So far, so good! The ankle thing must have been a fluke 'cause everything feels fine now. *Knock on wood!* As planned, I kept the running simple this week in preparation for this weekend's 9 mile run.
Monday: Spinning. I also briefly crashed a yoga class at the gym for about a half hour or so. It was a "power yoga" class so we went through all the poses and movements very quickly which I wasn't used to. The extra stretching did feel good, though. I should have stayed longer but I tend to get antsy when I've been in the gym for more than an hour and a half.
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: I did an easy 3 mile run in the morning. Felt sluggish at first but it was better toward the end.
1: 10:56
2: 11:11
3: 10:29
Total: 3.00 mi, 0:32:33, 10:52 pace
After work, I headed to the gym for spinning again. I found out on Monday that my favorite spinning teacher will be going on maternity leave soon. So like a good little "groupie" student, I am trying to take as many of her classes as I can before she departs for mommy-ville.
Thursday: Ran an easy 2 miles plus weights. I decided to give the treadmill a whirl since it was only 2 miles. But I wanted to make them good ones - so I did a pseudo speed workout alternating between 10:30 and 9:30 intervals.
1: 10:15
2: 10:00
Total: 2 miles, 20:15, 10:07 avg pace
I was pretty happy with that since usually I have to walk / run on the "dreadmill" and I never make it more than three miles. Even though it was only two miles this time, I'm happy that I was able to run them out at a pretty good pace for me.
Afterward, I did some weights - I sort of skipped out on that during my marathon training so I'm trying to incorporate it in my workouts again. I've been skimping on the leg workouts, though. I do some of them, but not a lot. Part of me is worried about overworking my legs even though I know I need to strengthen them.
Question - My spinning classes tend to be heavier on the resistance training ("hills") vs speedwork. Do those count as leg strengthening exercises?
Showing posts with label Weekly Wrap Ups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weekly Wrap Ups. Show all posts
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Heat is On
Overall, I'm happy that I've been keeping up with my workouts this week but I did have a minor setback today.
Here's the weekly wrap-up... in addition to the Monday spinning and Wednesday 4 mi run, the rest of the week went like this:
Thursday: Drills & Sculpt class + 15 min. elliptical
Friday: 3 mi run with hills + trail (0:33:07, 11:02 pace)
1: 11:46 (this mile had some stoplights + hills, need to do some hill repeats!)
2: 11:11
3: 10:09
Saturday: 30 min stairmaster, 10 min treadmill on incline, weights
Sunday:8 mi run 3.12 mi run (0:33:21, 10:42 pace)
1: 10:48
2: 10:30
3: 10:46
.12: 1:18
I had planned to do a long run of 8 miles but unfortunately, I started feeling a slight pain in my left ankle during mile 2. It hurt to run on it, so I only made it to mile 3 before giving in to the pain. I also started my run too late in the day so the heat was full on which also added to the discomfort. (Although, I would have dealt with the heat if I didn't have the ankle situation since I think that would have helped get me acclimated a bit to the upcoming Disney race.)
The pain wasn't that unbearable but I didn't want to take any chances. I plan to take it easy on my runs this week but I am still planning to do a 9 mi long run next weekend.
Here's the weekly wrap-up... in addition to the Monday spinning and Wednesday 4 mi run, the rest of the week went like this:
Thursday: Drills & Sculpt class + 15 min. elliptical
Friday: 3 mi run with hills + trail (0:33:07, 11:02 pace)
1: 11:46 (this mile had some stoplights + hills, need to do some hill repeats!)
2: 11:11
3: 10:09
Saturday: 30 min stairmaster, 10 min treadmill on incline, weights
Sunday:
1: 10:48
2: 10:30
3: 10:46
.12: 1:18
I had planned to do a long run of 8 miles but unfortunately, I started feeling a slight pain in my left ankle during mile 2. It hurt to run on it, so I only made it to mile 3 before giving in to the pain. I also started my run too late in the day so the heat was full on which also added to the discomfort. (Although, I would have dealt with the heat if I didn't have the ankle situation since I think that would have helped get me acclimated a bit to the upcoming Disney race.)
The pain wasn't that unbearable but I didn't want to take any chances. I plan to take it easy on my runs this week but I am still planning to do a 9 mi long run next weekend.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Week 2 Wrap Up: Ready or not, here I come!
So the rest of last week went pretty well. I did spinning again on Wednesday and everything felt good.
My TNT workout went really well, too! Because the group was doing a more challenging run on the weekend, they gave us a more basic workout on Thursday - just an easy 3 mile run on the LG creek trail.
I was really happy with this workout because I ran with some of the other girls who are slightly faster than me and I was able to keep up with them for the whole run. Sure, I couldn't chat as much, but that's OK!
At the end of these workouts, we always group together at the end for announcements and stuff. This past week, my mentors surprised me by announcing how I was running the Chicago marathon and even made me a poster! Here's a pic of it:
Here's a pic of me with one of my mentors (my group is lucky enough to have two - a husband and wife team):
They are super nice and supportive. I'm going to pack the poster with the eight million other things I'm bringing to Chicago :) Who knows, maybe my family will want to use it. (If it survives the rain, that is.)
On Saturday, I managed to do an easy 6 mile run on the LG creek trail again. My legs feel better, although not 100%. Honestly, I think I'll be OK on Sunday. As with any of my long runs, the first three miles will be rough but after that, I will just be in auto-pilot mode. Hopefully there will be enough activity along the course to keep me entertained that I won't notice any discomfort.
My TNT workout went really well, too! Because the group was doing a more challenging run on the weekend, they gave us a more basic workout on Thursday - just an easy 3 mile run on the LG creek trail.
I was really happy with this workout because I ran with some of the other girls who are slightly faster than me and I was able to keep up with them for the whole run. Sure, I couldn't chat as much, but that's OK!
At the end of these workouts, we always group together at the end for announcements and stuff. This past week, my mentors surprised me by announcing how I was running the Chicago marathon and even made me a poster! Here's a pic of it:
Here's a pic of me with one of my mentors (my group is lucky enough to have two - a husband and wife team):
They are super nice and supportive. I'm going to pack the poster with the eight million other things I'm bringing to Chicago :) Who knows, maybe my family will want to use it. (If it survives the rain, that is.)
On Saturday, I managed to do an easy 6 mile run on the LG creek trail again. My legs feel better, although not 100%. Honestly, I think I'll be OK on Sunday. As with any of my long runs, the first three miles will be rough but after that, I will just be in auto-pilot mode. Hopefully there will be enough activity along the course to keep me entertained that I won't notice any discomfort.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Week 4 and 3 Wrap Ups: I'm still surviving...
I'm glad I waited a bit to write this post. If I had written this last weekend, it might have been filled with colorful language like ^*&( or %^& or ^%&&, etc. In fact, while I was running last weekend, I was thinking my recap post should be titled, "What the &*( was I thinking???"
The "highlight" (or "lowlight" as the case may be) of Week 4 was my 20 mile peak run. It started OK - I mean, I really tried to enter it with a good attitude. It was my last super-long run so I just needed to get through the next 4-5 hours and it would be all downhill after that. Well, long story short, it wasn't my best run. There were some very painful downhill moments at the end and I spent a good portion walking to finish the 20 mile course.
As usual, I was ok until ~mile 12 and then my legs started to feel like poop. I am starting to think that maybe I am more designed for the half rather than the full.
I was supposed to do a 5K the next morning through TNT but that definitely wasn't going to happen. Instead, I spent the day running around LG with my cousin and her two toddlers. Oh boy, the 5K may have been a more restful option. :)
I spent the next few days resting and limping around work. Finally, someone asked if I had taken any Advil and as soon as he said that, I literally wanted to smack myself on the forehead. It was a total "DOH!" moment, because, no, I had not taken any Advil or any other painkillers in general. I had been icing, stretching, foam rolling, etc. but had forgotten the most simple, obvious approach.
A couple hours after popping those little orange pills, I was feeling a lot better and was back to zipping around the hallways at work. I managed to make it to spinning on Wednesday with no problems. Thursday, I got back to running at our TNT track workout - my first interval session. One of the coaches gave me this lotion to use on my legs that had some aspirin in it which helped to relieve some of the soreness. Who knew there were all these fun shortcuts to pain relief???!!!
The interval workout ended up being a lot of fun. I couldn't run very fast but I felt better toward the end.
Friday, I rested to get ready for the Saturday long run. I had to run 12 miles and normally I always do my long runs in the city with the Nike running club but I looked at the route and there was no way I was going to tackle another hilly run during my "taper". So instead, I did my first long run with TNT which happened to be on the Coyote Creek Trail right by where I work. Sure, it's not exactly an exciting run, but it is flat, so yippee! Unfortunately, weather did not cooperate as it pretty much rained the whole time. I didn't mind, though, it actually felt kind of nice. The first few miles were kind of hard but I started to feel more comfortable by mile 5. I was so proud of myself because I managed to run the whole 12 miles through. I have to say, it is a lot more fun to do the long runs with TNT just for the cheering alone. :) Especially at the end when you can actually hear people cheering your name.
I had thought about doing a short run with Nike in Danville on Sunday but I wasn't feeling well. I only managed to do a short 3 mile run/walk around the LG trail. I'm sort of freaked out since this is two weeks before I'm supposed to run 26.2 miles???
But all in all... I'm hanging in there... I don't know how the marathon will go, but I *will* cross that finish line! :) Plus I watched this video clip from last year's marathon and I'm really excited for it now. I'm also a little intimidated because this race is going to be huge!!! Definitely the biggest race I've ever been in. I was so lucky with the Nike Half because we had "VIP" status so we got to start at the head of the pack, just after the elite runners. I wonder how long it will take after the gun goes off before I actually cross the *start* line???
The "highlight" (or "lowlight" as the case may be) of Week 4 was my 20 mile peak run. It started OK - I mean, I really tried to enter it with a good attitude. It was my last super-long run so I just needed to get through the next 4-5 hours and it would be all downhill after that. Well, long story short, it wasn't my best run. There were some very painful downhill moments at the end and I spent a good portion walking to finish the 20 mile course.
As usual, I was ok until ~mile 12 and then my legs started to feel like poop. I am starting to think that maybe I am more designed for the half rather than the full.
I was supposed to do a 5K the next morning through TNT but that definitely wasn't going to happen. Instead, I spent the day running around LG with my cousin and her two toddlers. Oh boy, the 5K may have been a more restful option. :)
I spent the next few days resting and limping around work. Finally, someone asked if I had taken any Advil and as soon as he said that, I literally wanted to smack myself on the forehead. It was a total "DOH!" moment, because, no, I had not taken any Advil or any other painkillers in general. I had been icing, stretching, foam rolling, etc. but had forgotten the most simple, obvious approach.
A couple hours after popping those little orange pills, I was feeling a lot better and was back to zipping around the hallways at work. I managed to make it to spinning on Wednesday with no problems. Thursday, I got back to running at our TNT track workout - my first interval session. One of the coaches gave me this lotion to use on my legs that had some aspirin in it which helped to relieve some of the soreness. Who knew there were all these fun shortcuts to pain relief???!!!
The interval workout ended up being a lot of fun. I couldn't run very fast but I felt better toward the end.
Friday, I rested to get ready for the Saturday long run. I had to run 12 miles and normally I always do my long runs in the city with the Nike running club but I looked at the route and there was no way I was going to tackle another hilly run during my "taper". So instead, I did my first long run with TNT which happened to be on the Coyote Creek Trail right by where I work. Sure, it's not exactly an exciting run, but it is flat, so yippee! Unfortunately, weather did not cooperate as it pretty much rained the whole time. I didn't mind, though, it actually felt kind of nice. The first few miles were kind of hard but I started to feel more comfortable by mile 5. I was so proud of myself because I managed to run the whole 12 miles through. I have to say, it is a lot more fun to do the long runs with TNT just for the cheering alone. :) Especially at the end when you can actually hear people cheering your name.
I had thought about doing a short run with Nike in Danville on Sunday but I wasn't feeling well. I only managed to do a short 3 mile run/walk around the LG trail. I'm sort of freaked out since this is two weeks before I'm supposed to run 26.2 miles???
But all in all... I'm hanging in there... I don't know how the marathon will go, but I *will* cross that finish line! :) Plus I watched this video clip from last year's marathon and I'm really excited for it now. I'm also a little intimidated because this race is going to be huge!!! Definitely the biggest race I've ever been in. I was so lucky with the Nike Half because we had "VIP" status so we got to start at the head of the pack, just after the elite runners. I wonder how long it will take after the gun goes off before I actually cross the *start* line???
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Week 5 Wrap Up: TNT Memorial Run and Second 18 mi Run
After a nice, relaxing recovery week - I'm back on track with my training plan.
I'm trying to incorporate a little more speedwork during my short runs. I did some strides during my Monday run - where I alternated short "pseudo-sprints" (it wasn't *that* fast, hence the "pseudo") with running at my normal, relaxed pace. Thursday's TNT workout was a fun and special one. We first started out by running one mile on the track. Then we did a memorial run for the husband of one of our coaches who passed away from cancer a year and a half ago. There is a bench in his honor on top of a hill by the LG reservoir so we ran there from the high school track, each of us carrying a red carnation which we then used to decorate his bench. It was very touching. We took some nice group photos there so hopefully I can post one of them here later. We also managed to squeeze in some speedwork during the memorial run as well. We ran "back-to-front" style where we all divided up in groups of five and then ran single file where the last runner would then run to the front of the group and then set the pace for the group until the next runner comes up to the front. It sounded fun at first, but once we started doing it, I realized it was actually kind of hard! Basically, it's run, run, run, run, sprint! Run, run, run, run, sprint! And we did that for over 3 miles... at least on the way back, it was more downhill so it got easier.
Then came Saturday... 18 miles again! First of all, I have to mention that it's a miracle I even made it this week. Normally, I try to be up by around 6AM to eat, drink water, etc. and then be out the door by 6:45AM. Granted, I usually don't make it out by then, but that's the goal. Yesterday, I must have turned off my alarm because when I woke up, it was 7:07AM!!! Luckily, I organized everything the night before so it was easy to get ready and leave quickly. And I managed to get there right before my group left - very important! Even though I have the printed course map and directions, it is still really easy to get lost! Especially when we're in the Presidio and the Golden Gate Park. So that's why I need to run with my group - people running at my pace and my distance so that way when we get lost, at least we're not alone! :)
I'm trying not to get nervous, but these past two 18 mile runs have really been tough on me. I was OK up to our 16 mi run, but I'm definitely feeling the soreness during the 18 mi runs. Yesterday, it started around mile 13. Same area - the right side of my knee. I don't know how to explain it - it's not a shooting pain or anything, I guess just a soreness (or tightness?). I get tired so I look forward to the aid stations, but at the same time, it really hurts to start running again after the break. We don't even stop that long and I try to keep walking or moving my legs, but still - I almost have to limp a little before I get back in my stride again. The sucky part is that there are always these downhills toward the end of the route, and they are so painful!!! Sure, uphills are hard, but I can always walk up those and feel OK. No matter how I approach the downhills, it's all - ow, ow, ow!
Anyway, I'm preparing myself to fight through the pain during the actual race. Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited - I'm just more focused now on actually finishing this thing vs. my time and stuff.
With this past run and the next, I'm practicing how I plan to run in the real race. So I wore my iPod this time and I carried five Gu gels in the back pockets of my shorts. They worked out fine. Although, I'm thinking about getting an iPod arm band for my final long run this coming Saturday. I'm undecided on the fuel belt ... I really like not wearing any extra load but I might try some on this week to see how they feel. I also realized I definitely need to get some of that Body Glide stuff, definitely for the inner thighs (I hope it's not just me... I'm not Miss Thunder Thighs, am I???) although people have recommended it for other areas as well.
I also did the Nike Danville run on Sunday - just a light, 5 mile run. Shout out to Gee for hanging with me during our snail-pace run! I wasn't sure if I should run the next day, but I actually think it helped with some of the pain. Plus, with this particular run, I've now fulfilled all my run and shoe trial punches on the Nike frequent runner card. I still need to bring two more friends (any volunteers???) to finish out the buddy punches and then get these random retail and mystery punches, after that - VIP access, here I come!!!
Free stuff this week: On-site massages, Jamba Juice Protein Berry Workout smoothies and honey berry bran bread, Nike dri-fit socks, and more tix to Alice Now & Zen Fest. I passed on the massages... I just don't like the idea of people touching me when I'm all sweaty and gross. Although I am always impressed by the perks of these Nike runs since they are free after all.
I've also gone back to working on my marathon mix. I got a bunch of new tunes from my spinning teacher during Wednesday's class so I'm excited about that. I have five hours now so just need to add a little bit more. After watching "Superman Returns", I've decided to use the Superman theme as the opening track. :)
So on a final note, I'm at 31 miles for the week. I plan to really focus on stretching and using the foam roller this week. Hopefully, I won't skip yoga again. (I don't know why it's so hard to get me in there!) This coming weekend is a big one... not only is it my "dress rehearsal" (heehee) but AY is coming back to town!
I'm trying to incorporate a little more speedwork during my short runs. I did some strides during my Monday run - where I alternated short "pseudo-sprints" (it wasn't *that* fast, hence the "pseudo") with running at my normal, relaxed pace. Thursday's TNT workout was a fun and special one. We first started out by running one mile on the track. Then we did a memorial run for the husband of one of our coaches who passed away from cancer a year and a half ago. There is a bench in his honor on top of a hill by the LG reservoir so we ran there from the high school track, each of us carrying a red carnation which we then used to decorate his bench. It was very touching. We took some nice group photos there so hopefully I can post one of them here later. We also managed to squeeze in some speedwork during the memorial run as well. We ran "back-to-front" style where we all divided up in groups of five and then ran single file where the last runner would then run to the front of the group and then set the pace for the group until the next runner comes up to the front. It sounded fun at first, but once we started doing it, I realized it was actually kind of hard! Basically, it's run, run, run, run, sprint! Run, run, run, run, sprint! And we did that for over 3 miles... at least on the way back, it was more downhill so it got easier.
Then came Saturday... 18 miles again! First of all, I have to mention that it's a miracle I even made it this week. Normally, I try to be up by around 6AM to eat, drink water, etc. and then be out the door by 6:45AM. Granted, I usually don't make it out by then, but that's the goal. Yesterday, I must have turned off my alarm because when I woke up, it was 7:07AM!!! Luckily, I organized everything the night before so it was easy to get ready and leave quickly. And I managed to get there right before my group left - very important! Even though I have the printed course map and directions, it is still really easy to get lost! Especially when we're in the Presidio and the Golden Gate Park. So that's why I need to run with my group - people running at my pace and my distance so that way when we get lost, at least we're not alone! :)
I'm trying not to get nervous, but these past two 18 mile runs have really been tough on me. I was OK up to our 16 mi run, but I'm definitely feeling the soreness during the 18 mi runs. Yesterday, it started around mile 13. Same area - the right side of my knee. I don't know how to explain it - it's not a shooting pain or anything, I guess just a soreness (or tightness?). I get tired so I look forward to the aid stations, but at the same time, it really hurts to start running again after the break. We don't even stop that long and I try to keep walking or moving my legs, but still - I almost have to limp a little before I get back in my stride again. The sucky part is that there are always these downhills toward the end of the route, and they are so painful!!! Sure, uphills are hard, but I can always walk up those and feel OK. No matter how I approach the downhills, it's all - ow, ow, ow!
Anyway, I'm preparing myself to fight through the pain during the actual race. Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited - I'm just more focused now on actually finishing this thing vs. my time and stuff.
With this past run and the next, I'm practicing how I plan to run in the real race. So I wore my iPod this time and I carried five Gu gels in the back pockets of my shorts. They worked out fine. Although, I'm thinking about getting an iPod arm band for my final long run this coming Saturday. I'm undecided on the fuel belt ... I really like not wearing any extra load but I might try some on this week to see how they feel. I also realized I definitely need to get some of that Body Glide stuff, definitely for the inner thighs (I hope it's not just me... I'm not Miss Thunder Thighs, am I???) although people have recommended it for other areas as well.
I also did the Nike Danville run on Sunday - just a light, 5 mile run. Shout out to Gee for hanging with me during our snail-pace run! I wasn't sure if I should run the next day, but I actually think it helped with some of the pain. Plus, with this particular run, I've now fulfilled all my run and shoe trial punches on the Nike frequent runner card. I still need to bring two more friends (any volunteers???) to finish out the buddy punches and then get these random retail and mystery punches, after that - VIP access, here I come!!!
Free stuff this week: On-site massages, Jamba Juice Protein Berry Workout smoothies and honey berry bran bread, Nike dri-fit socks, and more tix to Alice Now & Zen Fest. I passed on the massages... I just don't like the idea of people touching me when I'm all sweaty and gross. Although I am always impressed by the perks of these Nike runs since they are free after all.
I've also gone back to working on my marathon mix. I got a bunch of new tunes from my spinning teacher during Wednesday's class so I'm excited about that. I have five hours now so just need to add a little bit more. After watching "Superman Returns", I've decided to use the Superman theme as the opening track. :)
So on a final note, I'm at 31 miles for the week. I plan to really focus on stretching and using the foam roller this week. Hopefully, I won't skip yoga again. (I don't know why it's so hard to get me in there!) This coming weekend is a big one... not only is it my "dress rehearsal" (heehee) but AY is coming back to town!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Week 6 Wrap Up
My schnazzy new Polar watch lets you program an "event" and provides a countdown on the default display. Today my watch tells me that I'm 34 days away from my marathon. 34 days! That's like a month away!
With almost a third of my training completed, I feel like I should have progressed a little bit more at this stage - maybe a little fitter, a little faster - but I am definitely logging the miles so I feel good about that part.
This past week was our recovery week which I definitely needed. Taking CW and JL's advice, I've been using my foam roller more often which seems to be helping. I felt sore during the week so I only managed one 2 mi run on Tuesday. I had to skip my TNT workout because I had a conflict but also because they did hill repeats this week which would not have been good for me. I was back in business by the weekend - I did the Nike 12 mi run in SF on Saturday (which, as I had expected, was the Embarcadero route, aka Tourist Central) and the Nike 6 mi run in Danville on Sunday. Both routes were flat out and back courses. The Saturday run was the longest flat course I've run this season so I felt that sort of gave me an idea on what to expect for Chicago. More on that in a separate post.
Nike freebies this week... two pairs of Nike dri-fit socks AND two tickets to the Alice Now and Zen Fest! Woo-woo! Performers include James Blunt, Joss Stone, and Gin Blossoms. Not sure if I will go, though...
In total, I accumulated 20 miles this week. This weekend, we'll be back in the Presidio and our long run will be 18 miles.
With almost a third of my training completed, I feel like I should have progressed a little bit more at this stage - maybe a little fitter, a little faster - but I am definitely logging the miles so I feel good about that part.
This past week was our recovery week which I definitely needed. Taking CW and JL's advice, I've been using my foam roller more often which seems to be helping. I felt sore during the week so I only managed one 2 mi run on Tuesday. I had to skip my TNT workout because I had a conflict but also because they did hill repeats this week which would not have been good for me. I was back in business by the weekend - I did the Nike 12 mi run in SF on Saturday (which, as I had expected, was the Embarcadero route, aka Tourist Central) and the Nike 6 mi run in Danville on Sunday. Both routes were flat out and back courses. The Saturday run was the longest flat course I've run this season so I felt that sort of gave me an idea on what to expect for Chicago. More on that in a separate post.
Nike freebies this week... two pairs of Nike dri-fit socks AND two tickets to the Alice Now and Zen Fest! Woo-woo! Performers include James Blunt, Joss Stone, and Gin Blossoms. Not sure if I will go, though... In total, I accumulated 20 miles this week. This weekend, we'll be back in the Presidio and our long run will be 18 miles.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Week 7 Wrap Up
Well, I sort of feel better from Saturday's run. I feel a little bit of soreness/strain on the side of my right knee which I've googled to identify as my lateral collateral ligament (LCL) - or not, I'm not really good at anatomy. I've iced a little bit here and there and I will be taking it easy this week so I'm sure I'll be fine in time for the weekend long run.
I've also been experimenting with food stuff during these runs. We get Clif Shots on the Nike runs but I tried a power gel this week and I liked it a lot better. Not as thick so it's easier and quicker to get down. I also tried Clif Blocks - way too much work for me. I also plan to try the GUs as well.
It was funny because I was having an IM chat with my old roommate PB, successful finisher of the Comrade Marathon, and he had asked me if I tried eating real food like bananas or cookies during my runs. I responded that I hadn't, followed by the question, "Are there any advantages to eating real food?" A second later I realized how funny that sounded!
I was also surprised when I realized no one from my running group needed to take a bathroom break during our four hour plus run on Saturday. I wonder if I'll need one during the actual race? I definitely am not going to hold it! I just checked the course and it looks like they have the "portojohns" stationed throughout, so I should be OK.
I only ended up running three times this week for a total of 26 miles. I should be logging more according to my Runners World mag, but oh well. Since this is a recovery week, our long run this week is a "short" run - only 12 miles! Yippee! :)
I've also been experimenting with food stuff during these runs. We get Clif Shots on the Nike runs but I tried a power gel this week and I liked it a lot better. Not as thick so it's easier and quicker to get down. I also tried Clif Blocks - way too much work for me. I also plan to try the GUs as well.
It was funny because I was having an IM chat with my old roommate PB, successful finisher of the Comrade Marathon, and he had asked me if I tried eating real food like bananas or cookies during my runs. I responded that I hadn't, followed by the question, "Are there any advantages to eating real food?" A second later I realized how funny that sounded!
I was also surprised when I realized no one from my running group needed to take a bathroom break during our four hour plus run on Saturday. I wonder if I'll need one during the actual race? I definitely am not going to hold it! I just checked the course and it looks like they have the "portojohns" stationed throughout, so I should be OK.
I only ended up running three times this week for a total of 26 miles. I should be logging more according to my Runners World mag, but oh well. Since this is a recovery week, our long run this week is a "short" run - only 12 miles! Yippee! :)
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Week 8 Wrap Up
Seven weeks to go! Woohoo!
Alright, I'll admit right up front that I suck because I missed my TNT training this past week. It's really quite pathetic actually - I came home from work Thursday to change for the workout but I had a little bit of time so I just rested my eyes for a little bit... and BAM! I wake up - and practice was already over. I realized then that I definitely need those two rest days a week.
I still managed to complete 26 miles again this past week - 4 mi on my own Tuesday, 16 mi Nike SF run on Saturday, and 6 mi Nike Danville run on Sunday.
The Nike Danville run was a jackpot for me this past weekend. Not only did we all get treated to free Jamba Juice smoothies (the Nike flavor, of course) and raisin bread (yum!), but I also got free Nike dri-fit socks for doing a shoe trial (the real reason they have these runs), and a free Nike Club Run t-shirt. Plus we got to hear the speaker this time who led us through some key strengthening and stretching exercises for runners. I was too busy eating to participate :), but I did grab one of the nice handouts.
Alright, I'll admit right up front that I suck because I missed my TNT training this past week. It's really quite pathetic actually - I came home from work Thursday to change for the workout but I had a little bit of time so I just rested my eyes for a little bit... and BAM! I wake up - and practice was already over. I realized then that I definitely need those two rest days a week.
I still managed to complete 26 miles again this past week - 4 mi on my own Tuesday, 16 mi Nike SF run on Saturday, and 6 mi Nike Danville run on Sunday.
The Nike Danville run was a jackpot for me this past weekend. Not only did we all get treated to free Jamba Juice smoothies (the Nike flavor, of course) and raisin bread (yum!), but I also got free Nike dri-fit socks for doing a shoe trial (the real reason they have these runs), and a free Nike Club Run t-shirt. Plus we got to hear the speaker this time who led us through some key strengthening and stretching exercises for runners. I was too busy eating to participate :), but I did grab one of the nice handouts.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Week 9 Wrap Up
Wow - I just realized I am now at the halfway point of my marathon training! Exciting stuff! Except I still don't have my flippin' new running shoes yet... More on that later - but maybe not, cause it's really not that interesting.
Anyway, it's been a fun running week. On Thursday's TNT workout, they had a podiatrist talk to us about taking care of our feet and ankles followed by an instructor that led us through a core workout. It was more like a full body workout and to be honest, I was pretty beat after that was over and could have been done for the day right then. But we still had our trail run which wasn't too bad... I think starting next week, our Thursday workouts will be on the track. After the workout, I took my stinky self over to that Bocce Ball place to meet up with friends. :)
Saturday was the 14 mile run - my longest distance to date! It was a doozy, *lots* of hills. It was nice though, we had a good-sized group of about 10-12 runners and we stuck together for the whole route. Plus one of our pace leaders had the Nike plus system so she made sure we stayed on pace which was really nice. We also had some really nice views during this run along the ocean and stuff. I actually took the Cliff shots on this run... they worked out pretty well. Still struggling with opening them with my sweaty hands but I think I will figure that out over time. (Are you supposed to bite them open?) Anyway, it took us over 3 hours to complete the run. When we got back, pretty much everything was torn down and the only people left were the pace leaders who were still cleaning everything up. They gave us a nice cheer when we returned. I did the ice bath thing in the bay again which I think helped a lot because I didn't really feel too sore the next day despite all the hills and stairs we had done.
On Sunday, I decided to do the Nike run in Danville - just 6 miles this time. I realized that with the scheduled runs I have left, I wouldn't have enough "punches" to get the VIP status I had last year so I'm gonna suck it up for a few weeks and do both the Saturday and Sunday runs. The run was nice and quick (an hour is quick these days) and this time I actually got to hear the post-run speaker who discussed sports nutrition (he was long gone by the time we finished the Saturday run). At least the drive to Danville is a bit shorter and on different highways so it doesn't suck too much :P
I ended up with about 26 miles for the week. Next long run will be 16 miles!!!
Anyway, it's been a fun running week. On Thursday's TNT workout, they had a podiatrist talk to us about taking care of our feet and ankles followed by an instructor that led us through a core workout. It was more like a full body workout and to be honest, I was pretty beat after that was over and could have been done for the day right then. But we still had our trail run which wasn't too bad... I think starting next week, our Thursday workouts will be on the track. After the workout, I took my stinky self over to that Bocce Ball place to meet up with friends. :)
Saturday was the 14 mile run - my longest distance to date! It was a doozy, *lots* of hills. It was nice though, we had a good-sized group of about 10-12 runners and we stuck together for the whole route. Plus one of our pace leaders had the Nike plus system so she made sure we stayed on pace which was really nice. We also had some really nice views during this run along the ocean and stuff. I actually took the Cliff shots on this run... they worked out pretty well. Still struggling with opening them with my sweaty hands but I think I will figure that out over time. (Are you supposed to bite them open?) Anyway, it took us over 3 hours to complete the run. When we got back, pretty much everything was torn down and the only people left were the pace leaders who were still cleaning everything up. They gave us a nice cheer when we returned. I did the ice bath thing in the bay again which I think helped a lot because I didn't really feel too sore the next day despite all the hills and stairs we had done.
On Sunday, I decided to do the Nike run in Danville - just 6 miles this time. I realized that with the scheduled runs I have left, I wouldn't have enough "punches" to get the VIP status I had last year so I'm gonna suck it up for a few weeks and do both the Saturday and Sunday runs. The run was nice and quick (an hour is quick these days) and this time I actually got to hear the post-run speaker who discussed sports nutrition (he was long gone by the time we finished the Saturday run). At least the drive to Danville is a bit shorter and on different highways so it doesn't suck too much :P
I ended up with about 26 miles for the week. Next long run will be 16 miles!!!
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Week 10 Wrap Up
Recovery week went well. My first run after the SF half was the one I did with TNT on Thursday. My long run was a 10 mile run along the Marina/Embarcadero - same course as before. This time we went all the way to the ballpark and then turned around. My friend Gee joined me for the run this week - thanks Gee! He also introduced me to these Nike contact lens that are tinted so you don't have to wear sunglasses. It's interesting - they create this reddish ring around your eye - if I hadn't known what he was wearing, I would have just thought he'd been out partying too late! Anyway, what will these Nike peeps think of next? Actually, while at Jamba Juice, I noticed they have a new Nike-inspired smoothie. They're taking over the world!
I did a hike this morning with some friends and my legs feel pretty much back to normal. Good thing - next long run is a 14 mi one, it will be my longest distance to date!
I did a hike this morning with some friends and my legs feel pretty much back to normal. Good thing - next long run is a 14 mi one, it will be my longest distance to date!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Week 11 Wrap Up
Oooh... a "treat" for all of you - pics from Wharf to Wharf and the SF half!
Wharf to Wharf
San Francisco Half Marathon
Yeah, the pics are small. But that's all that MarathonFoto would show and it's not like I'm going to buy any of these!
Anyway, I did 23 miles for Week 11. On to recovery week! I got some great advice from KB and JL (actually, make that JL-UK, heehee!) so I've been taking it easy this week so far. I was really sore after the race so I just rested Monday and Tuesday. I felt a lot better today, so I did a quick, easy workout on the elliptical at the gym and I *finally* made it to yoga class.
Tomorrow, I'll start running again but hopefully, it'll be an easy one. I just joined a new training group (more info on that will be coming soon) so I'm not too sure what's in store.
Update: Too cute - I just found out my mom ordered two of these pics. Gotta love Moms! :)
Monday, July 23, 2007
Week 12 Wrap Up
If you're a perceptive, dedicated reader, you may have noticed that I've jumped from Week 4 to Week 12. OK, I'm also certain no one caught that, but just in case, I thought I should mention that I realized I should start naming these in descending order to match my training plan.
This was a more unusual training week - 4 miles up in SF on Wed, a quick 2 mi treadmill run on Thursday, a 10 mile hill run up in SF again, and finally the exciting 6 mi Wharf to Wharf run yesterday for a weekly total of 22 miles!
I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with my progress so far. I feel pretty good. No sore or tight muscles - yet. Haven't woken up to any crazy amount of pain. No need to take the Glucosamine. I think the rest days, stretching, strength training, and cross training (currently alternating between spinning and stairs) have been working out well. No problems yet - knock on wood!!!
This was a more unusual training week - 4 miles up in SF on Wed, a quick 2 mi treadmill run on Thursday, a 10 mile hill run up in SF again, and finally the exciting 6 mi Wharf to Wharf run yesterday for a weekly total of 22 miles!
I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with my progress so far. I feel pretty good. No sore or tight muscles - yet. Haven't woken up to any crazy amount of pain. No need to take the Glucosamine. I think the rest days, stretching, strength training, and cross training (currently alternating between spinning and stairs) have been working out well. No problems yet - knock on wood!!!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Week 4 Wrap Up
This is the first week I got to do a distance run with the Nike Club Run and I did 8 miles again. Funny thing is that the course was the same one I did last week along the Embarcadero - what a coinkydink!
I was very excited to bring my first "buddy" this year - thanks KB! KB is a very seasoned runner, triathlete, supergirl, etc who had also run the Nike Half but was new to the club runs. She is also wicked fast so she ran with the "speedy gonzales" group.
I ran with the 11:30 min/mi group but after a mile or two, I went ahead because I thought their pace was too slow. I ended up running with another runner which worked out well because he pushed my pace just *slightly* faster than I normally would have run. We finished up at 1:29 which is pretty close to an 11:00 min/mi pace. That's better than my normal training pace, so I was pleased.
Rockstar KB had originally planned to do 8, but she then found some fun running buddies so she stuck with them for the 12 mi run!!! Not only that - they finished around an 8:45 pace! Woo-hoo, good job, KB!!!
Random thought... in my experience with the training runs last year, it seems like most of the runners in the slower groups (11:00, 11:30, 12:00, etc) are training for the half marathon and therefore usually run the shorter courses during our weekly runs. So I wasn't too surprised to learn that I was one of the last few groups to return back from the run. Ah well!
No big freebies this week, but I did confiscate more than my fair share of mini-sized Luna bars - it was like Halloween! In my defense, the volunteers packing up the stuff practically forced them on me. ;)
Summary for Week 4: 4,2,8,4 = 18 miles
I was very excited to bring my first "buddy" this year - thanks KB! KB is a very seasoned runner, triathlete, supergirl, etc who had also run the Nike Half but was new to the club runs. She is also wicked fast so she ran with the "speedy gonzales" group.
I ran with the 11:30 min/mi group but after a mile or two, I went ahead because I thought their pace was too slow. I ended up running with another runner which worked out well because he pushed my pace just *slightly* faster than I normally would have run. We finished up at 1:29 which is pretty close to an 11:00 min/mi pace. That's better than my normal training pace, so I was pleased.
Rockstar KB had originally planned to do 8, but she then found some fun running buddies so she stuck with them for the 12 mi run!!! Not only that - they finished around an 8:45 pace! Woo-hoo, good job, KB!!!
Random thought... in my experience with the training runs last year, it seems like most of the runners in the slower groups (11:00, 11:30, 12:00, etc) are training for the half marathon and therefore usually run the shorter courses during our weekly runs. So I wasn't too surprised to learn that I was one of the last few groups to return back from the run. Ah well!
No big freebies this week, but I did confiscate more than my fair share of mini-sized Luna bars - it was like Halloween! In my defense, the volunteers packing up the stuff practically forced them on me. ;)
Summary for Week 4: 4,2,8,4 = 18 miles
Monday, July 9, 2007
Weekly Wrap Up: Weeks 1-3
Well, it's Monday so that means it's the beginning of another training week. For my personal training plan, Monday is a rest / stretch day. I was going to start up yoga again tonight but I was at work pretty late so I'll probably pick it up next week.
So let's see... Week 3 went well. I do my long runs on Saturdays and this week the Nike Club Run SF started up again so I trekked up to SF this weekend. As I was driving up at 7AM in the morning (the runs start at 8AM at the Marina), I was thinking, ugh, I am not looking forward to doing this drive every Saturday morning again. But you know what, as soon as I arrived at the Marina and saw tons of runners and bikers already out and doing their thing, I definitely got pumped up! :)
As I mentioned before, the Nike marathon/half-marathon is actually two weeks after the Chicago marathon. Since this is their "Week One", we just did a kick off one mile run. It was fun but I'm on week three for my race training so after that whole thing was over, I had to do my own 8 mile run.
I picked a fun route that we did last year with the Club Runs. It's flat with a lot of fun sightseeing. Basically I went down Marina to Fort Mason thru Aquatic Park to Jefferson past all the Fisherman's Wharf craziness continuing down Embarcadero past the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market all the way down to Folsom which is where that crazy bow and arrow structure sits. And then I turned around and ran back.
It was kind of funny running by all the touristy areas - dodging them all was a bit of a challenge and I know I ran into at least one group tourist photo shot. Ooops. Plus they were all in fleeces and scarves and stuff and I was in shorts and a light T-shirt.
Anyway, below is the running route I took. I love this Google map pedometer site. The Nike Running Club introduced me to it. I used to drive my car around trying to figure out mileage!
So with the 9 miles I did on Saturday, plus the 3 miles I did on Tuesday (while home on vacation!), the 2 mile treadmill run on Thursday, and the 4 mile run yesterday on Sunday, I ended up with an 18 mile week.
Status to date:
Week 1: 2,4,5,5 = 16 miles
Week 2: 5,4,8 = 17 miles
Week 3: 3,2,9,4 = 18 miles
I think I'm off to a good start, right? :)
So let's see... Week 3 went well. I do my long runs on Saturdays and this week the Nike Club Run SF started up again so I trekked up to SF this weekend. As I was driving up at 7AM in the morning (the runs start at 8AM at the Marina), I was thinking, ugh, I am not looking forward to doing this drive every Saturday morning again. But you know what, as soon as I arrived at the Marina and saw tons of runners and bikers already out and doing their thing, I definitely got pumped up! :)
As I mentioned before, the Nike marathon/half-marathon is actually two weeks after the Chicago marathon. Since this is their "Week One", we just did a kick off one mile run. It was fun but I'm on week three for my race training so after that whole thing was over, I had to do my own 8 mile run.
I picked a fun route that we did last year with the Club Runs. It's flat with a lot of fun sightseeing. Basically I went down Marina to Fort Mason thru Aquatic Park to Jefferson past all the Fisherman's Wharf craziness continuing down Embarcadero past the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market all the way down to Folsom which is where that crazy bow and arrow structure sits. And then I turned around and ran back.
It was kind of funny running by all the touristy areas - dodging them all was a bit of a challenge and I know I ran into at least one group tourist photo shot. Ooops. Plus they were all in fleeces and scarves and stuff and I was in shorts and a light T-shirt.
Anyway, below is the running route I took. I love this Google map pedometer site. The Nike Running Club introduced me to it. I used to drive my car around trying to figure out mileage!
So with the 9 miles I did on Saturday, plus the 3 miles I did on Tuesday (while home on vacation!), the 2 mile treadmill run on Thursday, and the 4 mile run yesterday on Sunday, I ended up with an 18 mile week.
Status to date:
Week 1: 2,4,5,5 = 16 miles
Week 2: 5,4,8 = 17 miles
Week 3: 3,2,9,4 = 18 miles
I think I'm off to a good start, right? :)
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