Another long run down and only 3 more to go before the race. I think this long run was without a doubt the best one I have ever had! It was 16 miles of flawless perfection, it is actually a shame that this was not the race because I think I could have done some pretty epic things- hopefully whatever was going on returns on race day.
After many ridiculous fueling episodes that have taken place over the past few runs, I decided I needed to really isolate what was working and what wasn't. I decided I would drink no Gatorade while running and see if that has been the problem or if it has been the gu. I also used some old clif shot blocks I had laying around and they worked great, I may go back to more solid fuel like gu chomps or sport beans, these seem to work the best for me for whatever reason.
End Result: Mixing gu and Gatorade = disastrous. The gu on its own sat ok in my stomach, it gave me a cramp once or twice as it was being absorbed/digested, but I think I just took it too fast. I feel a lot better knowing I have resolved most of my fueling issues. I took my shot blocks at mile 6 and a gu at mile 11, that seemed to be the perfect timing too, so I think that is what I will continue to play off of.
So the run: I had 16 miles to do, and I wanted 12 at goal pace (9:30 or less) and I was hoping to get an insight as to how that felt so I could nail down a race plan for my half next weekend. The run went Flawlessly- literally, I would not change one thing, and ended with 14 miles at/under goal pace.
I did the first 2 miles easy before picking it up to goal pace. Despite a super hard track workout on Wednesday, my legs felt fresh and ready to go, they actually fell easier into my goal pace than the first 2 slower miles. I hadn't planned to pick it up much during my goal miles, I figured 9:20-9:30 max, but I kept wanting to do more and more, I kept it conservative though as to really see how well or long I could hold it.
The first11 Miles flew by with not a stop for anything, I fueled while running, and found I didn't use much water, so with no refill needed I just kept going, my legs felt waaay too good to break my stride. Finally at mile 11, I stopped to grab a 2nd gu and more water. I was surprisingly also not as sweaty during those first 11 miles as I normally would be- fall perhaps?
I was SO ready to get back out for the last 5 miles after a great first 11, and to only have 5 miles left to do seemed like cake, especially after insanely long runs the last 2 weekends. The last 5 fell right back into the rhythm I had originally, and I finished, quick and strong, making sure I sped up a little for the last mile.
16 Miles- 2:30:31, 9:24 pace
Mile 1- 9:50
Mile 2- 9:48
Mile 3- 9:28
Mile 4- 9:23
Mile 5- 9:20
Mile 6- 9:18
Mile 7- 9:19
Mile 8- 9:26
Mile 9- 9:21
Mile 10- 9:17
Mile 11- 9:19
Mile 12- 9:30
Mile 13- 9:20
Mile 14- 9:22
Mile 15- 9:17
Mile 16- 9:13
It was such an amazing feeling to see under goal pace just rolling in with little thought behind it, I am feeling ready for this marathon finally, and with just 29 days to go! Another football filled weekend on deck here, but I have another epic (hopefully) run planned as well! Hope everyone has a nice weekend!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
T-Minus 30 Days
That is right my friends, in exactly 30 days I will be somewhere in the middle of my marathon, Holy Shit! I am excited, anxious, nervous, and terrified all at the same time, and I think it is safe to say, all I really have been thinking about is running. Luckily I have a half marathon next weekend, and I think it is doing a good job of taking some of the focus off the big race and keeping me calm. All of the logistical details I have been putting off are now becoming priorities, yikes!
There are really only 2 weeks of real training left, and I have intentions of making those 2 really strong weeks. I am already getting a little paranoid about sick people. There have been several around the office and in class, and I have been super tired and a little stuffy which makes me nervous, because this is NOT a time when I can afford to be getting sick, so please keep your germs to yourself :)
So after Tuesday's run and leg pain, I decided to order a pair of the dorky looking recovery socks that I have seen so many runner's rave about
If the UPS man decides to be friendly, these babies will be waiting for me when I get home tonight, and I am excited to wear them post long run to see if they really do anything.
Back to Wednesday- track day. I had put in what I felt were some really fun looking track workouts for the last few weeks of training, and today brought some fun looking ladders.
1600, 1200, 800, 400, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, all with 400RI and making for a total of 7 miles.
Considering that my legs were questionable going into this run, I decided to drop 1 interval in favor of a longer an stronger warm-up to see how my leg felt before I took off doing something crazy. Despite my hatred for 800s, I actually dropped the last 1200, so the final workout looked like this:
1 Mile warm-up, 1600, 1200, 800, 400, 400, 800, 1600, w/ 400RI
1 Mile warm-up - 9:42, decent pace for a warm-up mile and my leg felt fine, so I decided to go for it
6 Miles of intervals- 49:02, 8:11 pace (Damn that looks fast, I'm not sure I have ever run that fast, but it sure does make my current 10k PR look like a joke, I might need to sign up for another race)
1600- 7:53
1200- 5:46 (7:45 pace)
800- 3:45 (7:30 pace)
400- 1:50 (7:18 pace)
400- 1:48 (7:14 pace)
800- 3:45 (7:30 pace)
1600- 7:50
I was so happy after this run, like positively glowing. My goal was to hit the 2nd repeat equal to or faster than the first, and while I was tired, I just felt so focused, it was miraculous.
No leg pain whatsoever, it feels a little tight today, but nothing bad. I will actually be doing my run today after class tonight, and I am super excited for the rest of my week that I have planned, lots of fun stuff, including some really fun runs in my not so normal places- I'm excited!
There are really only 2 weeks of real training left, and I have intentions of making those 2 really strong weeks. I am already getting a little paranoid about sick people. There have been several around the office and in class, and I have been super tired and a little stuffy which makes me nervous, because this is NOT a time when I can afford to be getting sick, so please keep your germs to yourself :)
So after Tuesday's run and leg pain, I decided to order a pair of the dorky looking recovery socks that I have seen so many runner's rave about
If the UPS man decides to be friendly, these babies will be waiting for me when I get home tonight, and I am excited to wear them post long run to see if they really do anything.
Back to Wednesday- track day. I had put in what I felt were some really fun looking track workouts for the last few weeks of training, and today brought some fun looking ladders.
1600, 1200, 800, 400, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, all with 400RI and making for a total of 7 miles.
Considering that my legs were questionable going into this run, I decided to drop 1 interval in favor of a longer an stronger warm-up to see how my leg felt before I took off doing something crazy. Despite my hatred for 800s, I actually dropped the last 1200, so the final workout looked like this:
1 Mile warm-up, 1600, 1200, 800, 400, 400, 800, 1600, w/ 400RI
1 Mile warm-up - 9:42, decent pace for a warm-up mile and my leg felt fine, so I decided to go for it
6 Miles of intervals- 49:02, 8:11 pace (Damn that looks fast, I'm not sure I have ever run that fast, but it sure does make my current 10k PR look like a joke, I might need to sign up for another race)
1600- 7:53
1200- 5:46 (7:45 pace)
800- 3:45 (7:30 pace)
400- 1:50 (7:18 pace)
400- 1:48 (7:14 pace)
800- 3:45 (7:30 pace)
1600- 7:50
I was so happy after this run, like positively glowing. My goal was to hit the 2nd repeat equal to or faster than the first, and while I was tired, I just felt so focused, it was miraculous.
No leg pain whatsoever, it feels a little tight today, but nothing bad. I will actually be doing my run today after class tonight, and I am super excited for the rest of my week that I have planned, lots of fun stuff, including some really fun runs in my not so normal places- I'm excited!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Opinions Needed
So I'm back, I trust everyone had a nice weekend. I woke up Sunday feeling pretty much normal despite my long run on Saturday, and John and I even went and did a 4.5 mile walk up at Little Talbot Island. I definitely feel like I needed more sleep, which I made sure I got plenty of last night.
In other news, I am looking for some opinions! Normally I have plenty to go around, but on this sensitive subject, all opinions are appreciated :) Race Day Attire.
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Monday I woke up with some strange tightness in my left calf/shin. It was super tight, and it hurt to touch, like really hurt, umm not cool! I honestly kept looking for a bruise that should have been there, but there wasn't one. With no idea what this was, and the fact that it didn't like to even stand, I called it a rest day, stretched, iced, you get the picture.
This morning I woke up with the goal of making up yesterday's missed tempo, but after my warm-up when I tried to increase my pace, the same spot on my left shin/calf started to hurt, so I backed off a bit. I told myself I would rather run the 8 miles a little slower than only be able to do 4 fast ones. So I slowed it down a bit and actually ending up feeling fine by the end, I think it was just something that needed to be worked out.
8 Miles- 1:15:13, 9:24 pace
Mile 1- 9:47
Mile 2- 9:36
Mile 3- 8:57
Mile 4- 9:14
Mile 5- 9:26
Mile 6- 9:17
Mile 7- 9:22
Mile 8- 9:34
So let me start by saying that I am without a doubt the sweatiest female on the face of the planet, seriously...I soak through a dry-fit sports bra and shorts after just 8 miles. I am not talking about, "Oh there is some sweat on my clothes" type sweaty, like "Hi, I can ring out my shorts after just 8 miles and refil my entire waterbottle with the sweat from my shorts alone." It is a quite unfortunate problem to have, and it is really really disgusting. As you can guess, if I am that gross after 8 miles, I am like a fountain splashing sweat everywhere when we get up over the 15 mile mark, and it pretty much makes the idea of clothes annoying.
Although we are seeing small traces of this thing called fall, it is really no where in the neighborhood, so I am not at all banking on nice weather for my marathon. I have tried 2 different outfits for my long runs, and each have their pros and cons, and at this point I Honestly cannot decided which is the lesser of 2 evils. I want to do my last 2 long runs in what I plan to race in, so I can be used to it, so that is where the opinions come in.
I know there are very few people who actually sweat this much, but imagine the sweatiest you have ever been, then have someone dump a bucket of water over your head and think about what you would like to run in at that point:
Option 1: Nike Pro Sports Bra + Nike Road Race Shorts
So this is my favorite outfit, and in some variation through the summer this is what I have run in every day.
Pro: There is the benefit of just wearing a sports bra and not having to worry about sweating through a shirt within 10 minutes (which I easily do).
Con: These shorts(or any non-spandex shorts) will be completey saturated by the 12 mile mark, maybe 15 if it is actually less than 70 degrees still. Once these shorts are soaked, they start sticking to my legs like wet paper towels which if you have never experienced is Very annoying! These are the shortest "loose fit" shorts I have, so they don't stick as bad as my tempos, but they still stick just fine. This has not caused any chaffing, so that is why I feel ok about this choice, but I wore these for my 22M this weekend, and the random suctioning to my leg was a little annoying.
Option 2: Nike Pro Core Sleeveless Top + Nike Pro Shorts
This outfit was what I had originally thought I would run in, but with 80* temps still lingering, I'm not sure I can take it for 26.2 miles.
Pros: The shorts are stuck to you from the minute you put them on, so you don't have to worry about random sweaty shorts suctioning themselved to you at any given point during the last 10 miles. No chafing, no moving, these things stay put.
Cons: I do not have the rock hard physique of Kara Goucher, nor the confidence to wear teeny tiny spandex with just a sports bra in front of hundreds of strangers for 4 hours, so this option does require an actual shirt. The shirt being the problem. It will be completely drenched within 7-8 miles (and this is being conservative) and then it will be suctioned to me for the rest of the race. Being that I do sweat so much, I am pretty much used to that, but anytime you move the shirt, it peels off of you, and then re-suctions. While this shirt actually does a really good job of styaing put, I am afraid that every time I reach for a gu it will come un-suctioned and again be annoying. Not to mention, a super soaked shirt is more likely to cause under-arm chafing than a pair of shorts.
So I leave you with my conflict, what do you think will be the lesser of 2 evils???
Saturday, September 18, 2010
22 Miles
So today was the first of the 22 Milers that had been taunting me from the start of training. 22 Miles had really seems so abstract in my head, thats like running from Jacksonville to St. Augustine, how is that feasible? Well I am here it is feasible, but damn is it far!
When I was planning for this run yesterday, I had decided that it had been a big 2 weeks and I ran yesterday, so I would not be forcing any pace miles today, I would make sure I kept everything under 9:59 and just ran what felt comfortable to ensure that I could finish the entire run- mission accomplished. I was actually really surprised how easy some of my times felt, it left me feeling very good about this race.
Due to the fact that I did not want to literally run across Jacksonville, nor did I want to hassle with my Camelbak, I opted for several shorter loops. I also decided I would do something I haven't done since the spring: I would do the majority of this run in the daylight. There will be sun on marathon day, and as much as I like getting out early to beat the heat, I need to be ready for the sun, and I figured what better run for a dress rehearsal. I started at 5:30, which was amazing to get a full night sleep before a long run, and I didn't finish until 9am, so I had 2 quality hours of running during daylight, and I certainly feel prepared now.
The first 7 miles were in the dark, I wasn't really focused or super into the run yet, but I cranked them out flawlessly for the first easy miles. I made sure I didn't start too fast and just let my speed naturally increase as I got warm, I was pleased that it did naturally get a little faster and still felt easy, I think that is evidence that I have been focusing on the right goal pace.
Mile 1- 9:50
Mile 2- 9:48
Mile 3- 9:45
Mile 4- 9:42
Mile 5- 9:44
Mile 6- 9:29
Mile 7- 9:26
Something that was very different about today's run compared to the last few is that I did not have to stop, I was able to run miles upon miles before I took a break. There was no stopping to refil water, get gu, stretch, change, etc. I think that has a lot to do with why this run was so great, I really felt like it was a perfect dress rehearsal because it felt like exactly what I will be doing on race day. I was able to transition seamlessly from Loop 1 to Loop 2 with another already prepared water bottle that was waiting for me with gu already attached. I took off with the 2nd 7 and felt amazing, the sun was just starting to rise slowly and I wasn't miserably hot yet as I was anticipating, I kept seeing quicker and super consistent splits, and it just left me feeling so optimistic that I hadn't gone and pushed my pace that I was just finding it on my own.
Mile 8- 9:37
Mile 9- 9:38
Mile 10- 9:38
Mile 11- 9:33
Mile 12- 9:31
Mile 13- 9:33
Mile 14- 9:37
Super consistent splits behind me, and I finally had to stop to refill my water and get more gu. I also opted to grab the ipod at this point, I thought I might need it with the sun out in full force at this point, and it would be a nice distraction, I ended up being right on this one. Starting back after a break was tough, it definitely took the first mile to loosen them back up, and then magically they fell right into their rhythm as soon as my Garmin beeped at 1 mile.
I felt fine in the sun, and it really didn't start to annoy me until the last mile and that is mostly because it was in my eyes as I was trying to finish. However at about mile 19 I started to hit a small wall, more like a partition. I hadn't taken the extra gu I grabbed, and I know full well that was why I started to fade, I just felt so silly taking a gu with only 3 miles to go, so I kept sucking on my water/gatorade mix and dealt with it. I think if I had taken the gu somewhere during mile 18 I would have finished much stronger than I did, but as I was wanting to stop I promised myself that on race day there will be no exceptions, gu every 6 miles no matter what mile marker we are at.
Mile 15- 9:51
Mile 16- 9:28
Mile 17- 9:24
Mile 18- 9:35
Mile 19- 9:38
Mile 20- 9:38
Mile 21- 9:39
Mile 22- 9:46
Total: 22 Miles- 3:31:50, 9:37 average pace
This run was exactly what I needed and what I wanted it to be. I hit goal pace without trying, I finished 22 miles and didn't hate it, I survived 2 hours in the sun, and my average pace for the entire run is still below my max pace needed to hit my goal, so I am thrilled!
An ice bath and breakfast later I am still stiff, but feeling good, and hopefully I recover quickly, I felt the 20 I did last week really wiped me out. I have only 3 true long runs left, and only one is in the 20s (another 22), and I feel really good about how the rest of my schedule is layed out. I am off to enjoy the rest of my Saturday which involves A LOT of football, have a good weekend!!!
When I was planning for this run yesterday, I had decided that it had been a big 2 weeks and I ran yesterday, so I would not be forcing any pace miles today, I would make sure I kept everything under 9:59 and just ran what felt comfortable to ensure that I could finish the entire run- mission accomplished. I was actually really surprised how easy some of my times felt, it left me feeling very good about this race.
Due to the fact that I did not want to literally run across Jacksonville, nor did I want to hassle with my Camelbak, I opted for several shorter loops. I also decided I would do something I haven't done since the spring: I would do the majority of this run in the daylight. There will be sun on marathon day, and as much as I like getting out early to beat the heat, I need to be ready for the sun, and I figured what better run for a dress rehearsal. I started at 5:30, which was amazing to get a full night sleep before a long run, and I didn't finish until 9am, so I had 2 quality hours of running during daylight, and I certainly feel prepared now.
The first 7 miles were in the dark, I wasn't really focused or super into the run yet, but I cranked them out flawlessly for the first easy miles. I made sure I didn't start too fast and just let my speed naturally increase as I got warm, I was pleased that it did naturally get a little faster and still felt easy, I think that is evidence that I have been focusing on the right goal pace.
Mile 1- 9:50
Mile 2- 9:48
Mile 3- 9:45
Mile 4- 9:42
Mile 5- 9:44
Mile 6- 9:29
Mile 7- 9:26
Something that was very different about today's run compared to the last few is that I did not have to stop, I was able to run miles upon miles before I took a break. There was no stopping to refil water, get gu, stretch, change, etc. I think that has a lot to do with why this run was so great, I really felt like it was a perfect dress rehearsal because it felt like exactly what I will be doing on race day. I was able to transition seamlessly from Loop 1 to Loop 2 with another already prepared water bottle that was waiting for me with gu already attached. I took off with the 2nd 7 and felt amazing, the sun was just starting to rise slowly and I wasn't miserably hot yet as I was anticipating, I kept seeing quicker and super consistent splits, and it just left me feeling so optimistic that I hadn't gone and pushed my pace that I was just finding it on my own.
Mile 8- 9:37
Mile 9- 9:38
Mile 10- 9:38
Mile 11- 9:33
Mile 12- 9:31
Mile 13- 9:33
Mile 14- 9:37
Super consistent splits behind me, and I finally had to stop to refill my water and get more gu. I also opted to grab the ipod at this point, I thought I might need it with the sun out in full force at this point, and it would be a nice distraction, I ended up being right on this one. Starting back after a break was tough, it definitely took the first mile to loosen them back up, and then magically they fell right into their rhythm as soon as my Garmin beeped at 1 mile.
I felt fine in the sun, and it really didn't start to annoy me until the last mile and that is mostly because it was in my eyes as I was trying to finish. However at about mile 19 I started to hit a small wall, more like a partition. I hadn't taken the extra gu I grabbed, and I know full well that was why I started to fade, I just felt so silly taking a gu with only 3 miles to go, so I kept sucking on my water/gatorade mix and dealt with it. I think if I had taken the gu somewhere during mile 18 I would have finished much stronger than I did, but as I was wanting to stop I promised myself that on race day there will be no exceptions, gu every 6 miles no matter what mile marker we are at.
Mile 15- 9:51
Mile 16- 9:28
Mile 17- 9:24
Mile 18- 9:35
Mile 19- 9:38
Mile 20- 9:38
Mile 21- 9:39
Mile 22- 9:46
Total: 22 Miles- 3:31:50, 9:37 average pace
This run was exactly what I needed and what I wanted it to be. I hit goal pace without trying, I finished 22 miles and didn't hate it, I survived 2 hours in the sun, and my average pace for the entire run is still below my max pace needed to hit my goal, so I am thrilled!
An ice bath and breakfast later I am still stiff, but feeling good, and hopefully I recover quickly, I felt the 20 I did last week really wiped me out. I have only 3 true long runs left, and only one is in the 20s (another 22), and I feel really good about how the rest of my schedule is layed out. I am off to enjoy the rest of my Saturday which involves A LOT of football, have a good weekend!!!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Pre- Long Run Run
Happy Friday All! I am so ready for the weekend it is not even funny! This a long post, so beware!
After my post yesterday, I got slammed at work, made it to class just in time, and proceeded to watch my brain turn to mush in the hour and 15 minutes I was there. I was so brain dead by the time I left to head home, that I knew no matter where I tried I was not going to have a decent run, so I went home, had dinner and went to bed at such a ridiculous hour I am even too ashamed to mention it.
Obviously that means I got up and did yesterday's run today- so much better! I am so glad I didn't push it last night, I had a good run today, and I really do prefer to run in the morning, especially now that it is not obscenely hot at 5am!
I needed to do 7 easy miles, and I really focused on keeping them slow and easy since I have a long run looming for tomorrow morning. I have pretty much avoided running at all costs on the day before my long run up until recently, but as much running as I have done at this point, I know when I need to keep it easy, and I have found myself needing fewer and fewer rest days for physical reasons, mostly from mental colapse do I find myself skipping a run- like yesterday. I made sure I took the time to stretch really well after my run so as to not have any lingering tightness tomorrow, but I almost feel more excited now.
7 Miles- 1:07:04, 9:34 pace
Mile 1- 9:44
Mile 2- 9:40
Mile 3- 9:35
Mile 4- 9:38
Mile 5- 9:30
Mile 6- 9:26
Mile 7- 9:31
Today's run went really well, like really well. It was slow, but it was supposed to be. I still hung in my goal marathon pace range for most of the run, and I found it feeling so easy, I was actually questioning if I was even accomplishing anything since my heart rate was so low. Again, some race confidence building here, which is alwasy welcomed. It was nice to have a run where I could just go, and not have to stop once for water, at the end of an itnerval, to stretch, or even to turn around. I feel like so many of my runs have been choppy lately, all broken up into parts for one reason or another, and it was nice to just go, and keep going.
I did a lot of thinking about the marathon this morning. About how close it is (5 weeks now), what all I still need to do, what I need to stop doing, how its almost that time to lay out my final race plan, how my taper is starting really soon, and what I would do differently the next time. It has been really fun following all the other bloggers training for the 10/10 race weekend this week, and that this is their final long run weekend, it leaves me excited to get to that point.
After tomorrow, I will be 1 run closer to the race, and over a pretty big hurdle that has been staring me in the face since training began...
After my post yesterday, I got slammed at work, made it to class just in time, and proceeded to watch my brain turn to mush in the hour and 15 minutes I was there. I was so brain dead by the time I left to head home, that I knew no matter where I tried I was not going to have a decent run, so I went home, had dinner and went to bed at such a ridiculous hour I am even too ashamed to mention it.
Obviously that means I got up and did yesterday's run today- so much better! I am so glad I didn't push it last night, I had a good run today, and I really do prefer to run in the morning, especially now that it is not obscenely hot at 5am!
I needed to do 7 easy miles, and I really focused on keeping them slow and easy since I have a long run looming for tomorrow morning. I have pretty much avoided running at all costs on the day before my long run up until recently, but as much running as I have done at this point, I know when I need to keep it easy, and I have found myself needing fewer and fewer rest days for physical reasons, mostly from mental colapse do I find myself skipping a run- like yesterday. I made sure I took the time to stretch really well after my run so as to not have any lingering tightness tomorrow, but I almost feel more excited now.
7 Miles- 1:07:04, 9:34 pace
Mile 1- 9:44
Mile 2- 9:40
Mile 3- 9:35
Mile 4- 9:38
Mile 5- 9:30
Mile 6- 9:26
Mile 7- 9:31
Today's run went really well, like really well. It was slow, but it was supposed to be. I still hung in my goal marathon pace range for most of the run, and I found it feeling so easy, I was actually questioning if I was even accomplishing anything since my heart rate was so low. Again, some race confidence building here, which is alwasy welcomed. It was nice to have a run where I could just go, and not have to stop once for water, at the end of an itnerval, to stretch, or even to turn around. I feel like so many of my runs have been choppy lately, all broken up into parts for one reason or another, and it was nice to just go, and keep going.
I did a lot of thinking about the marathon this morning. About how close it is (5 weeks now), what all I still need to do, what I need to stop doing, how its almost that time to lay out my final race plan, how my taper is starting really soon, and what I would do differently the next time. It has been really fun following all the other bloggers training for the 10/10 race weekend this week, and that this is their final long run weekend, it leaves me excited to get to that point.
After tomorrow, I will be 1 run closer to the race, and over a pretty big hurdle that has been staring me in the face since training began...
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Track on the Treadmill
So I guess today is Thursday, and thakfully so, I am in much need of this weekend.
Yesterday I was supposed to get up and hit the track for my speed workout, well due to some craziness and unexpected things I needed to attend to, I ended up not running in the morning, being detered after work and having to get my intervals in on the treadmill.
For no other reason than I was running tight on time, I had to drop the workout from 7 miles to 5 and swap that 7 to today's run, not ideal for a Thursday. Since I was cutting mileage I also had to cut two 400s out of the plan, so the final product ended up looking like this:
1/2 mile warm up, 1600, 4x400, 1600 (400RI after each)
My goal for the 1600s was 7:55, and 1:51, 1:50, 1:49, 1:48 for the 400s, getting 1 second faster with each.
1600 - 7:53
4x400s - 1:51, 1:48, 1:49, 1:47
1600- 7:52
5 Miles Total - 41:53 (seeing this makes me feel so fast, I wish I could run a straight 5 miles that fast)
This workout felw by, and while it was challenging, I never felt exhausted or defeated with it, I think because I was really running on adreneline, I always get that feeling when my running plans have be changed/altered/ amost didn't happen, and it makes me just soar through the run.
I was SUPER pleased with how this went, I thought it would be tough since I haven't executed some serious intervals in 2 weeks, but it was good. I could really feel the extra push in my abs from running so quick, but it was good, I am already looking forward to next weeks:)
Due to again all said craziness, I will have to run after work tonight. I just have 7 miles easy on deck, and a rest day tomorrow. I am toying with running outside vs at the gym tonight in anticipation of delays again tonight and weather, or more specifically...sun. I am not thrilled about 2 gym days in a row, but at least there would be football on to majorly distract me, and I feel like I could/would get a better quality run in rather than in the late afternoon sun.
What do we think Inside or Outside tonight???
Yesterday I was supposed to get up and hit the track for my speed workout, well due to some craziness and unexpected things I needed to attend to, I ended up not running in the morning, being detered after work and having to get my intervals in on the treadmill.
For no other reason than I was running tight on time, I had to drop the workout from 7 miles to 5 and swap that 7 to today's run, not ideal for a Thursday. Since I was cutting mileage I also had to cut two 400s out of the plan, so the final product ended up looking like this:
1/2 mile warm up, 1600, 4x400, 1600 (400RI after each)
My goal for the 1600s was 7:55, and 1:51, 1:50, 1:49, 1:48 for the 400s, getting 1 second faster with each.
1600 - 7:53
4x400s - 1:51, 1:48, 1:49, 1:47
1600- 7:52
5 Miles Total - 41:53 (seeing this makes me feel so fast, I wish I could run a straight 5 miles that fast)
This workout felw by, and while it was challenging, I never felt exhausted or defeated with it, I think because I was really running on adreneline, I always get that feeling when my running plans have be changed/altered/ amost didn't happen, and it makes me just soar through the run.
I was SUPER pleased with how this went, I thought it would be tough since I haven't executed some serious intervals in 2 weeks, but it was good. I could really feel the extra push in my abs from running so quick, but it was good, I am already looking forward to next weeks:)
Due to again all said craziness, I will have to run after work tonight. I just have 7 miles easy on deck, and a rest day tomorrow. I am toying with running outside vs at the gym tonight in anticipation of delays again tonight and weather, or more specifically...sun. I am not thrilled about 2 gym days in a row, but at least there would be football on to majorly distract me, and I feel like I could/would get a better quality run in rather than in the late afternoon sun.
What do we think Inside or Outside tonight???
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Ten Things Tuesday - New Goals
Before we get to the fun stuff, lets start with the morning run! Today I had 5 easy miles on the schedule, that seemed so small to me, considering I had only seen a few 6s recently and mostly 7+. I decided when looking at my training plan that the last few weeks would probably be the hardest and most exhausting, so I set it up to have either longer runs or shorter runs, not all medium length runs like I had been having. So they will typically be in the 8-11 range or 5-6 from here on out, I think it breaks it up nicely not to have a big number to tackle every day.
My legs felt tired when I first started out, but seemed to be running just fine. I was really excited that the weather people told me it was 74* when I was walking out the door to run, but they lied, it was definitely still at least 79* with 80% humidity- oh well, better than where we were, and I will take that.
5 Miles - 47:00, 9:24 pace
Mile 1- 9:29
Mile 2- 9:31
Mile 3- 9:31
Mile 4- 9:16
Mile 5- 9:13
I started this run by ignoring my Garmin, and I waited until 2 miles to check it. I wanted to run what my body felt was easy, and then try to stay really even and consistent in the last 3 miles. I was suprised I had been running at my race pace so comfortably for the first 2 miles, so I worked on keeping my times even and making it a nice easy run. It worked great during mile 3 (the hills kept me honest) but I just kept speeding up during the last 2. A couple times I tried to back it off a bit, since I wanted to keep this run easy, but it never dropped my pace more than a second or two, I guess my legs were just up for it, so I let them do their own thing. A quicker than expected easy run has certainly put me in a good mood today, and leaves me excited for my track workout tomrrow.
So as I mentioned yesterday I have been doing some goal searching, and I have started to get in a little over my head! I have so many things I want to accomplish, but I managed to pick what I think are the 10 best, and most immediate goals. Thinking about it, this was supposed to be an update to my 2010 goals, but my brain just kept thinking, so I already have a pretty hefty list started for 2011;) Big Surprise!
Some of these are obvious, but some really got me thinking about what I want to do, so here they are:
1. Complete my first Marathon (with a smile on my face preferably, and still standing)
2. Complete a sub-2:00 half marathon
3. Beat my sub 2:00 half marathon time:) (remember I am doing 4 half's this fall)
4. Race 5k in under 25:00 (current PR 25:59)
5. Get down to my goal race weight (8 lbs)
6. Finish a marathon in under 4:15:00
7. Run 1,500 miles in 2010
8. Improve my speed over longer distances
9. Win my age group again before I get bumped up to the really huge and really fast (F25-29)
10. Complete 3 Marathons before my 25th Birthday
These are all pretty ambitious which I think is good. I felt my original plan for the year was a bit weak and a little vague because I was too afraid to be specific for fear of not completing something, so here they are, risky and scary, and possibly a stretch, but I am super excited!
What are some of your goals for the rest of this year?
My legs felt tired when I first started out, but seemed to be running just fine. I was really excited that the weather people told me it was 74* when I was walking out the door to run, but they lied, it was definitely still at least 79* with 80% humidity- oh well, better than where we were, and I will take that.
5 Miles - 47:00, 9:24 pace
Mile 1- 9:29
Mile 2- 9:31
Mile 3- 9:31
Mile 4- 9:16
Mile 5- 9:13
I started this run by ignoring my Garmin, and I waited until 2 miles to check it. I wanted to run what my body felt was easy, and then try to stay really even and consistent in the last 3 miles. I was suprised I had been running at my race pace so comfortably for the first 2 miles, so I worked on keeping my times even and making it a nice easy run. It worked great during mile 3 (the hills kept me honest) but I just kept speeding up during the last 2. A couple times I tried to back it off a bit, since I wanted to keep this run easy, but it never dropped my pace more than a second or two, I guess my legs were just up for it, so I let them do their own thing. A quicker than expected easy run has certainly put me in a good mood today, and leaves me excited for my track workout tomrrow.
So as I mentioned yesterday I have been doing some goal searching, and I have started to get in a little over my head! I have so many things I want to accomplish, but I managed to pick what I think are the 10 best, and most immediate goals. Thinking about it, this was supposed to be an update to my 2010 goals, but my brain just kept thinking, so I already have a pretty hefty list started for 2011;) Big Surprise!
Some of these are obvious, but some really got me thinking about what I want to do, so here they are:
1. Complete my first Marathon (with a smile on my face preferably, and still standing)
2. Complete a sub-2:00 half marathon
3. Beat my sub 2:00 half marathon time:) (remember I am doing 4 half's this fall)
4. Race 5k in under 25:00 (current PR 25:59)
5. Get down to my goal race weight (8 lbs)
6. Finish a marathon in under 4:15:00
7. Run 1,500 miles in 2010
8. Improve my speed over longer distances
9. Win my age group again before I get bumped up to the really huge and really fast (F25-29)
10. Complete 3 Marathons before my 25th Birthday
These are all pretty ambitious which I think is good. I felt my original plan for the year was a bit weak and a little vague because I was too afraid to be specific for fear of not completing something, so here they are, risky and scary, and possibly a stretch, but I am super excited!
What are some of your goals for the rest of this year?
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