halfs :)
So here I sit, in Cincinnati, the night before the Flying Pig Marathon. I've been in town visiting my mom and Chris for 2 days now and the nerves/excitement/anticipation of Sunday has been eating me alive! I'm obsessed with the Weather Channel app (prob have been for the past month now) and stalk Cincinnati's weather like no other. Not looking so good. That's all I have to say. At 5AM there's a 60% chance of rain and thunderstorms...and the chances are only supposed to increase and the morning goes on...eeeeeeek! So needless to say, I've been trying to mentally pump myself up for how FUN it's going to be to run 13.1miles in the rain for 2+ hours!! Ha. But seriously, sounds like a blast right?! :/
While I've been here I've enjoyed partaking in the Flying Pig Festivities. I went to the Health and Fitness Expo twice. Got my registration packet which included a personalized bib, timing chip, coupon book, "Run the Pig" poster, technical tee, and souvenir backpack. At the expo I also ended up getting a souvenir t-shirt, 13.1 sticker, pair of Runner Girl running shorts and my mom bought me a "Flying Pigs of Cincinnati" book. Then I also got lots of other free stuff like pig tattoos, chapstick, udder cream, larabars, water bottles, cereal, reusable bags, aquaphor, gummy vitamins, stickers and home made princess crowns. Overall, I enjoyed my first pre-race expo. The event was nicely organized and fairly easy to meander through.
Here's a pic of the registration swag:
Then this morning as sort of a half marathon warm-up I walked/jogged the Flying Pig 5K with my mom. And this was her first organized run/walk event ever! So proud! Here's a pic of us at the "Finish Swine"!
It's been a great weekend thus far and my mom's preparing us a carb-o-licious meal right now! Then it's to bed I go since I'll be having to get up at 4:30 tomorrow morning...
My brother, Aaron, and his girlfriend, Catie, are here to run their first half as well. So keep your fingers crossed and wish us all luck. We're gonna need it while running in a rainstorm!
I'll be sure to write an entry summarizing what happens tomorrow.
So until next time!!
I do have to say I did a pretty good job at sticking to my training program with the exception of the last week. I haven't done a run since Monday- this is the most consecutive days I've taken off from running in about 5 months. I did my last long run, a 12 miler, exactly one week ago and I actually felt pretty good about it. By now I've learned that running is such a mental game. Once you can wrap your head around the idea of running sooo far for sooo long it's not that bad. It also probably helped that I did my long run on the nicest day we had out in about a week so it felt great to be outside. I also derailed from my planned route a bit when I found a gorgeous, quaint little park complete with running paths around a chain of ponds. Then once I left the park I happened to take a wrong turn and made my run a tad bit longer than I actually needed it to be, but again, it felt so good to just be outside. I've also learned to try not to think about my time so much. I think it ends up just slowing me down! So, this being my FIRST Half Marathon, I'm going to concentrate on just finishing it in one piece and not try and meet any crazy times. I'll save that for my second and third Halfs :)
So here I sit, in Cincinnati, the night before the Flying Pig Marathon. I've been in town visiting my mom and Chris for 2 days now and the nerves/excitement/anticipation of Sunday has been eating me alive! I'm obsessed with the Weather Channel app (prob have been for the past month now) and stalk Cincinnati's weather like no other. Not looking so good. That's all I have to say. At 5AM there's a 60% chance of rain and thunderstorms...and the chances are only supposed to increase and the morning goes on...eeeeeeek! So needless to say, I've been trying to mentally pump myself up for how FUN it's going to be to run 13.1miles in the rain for 2+ hours!! Ha. But seriously, sounds like a blast right?! :/
While I've been here I've enjoyed partaking in the Flying Pig Festivities. I went to the Health and Fitness Expo twice. Got my registration packet which included a personalized bib, timing chip, coupon book, "Run the Pig" poster, technical tee, and souvenir backpack. At the expo I also ended up getting a souvenir t-shirt, 13.1 sticker, pair of Runner Girl running shorts and my mom bought me a "Flying Pigs of Cincinnati" book. Then I also got lots of other free stuff like pig tattoos, chapstick, udder cream, larabars, water bottles, cereal, reusable bags, aquaphor, gummy vitamins, stickers and home made princess crowns. Overall, I enjoyed my first pre-race expo. The event was nicely organized and fairly easy to meander through.
Here's a pic of the registration swag:
Then this morning as sort of a half marathon warm-up I walked/jogged the Flying Pig 5K with my mom. And this was her first organized run/walk event ever! So proud! Here's a pic of us at the "Finish Swine"!
My brother, Aaron, and his girlfriend, Catie, are here to run their first half as well. So keep your fingers crossed and wish us all luck. We're gonna need it while running in a rainstorm!
I'll be sure to write an entry summarizing what happens tomorrow.
So until next time!!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
What I've Been Up To
So I know it's been FOREVER since I wrote last, hopefully this will make up for lost time! Since my last 10K, almost a month ago, I've been following my Half Marathon Training Program pretty religiously. I may not get my runs in on my intended dates but I make sure to hit my designated mileage each week.
Here's a general glimpse at what my weeks look like:
Sunday- 3-5mi run plus strength
Monday- 5 mi run
Tuesday- Yoga
Wednesday- 5 mi speed/tempo runs
Thursday- 60 mins XT
Friday- REST
Saturday- long run (6-10 mi run)
So far this has been pretty manageable but I'm not going to lie, working out has been taking over my life! I kinda feel like all I do is work, work out, eat, relax for an hour or so, sleep and do it all over again. I've begun to dread Saturday mornings cause that's when my long, most challenging run of the weekend awaits me. So as you can see, I still have not fallen in love with the act of running. I'm trying but it's still sooo hard! I keep waiting for that day that my run feels easy and effortless. But as of now, no matter if I'm running 3 miles or if I'm running 10 miles it continues to kick my butt! And honestly, I feel like the first 3 miles or so are my worst miles and then it seems to get a bit easier for me on my long runs. One other thing that frustrates me is my speed, or lack of speed. It feels like I can't run much faster than I was running 7 months ago when this all began. BUT I have noticed some positives.
1) I can run up to at least 5 miles without HAVING to stop (believe me, I WANT to stop the entire time but don't let myself!)
and,
2) I can run those non-stop miles at a pretty steady 10 min/mile pace
So I guess that's something to be proud of. My Tuesday yoga classes have been really enjoyable as well. It's nice to just stretch for an hour after a weekend's long run. Speaking of my long runs, here's a quick summary of the last few weekend runs':
8 miler- AWFUL. It was only 30 or so degrees and was snowing! This made for slippery running conditions, extremely cold temperatures, and over worked achy joints. I stopped to walk probably 3-4 times for about 2 mins at a time making this a really long day out in the cold. Plus my route ended up being almost a mile shorter than I had anticipated so I had to improvise and add a mile at the end when I thought I was almost finished. I also got extremely thirsty around mile 6 and thought I was going to die of dehydration. I was also a waste of space the rest of the day after this run. My body temp was all whack from the weather and I had the chills the rest of the day. Not to mention I was extremely sore.
9 miler- Better. The temp was more bearable and I had a new running route. This made things more interesting when I wasn't worried about missing my turns! I also carried a water bottle with me to hopefully fix my dehydration problem from last time. During this run I only stopped to walk 2 times and each time was probably for 2ish minutes. I wasn't so sore this time either. In fact, I was able to run another 5 miles the next day.
10 miler- Ok. Once again, the weather wasn't very appreciative except this time it was raining instead of snowing and it was around 40 degrees. So I did a little last minute change in my running route. I decided to run 1.75 miles to the gym, run 6.6 miles on the treadmill, and run 1.75 miles back home. This was an interesting little experiment. First of all, I was extremely thankful I decided to run to the gym because I had to go to the bathroom, bad, by the time I reached it. I was also really hot and sweaty already and going from the outdoors to the indoors only made it worse. Then once I left the gym it felt weird to run outside on pavement. It felt like the ground was still moving! AND during this run I got my first TWO blisters! This has never happened before so it made me nervous...beginning to wonder if it's time for some new shoes...
One other thing that's been a little bit of a challenge for me is to do cross training. In my head it seems so much better to just do another run because that is the most efficient way to run/burn calories compared to biking or doing the elliptical. BUT I know those cross training work outs need to happen so I'm trying to make sure I get at least one day in a week of doing something besides run. Now that the weather is getting better I'm hoping to just get some bike riding in throughout the week.
So this is pretty much my last few weeks of training in a nutshell. If you have any suggestions please drop me a line! I'm always looking for some pointers. Christopher did recommend getting up at 6AM to do my long runs since that's what time my Half Marathon starts but I haven't been able to do it quite yet! I also started to pick up some "goodies" to test out to see if they benefit (or make things worse) during my run such as sport beans, drinks, gels, etc.
Ok, until next time!
Here's a general glimpse at what my weeks look like:
Sunday- 3-5mi run plus strength
Monday- 5 mi run
Tuesday- Yoga
Wednesday- 5 mi speed/tempo runs
Thursday- 60 mins XT
Friday- REST
Saturday- long run (6-10 mi run)
So far this has been pretty manageable but I'm not going to lie, working out has been taking over my life! I kinda feel like all I do is work, work out, eat, relax for an hour or so, sleep and do it all over again. I've begun to dread Saturday mornings cause that's when my long, most challenging run of the weekend awaits me. So as you can see, I still have not fallen in love with the act of running. I'm trying but it's still sooo hard! I keep waiting for that day that my run feels easy and effortless. But as of now, no matter if I'm running 3 miles or if I'm running 10 miles it continues to kick my butt! And honestly, I feel like the first 3 miles or so are my worst miles and then it seems to get a bit easier for me on my long runs. One other thing that frustrates me is my speed, or lack of speed. It feels like I can't run much faster than I was running 7 months ago when this all began. BUT I have noticed some positives.
1) I can run up to at least 5 miles without HAVING to stop (believe me, I WANT to stop the entire time but don't let myself!)
and,
2) I can run those non-stop miles at a pretty steady 10 min/mile pace
So I guess that's something to be proud of. My Tuesday yoga classes have been really enjoyable as well. It's nice to just stretch for an hour after a weekend's long run. Speaking of my long runs, here's a quick summary of the last few weekend runs':
8 miler- AWFUL. It was only 30 or so degrees and was snowing! This made for slippery running conditions, extremely cold temperatures, and over worked achy joints. I stopped to walk probably 3-4 times for about 2 mins at a time making this a really long day out in the cold. Plus my route ended up being almost a mile shorter than I had anticipated so I had to improvise and add a mile at the end when I thought I was almost finished. I also got extremely thirsty around mile 6 and thought I was going to die of dehydration. I was also a waste of space the rest of the day after this run. My body temp was all whack from the weather and I had the chills the rest of the day. Not to mention I was extremely sore.
9 miler- Better. The temp was more bearable and I had a new running route. This made things more interesting when I wasn't worried about missing my turns! I also carried a water bottle with me to hopefully fix my dehydration problem from last time. During this run I only stopped to walk 2 times and each time was probably for 2ish minutes. I wasn't so sore this time either. In fact, I was able to run another 5 miles the next day.
10 miler- Ok. Once again, the weather wasn't very appreciative except this time it was raining instead of snowing and it was around 40 degrees. So I did a little last minute change in my running route. I decided to run 1.75 miles to the gym, run 6.6 miles on the treadmill, and run 1.75 miles back home. This was an interesting little experiment. First of all, I was extremely thankful I decided to run to the gym because I had to go to the bathroom, bad, by the time I reached it. I was also really hot and sweaty already and going from the outdoors to the indoors only made it worse. Then once I left the gym it felt weird to run outside on pavement. It felt like the ground was still moving! AND during this run I got my first TWO blisters! This has never happened before so it made me nervous...beginning to wonder if it's time for some new shoes...
One other thing that's been a little bit of a challenge for me is to do cross training. In my head it seems so much better to just do another run because that is the most efficient way to run/burn calories compared to biking or doing the elliptical. BUT I know those cross training work outs need to happen so I'm trying to make sure I get at least one day in a week of doing something besides run. Now that the weather is getting better I'm hoping to just get some bike riding in throughout the week.
So this is pretty much my last few weeks of training in a nutshell. If you have any suggestions please drop me a line! I'm always looking for some pointers. Christopher did recommend getting up at 6AM to do my long runs since that's what time my Half Marathon starts but I haven't been able to do it quite yet! I also started to pick up some "goodies" to test out to see if they benefit (or make things worse) during my run such as sport beans, drinks, gels, etc.
Ok, until next time!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Luck of the Irish 10K- DUNZO!
Well ladies and gents, I (and Vanessa!) have successfully completed the Great Lakes Winter Running Series! This signifies many firsts for me:
*I've been steadily running for 7 months now (5 of those months in the winter!)
*I've ran 4 10Ks & 4 5Ks, setting new PRs at each race
*My weekly running mileage has increased from 4 miles to 20 miles
*I'm in week 7 of my 12 week training for my first Half Marathon
*AND Vanessa and I finally got our "I raced them all" hoodies (which are quite ugly but I love it anyways!)
*I've been steadily running for 7 months now (5 of those months in the winter!)
*I've ran 4 10Ks & 4 5Ks, setting new PRs at each race
*My weekly running mileage has increased from 4 miles to 20 miles
*I'm in week 7 of my 12 week training for my first Half Marathon
*AND Vanessa and I finally got our "I raced them all" hoodies (which are quite ugly but I love it anyways!)
after we completed our 5th and final race!
Now to summarize yesterday's run. I was SUPER nervous going into it. This race course had been described to us as "the most challenging course yet" and a course of "a long uphill followed by rolling hills." Plus this run was only 2 weeks after our last race which didn't give us ample time to try and work on our speed/endurance. We had a week with a few warmer days so I was keeping my fingers crossed for nice weather Saturday morning but unfortunately the only good thing about the weather yesterday was that the sun was shinning. Other than that, it just hit the 30 degree temperature mark. So another chilly run was upon us!
The run started off with a good start. The first mile went by pretty quickly (probably cause most of this mile was downhill) but then by the second mile things quickly changed. It was the longest mile everrr! I was thinking to myself that they just must not have put a mile marker for mile 2 out and then when I eventually saw it I wanted to cry. Ha. But seriously, I did. The mile 2 marker began the loooong steady uphill climb that would take us to the mile 3 marker. I don't think I ever panted so much and so loud as I did in that uphill climb. Again, much like the other 10Ks, I soooo wanted to stop running at the 5K mark and screw the 10K's second loop! But of course I didn't do that and against my will kept going for lap #2. Mile 3 to 4 felt great cause again, it was mostly downhill. Then mile 4 to 5 was a bit better than mile 2 was because now I knew that this would feel like the longest mile in the history of miles. Then mile 5 to 6 was brutal. The uphill climb was upon us again. But this time I knew the finish line was at the top. So I pushed through it. Put forth whatever energy I had left in my body to hopefully try and set a new PR. Once we had reached the top we were even able to sprint a few yards through the parking lot to the finish line. At this time I was eagerly awaiting to see what our times were going to be when the time clock was BLANK!! This was the most disappointing thing ever! Then we went inside only to find out that they were having "technical difficulties" with the timing system. We waited and we waited and still got no answer. There was talk about how our numbers and names weren't going to match up with our times. Then a list was finally posted! But again to our disappointment, with no times on it. Vanessa and I felt pretty good about things and even though this race kicked our butts', we felt like we gave it our all and had to of shaved off at least one minute from our last race. After too much waiting around and no answers we decided to just leave. We had our sweatshirts, finished the series and were proud of what we had accomplished. We had completed our first season of winter running!
Many hours later I decided to look on the website and see if they were able to resolve their 'timing issue' and see what my final time had been. And unfortunately, I have to say I disagree with the final timing! It had both of us coming in about 20 seconds slower than our last race :( AND it had Vanessa and I finishing 12 seconds apart from one another with someone finishing between us when we strongly crossed that finish line together. So it was kind of a bummer. And normally I'd suck it up and face the fact that I can't set a PR at every race I do but because of all the technicalities I'm not sure if I trust their times.
With all that being said I need to not worry about my time and really embrace all the things I listed at the beginning of this post. This race symbolizes sooo many accomplishments for myself and I should just be proud of that. And now I have my Half Marathon to solely focus on.
I'm more than midway through my training and this is where it's going to start to get grueling. My easy days aren't going to be so easy anymore and I don't have anymore quick 20 minute work out days. I've been able to stick pretty close to my training schedule still with the exception of adding in an extra rest day. Not only is it hard to physically try and work out 6 days a week but it takes a toll on you mentally too. I feel like all I do Monday thru Friday is work, go to the gym, eat something, sleep and do it all over again. It's forced me to miss out on things and spend a little less time with my friends so hopefully it's all worth it in the end! I know one way to change some of this would be to start doing my workouts in the AM but at this time the thought of getting up and working out for an hour before work sounds just completely awful. I don't know how people have the energy to do these types of things before a 9 hour work day! Plus it's still so dark out in the mornings...excuses, excuses I know. Maybe, just MAYBE once our days become a little longer I will try and become a morning runner!
From here on out I'm going to continue to try and write more about my Half Marathon Training which I should be able to do BECAUSE I FINALLY BOUGHT MYSELF A NEW LAPTOP!! Yes, it's official. We just celebrated our one week anniversary yesterday. We had a rough night one day this week when we were trying to sync my phone and iTunes library but we pulled through it and are very content with one another :)
Ok, that's it for now, until next time!
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