1/2 marathon training - 5 miles (or close enough)

Alright, well today was technically supposed to be a cross-training day, but I couldn't figure out the best way to work it in since I don't have a bike light right now.  I decided early this morning that I would go out for a lunch time run and try for somewhere between 5 and 6 miles, partly because I didn't want to run in the late afternoon and partly because it should have been a little cooler during lunch than at 5pm.  The crappy thing is that I was what we call "Duty Officer" today and had to stay at the Court building until Court was in recess for lunch.  Unfortunately, Court never recessed for lunch, so I got stuck without a run and with only getting about a 15 minute lunch today, and even that was against the rules because Court was still rolling.  Oh well.  That brings me to my post-work run.  Since I was in a different office than my typical work day, I wanted to take advantage of a new running route.  I did just that.  4.98 miles after work was a little rough considering the ridiculous lunch I had (mmmm...Baguette Deli!).  Oh well.  It was 86 degrees outside and I was pleased as punch to have my hydration pack with me...



Stats as follows:
4.98 miles in 56:51
Avg pace - 11:26
HR High - 177
HR Avg - 171
Calories burned - 817

Good Night!

1/2 marathon training - crosstraining and 3.4 mile run

In true form, I didn't run or cross-train on Sunday like I meant to.  Brunch and drinks ruined that one by 1:00 PM.  Oops.  Monday was a super hectic day at work and I didn't get out of the office at lunch to anything productive (except get my registration up to date on one of the cars).  We got KILLED in dodgeball last night but I still had enough umph in me to go home and hop on the elliptical for 20 minutes before devouring a sandwich for dinner. 

Since I worked so long yesterday, I was able to come into work late this morning.  I took the dog out for a 3-miler this morning before making coffee and getting ready for the day.  It was probably the only time I've forgotten to take a baggie with me to pick up Seymour's poop, and wouldn't you know it, also probably the only time he's pooped on a walk/run in the last 3 months.  Argh.  I felt terrible just leaving it there, but I had no choice. 

I forgot my HRM watch at home with my HR info on it, but I think I remember my average HR being somewhere around 165 and my high being 171.  Overall, it was a pretty good run this morning.  Oh, and I used a hydration pack for the first time...probably not needed for such a short run, but I wanted to give it a try anyway to see how it would be before I take it on a long run.

Stats:
3.39 miles in 37:17
Avg pace 11:01/mile
Calories burned - 495

1/2 marathon training - 3.9 miles

I'm detoxing from my river trip...I probably mentioned that in my last post.  Anyway, I didn't touch a drop of alcohol last night but stayed up until almost 1:00 AM.  WTF?  I thought for sure my run would improve based on my lack of alcohol consumption or that, at a minimum, I'd feel better on the run.  1/2 true?  Maybe.  It was pretty tough getting out of bed this morning and even harder to get gear on and run, which I didn't do until almost 11:45.  Oh well.  To top off my semi-crappy run, my GPS was screwed up on my iPhone (I should probably keep it on the surface of my clothes instead of under 2 layers) and it kept telling me I was running at a pace of 4:00/mile.  Ha!  In my wildest dreams!

Anyway, here are the stats for today's run:

3.9 miles in 46:33
Avg pace - 11:56/mile
HR High - 181
HR Avg - 171
Calories burned - 612

Wondering if I'll keep up my detox today; there's a BSU game on tonight and that's going to make it a little harder to maintain, mostly because I don't actually watch/care for football.  Maybe I should go to a movie?

1/2 Marathon Training - 3 miles + dodgeball

Whew.  We got back to town last night from our 7 day river trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, where I mostly fished, drank beer, read, and sat on a boat.  I rowed a little, but not much.  We had a layover day and I went on a 2 mile hike, but it wasn't strenuous whatsoever.  I haven't run since 9/11/10.  Oops.  I really meant to get my shoes on and take some short runs right before vacation, but packing and prepping for vacation really bogged me down.  Needless to say, I was pretty nervous about running tonight after my 11-day hiatus. 

That being said, I decided to just run 3 miles tonight after work, and it just so happens our dodge ball location is exactly 3 miles from my house!  I strapped on my shoes and headed out the door to run to the game.  It was still about 85 degrees outside when I left, which didn't help the sweat factor, but whatever.  The run itself didn't feel great, but it didn't feel like hell either.  Afterward, of course, I felt amazing.  Also, dodge ball is a great way to stretch...especially when you cream the other team...and also when the other team is the reigning co-ed dodge ball team 2 years in a row.  Mwah ah ah ah ah!

Anyway, when I got into the gym, I checked my splits on my iPhone app (kick ass, by the way) and my overall average, and then realized why I thought it was a little rough; I was running faster than I have been running 3 miles since I started this journey.  Uh, yeah.  Go me...or something like that.  Also my heart rate monitor says my HR peaked at a wicked high level and I refuse to believe it.  My HR was higher than the past few runs, but again, I ran at 6:30 tonight and that's never been my best time of day to do so.

Stats:
3 miles in 34:40 (50 seconds stopped time)
Avg pace - 11:26/mile
Mile 1 - 10:45/mile
Mile 2 - 11:49/mile
Mile 3 - 11:44/mile
HR High 196 (again, I don't believe it)
HR Avg 177
468 calories burned 

I didn't run yesterday...

...and I'm probably not going to today.  I did, however, play dodge ball last night (we tied).

I woke up early this morning (6am?) with a terribly queasy stomach.  I'm supposed to be attending a conference today, but can't seem to pull myself out of bed for more than 15 minutes.  I slept until 10:30.  I could probably make it through the conference since it's just a lot of sitting, but I'm afraid I would fall asleep.  So I'm going to take it easy for the rest of the day.  I NEED to run (and feel better) tomorrow though, because we head out for our 7 day Middle Fork of the Salmon trip on Thursday at 5:30 am (eek!).  Maybe I'll get some cookies made this afternoon or some veggies chopped up for our trip....

Playlist

Ahhh, a rest day!  Truly much needed rest after yesterday!

While I'm running (and after) I try to remember the songs that seem to push me or make me smile or make me just want to keep moving my feet when I run, rather than give up on the spot.  I'm trying to make sure my playlist for the Monumental is stellar and has the best of the above motivational factors.  Here are some of the best ones I've come up with so far:

Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise - Avett Brothers
Incomplete and Insecure - Avett Brothers
Airplanes - B.o.B
Closer to You - Brandi Carlile
Mushaboom - Feist
All the Way - Indigo Girls
Maybe - Ingrid Michaelson
Lucky - Jason Mraz & Colbie Callait
Saving my Face - KT Tunstall
Firefly - Maia Sharp
Float On - Modest Mouse
Going Back to Georgia - Nancy Griffith
No Bad News - Patty Griffin
You are the Best Thing - Ray Lamontagne
King of Anything - Sara Bareilles
All for Love - Serena Ryder
Sweeping the Ashes - Serena Ryder
I Was Made for Sunny Days - The Weepies
Jolene - The Weepies
Sea Legs - Brittany Kusserow
The Fear - Lily Allen

I have several other songs on my playlist right now, but they aren't great and will probably be removed.  Any suggestions for additions?

1/2 Marathon Training - 6 miles!

I probably could have run 7, and I'm hoping that's how all of my long runs feel from here on out.  I am continually amazed at the distance my body can go and the length of time I am able to exercise without stopping.   What surprises me most about today's run is that I took some extra time to look at the "splits" on my app on my iPhone and realized that my fastest miles were miles 2, 5, and 6 with my slowest mile being 3. 

Rewind: I knew I had to run fairly early (early on a Saturday is before 10am) but still wanted to make sure I had enough calories in me to burn and I really wanted some coffee.  I got up around 8:00 and made coffee.  I had one cup of coffee and ate 2 "breakfast cookies" (which are completely delicious) and sat in bed reading my book while I did so.  I finally got out of bed around 9:00 and get my rafting gear ready, then threw on my running gear and headed out the door, with the plan that Josh would pick me up at my end point and then we'd head up to the river.  It all worked out, thank God! 

Another nice thing?  Oh, my HR was spectacular through the entire run!  And yes,  I did go rafting this afternoon...which I think gives me every right to go to bed by 8:30 on a Saturday night...

6.02 miles - 1:14:05
Avg Pace - 12:19
HR High - 170
HR Avg - 162

Note to self: Running in the morning totally kicks ass.

Dodgeball league and Probation vs. Detention Softball

Ahh, the joins of competitive sports!  Last night's dodgeball game was a HOOT, for sure!  Plus, we actually won, so that was really nice.  Tonight we had our annual Probation vs. Detention softball game.  We lost, but it was a good time anyway...and I had a helluva fly ball catch while playing 3rd base and a few hits.  Those were pretty much fantastic!

I have a 5 mile run planned for tomorrow but I keep thinking about making it 6 and just can't decide if that's a good idea.  It's exactly 6 miles from our house to my office, and I need to go to the office anyway in the morning to grab a few things.  I'm not gonna lie, it scares the crap out of me to attempt a 6 miles run.  If I do end up with this plan, Josh will pick me up at the office and we'll head straight for the river for a day on the Payette.  Talk about a loaded day...I just hope I can make it.  Guess I'll let you know the outcome tomorrow!

1/2 Marathon Training - 3.33 miles

3.33 miles in about 40 minutes
Avg pace - 12:12
HR High 169
HR Avg - 162

I decided to take the dog with my this afternoon on my short run...and nearly tripped over him a million times.  Probably not the best idea I've ever had, but he's been SO restless and has been driving me crazy lately.  Nothing new and exciting to report, other than today felt pretty good given that it was a post-work run which I've already complained about them not being as great as the other runs. Definitely happy with the pace...

Time for dodgeball!

1/2 Marathon Training - Crosstraining (finally)

I got my gym clothes on at the end of the work day yesterday and hopped in my car to go to the gym.  When I got to the stop light just before the turn into the parking lot, I decided I just didn't feel like going in and working out in front of a bunch (well, handful) of people.  I passed the turn in and went home.

I still didn't feel like working out when I got home and half-assed it for a few minutes by doing some crunches and working my arms a little bit with some 5-lb weights that have been collecting dust.  After dragging my feet for some time, I hopped on the elliptical and watched Jeopardy! for 20 minutes.  I didn't push myself too hard, which is probably what my body needed, but at least I did something. 

It's supposed to rain all day (boo) which means it will be more difficult to run outside (double boo).  The bonus is that I have a dodgeball game tonight (I'm on a city league!), which should be entertaining!

1/2 Marathon Training - 3.1 miles

Wow, tonight was rough.  It was over 80 degrees outside, so I decided to do my short run at the gym on the treadmill.  I kept the incline at 1.0 and the pace at 5.0 for the first 2 miles, then dropped both for the last 1.1 miles down to .5 incline and 4.8 pace.  It was rough, which I attribute it all the beer I drank last night, the enchiladas for lunch, and the candy (mmm...mini Almond Joys) I ate this afternon.  Lame. 

Anyway, here are the stats:
3.1 miles in 37:21
HR High 171
HR Avg 161
(I say the HR stats are pretty good considering how crappy I felt!)

I got home and ate even more leftover enchiladas and then went for a short bike ride with Brooke and her friend and friend's dad to the school, since they've decided they want to ride their bikes to school now.  It was a nice way to use different muscles after that crappy run after work. 

Here's hoping Thursday's run is better and that I can actually run outside...

1/2 Marathon Training - 5.3 miles

Does shopping count as cross-training?  If so, I did a great job of that last night and this morning...new jeans last night (and some new tennis shoes and socks for Brooke!) and some new running gear this morning (super cheap 1/3s at Sierra Trading Post!).  I'm most excited about my new running tank with a big pocket in the back to hold my iPhone so I don't have to hold it while I run.  I tried it out this afternoon, and it's nice to just throw it in the pocket with the earphones running up the back of the tank.  It also helps focus on a comfortable pace rather than how fast I'm running because I'm not constantly looking at the running app that indicates my pace, time, and distance. 

I probably should have eaten more this morning, but by the time I thought about it, I was ready to head out the door, so I didn't.  It's funny because for the past 2+ years I've been buying breakfast items with minimal calories for weight loss purposes.  Last night I was at the grocery store looking for granola bars, etc. with the most calories so that when I want to run in the morning I actually have some calories in my system and have some extra energy.  I ate a "breakfast cookie" this morning around 9 with my coffee but didn't run until after 1pm.  Oops. 

I'm getting to the point where I think I need to start carrying water with me when I run.  I was parched by mile 3.  The good news about today is that I ran 3/10 mile farther than Wednesday in only about 30 seconds more time. 

5.3 miles in 1:08 (Avg pace - 12:51)
HR Max 178
HR Avg 169

I'm getting a little nervous about mid-September and the lack of training I'll be able to do from 9/16 to 9/22 when we're on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.  I'm super excited about my (likely) final rafting trip of the year, but that's a lot of time to take off from running when I've been working out so regularly.  Hopefully I'll be rowing a lot and will have some time for hiking, etc.

1/2 Marathon Training - 5 miles

5 miles.  Cinq.  V.  FIVE.  Five-freaking-miles.  That's what I did today after work.  A slooooooow, turtle-speed 5 miles, but it was five miles.  I didn't mean to, actually.  I meant to run about 3, but my first 2 were pretty crappy and I felt like I had to make up for it somehow, so I just kept going.  Like I said, it was slow moving, but I did it.  I think I've finally figured out that I'm at my best pace and feel the best during mid-day runs, but sometimes that's just not possible.  I hope this is the case anyway.  I haven't taken the time to run in the morning yet, but mostly because I'm lazy.  I suppose I should give that a shot sometime soon since the Monumental is a morning run.  Maybe Saturday or Monday since I won't have to work those days.

5 miles: 1h 7m 27s (you do the math on my pace...terrible, I tell you)
HR high: 178
HR avg: 169


On another note, although my weight has really not gone down throughout this process (yet?), I've found that my pants fit much much better than they have over the past few months.  Maybe it's time to take another set of photos...yeah, we'll see about that.