Ten weeks to go until my next marathon. It's hard to believe it's been almost a full year since I ran my last one! I keep waiting to get into that intense marathon training mode. And I'm just not. Although starting this week I'm going to start watching what I eat a little better (more on that in another post, lets just say i need to break up with cheese) and as of this morning I have made a triumphant return to morning weekday running. Hopefully that will get my mind a bit more focused on the task at hand. Training well for my next 'm'.
With thanks to the motivation of a co-worker, and the appeal of running in cooler temps at least one more day per week, I ran this morning at 5a followed by an express hot yoga class. The hot yoga studio I go to hosts training runs for the Prairie Fire half marathon a few mornings a week at 5a. What better way to start the week than to run with fellow yogi's and stretch out after? Monday is always my 'recovery/easy' day of just four-five miles. So it works out perfectly.
Besides that, my legs have been protesting lately, but this morning they were feeling almost back to normal. I missed quite a bit of yoga the past two weeks and I notice a direct correlation in the pain in my calves/legs and how much yoga I do. Plain and simple, yoga is vital for my running. And I've slacked with it recently. No good. But I'm back on the wagon this week, back to a regular routine and things are shaking out nicely!
I have to say, despite grudgingly getting myself out of bed, it is satisfying to have a complete day of workouts done by 7a. I'm trying to find that balance between enough sleep and running super early. Because I also get up for early weekend runs. If I haven't mentioned it before, I will mention it here again. Sleep is a new concept for me, and I'm realizing how vital it is for my overall health. I refuse to give up my new-found precious sleep!
Week 6 Training:
Monday - 5 easy miles
Tuesday - 5 hot and sunburned miles on the hilly route
Friday - 6 tempo-ish miles on the hilly route
Sunday - 14 miles
Total Miles - 30
Cheers to a good running week blahgesphere!
Showing posts with label marathon training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marathon training. Show all posts
Monday, August 1, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
stupid. and ouchsies.
Right. Um, I decided it was an awesome idea to go for a lunch run yesterday. The heat index was 100 degrees, there were zero clouds in the sky, and I had exactly 20 oz. of iced down Gatorade all ready for me and my running. I wanted to go earlier but a work meeting kept me from getting out any earlier than 11:30a. In all my distracted preparing, I forgot to drop sunscreen in my gym bag or on my body:
a) I thought I'd be running much earlier and wouldn't really need it
2) It was 'just' supposed to be a 6 miler which means I'd be out running for less than an hour
d) I honestly didn't even THINK about sunscreen, which is rare. I was pretty distracted before my run. Obviously I was tackling the world's problems and NOT thinking about how short I should cut my hair next week. Or how I need to get my eyebrows waxed and tinted. Obviously. So that's a fair excuse, right? Tackling world problems. Uh-huh.
The result of all of the above? I got sunburned. Badly. Not only was my 'run' a complete disaster; it got cut short to 5 miles where I ended up walking every half mile and draining my Gatorade by mile 3.5, but I got a sunburn. BRILLIANT!
And I LOATHE getting sunburned, skin cancer scares the junk out of me. Seriously, as it runs in my family I've been scared into slathering so much sunscreen on my body every week that the amount I typically use could probably supply a family of 20 for months on end.
Evidence.
STUPID STUPID STUPID. That's all that was going through my head last night. So after work (and after multiple comments from co-workers about my burn....sigh) I went and purchased 70 SPF Ultimate Sport Sunscreen. It's apparently good for those who get 'super-sweaty'. That would be me. I'm that girl. I sweat. A gross amount.
Lesson learned. Guhhhhhhhh. I tend to learn things the hard way. Even after getting a bevvy of advice from a fellow hot-weather-middle-of-the-day-runner. Like taking ice water and wearing sunscreen. STUPID STUPID STUPID.
So here's to hoping I don't get the skin cancers!
a) I thought I'd be running much earlier and wouldn't really need it
2) It was 'just' supposed to be a 6 miler which means I'd be out running for less than an hour
d) I honestly didn't even THINK about sunscreen, which is rare. I was pretty distracted before my run. Obviously I was tackling the world's problems and NOT thinking about how short I should cut my hair next week. Or how I need to get my eyebrows waxed and tinted. Obviously. So that's a fair excuse, right? Tackling world problems. Uh-huh.
The result of all of the above? I got sunburned. Badly. Not only was my 'run' a complete disaster; it got cut short to 5 miles where I ended up walking every half mile and draining my Gatorade by mile 3.5, but I got a sunburn. BRILLIANT!
And I LOATHE getting sunburned, skin cancer scares the junk out of me. Seriously, as it runs in my family I've been scared into slathering so much sunscreen on my body every week that the amount I typically use could probably supply a family of 20 for months on end.
Evidence.
*yes this is me face-planted on my living room floor after begging the edder to put aloe vera on my back and arms. do you like those burn lines btw? yeah, HOT. note to self, never buy a running shirt with a cutout hole in back again.*
STUPID STUPID STUPID. That's all that was going through my head last night. So after work (and after multiple comments from co-workers about my burn....sigh) I went and purchased 70 SPF Ultimate Sport Sunscreen. It's apparently good for those who get 'super-sweaty'. That would be me. I'm that girl. I sweat. A gross amount.
*this sunscreen is going in and staying in my gym bag....*
Lesson learned. Guhhhhhhhh. I tend to learn things the hard way. Even after getting a bevvy of advice from a fellow hot-weather-middle-of-the-day-runner. Like taking ice water and wearing sunscreen. STUPID STUPID STUPID.
So here's to hoping I don't get the skin cancers!
Monday, July 25, 2011
11 weeks to prairie fire. um, i THINK i'm training for a marathon...
So theoretically I've been training for a marathon for a good five weeks now. Um, right. Here's the thing. I still don't have a training plan, I haven't once worried about my paces or finishing time and I'm pretty darn sure I've not done a long run over 12 miles. BAM. Recipe for success right there. Right?!
Actually, I think right. In all honesty I'm enjoying this cycle of marathon training more than any other. I'm having a blast doing every single run, even in the stupid heat and humidity. I'm feeling relaxed and not an ounce worried about the marathon. This fact in and of itself is kind of making me nervous. But then I think, meh. It'll be fine. My new marathon training attitude... it's something I guess I'm just taking in stride.
Don't get me wrong, I'm training. Four - five days a week of running, two-three days a week with hot yoga. I'm even including speedwork this time, something I've never done before in 'm' training. My attitude is just a little more laid back this time. In fact, after running three marathons I'm starting to realize what makes my running and racing click. I'm not a high mileage girl, half marathons are my thing, long endurance runs suck the life out of me. And that's a-ok, everyone is different. So I changed my marathon approach, with the realization I will never be a stellar marathoner, but that doesn't mean I can't give it a go. In my own way, in a way that suits my body and lifestyle. Plus, going this route is far more enjoyable for me. Because I still DO want to conquer at least one marathon!
And that's that. No real training plan, except the fact that I do speedwork once a week, try and hit 30+ miles and have decided to do all of ONE 20 mile training run. Among a lot of 16-18 milers of course. My body just does best with that type of training. The other biggest factor going on during this training is sleep. I'm making sure to get a LOT of it, and man is it already paying off in recovery after speedwork and long runs. This lots of sleep thing (i.e. 7-9 hours per night) is new to me, and what a difference it makes! I mean WHO KNEW?!
Oh. About a goal for Prairie Fire? Sub-four. Maybe not possible with this training style, but maybe this style training is exactly what my body and mind need to reach that sub-four goal. We shall see blahgesphere.
Cheers to this weeks runnings, stay cool out there!
Actually, I think right. In all honesty I'm enjoying this cycle of marathon training more than any other. I'm having a blast doing every single run, even in the stupid heat and humidity. I'm feeling relaxed and not an ounce worried about the marathon. This fact in and of itself is kind of making me nervous. But then I think, meh. It'll be fine. My new marathon training attitude... it's something I guess I'm just taking in stride.
Don't get me wrong, I'm training. Four - five days a week of running, two-three days a week with hot yoga. I'm even including speedwork this time, something I've never done before in 'm' training. My attitude is just a little more laid back this time. In fact, after running three marathons I'm starting to realize what makes my running and racing click. I'm not a high mileage girl, half marathons are my thing, long endurance runs suck the life out of me. And that's a-ok, everyone is different. So I changed my marathon approach, with the realization I will never be a stellar marathoner, but that doesn't mean I can't give it a go. In my own way, in a way that suits my body and lifestyle. Plus, going this route is far more enjoyable for me. Because I still DO want to conquer at least one marathon!
And that's that. No real training plan, except the fact that I do speedwork once a week, try and hit 30+ miles and have decided to do all of ONE 20 mile training run. Among a lot of 16-18 milers of course. My body just does best with that type of training. The other biggest factor going on during this training is sleep. I'm making sure to get a LOT of it, and man is it already paying off in recovery after speedwork and long runs. This lots of sleep thing (i.e. 7-9 hours per night) is new to me, and what a difference it makes! I mean WHO KNEW?!
Oh. About a goal for Prairie Fire? Sub-four. Maybe not possible with this training style, but maybe this style training is exactly what my body and mind need to reach that sub-four goal. We shall see blahgesphere.
Cheers to this weeks runnings, stay cool out there!
Friday, July 15, 2011
do you smell that? that's the smell of minimal...
That's right kids, I jumped on the minimalist running shoes bandwagon. Mostly because I found these spectacular pink and yellow Nike Free's. Yes, I'm shallow like that. What? I'm still devoted to my tried and true good old fashioned (albeit a bit boring in appearance) Mizuno's. But these suckers were calling my name, as was a change-up in my runnings.
*my beloved pink and yellow free's. and yes this is how you can find me pretty much any given evening while at home. i just hang out, holding and sniffing my free's... creepy*
So. I hopped on the bandwagon because I decided I wanted a lighter shoe for running in shorter races. But it's evolved from there. I was mostly inspired by this guy, and his post here about his trial of some Free's. Because he's fast. Really fast. And I figured if he runs in Free's, then somehow by default if I run in Free's, I will become fast. Right. Still waiting for that one... But, I'm finding that the shoes are perfect for training. And I hope to graduate to running my full marathon in them this fall.
Let me 'esplain. Seeing how I'm injury prone, I bought the Free's with the realization I would have to ease into them very gradually. Which I did. I have had them for nearly three months now and just last weekend did a long run of 12 miles in them. I took three months to build up to that. So I am still easing into them, and I switch between my Free's and my Mizuno's quite a lot.
The bottom line? I love my Free's. I bought them thinking of them as a trial and hoping I wouldn't get injured in them. They have done just the opposite, they actually make me feel better while running. Although at first my calves and legs would burn big time, but that has gone away. I can tell a noticeable difference in my form (that has carried over to when i run in my cushy miz's) as I used to heel strike and now I'm a mid-foot striker. I've also noticed an improvement in the strength of my calves and ankles. Then there is the bonus of them being obnoxiously flashy and bright. That's my favorite part about them. I'm not a flashy dresser, I just let my running shoes do the talking for me apparently!
I've even graduated to ditching my orthotics in the Free's. And my hips remain pain free... without the orthotics... something I never thought possible. So I'd say they are doing the trick for me, improved form, going orthotic free, lessens the pain I've had in my hips and calves both. All = huge bonus.
Love. My. Free's.
Please note, I realize every runner is different, I would never push these shoes (or any shoe) on any runner. I'm just pointing out that I went out on a limb to try something different and it absolutely worked. To each runner their own... I'm just sharing what worked for me, and how excited I am that they've changed my running for the better. They are literally the best thing to happen to my running in the six years I've been running. This all deserves a big. fat. SQUUUUUEEEE!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
four weeks to chicago. and life.
I'm beating myself up because I really wanted to keep a GOOD blog record for me and me alone regarding my Chicago training. That's been a total fail. Sigh. But there is no time like the present to try and get back on the 'training log' horse and leave posts about my training for future me. So future me, here you go. A recap of the past three weeks of training.
I've had some bumps in my training road, sometimes I wonder if they are self inflicted because of procrastination, lack of sleep and bad planning on my part (highly likely). But some things during training have been out of my control, like trying to keep my body healthy and away from injury, dealing with things like sinus infections, spending time with my family and keeping my social life (all things i refuse to compromise at this point for some marathon). Oh and that little thing I do called working full time during the week and teaching college at night. You know, the stuff most normal runners deal with. Real LIFE.
All in all, despite the bumps in my training road, I've been happy with the number of miles I've been logging. I may not be hitting my long runs like I've wanted, or as many miles as I've wanted, but my weekly mileage is still surpassing that of any previous marathon training cycle. That fact alone is helping me cope with the long run sabotage I've been dealing with. And it could very well be self-sabotage on the long run thing, I'm that kind of girl. I sub-consciously and unknowingly sabotage areas of my life because I am either scared sh!tless or worried about failure. It's a problem. I just hope someone else out there does this. Well I know a few people who do, but they aren't runners. So I mean in regard to running, natch.
Does anyone else accidentally self-sabotage your training? Hmmmmm. I'm not much of a blahggie question asker, but I really mean this one. I'm curious.
Moving on. So here is some TMI (especially for any male readers, i apologize) some of my long run sabotage has come in the form of that pesky female friend most girls get. The thing is, most female runners don't get THAT problem once they start training for marathons. Not me, I have huge issues and unfortunately that's what sabotaged my long run this weekend. What was supposed to be 20 miler ended up being 14 tear and pain (in the form of female stomach cramps) filled miles ending with me vomiting on the side of the street, sitting on a curb and calling the Edder to come and pick me up. Good stuff. Did I mention that it sucks? So there was that issue to contend with this weekend.
However, like I said, despite my long runs either not happening or not being as long as I want it's all good. I'm okay with it. I'm not running Chicago to beat any times or be a bad ass. I just want to finish strong and be able to actually RUN it. With my friends. I realized this weekend that at this time last year I was hobbling around on crutches with my second stress fracture and at a pretty low point in my life. I realized that I've gone all year without a major injury, I've had my blips of hip and calf issues yes, but nothing like being sidelined for months on end while gaining 17 pounds in a depressed stupor (yeah, that was me last fall). Wow, I'm on an honesty kick today.
My point is I am not injured and I'm getting ready to run my second marathon of the year. That's a pretty huge success for this girl who isn't built or made for long distance running. I've decided and realized my threshold is around 16 miles, I think I'm meant to be a half marathoner, and I plan to focus on that after Chicago. Big time. As in starting to get faster and pop off PRs in half marathons and 10Ks, as much as possible. But that's a different blog post.
Enough of the TMI and honesty. Let's get to the running shall we. The past three weeks training:
Week 9 - Chicago Training
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 6 miles
Thursday - 4 miles
Saturday - 19 miles
Total = 33 miles
August monthly mileage total = 120.77
Week 10 - Chicago Training (we aren't going to talk about this week, shhhh)
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 6 miles
Friday - 6 miles
Saturday - 6 miles
Total = 22 miles (FAIL)
Week 11 - Chicago Training
Monday - 7 miles
Wednesday - 8 miles
Thursday - 6 miles
Saturday - 2 miles
Sunday - 14.31 miles
Total = 37.31 miles
I've had some bumps in my training road, sometimes I wonder if they are self inflicted because of procrastination, lack of sleep and bad planning on my part (highly likely). But some things during training have been out of my control, like trying to keep my body healthy and away from injury, dealing with things like sinus infections, spending time with my family and keeping my social life (all things i refuse to compromise at this point for some marathon). Oh and that little thing I do called working full time during the week and teaching college at night. You know, the stuff most normal runners deal with. Real LIFE.
All in all, despite the bumps in my training road, I've been happy with the number of miles I've been logging. I may not be hitting my long runs like I've wanted, or as many miles as I've wanted, but my weekly mileage is still surpassing that of any previous marathon training cycle. That fact alone is helping me cope with the long run sabotage I've been dealing with. And it could very well be self-sabotage on the long run thing, I'm that kind of girl. I sub-consciously and unknowingly sabotage areas of my life because I am either scared sh!tless or worried about failure. It's a problem. I just hope someone else out there does this. Well I know a few people who do, but they aren't runners. So I mean in regard to running, natch.
Does anyone else accidentally self-sabotage your training? Hmmmmm. I'm not much of a blahggie question asker, but I really mean this one. I'm curious.
Moving on. So here is some TMI (especially for any male readers, i apologize) some of my long run sabotage has come in the form of that pesky female friend most girls get. The thing is, most female runners don't get THAT problem once they start training for marathons. Not me, I have huge issues and unfortunately that's what sabotaged my long run this weekend. What was supposed to be 20 miler ended up being 14 tear and pain (in the form of female stomach cramps) filled miles ending with me vomiting on the side of the street, sitting on a curb and calling the Edder to come and pick me up. Good stuff. Did I mention that it sucks? So there was that issue to contend with this weekend.
However, like I said, despite my long runs either not happening or not being as long as I want it's all good. I'm okay with it. I'm not running Chicago to beat any times or be a bad ass. I just want to finish strong and be able to actually RUN it. With my friends. I realized this weekend that at this time last year I was hobbling around on crutches with my second stress fracture and at a pretty low point in my life. I realized that I've gone all year without a major injury, I've had my blips of hip and calf issues yes, but nothing like being sidelined for months on end while gaining 17 pounds in a depressed stupor (yeah, that was me last fall). Wow, I'm on an honesty kick today.
My point is I am not injured and I'm getting ready to run my second marathon of the year. That's a pretty huge success for this girl who isn't built or made for long distance running. I've decided and realized my threshold is around 16 miles, I think I'm meant to be a half marathoner, and I plan to focus on that after Chicago. Big time. As in starting to get faster and pop off PRs in half marathons and 10Ks, as much as possible. But that's a different blog post.
Enough of the TMI and honesty. Let's get to the running shall we. The past three weeks training:
Week 9 - Chicago Training
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 6 miles
Thursday - 4 miles
Saturday - 19 miles
Total = 33 miles
August monthly mileage total = 120.77
Week 10 - Chicago Training (we aren't going to talk about this week, shhhh)
Tuesday - 4 miles
Wednesday - 6 miles
Friday - 6 miles
Saturday - 6 miles
Total = 22 miles (FAIL)
Week 11 - Chicago Training
Monday - 7 miles
Wednesday - 8 miles
Thursday - 6 miles
Saturday - 2 miles
Sunday - 14.31 miles
Total = 37.31 miles
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