Ultimate Runner Book Review

Have you heard of Runners' Lounge? It's a pretty cool place where you can interact with runners from all over the place. In addition, the creators, Amy and Tom, are all about getting to know your runners of all types. From the person who does run/walk 5Ks to the person who runs super-fast marathons.

Together Amy and Tom decided they wanted to create a book to celebrate all these runners that were sharing there stories in the Runners' Lounge. So they teamed up with a publisher and The Ultimate Runner was born!

I was lucky enough to receive a free copy of this book from Amy and Tom and they asked me to share my review with all my readers. I started it last week and even though I'm an admittedly fast reader I can tell you that it would be a quick and fun read for anyone who likes running. Especially those of you out there that like to read blogs.

Imagine if someone combined your favorite blog posts about why someone runs or her most memorable race and put them into book form. And then, just to top it all off, added helpful information about cross-training, nutrition, stretching, and injuries. What a great idea, right?

Well, that's what The Ultimate Runner does. The first part of the book is divided into sections talking about the emotional, the physical, the social, the memorable and all the other aspects of running that inspire us to get out there. The second part is devoted to advice from fitness and running experts.

I truly believe that any runner, aspiring runner, or family of a runner would find at least one story in this book that he or she could relate to. Whether it's the story about the woman who tried running only to decide she makes a better support team for her running family or the story about the woman who does Ironman triathlons. Or the story about the people who run after a cancer diagnosis or just because they need something to make them feel alive even when they're healthy. There really is something in there for everyone.

Some of the expert advice might be repetitive for anyone whose read more than one issue of Runners' World or hung around any online running forum so I admit that I sort of skimmed that part. But, you never know what you don't know so there's always a chance you'll learn something new.

I think my only criticism is that I wanted more stories of runners! Also, since I'm sure that Amy and Tom found many of these stories via blog submissions I would have liked to see some acknowledgment of whether or not the authors had blogs I could go check out. Thankfully they are doing some of that over in the Lounge and I can understand why, editorially, they didn't include links to blogs that might not be there permanently. But, still, would have been nice.

Regardless, it was a nice, easy read that left me with a few gems to think about the next time I'm in need of some inspiration.

If you're interested in checking it out yourself, it's available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Borders. Or you can ask your local independent bookstore or public library to see about ordering a copy.

Sad Face Run

Last night was the usual Monday night 5.5 mile run with my running group. It was also technically our "run of the month" meaning that we would go out to dinner as a group afterward.

However, I wasn't really feeling it. None of my regular running buddies showed up and everyone left me way in the dust during the first mile. I had a headache, was obviously dehydrated, and my heart just wasn't in it. Each mile felt like a struggle and I even thought about turning around and only doing three miles instead of the full 5.5. But, I stuck to it and ran my own, slower than normal pace even though I really just wanted to stop and go home. And in the end I ran my dreadful 5.5 miles alone and then went home to a bowl of cereal for dinner.

I wish I was the type of person that found solace in running alone with just my own thoughts. I wish when I was upset I could go out for a run and feel better. But, I'm not. Running alone gives me too much time to think and when I'm sad or upset that's all I think about.

So why am I sad? Well, you remember this gal?



That's Trinka Deu. She's my 9 year old German Shepherd/Husky mix. Last Thursday she was diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer. We've explored our options, thought long and hard about it, and on Monday we decided not to pursue any treatment. The last vet she saw today gave my husband a hard sell for the treatment but, in the end, I think we're just going to let her live out what's left of her life. Which may be only a few weeks to a few months but it's either that or spend a lot of money, time, and emotional energy putting her through chemo that has an icicle's chance in hell of curing her.

Of course, my broken heart was all I could think about on my run. Every time my thoughts turned to her tears would threaten to well up. And when I cry I have a difficult time breathing. And, of course, I spent most of Monday crying, too, which lead to the dehydration and the headache. Plus, when I'm sad I don't have much of an appetite which is always a recipe for disaster when it comes to running.

I know there are people out there that would find solace in a good, hard workout. I'm not one of them. It just hurts too much.



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Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 628 ft Location: Forest Park, IL Elev. Gain: +3 ft Date: 05/10/10 Up/Downhill: [+22/-19] Time: 06:35 PM Difficulty: 2.1 / 5.0 Performance Distance: 5.50 miles Time: 0:52:59 Speed: 6.2 mph Pace: 9' 38 /mi Calories: 648 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 14 -0' 24 6.5 +0.3 0 ft 2 9' 26 -0' 12 6.4 +0.1 -9 ft 3 9' 55 +0' 17 6.0 -0.2 +3 ft 4 9' 44 +0' 06 6.2 -0.1 +7 ft 5 10' 08 +0' 30 5.9 -0.3 0 ft end 9' 22 -0' 16 6.4 +0.2 +3 ft Versus average of 9' 38 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Shoe Brigade

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Behold! All the Brooks Adrenalines I currently have in my house. From back to front they are:

A pair of GTS 6's
A pair of blue GTS 8's
A pair of reddish-pink GTS 8's
My most recent teal GTS 9's
And my newest addition, the pink and purple GTS 10's

Where are the 7's you ask? Those got donated to the running store when I bought the blue 8's. I really should donate a few more pairs. It's getting a little ridiculous in here.

So why did I buy new shoes if I already have so many laying around my house?

Well I finally added up how many miles I'd put on the GTS 9's and according to my calculations it's over 400!

I think I've been really lucky not to have any injuries. The rule of thumb is that running shoes last anywhere from 300-500 miles. I certainly fall squarely in the middle of that range. I suppose my current shoes could last me a bit longer but, I admit, when Kim linked me to this post and told me those were someone's new Adrenalines I knew I HAD TO get new shoes.

I did a little digging and discovered that while those particular Brooks were not shown on the Brooks website they were for sale on endless.com. So, although I should be supporting my local running store (where I also get a discount) I didn't want to chance not being able to get these shoes. I mean, look at them:


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They're pink and purple! With a fun flowery design! I know, I know, you're not supposed to buy running shoes based on looks but when looks converge with the shoes I already love how am I going to pass them up?

I haven't run in them yet but when I tried them on they felt so cushiony. I'm looking forward to my first run in them. I'm sure I'll have a spring in my step.

Back at the Track

Last summer when I was training for the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon I started doing speedwork at a track near my house. I'd go every other Wednesday around 6:30. Every time I'd see a group of people doing their speedwork together and being encouraged and timed by a coach. I always wanted to know who they were but was too shy to go ask. Finally I overheard someone else asking one of the members. Turns out they were a subset of the Oak Park Runners Club! One of the things I was most looking forward to when I joined the club last fall was these summer speedwork sessions.

And last night was our first one. We met at the track around 6PM and practically had to beg to be let in. It seems that the college track team was finishing up their workout and NCAA rules are that no one else is allowed on the track during that time. So, we hung around until about 6:20 or so before we were allowed to start our warm-up.

We did a mile warm-up and you could see right away that there are all different paces. I did my warm-up in about 9:13 which is probably a little fast for me.

Then it was time for the workout. Our "coach" wanted us to run at about 75% of our 5K effort. Well, I'm really bad at figuring that kind of stuff out so I decided to aim for an 8 minute/mile pace. That's what my marathon training program thinks I should do speedwork at anyway.

Our total workout was:

4x800m with 1 min rest intervals
3x400m with 30 second rest intervals

The goal was to do each 800m faster that then previous one and then the same thing for the 400m. Our rest intervals consisted of walking back and forth or standing and waiting for the last person in the group to cross the line.

Apparently I've forgotten how to use the Garmin for speedwork so I don't have ALL my times, but they went something like this:

1st 800m - 3:58
2nd 800m - 3:59
3rd 800m - 3:49
4th 800m - 4:02

Okay, so, not quite negative splits but at least they are all fairly consistent! And right on my time goal.

The "coach" runs part way with various people in the group and then tries to end up back at the start/finish line before everyone else. He stands there with the stopwatch shouting out times and encouragement. Let me tell you, it really does help when you're dragging to have someone (or multiple someones) waving you in.

It also helps to have a group of people to commiserate with. Speedwork is fun but it is also WORK. They don't call it speedlaziness for a reason.

After recovering for a bit we took a vote on how many 400s we wanted to do. The consensus was three. So that's what we did. Again, I fail at Garmin but I think my splits went something like:

1st 400 - Under 2:00
2nd 400 - 1:59
3rd 400 - 2:01

So, again, consistent but not negative.

But, it's the first night. I can definitely see that I will improve over the course of the summer. Plus, it's just so much more fun to do this kind of stuff with other people. I love all the camaraderie, I love that even though we're naturally split into a few groups that it's not competitive at all. It's just a group of people who love to run and want to do their best.

After all those laps we did four more as a cool down mile. I was definitely dragging during my cool-down and I did it much slower (9:57). But, hey, you're supposed to go slow during the cool down!

Total we did 4.75 miles with warm-up and cool-down. Assuming my math is right.

Can't wait til next week!

April Wrap-Up

Source


It feels weird to be writing a monthly summary AFTER running my half marathon but not including the race in the summary. I guess that's what happens when you run a race on the first day of a new month.

So those 13.1 miles won't get included in this summary. But just you wait; May's summary will be a doozy!

But before I get there, let's discuss April.

Total mileage for the month: 79.71 miles
Total races for the month: 1
Total PRs for the month: 1

So, yes, in April I ran almost 80 miles, raced a 5K and got myself another personal record time. Most of my training runs went well and even though I had to swap a few things around and miss some runs due to scheduling conflicts I didn't freak out.

Overall I'd say April was a good month. I wish I had more to say about it. Mostly I just write these posts so that when I do my year in review I can quickly see my monthly totals and jog (heh) my memory. Also because I like routine.

So, instead of blathering on about something just to fill the space, I'll ask you: do you track your workouts? If so, how? And how much detail do you record?

Wisconsin Half Marathon Race Report

Runners packed in at the start


Isn't it funny? You can train so hard for a race. All your training runs can go great. And then race day comes and something else entirely happens.


Let's recap my goals:

Goal A: Finish (that's always goal A)
Goal B: Finish without walking (except for perhaps at some water stops)
Goal C: Get a new PR (under 2:13)
Goal D: Finish under 2:10
Goal E: Finish under 2:00

So, which ones did I accomplish? Goal A and Goal C. And I came THISCLOSE to hitting Goal D. If only I had managed to shuffle a few more steps. Ah, well, I still got a new PR!

How did it all play out? Let's see....

After a momentary crisis with our hotel room reservation we were able to get our Friday night digs sorted out and we headed up to Wisconsin after scarfing down dinner (pizza, for the record). I got my race packet from Kim and was in bed by 10:30 for our 5 AM wake up call.

When my alarm went off I dragged myself out of bed, got ready, and ate my usual English muffin with peanut butter. Jason and I met Kim and Steven in the hotel lobby and we left for the race around 6 AM. Due to the traffic we got to the start with only about 15 minutes to spare. While the national anthem played I wormed my way through the crowd and put myself near the 9:00 minute/mile pace sign. I picked out some people to try and stick with and, although the Garmin only said 6:59, the horn sounded and we were off.

The original plan was to try for negative splits and start out around a 9:15 mile and speed up at the half way point. Except when everyone's Garmins beeped at mile 1 I looked at mine and saw I'd totally blown that plan. 8:50. Oops. So at that point I decided to try and build up a cushion of time instead.

I skipped the first water station (in hindsight, possibly a mistake) and was hanging on to my 8:50ish pace. I was keeping the people I'd picked out in my sights and I felt, well, I guess I just felt okay. Just like my other two half marathons I felt kind of dizzy and not well-fueled. I still haven't figured out the perfect combination of foods to eat before a hard morning run.

The miles felt long and I knew that wasn't a good sign if it was only the beginning of the run. I was super-grateful for the aid station around mile 4. It gave me an excuse to walk for a moment and drink some Gatorade. I was pleased to see that my pace didn't suffer significantly.

Just after mile 4 I started scanning the crowd looking for Jason. I knew he'd be there somewhere. Imagine my surprise when I recognized my step-dad's hat and saw my mom standing on the sidelines holding this:


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I had NO IDEA they were coming to cheer for me. I was so shocked. I actually started crying. Turns out they drove up the night before and were even staying on the same floor of the same hotel that Jason and I were in!! They'd been arranging this with Jason for weeks!

Here's a slideshow of my reaction when I realized my parents were there. My mom even grabbed my hand and ran a few steps with me:

That gave me a much needed boost for the rest of that mile. But then, you see, the hills really started. As we moved towards the edge of the lake we went up and down over and over again. The road and paths got more and more pocked with potholes. I was really looking forward to the halfway point when I could stop for water and to take the Gu I'd shoved in my pocket at the last minute. So, once we got to the water station just after mile 6 I grabbed a cup of water, squeezed my Vanilla Gingerbread Gu into my mouth, downed the water, and tried to find the energy to keep running.

About this time I realized my legs felt like they were made of concrete. I kept trudging along but it was painful. I watched my pace drop like a lead balloon. The lead runner in the half marathon passed us on the back portion of the out and back course. I craned my neck looking for the turn around point but couldn't see it. The miles went by so slowly. I wanted to cry. I wanted to stop. I wanted the race to be over. At mile 8 I grabbed a cup of water and that's when the walking began in earnest.

I tried to keep running if only until I passed Kim and Steven. When I saw them Kim whipped out her camera and I acted like I was having a great time!



But then I walked again. My heart just wasn't in it anymore. The more I walked the more I watched my 2:00 goal slip away. I tried to readjust my expectations. I tried to run. But I just couldn't. I just wanted to be done.

Near mile 10 I really wanted some Gatorade. But that aid station only had water. So, I skipped it. Again, probably a mistake. Water would have been better than nothing. The sun was beating down on us and although there was a breeze off the lake it was stiff enough to be irritating.

I switched to trying to run a quarter mile and walking a quarter mile but even that much running was beyond me. At one point I was lucky if I could run a tenth of a mile. When we finally passed the mile 12 marker, I grabbed one final cup of water and thought to myself "It's just one more mile. You can run one mile." But I couldn't. I saw Kim and Steven again as I walked. At this point I thought to myself "If I can just keep my average pace under 10 minutes per mile."

And when I hit the mile 13 marker and saw Jason and my parents I burst into tears.



Jason, bless his heart, jumped off the curb and out onto the course. "You can do this!" he yelled. And he started running alongside me as I cried. I saw another runner look over at us but didn't care. I could see the clock saying 2:10:something and I tried to push myself even harder. Jason jumped back onto the curb just before the finish line and I practically stumbled over the timing mats.

I'd never been happier to be done with something. I got my mylar blanket and my medal, hugged my parents, and then went to the finish line to wait for Kim and Steven.



By the way, that mylar blanket? Totally disgusting when you're still sweaty and it's humid out. I didn't want it touching me at all. It wasn't until I was standing in line for a massage that I started to shiver uncontrollably and really wanted that thing.

I got my massage which felt SO GOOD on my calves. My lower legs were quite angry with me. Even today my quads and my back are so incredibly sore. I've never been this sore after running anything.

Overall, I did not run the race I had trained for. But I still ran a personal best and I finished! Although there were a few moments when I did not want to be out on the course anymore I never walked off. I could have, but I didn't. And as with any race, you learn some lessons. Hopefully I can apply these to my marathon training. After that, though, I'm leaning towards sticking to shorter distances or less lofty time goals.

I do have to thank Kim and Steven, though. Although I didn't run the actual race with them, it was great to be there together, experiencing the same things, and cheering for one another.




Official Stats:

(Note: My Garmin measured this course as a little long. There were a lot of turns and even though I tried to run the tangents it didn't always work.)

Final time - 2:10:01
Average Pace - 9:56
Overall Place - 975/1945

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Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 592 ft Location: Kenosha, WI Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 05/01/10 Up/Downhill: [+374/-374] Time: 06:59 AM Difficulty: 3.3 / 5.0   Weather: Fair   64 F temp; 75% humidity   64 F heat index; winds SW 15 Performance Distance: 13.18 miles Time: 2:10:04 Speed: 6.1 mph Pace: 9' 52 /mi Calories: 1508 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 8' 50 -1' 02 6.8 +0.7 +16 ft 2 8' 49 -1' 03 6.8 +0.7 0 ft 3 8' 57 -0' 55 6.7 +0.6 +13 ft 4 9' 02 -0' 50 6.6 +0.5 -3 ft 5 9' 01 -0' 51 6.7 +0.6 -3 ft 6 9' 23 -0' 29 6.4 +0.3 -13 ft 7 9' 39 -0' 13 6.2 +0.1 +4 ft 8 10' 03 +0' 11 6.0 -0.1 -3 ft 9 10' 25 +0' 33 5.8 -0.3 +6 ft 10 10' 45 +0' 53 5.6 -0.5 -3 ft 11 10' 59 +1' 07 5.5 -0.6 +13 ft 12 11' 06 +1' 14 5.4 -0.7 -7 ft 13 11' 25 +1' 33 5.2 -0.8 -10 ft end 8' 20 -1' 32 7.2 +1.1 -9 ft Versus average of 9' 52 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Wisconsin Half Marathon Preliminary Result

That....was hard.

Official time? 2:10:01. Not the time I really wanted, but still a personal record.

Complete report to come tomorrow.

Wisconsin Half Marathon Preview

This time tomorrow I plan to be finished with what I consider to be my first BIG race of the season: The Wisconsin Half Marathon in Kenosha, WI. I've been training for this thing for 13 weeks and I really hope that it pays off. I'm admittedly nervous (okay, try scared to death) but I'm going to try my hardest not to psych myself out.

Why am I nervous? While I've done two half marathons neither one went as smoothly as I would like. There was more walking than I wanted, I had some mild panic attacks, and I definitely hit some walls. And although all my runs this year have gone great, I didn't do any of my long runs with water or fuel. Which means I'm unsure of how to proceed in terms of both during the race.

Plus, I just have such a hard time understanding how adrenaline and excitement can make up for running all your long runs at a pace almost a minute slower than your race day pace...and for less distance! I suppose I just need to get into the mindset that my training will carry me through regardless.

Or, as a friend on Facebook said, "There is no wall, there is no wall, there is no wall."

As with my previous half marathons, I have a continuum of goals. They are:

Goal A: Finish (that's always goal A)
Goal B: Finish without walking (except for perhaps at some water stops)
Goal C: Get a new PR (under 2:13)
Goal D: Finish under 2:10
Goal E: Finish under 2:00

Admittedly, Goal E is the one I really really really want to do (and the one I'll be aiming for) but race day can bring anything and I don't want to be disappointed with whatever happens. So, as long as I complete goal A I will be pleased.

Now, with that out of the way, onto the more important things. What am I wearing??

Okay, I know the "rule" of running is "nothing new on race day". Yet, when I searched my dresser for something to wear it all seemed so blah. Plus, the weather is going to be 50/50 on whether it's t-shirt or tank-top temperature. Now, of course I could wear something I've worn before, but I have this thing about not repeating something I've already worn to a race. So last night I went to Kohl's and found a tank top on the clearance rack for $4.80! As of right now I'm planning on wearing this:



With my black running skirt and my white Adidas visor (which I washed in the sink last night). Hopefully flouting the nothing new on race day rule doesn't come back to bite me in the butt.

So, think of me tomorrow morning as you roll over in your bed at 7AM. Or, if you're in the area, come on out to cheer. And for those of you reading this that are racing somewhere else tomorrow (like my hometown. I just looked at the race course for that race this morning and it goes right past my parents' house!) best of luck to you and may you meet all the goals you set out!

Wind at My Back

Source


I am officially done with running until my half marathon on Saturday. I ran my last almost 4 miles on Tuesday at lunch and lead the pack until the last half mile. I definitely did it faster than the prescribed tempo pace. I admit that when I looked at my Garmin at the mile 1 beep I was shocked to see a time of 8:45. Why was I shocked? Because it was so easy!

We stopped at the half way point so that the people in the group not running a race on Saturday could do some hill work on the sled hill. In our lunch time running group we have three of us running a race on Saturday. One doing the full Illinois Marathon, one doing the full Wisconsin Marathon and me doing the half Wisconsin Marathon. We stood around patiently while the other three guys did 4 hill repeats.

When we turned around to run the 2 miles back it was like hitting a wall. A wall made of wind. Apparently we'd had the wind at our backs on the way out. I guess we should have known by the way Lake Michigan was spraying up in the air on the other side of the concrete barrier! I pretty much had to keep my head down in order to keep my visor from blowing off my head! Speaking of visors, anyone got a good idea on how to wash a really gross one?

Overall it was a great note on which to end this training cycle. Just one more notch in my confidence belt. However, I plan to do another post before Saturday laying out my actual goals and thoughts and possibly what I'm wearing in case anyone wants to stalk come cheer for me. Stay tuned for that.

Finally, in other news, I received a free copy of The Ultimate Runner from the Tom and Amy over at Runners' Lounge. I plan to read it over the next few days and write up a review. The sooner I can get the review done the sooner I can get in the running for a free copy to give away to one of you! Or, if you just can't wait that long, feel free to order your very own copy!

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Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 592 ft Location: Chicago, IL Elev. Gain: +3 ft Date: 04/27/10 Up/Downhill: [+203/-200] Time: 12:19 PM Difficulty: 2.4 / 5.0   Weather: A Few Clouds   48 F temp; 43% humidity   48 F heat index; winds NE 18 G 23 Performance Distance: 3.99 miles Time: 0:35:12 Speed: 6.8 mph Pace: 8' 49 /mi Calories: 470 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 8' 45 -0' 04 6.8 +0.0 +4 ft 2 8' 34 -0' 15 7.0 +0.2 -19 ft 3 9' 10 +0' 21 6.5 -0.3 +6 ft end 8' 53 +0' 04 6.8 -0.1 +13 ft Versus average of 8' 49 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Good Will Running

You know, sometimes a run is not about speed. It's not about the distance. It's not about whatever your training schedule says. Sometimes it's about being a good person and enjoying yourself regardless of the circumstances.

Last night the original plan was to do my last tempo run of my half marathon training. 1 mile warm-up, 3 miles at 9:07, and then a 1.5 mile cool-down. But when I arrived at running group we had a new gal join us who didn't know the route. She was told to find me since she thought her pace was similar to mine (i.e. between 9 and 9:30). Okay, that's cool. I'll show her the ropes.

Except, her pace was closer to between 10:30 and 11. And she thought we were running a 5K and not 5.5 miles. Oops!!

She managed to hang with me at 9:23 for the first mile but quickly began to fade. Of course she told me that if I needed to go ahead she had her iPhone and could figure out her way home. But that's no way to treat a newbie! So, I slowed down and stuck with her for as long as I could. Then, when I was literally turning around to run backwards so that I could check on her, I decided that as long as she could see me she'd know where to go. But every time I came to a major intersection I would stop and wait for her to catch up just to make sure.

Which meant my overall pace last night was a leisurely 10:55. I admit, I haven't run that pace in MONTHS. It felt kind of nice, actually. My legs definitely wanted to go faster but I was enjoying the breeze on my face and just the action of running. Plus, I wasn't even last to the post-run dinner! In fact, I beat almost everyone else there. We'll just ignore the fact that most of them ran 8 miles :-)

And all is not lost in tempo-work land. I'm sure this afternoon's lunch time run will fill the gap quite nicely.

So, yeah, sometimes a run is just a run. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Weekly Workout Wround Up

May Days Training Week 12: April 19th - April 25th

Last full week of training! Aaaaaah! It didn't go quite as planned because, well, you'll see.

Apr 19

The original plan? 8.5 miles total with 6 at tempo speed. Admittedly, my knees were feeling kind of achy after the 11 miles the day before and I considered dropping down to just 5.5 miles instead. However, the universe had other plans for me.

I got home from work to find a large spot of blood on Trinka Deu's bed and a matted, bloody spot on her neck. A quick phone call to the vet and we were on our way to have it checked out.

Turns out she had a polyp of some kind on her neck that the vet thinks she scratched until it bled. And bled. And bled some more. Now she's sporting a shaved spot on her neck and one of these to keep her from scratching it even more:



All that means I spent my window for running taking care of my dog. It's a good thing she's so cute :-)

Apr 20

This week was totally crazy and, as such, I knew I wouldn't be able to run on Thursday. Meaning I knew in advance I would only get in a minimum of 3 runs this week. And, to be honest, I didn't even know if I'd manage to squeeze in a run on Tuesday! But, I did and even though the Garmin flaked out (or possibly we experienced some user error) I did at least 3 miles.

In addition, I was able to get to the gym after work and do some strength training. Thankfully it wasn't super busy so I was able to do all the moves on the list without having to do much waiting.

40 minutes of strength training with Biceps focus:

1-Arm Row (Stability Ball): 15 @ 10 lbs x2
Wide Grip Pulldown: 20 @ 10 lbs x2
Low-Pulley Straight Bar Curl: 12 @ 15 lbs; 8 @ 10 lbs
Seated Arm Curl: 10 @ 20 lbs; 10 @ 15 lbs
Herculean Cable Curl: 15 @ 5 lbs
Push Up (Wide Hand): 15, 12
Seated Back Extension: 15 @ 70 lbs; 20 @ 70 lbs
Seated Rear Deltoid: 20 @ 15 lbs
Free Motion Squat: 20 @ 20 lbs
Seated Leg Press: 20 @ 55 lbs x2
Horizontal Calf Raise: 20 @ 30 lbs
Crunch: 2 sets of 25
Straight Leg Thrust: 20
Straight Leg Lift w/Thrust: 15
Decline Side Oblique Crunch: 15

My knees felt kind of creaky and the squats and leg presses didn't feel particularly great. I'm beginning to think I need to replace my running shoes.

Apr 21

That 8.5 mile run that was supposed to happen on Monday with the running group was moved to this day to do by my lonesome. It turned out okay, though, because I did my 8.5 miles just fine. And, you know, without the running group to chat with before and after the tempo miles I did it with minimal stops.

Apr 22

I was at a conference for one of the professional organizations I'm in from 8:00 AM to 8:30 PM. Yeah, no working out happened on Thursday. Just as well since I'm sure my knees needed a break.

Apr 23

Spent most of the day at that conference again but when I got home Jason and I took Kim and her husband to the archery range by our house. We shot arrows for about an hour. If you do it right it certainly can count as a workout!

Apr 24

Last long run of this training cycle is done. After debating what distance to do I ended up doing 9 miles. Afterward I had all these plans to run errands but I ended up laying on the couch for the rest of the day watching Firefly episodes with my husband. It felt great!

Apr 25

I didn't have anything planned for Sunday and it ended up being a rest day. I got a bunch of errands and chores taken care of and watched my husband race his car around a giant parking lot for a little bit.


Total mileage: 20.6 (approximately)

My training plan originally had this past week listed with a max of 27.5 miles. Yeah, that didn't happen and it was probably for the better. I know that you don't have to taper super long for a half-marathon but I always run better when I'm well rested. Which means this upcoming week I'm planning to take all of Thursday and Friday off. Because the race is Saturday! Ahhhhhhhhh! Right now the weather looks like possible thunderstorms for Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed it clears up by then.

Nine is Fine

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For my last long run before the half marathon on the 1st I had a difficult time deciding what distance to run. The Runner's World plan said 11 miles. The Hal Higdon plan said 12. Last year I did 10 before my first half marathon and 8 before my second one. I was personally thinking between 8 and 9 this time. So, I asked on another online forum and the advice I got was to run for an hour and a half. That's usually about 9 miles for me so I made 9 my goal for Saturday.

I already know a 9 mile route that starts at my front door but I thought that for this run I'd drove over to the bike path and run there instead. I mean, the 9 mile route from my house is the same as the 8.5 mile route (just with an extra loop on the end) that I ran on Wednesday. Variety is the spice of running so why not spice it up?

I also let myself sleep in so I didn't start running until after noon. The air temperature was great but DAMN it was humid. I was dripping sweat because it just wasn't evaporating at all. I began to think I should have just gone running as soon as the dogs woke me up bright and early instead of going back to bed.

Other than some annoying girls at the start of the path (aside: why do some people think it's hilarious to mock runners?) it was lovely. The woods surrounding the path are so lush and green right now and I saw deer both on the way out and on the way back. On the way back I stopped and took the photo above.

I didn't really have a pace goal in mind. Although, after stopping to take the deer photos and almost immediately after having to stop for a traffic light (which is why mile 6 looks so slow) I decided I'd try to run the last miles at near race pace just to see if I could. At one point I settled into a totally awesome groove. I realized that I wasn't even thinking about running, or how much longer I had left, or my form or anything. Instead, I was thinking about plans for some future tattoos :-) Once I realized that, though, it started to feel hard again. Oops.

Sometimes I get to the end of a run and I am glad to be done. After this run, though, I felt like I could have just looped through the parking lot and back onto the path for a few more miles. That's a good sign :-)

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Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 621 ft Location: Brookfield, IL Elev. Gain: +3 ft Date: 04/24/10 Up/Downhill: [+239/-236] Time: 12:18 PM Difficulty: 2.8 / 5.0   Weather: Fog/Mist   58 F temp; 86% humidity   58 F heat index; winds E 7 Performance Distance: 9.01 miles Time: 1:26:52 Speed: 6.2 mph Pace: 9' 38 /mi Calories: 1080 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 10' 01 +0' 23 6.0 -0.2 -7 ft 2 9' 50 +0' 12 6.1 -0.1 +10 ft 3 9' 50 +0' 12 6.1 -0.1 +10 ft 4 9' 43 +0' 05 6.2 -0.1 -17 ft 5 10' 11 +0' 33 5.9 -0.3 -3 ft 6 11' 41 +2' 03 5.1 -1.1 +7 ft 7 9' 12 -0' 26 6.5 +0.3 -7 ft 8 9' 00 -0' 38 6.7 +0.4 -7 ft 9 9' 10 -0' 28 6.5 +0.3 +6 ft end ** ** ** ** ** ft Versus average of 9' 38 min/mile ** Insufficient data to calculate this split

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The Post I Wanted to Write

So, where were we? Oh yes, I was going to kick ass doing my 6 mile (plus warm up and cool down) tempo run by myself on Wednesday.

I'll be honest, when I got home from work on Wednesday I was tired. I was tempted to skip the run. I've read that nothing you do less than 10 days out from a race can really change anything. I thought about just doing a 6 mile run and not worrying about speed.

But then I thought of all of you and how I didn't want to write that blog post. That I wanted to write the "I kicked ass" post instead.

So, I kicked ass.

Granted, this 8.5 mile run wasn't as fast as when I did it last time with my running group gals, but I was still faster than my goal pace during my tempo miles. I just took it a lot slower on the warm up and cool down :-)

I should have written this post right after the run because now I honestly can't remember much about it. My warm-up mile felt tough. The rest of them, though, felt pretty okay. I ran the same route I would have run on Monday and I didn't even stop for a drink at the park. Just kept pushing through.

I noticed, though, that I was having difficulty settling into one pace. Every time I looked at my Garmin I was either running an 8 minute pace or close to a 10:30 pace. It wasn't until at least mile 3 that I started to find a groove. And even then when the Garmin would beep at each mile I would look down at it, realize I was going faster than the prescribed tempo pace (9:11, FYI) and try to slow down. Didn't work. And mile 2 got all screwed up by having to stop at the world's longest stop light. I hate that light. The Garmin claims I did mile 2 in 9:04 but I was stopped at the light for at least a minute.

I was fairly wiped out when I got home but I still managed to find the energy to make dinner before collapsing into bed. Overall it was a good run and was just one more step to helping me overcome some of my mental hurdles.

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Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 626 ft Location: Forest Park, IL Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 04/21/10 Up/Downhill: [+45/-45] Time: 06:05 PM Difficulty: 2.4 / 5.0   Weather: Partly Cloudy   42 F temp; 76% humidity   42 F heat index; winds NE 15 Performance Distance: 8.50 miles Time: 1:19:04 Speed: 6.5 mph Pace: 9' 18 /mi Calories: 1017 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 55 +0' 37 6.0 -0.4 +3 ft 2 10' 06 +0' 48 5.9 -0.5 +6 ft 3 8' 44 -0' 34 6.9 +0.4 0 ft 4 8' 54 -0' 24 6.7 +0.3 -9 ft 5 8' 58 -0' 20 6.7 +0.2 +10 ft 6 9' 02 -0' 16 6.6 +0.2 0 ft 7 8' 59 -0' 19 6.7 +0.2 +3 ft 8 9' 59 +0' 41 6.0 -0.4 -13 ft end 10' 28 +1' 10 5.7 -0.7 0 ft Versus average of 9' 18 min/mile

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