I went into last week a little wary. It was a new week of new workouts..longer intervals, tempo runs, and a 75 minute long run. I was armed with lap times, doing MUCH better with pacing, but the idea of the new runs (and a really fricking long one) made me doubt myself a little. Until I was given a heads up that the FOLLOWING week, I should be prepared to do a five mile long run. WHAT? Are you kidding me??? I can't run five miles! I'm still working on consistently having the four mile under an hour! But, the seed of five miles was planted anyway....
So, I headed to long intervals (2/3 mile, 1/3 mile recovery) and was able to complete them well, setting a 3 mile PR in the process. Excited by my success, I looked forward to the longer steady state run of 3 miles (new distance) and was able to complete that one with success too! My first tempo run (run at race pace) was a little daunting but I was able to come in with a little faster lap times than I was aiming for. I was looking forward to the steady state run (2 1/2 miles) the next day and went out (as usual) a little too fast. But, I was fine with the speed so I kept it up and was able to run my 2 1/2 at very slightly slower than the tempo speed goal from the day before. I was ecstatic by my run but tempered the excitement with a few nerves because I knew that I was blowing my goals out of the water (meaning newer, harder goals were coming.....) and because I was a little worried that I had gone too fast and really had done a tempo run instead of really doing the steady state I was supposed to be doing. As for the next day, my intervals turned into a steady state run (a real one) so that I would be refreshed for the long run on Wednesday.
Wednesday dawned happy and well and I was excited to get started with my long run, but had a few things to do around the house. While I was cleaning and straightening, that seed (the 5 mile one) took root and grew in my head. I looked at the lap/pace time chart on the fridge and realized that I could probably aim for the five miles this week. So, I thought I would give it a try and no being disappointed if I missed it. So, I played a math game during my run to keep me occupied over my insane number of laps. Instead of really paying attention to what was going on with my lap time, I played an over/under game seeing if I could stay under the 15:00 pace needed to hit 5 miles in 75 minutes. After a couple of miles, it was intensely clear that it wouldn't be a problem to keep that up. And that run turned into the BEST RUN EVER, as I shattered four PRs in that run (total time run, total continuous distance, four miles, and five miles). Yes...you read that right, not only did I hit 5 miles, I ran for a total of 5.33!! And each subsequent mile was FASTER than the mile before it, which rarely, if ever, happens during my long runs. It started with the first mile just under 15:00 at 14:57 and finished with a 13:40. WOW! Because of the nature of my lap timing on my HRM, I don't actually see these numbers until they are in my spreadsheet, so I was even surprised by myself!
Good news from all this? Look at all those amazing PRs!! I surprised myself and am going to have all sorts of new lap times to hit by the end of the month!!
Bad news? I injured my left leg. I took Thursday off and went back at intervals on Friday but couldn't get them all completed because of the pain in my leg. I tried to push through it (set a one mile PR in the process), but ended up having to take the entire weekend off as a result. Hopefully, I'll be better and good and ready to go by this weekend!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Musings from the Hamster Wheel
I have been running for just about two months now (!!) and, in that time, I have discovered some interesting things about my indoor track known as the Hamster Wheel...
1. Stay to the Right Except to Pass
As I was once pulled over by a cop on my way to Payson for this, this is a rule I already know. I just never realized that it applied to running. As a slow runner, I find that I am frequently being passed by faster runners as well as passing slower walkers. And, in either case, you pass on the outside. Usually. What causes me no end of consternation though is the "friend walkers." I can call them this because I used to be one of them...and sometimes, I still am. They are the ones that walk next to each other on the track...slowly...without paying attention to the runners around them. When there are multiple runners on the track, these people become a serious annoyance when two runners want to pass at the same time. (This happens more frequently than I originally thought.) Inevitably, one runner has to slow his or her run. So, if this is you, pay attention to the people around you and when there are multiple people looking to pass, stop talking for three seconds and both of you move to the inside. It would make life so much better for the rest of us....
2. It's Not a Sobriety Test, People
Those lines on the track...they aren't to see if you can run in a straight line. Seriously. That's not the point. They are to separate the lanes. No joke. I seriously spent a good portion of my cool down last night having to pass a man who was WALKING the line between the two inner lanes. Please, Dude...pay attention to those around you. While I understand that sometimes it's hard to stay in the lines on a difficult workout, it shouldn't happen on EVERY lap...
3. The Hamsters
The most entertaining part of the Hamster Wheel is the other hamsters on and around the wheel!! There is Speed Work Guy who is there almost every night doing something interesting. It's not always speed work but that's what it was the first couple of times I saw him so the name stuck. There are the Gym Groupies downstairs who spend more time looking at each other than actually lifting weights. They make me giggle because really what is the point?? There is Routine Lady who is always at the gym in the morning doing something. She's usually on the elliptical or lifting weights but never seems to miss a day. There is Toe Shoe Guy. I only saw him once and it took EFFORT not to stop him mid-run and ask him about his shoes. There is Tri-Lady. I see her running and cycling all the time. She's super fast and it doesn't even look like effort. I don't know that she does triathlons but I wouldn't be surprised. Last of all, there is Sweating on the Stairs Guy. He dresses in some sort of lycra sweat suit to do the stair machine and he is ALWAYS pouring sweat all over the machine. I'm sure that's the point, but I'm grossed out every time I see him...
Even with all the crazy people, I still love my Hamster Wheel. It's better than rain and snow and general bad weather yuckiness!! And I get the bonus of the other hamsters!! :)
1. Stay to the Right Except to Pass
As I was once pulled over by a cop on my way to Payson for this, this is a rule I already know. I just never realized that it applied to running. As a slow runner, I find that I am frequently being passed by faster runners as well as passing slower walkers. And, in either case, you pass on the outside. Usually. What causes me no end of consternation though is the "friend walkers." I can call them this because I used to be one of them...and sometimes, I still am. They are the ones that walk next to each other on the track...slowly...without paying attention to the runners around them. When there are multiple runners on the track, these people become a serious annoyance when two runners want to pass at the same time. (This happens more frequently than I originally thought.) Inevitably, one runner has to slow his or her run. So, if this is you, pay attention to the people around you and when there are multiple people looking to pass, stop talking for three seconds and both of you move to the inside. It would make life so much better for the rest of us....
2. It's Not a Sobriety Test, People
Those lines on the track...they aren't to see if you can run in a straight line. Seriously. That's not the point. They are to separate the lanes. No joke. I seriously spent a good portion of my cool down last night having to pass a man who was WALKING the line between the two inner lanes. Please, Dude...pay attention to those around you. While I understand that sometimes it's hard to stay in the lines on a difficult workout, it shouldn't happen on EVERY lap...
3. The Hamsters
The most entertaining part of the Hamster Wheel is the other hamsters on and around the wheel!! There is Speed Work Guy who is there almost every night doing something interesting. It's not always speed work but that's what it was the first couple of times I saw him so the name stuck. There are the Gym Groupies downstairs who spend more time looking at each other than actually lifting weights. They make me giggle because really what is the point?? There is Routine Lady who is always at the gym in the morning doing something. She's usually on the elliptical or lifting weights but never seems to miss a day. There is Toe Shoe Guy. I only saw him once and it took EFFORT not to stop him mid-run and ask him about his shoes. There is Tri-Lady. I see her running and cycling all the time. She's super fast and it doesn't even look like effort. I don't know that she does triathlons but I wouldn't be surprised. Last of all, there is Sweating on the Stairs Guy. He dresses in some sort of lycra sweat suit to do the stair machine and he is ALWAYS pouring sweat all over the machine. I'm sure that's the point, but I'm grossed out every time I see him...
Even with all the crazy people, I still love my Hamster Wheel. It's better than rain and snow and general bad weather yuckiness!! And I get the bonus of the other hamsters!! :)
Friday, December 2, 2011
The First Mile..
One of the things that I have learned over the past two months...I hate the first mile. After having achieved a running distance of FOUR MILES this week, I can honestly say that the first mile is always the hardest.
I'm not saying that the end of a hard run is easy. It's not. Physically, that's the hardest part of my run (or is supposed to be). But, mentally....that first mile is the hardest. I have noticed that on my steady runs (2.5 miles) and my long runs (60 minutes), I am always slower and mentally just struggling through that first mile. Once I turn the corner (haha) on my second mile, my speeds increase, my heart rate slows slightly, and I can relax into the music and enjoy (?!?!?) my run. I'm still focusing on lap times and breathing and heart rate, but it gets easier and more enjoyable after that first mile.
This thought led to another question the other day...does that make me a distance runner? It's hard to think of four miles as a DISTANCE when I have friends who run marathons and ultras. But, could I see myself doing that distance in the future? I'm not sure....maybe. But, that's such a different answer than I would have given six months ago. And, more importantly, does it really matter? I'm a runner...that's the only label that matters.
I'm not saying that the end of a hard run is easy. It's not. Physically, that's the hardest part of my run (or is supposed to be). But, mentally....that first mile is the hardest. I have noticed that on my steady runs (2.5 miles) and my long runs (60 minutes), I am always slower and mentally just struggling through that first mile. Once I turn the corner (haha) on my second mile, my speeds increase, my heart rate slows slightly, and I can relax into the music and enjoy (?!?!?) my run. I'm still focusing on lap times and breathing and heart rate, but it gets easier and more enjoyable after that first mile.
This thought led to another question the other day...does that make me a distance runner? It's hard to think of four miles as a DISTANCE when I have friends who run marathons and ultras. But, could I see myself doing that distance in the future? I'm not sure....maybe. But, that's such a different answer than I would have given six months ago. And, more importantly, does it really matter? I'm a runner...that's the only label that matters.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Brown??
Saturday afternoon, while mourning a Buckeye loss to Purdue, I decided that I was done with the cute blue sparkly polish that had been gracing my toes since the beginning of the season. (Yes...I'm aware that blue was not the best of choices for my Buckeyes, but it was a really cute shade and I didn't think it would last as long as it did!) We were hanging at a friend's house, so I asked if they had some nail polish remover that I could borrow. As I slowly turned my fingers slightly blue with removed polish, I noticed something interesting...
There was brown under those big toenails!!! I was so excited that I shared it with everyone who would listen. Reactions: silence, confusion, worry, pride, happiness. A weird gamut, yes? The first three were from non-distance runners; the last two were from my runner friends. As they know, the brown/black toenail is something that only runners get. Knowing this, I was absolutely beside myself! All the disgruntled feelings of slowness, of newness, of not really getting this were wiped away in two half brown toes. I was ready to start on the next week of training!!!
Now, while I am excited by new level of runner-hood, I do plan on covering that brown up with a cute layer of SCARLET polish to finish out the Buckeye season!!!
There was brown under those big toenails!!! I was so excited that I shared it with everyone who would listen. Reactions: silence, confusion, worry, pride, happiness. A weird gamut, yes? The first three were from non-distance runners; the last two were from my runner friends. As they know, the brown/black toenail is something that only runners get. Knowing this, I was absolutely beside myself! All the disgruntled feelings of slowness, of newness, of not really getting this were wiped away in two half brown toes. I was ready to start on the next week of training!!!
Now, while I am excited by new level of runner-hood, I do plan on covering that brown up with a cute layer of SCARLET polish to finish out the Buckeye season!!!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Why Do I Bother?
This week's training sessions saw some interesting ups and downs.
After four days of 2 mile run sessions, Wednesday dawned as a welcome day off. But, as Alexa loves to race in the morning, we took off running across the blacktop to Samantha's school. And that's where I learned my lesson in proper running footwear. Evidently, ankle boots are not the way to go. I came down funny on my left foot, overcompensated to the right, and ended up on the blacktop with a skinned knee, a skinned elbow, and a slightly twisted ankle. I was so glad that Wednesday was a planned day off.
I aborted the run planned for Thursday because of the pain in my foot/ankle and went for a nice, slow walk with Hailey instead. I was concerned with Friday but thought I would just take it slow. I was still aiming for Saturday as a 2 1/2 mile run to push myself a little further this week. Like I said, why do I bother?
1 1/2 miles into the run, I felt good and my foot wasn't bothering me at all. I was definitely going slower than usual but I was having a hard time judging because I wasn't on my usual track. I was at a 12 laps to a mile track instead and my lap times were totally different. So, I decided to aim for 3 miles instead. And, once I hit 3, I couldn't just leave it there. So, I finished off another quarter mile at a much faster pace (about 12min/mile pace). And, as I was leaving the gym, I thought to myself, I so could have gone further at that slower pace. I ended up running a little over 53 minutes, which is pretty close to that 60 minute goal.
So, new goal again? Not really..I still have two goals for November that I haven't yet really hit. The first is to run continuously for 60 minutes. Most likely, I will hit that on Tuesday with my long run. The second....to get my average steady mile pace down to 14:00. With my new training schedule courtesy of Josh (thanks!), I am absolutely confident that I will hit that before Thanksgiving!
(On a housekeeping note, I have changed the settings so all of you who don't want google accounts can now post onto the blog....)
After four days of 2 mile run sessions, Wednesday dawned as a welcome day off. But, as Alexa loves to race in the morning, we took off running across the blacktop to Samantha's school. And that's where I learned my lesson in proper running footwear. Evidently, ankle boots are not the way to go. I came down funny on my left foot, overcompensated to the right, and ended up on the blacktop with a skinned knee, a skinned elbow, and a slightly twisted ankle. I was so glad that Wednesday was a planned day off.
I aborted the run planned for Thursday because of the pain in my foot/ankle and went for a nice, slow walk with Hailey instead. I was concerned with Friday but thought I would just take it slow. I was still aiming for Saturday as a 2 1/2 mile run to push myself a little further this week. Like I said, why do I bother?
1 1/2 miles into the run, I felt good and my foot wasn't bothering me at all. I was definitely going slower than usual but I was having a hard time judging because I wasn't on my usual track. I was at a 12 laps to a mile track instead and my lap times were totally different. So, I decided to aim for 3 miles instead. And, once I hit 3, I couldn't just leave it there. So, I finished off another quarter mile at a much faster pace (about 12min/mile pace). And, as I was leaving the gym, I thought to myself, I so could have gone further at that slower pace. I ended up running a little over 53 minutes, which is pretty close to that 60 minute goal.
So, new goal again? Not really..I still have two goals for November that I haven't yet really hit. The first is to run continuously for 60 minutes. Most likely, I will hit that on Tuesday with my long run. The second....to get my average steady mile pace down to 14:00. With my new training schedule courtesy of Josh (thanks!), I am absolutely confident that I will hit that before Thanksgiving!
(On a housekeeping note, I have changed the settings so all of you who don't want google accounts can now post onto the blog....)
Monday, October 31, 2011
The Running Bug
The way random events come together never ceases to amaze me.
Just over a year ago, I parted ways involuntarily with my previous employer. As upset (isn't that a nice word?) as I was at the parting, it led to me to my current employer. Without my current employer, I promise the world that I would NEVER have signed up for, let alone finished, a half marathon. And without that half marathon sign up and subsequent blog, I never would have reconnected with my friend/coach, Josh. And without that reconnection, I would not be calling myself a runner today. While I am absolutely taking the credit for the hard work I've done, without the motivating words and consistent confidence from him, I would not be where I am today. And where am I today??
As of Saturday, I hit my goal of 30 minutes!! Running just under 2 miles in that time, I was ecstatic when I finished!! I had never run that far or for that length of time. In fact, until a few weeks ago, I never thought I could even attempt it. And, oddly enough, I was shocked by myself again on Sunday when I ran 30 minutes and was able to complete just one more lap in that time, putting me at 2.11 miles for my running distance.
Today? "Take it easy," was the advice. So, I forced myself to slow down and keep myself at a pace that wasn't a challenge. And, after two miles, I really felt that I could have gone further. But, more than anything, I realized that I was able to listen to what my body was telling me and slow the pace down when it was too fast for an easy run. Even though the time difference between a "pushing it a little" lap and an "easy" lap isn't that big (about 8-10 seconds), it was a huge difference in how my body felt doing it.
I definitely think that's progress. Next goal: 3.1 miles run continuously. Time Frame: Thanksgiving. But, honestly, I don't think I'll make it to Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll have something to cheer about on Vet's Day after all... :)
Just over a year ago, I parted ways involuntarily with my previous employer. As upset (isn't that a nice word?) as I was at the parting, it led to me to my current employer. Without my current employer, I promise the world that I would NEVER have signed up for, let alone finished, a half marathon. And without that half marathon sign up and subsequent blog, I never would have reconnected with my friend/coach, Josh. And without that reconnection, I would not be calling myself a runner today. While I am absolutely taking the credit for the hard work I've done, without the motivating words and consistent confidence from him, I would not be where I am today. And where am I today??
As of Saturday, I hit my goal of 30 minutes!! Running just under 2 miles in that time, I was ecstatic when I finished!! I had never run that far or for that length of time. In fact, until a few weeks ago, I never thought I could even attempt it. And, oddly enough, I was shocked by myself again on Sunday when I ran 30 minutes and was able to complete just one more lap in that time, putting me at 2.11 miles for my running distance.
Today? "Take it easy," was the advice. So, I forced myself to slow down and keep myself at a pace that wasn't a challenge. And, after two miles, I really felt that I could have gone further. But, more than anything, I realized that I was able to listen to what my body was telling me and slow the pace down when it was too fast for an easy run. Even though the time difference between a "pushing it a little" lap and an "easy" lap isn't that big (about 8-10 seconds), it was a huge difference in how my body felt doing it.
I definitely think that's progress. Next goal: 3.1 miles run continuously. Time Frame: Thanksgiving. But, honestly, I don't think I'll make it to Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll have something to cheer about on Vet's Day after all... :)
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Runner in Training Part 2
Back in July, I posted a quote about there being no such thing as a fake runner. At the time, I had placed myself in a category called "Runner in Training." As of this week, I am officially done being "in training" as a runner.
Sunday's workout saw an enormous amount of obstacles. 1. I left my gym bag at home and had to go back and get it before work. 2. I got a text from Mike asking if I knew what he found in the wash...followed by a picture of my heart rate monitor. UGH. 3. When I threw caution to the wind and went to the gym anyway, I forgot my light snack at work and discovered an almost dead battery on my phone/mp3 player. But...listening to the little voice in my head (you know who you are), I decided to just go for it anyway. I mentally calculated the distance I usually go in the time I had planned and decided on 2 laps warmup, three reps of 5 running and 2 recovery, and then a 2 lap cooldown. After the first seven laps, I thought.."well, if I can do 2 more, I'll be at a mile." After nine laps, I thought.."well, if I can do 2 more, I will have actually RUN a mile." After I hit the mile, I just said "eff it! I'll just see how far I can go..." Final answer was 22:30 and 1.55 miles. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that I had just run half of a 5k!
Monday saw a much easier run/walk session as I had overdone slightly on Sunday and was feeling it a bit. But, Tuesday saw me run two more miles with a 4 1/2 minute recovery time in the middle. The first and last time I had ever run a mile before this was at least nine years ago. I tripled my running mileage this week...and it's only Wednesday!!
So, my thought for today....I am officially done being a "Runner in Training." I am officially a Runner.
Sunday's workout saw an enormous amount of obstacles. 1. I left my gym bag at home and had to go back and get it before work. 2. I got a text from Mike asking if I knew what he found in the wash...followed by a picture of my heart rate monitor. UGH. 3. When I threw caution to the wind and went to the gym anyway, I forgot my light snack at work and discovered an almost dead battery on my phone/mp3 player. But...listening to the little voice in my head (you know who you are), I decided to just go for it anyway. I mentally calculated the distance I usually go in the time I had planned and decided on 2 laps warmup, three reps of 5 running and 2 recovery, and then a 2 lap cooldown. After the first seven laps, I thought.."well, if I can do 2 more, I'll be at a mile." After nine laps, I thought.."well, if I can do 2 more, I will have actually RUN a mile." After I hit the mile, I just said "eff it! I'll just see how far I can go..." Final answer was 22:30 and 1.55 miles. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that I had just run half of a 5k!
Monday saw a much easier run/walk session as I had overdone slightly on Sunday and was feeling it a bit. But, Tuesday saw me run two more miles with a 4 1/2 minute recovery time in the middle. The first and last time I had ever run a mile before this was at least nine years ago. I tripled my running mileage this week...and it's only Wednesday!!
So, my thought for today....I am officially done being a "Runner in Training." I am officially a Runner.
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