I jogged just 3 miles today. In two installments.
:blush:
One was 1.5ish miles to work because I was LATE. It was a 7 am start to a really horrible shift. Holy crap. It was so horrible, it was funny. Someone's catheter bag springing a big leak in the dining room was barely a blip in the stream of things.
So the dog and I jogged a bit afterwards to help me blow off some steam. It was hot, though, so that ended rather quickly. I'm pooped, anyway, and he's since been exercising by parading his empty food bowl around, totally guilting everyone. No, he's been fed.
Tomorrow is a long run. I don't have any gels. I might have to improvise. This could get messy. Comparitively not, though, and I still have a pile of gloves left over. I used only about a zillion today.
Sorry this isn't even mostly about running.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
a nice cool day!
Yesterday, about 4 miles. so-so. My hopes weren't high.
Today, though, was a lot better--18C or so and overcast. It was even raining slightly--perfectly--when the dog and I jogged this morning. We covered about 8.75 miles. I was so glad to get that run in. That's about my ideal distance for a daily jog: it's long enough to get into a nice frame of mind, if not the zone, and it tires me out just enough that I usually sleep soundly, and feel fine the next day. It really helps my general mood, too. I realized today that perhaps my main goal of running is to get into a long-term habit of that sort, jogging for those 8-10 miles every day. We'll see. The dog held up well today. He was barely panting. He did have to take some poop/pee breaks, though, but mostly in the first 1/2 hour, and then we were able to cruise.
This evening was speedwork, 300 metres. Total run was just under 8 miles. They were faster than last time, but it was cooler.
1:03
1:04
1:06
1:04
1:03
1:07
1:04
1:07
1:02
1:03
They were hard, but ok, and I was able to remember some things about form that I wished to remember, mainly keeping loose and well-aligned, and picking up my feet more--generally, keeping lighter.
In general, I think I'm settling into a nice routine running-wise. The doubles on speedwork days work well. Speedwork is going well. I'm still not 100% happy with the long runs, mainly because I'm adjusting from my longer slower ones to shorter slightly faster ones, but I have plenty of time, and a bunch of 18-20+ milers already behind me. So, I'm in good shape.
My biggest concern is my shoes. I'm going to have to buy more sometime....I didn't track the miles on my current pairs, and I have 4 that I rotate...well, admittedly, I sometimes do my easier runs in older shoes. They seem to last a while, even the light trainers, but I don't want to push it too far. 1000km on a pair of Asics Nimbus was kind of funny, and I suspect that at least one of the pairs of shoes I run in regularly is getting to that point, too....but the thing is, with the light shoes I tend to choose, there's not much cushioning anyway, so they don't seem to feel much different umpteen months down the line. Oh, well.
Oh, I forgot to mention the most fruitful part of my day: a 1.5 hr nap. One of the perks of working a mostly split-shift schedule. :D :D :D :D
Today, though, was a lot better--18C or so and overcast. It was even raining slightly--perfectly--when the dog and I jogged this morning. We covered about 8.75 miles. I was so glad to get that run in. That's about my ideal distance for a daily jog: it's long enough to get into a nice frame of mind, if not the zone, and it tires me out just enough that I usually sleep soundly, and feel fine the next day. It really helps my general mood, too. I realized today that perhaps my main goal of running is to get into a long-term habit of that sort, jogging for those 8-10 miles every day. We'll see. The dog held up well today. He was barely panting. He did have to take some poop/pee breaks, though, but mostly in the first 1/2 hour, and then we were able to cruise.
This evening was speedwork, 300 metres. Total run was just under 8 miles. They were faster than last time, but it was cooler.
1:03
1:04
1:06
1:04
1:03
1:07
1:04
1:07
1:02
1:03
They were hard, but ok, and I was able to remember some things about form that I wished to remember, mainly keeping loose and well-aligned, and picking up my feet more--generally, keeping lighter.
In general, I think I'm settling into a nice routine running-wise. The doubles on speedwork days work well. Speedwork is going well. I'm still not 100% happy with the long runs, mainly because I'm adjusting from my longer slower ones to shorter slightly faster ones, but I have plenty of time, and a bunch of 18-20+ milers already behind me. So, I'm in good shape.
My biggest concern is my shoes. I'm going to have to buy more sometime....I didn't track the miles on my current pairs, and I have 4 that I rotate...well, admittedly, I sometimes do my easier runs in older shoes. They seem to last a while, even the light trainers, but I don't want to push it too far. 1000km on a pair of Asics Nimbus was kind of funny, and I suspect that at least one of the pairs of shoes I run in regularly is getting to that point, too....but the thing is, with the light shoes I tend to choose, there's not much cushioning anyway, so they don't seem to feel much different umpteen months down the line. Oh, well.
Oh, I forgot to mention the most fruitful part of my day: a 1.5 hr nap. One of the perks of working a mostly split-shift schedule. :D :D :D :D
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
in the gear for speedwork
I think I've talked before how much better it is to have a regular routine with harder workouts. I was running regularly in the spring, but I was always switching harder workouts around, depending on where we were, what the temperature was like, etc, and I never got into a rhythm.
This time round, I seem to be in a rhythm. My legs felt horrible on Monday. Tuesday, the dog and I jogged 8 miles again, and it felt better. This morning, we did only 4.28 miles, and it felt fine.
This evening was somehow more humid, which was a disappointment, and I was a bit worried about the longer intervals, but they went well. Once again, I had a new set of legs when it counted. I got into a rhythm--helped to have a couple of other people run the same pace :), and I got into the right frame of mind, that sort of dull state where I remember to keep things loose and so forth, but don't dwell too much on the discomfort, other than acknowledging it and maintaining it. lol
1500M
6:40
6:35
6:37
6:37
6:24
This time round, I seem to be in a rhythm. My legs felt horrible on Monday. Tuesday, the dog and I jogged 8 miles again, and it felt better. This morning, we did only 4.28 miles, and it felt fine.
This evening was somehow more humid, which was a disappointment, and I was a bit worried about the longer intervals, but they went well. Once again, I had a new set of legs when it counted. I got into a rhythm--helped to have a couple of other people run the same pace :), and I got into the right frame of mind, that sort of dull state where I remember to keep things loose and so forth, but don't dwell too much on the discomfort, other than acknowledging it and maintaining it. lol
1500M
6:40
6:35
6:37
6:37
6:24
Monday, August 25, 2008
chickens coming home to roost
Yesterday was a long run, but a short long run...I think I ran only 12 miles in total. Several of those were at marathon pace (hopefully, knock wood)...it was a fun but probably useless workout at this stage. Part of the problem was the weather, though--not bad heat-wise, but very very humid and I wanted to get the run done with as soon as possible. I chafed up pretty badly, and it tired me out more than it should have. I had to work that evening, too. Man, I hope a better job crops up soon. Will keep applying.
Today was 8 miles with the dog. I was tired and it was one of those crappy runs. THe weather was cooler and much drier than yesterday, but I was stiff. I took it easy. Average pace was probably about 10:30/mile. The run helped me loosen up a bit, at least, and I guess it was a good mental workout.
I guess I should try to catch up on sleep tonight!!! That's my biggest problem.
Today was 8 miles with the dog. I was tired and it was one of those crappy runs. THe weather was cooler and much drier than yesterday, but I was stiff. I took it easy. Average pace was probably about 10:30/mile. The run helped me loosen up a bit, at least, and I guess it was a good mental workout.
I guess I should try to catch up on sleep tonight!!! That's my biggest problem.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Olympic Loafing
I will miss the Olympics. I've watched more of them this time than all other years combined. For some reason, they have been very enthralling. However, it will be nice to catch up on sleep!
I am still watching the men's marathon, sort of...the tv coverage has ended, but the live feed is still showing. Looks and sounds like a great crowd; I just saw some guy from Luxembourg come in 70ish, and he was waving and smiling, and the crowd cheered for him. Now there's a Japanese guy; he just finished and bowed to the crowd in all directions. Yes, they didn't win, but the conditions seemed punishing, and a whole lot of people didn't finish at all. To enter a stadium with tens of thousands cheering, after enduring two-plus hours of racing, must still be a thrill.
As for the other end of the race...well, wow. That was pretty gripping. I can't imagine the mental fortitude required to start off so fast in such heat and humidity, never mind hanging in there for over two hours. The gold medalist slowed down a bit, but managed to look pretty fresh throughout.
The weather was probably similar to the afternoon weather here, and I had no inclination whatsoever to run. I'd thought about it, but it is a recovery week and I'd decided I'd be happy with anything over 40 miles. 43.44ish is good enough. Plus, my main reason for running today would have been to exercise the dog, but it was way too hot for him to run. So I rested. There are three tough weeks ahead and then the army run a week after that. That will be fun and give me something to look forward to, help me through.
But, yes, I can't help but compare my aerobic effort today to theirs. lol
However, I did get at least an hour's worth of stretching during the marathon. My yoga has slipped this past week, and between that and the low sleep, I'm feeling tighter. I still haven't quite hit upon the right stratagem for hanging through those 5-6-7 minute poses, apart from going to class. However, watching the marathon coverage was very inspirational. It wasn't so much the distraction as knowing that whatever discomfort I was feeling, they were feeling ever so much more, so I had no excuses.
Now I have to keep that in mind during these next few weeks. Tomorrow is a short long run, lol, just about 2 hrs, and then the real test comes: an 8-hour work shift.
I am still watching the men's marathon, sort of...the tv coverage has ended, but the live feed is still showing. Looks and sounds like a great crowd; I just saw some guy from Luxembourg come in 70ish, and he was waving and smiling, and the crowd cheered for him. Now there's a Japanese guy; he just finished and bowed to the crowd in all directions. Yes, they didn't win, but the conditions seemed punishing, and a whole lot of people didn't finish at all. To enter a stadium with tens of thousands cheering, after enduring two-plus hours of racing, must still be a thrill.
As for the other end of the race...well, wow. That was pretty gripping. I can't imagine the mental fortitude required to start off so fast in such heat and humidity, never mind hanging in there for over two hours. The gold medalist slowed down a bit, but managed to look pretty fresh throughout.
The weather was probably similar to the afternoon weather here, and I had no inclination whatsoever to run. I'd thought about it, but it is a recovery week and I'd decided I'd be happy with anything over 40 miles. 43.44ish is good enough. Plus, my main reason for running today would have been to exercise the dog, but it was way too hot for him to run. So I rested. There are three tough weeks ahead and then the army run a week after that. That will be fun and give me something to look forward to, help me through.
But, yes, I can't help but compare my aerobic effort today to theirs. lol
However, I did get at least an hour's worth of stretching during the marathon. My yoga has slipped this past week, and between that and the low sleep, I'm feeling tighter. I still haven't quite hit upon the right stratagem for hanging through those 5-6-7 minute poses, apart from going to class. However, watching the marathon coverage was very inspirational. It wasn't so much the distraction as knowing that whatever discomfort I was feeling, they were feeling ever so much more, so I had no excuses.
Now I have to keep that in mind during these next few weeks. Tomorrow is a short long run, lol, just about 2 hrs, and then the real test comes: an 8-hour work shift.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Almost needed my brown trousers
Gosh, it was hot today...like 29C/35C humidex. We had speedwork and my guts were already sore in that special hot-weather way from the jog over there.
Basically, we did a bunch of 1 min intervals with 60S rest except every 4th one, which was a few minutes.
Mine were at
5:59/mile
2 min@7:44 (oops, forgot to hit the lap button)
6:05
5:53
6:15
5:41
6:00
5:47
5:29
5:53
6:01
6:10
These were in sets of four...the first set was pretty consistent, and then i started to really suffer. Didn't crap my pants, but it was kind of feeling like that. I hate that sensation. And I thank my luck that I'm up here, and not down south...maybe there will be a few more weeks of it here, and not another couple of months. KNOCK WOOD!
So, anyway, it was a hard workout, especially since I'm low on sleep (again). Probably the Garmin isn't as accurate over short (relatively, lol) fast bursts, but my mental focus was partly to blame for the variation. I'd hit on something that worked, ie, focusing on the people in front of me, or counting, and then it would wear out after a couple of reps and I'd have to switch to something else. There were a few times I focused on form, too....can't remember if those were the faster paces or the slower ones. There were a few that went really well--I felt loose and full of drive--and there were a few that were really hard. The last couple in particular. Too bad I slowed down, but my stomach cramps were getting worse.
It really helped having the group there--I would never have done this on my own, especially in heat like that. I love being in a running group and hanging out with the others and I will definitely miss them when we move.
As for the pace...it was similar to the last time I did 400M repeats on my own, but those were fewer, and in cooler weather. And it helped not having to think about it at all. I got into this dull zone where I didn't have a choice.
Total was about 8.3 miles. Amazing how things add up for speedwork. I might run tomorrow, might not...I've already taken 2 days off this week and am up over 40 miles. Seems fine for a recovery week, but if the dog is peppy, we might go for a few miles before it becomes stinking hot again.
Basically, we did a bunch of 1 min intervals with 60S rest except every 4th one, which was a few minutes.
Mine were at
5:59/mile
2 min@7:44 (oops, forgot to hit the lap button)
6:05
5:53
6:15
5:41
6:00
5:47
5:29
5:53
6:01
6:10
These were in sets of four...the first set was pretty consistent, and then i started to really suffer. Didn't crap my pants, but it was kind of feeling like that. I hate that sensation. And I thank my luck that I'm up here, and not down south...maybe there will be a few more weeks of it here, and not another couple of months. KNOCK WOOD!
So, anyway, it was a hard workout, especially since I'm low on sleep (again). Probably the Garmin isn't as accurate over short (relatively, lol) fast bursts, but my mental focus was partly to blame for the variation. I'd hit on something that worked, ie, focusing on the people in front of me, or counting, and then it would wear out after a couple of reps and I'd have to switch to something else. There were a few times I focused on form, too....can't remember if those were the faster paces or the slower ones. There were a few that went really well--I felt loose and full of drive--and there were a few that were really hard. The last couple in particular. Too bad I slowed down, but my stomach cramps were getting worse.
It really helped having the group there--I would never have done this on my own, especially in heat like that. I love being in a running group and hanging out with the others and I will definitely miss them when we move.
As for the pace...it was similar to the last time I did 400M repeats on my own, but those were fewer, and in cooler weather. And it helped not having to think about it at all. I got into this dull zone where I didn't have a choice.
Total was about 8.3 miles. Amazing how things add up for speedwork. I might run tomorrow, might not...I've already taken 2 days off this week and am up over 40 miles. Seems fine for a recovery week, but if the dog is peppy, we might go for a few miles before it becomes stinking hot again.
Rest day
Sort of...I had my morning job, which is nice and easy, but it felt really too early for me for some reason today. I was really tired from yesterday's workout and I needed to sleep more. So I had a 2hr nap, and then went to my evening job. I was tired there too, but at least nothing was sore. Actually, I think doing that job works quite well after tough workouts. There's a lot of walking, including up and down stairs, and so forth...it might help keep me limber.
So, no running today. :)
So, no running today. :)
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
speedwork
First, about 3-ish miles easy with the dog in the morning. And I mean easy. I was trying not to perspire. lol
Evening, about 7.26 miles with speedwork. The bulk of the workout was 3-4-5-4-3 min, with 2 min recovery. Easier than last week. But I felt more tired and the intervals actually seemed longer.
Part of that was due to not having a functioning Garmin...mine was out of juice :(. So, once I started, I pretty much had to hang in there until I heard the signal to stop. No boost breaking down the interval mentally, or counting down.
Anyway, I clicked about on runningmap.com afterwards...no wonder my intervals felt crappy. They were faster than last week.
.49@6:07/mile
.63@6:21/mile
.77@6:29/mile
.63@6:21/mile
.46@6:31/mile
My stomach hurt, probably due to the warmth, but other than that, I was fine. No soleus, no knee issues. Woohoo! I will stretch and roll tonight too, and try to get enough sleep. Tomorrow will be a long work day, morning and evening jobs, and I suspect that I won't run much if at all. And I might not run at all on Saturday, either. Still, I will likely cover about 45 miles during the week, which is what I expected.
Oh, and I found out that the Philadelphia marathon will start at 7:00 am, not 8:00. :( They moved the start back to give people more time to complete the thing, which is nice....but, man!! So I'll rent a hotel room downtown: I won't be able to make it on the regional train in time. I guess this makes up for the uber cheap train fare, if I choose to go down by train. :)
Evening, about 7.26 miles with speedwork. The bulk of the workout was 3-4-5-4-3 min, with 2 min recovery. Easier than last week. But I felt more tired and the intervals actually seemed longer.
Part of that was due to not having a functioning Garmin...mine was out of juice :(. So, once I started, I pretty much had to hang in there until I heard the signal to stop. No boost breaking down the interval mentally, or counting down.
Anyway, I clicked about on runningmap.com afterwards...no wonder my intervals felt crappy. They were faster than last week.
.49@6:07/mile
.63@6:21/mile
.77@6:29/mile
.63@6:21/mile
.46@6:31/mile
My stomach hurt, probably due to the warmth, but other than that, I was fine. No soleus, no knee issues. Woohoo! I will stretch and roll tonight too, and try to get enough sleep. Tomorrow will be a long work day, morning and evening jobs, and I suspect that I won't run much if at all. And I might not run at all on Saturday, either. Still, I will likely cover about 45 miles during the week, which is what I expected.
Oh, and I found out that the Philadelphia marathon will start at 7:00 am, not 8:00. :( They moved the start back to give people more time to complete the thing, which is nice....but, man!! So I'll rent a hotel room downtown: I won't be able to make it on the regional train in time. I guess this makes up for the uber cheap train fare, if I choose to go down by train. :)
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Rest day!
No running today, just a short walk with the dog.
In fact, I didn't do much of anything, as it is my 'weekend'. :) I studied and did a test for one of my courses, and ate, and rested, and watched some more of the Olympics...that was pretty much it.
I thought about a short jog, but the soleus issue isn't completely gone, so I figured I might as well stretch/massage that, and let it heal some more. Tomorrow is speedwork, and I might jog with the dog in the morning and see how things feel.
It's funny....I've rarely had issues with my left side of my body, knock wood, but my right side has had all sorts of stuff happen, ranging from ruptured cysts to ITBS and IBS pain, PF, pulled butt muscle, lol...all of which have funked up my form so that I'm still dealing with these minor compensatory glitches. After ITBS, I had issues with a hip flexor or something....that's gone, knock wood, and my knee is fine, but now I'm dealing with this calf tightness. Admittedly, I have slight scoliosis, and that might contribute too. Fortunately, yin yoga seems to help a lot. I especially like the icy feeling I get after being in a pose for a while. Whatever was stretched feels like there's something cold trickling through it after I come out of the pose. Not sure what's going on, but it feels beneficial. I also get that after massaging something sometimes, like this morning with my calf.
Oh, I forgot--I do have one occasional left-side issue: my hamstring. It never seems to crop up after workouts, but long car trips tend to summon it. So I try to sit on a cushion whenever possible. Other habits have accumulated too. If I start feeling like I'm going to get PF again, I make sure to stretch out my feet before stepping on the floor in the morning, and that solves that, knock wood. Shins start to hurt, and I do shin raises against the wall for a few days until the problem goes away. etc etc etc. I start to feel wobbly in general, it's squats and pushups and so forth. My soleus starts to hurt, I do the stretches against the wall. etc. No ice or pain killers. Not sure why I don't ice, but I don't care that I'm in pain, as long as I'm healing...I want to feel what's going on. I do elevate the afflicted part and sleep more, if possible. This sort of approach has allowed me to keep training for nearly three years consistently now. Hopefully it'll keep me on the roads for longer.
Well, I best start stretching.
In fact, I didn't do much of anything, as it is my 'weekend'. :) I studied and did a test for one of my courses, and ate, and rested, and watched some more of the Olympics...that was pretty much it.
I thought about a short jog, but the soleus issue isn't completely gone, so I figured I might as well stretch/massage that, and let it heal some more. Tomorrow is speedwork, and I might jog with the dog in the morning and see how things feel.
It's funny....I've rarely had issues with my left side of my body, knock wood, but my right side has had all sorts of stuff happen, ranging from ruptured cysts to ITBS and IBS pain, PF, pulled butt muscle, lol...all of which have funked up my form so that I'm still dealing with these minor compensatory glitches. After ITBS, I had issues with a hip flexor or something....that's gone, knock wood, and my knee is fine, but now I'm dealing with this calf tightness. Admittedly, I have slight scoliosis, and that might contribute too. Fortunately, yin yoga seems to help a lot. I especially like the icy feeling I get after being in a pose for a while. Whatever was stretched feels like there's something cold trickling through it after I come out of the pose. Not sure what's going on, but it feels beneficial. I also get that after massaging something sometimes, like this morning with my calf.
Oh, I forgot--I do have one occasional left-side issue: my hamstring. It never seems to crop up after workouts, but long car trips tend to summon it. So I try to sit on a cushion whenever possible. Other habits have accumulated too. If I start feeling like I'm going to get PF again, I make sure to stretch out my feet before stepping on the floor in the morning, and that solves that, knock wood. Shins start to hurt, and I do shin raises against the wall for a few days until the problem goes away. etc etc etc. I start to feel wobbly in general, it's squats and pushups and so forth. My soleus starts to hurt, I do the stretches against the wall. etc. No ice or pain killers. Not sure why I don't ice, but I don't care that I'm in pain, as long as I'm healing...I want to feel what's going on. I do elevate the afflicted part and sleep more, if possible. This sort of approach has allowed me to keep training for nearly three years consistently now. Hopefully it'll keep me on the roads for longer.
Well, I best start stretching.
Monday, August 18, 2008
recovery week
Easy 4.14 mile jog with the dog. It was only 17C so I wore a long-sleeved top. LOL...but, yes, I don't want to get too comfortable yet.
I honestly didn't feel like I'd done a long run yesterday, except for a tight spot in my right calf. Soleus. I guess I'll take the stick to it tonight. I won't have much running this week, so hopefully I can shake it before next week. It might be something having to do with my knee feeling wonky for a day or two, some sort of compensation injury. At any rate, my knee isn't an issue anymore, and hopefully I can shake this calf thing too.
And I'm planning to SLEEP IN!! I worked through the 'weekend'....really, my weekend starts tomorrow. And sleeping in might mean only until 9:00 or so, but I'm hoping to get more than the six-ish hours of sleep I've been getting.
Oh, and I've been eating like a PIG. This is good. I had lost my appetite for a while and was starting to lose weight and feel tired. The summer heat--especially the humidity here--messes with my digestion. Last two summers were really hard, especially last one after my abdominal setback in May 2007--it took me over a year to recover from that. This summer has been a lot kinder, and I've actually gained some speed at shorter distances, despite the increased heat. Still, I was down about five pounds or so, but then it got a bit cooler and I've bounced back a bit. Now, if only I can do something about these uncharacteristic candy cravings....lol. I blame studying for that.
I honestly didn't feel like I'd done a long run yesterday, except for a tight spot in my right calf. Soleus. I guess I'll take the stick to it tonight. I won't have much running this week, so hopefully I can shake it before next week. It might be something having to do with my knee feeling wonky for a day or two, some sort of compensation injury. At any rate, my knee isn't an issue anymore, and hopefully I can shake this calf thing too.
And I'm planning to SLEEP IN!! I worked through the 'weekend'....really, my weekend starts tomorrow. And sleeping in might mean only until 9:00 or so, but I'm hoping to get more than the six-ish hours of sleep I've been getting.
Oh, and I've been eating like a PIG. This is good. I had lost my appetite for a while and was starting to lose weight and feel tired. The summer heat--especially the humidity here--messes with my digestion. Last two summers were really hard, especially last one after my abdominal setback in May 2007--it took me over a year to recover from that. This summer has been a lot kinder, and I've actually gained some speed at shorter distances, despite the increased heat. Still, I was down about five pounds or so, but then it got a bit cooler and I've bounced back a bit. Now, if only I can do something about these uncharacteristic candy cravings....lol. I blame studying for that.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
long run Sunday
I was tired this morning! But I knew that if I didn't get up early with the group, I would loll about the house too long and end up missing the run altogether. My knee felt fine so I figured I was good to go.
It was sunny and too warm for my liking, 20-23C...so I had stomach cramps. I usually get them when it's above 20C, but it hasn't been that bad this summer; I've been lucky. And our path wasn't totally on concrete/asphalt, and a lot of it was shady...it was nice.
I ran just over an hour with a few others, and then they turned back and I kept going for longer. I took one bottle of water, and 1 gel--had 1/2 at about 1:45, and the rest around 2:25, I think. That worked well and I felt 'even' during the run...the end wasn't much worse than the beginning apart from being hotter, and I didn't feel like my head was detaching. Lol, but I used to feel sort of spacey near the end of 3 hr runs in the past. Not enough glycogen fueling my brain. This run was a lot more comfortable mentally. Physically, too, it was non-descript. Every so often, I'd have a little glitch here or there, something tightening up, but nothing I couldn't shake after a few minutes of trying to readjust my form/loosen up.
Total run: 20.74 miles in 3:13. Decent pace, especially considering there were a few walk breaks. I think skipping speedwork on Friday made a HUGE difference...my legs were fresh and not tired like the last two weeks. I'm still going to stick with the sprints, mostly: maybe every few weeks I'll skip them and try to push more on the long run, like I did today. Maybe there will even be some MP sections in the future. Not sure.
Oh, there was one dark moment at about 18-19 miles....I had to go through a busy part, lots of tourists....so I stuck to the edge of the sidewalk between the lampposts and road. It was clear, and then this great cow stepped out with her camera, facing me. I yelled 'excuse me' and she just stood there watching me...and then I tried to go around her, but she turned and I was nudged into the road by her purse. Time to change the batteries, twat! LOL.
Anyway, it was a good run. I had a nap afterwards and then a few cups of coffee at work. Needed them. Fortunately, my knee is fine. I was a bit worried because I spend a lot of time going up and down stairs, but it's fine. The next two days will be easy. I might not even bother running tomorrow, will see.
It was sunny and too warm for my liking, 20-23C...so I had stomach cramps. I usually get them when it's above 20C, but it hasn't been that bad this summer; I've been lucky. And our path wasn't totally on concrete/asphalt, and a lot of it was shady...it was nice.
I ran just over an hour with a few others, and then they turned back and I kept going for longer. I took one bottle of water, and 1 gel--had 1/2 at about 1:45, and the rest around 2:25, I think. That worked well and I felt 'even' during the run...the end wasn't much worse than the beginning apart from being hotter, and I didn't feel like my head was detaching. Lol, but I used to feel sort of spacey near the end of 3 hr runs in the past. Not enough glycogen fueling my brain. This run was a lot more comfortable mentally. Physically, too, it was non-descript. Every so often, I'd have a little glitch here or there, something tightening up, but nothing I couldn't shake after a few minutes of trying to readjust my form/loosen up.
Total run: 20.74 miles in 3:13. Decent pace, especially considering there were a few walk breaks. I think skipping speedwork on Friday made a HUGE difference...my legs were fresh and not tired like the last two weeks. I'm still going to stick with the sprints, mostly: maybe every few weeks I'll skip them and try to push more on the long run, like I did today. Maybe there will even be some MP sections in the future. Not sure.
Oh, there was one dark moment at about 18-19 miles....I had to go through a busy part, lots of tourists....so I stuck to the edge of the sidewalk between the lampposts and road. It was clear, and then this great cow stepped out with her camera, facing me. I yelled 'excuse me' and she just stood there watching me...and then I tried to go around her, but she turned and I was nudged into the road by her purse. Time to change the batteries, twat! LOL.
Anyway, it was a good run. I had a nap afterwards and then a few cups of coffee at work. Needed them. Fortunately, my knee is fine. I was a bit worried because I spend a lot of time going up and down stairs, but it's fine. The next two days will be easy. I might not even bother running tomorrow, will see.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
getting low on sleep
Yep, I'm sure glad I'm through a tough week and looking to an easier one. I'm really enjoying the Olympics, and it's worth staying up late to see some of the events, but I felt pretty tired at work this evening, and I still have to go into work tomorrow evening, too. I'll be dragging. They took the coffee pot away early during the break tonight which was tragic. As a result, I didn't get through everything and so the night shift person will have to complete it...par for the course, because most of that was left for me by the day shift. LOL. Admittedly, I also took a small bit of time off (actually, my break started late because of an emergency, so I made up for that time, lol) to watch the end of the women's marathon. The winner looked like she was in pain for much of it. I can't imagine the depth of that effort, nor how wonderful it must have been for her to enter the stadium for the victory lap.
Anyway, I got to sleep sometime after 2:30 am and woke up before 8:30 for no real reason. I was tired but I couldn't sleep any more. Decided to go for a short run--a tempo run was out of the question--so the dog and I jogged 3.54 miles mostly on the flat. Usually, there's at least a couple of hills in our route, but I really wanted to take it easy because I was slightly stiff all over. My knee felt fine, though, and I had a lot of running around and crouching at work and I didn't think of it once. Hopefully, I'll get more sleep tonight before the group long run tomorrow morning, and it won't be an issue. Will see. I'll take the stick to my legs again tonight.
Anyway, I got to sleep sometime after 2:30 am and woke up before 8:30 for no real reason. I was tired but I couldn't sleep any more. Decided to go for a short run--a tempo run was out of the question--so the dog and I jogged 3.54 miles mostly on the flat. Usually, there's at least a couple of hills in our route, but I really wanted to take it easy because I was slightly stiff all over. My knee felt fine, though, and I had a lot of running around and crouching at work and I didn't think of it once. Hopefully, I'll get more sleep tonight before the group long run tomorrow morning, and it won't be an issue. Will see. I'll take the stick to my legs again tonight.
thurs, fri, today?
Ah, I lost my post!
Thurs: 5 miles recovery jog, without the dog. I really needed to be alone to do whatever I needed. It went well, even though I hadn't slept enough the night before....and then I tweaked my right knee slightly in yoga class. doh! Another night short on sleep (oh, these olympics!) and it felt a bit tender to the touch on Friday morning.
I was supposed to do sprints, but had to be at work during the group workout, so I decided to do a tempo run, but with my knee feeling like that, I decided to scale back. Ran easy with the dog, another 5ish miles. My knee felt fine--I'll continue to stretch/roll out my quad---usually when my knees start feeling iffy, there's a tight spot or two in my thigh to blame. It happens periodically. Will see how my right knee feels tomorrow (well, today, Saturday).
I could do my tempo run later today; running tempo before a long run has been fine in the past. However, I'm still up and it's nearly 2 am (oh, olympics!), so goodness knows how much sleep I'll get tonight. And I want to hit the long run well, as it'll be a longer one, plus I have to work Saturday and Sunday, and the job involves quite a bit of stairs, lifting, and crouching....my knee feels fine after Friday's shift, so I don't want to push it.
Thank goodness next week is a recovery week! I'll be content with 40 miles.
Thurs: 5 miles recovery jog, without the dog. I really needed to be alone to do whatever I needed. It went well, even though I hadn't slept enough the night before....and then I tweaked my right knee slightly in yoga class. doh! Another night short on sleep (oh, these olympics!) and it felt a bit tender to the touch on Friday morning.
I was supposed to do sprints, but had to be at work during the group workout, so I decided to do a tempo run, but with my knee feeling like that, I decided to scale back. Ran easy with the dog, another 5ish miles. My knee felt fine--I'll continue to stretch/roll out my quad---usually when my knees start feeling iffy, there's a tight spot or two in my thigh to blame. It happens periodically. Will see how my right knee feels tomorrow (well, today, Saturday).
I could do my tempo run later today; running tempo before a long run has been fine in the past. However, I'm still up and it's nearly 2 am (oh, olympics!), so goodness knows how much sleep I'll get tonight. And I want to hit the long run well, as it'll be a longer one, plus I have to work Saturday and Sunday, and the job involves quite a bit of stairs, lifting, and crouching....my knee feels fine after Friday's shift, so I don't want to push it.
Thank goodness next week is a recovery week! I'll be content with 40 miles.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
training is paying off
I think all those easy miles are paying off.
This morning, I jogged about 5 miles with the dog. It was ok, he was well behaved, but....I've realized why I usually don't fancy running with him. Oh, this is so unfair! The poor guy can't even read, much less access the net, and here I am slagging him. Anyway, I often feel sort of stiff when I first start a run. It takes me a mile or two to get into it, and then I start getting into the zone....and, meanwhile, at this time, my dog usually gets the urge to drop the kids off at the park. So, just as I'm entering that stage where running is an agreeable alternative to walking, I have to stop, crouch, etc. Plus he needs more breaks than usual due to the hotter weather.
Oh, well, it's good for him, and we do have good runs, and it's no big deal to share the easy workouts with him. In fact, I suspect that this relaxed break-ful running has helped me through the tough weeks. Like this week...I've already nearly run 50 miles and I still have 3 days to go.
Anyway, this evening, I did speedwork. 8.12 miles in total. I was a bit apprehensive about that workout (as with most long interval workouts!). It was a pyramid workout, 4-5-6-5-4 minutes. Also, it was sunny and fairly warm this evening, and I was worried about feeling crappy.
My legs during the warm-up were heavy. But once the speed portions started, I felt ok. There were usually people ahead of me to trail/latch onto, and with them ahead, I could shut part of my brain off and just concentrate on keeping things loose. It was hard, but I stayed at an effort I could maintain without killing myself, and it went by quickly.
1: .58 mile @ 7:04/mile
2: .70 mile @ 7:09/mile
3: .88 mile @ 6:51/mile
4: .73 mile @ 6:49/mile
5: .61 mile @ 6:40/mile
I'm really happy with this, especially considering the intervals had a fair number of turns and weren't entirely on the flat.
I am still a little daunted by my goal--to BQ--especially since it seems that I have enough endurance and speed but no stamina these days, and stamina is what I need. However, things have been going so well that I feel more encouraged. This is, after all, the third of three harder weeks. Just 3 more sets of this to go...not hard and, at the same time, plenty of time for the needed stamina to kick in. I just have to trust the training and continue to keep my easy days easy.
This morning, I jogged about 5 miles with the dog. It was ok, he was well behaved, but....I've realized why I usually don't fancy running with him. Oh, this is so unfair! The poor guy can't even read, much less access the net, and here I am slagging him. Anyway, I often feel sort of stiff when I first start a run. It takes me a mile or two to get into it, and then I start getting into the zone....and, meanwhile, at this time, my dog usually gets the urge to drop the kids off at the park. So, just as I'm entering that stage where running is an agreeable alternative to walking, I have to stop, crouch, etc. Plus he needs more breaks than usual due to the hotter weather.
Oh, well, it's good for him, and we do have good runs, and it's no big deal to share the easy workouts with him. In fact, I suspect that this relaxed break-ful running has helped me through the tough weeks. Like this week...I've already nearly run 50 miles and I still have 3 days to go.
Anyway, this evening, I did speedwork. 8.12 miles in total. I was a bit apprehensive about that workout (as with most long interval workouts!). It was a pyramid workout, 4-5-6-5-4 minutes. Also, it was sunny and fairly warm this evening, and I was worried about feeling crappy.
My legs during the warm-up were heavy. But once the speed portions started, I felt ok. There were usually people ahead of me to trail/latch onto, and with them ahead, I could shut part of my brain off and just concentrate on keeping things loose. It was hard, but I stayed at an effort I could maintain without killing myself, and it went by quickly.
1: .58 mile @ 7:04/mile
2: .70 mile @ 7:09/mile
3: .88 mile @ 6:51/mile
4: .73 mile @ 6:49/mile
5: .61 mile @ 6:40/mile
I'm really happy with this, especially considering the intervals had a fair number of turns and weren't entirely on the flat.
I am still a little daunted by my goal--to BQ--especially since it seems that I have enough endurance and speed but no stamina these days, and stamina is what I need. However, things have been going so well that I feel more encouraged. This is, after all, the third of three harder weeks. Just 3 more sets of this to go...not hard and, at the same time, plenty of time for the needed stamina to kick in. I just have to trust the training and continue to keep my easy days easy.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tuesday
I can't remember if I updated yesterday, and I haven't checked: it was about 4.12 miles with the dog. Slow. I wasn't sore from yesterday, and just a bit stiff, but I was tired.
Today: 8.88 miles with the dog. So-so. I was upset at the beginning of the run, and I managed to feel better by the end of it, but it wasn't the best run I've ever had. I got into a good zone a few times, but I had to stop every so often for the dog. I don't wish to blame him, though--he was good, he just had to poop, pee a few times, have some water, etc.
I felt crappy--still do--because of one of my part-time jobs. I don't wish to rant about it. That's unproductive. But it is a learning experience and worth examining in those terms. I have learnt that I'm fine with most personal support tasks--the only one which has grossed me out to any degree has been handling/cleaning dentures. Strange, that. So I must try to minimize my contact with false teeth in the future. I guess this also goes with my worst bodily fluid aversion: spittle. Poop, pee, puke, blood, snot, whatever, but I get grossed out by spit.
Another thing I've confirmed: I can learn by observing, by following written directions, or by someone guiding me in a step-by-step fashion, but what really doesn't work is someone telling me to do a series of tasks without giving much info, and then correcting and stopping me every few seconds WHILE I'm working. I had someone doing that for several hours yesterday and I don't remember anything except the frustration and flashbacks to umpteen horrible French classes. Feedback afterward is fine, though. Fortunately, I got my trainer to sit down with me and discuss what I was supposed to do, and I wrote it down. I liked the trainer as a person, and she was helpful, but the training was a bit exhausting.
And I really don't do well in an environment with a lot of talking behind people's backs. It lowers my morale and then my perversiveness kicks in and I feel the urge to really give them something to talk about. LOL
Today: 8.88 miles with the dog. So-so. I was upset at the beginning of the run, and I managed to feel better by the end of it, but it wasn't the best run I've ever had. I got into a good zone a few times, but I had to stop every so often for the dog. I don't wish to blame him, though--he was good, he just had to poop, pee a few times, have some water, etc.
I felt crappy--still do--because of one of my part-time jobs. I don't wish to rant about it. That's unproductive. But it is a learning experience and worth examining in those terms. I have learnt that I'm fine with most personal support tasks--the only one which has grossed me out to any degree has been handling/cleaning dentures. Strange, that. So I must try to minimize my contact with false teeth in the future. I guess this also goes with my worst bodily fluid aversion: spittle. Poop, pee, puke, blood, snot, whatever, but I get grossed out by spit.
Another thing I've confirmed: I can learn by observing, by following written directions, or by someone guiding me in a step-by-step fashion, but what really doesn't work is someone telling me to do a series of tasks without giving much info, and then correcting and stopping me every few seconds WHILE I'm working. I had someone doing that for several hours yesterday and I don't remember anything except the frustration and flashbacks to umpteen horrible French classes. Feedback afterward is fine, though. Fortunately, I got my trainer to sit down with me and discuss what I was supposed to do, and I wrote it down. I liked the trainer as a person, and she was helpful, but the training was a bit exhausting.
And I really don't do well in an environment with a lot of talking behind people's backs. It lowers my morale and then my perversiveness kicks in and I feel the urge to really give them something to talk about. LOL
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Signed up
For Philly. The full. This will be another attempt at a BQ. If I don't make it this time, what with a good group to train with and fairly good weather ahead and a work schedule that accomodates training, then BQ and I might go our separate ways for a while. LOL
I think I'm in good shape for another go. I feel a lot better than I did the last two summers, and I've been getting more miles in. My stomach seems steadier, too--that is my weakest link. Fortunately, I know of a certain eggplant parm grinder which will go down nicely without slamming me in the gut the next morning. Even more fortunately, I have run the Philadelphia marathon before, and that will help ease nerves. Knowing that Manayunk will be there in my darkest hour (or so, roughly 20 miles) is a big boost. Now all I need is a few more months of good training, and good weather on race day, and no injuries. Admittedly, I don't have the best job to ensure that. Knock wood knock wood knock wood! I might have to buy another pair of shoes, too, at least for the marathon itself.
Meanwhile...this morning, I had a bit of intestinal turmoil but not much, and then I ran to run club, then almost 2:30 with the group (helped a LOT having company!). I'm still getting used to a slightly quicker pace for my long runs...on my own, I've been running longer but slower. This seems fine, and my pace for speedwork seems fine too, but I need to revv up stamina a bit more. So, my uber-slow long runs are leading to slightly quicker long runs with the group, which will presumably lead to MP workouts or longer tempo runs down the line. will see. Anyway, the run felt a little quick...not hard, just faster than I'm used to for a long run pace, but I settled into it. After a while, I had a stitch, but I switched my breathing to 3-3 and it went away. Got another stitch a while later, but it went away too with a few minutes of 3-3. The problem might have been talking...I probably wasn't breathing deeply enough. That won't stop me from talking, though. ha!
Then I had a break...then I jogged home and then with the dog awhile. Total 22.77 miles. It helped that it was a nice cool-ish and overcast morning, plus I actually fueled during the group run. Had 2 halves of a gel...one at about 1:30, and the other about a 1/2 hr later. Didn't get too sticky in between, so that was good too. And between that run and the dog jog, I had a juice drink. It amazes me how my legs seem to bounce back after sitting for a bit eating and/or drinking. They don't feel totally fresh, but considerably fresher than before, and I'm able to continue without too much fuss or soreness.
Hopefully, I'll make it to yin yoga tonight...there's a lot to stretch out, and that particular class/teacher is really good at making me stay in a productive position for longer. And then I'll try to get to bed early, but will get sucked into the Olympics again.
But that's ok, because it was the Olympics that got me out of bed for the group run today in the first place. If they can do all that, why can't I haul my butt out the door for a jog?
I think I'm in good shape for another go. I feel a lot better than I did the last two summers, and I've been getting more miles in. My stomach seems steadier, too--that is my weakest link. Fortunately, I know of a certain eggplant parm grinder which will go down nicely without slamming me in the gut the next morning. Even more fortunately, I have run the Philadelphia marathon before, and that will help ease nerves. Knowing that Manayunk will be there in my darkest hour (or so, roughly 20 miles) is a big boost. Now all I need is a few more months of good training, and good weather on race day, and no injuries. Admittedly, I don't have the best job to ensure that. Knock wood knock wood knock wood! I might have to buy another pair of shoes, too, at least for the marathon itself.
Meanwhile...this morning, I had a bit of intestinal turmoil but not much, and then I ran to run club, then almost 2:30 with the group (helped a LOT having company!). I'm still getting used to a slightly quicker pace for my long runs...on my own, I've been running longer but slower. This seems fine, and my pace for speedwork seems fine too, but I need to revv up stamina a bit more. So, my uber-slow long runs are leading to slightly quicker long runs with the group, which will presumably lead to MP workouts or longer tempo runs down the line. will see. Anyway, the run felt a little quick...not hard, just faster than I'm used to for a long run pace, but I settled into it. After a while, I had a stitch, but I switched my breathing to 3-3 and it went away. Got another stitch a while later, but it went away too with a few minutes of 3-3. The problem might have been talking...I probably wasn't breathing deeply enough. That won't stop me from talking, though. ha!
Then I had a break...then I jogged home and then with the dog awhile. Total 22.77 miles. It helped that it was a nice cool-ish and overcast morning, plus I actually fueled during the group run. Had 2 halves of a gel...one at about 1:30, and the other about a 1/2 hr later. Didn't get too sticky in between, so that was good too. And between that run and the dog jog, I had a juice drink. It amazes me how my legs seem to bounce back after sitting for a bit eating and/or drinking. They don't feel totally fresh, but considerably fresher than before, and I'm able to continue without too much fuss or soreness.
Hopefully, I'll make it to yin yoga tonight...there's a lot to stretch out, and that particular class/teacher is really good at making me stay in a productive position for longer. And then I'll try to get to bed early, but will get sucked into the Olympics again.
But that's ok, because it was the Olympics that got me out of bed for the group run today in the first place. If they can do all that, why can't I haul my butt out the door for a jog?
Friday, August 8, 2008
Friday!
I guess I did not post yesterday...it was a blah run with the dog. Hot, sunny, and humid. 6.75 miles in ??? I didn't want to know.
Anyway, the weather gods took pity on me and gave me some good atmos tonight. This morning was about 6.3 miles with the dog---trying to tire him out, lol--and then this evening was 300M repeats/just over 8 miles total. And it was nicely overcast and cooler than normal! Last week was 200M repeats in the heat&humidity and they were way too fast. This time, I wanted to take them easier. My friend/coach told me that they weren't supposed to be full-out sprints, but more like on the aerobic threshhold. Which, for me, was apparently 1:14-1:11/300M.
Well, it worked pretty well.
1:07
1:10
1:09
1:12
1:11
1:12
1:11
1:08
1:12
The first one seemed reasonable, but I slowed it down. Really wanted to try this new way of doing short repeats. What helped was imagining more of a 2mile pace than a sprint, and keeping things light. Maybe I was a little bit conservative, considering the better weather, but it did feel like a good workout by the end.
It was a good day...the run with the dog wasn't that great, but I got to see some of the Olympics, which was neat. I hope to find the opening ceremonies on Youtube or something...I saw some of them while at one of my jobs, at least, and most of the parade of athletes. I guess I'm sentimental: I felt close to tears at a few points.
At any rate, I feel surprising good for having run 61.73 miles this week. My goal was 60. So I'll take tomorrow off. Sort of. I still have to work. I have a new job as a PSW, and it is a bit strenuous, and starts as 7:00 am sometimes, like tomorrow. LOL. But, hey, the bonus is that I'm fed there (and the food is good) and I wear scrubs. No fuss. I'll set them out tonight and roll into them tomorrow.
Oh, and the funny things about these scrubs...I got XS but they must be unisex because they're still sort of looser than I'd expect. I was crouching, trying to help someone else pull their pants up, and mine were riding lower and lower. Homeostatis at work! (sort of, if one considers the room the innards of an organisms, and optimal condition being 1 person dropping trou. Okay, a bit of a stretch...just like my waistband. ha)
Anyway, the weather gods took pity on me and gave me some good atmos tonight. This morning was about 6.3 miles with the dog---trying to tire him out, lol--and then this evening was 300M repeats/just over 8 miles total. And it was nicely overcast and cooler than normal! Last week was 200M repeats in the heat&humidity and they were way too fast. This time, I wanted to take them easier. My friend/coach told me that they weren't supposed to be full-out sprints, but more like on the aerobic threshhold. Which, for me, was apparently 1:14-1:11/300M.
Well, it worked pretty well.
1:07
1:10
1:09
1:12
1:11
1:12
1:11
1:08
1:12
The first one seemed reasonable, but I slowed it down. Really wanted to try this new way of doing short repeats. What helped was imagining more of a 2mile pace than a sprint, and keeping things light. Maybe I was a little bit conservative, considering the better weather, but it did feel like a good workout by the end.
It was a good day...the run with the dog wasn't that great, but I got to see some of the Olympics, which was neat. I hope to find the opening ceremonies on Youtube or something...I saw some of them while at one of my jobs, at least, and most of the parade of athletes. I guess I'm sentimental: I felt close to tears at a few points.
At any rate, I feel surprising good for having run 61.73 miles this week. My goal was 60. So I'll take tomorrow off. Sort of. I still have to work. I have a new job as a PSW, and it is a bit strenuous, and starts as 7:00 am sometimes, like tomorrow. LOL. But, hey, the bonus is that I'm fed there (and the food is good) and I wear scrubs. No fuss. I'll set them out tonight and roll into them tomorrow.
Oh, and the funny things about these scrubs...I got XS but they must be unisex because they're still sort of looser than I'd expect. I was crouching, trying to help someone else pull their pants up, and mine were riding lower and lower. Homeostatis at work! (sort of, if one considers the room the innards of an organisms, and optimal condition being 1 person dropping trou. Okay, a bit of a stretch...just like my waistband. ha)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
salvaging
Today wasn't looking good.
Yesterday's 1.5 hr jog went well, and I got to bed at a decent hour....and then I had gut problems. Not messy gut problems, but it felt like things were being stripped raw (if I remember correctly, the stuff lining the intestines is simple collumnar epithelium....just looked it up, SCORE! I've been studying a lot for a test later this week.
Anyway, my guts were on fire and I couldn't go to sleep until past four, and yet I had to wake up at 6 to go to a new job. After that 8-hour learning experience, I was pretty beat. I got home and debated skipping the workout, but I wanted to return the pylons I'd borrowed for Friday's sprints. So I went and coughed up a few 1200 repeats, 5:13, 5:13, 5:07, 5:08, and then one slower one, just because. It was good to do, even if I was tired. I have about 20 more miles this week to get through, and then a somewhat heavy week next week, and then an easy week.
I really have to get some sleep.
Yesterday's 1.5 hr jog went well, and I got to bed at a decent hour....and then I had gut problems. Not messy gut problems, but it felt like things were being stripped raw (if I remember correctly, the stuff lining the intestines is simple collumnar epithelium....just looked it up, SCORE! I've been studying a lot for a test later this week.
Anyway, my guts were on fire and I couldn't go to sleep until past four, and yet I had to wake up at 6 to go to a new job. After that 8-hour learning experience, I was pretty beat. I got home and debated skipping the workout, but I wanted to return the pylons I'd borrowed for Friday's sprints. So I went and coughed up a few 1200 repeats, 5:13, 5:13, 5:07, 5:08, and then one slower one, just because. It was good to do, even if I was tired. I have about 20 more miles this week to get through, and then a somewhat heavy week next week, and then an easy week.
I really have to get some sleep.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Tuesday
Or something. My sense of the week is all whacked up. My weekends aren't really traditional anymore.
Anyway, yesterday was a blah hot day. Took the dog but we were on different planets, and then he started to lag and so we took lots of breaks. Total, 4ish miles. I was craving a longer unbroken run, so I went back out in the evening and did some more. total 8.8 miles. My legs were still stiff.
Today, it was blah hot day too. Actually, it felt quite nice, while I was walking about to/from work and so forth, and then the sun came out. Finally got out in the evening and jogged 9.42 miles in about 1:30. It was ok. My legs felt fine until near the end...I was tired in general.
Anyway, yesterday was a blah hot day. Took the dog but we were on different planets, and then he started to lag and so we took lots of breaks. Total, 4ish miles. I was craving a longer unbroken run, so I went back out in the evening and did some more. total 8.8 miles. My legs were still stiff.
Today, it was blah hot day too. Actually, it felt quite nice, while I was walking about to/from work and so forth, and then the sun came out. Finally got out in the evening and jogged 9.42 miles in about 1:30. It was ok. My legs felt fine until near the end...I was tired in general.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Good running weather!
This morning, it was about, oh, somewhere below 20C, overcast, and not humid. Nice!
I ran to the running group, then ran with someone else training for a marathon...we ran just over two hours. Some of the miles were close to marathon pace for me, and I knew that that was a bit fast for a long run. On the other hand, I also know that perhaps I am going too slow in general, plus this run was relatively short and a good wake-up call. At any rate, it was nice. Then I ran home. About 16.2 miles in total.
I am not sure if I'll run all my long runs with the group, but maybe every 1 out of 2 or 3, at least until I'm more used to the pace.
My stomach feels fine, too. Could have been just running too hard in too hot weather. I'll see. If whatever it has stopped, then I'm no worse for wear.
My legs still feel a little trashed, though, so if time and inclination permit, I will try jogging for a while before showing up for sprints next week, and I will try to keep them slower. Maybe if I think 'light' more than 'fast'....
I ran to the running group, then ran with someone else training for a marathon...we ran just over two hours. Some of the miles were close to marathon pace for me, and I knew that that was a bit fast for a long run. On the other hand, I also know that perhaps I am going too slow in general, plus this run was relatively short and a good wake-up call. At any rate, it was nice. Then I ran home. About 16.2 miles in total.
I am not sure if I'll run all my long runs with the group, but maybe every 1 out of 2 or 3, at least until I'm more used to the pace.
My stomach feels fine, too. Could have been just running too hard in too hot weather. I'll see. If whatever it has stopped, then I'm no worse for wear.
My legs still feel a little trashed, though, so if time and inclination permit, I will try jogging for a while before showing up for sprints next week, and I will try to keep them slower. Maybe if I think 'light' more than 'fast'....
Saturday, August 2, 2008
rain!
I think that my speedwork was too fast yesterday. However, the true test will be tomorrow...it's been a while since I've done sprints and I've probably forgotten how it feels the next day. If my long run tomorrow goes fine, then I won't be concerned. If I still feel a little stiff, I'll either rein in next week or run maybe 45-60 minutes before the workout to dampen the pep a little...the latter might be the better option. I did this last spring when it became apparent that my sprints were too fast. It slowed them down a bit and, perhaps more importantly, made the workout fit the goal distance a little more.
So, instead of doing X 200M repeats 10 or so seconds too fast, hammering my legs, and coming back next week a slightly better sprinter, I can jog for an hour beforehand, do the 200m repeats maybe 5 seconds too fast, or less, on slightly tired legs, and come back the next week with a little more fatigue resistance over longer distances. I'm not sure of the exact phys-ed involved, but I have more speed than stamina or endurance, so don't really need to practice the former as much. Last summer, I didn't jog before the sprints, and they were faster, but I tired more easily in general on longer distances. It's really hard to boil things down to one sort of workout, but I think that I am better served by showing up to the sprints slightly worked already.
Anyway, today's run after all that was to be easy. And it was rainy and cool-ish, so the dog was able to hang with me a while. He wasn't totally pumped about the leisurely pace, but that's what it had to be, puppy, and we did about 7.16 miles. It felt nice. Will see how tomorrow feels.
Oh, yes, my stomach is still sore. I think it's the heat, but if this keeps up for more than a week or so, I'll probably make a doctor's appointment. I still haven't quite untangled my inner colonic turmoil beyond smoothing it with Bentyl. This has spared me some embarrassment, I'm sure, but started to lose its efficacy after a while, so I tweaked my diet, tapered off the pills and did more yoga/meditation. Things were going well until summer hit again. Now I'm losing weight and appetite. Could be just another flare-up. We'll see....
Meanwhile...I got a lovely email from my husband today. Score! lol. But, really, it's a big boost to hear from him after a gap, especially when things seem to be going well.
So, instead of doing X 200M repeats 10 or so seconds too fast, hammering my legs, and coming back next week a slightly better sprinter, I can jog for an hour beforehand, do the 200m repeats maybe 5 seconds too fast, or less, on slightly tired legs, and come back the next week with a little more fatigue resistance over longer distances. I'm not sure of the exact phys-ed involved, but I have more speed than stamina or endurance, so don't really need to practice the former as much. Last summer, I didn't jog before the sprints, and they were faster, but I tired more easily in general on longer distances. It's really hard to boil things down to one sort of workout, but I think that I am better served by showing up to the sprints slightly worked already.
Anyway, today's run after all that was to be easy. And it was rainy and cool-ish, so the dog was able to hang with me a while. He wasn't totally pumped about the leisurely pace, but that's what it had to be, puppy, and we did about 7.16 miles. It felt nice. Will see how tomorrow feels.
Oh, yes, my stomach is still sore. I think it's the heat, but if this keeps up for more than a week or so, I'll probably make a doctor's appointment. I still haven't quite untangled my inner colonic turmoil beyond smoothing it with Bentyl. This has spared me some embarrassment, I'm sure, but started to lose its efficacy after a while, so I tweaked my diet, tapered off the pills and did more yoga/meditation. Things were going well until summer hit again. Now I'm losing weight and appetite. Could be just another flare-up. We'll see....
Meanwhile...I got a lovely email from my husband today. Score! lol. But, really, it's a big boost to hear from him after a gap, especially when things seem to be going well.
Friday, August 1, 2008
the army marches on its stomach
Thurs: nothing. I didn't feel like running. Wasn't sore or anything, but I didn't feel like running, and usually when that happens, I look at my log and see when the last break was, and if I should be concerned or try to pump up the moto/kick myself out the door...well, it had been 18 days straight, so I figured all was well, I was just tired of changing clothes so often. LOL
Fri: speedwork again, but shorter intervals. I like these. The training program our group has treats them a little differently than what I've done before, though. I'm used to barrelling out and taking a nice slow walk back, roughly 1:30-2:00 for every 200m and about 3-4 min for 400m. The recoveries this time were only 60s, except between sets, and I was still in the old gear, although I was a bit slower than last summer. 38-40 seconds per 200M. This is faster than specified for me, and just too fast to handle the short rest intervals. So I didn't do the maximum specified, but was fairly consistent, at least, I guess. I have to look at the upcoming workouts and feel my way around a better pace.
My stomach hurt at the end, though. Still does a bit, though it hurt this morning, too, so I shouldn't be too surprised. Summer finally is catching up to me gut-wise, but I would like to continue speedwork and stay off the Bentyl. Just another month-ish, just hang in there... I guess this means that all my other runs will stay super easy for the time being. :D
Fri: speedwork again, but shorter intervals. I like these. The training program our group has treats them a little differently than what I've done before, though. I'm used to barrelling out and taking a nice slow walk back, roughly 1:30-2:00 for every 200m and about 3-4 min for 400m. The recoveries this time were only 60s, except between sets, and I was still in the old gear, although I was a bit slower than last summer. 38-40 seconds per 200M. This is faster than specified for me, and just too fast to handle the short rest intervals. So I didn't do the maximum specified, but was fairly consistent, at least, I guess. I have to look at the upcoming workouts and feel my way around a better pace.
My stomach hurt at the end, though. Still does a bit, though it hurt this morning, too, so I shouldn't be too surprised. Summer finally is catching up to me gut-wise, but I would like to continue speedwork and stay off the Bentyl. Just another month-ish, just hang in there... I guess this means that all my other runs will stay super easy for the time being. :D
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