I seriously think my body is begging me to take a couple of days off, and I really think that I pushed it too hard Wednesday morning during the 9 miler :(
This morning I headed out with intentions of running 12 miles, but after much debating I decided that 10 miles would have to do. There isn't like pain but I can definitely feel fatigue and soreness, and my body was not even close to interested in being out there on the road.
I miss the trails, I miss them so much but with how my feet are dragging right now it would be a very bad idea to go out on for a run on the trails. I've got 2 months and a couple days before the marathon, I wish it was sooner as this training is kind of really sucking right now. But, I've just got to relax and listen to my body, and take it easy for the next few days... maybe even take Monday and Tuesday off.
This morning I ran 10.1 miles in 1:49:44 with an average pace of 10:53 min/mile, a very slow long run for me. Elevation gain of 167 feet and a loss of 168 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:29
Mile 2 - 10:54
Mile 3 - 10:45
Mile 4 - 10:43
Mile 5 - 10:42
Mile 6 - 10:36
Mile 7 - 12:03
Mile 8 - 11:09
Mile 9 - 10:27
Mile 10 - 9:56
10.1 - 9:37
Tomorrow will either be a rest day or an easy 5 later in the evening with Dorian, I'll let my body decide.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
Yesterday and Today
First off, the weather sucks. This weekend is threatening rain and thunderstorms, so I cannot even say with certainty if I will get a long run in on Sunday but hopefully I can get 3 or 4 miles in tomorrow.
My legs are really feeling fatigued and sore now, most likely Wednesday's hard 9 miler wasn't a good idea so soon after the 20 miler. Ugh, things are sore and achy and I feel like I need a few days off :(
Yesterday morning I got 4 miles in, my left hamstring wasn't aching like it was Wednesday but it was still feeling tight. I made sure to take it very easy though, and finished 4 miles in 43:46 with an average pace of 10:57 min/mile. I did some foam rolling throughout the day afterwards.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:25
Mile 2 - 10:57
Mile 3 - 10:48
Mile 4 - 10:37
It doesn't look like this heat is going to let up anytime soon, next week is showing temps in the low 90's and I am sure humid weather will follow with the early morning temps of 70-75 :( I am so looking forward to Fall and even Winter, even all the layers of clothes I have to put on during sub zero weather.
This morning my hamstring was feeling a tad better but both legs were pretty achy and just feeling fatigued, I still got 6 miles in this morning. Temperatures were 73 degrees and 94% humidity (blah) and no wind. This was just about as slow as yesterday's run, I just did my best to keep it easy and slow. I finished 6 miles in 1:05:22 with an average pace of 10:53 min/mile.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:25
Mile 2 - 10:43
Mile 3 - 10:52
Mile 4 - 10:48
Mile 5 - 10:26
Mile 6 - 11:05
Sunday is showing scattered thunderstorms all day, and by all day I mean from midnight to evening it will either be 40-50% chance of rain. Saturday is showing cooler temps with humidity in the 70s range.... but I was really craving a day off tomorrow, but after much thinking and debating I think I am going to aim for a 10 miler tomorrow morning and take Sunday and Monday off. I don't want to, but damn it I am not about to be forced to lose a long run due to mother nature.
Next Monday is September 1 (and Labor Day) and marks exactly 2 months until my first marathon, I am excited and getting more excited and anxious as the days count down. I am also nervous about the weather.... it is 100% out of my control and I am praying that it will be as beautiful as last year was. Please keep your fingers crossed for me :)
My legs are really feeling fatigued and sore now, most likely Wednesday's hard 9 miler wasn't a good idea so soon after the 20 miler. Ugh, things are sore and achy and I feel like I need a few days off :(
Yesterday morning I got 4 miles in, my left hamstring wasn't aching like it was Wednesday but it was still feeling tight. I made sure to take it very easy though, and finished 4 miles in 43:46 with an average pace of 10:57 min/mile. I did some foam rolling throughout the day afterwards.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:25
Mile 2 - 10:57
Mile 3 - 10:48
Mile 4 - 10:37
It doesn't look like this heat is going to let up anytime soon, next week is showing temps in the low 90's and I am sure humid weather will follow with the early morning temps of 70-75 :( I am so looking forward to Fall and even Winter, even all the layers of clothes I have to put on during sub zero weather.
This morning my hamstring was feeling a tad better but both legs were pretty achy and just feeling fatigued, I still got 6 miles in this morning. Temperatures were 73 degrees and 94% humidity (blah) and no wind. This was just about as slow as yesterday's run, I just did my best to keep it easy and slow. I finished 6 miles in 1:05:22 with an average pace of 10:53 min/mile.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:25
Mile 2 - 10:43
Mile 3 - 10:52
Mile 4 - 10:48
Mile 5 - 10:26
Mile 6 - 11:05
Sunday is showing scattered thunderstorms all day, and by all day I mean from midnight to evening it will either be 40-50% chance of rain. Saturday is showing cooler temps with humidity in the 70s range.... but I was really craving a day off tomorrow, but after much thinking and debating I think I am going to aim for a 10 miler tomorrow morning and take Sunday and Monday off. I don't want to, but damn it I am not about to be forced to lose a long run due to mother nature.
Next Monday is September 1 (and Labor Day) and marks exactly 2 months until my first marathon, I am excited and getting more excited and anxious as the days count down. I am also nervous about the weather.... it is 100% out of my control and I am praying that it will be as beautiful as last year was. Please keep your fingers crossed for me :)
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
A Fast but Challenging 9 Miler
This morning almost didn't happen, Dorian was very restless all night and then at 3 AM he was awake and I thought for sure I wouldn't be able to go out for my run. Luckily I reset my alarm to 4:05 AM and when it went off he was back to sleep. Temperature was 76 degrees outside, 89% humidity and a dew point of 72.... no freaking wind as usual. I left the shirt at home this time and I was determined to run this one just outside of my comfort zone (but to uncomfortable level in the heat) and due to the heat I was having to stop every mile to catch my breath and recover as quickly as possible. By mile 7 I had to hit some of the hillier roads, I can't forget to mention that my left hamstring was very tight throughout the whole run - I kept trying to stretch it every time I stopped but it just wasn't helping.
Overall it was a great run and definitely let me see where my fitness is at and how I might handle my first marathon.
I ran 9 miles in 1:22:57 with an average pace of 9:13 min/mile, elevation gain of 195 feet and a loss of 188 feet.
Mile 1 - 11:00
Mile 2 - 9:38
Mile 3 - 9:31
Mile 4 - 9:27
Mile 5 - 8:55
Mile 6 - 8:57
Mile 7 - 8:27
Mile 8 - 8:51
Mile 9 - 8:10
As you can see, it was a pretty good run and I cannot wait until colder weather to see what I can really do.
Overall it was a great run and definitely let me see where my fitness is at and how I might handle my first marathon.
I ran 9 miles in 1:22:57 with an average pace of 9:13 min/mile, elevation gain of 195 feet and a loss of 188 feet.
Mile 1 - 11:00
Mile 2 - 9:38
Mile 3 - 9:31
Mile 4 - 9:27
Mile 5 - 8:55
Mile 6 - 8:57
Mile 7 - 8:27
Mile 8 - 8:51
Mile 9 - 8:10
As you can see, it was a pretty good run and I cannot wait until colder weather to see what I can really do.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Two Days after my First Twenty
First, I want to say how surprised I was that by ear Sunday evening I was feeling really good for having ran 20 miles that morning. DH says that it just might be a sign that I could possibly have what it takes to run ultra distances - I am hoping he is right.
Monday I woke up with just a bit of tightness/soreness in my left calf but other than that I felt great. Granted, my hydration pack had rubbed me raw in a spot on the right side of my back, it still freaking hurts. Not sure if I want to go shirtless anymore during long runs with my hydration pack.... ouch. Monday was a no run day for me, but I did do some crunches - again I felt great and that must be a good sign. I focused on using the foam roller on my left calf probably 4 times yesterday.
This morning, the tightness in my left calf was very minimal and I used the the foam roller before my run and after. It was 75 degrees, dew point of 73 and humidity at 94% - no freaking wind. It was pretty nasty and just blah but I made sure to take it easy for the first 3 miles, no stopping except for when waiting to cross the busy street. The final mile I did push it, just pushing the limits for my legs while not going over board - wanting them to feel the fatigue while also pushing hard. I slowed down and ran easy for .3 miles afterwards. I ran 4.3 miles in 45:03 with an average pace of 10:29 min/mile, slow and easy but with a little more in the last mile.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:27
Mile 2 - 10:51
Mile 3 - 10:56
Mile 4 - 8:52
Mile 4.3 - 9:55
Overall, I am feeling really good. I did decide that for the final long runs after this last Sunday, I will be consuming either Grape gatorade or Lime gatorade because that is what they will have at the race and I don't feel like carrying a hydration pack or belt - I will carry a couple chocolate outrage gu's though, I am pretty sure they will have the strawberry lime, or berry crap but hey that stuff isn't awful.
Monday I woke up with just a bit of tightness/soreness in my left calf but other than that I felt great. Granted, my hydration pack had rubbed me raw in a spot on the right side of my back, it still freaking hurts. Not sure if I want to go shirtless anymore during long runs with my hydration pack.... ouch. Monday was a no run day for me, but I did do some crunches - again I felt great and that must be a good sign. I focused on using the foam roller on my left calf probably 4 times yesterday.
This morning, the tightness in my left calf was very minimal and I used the the foam roller before my run and after. It was 75 degrees, dew point of 73 and humidity at 94% - no freaking wind. It was pretty nasty and just blah but I made sure to take it easy for the first 3 miles, no stopping except for when waiting to cross the busy street. The final mile I did push it, just pushing the limits for my legs while not going over board - wanting them to feel the fatigue while also pushing hard. I slowed down and ran easy for .3 miles afterwards. I ran 4.3 miles in 45:03 with an average pace of 10:29 min/mile, slow and easy but with a little more in the last mile.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:27
Mile 2 - 10:51
Mile 3 - 10:56
Mile 4 - 8:52
Mile 4.3 - 9:55
Overall, I am feeling really good. I did decide that for the final long runs after this last Sunday, I will be consuming either Grape gatorade or Lime gatorade because that is what they will have at the race and I don't feel like carrying a hydration pack or belt - I will carry a couple chocolate outrage gu's though, I am pretty sure they will have the strawberry lime, or berry crap but hey that stuff isn't awful.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
My First Twenty
First I have to say that when my alarm went off at 3:15 AM, I didn't want to get out of bed... I know I've said that before but I was seriously tired and the thought of running 20 miles made me feel even more exhausted. I got up anyways, drank coffee and water and tried to get myself all worked up for it as I got dressed.
I didn't take my mp3 this time, and let me tell you I don't know if it had any effect on me or not. I freaked myself out during the first hour which was still dark and along some dark roads, but luckily everything turned out alright. I had my 2L hydration reservoir and I had put a lot of ice in it to keep it cold for as long as possible (it started warming up around mile 14).
It was 75 degrees, 89% humidity and a dew point of 73 so it wasn't too awesome that is for sure - I toughed it out anyways and this time I included walk-breaks when necessary after mile 8 and a lot between mile 14 and 18. I consumed one Chocolate Outrage at mile 8 and at mile 14 I tried the Chocolate Raspberry Roctane which was a little bitter, but not bad.
It was bloody freaking tough man, my legs were sore and tired and by mile 13 my quads were screaming for a merciful death while my toes and feet in agreement. I have to say this was the toughest run to date, and in the past I hated the idea of walk-breaks so I would normally stop for a minute or two but this time I was determined to keep moving no matter what.
I did my best to not think about miles until mile 10, then I still tried to ignore it until mile 12 where I began to slowly count down each mile and was very happy when I reached mile 15 because I only had 5 more miles to go but by mile 17 I was ecstatic to know I only had 3. When I reached mile 18, I was crossing another milestone and that final step making 20 miles was pure joy (joy to be freaking done lol).
I ran 20 miles in 3:33:31 with an average pace of 10:40 min/mile and an elevation gain of 291 feet, loss of 296 feet. I am only posting the splits for documentation purposes lol.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:33
Mile 2 - 10:46
Mile 3 - 10:30
Mile 4 - 10:08
Mile 5 - 10:09
Mile 6 - 10:22
Mile 7 - 10:07
Mile 8 - 10:03
Mile 9 - 10:54
Mile 10 - 10:00
Mile 11 - 10:10
Mile 12 - 9:59
Mile 13 - 11:21
Mile 14 - 9:50
Mile 15 - 12:13
Mile 16 - 13:23
Mile 17 - 11:01
Mile 18 - 11:21
Mile 19 - 9:33
Mile 20 - 10:07
Well, there you have it - my first 20 miler and it went pretty well for being so humid and crap and on tired legs. And that gives me 45 miles for week 9, a bit of a jump from week 7 (39) and week 8 (34) but next week I am going to try and cut it down to 40-42 and a LR of 14 to give my body a little rest for doing such a great job this week.
I didn't take my mp3 this time, and let me tell you I don't know if it had any effect on me or not. I freaked myself out during the first hour which was still dark and along some dark roads, but luckily everything turned out alright. I had my 2L hydration reservoir and I had put a lot of ice in it to keep it cold for as long as possible (it started warming up around mile 14).
It was 75 degrees, 89% humidity and a dew point of 73 so it wasn't too awesome that is for sure - I toughed it out anyways and this time I included walk-breaks when necessary after mile 8 and a lot between mile 14 and 18. I consumed one Chocolate Outrage at mile 8 and at mile 14 I tried the Chocolate Raspberry Roctane which was a little bitter, but not bad.
It was bloody freaking tough man, my legs were sore and tired and by mile 13 my quads were screaming for a merciful death while my toes and feet in agreement. I have to say this was the toughest run to date, and in the past I hated the idea of walk-breaks so I would normally stop for a minute or two but this time I was determined to keep moving no matter what.
I did my best to not think about miles until mile 10, then I still tried to ignore it until mile 12 where I began to slowly count down each mile and was very happy when I reached mile 15 because I only had 5 more miles to go but by mile 17 I was ecstatic to know I only had 3. When I reached mile 18, I was crossing another milestone and that final step making 20 miles was pure joy (joy to be freaking done lol).
I ran 20 miles in 3:33:31 with an average pace of 10:40 min/mile and an elevation gain of 291 feet, loss of 296 feet. I am only posting the splits for documentation purposes lol.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:33
Mile 2 - 10:46
Mile 3 - 10:30
Mile 4 - 10:08
Mile 5 - 10:09
Mile 6 - 10:22
Mile 7 - 10:07
Mile 8 - 10:03
Mile 9 - 10:54
Mile 10 - 10:00
Mile 11 - 10:10
Mile 12 - 9:59
Mile 13 - 11:21
Mile 14 - 9:50
Mile 15 - 12:13
Mile 16 - 13:23
Mile 17 - 11:01
Mile 18 - 11:21
Mile 19 - 9:33
Mile 20 - 10:07
Well, there you have it - my first 20 miler and it went pretty well for being so humid and crap and on tired legs. And that gives me 45 miles for week 9, a bit of a jump from week 7 (39) and week 8 (34) but next week I am going to try and cut it down to 40-42 and a LR of 14 to give my body a little rest for doing such a great job this week.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Yesterday I bit the bullet and went to the gym around 5 PM, mainly because 98 degrees outside just didn't sound too awesome. I felt like a total newbie, I felt eyes on me and the treadmill I was on was just obnoxiously loud. The worst part... I swear their thermostat was set to 80 or something, barely ten minutes into my run I was sweating as if I were outside. I felt very self-conscious about it, around 1 mile the towel I had been using for my face fell off the treadmill and I thought "f&(^k" I must look like an idiot. I waited until about 1.26 to pick it up, I really didn't want to bend down or turn off the treadmill so I did my best to set on the sides, squat down and grab it... well the stupid emergency cord thingy that was clipped to me was short enough to pull the key thingy out and shut off the treadmill. Yeah I was frustrated...
I'm going to say I ran for 31-32 minutes...? I do not want to say miles because I didn't go anywhere damn it, and I left after that - I wanted to try out some of the upper body machines (especially the back hyper extension thingy - the one where you bend over from your hips/waist) but all your usual buff morons were all over those and I am too shy to shove my way through.
This morning I was thinking no way, I had 5 miles planned and I just really didn't want to go to the gym and sweat like a freaking pig as if I were outside and be stuck in one place. Temperature was 79 degrees, humidity of 80% and a dew point of 72, no wind. I said screw it and threw on my shorts and a tank and hit the road, and was seriously sore from the treadmill run yesterday, I had it set to an 11 min pace and it still felt like I was going like 10 min/mile pace. Yes I sweated like a pig but I felt it was much more deserved outside than inside. I kept my eyes open for anything strange, but nothing out of the ordinary.
I ended up running 6 miles in 1:01:43 with an average pace of 10:17 min/mile.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:14
Mile 2 - 10:11
Mile 3 - 10:15
Mile 4 - 10:15
Mile 5 - 9:59
Mile 6 - 9:46
I really didn't have any plans to run tomorrow, but I might throw in a 3 miler before dawn and I am trying to talk my sisters into going to the gym later that day with me.
Right now, this area is dealing with some horribly humid and hot weather... and it looks like it is going to last into next week. I've got my first 20 miler planned for Sunday, wish me luck.
I'm going to say I ran for 31-32 minutes...? I do not want to say miles because I didn't go anywhere damn it, and I left after that - I wanted to try out some of the upper body machines (especially the back hyper extension thingy - the one where you bend over from your hips/waist) but all your usual buff morons were all over those and I am too shy to shove my way through.
This morning I was thinking no way, I had 5 miles planned and I just really didn't want to go to the gym and sweat like a freaking pig as if I were outside and be stuck in one place. Temperature was 79 degrees, humidity of 80% and a dew point of 72, no wind. I said screw it and threw on my shorts and a tank and hit the road, and was seriously sore from the treadmill run yesterday, I had it set to an 11 min pace and it still felt like I was going like 10 min/mile pace. Yes I sweated like a pig but I felt it was much more deserved outside than inside. I kept my eyes open for anything strange, but nothing out of the ordinary.
I ended up running 6 miles in 1:01:43 with an average pace of 10:17 min/mile.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:14
Mile 2 - 10:11
Mile 3 - 10:15
Mile 4 - 10:15
Mile 5 - 9:59
Mile 6 - 9:46
I really didn't have any plans to run tomorrow, but I might throw in a 3 miler before dawn and I am trying to talk my sisters into going to the gym later that day with me.
Right now, this area is dealing with some horribly humid and hot weather... and it looks like it is going to last into next week. I've got my first 20 miler planned for Sunday, wish me luck.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Runs so Far this Week, and Some Bad News
First the bad/sad news - two women are missing in my area, one from Boonville who has been missing since Friday morning last week and the other one from Evansville who has been missing since last month. Police swear there are no connections, the 3rd woman who went missing Sunday was found.... in the White River near Hazleton, IN.... her body that is. BUT, she apparently had a history of drug use and the pic they used when searching for her was a mug shot so I am assuming she decided to go for a swim in the river either sober or wasted and the current took her under.
I honestly don't think it is murder, or that there is any connection to the Boonville woman and Evansville woman but sadly they are/were both mothers to two children (each) and are missed dearly by friends and family. Until they are either found alive or worse, DH and my mom don't want me running alone during the dark by myself so I have gotten a gym membership (BLAH!) for using the treadmill BUT I will be sneaking my Wednesday and Sunday long runs outside as I just don't know if I can handle an hour and a half run on the treadmill, let alone a 3 hour run... plus I would like to get back to weight training again - at least my upper body and core, as I try to be very careful with my legs so that I don't tire them or even injure them.
Yesterday evening I and Dorian went for our 4 miler, it sucked - 86 degrees (feels like 93), 66% humidity but a dew point of 72 and the pressure was awful because of the storm hovering above but never letting loose. I ran the 4 miles in 40:52 with an average pace of 10:12 mine/mile, elevation gain of 120 feet and a loss of 104 feet.
This morning was my 9 miler and due to it being 72 degrees, 94% humidity a dew point of 69 I decided not to take Rocky with me as I knew he would die. I am normally very aware of my surroundings but this time I was extra vigilant and paid attention to even the smell of cigarettes in the air just after the first mile. Nothing fishy this time, but I will definitely be more vigilant from now on and I might not even take my mp3 with me during my Sunday long runs.
Anyways, I ran 9 miles in 1:30:18 with an average pace of 10:02 min/mile and an elevation gain of 194 feet and a loss of 189 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:08
Mile 2 - 10:34
Mile 3 - 10:06
Mile 4 - 10:13
Mile 5 - 10:15
Mile 6 - 9:47
Mile 7 - 9:44
Mile 8 - 9:39
Mile 9 - 8:52
Tomorrow morning (hopefully) will be my first time back in a gym in over 2 years... hopefully there won't be a lot of people in there at 4 AM because I hate looking like a newbie or even an idiot. I've got 3 miles planned - 4 if it feels better than expected, and then I'll do some back strengthening exercises.
I honestly don't think it is murder, or that there is any connection to the Boonville woman and Evansville woman but sadly they are/were both mothers to two children (each) and are missed dearly by friends and family. Until they are either found alive or worse, DH and my mom don't want me running alone during the dark by myself so I have gotten a gym membership (BLAH!) for using the treadmill BUT I will be sneaking my Wednesday and Sunday long runs outside as I just don't know if I can handle an hour and a half run on the treadmill, let alone a 3 hour run... plus I would like to get back to weight training again - at least my upper body and core, as I try to be very careful with my legs so that I don't tire them or even injure them.
Yesterday evening I and Dorian went for our 4 miler, it sucked - 86 degrees (feels like 93), 66% humidity but a dew point of 72 and the pressure was awful because of the storm hovering above but never letting loose. I ran the 4 miles in 40:52 with an average pace of 10:12 mine/mile, elevation gain of 120 feet and a loss of 104 feet.
This morning was my 9 miler and due to it being 72 degrees, 94% humidity a dew point of 69 I decided not to take Rocky with me as I knew he would die. I am normally very aware of my surroundings but this time I was extra vigilant and paid attention to even the smell of cigarettes in the air just after the first mile. Nothing fishy this time, but I will definitely be more vigilant from now on and I might not even take my mp3 with me during my Sunday long runs.
Anyways, I ran 9 miles in 1:30:18 with an average pace of 10:02 min/mile and an elevation gain of 194 feet and a loss of 189 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:08
Mile 2 - 10:34
Mile 3 - 10:06
Mile 4 - 10:13
Mile 5 - 10:15
Mile 6 - 9:47
Mile 7 - 9:44
Mile 8 - 9:39
Mile 9 - 8:52
Tomorrow morning (hopefully) will be my first time back in a gym in over 2 years... hopefully there won't be a lot of people in there at 4 AM because I hate looking like a newbie or even an idiot. I've got 3 miles planned - 4 if it feels better than expected, and then I'll do some back strengthening exercises.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Got Another 9 Miles In
So there was a break in the weather, and I looked at the interactive radar to see what it was looking like through the next few hours. I piled Dorian and Rocky into the car and we headed off to find a place to run, ended up all the way over at the USI/Burdette recreational trail.
My first mistake was bringing Rocky without really looking at the temps and the humidity, later on seeing that it started at 72 degrees, 88% humidity, dew point of 71 and by the end of my run it was 74 degrees, 89% humidity and a dew point of 72. By mile 5 and 6 Rocky was really suffering, by mile 7 I stopped and saved that workout knowing the final 2 miles were going to be a lot of walking. We ran that 7 miles in 1:15:54 with an average pace of 10:50 min/mile and an elevation gain of 273 feet and a loss of 281 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:28
Mile 2 - 10:56
Mile 3 - 10:02
Mile 4 - 10:39
Mile 5 - 10:36
Mile 6 - 10:14
Mile 7 - 11:54
The final two miles were tough, mainly for Rocky and I was so mad at myself for taking Rocky with us but it hurts to leave him there as he wants to go so bad. We ran the final 2 miles in 22:09 with an average pace of 11:04 min/mile, an elevation gain of 54 feet and a loss of 154 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 12:06
Mile 2 - 10:02
I was so happy to be done and felt so bad for Rocky, I'll remember not to take him on any runs over 4 miles if the humidity is high and the temperature is over 69 degrees.
In the "long run" I got a total of 13 miles today and a total of 34 miles for week 8. Not bad, I suppose.
My first mistake was bringing Rocky without really looking at the temps and the humidity, later on seeing that it started at 72 degrees, 88% humidity, dew point of 71 and by the end of my run it was 74 degrees, 89% humidity and a dew point of 72. By mile 5 and 6 Rocky was really suffering, by mile 7 I stopped and saved that workout knowing the final 2 miles were going to be a lot of walking. We ran that 7 miles in 1:15:54 with an average pace of 10:50 min/mile and an elevation gain of 273 feet and a loss of 281 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:28
Mile 2 - 10:56
Mile 3 - 10:02
Mile 4 - 10:39
Mile 5 - 10:36
Mile 6 - 10:14
Mile 7 - 11:54
The final two miles were tough, mainly for Rocky and I was so mad at myself for taking Rocky with us but it hurts to leave him there as he wants to go so bad. We ran the final 2 miles in 22:09 with an average pace of 11:04 min/mile, an elevation gain of 54 feet and a loss of 154 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 12:06
Mile 2 - 10:02
I was so happy to be done and felt so bad for Rocky, I'll remember not to take him on any runs over 4 miles if the humidity is high and the temperature is over 69 degrees.
In the "long run" I got a total of 13 miles today and a total of 34 miles for week 8. Not bad, I suppose.
A Forced Cutback Week
So even after Wednesday's crappy run on the trails, the rest of the week seemed to be going well. Thursday Dorian and I ran 3 miles, then Friday Rocky and I ran 5 miles bringing the week to 21 miles. I had a 3 miler planned Saturday but due to stomach/bowel issues Friday night and Saturday morning I decided against it (wish I had went).
Weather forecast was predicting light rain from 3 to 6 AM this morning, then it would turn to heavy rain and then thunderstorms all freaking day. Everything was looking good when I got up at 3:15, it was quiet outside and not even a drop of rain. As I walked past the kitchen window to grab my watch I thought I saw lightning, but hoped I was wrong. I stepped outside and into the driveway and sure enough, there was lightning, and thunder :(
I stood there for a minute or two debating, go back inside in defeat or attempt some sort of mileage.... I soon started down the driveway. I decided not to even attempt my new route and get too far from the house just in case, and I cursed Mother Nature and called her a few bad names. Around mile 1.36 I knew I had to head home as the lightning was getting more and more often. I chose not to head back the same way though, I was determined to get 3 miles in but when I reached 2 miles and was 1 mile away I decided to head down another road and try to get 4 miles in. At this point I was begging Mother Nature not to kill me, and to hold off on the violent stuff until I made it home. I must be crazy, there was a time I wouldn't have cared but with my little boy depending on me I have to put his needs first.
I made it home safe and sound, got inside and about 5-10 minutes later I heard it go from some rain to a downpour, like it just dropped from the sky.... yep I was so glad I got home when I did.
I am not sure whether to be thankful that Mother Nature let me live even after calling her names or to be angry I didn't get my planned and wanted 18 miles in, this week pretty much leaves me with 25 miles unless at some point tonight after 7 I can get at least 5 miles in.... but I am not getting my hopes up :(
Weather forecast was predicting light rain from 3 to 6 AM this morning, then it would turn to heavy rain and then thunderstorms all freaking day. Everything was looking good when I got up at 3:15, it was quiet outside and not even a drop of rain. As I walked past the kitchen window to grab my watch I thought I saw lightning, but hoped I was wrong. I stepped outside and into the driveway and sure enough, there was lightning, and thunder :(
I stood there for a minute or two debating, go back inside in defeat or attempt some sort of mileage.... I soon started down the driveway. I decided not to even attempt my new route and get too far from the house just in case, and I cursed Mother Nature and called her a few bad names. Around mile 1.36 I knew I had to head home as the lightning was getting more and more often. I chose not to head back the same way though, I was determined to get 3 miles in but when I reached 2 miles and was 1 mile away I decided to head down another road and try to get 4 miles in. At this point I was begging Mother Nature not to kill me, and to hold off on the violent stuff until I made it home. I must be crazy, there was a time I wouldn't have cared but with my little boy depending on me I have to put his needs first.
I made it home safe and sound, got inside and about 5-10 minutes later I heard it go from some rain to a downpour, like it just dropped from the sky.... yep I was so glad I got home when I did.
I am not sure whether to be thankful that Mother Nature let me live even after calling her names or to be angry I didn't get my planned and wanted 18 miles in, this week pretty much leaves me with 25 miles unless at some point tonight after 7 I can get at least 5 miles in.... but I am not getting my hopes up :(
Thursday, August 14, 2014
One Really Crappy Trail Run
First, I took Dorian and Rocky for a 4 miler Tuesday evening which went well.
As for Wednesday morning..........
I didn't want to get up this morning, I was freaking tired but I promised Rocky a run on the trails since is was only 61 degrees. Boy do I wish I hadn't made that promise, because the trails were unkind to me and my feet just didn't have much get up and go :(
I swear there are more roots out there now than there is dirt and trail, and within the first half mile I was attacked by a large root and landed on the right side of my body. I scraped my elbow, scraped my knee a little but more bruised it than anything, but most of all my ego was crushed lol.
For miles 2 and 3 I stayed on the levee, not wanting to get back out on the trails. Fear of injuring myself had finally reached reality, but around mile 3 I got back out on the trails and things were going fine for the most part. We spooked a mother raccoon and 2 youngin's, and of course saw lots of deer. Things were going really well until the final loop and right around the last half mile my right foot caught a stump.... luckily a tree broke my fall and just about broke my hand too. At this point I was freaking pissed off and cursing at the trees, I was freaking done man....... it's a good thing my run was almost done.
As far as the run, Rocky and I ran 9 miles in 1:34:38 with an average pace of 10:31 min/mile. Elevation gain of 73 feet and a loss of 77 feet, the moon was beautifully bright even for not being full...but that didn't help my ego or my spirit much.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:21
Mile 2 - 10:03
Mile 3 - 10:29
Mile 4 - 10:41
Mile 5 - 11:04
Mile 6 - 10:30
Mile 7 - 10:41
Mile 8 - 9:58
Mile 9 - 9:51
After yesterday morning's trail run I have decided to stop running trails during this training cycle, until after I've completed my first marathon because I would just lose it if I ended up injuring myself and not be able to run the IMM..... you would probably see me on the news for some violent act.
As for Wednesday morning..........
I didn't want to get up this morning, I was freaking tired but I promised Rocky a run on the trails since is was only 61 degrees. Boy do I wish I hadn't made that promise, because the trails were unkind to me and my feet just didn't have much get up and go :(
I swear there are more roots out there now than there is dirt and trail, and within the first half mile I was attacked by a large root and landed on the right side of my body. I scraped my elbow, scraped my knee a little but more bruised it than anything, but most of all my ego was crushed lol.
For miles 2 and 3 I stayed on the levee, not wanting to get back out on the trails. Fear of injuring myself had finally reached reality, but around mile 3 I got back out on the trails and things were going fine for the most part. We spooked a mother raccoon and 2 youngin's, and of course saw lots of deer. Things were going really well until the final loop and right around the last half mile my right foot caught a stump.... luckily a tree broke my fall and just about broke my hand too. At this point I was freaking pissed off and cursing at the trees, I was freaking done man....... it's a good thing my run was almost done.
As far as the run, Rocky and I ran 9 miles in 1:34:38 with an average pace of 10:31 min/mile. Elevation gain of 73 feet and a loss of 77 feet, the moon was beautifully bright even for not being full...but that didn't help my ego or my spirit much.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:21
Mile 2 - 10:03
Mile 3 - 10:29
Mile 4 - 10:41
Mile 5 - 11:04
Mile 6 - 10:30
Mile 7 - 10:41
Mile 8 - 9:58
Mile 9 - 9:51
After yesterday morning's trail run I have decided to stop running trails during this training cycle, until after I've completed my first marathon because I would just lose it if I ended up injuring myself and not be able to run the IMM..... you would probably see me on the news for some violent act.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Against Some Humid Odds
I have to admit, I wasn't looking forward to this morning's run and had my eyes glued to the weather forecast all day yesterday. Although I was dreading it, I was determined to get out there and attempt 18 miles.... but when the alarm went off at 3:15 AM all I could think of was "F*&%&uuuuuu%$@K..........." the night just felt like it went too fast and I really didn't want to step outside. Weather said 73 degrees, 94% humidity and a dew point of 71... not a freaking breeze at all.
I stepped out the door at 4:07, had my 1L hydration reservoir full of water and ice, my 12 oz bottle full of water and two Endurolyte fizz tabs - one grape and one grapefruit (though I am considering knocking it down to one), first mistake was not sticking a 2nd chocolate energy gu in my pack along with the one that was already in there and the Hammer Montana Huckleberry gel (found out at mile 14 it is freaking nasty :( ).
First four miles were uneventful, had to stop for a quick potty break and then move on. I kept my mp3 quiet as it was still dark and I was passing corn fields and woods, and my imagination likes to freak me out during these moments. Other than that, nothing exciting.
Between miles 7 and 9 I had to make another pit stop, thankfully I now carry baby wipes with me on my long runs. At some points I felt as if I was going to have an asthma attack, the air was so constricting and just thick, it was pretty miserable. Thankfully it was so cloudy that sun never showed it's awful face throughout the run. I was drinking a lot of water from both, even though I had never ran out yet during a run I was trying to be careful. I was thankful to have reached the half way point but was honestly eyeing the 12 mile mark for which I would then have only 6 miles or an hour left.
Mile 12 saw another pit stop, and from this point there was quite a bit of struggling. At this point, instead of stopping every 2 miles or 1 mile I was stopping every half mile to .75 miles. I had consumed my chocolate gu at mile 10, so at mile 14 I found myself left with the montana huckleberry that I hadn't tried yet and had actually been avoiding it. I soon found out why, at first the taste wasn't too awful but then it just became nasty, I could only take a few "drops" or whatever you would call it and stuffed the rest in my pack.... disgusted. Water didn't get rid of the taste, and it hurt my already injured state (mentally), the last big hill at 14.3 - 14.4 was done with a walk and then I paced for what felt like 5 minutes trying to gather my strength.
I was never so thankful to reach mile 15, thinking I only had 3 more miles left... my calves were sore, my quads and hams were sore but most of all my glutes hurt like hell. I stopped again at 15.4 miles, and then headed onward with no plans to stop until I felt the need to but then I stopped just after mile 16 to take a pic of the gloominess of the sky..... only to realize I couldn't unlike my phone due to so much freaking sweat :(
I held on until mile 17.15, then I felt the need for another pit stop. After that I stood for a moment, realized I drank my last bit of water from both the reservoir and the bottle..... did I mention that warm water was just tasting nasty? I knew I only had one mile left, but I knew I would also have a whole half mile to walk back home. But I was almost done, almost finished with this new PR milestone and that was all I cared about.
I stopped again at 17.5, craving water and feeling the affects of both the heat/humidity and exhaustion - my last stop was 17.85, I can't begin to describe how much I wanted to be done with this and how badly I missed the cold weather, hell I will be happy to see 30 degrees, even sub zero temps damn it.
I finished 18 miles in 3:01:01 with an average pace of 10:03 min/mile (elapsed time of 3:58:57, admittedly this was my toughest run even with no stomach issues). Elevation gain of 416 feet and a loss of 398 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:13
Mile 2 - 10:34
Mile 3 - 10:23
Mile 4 - 10:15
Mile 5 - 10:08
Mile 6 - 10:19
Mile 7 - 10:27
Mile 8 - 10:25
Mile 9 - 10:29
Mile 10 - 10:03
Mile 11 - 9:56
Mile 12 - 9:41
Mile 13 - 9:25
Mile 14 - 9:25
Mile 15 - 10:15
Mile 16 - 9:37
Mile 17 - 9:34
Mile 18 - 8:52
Week 7 is over and done with 39 miles for the week, 3 miles less due to Thursday's rain and tahoe issue but the biggest achievement was this morning's long run.
I stepped out the door at 4:07, had my 1L hydration reservoir full of water and ice, my 12 oz bottle full of water and two Endurolyte fizz tabs - one grape and one grapefruit (though I am considering knocking it down to one), first mistake was not sticking a 2nd chocolate energy gu in my pack along with the one that was already in there and the Hammer Montana Huckleberry gel (found out at mile 14 it is freaking nasty :( ).
First four miles were uneventful, had to stop for a quick potty break and then move on. I kept my mp3 quiet as it was still dark and I was passing corn fields and woods, and my imagination likes to freak me out during these moments. Other than that, nothing exciting.
Between miles 7 and 9 I had to make another pit stop, thankfully I now carry baby wipes with me on my long runs. At some points I felt as if I was going to have an asthma attack, the air was so constricting and just thick, it was pretty miserable. Thankfully it was so cloudy that sun never showed it's awful face throughout the run. I was drinking a lot of water from both, even though I had never ran out yet during a run I was trying to be careful. I was thankful to have reached the half way point but was honestly eyeing the 12 mile mark for which I would then have only 6 miles or an hour left.
Mile 12 saw another pit stop, and from this point there was quite a bit of struggling. At this point, instead of stopping every 2 miles or 1 mile I was stopping every half mile to .75 miles. I had consumed my chocolate gu at mile 10, so at mile 14 I found myself left with the montana huckleberry that I hadn't tried yet and had actually been avoiding it. I soon found out why, at first the taste wasn't too awful but then it just became nasty, I could only take a few "drops" or whatever you would call it and stuffed the rest in my pack.... disgusted. Water didn't get rid of the taste, and it hurt my already injured state (mentally), the last big hill at 14.3 - 14.4 was done with a walk and then I paced for what felt like 5 minutes trying to gather my strength.
I was never so thankful to reach mile 15, thinking I only had 3 more miles left... my calves were sore, my quads and hams were sore but most of all my glutes hurt like hell. I stopped again at 15.4 miles, and then headed onward with no plans to stop until I felt the need to but then I stopped just after mile 16 to take a pic of the gloominess of the sky..... only to realize I couldn't unlike my phone due to so much freaking sweat :(
I held on until mile 17.15, then I felt the need for another pit stop. After that I stood for a moment, realized I drank my last bit of water from both the reservoir and the bottle..... did I mention that warm water was just tasting nasty? I knew I only had one mile left, but I knew I would also have a whole half mile to walk back home. But I was almost done, almost finished with this new PR milestone and that was all I cared about.
I stopped again at 17.5, craving water and feeling the affects of both the heat/humidity and exhaustion - my last stop was 17.85, I can't begin to describe how much I wanted to be done with this and how badly I missed the cold weather, hell I will be happy to see 30 degrees, even sub zero temps damn it.
I finished 18 miles in 3:01:01 with an average pace of 10:03 min/mile (elapsed time of 3:58:57, admittedly this was my toughest run even with no stomach issues). Elevation gain of 416 feet and a loss of 398 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:13
Mile 2 - 10:34
Mile 3 - 10:23
Mile 4 - 10:15
Mile 5 - 10:08
Mile 6 - 10:19
Mile 7 - 10:27
Mile 8 - 10:25
Mile 9 - 10:29
Mile 10 - 10:03
Mile 11 - 9:56
Mile 12 - 9:41
Mile 13 - 9:25
Mile 14 - 9:25
Mile 15 - 10:15
Mile 16 - 9:37
Mile 17 - 9:34
Mile 18 - 8:52
Week 7 is over and done with 39 miles for the week, 3 miles less due to Thursday's rain and tahoe issue but the biggest achievement was this morning's long run.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Where the Hell am I?
I admit, I've been a bad girl damn it. I haven't blooped since Sunday's 17 miler so I've got to catch up.
Tuesday I ran 3 miles with Dorian, um...mm in 29:02 - it was 84 degrees but thankfully cloudy and only 55% humidity.
Wednesday I ran 9 miles in 1:29:20 with an average pace of 9:55 min/mile, temperature was 70 degrees, 88% humidity and foggy. Elevation gain of 173 feet and a loss of 178 feet. I saw 4 other runners out there, making a total of 6 or 7 runners since moving out to Chandler, IN.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:44
Mile 2 - 10:30
Mile 3 - 9:59
Mile 4 - 10:09
Mile 5 - 10:01
Mile 6 - 9:53
Mile 7 - 9:44
Mile 8 - 9:30
Mile 9 - 8:50
An awesome run, not so awesome day.
Now Thursday! Oh Thursday was a very eventful day, let me tell you. The plan was 3 or 4 miles that evening, so we left the shop at 4:45 and got home around 5 so I could change clothes. Then I along with Dorian and Rocky headed to the Evansville riverfront. The skies had been threatening rain all day, but nothing came until 5-10 minutes on the road. By the time we got to the parking lot it was a downpour along with raging winds that I wasn't about to dare take a stroller in so we had to head home. While on the highway talking to my mom on the phone, I notice my Tahoe hinting at some kind of trouble but it stopped so I kept driving and trying to see through the sheets of rain. As soon as I got onto the off ramp to get onto 62 my RPMs dropped dramatically, I could feel things shifting back and forth like it kept trying to get up and going but would give up. Then it would stop, but as soon as I got up to 50 mph it started again and my RPMs dipped below 1,000. I wanted to make it but I was still a good 3 miles from home and at the rate this was going it would take me longer than I could run. So I pulled to the side of the road, as far over as I could because the speed limit is 60 but people go anywhere from 65-80 on here and I was seriously terrified for my son's life and my dog's life (and mine). I was able to reach my mom who said she'd head my way to pick us up, then I reached DH who gave me a tow company's number to call. I probably sat there for 30 minutes before my mom got there, in a downpour with my dog who wasn't seatbelted in and my son (a '98 Tahoe doesn't exactly have the safety features that keep a toddler carseat safe and tight, and I am all about the safety of my son). My mom finally gets and by then it's a real downpour, I raced Rocky to her van first and we're drenched then both mom and I head to the tahoe to get Dorian and the carseat out. We're drenched even more at this point, I eventually get his carseat safely strapped in tight as he is sitting in the front seat waiting patiently (had someone hit us at this point, my son would be dead so I was seriously scared and trying to hurry up on getting him back in his seat strapped in). We sat there for probably 20 more minutes waiting for the tow truck, and by the way during the total of an hour and 10 or 15 minutes we sat there (including the tow truck) not a single officer passed us on either side. During the sheets of rain, nobody was getting over in the left lane as they would pass us, while going 65+ mph and soon a Semi with a trailer came along and as he passed us I noticed the back end of his trailer swinging to the right... had it done that when passing my mom's van it would have hooked us and drug us along :( I was so relieved when it was over.
Suffice to say, by the time we got back home I was tired and didn't feel like running at all.
This morning was 70 degrees but raining so the 94% humidity didn't feel too bad at all. Rocky and I ran 6 miles in 1:02:10 with an average pace of 10:21 min/mile, elevation gain of 136 feet and a loss of 140 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:44
Mile 2 - 10:34
Mile 3 - 10:27
Mile 4 - 10:26
Mile 5 - 10:04
Mile 6 - 9:55
Okay........... I've got 3-4 miles planned tomorrow and then an 18 miler Sunday... wish me luck.
Tuesday I ran 3 miles with Dorian, um...mm in 29:02 - it was 84 degrees but thankfully cloudy and only 55% humidity.
Wednesday I ran 9 miles in 1:29:20 with an average pace of 9:55 min/mile, temperature was 70 degrees, 88% humidity and foggy. Elevation gain of 173 feet and a loss of 178 feet. I saw 4 other runners out there, making a total of 6 or 7 runners since moving out to Chandler, IN.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:44
Mile 2 - 10:30
Mile 3 - 9:59
Mile 4 - 10:09
Mile 5 - 10:01
Mile 6 - 9:53
Mile 7 - 9:44
Mile 8 - 9:30
Mile 9 - 8:50
An awesome run, not so awesome day.
Now Thursday! Oh Thursday was a very eventful day, let me tell you. The plan was 3 or 4 miles that evening, so we left the shop at 4:45 and got home around 5 so I could change clothes. Then I along with Dorian and Rocky headed to the Evansville riverfront. The skies had been threatening rain all day, but nothing came until 5-10 minutes on the road. By the time we got to the parking lot it was a downpour along with raging winds that I wasn't about to dare take a stroller in so we had to head home. While on the highway talking to my mom on the phone, I notice my Tahoe hinting at some kind of trouble but it stopped so I kept driving and trying to see through the sheets of rain. As soon as I got onto the off ramp to get onto 62 my RPMs dropped dramatically, I could feel things shifting back and forth like it kept trying to get up and going but would give up. Then it would stop, but as soon as I got up to 50 mph it started again and my RPMs dipped below 1,000. I wanted to make it but I was still a good 3 miles from home and at the rate this was going it would take me longer than I could run. So I pulled to the side of the road, as far over as I could because the speed limit is 60 but people go anywhere from 65-80 on here and I was seriously terrified for my son's life and my dog's life (and mine). I was able to reach my mom who said she'd head my way to pick us up, then I reached DH who gave me a tow company's number to call. I probably sat there for 30 minutes before my mom got there, in a downpour with my dog who wasn't seatbelted in and my son (a '98 Tahoe doesn't exactly have the safety features that keep a toddler carseat safe and tight, and I am all about the safety of my son). My mom finally gets and by then it's a real downpour, I raced Rocky to her van first and we're drenched then both mom and I head to the tahoe to get Dorian and the carseat out. We're drenched even more at this point, I eventually get his carseat safely strapped in tight as he is sitting in the front seat waiting patiently (had someone hit us at this point, my son would be dead so I was seriously scared and trying to hurry up on getting him back in his seat strapped in). We sat there for probably 20 more minutes waiting for the tow truck, and by the way during the total of an hour and 10 or 15 minutes we sat there (including the tow truck) not a single officer passed us on either side. During the sheets of rain, nobody was getting over in the left lane as they would pass us, while going 65+ mph and soon a Semi with a trailer came along and as he passed us I noticed the back end of his trailer swinging to the right... had it done that when passing my mom's van it would have hooked us and drug us along :( I was so relieved when it was over.
Suffice to say, by the time we got back home I was tired and didn't feel like running at all.
This morning was 70 degrees but raining so the 94% humidity didn't feel too bad at all. Rocky and I ran 6 miles in 1:02:10 with an average pace of 10:21 min/mile, elevation gain of 136 feet and a loss of 140 feet.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:44
Mile 2 - 10:34
Mile 3 - 10:27
Mile 4 - 10:26
Mile 5 - 10:04
Mile 6 - 9:55
Okay........... I've got 3-4 miles planned tomorrow and then an 18 miler Sunday... wish me luck.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Oh yeah, oh yeah! Last Weekend Can Kiss My Butt!!!
I am happy to say this morning's run made up for last Sunday's fail by 100 times. I didn't get to bed until after 11 PM and then Dorian woke up throughout the night with I guess bad dreams so I didn't get much sleep at all. When my alarm went off at 4:02 AM I felt like hammered crap, tired and just not wanting to get up so I laid on the couch for 45 minutes and then got up, got ready and was out the door by 5:30 AM.
The sun was rising, but the fog covered a lot of it. The temperature was already around 65 degrees, humidity at 94%, and even though I knew in my gut I should have tried to leave before 5 AM, I was just too tired and I like to have my mp3 player for runs over 16 miles BUT I don't like having music during runs in the dark so...
Things were going real good, between miles 3 and 4 I stopped to take a picture of the sun and the fog and a field.
Phones just don't seem to take pictures as stunning as a DSLR camera, but it did well to capture what I was seeing.
The sun was rising, but the fog covered a lot of it. The temperature was already around 65 degrees, humidity at 94%, and even though I knew in my gut I should have tried to leave before 5 AM, I was just too tired and I like to have my mp3 player for runs over 16 miles BUT I don't like having music during runs in the dark so...
Things were going real good, between miles 3 and 4 I stopped to take a picture of the sun and the fog and a field.
Phones just don't seem to take pictures as stunning as a DSLR camera, but it did well to capture what I was seeing.
Around mile 6 I saw cows, black angus beef I think. I spooked them as they were moving along the fence line before we parted ways. It is interesting to watch how cows run, they are an interesting animal.
Around or just after mile 7 I had to stop, I must have hit a spot where the humidity just rose.... it took my breath away. After a few swigs of water and water with endurolyte fizz tabs, I was off and going (spooked some more cows, looked like yearlings). At this point the fog was gone and the sun was out, no clouds in sight but I still had lots of shade and was feeling good. Around mile 10 I consumed a Strawberry Kiwi Gu and some water, then continued on my mission. By mile 11 I had decided I was going to do 17 miles or try at least, the 16 route was going to give me lots of hills and with the sun out and shining, it was getting really warm and I was heating up myself so I chose the less hillier path that would also give me over 16 miles.
The hardest parts were the last 3 miles, the sun was shining on me with no clouds, no wind and this last 3 were without shade and the last mile was me facing the sun.... I was stopping about every mile or .75 at a tiny piece of shade when I could. Mile 14 was my one and only pit stop (yay me!)
At mile 16 I stopped and took a breath and some water, and thought to myself " I am only a mile from home and a long distance PR, awesome!". I stopped again at 16.6 at a nice shady spot just to soak it in, I was really hating that sun damn it.
I ran 17 miles in 2:48:25 with an average pace of 9:54 min/mile pace, elevation gain of 453 feet and a loss of 441 feet. The run went really good, I went mainly by feel this time.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:03
Mile 2 - 10:39
Mile 3 - 10:20
Mile 4 - 10:17
Mile 5 - 10:08
Mile 6 - 10:01
Mile 7 - 9:49
Mile 8 - 9:56
Mile 9 - 9:45
Mile 10 - 10:04
Mile 11 - 9:54
Mile 12 - 9:31
Mile 13 - 9:38
Mile 14 - 9:30
Mile 15 - 9:41
Mile 15 - 9:41
Mile 16 - 9:17
Mile 17 - 8:51
Overall it was a great run, and I am so happy for the long distance PR. I am sore, today and tomorrow is probably going to ache a lot, but I have a lot of cleaning to do. Yay me!
Saturday, August 2, 2014
The Last Few(?) Days
Okay, I haven't blooped since I think Wednesday... things seem to be getting better, or at least I am not feeling like total dog crap so I am crossing my fingers that tomorrow morning's 16 miler will be better than last week's fail.
Thursday night I took Dorian and Rocky to Wesselman's park to start our run there, I didn't want to do the greenways, didn't want to do too many hills either. My quads were (and still are) a bit sore from Tuesday's 4 miles up and down hills with a stroller and a dog. We ran 1.75 miles up to my grandparents' house and stopped for a 5-10 minute chat before heading back, finishing up a 3.5 mile run in 36:24 with an average pace of 10:24 min/mile and finishing July off with 152 miles, my third month in the fifties this year (and just period).
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:25
Mile 2 - 10:13
Mile 3 - 10:43
.5 - 10:04
Temperature was around 80 but not humid and we had shade so it wasn't bad at all.
Friday morning's run was interesting, it was a really nice 64 degrees and not really humid so Rocky and I hit the trails for a 5 mile run. My quads were still sore but not awful and everything was going really well until about mile 2.3.... and I just about ran face level into this:
Believe me I was a little unnerved with the damn bastard, which was like large than a quarter (but not poisonous, most orb spiders aren't). His/her web stretched across the entire trail which was 5-6 feet wide at that point. It took me about 3 minutes to settle my nerves and then I blew on it until it took off and up, then I went underneath.
Thursday night I took Dorian and Rocky to Wesselman's park to start our run there, I didn't want to do the greenways, didn't want to do too many hills either. My quads were (and still are) a bit sore from Tuesday's 4 miles up and down hills with a stroller and a dog. We ran 1.75 miles up to my grandparents' house and stopped for a 5-10 minute chat before heading back, finishing up a 3.5 mile run in 36:24 with an average pace of 10:24 min/mile and finishing July off with 152 miles, my third month in the fifties this year (and just period).
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 10:25
Mile 2 - 10:13
Mile 3 - 10:43
.5 - 10:04
Temperature was around 80 but not humid and we had shade so it wasn't bad at all.
Friday morning's run was interesting, it was a really nice 64 degrees and not really humid so Rocky and I hit the trails for a 5 mile run. My quads were still sore but not awful and everything was going really well until about mile 2.3.... and I just about ran face level into this:
Believe me I was a little unnerved with the damn bastard, which was like large than a quarter (but not poisonous, most orb spiders aren't). His/her web stretched across the entire trail which was 5-6 feet wide at that point. It took me about 3 minutes to settle my nerves and then I blew on it until it took off and up, then I went underneath.
Things went back to being normal and quiet, and dark. We saw cats, raccoons but I didn't see a single deer (strange). We ended up going counterclockwise on a trail that I normally run clockwise if I run it at all, at one point my foot caught a root or stump but I recovered quickly like usual. Around mile 4.5 I started to daydream, and stopped paying attention to where my feet were landing.... and that is when a small but tall root caught my foot and sent me flying..... luckily my hands caught me before I experienced a face plant. I cursed and rolled to my back and laid there for a second, stopping my garmin (of course) and scared to look at my knees or even move... my biggest fear being that I injure myself enough to screw up my training. I soon sat up and looked for damage, other than a dirt cloud around us and dirt all over me, there was no damage. I sat for a moment longer a little angry at myself for not paying attention, I have been running those trails (in the dark) for over a year now and at least once or twice a week throughout this year so I was pretty pissed that I let my guard down for that.
Rocky and I finished 5 miles in 55:22 with an average pace of 11:04 min/mile.
Laps/splits were:
Mile 1 - 11:42
Mile 2 - 10:29
Mile 3 - 11:46
Mile 4 - 10:58
Mile 5 - 10:26
This morning, I decided to take Rocky and Dorian for an easy 1.5 mile run, so that if my 16 miler goes smoothly tomorrow I will have 38 miles for this week, I don't want to increase things to fast so I figure a 15 minute run today wouldn't hurt. Due to the cooler weather, Rocky was able to put in 22 miles of running with me this week along with walks and hikes so we'll have a total of 50 miles of being on our feet for the week.
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