Mid-Week Recap

The past three days' training has gone pretty well. Wednesday's run was 12 miles, my first weekday run over 10 miles in quite a while. I definitely want to emphasize the long run and second-longest run in my training, and want to eventually be running parts at tempo/marathon pace. The 12 miles included 18 laps of the track, and idea I got from reading some of Duncan's old blog entries. The hope is that it will build up my mental toughness and help me get through the middle miles of the marathon without losing focus.

Thursday I ran ten miles and this morning eight. I wasn't feeling especially good this morning, so I stopped after eight. So far, running without eating first is going fine. My stomach felt a little funny for a while this morning, but it went away. I haven't really noticed and kind of decrease in my performance, although at this point all I'm doing is base mileage.

I think there's going to be a change in plans of what marathon I'm going to run. J ran this morning with some of her friends, and one of her friend's husbands, along with the husband of another friend who wasn't there this morning, are running Baltimore in October. J mentioned training with them for the marathon. I haven't finalized any kind of training plan yet, and October is still far enough away that I have time to prepare, so I'm pretty sure I'll be running Baltimore.

Listening to my Body

I cut my run short this morning. I was going for ten miles, but turned right to go home instead of left for two more miles, so I ran eight. My legs were rather sore, and I felt my pace slowing, so I decided it was better to head home and stretch out. Yesterday's ten miles didn't feel too good either, but it wasn't like today when I felt like I needed to stop.

I wonder if I'm still recovering from Saturday's 15 miles. I ran two five-mile loops, then took a break for about an hour, and then ran five more miles pushing the kids in the stroller. Saturday morning is Starbuck's morning, and I wanted to try and kill two birds with one stone by running with the kids over to Starbuck's and back. I hoped they would be almost ready to go when I got back from the first ten miles, but they got up later than I expected. Pushing about 40 lbs. worth of kids can be hard work, especially uphill. I'm going to try this again this weekend, but I'm going to run a little more before I get the kids and we'll take the direct route to Starbuck's.

Wanted: One Treadmill

I know that it's spring and the weather's getting nice, but if there's one thing that I think would help my running, it's a treadmill. If nothing else, it would allow me to be home and available if needed, but still run. I think it would be especially useful in the evenings to get in some doubles or on the weekends so I could run while the kids nap. I prefer running outside, but I'd run on the treadmill instead of not run at all.

My running has been inconsistent this week. Monday, B was up as I was getting ready to run. He had a cold and was having some trouble breathing through his nose while he slept. J had already been up with him, so I rocked him and put him back to sleep. I was tired to begin with, and I guess all the rocking made me more tired, so I went back to bed. Tuesday and Wednesday were my standard-of-late 10 mile days, and then this morning was another day off. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I get up at 4:30 to run so I don't leave too late for work. This morning I got up, got dressed, checked on the kids, and then decided to sleep. I haven't been sleeping as much as I'd like lately, and as I was walking around this morning I was tired enough that I felt like I was going to fall over asleep. So I decided that sleep was the better option this morning. Maybe I'll get out this evening.

An Experiment

I was thinking about some comments Evan had made on Mike's blog about fueling before running in the morning. Evan's idea was that not eating before running is a good way to teach your body to conserve glycogen and become more efficient.

I used to not eat before I ran and never had any problems because of it. I'm not sure exactly what changed (that probably means there wasn't a compelling reason) but not long ago I started having half a glass of Carnation Instant Breakfast. The last two days I've had nothing but water. I wanted to see if it made a difference in how I felt, and also if by not ingesting anything besides water I could avoid any pit stops during the run.

So far it's been good. I've felt fine and haven't had to stop once. Wednesday I ran seven and a half miles, and yesterday and this morning ten. I wanted to do more Wednesday, but I was just so tired that I called it a day after seven and a half.

Worst Run Ever

Saturday was supposed to be my long run. What should have been a good 14-16 miles turned into a complete debacle.

I got up early and had some cereal (generic crunchberries that aren't as good as the real thing) and downed a Gu. About a half hour after I got up, I was out the door. From the beginning, I didn't feel good. I had this dull ache in my stomach. About five miles into the run, I had to stop and walk because the pain was getting worse. I walked a little, turned around at the five-mile point, and started to run again. I made it a little more than a mile, and then stopped to walk again. When I started to run again, I didn't make it very far before the stabbing pain stopped me. At this point I was about two miles from home, and I just walked the rest of the way. There were some points that the pain was so bad I just wanted to lay down on the side of the road. When I got home, I lay down on the floor and had some water and graham crackers. I felt better after a few minutes.

While I was running, I thought it was the cereal/Gu combination that made my stomach act up, but when I got home I remembered that the kids had some kind of stomach bug recently, so maybe I caught it. J's been feeling a little nauseous herself lately. The rest of the day I felt fine.

I didn't run Sunday, unless you count the 100 meters I ran to try out the half-dozen pairs of running shoes I tried on. I needed some shoes and had a gift certificate to use, so I made a trip to Metro Run & Walk. I bought a pair of Brooks Glycerins, which of course were the first ones I tried on.

I ran for the first time in my new shoes this morning. They feel good, but are different from the Brooks Axiom, the previous shoe I was wearing. I pieced together two routes and ran nine and a half miles.

Stop, Geese!

Last night as I was driving home from the commuter parking lot, I had to stop to avoid hitting geese that were trying to cross the road. The geese turned around and went back to the grass, safe and sound. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for two cars in the lane next to me. One car had slowed down almost to a complete stop and was rear-ended by another car whose driver must not have been paying enough attention. No one was hurt.

This morning's run was 10 miles. Other than Monday, every run this week has been 10 miles, giving me 48 for the week so far. I was thinking that since my goal race is months away, it would be a good idea to have some shorter term goals as well, kind of a way to measure my progress. The goal for this week is 70 miles.

Crazy Weekend

I still haven't figured out that if I want to run on Saturday, I have to get up and do it before everyone else gets up. If I sleep in, there's just too much going on during the rest of the day and it's hard to coordinate two small children's eating and sleeping schedules. So Saturday's running was a big fat zero. Saturday wasn't all bad, though. It was J's birthday, and we did go out and have a nice dinner sans children at Landini Brothers in Old Town Alexandria.

Sunday was spent taking care of the kids. I think they both have some kind of stomach bug. When Puff woke up and got out of bed, he was very lethargic, when usually he's going a hundred miles an hour. He ate a little breakfast and then got sick. B, who is now eight months old, is spitting up at times too. J coaches lacrosse and her team had a game, so she was gone from morning to mid-afternoon. Sunday was another big fat zero.

I did run this morning, eight miles out and back along the parkway. I'm sad that we have to set the clocks ahead this coming weekend. It's nice to see the sun coming up while I run, and I would gladly give up an hour of light in the evening for an hour in the morning while I'm running.

Seven More Miles

This morning was another seven mile run; actually it was the same loop I ran yesterday. I don't know what happened to spring, but when I got up this morning there was a dusting of snow on the groud and a strong wind was blowing. The wind didn't turn out to be too bad. It was only blowing hard in my face for a small part of my run. I picked up the pace for the last two miles so I was running a strong aerbic pace. That's something I need to do as much of as possible. The more I'm able to do that, the more productive my base building will be.

Ft. Hunt 10k--Race Report

The events prior to the race did not go as planned. I was late leaving the house because J was sick and I took some time to make sure she didn't need me to stay. I had to stop for gas, and then I had a directional problem. I knew where I was going, but when I got off 495 I thought Route 1 intersected the road I needed to turn on to, but it actually ran parallel. I didn't get too far before I realized my mistake.

I got to the race about 15 minutes before the start. I just had time to register, use the facilities, and get changed. The course was 5+ laps around the perimeter road of a park. It sounds like it might be boring, but that wasn't the case. The lack of a warmup made me decide to make my race plan run 6:30s and try to pick up the pace for the last mile or two.

I was able to execute my plan quite well. My splits for the first four miles were 6:33, 6:37, 6:32, and 6:32. I was feeling strong and in control. During the fifth mile, I made a move. Picking up my pace, I caught up to two runners who had been ahead of me for most of the race and passed them. My split for the fifth mile was 6:29. During the sixth mile I continued to press and open up more of a gap. I ran the sixth mile in 6:18, and then ran the last .2 miles in 69 seconds to finish in 40:13 (watch time). I know my splits don't add up right; I truncated the decimal points.

Overall, I'm very pleased with this race. I felt very strong aerobically and only felt like I was breathing hard as I kicked in the last .2 miles. I want to continue to increase my mileage and be as strong as possible for the marathon.

This week is a cutback week. I had planned on higher mileage before the race last week, and even though that didn't work out I'm still taking this week easy. Both Monday and Tuesday were seven mile days.

Ft. Hunt 10k

I ran 40:13 according to my watch, 40:15 according to the results, and finished in 13th place. I was hoping to break 40, but was pleased with how the race went. More details to come.

After It's Done

I really need to refrain from using the word should in my blog. It seems that every time I say that I should be doing something, it never works out. So, since I stated "I should be in the mid to upper 60s this week..." in my last post, it should be no surprise that it won't happen. I haven't run the past two days. Family issues came up that prevented me from getting very much sleep, and I just wasn't strong enough to will myself out the door. So from now on, I'm only going to mention things after they're done.

Resurfacing

Even though I haven't said anything about it for the last two weeks, training has been going well. I've become so set in my routine that it's almost automatic. Mileage-wise, my last three weeks have been 66, 53, and 63. I should be in the mid to upper 60s again this week, since I've started this week with three ten mile days. I'm planning on racing a 10k this weekend, if for no other reason than I haven't raced since December and would like to see how I'll do. The main goal for the year is my marathon debut in Richmond, so everything is going toward that.

Grrrrr...

My alarm didn't go off this morning. I thought it was all set, but when I did wake up about 40 minutes after the alarm should have gone off I found I hadn't turned it on last night. That's odd, since I'm compulsive and usually check it twice before I fall asleep.

Because I got up later than I wanted, I only ran five miles this morning. As I was in the median, crossing the road to head back to my house, one of my friends pulled up in the left turn lane. We talked for a minute while I waited for the road to clear, then I crossed and headed home.

Yesterday, since it was Ash Wednesday and I was fasting, I only ran four miles. Tuesday was a ten mile day. At the beginning I didn't feel too great, but once I was about halfway I felt better and when I was done I was thinking that wasn't bad.

I've been thinking a lot recently about a quote from Pattisue Plummer I read on Zeke's blog--"Workouts are like brushing my teeth; I donÂ’t think about them, I just do them. The decision has already been made." I have a good streak going, and I feel like I'm just getting up and going in the morning--there's no question about it.

Weekend/Monday Recap

I got the running in over the weekend that I planned on. Saturday's run was just over 14 miles, averaging 7:30 pace. I was going to run in the morning, but B was up before my alarm went off, and by the time he went back to sleep that's all I wanted to do. I ran in the late afternoon, when it was sixty degrees with a slight breeze. Most likely it was because I ran in the afternoon and had eaten more beforehand, but I didn't feel like I was running on fumes quite as much this time.

The nice weather Saturday was in sharp contrast to the weather Sunday, when it was in the thirties and windy. I made up my own loop, and ended with eight miles. My legs were sore but loosened up for the last two or three miles. The worse part was my stomach, since I ate a big brunch too close to running.

This morning was another eight miles. I was a liitle concerned with some pain I felt in my shin, but it went soon after it came, so I'm not too worried. I'll see if I feel anything tomorrow morning.

Keeping it Up

Despite a poor start to the week, my running has gone well. I feel like I'm getting into the groove and my training is becoming more enjoyable and less like work.

Monday's seven miles were unpleasant. I was tired and cranky, and my stomach woes continued. I had planned on a few more miles, but seven was enough. Tuesday and Wednesday were both 10 miles, out and back along the Parkway. Thursday I was feeling the effects of the past two days, especially Wednesday because B is teething and did not sleep well Tuesday night. I just ran an easy seven miles, which brings us to today. Today was another 10 mile day. I ran my new neighborhood loop and instead of turning left to go home and end with seven miles, went straight and got in three more.

The plan for this weekend is 13-15 miles Saturday, hopefully with some faster-paced running sprinkled in, and then maybe 8-10 miles Sunday.

End of the Week

The weeks in the training log that I use run Monday through Sunday. My weeks, though, usually went Sunday to Saturday. This is the second year I've been using the log, and last year what I did was just start each week in Sunday's box, even though it was in the lower right hand corner. This year, though, I've decided to use the log as it's set up, so today's eight miles ended my week.

I thought about running this morning, but ended up running in the afternoon instead. I ran out and back along the parkway, finishing the eight miles in 60:10. I didn't feel too great, so I was surprised when I check my watch with a mile and a half to go and saw 49:03. I picked up the pace and tried to finish in under an hour, but waiting to cross the road held me up too long.

My week:
M-7 miles
T-9 miles
W-8 miles
T-10 miles
F-8 miles
S-0
S-8 miles

Advice

Does anyone have any good advice for avoiding digestive problems while running? The last two days I've had issues, and I don't know exactly why. I haven't made any changes to my diet, and haven't drastically increased my mileage. My one thought is that it has to do with not eating before I run. Tomorrow I'm going to eat a little before I run and see what happens.

Yesterday I did 10 miles. My legs were sore at the beginning but did loosen up as I ran. I made it about seven miles before I had to make a pit stop, and that didn't even end the distress. I even felt a little funny after I finished my run and had something to eat.

Today I ran eight miles. I didn't have to make any pit stops while I ran, but I would have if I had been running any further. My stomach was agitated again after I finished and ate. Maybe my body is so ravenous after running without eating beforehand that it's digesting my breakfast quickly and that's bothering me.

Where Did All the Snow Go?

It would be nice if I updated this blog on a regular basis, wouldn't it?

This last weekend we got about 8-10 inches of snow, and now, only four days later a lot of it has melted. This must be the mildest winter I've ever seen. The melting does make for easier running, though.

Saturday morning I got out early for 10 miles before any snow started falling. I don't know exactly the reason why, but I felt pretty tired and just wanted the run to be over with. The only saving grace was that I'm used to the loop I ran and I was done quickly enough.

I took Sunday off. I was wary of running in the snow while it was still dark, so I planned on running later in the day. After shoveling snow, playing with Puff, and working on my Valentine's Day project, I didn't run.

Monday I ran 7 miles. I came up with a new route that took me mainly through neighborhood streets since I wasn't sure how much of a shoulder I'd have on the main roads. The best part of the route was the solitude. It was nice to get time to myself without cars whizzing past me.

Tuesday I had on of my best runs in a while, despite B's best attempts at thwarting it. B wanted to party all night long and would not stay asleep for any extended period of time, until of course J wanted him to wake up. I ran almost the exact same loop as Monday, except for hitting the dead end because I forgot to turn and adding two miles on to give me nine miles for the day. I ran the nine miles in 1:12:XX, just a hair over eight minute pace. That in itself is nothing to be proud of, but it is about 30 seconds/mile faster than most of my runs have been lately. I also picked up the pace for the last two miles and ran those in 15:13.

This morning I ran my residential loop yet again, adding on a little distance to get me to eight miles. My legs are feeling sore, but I'm hoping it's just from coming back after a week off. I gave them a brief massage with the Stick this morning, and I'll repeat the process as well as stretch out a bit before I go to bed tonight. J and the kids are out of town tonight, so I'm getting to bed early in the hopes of catching up on my sleep.

Zeke wrote the other day about the "key" to running being "surrounding yourself with successful like-minded people." I have to second that notion. I'd love to have a group to run with who have the same aspirations as I do. However, what I lack physically I have technologically in the collection of blogs that I read.

Getting Mad

My alarm went off at 4:30 am yesterday. I got up, and then promptly went back to sleep. I was mad that I was up late last night and was tired, so I took out all my frustration by going back to sleep. This morning my alarm went off at 4:30 am again. I got up, got dressed, and went for a run.

What was the difference between the two days? Not running on Thursday made me feel worse than I think I would have felt had I got up and ran. Maybe I've finally made the decision to do what it takes to reach my goals.

Feeling Better

First, congratulations to the Steelers for their win in Super Bowl XL! It wasn't the prettiest game I've ever seen them play, but the win is really all that matters. One for the thumb!

This morning was the first morning I've run in a week. I finally feel like I'm getting over my cold. I ran six miles, out and back along the Parkway. I thought I'd feel good after a week off, but I was actually a little sluggish.