Running Group

My first run with my running group. We are split into 4 groups, the 4:45 and slower marathoners, the 4:00 - 4:45, the 3:20 - 4:00, then the sub 3:20 group. My group is called the Kenyans...I always wanted to be a Kenyan!! What a good day for a run too. I actually was able to be up and moving for the 7 am start time without even wanting to lay around much more. Made it to my running store, then off for a nice little loop around the lakes. I even wore my I love the lakes running shirt. My group, at least this week, consisted of men. Yep, me and about 6 other boys...some cut the run short, 7.5-10.5 were the options. I did the full 10.5 and we averaged an 8:49 pace, which is right about where I want to be anyway. I had 19 miles on my original schedule for this week, but opted to just run with the group and finish with them. I met probably 10 people that I talked quite a bit with and I know I'll get to know more as training goes on. Maybe I'll make more of the morning runs than I thought. Anyway, after, we had shopping day. 30% off everything at the running store, for the most part. Yay!! I got my marathon shoes (well, I might use the ones I've had a little longer but only wore a couple of times because I like the color better but we'll see), some electrolyte caplets because I don't know if I even know where mine are right now and they do work (at least I believe they do) a new pair of socks that I like but don't like spending full price of $9 for and some body glide cause you can never have too much of that.

I think I've recovered from my illness yesterday, so hopefully am at it for tonight as it's a friends birthday and we are celebrating out watching live music with the girls. It should be fun. Not sure I'll drink, but might force myself since I don't want the birthday girl to have to drink alone...we'll see what happens though. As of right now I don't even feel like it.

Running and Other Stuff

OK, I've been pokey in getting updates in. I used to do some typing up of blog posts still at work and then post them when I had access, but it's just been hectic and I haven't been able to. This week has been another busy one. Monday I laid low, Tuesday met a friend for a walk and then had to be for my first meeting with my training group on Tuesday at 7. That was cool and should be fun. They have Tuesday night runs at 6 pm and Saturday long runs at 7 am...I'm mostly not going to be doing them, 7 am is early for me, but this week I do plan to hit the long run, even though it's shorter a run than I was planning. We are meeting at my favorite running store, they are talking about gear before the run and AFTER we get a shopping day!! 20-30% off everything!! I'm planning to buy my marathon shoes and maybe some new shorts...I love the Nike Tempo Track shorts and even though I have 8 pair, I still want more!!

So my running this week. I did 5 on Monday, 7 of hills on Tuesday, up a big one, back down the other side, back up again and over the top...decent pacing so not bad. Wednesday I took off and met a friend for a bite and drink after work. I managed a run at lunch yesterday, tempo in the gym for lack of better options and no Garmin with me...8 minute miles average for 6 so not bad. Today I meant to run, but haven't been feeling well, stayed home from work even.

Less than a month to the relay now!! I'm looking forward to the trip. Looks like I'll have a day to spend in Portland, hanging out with part of the team and then the drive up and whole relay will be a fun adventure. I think I'm going to get a new memory card for my camera!!

Saturday Long Run

So I've adapted my long runs the last two weeks. I'd been planning to run them on Sunday, but Saturday has proven better due to plans on Saturday nights. Tonight is live Reggae celebrating the first full day of summer at a small bar on their patio outside the city. Should be fun. As for the run...well...I kept last night low key. Was planning to be in bed early but a friend called and wanted to go for a walk, so we did that and then had a beer and chatted. It wasn't an early night but it was low key enough. I was up and ready to run by 8:45 (thankfully I don't have a stomach that needs 2 hours to digest, I was eating by 8 and out the door not much later). I added a mile to last weeks route before I continued on route to Lake Harriet and back. It was warm, but not terribly windy. I went through just a little bit more Accelerade than last time, I know, I don't drink enough. I even had 3 sport beans (no, not three packets, literally 3 beans) during the run. I ran it in 2:34 and some odd change. A 9:06 pace. Not great, not my goal and 10 seconds per mile slower than last week, and the slowest came in the later part of the run, which means I need to work on my strength and stamina a lot. I did get 2 OK hill workouts this week though and finished the week (no planned run tomorrow and have to stick to that so as not to increase mileage too much) with 35 miles. I also managed 2 days of yoga for flexibility, 2 days of 30 minutes strength training and 2 bike rides, one even a "real" ride outside and everything. So it's slowly but surely coming. Will I be ready for my goal? That I don't know. I'm making a pact with my body though. Said if I can get me, at bare minimum, a 3 minute PR on my marathon time, I'll give it a month off (at least running) and maybe even see a doctor for my heel if it's still bothering me. So we'll see.

Lots of other things for the week but maybe I'll try to get a decent post and maybe include some pics or something tomorrow.

Oh yeah, and for the effort, and the ice bath I actually took, I think I deserve a nice glass of prosecco...I finally tried one I had bought a few weeks ago and it was yummy (for those not in the know, it's a light, sparkling white wine from the Veneto region, think Venice, of Italy and it's what is used to make Bellini's, along with a splash of peach juice, it's great chilled and perfect for summer, light, but not overly sweet). Or maybe I should make a daiquari...I do have that pineapple on my counter...

And a sudden DUH moment...I have not been using my Endurolytes tabs...yes, summer has come to MN, it has been warm and what have I NOT been using...umm...why??? Cause I forgot about them till now.

Unexpected Hill Workout

The plan was for 7 miles. I did 8. Plan was to run hills...well...there was a huge .40 climb to start, pretty good incline, hopefully that helps with the hills I'm going to see in Washington in July! Then had some downs and ups on the out and back. 3.5 miles in and I turned around and headed back, a couple of good climbs coming back, but I don't think I found a hilly enough course as I just ran it faster than I really thought I would.

Mile 1 - 9:02 (really tough climb)
Mile 2 - 8:10
Mile 3 - 8:14
Mile 4 - 8:15
Mile 5 - 8:12
Mile 6 - 8:15
Mile 7 - 8:13 (pretty decent climb for .3 of the last)
Mile 8 - 8:23

Last mile was thrown in just because, I was already .20 into the next mile by the time I would've gotten to my car.

Guess I'm on a "Pre" kick. I really want to go to Eugene now and run Pre's trail...I wish I had the time when I'm out there next month, but it's not going to happen. Guess I should've stayed one more day and done it. Could've had a ticket for a bit cheaper too!! Ah well. I just watched Prefontaine. After seeing Without Limits I had to see the other right? I cried during it too. I can't say I liked one better than the other either. They both hit on some of the same things and some different things. One thing I wonder about though is his funeral...they were handled different in each movie and you'd think someone would know right?

Last night I met with my academic advisor, got my student handbook (on jump drive even!! Moving with the times!), my student ID (now I can get into movies cheaper!!) and saw a bit more of the school. I went to the bookstore then and found stuff on sale so bought a hoodie (needed a new one anyway) with the school letters on it and coolest of all an under armor compression top (winter wear of course) with the name on it. And each was only $20 plus another 10% off. The UA top alone is worth at least $45 buying at normal price WITHOUT the school name...

Anyway, better get to doing a few things and then crawling into bed. It's going to be an early morning for a run and strength training and hopefully a bike ride too, then staining my deck tomorrow. Fun times!

Long Run Weekend

After having a fall back week two weeks ago, and then an even shorter week last week after having my foot worked on, this week I was just determined to get more running in. I wanted my mileage up, but, in particular, I was shooting for a better long run than I have had. Actually, a long run in general was necessary.

Friday I had intentions of just staying in. A few things had the potential to come up, but with no calls by 8:30 figured I was safe. Yet at 20 after 9 a friend called me. My best friend in fact…you know, the one that knows where all the skeletons are buried…anyway, seems her boyfriend finally got it all together and proposed (after 4 years) so I had to go meet them to have a glass or prosecco and celebrate, and the place they were at had really good prosecco. Anyway, still got home and to bed at a reasonable time (obviously they had to have a private celebration). I was tired this week though apparently as I wasn’t up as early as I would’ve liked to have been on Saturday, and by the time I ate and headed out for my run it was almost 10…and finally summer like weather is here…which meant it was warm. I had brought some Accelerade along though, but I know I didn’t drink enough nor did I stop for water on my route. My goal is to have long runs hit at about 8:45, with goal marathon pace of 8:00 that’s reasonable, although ideally I’d like to start doing the first half at about 9:15 and speed up to 8:30 or so by the end…Well, anyway, I started out the run a few too fast miles in there, but hitting about right…toward the end I was really slowing down, some bad hills (a bit of walking up some of them) but I managed 15 miles at 8:56 average pace. I figure based on the bad weeks recently, 2 short weeks in a row, no long run in 3 weeks, and the heel issue, I wasn’t sure what to expect anyway. Training might get back to normal eventually and I did survive it.

Also last week I managed to get my academic advisor assigned, a meeting set up with her for tomorrow, and registered for my first class for this fall. Other highlights of the weekend, I managed to get my deck washed and prepped for staining this week. I cleaned out and up my car, got some work done around the house (although not as much as I should’ve) and spent some time with a friend who is going through a hard time…Anyway, hopefully I can get some stuff together and get my act back on track toward my fall goal…no more distractions!

Without Limits

I’m out of it I guess. Or very far behind (which yes, I know I am as when some friends mention movies I’ve never seen they about fall over) but I had never seen the movie “Without Limits”. If you haven’t seen it, rent it, or better yet, just go buy it because it is such an excellent movie. I just recently signed up to try out Netflix (I never rent movies and never watch the movies I have so figured what’s the point in spending that money each month?) for a month free and added Prefontaine and Without Limits to my list. Prefontaine should be delivered today and Without Limits I could watch online, so that’s what I did last night. And knowing of Steve Prefontaine, I knew what to expect, to a degree, but there was a lot of it that I didn’t now. The acting was fantastic and the historical stuff, along with actual footage of some races was just really cool to see. I got teary eyed at a few things, but of course at the end, when I realized that the end was coming, I was bawling like a baby. There were a lot of funny bits, and some of the quotes from it, which you know are his, were just something that got to you…at least as a runner it got to me…I’ve decided this is a movie I need to own and watch before big races. So motivational and inspirational so if you are behind, like me, I definitely recommend it!

These two quotes stood out for me:

“I'm going to work so that it's a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it." – Pre

"A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding." – Pre

As for my running…well, I had 5 days totally off last week and then started up on Monday. Ran a 4 miler easy on Monday and got up early and ran a cruise interval planned workout on Tuesday morning. I was feeling sluggish though. Not sure what was wrong but it just wasn’t there. First mile was 9 minute (easy miles have been hitting 8:40-8:50 lately) and first interval was 7:37, next interval was 8:16 and final was 7:40. I had hoped to hit 8 minutes. We can see the problem with my pacing right? Anyway, overall average for 7 miles was 8:30, so not a total loss, but still shows me I have a LONG way to go to be ready for Twin Cities. This heel issue has really set me back…and I think a lack of some motivation or something.

Ah the Weekends

I feel like I’ve been slacking…barely anything to post in the last week or so, but then again how do you top acceptance into grad school AND Sex & the City in the same post??

Last week I took myself off to see my ex…we still talk via text, we still email, but we hadn’t seen each other in the six or seven months since we had broken up. Now had I managed to get in to see him in April like I should’ve might have had the heel issue all cleared up…but no, I just never made the time. Last week he did work on it for me though. Then I got a chance to see the updates he’s made in his studio, the software he got that he’d been talking about forever and is now using for bike fits and might start using for running too. Stride analysis etc…Anyway, he worked my foot and the tight calf above it (talk about pain!) and then I took him out to dinner in exchange…thought it was fair. It’s nice to get caught up with people sometimes. No matter where you are in life, having people you can’t talk to, can’t see, don’t want to be around, particularly when they played a rather important role in your life at one point in time just seems silly. Life is too short to hate. It’s too short to hold grudges. It’s just plain too short for a lot of things. I’m not saying everyone is going to be your friend or that you are going to get along with everyone. Some people just rub you raw and you can only take in small doses…but even those can find a place in your life can’t they?

One thing I’ve been holding on…and a part of last weekend I think I’ll still hold on…but I’ve been wondering if I should fess up to my antics or not?? See last Friday was a happy hour. It had been planned at the wedding the week before. It meant starting at a brew pub and going…well, who knows?? Anyway, I met one friend and we drove together to the place we were meeting. Then met another friend at a bar and played some pool (I suck by the way, and I was playing against boys!). Another friend met us (another boy) and then a friend of one of others met us (yes that brings it to me and five boys). Well, other people that some knew were down the street so we went there…and yeah, not so much fun. Atmosphere was OK, it had a neat patio, but it’s a “happening” place…and in Minneapolis, those places still have the same people. It was $7 for a tap of Amstel light…yeah. This is Minneapolis folks. What was even more fun, after 9, when it started to get “happening” the price for that Amstel went up to over $8 (for the bottle, tap was the same we discovered when venturing downstairs to see if we could get it cheaper). Mixed drinks were $12 or more…yeah…and like I said, the crowd…just not the crowd I normally like. So we left. We went to the Irish pub up the road…it was a little cheaper and nice atmosphere, but it also happened to be next to another bar. By this point it was me and three boys…one of them suggests we should go next door. Next door is, well, they called it “cabaret”, a better name would be gentlemen’s club…yeah, we entered (I’ve been to them before) and ended up spending the money for a bottle and sitting VIP because it was pretty busy and was fastest way to get in (I wasn’t asked to chip in) it included dances or something so everyone was happy. Well, there weren’t any men dancing, but oh well. I still don’t understand those places, but it made for an interesting night. And it makes me cool in the eyes of the guys!! Oh yeah, I had also received my official letter of acceptance and filled in my intent to enroll. So they now know that I’m coming this fall, and that was cause for celebration. Little did I know that seeing naked women was part of that celebration. Too bad there weren’t some men dancing too!!

Busy Week

Wow, can't believe a whole week has gone by and I've had no time to post. Not really a lot to say right now...and I'm kind of sleepy and ready to crash, but wanted to say yes, I'm still alive and will catch back up soon. I've been at least skimming things. I also got my official acceptance letter and filled in my intent to enroll. Orientation is August 26th. Also heel is still a problem. Had it looked at on Wednesday and I'm afraid it actually is PF...at lesat according to someone whose judgement I trust. Painful massage and icing has been my way to try to fix the issue...and 3 days of no running...