A week in review...

So last week I ran my long run on Friday morning b/c my running budy was out of town for the weekend.

Recap:
19.5 miles (I mis-calculated and was 1/2 a mile short of the 20 I needed)
Time: 3:31
Average pace: 10:49 (whooo hooo!)

I'll come back and post more but its Sunday and I gotta get back at it today. Only 5 more weeks until my marathon!!!!!

6 weeks and counting...

September 10th?
Last post August 13th.
Oops.

12 mile run today. Average 11:00 miles. Not bad, not bad.

Last week 18 mile run @ about 11:30. Bad. Bad. But I felt like crap so at least I finished it.

I'm going to focus and bear down for the next few weeks. Focus. Focus. Focus.

I need to run the miles and eat the right foods. Oh and figure it out while traveling.

Today -- ran 12 miles

Food (not pretty)
Pre-running
1 slice of whole wheat toast w/peanut butter
2 cups of coffee w/2 percent milk
Lunch
1/2 turkey sandwich
2 servings of blue tortilla chips w/cheese sauce
Potato salad
Snack
Lofat, no sugar ice cream w/a little chocolate sauce (yum!)
Dinner
2 tortilla shells w/refried beans and salsa
tortilla chips and salsa and guacamole (1/4 cup)
1 corona light

dreaming....

Long run yesterday. I was supposed to go 14 but got out there, felt great, hooked up with some other Chicago marathoner and went 15...

Total time 2' 48"
Total distance 15.27
Avg 11:00

M1= 11:24 - started off w/the 11+ min/mile group, downhill
M2 = 11:32
M3 = 11:32
M4 = 11:44 - ran w/some new people, different up front pacer
M5 = 11:36
M6 = 10:53 - ditched previous group, ran with a woman and her daughter, from M6 about M10, and the were FAST! But it was good challenge
M7 = 10:35
M8 = 10:38
M9 = 10:10
M10 = 10:03 - holy crap, slowdown!!
M11 = 10:42 - back by myself
M12 = 10:40
M13 = 11:15 - getting a little tired
M14 = 10:46
M15 = 11:24 - ALL UP HILL
m15.27 = 3.06 (11:30 pace)

So I'm thrilled with the overall pace of 11 minute miles. If I could really do that for the marathon that would be a 4:48/4:50 which would totally rock my time goal of 5 hours.....dreaming. I'm just dreaming....

It seems like evverytime I post a "plan" I don't follow it. I took yesterday off. Mostly due to a headache and a kneeache but honestly probably just due to plain laziness.

Weight-wise I've been consistantly STUCK. And I know, intellectually, that I have to write it all down if I want to be able to track it and make changes, but that seems like so much effort to me. So its a fork in the road that you have to make a choice at -- effort and write it down and lose the weight or...no effort, don't write it down and stay stuck. A decision I've yet to make.

I took the day off work today. I was supposed to have a shoulder surgery but I"m afraid of what interferance it will have with my running (doctor said probably a few weeks, but he's not an athlete and possibly never ran a step in his life so how would he know). My fear is that it will be too long and ruin my chances for Chicago. So I've decided to delay it until after October.

And for vanity reasons, I'm on vacation in eleven days and don't want stitches and an open wound being an issue while I'm traveling/laying on the beach/swimming. Or looking bad in my bathingsuit.....Vanity I tell ya.

MIA

Well, I've been quite MIA. Busy traveling and not running.

2 weeks ago I only ran ONCE during the week (awful) and then had a horrible long run in Chicago. Ran up and down the lake and it was hot (think 97 feels like 105) and I was a little dehydrated thanks to dirty martinis)

Last week I only ran twice during the week again. Due to a lot of traveling. However I had an awesome long run on Saturday - 12 miles w/an 11 minute/mile average.

THIS week -- I've turned over a new leaf. With only a few short weeks (10?) to go, I've decided I have to be deligent. I've been getting up at 545 and running before it gets too hot. Whoo hoo me!

Monday - Ran 3 easy
Tuesday - Hills, total 3.5 miles
Wednesday - Tempo run 4 miles @ 10min pace
Thursday - I didn't run this morning, I'm either going to do a track work out tonight or just take it off to rest my knees and not over do it.
Friday - 5 miles easy (planned)
Saturday - long run 14 miles (planned)
Sunday - rest

Not too much else, still working on our bathrrom remodel -- ugh -- but there is tile up on the walls of the shower and I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...I just hope its not the light of a train coming at me.

Lessons in Running

Well I learned several lessons on my run today. The hard way.

1. Plan your route ahead of time. Nothing like not knowing how long it is.
2. Check out how many trees are on a planned route. It sucks to run in the mid-day sun w/out any trees for relief.
3. Take all 3 bottles on the fuel belt. Don't leave one behind thinking that you don't want to carry the extra 8 oz. Stupid move. I really would have liked more liquids
4. I am very good at making excused to myself and I am a very guilable person who will believe what ever I tell me.

So it was hot. And I started late b/c of ahem, *warning TMI* stomach issues. And the run didn't got as well as I wanted and I certainly did NOT have enough liquids with me. All good lessons I guess. Rather learn them know than later....like in the marathon....

Long run:

Total: 9.45

Time: 1:46:22

M1 -11:14

M2 - 11:08

M3- 11:29 (up hill and first water break, I kept my watch running and walked while I took in water)

M4 - 11:24 (another up hill, over an over pass and a second swig of water at the top)

M5 - 10:59

M6 - 10:34 feelin' it

M7 - 11:08 - couple of rolling hills

M8 - 12:06 - all up hill. Fatigued and started making LOTS of excuses. Like "oh I ran hard last night" or "Oh, its been 2 miles since I last sipped water" or "Oh go ahead and walk you don't want to endanger yourself." Now granted it was hot but I was no where near dehydated. Wimpy excuses.

M9 - 11:21 - I kicked myself in the ass and said I had to run the last 1.5 home

M9.5 - @ a 10:53 pace. I really tried to push it on the last 1/2 mile

Smokin'

So its Sunday morning and I was supposed to do my long run yesterday but I woke up to pouring rain. So I got dressed anyways and went to running group just to see if any of my peeps showed up. None did. And for me, its just not worth the heart ache to run that long in that much rain. So I came home.

It all works out for the good -- I'm traveling tomorrow and won't have an opportunity to run so I ran 3 on Saturday - long run Sunday - rest Monday. Much more doable. And I think I'll do a speed or hill workout on the treadmill on Tuesday.

Good 3 mile run yesterday...I generally start out real slow and I'm not sure that I know how to make myself start faster....

Total miles = 3.06
Total time = 30:45
Avg pace = 10:10
M1 - 10:20
M2 - 10:10
M3 - 9:35

Smokin'

I'm also having a lot of fun discovering other people's running blogs. There are so many inspring people out there!

Last night I muddled through a mediocre workout. I was not (with a capital N-O-T) in the mood to workout.

First I have to set up the scene....

On the way over to the track I sported some serious attitude towards the husband (as you can well imagine it was his fault we had to go work out, you know, since he was driving).

I screwed around with some "stretching" that much more closely resembled sitting on the ground and finally started to run. Well, the first lap I could not get a breath. I believe the phrases sucking wind would literally apply here. So I'm thinking to myself, I feel really tight in my chest. And it feels like my sports bra is extra tight.

So I stop running, contort my body to reach up the back of my shirt and feel for the hooks....and realize that I've put the bra on the wrong hook. So I (still while walking around a public track) unhook the bra, rehook it in the right spot and resume the warm up. Ahhhh much better, I can now grab a solid breath.

Who knew a maladjusted sports bra would cause such a bad mood and such breathing issues. So now I'm annoyed and not any happier and I launch into my workout...

The workout

I ran 1 mile to warm up and then did speed work as follows
2 x 200 w/200 slow in between
1 x 400 w/400 slow in between
4 x 200 w/200 slow in between
1/2 mile cool down
Total miles = 3.25

I only ran the 400 repeat b/c as I was running the 200, I passed another runner just as I was getting ready to slow down and I couldn't stand the thought of running by some one and then slowing down and potentially getting re-passed so I just kept going.

I had some mild hamstring twinges which kept me in check, I didn't go too wild with the paces. Ran 8:40-9:00 minute miles on the speed portion and then 10:30-10:50 on the breaks in between.

I left the track feeling like I could have done better but I was sweaty and I did the workout I intended too (with the exception I needed to run another 1/2 mile to cool down) so despite a crappy start and lacking the desire to do so, I got the speed work out in for the week.

Check that off the list.

Will run for food....

Oxygen deprived

So while I'm running, I work out a lot of problems in my head. It amazes me sometimes what I can figure out work-wise while I'm out running. I'm a consultant and so a lot of times I've got unresolved answers in my head and I'll just roll them around in my brain as I pound the pavement and occasionally, I'll have a total ah-ha moment. Though I suppose it is a little scary that some of my better ideas come when I totally lack oxygen.

Tangent about my weight

One of my goals on my way to faster is to lose weight. I suppose I should be abundantly honest here and just 'fess up.

Hi, my name is Rebekah and I'm moderately overweight. I'm 5'8" or 5'9" and weigh 174.5.

I've been STUCK at this weight for 2 years now because I've been training for marathons the whole time and so the scale hasn't moved. Oh well. Now. Well. That's just not true is it.?

Because that makes no sense. The truth (oh how I hate you truth...) is that I ignore what I eat when I'm running because, well, I'm running! So! Many! Miles! So I deserve to eat! whatever! I want!

Of course, we all see the fall out of this. I'm still at 174. Now, I'll never be a super thin super model. Just not built like that. I've got boobs and a bit of a belly and neither of those go away easily. Even when I was 140-ish about 3 years ago I still had boobs and a belly, albeit it smaller.

So this time around, I'm keeping track of calories and making sure I eat enough to fuel my body but not just whatever the hell I want. Running 3 miles does not mean you get to consume 1000 extra calories in the form of chicken fingers and french fries.

And I'm writing this to remind myself that if I stick to it, it works. Because as of this morning after 10 days of conscious eating (whole grains, whole wheat, no whites, lots of fruits and veggies, lean meats, and few processed foods, oh and dairy) I'm down to 172.5 and for me that's an amazing drop. Especially when that damn scale hasn't moved in soooo many months.

To the workout report....

Yesterday was an easy 3 mile run. I got out of bed late and almost bagged the run but knew that I had a work event that evening and would not be able to make it up. So out the door I went. It was a 3.1 mile run and I kind of tried to make it a tempo run.

Tangent: (I need like the wavy lines and the dooo dooo dooo like in Austin Powers? is it?) the first time around with marathon training I just ran. That was it, same pace, some plodding around for each work out. Second time around, pretty much the same thing. This time I know I have to work some quality work outs in.

So anyway, I ran 3.1 miles in 30:41 with 9:54 average (whoo!) My best 1/2 miles split was a 4:50 which is a 9:40 (go me!) and boy was I sweaty afterward! I battled some stomach issues which slowed me up towards the end but it was a good hard workout and my legs are a little sore today.

I'm proud, I've stuck to my running schedule for the most part this week.

Monday - Hills 5.5 miles
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - 3 miles easy
Thursday - (planned) speed workout at the track. I need to run 1/2 mile to warm up, another 1/2 mile to calibrate my watch, then I'm going to 200 meter repeats w/200 cool downs. And I think I'll do 4 of those (1 mile) and then I'm going to 400
Friday - 3-4 miles easy
Saturday - long run - probably just 9-11 miles, more if I feel good.
Sunday - off

Holy Hills Batman!

So I did my first hill workout last night. Total time 1 hour 4 minutes. 5.7 miles total for an average pace of 11:18 which included several walk breaks at the top of the hills and one walk break on the way back b/c I felt myself overheating.

The hill work out goes as follows:
-Run 1.7 miles to the hill (highway overpass)
-Charge up the hill and the run back down, easily x 3 times
-Run 1/2-1 mile to recover
-Charge up the hill/back down x 3 again
-Run 1.7 miles home

Boy was it hard! But boy did I feel good about the workout. I usually HATE hills but I really enjoyed the workout last night and it went really quick.

Tonight is 3 miles, just easy to stretch the legs and then off to a cookout for our running club.