1. College football starts tonight! This is my favorite time of year. And, what makes it even better is my Gamecocks (University of South Carolina for all of you non-football fans) are the featured game on ESPN tonight. The dogs have their Carolina collars on and we've got our gear on - we're ready for a big victory tonight. Louisville (my grad school) plays on Sunday against rival Kentucky on ESPN so I will get to watch both of my schools this weekend - which rarely happens since Texas schools take precedence on televised games around here.
2. This hasn't been a great running week for me. I've been getting my workouts in, but it's been a struggle. To put it simply, I just feel BLAH. I'm tired, achy and my stomach is wonky. I was outside last Thursday evening for a good 6 hours for a work event so I started to freak out that maybe I picked up West Nile Virus since cases have been on the rise in Austin. I'm sure I didn't since I'm well enough to go to work, but I hope I can get my pep back in my step by taking tomorrow off of running. I hate to do it, but I may have to take off Saturday as well if I am not feeling any better. Dan & I are racing a 10k in Bastrop on Sunday, and I'd like to put out a good effort so I can gauge where my fitness is right now.
3. The final episode ever of Teen Mom Season 1 was on Tuesday night, and I DVR'd it since it doesn't come on until 9 pm. Admittedly, I looked forward to coming home and watching it all day yesterday. Then I watched it last night and cried. Yes, cried. I am sure this admission makes you think much less of me. Go ahead and judge away.
I hope everyone has a good weekend!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Wordless Wednesday
These are the texts I send to my husband when I got to work this morning and realized I forgot part of my morning snack (I arrived with only a banana - that will NOT last me until Noon).
Dramatic much? :)
 |
| He gets major brownie points for driving out of his way to deliver said snack so I won't turn into super bitch. |
Monday, August 27, 2012
Baltimore Marathon Training: Week 8
This was the first week in my training plan that I missed a
significant training run – my 22 miler ended up being a slow 3 miler. It was
bound to happen at some point – I wasn’t expecting a perfect training cycle. I
don’t have an excuse for nixing this run – I’m not sick and I’m not hurt. I
simply didn’t feel like running long this weekend. Maybe I'm just done with summer in Texas, maybe I'm beat down with big work events this past month or maybe it's just plain and simple: I needed a break.
-3 miles of hills @7:41 pace
(PM) 2900 yd swim
Wednesday: (AM) 15.1 miles @8:30 pace. (Lunch) 2300 yd swim
Thursday: (AM) Run Group - 12.13 miles. 'The Michigan' workout which I talk about here.
(Lunch) 2600 yd swim
Friday: (AM) 5 miles easy, no watch. (Lunch) 1700 yd swim
Saturday: 7 mile run @8:14 pace
Sunday: 3.24 mile run with Dan @9:00 min pace.
Total Miles: 54 miles
99% of the time I am a highly self-motivated person when it
comes to running and my training. I don’t need hand holding or encouragement to
get me out of the door in the mornings – for the most part I really look
forward to my training runs and getting up at dark thirty to get them done. It’s
a great feeling of accomplishment when I can cross off the box on my training
plan after completing a scheduled workout.
But, sometimes I get tired of planning my life, particularly
my weekends, around training. Sometimes I get tired of being a lame duck on a
Friday night, in bed by 9 am so I can get up early to do a long run. Sometimes
a 4:45 am wake-up call on a Sunday morning doesn’t sound appealing to me at all
(and if you’re from Texas, you know there is no sleeping in during the summer
and then going on a long run). And sometimes I get so sick of the summer in
Texas that I just protest by sitting in the AC all weekend. And, to be honest
that’s how I felt this weekend. Originally, I had planned my 22 miler for
Saturday morning with a start time of 5:30 am in Round Rock. Well, after only a
few hours of sleep on Thursday night because of a work special event, I decided
it wasn’t happening Saturday. So, I flop flopped runs, slept in Saturday, ran 7
miles and had big plans of getting up at 4:30 am on Sunday to head to Cedar
Park and run my 22 miler partly with the Hill Country Running Group and then finish
on my own. Obviously, it didn’t happen. Instead, I slept in, went to breakfast/brunch with Dan, took the dogs to the park, and finally headed out for a very leisurely
3 miles with Dan later in the day.
Was I beating myself up a little yesterday for missing my
long run? Yes, a little. But, I also knew that mentally, and probably
physically as well, I needed that break. I needed to take a step back and hit
recharge. Could I have done my long run this weekend? Yes. Will it hurt me to
miss that run? No. Not in the long run. So, I’m putting last week behind me and
moving forward.
Last Week's Workouts:
Monday: (Lunch) 2700 yd swim; (PM) 50 minute core workout
Monday: (Lunch) 2700 yd swim; (PM) 50 minute core workout
Tuesday: (AM) Run Group - 11.5 miles. Today's workout was a gonzo hill workout - it's a very race specific workout since you usually hit hills in your races after you have already begun to feel the effects of running fatigue. Description - This training run starts with 3 miles on the road at tempo pace. Then you hit the hills for 3 more miles. No recovery between the tempo and the hills. We ran a .25 mile hill on Southwestern's campus.
-3.48 mile tempo/24:13/6:58 avg pace-3 miles of hills @7:41 pace
(PM) 2900 yd swim
Wednesday: (AM) 15.1 miles @8:30 pace. (Lunch) 2300 yd swim
Thursday: (AM) Run Group - 12.13 miles. 'The Michigan' workout which I talk about here.
(Lunch) 2600 yd swim
Friday: (AM) 5 miles easy, no watch. (Lunch) 1700 yd swim
Saturday: 7 mile run @8:14 pace
Sunday: 3.24 mile run with Dan @9:00 min pace.
Total Miles: 54 miles
Thursday, August 23, 2012
'The Michigan' Workout
If you're looking for a challenging workout, I have one for you. It's called 'The Michigan' and it will challenge even the toughest and most advanced runners.
I have to admit (but you probably already know this) I am a big running nerd, and I love spending my free time researching new and different workouts. I love a good challenge, so the harder the workout looks, the more excited I get. My friend Mick and I lead a Tues/Thurs morning run group, so when I found this workout last week, I got ridiculously excited and decided it would be our Thursday track workout.
Anyway - This workout was devised in the 70's by Michigan cross country coach. Known as “The Michigan,” the workout is designed to simulate the change of paces that runners experience in a race. The workout combines easy base miles that build aerobic capacity, a tempo run that raises lactate threshold, and longer and shorter intervals that work VO2 max. Alternating tempo runs with intervals teaches you to change gears when you are fatigued and to recover from a surge while keeping a decent pace. The workout also gives you practice with the fast start and the kick to the finish—when you're most fatigued—needed in racing situations.
The Michigan consists of the following:
1. The workout begins with a fast mile on a track. Runners should attempt to run about 15-20 seconds slower than their best mile time. The purpose of this intense mile is to simulate the fast pace at the start of a race.
2. After the mile, jog about 3 minutes before running a slower mile on the track. This mile should be about a minute slower than the track mile.
3. After the 2nd mile, jog 3 minutes and then run a fast 1200 meters (3 laps) on the track at about the pace you ran your first mile.
4. Jog 3 minutes and run another mile at the pace you ran the 2nd mile.
5. Jog 3 minutes and run a fast 800 meters on the track
6. Jog 3 minutes, and run another mile (same pace as Mile #2).
7. Jog 3 minutes and finish with an all-out 400 meter run on the track. It is really important to run this last part of the workout as quick as possible because it simulates a kick at the end of a race.
This is how the workout went for me
(we used one lap around the track - 400m- for the 3 minute recovery jog between sets).
warm- up: 4 miles easy
1st mile - 6:08 <- on target
400m recovery
2nd mile - 6:31 <- too fast
400m recovery
1200m (.75 mile) - 4:34 (6:06 pace) <- on target
400m recovery
1 mile - 6:36 <- a bit too fast still
800m (.50 mile) - 3:13 (6:26 pace) <- too slow
400m recovery
1 mile - 6:53 <- on target
400m (.25 mile) - 1:22 (5:31 pace) <- on target
cool down - .86 mile easy
Pacing yourself for this type of workout is a bit challenging since it combines so many different elements into one workout. Looking at my splits, I needed to slow down some on that second and third mile and turn out a faster 800m. Overall, I'm pleased with my splits though. And this may sound sadistic, but I LOVED this workout. It fits into the style of the runner that I am. It actually flew by (and I would never think 7 miles on the track would go by quickly) because you were always focused on a different interval and the accompanying pace.
Overall, Operation Michigan was a success. If you try this workout, let me know how it goes!
I have to admit (but you probably already know this) I am a big running nerd, and I love spending my free time researching new and different workouts. I love a good challenge, so the harder the workout looks, the more excited I get. My friend Mick and I lead a Tues/Thurs morning run group, so when I found this workout last week, I got ridiculously excited and decided it would be our Thursday track workout.
Anyway - This workout was devised in the 70's by Michigan cross country coach. Known as “The Michigan,” the workout is designed to simulate the change of paces that runners experience in a race. The workout combines easy base miles that build aerobic capacity, a tempo run that raises lactate threshold, and longer and shorter intervals that work VO2 max. Alternating tempo runs with intervals teaches you to change gears when you are fatigued and to recover from a surge while keeping a decent pace. The workout also gives you practice with the fast start and the kick to the finish—when you're most fatigued—needed in racing situations.
The Michigan consists of the following:
1. The workout begins with a fast mile on a track. Runners should attempt to run about 15-20 seconds slower than their best mile time. The purpose of this intense mile is to simulate the fast pace at the start of a race.
2. After the mile, jog about 3 minutes before running a slower mile on the track. This mile should be about a minute slower than the track mile.
3. After the 2nd mile, jog 3 minutes and then run a fast 1200 meters (3 laps) on the track at about the pace you ran your first mile.
4. Jog 3 minutes and run another mile at the pace you ran the 2nd mile.
5. Jog 3 minutes and run a fast 800 meters on the track
6. Jog 3 minutes, and run another mile (same pace as Mile #2).
7. Jog 3 minutes and finish with an all-out 400 meter run on the track. It is really important to run this last part of the workout as quick as possible because it simulates a kick at the end of a race.
This is how the workout went for me
(we used one lap around the track - 400m- for the 3 minute recovery jog between sets).
warm- up: 4 miles easy
1st mile - 6:08 <- on target
400m recovery
2nd mile - 6:31 <- too fast
400m recovery
1200m (.75 mile) - 4:34 (6:06 pace) <- on target
400m recovery
1 mile - 6:36 <- a bit too fast still
800m (.50 mile) - 3:13 (6:26 pace) <- too slow
400m recovery
1 mile - 6:53 <- on target
400m (.25 mile) - 1:22 (5:31 pace) <- on target
cool down - .86 mile easy
Pacing yourself for this type of workout is a bit challenging since it combines so many different elements into one workout. Looking at my splits, I needed to slow down some on that second and third mile and turn out a faster 800m. Overall, I'm pleased with my splits though. And this may sound sadistic, but I LOVED this workout. It fits into the style of the runner that I am. It actually flew by (and I would never think 7 miles on the track would go by quickly) because you were always focused on a different interval and the accompanying pace.
Overall, Operation Michigan was a success. If you try this workout, let me know how it goes!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Duathlon Race Report & Baltimore Marathon Training: Week 7
A few months ago when a friend told me about yesterday's duathlon, I was excited. Duathlons obviously play to my strength much more so than triathlons since I am a much stronger runner than swimmer. Sadly you don't find many duathlons any more, so I jumped on the chance to race. This race also came at the perfect time in my marathon training plan to see where I was at speed-wise, but also good marathon simulation as well as the second run would be racing on tired legs - much like those last few miles of the marathon.
I felt good about my ability to produce two solid runs going into this race, but I was very doubtful of my ability to knock out a good enough bike split to warrant a high overall finish. I had not ridden my bike since my last triathlon in July, and only about 2 times total since Buffalo Springs in June. I knew some of the other ladies who were racing this event, and I knew they were much stronger cyclists than I. So my plan was to go pretty much all out on the first run and try to build as much of a lead going into the bike as I could. I know I run strong off the bike, so I just needed to bank as much time as possible early on.
Pre-Race: I did an easy 2.7 mile warm-up and everyone looked at me like I was bat shit crazy for warming up before the race. My legs will NOT move fast without a proper warm-up people!
5k Run #1: 19:44. 6th overall after this run, 1st female.
The course was an out and back, which I loved because I could see where I stood among competitors at the turn-around. I decided to race without my Garmin and only a stop watch - I prefer to race these type of events by feel instead of being so concentrated on the numbers my Garmin is flashing. The miles weren't marked, so I really didn't have an idea of what my pace was until I got closer to the finish line and saw that I was sub-20. I came across the line in 6th place overall and about 1 minute ahead of the second female. I was pretty breathless, but it was off to transition to get my bike and see how fast I could pedal.
18 mile Bike: 58:32, 18.5 mph, Bike Split Ranked 25th
I really didn't have a plan than to simply pedal as fast as I could. The bike course was 4 loops, which I really liked because I knew what was ahead of me. The first few minutes on the bike were rough - my legs felt dead and I couldn't catch my breath. About halfway through the first loop, I settled into a nice rhythm. Again, I ride by feel without an odometer, so I had no idea how fast I was going. The second place female passed me about half way through the first loop - she was flying and that's the last I saw of her. She was the eventual race winner. Another girl passed me at the start of my third loop - I kept her in sight for awhile but couldn't hang - putting me now in third place. Halfway through my last loop, I got passed again - bumping me down to fourth female. I was able to keep this girl in sight and I guessed she had about a minute lead on me going into the run. I was pretty confident I could catch her at least. I was actually pretty pleased with my bike split. I thought the bike course was only 17.5 miles, but found out later that it was indeed 18 miles - so I ended up with a solid bike split for someone who really doesn't put much effort into bike training.
5k Run #2: 20:20. 3rd fastest 5k overall, fastest 5k among the females.
And now we come to my favorite part: CHASE PEOPLE DOWN! I got off the bike and started the run with that normal "lead legs" feeling, but I always find I am actually running much faster than I think I am off the bike. I was 4th female heading into the run and passed the third place female about half a mile in. I figured by now the first and second place female were pretty far ahead, but knew since it was an out and back I would see them at some point and be able to tell if there was a remote possibility of chasing them down.
I saw the first place woman coming back towards the finish before I made it to the turn-around: chasing her down wasn't happening. Just before I made it to the turn-around, I saw the second place female coming back the other way. She had a decent gap on me, but I could tell she was hurting. I kept pushing and closing the gap. Once I realized I could actually catch her, I pushed harder. With about I would guess 3/4 of a mile left, I passed her and hammered into the finish.
Total Time: 1:40:37. This was a great race -a big thank you to my husband for getting up early on a Sunday morning to come cheer me on and to Afuera for putting on such a well organized and fun event! I'll be back next year!
My training last week: Lower mileage last week with 3 high intensity workouts. Lots of swimming!
Monday: (Lunch) 2300 yd swim; (PM) 50 min strength/core
Tuesday: (AM) Run Group - 9.24 miles. We did a fartlek run on the grass. 1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1 format - 1 min on/1 min off, 2 min on/2 min off, 3 min on/3 min off and so forth. Averaged 6:35-6:40 on the hard parts.
(PM) 2800 yd swim
Wednesday: (AM) 15 miles @8:18 pace. (Lunch) 2600 yd swim
Thursday: (AM) Run Group - 11.34 miles.We headed to the track today for 7x1000m repeats with 200m recovery. Long intervals with short recovery so it was more of an Aerobic Threshold type workout - I have to say this is one of my favorite workouts.
7x1000m with 200m recovery/5.25 miles/37:06/7:04 avg including recoveries.
Splits were 4:06 (6:32 pace); 4:01 (6:23 pace); 4:01 (6:23 pace); 3:57 (6:18 pace); 4:02 (6:25 pace); 4:07 (6:33 pace); 3:59 (6:21 pace)
(PM) 2000 yd swim
Friday: (Lunch) 2400 yd swim
Saturday: 9.31 mile run @8:30 pace. 2400 yd swim
Sunday: Duathlon - 5k run/18 mile bike/5k run + 2.7 mile warm-up
Total Running Miles: 53.8
Have a great week everyone!
I felt good about my ability to produce two solid runs going into this race, but I was very doubtful of my ability to knock out a good enough bike split to warrant a high overall finish. I had not ridden my bike since my last triathlon in July, and only about 2 times total since Buffalo Springs in June. I knew some of the other ladies who were racing this event, and I knew they were much stronger cyclists than I. So my plan was to go pretty much all out on the first run and try to build as much of a lead going into the bike as I could. I know I run strong off the bike, so I just needed to bank as much time as possible early on.
Pre-Race: I did an easy 2.7 mile warm-up and everyone looked at me like I was bat shit crazy for warming up before the race. My legs will NOT move fast without a proper warm-up people!
5k Run #1: 19:44. 6th overall after this run, 1st female.
The course was an out and back, which I loved because I could see where I stood among competitors at the turn-around. I decided to race without my Garmin and only a stop watch - I prefer to race these type of events by feel instead of being so concentrated on the numbers my Garmin is flashing. The miles weren't marked, so I really didn't have an idea of what my pace was until I got closer to the finish line and saw that I was sub-20. I came across the line in 6th place overall and about 1 minute ahead of the second female. I was pretty breathless, but it was off to transition to get my bike and see how fast I could pedal.
18 mile Bike: 58:32, 18.5 mph, Bike Split Ranked 25th
I really didn't have a plan than to simply pedal as fast as I could. The bike course was 4 loops, which I really liked because I knew what was ahead of me. The first few minutes on the bike were rough - my legs felt dead and I couldn't catch my breath. About halfway through the first loop, I settled into a nice rhythm. Again, I ride by feel without an odometer, so I had no idea how fast I was going. The second place female passed me about half way through the first loop - she was flying and that's the last I saw of her. She was the eventual race winner. Another girl passed me at the start of my third loop - I kept her in sight for awhile but couldn't hang - putting me now in third place. Halfway through my last loop, I got passed again - bumping me down to fourth female. I was able to keep this girl in sight and I guessed she had about a minute lead on me going into the run. I was pretty confident I could catch her at least. I was actually pretty pleased with my bike split. I thought the bike course was only 17.5 miles, but found out later that it was indeed 18 miles - so I ended up with a solid bike split for someone who really doesn't put much effort into bike training.
5k Run #2: 20:20. 3rd fastest 5k overall, fastest 5k among the females.
And now we come to my favorite part: CHASE PEOPLE DOWN! I got off the bike and started the run with that normal "lead legs" feeling, but I always find I am actually running much faster than I think I am off the bike. I was 4th female heading into the run and passed the third place female about half a mile in. I figured by now the first and second place female were pretty far ahead, but knew since it was an out and back I would see them at some point and be able to tell if there was a remote possibility of chasing them down.
I saw the first place woman coming back towards the finish before I made it to the turn-around: chasing her down wasn't happening. Just before I made it to the turn-around, I saw the second place female coming back the other way. She had a decent gap on me, but I could tell she was hurting. I kept pushing and closing the gap. Once I realized I could actually catch her, I pushed harder. With about I would guess 3/4 of a mile left, I passed her and hammered into the finish.
Total Time: 1:40:37. This was a great race -a big thank you to my husband for getting up early on a Sunday morning to come cheer me on and to Afuera for putting on such a well organized and fun event! I'll be back next year!
My training last week: Lower mileage last week with 3 high intensity workouts. Lots of swimming!
Monday: (Lunch) 2300 yd swim; (PM) 50 min strength/core
Tuesday: (AM) Run Group - 9.24 miles. We did a fartlek run on the grass. 1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1 format - 1 min on/1 min off, 2 min on/2 min off, 3 min on/3 min off and so forth. Averaged 6:35-6:40 on the hard parts.
(PM) 2800 yd swim
Wednesday: (AM) 15 miles @8:18 pace. (Lunch) 2600 yd swim
Thursday: (AM) Run Group - 11.34 miles.We headed to the track today for 7x1000m repeats with 200m recovery. Long intervals with short recovery so it was more of an Aerobic Threshold type workout - I have to say this is one of my favorite workouts.
7x1000m with 200m recovery/5.25 miles/37:06/7:04 avg including recoveries.
Splits were 4:06 (6:32 pace); 4:01 (6:23 pace); 4:01 (6:23 pace); 3:57 (6:18 pace); 4:02 (6:25 pace); 4:07 (6:33 pace); 3:59 (6:21 pace)
(PM) 2000 yd swim
Friday: (Lunch) 2400 yd swim
Saturday: 9.31 mile run @8:30 pace. 2400 yd swim
Sunday: Duathlon - 5k run/18 mile bike/5k run + 2.7 mile warm-up
Total Running Miles: 53.8
Have a great week everyone!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Hotter then Doo Duathlon: Quick & Dirty Recap
2nd female overall/ 9th overall/1:40:37
1st 5k: 19:44 (first female going into the bike; first female off the 1st run)
Bike (17.5 or 18 miles?): 58:32 (got passed by3 women)
2nd 5K: 20:20 (4th going into the run; passed 2 ladies. I had the 3rd fastest 2nd run overall!)
1st 5k: 19:44 (first female going into the bike; first female off the 1st run)
Bike (17.5 or 18 miles?): 58:32 (got passed by3 women)
2nd 5K: 20:20 (4th going into the run; passed 2 ladies. I had the 3rd fastest 2nd run overall!)
 |
| $30 gift card to Hill Country Running! |
 |
| 2nd female! |
 |
| Let's do this again! |
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Introverts, Extroverts & Running
I’m currently reading a book called “The Introvert’s Advantage” and it
got me thinking a lot about running (endurance running in particular), and the personality traits that accompany the sport.
A few things about me:
I’ve had people – whom I presume are extroverts based on my observations – ask me before how I run, swim or bike for hours upon hour alone? What do I think about? How do I not get bored? How do I not go crazy? How can I be alone with my thoughts for that long? It’s always seemed like a weird question to me, because honestly – I relish that time. It’s my "me" time. Those long runs are how I escape the daily stresses of work and life and recharge. Covering lots of miles is trance-like bliss for me, not torture as it is for the more social.
Last night we attended a work function. It started at 5 pm. By 5:10, I was eying the exit, anxious to make my escape which inevitably came at 5:28. Those social situations - especially ones that are presumably forced - make me uncomfortable and have me headed to the door as soon as possible.
It's weird though with my run groups - those are the times when I am most social and in my element. Most social functions? I would give my right foot not to have to attend those. But run group - I don't miss them unless I'm on my death bed or traveling.
I enjoy the solitude of a solo run. Yet, group running provides both a fun and challenging social atmosphere where I am able to let my guard down. I feel very at home among a race crowd even if I'm not running with anyone in particular. I find myself most comfortable around other runners. While in every day life, I am definitely an introvert, I find myself becoming more and more of an extrovert when it comes to running.
I'm curious - are you an introvert, an extrovert, or a mix of the two when it comes to running?
A few things about me:
- I cannot be on the “go” constantly without some serious alone time to recharge.
- I do not like large groups.
- I am fine with silence and prefer it over constant and mindless chatter.
- I’d prefer to listen than talk.
- I may get crabby after spending a lot of time around other people.
- I abhor small talk. I’d rather have a meaningful discussion on something that interests me or have no conversation at all.
- I relish my alone time.
- I hate talking on the phone.
- I have no problem going to the movies or out to dinner alone- and often do (although my brother endlessly makes fun of me for this).
- My dream job is to be a college professor/researcher or work for myself.
I’ve had people – whom I presume are extroverts based on my observations – ask me before how I run, swim or bike for hours upon hour alone? What do I think about? How do I not get bored? How do I not go crazy? How can I be alone with my thoughts for that long? It’s always seemed like a weird question to me, because honestly – I relish that time. It’s my "me" time. Those long runs are how I escape the daily stresses of work and life and recharge. Covering lots of miles is trance-like bliss for me, not torture as it is for the more social.
Last night we attended a work function. It started at 5 pm. By 5:10, I was eying the exit, anxious to make my escape which inevitably came at 5:28. Those social situations - especially ones that are presumably forced - make me uncomfortable and have me headed to the door as soon as possible.
It's weird though with my run groups - those are the times when I am most social and in my element. Most social functions? I would give my right foot not to have to attend those. But run group - I don't miss them unless I'm on my death bed or traveling.
I enjoy the solitude of a solo run. Yet, group running provides both a fun and challenging social atmosphere where I am able to let my guard down. I feel very at home among a race crowd even if I'm not running with anyone in particular. I find myself most comfortable around other runners. While in every day life, I am definitely an introvert, I find myself becoming more and more of an extrovert when it comes to running.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Baltimore Marathon Training: Week 6
This week I strayed from my training plan which was a reminder what happens to me when I am left to my own devices: I run too much. I know, shame on me.
We were on vacation the front part of the week, and while most people use vacation to well, actually be on vacation and relax, I love nothing more than running on vacation. I love running in new places, and to be able to leisurely head out the door at my convenience, rather than my normal early morning rushed runs. I ended up with 72 miles on the week, which was only 3 more than my schedule called for, but still I ran every day instead of taking my normal Monday rest day. Back on schedule this week, I promise. There is a reason I have a plan, and I need to stick with it.
In addition to running too much last week, I also ate too much and didn't make the best food choices. Can I blame that on vacation too?
This weekend I am racing a duathlon (5k run/17.5 mile bike/5k run) and guess how many times I have been on my bike in the last month? ZERO. I had good intentions of actually training for this race, but it just didn't happen. So, it looks like I will be winging the bike portion. I feel confident enough in my running right now to still have a strong race overall, even with an average bike split.
Last week's workouts:
Monday: Ashburn, Virginia - Ran 12 miles @8:05 pace. I usually don't run on Mondays, but I couldn't resist heading out for a run in my hometown. Plus, the weather was nice!
Tuesday: Laurel, Maryland - Ran 10.26 miles @8:07 pace. Nice morning to run. Seriously, it was great to be able to head out the door for a run at 8:30 am and not die from heat stroke. Texas, please take notes. Lots of hills on this route.
Wednesday: Ran 9.7 miles @8:21 pace; Swam 2400 yards. Back home and back in the swamp. Tired from travel so slogged through this one.
Thursday: Run Group - Ran 12.2 miles; Swam 3,000 yards. We headed to the track for 16x300m repeats with 100m recovery. This was tougher than I expected - those short recoveries hit you about half way through! My 300's ranged from 1:12 (6:23 pace) as my slowest (which was ironically my first one) to 1:04 (5:38 pace) being my fastest (which was my second to last one). Most were 1:07-1:09 for around a 6:04 pace.
Friday: Ran 5 miles easy, sans watch. I had to work until after 11 pm on Thursday night so there was nothing "easy" about this run. Swam 1,900 yards at lunch.
Saturday: Ran 8 miles @8:17 pace; swam 2,400 yards. This was supposed to be a cycle/run brick workout, but I could not get my butt of of bed. Working late Thursday and little sleep that night screwed up my schedule, and I was wiped out Saturday morning. So I nixed the bike and didn't head out for my run until after 9 am. Needless to say, it was miserably hot.
Sunday: Ran 14.57 miles with Hill Country Running Group (13.57 miles @7:36 pace; 1 easy cool down at 8:18 pace). Dan and I decided to check out a new running group on Sunday morning that a friend recommended. Somehow I convinced him (willingly) to get up at 4:45 am on a Sunday and come with me to check out the group (hell must have frozen over). Anyway, I am so glad we did. I ran with two guys (one a friend I knew and another guy I had never met) and they made me WORK. After an easy opening mile, we dropped the pace to around 7:22 for the remainder of the run. I started to fall off a little on the last mile, but overall was really pleased with this run after a week of big mileage. It's a reminder that I need to get out of my comfort zone and run with this group more often - I never would have pushed myself this hard on my own.
This week my mileage drops as it's both a recovery week and race week so I'll take an extra day off of running.
Have a great week!
We were on vacation the front part of the week, and while most people use vacation to well, actually be on vacation and relax, I love nothing more than running on vacation. I love running in new places, and to be able to leisurely head out the door at my convenience, rather than my normal early morning rushed runs. I ended up with 72 miles on the week, which was only 3 more than my schedule called for, but still I ran every day instead of taking my normal Monday rest day. Back on schedule this week, I promise. There is a reason I have a plan, and I need to stick with it.
In addition to running too much last week, I also ate too much and didn't make the best food choices. Can I blame that on vacation too?
 |
| Helmet Sundae at the O's Game: Not on my diet. |
Last week's workouts:
Monday: Ashburn, Virginia - Ran 12 miles @8:05 pace. I usually don't run on Mondays, but I couldn't resist heading out for a run in my hometown. Plus, the weather was nice!
Tuesday: Laurel, Maryland - Ran 10.26 miles @8:07 pace. Nice morning to run. Seriously, it was great to be able to head out the door for a run at 8:30 am and not die from heat stroke. Texas, please take notes. Lots of hills on this route.
Wednesday: Ran 9.7 miles @8:21 pace; Swam 2400 yards. Back home and back in the swamp. Tired from travel so slogged through this one.
Thursday: Run Group - Ran 12.2 miles; Swam 3,000 yards. We headed to the track for 16x300m repeats with 100m recovery. This was tougher than I expected - those short recoveries hit you about half way through! My 300's ranged from 1:12 (6:23 pace) as my slowest (which was ironically my first one) to 1:04 (5:38 pace) being my fastest (which was my second to last one). Most were 1:07-1:09 for around a 6:04 pace.
Friday: Ran 5 miles easy, sans watch. I had to work until after 11 pm on Thursday night so there was nothing "easy" about this run. Swam 1,900 yards at lunch.
Saturday: Ran 8 miles @8:17 pace; swam 2,400 yards. This was supposed to be a cycle/run brick workout, but I could not get my butt of of bed. Working late Thursday and little sleep that night screwed up my schedule, and I was wiped out Saturday morning. So I nixed the bike and didn't head out for my run until after 9 am. Needless to say, it was miserably hot.
Sunday: Ran 14.57 miles with Hill Country Running Group (13.57 miles @7:36 pace; 1 easy cool down at 8:18 pace). Dan and I decided to check out a new running group on Sunday morning that a friend recommended. Somehow I convinced him (willingly) to get up at 4:45 am on a Sunday and come with me to check out the group (hell must have frozen over). Anyway, I am so glad we did. I ran with two guys (one a friend I knew and another guy I had never met) and they made me WORK. After an easy opening mile, we dropped the pace to around 7:22 for the remainder of the run. I started to fall off a little on the last mile, but overall was really pleased with this run after a week of big mileage. It's a reminder that I need to get out of my comfort zone and run with this group more often - I never would have pushed myself this hard on my own.
This week my mileage drops as it's both a recovery week and race week so I'll take an extra day off of running.
Have a great week!
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Baltimore Marathon Training: Week 5
Hello from Baltimore!
No, seriously - hello from Baltimore. I couldn't mention this on the blog earlier since my mom is a reader, but on Friday morning I boarded a plane from Austin to Baltimore, unbeknownst to my parents, for a surprise 40th Anniversary Party that my brother, sister-in-law and I threw for my parents yesterday. It was so nice to be able to not only suprise them but to celebrate such a big milestone with them.
And, to make the weekend even more special, I found out that I am going to be an aunt!
I knew with travel that my mileage this week may take a little hit and a bit of creative planning. I ended up skipping my 5 mile run on Friday morning due to an early flight and ended up about 4 miles shy of my planned weekly mileage. No biggie.
Last week's workouts:
Monday: (AM) 45 minuted strength/core; (Lunch) 2200 yd swim
Tuesday: (AM) Run Group - 10.2 miles. Today's workout was digressive hills.
Hill Workout (includes recoveries)/6 miles/45:17/7:33 avg pace
(PM) 3,500 yd swim
Wednesday: (AM) 14 miles/8:35 pace. These Wednesday long runs continue to be a SLOG....
(Lunch) 1,800 yd swim
Thursday: (AM) Run Group - 12.5 miles.
We headed to the track today for a ladder workout: 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400 with 400m recovery jog in between each hard effort.
Ladder Workout/5.75 miles/42:24/7:23 overall avg pace
Hard efforts were:
400 - 1:39 (6:39 pace)
800 - 3:19 (6:40 pace)
1200 -6:02 (6:43 pace)
1600 - 6:47
1200 - 5:00 (6:41 pace)
800 - 3:18 (6:38 pace)
400 - 1:29 (5:58 pace)
(Lunch) 35 minutes strength/core; (PM) 2,400 yd
Friday: Rest Day - Travel
Saturday: 15.13 miles @8:09 pace - Laurel, Maryland. Ran 12 progressive alone and 5k easy with Dan to celebrate 5 years of marriage. I tried to get him to run 5 miles with me for 5 years, but a 5k was all he would agree too :)
Sunday: 10.10 miles @8:14 pace - Laurel, Maryland.
Total Miles: 62 miles/Planned mileage 66
We're in Maryland/Northern Virginia until Tuesday, then back to Texas...have a great week everyone!
No, seriously - hello from Baltimore. I couldn't mention this on the blog earlier since my mom is a reader, but on Friday morning I boarded a plane from Austin to Baltimore, unbeknownst to my parents, for a surprise 40th Anniversary Party that my brother, sister-in-law and I threw for my parents yesterday. It was so nice to be able to not only suprise them but to celebrate such a big milestone with them.
And, to make the weekend even more special, I found out that I am going to be an aunt!
 |
| Secret Mission 'Surprise the Parents' Commences |
 |
They surprised me with this bear wearing an "I Love my Aunt Bib."
Yesterday was actually Dan & my 5th wedding anniversary as well!
 
Celebrating 40 (!) years!
|
Last week's workouts:
Monday: (AM) 45 minuted strength/core; (Lunch) 2200 yd swim
Tuesday: (AM) Run Group - 10.2 miles. Today's workout was digressive hills.
Hill Workout (includes recoveries)/6 miles/45:17/7:33 avg pace
(PM) 3,500 yd swim
Wednesday: (AM) 14 miles/8:35 pace. These Wednesday long runs continue to be a SLOG....
(Lunch) 1,800 yd swim
Thursday: (AM) Run Group - 12.5 miles.
We headed to the track today for a ladder workout: 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 800, 400 with 400m recovery jog in between each hard effort.
Ladder Workout/5.75 miles/42:24/7:23 overall avg pace
Hard efforts were:
400 - 1:39 (6:39 pace)
800 - 3:19 (6:40 pace)
1200 -6:02 (6:43 pace)
1600 - 6:47
1200 - 5:00 (6:41 pace)
800 - 3:18 (6:38 pace)
400 - 1:29 (5:58 pace)
(Lunch) 35 minutes strength/core; (PM) 2,400 yd
Friday: Rest Day - Travel
Saturday: 15.13 miles @8:09 pace - Laurel, Maryland. Ran 12 progressive alone and 5k easy with Dan to celebrate 5 years of marriage. I tried to get him to run 5 miles with me for 5 years, but a 5k was all he would agree too :)
Sunday: 10.10 miles @8:14 pace - Laurel, Maryland.
Total Miles: 62 miles/Planned mileage 66
We're in Maryland/Northern Virginia until Tuesday, then back to Texas...have a great week everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
