I went on my first run in three days, and it was awesome. Well, it would have been if I let myself. When I set out, I was going to do three miles, but when I hit the turn around point, I passed a guy who could barely control his dog and I didn't want to pass him again just yet. I ended up going out to the two mile mark and was still feeling good. Around the 3rd mile, I was still feeling pretty good, but I started to worry. I kept thinking that this is when the tightness usually sets in and when tightness comes, pain will follow shortly, but it didn't happen. Almost 1/2 a mile to my car, and I'm still waiting, and it doesn't happen. I finished 4 miles and felt pretty good the entire way, and I finished in a 10ish minute mile. It was a run in the right direction, and there's hope!
Right now, I'm incredibly hungry! I had some rice frozen meal, some chips and salsa, and cereal bar. My stomach feels so empty. What's up with that?!?
Okay, tomorrow is three miles and I might do it on the treadmill for the softer even surface. Then it'll be an easy long weekend, since I'll be camping. :)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
One more day!
One more day and I will have completed my three days of no running. Phew, it's rough to not run, after one day, I get the itch. Last time I took three days off, it did wonders for my legs. This week is perfect timing too, since I leave to go camping on Friday. I won't get much running in and I will be well rested without pushing too hard before marathon training begins.
I don't want to have to back out of this, my heart is already in it and I'm ready to go!
Last night, I did Shred level 3, and man, did it suck (but in a good way). It's amazing that I think I'm in great shape, but this workout video had me panting. Seriously, I can run for hours, but these little 2 minute cardio segments killed.
That's about all I got for today...it's a boring day today. I'm going to enjoy it while I can since July 1st brings the new fiscal year and LOTS of new reports to complete for clients. BOO! It sounds impressive, but it's just mundane Excel reports.
I don't want to have to back out of this, my heart is already in it and I'm ready to go!
Last night, I did Shred level 3, and man, did it suck (but in a good way). It's amazing that I think I'm in great shape, but this workout video had me panting. Seriously, I can run for hours, but these little 2 minute cardio segments killed.
That's about all I got for today...it's a boring day today. I'm going to enjoy it while I can since July 1st brings the new fiscal year and LOTS of new reports to complete for clients. BOO! It sounds impressive, but it's just mundane Excel reports.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Still Haunted...
By my IT Band that is. Last weekend, my "long" run was 3 miles. Boo! I'm so missing my morning long runs. The feeling of being so tired, sweaty, but accomplished has eluded me long enough. I'm being patient, I do have a little bit of time to be as my marathon training doesn't begin until after the 4th.
I can't wait to start training for this, but I also want to be completely healed. How disappointing it will be if I can't even get started. Luckily, the training plan I've chosen starts with low mileage, something that's realistic for now. Hopefully, I won't have to tell people I'm backing out.
This week, I ran on Tuesday and did 3 pain free miles. I didn't even have a hint of tightness. I cross trained on Wednesday, and went out for a run last night. I made it 4 miles and felt tightness in my IT band towards the end. Not really pain, but tightness. I felt if I went any further, it would start to hurt. However, I made it four miles at 10ish minute pace, which isn't bad for me, and I haven't ran over 3 miles since my last 10k. So, there is improvement.
Saturday will be another attempt at a "long" run. We'll see how that goes.
I can't wait to start training for this, but I also want to be completely healed. How disappointing it will be if I can't even get started. Luckily, the training plan I've chosen starts with low mileage, something that's realistic for now. Hopefully, I won't have to tell people I'm backing out.
This week, I ran on Tuesday and did 3 pain free miles. I didn't even have a hint of tightness. I cross trained on Wednesday, and went out for a run last night. I made it 4 miles and felt tightness in my IT band towards the end. Not really pain, but tightness. I felt if I went any further, it would start to hurt. However, I made it four miles at 10ish minute pace, which isn't bad for me, and I haven't ran over 3 miles since my last 10k. So, there is improvement.
Saturday will be another attempt at a "long" run. We'll see how that goes.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Big Catsup
Well, it's really my post on catching up. It's been two months since my last post and I wish I would have posted my last race report from the Pittsburgh Marathon.
Long story short, the Pittsburgh Marathon was amazing. I made my goal with a finish of 2:06! It was a great day that started at 3:30 am with my alarm going off. I went out to meet a friend right outside Pittsburgh, and we caught the trolley into town since there were 3 other major events going on, driving would have been horrible. We hit the porta potties, bag check, and eventually made it to the starting line. The weather was very humid, but it finally started raining around mile 2 and it felt amazing. It rained the entire time, so I felt cool but traded off for heavy shoes. The crowd support was amazing, even with the rain, there were so many people out there cheering us on. I was so impressed. I loved Pittsburgh and I would definitely do it again.
Recovering from the race since then has been an up and down hill battle. My IT Band has been the biggest culprit and I'm nursing my second bought of ITBS since the half. I think I'm on my way back now. I've lowered my miles, stretched and foam rolled. I've done several runs now without the knee pain, and now I'm on the eve of my first "long" run in a couple weeks. I'm hoping for 8, but I'm not afraid or too proud to quit beforehand if I need to. I just want to get out there, get sweaty, and feel accomplished again.
Two weeks ago, I met up with some running friends in Maryland for Zooma, an all woman's race. I was suppose to do the half, but dropped down to the 10k because of the knee pain. It was such a great time, despite the heat and humidity. I can't really go too much into the weekend without typing another book. All and all, with the heat, humidity, and hills, I finished in 59:14. Not too impressive, but I seriously slowed down when I saw women on the side of the street with EMT crews attending to them. Scary stuff!!
Hopefully, I'll be back to post sooner than two months.
Long story short, the Pittsburgh Marathon was amazing. I made my goal with a finish of 2:06! It was a great day that started at 3:30 am with my alarm going off. I went out to meet a friend right outside Pittsburgh, and we caught the trolley into town since there were 3 other major events going on, driving would have been horrible. We hit the porta potties, bag check, and eventually made it to the starting line. The weather was very humid, but it finally started raining around mile 2 and it felt amazing. It rained the entire time, so I felt cool but traded off for heavy shoes. The crowd support was amazing, even with the rain, there were so many people out there cheering us on. I was so impressed. I loved Pittsburgh and I would definitely do it again.
Recovering from the race since then has been an up and down hill battle. My IT Band has been the biggest culprit and I'm nursing my second bought of ITBS since the half. I think I'm on my way back now. I've lowered my miles, stretched and foam rolled. I've done several runs now without the knee pain, and now I'm on the eve of my first "long" run in a couple weeks. I'm hoping for 8, but I'm not afraid or too proud to quit beforehand if I need to. I just want to get out there, get sweaty, and feel accomplished again.
Two weeks ago, I met up with some running friends in Maryland for Zooma, an all woman's race. I was suppose to do the half, but dropped down to the 10k because of the knee pain. It was such a great time, despite the heat and humidity. I can't really go too much into the weekend without typing another book. All and all, with the heat, humidity, and hills, I finished in 59:14. Not too impressive, but I seriously slowed down when I saw women on the side of the street with EMT crews attending to them. Scary stuff!!
Hopefully, I'll be back to post sooner than two months.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
One Week Away
So the Pittsburgh Half Marathon is one week away. Husband asked me if I was nervous this morning and (for now) I'm not. The first half marathon I did last fall was to finish and I really wasn't sure if I was going to see the finish line. The difference in how I feel between then and now is vastly different. Last fall, my legs were aching, and was only able to hit double digit runs 3 times, 11 miles being my farthest run. This time around, i've hit double digit runs countless times while incorporating tempo runs, intervals, and some hill work. I feel like I'm really ready, and I really want to hit my goal, which is finishing under 2:10. My first half was 2:27, which sounds like I'm being overly ambitious (seriously, I want a 17-20 minute PR), but I know I can push it.
Pittsburgh does have me nervous in that this will be my biggest race, people wise. 16,000 people will be there. My biggest race has so far been 2000 people. I'm nervous about parking and getting out of there. I do have the tendency to get migraines after really exerting myself, which means I get nausea with vomiting (non stop) , my vision goes, and I get confused, which is really scary. The last thing I need is to get confused while trying to navigate the maze of Pittsburgh. Those are basically my biggest fears for this next half. If I don't reach my goal, well, there will be other races, so I'm just not nervous about it.
Pittsburgh does have me nervous in that this will be my biggest race, people wise. 16,000 people will be there. My biggest race has so far been 2000 people. I'm nervous about parking and getting out of there. I do have the tendency to get migraines after really exerting myself, which means I get nausea with vomiting (non stop) , my vision goes, and I get confused, which is really scary. The last thing I need is to get confused while trying to navigate the maze of Pittsburgh. Those are basically my biggest fears for this next half. If I don't reach my goal, well, there will be other races, so I'm just not nervous about it.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Short Run!
So the night before the race, I finally decided that I needed to wear my running tights. A good thing too since it was in the lower 20s with a slight wind chill. Brr!!
Don't let the sunshine fool you, it isn't even the 30's yet. Oh, and the guy behind me is giving me the stink eye.
I got up early and headed off to the race, which was about an hour away. I arrived at the perfect time to find a decent parking spot and a shuttle bus waiting for me. I had enough time to use the bathroom, get my chip number, and find my friend's van. We sat in there until the race started, a little too long since we found out 10 minutes before the race started that we were 1/2 mile away from our starting line. Oh well, a little warm up didn't hurt anyone.
Since there was a 5k, 8.1, and half marathon race all at this starting point, I decided to line up behind the 9:55 pacers. I told myself to stick with them for the first three miles and then pass them. Boom! The race starts. I was told that the worst hill in this race is within the first mile and as we made our way down the road, we made a sharp left turn and hidden behind the trees was the hill. Since the field was very crowded still, I couldn't really see what was going, so I went with it. I told myself to not look up, kind of like not looking down when you're high up. It worked for the most part, the hill was rough, but then the cruel longer incline after steep hill was mean as well. Finally, we made a right turn and went sharply downhill. Phew! This downhill was steep! I was worried about falling down a couple times, but it was all over before we knew it and the course was now just rolling hills from here on out.
I found the 9:55 pacers and I passed them. I made myself so worked up about that pace team for the rest of the race tho. I thought at any point, I would turn around and they would be at my heels. I've never tried to keep pace for a race longer than a 5k, I wasn't sure if I could keep it up for the next 5 miles. Oh, I don't have a Garmin or even wear a watch while I race. I go strictly on how my body feels.
The next 5 miles were a nice rolling course around a lake. It was pretty and pretty cold still. On the uphills, I was sucking in air, on the downhills, trying to recover. At mile 6, I was ready for this race to be over. Luckily, the amazing volunteers were cheering us on and I told myself, "two miles, make it work, and lay it all out on the road."
Finally, I made my way back to starting point and had the .1 miles to go and I tried to push as hard as I could, but it wasn't really much faster than what I was going.
I made it! 8.1 miles in 1:14:44 (chip time) which was a 9:13 pace. I was totally proud of myself. I came in 20th out of 68. I use to be a bottom of the packer, but with several months of hard work, I'm a top middle packer. :)
Next big race....the Pittsburgh Half Marathon!
Don't let the sunshine fool you, it isn't even the 30's yet. Oh, and the guy behind me is giving me the stink eye.
I got up early and headed off to the race, which was about an hour away. I arrived at the perfect time to find a decent parking spot and a shuttle bus waiting for me. I had enough time to use the bathroom, get my chip number, and find my friend's van. We sat in there until the race started, a little too long since we found out 10 minutes before the race started that we were 1/2 mile away from our starting line. Oh well, a little warm up didn't hurt anyone.
Since there was a 5k, 8.1, and half marathon race all at this starting point, I decided to line up behind the 9:55 pacers. I told myself to stick with them for the first three miles and then pass them. Boom! The race starts. I was told that the worst hill in this race is within the first mile and as we made our way down the road, we made a sharp left turn and hidden behind the trees was the hill. Since the field was very crowded still, I couldn't really see what was going, so I went with it. I told myself to not look up, kind of like not looking down when you're high up. It worked for the most part, the hill was rough, but then the cruel longer incline after steep hill was mean as well. Finally, we made a right turn and went sharply downhill. Phew! This downhill was steep! I was worried about falling down a couple times, but it was all over before we knew it and the course was now just rolling hills from here on out.
I found the 9:55 pacers and I passed them. I made myself so worked up about that pace team for the rest of the race tho. I thought at any point, I would turn around and they would be at my heels. I've never tried to keep pace for a race longer than a 5k, I wasn't sure if I could keep it up for the next 5 miles. Oh, I don't have a Garmin or even wear a watch while I race. I go strictly on how my body feels.
The next 5 miles were a nice rolling course around a lake. It was pretty and pretty cold still. On the uphills, I was sucking in air, on the downhills, trying to recover. At mile 6, I was ready for this race to be over. Luckily, the amazing volunteers were cheering us on and I told myself, "two miles, make it work, and lay it all out on the road."
Finally, I made my way back to starting point and had the .1 miles to go and I tried to push as hard as I could, but it wasn't really much faster than what I was going.
I made it! 8.1 miles in 1:14:44 (chip time) which was a 9:13 pace. I was totally proud of myself. I came in 20th out of 68. I use to be a bottom of the packer, but with several months of hard work, I'm a top middle packer. :)
Next big race....the Pittsburgh Half Marathon!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Crazy Weather
Tomorrow is the 8.1 mile race and I'm feeling very ready for it. I'm just confused as to what to where since the weather is going be quite chilly in the morning and warming up to 60* by the afternoon. Shorts were my first option, but I really think I'm going to go with the tights. Drats! I thought this cold weather was well on it's way out.
After work, I stopped by the local running store to pick up my race packet and Husband got fitted for shoes for the first time (so proud!). The race packet itself was alright, but the cool thing is that you get a pair of shorts instead of a shirt. However, the shorts are obviously men shorts and have no room for hips. I wanted to exchange my smalls for a medium, but they are all out, so I got a large. The packet also included MANY brochures for upcoming races, a box of raisins, and energy drink (which I'll never use) and some cold sore treatment (weird!).
When we got home, I threw on my new expo shorts and after rolling them two times, I jumped on the treadmill. Since I just wanted to warm my legs up a little, I only did 2.5 miles, and I felt ready. My goal tomorrow is to finish under 1:20, which will be under a 10 mpm pace. I know, I'm not a speed demon, but I'm working on it.
I'm off to get everything ready to go in the morning.
After work, I stopped by the local running store to pick up my race packet and Husband got fitted for shoes for the first time (so proud!). The race packet itself was alright, but the cool thing is that you get a pair of shorts instead of a shirt. However, the shorts are obviously men shorts and have no room for hips. I wanted to exchange my smalls for a medium, but they are all out, so I got a large. The packet also included MANY brochures for upcoming races, a box of raisins, and energy drink (which I'll never use) and some cold sore treatment (weird!).
When we got home, I threw on my new expo shorts and after rolling them two times, I jumped on the treadmill. Since I just wanted to warm my legs up a little, I only did 2.5 miles, and I felt ready. My goal tomorrow is to finish under 1:20, which will be under a 10 mpm pace. I know, I'm not a speed demon, but I'm working on it.
I'm off to get everything ready to go in the morning.
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