Tuesday 7.0 miles/59:50/8:33 average pace
It continued to pour rain yesterday, and I tried to get out of running, I really did, but the committed runner in me won out. Dammit! I had a tight time frame to run after work before picking Zach up, so I ran on the TM at my apartment. The schedule called for 7 miles with 5 miles at LT pace, but I modified it for the treadmill. Running fast on the treadmill is hard for me, I just don't feel that comfortable and I seem to work harder for the pace. I lowered my goal pace for this run accordingly. Usually my tempo pace is 7:50 ish, so I added about 30 seconds onto that. I made up for the slower pace by doing an extra mile (6 total) at LT pace.
Mile 1- warm up 6.1 mph (9:50 pace)
Miles 2 & 3 7.0 mph (8:34 pace)
Miles 4 & 5 7.2 mph (8:20 pace)
Miles 6 & 7 7.4 mph (8:06 pace)
average tempo pace (Miles 2-7) 8:20
It was a long time to be on the treadmill. I played all kinds of mental games with myself, you know like "You only have to do 4 miles. Just 4. That's not so bad, is it?" Then, "Ok, just do one more mile, then you can stop." "Oh, you are so close, may as well finish all 7 miles!" Plus it helped that there was America's Funniest Pets on tv. :) Those silly pets.
After my run I hurried back to my apartment to change and grab my gym stuff, then picked Zach up at the train station, and we drove up to the gym. We did upper body weights and core stuff too for about an hour. I was pretty wore out and my legs were sore!
When we were done I changed into my swimsuit to go sit in the steam room, and I noticed a couple battle wounds- a line of chafing on my back from my shorts and a bloody toe from a too long toenail cutting into adjacent toe. As I shuffled into the steam room, I smiled, finally feeling like my old self. :)
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Indoor Running
Monday 5.0 miles/49:05/9:49 average pace
I was forced inside by the rain yesterday- lots and lots of rain all day long. Usually I don't really mind the rain but it was really pouring. The treadmill actually wasn't so bad after all, the miles went by pretty quick. My right knee/leg felt kind of tight at first but that went away. I'll keep an eye on it tonight.
After the treadmill I did some leg and core strength training including hamstring push up and squat "sits" on the half-ball for legs, and crunches for core. I stretched too and then sat in the steam room.
Quick side story- when I first got to the gym, the cardio area looked really busy but there was no one in the pool. So for a fraction of a second I thought about swimming instead of running. What's happening to me!?!? :D
I was forced inside by the rain yesterday- lots and lots of rain all day long. Usually I don't really mind the rain but it was really pouring. The treadmill actually wasn't so bad after all, the miles went by pretty quick. My right knee/leg felt kind of tight at first but that went away. I'll keep an eye on it tonight.
After the treadmill I did some leg and core strength training including hamstring push up and squat "sits" on the half-ball for legs, and crunches for core. I stretched too and then sat in the steam room.
Quick side story- when I first got to the gym, the cardio area looked really busy but there was no one in the pool. So for a fraction of a second I thought about swimming instead of running. What's happening to me!?!? :D
Monday, February 26, 2007
Week 7 Schedule
Boston is 7 weeks from today. Wee!
Monday: 5 miles easy (+ legs and core)
Tuesday: 7 miles with 5 miles at LT pace (+ upper body)
Wednesday: (swim + legs and core)
Thursday: 8 miles MP (+ upper body)
Friday: off
Saturday: 16 miles long run
Sunday: (swim)
TOTAL miles scheduled: 36
My goals this week are to NOT skip any upper body strength days, and if I must miss a lower/core strength day, I need to at least do something- a home workout of crunches and stuff for example.
I might try going to the gym to swim in the morning on Wednesday, just to see how busy it is. But I have a feeling there are lots of people who swim in the mornings.
Today I have to go to the gym to run my 5 miles because it's been freaking dumping rain ALL DAY. Ugh. oh well, this way I'll do my legs and abs weights at least.
Monday: 5 miles easy (+ legs and core)
Tuesday: 7 miles with 5 miles at LT pace (+ upper body)
Wednesday: (swim + legs and core)
Thursday: 8 miles MP (+ upper body)
Friday: off
Saturday: 16 miles long run
Sunday: (swim)
TOTAL miles scheduled: 36
My goals this week are to NOT skip any upper body strength days, and if I must miss a lower/core strength day, I need to at least do something- a home workout of crunches and stuff for example.
I might try going to the gym to swim in the morning on Wednesday, just to see how busy it is. But I have a feeling there are lots of people who swim in the mornings.
Today I have to go to the gym to run my 5 miles because it's been freaking dumping rain ALL DAY. Ugh. oh well, this way I'll do my legs and abs weights at least.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Long Run, more Swimming, and Week 8 Summary
Saturday 14.25 miles/1:22:58/9:16 average pace
Zach and I went to Coyote Hills Regional Park and ran a big loop along the bay and around the hills. He did 10 miles with me!! A distance record for him. :) I was impressed. I did another four and a quarter miles alone and felt great. My average pace for the first 7 miles was 9:30, and my average pace for the last 7.25 was 9:01, so a good negative split. It was such a nice day although out on the spits it was really windy. But it was really fun and it was so nice to have Zach with me!
Yesterday afternoon I went to Borders and bought a book on swimming: Total Immersion: The Revolutionary Way to Swim Better, Faster, and Easier. By Terry Laughlin with John Delves. I've heard a little about this so I thought I'd check it out. I read some yesterday and it's really helpful. It's a lot about "relearning" to swim and forgetting all your bad technique that you've been doing. So since I have no technique, it's pretty easy to forget that. I'm glad I'm reading it now. Luckily I seem to have pretty good natural balance, which he talks about a lot, and so the drills were not too tough. I worked on some of that today, then swam 20 laps thinking about his tips and trying to use what I'd read. I still have a lot of reading and learning to do, but it seemed to help a lot already!
I started off today counting how many strokes it took me to get down the pool and it took 20 strokes, then I practiced my drills and got it down to a consistent 15! It is still really hard for me, but this way feels a little more relaxed and natural. So my laps took forever today, but that's because I was more focused on my stroke technique. I was resting a lot so that I could focus each time. I think the whole workout took about an hour. I'm excited to keep reading and then go swimming again Wednesday.
SO...
TOTAL miles for week 8: 33.5 yay!
Plus: one upper body lifting day (ouch! missed 3 weights days)
two days swimming (40 laps total)
Friday, February 23, 2007
Chilly, Drizzly Evening run
Thursday 8.0 miles/1:09:44/8:43 average pace
The rain had stopped in the late morning, and it was pretty nice all afternoon, but as soon as I got outside to run, it came back. It was really just a drizzle, and it went away after a while, but it was windy and cold. My shins and calves felt really tight and sore at first but got better throughout the run, and my breathing was in control and the run actually felt kind of easy. Hooray!
1- 8:59
2- 8:37
3- 8:38
4- 8:54
5- 8:54
6- 8:49
7- 8:45
8- 8:06
Zach and I are both fighting this almost-sore-throat thing, so after the run I had some lovely coughing happening. We went to the gym specifically to steam, and of course the steam room was out of service. Tarter sauce! So we sat out in the hot tub in the rain which was kind of nice.
So I've officially skipped 3 of my 4 scheduled weights workouts (both legs days, and one upper body day) this week, but oh well. I'll do better next week. I'm so glad today is a rest day. Tomorrow is 14 miles!
The rain had stopped in the late morning, and it was pretty nice all afternoon, but as soon as I got outside to run, it came back. It was really just a drizzle, and it went away after a while, but it was windy and cold. My shins and calves felt really tight and sore at first but got better throughout the run, and my breathing was in control and the run actually felt kind of easy. Hooray!
1- 8:59
2- 8:37
3- 8:38
4- 8:54
5- 8:54
6- 8:49
7- 8:45
8- 8:06
Zach and I are both fighting this almost-sore-throat thing, so after the run I had some lovely coughing happening. We went to the gym specifically to steam, and of course the steam room was out of service. Tarter sauce! So we sat out in the hot tub in the rain which was kind of nice.
So I've officially skipped 3 of my 4 scheduled weights workouts (both legs days, and one upper body day) this week, but oh well. I'll do better next week. I'm so glad today is a rest day. Tomorrow is 14 miles!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Swimming breakthrough!
Wednesday I swam 20 laps in 40 minutes and felt really good. I felt like a "real" swimmer in my sporty new suit (I got the black one).
I had two big breakthroughs last night. The big one is that I was able to breathe in from both sides!!! It was a little awkward at first, but after a few tries I got it down and I really like that method better. :) It is easier to get into a rhythm when I can breathe from alternate sides every 3 strokes, rather than having to choose to breathe every 2 OR 4 strokes. 2 is too often and 4 is not enough. It was great!
Second, I shared a lane! I was nervous before about doing this because I drift all over and didn't have any control, but last night I offered to share with another self-proclaimed "rookie" swimmer and we did just fine. We were going the same pace so it was easy to know where he was and when we'd pass. It wasn't so bad at all. :)
Overall, I just felt great. I am working on not stopping for so long at each end, but I do still need to take a couple breaths at least. I can't wait till I can just go down and back without stopping. I'll get so many more laps in a given time period- I can't believe that in a normal workout this week Michele swam 1450 yards in about 30 minutes! I did 1000 in 40 minutes, she's like twice as fast as me! Wow, she's good. :) I love reading about her swimming (and biking, and running) along with all you other triathletes. You are my inspiration. :)
I'm running after work today since it was pouring this morning (and I was tired from staying up late to watch LOST). Hope the rain stops by then!
I had two big breakthroughs last night. The big one is that I was able to breathe in from both sides!!! It was a little awkward at first, but after a few tries I got it down and I really like that method better. :) It is easier to get into a rhythm when I can breathe from alternate sides every 3 strokes, rather than having to choose to breathe every 2 OR 4 strokes. 2 is too often and 4 is not enough. It was great!
Second, I shared a lane! I was nervous before about doing this because I drift all over and didn't have any control, but last night I offered to share with another self-proclaimed "rookie" swimmer and we did just fine. We were going the same pace so it was easy to know where he was and when we'd pass. It wasn't so bad at all. :)
Overall, I just felt great. I am working on not stopping for so long at each end, but I do still need to take a couple breaths at least. I can't wait till I can just go down and back without stopping. I'll get so many more laps in a given time period- I can't believe that in a normal workout this week Michele swam 1450 yards in about 30 minutes! I did 1000 in 40 minutes, she's like twice as fast as me! Wow, she's good. :) I love reading about her swimming (and biking, and running) along with all you other triathletes. You are my inspiration. :)
I'm running after work today since it was pouring this morning (and I was tired from staying up late to watch LOST). Hope the rain stops by then!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Evening Fun Run
Tuesday 6.0 miles/48:05/8:01 average pace
The schedule called for 3 mile repeats, but that did not appeal to me at all. I told myself I could skip the repeats as long as I get in a good hard run.
This was the first time since last fall that I was able to run after work, and it was fantastic!!! I loved not having to get up early, and I had SO much more energy during my run. I got to run on a favorite trail that isn't open in the mornings, and the sunset was beautiful. It was a really fun run. :)
I was feeling so good that I started the run off at a strong pace and kept it the entire time. So, while I did not do the 3 X 1 mile workout, I had some fast miles, and it worked out to be a solid tempo run.
1- 8:34
2- 8:08
3- 7:54
4- 7:56
5- 8:00
6- 7:30
(If I count the first mile as a warm up, the remaining 5 miles were at an average pace of 7:54)
My lower back was a little sore, which I think is from the hills on Monday. My shins are also kinda sore, which is pretty much normal for me. I need to start icing them more regularly- that helped a lot when training for CIM.
The hard part about my evening run was having to change quickly and then head to the gym to lift. I felt about the same for lifting as I have on the days where I run in the morning, but it did feel like a lot of exercise. I mean, I started my run about 5:15 and we didn't leave the gym till about 8:30. Of course there was driving time, and steam room time, but still, ugh. We didn't eat dinner until after 9:00 and then crawled right into bed. Busy night.
Yesterday I spent some time online at beginnertriathlete.com and got lots of good info. I think I will look into buying a book this weekend. Any recommendations on books or other websites? I know it's really early on, but I'm just looking for information at this point. Right now I am obviously focusing on the running, and trying to get a little swimming base to work from. I might look into taking a swim lesson sometime. I'm not even thinking about the bike thing right now, maybe after Boston.
I'm going to look for a swimsuit at Sport Chalet today at lunch, since I'm swimming tonight. Should be fun (ha ha).
The schedule called for 3 mile repeats, but that did not appeal to me at all. I told myself I could skip the repeats as long as I get in a good hard run.
This was the first time since last fall that I was able to run after work, and it was fantastic!!! I loved not having to get up early, and I had SO much more energy during my run. I got to run on a favorite trail that isn't open in the mornings, and the sunset was beautiful. It was a really fun run. :)
I was feeling so good that I started the run off at a strong pace and kept it the entire time. So, while I did not do the 3 X 1 mile workout, I had some fast miles, and it worked out to be a solid tempo run.
1- 8:34
2- 8:08
3- 7:54
4- 7:56
5- 8:00
6- 7:30
(If I count the first mile as a warm up, the remaining 5 miles were at an average pace of 7:54)
My lower back was a little sore, which I think is from the hills on Monday. My shins are also kinda sore, which is pretty much normal for me. I need to start icing them more regularly- that helped a lot when training for CIM.
The hard part about my evening run was having to change quickly and then head to the gym to lift. I felt about the same for lifting as I have on the days where I run in the morning, but it did feel like a lot of exercise. I mean, I started my run about 5:15 and we didn't leave the gym till about 8:30. Of course there was driving time, and steam room time, but still, ugh. We didn't eat dinner until after 9:00 and then crawled right into bed. Busy night.
Yesterday I spent some time online at beginnertriathlete.com and got lots of good info. I think I will look into buying a book this weekend. Any recommendations on books or other websites? I know it's really early on, but I'm just looking for information at this point. Right now I am obviously focusing on the running, and trying to get a little swimming base to work from. I might look into taking a swim lesson sometime. I'm not even thinking about the bike thing right now, maybe after Boston.
I'm going to look for a swimsuit at Sport Chalet today at lunch, since I'm swimming tonight. Should be fun (ha ha).
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Week 8 Schedule, Monday's trail run, and potential Triathlon plans
Week 8 Schedule:
Monday: 5 miles easy (+ legs & abs)
Tuesday: 6.5 miles total- 1 mile warm up, 3 X 1 mile hard w/ .5 mile recovery, 1 mile cool down (+ upper body & abs)
Wednesday: (XT + legs & abs)
Thursday: 8 miles GA (+ upper body & abs)
Friday: off
Saturday: 14 miles Long
Sunday: XT
total miles scheduled: 33.5
-------------------------------------------
So.... I started off the week with
Monday 5.25 miles/49:52/9:30 pace
Zach and I flew home from Phoenix in the morning then went to beautiful Lake Chabot for a hilly run, partially on trails. My legs felt great and it was tons of fun. Our splits show how tough the run was at times:
9:39
9:34
10:26 BIG hill!
9:11
9:00
2:01 (.25 miles- 8:04 pace)
They have some trail races there that I would love to try sometime. I did no weights since I didn't go to the gym. Today I am running AFTER work for the first time in many months. Hooray!
While in Phoenix, I took advantage of my time with Melanie, my awesome triathlete mother-in-law, and asked her tons of questions about swimming. I was happy to hear that she started out just like me and now she loves tris and open water swimming and all that. :) It was very encouraging. She always has suggested I come down to San Diego where she lives and do the Mission Bay Tri which is in the fall. She's done it several times, and is planning on doing it again this year. So that's something I am considering. :) She has a bike I can borrow if I don't get one before then. How exciting!! After I finish Boston I will think more about it. I think I can get Zach to do it too.
Monday: 5 miles easy (+ legs & abs)
Tuesday: 6.5 miles total- 1 mile warm up, 3 X 1 mile hard w/ .5 mile recovery, 1 mile cool down (+ upper body & abs)
Wednesday: (XT + legs & abs)
Thursday: 8 miles GA (+ upper body & abs)
Friday: off
Saturday: 14 miles Long
Sunday: XT
total miles scheduled: 33.5
-------------------------------------------
So.... I started off the week with
Monday 5.25 miles/49:52/9:30 pace
Zach and I flew home from Phoenix in the morning then went to beautiful Lake Chabot for a hilly run, partially on trails. My legs felt great and it was tons of fun. Our splits show how tough the run was at times:
9:39
9:34
10:26 BIG hill!
9:11
9:00
2:01 (.25 miles- 8:04 pace)
They have some trail races there that I would love to try sometime. I did no weights since I didn't go to the gym. Today I am running AFTER work for the first time in many months. Hooray!
While in Phoenix, I took advantage of my time with Melanie, my awesome triathlete mother-in-law, and asked her tons of questions about swimming. I was happy to hear that she started out just like me and now she loves tris and open water swimming and all that. :) It was very encouraging. She always has suggested I come down to San Diego where she lives and do the Mission Bay Tri which is in the fall. She's done it several times, and is planning on doing it again this year. So that's something I am considering. :) She has a bike I can borrow if I don't get one before then. How exciting!! After I finish Boston I will think more about it. I think I can get Zach to do it too.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Long Run and Week 9 Summary
Friday 12.0 miles/1:49:19/9:07 average pace
Ugh, I hate to complain, because I know how cold it is in most of the country right now, but I was TOO WARM on my run today. I was hot and uncomfortable. Blech. It was my fault, I overdressed AGAIN. I don't know if I mentioned that last week, but I was dressed for like 40 degrees ... and 40 degrees it was NOT. Same thing this week. In my defense, it was in the 40's and foggy when I got up, but it was nearly 60 by the time I started running and nearly 70 degrees (!!!) by the time I was done at 10:45. My long pants and short sleeve shirt were too much. I need to get it through my head that it's warming up and I can wear shorts.
So I didn't get to enjoy the beautiful weather... Instead, I cursed it. And as most runners will agree, being overdressed and too warm is a really awful feeling. A high temperature is one thing, it is uncomfortable but at least it isn't your own stupid fault. Ugh I just wanted to rip those stupid pants off at the knee. So lesson learned. I think the run was ok besides the temperature issue. I was working pretty hard at times and sweating a lot, and felt a little sluggish. All temperature-related. I brought a Clif Shot (chocolate flavor- pretty good!) and drank water, I figured should put the eating/drinking strategy back in action. The 12 miles almost felt like a real long run. Next week's 14 will definitely feel that way, I was doing 12 on weekday mornings before CIM, but 14 is actually LONG. Plus that'll put me over the 2 hour mark which is significant too. Ok enough rambling. Here are thee splits:
1- 9:17
2- 9:04
3- 9:03
4- 8:56
5- 9:05
6- 9:08 (really consistent so far)
7- 9:24 (started getting hot and tired)
8- 9:11
9- 9:27
10- 9:04 (let's get this over with)
11- 9:06
12- 8:29 (yay!)
TOTAL miles for week 9 (I am not even bringing my running shoes to Phx, so this is it): 28
Plus: Weight Training: legs and abs 2 times, upper body 1 time
Cross Training: one day- 15 minutes bike and 20 minutes swim
I'm off to even warmer weather to visit family and my best friend. :) Sorry about hogging all the sunshine.
Ugh, I hate to complain, because I know how cold it is in most of the country right now, but I was TOO WARM on my run today. I was hot and uncomfortable. Blech. It was my fault, I overdressed AGAIN. I don't know if I mentioned that last week, but I was dressed for like 40 degrees ... and 40 degrees it was NOT. Same thing this week. In my defense, it was in the 40's and foggy when I got up, but it was nearly 60 by the time I started running and nearly 70 degrees (!!!) by the time I was done at 10:45. My long pants and short sleeve shirt were too much. I need to get it through my head that it's warming up and I can wear shorts.
So I didn't get to enjoy the beautiful weather... Instead, I cursed it. And as most runners will agree, being overdressed and too warm is a really awful feeling. A high temperature is one thing, it is uncomfortable but at least it isn't your own stupid fault. Ugh I just wanted to rip those stupid pants off at the knee. So lesson learned. I think the run was ok besides the temperature issue. I was working pretty hard at times and sweating a lot, and felt a little sluggish. All temperature-related. I brought a Clif Shot (chocolate flavor- pretty good!) and drank water, I figured should put the eating/drinking strategy back in action. The 12 miles almost felt like a real long run. Next week's 14 will definitely feel that way, I was doing 12 on weekday mornings before CIM, but 14 is actually LONG. Plus that'll put me over the 2 hour mark which is significant too. Ok enough rambling. Here are thee splits:
1- 9:17
2- 9:04
3- 9:03
4- 8:56
5- 9:05
6- 9:08 (really consistent so far)
7- 9:24 (started getting hot and tired)
8- 9:11
9- 9:27
10- 9:04 (let's get this over with)
11- 9:06
12- 8:29 (yay!)
TOTAL miles for week 9 (I am not even bringing my running shoes to Phx, so this is it): 28
Plus: Weight Training: legs and abs 2 times, upper body 1 time
Cross Training: one day- 15 minutes bike and 20 minutes swim
I'm off to even warmer weather to visit family and my best friend. :) Sorry about hogging all the sunshine.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
MP Run (+bike, swim)
Thursday 6.0 miles/51:44/8:38 average pace
I did not put a lot of effort into this morning's run, but ended up with a decent overall pace. I couldn't focus very well on "goal marathon pace" because I do not know what my goal pace will be. I am sort of using the same training paces as my previous cycle so I guess MP should be around 8:20-8:30 (even if I don't run the race that fast). But today I took it easy since my long run is bumped up to tomorrow morning. Here's my splits, it's fun to watch them go down. I kind of wish I could run a more even pace, but I guess a strong negative split isn't really something to complain about. I felt it was a pretty even effort.
9:10
8:51
8:48
8:34
8:14
8:05
Also, last night I went to the gym for XT and weights. I did leg weights including: Around the World! (see "4-way kick" in current RW) and Straight leg dead lifts. I also did core work including: Captains chair, lower back extensions, and crunches. There might be more but that's all I remember.
After lifting, I did the bike machine for 15 minutes while waiting for the Aqua Aerobics people to clear the pool. Then I swam 10 laps in 20 minutes. I did one kicking-only lap for the warm up and another for cool down, with the other 8 laps swimming. I wasn't really feeling it yesterday. I wanted to, but I was kind of struggling and just not into it. I know I have days like that with running so I'm sure I'll get over it. I know one thing- I need a new swimsuit. I have been using my regular one, which is a "sporty" bikini, but it's not a sports swimsuit. Now that I am getting more into swimming I need to invest in a real swimsuit. I think it will make me move easier through the water and also help me feel less self-conscious. So that's going to be expensive... $50? $75? more? Sheesh, I honestly don't know how you triathletes afford this stuff. I'm complaining and haven't even considered the $$$ bike $$$ thing.
I did not put a lot of effort into this morning's run, but ended up with a decent overall pace. I couldn't focus very well on "goal marathon pace" because I do not know what my goal pace will be. I am sort of using the same training paces as my previous cycle so I guess MP should be around 8:20-8:30 (even if I don't run the race that fast). But today I took it easy since my long run is bumped up to tomorrow morning. Here's my splits, it's fun to watch them go down. I kind of wish I could run a more even pace, but I guess a strong negative split isn't really something to complain about. I felt it was a pretty even effort.
9:10
8:51
8:48
8:34
8:14
8:05
Also, last night I went to the gym for XT and weights. I did leg weights including: Around the World! (see "4-way kick" in current RW) and Straight leg dead lifts. I also did core work including: Captains chair, lower back extensions, and crunches. There might be more but that's all I remember.
After lifting, I did the bike machine for 15 minutes while waiting for the Aqua Aerobics people to clear the pool. Then I swam 10 laps in 20 minutes. I did one kicking-only lap for the warm up and another for cool down, with the other 8 laps swimming. I wasn't really feeling it yesterday. I wanted to, but I was kind of struggling and just not into it. I know I have days like that with running so I'm sure I'll get over it. I know one thing- I need a new swimsuit. I have been using my regular one, which is a "sporty" bikini, but it's not a sports swimsuit. Now that I am getting more into swimming I need to invest in a real swimsuit. I think it will make me move easier through the water and also help me feel less self-conscious. So that's going to be expensive... $50? $75? more? Sheesh, I honestly don't know how you triathletes afford this stuff. I'm complaining and haven't even considered the $$$ bike $$$ thing.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
WEEK 9 Schedule (halfway done already)
Here is the schedule for Week 9 (9 weeks to go) of Boston training:
Monday: 4 miles easy (+ legs and abs strength training)
Tuesday: 6 miles with 4 at LT pace (+ upper body ST)
Wednesday: (XT + legs and abs ST)
Thursday: 6 miles Goal Marathon Pace (+ upper body ST)
Friday: 12 miles LONG run
Saturday: off
Sunday: off
As you can see, this week is wacky because we are going to Phoenix and I will not have a chance to do a long run there. I will probably take Thursday's run pretty easy so I can be fresh-ish for Friday's long run. Fresh-ish. Fresh-ish. That's fun to say.
So.... with that I will post the reports of Monday and Tuesday's runs, which I did in Los Angeles this week.
Monday 4.0 miles/38:10/9:33 average pace
Treadmill at the 24 hr Fitness by my hotel. Pretty boring. I also did leg weights (abductor and aductor machines) and core stuff. I was reminded how nice my gym at home is. OH! The highlight of Monday's workout was while listening to my favorite running podacast Phedippidations . I was completely surprised to hear him mention my blog at the end of his podcast as the Featured Running Blog of the Week!!! That was cool. He has read my race reports on his show and always replies to my emails, and is just a really nice guy. :)
Tuesday 6.0 miles/50:04/8:21 average pace
This was the Tempo run, and I was not that excited about it. I drove down to the beach to run on the boardwalk, which I love, and told myself I didn't have to do the tempo pace if I didn't want, just had to get the miles in. Well, that tricked me into getting out the door, but of course once I was there I decided to just do the workout. Dammit! Well, it went really well! I was nervous I wouldn't be able to run my old tempo pace of 7:45-8:00, but I surprised myself. Here's my splits:
9:47 warm up mile
LT mile 1- 8:02 (not bad, I felt like I wasn't working very hard)
LT mile 2- 7:47 (wow!)
LT mile 3- 7:52 (keeping it up)
LT mile 4- 7:49 (now I'm getting tired)
8:45 cool down mile
Whoo hoo! I was so happy with that pace. I know I couldn't have done that 3 weeks ago but I think I'm regaining some of that lost fitness already. :)
After I got home, I went to the gym with Zach and lifted weights.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Long Run, More Swimming, and Weekly Summary
Saturday 10.0 miles/1:30:55/9:06 average pace
I lucked out on the weather for this run, avoiding major rain (I did get sprinkled on a little) and overall I felt great. My pace and energy were kind of all over the place, one mile would feel easy and be faster, then I'd feel tired and run slower. But I kept on chugging along and got the miles in. :) This run had one big hill in it which was tough (really really tough!) but I felt good about running up (and down) it without stopping.
1- 9:05
2- 8:56
3- 9:09
4- 9:33 (Big hill!)
5- 9:15
6- 9:41 (random slow down)
7- 8:58
8- 9:24
9- 8:39
10- 8:12 (strong finish!)
I took an ice bath after and I think it really helped my legs recover. I am not sore today at all.
We went out last night in San Francsico to the Savanna Jazz club in the Mission and had a blast. The best part was running from the train station to the club in the POURING rain (I don't know why we didn't bring an umbrella or get a cab!). At least we knew where we were going... after calling my Dad so he could look up the address (thanks Dad!) :D It was hysterical. We had a great time and managed to get home at a decent hour.
This morning we went to the gym for a Sunday morning swim, which is a tradition I am starting to love. It doesn't make my legs sore at all, in fact it probably helps after the long run. Plus it's just so fun. I did 20 laps! I did 2 kicking-only for a warm up and one of those at the end, and swam the 17 other laps. I am improving! Today I worked on not stopping for 30 seconds+ after each length, but actually trying to touch the end, come up for a single breath (or 2) and go back. That is hard. I am so impressed with those who can just swim continuously... I am not there yet. Anyway, I swam for 50 minutes total and had loads o' fun.
TOTAL miles for Week 10 of Boston Marathon Training: 25!
Also: 2 weights sessions (pretty much full body for both) and 2 swimming sessions for a total of 1 hour 35 minutes of swimming. No other cardio this week, because swimming kicks the elliptical's ass.
I lucked out on the weather for this run, avoiding major rain (I did get sprinkled on a little) and overall I felt great. My pace and energy were kind of all over the place, one mile would feel easy and be faster, then I'd feel tired and run slower. But I kept on chugging along and got the miles in. :) This run had one big hill in it which was tough (really really tough!) but I felt good about running up (and down) it without stopping.
1- 9:05
2- 8:56
3- 9:09
4- 9:33 (Big hill!)
5- 9:15
6- 9:41 (random slow down)
7- 8:58
8- 9:24
9- 8:39
10- 8:12 (strong finish!)
I took an ice bath after and I think it really helped my legs recover. I am not sore today at all.
We went out last night in San Francsico to the Savanna Jazz club in the Mission and had a blast. The best part was running from the train station to the club in the POURING rain (I don't know why we didn't bring an umbrella or get a cab!). At least we knew where we were going... after calling my Dad so he could look up the address (thanks Dad!) :D It was hysterical. We had a great time and managed to get home at a decent hour.
This morning we went to the gym for a Sunday morning swim, which is a tradition I am starting to love. It doesn't make my legs sore at all, in fact it probably helps after the long run. Plus it's just so fun. I did 20 laps! I did 2 kicking-only for a warm up and one of those at the end, and swam the 17 other laps. I am improving! Today I worked on not stopping for 30 seconds+ after each length, but actually trying to touch the end, come up for a single breath (or 2) and go back. That is hard. I am so impressed with those who can just swim continuously... I am not there yet. Anyway, I swam for 50 minutes total and had loads o' fun.
TOTAL miles for Week 10 of Boston Marathon Training: 25!
Also: 2 weights sessions (pretty much full body for both) and 2 swimming sessions for a total of 1 hour 35 minutes of swimming. No other cardio this week, because swimming kicks the elliptical's ass.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Swim and Run and Mismatched Music
Thursday 6.0 miles/54:32/9:05 average pace
This run felt pretty easy for the most part. It might be the first run I could honestly describe as even partially easy. It was a beautiful cloudy morning and I felt great the whole time.
Since I mentioned in my "Weird" post about being obsessive-ish about things matching or having a theme, I decided to create a random mismatched playlist for my run. And I loved it! Featured artists that do not have anything in common besides that I love them included: Al Green, Bob Marley, Journey, Nina Simone, Matisyahu, and Black Eyed Peas.
Also, last night (Wednesday) I went to the gym and I swam! (Swam is a really weird word... is that right??) I swimmed (nope, definitely not.) for about 40 minutes and did 18 total laps!! That is 900 yards (or meters? No, yards.). I did 2 laps kicking only, then 15 laps swimming (weee!) then 1 lap kicking only. I was going to do more of those for a cool down, but my toe cramped up! OUCH! Does that happen very often to other swimmers? Is there anything I can do to avoid it? For the record, I did eat a banana right before I started.
I am so loving the swimming. I'm still so inexperienced and a little self-concious, but I think it is so fun. :) I am getting OK with my little method, but I know I need to work on my form and all that. I would love to take a lesson or something. But right now I'm just getting my feet wet (hilarious pun intended!) so I'll just have fun with it for now.
Things I need to clarify right now:
The pool is 25 Yards, not meters, right? (I'm sure about the 25 just not the yards/meters)
Swam? Swum? Swimmed? Swammed? Swummed?
Down and back is a Lap, just down is a length. (I actually know this, thanks to Michele, I'm just reviewing for myself)
Toe cramps suck, what to do?
This run felt pretty easy for the most part. It might be the first run I could honestly describe as even partially easy. It was a beautiful cloudy morning and I felt great the whole time.
Since I mentioned in my "Weird" post about being obsessive-ish about things matching or having a theme, I decided to create a random mismatched playlist for my run. And I loved it! Featured artists that do not have anything in common besides that I love them included: Al Green, Bob Marley, Journey, Nina Simone, Matisyahu, and Black Eyed Peas.
Also, last night (Wednesday) I went to the gym and I swam! (Swam is a really weird word... is that right??) I swimmed (nope, definitely not.) for about 40 minutes and did 18 total laps!! That is 900 yards (or meters? No, yards.). I did 2 laps kicking only, then 15 laps swimming (weee!) then 1 lap kicking only. I was going to do more of those for a cool down, but my toe cramped up! OUCH! Does that happen very often to other swimmers? Is there anything I can do to avoid it? For the record, I did eat a banana right before I started.
I am so loving the swimming. I'm still so inexperienced and a little self-concious, but I think it is so fun. :) I am getting OK with my little method, but I know I need to work on my form and all that. I would love to take a lesson or something. But right now I'm just getting my feet wet (hilarious pun intended!) so I'll just have fun with it for now.
Things I need to clarify right now:
The pool is 25 Yards, not meters, right? (I'm sure about the 25 just not the yards/meters)
Swam? Swum? Swimmed? Swammed? Swummed?
Down and back is a Lap, just down is a length. (I actually know this, thanks to Michele, I'm just reviewing for myself)
Toe cramps suck, what to do?
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
6 weird things about me
Since Bob is sneaky and tagged everyone who reads his blog, and also since I need a break right now, here are 6 weird things about me. This should be easy.
1- I vacuum a lot more than the average person. It soothes me. It makes those little lines in my cheap apartment carpet and that brings me joy. I vacuum nearly every day. Zach said it costs a lot for the power I use, but I told him it's cheaper than therapy.
2- I used to be superstitious about the number 13, but then I decided it's a good number because it's the distance of a half marathon.
3- I watch a lot of cartoons and I'm embarrassed to admit that Spongebob Squarepants is one of my favorite shows. I like grown up cartoons like Family Guy and The Simpsons, for what it's worth.
4- I am afraid of the fluorescent light in my kitchen. The dining room dimmer switch is the only light that is allowed. I will FREAK OUT if the evil one gets turned on. I'm weird about lighting in general, I guess.
5- I'm a little obsessive about things matching. I can't use mismatched dishes at dinner and I match all my undergarments to my outfit (not just when I go out, but even like working out or camping). I also make sure my playlist has a "theme" because I don't like mismatched music. I also can't stand eating or watching people eat foods that don't go together. I often use the phrase "It's just not right" to describe these feelings and it drives Zach nuts. Especially when he wants to eat chips and salsa before dinner and we're having spaghetti.
6- Ok, this is getting hard. I don't want to list any other obsessive-compulsive type things, because that is starting to concern me... Oh I've got one! When I was at Girl Scount camp as a kid we always had to give ourselves "Camp Names" and I do this still today, every time I go for a hike. I'm usually "Butterfly" or something like that. I give one to Zach too, something manly like "Bobcat."
Ok that's it! Turns out I'm an obsessive-complusive 8 year old. Now you know the truth. :D
I'm not tagging anyone else, because if you clicked the link to Bob's blog you are automatically tagged. Hee hee.
1- I vacuum a lot more than the average person. It soothes me. It makes those little lines in my cheap apartment carpet and that brings me joy. I vacuum nearly every day. Zach said it costs a lot for the power I use, but I told him it's cheaper than therapy.
2- I used to be superstitious about the number 13, but then I decided it's a good number because it's the distance of a half marathon.
3- I watch a lot of cartoons and I'm embarrassed to admit that Spongebob Squarepants is one of my favorite shows. I like grown up cartoons like Family Guy and The Simpsons, for what it's worth.
4- I am afraid of the fluorescent light in my kitchen. The dining room dimmer switch is the only light that is allowed. I will FREAK OUT if the evil one gets turned on. I'm weird about lighting in general, I guess.
5- I'm a little obsessive about things matching. I can't use mismatched dishes at dinner and I match all my undergarments to my outfit (not just when I go out, but even like working out or camping). I also make sure my playlist has a "theme" because I don't like mismatched music. I also can't stand eating or watching people eat foods that don't go together. I often use the phrase "It's just not right" to describe these feelings and it drives Zach nuts. Especially when he wants to eat chips and salsa before dinner and we're having spaghetti.
6- Ok, this is getting hard. I don't want to list any other obsessive-compulsive type things, because that is starting to concern me... Oh I've got one! When I was at Girl Scount camp as a kid we always had to give ourselves "Camp Names" and I do this still today, every time I go for a hike. I'm usually "Butterfly" or something like that. I give one to Zach too, something manly like "Bobcat."
Ok that's it! Turns out I'm an obsessive-complusive 8 year old. Now you know the truth. :D
I'm not tagging anyone else, because if you clicked the link to Bob's blog you are automatically tagged. Hee hee.
I survived my first Interval workout!
Tuesday 5.0 miles/43:44/8:45 average pace
Ugh, I finally dragged my sorry ass out of bed this morning, really NOT looking forward to my interval workout. But I did it! The schedule called for 4 X 0.5 mile repeats with 0.25 mile recovery intervals, plus one mile warm up and one mile cool down. Sounded hard, and it was.
Warm up: 1 mile 9:20
Interval I 3:38 (7:15 pace)
.....recovery interval I 2:45 (11:00 pace)
Interval II 3:40 (7:20 pace)
.....recovery interval II 2:43 (10:52 pace)
Interval III 3:37 (7:14 pace)
.....recovery interval III 2:23 (9:32 pace)
Interval IV 3:38 (7:16 pace)
.....recovery interval IV 2:46 (11:04 pace)
Cool down: 1 mile 9:09
Whoo hoo! I was surprised that my pace was even sort of good... I really was expecting otherwise. I was really working hard, especially that last one. It hurt in that I'm-gonna-puke kind of way that runners secretly love. At least I do. I am so happy that I pulled this off today. :) I know it was hard work, but the benefits are going to be big. I figure I'll regain my fitness a lot faster with workouts like this than just regular old miles. That said, I'm glad the intervals are only on the schedule every other week. :D
Just for fun, I looked back to an intervals workout from the peak of my CIM training. I did the same workout 4 X 0.50 miles and check out my times: 3:26 3:33 3:31 3:29
Holy crap!!! Wow. I am jealous of 3-months-ago me. She was fast. Well, I'll show her! Ya, it's on. You're mine November 2006 Jen!
Ugh, I finally dragged my sorry ass out of bed this morning, really NOT looking forward to my interval workout. But I did it! The schedule called for 4 X 0.5 mile repeats with 0.25 mile recovery intervals, plus one mile warm up and one mile cool down. Sounded hard, and it was.
Warm up: 1 mile 9:20
Interval I 3:38 (7:15 pace)
.....recovery interval I 2:45 (11:00 pace)
Interval II 3:40 (7:20 pace)
.....recovery interval II 2:43 (10:52 pace)
Interval III 3:37 (7:14 pace)
.....recovery interval III 2:23 (9:32 pace)
Interval IV 3:38 (7:16 pace)
.....recovery interval IV 2:46 (11:04 pace)
Cool down: 1 mile 9:09
Whoo hoo! I was surprised that my pace was even sort of good... I really was expecting otherwise. I was really working hard, especially that last one. It hurt in that I'm-gonna-puke kind of way that runners secretly love. At least I do. I am so happy that I pulled this off today. :) I know it was hard work, but the benefits are going to be big. I figure I'll regain my fitness a lot faster with workouts like this than just regular old miles. That said, I'm glad the intervals are only on the schedule every other week. :D
Just for fun, I looked back to an intervals workout from the peak of my CIM training. I did the same workout 4 X 0.50 miles and check out my times: 3:26 3:33 3:31 3:29
Holy crap!!! Wow. I am jealous of 3-months-ago me. She was fast. Well, I'll show her! Ya, it's on. You're mine November 2006 Jen!
Monday, February 05, 2007
Tank Top Monday
Monday 4.0 miles/35:47/8:41 average pace
I had to go into SF for work today, so I had a relaxed morning schedule. My late-morning run, combined with the recent warm weather meant I ran in a tank top today! It's been a while.
After my run, I went to the gym and did legs, abs, and upper body weights. I did the cable adductors/abdcutors but also added leg lifts to the front and rear per Runner's World's new issue: oh they don't have it online yet... sorry! It's on page 70. They call it "4 way kick" but I've renamed it "Around the World!" because that makes it sound fun. I also did straight-leg dead lifts with 25 lb dumbells and calf raises too. Plus abs and back stuff. For upper body I did pull ups, bicep curls, and shoulder press with dumbells.
I had to go into SF for work today, so I had a relaxed morning schedule. My late-morning run, combined with the recent warm weather meant I ran in a tank top today! It's been a while.
After my run, I went to the gym and did legs, abs, and upper body weights. I did the cable adductors/abdcutors but also added leg lifts to the front and rear per Runner's World's new issue: oh they don't have it online yet... sorry! It's on page 70. They call it "4 way kick" but I've renamed it "Around the World!" because that makes it sound fun. I also did straight-leg dead lifts with 25 lb dumbells and calf raises too. Plus abs and back stuff. For upper body I did pull ups, bicep curls, and shoulder press with dumbells.
Week 10 Schedule
I meant to add this to the previous post, but forgot. So here is the schedule for this first week of training. The rest of the training cycle will follow the same pattern but with more miles.
Mon: 4 miles easy (+weights: legs, abs, and upper body (since I'm missing tomorrow's lift))
Tue: 5 miles: 4 X .50 mi. repeats with .25 mi. recovery intervals. Plus one mile warm up and one mile cool down (no XT today- Sharks game!)
Wed: 0 (+45-60 minutes cardio XT, Weights: legs and abs)
Thu: 6 miles GA (+weights: upper body and abs w/ Zach)
Fri: 0 (no XT)
Sat: 10 miles Long run (+maybe yoga)
Sun: 0 (+swim)
TOTAL miles planned for week 10: 25
Mon: 4 miles easy (+weights: legs, abs, and upper body (since I'm missing tomorrow's lift))
Tue: 5 miles: 4 X .50 mi. repeats with .25 mi. recovery intervals. Plus one mile warm up and one mile cool down (no XT today- Sharks game!)
Wed: 0 (+45-60 minutes cardio XT, Weights: legs and abs)
Thu: 6 miles GA (+weights: upper body and abs w/ Zach)
Fri: 0 (no XT)
Sat: 10 miles Long run (+maybe yoga)
Sun: 0 (+swim)
TOTAL miles planned for week 10: 25
weekly wrap-up and Training Schedule
First of all, Sunday Zach and I went for a little hike- about 40 minutes and then went swimming for 30 minutes. I did so well!! And by that I mean I made it from one end of the pool to the other actually SWIMMING. Ok, a few times I took in some extra water and had to cough and thrash just a little. But I was nearly to the end of the pool the few times that happened. Most of the time I made it without incident. I did 15 laps total, 5 kicking-only (as warm up and cool down) and 10 swimming! I couldn't believe how much I improved over last week's near-drowning. I love it. :)
Last week I ran a TOTAL of 17.5 miles. I did 1 hour 25 minutes total Cross Training: I swam twice for a total of 40 minutes & did 45 minutes on the elliptical. I did upper body weights with Zach twice and legs/abs once, plus that weird aerobics class. :D
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I am officially starting training for the Boston Marathon today! My training schedule is like this:
-4 days of running per week: 1 easy run, 1 Intervals or Tempo run, 1 longer General Aerobic or Marathon Pace run, and 1 long run. This is roughly based on the FIRST program, but I am adding one day of running and switching the workouts up a little. Still lots of speed work, but slightly less due to the small increase in overall mileage.
-1-2 days of cross training a week. I'll do elliptical and hopefully lots of swimming!
-Weight lifting: 2 days upper body, 2 days lower body, core is included in most of those sessions.
-Long Run progression will (hopefully) go like this: 10,12,14,16,14,16,18,14,10,race. I'm building up to 18 only, but that's not a final decision at this point. I might revise this depending on how I feel.
-Paces are not that important. Obviously in a speed session I'll be running fast but I'm not hung up on a certain number. I'm sure I've lost some fitness so I'm just going to do my best. Marathon Pace is far from being determined at this point, so the MP runs will be like 8:30-9:00 pace or something. Tempo will hopefully be sub-8:00 but we'll see. Easy and Long runs are whatever feels comfortable.
-I am going to be very cautious and if something hurts I will back off. But I'm not going to let the fear of injury hold me back.
I am going to count down the weeks, so this is WEEK 10. And we're off!
Last week I ran a TOTAL of 17.5 miles. I did 1 hour 25 minutes total Cross Training: I swam twice for a total of 40 minutes & did 45 minutes on the elliptical. I did upper body weights with Zach twice and legs/abs once, plus that weird aerobics class. :D
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am officially starting training for the Boston Marathon today! My training schedule is like this:
-4 days of running per week: 1 easy run, 1 Intervals or Tempo run, 1 longer General Aerobic or Marathon Pace run, and 1 long run. This is roughly based on the FIRST program, but I am adding one day of running and switching the workouts up a little. Still lots of speed work, but slightly less due to the small increase in overall mileage.
-1-2 days of cross training a week. I'll do elliptical and hopefully lots of swimming!
-Weight lifting: 2 days upper body, 2 days lower body, core is included in most of those sessions.
-Long Run progression will (hopefully) go like this: 10,12,14,16,14,16,18,14,10,race. I'm building up to 18 only, but that's not a final decision at this point. I might revise this depending on how I feel.
-Paces are not that important. Obviously in a speed session I'll be running fast but I'm not hung up on a certain number. I'm sure I've lost some fitness so I'm just going to do my best. Marathon Pace is far from being determined at this point, so the MP runs will be like 8:30-9:00 pace or something. Tempo will hopefully be sub-8:00 but we'll see. Easy and Long runs are whatever feels comfortable.
-I am going to be very cautious and if something hurts I will back off. But I'm not going to let the fear of injury hold me back.
I am going to count down the weeks, so this is WEEK 10. And we're off!
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Long Run and Marathon Training Plans
Saturday 8.0 miles/1:11:56/9:00 average pace
After staying out a little late last night, the alarm went off way too early this morning... but I managed to get up drove out to the Crystal Springs reservoir for a long run. I really love that place. It was pretty cool out (40-ish) and foggy. It felt so good to be out there for a longer time- I even brought my fuel belt. :) My legs felt good throughout, but I was starting to get a little tired toward the end. While I could see that I'm still not in good endurance-shape, I pulled off the mileage without too much of a struggle and with a smile on my face. There were lots of people out on the trail, lots of runners. A guy toward the end had stopped to stretch and as I went by (in my final mile) he actually clapped and said "good job!" Love that.
So, I hereby declare that I'm training for Boston and running the marathon on April 16th. :) Of course, I was really hoping to do it, but now with a few pain-free (although light) weeks under my belt, I am confident I can pull it off. I do understand that anything can happen, as it can in every marathon, so I'm prepared to be flexible as the training progresses. I know that I have a pretty questionable base at this point, so I have laid out a realistic training plan and I will set a conservative race goal. But armed with a ridiculous amount of determination and desire, and a pretty high tolerance for pain, I embark on a 10 week training plan staring Monday. The Boston Marathon is 10 weeks (70 days) from Monday and I'm going to be there.
Oh, and the sharks won today. Go sharks!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and I went to Yoga after my run. I think that's it... ya it is. I am going to post more about my training schedule later this weekend. Have a great weekend everyone! :)
After staying out a little late last night, the alarm went off way too early this morning... but I managed to get up drove out to the Crystal Springs reservoir for a long run. I really love that place. It was pretty cool out (40-ish) and foggy. It felt so good to be out there for a longer time- I even brought my fuel belt. :) My legs felt good throughout, but I was starting to get a little tired toward the end. While I could see that I'm still not in good endurance-shape, I pulled off the mileage without too much of a struggle and with a smile on my face. There were lots of people out on the trail, lots of runners. A guy toward the end had stopped to stretch and as I went by (in my final mile) he actually clapped and said "good job!" Love that.
So, I hereby declare that I'm training for Boston and running the marathon on April 16th. :) Of course, I was really hoping to do it, but now with a few pain-free (although light) weeks under my belt, I am confident I can pull it off. I do understand that anything can happen, as it can in every marathon, so I'm prepared to be flexible as the training progresses. I know that I have a pretty questionable base at this point, so I have laid out a realistic training plan and I will set a conservative race goal. But armed with a ridiculous amount of determination and desire, and a pretty high tolerance for pain, I embark on a 10 week training plan staring Monday. The Boston Marathon is 10 weeks (70 days) from Monday and I'm going to be there.
Oh, and the sharks won today. Go sharks!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and I went to Yoga after my run. I think that's it... ya it is. I am going to post more about my training schedule later this weekend. Have a great weekend everyone! :)
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Thursday is pretty much Friday
Thursday 4.0 miles/35:52/8:59 average pace
I loaded my iPod with the new Norah Jones cd for this morning's run. I love it! I love her. It was cool out, but not cold, and kind of foggy. I was practically the only one on the trail this morning and just really enjoyed the music and the solitude and the run. I was kind of tired, and a little sore from lifting yesterday, but I was glad to be out there.
I did 4 strides in my final mile, which is a first for me post-injury. I had sped up for the last bit of a few of my runs, but this time I sped up, recovered, and did it again. I felt strong on the strides although I was working hard and needed a long recovery. They are supposed to be "for the legs, not the lungs" but dammit if my lungs weren't burning. :D I look forward to getting back into marathon shape and running fast again without dying.
ALSO, last night I went to the gym after work for a cardio/legs workout. First, I did 45 minutes on the elliptical, listening to my favorite running podcast Phedippidations.
Then, I did a legs/core workout. I did the "hamsrting push up" and "balance run" from Runner's World and I did dead lifts with 2 20 lb dumbells. I also did calf raises with the dumbells. And all the usual abs/core stuff. I'm not too sore today except my left calf and right quad (random!).
Finally, I had been thinking all week about how much fun I had swimming last weekend, so I got in the pool for 10 minutes for a kicking-only workout. I didn't want to attempt real swimming with so little time and no coach (Zach) but that was ok, it was just fun to be in the pool. I can see getting really into that. :) So counting that, I did 55 minutes of cardio.
I loaded my iPod with the new Norah Jones cd for this morning's run. I love it! I love her. It was cool out, but not cold, and kind of foggy. I was practically the only one on the trail this morning and just really enjoyed the music and the solitude and the run. I was kind of tired, and a little sore from lifting yesterday, but I was glad to be out there.
I did 4 strides in my final mile, which is a first for me post-injury. I had sped up for the last bit of a few of my runs, but this time I sped up, recovered, and did it again. I felt strong on the strides although I was working hard and needed a long recovery. They are supposed to be "for the legs, not the lungs" but dammit if my lungs weren't burning. :D I look forward to getting back into marathon shape and running fast again without dying.
ALSO, last night I went to the gym after work for a cardio/legs workout. First, I did 45 minutes on the elliptical, listening to my favorite running podcast Phedippidations.
Then, I did a legs/core workout. I did the "hamsrting push up" and "balance run" from Runner's World and I did dead lifts with 2 20 lb dumbells. I also did calf raises with the dumbells. And all the usual abs/core stuff. I'm not too sore today except my left calf and right quad (random!).
Finally, I had been thinking all week about how much fun I had swimming last weekend, so I got in the pool for 10 minutes for a kicking-only workout. I didn't want to attempt real swimming with so little time and no coach (Zach) but that was ok, it was just fun to be in the pool. I can see getting really into that. :) So counting that, I did 55 minutes of cardio.
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