Decisions, decisions....

I blew off my 7 mile run yesterday to spend some time with the family at the zoo. My running shoes will always be there waiting for me (unless one of my neighbors decides to steal them out of the hallway), but a gorgeous spring day when both my husband and I don't have to work hardly ever comes around. And you know what, I don't feel the slightest bit of guilt. :-D

Week 6 Update

6 weeks down, 12 more to go (1/3 of the way there!!)

Quick Stats:

Miles Run - 27 (155 total)
New Blisters - 0 (YAY!!)

My recovery week is over. It's amazing to me how much difference 6 weeks can make. This winter, a week like this would have been a tough one for me. My long runs were in the 8-9 mile range and kicked my butt. But now, this is considered a rest week. And I do feel rested. The legs feel great. Mentally, I'm in a good place (ask again about both of these in a few weeks). I'm actually starting to love the pace workouts. And who that 9 miles would ever feel kind of easy.

This coming week is going to be another story. Mileage increases across the board. No more easy 3 mile runs. The easy runs are now 4 miles and will be that distance before bumping up to 5 miles in 4 weeks. The kind of long runs are now 7 miles, with my first 7 mile pace run this week as well. The long runs move into a territory I've never been in before. 14 miles this week, 15 next. I've never run more than 13.1, so it's a little scary from here on out. At least I have the confidence from last week and the weeks before to know that while it may be a challenge to get through this next stretch of training, my body can do it. Now I just need to get my brain in the same shape and we should be good.

27 going on 17

To change things up a little today, I packed my daughter and the laundry in the car and headed up to my parents house for the day. While my daughter was down for her nap and the laundry was finishing up in the dryer, I took to the streets of my old neighborhood and did my long run for the week, 9 miles. Even though both the town I live in now and the town where my parents live are suburbs of St. Paul and only about 20 minutes from eachother, the two cities couldn't be more different. Where I live now, I'm pretty sure I'm the only runner. Occasionally I see a person or two jogging down the street, but it's still pretty rare. I'm used to get strange looks from my neighbors that are outside on their porches enjoying a beer and a smoke. The town where my parents live is a running paradise. There are always people out and about walking around the lake. Today alone, I passed several runners, walkers, bikers, rollerbladers, people out with their dogs. Instead of funny looks, I got smiles and nods from the people I passed. It's a little creepy when you're not used to it anymore.

My route today took me along the lake, starting with some of my favorite routes from my high school track days. I started along the south shore of the lake, made my way north along the western edge, continued past the turnaround point from one of the 5 mile runs my coach loved to take us on, along the biking and walking path up to the main beach before turning around and heading back to my parent's house. All in all, about 6.5 of the 9 miles were on the lake and it was a beautiful day to be out.

I have a Garmin GPS watch that I wear on my runs to keep track of miles and my pace when I'm gunning for a certain time. On my long runs, I settle into a comfortable pace which usually ends up being around 9:30/mile. Today however, I must have been channeling my inner 17 year old because when I looked at my watch as it beeped the split for the first mile is blinked 8:50.

Alright old lady, slow it down a bit, you still have 8 more miles to go. Don't kill yourself.

mile 2 = 9:06

Ok, a little better, but still a little too quick. There's a lot of miles left.

mile 3 = 9:04

I thought I told you to slow down. You're turning 28 in a few weeks. That's almost 30. Do you want to have a heart attack?

mile 4 = 8:57

Ok, could have sworn I slowed it down that last mile. This stupid watch must be broken or something. I didn't feel like I was going faster.

mile 5 = 8:49

Hey, I'm over half way done with this run. I don't even feel that tired. Maybe my old body can keep up.

mile 6 = 8:34

This is kinda fun. Only 3 more miles to go. I might not die today afterall.

mile 7 = 8:25

Did I really just run 8:25 7 miles into a 9 mile run? That's insane. Hmm, wonder if I can go any faster?

mile 8 = 8:35

Crap, I'm old. But 8:35 isn't bad. One last mile. I know I can do it. Come on legs, don't fail me now!

mile 9 = 8:19

Oh hells yeah!!!! I don't even feel like puking. That rocked!!! Go me!!

Total time = 1:18:44 (8:45/mile)

Last year I ran a 15k (9.3 miles) in 1:17:30 (8:19/mile). I felt like I was going to die after that race. My legs turned to jello somewhere around the 8.5 mile mark. But it was also one of the best races I'd ever ran. I was so proud of how fast I ran it in (I was gunning for under 1:25, so I killed it). I haven't been able to run like that since. But today, on just a regular old long run, trying to take it easy and rest up for the tough weeks ahead, I probably could have easily beat that time. Maybe these old legs still have a little life left in them.

Bye Bye 3 mile runs

Today is my last 3 miler until just before Grandma's when I start ramping down the mileage to get ready for the big day. Starting next week, the easy run will go up to 4 miles. I'm actually pretty happy about this. As backwards as it may seem, I have more trouble getting motivated to go out and do the short runs than I do the long runs. I'm sure most people would look at their schedule and be like "YAY!! Only 3 miles today!!" Not me. It takes about 25-30 minutes to do, which isn't that long. It's so easy to put off and forget about. It doesn't help that when I tell my husband I'm just going out for a short 3, he jokes that I could do it backwards in my sleep. I liken it to when your boss gives you a job at work. The 3 mile run is a quick easy task that most people in your office could do. It needs to be done, you can easily have it done in half an hour, but you have other things to do during the day, so it's easy to just put it off. The long runs are like a huge project that will take most of your morning or afternoon. While they might seem daunting, getting that project done will show up on your review that's coming up in a few months that will help get that promotion or raise you've been eyeing for awhile. You're more likely to put the rest of your daily tasks aside to get that bigger project out of the way and rework your schedule to make sure you budget the time in that you need to do it. But that little 3 mile run, it gets buried on your desk until it's almost time to go home and you still haven't gotten around to doing it. Instead you're blogging about how much you really don't want to do while you could be getting it done and out of the way instead.

Week 5 update

5 weeks down, 13 more to go...

Quick Stats:

Miles Run - 30 (128 total)
Holes in socks - 1
Blisters from previously mentioned hole in sock - 3
Number of socks bloodied by blisters from hole in sock - 2 (so far)

All in all, it was a good week. Had some great weather to motivate me to get outside and keep going. My work schedule wasn't too intense, letting me stick to my program for once and not have to worry about rearranging the workouts to fit with my crazy life. Now I get to look forward to this week, which is another easy recovery week. The running life is good.

That said, I did have my first of what will probably be many "Oh Crap!!" moments. This came about 11 miles into my 12 mile long run. The first 10 miles felt great. I took off probably a little faster than I should have (averaged about 9:15/mile when I had been doing about 9:30ish). But last weeks 11 miler felt great, so I thought, "why not?" Well, I'm old and out of shape is why not. Around mile 11, that all too familiar ache started to creep up in my right knee. When I was 15, I had a pretty nasty knee injury from playing soccer. Luckily, it never required surgery, but it still flares up from time to time, especially when running more than 11 miles. Since until now that wasn't much of a regular thing, I just learned to deal with it. Of course, instead of just shrugging it off and grumbling a little about the ache in my knee, I nearly started to cry. Not from the pain, but more from the overwhelming thought that if I can't even run 12 miles without it hurting, how will I ever run 26.2? Then the little optimist in me popped out and told off the evil nagging naysayer on the other shoulder and told it to shut up. I did a half marathon last year when I wasn't in nearly as good of shape and it didn't bug me then. It's been a rough week, training wise, so my body is way more fatigued going into this run than it will be going into the marathon. I took 15 seconds off my mile time and killed the first 10 miles. When I finally got home after that last mile which seemed to last an hour, I plugged in my GPS watch and saw that I ran that last mile in just 9:17. I might be able to survive this afterall.

Ugh!!

Note to self: Invent bandaid that actually stays stuck to foot while running.

It took all of .4 miles into my 3 mile run this morning for the bandaid on my heel to fall off. The blister from the hole in my sock during my 12 mile run this weekend was actually 3 small blisters, each one incredibly painful and equally annoying. Seriously, it looks like someone stabbed me with a toothpick, that's how small they are, yet from the looks of my sock, it looks like someone tried to sever my achilles. Guess I should have picked up a few new pairs of socks to go with the waste of money bandaids during my early morning Target run.

Same Road, a Different Day

Today was my long run of the week, 12 miles. I did the same route as last weeks 11 mile run, just added an extra 1 mile loop at the end. Even though it was the exact same run, it's amazing how a little sunshine could change things so much. Last week, the whole route was covered in an incredibly dense fog. This week, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Even Mr. Pumpkin head had been removed from the rod he had been perched on. Even though it was about 30 degrees cooler today than it had been earlier in the week (gotta love spring in the midwest), it was the perfect day for a run. Seagulls, geese, and ducks were enjoying the patches of open water that had appeared in what had been solid ice covering the river. A couple of people were even taking advantage of the rising water to get a little fishing in off one of the bridges along my route. Not even a blister that started on my heel about 5.5 miles in (somehow along the run, I ended up with a huge hole in my sock) could ruin my good mood. It is days like these that remind me why I run in the first place.

Side note: Luckily, the rising flood waters haven't yet washed out the lower parts of the road along the river. It was amazing to see just how much higher the river was this week compared to last. Trees were half submerged and areas that are normally well above the river bank were completely underwater. The river is normally pretty calm as it goes through these channels, but the current today as it was forced under the bridges was pretty intense. Fingers crossed that the flooding has hit it's peak for now.

A Little Taste of Spring

It took all my willpower NOT to go for a run yesterday. It was one of those beautiful days that occasionally pop up during early spring that give a little taste of the weather we have to look forward to. The sun was shining, we got into the mid-60s. Just one of those days that begs to be enjoyed. But, it was my scheduled rest day. The program I'm following (one of the marathon training programs from halhigdon.com) calls for a mid week rest, just before the two harder workouts of the week (usually a kind of long pace run followed by the long run for the week). Last week, I had to rework the training schedule to fit with my work schedule, moving the rest day to the weekend so that all my running workouts were done on consecutive days. While my body handled it just fine, my mind didn't. Looking ahead at my work schedule, there are going to be other weeks just like that one, so for sanity's sake, I had to bench myself for the day and settle for a walk around one of the local outdoor shopping centers with my daughter instead. I got my fill of warmth and sunshine to hopefully hold me over until the next nice spring day, and I'm looking forward to the last two runs of the week instead of begging my husband to run them for me, even if winter is making another (and hopefully it's last) appearance before submitting to spring's will.

Week 4 update

4 weeks down, 14 to go...

Quick Stats:

Miles Run - 30 (98 total)
Miles Run in the rain - 10 (Wednesday and Thursdays runs)
Times spent waiting at a railroad crossing - 2

Highlight of the week - That it's over!! I had zero motivation this week. Even though the winter season wrapped up at work, and I technically should have more time to go running, I was so busy doing the million things I had put off during these last few crazy months at work. Vet visits, checking out a class for my daughter, some serious grocery shopping and Target shopping sprees, tackling the mountains of laundry that were threatening to take over the apartment, putting an offer in on a house.... All of this took so much out of me. Even the easy 3 mile workouts took every ounce of strength just to get out the door. Of course, it didn't help that it was cool and rainy and just miserable outside all week. If it wasn't raining, it was foggy and dreary. Not ideal running weather. If all of this wasn't enough, my parents (who are also my go to babysitters) left for 10 days to go on a Mexican cruise, leaving me to pet sit their mini zoo and without a baby sitter, so now my husband and I have to co-ordinate our work schedules around this, leaving little time to get in runs, especially on the weekend. All in all, not a good week.

Run of the week: That would probably have to be my long run of 11 miles. I was able to get back out on my usual long run route after a winter of being too scared to attempt it. It wasn't the mileage that scared me, it was the fact that it's on this hilly twisty road along the river for a good deal of it (miles 5.5 to 9.5). There is no shoulder, huge drop offs along portions of it, and it crosses narrow bridges over one of the river channels at a few places. With all the snow and ice that were on the roads from about mid-December until last week, I wasn't going to chance it. But now that the snow is almost all melted, I can get back out there and enjoy the change of scenery.... even if this week it was completely hidden by a seriously dense fog.

Nemesis of the week: It's a close call between sleep, mother nature, and trains. Apparently I have a lot more enemies out there than I ever imagined.

The sun and the warmth are supposed to return this week. It's another hard one before getting to relax a little in week 6. Not nearly as many distractions and a little more down time this weekend since I get a whole Saturday off. If I can just stay dry, I'll be a happy camper :)

In a fog..

Here's the scene: Girl running down a country road enveloped in fog. Road is lined by barren trees and patches of old snow and leaves. The only sound is her footsteps and labored breathing. Every breath is marked by a cloud of condensation. As she passes one house she notices a jack-o-latern hoisted on a stick, half rotted from nearly 5 months of decomposition. She keeps running deeper and deeper into the fog, road nearly invisible ahead.

Some scene from a horror movie. Nope, just a replay of my entire 11 mile run this morning. Running in the fog is creepy. I was so excited to get back out on my normal long run route after having to find alternate paths this winter. In the winter, the hills and curves become a little too scary when snow banks and ice patches line the road and make it almost impossible to make room for passing cars. My favorite run takes me down to the river where I follow it as it cuts a channel forming an island just south of here. There are corn fields, eagle's nests, "lakes" that water fowl congregate in. I've crossed paths with foxes, deer, and many a hawg in the summer time. It's about as close to rural running as you can get this close to the cities. There are hills and curves and curvy hills that make it challenging and fun at the same time. But add in dense fog and it becomes the thing of nightmares.

Running in the fog is like running through a black hole. Time and distance become immeasurable. Familiar landmarks are swallowed up. The tops of hills looked like the edges of cliffs. I might as well have been running on Mars. But I pressed on, mainly because my options were to keep going or turn around, and well, the distance would have been the same either way since it's a giant loop with very few options to cut it short (another reason I like the run.... I can't cheat). And it helped a little that I let my imagination run wild. You make great time when you're trying to convince yourself that an axe murder isn't hiding in the brush waiting to jump out and chop you to bits.

Am I the only one not laughing?

The last 2 days during my normal running time, it started to rain as I was getting ready to head out. Both days, the rain had stopped by the time I was out of my post-workout out shower. Really Mother Nature? In a previous life, I would have checked the radar, looked to see if there was going to be a break in the rain anytime, and adjusted my schedule to accomidate a little more pleasant weather. In my new life, I get up at the crack of dawn to drop the cats off at the vet, come home to toddler that's just waken up and incredibly hungry. Get her fed and ready to head out the door to toddler class at the Little Gym. That wraps up just in time for me to grab a quick pre-run snack, call the vet back about the message they left on my voicemail, throw a load of laundry in before waking up my husband so I can get my 6 mile pace run in for the week and he can head to the gym before I have to head to work for the afternoon. After whining about the rain that had not been there when I was driving home from class just a few minutes before, I get a huge laugh from my husband when I get home, because the second I turned the corner, it starts to pour. Mother Nature is probably laughing along with him somewhere. No rain on my way to work. None again on my way home, when I stop at the grocery store, when I'm leaving the store, on my way to pick up the pets. Nope, just during that 2 hour window in my day that was my only decent slot to run. Nope, I'm not laughing.

Some new tunes to run to

My iPod has the annoying habit of randomly resetting itself so that instead of playing my running playlist when I head out for a jog, it just plays whatever it feels like. Since I also have a playlist for my daughter on there so that she has something to listen to on long car rides, not every track on it is appropriate for running (it's pretty hard to push through a particularly tough stretch while having to listen to the chicken dance). Today though, I had a couple of pleasant surprises while out on my mid-week kinda long run. About a mile and a half into my 6 mile run, I was treated to the Glee cast's rendition of "Bust a Move." For the next half mile, I had to fight the urge to bust into dance right there on the side of the road. So if you happen to be out for a drive and happen to pass a woman running down the road with a big smile on her face while doing the sprinkler, don't alert the authorities to see if someone has recently escaped from the loony bin. Just give her a little honk and a polite wave, because she's just out enjoying a run and having a good time.

Mother Nature - 7 me - 0

So I took a peek at this week's forecast to see if I needed to tweak the training schedule at all. Can I take the whole week off?

Today - 40s and fog
Tomorrow - 40s and rain
Wednesday - 40s and rain
Thursday - 50 and rain
Friday - 40s and rain
Saturday - 40s and sun
Sunday - 40s and sun

Of course, I'm working all weekend, so I'll probably hit the gym one day and then rest the other. So the only 2 nice days of the week, I'll be sitting in a gym working. The last thing I want to do after working 10 hours at a youth basketball tourney is to go for an 11 mile run. That ranks just above getting up at 5:30 to hit the gym before being on the other side of town 8:00. Not sure what I did to upset Mother Nature so much, but I'm really really sorry.

Week 3 Update

3 weeks down, 15 more to go!!

Quick Stats:

Miles ran - 23 (68 total)
Days of sunshine - 7 :)
Pairs of pants that got stashed in the back of the closet for being too big - 2

Run of the week: The 5 mile pace run. It's a love/hate relationship with pace workouts. As in I hate doing them and love it when they're over. A pace run is when you run for a set distance at set pace. It's sort of a combo speed and endurance workout. My goal was to run at a steady 8:30/mile. That's the pace I would love to run my next half marathon at. I was only a few seconds off that goal (8:35) and it felt great. No puking when I was done, which is always a plus.

Highlight of the week: Breaking out the shorts for a 6 mile run on Sunday. Spring is near!!

Duh moment of the week: Overdoing the leg workout at the gym on Monday. This was supposed to be an easy week and my legs killed most of it. June Cleaver on steriods was hogging the leg press machine so I got on the laying leg press. But at least my legs looked sexy and toned doing it.

Back to the hardcore workouts next week. I have to say I'm actually looking forward to the 11 mile long run. This week's warm weather hopefully melted the snow and ice enough for my to get back out on my usual long run route. I'm really starting to get bored with my two winter safe routes. Time for some new scenery!!

Stretches for a busy mom

Hamstring/low back stretch-

While the little one is in bed, position yourself in middle of play room/living room/family room. Bending at the waist and keeping the legs straight, pick up as many toys as you can without having to stand up. As soon as you can't hold any more, stand up, carry toys to toy box, find a new spot to "stretch" and repeat. This stretch will probably have to be repeated at least a dozen times. Trust me, your hammys will feel like jello when done. For a more challenging stretch, give little one a bag of blocks or puzzles to play with just before nap time.

Hip/IT band stretch-

While talking on phone, cooking lunch, doing dishes, etc... pick up hungry/bored/just crying for fun toddler and place on hip. Make sure to pop hip out to the side to support weight of child (older kids=better stretch). Switch hips often to avoid fatigue. Repeat until chores are done or little one calms down (typically option A).

Shoulder/Arm/Chest stretch-

Take little one for car ride. When little one starts crying, reach around front seat with right arm while still facing forward with left hand on steering wheel. Without turning around, feel around backseat for pacifier/bottle/cup/toy that has been dropped, usually into the farthest corner of the vehicle. Repeat several times before reaching destination (even if you are just driving a few blocks to grocery store. Note: This only stretches one side. Make sure to use other arm at home when reaching under beds/behind couches and other furniture.

Modified butterfly stretch-

Sit on floor with legs in butterfly stretch position. Have little one sit on lap (they will usually do this on their own with little training). Hold stretch for however long it takes to read Goodnight Moon. Repeat until every book in their library has been read.

Glute stretch-

Lay on back with knees pulled into chest. Have little one lay on legs like they're flying. Tuck legs in so that your little one's head is lowered towards your face. While still balancing them on your legs, lift head, and give lots of kisses. Repeat until kissed out.

pothole - 1 me - 0

And why exactly did I agree to do this???

If you had asked me even a few years ago if I would ever run a marathon, the answer would have been "NO!!" I was perfectly content with the occasional 5k and 10k, maybe even a half marathon, but never in a million years was I aching to run a marathon. I kind of thought most marathoners were a little crazy (still think they are and question my own sanity on most days). This is coming from the girl that absolutely hated track meets (although I loved going to practice), and that was only to run a mile or two.

So how did I get here?

It all comes down to sibling rivalry.

Last year, when I announced to my mom that I was training for my first half marathon, my mom told me that my little brother was running one too. When I asked him about it, he told me he had signed up to run the 1/2 marathon Grandma's weekend. I thought about running it with him, since it was about a month after my half, but registration was already full. So I told him I'd run with him next year. Fast forward to Christmas this year. I brought up running it together this year and he said that he wanted to do the full marathon instead. I've got 7 years on him and way more miles under my belt. He quit track after junior high. There was no way I was going to let him out run me. So I told him I'd see where I was with my mileage this spring and if I was feeling nice and fit, I'd join him. I revved up the training, braved the cold, and here I am. This might be the worst reason in the history of marathons to run one, but, hey, it works for me.

Week 2 Update

2 weeks down, 16 more to go!!

Quick stats:

Miles ran - 22 (45 since training began)
# of sunglasses destroyed - 1
# of times the bed won over running - 1

With the exception of mother nature not so kindly reminding us that winter can still show it's ugly head at anytime (see Friday's post), it was a good week for training. Yeah, I did choose to take a nap yesterday instead of go for a 3 mile run after a long weekend of work, but considering how long I passed out and still had no trouble falling asleep at bedtime, it was some much needed rest. In my defense, I did get up at 6 on Saturday to hit the gym and spend some quality time with the elliptical before work on Saturday, so I think that counts for double.

After all that complaining on Friday about the cold, I finally laced up the running shoes, threw on a few extra layers, and hammered out a 9 mile run. Well, the sun did it's job and it really wasn't that bad by the time I got the courage to venture out. It ended up being a great long run. I had the energy to pick it up the last half and really go all out the last mile. It felt great!! Best part was, I woke up Saturday and the legs didn't burn and ache and feel like I was carrying around a pair of sumo wrestlers like they normally do after a long run day. I might actually be getting back into shape! I might be able to do this afterall....

This week is an easy one. Gotta love the recovery week. Of course, mother nature (that cruel hearted witch), decided that maybe we've suffered enough this winter, and give us a little taste of spring. It's going to be tough to stick to short miles when it's sunny and almost 40.