Monday, December 30, 2013

Day 16: Out with a Bang

Today's task:  1 mile warm up, 2 x 1200 @4:49, 4 x 800 @3:08 (2 min rest interval), 1 mile cool down
Today's weather:  36 degrees*

Today's outcome:  1.25 mile warm up, 4:47, 4:53, 3:12, 2:53**, 3:14, 3:16, .94 mile cool down

*My phone is a liar.  I checked it before I went out to see what kind of clothes I should wear, and it said it was 43 degrees.  When I got outside, I thought it was a rather cold 43, but that's probably because it was really 36.  Don't worry...I warmed up fast.

**One of these times is not like the other.  Yeah, my guess is I miscalculated the distance for that second 800.  I'm improving, but I'm not sure I'm physically capable of a 2:53 half mile...yet.

Remember when I said I hate 800s?  Well, I hate them more after 2 x 1200s!  Do the math and it's 3.5 miles of all out effort!  I adjusted my paces to reflect my improved speed, and today was the first workout at the increased speed.  I thought they were a little ambitious when I was writing them out, and I think I was right.  I came in 2 seconds under for the first 1200, then was consistently a few seconds over for each interval after that.  Looks like I have a little more tweaking to do.  The upside is that my splits were pretty consistent, which means I'm feeling my pace pretty well these days.  

Ryan was off of work all of last week, which meant I was able to get my runs in pretty much whenever I wanted.  What a luxury that was!  Today was back to the grind, and I had no choice but to run first thing in the morning.  Contrary to popular opinion, being a stay-at-home mom doesn't mean I spend my day trying to decide whether I should get a mani/pedi or go out to lunch with girlfriends.  I have to make little windows of time in my day to work out, just like any other grown up on the planet.  I truly enjoyed the freedom of my schedule (or lack thereof) last week, and I think it even made my runs more enjoyable because they weren't crammed in or done just to get them over with.  

Today's run was my last of 2013, and I'll take a moment to reflect on a great year.  According to mapmyrun.com, I've run 888.7 miles this year, or enough to get me from here to Iowa City.  That total could possibly be higher, depending on how many runs I forgot to log onto their website.  I've PRed in each of the six races I've run, and placed in my age group in two of them. Granted, one of those races was teeny tiny, but the other was a big one, and I still can't believe it when I see my name two spots below #1.  I have found a focus with my running this year, and I'm excited to see where it takes me in 2014. First on the docket is the Virginia is for Lovers 14k in February, where Ryan and I will join forces as Team Psilent but Deadly to try to better last year's 5th place finish in the male/female couples division.  A few weeks after that is THE race...the Shamrock Marathon!!!  Currently, my goal is to finish the race.  This goal will undoubtedly get more specific as my training mileage increases and I see what I'm made of.  I'm looking forward to the challenge, but more importantly, I'm looking forward to the week after the race, when I use the gift card to the Spa at Williamsburg I got for Christmas from three angels who shall remain nameless.  The rest of the year remains one big question mark, which I imagine is how it will stay until I get through the Shamrock. Of course I'll do the usual J&A races, but it would be fun to branch out a bit and try a few new challenges as well.  I guess we'll have to see how Fancy I am this year to determine how many race entry fees I can cough up! 

So farewell to 2013, and cheers to health, happiness, and PRs a-plenty in 2014!

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Day 15: Dirty Dozen

Today's task:  12 miles @8:50 min/mile
Today's weather:  sunny, 33 degrees at start, 45 degrees at finish, SW winds ~7 mph

Today's outcome:  12 miles in 1:41:42 (8:28 min/mile)

I love this quote because it bears so much truth.  I was feeling pretty lousy when I woke up this morning...yesterday's sneezing fits left me with a killer headache and a sore neck, and the day before's stomach issues had me feeling pretty drained in general.  Here I am on Thursday, just before a 2.5 hour nap, cuddled up with my Shamrock finisher blanket and wearing the Surf n Santa hoodie I've been living in since that race 3 weeks ago:



J&A Racing hooks us up with the best goodies...without their swag, I'd be running naked!  Back to today...while 12 miles no longer terrifies me, I still consider it a daunting task, and I was not feeling up to the challenge.  Then my iPad jingled with the delivery of today's Mile Post running quote of the day:


Ugh...fiiiiiiine.  This quote was all I needed to push today's annoyances aside and get focused on the run.  I got off to a chilly start, with my teeth chattering for the first mile, but the sun felt great and the temps rose up through the 30s pretty quickly.  Mentally, I broke the run down into four quarters, which made it seem to zoom by.  For the first time ever, I had to take a pit stop to tinkle at one of the hotels along the oceanfront.  Anyone remember the track on Adam Sandler's cd called "The Longest Pee"?  

After my potty stop, it was back on the road, up and over Rudee Inlet (I'm really enjoying running over that bridge...the more you do it, the easier it gets, right?) and back down General Booth to Red Wing Park where my car was.  I felt myself pick up the pace a bit for the last two miles, which I'm not really supposed to do on these long slow runs, but I was feeling good and sped up with reckless abandon.  

Finishing a 12 mile run and feeling like you could have easily done a couple more miles might be one of the greatest feelings in the world for this novice marathoner.  Next week's 14 miler has been looming in my brain this week (I've never run farther than 13.1), but after today, I'm excited to get out there and do it.  I'm still having a hard time wrapping my brain around 26.2 miles, but with each passing week, I'm gaining confidence that I might actually be able to pull this off.  I'm pretty excited that I didn't feel the need to use my GU on this run, and recovering with some plain old H2O and my neighbor's incredible banana bread seems to be doing my body good.  My neck is still sore, but my headache is gone and my lungs feel clear.  Between the sweat and the saltwater in the air at the oceanfront, I consider myself cured.


Friday, December 27, 2013

Day 14: Tempo in heavenly peace

Wednesday's task:  2 miles easy, 3 miles @7:20 min/mile (short tempo), 1 mile easy
Wednesday's weather:  34 degrees, sunny

Wednesday's outcome:  2 miles in 16:10, 3 miles @7:21 min/mile, 1 mile in 8:35

What a Merry Christmas Wednesday was.  Brynn woke us up at 5:55am, exploding with excitement to tear into the presents Santa left under the tree.  Camryn reluctantly got out of bed to join us, but she was "just so tired."  We opened presents, enjoyed some cinnamon rolls, and had A Christmas Story on repeat as we hung out by the fire all day long.  

Ryan got his miles in before noon, and I was on the fence about whether I would run that day or the next.  By 3pm (and after a little catnap), I felt an overwhelming urge to lace up and enjoy the crisp winter air, so off I went.  It was chilly, but it was lovely.  Between there being hardly any cars out on the road and my headband muffling any other noises, it was such a peaceful run.  It felt great to get the heart rate up after being lazy all morning, and coming in from the cold to a warm cozy fire in the fireplace is pretty awesome.  After a good stretch and the hottest shower ever, I recovered with some chocolate milk, spiked with cake flavored vodka.  Ahhh, the holidays!

Santa was good to the Psimases this year, bringing us all things fitness.  Ryan, Brynn, and Camryn all got new running shoes (I will too with some of the dead presidents I  got for Christmas!), he had his elves sign us up for some races, and he left two 12 lbs. medicine balls under the tree.  We'll finally be able to do those 4-ball push ups on the P90X2 chest and back video!  Instead of going to Jared, Ryan went to Lululemon...he tried his best to get me a new sports bra, but it had to be returned and traded in for some shorts.  It'll be a Christmas miracle if these don't ride up and/or cut the jingle bells out of my thighs!  For as much as they cost, they should carry my body a few miles all on their own!  Hopefully they'll be worth the expense and I'll run happily ever after in warm weather.  

Tomorrow's run features a dozen miles, and it should be another pretty day.  In the spirit of giving, I might treat myself to another scenic route before getting Fancied up for a hot date with the Mr., courtesy of his company.  It's been quite some time since we've enjoyed a night out...not sure I remember how it's done!  

Monday, December 23, 2013

Day 13: But you ain't go no legs, Lt. Dan

Today's task:  3x1600m @6:49 min/mile, 400m rest intervals
Today's weather:  72 degrees, humid, windy as a mofo

Today's outcome:  6:44, 6:45, 6:41

Guess which interval had the wind directly at my back.  Note to self:  Do intervals first, THEN do legs and back.  I've done both on the same day plenty of times, but I think I've always had a little more recovery time between the P90X workout and the run.  All I did this morning was have a bite to eat and figure out my distances and then I was out the door.  I felt like I was wearing lead pants today, and the hot and humid weather (yes, hot and humid on December 23rd) didn't help.  I managed to do better than my target pace each time, but it took a lot of self talk to get me there.  I thought of the intervals as minutes, not miles..."suck it up for less than 7 minutes and you'll be done."  It seemed to work, even if passing cars thought I was looney tunes.  

Haven't figured out my plan of attack for Wednesday's temp run...it's Christmas Day, and I'm thinking my early risers will be up extra early to check out what the big guy left under the tree.  Might be a post-cinnamon-rolls-for-breakfast puke fest, depending on how intense the workout is.  I'll worry about that later.  For now, I have some hydrating, showering, and Fancying to do.  Happy Monday!

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Day 12: Just a little something to break the monotony

Today's task:  11 miles @8:45 min/mile
Today's weather:  55 degrees, 10-15 mph SW winds

Today's outcome:  11.02 miles in 1:33:00 (8:26 min/mile)

What a day.  It was much too nice outside to do my usual long run route.  I needed to change things up and we didn't have anything planned for today, so I treated myself to a more scenic route.  So glad I did.  I drove to Red Wing Park and started from there, going north to 28th Street and back.  I'm usually not a big fan of out and back runs, but it's not so bad when the oceanfront is involved.  The first two miles seemed dreadfully long, but once I settled in, I forgot to look at my watch for most of the run.  This run had a little bit of everything...pavement, "trail" (aka grass alongside the bike path), "hills" (Rudee Inlet bridge x2), boardwalk, wind, and sun.  I saw some familiar faces along the way...BeachyRunner Lesleyanne and one of her running buddies, my neighbor out playing with his kids at the oceanfront, and even Santa Claus himself, driving down General Booth in a white Jeep Cherokee.  Santaaaaaaaa!!!  I know him!!!

One of the many things I love about running is that I don't have to go anywhere to do it.  I can walk out my front door and get a great workout...how convenient!  But every time I change it up and drive somewhere for my run, I tell myself I need to do it more often.  I've been to Red Wing Park countless times to play with my kids, but since I was running instead of driving today, I saw a couple of cool things I had never noticed from the driver's seat:



Andie!!!  You Goonie!!!

I have promised myself that now that the craziness of holiday Fancy is over, I will treat myself to more of these scenic runs.  And one place I vow to hit up more often is First Landing State Park.  We took the girls on a bike ride there this afternoon...you just have to when it's 72 degrees and sunny on the first day of winter!!!  It takes at least 20 minutes to get there, which is why I have yet to go there for a run, but I'm thinking I'll just have to suck it up and do it every so often because it is just that beautiful.  





Speaking of Goonies...

Hard to believe I've got 4 weeks of this training program under my belt already.  I plan to tweak my paces a little bit this week to reflect being a little faster than I was when I started the 10k plan a few months ago.  Should be interesting...

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Day 11: Movin' on up

Today's task:  1 mile easy, 4 miles @7:40 min/mile (medium tempo), 1 mile easy
Today's weather:  36 degrees, crisp and clear

Today's outcome:  1 mile easy, 4 miles @7:28 min/mile, 1 mile easy

The hardest step...

False.  The hardest step for this runner is the first one out of bed.  I've been burning the midnight oil for far too long now, and it feels like the dead of night when my alarm goes off in the morning.  I had a little help from Camryn today, when she came into my room after I first hit snooze to tell me her toe hurt.  I walked her back to bed and mustered up the strength not to get back into my own.  Once I'm up, the first step out the front door is cake.

Today's run felt great.  It was still plenty dark outside (with the exception of a full-ish moon, bright stars, and some Christmas lights), so there wasn't a whole lot to distract me from the task at hand.  I felt surprisingly awake and focused, which are two things I haven't felt in a while.  I think I was just excited to get out there and run this morning because of a little something-something that showed up in my mailbox yesterday:


Much to my surprise, the results of last weekend's Surf-n-Santa 10 miler were updated, and somehow I moved from 4th place in my age group to 3rd place.  I KNOW!!!  I let out a yelp when I opened the bubble mailer it came in, and my girls looked at me like I was nuts.  Ryan and I are always always always telling them that we never win anything at our races, but what's important is that we do our best.  I feel I did just that for this race, and by sheer luck of the field of runners, I managed to place this time around.  My rank for females went from 31 to 28 (what a beautiful number!), and overall went from 139 to 138.  Sweet!

Santa earned himself a spot on my Christmas tree

This little trinket is so special to me for a number of reasons.  I finally broke through to the top 10 in my age group in a J&A race, which has been a goal of mine all year, and it feels awesome to have something physical to show for it.  I've worked really hard to speed up over the past few months, and this feels like a nice little pat on the back.  But I think what matters the most is the fact that this was not an easy race.  The weeks leading up to this race were tough on me mentally and physically, and the actual conditions on race day were quite challenging as well.  This 4x4 coaster with a picture of Santa riding a wave will remind me that excuses are bullshit.  I have it in me to run well when I'm tired.  Cold?  Raining?  30 mph headwinds for a few miles?  So what.  Run hard anyway.  If I don't, somebody else will.

Took a while...



Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Day 10: Bipolar workout

Yesterday's task:  10-15 min warm up/cool down, 5 x 1000m @ 4:10 min/mile, 400m rest intervals
Yesterday's weather:  40ish degrees, breezy

Today's outcome:  10+ minute warm up, 5 x 1000m (3:56, 3:57, 3:58, 3:54, 3:59), 400m rest intervals, 10ish minute cool down

Yeah, so I was supposed to do this workout yesterday, but it never happened.  I typically do everything in my power not to postpone a key run to the following day so my legs get a full day's rest before the next workout, but better late than never, right?  My week will be thrown off a little, but I'm glad I got the workout in.

Let's start with the bad and the ugly so we can end on a good note:

1) Calculating distances on Map My Run was a total pain in the ass for this workout.  I think it's because 1000 meters doesn't translate into a nice round number when converted to miles.  
2) My pants were falling down.
3) My sports bra was cutting a nice gash into my back.
4) I had to pee.
5) Snot rockets.
6) My route smelled like dog shit.

Yes, I'd love some cheese with my whine.

Now for the good:

1) Gorgeous day.  Nearly 60 degrees and sunny, which felt incredible after being stuck inside for a rainy weekend with a sick kid.  I can feel the vitamin D being generated as I type.
2) Despite the offensive odor today, Nimmo Parkway is a fantastic place for these track repeat workouts.  It's straight and smooth, and you can go for a solid 3/4 mile without crossing any intersections.  Great for when you need to haul ass.
3) I can always count on Grandma...she was supposed to watch Camryn for me today for other reasons, and even though I no longer had those obligations, she came over anyway so I could get my run in.  I am typically lacking in motivation by the time Ryan gets home from work, and there's no way I'd hit my paces pushing Camryn in a stroller.  I know my mom thinks all this running is complete lunacy, but she supports me anyway.
4) Holy fast paces, Batman!  I was dreading this workout.  800s are tough, so I expected 1000s to be tougher.  And they were, don't get me wrong, but I was pleasantly surprised to see my times were consistently well ahead of my target pace (and just plain consistent, which is something I've struggled with).  My other key runs have been consistently faster than planned as well, and as much as it terrifies me to do it, I may have to make adjustments to my program to make sure I'm getting the most out of it.  Like I tell myself toward the end of a race, just keep pushing...you'll never regret finishing faster!  

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Day 9: Slow down, you move too fast

Today's task:  10 miles @8:55 min/mile (marathon pace + 45 sec)
Today's weather:  38 degrees, cloudy, breezy

Today's result:  10.02 miles in 1:25:05 (8:29 min/mile)

I tried to slow it down.  I really did.  But it was cold and the rain was coming and I had things to do today and running a minute slower than my normal pace was a serious mental challenge.  I think that's partly the point of these long slow runs...train the brain to be in it for the long haul.  So while this pace was kind of annoying for a distance I'm very comfortable with, I'm sure I'll appreciate it once we start getting up in the 14-20 mile range.  

A few highlights from today's miles:

~ Some people still had their inflatable Christmas decorations up and running this morning, so I was greeted by Frosty, Santa popping up out of a chimney, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.   Inflatable Jesus???  Come on, people.  Have some respect for your savior.

~ Got a late start to my run today, so I saw a completely different crowd out on the roads this morning.  Lots of ladies out power walking with their girlfriends, lots of people out walking their dogs.  I was serenaded by barking for about a quarter mile on Elson Green.

~ Thanks to covering up my cold hands with my shirt sleeves, my Garmin crapped out:
Fortunately, I've run this route enough to know where my mile markers are.

~  This is how I recover from a run when the husband isn't here to judge and the kids aren't here to beg:
 
All I need now is a hot shower and some hot coffee and I'll be ready to tackle the rest of these holiday orders in a quiet house.  Happy Saturday!

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Day 8: The long and icy road

Today's task:  1 mile easy, 5 miles @7:55 min/mile (long tempo), 1 mile easy
Today's weather:  25 degrees, icy roads

Today's outcome:  1 mile @8:15 min/mile, 5.o6 miles @7:55 min/mile, .25 mile cool down

I am tired.  My head has not been in the game with this marathon training the past few weeks, but luckily, my heart has been.  I don't have a typical 7 mile route mapped out, and with my brain quite scattered these days, I forgot to plot one out last night.  I knew my route was going to end up being less than the total 7 miles I was supposed to get in, but I did what I could and sacrificed a little bit of the cool down.  The mathematical preparation for these intervals and tempo runs has been a challenge thus far, and I'm banking on that improving once the insanity of the holiday season is through.  So for now, I'm doing my best and forgetting the rest, a la Tony Horton.  I may be slacking in the prep work, but I'm all in when I'm out there running.   

Despite today's cold temps and slalom course around patches of black ice, I felt good.  I'm pleased to see that I hit my target pace for the tempo part of the run without having to look at my watch.  Thanks to all of this training, I'm starting to be able to feel my pace a lot better, which will come in handy if I ever forget my watch or the battery decides to crap out en route to a race.  I must have layered up just right, because I was totally comfortable temperature-wise.  I didn't get a chance to stretch afterward, which I'm sure I'll live to regret tonight and tomorrow, but I get two whole rest days before pounding the pavement, which I think my body needs right now.  A hot shower and hot cup of salted caramel mocha coffee more than made up for not stretching in the feel good department!  Until next run...


Monday, December 9, 2013

Day 7: Back to the Grind

Today's task:  1200m (5:03), 1000m (4:10), 800m (3:18), 600m (2:28), 400m (1:37), 200m rest intervals
Today's weather - 39 degrees, raining, breezy

Today's outcome:  1200m (???), 1000m (4:10), 800m (3:18), 600m (2:28), 400m (1:37)

I figured after the effort put in for Saturday's race in some rather unpleasant weather conditions, I earned myself a nice, cozy interval workout in the comforts of the rec center.  Not to mention the added complication of all the math involved in mapping out those distances without a GPS watch!  So after a warm up mile from Camryn's school to the rec center, I hopped on the treadmill for the first time in several weeks.  My brain isn't all there these days, and I forgot to calculate my pace in mph, so I had to do some math on my phone's calculator during the rest intervals to try to get it right.  The first interval was off by about 10 seconds or so because I didn't have the speed set right, but the rest were right on target.  I try to keep my focus straight ahead while on the treadmill, because if I look around at the other patrons, my inner athletic trainer comes out and makes me cringe when I see the way some people are executing their exercises.  Let's just say that orthopedists and physical therapists will always be in business!  I finished up with a cool down mile back to my car at Camryn's school, where my hot coffee was waiting for me.

I'm still reeling a bit from my 4th place finish for my age group in Saturday's race.  I think back to just a couple of years ago when a 10k seemed well beyond my abilities, and by hard work and determination alone, I'm running farther and faster.  This is what's so incredible about running.  All you have to do to improve is keep running.  It's that simple.  It's hard work, but seeing actual progress makes it easy to stick with it.  Put in the work, see the results.  With no races until mid-February, my focus will be on my marathon training and increasing the mileage of my long runs.  It's incredibly daunting, but the results of my past few races have given me confidence this program will get me to the finish line.  

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Day 6: Gettin' down to Bizzness

Today's task:  10 miles at 8:59 min/mi (marathon pace + 45)
Today's weather:  42 degrees, raining, 20 mph+ north winds

Today's outcome:  10 miles in a PR of 1:17:52 (7:47 min/mile pace)  
4th place 35-39 females (out of 194)
31st place females (out of 1106)
139th overall (out of 1889)

Christmas came a little early for me this year in the form of a top 10 finish for my age group...FINALLY!!!  I've been wanting to bust in to the top 10 for a J&A race for quite some time now, but have never been able to put up the numbers.  The old bats in 35-39 have simply been faster.  With so much on my plate and on my mind right now, I just wanted to go out and have a good, strong run.  The weather was craptastic, and since I had to put in the miles today anyway, I was glad I got to run with a couple thousand of right jolly old elves instead of by myself like I normally do.  

It sounded like the end of the world when the alarm went off this morning, with monsoon-like rain being driven against my bedroom window by fierce north winds.  But feeling the running gods on my side today, there was a break in the rain that was long enough for us to warm up without getting drenched.  Race time came along and it started raining again, and the deluge continued for the first 3 or 4 miles.  A good chunk of the race had us running north on the boardwalk, and I think the fact that I was able to maintain pace despite the wind is what earned me my 4th place finish.  I kept this tall chick and old dude in my sights and made sure they didn't get too far ahead.  I was neck and neck with another chick for miles 7-8.5, but managed to pull ahead once we headed south and never looked back.  Right around mile 9.5, I had my eye on this one girl who seemed  passable, and I made it my mission to get ahead of her before the home stretch.  I took a quick glance at my watch before the final turn to the finish line and saw that I could maybe finish under 1:18 and let the afterburners kick in.  Felt great to finish strong, and once I found the hubster, my brother, and his wife (who were watching my kids and brought them to the afterparty), I changed into some dry clothes and whet my whistle with some chicken tortilla soup and Sam Adams Winter Lager.  One of our favorite local bands was playing for what was by far my favorite post-race party to date...even at 9am, Strictly Bizzness puts on a great show!


After a hot shower and a little catnap, I'm ready to get back to the Fancy, perhaps with a nice fire roaring in the fireplace.  I might even take off my finisher's medal.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Day 5: Aim to Please

Today's task:  1 mile easy, 5 miles @ 8:14 min/mi (marathon pace), 1 mile easy
Today's weather:  50 degrees and raining

Today's outcome:  5.09 miles in 42:07 (8:16 min/mi pace)

I don't know what I've done to please the running gods, but they were shining down on me today.  I was shocked and thrilled that today's tempo was slow, as I'm running the Surf n Santa 10 miler on Saturday and didn't want to have to put in an all out effort like I did Monday.  It was raining pretty hard when I left the house this morning, but it was warm and there was no real wind to speak of, so no complaints here.   I took the creative liberty to drop the 2 miles on either end of the tempo miles for a few reasons.  First, the tempo pace was easy enough that tacking on 2 miles at an even slower pace seemed pointless with a long race later this week.  Second, I haven't been too good to myself this week...not eating enough, not drinking enough, not sleeping enough...and didn't want to push it and pay the price on Saturday.  Third, while Saturday's race distance is conveniently the same as what my training plan calls for, the effort will be much greater for the race, so backing off a little on this run made sense to me.  

As an added bonus to the gift of a slower pace today, I checked out the results page from last week's turkey trot.  Turns out I had the exact same time as the 3rd place overall female, which was 7 seconds behind #2 and 21 seconds behind #1.  I'll take it!!!  The running gods must have known I'd use the little Christmas tree more than the pimp cup that was awarded to the 3rd place finisher, and for that, I thank them.  Hopefully I can please them again on Saturday!

Monday, December 2, 2013

Day 4: 4 x hates

Today's task:  4 x 800m @ 3:18 pace (10-15 min warm up/cool down, 2 min rest intervals)
Today's weather:  ~50 degrees, a bit breezy

Today's outcome:  3:09, 3:07, 3:14, 3:13

I hate 800s.  But I love them.  I did legs and back earlier this morning, so my legs were a little tired, but overall they felt pretty good.  My lungs, on the other hand...let's just say my diaphragm is pissed right now!  I finished my 1.5 mile cool down with my thumb jabbed up into my rib cage to get rid of a wicked stitch, but I feel good knowing what doesn't kill me makes me stronger...right?