Sunday, August 23, 2009

Ice bath + Gin and tonics = :)

It seems anytime I take my miles up over 45 a week, I get injured. Is it going to take me another year to be able to push my miles over 45 a week and not get injured? My right hip is forward and twisted inward, which this week has resulted in my right knee and hammy hurting so bad I had to cut my 20 mile run to 14 yesterday. Well, I did 10 miles and then hung out and had coffee while I waited for my peeps to arrive. Then I ran 4 miles with them. OK I ran 2 1/2 miles with them and walked the last 1 1/2 miles. Ouch! I wanted to cry it hurt so bad. So home to try the ice bath.
The ice bath is not so bad, after everything goes numb, that is. But a little piece of advice, don't let your 4 year get in the ice bath with you. My little Avery loved being in the bath, but that child can not keep still. Ever! Yeah, she was in the ice bath for 10 mins and she begged to stay in longer. Strange child. I don't really know how much the ice bath helped. But I do know that after 2 gin and tonics (had after the children were in bed sleeping) I didn't care that my knee and hammy hurt. So maybe a few gin and tonics before the marathon and then I won't care that I'll be in pain? What do you think?

Friday, August 21, 2009

I've redemed myself!

Hubby and I had our "date" run today. My schedule called for a 10 mile run. I entered my run with much trepidation. I was in a funk from my previous run on Tuesday which resulted in a measly 8 miles instead of 12 at a slow pace, but I digress.

It was nice and cool out at the start of our run, a welcome change to be sure. Mile one I had the brakes on the whole time trying to run an even pace for once. My schedule was calling for an 8:50 pace for 10 miles.
Mile 1-9:02 2-9:00 3-8:44 4-8:48 5-8:50 6-8:42 7-8:37 8-8:40 9-8:23 10-8:00
It was a busy day on the trail which is only 3 miles long and if you loop it you get 6 miles. So it was a lot of back and forth along the trail, but at least we didn't have to stop at the lights. Sure we had to slow down to get around this family out biking with their kids, we passed them no less than 4 times. Hence the slowing on some of the miles. But it felt great. I ended this 10 miler finally feeling like I could easily do 5 more miles at the same pace, normally I slow way down at the end of a long run. Progress, finally.

The clothes review:

The best sports bra on earth. Well at least for a small chested gal like me. The handful bra quite simply rocks! I have traded out my normal bras and only wear my handful bra's. They have 'anti-headlight' pads in them, which have a two fold effect of enhancing my bust size appearance. Hey, this is important stuff. I have never had any chaffing from this bra. I currently have 4 and must go get more. I wish they made a tank top style bra. Maybe I need to call and beg them to make one for us stretch mark challenged runners. Check them out and tell them I sent you!
http://www.handfulinc.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=HOME

Tomorrow a 20 mile run is instore, but for this one I will run it by myself. I am going to start at a 10 min pace and after 10 miles drop the pace down if I feel up to it. Ideally I'd like to end my run at an 8:30 pace. Then after my 20 miler I will be pacing my peeps at Get Fit Live Fit. I love this group of people, very motivating and encouraging. And let's face it they get results. My first race 12:09 pace on a 5K one year ago, my PR 5K is 7:24. Not bad in one year's time.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Heat...I'm in heat...

Not that kind of heat. The "it's too stinking hot" to run heat. Well, too hot for a North westerner. I did run last night. I was supposed to do 12 miles at 8:50 pace. But instead I did 8 miles at 8:45 pace, well 7 miles at 8:45 pace the last mile was sad. I mean, I walked/jogged the last mile. I had water with me I drank some before I ran, it was just too hot. I have noticed that when I have a crappy run the self doubt creeps in. No, not creep...slap me in the face and kick me when I'm down..kind of self doubt.

I've been complaining that my times have slowed and as my husband loves to point out, you can't have both distance and speed. Well, that's all he had to say to make me want to prove him wrong. Hills here I come.

In the interest of trying to balance kids, homeschooling said kids, cleaning, being master scheduler, financial officer of the household finances (what finances?), and wife....I have created a new schedule of running. Monday tempo run, Wednesday hills and track, Friday interval runs, and Saturday LSD. Maybe an occasional Sunday run with hubby as a recovery run. Monday and hopefully Wednesday's arm and upper body workout in the House of Pain. Tuesday and Thursday complete rest days. Let's see how long I can stick to this plan???

Stop laughing at me, I know I'm all over the place. I can't stand that my 5K times are so slow. I refuse to run the marathon if I can't hold a 9 min pace the whole way.

On another note, Hood to Coast is next weekend. I am excited. I was in Van 1 which was going to be a blast, but a friend that is in Van 2 only wanted to run H2C because I was running it. I didn't know that. It will still be fun in Van 2, I know 2 people in that van. In Van 1 I know 4 of the people and was looking forward to hanging out with them. I guess now I get to look at it as getting to know 4 new people. I did love my leg in Van 1, it was going to be easy. In Van 2 I have a harder leg. I felt up to it last week, but after last night's run I am doubting my endurance. We will see what happens at H2C. My goal hold 8min pace the whole time.

Our home school motto seems fitting to me this week. Usus magister est optimus.(Experience is the best teacher!)

Saturday, August 15, 2009

5K race...this marathon training is screwing up my 5K's

Yes, you heard me. The marathon training is slowing my 5K's down. I ran a 5K this morning in Salem....what's that? Why would I get up at 4:30am to do a 5K? Well, because a friend of mine was running her first 5K today and I wanted to support her. That's why. Now back to the LSD is screwing up my speed! OK, well not speed yet. But soon I will be finding my speed. I think it's in the closet with my cute shoes...hiding. Maybe they'll come out next year. Maybe that's when I'll finally see sub 7 min pace on my 5K's. I know it's in me...waiting to come out. Like a tiger ready to pounce....what? You don't buy that? How about like a cheetah ready to.....No you don't buy that either? OK, try this on for size. Like a three toed sloth about to well...uh sloth's don't really do much of anything. So yeah that's me. My pace is just hanging...upside down...on a tree branch...doing...well, nothing.


I ran a good and bad race. Good that I still pulled out a 24:10 5K, a 7:47 pace. Bad because I should be at a 7:15 by now. I know how can I gain speed if I don't have speedwork? I can't. I need some discipline to make that happen. I wish I didn't agree to do the Marathon, I'm so worried about the distance that I am neglecting my speedwork. Ah nuts. Well, only 7 more weeks until my Marathon.

But in the mean time, back at the bat cave, Hood to Coast. Two weeks, until 3 runs in 24 hours and no sleep. I can totally do that. I don't sleep as it is. At least I'll look cute in my Skirt Sport's outfits. Stay tuned for more info on the Skirt Sports and a Skirt Chaser 5K race in the Portland area. Oh yeah baby, it's going to be fun!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

My first 20 miler

I ran my first 20 mile run yesterday. I have been very nervous about running my first 20 miler. I decided I should do it with a running group. So I went with my friend who runs with the Portland Marathon Training group. I picked my goal race time of 4 hour and ran with that group. My friend said they usually run an 11 min pace. Way slow for me, but I figure this is my first 20 mile run. I thought slow and relaxed is the way to go. WRONG! We ended up holding a 12:36 pace the whole way.The whole way!!! Which would have been fine except it was on a very hilly trail. Sounds like a nice relaxing pace, but going that slow down the hills is painful. For one my knees hurt, not from running but from braking on the down hills. Ugh!

We started out at 12:55 for the first mile. OK maybe this is our warm up mile. Next mile 12:42. Seriously? So after 4 miles there is an aide station. I’m thinking we grab some water and stop maybe 10-20 seconds. Nope 5-10 min break. What? Every 4 miles we had an aide station. It was like running 5-4 mile runs. OK maybe jogs. My heart rate stayed at 140-150(if it was a big hill). I would have run ahead expect I had no idea where I was or how to get back to the car. When the first hour rolled by we had gone 5 miles. Holy crap. I normally have 7 miles done in that time. Help me. When hour 2 rolled by and we only had 10 miles I thought I was going to die of boredom. Now granted this was a nice relaxing run. Which I don’t normally do. But to take 4 hours and 6 mins to run 20 miles was cruel. I now have no doubt that I can complete a marathon. But there is no way I can run it that slow.  The thing that redeemed this run... was my friend. I had fun joking and talking with her. That was the best part, getting to hang out with her.

So I have learned that I can do 20 miles just fine, so the next 20 miler I will run at a little quicker pace. Maybe 10 minute pace, just to force myself to hold a steady pace and feel good after my long run. I’d rather run it at 9 min pace, but I don’t have confidence in my endurance to hold that pace for that long. But I am raring to try. I think I need to run a 20 miler at 9 min pace. Because if I can hold that on a practice run I should be able to run 8:30 on race day. An that my friends would be wonderful.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Last night I ran a 10 miler. My Garmin sprang back to life for the occasion (how considerite). I was going to meet a friend for some track sprints, so I ran down to the track and back to get an even 10 miles.
Mile 1-8:31 ( made myself pull in the pace)
Mile 2-7:36 (I decided screw it, I want to run a faster mile, like I used to)
Mile 3-8:17 (Once I got that above mile out of the way I went back to pacing myself)
Mile 4-8:14

Arrived at the track. The plan was 800's, but my friend didn't want to do as many as I wanted since she is recovering from a back injury. So we settled on a 2-800's and lots of 100's. It felt good to push my pace again. I ran 19-20 seconds on my 100's and it felt easy, beautiful, and comfortable. The 800's I was a little tired and only did 7:14 pace and 7:21 pace. Then I ran back home. My avgerage pace going home was 8:53 pace. With 3/4 of mile to go my IT band and knee froze up. I had to walk/jog. It still hurts today.

This morning I did my Pilates and sit-ups. I need to get back into doing them every other day. My core is getting weak again. I noticed my posture at the end of my runs giving out. So back to my core work.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Garmin..why? Oh why have you forsaken me?

It finally happened my Garmin has betrayed me. It had the nerve to die. So now to send it back to the factory for them to fix it. So what do I do in the mean time? I had to run a 10 miler Sunday without it. I felt naked and free all at the same time. I had no clue what my pace was. Slow, but how slow I do not know.

So now I think I need a back up Garmin. So which one do I get for a back up? I love my 305 forerunner, but kind of want the 405, too. Maybe I'll just buy the 405 for my hubby and use it while I'm waiting for my 305 to get fixed. Greedy little bugger aren't I.