One Week to M Day...

Well, was up too early for going to bed too late (worked last night till 11:30) but it was a good day. Went to the state track meet and it was quite fun, although very cold, felt for the runners as none of them run the distances that we as marathoners would appreciate the cooler temps for. We missed the girls 3200 relay, but we saw up through the girls 400 dash, including even with the wind, a girl almost break her own state record in the 1600 in 4:46.17, .17 over what her record was...she so outclassed the others, I think she will be a name to be remembered in the future for mid-distance running.

Went to lunch and then my last longest run before the marathon, 8 miles at an easy pace (although accidently snuch in a few at 8:30, but feel good). I had my massage at 5 and man did I need it. She really just worked my legs and back and then a little on my abs to make everything loose. I could defintiely feel that the right glut was much tighter than the left as well as the low back and she was pretty sure the hamstrings were as well...I'm feeling so relaxed now. She also recommended that I should watch Chariots of Fire before the marathon, which I haven't seen, so I rented it and will watch it one of the nights this week...thought about it tonight but ended up watching Old School instead and now I'm feeling sleepy and even though it's only 9 pm on a Saturday night, I might crawl into bed and read for a while and sleep really, really good tonight...

Been spending tonight converting CDs to MP3 format too so I can get a song list together for the marathon, will definitely need music....oh, that was my other plan for the night, to get some packing done for next week...will have plenty of time this week though with the limited running I'm doing, but lots and lots of stretching!! And counting the days to the weekend AFTER the marathon where I will PAR-TAY like a rock star. I don't work on Friday night and only work 5-10 on Saturday!! Woo-hoo....

8 Days to M2M...

Quick Update and then I think I’m going to head out, my boss and boss’ boss and my co-worker are all gone, I work at 5, I want a little time to run a couple of errands before I have to head to work.

Not much planned this weekend…well, I guess I take that back, tomorrow I’m going to the State Track Meet, although not sure what time we are heading there yet and exactly what is going on with it, but we will be going there!! Then I’m getting a massage later afternoon and watching my sister’s dog for her while she goes out. I may end up out myself, but won’t go as early as she ends up going out I’m sure, and it will be nice to have a little buddy for the night. Plus my roommate might be bothered by the dog being there, and that’s just bonus!! 21 days and counting till he’s out and Devi moves in…it feels like forever!!

Anyway, that leaves my middle afternoon probably free to do something. Hmm…I’m actually wondering if an earlier massage might not work better, but we’ll see. I have it scheduled and she had other openings I could maybe change too…anyway, the person I’m going to see is the same person who Katie McGregor has gone to before, figure if she’s good enough for Katie, she’s good enough for me. Meeting up with a friend that I’ve been trying to see since at least January, we are going for a walk and maybe lunch or something before she has to go to the airport to get her sister and her mom…and I have to head to work on Sunday night…not much of a weekend working Friday and Sunday, but oh well. I also have to start getting my marathon bag packed!!

9 Days and GB Leighton...

More Tapering…

Well, I’ve been good this week, so far only at 14.75 miles, I was going to run 6.25 (I like having even numbers in my log for a weekly, so need to get that .25 taken care of!!) but decided I needed to sleep in after working last night, so decided today was one of the two days off I’m taking this week from running (only ran 5 days last week too, this is tough for me after being used to running up to 7 days a week and definitely usually 6, with double workouts at least two days for the last few months). Last week it was Friday and Sunday which seems dumb since I’m not even running that long for the long run (12 last week 8 this week) so I really wanted to do Thursday and Sunday this week, but also wanted to run two 6 mile marathon pace for 4 runs, but that just didn’t happen, also didn’t get my hard 1600 in that I wanted to do, and don’t see it happening either, oh well…Will have to recover and do it after the marathon I guess. Anyway, since I changed the plan I will only run 4.25 tomorrow (might put one hard mile into that) and then the 8 on Saturday and call it good for the week with 27 or 28 miles. Next week I plan on running Monday and Tuesday, taking Wednesday off, going short 3 or so on Thursday and then the 26.2 on Saturday.

So I’m starting to feel…hmm…I don’t know, not quite nervous, not quite excited, nervited? Exervous? This has been a long time in coming and until a run at the end of March I didn’t know 100% for sure that I was running it, although with the letter from grandma saying she was hoping she’d be able to see me run in IA, I kind of figured I would be no matter what…The thing that makes me most nervous I think is the fact that my training has gone so well. Now you would think that would make me happy right?? But problem is, I read friends training reports and talk to friends saying they cut a run short cause they weren’t feeling it, etc…even during the taper. My training runs have all gone really, really well. OK, there were a couple that weren’t quite there, but there was almost always a reason for that, I felt sluggish for about a week after giving blood, well, that was to be expected, but I picked it up right away again. I had a couple of runs that were not great but it was really hot, I hadn’t acclimated to the heat yet and for being a hot run they weren’t THAT bad. Last week I ran 12 easy during taper, a friend had planned 13 but cut it to 10 as she wasn’t feeling it, she is in taper now too. Why are mine still feeling good?? Is this good or bad?? I’m trying not to let myself fret too much, but I have that little niggling fear, what if my training was so good that the marathon just won’t measure up to the training? Did I overtrain my body? I ran 63 miles on my longest week, that’s a lot more mileage than I’ve ever run before (previous best was probably 44), I did a ton of double days, and 2 hard workouts a week along with usually 3 days of strength training…I was at 920 miles on June 1.

This week I did 2 strength sessions, just one set of things, lighter weights than normal and 15 reps. I’m going to do at least on Pilates and maybe a yoga session yet, next week probably one Pilates and yoga, but no strength. I’m going to sleep as much as I can, I haven’t had alcohol since Memorial Day when I had 2 glasses of wine, and I’m planning on doing a semi carbo deplete before I load from Tuesday/Wednesday through Friday night. There is a meditation I’m going to do the night before from my 4 months to a 4 hour book, might even look at that for suggestions on diet for the next 10 days…I’m trying to remain calm, I’m visualizing myself finishing and I’m seeing that clock with a 3:xx on it…It will be under 4 hours, but how far I really don’t know…I know what pace bands I’ve printed and will wait to see how I feel that day and conditions to know what one I’ll work from…and I’m being so careful to not end up injured or sick (felt like something might be coming on so I’m taking Vitamin C and will start Zinc today too, just to keep things at bay). I think I might start packing my bag this weekend too…and getting my car loaded up with everything I need…:) I’m a freak!!

GB LEIGHTON

I love this band, they are playing at Peavey Plaza in Downtown Minneapolis tonight for the Alive at 5 series, live music, food, drinks, to celebrate summer, outdoor shows etc...it's a month long thing in June and the first time I saw the band sober (had tried two other times to see if I liked them and was so drunk each time it was a wash, except to notice Brian, lead singer, was cute the 2nd time) and really realized how much I loved the music. Anyway, my friend Devi and I are going, she needs to be away from being "in her head" and I like the company and even though she's not a fan of theirs, it's a free show and people watching, which she does like. So we are meeting up around 5 and heading downtown to see them. It's a good taper activity since I don't want to be at home right now anyway due to the jacka** living in my home, but only 22 more days till he's gone and Devi moves in!! So glad this is going on though, takes my mind off not being able to run tonight!! And I can run in the AM and I work tomorrow so keeps me from running...then Saturday is the state track meet, Sunday I'm meeting up with a friend and working, so again, keeps me from running...need to keep mind off the marathon!!

Taper Nuttiness and a Great and Busy Weekend

Friday

Taper nuttiness huh…well, normally you have to be really, really careful during taper to not be clutzy, I guess one more thing to add is not give in to the temptation to go to the bar, or if you do go, don’t wear the cute open summer shoes you want to wear (these are similar but not quite right, the ones I was wearing have just a strap across the foot and then another strap over the big toe, and are a little less of a heel, but very similar and same designer and color!) and wear steel toed shoes!! I hadn’t been to my favorite watering hole in ages and I decided I should go there, even though I’m not drinking till after the marathon, I went for dinner and to see friends that are regulars. Karl 2 (there are two them I know) is there and I haven’t seen him in ages, he’s finally getting divorced (a friend of mine and he were going to be divorce buddies, she’s divorced a year now, he’s not yet filed but is on the verge of working through and getting it done)…he’s drunk too, talking to him, standing by him, my toe almost gets squished by his bar stool once, I tell him look at my feet and be more careful…he leaves and comes back, for some reason moves the stool more and actually gets it on my toe!! OUCH, but thankfully he wasn’t sitting on it at the time or it might have broken my toe. Anyway, it was only sore for a little bit, like stubbing it, so no harm, but man, that could’ve been so bad!! It was a fun evening though catching up with others and learning the new thing, fresh air is in the bar now, not outside, since the smoking ban, people smoke right in the doorway, lots of them, and you have to walk through it, never thought I’d go into the smokiest, diviest bar in the Metro (and also number 10 on Stuff magazines list for the country) and find better air than the immediate outdoors…I love the Minneapolis and now St Paul smoking bans though.

Saturday

I get up for my 12 mile run after not going to bed till 2:30…I was up by 9, tired but oh well. Went for a nice run, 9:11 pace with some heat and didn’t carry water (I know, dumb, but oh well) and only a banana for breakfast…just testing the body…anyway, after the run went home, showered and got stuff together to picnic at Calhoun. I was there till about 3 when Stacy called on her way to my place so I got headed home and we went for a bit of shopping for her to wear something that night and then back to my place to doll up. We grabbed at bite, then went to pick up Kate and Deb, Deb wasn’t there nor was Donnelle, we talked to Deb, she was a ways from being there so we gave her directions and got going…Donnelle called my cell later which wasn’t working and we ended up missing her then, which was a bummer. Anyway, we were out to see Epic Hero, great local band, and another band that was supposed to be good, from Chicago area I guess. Anyway, I drove so everyone could drink and none of them did…man, what’s the point in having a DD if you don’t drink?? The band was awesome though, everyone was getting tired though so we took off and Kate and Deb both really enjoyed though and bought CDs of the band. We are planning a good night out though in July…going to Lumberjack Days in Stillwater, was a messy night last year, we’ll see what this year will be like!!

Sunday


Grand Old Day…literally…it’s Grand Old Day in St. Paul, lots of bands on lots of different stages, arts and crafts stuff, road races in the AM and lots and lots of drinking…from 12-5, the place shuts down then, but until that time people are getting LOADED, on a Sunday…then they stay in the bars. Last year I was one of them…this year I stayed sober again offered to drive a friend and she declined and we just people watched. I don’t normally dance, but watching my fav local band, GB Leighton, and their last set a guy grabbed me, sang and danced with me and had me in his cowboy hat. He was drunk, but a very good dancer, so that was entertaining and hey, good exercise since I can’t run in this taper thing!! After the dancing Shawn and I headed out to go to a different bar, but it was packed and they weren’t letting people in. So we went to the one across the street. During this time the cops are out clearing the streets…literally they have cops on horse lined up on the street chasing people out of it…kind of ridiculous if you ask me…come to St. Paul, get blitzed but at 5 we are sending you either into the bars or out to your cars…Whatever. We ended up at Bonfire for dueling pianos and a packed house, but we were lucky enough to get bar stools and decided to order food…we people watched, kind of checked out the cute boys, but most were so drunk…had a few near mishaps with a few of them, but oh well. It was quite an entertaining night and we might have located a boat to hang out on the St. Croix in for Lumberjack days…one of the many people we talked to, that’s if we ever talk to him again!! Ah, the joys of a drunken festival as a sober person. But no mishaps on my feet and I got some nice sun even if my to wasn’t meant for dancing in!!

Oh, and training for last week I was good. I’d have 50 miles the week before, I was at 39 this week with what felt like a super easy tempo at 8:20 or so pace and 3 x 1 miles on Friday before the long run…This week I’m trying to keep it to 30 or less…ughh…I might be biking and blading to make up for it, but hopefully no mishaps from those things!!

Tapering Has Begun

A quick update before I take off for the day. It’s a good stopping point in my workload for the day I think…

Rest of Memorial Weekend was pretty relaxed after the race. Was in Mankato with friends on Saturday night and had a couple of drinks and stayed over, then came back Sunday and spent it at Calhoun reading and trying to get some color, then kind of cleaned and relaxed on Sunday night, although the place still needs work!! Monday I had gone for a run in the AM, quite warm even at 9:30, should’ve gotten up earlier!! Was dripping sweat early on and didn’t stop till I got in the shower…gross. I then ended up meeting a friend to shop, it was warm and both of us were needing to look a bit, we went to the mall (not someplace I go often) and I found a few work things and some out of work things for pretty good prices so that was nice…I had missed seeing season finale of ER and she had it recorded so we then decided to go grill at her place (after a Blizzard earlier at the mall) that evening with her boyfriend…we had burgers and asparagus and yummy potatoes as we refer to them, all on the grill then kind of vegged and I went home to bed.

It’s taper time now of course and I was going to do a light speed workout yesterday but decided instead to sleep in and then after work spent more time at Calhoun (plans are to go there again today) and got home to a package from a friend but before opening it I went for a light tempo run…at least that was the plan. 6 miles, 1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool done, marathon pace (projecting around 8:45) or a bit better for the rest of the run, well, first mile was an easy 9:30 warm up, 2nd mile, 7:35…oops…8:20, 8:19 and 7:55 followed…last mile trying to slow down and cool down was an easy 8:38 with an overall pace of 8:21…oops…oh well. I just did what was feeling good and I definitely could’ve gone further and faster, so it was a nice little workout. Today I did 3 this am and will do an easy 3-4 tonight most likely and did some light strength training, I’ll do two more sessions this week of 2 sets, then next week only 2 days and 1 set then nothing week before the marathon.

Northern Lakes 30K Race Report

So my training is now complete. Last long run under the belt and now it's taper time and mental preparation. I can do nothing more trainingwise other than letting my body recover that will change what is going to happen in 3 weeks...and I have to remember that every day and not over do anything. The 30K was in White Bear Lake, about 45 minutes from my house and Devi and I headed up there to run about 6:30 am, after having been up since about 4:30, having breakfast and a little pre-race prep. Oh and I tried one other new thing, 5-hour Energy, the drink that has been handed out lately at some races and I have to say I think it did the trick on this run.

We got there with plenty of time, visited the porta-potties twice and made it out just in time to jog to the start line, line up and go, I lined up at the back wanting to start slow, this is just a training run, 3 weeks to the marathon…The conditions were humid and set to get very hot by the finish, I hit the first two miles right on at 9:30 pace (and my GPS was right with them, but there were the only two it was on the same page with, all others were off) and could tell people around me had started too fast, but I was feeling good, first water stop was at mile 3 and it was still congested so I had to stop and wait for water to be poured and I took two cups, which was the state for each one, one to drink and one to dump on my head, just after this water stop Somewhere Over the Rainbow came onto my MP3 and I thought of a friend of mine whose daughter was killed in a car accident 2 years ago, that song was played at her funeral and this weekend she would've graduated from high school, it made me sad and I got teary eyed and thought of her and him during the rest of my race.

The run was pretty uneventful, I felt good the whole time and managed to run the entire thing with only the stops that were required to get water. It was a nice course, along some lakes, light rolling hills and good support except that the water stops that were supposed to have Gatorade did not, I only managed to get one small cup of it at mile 9 and that was not enough…I skipped water at a few of the stops because I wanted the Gatorade and just focused on getting back and hoping against hope some would be at the end. Thankfully I had brought some of my Endurolytes tablets and they definitely helped. There was one girl that had passed me and was long gone around mile 7, she had been running a really good pace and I thought good for her, I knew my pace was on and I kept putting bulls eyes on people ahead of me and slowly passing a lot, other than that girl, no one else passed me, which was kind of nice. The girl that had passed me I saw again at a little before mile 15 or so, wasn’t focused on catching up to her, but she was doing walks and runs by this point and I did catch her and pass her at about mile 18, she passed me again with about half a mile to go, but then I passed her when she started walking and I managed to keep in front of her and pass a few others before the finish. I didn’t think I would kick much, but at the end I had something, probably just wanting to get done and have some ice water and Gatorade, my stomach was queasy though, and the heat was definitely getting to me.

More and more I’m glad my marathon is starting at 6 am, as I should be done before it starts to really, really get hot that day. My GPS had the course at 18.88, well, at least that’s how far I ran and some of the miles were definitely off so I am guessing it’s a bit off, but I had really wanted to run 19 or 20 this weekend anyway, so I’m glad I got the extra distance in. My time was 2:53 or so, I need to check that as I hadn’t seen official results yet and my average pace was 9:09, I had been shooting to start at 9:30, bump up to 9:15 and finish the last few miles around 8:45, I had a few miles at the end in the 8:48 range and one at about 8:30, I'll have to get my splits uploaded and analyze tings...I wanted to average 9:15, I was a bit fast and it was hot, so it probably would’ve been even faster on a less humid day so it was actually a really good run, and I'm not sore or hurting at all today.

This is the best training session I've had for a marathon. I've done everything I could to keep from being injured, followed a good program and now I have 3 weeks of mental prep light workouts and some cross training and good eating so I can really see what I can do for once on a course when all conditions are right. So I'm focused on eating well, maybe losing one or two more pounds and no more alcohol until after race day.

Bring on the taper.

Payday, Jeans and a Long Weekend

It's Friday of a long weekend and I got paid today, from both jobs!! Yay!! And I weighed in and am at 129.4 pounds too!! And this is a bad weigh in week, women out there should know what I mean...I started the year hovering around 136-137...and I haven't been able to hold under 135 in 6 years...

OK, so a quick, quick update than back to working hard for another 2 hours and then out for THREE WHOLE DAYS!!! From both jobs I might add, and I didn’t even ask off at B&N!! Whooo Hooo….

Last night went for my 8-10 planned 8-8:15, managed 8 for 8:21 pace, it was hot, it was humid, I’m fine running in the heat, I relish it as I hate the cold and won’t run in it, but I do need time to acclimate but the last few years spring has been a few nice days, then cold, maybe another nice day then blasting summer (temps are maybe going to hit 90s this weekend, and yes, I do live in MN!!!), it’s not so much the heat but the humidity that really gets ya…I was dripping sweat, so bad when I got home clothes went right in the machine and I was right in the shower BEFORE the stretching. Had to, it was so gross.

Anyway, I finally figured out the weekend. I’m going to St. Paul to night with my friend to get our race packets, then picking up tickets for the bands I’m going to see next weekend, then we are going to have spaghetti and watch a movie, to bed early and then up early to run the 30K…After which we are running a couple of errands then I’m going home to veg and then drinking the 75 or minutes to Mankato to meet friends for drinks and stay overnight at the one friends parents, come back up at some point on Sunday and probably spend at my happy place (see previous post for picture)…then I do have a grill out I’ll most likely go to, better print directions for that…Monday might be going to see X3 with some friends, but also need to get some cleaning and organizing done around the house…I get to do whatever I want and I LOVE that!!

Monday officially starts my taper too…Will try to post a race report at some point, this is just more a fun run anyway, last long run before the marathon, just get a shirt and water stops provided instead of having to wear the fuel belt!

Weekend Decisions

I’m actually rested right now…I slept good and slept in a little bit, instead of running this AM I got up and did my pilates core DVD so slept in a little bit and then got a few things done before showering and getting to work. Tonight I’m planning 8-10 at 8-8:15 pace, it’s cooler and overcast, wondering if I’ll be OK in shorts actually, but that’s what I have with unless I go home and run from there…haven’t fully decided yet. Most likely will run the trails near here though, change of scenery and all.

After the run, I need to get my room cleaned tonight since I have a friend coming over tomorrow and we are running to get our race packets for the 30K on Saturday and then renting a movie and she’s crashing at my place since we have to be in White Bear Lake (probably 30-45 minute drive from my place) by 8 am on Saturday…after the race we’ll do our typical latte and mocha after the race and maybe breakfast someplace, then going to the running store to use my coupon and maybe to the Trader Joe’s that just opened here (after everyone in CA that I know raving about it, I can’t wait to go!) to check it out. I might go to Lake Calhoun after that and relaxing a bit in my happy place but I might end up going to Mankato to hang out and have cocktails with friends…I haven’t been down in a while and it would be fun, but not sure I feel like going…I have nothing going on this weekend though and I do want to do something!! I to have two grill outs I could go to as well, but we’ll just have to see…I definitely should do something to avoid being home with the freak though!! Oops, I mean the roommate…

This picture is pretty much right from where I tend to go and relax...and sometimes run, rollerblade, walk, people watch etc...

To Accept or not to Accept...

On one positive note...129.4 this AM...sure, I know it was because of the run last night and not eating much, but I'm getting close!! 4.4 more pounds!!

Sleepy…well, looks like TriGals sleepless nights have come to me!! OK, so not really, I’ve been sleeping when I can, except for last night, but will get to that. I just haven’t had a chance to have much sleep cause of a hectic schedule.

Sunday night I was working and came home to have the roommate knock on my door at 10 pm to ask if we could talk, 1) the only time I close my door is when I’m going to sleep, 2) I don’t want to have a stressing talk at 10 pm at night when I want to sleep!! Went to bed and slept good, just not long enough and snoozed in and just ran instead of running and strength on Monday am but then had a nice easy afternoon run with a friend and went to a movie, that was fun.

Tuesday I had my interval training and ended up skipping morning run again…sigh…but I was exhausted feeling and had slept so good for the night. Had also e-mailed roommate on Monday morning and said 10 pm is not a good time to talk and that when my door is closed it means I’m going to bed…So last night I ran 11.25 of the planned 12, 7 x 1 miles planning 7:15 or so pace, but that was not to be. I had not eaten enough for the afternoon to fuel me (should’ve found and had some cake at 2!!) and it was warmer and more humid that I have run in so far this year…then the darn GPS was having trouble on some spots on the path, so frustrating to have to stop and try to get signal again. I was going to cut the workout back, but did do the 7 hard, averaged a 7:34 with the slowest being mile 4 at 7:51 (lots of loss of signal) and fastest being mile 3 at 7:13…It was an OK run, not the best, but I’ve had some really great ones. Tomorrow is my last really hard workout of the training session, 8-10 tempo miles, shooting for 8:00 but will adjust based on the temp and how my leg feels (it’s still tight). I’m running a 30K on Saturday which is just a training run with water stops, but also will be a PR even though I’m not racing it…I’ve never run a 30K before!! :)

Anyway, I was feeling quite exhausted in a pleasant way after the workout and was going to go to bed early since I work tonight and thought about heading there around 8:30 but wanted to watch just a bit more of Desperate Housewives…so I figured I’d stay up till 9…I ran back to my room for something and come out and roommate is turning on the light in the living room (I’d been sitting in the semi dark cause I’m in down mode working toward a sleepy feeling and why waste electricity, just cause he’s the dummy that sits with the blinds and curtains closed in his room and turns the light on on a sunny Saturday afternoon to work at his computer or whatever…) and asks me if we can talk, it’s almost 9, I’m settling in for sleepy time and had already told him that that is my routine at night and not a time to talk so I tell him no, he replies he wants to apologize and say a few things, and again I tell him no, I’m working on chilling and getting ready to go to bed in a few minutes, I don’t need a stressor, so then he goes on again about wanting to apologize (too little too late as I already told him I felt I deserved an apology for something he had pulled last week and when you have to tell someone, that kind of negates the sincerity in my mind) and again I say no, then he rants that “you should be able to accept apologies from people when they give them, that if you can’t accept apologies then you can’t forgive yourself…” and some other such nonsense…just what I need before bed…heart rate up of course. I told him again, no, I was watching my show and then going to bed, I did not want to talk at that time and sorry, if you are really apologetic about something, and someone requests that you leave them alone at that time, forcing an apology on them doesn’t seem that apologetic to me...Not to mention that apparently if he apologizes, whether I think he’s sincere or not, I’m supposed to accept it…well, when you ask someone to not do something and they continue to do it and apologize each time for it, that to me doesn’t make an apology…ughh…

Thankfully June 20th he's gone...wonder how I could get him out before then and I think I have a roommate lined up at least on a temp basis that is a good friend of mine and knows my roommate troubles. I think we’ll get along well and it will help both of us out!!

Oh, and so after all that, I didn’t get to sleep till after 11 and taking a Tylenol PM and now I have to be up till midnight tonight cause of work…another thing he has to apologize for…do I have to accept it???

Quick Update

Need to do at least a quick update. I haven’t posted a new entry since last week!! Weekend was so hectic though. I need to post my training schedules, am going to do that soon, probably on another site so I don’t have so many listings here, but will have a link to them. One of these days I will get past race reports posted too. I want all things in one spot!!

Anyway, last week I had scheduled 70 miles. I wanted to have a huge mileage week and then start into tapering, I’m 3 weeks from the marathon on Saturday, have a 30K race I’m doing and then the next week is 12, then 9 and then the race…hopefully I won’t go absolutely insane during it as I have usually wanted to cut back in those weeks, but now I’m so wanting to keep running…but I know I can’t. I only managed 54 of the planned 70 for this week. My tempo run I could tell right away was not going to feel good and I cut it back to 6.25 miles, my leg has still been bothering me and still no massage to make it feel better. That’s on the plan for next week though (no time this week I don’t think, although maybe Thursday after my run). Anyway, the intervals also didn’t happen and turned into a 6 mile tempo run, all I had time for at the time, but it was finally a good run at 8 minute pace, over some decent hills and not the pain that I had been having. I did 18 on Saturday that started off a bit sore but managed to keep feeling good and at a 9:25 pace, although actually was probably a bit faster as I lost signal a few times on my GPS (might have to wear my other watch and pause it to keep track of lost time when I do lose signal) then I had to take a quick break to take eggs out of the fridge for the angel food cake I was making when I got home (have to have them at room temp). Anyway, after my run I had to get cleaned up and dressed to get to my brother’s where I was throwing myself a party, he was hosting because he lives close to the bar that had the band I wanted to see. Was a fun night though, and I wasn’t too bad the next day, even though I thought I would be drinking a lot…now I’m done drinking till my marathon. And trying to eat much better, need to read that book I bought!!

Today I have my last really hard interval workout, planning for 7 x 1 with .5 recovery and 7:15 or so pace…that’s if leg cooperates. Thursday is a last hard longer tempo and then the race on Saturday…hopefully all goes well!!

Happy Belated B-day

Not a great week runningwise…this kind of sucks, but oh well. I’ll deal with it, I’m down to 4 weeks out come Sunday, not end of the world to not get the workouts in that I would’ve liked this week, I can work a bit hard yet next week and then be ready for the taper.

Yesterday was one of those days…I had a really great weight day, although all that I ate yesterday caught up to me and I was up a bit today (and yes, I realize I shouldn't weigh everyday, but there have been as many goods as bads), but still safely below 135 which was a stepping stone for so long, still would love to safely be below 130 and hold there, but I’m sitting at least at my college weight right now (having graduated 6 years ago) so that’s good. I had wanted to run 13 miles, intervals of 1 mile with half mile recovery, but there was just no time in the morning as I had company that was trying to convince me sleeping in is a good thing. I finally said nope, you can sleep, I'm going running...it's hard to explain to non-runners that running is better than pretty much everything else that can be suggested doing!! I had had a few drinks at midnight and got a ride home, so I ran to get my car. I was offered a ride to it, and had to explain that I don’t care that my car is 5 miles from me, I WANT to run and get it, literally…so I did…And had finally, finally, finally a nice run this week. Monday I started out on 12 tempo miles and the sugar I had eaten made me feel like crap and paces were off, and the hamstring was so tight I was worried I might be hurting myself continuing, so I cut it at 6.25 and a pace of about 8:45. Tuesday I got up for a run and made 5.75 miles as recovery, but it still was sore. Yesterday I started and it was only tight for a little bit, I managed to turn the 5 miles into 6 and temp ran at 8:15 pace, this was nice. Then I was going to go for a second run, but didn’t quite get that in before I was needed to go out to dinner…and even though I was out till midnight celebrating (I was told I look like Keri Russell of Felicity fame last night and apparently that has been said before, I just hadn’t ever heard it before, but hey, it was a nice compliment, guys think she’s hot) and then up at 5:30 to run, another 6 in the bag, 8:45 pace I think…not the best, but it could be worse. Haven’t eaten the best today and when tapering comes, I have a feeling weight is going to come…but tonight going to a friends for celebration number 2, grilling burgers, cupcakes from Byerly’s and then outlet shopping with a 2 ½ year old and 7 month old…this is called birth control!! My friends kids are sweet though…hope they are good tonight!! Tomorrow night I work (by choice as I switched so I could have Saturday off) and then Saturday will be celebration number 3…that sounds like a good amount of time to celebrate. I think after 30 you get more days cause it takes longer, you know more people, have to celebrate with them all right? And my sister is out of town so won’t celebrate with her till she gets back…so actually I think I get 2 ½ weeks this year!!

My present to myself, well, I’m getting myself an emerald ring as soon as I find one, but the big one was my entry to Marine Corp. I’m excited to get out there and see friends and run through DC in October…nothing like registration opening on the 17th…I knew it was fate that I was going to run that one when I saw that date!!

Monday's Weather

Another somewhat dreary day…I have 12 miles tempo pace (shooting for 8:15) tonight…I’m actually not looking forward to it because of the weather. I’m tired of the gray and gloom and chill, I want the nice sunny shorts weather back. It’s going to be like last year, we had a bit of nice weather, then it got cold, then it just came into summer humidity!! No adjustment time.

Anyway, I’ve managed to maintain the weight loss down to the 131 mark for about a week now with stability, hopefully that means I’ll at least l be below 130 before the marathon in 5 weeks…heck, it might be possible to get down to the actual 125 that I’d like to lock onto, the scale has shown me a few times under 130…just have to stick hard by avoiding the bad for me snacks that keep coming…like the Teddy Grahams and licorice and chocolate today. I have two days this week that might be bad, Wednesday is something I don’t know that I can avoid eating bad, planning lunch with a friend, might want to hit my favorite restaurant that I haven’t been to in so long for dinner and there might have to be some cake at some point…Saturday at least I’ll probably eat or not eat OK, but I’m running long that day and THEN drinking beer…but it’s the last real going out night that I’m going to have before the marathon. In fact I’ll probably abstain from all alcohol after Saturday until the 17th and have my victory beer after the run. I was going to go a month out, but Saturday just can’t be helped…I will probably drink way too much that night…have to drown the sorrows that come with getting old right?? At least I don't work on Wednesday and I can get a nice run in, and hopefully a much needed massage. And the sun might even be out...it is interval day that day too.

Alright, time to psych up for that run tonight. Also made a decision that the roommate does have to go, I just have to tell him...and I'm terrible, but since conflict stresses me so much, I'm going to send him an e-mail...terrible, terrible cop out, but I have to do what is comfortable for me. Tomorrow I will send it to him.

Great Run and a Conflict

A cloudy and gray weekend…it’d be nice if we had some nice weather, it’s taken a turn for the cool side too. Kind of sucks, but oh well. It was actually nice enough weather for the 22 miler I did yesterday. Last longest run of my training before taper, I’m doing 16-18 next weekend, then a 20 miler (in the form of a 30K will do a half mile or so warm up and cool down or maybe just run a bit harder, maybe 2nd half close to marathon pace, whatever that is, I was just going for sub-4 hour, no idea how sub-4 hour I can get). My pace for the 22 miler was 9:25 or so, I throw the or so cause I had a bathroom break and a few water breaks (had to stop to get it as it as a fountain, didn’t drink on the run the way I will at the marathon) and I had to stretch a few times as I had very, very tight hamstrings. I am trying to get a massage scheduled, but so far no call back from the person I called. Will have to try her again tomorrow, shooting to get in on Wednesday if not before, but that kind of sucks as I have two hard runs between now and then and now it’s so tight I don’t get it loosened up till further into the run, yesterday it was actually 11 miles in before I didn’t notice it, and it’s putting strain on other things…

Also dealing with other stressors in my light kind of sucks right now. I am so a non-confrontational kind of person and there is a situation I need to deal with and get out of my life and until I do, it’s going to continue to bother me…ughh…I’m just so passive-aggressive…for me confronting someone is the equivalent of the adrenaline and nervousness of every single race I’ve ever run all rolled together…and I was a varsity track runner for 6 years (lettered in 7th grade), at least 2 meets a week and 3 races a meet…that’s a lot of races…and a lot of adrenaline…I know it’s terrible, but I’m really considering e-mail to the person in question for the confrontation. Said person has just very much pushed me over the limit and this person has only been in my life for about a month now…really bad decision on my part!! It sucks because the person is in MY home and is showing a complete lack of respect for my things. Glass sitting on the wood of the magazine rack instead of the coasters which are obviously there, no shoes removed before walking through the house, using the hand towel I have out for wiping hands for washing face (even though there is room for said person to hang towel on towel rack for this use) making a mess with water all over mirror and counter when washing face even though I have already asked him to be more careful in doing it…I’m wiping up water and cleaning the mirror at least twice a day (because after discussion wiping the mirror with the hand towel apparently was person’s solution to the problem, forget that that just makes a smeary mess)…OK, maybe I’m being too anal, but it is my house and I like things just so, particularly when guests could come over at any time…guest ready is the term I have for keeping the place clean…

Time Passes Slowly Sometimes...

Alright…it’s a dreary Friday and I can’t wait to get out of here…nothing against my job, I’m just tired today and debating on getting a workout in or just going home and taking a quick nap before going to a friends place…I really want the nap, but should do the workout…I feel awful not having done one today, but reality is, tired as I’m feeling, I probably won’t get much out of it anyway, am I justifying?? Probably…ughh…I feel just icky today, too much sugary crap, OK, doing better this weekend!!! There is one problem in that I’m going to go out to see a band play tomorrow night and will be having a couple of beers…I’m only bringing a little bit of money with so I can’t have more than a couple, but still…I suppose I say it’s early celebration or non-celebration of that non-holiday that I sometimes try to ignore depending on how I feel that day. I hate getting older…:( I just am not at the place in my life that I wanted to be at by now. Anyway, 22 tomorrow, and rain forecast, 40% chance. Ah well, there was rain 2 weeks ago for my 20, and there might be rain the day of the race (hopefully not, temps in the 50s-60s and overcast is what I want!), considering I’ve had great weather for all 3 so far, I’m not expecting good conditions, so better train in the bad!!

A Rough One

Again, the tough ones make us stronger right? So I have been a bit tight lately, OK for a long time, it was for a long time my left side, kind of along the IT band and I’ve been meaning to get a massage but have yet to do that…It’s always been a bit tight, but fine when I’m running. Suddenly it shifted and now it’s the right side, in the problem area and I can’t seem to loosen it up. I’m stretching it a lot, and really once I’m running it loosens up and feels fine, but I always seem to start a bit stiffly…yesterday was no exception…

Normally Thursday is my tempo day and Tuesday is intervals, this week is messed up cause I realized Monday that I have to work tonight and I couldn’t do my workout tonight, so I had to switch the hard ones to Monday and Wednesday and I wasn’t mentally prepared for the intervals on Monday so I did tempo, which was OK but humid so a bit slower and intervals last night…Intervals were on a flat, limestone trail, old railroad track and I finally figured out how to recover my splits so I can even put them from this run and last intervals in finally!! Since last week I had done 5 x 1s with plan for 7:30-7:45 and managed 7:02 for the slowest and 6:51 for two of them, I thought doing 6 x 1 this week I should be able to hit 7:00 or so again, so goal was 7:00-7:15 or so…well, that didn’t quite workout. My overall run was 11 miles in 1:35, average of 8:41 pace, but that was because the recoveries were incredibly slow mainly because I had to stop and stretch almost each one. The problem came because I warmed up, then ran hard, then walked a bit, that tightened up my legs and it took the first part of the next repeat to get loose again. Times looked like this:

Mile 1 – 7:24
Mile 2 – 7:18
Mile 3 – 7:01
Mile 4 – 7:06
Mile 5 – 7:13
Mile 6 – 7:05

OK, not very consistent, but oh well. The run averaged 7:33 I think according to my Garmin for 8 miles, then I had the warm up mile and cool down mile and a half, plus some stretching between warmup and first interval.

While I was running I passed one guy, but he came up on me while I was trying to massage and stretching my hamstring and he said something to the effect of that sucks and I agreed and said normally I’m OK but just been tight lately. I passed him then on my interval and he said the weather is a bit cool, which yes, that I agree with and part of why I wasn’t staying warm, I was in shorts and short sleeved shirt and tights would've definitely helped me on this one. It was also a bit windy heading out, but had it at my back coming back thankfully…probably why the first one was so much slower than the rest. Not sure about mile 5 though.

Two more hard interval workouts (7 x 1 for the next two) before taper…

Mind Wanderings

Monday I ran for the first time this year in humidity. It was definitely high humidity too!! Well, we were on the verge of a rainstorm so I suppose that makes sense that it was higher humidity…the air was so damp that my ponytail ended up wet from swinging over my back…talk about disgusting with sweat!! Anyway, I survived it though, and managed to do it over my neighborhood hills at an 8:14 pace…a little slower than I wanted when I had been hoping another 8:00 or so pace, but I did 9 miles and it did feel good. I was definitely tired at the end though.

Yesterday was kind of a free for all day…Normally I have been working on Monday’s and Wednesday’s so I do morning workouts, short runs and strength training and then Tuesday and Thursday are easy in the morning and harder in the afternoon…this week that didn’t work out cause I work on Thursday, hence changing the tempo run to Monday afternoon and the Intervals to tonight. Tonight I’ll run on the flat trail that I ran on last night, intended an easy 4-5 miler, came out around 8:50 pace and had been following a nice 4 miler in the morning.

I went to see a movie last night, Syriana, which I had wanted to see for a long time. Still not sure what I thought of the movie, but man does it make you think!! A lot of very relevant for the time clips and blips and some so fitting and couldn’t have been known about while the movie was filming.

I’m still reading my boards, I haven’t posted now since I had the flame on the one, haven’t posted to either…and I do miss them to some degree at least. There have been posts I wanted to respond to, but held back…and there have been things I wanted to ask, but again I’ve held back. I don’t now what it is I do, or what it is I can change about me to not get people so up in arms. Why can’t I be one of the people that everyone likes?? It’s still such a bummer. Had an off board so called apology from the flamer, but it didn’t really feel right…and I responded back saying I was sorry for having offended, that it wasn’t my intent and that I would no longer post…no response to that one, kind of shows me more about the apology. I still don’t understand why I got the response I did anyway…it still hurts too. I’ve had interactions with this person before, and I know everyone else has no problems with this person…so why me…probably still mad at me that I didn’t want to go to Starbucks in Chicago and just asked if there was any other place we could go…that one didn’t go over well. Can’t change things, yet this year they are suggesting what other things should we do…Always me I guess…I think I’m about due for a good cry…almost did at work yesterday cause of something, and almost again at the movie, guess that’s how much it moved me…

Weekend Good, Monday Bad!!

Weekend was fun but really hectic. I left work early on Friday to drive to mom and dad’s, met up with them and went up for a drink and then went with my grandma and a cousin for dinner the restaurant in town. After dinner we went home and to bed. I was up and ran 14 miles averaging a 9:08 pace, then I rested a tiny bit, stretched and pushed out a hard mile in honor of Bannister, but only hit a 7:05…I was a bit tired. Then it was off visiting grandma’s (both of my parents mom’s live in my home town, makes things simple!!) and then we went to a benefit dinner for my old track coaches daughter…It was nice seeing him and catching up and him pointing out how I had refused over and over to run the 3200, I told him about my 5 x 1s at just under 7:00 pace last Tuesday and the mileage for the week and he was impressed. Sunday was more visiting and then heading home to get to work on time. I made it in and made it through my shift and then crashed. It was a good weekend though. Glad I was able to make it down there finally.

I’ve had to adjust my week, hopefully that won’t mess anything up but it might make it better. Normally I’ve been doing hard workouts on Tuesday and Thursday after work, but this week I work on Thursday so I’m doing it tonight and Wednesday instead. I decided 8-9 mile tempo tonight and then 6 x 1 intervals on Wednesday since it looks better weather-wise anyway. And I forgot my watches to be able to do the workouts where I wanted to tonight too…
The bubble burst today, I hate Mondays...I knew it was a bit early to be celebrating that victory over the scale on Friday, having run as much as I had the previous day, I was up to just over 134 today, not such a good weekend apparently. I knew I had a couple too many beers on Saturday, and I also ate way too much, was just feeling ravenous all day…anyway, I’m back on though, going to work really hard all week to not overeat!!

The Tough Ones Make Us Stronger

Last night I went for my tempo run for the week. Plan was to shoot for 8:15 or better per mile, kind of hoping for 8 minute miles and I had 11 miles planned. First one, warm up mile, was right on 8…oops. The rest were in the 8 minute range and I was running them over rolling hills. Heading back toward home I was at 8 miles about a mile and half from home so went through my little park near home to add on some more. By this point I was noticing my legs were feeling tired. I went through my mind thinking, OK, why am I hurting at this point…the hills, maybe, I have been running hills, but I don’t run this route all the time, and I haven’t been faithful with my lunges lately, so I vowed to do them when I got home. Anyway, as I continued on, still on target but slowing (ended with an average of 8:10 for 11.25 miles), it dawned on me, yes, I do do double runs on “hard” days, used to do the hard workout first though, but not more than 4 miles so it’s always been fine. Yesterday morning I did 5.25 just because I was feeling good and the easy pace was still a sub 9 pace…OK, that might be the reason my legs hurt, oh, and also the fact that I did 5 x 1s at 7 minute pace on Tuesday too...hmmm. I figure 16.5 miles on them, with 11.25 at a good pace, I’m doing well. I ache a bit today and my morning run was just over 9 minutes which is slower than it has been lately. But that’s good. Sore tired legs on a long run tomorrow (only 14) is good to keep marathon conditions going. This is the last cycle before the marathon and I need to be on target. 5 ½ more weeks.

And I was thrilled to step on the scale this morning and I am now at my “soft goal”…which was below 130…I was at 129.8!!!! I’d really like to hit 125 before the marathon, and I think more and more that that could be possible. I just have to be really careful with my eating for the next month. But it is a happy day.

Cutting Corners

People do it all the time...whatever way they can get ahead, cheating on their taxes, lying about a project they did, using cheap parts and charging like you used good parts...and you are doing a disservice not only to yourself, but a lot of other people in instances like that. But what about in running?

An interesting question was posed today on a board I read…If you saw someone taking a shortcut in a marathon would you report them and/or talk to the person? This one kind of tears me…I think of the scandal last year at the Marine Corp Marathon with the group from Canada that had some of their runners cut a couple of miles off so they could be sure to make the bridge cut off and be able to "finish the marathon". The excuse was if they didn't do that, some of their runners wouldn't make the cut off time and would be discouraged, OK, so then why did you pick this marathon to do, why not do one that allows slower people time enough to finish? This is a charity group, they raise money and from what I’ve read about it, they encourage women to get off the couch and out the door and do something good for themselves. OK, that’s great, awesome in fact, that you are getting people out to do something like that…and the goal is to do it in a year. OK, a bit tough, but still honestly doable with the right training…this charity group should pick a marathon that has a less strict time limit and allow the women to actually do the full marathon and claim the real victory no matter how long it takes them…some courses are even open for 8 hours!! They were given medals for something they did not complete. The told people they had run a marathon and they had not run the marathon 26.2 distance. Who did it hurt? Mainly them. They were the ones claiming false victory, but to some degree it does tarnish the sport.

In answer to the question, when it isn't someone that is going to win, then yes really it’s only cheating themselves and it’s something they have to live with. If I could report it, or somehow let someone know, I probably would, and it sucks that there are people out there that would do that as I think of runner’s as some of the greatest people in the world, and it sucks that even in our sub-group of the population that there are people like that. And why do it? Does it give you great feel saying hey, I ran a marathon when you know that you only ran 24 miles? What is the point?? My one biggest problem I think that would come from it though would be if someone cut corners and made it to Boston that way. Again, hurting themselves most, but by doing that they are doing a disservice to the sport that I have had the love/hate relationship with for so much of my life, but has now almost become an obsession…

Spring...My Favorite Time of Year

How do you bottle a feeling?? If I could bottle the way I’m feeling right now, I could make a mint…much better than any of the mood altering drugs out there…Runner’s High…And spring…mixed together…is there a more heady combination???

I love spring. It’s my favorite time of year. A time of rebirth…I don’t think of January first so much as the beginning of the year, well, I do, but not in the same way as I look at spring. Spring is a new beginning in a much different way. I see new possibilities, everything seems different. While some complain of the rain, I embrace it, it brings the flowers after all…and the scents in the air, wow, tonight was the sweetest of all perfumes…everything smelled so wonderful. I’m truly blessed to not be plagued by spring allergies because nothing smells better to me than that mix of flowering trees in early spring when you’re out on a run.

Today my workout was speed. I am on another new cycle…last week was rest, so this week my body is ready, I moved up to intervals of 1 mile. The goal was 4 or 5 x 1 mile repeats with ½ mile recovery at a 7:30-7:45 pace on the miles. I am a freak too. I wore my GPS and set it for intervals, but I also wanted a running time, so I wore my Timex too…I ran out to where I knew a mile was, then turned and hit a hard pace toward the path I was going to run around for my repeats…it was slightly downhill for the first part, but mostly flat around the half mile path I used for the run…first mile was 6:53…oops…a bit faster than intended, but there was a downhill. Recovery was about 9 minute pace. Second interval was around 7:05 or so, I can’t quite remember the pace and can’t seem to recover it on my GPS, but it was probably about that. Third one I hit again on a downhill as I went off the path for a bit…this one was around 6:57 or so…Fourth right around or just under 7 and last one was 6:51, again completely on the flat…OK…guess I was underestimating my time…I was feeling so good too that instead of the 1 mile cool down I went 2 miles to finish out a 10 mile for the day…Overall pace was around 8:20 I think for the whole run…not bad. And I feel really good…

It's Official

I sent in my registration for Marathon to Marathon today. Starts in Storm Lake, IA and finishes in Marathon, IA...same day as Grandma's, June 17, only a 6 am start...ughh...

My year started off weird. I knew I wanted to run some bigger race, just wasn’t sure what. Half of full?? A couple of halves?? There was the option of the Country Music Marathon (of which I’m not a fan of country, but I was all set to go for it) and considered the Flying Pig cause I have friends that live near Cincinnati and have wanted to do it since I first heard the name…I was going to to possibly do the full, but changed my mind to the half for Arizona Rock n Roll, then a friend had to back out cause of back pain and instead I just went to Arizona for a much needed vacation a little later. That still left me thinking…should I do CMM (couldn’t afford it after my trip to AZ) should I consider Flying Pig (really thought about surprising people and showing up for the half since I had miles to fly free AND friends to stay with) but then Disney came up and I lack some vacation time…so that put me back at the question of what I was doing…although a lot of this was more recent.

Back in January I also thought long ad hard about Grandma’s. A friend was running it and had a place to stay, I could crash with her…it’s the 30th anniversary, I could’ve done it since it was my first on my 30th, but I also just hate repeating…I’m not one to do the same course over and over, I like trying new things…then I found Marathon to Marathon, tiny race through corn fields, I’ll definitely need music for this one, but it ends in Marathon. If I can’t do the Greek marathon, maybe I can do one that at least has a name connection!! So that has been on my mind for a long time now. I never quite fully committed myself though. After I registered for Disney, I mentioned to my grandma she should come out for that and see family, she knew I was looking at the marathon in Iowa though and since it’s close to home, it’s easy for her to get to, and she was hoping she’d see me run there. As soon as I read grandma's letter mentioning that, it sealed the deal. M2M it is. Then I had the breakthrough 20 miler that definitely said yes, I can have a good marathon, that was the date I was going to register, and it slipped my mind…but the training has been going so well, so much better than anything I ever imagined…So today (meant to send it yesterday but missed mail pickup) I officially sent my registration form in. It’s set. We have camping reservations, mom and dad will be bringing their fifth wheel, I might set up my tent, we’ll see. It should be fun…I actually looked and the person that won in my age group last year ran a time that this year might even be on track to what I’m running, an advantage to running such a small race?? Not as many fast people?? Could I maybe place well?? Not something I'm really thinking about, I just want to get my time goals, but hey, one can dream right? I also have friends coming up from Missouri to run as well, so that will be really fun.

Then there is a town celebration after, hopefully we’ll end up hanging out for it a bit, I’d like to have some fun after my labors. Maybe we should camp for two nights and plan on partying it up at the town celebration!! I have yet to really do that after a marathon….

20 Miler 2...in the Bag...and In Rough Conditions...

So I have 4 20 plus milers in my training schedule (3 20, one 22), along with a 19 miler and one or two 18s that I've already done too...so this was another good one.

Saturday dawns over Minneapolis, not sunny and nice as has been the case some days, but overcast and rainy, a little chilly, probably lower 50s, hard to judge…anyway, I have a commitment to run with a friend today and I’m not going to back out on it, need the 20 anyway…so I get up, have my breakfast, the usual, scrambled egg with cheese, slice of wheat toast and later a slice of banana bread…Devi got there a little late, but that’s good, she slept, she’s always up early so I’m glad she was able to sleep in a bit, and we had plenty of time, I had nothing going on that day…So we headed down to the chain of lakes, most popular running spot in the twin cities pretty much, we had considered going to another area, but Devi had some foot issues going on and might have to cut the run short, if that is the case by the lakes there are places she can kill time while I’m finishing up. We started about 9:15…even though the rain was coming down, we were warm enough as long as we kept moving. The lakes, usually quite busy, were fairly quiet, but even with the weather conditions there were some diehards out (at least that’s what I termed us, my guess is the people driving by seeing us had a different term, but oh well…hey, there were people out in kayaks!!). Anyway, the run went really well, Devi is shooting to run a 4:15 and is supposed to run at 10:15-10:30 pace, we averaged 10:10 on my garmin, but that was with a bathroom stop and two stops for water and gels, probably 8-10 minutes total time which gets us to a 9:50-9:55 so not bad at all…particularly considering the conditions. The last stop was at 15 miles and I knew if we stopped again it would be hard to stop…with the rain we didn’t drink much, not a good idea, but oh well. I tried one of my fruit bars on the run too and it was really good and digested well so I have something else to bring along to eat if I need it at the marathon. It was a good boost too, running in tough conditions (it was slightly windy, definitely cold and miserable for the rain) and having someone to chat with the entire way. Different kind of taxing and good on a fall back week.

After the run, we went to Whole Foods, with a stop at Caribou Coffee for Lattes, and to warm up a bit…then we went to Marathon Sports for Devi to find some new shoes…The guy looked at the shoes she was wearing after looking at her feet and was surprised she liked them…So we tried on many pairs of shoes, and figured out the guy waiting on us was even more insane than us…he does 24 hours races, the kind where you run for 24 hours and see who can run the furthest…and he’s looking to break the Guiness Record for the 24 Hour Treadmill…nice…Anyway, he was kind of cute too, and we figured out he was single…Devi is looking for the go ahead and figure out a way to see if he wants to go out with me…it’s fun to chat about, but I’m doubting I’ll give the go ahead on it…highly doubting he’d be interested in me anyway. This only came up when he mentioned liking shoes and she said she had a friend she should introduce him to. Anyway, knowing my luck with men, I think I’ll keep it as it is…just a fun flirt in the afternoon after a long run in tough conditions. One other thing that came out of the stop though is a 30K race that we are going to run now for our last long run, I figure I’ll warm up or cool down the 1.4 that I miss from the 20 miler I would otherwise do and figure the racing conditions will be good as well.

That’s it for the weekend. Kind of gray and gloomy today, rained most of it, I stayed inside and cleaned…it was good though, my house really needed it.

CAKE = SUPER FOOD??

First I want to thank the people who have commented on my Highs and Lows post...It made me feel up again knowing that there are those who are happy for the way I've been progressing...and watching each of you on your journeys has been great too, just wanted you to know in case I don't find time to comment on all posts!!

OK, so once again yesterday was bad on the snacks…I had a cookie that the finance team had been giving for something, well half the cookie, I had eaten the other half on Wednesday when I got it (they were huge), then I discovered there was cake over in the finance department (which they had also had on Tuesday which I had eaten)…so already having the cookie, I should not have had it, but it was Byerly’s and looked so yummy I couldn’t resist…that was about 2 pm…I went home for my easy 6 mile run, remember, this week is cut back week and I need to take things slow and relaxed, no pushing the pace, shooting for an effort of about 5 or 6 (on a scale of 1-10 since I don’t use a HR monitor), easy conversational pace etc…Did I mention that MN spring is truly here?? It was GORGEOUS once again. I got home and was ready to run by about 4:45…shorts and singlet, hat and sunglasses and I was out. Upper 60s, low 70s, sun, no wind…a PERFECT day.

I head out on my usual paths, I like running in my neighborhood areas, I try new routes up different streets as they are all twisty and I never know where I’ll end up, but it’s a fun area and I can get good runs, not to mention it’s not flat so a good workout (which I hadn’t even noticed till I ran it with a friend recently who is running more flats)…Anyway, shooting for what I figure is a 9:30 or so pace for an easy pace…not even close. I had 6 miles in at an 8:45 pace…geez…come on, what is the deal?? Not complaining mind you, it’s fantastic that I can hit these paces over these distances at little effort, I have some massive PRs I’m going to get once I ever jump into a race…But what is the deal? Is it the weather (perfect temps = perfect runs, and I LOVE spring, so thankful that I don’t have spring allergies because I love being outside and how it smells this time of year, new flowers scenting the air on every block, although right now our 12th floor smells that way as there was a massive project completed yesterday and everyone got flowers for it…I want to sit up there for today!!), the cake, just the fact that my “true runner” is finally come through…I’m finding my true self?? I don’t know, and I’m not really questioning it, but just hoping against hope it doesn’t leave me any time soon!!

Now my dilemma though is that I’ve had 3 runs where I’ve had cake in the afternoon, usually around 2 and ended up having such a great pace, either running faster for a hard run or running faster for even an easy run…3 for 3…is cake the wonder food?? Should I be eating cake 2 ½ hours before every run?? :) OK, not the answer, but man, it seems good to me!! Oh, have I mentioned my weakness for cake??? I LOVE cake...it's why it was chosen to be sacrificed for Lent...Oh, and the nickname for the city I live in, Cakeeaters (cause it's a wealthier suburb, but believe me, I'm not one of the wealthy, they call them that cause they have their cake and eat it too, but I'm not FROM there, I just live there now)

Highs and Lows...

Well, life is about ups and downs right?

This week has been a weird one for me. A cutback in my training and it’s driving me a little batty…weird cause normally I don’t even get taper nuttiness because by that point I’ve always been ready to cut back my running and am tired and what not, but this year it’s been a strong drive in me that has just been building and building, my last break actually came at a good time as I was on vacation, but I’ve been up and gung ho since then and things have been so on track that I don’t know what to do with the cutback…I needed help. I needed running friends who would understand…And I have two groups that while there have been issues off and on with both at times, I figured they would understand as they have all been there at some point. Some of the people in the group have been sidelined with injuries and can’t run, I do feel for them and have tried to be sympathetic and supportive, in fact when I was on vacation I talked to one of them and was ready to gush about the great runs I’d been having and thought, no, he’s hurt, he can’t run, that’s unfair, and said as much to him. But he told me that was OK, he was fine hearing about it even though he couldn't be out there…but I did mellow it out a bit. I have others I can talk to and always share with my parents although they really have no clue about it, but they do try, God bless them. I really do need to get more involved in the local running community, which I’ve been saying for a while, but even more so now…just because of some things that have been happening with the groups I’m part of. They aren’t local, and I just don’t think I fit in. It always seems things are going along fine, I’m posting, responding, talking what not and then suddenly I say the wrong thing and I’m flamed, slammed, whatever…and I take things so personally, which I shouldn’t, but I do…

I have no self-confidence. This is something that I know that about myself and I know it’s a weakness. It’s something I need to work on but am not sure how. Things had come around a bit after getting my job, then I had a setback. A horrible, horrible setback last fall…I started overcoming that by running like a madwoman…and while my esteem I didn’t think about, but man, has it improved my running. I’m just still amazed, stunned and overjoyed by how runs have been going. I’ve once again found the JOY OF RUNNING!!! it’s not something I dread going out to do, it’s not something I do to get done, it’s something I actually look forward to and can’t wait, even after a not so great one cause the great ones have been more so than the not so great ones…and just to express this joy once again, I posted something to the effect of my cutback week and how much it was killing, just to, I don’t know, let off some steam and throw something out there…and I had some responses that were basically what I was looking for…then yesterday I had the low…a response that told me to stop whining, that there are those that can’t run (I interpreted that to say that I have no compassion for that with this message) and that my message was apparently just boasting…OK, I’ve never been accused of being a boaster…braggart, whatever…self-esteem problems and all, it’s not my nature to brag about myself…be amazed and shocked by things I’m doing, and have done, sure, but never boasting about it. I answer questions asked, I try to take accolades, but am not one to boast about myself. I just can’t. Although, in retrospect, is it so wrong to boast or brag about something going on that’s really good? I mean what are the race reports, the met PR postings, the great run postings, the training reports, etc if not each of us boasting about our accomplishments?? No one is so callous to not sympathize with those injured, it could be any one of us, but the group I thought was meant to be a place to be surrounded by support…for the bad and the good…to ask questions, to seek help, to sympathize and to celebrate…boasting, I still don’t see it…I was just happy, in a goofy mood and didn’t think before I posted. If the post was hurtful to those that can’t run, I do heartily apologize for it, it was never meant to be mean in any way…But I think it’s also shown me, something I’ve suspected for a while, but I just don’t fit in. Not in either place. I don’t think I’d even be noticed if I left. There weren’t any responses to my flame, maybe everyone else agrees…I don’t know…but I think my posting days are done…and it makes me sad, it’s been a 2 year journey with a lot of these people, trips to meet up, chats on and off the group and on and off the phone…it’s been a big part of my life, but then how can you be around a situation where you don’t think people even really care. I have that effect on people though. It’s why I’ve traveled the lonely road for so long, and I question the few friends that I do have. I mean honestly, I wouldn’t be friends with me or chose to be around me if I didn’t have to, so why would anyone else want to be. But this is me, I don’t know what I could change, or what it is that so gets on people…ah well…At least I have my running…

WOW!!!

Wow, wow, wow…An incredible run…one of those, yet again…I’m on a roll here. The invincibility, the love of being a runner, the complete and total joy to be out there on the roads, where everything seems just so easy and you can go on forever...Anyway, the temps were in the mid-50s, perfect for a pair of shorts and a light weight long sleeved top. The sun was out, but since it was almost 5 when I started, it wasn’t too hot, on the downswing of its cycle and I just love the way things look in early spring as the green is coming out and the sun is setting, making it look…I can’t even come up with a word to describe it, but it signifies spring to me. Also there was no wind. Zero, zip, nada…it was perfect.

This is a cut back week, average of last 3 weeks was 57 miles, which means I should probably try to stay right at 40 for the week…huh?? Since when was 40 a cut back week and trying to stay at or below that hard?? My last 3 marathons the highest mileage weeks came just over 45, cut backs meant 30 and that was easy to do…I find myself adjusting my mileage each day to try to keep it below even 45 this week…yikes!!

Anyway, I set out for my normal run from home. Loops around the neighborhood, I just never know where or what loops I’m doing….I had cake in the afternoon…last time I had cake in the afternoon I went home and did 10 miles in the rain at an 8:10 pace…well, I had originally been going to do 10 miles, but realized that meant I had to cut out running one other day this week, I’m still going to try, but pushing the mileage the way I have been, I decided 8 was a better number so I was shooting for 8 at an 8:20 or better pace…I hit the first mile in 8:20, that was supposed to be warm up, but it was just feeling so good and I couldn’t wait to get out, so I didn’t do a full mile warmup, I took off when it felt right…this was up some good hills too. :) So I’m running along, enjoying the weather, the smell of the flowers, the book I’m listening to (Mind Prey by John Sandford, am loving his Prey series). I end up running through my marked walk/run/bike path near home and have to stop to say hi to the most adorable chocolate lab puppy. He is tied to a tree with a blanket and some food and a sign that says he was born December 5th and is part of an animal rescue, $50 donation is being asked for him to go home with someone…man, I was soooo tempted, but I can’t have a dog bigger than 20 pounds in my condo…he was just too cute, well worth the 15-20 seconds I lost saying hi. From there I just ran on…things were feeling good pretty much the entire way, sometimes plowing up hills I was even getting that feeling, you know the one (if you’re a runner at least) where you can just go on forever…It’s when I imagine what the Kenyans must feel (even though I’m running about 3 minutes per mile slower than them on an easy training run) and what I picture on their training, running through the wilds of Africa…



Anyway, I did think the last mile felt harder and I was definitely ready to stop, although I know I had at least a couple more in me if I had slowed up a little…turns out mile 8 was a 7:38, no wonder it felt tougher (and that was coming up the longer incline too)…I did have a couple of times where I was feeling the need for deeper breaths, or yawn or something but I managed to work it out without having to stop…overall, incredible run. Now the rest of the week is slow and a cut back week. In fact this morning was only 3 miles (planned but partly cause I overslept) and Saturdays 20 mile long run is with a friend that we’ll probably be averaging 10-10:30 per mile or so pace…this is good…I need a rest week!! And then I can run while Jen is running her marathon and think of her!!

Oh, so the 8 miles, average pace was 8:02…that includes the 20 second puppy stop!! Wow…

Not Tapering, But if Feels Like it!!

This is a cut back week now for my running and it feels like a taper week to me. I’m still wanting to eat lots of food, which I can only counter by running more (and of course that just makes me eat more, but I have been able to manage to lose a little bit, so I want to keep going down, not up!!), and not getting up this morning for a run felt weird. I’ve worked out and remodified my schedule a number of times to cut the mileage. I did 55.5 last week, 59 the two weeks before that, so this week I figure I should cut back to no more than 40…who would’ve thought that would be so hard…I think I’m going to end up with 44, but trying to stay closer to 40. I hate to do it, but know I need to before I hit the next 4 weeks I think it is really hard!!

Friday night I did my 18 mile long run. It was great. The area isn’t flat, there are plenty of rolling hills, which I honestly haven’t even really realized that it’s that hilly near me until I ran with someone who isn’t used to my course and found the hills to be a challenge…that actually made me happy to hear. Anyway, the run ended up being an average pace of 9:11…I have been trying to shoot for an average of 9:30, remember, to break 4 hours, which is my goal, I only need to run 9-9:04 or something like that pace to get it, that means I can run up to 90 seconds per mile slower on the long run and hope to achieve that and I’ve been running about 9:20 average…and my tempo and interval workouts have averaged in the 8:15-8:30 range which are supposed to be faster than marathon pace…but not quite that fast, so I’m very hopeful that I’m finally going to break 4 hours. Just hope all things to keep going the way they are. I have 5 ½ hard weeks before I do the 2 ½ weeks or so of a taper that I plan.

Saturday I was a bit sore, so I didn’t run, went out to watch a good live band and had a good time with my friend Beth, at least it was fun once we got out of there for the opening bands and went back just to see the band we wanted to see. Nothing against the other bands, but gospely and/or Christian rock just not our type of music and it’s weird that Epic Hero was playing headline to them, but oh well. The show was still good.

Sunday I got so much done, had a great 6 mile run, cleaned house while talking to mom and dad (that was mainly kitchen and bedroom) cleaned garage (now just have to find a place to dump all the garbage), washed car, but still need to do inside, grilled out, talked to a friend on the phone, had another friend call and head over to go to Lake Calhoun to hang out and enjoy the day. I think this weekend I’m going to try to get some “gardening” done…I put it in quotes since I don’t have a yard to dig in. I have planters and I want to get them at least prepped for plants, get old plants out etc…then hopefully soon get some plants to plant in them!! Next year I might try seeding some things to put out, but this year I’m definitely going with pre-done stuff so I can have a nice looking balcony again.

Another Rainy One in the Bag

Rainy Runs…

So I had another 10 mile tempo in the rain…but this week is a bit weird anyway. I was exhausted yesterday morning. I just could not get up for a run, so I stayed in bed knowing I was doing 10 at night anyway. Also had something come up that is going to keep me from doing my long run on Saturday. I have planned for 18 miles this weekend…so that leaves me either doing it Friday night or Sunday, well Saturday night I might be out late watching a band play and possibly having a beer, SOOO…I’m doing the run tonight. Yes, I did 10 miles last night but am doing 18 tonight. Normally I do a tempo range with a goal of hitting 8:20 pace, maybe faster, however last night I ran it with my friend Devi, who I haven’t run with in a long time…we had always kind of been on the same pace, but I’ve just thrown myself into this training this time around and I’m a bit faster than her now. We also ran over more hills than what she’s been used to in her training, so while the goal was a 9-9:15 pace for the tempo, we ended up on an average of 9:45…a bit slower than I really would’ve liked to have been running, but again, it’s all good with the fact that I have a long run tonight. I’m flexible and I still have 5 good hard weeks I can put in for my training so I’m fine with the slower and it was worth it to be able to run with a friend again. I do enjoy that sometimes…and what I found out is that at that pace, I had no problem continuously carrying on a conversation, last times we ran together it would get tougher for me later in the run, but I was just as fresh the entire way, so apparently 9:45 pace is definitely easy and comfortable conversation pace for me. Good to know. Did I mention we also had part of our run in the rain?? It was fine till we got back to my place, then it was a bit cold!! It’s funny, Devi was in shorts, a long sleeved top and a jacket, shortly into the run she took off the jacket and was warm. I was in windbreaker pants, a long sleeved top and jacket and I kept the jacket on the whole time…what can I say, I like to be warm…

So tonight I’m doing the 18 miler…at least that is the plan. Saturday I have a class I’ll be in till about 3:45, so technically I could go do my run after, there is enough daylight and it’s supposed to be nice tomorrow (darnit, why am I stuck inside for this??) but I know I won’t be able to fuel well for it, so I’m definitely trying tonight if I get to a point where I can’t finish it, I’ll cut it shorter and go for Sunday, and just take it easier tomorrow night. Always good to have back up plans right??
One thing I'm discovering though, I really need to cut my toenails really often, I have one that for some reason now is always cutting into the toe next to it and causes a bloody foot on my runs...ughh...

Long Run and Weekend Update

Finally!!! So I had a not so great long run on Saturday. I was scheduled for 18, decided due to other runs of not so great speed since Wednesday I would run only 16 and instead of doing them Sunday like I had thought, I did them Saturday which was the nicer day as it turns out. I had done a double day on Friday, not something I normally do, usually just 4 in the morning along with strength and then rest till the long run, but I needed something Friday afternoon when it was nice and did approximately 3, in probably a 9 minute pace. I can only guess cause I went out and did it tech free, no GPS (but on a route I know) and not MP3, it was nice and I just went to enjoy the day…and did. Saturday I felt OK starting out, but I did need a few walk breaks on some tough hills, and had a few stops for traffic, a bathroom break and water purchase (thank God I had money in my fuel belt) and then a brief stop to say hi to a neighbor and her dog (and she might decide to run Marine Corp this year too, so worth the stop!) before finishing up the run. I was sore at work on Saturday night, but my worst soreness seems to be what I can only assume is bruising from my fuel belt bottles hitting me…talk about weird soreness.

So ate too much Easter Sunday, weight back up a bit today at weigh in, but the run this morning, only 3.5 cause I was tired, but I was on an 8:50 pace again that was an easy effort feeling. I’ve been trying to eat extra healthy just to build the blood back up more quickly. We’ll see how tomorrow’s speedwork goes to really answer the questions on how things are. I’m going to push for 60+ miles this week and then I cut back next week. The 3 weeks hard, 1 week easy thing has been working well for me it seems.

Other than overeating, Easter was fun. Was Amanda (sister), John (brother), Brian (Amanda's boyfriend) and Paul (Amanda's roommate and college friend) and later Paul's boyfriend joined us as well. Had a couple of glasses of wine, good food including Better Than Sex Cake for dessert, then we played a few rounds of Uno and had entertainment by the spaz, otherwise known as Beaux (Amanda's rat terrier). Was relaxing and fun, kind of what we have gotten in the habit of doing every year for the past 3 or 4 I think. I contributed some potatoes that turned out really good, considering they were an experiement.

Not So Great Run

So it finally hit…the bad run that I’ve been dreading, but knowing was coming. OK, so technically it wasn’t the worst run in the world, but last night I wanted to do 10 miles at 8:20-8:30 pace (just a bit slower than the 8:10 of last week) and I just had a bad day all around. Had a meeting from 2-3 and then 3:30 that ended up till a little after 4:30 (was supposed to be done at 4) so I didn’t have anything to drink from about 3 till after my run. I got home around 5, thirsty but forgot to get something to drink before I left. This is also about 36 hours after giving blood…well, not quite, but close. So the run was not great. I was thirsty, had a couple of walk breaks and averaged 8:44 for the run. I hit mile 6.25 and knew I had to get by home and get something to drink, which I did, stopped the watch, then decided to run out and finish up 7 and see how I felt from there, did that down and up a hill, back down and partway up again (right on the property I live on) and that was it. I was dead. I headed back to my place, stopped and talked to one other woman that lives in the buildings that I see often running and had never talked with before. It was nice to chat with her and she pointed out I should be eating particularly healthy things for the next few weeks just to build back up my blood and realizing she was right I am going to try that. I had my run this morning that was dragging still too. I know this weekends long run won’t be great, but I can remember that I just gave blood and that was a risk I was taking when I signed up to do it. I have 6 weeks of hard training yet to keep and build whatever else I can before the marathon, so I won’t let myself fret too much the next week or two.

The good news though, I weighed in this morning and am down another pound. Weighed at 133.5 last week and am around 132-132.5 this week. Although anal as I am about it, this morning I did run 4 miles before my weigh in cause I ran outside instead of on the mill and then came here and lifted weights, I don’t think I would’ve sweated off a pound on that run, but you never know. Have to figure out a way around that one now!!

Blood Donation and Soul Asylum

Well, a couple of minutes to kill so I’m going to do a quick update before a couple of meetings that will finish off my day. Why meetings at the end of the day???

Last night I made an executive decision that even though Wednesday is normally just a single workout day, I would workout twice. I did my morning 4 mile run and strength training, both felt really good, then I gave blood…Now I knew it was risky to give blood, I didn’t give all last year because of training and not wanting to interfere with that, but I chanced it. So after work and trip to the dentist (thank God, no cavities!!) I went for a 5 mile run outside cause it was nice. Unfortunately the run felt hard. I managed just under a 9 minute pace (it was meant to be slow), but it felt very difficult. Now the reason for moving this run to last night was because I was going to see Soul Asylum and knew it would be a late night and I didn’t want to go to bed at 1 and crawl out of it at 6 to run…so I slept instead till just past 6:30…not a lot different but it helped. So now tonight I have a 10 mile tempo run, I want to hit 8:20-8:30 pace, we’ll see how difficult this is. This was a bad week to choose to give blood, but they were here, it was convenient…and I have 2 months till the marathon. I guess I can semi blame lack of sleep too if the run isn’t as good as I’d like it to be.

As a side not, the band was very good. I had never seen them live and am glad I did, not to mention they will be back for Taste of Minnesota, so will probably have to see that. It's not so much fun being one of the only sober ones in a crowd of drunks trying to watch a band though. Particularly when the drunks are at their most annoying during your favorite songs!! Man I hope I'm not that bad!!

Anyway, time for my meeting.

Sleep overrated???

OK, not really in my mind, but I really missed out on it this weekend...

Well, a quick update for the day…had another good interval workout this morning, although one was going so easy, then I realized it was only at 7.5, about an 8 minute mile, this was number 7 I think and I normally run at 8.0 or 7:30 minute mile pace. I can’t wait to get myself out onto a track though and do this the right way, although I suppose a good thing about the mill is it keeps me at a steady pace and I know I get my pace. I had no problem getting 9 done, and that was nice, next week I’m going to bump up to 10 and then I’ll have my fall back week and when I come back I’m going to do 10 at just a slightly higher speed for a week or two, then I’m probably going to switch over to 1600s for the remainder of this training session.

Sleep was so good last night after a weekend of no sleep. It was just too hectic. Worked till 11:30 on Friday, got home went to bed, slept till about 10, got up did my 20 mile run (just over 3 hours) and then had to shower, talked to mom and dad, chatted with 5K, tried to do a bit of cleaning, ate and had to get to a friends by 8…went out, stayed out and up way too late, drank way too much and didn’t sleep nearly enough with meeting a friend to go to Whole Foods (and found out we are getting a Trader Joe’s, I can’t wait!!), then to Target and then back home where I talked to one friend, then had to meet up with another friend for her birthday celebration at the Hard Rock, dinner and watching her band (she’s good friends with them and is trying to help them get a bigger following locally) compete in a battle of the bands. They were robbed. Of the 4 bands playing, the one that won only won cause they had a bunch of bored high school girls standing up in front (right in front of where we had been sitting all night and couldn’t see the band perform) and a few people screaming for them. It was too bad because the first band that played was better than them and Charlz Newman Band, the band we were there for, were definitely best of all of them (the first band I give them props but not my type of music). We were then out too late because we had to talk to the band members, my friend has a thing for one of them, although she says she’s done with that, I don’t know if I believe her though!!

Having to work last night didn’t help, but I did sleep good and hard when I finally got to bed around 10:30 and I feel much more rested today than I did yesterday. Going out for a 4-5 mile run, showing my place to a potential roommate and then going to do some spring cleaning before going to bed early tonight. Tomorrow night I’m going to see Soul Asylum play as my friend won tickets at the Battle of the Bands…that was very cool considering it was her birthday, and I get to go cause my MN Quarter helped her win!!

First 20 Miler for Marathon to Marathon

I really should’ve written this on Saturday, but I’m going to try my best to recall at least the important things…

I had to work on Friday night, and as is usual for me I was walking around a lot at B&N, including up and down the stairs (getting extra exercise, trying to take off that last stubborn 5-7 pounds!!), and I had been doing that at work. Probably not smart when I have 20 planned for the next day…Oh well. I went home and slept in till I felt awake. Got up, as soon as I could tolerate the idea I made breakfast, (normally I have to be awake an hour or two before I eat, I just don’t eat right when I get up), my perfect breakfast I’ve determined. A scrambled egg with cheese (just one) and a slice of wheat toast an hour before the run. Then within a half hour I like a banana to get some energy, I didn’t have any, but I had some banana bread, so I had slice of that…Got everything together and was out the door at 11:15 for my run. It was gorgeous. I was in tights, a singlet and light weight long sleeved jacket on top, sun was out, I had my hat and my MP3 and garmin…off I went. 9:30 was planned pace, I’ve been running too fast in my estimation at 9:15, so I wanted to slow it down…first 3 miles were good, then after that I was all over the board, with a lot of 9 minute paces. Around mile 6 I was at Lake Harriet and realized I haven’t had any water or anything at this point. I take some Gatorade, it wasn’t feeling great on my stomach but I needed something. At mile 8 I forced myself to take half a gel cause even though I wasn’t hungry it was inevitable that I was going to need food sometime to get through the full run. The run was just great, I had listened to one CD of the book I’ve been listening to, but the rest I turned over to music and a weird mix again, everything from New Order, to Shania, Jimmy Buffet, Brittney Spears and many others…:) Yes, I’m weird, I realize this. So I even sailed up and over all the hills that I sometimes end up having to walk. Even the really tough one around 16.5…I had to stop 2 times for traffic (thankfully one time was a the top of the tough hill!) and beyond that I walked once for water, but decided to just drink on the run the rest, which I did and it worked fine…what an excellent day. Got home knowing I could’ve finished 26.2 and knowing my time goals are more and more feasible with every run, and I’m still 6 hard weeks of training out!! I did ice bath when I got home, for all of about 30 seconds before I got into a warm shower, but I was going out that night and knew I needed my legs to recover. Had my Slim Fast to refuel, and also did my leg lunges right after the run, 2:30 on each leg, very sore, but I know it is just going to help me that much more. I love days like these…I’m starting to worry though as I’ve had so many great runs recently that I know I’m due for a bad one!!

10 Miles...in Pouring Rain?? Check!!

Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain…beautiful Rain…

Yes, the thunderstorms they promised actually hit today…It was raining, but not hard and I was so excited to get out and get running in it. Yes, I have a bit of insanity, but it’s sitting at upper 50s/low 60s for temps and a light rain isn’t bad. I headed out in windbreaker pants, singlet, Chicago marathon jacket, shoes and wright socks double layer socks and my 26.2 hat, which was good for keeping the rain off my face. Started out and it felt great, I had loaded up some good music on my MP3 and people probably thought I was nuts as I was getting into stride dancing along to Shania Twain (not normally a big fan, but I had to hear Any Man of Mine for some reason), so I’m jamming along on a 10 mile run, in the rain, and it felt FANTASTIC, again…this is scary, how can all these runs just be coming together like this?? It was raining to much to hear and/or be able to tell what pace I was hitting most of them in, but my goal was the 10 mile tempo at 8:20 pace, which I’d been doing on the t-mill for the last few weeks…anything better than 8:30 I’d be happy with though, considering the weather wasn’t perfect and I was running over some hills that aren’t horrible, but aren’t easy either (some are a bit of a killer, including the double one I always think of as the rollercoaster twice)…so I get done and look at my watch and it says 1:21:48…8:10 pace!!! That includes 2 stops for stoplights, one was a little longer than I would’ve liked. Wow…I finished the run a little before my place and it was raining still but I slowed down and walked part of it, big smile on my face cause it felt so good, I was then singing along with my MP3 (good thing it was raining, no one else was out, they would’ve been tormented with my singing, I was listening to Bon Jovi at that point and not sounding good!!), dancing, smiling, being insane…Ah well, it’s what is great about being a runner, being out in the rain they already think I’m insane anyway!! I saw one other person the entire 10 miles, including 2 loops around the path where I always see a few people…the one other person was out for a walk. We smiled and waved at each other!!

I even learned some things!!

1. Shania can start off the run right
2. A great rain really lightens the mood
3. Water repellent clothing is only water repellent for about a mile in a steady rain (not even a downpour!)
4. Bon Jovi is kind of cool sounding with thunder and lightening in the background
5. You can avoid puddles but once you hit one and the feet are entirely soaked, you might as well just splash through the puddles
6. The “rollercoaster” is easier when you have “Talk Dirty to Me” blasting over the MP3
7. “Here I Go Again” has an interesting sound with a chorus of frogs in the background
8. Frogs don’t like to sing in a downpour (second trip past they were no longer singing and it was coming down really good)
9. You can run pretty fast when you’re trying to beat the car to the puddle that will splash you (not that it really matters when you’re already drenched anyway)
10. It's hard to sing along with Bon Jovi when you have just finished a run of 10 miles at 8:10 pace
11. A hot shower feels sooooo good when you get done with a run in the pouring ran (which it was pouring by the end)
12. If I could keep that pace up for 16.2 more miles I could go to Boston...:)

Can I have a Weekend...

To Recover from my Weekend??

OK, I’m on a countdown with the clock, just wanting to leave and I don’t think I got much work accomplished today. Tomorrow is a new day and I promise to focus and get a lot done then and the rest of the week, but until then, I’m going to get an update done and posted.

So this weekend was a wash for workouts and really, really bad eating weekend…I gained back what I had lost and then some, hopefully I get that all under control though this week and there should not be any bad things coming up…so focus on running an eating right.

Weekend was fun though, even without enough sleep. I was in Madison, WI on Friday night and then Saturday night we went on to Milwaukee, stopping at the Nike outlet on the way so I was able to buy a pair of shorts, a sport bra (can never had enough of those, and they can finally replace the crappy ones I have!!) and a really fun neon green light weight zippered jacket that will be nice for early morning runs.

Got checked into our hotel, showered, got ready and headed out to the show. We saw the band The Gufs who were good, and the opening band, Epic Hero was also really good, check out a bit about them and hear clips of their music at http://www.epichero.com/, great thing is they are a Minneapolis band and do tour around the country but play at least a few shows around here, so I’m hoping to catch them sometime around here soon for a full show. We also decided going to Summerfest this summer would be fun (particularly when Stacy found out The Gufs will be there) so that is a tentative plan right now. It will be after my marathon and before training will have to start up for Marine Corp and/or Disney, no long runs that weekend (although knowing me I might get something going on before heading out) so can have some summer fun…now just have to round some people up to make hotels affordable!!

Got back last night at 7:30, made for a very long day, all that driving (OK so I was riding, but still!), so exhausted last night my poor house is just a disaster!! I need to clean tonight!!