Slow with the running, anyway. My Grandpa Keyser died on the 14th, almost exactly a year after my Grandma Keyser died last year. My parents, siblings, and I went back to South Dakota for the funeral and I was smart enough to take my running gear with me. I only got a 2 mile run in while I was there, but my Garmin said I ran one of them in 9:08! Woah! I'm pretty sure it was because the first mile was a lot of downhill stretches followed by flat stretches, but I'll take it! I forgot that the little town where we were staying has a lot of rolling hills, so it was a surprise to do the slightest bit of hill work while I was there.
Fast forward to Christmas Eve. I met up with Renee and her sister and managed a slow 3.5 mile run, 1/2 on pavement, 1/2 on the trails. It was nice to have a nice, easy run in the books.
Fast forward yet again to today. Our Director let everyone off work an hour early (yay!) so I went home with the intention of going on a longer run of 4-6 miles. When I started out, I noticed some dark clouds and lightening in the distance, but it seemed fairly far from where I was that I didn't worry about it too much. I got about a mile down the road and took a look around. The dark clouds had started to come closer and it was pretty gloomy, so I turned around and headed home. Within 5 minutes of me being home the lightening was crazy and it turned into a torrential downpour. I was pretty damn glad to be home! I don't even remember what my pace was, but I do know I ran about 2 miles.
I'm thinking about trying to get up to join the Shu's trail running group tomorrow to get in a few more miles before the year ends, but that also means I'll have to get out of bed earlier tomorrow than I have for the past few weeks. We'll see what happens...
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Destination Run: Truck Retrieval
The title of this entry probably seems way more exciting than it really was, but it is technically the truth, so I'll let it be.
Josh completed his 2011 goal of rafting every month this year by heading up to the river to go boating with his friend, Ted, on Saturday. Later that day, my mom called and invited us to their house for lasagna for dinner. When Josh returned to Ted's house from boating, he was rather intoxicated, so I offered to go pick him up and take him with me to my parents' for dinner. Josh went straight to be upon our arrival home and I ended up mapping the route from our house to Ted's. Before laying down for the night, my plans were made for Sunday: I'd run to Ted's to pick up the truck. It's just over 9 miles from our house to Ted's.
I didn't get started until 11:30, which was fine because it was still pretty chilly outside (30-ish). I wore my hydration belt for the first time since my 10-miler in the heat several months ago, which was a smart move. My shins were tight for the first few miles and I had a difficult time shaking it off and/or ignoring the tightness. It wasn't painful though, so I plugged along. Somewhere around mile 4 I stopped at a Walgreens for a pit stop and forgot to turn my Garmin back on for about 1/2 of a mile, so my overall distance and time were off. I ate some Clif Shot Bloks and remembered how much I love Nuun and was disappointed that I had run out on Tuesday.
I started to weaken around the end of mile 6 and by mile 7 I started to question my decision to make this destination run. I played my "make it to that landmark and I can walk" game and actually walked this time. Miles 8 and 9 were slightly easier but I still walked a bit...and all of the sudden, there was the house and the truck! My Garmin read 8.8 miles but I mapped my route on google maps and it was exactly a 1/2 mile more for a total of 9.3 miles.
My body ached for several hours after I finished but Ted and his wife, Deb, graciously let me into their home for some much needed water (I ran out just as I got to their home) and Ted gave me a much deserved PBR!
Semi-stats for the time my Garmin was actually running today:
8.8 miles at 10:59/mile average pace
Josh completed his 2011 goal of rafting every month this year by heading up to the river to go boating with his friend, Ted, on Saturday. Later that day, my mom called and invited us to their house for lasagna for dinner. When Josh returned to Ted's house from boating, he was rather intoxicated, so I offered to go pick him up and take him with me to my parents' for dinner. Josh went straight to be upon our arrival home and I ended up mapping the route from our house to Ted's. Before laying down for the night, my plans were made for Sunday: I'd run to Ted's to pick up the truck. It's just over 9 miles from our house to Ted's.
I didn't get started until 11:30, which was fine because it was still pretty chilly outside (30-ish). I wore my hydration belt for the first time since my 10-miler in the heat several months ago, which was a smart move. My shins were tight for the first few miles and I had a difficult time shaking it off and/or ignoring the tightness. It wasn't painful though, so I plugged along. Somewhere around mile 4 I stopped at a Walgreens for a pit stop and forgot to turn my Garmin back on for about 1/2 of a mile, so my overall distance and time were off. I ate some Clif Shot Bloks and remembered how much I love Nuun and was disappointed that I had run out on Tuesday.
I started to weaken around the end of mile 6 and by mile 7 I started to question my decision to make this destination run. I played my "make it to that landmark and I can walk" game and actually walked this time. Miles 8 and 9 were slightly easier but I still walked a bit...and all of the sudden, there was the house and the truck! My Garmin read 8.8 miles but I mapped my route on google maps and it was exactly a 1/2 mile more for a total of 9.3 miles.
My body ached for several hours after I finished but Ted and his wife, Deb, graciously let me into their home for some much needed water (I ran out just as I got to their home) and Ted gave me a much deserved PBR!
Semi-stats for the time my Garmin was actually running today:
8.8 miles at 10:59/mile average pace
Trying again: Running group success
I mustered up some courage and went down to See Jane Run again on 12/6 after work for the group. I swear I crossed my fingers and my toes on the way there hoping they didn't cancel the run without any communication again. I walked up to the store front a few minutes before 6pm and (thank god) there were girls inside. The door was locked (weird, because they are supposed to be open until 6pm and it wasn't 6:00 yet), but they let me in when they realized I was wearing running gear.
Turns out I was the only person who showed up for the group that night, but Olive (my fearless very-early-20s-something leader) and I went out anyway. I didn't give myself enough time to let my Garmin locate the satellites so I didn't have it on for the first half of the run. I have no idea how fast we were running. I do know this, however: Olive is a much faster runner than I am. We got to the turn around point and we stopped so I could catch my breath a bit. I turned the Garmin on and off we went again. We did about 3.25 miles that night; the 2nd half a bit slower than the first (with the second half at a 10:01/mile average). I know this much is true because I felt much more at ease during the 1.64 miles back to the store than the first 1.64 miles. Olive kept me company and gave me a heads-up that most folks tend to call the store the day before the group runs to let the girls know if someone is joining them for the run. While I don't think this is a very good way to judge who is or isn't coming to run, I did let Olive know I'd give them a call if I planned to join them on Saturday. We'll see how things pan out throughout the rest of the week!
Turns out I was the only person who showed up for the group that night, but Olive (my fearless very-early-20s-something leader) and I went out anyway. I didn't give myself enough time to let my Garmin locate the satellites so I didn't have it on for the first half of the run. I have no idea how fast we were running. I do know this, however: Olive is a much faster runner than I am. We got to the turn around point and we stopped so I could catch my breath a bit. I turned the Garmin on and off we went again. We did about 3.25 miles that night; the 2nd half a bit slower than the first (with the second half at a 10:01/mile average). I know this much is true because I felt much more at ease during the 1.64 miles back to the store than the first 1.64 miles. Olive kept me company and gave me a heads-up that most folks tend to call the store the day before the group runs to let the girls know if someone is joining them for the run. While I don't think this is a very good way to judge who is or isn't coming to run, I did let Olive know I'd give them a call if I planned to join them on Saturday. We'll see how things pan out throughout the rest of the week!
Monday, December 12, 2011
You know what I love?
I love deciding to go out for a run with no set agenda! I went out on December 3rd with the only plan being to run. I knew I'd have to do an out and back or loop run to be sure I got back home but I didn't care much about pace or distance. I ended up doing a loop and somewhere around mile 5 I decided to take a bit of a detour. I went on a slight downhill stretch knowing I'd have to make a killer climb back uphill to get home, making my overall distance 7 miles instead of 5.5 or 6. The uphill climb was tough and certainly proves I need to do more of them if I want to increase my endurance and strength.
Mile 7 was somewhat rough. I ended up setting short goals for myself: get to the first tree and if I need to I can walk for a short period. I'd get to the first tree and keep running with the goal of getting to the next sign, etc. I ended up running all of mile 7 and at a pace faster than I ran miles 3, 4, 5, and 6. Weird.
Overall:
7 miles at 10:45/mile average
Mile 7 was somewhat rough. I ended up setting short goals for myself: get to the first tree and if I need to I can walk for a short period. I'd get to the first tree and keep running with the goal of getting to the next sign, etc. I ended up running all of mile 7 and at a pace faster than I ran miles 3, 4, 5, and 6. Weird.
Overall:
7 miles at 10:45/mile average
I tried out the shower at work!
I work in an outreach office which basically means my coworkers and I get the shaft in terms of services available at our office. Our colleagues 6 miles away have drinking water and we have a janitor's sink inside a closet. They have a full break room with tables and we have a conference room that's sometimes available to have lunch. They have showers in a large bathroom and we have 2 individual stalls with sinks to wipe ourselves down. But on the 1st I had to be at the other office for a period of time, including the lunch hour, so I took advantage of the situation and went out for a 3 miler near the main office. It was the first day of logging miles for Miles for Meals and I was glad to get a hot shower after my run instead of a PTA (pits, tits, ass) bath at the outreach office!
3 miles at a 10:27 average pace and that's that.
3 miles at a 10:27 average pace and that's that.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
I tried to break out of my comfort zone...
...but my plan was foiled due to See Jane Run's lack of communication. I had been thinking about joining a running group for quite some time and have talked myself out of it every time for various reasons. I made up my mind one Friday night though: the next day I was going to go to the See Jane Run Saturday morning run at 8:00 am. Josh had his poker buddies over to the house and I witheld from joining them for a late night tournament so I'd be nice and rested for the group run in the morning. I was awake by 7 am to have a decent breakfast and a cup of coffee before I headed out the door to meet up with the group. I must have checked their website and facebook page a million times on Friday night and Saturday morning to be sure I had the right time and to be sure it wasn't cancelled. I made my way to downtown Boise and got my gear on at my car before walking to the store front. It was 7:55 and there wasn't anyone there. I walked up and down the street to be less obscure and when there still wasn't anyone there by 8:10, I went back to my car and checked the website and facebook page again. Still no word of it being cancelled.
I wasn't about to let a lack of communication change the fact that I was going to run that morning, so I locked my car and ran around downtown. I ended up doing about 3.5 miles at an average pace of 10:07 which felt pretty good. But the problem with running downtown at that time is that I also had plans to go to See Jane Run that morning to sign up for the See Jane Run Half Marathon at a cheap ol' price of $55 AND I wanted to sign up for their Miles for Meals program that started later that week. I took advantage of being done running at 8:47 and got some coffee at Thomas Hammer (yum) and sent a message to my friend, Renee, to see if she wanted to join me by walking around at the Farmer's Market. She strolled down and we enjoyed the sights as well as some yummy croissants from Le Cafe de Paris (double yum!).
Eventually the store opened and I got signed up for both of my events, but not before letting the employees know that I was quite disappointed in the lack of communication regarding their group run cancellation. I've also managed to find 4 sponsors for the Miles for Meals program where I run and my sponsors donate either canned goods or money to the Women's and Children's Alliance based on the number of miles I run from December 1 to December 15!
As for the See Jane Run Half Marathon, I know I said I wouldn't run it again given the disappointment from the 2011 run, but when I found out the event would only be $55 (compared to the normal $75 or the last minuted $95 entry fee I paid earlier this year), I jumped at the opportunity. More about this later, I'm sure. For now, I've got miles to run!
I wasn't about to let a lack of communication change the fact that I was going to run that morning, so I locked my car and ran around downtown. I ended up doing about 3.5 miles at an average pace of 10:07 which felt pretty good. But the problem with running downtown at that time is that I also had plans to go to See Jane Run that morning to sign up for the See Jane Run Half Marathon at a cheap ol' price of $55 AND I wanted to sign up for their Miles for Meals program that started later that week. I took advantage of being done running at 8:47 and got some coffee at Thomas Hammer (yum) and sent a message to my friend, Renee, to see if she wanted to join me by walking around at the Farmer's Market. She strolled down and we enjoyed the sights as well as some yummy croissants from Le Cafe de Paris (double yum!).
Eventually the store opened and I got signed up for both of my events, but not before letting the employees know that I was quite disappointed in the lack of communication regarding their group run cancellation. I've also managed to find 4 sponsors for the Miles for Meals program where I run and my sponsors donate either canned goods or money to the Women's and Children's Alliance based on the number of miles I run from December 1 to December 15!
As for the See Jane Run Half Marathon, I know I said I wouldn't run it again given the disappointment from the 2011 run, but when I found out the event would only be $55 (compared to the normal $75 or the last minuted $95 entry fee I paid earlier this year), I jumped at the opportunity. More about this later, I'm sure. For now, I've got miles to run!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Turkey Day 5K - Boise Fun Run!
I'm so glad I decided to join my friend, Renee, and her family for a 5K fun run on Thanksgiving morning! It was a rather chilly morning, but that didn't stop 1500 people from getting out there to get a little exercise. I figured from the beginning that I wouldn't get a PR for this race. I haven't been keeping up on regular running since before the Chicago run almost a month ago, and while I knew I could very well run 3.1 miles, I didn't think I've be able to run it in under 31 minutes. I have several goals for running and one of them includes running a 5K in under 30 minutes; I had a sneaking suspicion that just wasn't going to happen. I vowed to just have a fun run for the morning and be glad I could actually run 3.1 miles.
We got to the start line with a few minutes to spare. We nestled ourselves into the crowd and before I knew it, we were off! I didn't have to maneuver around too many fanny-pack ladies and didn't have to worry about ANY strollers, since everyone with a stroller was lined up at the back! I love it when people listen to instructions! I lost Renee and her family pretty early, since we all run at different paces.
I noticed on our walk to the start line that my Garmin wasn't matching up; it indicated we were walking at 11:00/mile pace when we were clearly NOT doing so. So when I arrived at mile marker 1 and my Garmin wasn't matched up with the marker, I wasn't too surprised. I attributed the problem to the taller buildings downtown. By no means do we have sky scrapers in Boise, but downtown is downtown and there's no denying the fact that some signals were lost during the run. Mile 2 - still not match up. I honestly didn't look at my Garmin all that much for pace, other than to try to keep myself under 10:00/mile and to see if it indicated I was running ridiculously fast or something.
I passed Josh waiting on the sidelines around the one mile marker. He wasn't too thrilled to be out there but it meant a lot to have him there cheering me on.
It must have been around mile 3.5 when I met up with a kid (probably age 11 or so) and his dad. The kid was determined to stay in front of me, but he was obviously struggling with keeping up with dad. The kid turned to look at where I was several times and each time he sped up to keep me from passing him. Man, if the kid keeps up that determination, he could be a star!
I rounded the corner to the finish line and was astounded. I thought I had another few blocks to go, but it was only a block away! I looked down at my Garmin and realized I could totally finish in under 30.
I crossed the finish line in 28:30.
I met up with Josh a few minutes after that andgloated expressed my happiness with my time. Some of Renee's family members were already there and she followed shortly thereafter. I sent Josh on his way to get started on the turkey for dinner and I waited around for the raffle. I didn't win anything, but the prizes were enough to make me want to get in on the action a little more next year!
It got downright cold after the race while we watched other people win prizes and I still had about a 1/2 - 3/4 mile walk to the car and I knew it would take more than a brisk walk to get myself warmed up, so I decided to run back to the car. I felt loose and fast. I didn't have my Garmin turned on because I just wanted to GO (and get warmed up!).
I got to the car and drove to my parents' house to get our Thanksgiving day meal prep going and watch Josh cook like a mad man outside. What a wonderful day full of blessings. We are truly lucky to have such great family, friends, and good health!
We got to the start line with a few minutes to spare. We nestled ourselves into the crowd and before I knew it, we were off! I didn't have to maneuver around too many fanny-pack ladies and didn't have to worry about ANY strollers, since everyone with a stroller was lined up at the back! I love it when people listen to instructions! I lost Renee and her family pretty early, since we all run at different paces.
I noticed on our walk to the start line that my Garmin wasn't matching up; it indicated we were walking at 11:00/mile pace when we were clearly NOT doing so. So when I arrived at mile marker 1 and my Garmin wasn't matched up with the marker, I wasn't too surprised. I attributed the problem to the taller buildings downtown. By no means do we have sky scrapers in Boise, but downtown is downtown and there's no denying the fact that some signals were lost during the run. Mile 2 - still not match up. I honestly didn't look at my Garmin all that much for pace, other than to try to keep myself under 10:00/mile and to see if it indicated I was running ridiculously fast or something.
I passed Josh waiting on the sidelines around the one mile marker. He wasn't too thrilled to be out there but it meant a lot to have him there cheering me on.
It must have been around mile 3.5 when I met up with a kid (probably age 11 or so) and his dad. The kid was determined to stay in front of me, but he was obviously struggling with keeping up with dad. The kid turned to look at where I was several times and each time he sped up to keep me from passing him. Man, if the kid keeps up that determination, he could be a star!
I rounded the corner to the finish line and was astounded. I thought I had another few blocks to go, but it was only a block away! I looked down at my Garmin and realized I could totally finish in under 30.
I crossed the finish line in 28:30.
I met up with Josh a few minutes after that and
It got downright cold after the race while we watched other people win prizes and I still had about a 1/2 - 3/4 mile walk to the car and I knew it would take more than a brisk walk to get myself warmed up, so I decided to run back to the car. I felt loose and fast. I didn't have my Garmin turned on because I just wanted to GO (and get warmed up!).
I got to the car and drove to my parents' house to get our Thanksgiving day meal prep going and watch Josh cook like a mad man outside. What a wonderful day full of blessings. We are truly lucky to have such great family, friends, and good health!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Speed work!
I will be very honest when I say I had absolutely no plans to do speed work on the 20th when I set out for my run. I also had very little desire to run in general. I also didn't feel up to par on Saturday and a lot of Sunday, but I ran anyway. Aren't you proud? Here's what happened:
I ran Friday after work. I wanted to get up early on Saturday and run, but we had to be to my parents' house on Saturday by 10 to make lefse and I was very, very sleepy on Saturday when I woke up, so I chose to sleep before going to make lefse. I drank a lot of water before digging in to the mimosas and even then I didn't have too much. I had a white russian later in the afternoon and continued to drink water in the mean time. It was probably about 4pm when I figured out that I just didn't feel all that great. I convinced my dear husband to take me home to watch the Boise State football game that night. I had a fairly normal temperature but drank some Emergen-C and I called it an early night.
Sunday morning came early and I still didn't feel so hot..so much that I didn't even want to drink any coffee when I woke up. I had agreed to lead the adult Sunday School group that morning, so Josh and I went to church. I led Sunday School and we went to eat after that at The Ram. I ate only because I knew my body needed food. I love the beer at The Ram and didn't even partake with Josh. I did have some coffee with Baileys, but nothing more. We made a few stops before going home and I started feeling a little better. Josh laid down to nap, and I went to Target to get a few things we've needed for awhile.
I got home from Target and Josh was still sleeping. I was bored and knew it would be best to get some exercise. I threw on my gear and headed out the door. I still didn't feel 100% so I figured it would be a tough run. I ran a mile in 10:37...not bad. I picked up the pace for a little bit: .16 miles at 9:30/mile avg. And since I'm new to this whole "speed work" bit, the rest of my run was kind of screwed up. I did several 1/10 mile sprints between 8:20/mile and 8:50/mile and walked/jogged in between. Overall I ended up completing 3.25 miles. I think I'll try to do more 1/4 mile splits at around a 9:00 pace from this point forward whenever I decide to do speed work so I don't feel quite as spent after the sprinting part of things. We'll see!
I ran Friday after work. I wanted to get up early on Saturday and run, but we had to be to my parents' house on Saturday by 10 to make lefse and I was very, very sleepy on Saturday when I woke up, so I chose to sleep before going to make lefse. I drank a lot of water before digging in to the mimosas and even then I didn't have too much. I had a white russian later in the afternoon and continued to drink water in the mean time. It was probably about 4pm when I figured out that I just didn't feel all that great. I convinced my dear husband to take me home to watch the Boise State football game that night. I had a fairly normal temperature but drank some Emergen-C and I called it an early night.
Sunday morning came early and I still didn't feel so hot..so much that I didn't even want to drink any coffee when I woke up. I had agreed to lead the adult Sunday School group that morning, so Josh and I went to church. I led Sunday School and we went to eat after that at The Ram. I ate only because I knew my body needed food. I love the beer at The Ram and didn't even partake with Josh. I did have some coffee with Baileys, but nothing more. We made a few stops before going home and I started feeling a little better. Josh laid down to nap, and I went to Target to get a few things we've needed for awhile.
I got home from Target and Josh was still sleeping. I was bored and knew it would be best to get some exercise. I threw on my gear and headed out the door. I still didn't feel 100% so I figured it would be a tough run. I ran a mile in 10:37...not bad. I picked up the pace for a little bit: .16 miles at 9:30/mile avg. And since I'm new to this whole "speed work" bit, the rest of my run was kind of screwed up. I did several 1/10 mile sprints between 8:20/mile and 8:50/mile and walked/jogged in between. Overall I ended up completing 3.25 miles. I think I'll try to do more 1/4 mile splits at around a 9:00 pace from this point forward whenever I decide to do speed work so I don't feel quite as spent after the sprinting part of things. We'll see!
Back in the groove
My brother got married last weekend, which doesn't excuse the fact that I didn't run from 11/8 through today, but things were a bit busy so I'm allowing myself to forgive myself for the lack of exercise for 10 days. That being said, I worked too many hours from 11/14 to 11/18 and finally found some time to breathe on Friday. I love throwing on my running gear at the office and heading out the door with no real plan in place...it makes me feel like I've earned the break from work and also helps me clear my head of all of the crap I have to work with everyday.
I felt fast during my first mile...really fast. I suppose that makes sense though because I ran it in 9:32. I remember feeling fine for the next 1/2 mile but then I started getting some side cramps and felt like absolute crap. I slowed down, but I still ran my 2nd mile on 10:09. I slowed down even more: Mile 3 - 10:55. I got back into my groove for the 4th mile and ran that in 10:18.
My overall pace was 10:13, which is great considering the fact that I didn't run for 10 days. I think I ran my first mile so fast because I was SO excited about finally getting out for a run!
On another note, I finally registered for the Turkey Day 5K to be held Thanksgiving morning. It will be a great way to make sure I don't drink too much on Wednesday night and an even better way for me to get my butt out of bed on Thanksgiving morning to run! Plus, my friend, Renee, and several of her family members are running too so I won't be alone at the finish line!
I felt fast during my first mile...really fast. I suppose that makes sense though because I ran it in 9:32. I remember feeling fine for the next 1/2 mile but then I started getting some side cramps and felt like absolute crap. I slowed down, but I still ran my 2nd mile on 10:09. I slowed down even more: Mile 3 - 10:55. I got back into my groove for the 4th mile and ran that in 10:18.
My overall pace was 10:13, which is great considering the fact that I didn't run for 10 days. I think I ran my first mile so fast because I was SO excited about finally getting out for a run!
On another note, I finally registered for the Turkey Day 5K to be held Thanksgiving morning. It will be a great way to make sure I don't drink too much on Wednesday night and an even better way for me to get my butt out of bed on Thanksgiving morning to run! Plus, my friend, Renee, and several of her family members are running too so I won't be alone at the finish line!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Bid Me Run
Jamie posted here and I fell in love with a new running quote:
Bid me run and I will strive with things impossible - Shakespeare: Julius Caesar Act 2, Scene 1.
My head is spinning with ways I could tattoo this on my body. It means more than what it seems on the surface. I did a little digging (I'm not a good person for deciphering Shakespeare) and found a modern version of the statement:
LIGARIUS: (takes off his head covering) By all the gods that Romans worship, I hereby throw off my sickness! Soul of Rome! Brave son of honorable ancestors! You’ve conjured up my deadened spirit like an exorcist. Now say the word, and I will tackle all kinds of impossible things, and succeed too. What is there to do?
I found this, but it's not exactly what I want tattooed on my body:
Now, for today's run:
I went to work late because I could and ran 3.26 miles this morning at an average pace of 10:08. Nothing special, just a run.
Bid me run and I will strive with things impossible - Shakespeare: Julius Caesar Act 2, Scene 1.
My head is spinning with ways I could tattoo this on my body. It means more than what it seems on the surface. I did a little digging (I'm not a good person for deciphering Shakespeare) and found a modern version of the statement:
LIGARIUS: (takes off his head covering) By all the gods that Romans worship, I hereby throw off my sickness! Soul of Rome! Brave son of honorable ancestors! You’ve conjured up my deadened spirit like an exorcist. Now say the word, and I will tackle all kinds of impossible things, and succeed too. What is there to do?
I found this, but it's not exactly what I want tattooed on my body:
Now, for today's run:
I went to work late because I could and ran 3.26 miles this morning at an average pace of 10:08. Nothing special, just a run.
Funny 4 miler and registration Portland!
After my spectating debut, I decided I needed to get out and run more than 2 miles. I suited up on Sunday, 11/6 and went out to run. I didn't know exactly how long I would go and I didn't have a planned route; I just wanted to run! When I stepped out the door, I decided to go a different direction than I typically do and just go. This was a funny run because I improved my time with every mile, which is definitely not typical for me:
Mile 1 - 10:30
Mile 2 - 10:22
Mile 3 - 10:12
Mile 4 - 10:06
Mile 4.26 - 2:35 (Avg pace 9:59)
This run felt particularly great! Maybe I should take note and remember to do a quick 2 mile run post-half-marathon and gear up for a 4-5 miler a day later. Maybe I should also try to take note and start out slower and improve with each mile...
On another note, I've registered for my next race! Three of my friends and I decided to register for the Portland Half-Marathon next October. Apparently this race is amazing and sells out quickly, so we had to register 11 months in advance for it. I love, love, love Portland and can't wait to go for the weekend....I just wish I didn't have to wait a year!
Mile 1 - 10:30
Mile 2 - 10:22
Mile 3 - 10:12
Mile 4 - 10:06
Mile 4.26 - 2:35 (Avg pace 9:59)
This run felt particularly great! Maybe I should take note and remember to do a quick 2 mile run post-half-marathon and gear up for a 4-5 miler a day later. Maybe I should also try to take note and start out slower and improve with each mile...
On another note, I've registered for my next race! Three of my friends and I decided to register for the Portland Half-Marathon next October. Apparently this race is amazing and sells out quickly, so we had to register 11 months in advance for it. I love, love, love Portland and can't wait to go for the weekend....I just wish I didn't have to wait a year!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
One year ago...
One year ago, I ran my first half-marathon. Up to that point I had run exactly one race: a 5k that wasn't even a timed event for non-chip-timed participants, and I was not privy to the beauty of time chips at that time. Over the past year I've run four half-marathons, one 2.5 mile race, one 5k, one 10k, and two legs of the Sawtooth Relay.
I've learned quite a few things over the past year, especially:
The importance of using bag check or why it's ridiculous not to, really. Jamie and I didn't check a bag at the Indy Monumental for our first race, mostly because we had no idea we would need to. It now seems ridiculous that we finished running a race when the temp was never above freezing and still had to walk back to our hotel. It was SO cold and we were sweaty and our clothes were literally freezing to our bodies. It's such a glorious thing after a race to have someone hand you a bag of all of the smart things you thought to put in a bag prior to heading to the start line.
and
I'm not fast, but I've become faster without much effort. I really haven't done any tempo training or much hill training over the last year but somehow I've shaved a minute per mile off my time for my half-marathon races. How crazy is that?
and
I want to run when I'm old because seriously, how cool would it be to win an age group race because you're the only person in your age group running? That happened this summer at the 10k when the lady in dead-last place won in her age group because she was the only woman in her 60s running. That's inspiration, people.
I've learned a heck of a lot more, but those are my big three that needed to be shared on the one year anniversary of my first half-marathon. Today I'm celebrating these accomplishments because let's face it, I feel proud and happy of myself.
I've learned quite a few things over the past year, especially:
The importance of using bag check or why it's ridiculous not to, really. Jamie and I didn't check a bag at the Indy Monumental for our first race, mostly because we had no idea we would need to. It now seems ridiculous that we finished running a race when the temp was never above freezing and still had to walk back to our hotel. It was SO cold and we were sweaty and our clothes were literally freezing to our bodies. It's such a glorious thing after a race to have someone hand you a bag of all of the smart things you thought to put in a bag prior to heading to the start line.
and
I'm not fast, but I've become faster without much effort. I really haven't done any tempo training or much hill training over the last year but somehow I've shaved a minute per mile off my time for my half-marathon races. How crazy is that?
and
I want to run when I'm old because seriously, how cool would it be to win an age group race because you're the only person in your age group running? That happened this summer at the 10k when the lady in dead-last place won in her age group because she was the only woman in her 60s running. That's inspiration, people.
I've learned a heck of a lot more, but those are my big three that needed to be shared on the one year anniversary of my first half-marathon. Today I'm celebrating these accomplishments because let's face it, I feel proud and happy of myself.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Being a Spectator
I ran 2.2 miles this morning. Big whoop, right? The thing about this 2.2 miler was that it was my first post-half-marathon run after the Monster Dash last weekend. I think I usually take 4-5 days off of running after big runs like that but I took a solid 7 this time. I think it worked because today didn't suck! I wasn't ridiculously slow and tired! Hooray! My first mile was significantly faster than my second, but I don't really care very much, as I just wanted to log a few miles. My overall pace was 9:58/mile; mile one in 9:40, mile two in 10:10, and .2 at 10:24 pace. I had some side cramps toward the end, so I can't say I wasn't completely pain free but I can say that I ate and drank coffee just before heading out the door, which wasn't the wisest plan I've ever had.
After the run, the kid and I met up with my friend, Renee, to cheer on our friends and (Renee's) siblings/in-law at the Zeitgeist Half Marathon in Boise. It was a chilly day to be running (love it!) and although I contemplated signing up for it this week, I'm glad I didn't. It looked ridiculously hard. This was my first time being a cheerleader for runners on the sidelines and it was rather enjoyable. Every race I run I love having people cheer for everyone/me and I was glad to be able to do that for others this morning. I decided, however, that I need a few more phrases and words of encouragement in my arsenal for the next time I decide to be a spectator at a race!
After the run, the kid and I met up with my friend, Renee, to cheer on our friends and (Renee's) siblings/in-law at the Zeitgeist Half Marathon in Boise. It was a chilly day to be running (love it!) and although I contemplated signing up for it this week, I'm glad I didn't. It looked ridiculously hard. This was my first time being a cheerleader for runners on the sidelines and it was rather enjoyable. Every race I run I love having people cheer for everyone/me and I was glad to be able to do that for others this morning. I decided, however, that I need a few more phrases and words of encouragement in my arsenal for the next time I decide to be a spectator at a race!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Chicago Monster Dash Recap!
The Monster Dash has come and gone and I have done much celebrating! I have a feeling this is going to be another long post, so go grab something to drink and come back to have a read.
I flew into Chicago on Friday afternoon about 2 hours later than scheduled due to an electrical error on the plane. Once I landed, I was able to navigate the CTA train downtown to packet pickup where I picked up my bib, timing chip, and rad new jacket. I found a quaint little joint to grab a bit to eat and a beer and waited for Jamie to get to the hotel. We gathered her race stuff and headed over to see our friend, Kirby, in action at the bar where he works. We grabbed a beer and a small pizza before making our way to a running store so Jamie could stock up on Gu-like substances and to Walgreens so she could try to find a costume. We were supposed to be Mario and Luigi but with all of the stuff that happens in life the Luigi costume didn't happen. It was a toss up between Cleopatra and "Sexy Pirate Lady" for costumes and since the "Sexy Pirate Lady" looked slightly more comfortable, she decided on that one.
With packets picked up and costumes purchased, it was time to eat some real food. We stopped at the grocery store and picked up some pasta and spinach to eat with some chicken breasts back at her apartment. It was an uneventful night, which was just fine since Saturday would prove to be a busy day.
I woke up without an alarm on Saturday at just the right time. I enjoyed some coffee and a breakfast bar, threw on my Mario costume, and we loaded up to go to the race start. Parking was a little more congested than we expected and we got to the race start with just enough time to put on some last minute items (Garmin, iPods, etc.) and check our bags at the bag check before heading to the portable toilets...except that the lines for the toilets was really long. It was 9:11 and the 1/2 marathon was supposed to start the run at 9:15! Knowing we wouldn't be able to hold things off for the length of the race and risking getting ticketed in Chicago, we snuck down into a bushy area and dropped trou to relieve ourselves. We were lucky with the fact that only one person come down to that area during that time and that 1) he wasn't a cop and 2) he didn't care because he was going to do the same thing. Turns out we probably could have used the toilets because the race didn't end up starting until 9:25 and we had to wait another 5 minutes to cross the start line due to the congestion of the race.
Once things go started, I felt like we moved fairly quickly. There was quite a bit of congestion, but it didn't slow me down much since I'm a slower runner anyway. Jamie and I stuck together for the first 5 or 6 miles, which was cool. We lost each other at one of the water stations and she kept up with her 10:50 pace. I slowed down a little, which was a wise plan. Miles 6 and 7 were my hardest for some reason and I got into a bad habit of looking down at the ground as I ran. I constantly had to remind myself that I was on the lakeshore in Chicago and that the view was something to be seen, not ignored! I took 2 Clif Shot Bloks at miles 4, 6, and 10-ish and actually wish I had more, something else, or that I had some Nuun in a water bottle with me, but I didn't...and I still survived. There were several mile marker flags missing throughout the race, which was disappointing. Even though I had my Garmin, there were a few times I knew it was not registering the satellites due to the bridge and I wasn't entirely sure the miles were tracked accurately. I could have used another water station somewhere between miles 9 and 10 but there was a drinking fountain available, so that wasn't so bad.
I don't have any really memorable moments from this half-marathon except for the last 1/4 mile or so. As I rounded the corner for the last bit of the race, I squeezed out every ounce of energy left in me and felt like I was running really, really fast! I passed a few people at the end, which may or may not be contributed to the number of people yelling out "Go Mario!" as my feet hit the pavement. I crossed the finish line in 2:27:11 for the race and had I not been gasping for air, I probably would have been beaming from ear to ear for my PR!
I grabbed the goody bag of food and found my bag at the check station before heading to the meet up spot to find Jamie. We hugged and I let her know my unofficial time and that I had accomplished yet another PR! After a little while we took a rather lengthy walk to find food with a few other friends. I'm sure Blue Man Group, a bee, Mario, and the Sexy Pirate Lady eating pierogies and drinking beer and this small little restaurant, but we were all smiles and didn't give a lick about what everyone else thought of us!
The rest of the weekend may or may not be shared at a later date, but here are the official stats from the race and a few post-race photos:
2011 Team Ortho Chicago Monster Dash - Half Marathon
Miranda M Age: 32 Residence: Boise, ID
11:15 per mile
Overall place: 2203 out of 3030
Gender place: 1332 out of 1966 Females
Age Group place: 247 out of 385 Females in the F3034 Age Group
Passed 450 runners
Passed by 112 runners in the overall category
I flew into Chicago on Friday afternoon about 2 hours later than scheduled due to an electrical error on the plane. Once I landed, I was able to navigate the CTA train downtown to packet pickup where I picked up my bib, timing chip, and rad new jacket. I found a quaint little joint to grab a bit to eat and a beer and waited for Jamie to get to the hotel. We gathered her race stuff and headed over to see our friend, Kirby, in action at the bar where he works. We grabbed a beer and a small pizza before making our way to a running store so Jamie could stock up on Gu-like substances and to Walgreens so she could try to find a costume. We were supposed to be Mario and Luigi but with all of the stuff that happens in life the Luigi costume didn't happen. It was a toss up between Cleopatra and "Sexy Pirate Lady" for costumes and since the "Sexy Pirate Lady" looked slightly more comfortable, she decided on that one.
With packets picked up and costumes purchased, it was time to eat some real food. We stopped at the grocery store and picked up some pasta and spinach to eat with some chicken breasts back at her apartment. It was an uneventful night, which was just fine since Saturday would prove to be a busy day.
I woke up without an alarm on Saturday at just the right time. I enjoyed some coffee and a breakfast bar, threw on my Mario costume, and we loaded up to go to the race start. Parking was a little more congested than we expected and we got to the race start with just enough time to put on some last minute items (Garmin, iPods, etc.) and check our bags at the bag check before heading to the portable toilets...except that the lines for the toilets was really long. It was 9:11 and the 1/2 marathon was supposed to start the run at 9:15! Knowing we wouldn't be able to hold things off for the length of the race and risking getting ticketed in Chicago, we snuck down into a bushy area and dropped trou to relieve ourselves. We were lucky with the fact that only one person come down to that area during that time and that 1) he wasn't a cop and 2) he didn't care because he was going to do the same thing. Turns out we probably could have used the toilets because the race didn't end up starting until 9:25 and we had to wait another 5 minutes to cross the start line due to the congestion of the race.
Once things go started, I felt like we moved fairly quickly. There was quite a bit of congestion, but it didn't slow me down much since I'm a slower runner anyway. Jamie and I stuck together for the first 5 or 6 miles, which was cool. We lost each other at one of the water stations and she kept up with her 10:50 pace. I slowed down a little, which was a wise plan. Miles 6 and 7 were my hardest for some reason and I got into a bad habit of looking down at the ground as I ran. I constantly had to remind myself that I was on the lakeshore in Chicago and that the view was something to be seen, not ignored! I took 2 Clif Shot Bloks at miles 4, 6, and 10-ish and actually wish I had more, something else, or that I had some Nuun in a water bottle with me, but I didn't...and I still survived. There were several mile marker flags missing throughout the race, which was disappointing. Even though I had my Garmin, there were a few times I knew it was not registering the satellites due to the bridge and I wasn't entirely sure the miles were tracked accurately. I could have used another water station somewhere between miles 9 and 10 but there was a drinking fountain available, so that wasn't so bad.
I don't have any really memorable moments from this half-marathon except for the last 1/4 mile or so. As I rounded the corner for the last bit of the race, I squeezed out every ounce of energy left in me and felt like I was running really, really fast! I passed a few people at the end, which may or may not be contributed to the number of people yelling out "Go Mario!" as my feet hit the pavement. I crossed the finish line in 2:27:11 for the race and had I not been gasping for air, I probably would have been beaming from ear to ear for my PR!
I grabbed the goody bag of food and found my bag at the check station before heading to the meet up spot to find Jamie. We hugged and I let her know my unofficial time and that I had accomplished yet another PR! After a little while we took a rather lengthy walk to find food with a few other friends. I'm sure Blue Man Group, a bee, Mario, and the Sexy Pirate Lady eating pierogies and drinking beer and this small little restaurant, but we were all smiles and didn't give a lick about what everyone else thought of us!
The rest of the weekend may or may not be shared at a later date, but here are the official stats from the race and a few post-race photos:
2011 Team Ortho Chicago Monster Dash - Half Marathon
Miranda M Age: 32 Residence: Boise, ID
11:15 per mile
Overall place: 2203 out of 3030
Gender place: 1332 out of 1966 Females
Age Group place: 247 out of 385 Females in the F3034 Age Group
Passed 450 runners
Passed by 112 runners in the overall category
Sexy Pirate Lady and Mario
Post-Race Beers!
PR!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Final workout before the Monster Dash...I think.
I've been packing my running/work out gear with me to work all week but never actually managed to do anything with it until tonight. It's been a crazy week at work, what with preparing to be gone from the office for three days and all. I made the decision early today that I'd drive from my office to Warrior Fit, run before boot camp, and then go to boot camp. My hope was that I would get to the parking lot with enough time to get in three miles, but e-mails and traffic got in the way so I settled on 2 miles and figured I'd push it a little. I ran the first mile in 9:50 and my second at 9:29 and then went in for some ab work. I felt better when I left than I've felt all week!
2 miles in 19:19
I'd like to think I'll get up for boot camp again in the morning, but something tells me it's not going to happen. Tomorrow night won't happen since I have to work until 7:00 PM and then I have to be to my parents' house by 6:00 AM to get to the airport. So I'm pretty sure unless I get a wild hair, tonight was my last workout before the Monster Dash this Saturday!
On another note, I found this rad website that estimates times/pace for different altitudes, races, and a bunch of other stuff. I've been playing around with it and I think I might aim to run the 1/2 at about an 11:00 - 11:10 pace this weekend. The elevation here is about 2850 ft and Chicago sits at about 500 ft, which could buy me up to 15 seconds/mile. I have no idea how much truth this holds, but I'm pretty stoked to find out! I will say that I entered my 9:30 mile and it estimated I might run a 1/2 at about 11:07. If I plug in 11:07 for the 1/2 at 2850 ft and estimate for other altitudes, it gives me 10:56/mile at 1000 ft. I suppose I could try to run faster than 11:10/mile, but I don't to push it too much. I did do the 11.2 miles at 11:27 but that also included stopping to wait at most of the stop lights. Time will tell and I'm pretty sure if I run the 1/2 in less than 2:29:32 I'll be screaming it from the rooftops!
2 miles in 19:19
I'd like to think I'll get up for boot camp again in the morning, but something tells me it's not going to happen. Tomorrow night won't happen since I have to work until 7:00 PM and then I have to be to my parents' house by 6:00 AM to get to the airport. So I'm pretty sure unless I get a wild hair, tonight was my last workout before the Monster Dash this Saturday!
On another note, I found this rad website that estimates times/pace for different altitudes, races, and a bunch of other stuff. I've been playing around with it and I think I might aim to run the 1/2 at about an 11:00 - 11:10 pace this weekend. The elevation here is about 2850 ft and Chicago sits at about 500 ft, which could buy me up to 15 seconds/mile. I have no idea how much truth this holds, but I'm pretty stoked to find out! I will say that I entered my 9:30 mile and it estimated I might run a 1/2 at about 11:07. If I plug in 11:07 for the 1/2 at 2850 ft and estimate for other altitudes, it gives me 10:56/mile at 1000 ft. I suppose I could try to run faster than 11:10/mile, but I don't to push it too much. I did do the 11.2 miles at 11:27 but that also included stopping to wait at most of the stop lights. Time will tell and I'm pretty sure if I run the 1/2 in less than 2:29:32 I'll be screaming it from the rooftops!
Monday, October 24, 2011
11.2 miles and Ready for the Chicago Monster?
After writing my last post I thought I might actually go out for a 10 mile run with gals I'd never met and if they ran faster than me then I could 1) push myself to run faster or 2) fall back and finish on my own. When I found out these girls tend to run 9.5 - 10 min/mile, I backed off the plan to run with them and decided to run on my own time. I also had an invite to run 9-10 miles with my friends Lisa and Mike but quickly backed away from that invite when I remembered they tend to run 9 min/mile. I thanked them for the invite and let them know I'd slow them down another day.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I slept in a little bit, had some coffee and a breakfast burrito, and suited up for an 11 mile run. It was pretty much perfect running weather when I started out - not cold enough to wear gloves, but crisp enough to warrant capri tights rather than shorts. My Garmin showed me being over 11:15/mile which wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I didn't want to push myself too much. I realized several miles in that I turned off the auto-pause and hadn't been hitting the start/stop button at stop lights, which made my average pace much slower than I really was. I think I actually averaged about 11:00/mile when I was running. The stop lights were a nice break from the pace and I'm curious how fast I'll actually end up running next Saturday at the Chicago Monster.
I posted on facebook and twitter that I didn't feel like death until mile 10, which was kind of a lie. I actually felt pretty good during most of the run. When I got to about mile 9.5 I realized I only had a mile to go to get to my house and I really wanted to run 11 so I took a little detour near and cut through a neighborhood across the street from mine. It was during that time that I really didn't feel like going the extra 1/2 mile but my mind was made up and I did it anyway. I ended at 11.2 miles right in front of my house and pushed it a little faster for the last 1/3 mile or so.
11.2 miles in 2:08:04
Average pace 11:26/mile
Overall, it was a good, solid run. I fueled with Clif Shot Bloks at miles 6.5 and 8.5 and in between there I had Nuun in my water bottles (I stopped along the way and bought some so I didn't have to carry my hydration pack.) I stretched at home, ate almost an entire footlong sandwich, and after taking a shower, I slept for about 2 hours on the couch during the Boise State football game.
I ended up with an extra workout (so it seems) that night when I went to the Matt Nathanson and Scars 45 show. The venue took the tables out of the front and we had to stand for the entire show. My legs and feet were tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiired! It was a fun show though!
I spent a bit of time last night doctoring my Mario costume for next week. I think it might actually look kind of cute by the time I'm done with it! I think I'm ready for next weekend. The weather is supposed to be nice and I'm hoping the lower elevation will help my pace!
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I slept in a little bit, had some coffee and a breakfast burrito, and suited up for an 11 mile run. It was pretty much perfect running weather when I started out - not cold enough to wear gloves, but crisp enough to warrant capri tights rather than shorts. My Garmin showed me being over 11:15/mile which wasn't exactly what I wanted, but I didn't want to push myself too much. I realized several miles in that I turned off the auto-pause and hadn't been hitting the start/stop button at stop lights, which made my average pace much slower than I really was. I think I actually averaged about 11:00/mile when I was running. The stop lights were a nice break from the pace and I'm curious how fast I'll actually end up running next Saturday at the Chicago Monster.
I posted on facebook and twitter that I didn't feel like death until mile 10, which was kind of a lie. I actually felt pretty good during most of the run. When I got to about mile 9.5 I realized I only had a mile to go to get to my house and I really wanted to run 11 so I took a little detour near and cut through a neighborhood across the street from mine. It was during that time that I really didn't feel like going the extra 1/2 mile but my mind was made up and I did it anyway. I ended at 11.2 miles right in front of my house and pushed it a little faster for the last 1/3 mile or so.
11.2 miles in 2:08:04
Average pace 11:26/mile
Overall, it was a good, solid run. I fueled with Clif Shot Bloks at miles 6.5 and 8.5 and in between there I had Nuun in my water bottles (I stopped along the way and bought some so I didn't have to carry my hydration pack.) I stretched at home, ate almost an entire footlong sandwich, and after taking a shower, I slept for about 2 hours on the couch during the Boise State football game.
I ended up with an extra workout (so it seems) that night when I went to the Matt Nathanson and Scars 45 show. The venue took the tables out of the front and we had to stand for the entire show. My legs and feet were tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiired! It was a fun show though!
I spent a bit of time last night doctoring my Mario costume for next week. I think it might actually look kind of cute by the time I'm done with it! I think I'm ready for next weekend. The weather is supposed to be nice and I'm hoping the lower elevation will help my pace!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
4 miles at lunch
I had initially planned to run to bootcamp yesterday and have Josh meet me there with extra water and my HRM but Tuesday night when I told him my plan, he turned to me and said, "do I really have to go?" "No," I responded and immediately started thinking about what Plan B should entail. Six miles, I decided. I'd get up early and do 6 miles. And then that didn't happen. No 6 miles. No bootcamp. I had a hearing for work at 8:00 AM which meant I had to be to work before that time (and that is a rare sighting) so I skipped all forms of exercise before work. Thankfully, my hearing that was supposed to take place after that settled and I got to head out the door early for lunch. I went home and put my running gear on and decided on 4 miles as I walked out the door.
It was an OK run, nothing special. I wanted to run it under the 10:44 from the 8 miler on Monday morning, which I accomplished. In the end, I finished with this:
4 miles in 42:24 - 10:34/mile average pace.
The Chicago Monster is coming soon! I have plans to get in 10-12 miles this weekend. The gal I ran with a few weekends ago is running with a group of girls on Saturday morning who are all running 10, so I might tag along with them. I fear they run faster than my typical 11:00 - 11:30/mile for long runs. I suppose it's worth a shot. It could be a really good way for me to meet some new folks and possibly have a few future running partners. For now, the plan is 3 miles tomorrow plus bootcamp....but we'll see how that all works out!
It was an OK run, nothing special. I wanted to run it under the 10:44 from the 8 miler on Monday morning, which I accomplished. In the end, I finished with this:
4 miles in 42:24 - 10:34/mile average pace.
The Chicago Monster is coming soon! I have plans to get in 10-12 miles this weekend. The gal I ran with a few weekends ago is running with a group of girls on Saturday morning who are all running 10, so I might tag along with them. I fear they run faster than my typical 11:00 - 11:30/mile for long runs. I suppose it's worth a shot. It could be a really good way for me to meet some new folks and possibly have a few future running partners. For now, the plan is 3 miles tomorrow plus bootcamp....but we'll see how that all works out!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Ex-ch-ch-changes
A few weeks ago I was lacing up my running shoes to go for a run and noticed that the stitching near my (former) bunion on my left foot had come loose. I've only that the shoes since what, June, and they were coming apart. Needless to say, I was a little bummed about this since the shoes cost about $130. And then I remembered what the guy over at The Athlete's Foot said when I asked him about returns: anything within reason. To me, this seemed within reason. I didn't have all that many miles on the shoes and I've had other running shoes last much, much longer than 3-4 months. So, when out and about to find a reflective vest for my early morning pre-bootcamp runs, I took a trip down to TAF in Eagle and rediscovered why I never want to shop in a different running store. The owner took one look at the shoe and said he'd take care of me. In this case "take care" means replacing my shoes with no questions asked after running over 150 miles in the old shoes.
Pretty. Freaking. Sweet.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Catching up
I've been running, I swear. I even had a running partner for one and did some speed work another day. See, this is what happened after the amazing Pocatello 1/2 Marathon: I ran my typical crappy post-half run (2.14 miles at 11:28 avg pace) and then we went on a week long vacation on the Middlefork of the Salmon River where I did nothing but fish, row a boat, and sit around and drink beer. It was awesome. We came back from vacation a day early, so I laced up my running shoes and took myself out for a 7.7 mile run (avg pace 11:33/mile) the day after we got back. It was a little rough and there was some walking, but I did it.
And then I didn't run for 8 days. I will say that Josh and I did start going back to bootcamp at Warrior Fit during that week, so I wasn't completely lazy. I was, however, rather sore. So the running took a break while my muscles figured out how to function. It was then that I got the bright idea to run to bootcamp. Bootcamp starts at 6:00 AM. We live 3 miles from Warrior Fit which means I need to leave the house by 5:25 to get there in time to cool down before I push myself to the max for another 20-25 minutes. And that means I need to be out of bed by 5:10 so I feel just the slightest bit awake for the run. Here are the dates I ran to bootcamp (all at 5:30 AM unless otherwise noted):
9/26 - 10:34 avg pace
10/1 - 10:40 avg pace
10/10 - 11:17 avg pace (after work)
10/12 - 10:52 avg pace
The kid was not doing particularly well with school stuff and there was a lot of lying going on, which is one that that really, really pisses me off. On 10/3 I couldn't handle being in the house stewing about how much lying was happening that I decided to go out and do some speed work to take my mind off it. This was what I did without any planning.
1/2 mile run @ 9:55
1/4 mile walk
1/4 mile run @ 8:26
1/4 mile walk
1/4 mile run @ 9:10
1/4 mile walk
1/4 mile run @ 9:11
1/4 mile walk
Josh went rafting the weekend of 10/8. I wanted to run to bootcamp but that meant I would have to borrow a huge hiking fanny pack from the kid to stuff my boxing gloves and water into it. I did that once earlier this year and swore I'd never do it again. Instead, I loaded everything into the truck and drove to Warrior Fit. Then, I went for a run in that area (2.29 miles at 9:57 avg pace) before heading into punch and kick some stuff. I drove home and did pretty much nothing for the rest of the day.
On 10/9, I made plans to go for a run with a gal I know. Tamara has been injured lately, so I figured it would be a nice easy morning even if we had 7 miles planned for the morning. We walked quite a bit because her doctor demanded it, but even with the run/walk business we averaged 11:37 mile. It was nice to have a partner for the morning!
On Friday I took my running gear to work and took a long lunch so I could get in 5 miles. I averaged 10:29 for that run and it was a fairly warm day, so I was surprised at my pace. I had plans to run 10 miles on Saturday morning but that just didn't happen because it was lefse-making day at our church and I promised my mom I would come help. Of course, there's always a party after lefse, so Sunday was spent 1) hungover and 2) not running. I needed to run more than 7 miles and I hadn't. So today I did something I've never done: I did a long run on Monday morning. Today's 8.12 mile run felt fantastic! I was well rested, well hydrated, and took some Clif Shot Bloks with me (I had 2 at mile 6). I finished in 1:27:11 and an average pace of 10:44/mile.
Maybe what I haven't mentioned is that I have another race planned - the Chicago Monster Dash on 10/29 with my favorite running friend, Jamie!
This is officially the longest post in history and I'm cutting myself off. I'm promising myself that I will not let my running blog get backed up like this again because the thought of anyone actually reading through this whole thing without falling asleep makes mecringe fall asleep.
And then I didn't run for 8 days. I will say that Josh and I did start going back to bootcamp at Warrior Fit during that week, so I wasn't completely lazy. I was, however, rather sore. So the running took a break while my muscles figured out how to function. It was then that I got the bright idea to run to bootcamp. Bootcamp starts at 6:00 AM. We live 3 miles from Warrior Fit which means I need to leave the house by 5:25 to get there in time to cool down before I push myself to the max for another 20-25 minutes. And that means I need to be out of bed by 5:10 so I feel just the slightest bit awake for the run. Here are the dates I ran to bootcamp (all at 5:30 AM unless otherwise noted):
9/26 - 10:34 avg pace
10/1 - 10:40 avg pace
10/10 - 11:17 avg pace (after work)
10/12 - 10:52 avg pace
The kid was not doing particularly well with school stuff and there was a lot of lying going on, which is one that that really, really pisses me off. On 10/3 I couldn't handle being in the house stewing about how much lying was happening that I decided to go out and do some speed work to take my mind off it. This was what I did without any planning.
1/2 mile run @ 9:55
1/4 mile walk
1/4 mile run @ 8:26
1/4 mile walk
1/4 mile run @ 9:10
1/4 mile walk
1/4 mile run @ 9:11
1/4 mile walk
Josh went rafting the weekend of 10/8. I wanted to run to bootcamp but that meant I would have to borrow a huge hiking fanny pack from the kid to stuff my boxing gloves and water into it. I did that once earlier this year and swore I'd never do it again. Instead, I loaded everything into the truck and drove to Warrior Fit. Then, I went for a run in that area (2.29 miles at 9:57 avg pace) before heading into punch and kick some stuff. I drove home and did pretty much nothing for the rest of the day.
On 10/9, I made plans to go for a run with a gal I know. Tamara has been injured lately, so I figured it would be a nice easy morning even if we had 7 miles planned for the morning. We walked quite a bit because her doctor demanded it, but even with the run/walk business we averaged 11:37 mile. It was nice to have a partner for the morning!
On Friday I took my running gear to work and took a long lunch so I could get in 5 miles. I averaged 10:29 for that run and it was a fairly warm day, so I was surprised at my pace. I had plans to run 10 miles on Saturday morning but that just didn't happen because it was lefse-making day at our church and I promised my mom I would come help. Of course, there's always a party after lefse, so Sunday was spent 1) hungover and 2) not running. I needed to run more than 7 miles and I hadn't. So today I did something I've never done: I did a long run on Monday morning. Today's 8.12 mile run felt fantastic! I was well rested, well hydrated, and took some Clif Shot Bloks with me (I had 2 at mile 6). I finished in 1:27:11 and an average pace of 10:44/mile.
Maybe what I haven't mentioned is that I have another race planned - the Chicago Monster Dash on 10/29 with my favorite running friend, Jamie!
This is officially the longest post in history and I'm cutting myself off. I'm promising myself that I will not let my running blog get backed up like this again because the thought of anyone actually reading through this whole thing without falling asleep makes me
Saturday, October 15, 2011
No. Freaking. Way.
I started this post the day we relinquished Seymour to the Idaho Humane Society a few weeks ago and didn't publish it until last night. It might have been some sort of subliminal thing with not wanting to post it because posting would mean he's really gone, etc. but I have no idea. All I know is that I posted it and then tonight I got a phone call from a lady stating her family adopted him! Now, you might be wondering how in the world the lady who adopted Seymour had my number. It's because I'm crazy. What actually happened was that when we went to IHS to fill out the paperwork, I lost my wallet. After making several phone calls I ended up taking one last trip to IHS to see if they had it (they don't return phone calls all that well). Prior to making the trip to the shelter I decided to type up a quick letter about how much we loved Seymour and really didn't want to give him up but that we couldn't care for him, etc. At the bottom I put my phone number and e-mail address and encouraged them to contact me if they had any questions whatsoever.
Getting the phone call tonight stating this family adopted him made my night! It turns out the mom of the family is a stay at home mom to two kids (soon to be three) and Seymour has already made their house his home. The dad asked a few questions about him and then thanked ME for being so good to Seymour and raising him up to be a good dog. Seymour has been really gentle, yet playful with their little kids and they got him to be a companion for their little girl with epilepsy. I am thrilled that Seymour has a home with people who will love him and be home with him. They even offered to let us come to visit him whenever we want (though I'm not sure I'll take them up on this offer any time soon).
Maybe now, knowing that someone is taking care of Seymour and loves him, I'll start to get out of this funk...
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Seymour, my wonder dog.
Seymour is gone. He got out of the Hannibal Lector cage and was picked up by animal control one Friday afternoon a few weeks ago. After some discussion, Josh and I decided that we really couldn't care for Seymour any longer and that he couldn't return to our house. I was heart broken. I cried and cried and cried when we went to the Idaho Humane Society to relinquish him and fill out paperwork so they could try to find him a new home. My spontaneous crying about the subject has diminished a little bit, but I still get a little teary-eyed thinking about him at the shelter and not laying around our house. When will I stop hearing phantom collar and dog tag jingles? Anyone know?
Things I do not miss:
- Seymour destroying all of the carpet in our house
- The 10x10x6' kennel on our back deck that never kept him in the yard
- Getting phone calls from random phone numbers stating Seymour is running around in busy intersections
- Carrying bags of poop 2-3 miles after only running one mile
- Seymour taking up all of the space in our king-size bed
- Giving Seymour anti-anxiety medication every morning and evening that didn't work
- Not being able to leave the house for more than a few hours at a time
- Seymour running incessantly around the house when we first get home
- Snuggling with Seymour on the couch while we watch TV
- Snuggling with Seymour on weekend mornings in bed
- Watching Seymour chase things in his sleep
- Seymour's flapping lips and snoring while he sleeps
- Taking Seymour for runs and watching how crazy excited he gets when he sees me put on my running shoes
- Watching this video of Seymour being terrified of Santa
- Seymour allowing Brooke to dress him up in her doll clothes without any whining, barking, or showing of discontent of any sort.
- Seymour, in general. His goofy side, his lazy side, his energy, his desire for treats, and everything else that defined him.
It seems that no amount of running or exercise lately has helped with the funk I've been in since he's been gone, but I'll move on...eventually. Man, that dog and I were bonded. He was my dog and is
really irreplaceable. He was my running partner and my comfort for
lonely days and I am a little lost without him.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Running the Gap - Pocatello 1/2 Marathon Recap
I spent my junior an senior years of college in Pocatello, Idaho at Idaho State University. I almost just said I studied there, but that would be a pretty big lie since I mostly spent my time eating junk food and drinking a lot of alcohol. A. LOT. I was pretty big before I moved to Pocatello, but nothing compared to how fat I was when I left. So when Team Beef announced the Pocatello Marathon events would be a part of the program, I was glad to join the crew to run a half-marathon in the city that made me fat.
I was able to make arrangements to stay at Josh's uncle and aunt's home in Pocatello on Friday night, even though they weren't going to be there. At first I was a little anxious about staying in someone's home alone but when I got there I quickly realized what a blessing it was to be able to tweak my playlist, sprawl my things out across the living area, curse at my non-working iPod shuffle charger, and be quiet for awhile. I couldn't get my shuffle to sync or charge with my computer, so my minimalist plan to run with only my shuffle and Garmin was thrown out the window pretty early in the evening. I was glad I threw my running belt (ok, it's a small fanny pack) into my bag before leaving Boise, because I was forced to run with my iPhone for music and I'm not sure how I would have pulled it off without the belt.
The buses were scheduled to load at 7:00 am with the first one leaving as soon as it was full and the last departing no later than 7:20, and I wanted to be sure I got on the bus as early as possible to get myself some time at the race start. I awoke around 5:30 to be sure I got enough coffee and water in my system with plenty of time to let it run through me and to apply my Body Glide for the first time ever. This was my first half not wearing tights, and I was concerned about the possibility of chaffing, so at the recommendation of a few female bloggers out there, I tried out the Glide, and it was a worthy investment.
I packed up the truck and headed out around 6:30, since I wasn't entirely sure where I was going. My real first excitement for the morning came around 6:45 after I parked the truck (and then moved it when I realized I was sticking so far out into the parking lot) when two middle-aged women accused me of backing into their truck and taking off some paint. Of course, they were wrong and I proved to them that there's no way my truck could have hit them in the place they were saying it did. I didn't hit them, and I'm certain of that because I got out to see exactly how close I was to them and how far I was sticking out into the parking lot and saw there was room between our vehicles (they did a stellar job of parking too....so stellar that the bed of the truck was at least 6 inches over the line). It was no way to start the morning. I loaded the bus shortly thereafter and all of the buses left at 7:20 to go to the start line, which meant a lot of full port-a-potties at the race start. I dropped off my duffel (very cool race give-away, by the way) at the UPS truck (seriously, this was the BEST bag check EVER - more later) and stretched a bit. And then with little warning, it started.
I crossed the start line, started my Garmin, and was on my way. I don't remember much about the first 4 or 5 miles, mostly because it was pretty uneventful. I tried to keep my pace between 11:00 and 11:15. There were a few downhill stretches, which were awesome and made me feel super fast without zapping all of my energy. Every so often a Team Beef runner would pass me (or in a few cases, I passed them), and it was fun to yell out "go beef!" or "Team Beef" to them and to hear it in return. At mile 6 I ate 3 Clif Shot Bloks and chased it with a gulp of water. There was a ridiculous hill between miles 7 and 8 that a lot of people walked, including me....I walked the 2nd half after realizing I still had 5+ miles to go once I got to the top, and I think that was a good decision. The aid stations came almost every mile thereafter. I ate 3 more Clif Shot Bloks at mile 10 and felt way better than I did at mile 10 on my last long run on the Greenbelt.
It was shortly after that when I descended into a recognizable part of Pocatello, and I grinned from ear to ear. There was something about the moment that changed me. I was running in to Pocatello. I was running in a place where I had been so inactive and allowed myself to be slovenly and gross and fat. I was running there and proving to all of Pocatello (and myself) that I am no longer that person.
At mile 11 I looked at my Garmin and realized I had been running for just over 2 hours. I grabbed a cup of Powerade at the aid station and powered on. I passed a guy walking on my left, slowed, took out my headphones, and yelled, "I have to tell someone - I'm totally going to meet my goal!" He cheered me on and encouraged me to keep up my pace. Thanks for being there, random middle-age man, because I'm starting to think if you hadn't been there for me to say it out loud, I wouldn't have had as much ambition to actually meet my goal of running the half in under 2 hours 30 minutes. I had 25 minutes to go 2.1 miles and I was certain I could do it, given how great I felt.
The 11th mile was fine, but mile 12 hurt. I walked for a few seconds after drinking my water at the aid station and then pushed on. When I got to the mile 13 marker, I took out my headphones and tucked them into my shirt. The number of people along the side of the race route grew as the finish line came into view, and I kicked it into high gear. I didn't look at my watch, but I felt so close to failure and didn't want to let Pocatello and the old me win.
I crossed the finish line, stopped the time on my Garmin, gathered my medal, and looked down to see 2:29. I almost burst into tears on the spot.
Instead, I looked to my left to see a woman hand me my race duffel with my extra water, Nuun, flip flops, and some other post-race clothes. There was no standing in line waiting to get my gear, just a lady handing it over the makeshift fence to me. Some guy (who did not look official at all) handed me a cold bottle of water. I found a clear spot near the finish line and stood there for a minute. I was out of breath and thought I was going to vomit and the thought of that made me want to cry. I didn't do either. I held it together as I stretched and shared the good news via text message to Jamie in Chicago and then wandered around until I found the official time check. I stood in line in front of a couple whose daughter ran the half that morning and when I got to the computer to check my time, I turned to them and said, "I just want you to know that if this says I'm over 2:30, I'm probably going to cry." They nodded their heads as I turned to punch in race bib 1404.
2:29:32.
I turned around and high-fived them before walking away to find my car.
There was no intense celebration at the park, nor did I partake in the free beer and food; it's not quite as fun to drink a beer at 10:30 am without someone standing by your side. (Don't worry, there was much celebration afterward with the in-laws.)
For now, all I have to say is this: I win, Pocatello. I win.
I was able to make arrangements to stay at Josh's uncle and aunt's home in Pocatello on Friday night, even though they weren't going to be there. At first I was a little anxious about staying in someone's home alone but when I got there I quickly realized what a blessing it was to be able to tweak my playlist, sprawl my things out across the living area, curse at my non-working iPod shuffle charger, and be quiet for awhile. I couldn't get my shuffle to sync or charge with my computer, so my minimalist plan to run with only my shuffle and Garmin was thrown out the window pretty early in the evening. I was glad I threw my running belt (ok, it's a small fanny pack) into my bag before leaving Boise, because I was forced to run with my iPhone for music and I'm not sure how I would have pulled it off without the belt.
The buses were scheduled to load at 7:00 am with the first one leaving as soon as it was full and the last departing no later than 7:20, and I wanted to be sure I got on the bus as early as possible to get myself some time at the race start. I awoke around 5:30 to be sure I got enough coffee and water in my system with plenty of time to let it run through me and to apply my Body Glide for the first time ever. This was my first half not wearing tights, and I was concerned about the possibility of chaffing, so at the recommendation of a few female bloggers out there, I tried out the Glide, and it was a worthy investment.
I packed up the truck and headed out around 6:30, since I wasn't entirely sure where I was going. My real first excitement for the morning came around 6:45 after I parked the truck (and then moved it when I realized I was sticking so far out into the parking lot) when two middle-aged women accused me of backing into their truck and taking off some paint. Of course, they were wrong and I proved to them that there's no way my truck could have hit them in the place they were saying it did. I didn't hit them, and I'm certain of that because I got out to see exactly how close I was to them and how far I was sticking out into the parking lot and saw there was room between our vehicles (they did a stellar job of parking too....so stellar that the bed of the truck was at least 6 inches over the line). It was no way to start the morning. I loaded the bus shortly thereafter and all of the buses left at 7:20 to go to the start line, which meant a lot of full port-a-potties at the race start. I dropped off my duffel (very cool race give-away, by the way) at the UPS truck (seriously, this was the BEST bag check EVER - more later) and stretched a bit. And then with little warning, it started.
I crossed the start line, started my Garmin, and was on my way. I don't remember much about the first 4 or 5 miles, mostly because it was pretty uneventful. I tried to keep my pace between 11:00 and 11:15. There were a few downhill stretches, which were awesome and made me feel super fast without zapping all of my energy. Every so often a Team Beef runner would pass me (or in a few cases, I passed them), and it was fun to yell out "go beef!" or "Team Beef" to them and to hear it in return. At mile 6 I ate 3 Clif Shot Bloks and chased it with a gulp of water. There was a ridiculous hill between miles 7 and 8 that a lot of people walked, including me....I walked the 2nd half after realizing I still had 5+ miles to go once I got to the top, and I think that was a good decision. The aid stations came almost every mile thereafter. I ate 3 more Clif Shot Bloks at mile 10 and felt way better than I did at mile 10 on my last long run on the Greenbelt.
It was shortly after that when I descended into a recognizable part of Pocatello, and I grinned from ear to ear. There was something about the moment that changed me. I was running in to Pocatello. I was running in a place where I had been so inactive and allowed myself to be slovenly and gross and fat. I was running there and proving to all of Pocatello (and myself) that I am no longer that person.
At mile 11 I looked at my Garmin and realized I had been running for just over 2 hours. I grabbed a cup of Powerade at the aid station and powered on. I passed a guy walking on my left, slowed, took out my headphones, and yelled, "I have to tell someone - I'm totally going to meet my goal!" He cheered me on and encouraged me to keep up my pace. Thanks for being there, random middle-age man, because I'm starting to think if you hadn't been there for me to say it out loud, I wouldn't have had as much ambition to actually meet my goal of running the half in under 2 hours 30 minutes. I had 25 minutes to go 2.1 miles and I was certain I could do it, given how great I felt.
The 11th mile was fine, but mile 12 hurt. I walked for a few seconds after drinking my water at the aid station and then pushed on. When I got to the mile 13 marker, I took out my headphones and tucked them into my shirt. The number of people along the side of the race route grew as the finish line came into view, and I kicked it into high gear. I didn't look at my watch, but I felt so close to failure and didn't want to let Pocatello and the old me win.
I crossed the finish line, stopped the time on my Garmin, gathered my medal, and looked down to see 2:29. I almost burst into tears on the spot.
Instead, I looked to my left to see a woman hand me my race duffel with my extra water, Nuun, flip flops, and some other post-race clothes. There was no standing in line waiting to get my gear, just a lady handing it over the makeshift fence to me. Some guy (who did not look official at all) handed me a cold bottle of water. I found a clear spot near the finish line and stood there for a minute. I was out of breath and thought I was going to vomit and the thought of that made me want to cry. I didn't do either. I held it together as I stretched and shared the good news via text message to Jamie in Chicago and then wandered around until I found the official time check. I stood in line in front of a couple whose daughter ran the half that morning and when I got to the computer to check my time, I turned to them and said, "I just want you to know that if this says I'm over 2:30, I'm probably going to cry." They nodded their heads as I turned to punch in race bib 1404.
2:29:32.
I turned around and high-fived them before walking away to find my car.
There was no intense celebration at the park, nor did I partake in the free beer and food; it's not quite as fun to drink a beer at 10:30 am without someone standing by your side. (Don't worry, there was much celebration afterward with the in-laws.)
For now, all I have to say is this: I win, Pocatello. I win.
| Bib | 1404 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gun Time | 02:30:22 | |
| Chip Time | 02:29:32 | |
| Pace | 11:25 | |
| Gender-Age | F-32 | |
| City | Boise ID | |
| Division | Half | |
| Division: Half | 270 / 350 | |
| Division: Half - Gender: F - Age Group: 30 - 34 | 50 / 60 | |
| Division: Half - Gender: F | 164 / 231 | |
| Division: Half - Age Group: 30 - 34 | 61 / 73 | |
Two Mile Tuesday
It was easier to pull myself from my bed on Tuesday morning than I imagined, which was probably due to the fact that I rested all day on Monday. I decided I would just run to run and not try to make anything more of it. That doesn't mean I didn't run without my Garmin. Seriously, I don't know what I'd do without that thing. The morning itself was uneventful. I ran the first mile an 9:50 and the second at 10:11. I ran another .3 miles around 9:50/mile pace. 2.3 miles at 10:00/mile average pace...I'll take it.
I really planned to pull myself out of bed to run again sometime before the of the week and then the end of the week came and it hadn't happened. I'm posting my 1/2 marathon re-cap next, but wanted to get this one out of the way so I could focus on telling you about the race!
I really planned to pull myself out of bed to run again sometime before the of the week and then the end of the week came and it hadn't happened. I'm posting my 1/2 marathon re-cap next, but wanted to get this one out of the way so I could focus on telling you about the race!
Monday, August 29, 2011
3.2 miles and getting dirrrrrty.
Seymour and I went out last Thursday morning for a 3 miler near the house. There wasn't anything spectacular about it, really. We just ran. It wasn't a great run, actually. I didn't feel "on" and I struggled to enjoy it. I realize not every run is going to go well and I won't always feel great when I'm done, but it sure would be nice. Rather than push myself to hit a particular pace, I just ran at whichever pace felt decent, and it turned out it wasn't terrible.
3.2 miles in 34:14
Avg pace 10:40/mile
We went rafting after work on Friday on the SF Payette. I had pretty crappy runs on both Staircase and Slalom, but I also got to have the GoPro camera on my boat, so I got some stellar video of me rowing my boat! When we got home from rafting that night I made Josh watch the footage with me. The first words out of my mouth were, "Oh my gosh, look at my muscles!" I wonder if I can get a still shot of it somehow...
Saturday morning came early, as I met up with my Dirty Dash teammates (aka "Slow Children at Play") to run what I thought was going to be a 10k with a few obstacles and mud pits. Turns out they slashed the mileage on the Dash and we only ran about 5 miles...uphill. The obstacles were plenty, and despite being cut short on at least 1.2 miles, I was really surprised by the number of people there who appeared not to have a lick of athleticism in them. I felt under prepared just having to walk up the hills (I don't remember seeing any information about the actual course, so I didn't run any hills leading up to the event), but was glad I was able to at least throw myself over hay bales, climb over ladders and heave myself over walls with mud pits on both sides. That being said, I'm fine with having this event be my first and last Dirty Dash. The mud was fun enough and the shirts are pretty cute, but it really wasn't my idea of a great time.
We boated again on Sunday, which was a great time. I had every intention of getting up this morning to make my long run since that didn't happen over the weekend, but I slept for almost 2 hours after my alarm went off! My mind and body were exhausted, I had a headache, and I just plain didn't feel great so I called off work today and rested. My body needed it. I did manage to feel better later in the afternoon and spent an hour on the elliptical, but I'm exhausted yet again and am ready for bed.
Hopefully I can manage to get out of bed in the morning for a run with Seymour before work. I've been feeling somewhat down lately, which is a true indication that I need to get myself out running and working out more often so I can at least feel like I'm managing life instead of just dealing with it.
3.2 miles in 34:14
Avg pace 10:40/mile
We went rafting after work on Friday on the SF Payette. I had pretty crappy runs on both Staircase and Slalom, but I also got to have the GoPro camera on my boat, so I got some stellar video of me rowing my boat! When we got home from rafting that night I made Josh watch the footage with me. The first words out of my mouth were, "Oh my gosh, look at my muscles!" I wonder if I can get a still shot of it somehow...
Saturday morning came early, as I met up with my Dirty Dash teammates (aka "Slow Children at Play") to run what I thought was going to be a 10k with a few obstacles and mud pits. Turns out they slashed the mileage on the Dash and we only ran about 5 miles...uphill. The obstacles were plenty, and despite being cut short on at least 1.2 miles, I was really surprised by the number of people there who appeared not to have a lick of athleticism in them. I felt under prepared just having to walk up the hills (I don't remember seeing any information about the actual course, so I didn't run any hills leading up to the event), but was glad I was able to at least throw myself over hay bales, climb over ladders and heave myself over walls with mud pits on both sides. That being said, I'm fine with having this event be my first and last Dirty Dash. The mud was fun enough and the shirts are pretty cute, but it really wasn't my idea of a great time.
We boated again on Sunday, which was a great time. I had every intention of getting up this morning to make my long run since that didn't happen over the weekend, but I slept for almost 2 hours after my alarm went off! My mind and body were exhausted, I had a headache, and I just plain didn't feel great so I called off work today and rested. My body needed it. I did manage to feel better later in the afternoon and spent an hour on the elliptical, but I'm exhausted yet again and am ready for bed.
Hopefully I can manage to get out of bed in the morning for a run with Seymour before work. I've been feeling somewhat down lately, which is a true indication that I need to get myself out running and working out more often so I can at least feel like I'm managing life instead of just dealing with it.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Greenbelt - Eagle to Boise (10 mile recap)
Yes, it really is possible to get from Eagle to Boise via the greenbelt! I searched and searched the internet with no answers before posting on facebook to see if a friend knew. I got my answer via another mutual friend - yes, the greenbelt between Eagle and Boise connects, and as I found out yesterday, it's a nice little trail! I was hesitant, as Roger informed me the connection takes some maneuvering through a neighborhood, and I have the world's worst sense of direction. Before I left home I decided I really didn't want to risk an out-and-back run, just in case the neighborhood situation got tricky and I got lost. I convinced Josh to come pick me up at my 10-mile mark...except that I had no idea where that would actually be.
I filled my hydration pack with ice water, knowing the ice wouldn't last long, but hoping the water would still feel good even if it was warm. I figured since I had the hydration pack, I might as well take my iPhone for picture taking and emergency phone calls in case someone came out of the woods to attack me. I started off at a good slow pace (11:00/mile) and hoped to stay there for the duration of my 10 mile trek. I managed to cross the river too early and found myself at a dead-end just before mile 1 and had to turn around to find the actual greenbelt trail again. Oops.
At mile 3 I was roasting and decided it was time to just run in my sports bra (eek!). My tank slipped perfectly into the elastic band on my hydration pack and was a great sweat towel for the day. By this time the greenbelt had long since turned from pavement to a perfect gravel/dirt path, and I was surprised by how little it slowed me down. I blamed part of my slowness during my last 1/2 marathon on the gravel trail, but that trail was much more sloppy and loose gravel than this path, and for that I was very thankful. I didn't see anyone on the actual trail for about 4 miles. I did see a woman and her daughter on bikes at mile 3 when I was rearranging my tank and gear, but they weren't actually on the path when we passed each other and I confirmed for them that the trail does, in fact, end at Eagle Road if they continued the direction they were headed. Fast forward to miles 4 through 6 (approximately) where the greenbelt follows the backyards of several gigantic houses. I got to the neighborhood where I had to navigate to get to the path again and passed the backyard of a house with a full-size basketball court in the backyard, complete with lighting for night games. It was ridiculously large and amazing!
The path was very easy to spot in the neighborhood, and it would have been really easy to turn around, but I was eager to see how the rest of the path turned out, so I trudged along. I really enjoyed the scenery and lack of people on the trail and was a little disappointed when I approached the Glenwood bridge. I was also a little gun shy about having to get off the greenbelt briefly to cross the bridge and get back on the trail headed east (the trail dead-ended where I came out), as I was only wearing my sports bra, shorts, and a hydration pack by this time. I even went so far as to pull out my iPhone to check the map to determine if there was another path I missed to cross the river. There wasn't. Oh well, off I went running.
I called Josh at mile 7 and told him I'd still likely be another 45 minutes; I knew the last 3 miles were going to be rough. And they were just that. I ran through most of mile 7 but stopped to dip my hat in the river and didn't stop my Garmin time. I walked a little bit of mile 8, but still finished it in 11:14. Miles 9 and 10 were especially difficult. At this point I was running through Veteran's Park where there was no shade. My hydration pack was really starting to bother me but I had filled up with water just a mile prior to that. I dumped most of the water before I realized I didn't know when the next drinking fountain would be, so I saved a small amount of water and I finally took the pack off and carried it the last 2 miles. I walked for a minute or so every 1/4 mile and was so glad to see my Garmin finally register at the 10 mile mark. My last 2 miles logged at 12:12 and 12:45 due to the walking.
My final stopping point? The firefighter memorial where I took pictures last weekend! I stretched for a few minutes and called Josh to tell him where I ended up. My final stats were as follows:
10 miles in 1:54:26
Average pace: 11:26/mile
Mile 1 - 10:54
Mile 2 - 10:53
Mile 3 - 11:07
Mile 4 - 11:04
Mile 5 - 11:16
Mile 6 - 11:06
Mile 7 - 11:45
Mile 8 - 11:13
Mile 9 - 12:12
Mile 10 - 12:45
I filled my hydration pack with ice water, knowing the ice wouldn't last long, but hoping the water would still feel good even if it was warm. I figured since I had the hydration pack, I might as well take my iPhone for picture taking and emergency phone calls in case someone came out of the woods to attack me. I started off at a good slow pace (11:00/mile) and hoped to stay there for the duration of my 10 mile trek. I managed to cross the river too early and found myself at a dead-end just before mile 1 and had to turn around to find the actual greenbelt trail again. Oops.
Dead End...
At mile 3 I was roasting and decided it was time to just run in my sports bra (eek!). My tank slipped perfectly into the elastic band on my hydration pack and was a great sweat towel for the day. By this time the greenbelt had long since turned from pavement to a perfect gravel/dirt path, and I was surprised by how little it slowed me down. I blamed part of my slowness during my last 1/2 marathon on the gravel trail, but that trail was much more sloppy and loose gravel than this path, and for that I was very thankful. I didn't see anyone on the actual trail for about 4 miles. I did see a woman and her daughter on bikes at mile 3 when I was rearranging my tank and gear, but they weren't actually on the path when we passed each other and I confirmed for them that the trail does, in fact, end at Eagle Road if they continued the direction they were headed. Fast forward to miles 4 through 6 (approximately) where the greenbelt follows the backyards of several gigantic houses. I got to the neighborhood where I had to navigate to get to the path again and passed the backyard of a house with a full-size basketball court in the backyard, complete with lighting for night games. It was ridiculously large and amazing!
Still smiling through mile 3...
Sweetly packed dirt and gravel path...
No bikes on this section of the Greenbelt...boooo.
The path was very easy to spot in the neighborhood, and it would have been really easy to turn around, but I was eager to see how the rest of the path turned out, so I trudged along. I really enjoyed the scenery and lack of people on the trail and was a little disappointed when I approached the Glenwood bridge. I was also a little gun shy about having to get off the greenbelt briefly to cross the bridge and get back on the trail headed east (the trail dead-ended where I came out), as I was only wearing my sports bra, shorts, and a hydration pack by this time. I even went so far as to pull out my iPhone to check the map to determine if there was another path I missed to cross the river. There wasn't. Oh well, off I went running.
I called Josh at mile 7 and told him I'd still likely be another 45 minutes; I knew the last 3 miles were going to be rough. And they were just that. I ran through most of mile 7 but stopped to dip my hat in the river and didn't stop my Garmin time. I walked a little bit of mile 8, but still finished it in 11:14. Miles 9 and 10 were especially difficult. At this point I was running through Veteran's Park where there was no shade. My hydration pack was really starting to bother me but I had filled up with water just a mile prior to that. I dumped most of the water before I realized I didn't know when the next drinking fountain would be, so I saved a small amount of water and I finally took the pack off and carried it the last 2 miles. I walked for a minute or so every 1/4 mile and was so glad to see my Garmin finally register at the 10 mile mark. My last 2 miles logged at 12:12 and 12:45 due to the walking.
My final stopping point? The firefighter memorial where I took pictures last weekend! I stretched for a few minutes and called Josh to tell him where I ended up. My final stats were as follows:
10 miles in 1:54:26
Average pace: 11:26/mile
Mile 1 - 10:54
Mile 2 - 10:53
Mile 3 - 11:07
Mile 4 - 11:04
Mile 5 - 11:16
Mile 6 - 11:06
Mile 7 - 11:45
Mile 8 - 11:13
Mile 9 - 12:12
Mile 10 - 12:45
Final.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
9:23
I had a pretty decent run on Tuesday. I was excited about my new route and the fact that I didn't have to be at work right away, so I set out for another 4 miler with Seymour. I started out too fast and it showed as my time increased every mile. 1) 10:07, 2) 10:15, 3) 10:46, 4) 11:28. Now, don't get too too disappointed in my 4th mile; Seymour stopped to take a leak and I forgot to stop the time on my Garmin. He also decided to sniff a whole lot while we were stopped and I didn't bother to pull him off...I mean, we were SO close to home by the time that happened and I was tired!
I took Wednesday off from working out and struggled to get out of bed this morning. I knew I'd be worthless if I didn't go for a run (work is SO stressful right now), but I slept for so long that I knew a longer run would not be possible. Off we went for a quick 2 miler this morning. I wanted to make the 2 miles count, so I decided to push myself a bit. I tried to stay around a 9:30/mile pace, but since I don't run at that pace very often, I couldn't keep my rhythm and stride consistent. I finished my first mile in 9:23! My fastest mile yet! I got a brief rest when Seymour stopped to use the lawn and got right back to the pavement after I tied up his bag of poo onto the leash. Second mile: 9:44. I ended up running another 1/4 mile at a 9:33 average pace and arrived at home. My 9:23 mile lifted my spirits and gave me a boost for the day!
I took Wednesday off from working out and struggled to get out of bed this morning. I knew I'd be worthless if I didn't go for a run (work is SO stressful right now), but I slept for so long that I knew a longer run would not be possible. Off we went for a quick 2 miler this morning. I wanted to make the 2 miles count, so I decided to push myself a bit. I tried to stay around a 9:30/mile pace, but since I don't run at that pace very often, I couldn't keep my rhythm and stride consistent. I finished my first mile in 9:23! My fastest mile yet! I got a brief rest when Seymour stopped to use the lawn and got right back to the pavement after I tied up his bag of poo onto the leash. Second mile: 9:44. I ended up running another 1/4 mile at a 9:33 average pace and arrived at home. My 9:23 mile lifted my spirits and gave me a boost for the day!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Slacker Blogger (part 2 of 2)
I've divided this into 2 posts because I wanted to include pictures in my post about today's long run, but didn't want to make it a ridiculously long post. You could also call this post something like "pictures of things I've never paid attention to in Boise."
Saturday night, while frequenting my favorite little beer store, I figured out that I have 3 weekends (this one included) before the 1/2 in Pocatello. I have not even come close to following my training plan and I have skipped my last two long runs. In short, I have been a slacker. I turned to Josh and our friend, Ryan, and said, "if I'm going to run the 1/2 in Pocatello, I need to 1) register for it and 2) run 7 miles tomorrow, 9 miles next weekend, and run 11 miles the weekend after that." It was at that moment that I realized I had said it out loud and was now more committed to it because of my loud mouth.
I took Seymour to a potential new home (more later....maybe) this morning and decided to take a run on the Boise Greenbelt instead of running close to home yet again. I don't know why I don't just make a trek from home to the Greenbelt more often. Seriously, there are so many things and people to see, and most of the path I ran today had shade for most of the afternoon. The first 3 miles felt pretty great, but it got hot quickly and I was thankful there were several drinking fountains along the path. Throughout the first half of the run today I kept thinking about how I should have been taking pictures, but I had my phone jockeyed into my shorts and I wasn't sure if I would be able to get it back in there without a whole lot of maneuvering, so I didn't. I got to Quinn's Pond and saw a whole bunch of people on stand up paddle boards, and it looked SO refreshing. I nearly jumped ship on my run and went into Idaho River Sports to rent an SUP and had Josh come pick me up to take me back to my car. I didn't. I kept on running, but I also vowed to stop and take pictures on my way back to Park Center Bridge.
And then it got hot. This is probably one of the most unflattering pictures of me, but maybe it shows how hot and kind of miserable I was (note that I wasn't even attempting to smile):
I passed the main Boise Firestation (I think?) and a monument and some art nearby and then ran through the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial for a brief second and snapped these photos:
Anyway, I did 7 miles today with a few stops here and there. My best decision of the day was when I took off my hat and soaked it in one of the drinking fountains and threw the sucker right back in my head. The second best decision was upon getting back to the truck, I took one of the ice cubes in my water bottle and threw one down the front of my sports bra and one down the back. Relief never felt so good!
7.0 miles at 11:09 average pace (1:18:01)
Saturday night, while frequenting my favorite little beer store, I figured out that I have 3 weekends (this one included) before the 1/2 in Pocatello. I have not even come close to following my training plan and I have skipped my last two long runs. In short, I have been a slacker. I turned to Josh and our friend, Ryan, and said, "if I'm going to run the 1/2 in Pocatello, I need to 1) register for it and 2) run 7 miles tomorrow, 9 miles next weekend, and run 11 miles the weekend after that." It was at that moment that I realized I had said it out loud and was now more committed to it because of my loud mouth.
I took Seymour to a potential new home (more later....maybe) this morning and decided to take a run on the Boise Greenbelt instead of running close to home yet again. I don't know why I don't just make a trek from home to the Greenbelt more often. Seriously, there are so many things and people to see, and most of the path I ran today had shade for most of the afternoon. The first 3 miles felt pretty great, but it got hot quickly and I was thankful there were several drinking fountains along the path. Throughout the first half of the run today I kept thinking about how I should have been taking pictures, but I had my phone jockeyed into my shorts and I wasn't sure if I would be able to get it back in there without a whole lot of maneuvering, so I didn't. I got to Quinn's Pond and saw a whole bunch of people on stand up paddle boards, and it looked SO refreshing. I nearly jumped ship on my run and went into Idaho River Sports to rent an SUP and had Josh come pick me up to take me back to my car. I didn't. I kept on running, but I also vowed to stop and take pictures on my way back to Park Center Bridge.
Stand Up Paddle (SUP)
And then it got hot. This is probably one of the most unflattering pictures of me, but maybe it shows how hot and kind of miserable I was (note that I wasn't even attempting to smile):
I passed the main Boise Firestation (I think?) and a monument and some art nearby and then ran through the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial for a brief second and snapped these photos:
Anyway, I did 7 miles today with a few stops here and there. My best decision of the day was when I took off my hat and soaked it in one of the drinking fountains and threw the sucker right back in my head. The second best decision was upon getting back to the truck, I took one of the ice cubes in my water bottle and threw one down the front of my sports bra and one down the back. Relief never felt so good!
7.0 miles at 11:09 average pace (1:18:01)
Slacker Blogger (part 1 of 2)
I don't even remember what my run was like last Thursday (8/4/11), but I know I ran because my Garmin tells me so. I'm quite certain the dog came too. These past few weeks have been quite the blur in terms of being really busy at work and trying to find out dog a new home and, well, that's really about it. That being said, I ran 3.73 miles on 8/4 at a 10:30 average pace (39:12).
And then I rested. I was busy and lazy and lethargic and not wanting to run, so I just plain didn't. And then I realized this: if I don't run regularly, getting started back up again is going to suck. And I like running, I really do. So this last Friday (as in just a few days ago), knowing that I didn't have to be to work until around 9:00 am, Seymour and I went for another run. I really wanted to see if Chinden Blvd westbound and Eagle Road southbound had sidewalks, so Seymour and I took off for what I planned to be a four mile run. Turns out, there ARE sidewalks through that stretch and I have yet another route to run! Unfortunately, Chinden and Eagle are pretty busy streets so I have to put up with literally thousands of cars driving past me in my running skirts, but I'll take it. With this stretch having sidewalks, this also means I can attempt an after work run in the heat if I want to, knowing there is a gas station, a few fast food joints, and a Target where I can get water so I don't have to take my hydration pack.
Friday:
4 miles at 10:21 average pace (41:30)
I wanted to run Saturday, but Friday night turned into a rather amazing evening at home, just Seymour and me. Josh went up rafting Friday afternoon with a friend from E. Idaho and they camped up near Garden Valley. My plan was to get some sleep on Friday night and wake up early to run again, then take Seymour to Escape the Crate for daycare and boarding, then meet up with some other folks to go rafting. Well, Jamie e-mailed me Friday to inform me Ann Brashares has written the final book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, and I had to have it. Immediately. So Friday after work, I went down to my local Barnes and Noble store and bought it. Friday night consisted of a dinner of brie and freshly baked whole wheat bread from the grocery store, a bottle of wine, and Sisterhood Everlasting. Needless to say, there was no running on Saturday morning. I did, however, paddle my little buns off and climbed rocks like I had never climbed rocks before on the portage. I certainly got in a workout, which came nowhere close to cover the amount of beer and food I consumed throughout the day....
And then I rested. I was busy and lazy and lethargic and not wanting to run, so I just plain didn't. And then I realized this: if I don't run regularly, getting started back up again is going to suck. And I like running, I really do. So this last Friday (as in just a few days ago), knowing that I didn't have to be to work until around 9:00 am, Seymour and I went for another run. I really wanted to see if Chinden Blvd westbound and Eagle Road southbound had sidewalks, so Seymour and I took off for what I planned to be a four mile run. Turns out, there ARE sidewalks through that stretch and I have yet another route to run! Unfortunately, Chinden and Eagle are pretty busy streets so I have to put up with literally thousands of cars driving past me in my running skirts, but I'll take it. With this stretch having sidewalks, this also means I can attempt an after work run in the heat if I want to, knowing there is a gas station, a few fast food joints, and a Target where I can get water so I don't have to take my hydration pack.
Friday:
4 miles at 10:21 average pace (41:30)
I wanted to run Saturday, but Friday night turned into a rather amazing evening at home, just Seymour and me. Josh went up rafting Friday afternoon with a friend from E. Idaho and they camped up near Garden Valley. My plan was to get some sleep on Friday night and wake up early to run again, then take Seymour to Escape the Crate for daycare and boarding, then meet up with some other folks to go rafting. Well, Jamie e-mailed me Friday to inform me Ann Brashares has written the final book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, and I had to have it. Immediately. So Friday after work, I went down to my local Barnes and Noble store and bought it. Friday night consisted of a dinner of brie and freshly baked whole wheat bread from the grocery store, a bottle of wine, and Sisterhood Everlasting. Needless to say, there was no running on Saturday morning. I did, however, paddle my little buns off and climbed rocks like I had never climbed rocks before on the portage. I certainly got in a workout, which came nowhere close to cover the amount of beer and food I consumed throughout the day....
Monday, August 1, 2011
2.15 miles in humidity
No offense to my friends in the midwest, but I am SO glad I don't live there anymore! It stormed pretty hard in Boise last night and I thought maybe the sky would be clear and I'd enjoy a nice morning run today. Oh boy, was I wrong. I stepped outside and I think I immediately started sweating. It wasn't particularly hot outside (about 72 degrees F), but it was much more humid that we really ever get here. This site says it was 64% relative humidity at 6:53 this morning, which was right about the time I got done running. It definitely fatigued me faster than I wanted. I don't know how midwesterners do it. For real. By the time I got home I was dripping in sweat (even more than usual, which is hard to believe is possible) and I only ran a little over 2 miles. What? For real? How is that possible? Oh, maybe it had something to do with my massive hangover on Sunday...maybe my body was still recuperating...
Overall, I did 2.15 miles in 22:37 at an average pace of 10:30/mile.
I'll take it and pray tomorrow is easier.
Overall, I did 2.15 miles in 22:37 at an average pace of 10:30/mile.
I'll take it and pray tomorrow is easier.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
9:40 mile!
Confession: I didn't run yesterday. I was tired in the morning (what's new?) I was kind of cranky. And when I got home from work I drank 2 16 oz Bud Lights. I also ate a crap load of candy at work and after dinner I made cookies. Wha?! Ugh. Then, the power went out last night. Not that that had anything to do with me not running, but it added to the hectic and disgusting food day I had.
That being said, I was equally as tired this morning. I hit snooze on my alarm a few times. When I got up I contemplated not running again and just taking my running clothes to work. I knew if I did that I wouldn't run at all and then I'd feel even more lazy. I got out the door at 6:30, which was actually the time I wanted to get HOME from my run and decided 4 miles was not going to happen and that I should be happy with 2. And then I realized I didn't have anything pressing going on at work and I needed to just run to run. And that's exactly what I did. Seymour and I ran 3 miles this morning. I was inconsistent and I didn't really care a whole lot. I checked my pace but I didn't try to stay at any particular pace...until I was running my 3rd mile, that is. I glanced at my Garmin around 2.25 and realized I was running at about 9:45 and I felt pretty good. I glanced again later and I was at 9:30. 2.75 miles down and I was back to my neighborhood and running at 9:20. Determined to continue at an above average pace, I pushed my last 1/4 mile and finished my 3rd mile in 9:40. I think that might a record.
For a girl who didn't want to get up to run this morning, it was a pretty good one.
That being said, I was equally as tired this morning. I hit snooze on my alarm a few times. When I got up I contemplated not running again and just taking my running clothes to work. I knew if I did that I wouldn't run at all and then I'd feel even more lazy. I got out the door at 6:30, which was actually the time I wanted to get HOME from my run and decided 4 miles was not going to happen and that I should be happy with 2. And then I realized I didn't have anything pressing going on at work and I needed to just run to run. And that's exactly what I did. Seymour and I ran 3 miles this morning. I was inconsistent and I didn't really care a whole lot. I checked my pace but I didn't try to stay at any particular pace...until I was running my 3rd mile, that is. I glanced at my Garmin around 2.25 and realized I was running at about 9:45 and I felt pretty good. I glanced again later and I was at 9:30. 2.75 miles down and I was back to my neighborhood and running at 9:20. Determined to continue at an above average pace, I pushed my last 1/4 mile and finished my 3rd mile in 9:40. I think that might a record.
For a girl who didn't want to get up to run this morning, it was a pretty good one.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Rafting, running, and more rafting
I was able to convince to raft the South Fork of the Boise River on Saturday, which is a pretty low-key stretch of whitewater known more for fishing than boating. It has a few class III rapids but what I like most about it is that it takes a little longer than a typical day run so by the end of the day I'm tired and feel like I'm justified in taking the rest of the day off from physical activity. Seymour is getting less and less comfortable on the water which is really, really frustrating. I want so badly for the dog to love rafting as much as we do and I'm afraid that's just not going to happen. Sigh.
When I posted on Saturday night I was uncertain if I would be able to get up for my five mile run in the morning. I'm happy to report that I did! I was out the door before 6:30 and managed just over five for the morning and got back just in time to make a cup of coffee, shower, and take Seymour to Escape the Crate before heading out to meet up with the crew running the Canyon stretch of the South Fork of the Payette. Sunday was my first official long run for my training which meant I didn't have to keep any particular pace. I decided to try to keep myself under 11:00/mile which I did until my fifth mile. I love my Garmin because it keeps me at such a steady pace. I ran miles 1-4 at a 10:51 pace/mile and my fifth at 11:04. I'll take it. Final stats for the morning:
5.13 miles in 55:47
10:53 average pace
It was a spectacular day on the SF Payette after the run! I'm used to running my own cataraft on the river and rarely sit in a paddle boat for river trips, but this stretch has a mandatory portage and the less boats the better as far as I'm concerned, so I paddled my heart out for the day. Paddle boating works out such different muscles than I'm used to on my cat and I am SORE today through my neck and shoulders. I decided to take a rest day today, since I had one scheduled for Sunday but rafted, ran, and rafted some more throughout the weekend. Tomorrow: 4 miles.
When I posted on Saturday night I was uncertain if I would be able to get up for my five mile run in the morning. I'm happy to report that I did! I was out the door before 6:30 and managed just over five for the morning and got back just in time to make a cup of coffee, shower, and take Seymour to Escape the Crate before heading out to meet up with the crew running the Canyon stretch of the South Fork of the Payette. Sunday was my first official long run for my training which meant I didn't have to keep any particular pace. I decided to try to keep myself under 11:00/mile which I did until my fifth mile. I love my Garmin because it keeps me at such a steady pace. I ran miles 1-4 at a 10:51 pace/mile and my fifth at 11:04. I'll take it. Final stats for the morning:
5.13 miles in 55:47
10:53 average pace
It was a spectacular day on the SF Payette after the run! I'm used to running my own cataraft on the river and rarely sit in a paddle boat for river trips, but this stretch has a mandatory portage and the less boats the better as far as I'm concerned, so I paddled my heart out for the day. Paddle boating works out such different muscles than I'm used to on my cat and I am SORE today through my neck and shoulders. I decided to take a rest day today, since I had one scheduled for Sunday but rafted, ran, and rafted some more throughout the weekend. Tomorrow: 4 miles.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
I bought a Garmin!
I may or may not have gone on a shopping binge last weekend. Oops. Josh was out of town and Steep and Cheap, craigslist, and Sierra Trading Post were calling my name out loud and clear. After my destination run last Sunday I did a quick search on craigslist for Garmin Forerunner and found one that hadn't been sold immediately as is typical. I e-mailed and made a phone call, and before I knew it I had purchased a used Garmin Forerunner 305 for a whopping $75. I was stoked. Not so much that I went out and ran right away (it was hot and I had a few beers while pruning the ridiculous tree in the backyard), but enough that I went out bright and early on Tuesday (no, not Monday) morning to test it out. It's amazing. I am so in love! I'll detail my three runs this week after I explain the madness known as my training plan.
I spent Monday nightbinge eating figuring out my training plan for the next few months. I plan to run the Pocatello 1/2 marathon on 9/3/11 and decided I want to work to have it be my best half yet. Instead of working solely on mileage, I took a few training plans and implemented some repeats, hills, and goal race pace runs into the mix. I've got a detailed plan of every run I need to do between now and 9/2/11 and am hopeful I'll get it all accomplished.
Now for my progress this week:
Tuesday - 5:45 am
3.32 miles in 35:59 - avg pace 10:49/mile
I was still getting used to the Garmin deal, so when the dog stopped and my flashlight fell from my arm, I stopped but I didn't stop the timer.
Thursday - 6:52 am
1 mile repeats x2 - 15 min. warm up/15 min cool down, 2x 1 mile repeats pushing it
4.58 miles in 49:49 - avg pace 10:50/mile
Friday - 6:38 am
2 miles at goal race pace
2 miles in 21:17 - 10:36/mile
While I would REALLY like to run the 1/2 at a 10:45 average pace, I'm not sure it's possible. I'm going to keep trying. It's a lot easier keeping a steady pace with the Garmin right there, but it's also not fool proof.
I was supposed to run 5 miles today, but we went rafting, so I'm counting it as an easy cross-training day. We're rafting again tomorrow and leaving fairly early, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get up early enough to run for an hour but it would be nice to get it out of the way. The weather has been fairly warm here but thankfully we don't have the humidity like folks out in the midwest. I can't imaging running in that crap right now! Now, if I can just get myself out of bed early enough in the mornings to make sure I get all of the running in, that would be great...
I spent Monday night
Now for my progress this week:
Tuesday - 5:45 am
3.32 miles in 35:59 - avg pace 10:49/mile
I was still getting used to the Garmin deal, so when the dog stopped and my flashlight fell from my arm, I stopped but I didn't stop the timer.
Thursday - 6:52 am
1 mile repeats x2 - 15 min. warm up/15 min cool down, 2x 1 mile repeats pushing it
4.58 miles in 49:49 - avg pace 10:50/mile
Friday - 6:38 am
2 miles at goal race pace
2 miles in 21:17 - 10:36/mile
While I would REALLY like to run the 1/2 at a 10:45 average pace, I'm not sure it's possible. I'm going to keep trying. It's a lot easier keeping a steady pace with the Garmin right there, but it's also not fool proof.
I was supposed to run 5 miles today, but we went rafting, so I'm counting it as an easy cross-training day. We're rafting again tomorrow and leaving fairly early, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get up early enough to run for an hour but it would be nice to get it out of the way. The weather has been fairly warm here but thankfully we don't have the humidity like folks out in the midwest. I can't imaging running in that crap right now! Now, if I can just get myself out of bed early enough in the mornings to make sure I get all of the running in, that would be great...
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Destination Run: Puppy!
I haven't been running since last Thursday, 7/7/11. Prior to that, I hadn't run for a week. Without a specific run to train for and with the increasing temperature, it's been difficult to find a reason to get out there other than my mental health. I had last Thursday off from work and decided I needed to go out for a few miles. I planned on 4 miles and did just that. I was using the Cyclometer app on my iPhone and felt like the mileage was off more often than not, so I decided to use the RunKeeper app that I got for free back when they had a special going on (I think it's usually $10 or something ridiculous like that). RunKeeper was fine, except that I can't use my iPhone headphones to cue my distance and pace. I did have it cued to tell me some stats every 5 minutes but it didn't, so that was frustrating. Overall, my 4 mile run went well. I finished 4.05 miles in 42:32 which put me at an average pace of 10:30/mile.
Over the past week I've decided on a few more organized races (though I don't actually race against anyone but myself) to keep me in line with regular running. I've committed to The Dirty Dash in August with my Sawtooth Relay crew (and possibly others) and although I haven't paid to enter yet, I plan to run the Pocatello 1/2 Marathon on September 3rd. Pocatello is where I graduated from college and incidentally the place I became even more obese than I had previously been. I figure there's no better place to run a 1/2 marathon than the place that me fat!
With those thoughts in mind, I knew I needed to get my butt in gear and get moving this past week. I didn't. I slept in and had obligations with family every night which resulted in lots of wine and not running after the family events ended. I planned on running today anyway, but when my friends, Nancy and Kate, informed me they got a new lab puppy last night, I knew I needed to have a destination run to their house. And I did just that.
It was 4 miles to their house today and I was a sweaty mess when I arrived, as it was pretty warm outside. I ran the 4 miles today in 45:22 - 11:21 avg pace. I walked a few times along the way to drink water and cool myself down with the ice water from my hydration pack, so I think my actual running pace was closer to 11:00 min/mile. I'll get back in the groove soon. Also, today I used the Nike+ GPS app that was recommended by a friend. I still can't pause my music to get my stats, but it did tell me my stats every mile, which was nice. The thing I don't like is that I can't look up the splits for each mile when I've finished my run. Maybe the Cyclometer app is the best one after all....
I have a few thoughts in my head about what October and November will look like for races, but I'm hesitant to put them in writing right now. Time will tell...
Now, for the photo of today's destination run - Pinot Noir!
Over the past week I've decided on a few more organized races (though I don't actually race against anyone but myself) to keep me in line with regular running. I've committed to The Dirty Dash in August with my Sawtooth Relay crew (and possibly others) and although I haven't paid to enter yet, I plan to run the Pocatello 1/2 Marathon on September 3rd. Pocatello is where I graduated from college and incidentally the place I became even more obese than I had previously been. I figure there's no better place to run a 1/2 marathon than the place that me fat!
With those thoughts in mind, I knew I needed to get my butt in gear and get moving this past week. I didn't. I slept in and had obligations with family every night which resulted in lots of wine and not running after the family events ended. I planned on running today anyway, but when my friends, Nancy and Kate, informed me they got a new lab puppy last night, I knew I needed to have a destination run to their house. And I did just that.
It was 4 miles to their house today and I was a sweaty mess when I arrived, as it was pretty warm outside. I ran the 4 miles today in 45:22 - 11:21 avg pace. I walked a few times along the way to drink water and cool myself down with the ice water from my hydration pack, so I think my actual running pace was closer to 11:00 min/mile. I'll get back in the groove soon. Also, today I used the Nike+ GPS app that was recommended by a friend. I still can't pause my music to get my stats, but it did tell me my stats every mile, which was nice. The thing I don't like is that I can't look up the splits for each mile when I've finished my run. Maybe the Cyclometer app is the best one after all....
I have a few thoughts in my head about what October and November will look like for races, but I'm hesitant to put them in writing right now. Time will tell...
Now, for the photo of today's destination run - Pinot Noir!
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