26.2 [Weekly] Miles!

There really must be something to the idea of cutting back your weekly mileage before an increase. Last week I ran 17 miles. I didn't even make it to 20. But I was feeling so burnt out I knew this decrease was necessary.

This week (Friday, March 5- Thursday, March 11) I ran 26.2 and felt great for basically all of them! I'm pretty sure this is the most miles I've ever ran in a week, so for symbolic purposes I ran the distance of a marathon rather than just 26. Yeah I know, I know, if I were training for a marathon I'd get up to like 40 miles in a week. But this is a fun mini-accomplishment for me.

Fri, March 5: 4 miles
*Note what you are about to read is not a reenactment. It is THE realization I had while typing this post.
Sat, March 6: 10k ........AHHH OMG DAMMIT. I forgot I went on 10k and 5k runs this week. I was just adding them in my (Elementary School Level Math) [Running] Head as 6 and 3 mile runs. I went on a symbolic weekly distance of 26.5 miles :-/

*I then Googled this. I'm considering ordering the workbook from Amazon. It would give me something else to do on the treadmill. Either way the dog looks like it enjoys running which I can relate to. And there are probably pictures.

Sun, March 7: 5k
Tues, March 9: 11 miles
Thurs, March 11: 2.2 miles (20:32)..I think

For a grand total of 26.5 miles.
That's kind of a lot!

Now I'm all set to taper. (I actually don't really like tapering all that much. I may post about that.) I feel like March is flying by! I know I'm ready for this race but it's weird that it's almost here. AGAIN.

3 Halves in 365 days. A year ago I thought I'd just do one...A year ago this blog had come to a halt...A year ago I was on a completely different career track...and as tough as this past year has been

I can say running has been a constant. And I have had some experiences I wouldn't trade for the world :)

This is All So Crazy!

Tonight I did something new. I went on an ELEVEN mile training run. Previously, I had only run eleven miles(without stopping) in an actual race.

This was much different than my attempt last week. This was my "last chance workout." The Shamrock Half is less than two weeks away and I will not be doing another super long run between now and then. I knew that I wanted to do eleven miles without stopping. Oh and my friend Meghan ran on the treadmill next to me! So I wasn't alone.

RECAP:
I ran at a pace of 10:30/mi for the first nine miles. Mile 10 was probably around 10:15. And Mile 11 was 9:58. So I did 11 miles in roughly 1:53:00. I don't have an exact time because the treadmill stops you after an hour. And I was trying to do the addition in my head.

My muscles felt great endurance wise. Unfortunately my stomach started aching around mile 4. I actually didn't drink a thing until I had run 7 miles. Usually I drink something after 5ish miles. I knew that drinking anything before 7 miles would only make my stomachache* worse.

*These weren't the kind of cramps caused by dehydration. And it is possible for both males and females to experience the kind of pain I was in. I wanted to avoid a bathroom break until after the run if at all possible. And I managed to. My logic was that I've pushed myself through a 3 mile run in pain* before. So if I made it to 7 miles I could do that again, and cut the run short at 10 miles (if I had to). I took another "Gatorade Break" after 10 miles. For a split second I really thought about stopping. Then I realized I had it in me to keep going. I started running again.

At this point I had already told my friend Meghan "bye." She was done with her run and leaving. I was at 10.12 miles when Meghan ran back over to my treadmill. She was like "MILEY IS ON!" (The gym was playing Party in the USA). Meghan said "You are meant to run this mile tonight!"

Talk about encouragement! (I took out my iPod headphones at this point.) Party in the USA is one of my running jams. I think Miley is actually singing about running. And the Jay-Z song she is rocking out to is either Run This Town or 8 Miles and Runnin'. Without question.

I didn't even feel tired until after 8 miles. At 9 miles I was starting to feel it. Same with 10.
11 wasn't AWFUL but after Miley's song was done, the last half mile was kind of long. I'm hoping for a half marathon finish that is less painful this time around.

I've introduced speed work, more weekly mileage, and an 11 mile run to my training plan.
Only time will tell!

Mary Lou Retton Run

This week it was do or die when it came to a 10 mile run. My cold still isn't completely gone, but I'm feeling much better than I did a week ago. I'm not taking medicine around the clock either which is a good thing. Everyone whose been around me for the past week has told me "I sound A LOT better." Anyone who hasn't seen me for a week immediately asks, "Are you SICK?"

The yin and yang of this cranks me up.

Last night I was tired. I sort of didn't feel like going to the gym at all. But, I told myself I needed to run at least 6 miles. When I got to thinking about it doing a 10 mile run later in the week wouldn't be any easier, and there is the potential for more snow here, so I figured it would be best to go for a Mary Lou Retton Run (aka. 10 miles)...and I have to say it was about as PERFECT as a 10 miler could get given the circumstances.

Last fall I went on long runs with my friend Meghan. It's been a lot harder to coordinate our long runs this winter, so it's usually just me on a hot date with the treadmill. Between iTunes and college basketball, I stay entertained. BUT entertaining yourself for a 6-8 mile run isn't really the same as 10 miles.

Last night the sales manager at the gym came and ran next to me for miles 2-4. Can we say: GOD SEND. This was not planned, but he wanted to talk about work/sports/life. Honestly, we could have talked about anything. He jokes around a lot like me. And for those two miles I took a break from my iPod. When he finished his two mile run he told me

"Have fun with those ten miles dude"

and I, PRAISE GOD, only had a 10k left to do on my own. I do six mile runs on my own all the time. I told myself "You've got this."

I started the run out at a pace of 5.7 (or 10:31min/mi) just to be sure I wouldn't cut this run shorter than 10 miles. After the first hour (5.77 miles) the treadmill stops, so I used that for my Gatorade chug (And to blow my nose.)

Side note--Sometimes I make fun of things I see at the gym on twitter. It would make my day if someone tweeted: "Just saw a girl at the gym run for an hour, stop to blow her nose and cough, then she started running again?! What the hell?" I guess I'd have to find it too...

Anyway, I maintained the speed of 5.7 until I reached 8 miles. I then sped the treadmill up to 5.8 When I was almost to 9 miles I put the treadmill on 6.1 and started gradually picking up the pace. I know I was running at 6.5 my second to final lap. The last lap I finished with a sprint.

I completed 10 miles in 1:42:38. That's a personal (training) best for me!



Some additional thoughts are that I probably have it in me to pick up the pace a little earlier in the run than I did. And I'm not so sure why I've avoided doing more than 10 miles pre-half marathon. It makes so much sense to do more.

And (WARNING: I'm going to get sentimental here) the online blogging-running community has proven to be a huge motivator this time around in my training! I'm pretty much flying solo. Not discussing my training with friends much. I started this blog for a documentation of what it looks like to casually train for a half marathon, not thinking I would get encouragement or regular followers. So a final thought I have is, IF you are secretly reading this AND secretly thinking about running a race. Start a blog as you go through the process! I might just stalk you...)

Running After Work and iTunes

I RAN 8 MILES TODAY! And it wasn't really all that hard. The only pause I took was after 5 miles for a sip of Gatorade and I was off jogging again. (I'm trying to simulate the water stations...or get used to the idea of a water break.) At this point in my training speed and times do not matter to me at all. I want to run at a pace that is less than 12 minutes per mile on the day of the Shamrock. I don't really have much to go off of except that when I did the Ashland Railroad Run 10k... I finished in 1:02:something. That's pretty good for 6 miles. A little over 10 minutes per mile. I know in that race I started off fairly slow... and kicked it up for the last two miles. I would say that is my strategy at this point for the Shamrock... pace myself...and have enough energy to "bring it home" the last 3 miles.

I set the treadmill at 5.1 today. Which I maintained until the last 2 miles when I increased my speed. I always think it's better to finish strong than to run out of energy too quickly. The last mile was under 9 minutes! The first time in my life I have run 8 miles and I was able to do the last one at that pace....what an incredible feeling.

Three thoughts I want to throw out there:

1.) Running after work is really difficult for me. I think because my feet hurt from walking around in heels and I just prefer a morning run. When I did 7 miles, I forced myself to do it after work (although you are supposed to do the long runs on the weekend.) Honestly, it kind of sucked. It wasn't hard in terms of endurance but my legs felt like lead for a lot of it and I forced myself to keep going. I just assumed it was because I was running 7 miles.

Today was the exact opposite. I felt great after the first 5 miles and excited to do 3 more. I definitely got a runner's high and felt like I could do more. I am sticking to the Hal Higdon plan because I think its better not to shock my body with a dramatic increase in distance. I like that he calls for consistency in training.

This week I kind of slacked off with the running during the week. I did 3 miles on Monday... took Tuesday and Wednesday off... and then ran 2 on Thursday and 1 on Friday. (At this point that is pathetic. If I was just working out that would be okay (maybe)...but I have to run 13 miles in March. 1 mile is a joke in terms of preparation.)

I have to be at work at 8:30 A.M. My commute takes 45 minutes. Now that the shorter runs have increased to 5 miles... its kind of hard to get that in before work... I've decided to go for punctuality over training... but I will need to figure something out. I definitely prefer morning runs over evening runs (and freeing up the evening).

My favorite feeling of all is waking up and knowing the only thing I HAVE to do is run. (Like today through next Wednesday). So that is why I'm not too concerned about the slack off this week. I know I will get all of those runs in between now and Wednesday. Today was the most important of all!

2) MAKE A LONG RUN PLAYLIST! I did that I think before I started training at all. I have Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer at 3 miles and Rodney Atkins's If You're Going Through Hell around 7 miles. I might want to move Livin' on a Prayer to my new halfway point... but having a long run playlist seems to be the best idea in the world.

I ONLY listen to this playlist if I am doing a long run. If I am going on a shorter run I listen to a different playlist with more random songs. I think it helps to recognize which song is coming next and in my mind know where I am. If I listened to the same playlist everyday I would be so sick of it. But I have the "familiar tunes" for when it counts.

3) This is kind of related to #2... the rules of the Shamrock 1/2 marathon state that headphones, iPods, Mp3 players, etc. are banned. There are bands playing music at some of the mile markers and I figured it would be okay to run sans-iPod.

The other night when I was watching TV instead of listening to my iPod...it seemed to take forever just to get up to a mile. I THINK I was more bored because I was on the treadmill. I used to run outside without an iPod and it was fine because of the change in scenary. I guess I never realized how much of a security blanket it has been for me in terms of the training...

Yesterday I started googling if this rule is actually enforced. I found mixed results. Some said that with thousands of people it is virtually unenforcable. I'm thinking I will sneak it... even if I don't start out using it.. as a just in case?

Whooah, I'm Halfway There

That is the line that I would always sing to my mom when we were halfway through our runs when she trained for the 2 mile race at our pool. So it's the MOST appropriate title for my post saying that I have completed half of Hal's plan.

It's quite a feeling to look at the piece of paper I printed out and see all of the distances that I have been able to check off over the past 7 weeks.

Tonight I was feeling good enough to run 4 miles (That run felt great too!) I decided not to try to push it with a 7 mile run since I felt so bad last night. Weeks 1-6 are all complete!

I think having a plan is the way to go. It gives me something concrete to do in terms of training.

2 Confessions:
1. When the plan says (+ Strength)....I haven't been doing strength. Weights tend to make me more sore and tired. I think I need to start doing that though and core work... because it will become more critical as the distances continue to increase.

2. I have been running for the time listed on the cross training days. I just really like running right now. I probably SHOULD do something other than run. Like bike or swim. I really don't want to hurt myself. I think its because of all the stress at work, I've gotten back into a love I found as a senior in high school and I really just don't care to do any of the other forms of exercise I was forced to settle with when my knee was bothering me.

It's also daunting to realize I'm about to enter unchartered territory.
The first six weeks really just got me back into shape. Yes... the short runs were a bit longer than my short runs in the past, but the long distance never pushed me beyond what I knew I was capable of. I have run 6 miles before. This week I have to run 7. I believe I am capable of running 7 miles. The difference is that when I complete this distance it will be for the first time in my life. And the same with 8,9, 10, 11, 12, and 13.1.

Thank God VA Beach is flat.

Ooh.. 1 more confession.
I am training on a treadmill. I guess this is okay because I plan to add long outside runs to my training plan in that extra 6 weeks between my completion of Week 12 and the race. It will be warmer outside then. I find running outside to be a pain here because of the traffic. I HATE stopping when I run. At all. Even for a stop light. It makes it so much harder to start up again. And now its cold. I really enjoy running outside, but I'm used to my parents neighborhood. Or I think I should probably have someone with me. And I don't know my way around THAT well.

For now, I'm making the treadmill work. I've developed an obsession with iTunes in the process.