Training Week 3: The Longest Distance Ever!

Date: 22 Sept 2008 / Distance: 3 mi / Time: 26:01

Date: 23 Sept 2008 / Attempt at Surfing / Time: 60:00

Date: 26 Sept 2008 / Distance: 4 mi & strength / Time: 35:11

Date: 27 Sept 2008 / Tennis Lesson / Time: 60:00

Date: 28 Sept 2008 / Distance: 12.00 mi / Time: 1:54:10

I ran 12 miles!!!!!!  AIYEEE!!!!  

That's the longest distance I've ever run in my entire life!  I ran very comfortably.  It would have felt like a very leisurely run if my knees hadn't started aching at about mile 7.  It was really exciting to run 12 miles - I now feel fully confident that I will be able to complete the half marathon.  When I got home, I drank a bunch of water and ate a big bowl of spaghetti.  This morning, my joints were pretty stiff, but I did not feel sore.  I'll probably feel the soreness tomorrow.    This week, I'm going to work on my iPod playlist for the race.  Do any of you have any good running music to recommend?

Week 3 Part 2

Thursday: 40 minutes on the elliptical; strength circuit

Friday: about 45 minutes of yoga

Saturday: 12-mile run! I ran the first 6 nonstop, which was awesome. Then I took a walk/water break, which really screwed me. I think I drank too much water too quickly, because I went back into my run and my stomach felt very weird and I had to slow to a walk again. I spent the next 3 miles in a run/walk; finally for miles 10-12 I was able to kick it back up. I have to say, Mile 12 was brutal, I was counting down the tenths of a mile and realllllly dragging. I know I could have done one more, particularly if the actual finish line was in sight, but I was pretty darn tired. I finished the run in 125 minutes, or 2:05, which means I ended up walking about a mile total out of the 12. I can't imagine the marathon itself going any more poorly than that middle section, so it looks like I should still be able to finish in 2:15 at the outside. HOWEVER, waking up Sunday I discovered that the top of my left foot was really tender, and icing it for most of the afternoon/evening had no effect. Now it's Monday morning and it seems to be hurting worse. I sort of remember a weird popping feeling in that foot during Saturday's run, and I'm a little worried. I'm probably going to skip today's run and keep icing it for another day or so and see what happens. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Keeping Shoelaces Snug...wow.

Unbelievable. I always wondered why those two upper lace openings were right next to each other. 

Week 3 Part 1

It's been a pretty eventful week so far! Monday I was still having stomach issues, so instead of my scheduled 4-miler I did a 3.5-mile walk/run. Tuesday I was planning to do some yoga; instead, I freaking SLIPPED in my SHOWER and FELL BACKWARDS onto my BUTT on my bathroom floor! Agggggghh!!! My back and tailbone killed all evening; this morning they felt a bit better but were still rather sore. I was skeptical about my workout, but went to the gym to at least do some cross-training. After a half-mile warm-up walk, I realized that my increased body temperature was actually making my muscles feel a lot better, so I went into my run, and was able to complete the whole scheduled 3 miles. What a relief! Then I walked another half mile to cool down. I was feeling really negative and jinxed this morning, so it felt really good to overcome yet another stupid obstacle, even if it was just for a short 3-miler. I hope this weekend's ~12-miler~ goes as smoothly!

Running Shoes

Does anyone here swear by a particular running shoe? I've been asking my running friends, and Mizuno seems to have the most loyal following, followed by Brooks, then Asics. Stopped by Roadrunner sports this weekend to get videotaped and fitted. I'm biomechanically efficient (thank god), neutral, with normal arches. I was itching to buy a pair of Mizuno Wave Riders, but they didn't fit me right. Apparently, I have stubby and short but wide feet, and Mizunos are cut narrow, as are Brooks. Ah, settled for a pair of Asics 2130's - even though they are stability kicks, with Kids size memory foam insoles (again, stubby feet). Hope they do the trick.

The Ten Miler!

Date: 21 September 2008 / Distance: 10.01 mi / Time: 1:30:38

Joel and I ran the 10 miler yesterday morning.  It was a great day for a run because the temperature was in the mid-to-high 60s, the sun was blocked by clouds and the air was much less humid.  Strangely enough, I'm not sore from the run, even a day later.  I did have a nasty headache though.  I had one minor snag during the run -- I had to use the restroom at mile 2.  I ran by a disgusting port-o-potty and seriously considered using it but I had to pass because the toilet paper was missing.  Luckily, my condo was along my running route so at mile 3.84 I peeled off for a couple minutes, took a quick swig of gatorade, and continued on my run.  There were A LOT of runners out yesterday.  It must be marathon training season.  After completing the 10 miler in one-piece, Joel and I are both pretty confident we'll be able to finish the 1/2 marathon.  Hurray!  Next week, we have a 12 miler.  Phew!

Week 4 Part 2

Friday: 15-minute warm-up on the elliptical; 3-mile run; 1/4-mile walk. I think I may be having a relapse of the issues Running Girl and I suffered in Mexico; in any case, this was a pretty sketchy run. I had to slow to a walk at around Mile 2 and give my stomach a chance to relax. I did finally complete the run, but it wasn't the most enjoyable time.

Saturday: 1/2-mile walk, 4-mile run, 1/2-mile walk. I somehow completed this 4-miler without walking at all--things were VERY touch-and-go, especially around the last half mile. I know, this is probably way too much information. I pushed through, however, with no embarrassing mishaps. Now I'm going to spend the rest of the weekend resting and hopefully recovering so that I'm fresh on Monday!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Week 4 Part 1

Monday: Today's 4-miler was HARD. I had two false starts before I was able to hit my stride and the cramps in my side subsided. I think I ran about a total of 3.25, and walked the other .75. Later, I went for a walk around the neighborhood before heading off to school. I have class from 4:30-9:20 on Mondays--by the end of the second class I was barely able to stifle my yawns.

Tuesday: nothin'!

Wednesday: supposed to be a 3-mile run. Instead--I took a stinking hour and a half nap!

Thursday: 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical; 3-mile run; 1/2-mile walk, plus two sets on one weight machine :)

I guess sometimes it pays to take a day off. I felt GREAT during today's run and have felt great ever since. Life is good!

The Race is Only a Month Away!

Date: 18 September 2008 / Distance: 4.03 mi / Time: 34:58

I can't believe the race is only 4 weeks away!  I read a couple of the yelp reviews and I'm getting more and more excited for race day.  Check this out:  http://www.yelp.com/biz/nike-womens-marathon-san-francisco and http://www.yelp.com/biz/nike-womens-marathon-san-francisco-2.  Sorry bigbadbooboodaddy, I was not able to find any yelp reviews on the Philadelphia marathon.  You should be the first to review it.  ha ha!

I ran my 4 miler today and listened to Madonna.  I made sure to drink 64 oz of water yesterday.  I must have really needed the hydration because even though I drank a ton of water, I only peed 2 times.  That seems a little unnatural and disgusting.  Anyway, I'll keep running 4 miles each day until my long 10 miler this weekend.

Hi. New Blogger Here. Karen's friend from the East Coast

Great running blog you all have here. I've been training too for a 13.1. The link below is helpful to measure your distances & elevations.

http://www.usatf.org/routes/map/

Starting from Scratch: Very Frustrating

Date: 16 September 2008 / Distance: 4 mi / Time: 36:22

I checked my records.  Today's run goes down in training history as the slowest 4 miler on record.  I ran a faster 4 miler back in 1999 when I first started running in my cheap, ill-fitting, JC Penney shoes.  I have to admit, I'm feeling a little depressed.  I've spent MONTHS training only to be fouled up by a food poisoning incident in Mexico.  I'm really trying to get re-motivated this week.  I'm going to run every day so I can make up all the days I've lost and to gain my normal stride back.  We'll see how it goes.  For now, I feel like I'm sitting under a storm cloud.

The 3 miler that stunk

Date: 15 September 2008 / Distance: 3 mi / Time: 26:14

After about a week and half hiatus I finally put on my running shoes and ran 3 miles this morning.  I had a rough run.  My breathing was ok for the first 1.5 miles, however, after that, my breathing became labored and I began wheezing.  I thought I was having a mild asthma attack.  Joel finished the run FAR, FAR, ahead of me.  I was annoyed.  I need to drink more water and start eating more nutritious foods.  I've eaten out almost every meal for the last 1.5 weeks.  Gross!

Week 5

Amazingly, I didn't suffer for days after last week's 10-miler, as I did last time around. My only issue has been that my right hip feels a little sore--I only really notice it if I sleep on it for too long. I'm going to try some Icy/Hot and some hot baths. Otherwise, feeling good! Here's what I did last week:

Monday: 4-mile run, a few weight machines
Tuesday: um...nothing? Oh--I think I stretched my legs and hips for about 5 minutes.
Wednesday: 4-mile run, 1/2-mile walk; went for another walk later with a friend
Thursday: about 35 minutes on the elliptical while reading Hamlet. I was feeling VERY lazy. Went for another walk later in the afternoon, though.
Friday: this was an optional 3-mile run day, but I went for it anyway. However, I only ran about 1 of the 3 miles, and walked 1.5. I don't remember what the issue was. Just feeling tired/heavy overall? I did hit the weights afterwards, though.
Saturday: 15-minute warm-up on the elliptical, 4-mile run, 1-mile walk.

Still working on perfecting my playlist in case we're allowed to wear our ipods during the marathon. Right now, Jimmy Eat World's "Middle" and Phil Collins's "Don't Lose my Number" are totally working for me. "Middle" is basically my perfect running song--the beat is exactly right.

Welcome back to the blog, (non-) Running Girl!!! :)

Missing in Action!

Don't worry! I'll be back soon! It has been a difficult few weeks, but I promise to be back on the blog this week! It has been a full week since I've gone running. I'm going to try for 3 or 4 tomorrow. :)

Week 6!

Well guys--what a week! Mine started out pretty badly, workout-wise; on Monday I was still feeling the aftereffects of the 8-miler, and couldn't even complete that day's 3 miles. I think I ran one and walked the other two and just felt like crap about myself. However, I know I'm not really the one to blame; I think this guy is actually the reason running has been getting a bit harder for me:


hee hee! So, it seems like my running success just depends on his mood from day to day. I'm now about 19 weeks pregnant and am still hoping to be able to run, rather than walk, the race, but at this point I'm just playing everything by ear.

Anyway, by Wednesday I was feeling good again and completed my 4-mile run with no problem. Thursday was about 50 minutes on the elliptical, and some weights; Friday I did about 30 minutes of yoga. And then Saturday--dun dun dun!--the much anticipated 10-miler!

Friday night I ate a pretty normal dinner but ate a plate of french fries and a chocolate milkshake on top of it, and I think it really helped me out! I started out my run extremely strong, feeling really, really good. At mile 4.25, though, I started having a little pain in my lower back, so I slowed for a brief walk/water break--probably an eighth of a mile or less. I felt better and started running again, and then at about mile 5.20 my shoelace came untied! Aggggh!!! That hadn't happened to me in so long. I stopped quickly to retie it and kept running. At mile 6 I took another water break, and accidentally hit the stupid emergency shutoff button on the arm of the treadmill! I was really mad and had to wait for the machine to totally reset, and I lost my time and distance count and everything. I know that at mile 6 I was at about 57-58 minutes though--I was sticking pretty solidly to a 10-minute mile by this point. Anyways--thankfully the last 4 miles were uneventful, and I ran them in just under 40 minutes, so probably completed the whole run in just under 1:40. By the final mile my left knee and right hip were beginning to feel a bit sour, as Running Girl would say, but I cranked up some Phil Collins and powered through to the end. And by that point I knew I could keep going almost indefinitely. It was certainly easier than the first 10-miler, both mentally and physically. Stoked!

Training Week 7: The Rest of the Week

Date: 28 August 2008 / Distance: 4 mi / Time: 34:42

Date: 30 August 2008 / Tennis and Surfing / Time: 2 hr

Date: 31 August 2008 / Distance: 4.05 mi / Time: 34:52

Date: 1 September 2007 / Distance: 7.97 / Time: 1:13:27

After training week 7, I'm moving about as quickly as a slug.  My entire body is sore.  I can't believe the race is only 6 weeks away!  When we started training in February or March, the race seemed so far away.  I ran my 8 miler yesterday and for the first time in weeks, I felt like a normal person.  I didn't have any dizzy spells, headaches or stomach cramps.  My knees started feeling a little sour at the 7 mile mark, but overall, I felt very strong.  Now that we have 6 weeks left, I'm going to concentrate on pounding water and eating enough carbs.