Return of the Long Runs

Workouts so far this week:

Monday- 1144 yd swim

Tuesday- 2.88 mile run (run group)- Hills

Wednesday-18 minute strength/weight workout

686 yd swim

Thursday- 3 mile run (run group)- Fartlek Track Workouts

792 yd swim

Friday- Rest Day

Saturday- 1.55 mile run (easy run)

Sunday- 8.52 mile run (Long Run at Brushy Creek)

End of the Week Recap: 

Four Runs, Three Swims and One Core Workout. I'm happy I got all the workouts in this week that I needed to. However, my biggest problems this week were distance and speed in my runs. I'm disappointed by the distance in my week runs, I really wanted to run at least one 4 mile run and it didn't happen. In large part I think that was because Tuesday, the day I was planning to run 4 miles, I just couldn't hang with the hills and had a very bad pace. Also, my tiny runs are just so tiny but honestly, before this training cycle, I never really made it a point to run 4 times a week every week. I feel like I am just making excuses though. Bottom line is a marathon is a very long run and my mileage needs to increase. Typically I would run about 3 times. So I am just trying to get in the habit of introducing an additional run. I really need to increase these runs because I am sure that longer runs during the week would make my long run easier. That being said, I was happy with my Thursday run and my long run today. Also, my total running mileage this week was 15.95 miles- my most in 6 months! 


This long run compared to last long run:

Splits: 8.52 miles- 8/12/2012-
12:20/13:34/13:11/13:27/12:52/12:13/13:26/13:23/.52 miles- 6 min, 51 sec- 13:10 pace

8.02 miles- 7/29/2012-
12:45/14:24/12:43/14:37/15:37/13:23/13:17/12:49/.02 miles- 14 sec

Wayyyyy more consistent this week! 

So, we started this run at about 6.50 in the morning. Probably the earliest we have started a long run in awhile. At the beginning, there wasn't much light and there was actually a short breeze. I forgot I was running in the dog days of August in Central Texas for about 30 minutes. Then a little before my second mile, my back was starting to hurt and I started to get worried. Tuesday my back was hurting me and it made it hard for me to do 2.88 miles. I still had over 6 miles at this point so I was starting to feel down. Then, right after hitting 2 miles, I saw fellow Daily Miler Joe on his run. He looked so strong and was doing such a good job, it was such a nice pickme up.

A little after the hill (which after group workouts in which we RUN up the hill and recover walking down, I walked going up. I know, I know, I should be ashamened. This is why I need run group lol) I saw ANOTHER Daily Miler Middalia. It was really nice again to see someone I recognize. Made me feel proud I was out running the same course as all these other really good runners.
When I was almost at the 4 mile mark, this lady stopped me to ask me questions about the course. She was from out of town and wanted to run 8 miles and wanted to know if this course was long enough, where it stopped, would she get lost, yadda yadda yadda. I was happy to help her but after like 5 minutes of reiterating that the course was almost about 9 miles and she would definitely be able to get her run, I wanted to be like- IM TRYING TO RUN!!! Does that make me me mean?
I felt like I lost my rhythm a little after that and then took it upon myself to go even slower and get some more water.  Right before turning around, I saw a man walking his Scottie. Vince had told me he'd seen him before walking the dog. I love scotties as I have one myself. It's so cool when you run sometimes, you never know what you might see.
Before the 5 mile mark, I used the restroom and wiped some sweat off my face. The sunscreen was getting in my eyes and I was starting to get tired, so I took my gel and got some more water. I couldn't believe how much water I was going through.
When I got to around the 6 mile mark, my RunKeeper shut-off. A quarter of a mile later, it shut-off again. Then I kicked and screamed and threw my phone on the ground. No, I didn't. But I wanted to. Luckily, I had kept track of my run splits on a memo pad just in case this happened. I've noticed that the sweat from my hands and the condensation from the water tends to cause my phone to mess up during long runs.
Miles 6-8 were pretty uneventful. All I wanted was to run past the 8 mile mark, I knew once I did that, I would be fine
Finished my run and felt pretty exhausted the last .10 miles. Walked back and forth for about 5 minutes for a cooldown as I wasn't feeling so hot. Then I sat on the ground and pondered how I would be able to run more then 3x this. Sheesh. How do marathoners' do it? My husband came and told me to get off the ground. I wanted to stay there forever but I thought a shower might be nice as I was beyond hobo smelly and bordering on sewer stinky.

Not too shabby for my first long run in two weeks. Usually coming back from a recovery week is brutal as my body has gotten nice and comfy with short runs. But I did it and next week I have an even LONGER training run with my Sgt. Husband.

I hope everyone had a good week and I really appreciate all the support and advice. Happy Running!

WEEK 5 OF MARATHON TRAINING DONE! 27 WEEKS TILL THE MARATHON!!

This and that

This is a pic from my long run Sunday at Brushy Creek.

Workouts Last Week:
Monday- Strength/Weight Workouts- 17 minutes
Tuesday- 3.24 miles (run group)
Wednesday- 1408 yds Swimming
Thursday- 2.84 miles (run group)
Friday-  Rest Day
Saturday- 1.15 mile (treadmill)
933 yd swim
Sunday- 8.02 mile long run (Brushy Creek Trail)


Last week thoughts: Happy I ran four times and did core workout. Wish I would have gone swimming at least 3x. 3rd continous week of long runs:
Training Week #1- 6 miles
Training Week #2- 7.01 miles
Training Week #3- 8.02 miles
This week will be a recovery week.

Workouts so far this week:
Monday- 1514 yds swim
Tuesday- 3.74 miles (run group)


Sorry I haven't been updating as much lately, my dog got sick Sunday but luckily, I took her to the doctor today and after some shots and medicine, she seems like she is doing a little better. I feel relieved.

Our run today was a degressive hill workout. You run from one point to the end and then recover coming back a block closer and repeat each time till you are only one block away. I was really tired but didn't give up and did one set.

My body has been pretty tired lately, I am trying to put more time and effort into my workouts and now I feel exhausted all the time. I know that if I keep it up though, I can only improve!

On a side note, I really want to watch the Olympics, but I don't have cable and it's hard to see stuff online. I have seen some places are having race watching parties so maybe I will look into that.

Hope everyone has great workout today!

The kind of run where you get a blister on your thumb

This is a pic from my long run at Brushy Creek today. We started by Olson Meadows Park. 

Workouts for the week:

Monday- 1.42 miles at Lake Pflugerville
.64 open water swim
Tuesday- 1.57 miles- (early morning route)
Wednesday- 862 yd swim
Thursday- Rest day
Friday- 1.79 miles- treadmill
933 yd swim
Saturday- Rest Day
Sunday- 6.0 miles run at Brushy Creek

So, pretty happy with my workouts for the week overall with two caveats: I didn't do any core work and I wish some of my runs during the week would have been longer. 

But, I really want to talk about my long run today. 

This was a difficult run for me but ultimately good. We stayed up late eating pizza and pasta and as such started the run late. When we started, it was about 8 am after my warmup. I would have liked to start about an hour earlier. My allergies were hurting me and my throat felt like it was closing up. I felt heavy and tired and didn't know if I would be able to make my goal of running 5.85 miles in 1:15:00.

And (duh)  I didn't run at that pace. To make up for not running the speed I wish I did, I ran .15 miles more. 

My splits for the run were:

12:29
12:46
12:55
14:29- bathroom break
12:42
13:14-

So, I think my splits were decent as I was happy they were pretty consistent, other than the bathroom break and the last mile.

I ended the run with a blister on my thumb and a blister on my right foot. How do you get a blister on your thumb during a run?!

I know it sounds like I am complaining about the run. And it sounds like that I guess because I AM! Honestly though, I ended up putting the smiley face on this run for 3 reasons:
1. I haven't run 6 miles in over 3 months.
2. I finished and went further then planned.
3. It was so nice to see all the runners out today.

I think seeing other runners out there when I am doing long runs helps a lot. Although I have done races and have run about 12 times in 2 and a half years with my husband, I generally am a solitary runner. I run by myself because I like to be alone mostly during runs, I'm not that fast and I take walk breaks and I know that's not other people's style necessarily and it's good stress relief.

However, sometimes when you are in a "bad place" during a run, i.e. you have a blister on your thumb and sweat dripping from your ears ( why is my body so weird?!) it can be helpful to see people on the trail. The variety is amazing and distracting and inspiring. Today I saw a group of young guys booking it, lots of girl friends walking and talking and several steady, smooth runners.

When I see these people, I remember that running isn't just about me. I am not the only one dealing with the heat and humidity. I am not the only one who is tired. I am not the only one who appreciates how great and hard at the same time running can be. I think running helps you to develop a respect for the effort it takes to do the sport, even if from some people, it looks like they are exerting little effort, I know that having the discipline and drive to get to the point where they CAN go that fast is worth something.

LONG TRAINING RUN #1 for the marathon IN THE BOOKS!

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

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/

The Best Run Ever- 6.26 miles!!!

View Brushy Creek Training in a larger map

This title for this post was not chosen lightly. Nope, it sure wasn't. Not only was it the longest I have ever run, not only did I finally run the full 10k distance, not only did I actually run a tiny bit further, not only was it about .75 longer then last weeks LDR( Long Distance Run) but it. was. my. FASTEST. pace. ever!!!!!
And the only reason why I was able to do it was because my husband ran the whole race with me!
He trained with me on this whole run and helped me keep on target the entire time. He said the biggest way to improve my time was to walk faster on my walking breaks. We did an interval run of 2 minutes walking, 1 minute running, except for the last 4 minutes I just did a fartlek. But what I liked was that he made sure sure that I ran the FULL minute and that I did it the ENTIRE time.
Im really grateful but also feel a little spoiled. Its not like I can have Vince with me for all my runs. Eventually when I do races and for most of the practice runs, I will be myself. Will I be able to push myself as hard as Vince does when he runs with me? Probably not. So then how will I be succesful if I do not have much discipline? I won't. Sigh.
But I don't want to be negative and not acknowledge how big of an achievement today was for me. And though I don't think I could have done it without Vince, hopefully I will remember what he tells me and continue to improve!!

This is a pair of shoes I designed for myself on Nike+ website. Yes, they are 185.00 dollars before shipping. No, I would not spend that much money on shoes. Yes, my last pair were 35.00 dollars, orginally 90 dollars on sale from RunTex. No, I don't know if the cushioning on these particular pair are the best for me, especially considering my current pair have way too much stability (its made more for overpronators like my husband, whereas im more of a neutral). But most importantly, I don't care! These shoes are pretty and I WANT EM! Go design yourself a pair, I promise its cool!
http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikeplus/en_US/commerce/nikeplus?ll=en_US&ct=US&pid=345202&cid=1&pbid=INSPI_207490_v9_0_20100505&path=AMPlu0908&piid=16820&p=PDPiD&metricsId=216911791

4 MONTHS OF RUNNING TODAY

It feels good to blog again. Some updates: I have still been running, although the new interval method I have been trying is HARD, also, I finally reached 6 miles not that long ago! Which made me really happy, BUT, the 10k race is in 44 days and I still have not run that .2 more. Also, I have only run that 6 miles one time.
I need to increase my long distances and get some practice in before the race because I know I will feel more comfortable with the distance if I do that.
But anyways, back to today. Me and the Brushy Creek Trail have had our differences in the past. Its a hard trail. But it's a good, scenic trail. Todays scenary included a snake! At any rate, I felt better at this run here then the last time I ran, I could feel some improvement. It wasn't as fast as a run as my last run on Tuesday, but it was .6 more, so that is something.
I feel like Im dragging in this blog. Probably cause Im hungry. I hope I can keep this running thing up. Im happy that today marks 4 months that we have been running. We (my husband and me have had a habit of starting running and stopping for the last 2 years, but we've never run as much or as dedicated as we have in these last 16 weeks) really like it, even when it is hard.

Here is a map of where I ran today:






John Bingham, a.k.a the Penguin, no longer writes for Runners World, he writes for the Competitor now, but long ago, he wrote this really inspiring piece called, " I am not a Jogger." For people like me, who often feel slow, it's pretty awesome.
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-332--12126-0,00.html

Here We Go

So, me and my husband started running on April 12th of this year.
So far, I know this:
1. I don't know much... ( but i know i love you, JUST COULDN'T RESIST!! )
2. I don't really RUN so much as I walk and run at very small intervals.( hence rawk)
3. Im kinda embarrased by how slow my times are, but Im hoping this blog will help me get over that.

So today we ran Brushy Creek Trail in Cedar Park. I was hesitate to run this trail, we ran it when we first started running at like 1 pm and the heat was horrible. So i was kinda worried, but actually it was pretty good. I actually made it in my top 10 times.

Here is the link for what I ran:


So, basically I ran 3.83 miles. I really need to run some more 4+ miles, but last week I hurt my foot and barely ran. This week I have run 6.83 miles, so that's something at least. Tommorow will be a rest day, so friday I will hopefully go longer! There is only 10 DAYS till my first 4 mile race!!!

The heat, though, is what is really getting to me. In order to combat the heat, I have to get up early and im not a morning person. But I think the more I sweat it out, the more intititive I will have to get to up.

Oh, and here is a link to blog that I saw mentioned on Runners World that I think is really cool:

http://runningandeating.wordpress.com/

I wish I was as fast as this lady.
But mainly, I wish I lived in New York!!