Posts tagged running

My first run in WEEKS and it wasn’t half bad! My legs are sore in a nice way, and I feel ready for another run already!

Where: Treadmill at Reston Sport and Health

What: 4.5 mile run in 38:04

How:

• 1 mile warm up in 8:50 (combo walking and running)
• 2 miles done as 3x1/2 mile repeats with .1 in between each 1/2 mile, then a sprint at the end in 15:44
• 1 mile in 8:30 done in 1/4 miles - 1 min walk, run until .15, sprint to .25, repeat
• .5 - easy .25 run, .25 walk. 5 minutes

Now I’m trying to decide if I swim during lunch today or during my break tonight at the pool… anyone wanna weigh in?

Each year I run the (used to be National, is now Rock ‘n’ Roll) half marathon in DC in mid March. I used it as my baseline for my running year ahead. The first time I ran it, it was my very first half marathon. I had no other goals than to compete it in under 2 hours. I did - 1:57:48. Which was pretty impressive because my training had really fallen by the wayside during swim and dive season, as it does every year.

The following year, I ran it 18 days after having my tonsils out. When I asked if I could start running that weekend, 5 days before the half, my doctor literally said “I wouldn’t go run a marathon or anything” and I asked “how about a half?” I finished that one in 2:05:55.

Last year I ran it as a training run, 2 weeks before my the OBX Flying Pirate 1/2 which I planned to try to PR at since it was mostly flat and I had done so well there in November. The plan was to stick in a group, but since Josh was running ahead at the beginning, I broke off with him, leaving Manda and Jenny to run it together. We did that one in 2:23:00. Setting a PR as planned two weeks later of 1:53:26.

Now with only 5 weeks till the half, and being under trained from getting sick and being busy, I am really wondering if I can run it under 2 hours this year! My joints are still really sore from this last infection/immune system reaction. And I still have a lot of fear about racing with all my joints and stuff. But I am trying to just get over it and do what I know will prepare me - get back to twice a week weekday runs and once a week long runs.

So, even though I am in a cycle of unshakeable infections (not seen since having my tonsils out) and know why my joints are all loose and wobbly, it doesn’t change the fact that these are not new things. I have been through them before and it didn’t stop me then. I need to get over my head and on with my life/training!

I didn’t think running the Marine Corps Marathon would be anything more than running a 26.2 mile race… boy was I wrong!

So many people were running in memory or in honor of others, and it really is a tribute. A marathon is grueling like nothing else I have ever done. It’s so much more than lacing up, heading to the starting line, and running to the finish.

Your body, even well trained, does not know how to handle running 26.2 miles. I really want to go into more… but I think I still need a couple more days to think about it.

As for recovery - my legs HURT! My calves are really sore/tight, but it’s getting better with stretching and massage. My immune system is revolting - could be that I had a sinus infection leading up to the race that I only started treating the Friday before… but with rest and fluids I hope to feel better soon! And my knees and hips are tender on the joint lines - I hope it’s just from tight IT bands/the pounding and that it will clear completely by tomorrow! First post run is scheduled for Thursday evening! :)

Yesterday I dropped 2:15 for a new ten mile PR of 1:23:35.

I was seriously shocked because I really didn’t do well in my last 10k on September 18th. I also haven’t been doing much running over a 11:30 pace, since I have been mostly focusing on distance with the marathon coming up. 

It just goes to show that endurance/interval training at a low intensity can help your perform at a higher intensity for a shorter amount of time! It also makes me want to do another 10 miler or 1/2 marathon sometime in November…

Thanks for all the “likes” about my first run since my PR half marathon (still so proud of my 1:53:26 finish!) and trip to Europe! Thanks also for enduring all the instagram shots!

I took a good, hard look at my upcoming busy schedule and decided that I can comfortably commit to 3 days a week of training for my marathon through the end of June (so the race isn’t until the end of October, I want to rock it!). I’d like to be able to run 4-5 days a week, but I have to be realistic. I would like to balance my life between working, running, working on my other blog - Reston Style, my hobbies, and my social life. I also have to remember that everyone has their own lives and I may have to train by myself, and be okay with that. So three runs a week it is!

Tonight I hit the track for a miracle mile (so the workout should be about 4 1/2 miles since the track is a mile from my house). I am just trying to decide between going at 5:30 when I get off work, or going when it cools off at bit, around 7.

Coaching the swimmers at the Northern Region meet (finals are tonight!) has made me realize one thing - I will never be the athlete that I want to be without quality and consistency in my training. I can’t just half ass it. 

I mean, I guess I knew that, AND I think I have been doing a really great job this year with it… but it is nice to have a reminder right in front of you.

I finally made it past 1400 yrds swimming without cramping up in my calf. I upped the amount of sodium and potassium I have been consuming (thank you coaches table at the meets for all those potato chips! and I think the Gatorade Pro might have something to do with it too!) and was able to make it through my entire planned 1700 with NO LEG CRAMPS!!!

I tried to dive after my swim - jello legs made that laughable! So I went and hit the treadmill for 4 miles. Here are my workouts:

• the swim: 500 SKIPS (100 each - swim, kick, IM, pull, swim) warmup with 5 seconds between each 100, 5x100 on 1:55 (I should have done them on 1:45 because I had WAY too much rest!) 100 kick, 3x100 on 1:55, 100 IM, 4x50 drill for cool down. My first set of 100s was 2 free, 1 IM, 1 back, 1 free.
• the run: 1 mi warmup 1:1 in 9:15, 2 miles 1:30 (runs at fast pace very short recovery) in 15:48, 1 mi cool down 1:1 in 9:09.

So that is what I was up to this morning… trying to decided if I should continue to fill my day, or relax until its time to go coach regional finals! Decisions, decisions….

Okay, so I got on here to write about my run, but I am just so overwhelmed by the love you guys gave my GPOYW abs picture! Thanks soooo much!!! I really don’t know where they’re coming from, because I am really only focusing on running. But hey, I’ll take visible abs! (it must be fat loss and the support they are providing for running)

Anyway, tonight I ran in between lessons and dive practice. I did a mile for warm up and cool down, each in 9:15, and a 3.75 mile run in 30 minutes flat! I call that a pretty great run!!

I was ferociously hungry when I got home, thank goodness Lizardeebee made some shrimp tacos! I ate mine as shrimp nachos with dorritos! (yes, I run so that I can eat chips!!)

I hit the treadmill at HCC in between my lesson with Addy - the cutest little kid in the world and daughter of a super awesome paleo caveman - and high school dive practice. I set the mill for 30 minutes and started out for a 2:1 at 8.5 and 4.5. I ended up doing a 4 min run as my third interval, and at 3.08 miles grabbed my shirt to wipe my sweat and accidentally stopped the treadmill - UGH! I reset it and kept going for 2.12 more. All in all my 5.1 mi run took me 42:23 - an 8:31 pace. Not to shabby for an easy run.

I wore shoes other than my kinvara and my leg/foot hurt the entire run… I think I have moved from minimal running shoes to ultra minimal only now! At least they seem to last longer than other running shoes I’ve tried.  2011 has been my best training January ever. I think it is because I know that Lizardeebee, Jenny, and Josh are also training.

I have been trying to hit 106g of protein a day… it’s really hard! I want to eat real foods, but it looks like one of the best ways for me to hit that plus my calorie goals is to supplement with protein powder. 

Anyway… I think I need to go to bed now!

I just got back from a 9.42 mile long run with Jenny on this cold and blustery morning! Weather.com said that with the wind chill it felt like 12 F. We just layered up and went to it, trotting along at a nice and easy 11:54 pace using 2:2 intervals. It really is a great way to cover a nice amount of distance! I am hoping though our training that we can get to a 3:2 interval and maybe drop down to an 11:15 pace. But even if we just keep doing what we have been doing, it’s been working to get me PRs!!!

January is still a ‘soft’ training month for me. My back is still a little sore from Wednesdays accident, but it’s feeling better every day! Those cortisone injections are a GODSEND! But with swim and dive season still in full swing, I think getting in between 15-20 miles a week, plus a couple of strength/cross training sessions, it will set me up for two great months of training for my upcoming two 1/2 marathons!

Gotta do my legs up the wall pose, take a shower and get ready to ice skate this afternoon!!

I look like such a tool when I sprint in to a finish of a race… And seriously, my top riding up is NOT flattering!

Not a bad way to end a year though - with a comfortable 8:32 paced 4 mile race!

I just did a treadmill run after 1 1/2 hours of swim lessons - one mile warm up in 10:30 (1:1 walk:run) then a 5k in 27 minutes (well - 26:58). Not too shabby for an easy run! 

I am so excited!! I did a double today with my shred in the morning and run in the evening! 

Gonna get my shred in tomorrow morning too, cause I really don’t have any time between lessons and dive on Tuesdays! I’ll post the divers dryland for this week tomorrow as well! 

Gonna have some dinner now! :)

I just checked my runners world training log and I am at exactly 380 for 2010. Now I know I missed logging some workouts over the summer, but that aside, I am 120 miles away from 500 miles for 2010. There are 6 weeks left in the year and that becomes an average of 20 miles a week. I think I can do it!

That is what I am aiming for 120 miles before the end of 2010 to put my yearly milage total to 500 miles. I’m not worried about speed, just getting the miles in. It’s going to be tough with my schedule, but I have some long runs planned that will eat about 10 miles a week leaving me with 10 more to do over the other 6 days.

I think will go nicely with my fitness base building phase of my training. It’s all about legging up and getting ready to race in the spring.

It’s super exciting to think that I will have run 500 miles in one year. Considering that my total milage on my log is just over 1000 miles and I started it during the summer of 2008. That means that 2010 has been my best running year so far. I mean, I have PRed this year in the 5k, the 10 mile, and half marathon. My 10k PR is from a year ago.

I am so excited! I had 1:25:51 on my watch, which is CRAZY close!!

It was such a good race. I started in the second wave with Clara, and we had to wait around FOREVER! I had to pee so badly… so after I started I lost 40 seconds by running off the course just before the first mile to go behind a tree… I thought it was pretty funny!! So when I hit my watch for the first split it was 9:15. My confidence was boosted!

Again, for the 4th time in a row, I missed the second mile marker. I know it’s somewhere between the bridge and the water stop… but I don’t know where! Confidence boost two came when I hit the 3rd mile marker and I was 25 minutes low! It felt great and kept me going on my interval!

Oh yeah, even without training it, I decided that 4:30 and 1:30 served me really well in 2008… so I did it again! I even found myself stopping my watch after a minute of walking to reset the run, though that probably took 15 seconds, it was a GREAT mental boost!!

I split the next two miles at 8:22! I was having such a good time!! I did finally let my head get the best of me on the 14th street bridge. My right IT band started to aggrivate my knee… I still think I finished pretty well… I now wish I had kicked the finish a little harder!! NEXT YEAR!!!

I wore my new running shirt that I got at the expo! It was great, cute, and was the perfect thing for the weather! I’ll post a photo when I get them (I didn’t bring my camera, so I have to wait for Clara to post them). I also ran in my Saucony Kinvara. They were AWESOME to race in! I liked them when I bought them, but just liked… I wasn’t really sold on the true minimal running shoe, I am now though!!! I LOVED them today! I still love my precisions, but the Kinvara were AMAZING today!!

PR by 2:11, not too bad for being under trained!!! What a great race day!!

I ran a PR in the Army Ten Miler this morning by just about 2 minutes! I have to wait until 7 to know for sure what my time is, but I am super stoked! It made missing what sounded like an awesome time at the reunion worth it!! (plus the great company for my carbo loading dinner of mac and cheese and doritos)