Sickness, snow, and ice slowing me down!!

It was bound to happen. I haven't been sick in months. I actually thought to myself the other month, "man, I haven't been sick in awhile." Well, all it took was winter to get here and there I was sick for a week. It is always about a week process. And I am pitiful when I am sick. Plus, this time around I have a new job that is more demanding and I didn't feel like I could just take off if I was feeling bad. I got "sent home" a few days because I was feeling pretty rough and it showed.

Meanwhile, I was not running. David was adamant that I would not go to the gym if I was sick. I agreed with him and plus I didn't feel like running. I just wanted to sleep. A few days of no running and I started to get stir crazy and felt the pressure of missing my training runs. David encouraged me to give myself more time to recover. I finally waited till Saturday - a whole 7 days since my last run which I felt so guilty about. David told me not to push it - not to try and make up for the time I had lost. I told him I would. And I tried, but I failed.

The plan was to run an easy three. Then I started increasing the speed on the treadmill. I'm not going to lie. Three was hard. And it made me frustrated. How can running three miles be this difficult when I ran seven miles with ease last week? I was determined to push myself and thought my body was probably just trying to fight laziness. Well, what I learned was that my body was trying to tell me to stop. Did I listen? Heck no. I just kept running. I said, "Please, you can run farther than this, let's run 4."

And that's what I did. I ran 4 and it was painful. That last mile I was snotty and gross. I was super red faced. Right when I stepped off the treadmill I knew I had pushed too hard. I knew Hal would not approve. Dang it. I took a shower hoping I would feel better. It worked for the first hour or two, but then I felt it. My nose started running Saturday afternoon and didn't stop until sometime Monday. I was sneezing, my nose felt completely congested, I was miserable...again. I cried on Sunday when I woke up still feeling so bad. I knew this may have something to do with the fact that I jumped back into it a little early and then I pushed when I finally got back to running. Mistake.

To my surprise it actually snowed and iced the roads Sunday night, so Monday we were off work and I was able to use it as another day to recuperate. I needed it. Tuesday I felt much better, but the ice was worse. Roads were closed, schools were closed, Courts were closed, grocery was closed, my work was closed, and worst of all gym was closed. Geeze. I couldn't get a break. The thing about snow and ice? Well, it doesn't make for great running conditions. I was not about to go running outside in 20 degree weather and break my ankle. Talk about a real training problem.

I figured Wednesday would be better. So, here comes Wednesday and I am praying I can make it to the gym to run and more importantly -WORK! So, David and I got dressed and ready to go. We hopped in the car and backed out of the driveway and SKIDDDDDDDD I started sliding all over the road and couldn't make it up the hill. Luckily we got the car back in the driveway. We decided it wasn't worth it to go to work, so back to the house we went for day THREE of being stuck in the house.

I figured maybe I could walk to the gym. It is about a mile and half. If I cut through Blackburn Park maybe I could make it closer to a mile. I looked up the Y online and to my surprise- CLOSED. Again? I started thinking maybe I would just run loops in the basement. I was desperate people. I realized that was kind of a stupid idea, so I opted to drink wine and play Yatzee with David instead. Meanwhile in the last week and a half I have only run ONCE. And it was a total disaster.

Here is hoping that Thursday is better! I will make it to work and run! It's gotta happen!

New Year's Day: 1 Hour Cross

So, Hal's training plan called for a 1 hour cross on New Years Day. Considering how much we (or I) partied it up on New Years Eve, I knew this was going to be tough. Ouch. Luckily I started to feel better about 3 or so in the afternoon and figured I could make to the gym by 4:30 and get an hour workout in. The fact that I didn't have to run and that I just needed to cross train made me feel more confident about my workout. I figured I would bike some and do this elliptical-type machine that somewhat mimics running without the impact. See below:

Yeah, I wish I looked like that when I worked out. This thing is called "The Arc" and it is categorized as a "cross trainer" - Perfect! The website says, "The Arc Trainer is a totally unique exercise machine.  The science behind the Arc Trainer's big calorie burn is the arc motion. It engages the right muscles – quads and glutes – that demand lots of energy from the body when they are called upon to work. That means calorie burn and, because the Arc Trainer is demanding of the muscles – not the joints, it can be used longer without putting a strain on the knees, hip or back."

45 minutes on the Arc and 15 on the spin bike and I had a good cross training workout. I really enjoyed the Arc. Time seemed to go by pretty quickly and even though I was burning some serious calories on this thing - (550!!) I wasn't "dying" like I sometimes feel when running.  Funny enough, The Arc seemed to take more energy, but I didn't really break too much of a sweat. On the the bike I was dripping!  It was weird to me because I didn't feel like I was working any harder on the bike, but I was definitely working up way more of a sweat. At the end of the workout I was so glad I had gotten my butt up and gone to the gym! It was worth it! I will definitely be using The Arc more often for cross training in the future.

NYE Long Run

Here are a few pics from my long run yesterday. It was amazing! Most of it was due to the awesome weather. Hal's training plan called for 7 miles. I was looking forward to getting to run in this unseasonably warm weather - it was 55 degrees when I headed out. I started off my run at Murphey Candler Park. I love that this place is only a mile away from my house and has a great running trail. 

 

The run starts over this "lake" (more like big pond) and continues into the woods. I love running there because it reminds me so much of trail running in high school. It was great to run where it is quiet and away from all of the cars. Plus, trails keep it interesting with varying hills and turns. The only thing downside about the trail is that it is only 1.5 miles around. After my first loop I tossed my long sleeve shirt back into my car and headed back around for lap two. Before I knew it I was three miles in and almost halfway done already. 

The big thing that I tried to focus on yesterday was my pace. Hal says to run about 20-30 seconds slower than your race pace. Running around a 4:16 (my predicted time from Runner's World) means that I will be running about a 9:47-9:48 mile, so I should be aiming for at least a 10 minute mile on my long runs. Not much slower and not much faster. Practicing at this pace on my long runs will allow me to be comfortable running at 9:48 on race day and to know how it feels to run that pace. 

What I learned yesterday is that running that slow is HARD! Within the first few minutes I looked down at my Garmin and notice I was running at 8:49 - way too fast. I had to constantly remind myself to slow down. It is hard to run slower when you feel like you can push it, but I need to learn this technique. It will be critical to slow my pace for the marathon if I want to make it all the way through the 26 miles. Going out too fast because of excitement will mean hitting "the wall" sooner and fading in the last critical miles.    

I will update the blog with my Garmin breakdown, but here is my finishing time which I was pretty happy with (an average of 9:35 pace). My last mile I pushed it because I felt like I had a lot left (which I was VERY happy about). I will be interested Garmin's mile by mile details.

Overall it was a GREAT run and really got me excited about the many more long runs to come. Hal's training advice is already paying off. I can't wait for what is next!!

Week 2 of Ash and Hal

Hal Higdon and I have become pretty good friends these past two weeks. He is the same guy I used for my half marathon training. On his website he talks about his book "Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide." It was pretty much one of my top requested gifts for Christmas this year.

I am about halfway through and it is awesome. I haven't read a non-textbook in years. I guess you just have to find a book with a topic that interests you, right? He has given me some great advice. The biggest thing that I need to remember is to not push myself too much during training. Last week he said to run three easy. I ran 3.5 and not really "easy" pace. Another day when I was told to run three miles, I was on the treadmill and saw that I only had a few minutes more to get to thirty minutes. I felt good, so I continued to run the some .4 miles to make it to 30 minutes. What I didn't know was that I am actually doing myself a disservice by pushing during my easy days.  Hal advises to do only what he says - and ONLY that. No more and no less. Pushing yourself to do more "just because you feel like you can" only makes you more prone to injury. I need to save my "push yourself" moments to the days when I am supposed to run hard and/or far.

Right now I am in week 2 of training. 2 days of 3 miles each. 1 easy, 1 hard. 1 four mile run easy. 7 mile long run, and cross training (I like spin class for cross). Yesterday was my 3 mile hard run and it was awesome!! I did it on the treadmill at the gym and actually had fun. I tried to pump up the speed every .1 mile or so. I eventually was running at a sub 8 mile pace (not for very long), but it was fun. I average about an 8:30 mile, which is a little more than 5k race pace (not Marathon pace!!). That is my other thing - trying to determine Marathon race pace. I used http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/trainingcalculator to determine my projected finish time based on my slowest half marathon time from this past year - of 2:03. The Runner's World calculator projects I will finish the Marathon at 4:16. The goal in the back of my mind was 4:15, so it sounds do-able. But in reality, I have no clue how I am going to do. My realistic goal is - No walking. zero. I don't walk. Never have. I know some people do the Jeff Galloway method of training, but I just can't. I learned in cross country that walking was giving up (be it good or bad) and so it just kind of stuck. No walking for me. I know this will be hard sometimes, but I realistically think I can do it. Can I make it in 4:15-4:16? I don't know, but I am pretty sure that i can manage to keep running - even if it is very slowly.

Training right now is fun. Not too much mileage during the week and pretty decent long runs on the weekends, but soon I know I will not be so thrilled to run 5 days a week. For now, the adrenaline and excitement is still around and I am loving it. Let's hope it continues for awhile!

Here is a blurry iphone pick from my run yesterday on the treadmill.

 
Rest day today and long run tomorrow! It is supposed to be warmer tomorrow, so I can run outside :) Can't wait. There are some great running trails (like my old XC days) near Murphy-Candler Park that I am excited to run.

Number 2!!!

This is what I saw when I checked the race website:

Can you read that? AHHHHHHH!!! Second in my age group!!! SECOND!!! :) :) :) And I was the 13th female overall!! That is the best I have done in a race since I have been back into running. AH-MAZING :)

I am so motivated by how hard I can push myself. This race hurt during that last mile for sure, but it paid off! I need to remember this when I feel like giving up during the marathon - remember how far you can push yourself.

Run for Justice 5k

There I am before the start of the Run for Justice 5k. It was a cold morning. Temps in the low 40s! BRRR! I wore my puffy vest right until it was time to head to the start line. I also had on tights underneath my shorts. I also opted for a long sleeve shirt under my short sleeve shirt which I later regretted during the race because I got hot! David and I got there early and had plenty of time to grab my bib and check out the scene. It was a smaller neighborhood race, but a lot of lawyers came out. Many of the big firms had "firm shirts" and ran as a group. I saw some girls from Women in Law, but decided to run on my own.

Soon it was time for the race to start. I said goodbye to David and followed the crowd to the start line. I was very close to the front of the start with the "real runners." I was scared to be this close, but then I thought about all the times I've stayed back at the start line and wished I had been closer instead. I hate bobbing and weaving at the beginning of the race. I positioned myself perfectly for this race and I took off fast. Here I am right after the start. There weren't many people around me at this point as we broke away from the pack early.
I felt good here, but knew that my pace was pretty fast for the first mile. I hesitated to look at my garmin until I had set a comfortable pace. About .7 miles in I noticed that I was on track for an 8:15 mile which is pretty good for me. I was thinking that it would be more like 8:30. Anyhow, I was feeling good, so I kept pushing on with the same amount of effort. About 1 mile into the race an older guy (probably in his 60s) started running right next to me. Usually I would be annoyed by this. I don't particularly enjoy running right next to strangers, but I could feel that this was different. We were running the same pace and really motivating each other. At first I thought that he was just going to run next to me for a few seconds, but that turned into minutes and then miles. He was awesome. We running with almost the exact same stride and although we weren't talking to each other I could feel that we were pushing each other. I knew I was going fast and that it was possible I would PR, but I just tried to focus on one step at a time.

We had about half a mile left and I was starting to hurt. The cold air was burning my lungs and I knew I was really going to have to push it to keep this pace to the end of the race. Thank goodness for my new running buddy. We were really pushing each other to run as hard as we could. Also, my garmin kept me going. I constantly checked it as we got closer to 3.1. Before I knew it we were only about .2 away and my new running buddy started to pick up the pace. I was spent and had almost nothing left, so I couldn't keep up with him, but I didn't let him get too far ahead. He was about 15 feet ahead of me and then I saw the finish line. It gave me a burst of energy - especially when I looked at my garmin - 25 mins! I knew this was near PR time. I saw David getting ready to take a pic, but I couldn't bear to smile. I was in some serious pain as I flared me arms back and forth and tried to get to that finish line as quick as I could.
I turned around and saw a girl about 10 feet behind. I was determined not to get passed. At 25:10 I was crossing the finish line. I checked my garmin - A PR!!!!
I couldn't breathe as I grasped for a pencil to fill out my finishing time card.
When I went to turn in my finishing time card I realized only a few people were ahead of me in my age group. I tried to count them (the official was getting annoyed with me so I stopped), but I think there were only three or four other women in my age group in front of me!! Are you kidding me? Top 5 in my age group? I was so pumped. David said that only 12 women total finished in front of me. AWESOME. That felt good. And even better, it was unexpected. I definitely didn't think that was going to be one of my fastest races. Granted, it was a smaller race, but I was still so excited. What a great feeling!! Here I am after the race. It took me awhile to catch my breath - my lungs were burning from the cold weather, but I managed a smile and a thumbs up...
Great way to spend my Saturday morning :)

I heart you Chastain Park.

So I have been bummed out about daylight savings time. I kept thinking about how I wouldn't be able to run with the sun starting to set at 5:30 p.m. So I came up with a grand idea - run after work, like right after work. I just bring my clothes to work and try to leave by 5:15 or so, change in the restrooms, put all my stuff in my car, and hit the street right from my office parking lot. It has been GREAT. Although I won't be able to do it everyday. I am not sure my bosses will love that I am gone everyday by 5:15, so it won't be something I can always do, but it is a nice option.

The best part is that my office is only a mile from Chastain Park!! I get to watch the sunset over this beautiful golf course. And they have a great running trail packed with people. I love it!!
It is so refreshing to see so many other runners out there. I love seeing all the buckhead stay at home moms and wives walking and talking on their cell phones. It is either that or they walk in pairs and talk about their days. Meanwhile I stare at them and secretly hope that one day I will be walking with one of my girlfriends in this neighborhood and chatting about my day! How fun!! I enjoyed Chastain so much because it was so different from Blackburn near my house. Usually Blackburn is filled with kids playing soccer and not too many runners. But Chastain had runners everywhere. It made me happy and encouraged! When other people are running too it doesn't seem so bad. :)

I haven't even had my ipod with my the last two days and I have enjoyed running just the same. My course is only partially annoying at the Roswell Rd and Piedmont intersection - so trafficy! I usually get stopped by at least one light - as it's a long one. The awesome forerunner though is programmed to stop my time if my pace gets higher than 14 mins a mile, so it stops when i stop. Pretty cool! I am still trying to figure out all of the cool features of this thing, but I plan on playing with it more this weekend.

For now I have put off looking for a gym. Although I know I will be forced into LA fitness eventually. Especially when it gets cold. I don't do cold weather. The one thing I do love though about the cold weather is that I can run in the afternoon and sleep in. In the summer mornings I'd have to get up early and run to avoid the heat, but in the winter I can wait to run till 2 in the afternoon if I want!

Here was my time from yesterday. The forerunner is the bomb.com - LOVE!

I am so excited about new route! And it is even better with the forerunner. Only a few more weeks left till my 18-week marathon training schedule officially begins!! :)