Last Long Run before the race!

I really wanted to do 8.9 miles. But I am very satisfied with 8.6!!! I didn't go as fast as I went with my husband last week but a. I always go faster with someone there to coach me and b. I had no way to tell the distance, I was running until I hit 2 hours. Also, I know I havent been feeling well this week.
At first I was thinking this run was going to go horrible. My shins were hurting and everything. Plus the longest I have ever run was about 1 hour, 46 min before. But as I ran, the run got better! I stuck to my intervals the whole time!! ( My current intervals are 2 min's walking, 1 min, 10 sec running!)
Im really happy that I increased my distance almost a mile from last week and all by myself!
I did feel like I didn't go as hard as I did last week, and my pace certaintly reflects it. Next week, I will need to run more than 1 mile and half of what I have ever run.
One thing I know for sure, I will not let this long distance lap happen for my first half marathon. We are on week 3 of a 16 week plan for a half. We haven't signed up for the race yet, so I can not fully commit to saying I am doing it. But we are training for the 3M half. I'll let you know if we decide to do it!
I feel relieved and proud of myself, even if I was .3 miles short of my goal! I really believe I can now at least finish the 10 mile race!

With the NYC marathon only a little over 2 weeks away, this photo blog complimation is really cool. The writer of the blog had people send in pics of the marathon at different points to show what it looks like!

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/running_dialogue/2010/10/marathon-photo-project-looking.html

Race Day-5k in Pflugerville, part deux!

At our race, they gave us some coupons for this place called Dick's Sporting goods. I hadnt really been there before, but they do have a wide variety of sporting brands for women. We are trying to buy some bits and pieces for cold weather so that we dont have an excuse not to run. Cause I hate the cold and will look for an excuse, even where there is none. At any rate, I bought some Nike cold weather running tights. They were already 20% off the orignial price, plus the coupon gave me an extra 20% off and so the price basically came out to about 20 less after the coupons. Sweet deal! So check them out if you get a chance.
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/home/index.jsp

Sore Legs, Bad Run, Its getting cold, Im grumpy!

This was not really a good workout. I was so sore. After the last workout I did, I thought for sure this one would be better. But Old Settlers Trail is really hard. Its pretty rare to ever have a really good run here, I don't know why. My husband doesn't like running here because of it. Although it's a really nice park, with a forest and soccer fields, pavilions and a lake. We even had our wedding rehearsal here. I think it's because its a varied course, with hills at weird spots and a length that's not quite long and not quite short that makes it hard. Either way, I started to get shin splits and was struggling to be able to keep up my new intervals. I just hope the next run goes better.



There's this website that is really cool for using to quickly keep track of your runs that has nice colorful graphics and tells you your calories burned. I use the Runners World Training Log more religiously ( since April) but it's always cool to try new things:
www.dailymile.com

An unusual bit of luck, wind or I guess I didnt need a jacket

So, my husband called it the home field advantage. And maybe it is, but on this coming up race, we are actually pretty lucky because it will be the first time I have run a race where I have run the course before. And not only have I run the course, but I have run it multiple times. Its the Lake Pflugerville Trail, which we typically run at least once a week.
I was worried at first about this run, as it was cold and I thought that I would need my jacket. Hence the picture. But as it turns out, I didn't need it, it ended up getting hot. Right now we are in that weird transition weather, where it goes from being coldish in the morning to hotish later on.
Then, although it wasn't cold, it was really windy. If it ain't one thing.... however, I ended up having a really good mock run. I did 3 miles in what I would like to run the 3.1( 5k in). So I was .10 off, but hey, you know, that's not that bad. Overall, it was one of my more successful training runs and it definitely had me feeling like I was more prepared to run this next 5k.

So, on Sunday while we are running at the 5k in Pflugerville, the CHICAGO MARATHON!!! will be happening!! Ever since I watched the Spirit of the Marathon, I have been pumped up about this race!! They say it stands to possibly break the world record time for a marathon!!
For a great article on the subject, I recommend:
http://peakperformance.runnersworld.com/2010/10/oct-5-a-mens-world-record-at-chicago-this-weekend-probably-not-but-maybe-so.html

Fresh Shiny New Month!!

I really like the beginning of the month for running. It makes me feel like anything is possible. Sorry for the cliches. :) Last month, September, was my best month for running so far. I ran the most amount of miles in a month that I have EVER run ( almost 50!) and ran the longest race I have ever run( a 10 k, 6.2 miles, 2x the length what I raced in April and May!) and was pretty consistent in increasing my long runs and also having training runs in different lengths.
So, anyways, today we ran at Brushy Creek. It was a pretty good run. Because we are going to be running a 10 mile race at the end of the month, I am hoping to run a good amount of 5 mile runs as my in between runs to get an idea of how it would feel to run twice that amount. Also, today was the first day of my new running intervals. For this month, I am now going to be trying to do 2 min's walking and one minute and ten seconds of running. If I run over the one minute and 10 seconds, I count it as a credit that I can use to take a longer break later if need be. ( for example, instead of just running 1 minute, 10 seconds, I run 1 minute and 15 seconds, that is 5 extra seconds. So I was waiting in this run until I had 60 credit seconds so that I could take a 3 minute walking break instead of just a 2 minute walking one.)Im hoping that this slight increase will help improve my overall time and also help with my endurance as I try to increase my longer runs.


This is the race we are hoping to do at the end of the month, it is called the Run for the Water 10 mile race. As you know, the most I have run is 6.62 miles. So I'm really worried about my ability to do this, however, there are still about 3 and a half weeks. I doubt that I will have gotten my training up enough but hopefully then my mileage will have increased so that doing the actual race wont be such a stretch. At least it will make it that I dont have a goal time, just a goal: FINISH THE RACE!
http://gazellefoundation.com/runforthewater2010/