1/2 Marathon Training - cross-training via lefse (?) and 7.1 miles

Wow, less than a week before the Monumental 1/2 Marathon!
After my amazingly fast run on Wednesday I couldn't bring myself to get out for a run (until Sunday)...work has been absolutely insane and I've been working far more than 40 hours/week in order to make up for being gone later this week.  Yesterday was the annual lefse-making day at church and I had to do some work at Public Safety Day for work.  I probably could have made my way out for a late-afternoon run, but after being on my feet all day, I just couldn't do it.  Plus, lefse-making is cross-training, right?  A nice core and arm workout, no?  If you don't know what lefse is, you're missing out...

That being said, I laid around in bed this morning until about 10 and then decided I better get out for my last long run.  I got my shoes on and mapped a route on google maps and opened the door...to rain.  Lots of rain.  I shut the door and turned to Josh.  "It's raining," I said.  "It's just a little water," he replied.  Crap.  I knew he was right and I knew I needed to run and I absolutely knew that I didn't want to run 7 miles on the treadmill.  Ugh.  I opened and closed and opened the door again and finally stepped outside and took off....and without music.  I really wanted to see how it would be to run 7 miles without music, and also to resist the temptation to hear at what pace I was running at every mile.  I didn't even look at my iPhone.  I will say that probably about 2-3 miles in I honestly didn't feel like continuing.  I felt like just turning around and going home and telling myself that I'd be fine next weekend because I've logged a lot of miles...buuuuut, I didn't.  I kept going. And in the end, I ended up with these stats (and I'm really stoked about the results!):

7.1 miles in 1:18:58
Avg pace - 11:07
HR high - 170
HR avg - 160

Back to that music thing - I've been toying with the idea of running the Monumental without music.  I read a few things about people not running to music during big runs like that because it takes away from the cheers and music and other things that happen.  My last two runs I've done without music and I've had a great pace for both of them.  So now I don't know I'm going to do.  Maybe start out without music and be sure to bring headphones in my hydration pack?  Hmm....

1/2 marathon training - 4.39 miles

Well, my headphones wouldn't work at all tonight and I didn't feel like borrowing Brooke's, so I decided to go without the music.  Then I started running and my HRM was all whacked out and saying my heart rate was at 208, so I turned it off and ran without either of those two things. I still had my app running on my phone, but I only took it out once to look at my pace at mile on...I felt like I was flying....and I kind of was.  Anyway, I felt really good the entire run and once again, I probably shouldn't have since I had some deliciously spicy Thai for lunch and a crap load of Junior Mints from the not-so-secret candy drawer our secretary keeps at the front desk.  My favorite thing about today's run is that there is a one mile stretch right around the corner from my house that I run pretty often and I ran it in at right about 10 minutes twice tonight....ahhh!!!

That being said, here are my minimal stats!



4.39 miles in 46:26
Avg pace - 10:35/mile

Woah.

1/2 Marathon Training - Dodgeball tournament and 8 miles

Saturday morning was our end of the year dodgeball tournament.  We had a pretty decent season and ended up 3rd before the tournament, but had the crappiest 2 games I think we had played all season and lost both of our games in the double-elimination tournament.  I suppose that was OK for me since I really needed to run that afternoon... 

The tapering business is kind of scary and it makes me nervous.  I'm sure I will be fine, but it's still scary.  Saturday was a decent 8-miler.  Pretty good pace and the random rain drops were actually kind of nice!  My only complaint is that my headphones freaked out on me and I couldn't pause (to hear my pace and distance) or skip to another song unless I took my iPhone out of my pack.  I didn't really feel like doing that, so I didn't.  I will say that it was somewhat nice to just run instead of tracking my pace the entire time.  I'm looking forward to doing that after the 1/2 is over...just running to run and not necessarily worrying about how far I'm running or if I'm keeping a steady pace. 

8.05 miles in 1:36:28
Avg pace 11:59
HR high - 178
HR avg - 164
Calories burned - 1195

1/2 marathon training - 3.2 miles + dodgeball

Let me start by saying that I really didn't feel like running today, especially after the spicy mandarin chicken and fried rice I had for lunch (yum, by the way) and then the redbull I had later this afternoon.  I knew I had to though, and I begrudgingly threw on my shoes and took the dog with me out the door.  I was cramping up pretty bad in my sides within my first mile, which doesn't surprise me at all considering the crappy food I ate.  I ran through it and seriously thought I was running really slowly.  I got to my regular turn point at my 1-mile marker to go around the block and decided to just turn around and run the mile back home.  I figured 2 miles was all I had in me today and was completely fine with not accomplishing my goal for the first time since I started this journey.  Well, I got a little past mile 2 and realized I had a little more energy left in me so I ran a little further.  I got home and ended up running 3.2 - just a little over my goal for the night.  Even better, I went inside to find dinner on the table and had just enough time to eat before heading to dodgeball, where we won 7 - 3!  Hooray! 



The next best thing about my run today is my pace:

3.2 miles in 34:32
Avg pace - 10:48
HR high - 188 (I'm not sure I believe this)
HR avg - 154

Calories burned - 435



And since I mentioned how slow I thought I was running and how I was all cramped up for the first mile, here are my splits:
Mile 1.0 - avg pace 10:46
Mile 2.0 - avg pace 11:24
Mile 3.0 - avg pace 10:15
Mile 3.2 - avg pace 10:41

Ha!

1/2 Marathon Training - 3.14 miles

I was still pretty sore last night after my 12-miler on Sunday and had a hard time finding the energy or strength to do any sort of cross-training.  So, I didn't.  I ate ice cream and drank hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps, and it was delicous. 

Fast forward to lunch today - I took my gear to work and was determined to 1) actually take a lunch break today and 2) go for a short run during said lunch break.  Goals: accomplished, with really good time, I might add!

Stats:
3.14 miles in 33:21
Avg pace - 10:38
HR high - 173
HR avg - 158
Calories burned - 419

1/2 marathon training - 12.13 miles

Today was my last long run before the half marathon on 11/6. I thought I had perfectly mapped out my 12 miles from church to home, but I got to a specific corner and found I had only gone about 8 miles instead of 10 and realized I hadn't gone the exact route I planned last night.  Serves me right for not looking at the map before we left for church.  I felt really good at that point too and initially thought I only had 3 miles left and was super stoked!  I ended up rerouting myself to run the full 12 and at about mile 10.5 really started feeling the hurt. But I pushed through it, making sure I had only the best of the best tunes playing through my headphones.  Tell you what saved me today were these two songs:

1) Someday soon - KT Tunstall - there are a few lyrics in this song that get me moving -

"Gonna stretch out both my arms, I'm gonna test the temperature...Follow the taste of it, Jump in, Swallow it whole, Jump in..."  I literally find myself stretching my arms and moving faster when this comes on...



2) Soldier - Ingrid Michaelson - "I don't believe in anything but myself, I don't believe in anything but myself..."  For real, is there any better mantra than this?  I'm really not sure.  I love the next part of the song too...the drums kick in..."but then you open up the door, you open up the door and I start to believe in something else."  Sigh.  In love.  Thanks, Jamie, for opening this door for me...I probably wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for you!  :)



I probably could have listened to those two songs today and been just fine...well, maybe.

Anyway, I was stiff and sore when I got home, but I made it...and I made even though I ate a crap load of pizza last night.  I'm less than 3 weeks out from running 13.1 miles in Indianapolis.  It's so close I can taste it!  Seriously, I just can't wait...



Stats:
12.13 miles in 2:28:27
Avg pace - 12:15
HR High - 175
HR Avg - 162

Calories burned - 1862



Time for a bloody mary...

1/2 Marathon Training - dodgeball, elliptical, 4 miles

I wanted to run Thursday...really, I did.  But Thursday was a hard, long day, and I laid upstairs on my bed for a few hours before finally deciding at 7:45 to get on the elliptical before heading to dodgeball for our 8:45 game.  It was a nice little warm up before our game, but I've come to realize that I really kind of suck at dodgeball.  Ha! 

Yesterday I was able to leave work around 3:40 because I had worked too much for the week, so I decided to get in a 4 mile run before taking Brooke and her cousin to Wild West Night at her school.  The run felt difficult today and I'm not sure why.  I felt like I was really pushing myself and not getting much in return.  I had a healthy breakfast (smoothie, like everyday), and a simple lunch (sandwich), and a lot of water all day. But still, it just felt hard....my lungs felt strained and my legs felt weak and in the end I felt disappointed that I didn't run as fast as Wednesday and at the end of 4 miles all I wanted was to be done.  Maybe it's because Wednesday's run was SO SO good, which is weird to me because despite my healthy breakfast, I had a fairly unhealthy lunch (mmm pork salad from Cafe Rio!).  Perhaps I need to eat Cafe Rio more often?  Oh, ok!  For real, I am in love with that place.  Anyway, onto the stats:

4 miles in 45:52
Avg - 11:25/mile
HR high - 171
HR avg - 166
Calories burned - 599

I got up this morning to make coffee and start on this blog and realized I was being ridiculous about how disappointed I was in myself about yesterday's run.  These are some things I need to remember:
1) I ran 4 miles and just a few weeks ago I was ecstatic that I had worked up to this distance.
2) I still averaged under 12 min/mile which is great!
3) My heart rate was just fine - I wasn't putting too much strain on my body at all, especially for a late afternoon run.
4) I need to relax and and not worry about how fast I'm going.  Really, my goal is to finish the 1/2 marathon and not worry about how fast I'm going to finish it.

As for today, I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to run this morning or if I'm going to wait until tomorrow.  I don't typically like to run 2 days in a row and I have been really careful not to run my long run the day after I've run at all...I'll let you know how that works out!  Oh yeah, I need to go get some more Clif shots, so I'll have to wait until at least later this afternoon....

21 days until the Indy Monumental!

1/2 marathon training - 4.22 miles

After my amazing 10 mile run on Saturday, I couldn't bring myself to do much of anything on Sunday.  And then Sunday we celebrated my sister's engagement and Monday I was ridiculously hungover and sat on the couch all day until about 4pm when Brooke got home and I started to feel not only a tad bit better, but also a lot bit lazy for not doing anything all day.  I had planned on running a quick 3 miles to keep up on things, but didn't.  And then I didn't run Tuesday either.  Today's lunch was less than healthy and I had a feeling my post-work run was going to be rough.  Guess what?  It wasn't!  Woot!
Stats:
4.22 miles in 46:06
Avg pace - 10:56 (double woot!!)
HR high - 176
HR avg - 167
Calories burned: 625

Side note: the first time I ran 4 miles during this journey, it took me 49:50.  Triple woot!!!

1/2 Marathon Training - 10 miles

I really, really had a hard time getting out of bed this morning and really, really didn't know if today's planned 9+ miles was going to work.  After dinking around on the computer for an eternity and mapping out 2 different routes, I finally rolled out of bed around 11:00 and slowly got into my running clothes.  When I left I decided I would take the 9.5 mile route, but I got to mile 2 or 3 and felt REALLY good, so I changed my mind and continued south, which forced me to do the 10 miler.  I can't even begin to tell you how good I felt through the entire run today.  Last weekend's 8 mile run was pretty rough and there were a few times where I thought I was going to have to walk, but today was completely different.  Not a second went by where I thought I wasn't going to make it.  When I got to mile 8 I had some Clif shot gel and started to get really pumped that I felt so good and that I only had 2 miles left! 

Stats:
10 miles in 2:02:14
Avg pace - 12:06
HR High - 172
HR Avg - 159 (although I forgot to turn it off when I got home and stretched, so my avg was probably more like 163 or so...)
Calories burned - 1581

1/2 marathon training - 3.32 miles and 5 miles

Wednesday:
--After work run with the dawg.  He likes to stop and smell things and it's kind of annoying, but it's my dawg and I love getting him out for some exercise!

Stats:
3.32 miles in 38:06
Avg Pace 11:29
HR High - 179
HR Avg - 166
Calories burned - 482



--Post-run dodgeball game!  We were down a player and only had 5 so we had zero subs and the only rest we got was the time we were out of the game or during the 4 minute resting/half-time period.  We were down 4-1 at the half and came back to tie 5-5 by the end of the game!



--Dinner and drinks with my sister and her fiance (yep, fiance!) and my parents at Old Chicago! 

Thursday:
--Mid-day run during my long lunch hour.  It was warmer than I thought it would be and I struggled more than I thought I would.  Ate a Clif Bar right before the run, which probably aided in my crappy run.  Time/pace wasn't so bad...in fact, it was pretty normal, but I just didn't feel great.  Oh well. 
Stats:
5.06 miles in 58:57
Avg pace - 11:39
HR High - 175
HR Avg - 169

Calories burned - 786



I've been contemplating how far I will run on Saturday.  I'm thinking 9 or 10 miles...probably 10 if I can figure out a good route.  I've also been thinking about how far my longest run will be.  I had initially planned on 12 miles, but the more I read, the more I think maybe 10 or 11 is enough.  As of this very moment, I'm thinking 11.  That way I can taper back down to 8 or 9 and 6 miles the next 2 weeks.  Oct. 30 I'll be running a 10k with my sister, which will be a really good way to wind things down the week before the half-marathon and get in that last long run before the big day!

I'm getting super pumped for this!  I can't wait to see my old friends and selfishly show off my size 10 frame (hehe) to those who haven't seen me in 5+ years.  Woah, that's really not very humble at all....but I've had 2 glasses of wine tonight and I'm about to pour another one....

1/2 marathon training - 8 miles

Whew, yesterday was a busy day!  I had to play guitar at our church for the Blessing of the Pets and had plans to take off running from there and end up at my parents' house, which all worked out.  I had planned a route that would end up being about 7.25 miles, my longest run yet.  I still wasn't sure I was ready for that long of a run, but I also knew I needed to give it a shot. What I hadn't planned on or thought about was the number of hills on the route I had worked out...oops.  At about mile 5 (1 hour mark) I choked down a Cliff gel-shot that  I bought at REI to see if it would help me or if it was just plain gross.  Pretty gross and slimy, but I think it helped me get through the next 3 miles. 

When I hit the 7 mile mark I realized I could go to 8 miles without killing myself, so I did just that.  My body ached and I felt like I needed a long nap all day long, but I survived.  We even went to the big sale at RC Willey and bought a new bed and new TV - yeah!  Can't wait for the bed to arrive!  Last night we went to some friends' house for the annual "Chicken Off" and judged the chicken concoctions and just a few libations :)  Needless to say, I am exhausted.  Thankfully, my muscles don't ache nearly as much as they did yesterday.  Must be all that Disoronno, vodka, whiskey, fruit juice, beer...you get the point.  Ha!

Here are the stats from yesterday's run:
8.07 miles in 1:39:34
Fastest pace - 10:19
Avg pace - 12:20
HR High - 179
HR Avg - 169
Calories burned - 1330