First things first. Because that's how the saying goes. If it was first things second, that would just be weird. Anywhosits. Thanks for all your comments and concerns on my previous post. The good news: I bit the bullet and scheduled a doctor's appointment. I typically try to self-diagnose and fix whatever is wrong with me, and this is clearly something I can't fix without some help. Dietician friends, best believe I'll be hitting you up with questions after I get some answers from the doc. My next race is April 23rd, and I'd like to be at least 80% by then, and hopefully back to completely normal for FARGOOOOOOOOO!
My legs were so tired on Friday that I took a rest day. I had to walk up the stairs at work (I work on the first floor so never have to frequent the stairs) and almost needed to take a small rest when I got to the top. Saturday rolled around and I had to work until 1pm. Barf. I was all set to do my 20 miler after work, but my stomach was sooooooooo angry! By the time it was back to normal, I did not have 3+ hours left to work with. It actually worked perfect, because Friday was supposed to be a marathon pace run and Saturday was supposed to be my long run. This way I could still do my marathon pace run on Saturday and have some slightly fatigued legs to further destroy for Sunday. Day of rest? Hells no!
I had 7 miles with 5 at marathon pace (9:00-9:09). During my warm up miles, I ran by a large apartment complex that was clearly getting ready for an Easter Egg Hunt. There were eggs everywhere! And not a person in sight. Let me tell you how badly I had to resist doing some huntin' of my own. Especially after I saw an open egg with a reese's peanut butter cup and a hershey chocolate bar spilling out. Mmmmmmmm. The run went well. My legs seem to naturally gravitate closer to the 9:00 end of the range vs. the 9:09, but it was only 5 miles and not 26.2, so we shall see. ;)
I did 7 miles in 1:04:44 for a pace of 9:14. Marathon miles averaged 9:03.
After checking the forecast before snoozing Saturday night, I noted that I should be DONE with my long run at 1pm, because the winds were going to be INTENSE then, and only getting stronger as the afternoon progresses. So obviously at noon I was still putzing around not running. Finally 12:30 got me out the door. Unreal.
I had planned on doing a hilly 20 mile route that Angie had lent me, but shortly after starting I decided I wanted to do my 16 miler from last week with 4 miles tacked on. Which would've been great, except I forgot that I had ran a few miles prior to the hilly route, so I was going to come up short. Something I realized when I circled back to my apartment at 13.5 miles instead of 16. ;) [Sidenote: The marathon I'm running is insanely flat. However, the half I'm running in 2 weeks is going to be hilly as poo. After the half, I'll probably lay off the hills.]
I started the run with the wind at my back (thank God) as I started taking down the hills for 4 miles. Hills have started to become kind of... fun. It's weird. The next 6 miles suckkkkkkked as they were hilly and in to the wind. When it's a struggle to run downhill into the wind, you know it's a strong wind sort of day. BUT I would MUCH RATHER deal with wind than slippery/slick/shitty snow/ice/slush for the record.
I saw so many people out in pants, coats, and stocking hats. I told myself I was being a pussy for wearing long sleeves instead of short sleeves with my shorts, but knew I'd be thankful for them when I was running in to the wind (I was right). The joke is probably on me, however, as I have the worst chaffing EVER on my inner thighs. Mental note: Nike tempos that are too big should not be worn for LRs. Ever. Terrible idea. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.
The final stretch of the hills was with the wind at my back and I was flyyyyyying. Whee!!! I did notice some discomfort in the back of my knee, presumably from the downhills, and my arch in my left foot started to get sore. Oh, also both ankles were bleeding like nobody's business. It's getting out of hand, really. OWIE.
After 13ish miles I was back at my casa. I made a quick bano break, refilled my handheld and was out the door. The first 3.5 miles seemed to fly by (with the wind at my back) and I pretty much wanted to quit life the final 3.5 that were in to the wind (15mph winds with 25 mph wind gusts, so yeah, the times were I was running in place? I'm guessing those were the wind gusts. haha.)
I attempted something different with my fueling. I usually take my GUs at certain mile increments (every 4.5 for 18 miler, every 5 for 20 miler) but I decided to take my first at 4 miles and then every 45 minutes after. In previous long runs I've felt terrible for a good mile leading up to the GU mile, and this helped tremendously.
The last mile of the run I just got ANGRY at the wind and decided I was going to run fast and show it who's [the] boss (Angela Bauer. Oh p.s. I used to tell people that Judith Light was my cousin. I'm so cool.) I was surprised at how much energy I had. I surely couldn't have ran another 10k into that wind. But with minimal wind? No problem.
I did 20 miles in 3:14:12 for a pace of 9:42. (Final mile in 9:14. Take that wind.)
And with that I posted 50 miles for the week, which is my all-time high! I spent 8 hours running this week. Insane. My legs feel pretty darn good, but I'm sure they'll be happy to enjoy the cutback week I have planned for them. :D
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Pow Pow! Bullet Points!
Starting last Thursday I was very very sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy (said in a good KK voice, he makes fun of me for sleeeeeeeeeping so much). That night and through the weekend (Monday and Tuesday included as I took sick days) I averaged 12-14 hours of sleep a night. Plus a nap. I went to work for an hour on Tuesday and almost face planted on my keyboard with tiredness. Since I'm a hypochondriac, clearly I thought I was dying. Steel Springs mentioned via twitter that I should check to see if I was anemic.
Clearly the hypochondriac in me had to read everything out there regarding anemia and iron deficiencies. And shockingly, it all made sense!
And now some bullet points (because I'm feeling lazy).
Clearly the hypochondriac in me had to read everything out there regarding anemia and iron deficiencies. And shockingly, it all made sense!
- extreme fatigue (hello sleeping more of the day than I'm awake!)
- brittle nails (I've made a concious effort to up my protein effort thinking that's why my nails were peeling off in layers the last few months)
- night sweats (um gross)
And now some bullet points (because I'm feeling lazy).
- I did an easy 8 miles.
- The part of the bike trail that is closed at 3.75 miles (causing me to potentially reroute the run to tack on 1/2 a mile at the end) was unlocked so I could venture through for 1/4 of a mile. WIN!
- I've started chaffing on my runs. I refuse to believe that I've gotten bigger, and instead think my body's just not used to only one layer of clothes.
- I saw an itty bitty sock on the side of the bike trail. I said, outloud, "sock!" in the voice that Lily and Robin do in that episode of HIMYM. And then I thought of Jenn. And I missed her. Since it was an out and back run, I did this twice.
- I did 7x800 m. repeats at 3:40 goal pace.
- No I'm not attempting a 3:40 in Fargo (not that that number has any significance now anyway).
- I am going to attempt a sub-1:50 HM at the end of the month, and I like my speed work to be...well.....speedy.
- I started too fast (3:28).
- I thought I was going to die on number 3 (3:51).
- The rest were all right at under or below 3:40.
I averaged 3:39.- My right hip was super wonky ala Vegas Marathon pain at the start of the repeats. But then quit.
- I did the repeats in the dark in a sketchy-ish area. I was terrified except for when I was doing the repeats. Then I was just terrified I was going to die.
- I wore all green for the run. Green shirt, green shorts, green shoes, green ipod.
- These bullet points are obnoxious.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
The Great Race + 18 Mile Long Run
Friday I had an easy 8 on the schedule, but decided to drop it down to 5 since I knew my legs had been workkked thoroughly during the week. It was a nice and easy run until some chick decided to "race" me on the bike trail. It was so weird/random. She flew past me on the bike trail, huffing and puffing and then stayed half a step in front of me. When I'd try to pass her (because I was sick of trying to avoid running on her heels) she'd speed up too. After about the third time of this, I finally passed her for good. So maybe I accidentally got a couple of miles in at MP. No biggie. The good news is, when I got a block away from my house I realized that I had blocked out 4 of the 5 miles I had just run. The only parts I remember are "the race."
Saturday I had the dreaded 18 miler on tap. I hate 18 miles. And it hates me (if a random long run number could attribute feelings towards a human, that is). My stomach was super duper upset all morning, so I didn't head out til early afternoon. Which was fine because it was gorrrrrrgeous out.
Within the first few miles of the run, I was in a residential area, and there were a couple of 8 year old (approx.) boys on their bikes trailing me. One of them shouts out, "Hi! You look like you've been running all morning!" I feel like I should be offended as I'm only on mile 3, but I give the kid the benefit of the doubt. Plus he's wearing a Packers hoodie, so clearly he's gotta be a cool kid. I tell him that I still have 15 miles left to do. To which he replies, "Wow! 15 miles! That's alot! Are you hungry? Want me to get you some food?" At this point I'm ready to ask for his business card and to speak to his parents to get their permission for me to "rent" this kid Saturday mornings to be my personal biking/food sherpa for my long runs. Sigh. Maybe our paths will cross again, and he'll be prepared with my favorite foods. I'll for sure look him up if I ever get interested in ultras. ;)
The rest of the run was pretty great except for the final few miles. I ran out of water, and was pretty wiped out. Plus I had to reroute my...well...route... for the 3rd time. No bueno. Running by your apartment 17 times while on a run is suckkkkkkkkkkkkky.
I did 18 miles in 2:54 ish (I'm too lazy to look) for a pace of 9:47.
Check out Eat, Drink, Run's butt-chaffage-no-more giveaway.
Saturday I had the dreaded 18 miler on tap. I hate 18 miles. And it hates me (if a random long run number could attribute feelings towards a human, that is). My stomach was super duper upset all morning, so I didn't head out til early afternoon. Which was fine because it was gorrrrrrgeous out.
Within the first few miles of the run, I was in a residential area, and there were a couple of 8 year old (approx.) boys on their bikes trailing me. One of them shouts out, "Hi! You look like you've been running all morning!" I feel like I should be offended as I'm only on mile 3, but I give the kid the benefit of the doubt. Plus he's wearing a Packers hoodie, so clearly he's gotta be a cool kid. I tell him that I still have 15 miles left to do. To which he replies, "Wow! 15 miles! That's alot! Are you hungry? Want me to get you some food?" At this point I'm ready to ask for his business card and to speak to his parents to get their permission for me to "rent" this kid Saturday mornings to be my personal biking/food sherpa for my long runs. Sigh. Maybe our paths will cross again, and he'll be prepared with my favorite foods. I'll for sure look him up if I ever get interested in ultras. ;)
The rest of the run was pretty great except for the final few miles. I ran out of water, and was pretty wiped out. Plus I had to reroute my...well...route... for the 3rd time. No bueno. Running by your apartment 17 times while on a run is suckkkkkkkkkkkkky.
I did 18 miles in 2:54 ish (I'm too lazy to look) for a pace of 9:47.
Check out Eat, Drink, Run's butt-chaffage-no-more giveaway.
Friday, April 1, 2011
March in Review
Total Miles: 140.6 up from 82.5 up from last month. (151.1 miles from March 2010. poop nuggets! stupid st. patty's day causing me to lose 25 miles.... >:o)
Total Time: 22:32:35 up from 13:28:10 (23:35:49 last March.)
Total Runs: 21 for average of 6.7/run (including the St. Patty's Day races of 5m/5k/1m individually)
Highest weekly mileage:
| 3/21/2011 — 3/27/2011: | 39.0 Mi | 6:11:30 |
Favorite run: Hilly 16 miler. I feel like this run helped me to mentally get back in to training. It was tough, but felt great.
Most hardcore run: 18 miler on ice and snow where I almost broke my hip or the tempo run that reminded me I'm not as much of a turtle runner as I had been thinking.
Favorite Race: Probably the 5k of the Irishman Challenge. It's hard to not enjoy a beer after downing a Guinness.
Bike Miles: 0 which is exactly the same as last month's 0. Number of miles I wanted to cycle: eleventy billion. I don't think a nice day has gone by that i haven't wished I was riding Princess Leia. hey-o!
Favorite Jams: I'm back in love with Foo Fighter's Everlong. Otherwise nothing I'm obsessing over too much.
_________
I'm not sure why, but I've been getting really psyched up for my tempo runs lately. Yes, the training runs that I deem just below mile repeats on the scale of "workouts delivered directly from Satan." After last week's (was it last week? I'm too lazy to look) knock out tempo run that felt easy, I've been excited to see how longer ones feel (clearly twss).
I had 7 miles with 5 at tempo pace on deck. Luckily for me the all day rain had let up for me to run along. Wind, not so much. Oh well, Fargooooooooo has a tendency (almost 100% likelihood) of heavy winds, so might as well practice my B.A.-ness in trianing. ;)
I took the 2 warm up miles very easy, and then ran the first tempo mile at the slow end of the tempo range (8:09-8:31 goal tempo pace). I always feel like I'm going to keel over during that first mile and then the legs are ready to go. Totally the case.
Partially through the 3rd tempo mile a car ran a stop sign and almost hit me. Luckily I noticed they weren't going to stop, and slowed down myself, simultaneously hitting the stop timer on my Garmin (no attempted homicide is going to mess up my splits yo!). However, when I started the timer seconds later, it wouldn't start. I had my Garmin unlocked (which I NEVER do because my sweat causes it to FREAK THE EFF OFF) so I could hit the light to check my pace as I was running in the dark. My Garmin continued to freak freak freak out for a few minutes. I tried to reset it, lock it, unlock it, and it just kept toggling through random displays and functions on the watch. I was soooooooo frustrated I almost started crying (I'm so emotional lately, you'd think I was tapering... sweet Jesus....). Luckily I got it back to the timer page AND could get the timer to start, and I was off, after locking the bezel.
Because of this, I wasn't able to check the pace at my leisure, and could only randomly check it under street lights. Sub 8..... uh... ok. I expected my legs to start objecting, but they didn't. The last few miles actually felt easier than the first tempo mile had.
Tempo miles: 8:32, 8:23, 7:59, 7:55, 7:45. Avg. pace: 8:06.
So I realize that I essentially had a "break" (aka temper tantrum) in the midst of my tempo run, but it got me all jazzed to see what I could do in a shorter race. On my cooldown walk, I started thinking.. 10k. Clearly I needed approval from the masses, and sent out a tweet to my "coaches" Jason and Angry Runner to see their thoughts. They, along with many others, thought it was great idea to have a tune up race two weeks out from the marathon, and many training programs also suggest the same thing. Heck ya! Plus, I know Jenn did the same 10k last year before the same marathon, and posted an insanely fast 10k time, and since we're basically the same runner, maybe I can too. :)
Starting the end of this month I'll be racing every other weekend for a month and a half. And I couldn't be happier. #yayzies
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Weekly Wist List + Runner's High
Weekly Wishlist for your (but not your wallet's) enjoyment!
This would either look super fab with my skintone, or terrible. Luckily it's too expensive for me to even try on, but I'm just beyond obsessed with yellows right now.
If I could, I wear wear sweatpants 9/10 days. The other day I would wear a long flowy hippie skirt. Correction: I would actually be ok wearing a long flowy hippie skirt the other 9 days as well. Soooooooooo comfy. And I love all the random stripes.
I am bummed at how expensive this is. It's...awesome...clearly. I even have the perfect wall above my bookshelf that I think it would like to live on. All hail Barney Stinson....
I have this little nook area in my living room that I designation as the "future study corner" and am on the hunt to find the perfect desk for that area. Clearly I need to decorate said corner as well. No worries, I already have some sweet Nan Lawson prints that I bought myself for Birthmas... these will only compliment them! (I do wish it was in a color other than pink, however....)
I've been a bit dress obsessed lately. I think it's the spring weather (bahahahah funny joke I just made, no?). I always seem to scramble the weekend before I have a wedding to attend, so call it being proactive I guess. Again the yellow. It's a sickness.
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Tuesday night I set out for a 7 mile run. My legs were still a little sore/tired from my hilly long run, but they warmed up really fast. I have been obsessively "rolling pinning" my IT bands, so I'm sure that's helping. It was ~29 degrees when I took off, so I bundled up like normal. Um...wrong-o bongo..... I was sweating my tushy off. Apparently 29 degrees with little to no wind is a whole different ballgame then 29 with 15-30mph winds (which is the winter standard). I was peeling off gloves, unzipping jackets, and sweating bullets.
At one point of the run, I was going through a residential area and a guy was outside blowing bubbles for his little 3-4 year old girl to pop. It was quite possibly the cutest thing ever. In terms of online shopping, I would like to "add you both to my cart." Luckily within a few minutes I was reminded that I'm barely capable of taking care of myself, and that forever is a long time. Phew. Crisis (and potential future-husband/kidnapping) averted.
During the 7 miler I had 4x100m strides at (roughly) mile pace. I'm really loving these strides because they give you something to look forward to during an otherwise monotomous run (6:48, 7:01, 6:39, 7:01). When I got done I was rocking the most intense runner's high. Oh hai runner's high! Long time no see. I was so jazzed I wanted to go for another run (don't worry I didn't).
I did 7 miles in 1:06 for a pace of 9:28.
I opted to take a rest day on Wednesday after calculating that I had run 4 consecutive days with 33 miles. Which is more than I've ran in some weeks of this round of training. No one needs an injury here! (Then go figure I slept in this morning instead of tackling my tempo run........ come back runner's high! Come back!)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
101 in 1001
I started compiling this 101 in 1001 list a few months back. I'm 100% a list girl, and think it'd be fun to accomplish a huge subset of goals over the next couple of years. Enjoy. :)
The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Life
Take a photography class
Fall in love
Get accepted into master’s program
Go to a Packers game at Lambeau
Get a library position
Grow an herb garden
***Check out my progress on my 101 in 1001 page***
The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).
Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.
Life
Take a photography class
Fall in love
Get accepted into master’s program
Go to a Packers game at Lambeau
Get a library position
Grow an herb garden
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Obsessions
Nail polish. The other day I yelled at KK to come in here NOW! (because I'm demanding like that...) "I think I've become a girl who wears nail polish." Yet imagine nail polish was said like it was a despicable terrible swear word or something.
But seriously I've been on a major nail polish kick lately and it's so bizarre because I am not a girly girl, and that just strikes me as something uber girly. Current fave colors include: a super duper soft pink which I've dubbed Barbie pink, some crazy sparkly gold that I've aptly named 14 Karat (the names of the polishes suck, so it's obvious that I had to rename them, right?), and a super deep dark almost black/deep red which is Wicked Witch Apple Red.
Our Target just got a grocery section, and they sent out a mailer for a free dozen eggs on Sunday. Color me excited! Go figure, I would walk away with two new nail polish colors with my free dozen. Highlighter pink and muted moss green (again my made up names.... I need this job..) P.S. The yellow I got as a pedi before RnR Vegas marathon because it matched my race shirt. Um...yeah.
But seriously I've been on a major nail polish kick lately and it's so bizarre because I am not a girly girl, and that just strikes me as something uber girly. Current fave colors include: a super duper soft pink which I've dubbed Barbie pink, some crazy sparkly gold that I've aptly named 14 Karat (the names of the polishes suck, so it's obvious that I had to rename them, right?), and a super deep dark almost black/deep red which is Wicked Witch Apple Red.
Painted gold for the superbowl. Obvs. Go Pack Go.
Showing off my Wisco beer while supporting my Wisco boys during the NFC Championship game.
Trying to channel some semblance of spring with the pretty pastel pink.
(P.S. Thoughts on the new Starbucks logo? I kind of like it... gotta dig the excessive green! :D)
Our Target just got a grocery section, and they sent out a mailer for a free dozen eggs on Sunday. Color me excited! Go figure, I would walk away with two new nail polish colors with my free dozen. Highlighter pink and muted moss green (again my made up names.... I need this job..) P.S. The yellow I got as a pedi before RnR Vegas marathon because it matched my race shirt. Um...yeah.
Aaron Rodgers. Being an avid Packers fan, it's really hard not to love Aaron Rodgers, but seriously.... he's kind of awesome. After the season was over, he resumed tweeting (uh..thank GOD!) and the interviews I caught made me love the guy even more. He's kind of hilarious.... and uh... attractive (don't ask me how I didn't notice this previously.... since he's clearly my "type."). A few weeks before the Superbowl I ordered my 2nd Packers jersey, and although it wasn't here in time for the Superbowl (but to be honest I would've wore my lucky outfit: Jennings jersey, yellow sparkly hair ribbon, regardless) it's kind of awesome.
Starburst Jelly Beans. About a month ago I had to accompany KK and his roommate to Menards for some crap or another. I was kind of a grumpy gus about it, especially when no one laughed at my joke about being with "my kind" while in the light fixture section (only funny if you know my last name. ok, possibly still not funny even if you know my last name.... whatever). Upon checking out, I realized that there were STARBUST JELLY BEANS!!!!!!! I first experienced these little treats of deliciousness after Easter last year when a co-worker brought in some leftover candy. Of course, at this point it was too late to find them anywhere, and I have been counting down to purchase them. Currently I'm on bag 6 of 6... so far. Don't act like you're not impressed.
Greg Jennings YouTube Video. This was a bit of a viral sensation this fall. If you haven't seen it yet, please view now:
After the Superbowl, I obviously watched every interview and appearance for any Packers players. My buddy Matt tweeted about an appearance by Greg Jennings where he is asked about the youtube video. I laughed so hard at Jennings' impression of the guy in the video, I thought I was going to die. I made Kyle experience the whole thing right along side me, and he enjoyed it just as much.
The other day I was having a crabby day and KK sent me a text: greg gennings. puttin your team on yo back dog. ahhh s#!t dawrrrrrin shaperrrrrr. one of the best safties in the leeeague dog. greg jennings.
Needless to say I cheered up real quick. Hi.lar.i.ous.
My nook.
So I know I bought my little nook to keep me company on my treadmill winter miles, but I must say... I really love the little bugger. It's so nice to throw it in my purse instead of a heavy book (or two). Plus the Kate Spade case is oh so chic. I've read quite a few books on there, and while books are still my favorite thing evaaaaaaaaah, the nook might be #2. :)
___________________
Normally I have a rest day after a long run. However, normally I do my LRs on a Saturday. I know that if I start off my week with a rest day, I'm going to wish I had it back come Thursday when I *need* my couch and a bag of Starburst jellybeans in lieu of a run. I had 6 easy miles to do. Since it was snowing sideways (seriously Midwest....you're the best) I went to the gym. Luckily I'm in the midst of another Sookie Stackhouse book on my nook, and could hunker down for the run. I run pretty super de duper slow and slowly but surely felt all the junk leaving my legs. Somehow I managed to knock out more pages on the 58 minute run then I did on my 60 minute lunch break.... riddle me that one..... TheRunningSpeedReader (I'm really in to creating faux twitter handles for myself...please ignore for now....)
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