Journey in Running: February 2010
Another Bad week & HouseParty!!
Well mentally I felt like crap again this week, I am beginging to think it is the weather, I hope so anyway. I have ran 2 times this week at the gym on the treadmill. I did 4mi one day and it was a great 4 and I did a slow 5mi another day. Glad I did it but should have tried a little harder. I seem to do okay with my long runs though so I guess that is good. Today I should be doing 10mi but once again it is snowing. It is only a light snow so I might just go out and give it a try later.
I am also having a HouseParty today from HouseParty.com. My party is a Sandwich Revolution Sandwich Thins party, if you are not fimilar with the sandwich thins you should really check them out as I LOVE THEM!! Today I am going to try some new things for my guests(if the snow lets up) so I hope everything turns out ok. Guess I better finish cleaning house so I can try to have a decent house for my guests. If it keeps on snowing like it is though it may have to wait, wouldn't want anyone to risk themselves on my terrible road to come and have some sandwiches!!
9miles & leg pain
Complete 9 miles (FINALLY!!) Time 1:23:27 Pace 9:16!!!!! Are you kidding me, that is sooo AWESOME! I completed todays run at the park in Danville, I have run a few 5k's out there and new the route so I did three 5k loops. My time around the first loop was about 27:30 (my crazy watch doesn't time laps so that is from memory) which is really good for me there. I think the last 5k I ran out there was my best time of last year at 27:34, so I can't wait for another 5k there again this year, I hope to really ROCK it! For the last two weeks I have had some pain in my left leg from my knee down to my foot. I have continued to run 3 & 4 miles on the treadmill fighting thru it but I wasn't so sure about today until I got started. My first loop was great, second loop was okay and third loop was almost misery, but I was determinded to finish with the very best I could possibly do. Since I choose a different route than I normally do my long runs on, I feel really different on recovery. Truely I think if I didn't already have this issue with my leg that I may not be in much pain at all or tired feeling like I have on the past long runs. I really like the park though, I have put a lot of miles in at that place and it really isn't the easiest of routes either. There is several steep hills and gradual hills that keep going. Another plus today, I found a dollar floating right too me! How exciting, I got paid to run today!! I am not too experienced with everything about blogging so I am going to try to post the pics of me finding and picking up my dollar. (Gonna send a help message to my friend to find out how to do the pics!!)
5k & The Wall
So for the last 2 weeks I have been in a "funk" about running. Just not really wanting to get out there and do it, why?? Still don't know the answer to that one. Saturday I competed in a 5k in Lexington. It was freezing cold and lightly snowing!! (I LOVE SNOW!!) So I am thinking there probably won't be too many people there, boy was I wrong, I know there was at least 200 runners and more than likely more!! I was familiar with the course which was helpful, however they changed it around a bit to make it mostly uphill the entire first half with a couple of smaller hills at the end!! Was I EVER so thankful I did the hill work on the treadmill at one of my last workouts cause it totally helped, I had a nice steady pace felt great and had no urge to take a walk break!! But crazy me gave into temptation and took a total of 1minute and 4 seconds worth of walking after coming off the downhill and back uphill towards the end. If only I would have slowed my pace and saved more of a "kick" for the finish. Like I said though, I felt great crossing the finish line, not tired, like I needed to crash right away or anything!! Not sure what my official finish time is my watch said 29:59, my mom said the clock said 29:46 so I am waiting until it is posted to call it. My ultimate goal was to at least finish under 30 being my first race of 2010 and all and I guess I did accomplish that! My running partner is 67 years old but can out run me anyday and although he has been dealing with some injuries, I beat him maybe by a minute!!
Now on to the "wall". I have read about runners running whole marathons and hitting the "wall" being unable to finish and such. Well yesterday while I was running on the treadmill I was starting to think that I have hit that "wall" and I still have a LOT of training to complete if I even want to do decent in the Half. For the last 2 maybe even 3 weeks I have not done a long run of 9 miles yet!! Even though my weekend total is 7mi for this weekend I need 7mi+ on one day!! So I guess this weekend isn't a total bust but now this morning (and last night) I having shin pain. Really hoping it is just from the ongoing hill from the 5k and that it goes away soon. I hate having doubt in myself, it is sooo making it hard for me to move on, but I have already signed up for the half so that is a huge motivater. I am like a lot of people I do better in the race atmosphere, it forces me to run longer or push harder, so I am hoping when that day comes in 40 days that mentality pushes me through when I feel like I just can't do it!! Any suggestions out there about overcoming that "wall" is greatly appreciated!!
Check out the Giveaways!!
Be sure to check out monicaonthego.com, she has 4, that's right, 4 giveaways this week!!
Also check out setting you free blog. She has a great story and some awesome giveaways as well!!
Will be back later with more on me and training!!
Tried some Hill work
Okay I have been reading a book about training for your first half and it said to do some hill work cause it helps with endurance. Since I skipped my long run this week I thought I would give it a try and its easy to do on the treadmill. When arriving at the gym yesterday I made up my mind I was doing no less than 6 miles and if I felt like it would try and do the whole long run of 9 miles. After getting started and feeling the urge to walk, I decided that was the time to incorporate the hill work and I cranked the grade on the treadmill up and lowered my speed. That = success I ended up running (somewhat at times) the whole 6 miles with no walk breaks!! Yay for me!! About every mile and a half to two miles I added the hill. My time was about 2 1/2 mins slower than just straight out running BUT I completed the whole thing with no Walk Break. (Time was 1:18:44 which came out to a pace of 13:05 My half pace I am shooting for is no less than 12:30) Later in the night and this morning though, HOLY COW!! My body is sore from head to toe!!! Maybe I tried a little too much hill work at one time, not sure but I will keep on trying to help in the endurance end. The MENTAL game always gets the best of me and I am down to 46 days before the half and really feel like I have a LOT of improving to be doing. Hang in there is all I can say!! Winners never quit and quitters never win!!!
Feelin' Lazy Today
I should be doing a 9mile run today, but for some reason I have talked myself out of it!! WHY? WHY? WHY? I really do not know! Thankfully I still have enough weeks left that I can still get in all the training needed. My body is just not really feeling it today and is telling me not to do it or maybe it is my mind playing evil tricks on me, whatever it is I gave in to it!! Next time I have got to do better. Guess I will make some time to do wii fit at least I will be doing some kind of exercise!!
8mile Long Run - Survived & Took the PLUNGE!!
Yesterday I survived the 8mile long run, although it was on the treadmill, I did complete it. I even thought at the begining of it "I would not complete the whole 8 today maybe just go 5" but then after I started going I decided "NO you are suppose to be training for a half!!!" It took me 1:36:47 which I believe came out to be a 12:05 pace, Not Bad at all!! So tonight I decided to go ahead and take the PLUNGE and REGISTER for the half!! I am officially now comitted to doing the Lexington Half Marathon!! Guess we will see how and where it goes from here!!
Journey in Running: February 2010
Another Bad week & HouseParty!!
Well mentally I felt like crap again this week, I am beginging to think it is the weather, I hope so anyway. I have ran 2 times this week at the gym on the treadmill. I did 4mi one day and it was a great 4 and I did a slow 5mi another day. Glad I did it but should have tried a little harder. I seem to do okay with my long runs though so I guess that is good. Today I should be doing 10mi but once again it is snowing. It is only a light snow so I might just go out and give it a try later.
I am also having a HouseParty today from HouseParty.com. My party is a Sandwich Revolution Sandwich Thins party, if you are not fimilar with the sandwich thins you should really check them out as I LOVE THEM!! Today I am going to try some new things for my guests(if the snow lets up) so I hope everything turns out ok. Guess I better finish cleaning house so I can try to have a decent house for my guests. If it keeps on snowing like it is though it may have to wait, wouldn't want anyone to risk themselves on my terrible road to come and have some sandwiches!!
9miles & leg pain
Complete 9 miles (FINALLY!!) Time 1:23:27 Pace 9:16!!!!! Are you kidding me, that is sooo AWESOME! I completed todays run at the park in Danville, I have run a few 5k's out there and new the route so I did three 5k loops. My time around the first loop was about 27:30 (my crazy watch doesn't time laps so that is from memory) which is really good for me there. I think the last 5k I ran out there was my best time of last year at 27:34, so I can't wait for another 5k there again this year, I hope to really ROCK it! For the last two weeks I have had some pain in my left leg from my knee down to my foot. I have continued to run 3 & 4 miles on the treadmill fighting thru it but I wasn't so sure about today until I got started. My first loop was great, second loop was okay and third loop was almost misery, but I was determinded to finish with the very best I could possibly do. Since I choose a different route than I normally do my long runs on, I feel really different on recovery. Truely I think if I didn't already have this issue with my leg that I may not be in much pain at all or tired feeling like I have on the past long runs. I really like the park though, I have put a lot of miles in at that place and it really isn't the easiest of routes either. There is several steep hills and gradual hills that keep going. Another plus today, I found a dollar floating right too me! How exciting, I got paid to run today!! I am not too experienced with everything about blogging so I am going to try to post the pics of me finding and picking up my dollar. (Gonna send a help message to my friend to find out how to do the pics!!)
5k & The Wall
So for the last 2 weeks I have been in a "funk" about running. Just not really wanting to get out there and do it, why?? Still don't know the answer to that one. Saturday I competed in a 5k in Lexington. It was freezing cold and lightly snowing!! (I LOVE SNOW!!) So I am thinking there probably won't be too many people there, boy was I wrong, I know there was at least 200 runners and more than likely more!! I was familiar with the course which was helpful, however they changed it around a bit to make it mostly uphill the entire first half with a couple of smaller hills at the end!! Was I EVER so thankful I did the hill work on the treadmill at one of my last workouts cause it totally helped, I had a nice steady pace felt great and had no urge to take a walk break!! But crazy me gave into temptation and took a total of 1minute and 4 seconds worth of walking after coming off the downhill and back uphill towards the end. If only I would have slowed my pace and saved more of a "kick" for the finish. Like I said though, I felt great crossing the finish line, not tired, like I needed to crash right away or anything!! Not sure what my official finish time is my watch said 29:59, my mom said the clock said 29:46 so I am waiting until it is posted to call it. My ultimate goal was to at least finish under 30 being my f
irst race of 2010 and all and I guess I did accomplish that! My running partner is 67 years old but can out run me anyday and although he has been dealing with some injuries, I beat him maybe by a minute!!
Now on to the "wall". I have read about runners running whole marathons and hitting the "wall" being unable to finish and such. Well yesterday while I was running on the treadmill I was starting to think that I have hit that "wall" and I still have a LOT of training to complete if I even want to do decent in the Half. For the last 2 maybe even 3 weeks I have not done a long run of 9 miles yet!! Even though my weekend total is 7mi for this weekend I need 7mi+ on one day!! So I guess this weekend isn't a total bust but now this morning (and last night) I having shin pain. Really hoping it is just from the ongoing hill from the 5k and that it goes away soon. I hate having doubt in myself, it is sooo making it hard for me to move on, but I have already signed up for the half so that is a huge motivater. I am like a lot of people I do better in the race atmosphere, it forces me to run longer or push harder, so I am hoping when that day comes in 40 days that mentality pushes me through when I feel like I just can't do it!! Any suggestions out there about overcoming that "wall" is greatly appreciated!!
Check out the Giveaways!!
Be sure to check out monicaonthego.com, she has 4, that's right, 4 giveaways this week!!
Also check out setting you free blog. She has a great story and some awesome giveaways as well!!
Will be back later with more on me and training!!
Tried some Hill work
Okay I have been reading a book about training for your first half and it said to do some hill work cause it helps with endurance. Since I skipped my long run this week I thought I would give it a try and its easy to do on the treadmill. When arriving at the gym yesterday I made up my mind I was doing no less than 6 miles and if I felt like it would try and do the whole long run of 9 miles. After getting started and feeling the urge to walk, I decided that was the time to incorporate the hill work and I cranked the grade on the treadmill up and lowered my speed. That = success I ended up running (somewhat at times) the whole 6 miles with no walk breaks!! Yay for me!! About every mile and a half to two miles I added the hill. My time was about 2 1/2 mins slower than just straight out running BUT I completed the whole thing with no Walk Break. (Time was 1:18:44 which came out to a pace of 13:05 My half pace I am shooting for is no less than 12:30) Later in the night and this morning though, HOLY COW!! My body is sore from head to toe!!! Maybe I tried a little too much hill work at one time, not sure but I will keep on trying to help in the endurance end. The MENTAL game always gets the best of me and I am down to 46 days before the half and really feel like I have a LOT of improving to be doing. Hang in there is all I can say!! Winners never quit and quitters never win!!!
Feelin' Lazy Today
I should be doing a 9mile run today, but for some reason I have talked myself out of it!! WHY? WHY? WHY? I really do not know! Thankfully I still have enough weeks left that I can still get in all the training needed. My body is just not really feeling it today and is telling me not to do it or maybe it is my mind playing evil tricks on me, whatever it is I gave in to it!! Next time I have got to do better. Guess I will make some time to do wii fit at least I will be doing some kind of exercise!!
8mile Long Run - Survived & Took the PLUNGE!!
Yesterday I survived the 8mile long run, although it was on the treadmill, I did complete it. I even thought at the begining of it "I would not complete the whole 8 today maybe just go 5" but then after I started going I decided "NO you are suppose to be training for a half!!!" It took me 1:36:47 which I believe came out to be a 12:05 pace, Not Bad at all!! So tonight I decided to go ahead and take the PLUNGE and REGISTER for the half!! I am officially now comitted to doing the Lexington Half Marathon!! Guess we will see how and where it goes from here!!