After some more debating, I've decided that I am not going to do the race tomorrow. I don't honestly think I could survive having to take a few days off to recover if my calves, feet, ankles or shins decided mutiny on me. Instead of running the 13.1 mile race, I plan on a 14 mile long run tomorrow... on the road and hopefully I can run a new route where I can enjoy some new scenery.
This morning Rocky and I headed out in 18 degrees with a feels like 9 for our 3 miler. I didn't want to do 6 since I am doing my long run tomorrow (Sunday is expecting rain all day). Not a bad run, being 3.2 miles all I can say is we ran it in 33:54 with an average pace of 10:35 min/mile, so nice and easy. Elevation gain of 44 feet and a loss of 50 feet.
Laps/Splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:13
Mile 2 - 10:43
Mile 3 - 10:01
.2 - 9:34
Friday, February 28, 2014
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Last Night's 4 Miler
Rocky and I ran our other 4 miles last night, and it went much better than yesterday morning's trail run. It was 25 degrees, but a wind chill of 16 which I am getting so sick of this cold weather, I am getting seriously depressed.
Anyways, we ran the 4 miles in 41:45 with an average pace of 10:25 min/mile which was 10 minutes faster than this morning even though this morning involved .3 miles. Still, it was so much better than the trail run.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:44
Mile 2 - 10:34
Mile 3 - 10:20
Mile 4 - 10:05
I've decided upon much debate and seeing that my legs are already feeling better, that I will do the race Saturday. It's going to be 39 degrees with a feels like 35 at start time, so hopefully the trails will be softish and if not then I will just walk the parts with the nasty tracks. I am sure after the first 2 loops, the trails will begin to get soft and muddy which I would much rather deal with than frozen crap. It might take me 2:30:00 to finish, which was my first half marathon finish time but that is alright with me as long as I don't trash my legs. If things do go well then I might go to Audubon and hit the hilly trails for some run/hiking, I really want to see how those trails are doing... they don't get too much traffic during the winter.
Anyways, we ran the 4 miles in 41:45 with an average pace of 10:25 min/mile which was 10 minutes faster than this morning even though this morning involved .3 miles. Still, it was so much better than the trail run.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:44
Mile 2 - 10:34
Mile 3 - 10:20
Mile 4 - 10:05
I've decided upon much debate and seeing that my legs are already feeling better, that I will do the race Saturday. It's going to be 39 degrees with a feels like 35 at start time, so hopefully the trails will be softish and if not then I will just walk the parts with the nasty tracks. I am sure after the first 2 loops, the trails will begin to get soft and muddy which I would much rather deal with than frozen crap. It might take me 2:30:00 to finish, which was my first half marathon finish time but that is alright with me as long as I don't trash my legs. If things do go well then I might go to Audubon and hit the hilly trails for some run/hiking, I really want to see how those trails are doing... they don't get too much traffic during the winter.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Well.... my dumb butt decided to try and take our 8 miler on the trails this morning, should have heeded the omen when I saw the river was high and flooded the some of the trails closest to the river and my normal parking lot. But nope, I decided to drive to the little parking space near the levee and head out on the trails.... big mistake. Where it was frozen solid was just awful, the tracks were 1-3 inches deep probably because people were out there last week during 50-70 degree weather. And where it wasn't frozen was so saturated with water that it had ice/snow on top, leaves in the middle and mud underneath. I couldn't even go faster than 12 min pace on it all, it was so depressing and so frustrating - but then the worse part was that all the nasty crap began to tear up my right calf so now that is a dull achy pain.
Not only that, but I decided to reluctantly cut it to 4.3 miles on the trails and finish the other 4 tonight on the greenway... of course that is if this pain doesn't cause me trouble.
Rocky and I ran the 4.3 miles in 51:44 with an average pace of 12:09 min/mile, 53 feet in elevation gain and a loss of 50 feet. Temperature was 18 degrees with a feels like 6 and winds at 10 mph N. Just awful overall.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 12:03
Mile 2 - 11:57
Mile 3 - 12:50
Mile 4 - 12:10
.3 10:34 (on the levee headed back to the Tahoe)
Bound the Mound Half Marathon is the Saturday morning, and I think I have pretty much decided that I am not going to risk really hurting myself out there for a race. If 4.3 miles can have me in this kind of discomfort, I can only imagine what 13.1 miles will do. I really was looking forward to this race, but seriously it would be stupid of me to go and do it after today's run. I think I will go and take photographs though... support it that way. Hopefully tonight's 4 miler will be fine, and then since I am not doing the race Saturday I will do my regular 6 miler on Friday instead of the 3 miler I had planned for tomorrow morning.
Not only that, but I decided to reluctantly cut it to 4.3 miles on the trails and finish the other 4 tonight on the greenway... of course that is if this pain doesn't cause me trouble.
Rocky and I ran the 4.3 miles in 51:44 with an average pace of 12:09 min/mile, 53 feet in elevation gain and a loss of 50 feet. Temperature was 18 degrees with a feels like 6 and winds at 10 mph N. Just awful overall.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 12:03
Mile 2 - 11:57
Mile 3 - 12:50
Mile 4 - 12:10
.3 10:34 (on the levee headed back to the Tahoe)
Bound the Mound Half Marathon is the Saturday morning, and I think I have pretty much decided that I am not going to risk really hurting myself out there for a race. If 4.3 miles can have me in this kind of discomfort, I can only imagine what 13.1 miles will do. I really was looking forward to this race, but seriously it would be stupid of me to go and do it after today's run. I think I will go and take photographs though... support it that way. Hopefully tonight's 4 miler will be fine, and then since I am not doing the race Saturday I will do my regular 6 miler on Friday instead of the 3 miler I had planned for tomorrow morning.
Monday, February 24, 2014
A Pretty Sore 6 Miler this Morning
This morning getting up wasn't really tough but going down the driveway was, my quads were freaking sore and aching from yesterday's long run. It was hurting, but it was definitely noticeably sore and this run went slow.
The temperature was 25 degrees, cold compared to the last few days and I had to wear my tights (pooh). Other than the soreness, Rocky and I had a good run. One loose dog, that thankfully didn't give us any trouble and 91 feet in elevation gain and 95 feet in loss. We ran 6.1 miles in 1:07:36 with an average pace of 11:05 min/mile, hopefully the sore feeling in my quads and hams will be gone by Wednesday's 8 miler.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:22
Mile 2 - 11:21
Mile 3 - 11:16
Mile 4 - 11:20
Mile 5 - 10:56
Mile 6 - 10:23
.1 - 9:46
Upcoming Events and Thoughts
The Bound the Mounds Half Marathon is this Saturday, and if it starts off in the 20's then any mud or water should be hardened enough not to cause me a lot of trouble. I've been keeping an eye on who's coming and so far I think I only see 2 other women in my age group but women overall in the half marathon distance and they are only doing award for the top 3 females. It will be interesting to see where I place in this group. Either way it will be fun to be back on the trails, I just need to keep an eye on the markers they've got out there and not get off track. I will be wearing my fuel belt with my grape gatorade, water and a Chocolate Outrage Gu, they'll have one aid station and most likely I won't hit it around the time/s I'll need a sip or the Gu.
My husband mentioned yesterday that maybe I should do a few marathons before upping it to ultras, but I told him that other than the Indy Monumental I plan on doing my own trail runs at distances around 25-26 next year and if all things go well this June at the Indian/Celina Challenge Half, I might do the full marathon next year. I have no plans of racing the June Half, with it's around 3,100 feet of elevation gain I am hoping that it will hurt and humble me. Right now it is hard for me to slow down or hike or walk and I know how terribly important that is for an ultra race, or if I go out too fast and flat line and DNF. St. Louis' Half was around 1,100 feet in elevation gain and that is the most I've ever ran so this race will be interesting and fun. I am expecting and hoping that the hills will force me to power hike, and possibly break me down, I want to experience what ultra runners experience during those hours.... even if it is just a fraction of what they feel, if I can get through it and push on then I know I have a chance of experiencing ultras. The Land Between the Lakes 60k distance has around 3,017 feet of elevation gain while the 50 miler has around 3,966 feet BUT they do have the marathon distance as well with 2,068 feet. So if I don't quite feel ready for an ultra so soon after the Indy marathon I might register for the marathon.... of course 2015's race is a year away so no worries and I have plenty of time to decide.
I've been reading race reports on the Ozark Trail 100 (or OT100) and though it sounds very tough and almost impossible, I still feel that is the 100 that I want to experience for my first 100.
I think.... I think too much lol.
The temperature was 25 degrees, cold compared to the last few days and I had to wear my tights (pooh). Other than the soreness, Rocky and I had a good run. One loose dog, that thankfully didn't give us any trouble and 91 feet in elevation gain and 95 feet in loss. We ran 6.1 miles in 1:07:36 with an average pace of 11:05 min/mile, hopefully the sore feeling in my quads and hams will be gone by Wednesday's 8 miler.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:22
Mile 2 - 11:21
Mile 3 - 11:16
Mile 4 - 11:20
Mile 5 - 10:56
Mile 6 - 10:23
.1 - 9:46
Upcoming Events and Thoughts
The Bound the Mounds Half Marathon is this Saturday, and if it starts off in the 20's then any mud or water should be hardened enough not to cause me a lot of trouble. I've been keeping an eye on who's coming and so far I think I only see 2 other women in my age group but women overall in the half marathon distance and they are only doing award for the top 3 females. It will be interesting to see where I place in this group. Either way it will be fun to be back on the trails, I just need to keep an eye on the markers they've got out there and not get off track. I will be wearing my fuel belt with my grape gatorade, water and a Chocolate Outrage Gu, they'll have one aid station and most likely I won't hit it around the time/s I'll need a sip or the Gu.
My husband mentioned yesterday that maybe I should do a few marathons before upping it to ultras, but I told him that other than the Indy Monumental I plan on doing my own trail runs at distances around 25-26 next year and if all things go well this June at the Indian/Celina Challenge Half, I might do the full marathon next year. I have no plans of racing the June Half, with it's around 3,100 feet of elevation gain I am hoping that it will hurt and humble me. Right now it is hard for me to slow down or hike or walk and I know how terribly important that is for an ultra race, or if I go out too fast and flat line and DNF. St. Louis' Half was around 1,100 feet in elevation gain and that is the most I've ever ran so this race will be interesting and fun. I am expecting and hoping that the hills will force me to power hike, and possibly break me down, I want to experience what ultra runners experience during those hours.... even if it is just a fraction of what they feel, if I can get through it and push on then I know I have a chance of experiencing ultras. The Land Between the Lakes 60k distance has around 3,017 feet of elevation gain while the 50 miler has around 3,966 feet BUT they do have the marathon distance as well with 2,068 feet. So if I don't quite feel ready for an ultra so soon after the Indy marathon I might register for the marathon.... of course 2015's race is a year away so no worries and I have plenty of time to decide.
I've been reading race reports on the Ozark Trail 100 (or OT100) and though it sounds very tough and almost impossible, I still feel that is the 100 that I want to experience for my first 100.
I think.... I think too much lol.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
A windy, little chilly 13 Miler
I got up at 5:20 AM, trying to make sure Dorian would stay asleep and then I had some coffee and a banana while looking at the weather. It said rain or snow showers, but the sky was clear and it was 33 degrees starting out. I wore my capris, under armor long sleeves and a t-shirt, and my cool weather gloves. It was a bit chilly stepping outside, but after about 10-15 minutes of running, warmed up some.
My legs felt good, but it took me an hour to get back into my long run groove, I stayed relatively close to 10:30 min pace for the first 5 or 6 miles before finally picking it up. I had two gu's in my fuel belt but I didn't use either, I took a total of 9 sips of my grape gatorade during the whole run - 3 sips around mile 7, 3 sips around mile 10 and another 3 sips around mile 11 towards the end. The initial plan last night was 14 miles, but this morning I decided 13 and then around mile 8 or 9 I thought it best to run 12 miles as I just came off of some muscle fatigue and didn't want to push it. I ended up with 13 miles, I had 12.7 when I found myself in front of the house so I figured what the heck - I'll go ahead and run another .3 and get 13 miles in.
I ran 13 miles in 2:11:04 with an average pace of 10:05 min/mile, elevation gain of 376 feet and a loss of 385 feet. My garmin says 5 mph N winds but near the end it felt more like 10 or 15 mph N winds so most like it was calculating the beginning of the run because as of now winds are at 17 mph N.
Laps/Splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:30
Mile 2 - 10:37
Mile 3 - 10:39
Mile 4 - 10:20
Mile 5 - 10:26
Mile 6 - 10:00
Mile 7 - 9:48
Mile 8 - 9:45
Mile 9 - 9:43
Mile 10 - 9:45
Mile 11 - 9:57
Mile 12 - 9:59
Mile 13 - 9:32
I am going to make sure I foam roll and stretch today, just to make sure I am not too sore for tomorrow's easy run.
My legs felt good, but it took me an hour to get back into my long run groove, I stayed relatively close to 10:30 min pace for the first 5 or 6 miles before finally picking it up. I had two gu's in my fuel belt but I didn't use either, I took a total of 9 sips of my grape gatorade during the whole run - 3 sips around mile 7, 3 sips around mile 10 and another 3 sips around mile 11 towards the end. The initial plan last night was 14 miles, but this morning I decided 13 and then around mile 8 or 9 I thought it best to run 12 miles as I just came off of some muscle fatigue and didn't want to push it. I ended up with 13 miles, I had 12.7 when I found myself in front of the house so I figured what the heck - I'll go ahead and run another .3 and get 13 miles in.
I ran 13 miles in 2:11:04 with an average pace of 10:05 min/mile, elevation gain of 376 feet and a loss of 385 feet. My garmin says 5 mph N winds but near the end it felt more like 10 or 15 mph N winds so most like it was calculating the beginning of the run because as of now winds are at 17 mph N.
Laps/Splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:30
Mile 2 - 10:37
Mile 3 - 10:39
Mile 4 - 10:20
Mile 5 - 10:26
Mile 6 - 10:00
Mile 7 - 9:48
Mile 8 - 9:45
Mile 9 - 9:43
Mile 10 - 9:45
Mile 11 - 9:57
Mile 12 - 9:59
Mile 13 - 9:32
I am going to make sure I foam roll and stretch today, just to make sure I am not too sore for tomorrow's easy run.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Contemplating Future Goals
So I am sitting here going through the Jan/Feb issue of Ultra Running and see an ad about the Ozark Trail 100 (in November), and I've been going over ultras in my head again even though I am a good year or two away from even attempting one. I get online and start going through and thinking, thinking some more and here is the long term plan as long as the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in November goes good.
- 2015
- Land Between the Lakes - March
- Either the 60k or 50 Miler
- 2016
- The Ozark Trail 100 - November
Of course this all depends on how the marathon goes, and my running. Fifty miles is a big jump from 26.2 miles, while 60 kilmeters or 37.2 isn't really a huge jump, plus I have no idea how much rest I will need after the marathon and March is only 4 months after November. On this part we'll just have to see how things go in November, as long as I use these next 8 months wisely and get as much out of my long runs as I can (15-20 miles) I should do well. Plus, November and December and maybe January will see a lot of runs on the trails and I can usually handle more miles on trails than on roads.
As for 2016 and hopes of experiencing my first 100 miler, that again all depends on what happens between now and the next 3 years. My hopes after the marathon in November, and the 60k (or 50 miler) is to run a few solo ultras of my own.... nothing more than say 40 milers and maybe a 50. The Angel Mounds trails are perfect for a solo ultra, the largest loop is a 4...4.3 mile loop which would make for 10 laps for a 40. The parking lot if only .1 miles off the trail so I could set up a makeshift aid station in my tahoe and even have my husband come visit around mile 25 or 30 to cheer me on.
I know, it's crazy to be thinking of these goals when they are so far away but I can't help it, my mind likes to wander and think of things like this. It would be exciting to experience my first 100 two and a half years from now, and on such beautiful trails like the Mark Twain in the Ozarks, plus my husband has such fond memories of that area when he was a child.
Other than speculating and dreaming, there is nothing else I can do but pass the time and keep on running.
Friday, February 21, 2014
A Windy 6 Miler before Dawn
So I got to use my new Garmin 610 this morning, and even though it is definitely different from the 410 I have to say I like it. I especially like the fact that it vibrates with each new lap or mile and you have to push the power button for the light to come on rather than any touch on the bezel making it light up. Of course getting things set up on the laptop and computer at home weren't so easy, but eventually after downloading the Garmin Express thingy, it detected my 610 quickly.
As for the run, I was up at 4:25 AM with no issue. Dorian had slept pretty well last night and slept through my getting out of bed and stuff, his cold is just about gone so that is good. I did manage to pig out on some fruit pizza (the stuff that is like a cookie dough crust, cream cheese topped with fruit) so yeah I feel bad about that, luckily I don't buy that stuff too often.
It was 37 degrees with a feels like 29, SSW winds of 14 mph so definitely windy but I went ahead and wore my capris, my under armor long sleeves and a t-shirt over that and my blinky vest thingy so drivers could see me. I also wore my gloves so I was pretty ready.
We were out the door by 4:40 AM and ready to go, for the first mile my left shin was aching just a little but it soon went away. Overall the run was great (no dogs), windy but great and Rocky did well. We did go for a 2 mile walk yesterday and I think those winds were probably more like 20-25 mph gusts on the riverfront, Dorian was not too happy but thankfully the BOB stroller stride's canopy came down enough to at least protect him from the wind most of the time - we've only used this stroller twice and I already love it.
Rocky and I ran 6 miles this morning, in 1:05:37 with an average pace of 10:56 min/mile, an elevation gain 121 feet and a loss of 123 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:08
Mile 2 - 11:00
Mile 3 - 10:42
Mile 4 - 11:08
Mile 5 - 10:56
Mile 6 - 10:41
As for the run, I was up at 4:25 AM with no issue. Dorian had slept pretty well last night and slept through my getting out of bed and stuff, his cold is just about gone so that is good. I did manage to pig out on some fruit pizza (the stuff that is like a cookie dough crust, cream cheese topped with fruit) so yeah I feel bad about that, luckily I don't buy that stuff too often.
It was 37 degrees with a feels like 29, SSW winds of 14 mph so definitely windy but I went ahead and wore my capris, my under armor long sleeves and a t-shirt over that and my blinky vest thingy so drivers could see me. I also wore my gloves so I was pretty ready.
We were out the door by 4:40 AM and ready to go, for the first mile my left shin was aching just a little but it soon went away. Overall the run was great (no dogs), windy but great and Rocky did well. We did go for a 2 mile walk yesterday and I think those winds were probably more like 20-25 mph gusts on the riverfront, Dorian was not too happy but thankfully the BOB stroller stride's canopy came down enough to at least protect him from the wind most of the time - we've only used this stroller twice and I already love it.
Rocky and I ran 6 miles this morning, in 1:05:37 with an average pace of 10:56 min/mile, an elevation gain 121 feet and a loss of 123 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:08
Mile 2 - 11:00
Mile 3 - 10:42
Mile 4 - 11:08
Mile 5 - 10:56
Mile 6 - 10:41
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
A Delightful Progressive 8 Miler
The last couple of weeks have been a bit sore and achy, and my 8 miler a week ago was very painful and the two other runs before this one was sore and achy but not bad.
I wasn't able to get up this morning and run, Dorian was really going through it all night with his coughing and being miserable. So my mom watched him later this afternoon and Rocky and I went for our 8 miler, I have to admit I was a little apprehensive at first and I was wearing the new GT2000 2's which had me aching this past Sunday.
It was 50 degrees, and there were a lot of people on the riverfront and I've gotten used to nobody else being out there so it was weird. I was expecting pain, or soreness but strangely enough nothing was wrong. Everything was going very well, even in the new shoes.
I think the only negative to this run was at mile 5, a couple were having some little bonfire out behind their house and they had their stupid little dog with them who came up after us and was harassing Rocky the whole time. The idiot (man) just half-a$$ed told the dog to stop molesting the other dog (Rocky) and this stupid dog followed us with his tail up Rocky's butt for about a half mile. Rocky wasn't happy and I kept trying to spray my pepper spray at this dog, but to no avail..... I am pretty sure I hit him or got it right in front of him because he started acting as if something went up his nose but it didn't slow him down. Once we were out of view of the owners I actually came close to kicking this stupid dog a couple of times, but it finally gave up or we picked up speed (you'll see the lap/split 5 is a lot slower than any of the other splits). It was irritating to say the least, the stupid dog was lucky that Rocky is such a good-natured animal.
After that I had to make a pit stop in the woods and then we were off, the last two miles were our fastest and I had to actually coax Rocky a few times during the last mile - but I think it was more because he needed to stop and pee. Overall it was a great run, after the last couple of crappy runs I really enjoyed this one even with my feet being aggravated with the socks I was wearing.
We ran 8 miles in 1:19:40 with an average pace of 9:58 min/mile, temperature was around 50 degrees. I will call this a progressive mid-long run.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:09
Mile 2 - 9:55
Mile 3 - 10:18
Mile 4 - 10:28
Mile 5 - 10:42
Mile 6 - 10:22
Mile 7 - 9:08
Mile 8 - 8:34
I wasn't able to get up this morning and run, Dorian was really going through it all night with his coughing and being miserable. So my mom watched him later this afternoon and Rocky and I went for our 8 miler, I have to admit I was a little apprehensive at first and I was wearing the new GT2000 2's which had me aching this past Sunday.
It was 50 degrees, and there were a lot of people on the riverfront and I've gotten used to nobody else being out there so it was weird. I was expecting pain, or soreness but strangely enough nothing was wrong. Everything was going very well, even in the new shoes.
I think the only negative to this run was at mile 5, a couple were having some little bonfire out behind their house and they had their stupid little dog with them who came up after us and was harassing Rocky the whole time. The idiot (man) just half-a$$ed told the dog to stop molesting the other dog (Rocky) and this stupid dog followed us with his tail up Rocky's butt for about a half mile. Rocky wasn't happy and I kept trying to spray my pepper spray at this dog, but to no avail..... I am pretty sure I hit him or got it right in front of him because he started acting as if something went up his nose but it didn't slow him down. Once we were out of view of the owners I actually came close to kicking this stupid dog a couple of times, but it finally gave up or we picked up speed (you'll see the lap/split 5 is a lot slower than any of the other splits). It was irritating to say the least, the stupid dog was lucky that Rocky is such a good-natured animal.
After that I had to make a pit stop in the woods and then we were off, the last two miles were our fastest and I had to actually coax Rocky a few times during the last mile - but I think it was more because he needed to stop and pee. Overall it was a great run, after the last couple of crappy runs I really enjoyed this one even with my feet being aggravated with the socks I was wearing.
We ran 8 miles in 1:19:40 with an average pace of 9:58 min/mile, temperature was around 50 degrees. I will call this a progressive mid-long run.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:09
Mile 2 - 9:55
Mile 3 - 10:18
Mile 4 - 10:28
Mile 5 - 10:42
Mile 6 - 10:22
Mile 7 - 9:08
Mile 8 - 8:34
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Monday Morning's 6 Miler
So I was lazy and didn't post about it, I am honestly contemplating on just posting once a week and putting all my runs on that one post. But the only reason I might not do that is there might be certain things about that run that I should immediately save or write down so as to remember it next time. Eh, who knows.
Monday morning Rocky and I put in 6 miles, it still wasn't warm enough for capris but that is okay. The only aches and pains I had were my left knee and left shin, but nothing too bad (these actually seem like the usual). It was 28 degrees with a feels like 18 and winds of 18 mph ESE, not bad but I can't wait for warmer weather.
It was definitely slow going, finishing 6 miles in 1:05:09 with an average pace of 10:55 min/mile, elevation gain of 85 feet and a loss of 77 feet. I will say that I could definitely feel it in my calves on the uphills, hopefully those aches will go away before the June half that will have an elevation gain of around 3,100 feet.
Laps/Splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:20
Mile 2 - 11:13
Mile 3 - 11:03
Mile 4 - 11:18
Mile 5 - 10:34
Mile 6 - 10:03
The good news is that tomorrow will be like 40 degrees with a feels like 34 at 5 AM, warmer even earlier than that but I think I will try to get up at 4:30 AM and wear my capris. Earlier this afternoon it was 53 degrees, so we took the new stroller for a walk, Dorian didn't like the more reclined position too much but he seemed okay with it once we got moving.
Monday morning Rocky and I put in 6 miles, it still wasn't warm enough for capris but that is okay. The only aches and pains I had were my left knee and left shin, but nothing too bad (these actually seem like the usual). It was 28 degrees with a feels like 18 and winds of 18 mph ESE, not bad but I can't wait for warmer weather.
It was definitely slow going, finishing 6 miles in 1:05:09 with an average pace of 10:55 min/mile, elevation gain of 85 feet and a loss of 77 feet. I will say that I could definitely feel it in my calves on the uphills, hopefully those aches will go away before the June half that will have an elevation gain of around 3,100 feet.
Laps/Splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:20
Mile 2 - 11:13
Mile 3 - 11:03
Mile 4 - 11:18
Mile 5 - 10:34
Mile 6 - 10:03
The good news is that tomorrow will be like 40 degrees with a feels like 34 at 5 AM, warmer even earlier than that but I think I will try to get up at 4:30 AM and wear my capris. Earlier this afternoon it was 53 degrees, so we took the new stroller for a walk, Dorian didn't like the more reclined position too much but he seemed okay with it once we got moving.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
After Three Days of no Running
I hadn't ran since Wednesday night, and I have to admit I was gun shy going out the door this morning. I didn't take Rocky with me, I wanted to focus on my form and stride AND I didn't want to disappoint Rocky by heading out the door and not even making it a mile. I didn't get up until a quarter until 8 AM, taking my sweet time out of reluctance. I walked down the driveway trying to avoid the ice and started the run halfway from the road. My form felt weird, almost hesitant and scared but I kept going and just hoping for good news.... I felt a little stiff but not bad, my left shin was a little achy but not bad.
Around mile 2 the ball of my right foot was aching, or more like a pinched nerve but not bad and I just kept going. I still wasn't feeling any problems with my calves, so that was good news. Around mile 3, the outside of my left knee started to ache but nothing bad so I kept moving along. That went away (so did the weird pain in the ball of my foot), and around or after mile 5 my toes started stinging which I've had occasionally and normally using my moji foot massage thing helps that issue so I kept pushing along. I did feel a tinge of pain or tightness in my right IT band, I'm guessing from the old (first) running injury back in 2010 but nothing bad. I think my form was really affected by my fear of what my calves might do during this run.
I made it to 7.1 miles without any real issues, and I didn't want to push my luck so I feel 7.1 miles in 1:15:26 with an average pace of 10:38 min/mile is good for today. Elevation gain of 129 feet and a loss of 128 feet, temperature of 27 degrees so not bad and felt good.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:32
Mile 2 - 10:45
Mile 3 - 10:39
Mile 4 - 10:46
Mile 5 - 10:43
Mile 6 - 10:40
Mile 7 - 10:18
.1 - 10:18
Overall, the run went well and I think the 3 days of rest helped a lot so hopefully with some foam rolling and stretching things will get even better. Tomorrow's 6 miler will hopefully be better or just as good as this morning. I guess I can call this week a cutback week with 21 miles... sucky but maybe the 36 miles 2 weeks ago was a bit much for my legs, I'll probably drop this week to 30 if things go well and make my long run only 12 or 13 miles rather than 15.
Around mile 2 the ball of my right foot was aching, or more like a pinched nerve but not bad and I just kept going. I still wasn't feeling any problems with my calves, so that was good news. Around mile 3, the outside of my left knee started to ache but nothing bad so I kept moving along. That went away (so did the weird pain in the ball of my foot), and around or after mile 5 my toes started stinging which I've had occasionally and normally using my moji foot massage thing helps that issue so I kept pushing along. I did feel a tinge of pain or tightness in my right IT band, I'm guessing from the old (first) running injury back in 2010 but nothing bad. I think my form was really affected by my fear of what my calves might do during this run.
I made it to 7.1 miles without any real issues, and I didn't want to push my luck so I feel 7.1 miles in 1:15:26 with an average pace of 10:38 min/mile is good for today. Elevation gain of 129 feet and a loss of 128 feet, temperature of 27 degrees so not bad and felt good.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:32
Mile 2 - 10:45
Mile 3 - 10:39
Mile 4 - 10:46
Mile 5 - 10:43
Mile 6 - 10:40
Mile 7 - 10:18
.1 - 10:18
Overall, the run went well and I think the 3 days of rest helped a lot so hopefully with some foam rolling and stretching things will get even better. Tomorrow's 6 miler will hopefully be better or just as good as this morning. I guess I can call this week a cutback week with 21 miles... sucky but maybe the 36 miles 2 weeks ago was a bit much for my legs, I'll probably drop this week to 30 if things go well and make my long run only 12 or 13 miles rather than 15.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
A Not so Great Run and Issues with my Garmin Pairing
First off, last night when I tried to sync my workout onto the garmin site... apparently my laptop's wifi thing was off so when I fixed that I realized my ANT + thing was working, so I spent a while trying to fix it with no success. I've been trying to get it onto my office computer with no success, this crap is really ticking me off now. I can not look up the temperature or elevation thing now, only my laps.
Last night's run sucked, but to start from the beginning of the troubles - Saturday morning I woke up a little sore, my calves were sore for the first 2 or 3 miles of my 7.5 mile run and then a little bit during the 2.5 mile run before the race but it didn't really affect my runs or my race. Sunday, my legs and calves were sore but I expected it so no biggie I thought. Monday, when Rocky and I started out on our run my calves were sore for the first 2 miles or so but the soreness went away eventually. By this point I was trying to foam roll and stretch, I figured the soreness was from the race and the last month of 2 of running on ice, snow, nasty frozen trails... and it would eventually go away. Tuesday, things were feeling better so I didn't really stretch or foam roll and then yesterday I wasn't feeling any soreness all day so I didn't stretch or foam roll at all.
Everything seemed to be fine until Rocky and I set out for our 8 miler last night, I didn't make it a mile before pain set into my calves... not painful enough to stop me from running but painful enough to affect my stride and had me stopping to take a moment. The pain was in both calves, and lasted for 3 miles before finally my left calf stopped hurting but by then my left toes was hurting/stinging. Throughout my whole run, my feet hurt and my right calf hurt and near the end the side of my right thigh was starting to hurt. I was in such a rage that if you had handed me a chainsaw I probably would have sawed my lower legs right off.
Time it took for us to run 8.1 miles was 1:25:57 with an average pace of 10:37 min/mile, most of it very aggravating.
Laps/splits:
Mile 1 - 10:46
Mile 2 - 10:58
Mile 3 - 11:04
Mile 4 - 11:04
Mile 5 - 10:54
Mile 6 - 10:06
Mile 7 - 10:12
Mile 8 - 9:55
.1 - 9:51
Debating for a while last night, I decided to take 3 days off along with stretching, foam rolling and taking hot baths with this stuff from Therapy Village for Aches and Pains. Then come Sunday, I will see how things are feeling and try for 6-8 miles unless the pain starts again which then I will probably stop and head back home. Another cutback week :(
Last night's run sucked, but to start from the beginning of the troubles - Saturday morning I woke up a little sore, my calves were sore for the first 2 or 3 miles of my 7.5 mile run and then a little bit during the 2.5 mile run before the race but it didn't really affect my runs or my race. Sunday, my legs and calves were sore but I expected it so no biggie I thought. Monday, when Rocky and I started out on our run my calves were sore for the first 2 miles or so but the soreness went away eventually. By this point I was trying to foam roll and stretch, I figured the soreness was from the race and the last month of 2 of running on ice, snow, nasty frozen trails... and it would eventually go away. Tuesday, things were feeling better so I didn't really stretch or foam roll and then yesterday I wasn't feeling any soreness all day so I didn't stretch or foam roll at all.
Everything seemed to be fine until Rocky and I set out for our 8 miler last night, I didn't make it a mile before pain set into my calves... not painful enough to stop me from running but painful enough to affect my stride and had me stopping to take a moment. The pain was in both calves, and lasted for 3 miles before finally my left calf stopped hurting but by then my left toes was hurting/stinging. Throughout my whole run, my feet hurt and my right calf hurt and near the end the side of my right thigh was starting to hurt. I was in such a rage that if you had handed me a chainsaw I probably would have sawed my lower legs right off.
Time it took for us to run 8.1 miles was 1:25:57 with an average pace of 10:37 min/mile, most of it very aggravating.
Laps/splits:
Mile 1 - 10:46
Mile 2 - 10:58
Mile 3 - 11:04
Mile 4 - 11:04
Mile 5 - 10:54
Mile 6 - 10:06
Mile 7 - 10:12
Mile 8 - 9:55
.1 - 9:51
Debating for a while last night, I decided to take 3 days off along with stretching, foam rolling and taking hot baths with this stuff from Therapy Village for Aches and Pains. Then come Sunday, I will see how things are feeling and try for 6-8 miles unless the pain starts again which then I will probably stop and head back home. Another cutback week :(
Monday, February 10, 2014
A slow, still Sore Legs, Icy Roads
My calves are still sore, and I am really not sure why... hoping it isn't anything serious so I'll just keep an eye on them and focus on stretching, foam rolling and icing as much as possible. The roads had a new, fresh powder of snow over the icy spots (go figure) so I had to be careful but I was just sore. My legs didn't hurt during the run, and the soreness just bothered me but it was an especially slow run and the only reason I can think of is because of the snow and ice, I am so tired of it all. Thankfully, it seems that the forecast is showing that starting this Thursday temperatures will begin to rise into the 40's and then the 50's which I hope isn't just temporary and it will last for a while.... though my real hope is that this cruel winter is finally over.
Won't go over the morning routine, but Rocky and I got out and ran 6.1 miles in 1:09:30 with an average pace of 11:24 min/mile, elevation gain of 94 feet and a loss of 99 feet. Temperature was 18 degrees with a feels like 5 or 6, it was bad enough that my garmin only showed the temperature, not the feels like and wind.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:29
Mile 2 - 11:17
Mile 3 - 11:41
Mile 4 - 11:37
Mile 5 - 11:27
Mile 6 - 10:55
.1 - 10:48
I will be so freaking happy when winter is finally over, though normally warm spring weather brings rain.... but I would rather rain that sleet or snow at this point. I'll most likely have to avoid the trails when it starts warming up and it will most likely take a month or so of dry and warm weather for the trails to actually dry up.
Won't go over the morning routine, but Rocky and I got out and ran 6.1 miles in 1:09:30 with an average pace of 11:24 min/mile, elevation gain of 94 feet and a loss of 99 feet. Temperature was 18 degrees with a feels like 5 or 6, it was bad enough that my garmin only showed the temperature, not the feels like and wind.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:29
Mile 2 - 11:17
Mile 3 - 11:41
Mile 4 - 11:37
Mile 5 - 11:27
Mile 6 - 10:55
.1 - 10:48
I will be so freaking happy when winter is finally over, though normally warm spring weather brings rain.... but I would rather rain that sleet or snow at this point. I'll most likely have to avoid the trails when it starts warming up and it will most likely take a month or so of dry and warm weather for the trails to actually dry up.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
The Hearts on Fire 5k (and some Extra Running)
I knew in advance that I wasn't going to try and PR at this race, mainly because I am no longer interested in short distance races AND I have become obsessed with long distance running so I decided to make the race part of my long run (though split up a little) and just enjoy it.
I got up this morning just before 5 AM, ate a cinnamon raisin english muffin (with the dark chocolate peanut butter) and some coffee. Rocky and I then headed out the door for 7-8 easy miles, my legs were sore - especially my calves. I guess trying to do the plank position for 3 minutes along with trying to do push ups all while having a 25 lb monkey climbing all over you actually can be pretty tough. Sadly, I had to make 2 pit stops and almost didn't make it home for the 3rd. I really wanted to run 8 miles but Rocky and I finished with 7.5 miles instead - 1:19:34 with an average pace of 10:37 min/mile, elevation gain of 175 feet and a loss of 186 feet, temperature of 18 degrees and snow.
Laps/splits:
Mile 1 - 10:50
Mile 2 - 11:10
Mile 3 - 10:55
Mile 4 - 10:45
Mile 5 - 10:28
Mile 6 - 10:28
Mile 7 - 10:31
.5 - 10:04
I got home to drop Rocky off (and use the bathroom) then I quickly strapped Dorian into his high chair and gave him some cereal, gave him and DH a goodbye kiss and headed out the door to USI where the race starts. I got there with plenty of time to use the restroom (again) and go for another short run. By this point the temperature had dropped from 18 to 16 degrees, still snowing.
I ran the USI Recreational pathway for 2.5 miles, finishing in 26:17 with an average pace of 10:31 min/mile, elevation gain of 27 feet and a loss of 26 feet. I was feeling sore still, and I figured I'd probably finish the race around 30-34 minutes as long as I didn't bust my butt.
Laps/splits:
Mile 1 - 10:47
Mile 2 - 10:32
.5 - 9:54
As I headed to the start, I saw Lee (theKl0wn known by RW and RA) and blamed him for the weather. It was chilly, still 16 degrees and still snowing and I was hoping to just have a decent run. From the start I felt the adrenaline and the competitiveness in me push me through the course and pass a lot of people, even up the hills I charged.
My garmin show me running 3.12 in 26:40 with an average pace of 8:34 min/mile while the race clock says 26:35 with an average pace of 8:34 min/mile (I am not going to argue). Elevation gain of 126 feet and a loss of 115 feet. With only .1 to go I passed about 6 or 8 people and raced a lady to the finish that tried to give a kick but my kick pushed me past her (yay!).
Laps/splits:
Mile 1 - 8:48
Mile 2 - 8:34
Mile 3 - 8:35
.1 - 6:17
Gosh, that last .1 really makes me want to try and see just how fast I can go....... but I am now more focused on distance, not speed.
Official Results:
26:35 minutes with an average pace of 8:34 min/mile
Overall: 121st of 446
Female - 28th of 248
F25-29 - 4th of 39
Only 3 places from 1st place dang it! And she was only about 2 minutes ahead of me, if I had somehow known that I might have pushed a little harder lol. Total mileage for the day - 13.1
I got up this morning just before 5 AM, ate a cinnamon raisin english muffin (with the dark chocolate peanut butter) and some coffee. Rocky and I then headed out the door for 7-8 easy miles, my legs were sore - especially my calves. I guess trying to do the plank position for 3 minutes along with trying to do push ups all while having a 25 lb monkey climbing all over you actually can be pretty tough. Sadly, I had to make 2 pit stops and almost didn't make it home for the 3rd. I really wanted to run 8 miles but Rocky and I finished with 7.5 miles instead - 1:19:34 with an average pace of 10:37 min/mile, elevation gain of 175 feet and a loss of 186 feet, temperature of 18 degrees and snow.
Laps/splits:
Mile 1 - 10:50
Mile 2 - 11:10
Mile 3 - 10:55
Mile 4 - 10:45
Mile 5 - 10:28
Mile 6 - 10:28
Mile 7 - 10:31
.5 - 10:04
I got home to drop Rocky off (and use the bathroom) then I quickly strapped Dorian into his high chair and gave him some cereal, gave him and DH a goodbye kiss and headed out the door to USI where the race starts. I got there with plenty of time to use the restroom (again) and go for another short run. By this point the temperature had dropped from 18 to 16 degrees, still snowing.
I ran the USI Recreational pathway for 2.5 miles, finishing in 26:17 with an average pace of 10:31 min/mile, elevation gain of 27 feet and a loss of 26 feet. I was feeling sore still, and I figured I'd probably finish the race around 30-34 minutes as long as I didn't bust my butt.
Laps/splits:
Mile 1 - 10:47
Mile 2 - 10:32
.5 - 9:54
As I headed to the start, I saw Lee (theKl0wn known by RW and RA) and blamed him for the weather. It was chilly, still 16 degrees and still snowing and I was hoping to just have a decent run. From the start I felt the adrenaline and the competitiveness in me push me through the course and pass a lot of people, even up the hills I charged.
My garmin show me running 3.12 in 26:40 with an average pace of 8:34 min/mile while the race clock says 26:35 with an average pace of 8:34 min/mile (I am not going to argue). Elevation gain of 126 feet and a loss of 115 feet. With only .1 to go I passed about 6 or 8 people and raced a lady to the finish that tried to give a kick but my kick pushed me past her (yay!).
Laps/splits:
Mile 1 - 8:48
Mile 2 - 8:34
Mile 3 - 8:35
.1 - 6:17
Gosh, that last .1 really makes me want to try and see just how fast I can go....... but I am now more focused on distance, not speed.
Official Results:
26:35 minutes with an average pace of 8:34 min/mile
Overall: 121st of 446
Female - 28th of 248
F25-29 - 4th of 39
Only 3 places from 1st place dang it! And she was only about 2 minutes ahead of me, if I had somehow known that I might have pushed a little harder lol. Total mileage for the day - 13.1
Friday, February 7, 2014
The Bob Revolution Stroller
Before Dorian was born, I had purchased a Baby Trend stroller with the infant carseat and adapter for like $260 at BabysRus, the idea of spending $400-500 on a really good stroller was just way too much. This stroller has been really good, for things like rollerblading, running or hiking as it has a swivel lock thingy in the front. But recently last summer and fall when not locked, it would really shake even when walking so as I began thinking about the warmer months that might never come back (yeah, dramatic I know) - I want to really make sure to include Dorian during shorter runs and especially when hiking, rollerblading and walking on the days I don't run and the fear of this stroller falling apart during a really fast pace really scared me.
So just a few days ago, I got on ebay and was just looking around at Bob Strollers, not expecting to find anything within my price range when I found a
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321315474304?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
with a buy it now price of $225/OBO so I made a silly offer of $150 just to see how low they would go. A couple of days passed before anything so I figured they weren't going to even waste their time on it and I forgot about it. Well this morning checking the email I saw on there "Congratulations with your new purchase!", they had accepted my offer.
I am excited, but also hoping I didn't get a crappy one but it says that if you are not happy you can return it in 7 days..... so I will be hoping for an insane warm day within the 7 days after receiving it so I can test it out. That is one of the problems with buying things like this during winter, hopefully I'll see a few days of 45-50 degrees soon. I also have a bike pull along thing, so even on days that I feel like biking I can take Dorian along.
Things like this are the biggest reasons I want warmer days, it sucks to be stuck inside on the days I don't run and for Dorian to be stuck inside so much. I know he is getting cabin fever, I hope Spring isn't too much further away. :(
So just a few days ago, I got on ebay and was just looking around at Bob Strollers, not expecting to find anything within my price range when I found a
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321315474304?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
with a buy it now price of $225/OBO so I made a silly offer of $150 just to see how low they would go. A couple of days passed before anything so I figured they weren't going to even waste their time on it and I forgot about it. Well this morning checking the email I saw on there "Congratulations with your new purchase!", they had accepted my offer.
I am excited, but also hoping I didn't get a crappy one but it says that if you are not happy you can return it in 7 days..... so I will be hoping for an insane warm day within the 7 days after receiving it so I can test it out. That is one of the problems with buying things like this during winter, hopefully I'll see a few days of 45-50 degrees soon. I also have a bike pull along thing, so even on days that I feel like biking I can take Dorian along.
Things like this are the biggest reasons I want warmer days, it sucks to be stuck inside on the days I don't run and for Dorian to be stuck inside so much. I know he is getting cabin fever, I hope Spring isn't too much further away. :(
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Eight Miles on Ice, Snow and Exhausted Legs/Brain/Body
Throughout the last 3 nights I have probably gotten a total of 10 hours of sleep, Dorian has been having stomach pains and nightmares and so I've been up with him. Yesterday morning I was supposed to run my 8 miles on fresh frozen snow with ice on top, but from midnight to 5 AM Dorian was off and on and the cats were screaming at some strange cat on our porch. I decided not to go out and run, made it an ab/upper body workout day instead.
Early this morning I thought for sure I wasn't going to get to run again, from just after midnight to some time before 4 AM Dorian was tossing and turning, crying out and getting angry with something. I changed my alarm from 4:10 AM to 5:05 AM and decided that Rocky and I wouldn't run the trails but the roads by the house. When my alarm did go off, I didn't want to get up... I was seriously contemplating saying no today and just getting what sleep I could.
I got up, took my time getting out the door around 5:40 AM after eating a Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin with some Jif Natural Creamy "Touch of Honey" Peanut Butter and some much needed coffee. It was 16 degrees with a feels like 5 degrees, winds at 8 mph NNW so I had my stupid face mask that just went around my neck, cheeks and nose along with my hat and headband for my head. My driveway was ice, so it was quite a feat to make it all the way to the road without falling on my butt.
My legs were sore, Bicycle Crunches seem to really leave my quads sore the next day - especially 5 sets of 300 reps (1,500 total). It was slow going for a while, trying to decide on what route to take for an 8 miler in a hurry...
Once we figured it out, Rocky and I were going at an easy/slow pace and having to do some quick thinking to make up for the lack of distance with the route I chose. (If I am not making sense, it is because I am brain-dead and I seriously need some sleep).
We managed to get our 8 miles in, finishing in 1:27:10 with an average pace of 10:53 min/mile, elevation gain of 122 feet with a loss of 121 feet. There were a lot of slippery, icy spots on the roads that kept me from getting up to any good pace after my legs eased up me. I survived though, and that is all that matters.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:30
Mile 2 - 11:16
Mile 3 - 11:07
Mile 4 - 11:01
Mile 5 - 10:52
Mile 6 - 10:42
Mile 7 - 10:35
Mile 8 - 10:05
Tomorrow's plan was 5 or 6 miles, but I am not honestly sure when I want to run those and I have a 5k race Saturday morning. The plan on Saturday is to take Rocky for a 7-8 miler before dawn, rest up a bit and then head to the race and just enjoy the 5k, then maybe finish up with 3-4 miles if I've got the energy to do so. I am seriously thinking of taking tomorrow off, and call this my cutback week.... or something like that.
Early this morning I thought for sure I wasn't going to get to run again, from just after midnight to some time before 4 AM Dorian was tossing and turning, crying out and getting angry with something. I changed my alarm from 4:10 AM to 5:05 AM and decided that Rocky and I wouldn't run the trails but the roads by the house. When my alarm did go off, I didn't want to get up... I was seriously contemplating saying no today and just getting what sleep I could.
I got up, took my time getting out the door around 5:40 AM after eating a Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin with some Jif Natural Creamy "Touch of Honey" Peanut Butter and some much needed coffee. It was 16 degrees with a feels like 5 degrees, winds at 8 mph NNW so I had my stupid face mask that just went around my neck, cheeks and nose along with my hat and headband for my head. My driveway was ice, so it was quite a feat to make it all the way to the road without falling on my butt.
My legs were sore, Bicycle Crunches seem to really leave my quads sore the next day - especially 5 sets of 300 reps (1,500 total). It was slow going for a while, trying to decide on what route to take for an 8 miler in a hurry...
Once we figured it out, Rocky and I were going at an easy/slow pace and having to do some quick thinking to make up for the lack of distance with the route I chose. (If I am not making sense, it is because I am brain-dead and I seriously need some sleep).
We managed to get our 8 miles in, finishing in 1:27:10 with an average pace of 10:53 min/mile, elevation gain of 122 feet with a loss of 121 feet. There were a lot of slippery, icy spots on the roads that kept me from getting up to any good pace after my legs eased up me. I survived though, and that is all that matters.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:30
Mile 2 - 11:16
Mile 3 - 11:07
Mile 4 - 11:01
Mile 5 - 10:52
Mile 6 - 10:42
Mile 7 - 10:35
Mile 8 - 10:05
Tomorrow's plan was 5 or 6 miles, but I am not honestly sure when I want to run those and I have a 5k race Saturday morning. The plan on Saturday is to take Rocky for a 7-8 miler before dawn, rest up a bit and then head to the race and just enjoy the 5k, then maybe finish up with 3-4 miles if I've got the energy to do so. I am seriously thinking of taking tomorrow off, and call this my cutback week.... or something like that.
Monday, February 3, 2014
A Run that Almost Didn't Happen
I am definitely feeling yesterday morning's 15 miles, so much so that I won't even begin to name off the excuses I had this morning trying to stay in bed. My legs are sore, especially my quads, hams and glutes as well. The bed felt so comfy, so warm while outside was 25 degrees with a feels like 16 and 8 mph N winds.
I finally got my butt out of bed at 5:05 AM, got dressed, had some coffee and a banana, then Rocky and I were out the door. Immediately I was wanting to turn around, telling myself I could do this in the afternoon rather than right now and get back in bed. I kept pushing on, told myself 1 mile was better than nothing, which then turned to 3 miles. I kept pushing on, by 3 miles things were feeling a little better, though it was definitely slow going which I am fine with as this was a recovery run and the slower the better was my motto.... at this point.
We hit 4 miles and I thought to myself, heck if I can at least do 5 miles then I will be happy. By 5 miles I wanted the planned 6 miles, things were feeling a little better but my hams were sore and I was picking up the pace.
Rocky and I hit 6 miles in 1:05:42 with an average pace of 10:57 min/mile, 25 degrees with a feels like 16, 8 mph N winds and an elevation gain of 101 feet with a loss of 110 feet. I feel happy just getting out there and getting it done, I swear I will stretch today and tomorrow and foam roll dang it.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:47
Mile 2 - 11:28
Mile 3 - 11:04
Mile 4 - 10:51
Mile 5 - 10:20
Mile 6 - 10:11
I do hope my body eventually gets used to these 15 mile runs, heck I might have to make Mondays my rest days after long runs and move my next running day to Tuesday....... we'll just have to see how I feel tomorrow.
I finally got my butt out of bed at 5:05 AM, got dressed, had some coffee and a banana, then Rocky and I were out the door. Immediately I was wanting to turn around, telling myself I could do this in the afternoon rather than right now and get back in bed. I kept pushing on, told myself 1 mile was better than nothing, which then turned to 3 miles. I kept pushing on, by 3 miles things were feeling a little better, though it was definitely slow going which I am fine with as this was a recovery run and the slower the better was my motto.... at this point.
We hit 4 miles and I thought to myself, heck if I can at least do 5 miles then I will be happy. By 5 miles I wanted the planned 6 miles, things were feeling a little better but my hams were sore and I was picking up the pace.
Rocky and I hit 6 miles in 1:05:42 with an average pace of 10:57 min/mile, 25 degrees with a feels like 16, 8 mph N winds and an elevation gain of 101 feet with a loss of 110 feet. I feel happy just getting out there and getting it done, I swear I will stretch today and tomorrow and foam roll dang it.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:47
Mile 2 - 11:28
Mile 3 - 11:04
Mile 4 - 10:51
Mile 5 - 10:20
Mile 6 - 10:11
I do hope my body eventually gets used to these 15 mile runs, heck I might have to make Mondays my rest days after long runs and move my next running day to Tuesday....... we'll just have to see how I feel tomorrow.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
My 15 Mile LR on the Roads
I knew it the moment I stepped out the door to go warm up the Tahoe, the mushy, muddy wet ground. I kept hoping this wasn't a tell-tell omen of what the trails would be like, sadly they were. Rocky and I got to the trails at 6 AM and we attempted to run in muddy, sloshy, god-awful hell........ just before .2 miles I said screw this. We headed back, got .36 miles on the trails in 4:46 and then I drove home. I dropped Rocky off, changed shoes, took my windbreaker off and headed out the door for my 14-15 miler.
I tried a route I've only used once for my long runs, it was slow going at first, yesterday's 5 sets of 300 bicycle crunches had made my quads, hams and right butt cheek really sore. It wasn't really sprinkling, but there was moisture or something in the air and very windy in the beginning. I kept at it, realizing I had gatorade in both bottles because I was originally headed to the trails and had 2 water bottles in Rocky's doggie pack. I thought "shoot........." but focused on sipping gatorade when I needed to, the plan was to wait until mile 11 to consume some GU.
Right at mile 5, I was in my own little world when I heard the "paw" steps coming up quickly behind me, my heart raced and my adrenaline shot up as I turned around to see a large dog coming up. Noticing I was startled, he slowed down and I immediately saw that he meant no harm. He also had no intentions of letting me run alone, or maybe he wanted me to chase him? Not sure, but after standing there for a minute trying to coax him to go back to his home.... I started back up and he raced ahead of me, but I really needed to make a pit stop and in private so when the dog ran around the corner and could no longer see me I dashed into the woods. A few seconds later he ran the other way, I guess he was looking for me but I never saw him again.
The next few miles were pretty plain, I tried not to look at the garmin and see where I was mileage wise. As runs get longer and longer, it is not the greatest thing when you look at your garmin and see that you still have 10-12 miles to go. By mile 10 I was still feeling good, sipping gatorade when I felt I needed it and just kept on going. At mile 11 I consumed a Chocolate Rage Gu and sipped some lemon lime gatorade.
I had to do some weird things, going a little ways down one road then coming back and then doing again on another side road to get to mile 13 at the spot I know is 2 miles from home. I had decided on 15 miles today, and I really didn't want to overlap any of my route.
This run was considerably faster than last Sunday's 15 miler, as I didn't have to deal with either frozen or muddy trails. The temperature was 32 degrees with a feels like 25, and it says winds of 7 mph N but I swear they were more like 10-13 mph at some points. Total elevation gain of 302 feet and a loss of 308 feet.
I ran the 15 miles in 2:27:13 with an average pace of 9:49 min/mile, surprising for me, I still cannot estimate what my marathon pace per mile will be but it seems I am not really slowing down as the distance grows. But I am still 11.2 miles from a marathon distance so anything can happen.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:19
Mile 2 - 10:19
Mile 3 - 10:15
Mile 4 - 10:11
Mile 5 - 10:09
Mile 6 - 10:03
Mile 7 - 9:51
Mile 8 - 9:34
Mile 9 - 9:48
Mile 10 - 9:24
Mile 11 - 9:24
Mile 12 - 9:32
Mile 13 - 9:49
Mile 14 - 9:42
Mile 15 - 8:50
Things started out slowish, but I didn't mind because my goal or expectation is to stick around 10 min/mile pace during the marathon but things did seem to pick up around mile 7. Overall, another good run on the books.
I tried a route I've only used once for my long runs, it was slow going at first, yesterday's 5 sets of 300 bicycle crunches had made my quads, hams and right butt cheek really sore. It wasn't really sprinkling, but there was moisture or something in the air and very windy in the beginning. I kept at it, realizing I had gatorade in both bottles because I was originally headed to the trails and had 2 water bottles in Rocky's doggie pack. I thought "shoot........." but focused on sipping gatorade when I needed to, the plan was to wait until mile 11 to consume some GU.
Right at mile 5, I was in my own little world when I heard the "paw" steps coming up quickly behind me, my heart raced and my adrenaline shot up as I turned around to see a large dog coming up. Noticing I was startled, he slowed down and I immediately saw that he meant no harm. He also had no intentions of letting me run alone, or maybe he wanted me to chase him? Not sure, but after standing there for a minute trying to coax him to go back to his home.... I started back up and he raced ahead of me, but I really needed to make a pit stop and in private so when the dog ran around the corner and could no longer see me I dashed into the woods. A few seconds later he ran the other way, I guess he was looking for me but I never saw him again.
The next few miles were pretty plain, I tried not to look at the garmin and see where I was mileage wise. As runs get longer and longer, it is not the greatest thing when you look at your garmin and see that you still have 10-12 miles to go. By mile 10 I was still feeling good, sipping gatorade when I felt I needed it and just kept on going. At mile 11 I consumed a Chocolate Rage Gu and sipped some lemon lime gatorade.
I had to do some weird things, going a little ways down one road then coming back and then doing again on another side road to get to mile 13 at the spot I know is 2 miles from home. I had decided on 15 miles today, and I really didn't want to overlap any of my route.
This run was considerably faster than last Sunday's 15 miler, as I didn't have to deal with either frozen or muddy trails. The temperature was 32 degrees with a feels like 25, and it says winds of 7 mph N but I swear they were more like 10-13 mph at some points. Total elevation gain of 302 feet and a loss of 308 feet.
I ran the 15 miles in 2:27:13 with an average pace of 9:49 min/mile, surprising for me, I still cannot estimate what my marathon pace per mile will be but it seems I am not really slowing down as the distance grows. But I am still 11.2 miles from a marathon distance so anything can happen.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:19
Mile 2 - 10:19
Mile 3 - 10:15
Mile 4 - 10:11
Mile 5 - 10:09
Mile 6 - 10:03
Mile 7 - 9:51
Mile 8 - 9:34
Mile 9 - 9:48
Mile 10 - 9:24
Mile 11 - 9:24
Mile 12 - 9:32
Mile 13 - 9:49
Mile 14 - 9:42
Mile 15 - 8:50
Things started out slowish, but I didn't mind because my goal or expectation is to stick around 10 min/mile pace during the marathon but things did seem to pick up around mile 7. Overall, another good run on the books.
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