I'm feeling a little crappy today. Yesterday I felt completely exhausted all day. Maybe it's just because I went back to work for the first time since taking a 2 month break for my mom's knee surgery. But, now my tummy is unhappy. That makes me sad. And a bit worried. I even took a nap this afternoon. I think I can run if I have a cold. But, tummy trouble is another thing altogether.
So, I didn't run today. I want to get in a couple of easy short runs this week before I leave for New Orleans. Maybe tomorrow. I'll probably need a run break during the work day tomorrow anyway. (Today I was off to take my mom to her appointment.)
I should probably drink more water...
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Less than a week!!!
On Friday I'll be leaving on a jet plane for my home town. The hay is in the barn as they say. I'm as ready as I'm going to be for this half marathon. My primary goal is 2:30. My secondary goal is better than 2:45 - my current PR. No matter the outcome, I'm planning to enjoy every step.
My last long run was 4.5 miles on Sunday with ARC. It'd been a while since I had the time to run with the club. Sunday was the official start of the spring training season so I wanted to be there for that. Spring workouts include a Sunday long run and Tuesday speed work. It's supposed to snow Tuesday so we may not have a workout this week. If we do, I'm planning to go and just run easy laps at the track. I really want to do the speed work once this half is over. My goal is to be faster. Not fast - just faster. Last year at this time I was actually running close to 10 minute miles during my 5Ks and 10Ks. That seems so far away right now. But, I know I can do it. I just need to relax and be consistent. Consistency is my biggest problem with running. Last year I was very consistent running about 3 days a week including a trail run and doing boot camp 3 times a week. I just have to get back to that schedule and I'll be good to go.
Sunday's long run was 4.5 miles and very very windy. I walked some parts because I didn't want to work so hard the weekend before my race. I was sad about that but when I got home and saw my Garmin report, my pace was the same as during my 10 miler. So, I was glad about that.
It's going to be very close I think. It is possible I can still make my time goal. The low elevation and the flat course will give me at least 5 minutes I think. I'm trying not to over think it. Just let it go and have a good run. It is only my first half of the year so there's plenty of time to still make the 2:30 goal if it doesn't happen in New Orleans. Sigh.
6 more days....
It's time to think about food - before and after food. Strawberry Abita is out. That's how I'll celebrate for sure! :-)
My last long run was 4.5 miles on Sunday with ARC. It'd been a while since I had the time to run with the club. Sunday was the official start of the spring training season so I wanted to be there for that. Spring workouts include a Sunday long run and Tuesday speed work. It's supposed to snow Tuesday so we may not have a workout this week. If we do, I'm planning to go and just run easy laps at the track. I really want to do the speed work once this half is over. My goal is to be faster. Not fast - just faster. Last year at this time I was actually running close to 10 minute miles during my 5Ks and 10Ks. That seems so far away right now. But, I know I can do it. I just need to relax and be consistent. Consistency is my biggest problem with running. Last year I was very consistent running about 3 days a week including a trail run and doing boot camp 3 times a week. I just have to get back to that schedule and I'll be good to go.
Sunday's long run was 4.5 miles and very very windy. I walked some parts because I didn't want to work so hard the weekend before my race. I was sad about that but when I got home and saw my Garmin report, my pace was the same as during my 10 miler. So, I was glad about that.
It's going to be very close I think. It is possible I can still make my time goal. The low elevation and the flat course will give me at least 5 minutes I think. I'm trying not to over think it. Just let it go and have a good run. It is only my first half of the year so there's plenty of time to still make the 2:30 goal if it doesn't happen in New Orleans. Sigh.
6 more days....
It's time to think about food - before and after food. Strawberry Abita is out. That's how I'll celebrate for sure! :-)
Saturday, February 18, 2012
2 weeks to go!! New Orleans Rock & Roll Half!!!
Training for the week went like this:
Monday - CrossFit (4 rounds for time, 400m Sandbag Carry 25lb, 12 Push Press 45lb bar, 12 Box Jumps, 12 SDHP 45lb bar)
Tuesday - Rest (I actually went to work then had a date with my lovely hubby for Valentine's Day!)
Wednesday - CrossFit (15:00 AMRAP, 5 Wall Climbs, 10 Double Unders, 15 KB Swings 35lb)
Thursday - 6 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Snowman Stampede 10 miler
Sunday - (I'm planning to rest.)
So, not much maintenance running, two days of crossfit, but it all seems to be falling into place despite my best efforts to not train. :-)
Technically, I have one more training week and one week of taper, hydration, and rest. I'm planning to go back to work next week after a two month sabbatical. That may, or may not, make getting the maintenance runs in easier. I'm not going to stress about it. I can get 30-60 minutes in on the treadmill if I need to. I still need to get into my next crossfit classes.
The Snowman Stampede was the 3rd in a series of winter races. I ran the 10K in December. I was registered for the 10 mile in January but missed it because my mother was still in the hospital. Today was another 10 miler, my first ever as a race. I really had no doubt I'd finish. I just wasn't sure how painful it would be. Thanks to my running partner, who also runs with me on long runs with the club, I managed to have a pretty good day. We ran a slow comfortable pace as our goals were the same - to finish. She had just run a half marathon the weekend before so wasn't sure how she'd feel either. We also met up with a new friend we both met at the 10K back in December. We all run about the same pace which is so nice, especially on these long runs.
There were definitely two halves to the race. The first half went as expected for me. It took me the usual 2-3 miles to warm up but once I did I settled in for the duration. I didn't carry a fanny pack, which I usually do. I only carried one pack of sport beans which fit in the pocket of my new running skirt. That was a good test for the up coming half as well. There were three aid stations for this distance, at about 3 miles, the turn around point, and about 7 miles. That seemed to work well for me. Those were the only times we took walk breaks. At the turn around point (the second half of the race) we walked for a couple of minutes to rest and stretch our legs a bit. That worked well for me too. After that we just tried to maintain a comfortable pace to the end.
With about 2 miles to go, my bra started rubbing against my skin painfully. Everything else felt pretty good though. I had some hip pain but not enough to worry me. I tried to focus on my stride and make sure I was stretching out enough and not swaying my hips. That worked and also took my mind off the distance for a little while. With one mile to go I just wanted to be done so I picked up the pace a bit to try to finish strong. The last stretch was a muddy uphill to the finish line. I ran up the hills without any trouble and felt strong doing it. I felt tired once I hit the top but that was ok. I finished strong crossing the timing mat. Woot! I was so glad to be done!! And it was such a positive mental boost for my next goal in New Orleans. Woo hoo!!
2 weeks to go!
Monday - CrossFit (4 rounds for time, 400m Sandbag Carry 25lb, 12 Push Press 45lb bar, 12 Box Jumps, 12 SDHP 45lb bar)
Tuesday - Rest (I actually went to work then had a date with my lovely hubby for Valentine's Day!)
Wednesday - CrossFit (15:00 AMRAP, 5 Wall Climbs, 10 Double Unders, 15 KB Swings 35lb)
Thursday - 6 miles
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Snowman Stampede 10 miler
Sunday - (I'm planning to rest.)
So, not much maintenance running, two days of crossfit, but it all seems to be falling into place despite my best efforts to not train. :-)
Technically, I have one more training week and one week of taper, hydration, and rest. I'm planning to go back to work next week after a two month sabbatical. That may, or may not, make getting the maintenance runs in easier. I'm not going to stress about it. I can get 30-60 minutes in on the treadmill if I need to. I still need to get into my next crossfit classes.
The Snowman Stampede was the 3rd in a series of winter races. I ran the 10K in December. I was registered for the 10 mile in January but missed it because my mother was still in the hospital. Today was another 10 miler, my first ever as a race. I really had no doubt I'd finish. I just wasn't sure how painful it would be. Thanks to my running partner, who also runs with me on long runs with the club, I managed to have a pretty good day. We ran a slow comfortable pace as our goals were the same - to finish. She had just run a half marathon the weekend before so wasn't sure how she'd feel either. We also met up with a new friend we both met at the 10K back in December. We all run about the same pace which is so nice, especially on these long runs.
There were definitely two halves to the race. The first half went as expected for me. It took me the usual 2-3 miles to warm up but once I did I settled in for the duration. I didn't carry a fanny pack, which I usually do. I only carried one pack of sport beans which fit in the pocket of my new running skirt. That was a good test for the up coming half as well. There were three aid stations for this distance, at about 3 miles, the turn around point, and about 7 miles. That seemed to work well for me. Those were the only times we took walk breaks. At the turn around point (the second half of the race) we walked for a couple of minutes to rest and stretch our legs a bit. That worked well for me too. After that we just tried to maintain a comfortable pace to the end.
With about 2 miles to go, my bra started rubbing against my skin painfully. Everything else felt pretty good though. I had some hip pain but not enough to worry me. I tried to focus on my stride and make sure I was stretching out enough and not swaying my hips. That worked and also took my mind off the distance for a little while. With one mile to go I just wanted to be done so I picked up the pace a bit to try to finish strong. The last stretch was a muddy uphill to the finish line. I ran up the hills without any trouble and felt strong doing it. I felt tired once I hit the top but that was ok. I finished strong crossing the timing mat. Woot! I was so glad to be done!! And it was such a positive mental boost for my next goal in New Orleans. Woo hoo!!
2 weeks to go!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
CrossFit!!
I've been going to CrossFit Arvada for 5 sessions now. I LOVE it!! And I really think it's helping with my running. That test will be taken this Saturday when I attempt the Snowman Stampede 10 mile run. The first two sessions had me so sore I wondered if I'd made a big mistake. But, when I went back and saw the same folks again and they were just as sore as I was, I felt better about it. I've been going to the 11:30 class since I'm still on sick leave with my mom and working from home. But, I'll be starting back to work next week so I'll have to change classes. I'm thinking I'll have to make it to the 6am class. Ugh. I am so not a morning person. Oh well. I do like crossfit. :-)
So, last week's training looked like this:
Monday - rest
Tuesday - 47 minutes on the treadmill
Wednesday - CrossFit
Thursday - 20 minutes on the treadmill (super sore quads from CF)
Friday - CrossFit
Saturday - 5K
Sunday - 55 minutes on the treadmill
Hmmm.... that's better than I thought I'd done. But, no running outdoors, which sucks. But, better than nothing.
Only 17 days until Rock and Roll New Orleans! Yikes! Time to start thinking about fueling the body and getting hydrated...
So, last week's training looked like this:
Monday - rest
Tuesday - 47 minutes on the treadmill
Wednesday - CrossFit
Thursday - 20 minutes on the treadmill (super sore quads from CF)
Friday - CrossFit
Saturday - 5K
Sunday - 55 minutes on the treadmill
Hmmm.... that's better than I thought I'd done. But, no running outdoors, which sucks. But, better than nothing.
Only 17 days until Rock and Roll New Orleans! Yikes! Time to start thinking about fueling the body and getting hydrated...
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
25 days --> R&R New Orleans
My training has been non-existent of late. Here is a summary since the new year...
Jan. 1st I ran the Resolution Run 5K. It felt really good but I really didn't want to do it when I woke up that morning. I almost bailed. What I found out later that day was that I had acquired the cold from hell which would last about 10 days. No running happened until Jan 13 when I did 25 minutes on the treadmill. On the 15th I did a long run with the ARC and went 7.6 miles. The next day was my mom's knee replacement surgery. I didn't run again until the 25th when I did 35 minutes on the treadmill. On the 26th I did 30 minutes on the treadmill. On the 30th I did 35 minutes on the treadmill. On Feb. 1st I ventured outside and managed a difficult 3.17 miles at Van Bibber. Even though it felt hard, I finished in 34:51 (an 11:07 pace) which is pretty good all things considered. On the 2nd I did a CrossFit workout that was kick ass! But, my next run wasn't until this morning.
So, here I am, with 25 days to go. And, more immediately, a 10 mile race in 10 days. I have a new plan.
When I registered for the Rock and Roll New Orleans half, I set a time goal for myself. My first time goal ever. I want to finish in 2 hours and 30 minutes or less. It wasn't a very ambitious goal after I thought about it. My fastest time had been 2:45 in Estes Park and that included time to take lots of photos along the way and even to stop for a 5 minute potty break. And I even walked the last mile because I started to get a headache. So, the goal seemed easily attainable. All I had to do was stay on track and get my runs in. When I found the ARC to do long runs with, it seemed everything had fallen into place. Even my mom's knee surgery seemed to be of some benefit to me because I'd be home with her and not at work trying to fit in a run when I could. But, that last point is the one I underestimated.
So, here I am struggling to catch up. I don't know if it's even possible but I'm giving it my best shot. My new plan will be to stop fighting the rehab schedule. We have a set schedule now that we have been home for two weeks. The driving force for the schedule is when my mom needs to take her pain meds. Every 6 hours at the 10 and 4 o'clock hour. So, we go to bed at 10pm when she takes two Tylenol. And we wake up at 4am to take two more. This morning, when my husband's alarm went off at 5am, I decided it didn't make any sense to try to struggle to get back to sleep. So, I got up, got dressed and hit the treadmill for about 45 minutes.
You should know, I am not a morning person. But, pain is a great motivator. I really do NOT want to run or finish that half marathon in pain. So, I'm going to strive to get up early for the treadmill runs. My weekly plan now looks like this:
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Run
Wednesday - Crossfit
Thursday - Run
Friday - Crossfit
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Long run
If I can manage that for the next few weeks, I think I won't be suffering on March 4th. I don't know if I really need to taper, since I won't have put in very many miles anyway. The race will just be another long run I suppose. (That seems to be the way my training always goes anyway.)
25 days = 7 maintenance runs and 3 long runs and 6 or 8 crossfit sessions (depending on how I feel the week before the race)
Yikes. That's not very many runs left....
Game face.
Focus.
Jan. 1st I ran the Resolution Run 5K. It felt really good but I really didn't want to do it when I woke up that morning. I almost bailed. What I found out later that day was that I had acquired the cold from hell which would last about 10 days. No running happened until Jan 13 when I did 25 minutes on the treadmill. On the 15th I did a long run with the ARC and went 7.6 miles. The next day was my mom's knee replacement surgery. I didn't run again until the 25th when I did 35 minutes on the treadmill. On the 26th I did 30 minutes on the treadmill. On the 30th I did 35 minutes on the treadmill. On Feb. 1st I ventured outside and managed a difficult 3.17 miles at Van Bibber. Even though it felt hard, I finished in 34:51 (an 11:07 pace) which is pretty good all things considered. On the 2nd I did a CrossFit workout that was kick ass! But, my next run wasn't until this morning.
So, here I am, with 25 days to go. And, more immediately, a 10 mile race in 10 days. I have a new plan.
When I registered for the Rock and Roll New Orleans half, I set a time goal for myself. My first time goal ever. I want to finish in 2 hours and 30 minutes or less. It wasn't a very ambitious goal after I thought about it. My fastest time had been 2:45 in Estes Park and that included time to take lots of photos along the way and even to stop for a 5 minute potty break. And I even walked the last mile because I started to get a headache. So, the goal seemed easily attainable. All I had to do was stay on track and get my runs in. When I found the ARC to do long runs with, it seemed everything had fallen into place. Even my mom's knee surgery seemed to be of some benefit to me because I'd be home with her and not at work trying to fit in a run when I could. But, that last point is the one I underestimated.
So, here I am struggling to catch up. I don't know if it's even possible but I'm giving it my best shot. My new plan will be to stop fighting the rehab schedule. We have a set schedule now that we have been home for two weeks. The driving force for the schedule is when my mom needs to take her pain meds. Every 6 hours at the 10 and 4 o'clock hour. So, we go to bed at 10pm when she takes two Tylenol. And we wake up at 4am to take two more. This morning, when my husband's alarm went off at 5am, I decided it didn't make any sense to try to struggle to get back to sleep. So, I got up, got dressed and hit the treadmill for about 45 minutes.
You should know, I am not a morning person. But, pain is a great motivator. I really do NOT want to run or finish that half marathon in pain. So, I'm going to strive to get up early for the treadmill runs. My weekly plan now looks like this:
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Run
Wednesday - Crossfit
Thursday - Run
Friday - Crossfit
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Long run
If I can manage that for the next few weeks, I think I won't be suffering on March 4th. I don't know if I really need to taper, since I won't have put in very many miles anyway. The race will just be another long run I suppose. (That seems to be the way my training always goes anyway.)
25 days = 7 maintenance runs and 3 long runs and 6 or 8 crossfit sessions (depending on how I feel the week before the race)
Yikes. That's not very many runs left....
Game face.
Focus.
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