Which would be nice! This isn't insomnia, more like getting that second wind, which I've been getting too often lately.
At any rate, the dog and I ran 3 miles today. It was a normal average run, but really above average considering the past few weeks. It should be the normal morning distance, and I'm hoping to keep it up (with longer runs mid-week and weekend) because my dog seems to have a 3 mile daily minimum. Below that, he starts getting depressed and pushy and once the regular morning routine is amply reestablished, he returns to his normal self very quickly. Usually I notice the change after the 2nd normal run. i should add that Sundays don't count: I usually run with humans and he's used to sleeping in with my husband instead. Unfortunately, Fridays have become a bit problematic because I have to leave earlier than normal and I haven't quite been getting up early enough to do more than a mile or two.
However, the time change has been very helpful. I find daylight savings hard to adjust to, even in fall, but the dawn sky has been this amazing yellow orange colour. It's a wonderful hue to wake up to. I would like to run in it but that hasn't quite happened yet.
Meanwhile, I'm pumped about this farewell long run I've been planning. There are more bike/rec paths in the city than I'd known about!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
restoration
I've been feeling drained for a while. a few weeks?
Yesterday, Gaz and I ran for a while, but not a long while. My total mileage ended up being about 15 miles. Our energy levels were fortunately similar. walk? sure! Stop to eat something at the farmers' market? sure! We even met another friend and ran with her for awhile...it almost seems like we did everything but run.
I had sore guts, but in a muscular way, not digestive. I suspect my fuel belt interferes with my revamped core. At any rate, I enjoyed all the peripheral benefits, good conversation, snacks, lovely fall weather, etc, but the running itself felt too hard and yet too mild to be of any use.
HOWEVER, this morning, I ran with the dog and felt like a million bucks. I hadn't slept enough again (six hours, and the night before was three, due to social stuff), and I was going to do a couple of miles by the Canal but this bored me. So we headed down to the river and I loosened up and felt really light. We even sprinted up and down a few steep hill portions. It's been a while since I've done steep hill sprints and I was much more aware of my core. I kept it tight and it drove everything else. Before, i'd feel my quads and shoulders more. And then I did resistance exercises, a bodyrock routine that I'd done twice before, which further pushed things into a familiar and competent groove. It was not easy, but I felt like I wasn't merely pushing against fatigue, but toward gains.
In short, the long run on Sunday was the exact restorative thing that I've been requiring these past few weeks. I've broken slumps with extra long and easy runs before, but I'd forgotten about this. And apparently Lydiard (someone who's written a lot about long-distance running) advocated long easy runs as a cure for tired legs and general fatigue. This is second-hand knowledge and maybe I've misconstrued it, but the basic observation seems the same.
Yesterday, Gaz and I ran for a while, but not a long while. My total mileage ended up being about 15 miles. Our energy levels were fortunately similar. walk? sure! Stop to eat something at the farmers' market? sure! We even met another friend and ran with her for awhile...it almost seems like we did everything but run.
I had sore guts, but in a muscular way, not digestive. I suspect my fuel belt interferes with my revamped core. At any rate, I enjoyed all the peripheral benefits, good conversation, snacks, lovely fall weather, etc, but the running itself felt too hard and yet too mild to be of any use.
HOWEVER, this morning, I ran with the dog and felt like a million bucks. I hadn't slept enough again (six hours, and the night before was three, due to social stuff), and I was going to do a couple of miles by the Canal but this bored me. So we headed down to the river and I loosened up and felt really light. We even sprinted up and down a few steep hill portions. It's been a while since I've done steep hill sprints and I was much more aware of my core. I kept it tight and it drove everything else. Before, i'd feel my quads and shoulders more. And then I did resistance exercises, a bodyrock routine that I'd done twice before, which further pushed things into a familiar and competent groove. It was not easy, but I felt like I wasn't merely pushing against fatigue, but toward gains.
In short, the long run on Sunday was the exact restorative thing that I've been requiring these past few weeks. I've broken slumps with extra long and easy runs before, but I'd forgotten about this. And apparently Lydiard (someone who's written a lot about long-distance running) advocated long easy runs as a cure for tired legs and general fatigue. This is second-hand knowledge and maybe I've misconstrued it, but the basic observation seems the same.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
a slow slide into fall
so much to update. I fell prey to the mind-AND-body snatchers of certain science courses; finished the first round of midterms and started the 2nd (yes, multiple midterms) and I have had a few nights of low sleep, including a bizarrely invigorating 40 minutes (the next day was great, the day after that awful) but now I feel like I have a bit of breathing space. My laptop didn't make it through, though.
I have been running, just not as much. There are multiple culprits, including races (more on the latest), less sunshine (bought cod liver oil this week), studying, and that ccyst which is still on its way out...I prefer this slow deflate to a big bang, but it's been draining in more than one fashion. My total this week is just over 50 km which is low, but I am not feeling like I'm getting much or anything out of running apart from exercising my dog. Runs are not fun. This happens sometimes. So what if November is a down month?
Fortunately, Bodyrock.TV has been a great outlet. I have been doing those workouts 3 times a week--this week, 4! That is a burn I can relate to better nowadays and so I pursue it.
And it has had a positive effect on running. Last week, I ran a 1/2...last minute decision, a friend couldn't use her bib, etc. I was feeling dull but, hey, a race! I showed up and it was cold and there was a lineup for the porta potties, but I had to join it...they delayed the start because I was not the only one, but that extra five minutes of standing around took its toll. My feet were so cold, they didn't seem to be connected to the rest of me properly.
Once the race started, I was able to warm up, but at a price: I knew I was going too fast (just had my watch, but sub 5- min kms are easy math). slowing down was not in the works: I was cold, I was hanging behind some people including someone dressed up as Beetlejuice, and it was a lovely sunny crisp fall day...I was just going to have to see what would happen. The 1/2 is my most natural distance, my strongest PB and my best pacing, etc, etc...time to wrench it out of the comfort zone. I did 5K in 23:30, not sure how fast that was but it was way too fast for the first 5K of a half, but, so what?
I lost much time in the 2nd 5K...the turnaround was at 10.5 km and I was running on unfamiliar paths which was a lot of fun but there was a false turn at one point so I stopped cold for whatever reason and accidentally dropped a gel. i was still breathing hard and had to get used to the idea of doing this for over an hour more...anyway, I hit the turnaround in just over 51 minutes and I was alone. I lost the people I was trailing and I felt like I was going so slowly.
But, somehow, Bodyrocking kicked in and my abs knitted into this painful but solid platform and I was very aware that slowing down would just mean prolonged discomfort. After a few kms, I noticed that they were still sub 5-minutes. I thought that was a fluke, but I started doing math, as long as I got under 1:50, etc, etc, but the kms were still sub 5-min and somehow the math was skittering away but meanwhile, I was still going. It didn't matter that I was alone, I didn't care, I just wanted to get back. There were hills, and the 2nd last one came out of nowhere and ripped up my guts pretty fiercely (honestly, I forgot I was human for a few moments or even a separate entity because everything became a swarm of agony, reddish veil and all--it was a pain similar to the last few reps of weights where I don't know what I'm doing anymore except pushing against pain, which somehow distances itself and lets me go deeper), but once I got to the top of the last hill with less than 1 km to go, I could see the bottom and the end...and then I noticed that the race clock was still under 1:43.
Usually, it's my legs that feel sore, but this time, my guts took the heat! I got a core now.
This was a huge boost, not only because it's so close to my PB which dates from a leaner meaner pre-op time when I was faster at speedwork and about 10 pounds lighter (but now I have 10 more pounds (ok, 5?) of muscle), but ALSO because I went out harder and managed to hang in. I had gotten used to 8 miles of slightly faster than easy pace and 5 miles of more discomfort for a 1/2, I had become too conservative, too scared.
I'm not sure what will happen next year in Kansas (yes, we're moving again) but I have plans for the rest of my time in Ottawa at least. Definitely, I'm going to continue the crosstraining, if only because it's so thrilling making horrendous exercises less so (I actually got three relatively fluid dive bombers in a row). No more races this year, but I have to run an homage to my city of birth before I leave. This is going to be epic and might encompass daylight hours completely, hopefully.
I have been running, just not as much. There are multiple culprits, including races (more on the latest), less sunshine (bought cod liver oil this week), studying, and that ccyst which is still on its way out...I prefer this slow deflate to a big bang, but it's been draining in more than one fashion. My total this week is just over 50 km which is low, but I am not feeling like I'm getting much or anything out of running apart from exercising my dog. Runs are not fun. This happens sometimes. So what if November is a down month?
Fortunately, Bodyrock.TV has been a great outlet. I have been doing those workouts 3 times a week--this week, 4! That is a burn I can relate to better nowadays and so I pursue it.
And it has had a positive effect on running. Last week, I ran a 1/2...last minute decision, a friend couldn't use her bib, etc. I was feeling dull but, hey, a race! I showed up and it was cold and there was a lineup for the porta potties, but I had to join it...they delayed the start because I was not the only one, but that extra five minutes of standing around took its toll. My feet were so cold, they didn't seem to be connected to the rest of me properly.
Once the race started, I was able to warm up, but at a price: I knew I was going too fast (just had my watch, but sub 5- min kms are easy math). slowing down was not in the works: I was cold, I was hanging behind some people including someone dressed up as Beetlejuice, and it was a lovely sunny crisp fall day...I was just going to have to see what would happen. The 1/2 is my most natural distance, my strongest PB and my best pacing, etc, etc...time to wrench it out of the comfort zone. I did 5K in 23:30, not sure how fast that was but it was way too fast for the first 5K of a half, but, so what?
I lost much time in the 2nd 5K...the turnaround was at 10.5 km and I was running on unfamiliar paths which was a lot of fun but there was a false turn at one point so I stopped cold for whatever reason and accidentally dropped a gel. i was still breathing hard and had to get used to the idea of doing this for over an hour more...anyway, I hit the turnaround in just over 51 minutes and I was alone. I lost the people I was trailing and I felt like I was going so slowly.
But, somehow, Bodyrocking kicked in and my abs knitted into this painful but solid platform and I was very aware that slowing down would just mean prolonged discomfort. After a few kms, I noticed that they were still sub 5-minutes. I thought that was a fluke, but I started doing math, as long as I got under 1:50, etc, etc, but the kms were still sub 5-min and somehow the math was skittering away but meanwhile, I was still going. It didn't matter that I was alone, I didn't care, I just wanted to get back. There were hills, and the 2nd last one came out of nowhere and ripped up my guts pretty fiercely (honestly, I forgot I was human for a few moments or even a separate entity because everything became a swarm of agony, reddish veil and all--it was a pain similar to the last few reps of weights where I don't know what I'm doing anymore except pushing against pain, which somehow distances itself and lets me go deeper), but once I got to the top of the last hill with less than 1 km to go, I could see the bottom and the end...and then I noticed that the race clock was still under 1:43.
Usually, it's my legs that feel sore, but this time, my guts took the heat! I got a core now.
This was a huge boost, not only because it's so close to my PB which dates from a leaner meaner pre-op time when I was faster at speedwork and about 10 pounds lighter (but now I have 10 more pounds (ok, 5?) of muscle), but ALSO because I went out harder and managed to hang in. I had gotten used to 8 miles of slightly faster than easy pace and 5 miles of more discomfort for a 1/2, I had become too conservative, too scared.
I'm not sure what will happen next year in Kansas (yes, we're moving again) but I have plans for the rest of my time in Ottawa at least. Definitely, I'm going to continue the crosstraining, if only because it's so thrilling making horrendous exercises less so (I actually got three relatively fluid dive bombers in a row). No more races this year, but I have to run an homage to my city of birth before I leave. This is going to be epic and might encompass daylight hours completely, hopefully.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
The body knows
I haven't run much since Wednesday, just about two miles a day. My minimum pre-morning shower distance, I guess. I'm not injured so much as slightly bored. An unexpected effect of the monstrous mileage on Sunday is dissatisfaction with daily shorter runs this week. Doesn't help that the last couple of days have been rather warmer than what I expect of fall. I ran through a few months of feeling like I was tucked under someone's armpit,I embraced summer to the point of feeling comfortable running a marathon in 30C, but now I'm done with that and am craving the invigorating contrast of a 6C breeze.
I've gotten a few good non-running workouts in this week, though: bodyrocking!
I've gotten a few good non-running workouts in this week, though: bodyrocking!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
distance and speed
Sunday was a cold drizzly day; I have been longing for that cool fall weather, but not the rain. Fortunately, Gaz showed up at my door at 8 am. I had no choice but to go. We had a wonderful run. I hadn't had enough, though: that afternoon, I grabbed the dog and went back out. We got drenched but otherwise had a great run. Total that day was just over 30 miles. It's hard to believe. It was actually reasonable. That's the longest I've ever run in a day. I really should have written about it earlier, while the feelings were still fresh...there was definitely something different about covering that much distance in a day. Extra endorphins?
I also had a really good run on Tuesday, almost eight miles. (Monday was four kind of stiff and definitely slow miles).
This morning was two easy miles. Tonight was speedwork. I felt sleepy all day for some reason and considered staying home, but I put on running clothes, dashed my dog's hopes by leaving him behind, and went to run club.
The workout was 1200-800-600, 2-3 repeats. I'm coming back after a hiatus, perfect reason to do just the two!
5:18/ 7:06/mile
3:30/ 7:02/mile
2:34/ 6:56/mile
5:26/ 7:17/mile
3:35/ 7:12/mile
2:32/ 6:47/mile
The first one, I was alone, but I caught up with two other women and we stuck together for the other repeats. I was really grateful to have company because I'm not quite sure I can feel a good pace on my own. We slowed down a bit but that was probably due to dusk. It was dark when we finished.
I have run nearly 50 miles this week already. (!!!)
I also had a really good run on Tuesday, almost eight miles. (Monday was four kind of stiff and definitely slow miles).
This morning was two easy miles. Tonight was speedwork. I felt sleepy all day for some reason and considered staying home, but I put on running clothes, dashed my dog's hopes by leaving him behind, and went to run club.
The workout was 1200-800-600, 2-3 repeats. I'm coming back after a hiatus, perfect reason to do just the two!
5:18/ 7:06/mile
3:30/ 7:02/mile
2:34/ 6:56/mile
5:26/ 7:17/mile
3:35/ 7:12/mile
2:32/ 6:47/mile
The first one, I was alone, but I caught up with two other women and we stuck together for the other repeats. I was really grateful to have company because I'm not quite sure I can feel a good pace on my own. We slowed down a bit but that was probably due to dusk. It was dark when we finished.
I have run nearly 50 miles this week already. (!!!)
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
rejoining run club
I picked a nice humid day to return to run club! I was a bit nervous about doing this because I'd been away for so long, but I'm hoping that I can be a regular until we move (and I return to my run club of 2: me and the dog).
It was 2000M repeats:
8:59
8:59
9:32...the woman I was running with mentioned going slower, and I quite agreed, because it was gross! The first two felt ok but the air dampened morale, I guess. It was going to rain, there were thick clouds overhead, but nothing was breaking and the air was a soggy sponge. Going 30 seconds slower didn't seem to make things much easier anyway. UGH!!!!
Still, it was great to rejoin the group! Sadly, I'll have to miss Friday's workout, I think, because we're going to Oktoberfest, but being with the group pushed me more than my dog does, and it was great to catch up with people whom I haven't seen in a while. Small group, too, which made it feel a little cozy in a way.
And I didn't really know what my pace was at the time...well, I would have been happy with my final interval pace because that is roughly my tempo run pace these days (7:40/mile). 7:13/mile for the first two, now that I've looked it up, takes me by surprise. nice!
It was 2000M repeats:
8:59
8:59
9:32...the woman I was running with mentioned going slower, and I quite agreed, because it was gross! The first two felt ok but the air dampened morale, I guess. It was going to rain, there were thick clouds overhead, but nothing was breaking and the air was a soggy sponge. Going 30 seconds slower didn't seem to make things much easier anyway. UGH!!!!
Still, it was great to rejoin the group! Sadly, I'll have to miss Friday's workout, I think, because we're going to Oktoberfest, but being with the group pushed me more than my dog does, and it was great to catch up with people whom I haven't seen in a while. Small group, too, which made it feel a little cozy in a way.
And I didn't really know what my pace was at the time...well, I would have been happy with my final interval pace because that is roughly my tempo run pace these days (7:40/mile). 7:13/mile for the first two, now that I've looked it up, takes me by surprise. nice!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Army Run
The Army Run was actually a week ago. It went better than expected. My legs recovered quickly from the marathon but my iron levels didn't. My iron was probably lowered during the summer illnesses to begin with, and I have not been consistent about taking iron pills since then. So, two days before the Army Run, the old foot glitch came back, the same thing which happened last summer shortly after I went off the iron pills completely and suddenly. I was having trouble walking on Friday. Saturday was better, but I still wasn't quite sure what would happen during the race. Last time, the foot glitch permitted me to run around 8:00/mile quite nicely, which meant that if I had the fitness to pull that off, I could perhaps get close to 1:50 this year after all.
Another glitch was another cyst..this is still being investigated but I had an infection and fever for a couple of days in the week before the Army Run and I ended up not running much that week. A mini-taper!
We (my husband, my brother and I) were late getting to the race start even though it was maybe a 10 minute walk from our house. LOL. Classic chip-timing lassitude. We hopped in somewhere after the 2 hr bunnies and then walked to the start--the crowd was very thick. I quickly lost my husband and brother and realized that I was still wearing my watch. I'd decided to go entirely by feel for my foot's sake, so I switched the watch setting to the alarm or whatever, so I wouldn't be tempted to look at it. This worked well and I didn't look at it once.
Well, I was too far back. The crowd slowed down unbearably on the first hill and there were too many ipod-zombies veering into my path--I got tired of saying "on your left" in vain and I didn't want to get too worked up, but I had to go a certain pace and so I had to find the holes to get by. My legs had a mind of their own. At times, I felt like I was going too fast, but I couldn't slow down. This has happened on previous 1/2s with success, and I ceded control to my legs.
I passed the 2:00 bunnies and then the 1:55 bunnies...I saw one of the 1:50 bunnies about 9-10 miles in and decided that I would catch up to him/her by the time we got to Pretoria Bridge, about a mile from the finish.
This didn't quite happen, and I never caught the bunny, but I honestly didn't slack on pace. Mentally, I felt very strong, and negative feelings about discomfort and so forth were quickly banished; at times, I thought about slowing down, but then I reminded myself that 1:50 would be a PB for the year, how grand, and if I had pretty much caught up to the 1:50 bunny, I could finish the job. And if I didn't, I would feel terrible; I owed it to myself to get a result that I would be proud of; I deserved a good result, etc, etc. This mental talk worked.
I was about six seconds behind the bunny; I narrowed his/her lead in the final 300M or so but my efforts weren't quite enough. Still, it was great to see 1:50:xx on the clock. We'd started late: my chip time was just under 1:48. Not a PB, but my old plateau! Very encouraging. I felt so thrilled after the race; it was one of my highest post-race highs, I think. The rest of the day was woefully unproductive because I wasn't on the planet.
It was also swell to finally run the Army Run with my husband there, even though we lost each other! The first year, 2008, he was in Iraq. The second year, I had the cath surgery 3 days before so my "race" was shuffling 400m to the end to hand in my chip (I still picked up the race shirt; figured I'd earned it). Last year, we were out of town.
He and my brother ran 1:51:XX, which they were both thrilled with. I was impressed!
I think I will do at least one more 1/2 this year...I will rejoin run club too but basically run by feel. I've been concentrating a lot on form recently and this seems to be paying off. The bodyrock routines have helped a lot too with tightening my core. I'm trying to do 3 routines per week.
I haven't run much this past week: didn't feel like it. I've been taking an iron pill every day and my foot feels almost normal now. I actually jogged today! This is good because the dog hasn't had enough exercise these past three weeks. Oh, yeah, I got an ingrown toenail after the race (I've been treating it and it's almost back to normal too)...I guess running a full and a 1/2 within two weeks of each other wasn't the best idea!
Another glitch was another cyst..this is still being investigated but I had an infection and fever for a couple of days in the week before the Army Run and I ended up not running much that week. A mini-taper!
We (my husband, my brother and I) were late getting to the race start even though it was maybe a 10 minute walk from our house. LOL. Classic chip-timing lassitude. We hopped in somewhere after the 2 hr bunnies and then walked to the start--the crowd was very thick. I quickly lost my husband and brother and realized that I was still wearing my watch. I'd decided to go entirely by feel for my foot's sake, so I switched the watch setting to the alarm or whatever, so I wouldn't be tempted to look at it. This worked well and I didn't look at it once.
Well, I was too far back. The crowd slowed down unbearably on the first hill and there were too many ipod-zombies veering into my path--I got tired of saying "on your left" in vain and I didn't want to get too worked up, but I had to go a certain pace and so I had to find the holes to get by. My legs had a mind of their own. At times, I felt like I was going too fast, but I couldn't slow down. This has happened on previous 1/2s with success, and I ceded control to my legs.
I passed the 2:00 bunnies and then the 1:55 bunnies...I saw one of the 1:50 bunnies about 9-10 miles in and decided that I would catch up to him/her by the time we got to Pretoria Bridge, about a mile from the finish.
This didn't quite happen, and I never caught the bunny, but I honestly didn't slack on pace. Mentally, I felt very strong, and negative feelings about discomfort and so forth were quickly banished; at times, I thought about slowing down, but then I reminded myself that 1:50 would be a PB for the year, how grand, and if I had pretty much caught up to the 1:50 bunny, I could finish the job. And if I didn't, I would feel terrible; I owed it to myself to get a result that I would be proud of; I deserved a good result, etc, etc. This mental talk worked.
I was about six seconds behind the bunny; I narrowed his/her lead in the final 300M or so but my efforts weren't quite enough. Still, it was great to see 1:50:xx on the clock. We'd started late: my chip time was just under 1:48. Not a PB, but my old plateau! Very encouraging. I felt so thrilled after the race; it was one of my highest post-race highs, I think. The rest of the day was woefully unproductive because I wasn't on the planet.
It was also swell to finally run the Army Run with my husband there, even though we lost each other! The first year, 2008, he was in Iraq. The second year, I had the cath surgery 3 days before so my "race" was shuffling 400m to the end to hand in my chip (I still picked up the race shirt; figured I'd earned it). Last year, we were out of town.
He and my brother ran 1:51:XX, which they were both thrilled with. I was impressed!
I think I will do at least one more 1/2 this year...I will rejoin run club too but basically run by feel. I've been concentrating a lot on form recently and this seems to be paying off. The bodyrock routines have helped a lot too with tightening my core. I'm trying to do 3 routines per week.
I haven't run much this past week: didn't feel like it. I've been taking an iron pill every day and my foot feels almost normal now. I actually jogged today! This is good because the dog hasn't had enough exercise these past three weeks. Oh, yeah, I got an ingrown toenail after the race (I've been treating it and it's almost back to normal too)...I guess running a full and a 1/2 within two weeks of each other wasn't the best idea!
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