6/26/2011

Training schedule says I will do: 15.5 miles

I actually did:   13.79 miles*
 
*18.915 miles using Aubree's Bonus Mileage System, getting an extra 1.5 miles for working all weekend before running (not actually in the bonus system, but Aubree-approved), 2.5 miles for running uphill for a total of 5 miles, 0.5 miles for sweating through sports bra and shirt, 0.125 miles for darkness, and 0.5 miles for traveling more than 10 miles.  That's a lot of bonus miles!
 
Days to go until the marathon: 91

Miles to go until 1000: 739.6

Ok, this run kind of sucked.  To be specific, the first 9 miles were fine.  The rest sucked.  This weekend was a little crazy in that I was working at the hospital.  I worked 12 hours each on Saturday and Sunday, and started my run after getting home from work Sunday night.  So, I was fairly tired from working but determined to do my long run this weekend because I didn't get it in last weekend due to a patient in labor.  The first 9 miles were fine, and then it all went downhill.  Every inch of my lower half started to hurt, including my calves which completely cramped up (which was new for me).  By the time I got near home, it was clear that I had miscalculated my distance and would not be doing 15.5 miles, but it was 10:15 (by which time I am usually in bed), dark, and I was hungry and in pain.  So I just went home.

This run was fairly discouraging because it was so hard, and I once again started to doubt whether I could run a full marathon.  But since then I have thought about it, and talked to friends, and here are the lessons I have learned:

1.  Don't run more than 9 miles after working a 12-hour day.  This one really should've been obvious to me.
2.  Don't wait until 2 hours into a run to start drinking Gatorade.  Again, probably should've been obvious.
3.  Don't run at dinner time in the summer, unless you have recently eaten.  The smell of others' barbecues will make you hungry.
4.  Perhaps even the kick-ass music on my ipod is not enough to keep me distracted and interested on such long runs.  (I have since downloaded podcasts of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me for my next long run.)
5.  Maybe it is time for new running shoes.  (I ended up getting new shoes 2 days later.)

I am determined not to give up on running this stupid marathon and I am hoping my new shoes will propel me through the next long ru

Update

You may have noticed that my posts are fewer and getting posted all at once recently; I have been swamped at work and not much free time at home, so posting has been harder.  So, I think I'm not going to try to post for every run anymore and just do it when I can.  Since I think there is exactly one person who reads this on a regular basis, I don't think anyone will be too sad, but I just wanted to make the announcement.  I promise if I have any earth-shattering thoughts I will post them.  Until then, happy running!

6/14/2011

Training schedule says I will do: 40 minute run

I actually did:   42:15 minutes/3.99 miles

Days to go until the marathon: 103

Miles to go until 1000: 760.34

I felt relatively fast on this run, which was nice, I don't feel fast very often.  I still don't feel like I've exorcised the demons of that bad run from a couple of weeks ago, but I am hoping that I'm on the way.  My next long long run is scheduled for 6/25, and hopefully that will go well.

6/11/2011

Training schedule says I will do: OFF (but tomorrow's long run is supposed to be 12 miles)

I actually did:   11.58 miles*

*13.58 miles using Aubree's Bonus Mileage System, getting an extra 1 mile for traveling uphill for 2 miles, 0.5 miles for sweating through 2 layers, and 0.5 miles for running 10+ miles

 

Days to go until the marathon: 106

Miles to go until 1000: 764.33

I thought a lot about college on my run today, for good reason: my best friend (who I met in college, and who is Aubree of the famed Aubree's bonus mileage system) is coming to town today to visit for a few days.  Included in our itinerary is an 80's themed bachelorette party tonight.  It's going to be awesome.

As I was thinking about college, I was thinking about whether I'd want to do it again (now).  Honestly, I don't know.  Sometimes I think it would be great to take more classes just to learn stuff.  For instance, I feel fairly ignorant about US and world history (not on a Sarah Palin level, but not where I'd like to be).  But college classes are also a lot of work.  And sometimes I'd like to have little to no responsibility, but then I'd miss my husband and son.  And I'm fairly certain, no, make that certain, that I could not drink like that anymore and feel fine the next day.  But it would be nice to live near all my friends again.  I guess it doesn't really matter where I end up in this decision, since re-doing college is not really an option.  Good thing I have some great memories, and some pretty embarrassing pictures, to tide me over!

6/10/2011

Training schedule says I will do: 50 minute run

I actually did:  Took the day off, because I'm doing my long run this week tomorrow.

6/8/2011

Training schedule says I will do: 10 x 1:00/2:00

I actually did:   10 x 1:00/2:00/ 3.79 miles*

 

*3.915 miles using Aubree's Bonus Mileage System, getting an extra 1/8 mile for darkness

 

Days to go until the marathon: 109

Miles to go until 1000: 775.91

My love of running came back a little more on this run.  I actually really like the fast blocks; they are tiring, but it is kind of fun to feel so fast.  (I averaged between 8-9 minute miles during them, so it's really not "so" fast, but it is fast for me.)  And I was once again reminded how nice it is to be out for a run when the rest of the world is sleeping.  I'm getting a little nervous for my long run this weekend, but I am hopeful after the way I felt on today's run.

6/7/2011

Training schedule says I will do: 40 minute run

I actually did: yoga + Bender ball ab workout, 40 minutes = 3.5 miles towards 1000 mile goal

 

Days to go until the marathon: 1170

Miles to go until 1000: 779.70

So last night there were tornadoes near my hometown.  The closest one touched down about 20 miles away from my town, so not super super close, but still close.  There were warnings all night and they said one would probably hit in the area of town where I live; thankfully, they were wrong.  It was fairly scary watching the news, particularly in light of the fact that last year around this time, a tornado did hit the town and tore the roof off the big arena.  I lived in Portland at the time, and my husband and I (and our then-3-week old baby) stayed up late watching clips on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlGsNN7TPrc).


Anyway, this is relevant because this morning when I got up to run, I looked at my Weather Channel app on my phone and discovered that the wind was still blowing at 27 mph.  So I decided not to run, and did yoga instead. 

6/5/2011

Training schedule says I will do: 9 miles

I actually did:   9.35 miles*

 

*10.85 miles using Aubree's Bonus Mileage System, getting an extra 1 mile for traveling uphill for a total of 2 miles, and 1/2 mile for sweating through 2 layers.

 

Days to go until the marathon: 112

Miles to go until 1000: 783.20

So my goal for today's run was that it wouldn't suck like last week's long run.  And it didn't, although I will say that towards the end I was ready for it to be over.  I just didn't love it the way I used to love my long runs, which might have had something to do with the fact that my hip started hurting again somewhere around mile 5 or 6 and was pretty sore by the end.  And it was kind of too hot.  Which I feel terrible for saying, because 1) it was only in the 60s or 70s but super sunny and 2) last week on my long run, I was so cold that my hands were frozen and could barely move when I got home.  And I was miserable.  So you'd think I'd love the warmer weather today.  But it was a little too warm.  I even got sunburned, including a rather unfortunate tan line where my cell phone holder arm band thing was.  I need to find a better way to carry my cell phone!!

Anyway, I can't say that I'm completely back in love with running after my bad week last week, but I think I'm getting there. . . (sorry, but I can't resist) one step at a time.

6/4/2011

Training schedule says I will do: OFF

I actually did: Go on a bike ride with my family, 40 minutes = 3.5 miles towards 1000 mile goal

 

Days to go until the marathon: 113

Miles to go until 1000: 792.55

The weather today was absolutely beautiful, quite a change from last weekend's awful weather!  We were going to go for a bike ride around our neighborhood when a friend called and said she was having a barbecue, so we rode over there.  It was wonderful!

6/2-6/3/2011

I didn't run either of these days.  Thursday (6/2) was a scheduled day off, but I planned to do the run I missed on 6/1.  And today (6/3) I was scheduled to do 25 minutes.  I have "reasons" I didn't run, and they are legitimate-ish.  Wednesday night was our anniversary and we shared a bottle of wine with dinner (which means I had 2/3 of the bottle), so Thursday morning sleep sounded better than running.  And Thursday night, my son was up a bunch of times I only ended up getting a few hours of sleep.

But the truth is, my running motivation is somewhat lacking after the awful run on Sunday.  Even though I had a much better run on Tuesday, I just didn't feel like getting up at 4 and getting out there the rest of the week.  This weekend is supposed to be nice weather, and my long run is only 9 miles, so I'm very hopeful that this combination will give me my running mojo back. 

6/1/2011

Training schedule says I will do: 8 x 1:00/2:00

I actually did:    Nursed my son

I got out of bed to get ready to run, and my son started crying so instead of running, I fed him.  I didn't mind because normally I feed him between 2 and 3; last night he slept from 8:30 or so until 4:30.  This is the longest he has ever slept in one stretch; let's hope it continues!!

5/31/2011

Training schedule says I will do: OFF

I actually did:    4.41 miles

 

Days to go until the marathon: 117

Miles to go until 1000: 796.05

I was supposed to take today off.  And I did, initially (i.e., I didn't get up to run this morning).  But then it turned out to be a really nice day, and I wanted to take revenge after my awful run on Sunday, so I went out this evening.  It was freeing to run not because I had to, but because I wanted to.  I could run as fast or as slow as I wanted, and only turned around when I did because it was dinner time, and I was hungry.  My right hip, which hurt the whole time I ran on Sunday and has hurt since, even stopped hurting as soon as I started running.  It was a good day!