Days 3 and 4

On Wednesday, I did 1.5 miles on of speedwork on the treadmill, including my new favorite 'mill routine:
 - Walk for one minute at 3.6 mph
 - For the two minutes, increase the speed every 20 seconds
 - For the next three minutes, increase the speed every 10 seconds; if you're naturally not quick, like me, your ending pace will be a sprint
 - Walk for one minute

I did that rountine first, followed by a half mile at 1 mile race pace (6.4 for me), followed by the first routine again. DH then wanted me to join him for a run/walk so we did another 2.5 miles.

Last night, I did 2.3 miles at "goal marathon pace": 4:1 run/walk with the run at an 11:30 mile pace. I followed that  some ab work, lifted arms and then did something I haven't done in forever - swam laps. I am not at all a strong swimmer, but the Y has recently added flotation belts to their pool equipment, so I put one on and was able to do six laps (no idea what the distance is - help, swimmers!)  in a slow twenty minutes. By the last lap, I was beat.

I've been working tweleve hour days all week, but get to take some much needed comp time off this afternoon to do some shopping. I'm also working this weekend, but have the morning off to do a work-sponsor Habitat for Humanity build.

What are you weekend plans?

YMCA Spring Festival 10k Race Recap

I had never run a 10k race before, so I was a little nervous before the start of this morning's race. I went in with three goals of varying degrees:  Not to be the very last finisher, Run the whole way, and Be under 1:15. I got up at 7:30, did some laundry, and got ready for the race. I was worried about it being really warm today, which was not at all the case: it was 48, windy, and misting rain when I was getting ready to leave. I ended up wearing capris and a long sleeve Nike shirt. After two glasses of chocolate milk (my swear-by-it pre race breakfast), I left my house and drove about 5 minutes to the Y.
There was a 5k that started an hour before the 10k, and there were still lots of people coming in at 8:45 when I arrived. I did a quick warm up jog, and heading to the start area. 10ks seems to attract lots of super fit looking people, who were somehow tolerating the cold in shorts and singlets even though they had no body fat. Amazing.
My goal was to run close to even splits, knowing that the 4th mile was all up hill. I hit the first mile at 10:34, and the second went by super quickly, around 21:00. The course was very well marked, with 5(!) water stops (I dranl at 2 of them), and I found myself running almost all the race in between a group of older women and a mom with two teenage daughters. By the time I got to the climb at mile 4, I was still feeling strong, though the downhills and up-and-downs of mile 5 left me with screaming legs. By the time I got to mile 6, I couldn't believe my time: 1:07:00. I turned on Empire State of Mind on my Ipod, ran as fast as I could for the last, uphill, 0.2 and crossed the finsih line in 1:09:10. Much better than I thought I could, with an 11:09 pace.

What went right today? I'll do a full breakdown of my thoughts tomorrow.

I then went home to warm up and shower, got pizza and froyo with my Mom, and headed to work.

How did your Saturday run go?

This could be dangerous!

Last night, the husband and I ran the first 4 miles of Saturday’s 10k course – and it is rough: super hilly, curvy, and un-shaded. After about 20 minutes of trying to run the hub’s 11:00 “easy” pace,  I had a small mental meltdown, but was able to keep running intervals until the end.

After the run, we went to try out our area’s first fro-yo place, a Red Mango that opened last week. I have had major yogurt and topping envy from everyone else’s blogs, and was super excited to try the goodness for myself. Let me tell you, this could get addicting very quickly – there are so many options!  I had a medium bowl of half plain/half raspberry cheesecake yogurt with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and fruity pebbles. Amazing – so much better than ice cream! When I was in college, there was a fro-yo place we went to all the time, and I have it missed it terribly (it was before the idea of adding one’s own toppings existed, but it was still awesome).

What is your favorite yogurt combination?

Long running

Hopefully you have dry weather where you are - it is pouring here! Yesterday, I went for my first run longer that 5 miles since Princess (um, so over a month ago. Not sure how that happened!) It was 83 by the time I got home from work, and the heat made it seem impossible to run! I ended up doing 4:1 intervals most of the way, and finished 6.65 miles in 1:25, with a mile pace of 12:47. Not too fast, but not as bad as I thought it would be. I purposely chose a hilly route to try to get over my mental "hills are evil" issue, and though I walked up some of them, I'm starting to feel stronger.

I also did measurements last night: I lost .5 inches in my chest, and .25 around my thigh! Not huge losses (and not really in the areas I'd lose from the most) but a loss is still a good thing.

I also registered for my first 10k, coming up next Saturday! It's not a common distance around here, and I'm anxious to try a steady-fast pace for something longer than a 5k.

What's your favorite distance to race?

A joke and an update

If Muhammed Ali had a son, and gave him the same first name as the president, what would his name be?

Last night, I got my hair cut and then went to the Y for much needed cross training. After a 4 mile trail run on Wednesday, my shins were not at all happy with me. I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical, then 30 minutes lifting arms and doing squats and lunges.

I just realized today that I have a half marathon in 6 weeks! It heas really crept on me! I feel pretty good about my overall fitness, but need to get back to regular long runs.
I'm working this weekend, but am planning on doing a 7miler Saturday. What are your weekend plans?

*Feel free to answer the joke in the comments!

Chilly Hilly Runs!

The sun has been shining in my part of the country, but it has been super cold and windy! After Saturday's 5k, I realized a major issue of mine during races is struggling on hills. Every where I run has some up-and-down to it, but I tend to plan my runs to avoid major "ups". Not anymore! The husband and I had a little time before I went to school last night to get a run in, so we headed to a hilly loop and did 1.76 miles in 18:10, 10:22 mile pace. Even after a run that short, my hamstrings are sore today!
How do you train for hills?

IU Alumni Association 5k

Another weekend, another spur of the moment 5k. I decided yesterday to run this race, held in conjunction with a half marathon (that was way to hilly for me to consider), and went to a very crowded packet pick up last night. The race changed organizer's this year, from a student group to the alumni association, who nixed the idea of an expo, and decided instead to do a simple packet pickup. I got my tshirt and a "goody bag" with safety pins, a coupon for a local bookstore, and a city visitors guide.
   This morning, I parked about 10 minutes away from the start to give myself a warm up distance. After a jog and a quick use of a (remarkable gross!) porta potty, I joined 385 runners at the start line. It was super cold  - 38 and windy.
   The first 1/2 mile was downhill, following by a super steep uphill and a few rolling inclines. I hit the one mile mark at 10:10. By the next steep climb, I knew a PR was not possible, but set a goal for myself: even knowing the crazy inclines to come, I was determined not to walk a single step. To date, I had only continously ran 4 other 5ks, including the one last weekend. All of those had been flat, fast courses. I hit the water stop at Mile 2 at 21:30. (I don't typically drink during 5ks).
      Mile 3 had a few flat stretches on brick pathways around the IU campus, but it opened up onto a steep climb. Everyone around me was walking, but I powered through, and made it to the finish feeling burning quads and a burning sense of accomplishment. My watch showed 34:19. My official results:
228    1427   Savannah Crane Alley   00:34:26   11:06   F       24    53 F-19 to 24    

I spent the rest of my morning grocery shopping and working on the hour before heading to work at 2:00. I did some serious revamping of my grocery cart based on the food journaling I've been doing the past two weeks!

Question: Do you have a garmin? What model? What do you like, and what don't you like about the one you have?     

Shoe time!

I've been fighting with my shins lately, and realized part of the reason that everything was achy might be the fact that I've been running soley in my Brooks Dyads since December. I went to my favorite local running store and told them my concerns: need to accomodate my orthotics, would like more support than my Dyads, and want a wide toebox. I left with these:

 Gel Kayano 17s, Limited Edition. Even though I'm "not running" until my shins don't hurt, I took these out for an easy mile, and they felt amazing. My only concern is they look "fast" something I, in fact, am not.

I also got a copy of the group picture our work group took at the 7k:

My eats for today:
Luna protein bar
Diet cherry coke
Lunch from the work cafeteria: 5oz ribeye and 1/2 cup green beans, iced tea
Pepsi
2 mini reese eggs
Home made taco  - beans, corn, mushrooms, salsa and shredded chicken in a whole wheat tortilla
1 piece red velvet cake

The husband has been traveling for work all week, so I've been stopping to see mom (a baker) every day this week. Normally the obsurb amounts of sweets aren't there (though therotically other food is)

I did try a bigger lunch today, which seemed to work better than my typically smaller work day foods.

How often do you buy new running shoes?

Magnificent 7K

In theory, any time you race a new distance you get a PR; so today's 7K race was a PR for me. But not really. It was a hard race - mentally and physically. Let me start at the beginning.

I always sleep in my zensah calf sleeve the night before races. Last night, shin felt good, so I didn't.

DH and I arrived at a local elementary school at 9:25. It was 43 and sunny - perfect weather.  The parking situation was horrible - I am very picky about where I park my car - so we ended up several blocks away. We were meeting a group from work - two other couples and another guy, none of whom we've run with before. More than 200 people registered for the race, and were crowded into a gym waiting to move outside for to the start line. Pre-race conversation makes it obvious that everyone else from work is super-speedy, and I start to get nervous.

The race started down a straight away, and I was able to keep pace with DH for the entire first mile (9:51). The second mile went up a 60 degree hill, which I walked, losing DH who was able to run the whole hill,  Finished mile 2 at 22:01. The race was an out and back, so by mid-mile 2, the speedy people were coming back towards the finish. I saw the whole work group, DH leading, at about minute 24. I was hit the turned around at 25:30. Mile 2 was up a slight incline, and at around 30 minutes, my shin just went "boom" - pain. Shin splintly awfulness. I walked 3/4s of the next mile, and can't tell you where I was timewise at mile 3. I was really struggling mentally at this point - lots of mental "why do I bother running all the time if everyone is still faster than me? I'm not a runner. This sucks." By the time I hit mile 4, I had regained some confidence, and ran the whole last .25, finishing the race in 50.25. Which really isn't a bad time.

What makes this race disappointing is #1, the shins splints I'm dealing with that came from too much speedwork this week (mile repeats, tempo run, and race) #2, the fact I mentally was not tough enough to run my own race and not worry about what anyone else would think about my time. I am super shy in person, and sometime running, especially with other people, makes me feel like everyone is secretly pointing and laughing about the fat girl who calls herself an athlete. I need to be stronger than that.

The good news: Husband finished in an awesome 42:02.

What are your strategies for mental toughness?

Weigh in and Workouts

I'm heading to work today, and will have put in more than 80 hours this week! Sorry for the lack of commenting on all of your wonderful blogs - this week went by super fast.

I'm going to start weekly weigh-ins between now and Geist Half in May. Here's the thing: I don't diet, per say. Because diets make me not nice, and while I know how to limit calories to give me quick weightloss, those pounds tend to come back and bring friends. So I'm just trying to be more mindful of what I'm eating, limiting junk food and trying to make healthier choices but not giving anything up.

Week 1: 179.0

My workouts this week were good, even with the time constraints I've had.
Monday: 1 hour run, 4.6 miles, abs
Tuesday: abs and squats/lunges
Wednesday: 2 x 400 at mile race pace, abs and arms
Thursday: 2 mile tempo at 11:05,
Friday: Full body strength, 10 minutes on the seated ellipitcal (because I tried, and failed, again, to jump rope. Since when is rope jumping really hard?)

Tonight will be a quick workout since the husband and I are going out to dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary (which is Monday).

What are your weekend plans?

Racing Plans!

*The  Disney recaps will resume tomorrow

I registered for 2 races today: The Magnificent 7k, put on by the local running group, and Geist Half Marathon in May!
I had wanted Geist to be my first half, last May, but wasn't close to ready for it. Now I know I'm ready, and super-excited! Any of you ladies want to come to Indiana for the weekend and run with me? The course is slightly hilly, by a gorgeous lake, and is supposedly really well organized.

I also plan on running a small local half the first week of May. I'm not going to stress about any specific schedule for these races, except the length of my long runs and making sure I do some speedwork each week.  My long run plan:

Week of:	Long Runs	Race
7-Mar	2:00
14-Mar	1:30	7k
21-Mar	2:10
28-Mar	2:15
4-Apr	2:20
11-Apr	1:30	5k
18-Apr	2:30
25-Apr	1:30
2-May	13.1
9-May	1:00
16-May	1:30
23-May	13.1

Do you do long runs by distance or by time? I really prefer time, but not sure how that will work for marathon training in the fall! I ran for an hour today, and except for a slightly grumpy IT band, everything felt good. Hoping to get some weight lifting in tomorrow.

What are you racing this spring? Have room for Geist on your schedule?

An Update - what's next

I still have three Disney trip reviews to share (Cinderella's Castle, Animal Kingdom + Narcososee's, and a hotel review) but thought I'd give a quick update on my day-to-day happenings. I've been fighting a head cold since we got back on Tuesday, and work has been crazy trying to catch up and cover for a co-worker who is starting a two week vacation. My workouts have been good, if short:
 - Monday: walk around Disney
- Tuesday: 1 mile easy
 - Wednesday: full body weights and 10 minutes of rather unsuccessful jump rope
 - Thursday: rest
 - Friday: 1.25 mile run, abs, 10 minute bike
 - Saturday: 60 minutes on the stair machine, abs

I hope to get a long run in tomorrow before church.

After the PR at Princess, I feel really good about how my training is going, and in what shape I'm in. Now comes the question of where to go from here. Marathon training will start the second week of June for me, so that gives me a few months to work on other things. I'm running a 7k with a group from work on March 19th, but that won't require too much prep. Here's what I'm thinking:
 - Strength train more  - once a week at least
 - Do ab work every day (anyone done the 100 sit up challenge?)
 - Keep running: easy days, speed days, long runs
  - Choose and register for an April or May half
 - Focus on making better food choices, and hopefully drop some weight/inches before marathon training starts. Weekly weigh-ins, here I come.

In the spirit of weigh-in honesty, I was 179 today (amazingly low after the bingefest at Disney). In a perfect world, I'd like to toe the start line at Chicago at 165.

What are your weekend plans? I did some home decor shopping this morning, but am working later tonight and tomorrow.

Part 4: Princess Half Marathon Race Recap, my 16 minute PR!

My alarm went off at 2:00, and I was up, showered, and dressed by 3:05.I wore (because I enjoy reading this from other people):

• Nike capris
• Nike airborne running tank and airborne sports bra
• VS seamless bikinis
• A sparkle skirt
• My timex ironman
• Balega socks
• Brooks Dyads
• My pink ipod shuffle

The bus stop my part of the hotel only had two other ladies waiting when I got there, and we waiting less than 5 minutes on a bus, though the other stops around the resort were much more crowded, and had long lines waiting for buses. I arrived at the race at 3:45, ate a bagel with butter from the consection stand, browsed race merchandize. and dropped off my bag. My biggest complaint about this race: How far the start was from the drop off point - at least a half mile, if not more!

I was in corral C, so after the first two corrals started, I made my way near the front, and was off! I had three mental goals for this race: sub-2:50, running the whole first 7 miles, and  keeping an even pace in the start of the race. Miles 1 (11:43) and 2 (11:00) were run in the dark, and went by super quickly. By the time we got near Magic Kingdom at Mile 5, I was feeling really good. I hit the 5 mile at 58:02. Running through the castle was such a special moment - I was definately teary. To know how far I have come as a runner and a person  in such a really short amount of time was a wonderful feeling.

Miles 6 and 7 went through the Magic Kingdom and started back onto the highway to Epcot. I hit the half way point at 1:15, and was feeling really good, so I decided to try to run a new continous-running record, and run the first 10 miles, beating my old record by a full three miles. By mile 9, it was getting hot, and the course had little support along the roadway. I was struggling, but detetmined. At mile 9, I was at 1:48:30. I hit mile 10 at 1:59:10. I then took a short break until the next water station, and began to run again. I did mile 10 in a 5:1 run'wal ratio,  and started mile 11 in a 3/3, but ended up walking up a few long overpasses. By mile 12, we were reentering Epcot. Eveything in my body was tired - but I pushed as hard as I could - walking some, running the last 1/4 mile. I crossed the finish line in 1:40:46. a 16:09 PR.

The husband was waiting at the end with a glitterly flower:

His reaction to the day: that he'd never seen more men in drag in one place in his life. There were men as snow white, in tiaras, in ball gowns.

After a shower for me and nap for the Hubs, we went to Epcot to explore the world showcase. We had a quick and yummy lunch at San Angel Inn, followed by a much enjoyed Plum Green Tea Slush from World of Tea in Japan.

Note: I have a slight Duffy obessession. Yes, this makes me a dork.

Up next: Dinner with Cinderella

Race recap part 1

This will be a multi-part trip review, starting with the expo, then both races, a few detailed dining reviews, and then our hotel. Hope you enjoy!

Our plane arrived Friday in Orlando at 11:30 about an hour late due to the “intensive ice removal” they had to do before we could leave Indianapolis. We used Magical Express with no issues, and checked into our room at Caribbean Beach. I’ll do a full hotel review later – but it was great! We ate lunch at the hotel’s food court, got our refillable mugs (free with Deluxe Dining), and headed to the expo. Compared to Wine and Dine, the bus transportation seemed much “easier” – less crowded, better organized.

After packet pick up for both races, we did some shopping and I got a black Princess Half jacket, a pink Finisher’s t-shirt, purple running shorts, and a 13.1 Mickey window cling for my car. We had dinner reservations that night at the husband’s only food request: the clam bake at Cape May Café. We have gone for the character breakfast, but this was our first dinner trip. The buffet had clams, mussels, crab legs, and all sorts of sea food and sides. We ate probably too much, but the food and service were sublime. After a quick walk though Epcot, we made it back to hotel for an early night in preparation for the next morning’s 5k.

We left for the Royal Family 5k at 5:15. I wore: black nike tempo shorts, hot pink nike v neck, nike airborne sports bra, my zensah calf sleeve, cheapy target running socks, and my Dyads. The bus was basically empty, and the bag check area was equally dead. We took a few pictures in Epcot, and made our way to the start line area, where there were crazy long lines for pictures will Belle and the Beast and a semi-obnoxious DJ trying to get people to dance. I also saw a man in the greatest shirt ever: On the front “For my 50^th birthday my wife made me do this” and the back “ That’s why I married my favorite princess”. Super sweet! There were tons of people in costumes and tiaras. In the starting area, they had pace guidelines signs, and the husband and I agreed to split it up. He wanted to really “run” and I was trying to get in a pace run for the next day. The race started with fireworks and we were off.

My only complaint about this race is how not accurate the course map was. It took almost a mile to get into Epcot, running on service roads and under Test Track. It was really nice to be able to run through world showcase. I thought it was really funny how many people complained about the “hills” – come and run southern Indiana with me! I hit mile 1 and 2 exactly where I wanted: 12:10, 24:45, and finished the race in 38:08, though the course was more like 3.3 than a true 5k. The husband beat his PR by 10 seconds. We got our medals, went back to the hotel to change, and started our first day at Epcot.

Quick update from the 'World

Husband PR'd at the Royal family 5K this morning in 30:32! The race was very much fun - the World showcase is hillier than I realized! We then had the worst restaurant meal I've had in a long time (Via Napoli), so we're trying to decide where to go for dinner to make up for it. Then an early evening to get ready for a 2am wakeup. Good luck to everyone running tomorrow, and hope is all is well for each and every one of you.

I couldn't have made it through this journey feeling this good about everything without your support. Love and hugs!

Reflection and Prediction

Race day is almost here! I wanted to do a recap of my training, and what I think I did differently compared to my first two halfs.

The "Good":

• I did speedwork, at least weekly, for the first time ever. My 1 mile best is down almost a minute from October
• I avoided injury, minus itchy-foot thing, which isn't really an injury
• I found long run fueling that I feel confident about

The "Bad":

• I missed a long run due to last week's stomach flu
• I didn't get as many long-long runs as I wanted. My longest has been around 2:20 in time

The "I don't know":

• I cross trained alot. Strength training, Zumba, ellipitical, core work, and yoga. I know I am in better shape overall than I ever have been: my aerobic ability and my core strength are way better than they were in December. What I don't know: if running only (like I did last time) or this mix will make me a better half marathon. I do know it keeps me from being achy (and getting hurt) and that in itself makes it worthwhile

I hate to share a time goal with you. Because then whatever time I finish I will have to publicly compare to the goal. But 2011 for me is about being brave. So here it is.

My first half I completed in 2:56:54. My second, on trails, took 3:15. This goal: 2:50. Six minutes faster, which I know is a *ton* of time in the running world.

We fly out at 7 in the morning - wish me luck!

48 Hours and counting!

Our flight for Disney leaves at 7:10 Friday morning! We'll be landing at MCO, then taking the Magical Express to our hotel. I'm nervous about that whole process (anyone done it before and want to provide advice), but excited to be going!

Last night, I ran a speedy mile (10:13) and did some ab work between work and school. My packing for Disney is close to being done, but I still have some last minute running around and house cleaning to get in tonight.

My foot is . . .better. Sometimes. Or worse. Just generally uncomfortable.

Husband is trying doing his own pre-race prep this week: he's running the royal family 5k at Disney with me the day before the half. It will be his 3rd 5k, and I think he's getting fairly excited, too.

What are your last minute race tips?

Updates and an Overshare

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I still feel a little funny, but overall think I'm through with this stomach flu issue. Friday night, husband and I went to the Y, and I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and 20 on the stationary bike. Saturday, husband worked and I was off, so I had the whole day to clean out my closet, run errands, and start to pack for Disney. I was able to get rid of three large garbage bags full of clothes and shoes, donated to a charity that my brother in law runs through his church.

I also got in my last long run before Princess - an easy-paced 2 hour run. I ended up on a course that was super hilly, and probably walked more than I would have liked, but the weather was gorgeous and overall the run wasn't bad.

Yesterday I went to church with my mom, made some muffins, and went to work at 2:00.

Okay, time for the overshare.WARNING: foot-related. May want to skip if grossed out by feet.
 On Thursday night I noticed a little itchy place in between my two middle toes on my left foot. Didn't really think anything about it. By Friday afternoon, there was a big red place and an itch that was horrible. I covered it in cortizone cream, and it went away. But Saturday night, I woke in the middle of the night with an itchy burning sensation that kept me away for 4 hours. Now, its less itchy, more buring, and has several raised white "blisters" in the red spot between the toes. I bought some "Zeabsorb" foot powder from a reccommendation by the husband, who has all sorts of foot issues. This is making me crazy - and only 6 days before the race! My best guess is that it's athlete's foot or some related issue. Any treatment suggestions? I've really stepped up the wash-and-dry-and-put-on-clean-socks routine in the past two days. What would you do?

Running low

Last night the weather the gorgeous: 47 and sunny. I got home fairly early, changed clothes, and headed out for what should have been a fabulous run. And my legs simple said "No." They were tired from walking around at work for 11 hours, from speed work on Friday night (2 miles in 22:14), and from being two weeks away from a half. And my Ipod was dead. So I scrapped the plan for a long run, and did something different: I picked a trail that is 1.5 miles start to finish, and ran it as an out-and-back. The first time, I did it walking 30 seconds and running one minute. On the way back, I ran five minutes, walked one. I finished in 34:17, not bad. I still need two longish runs to feel comfortable at princess, so hopefully I can fit them in later this week and next weekend.

What do you do when your body says "No" to running?

The rest of my eats

I can't thank you enough for all the kind and supporting comments! Food is something that makes me feel super vunerable, but I really sharing everything you all will be a huge tool.

Yesterday:
1:00pm Smoothie with spinach, strawberries, banana, chocolate designer whey, water, and ice
 The husband decided to brave the 21 degree weather (it's 3 today, so that was heat wave!) and run 3 miles of serious hills with me yesterday. We finished in 33:54.
6:30 Mexican restuarant: chips, salsa, cheese sauce. Three shredded beef tacos with onion and lettuce

This morning:
5:00 Diet coke, Cliff Protein Bar
9:00 1 Tagalong  - anyone super excited that it's Girl Scout Cookie season?
 I knew today would be crazy - I have an auditor in at work all day, so nothing since 5! Getting ready to have my smoothie now.

I have zumba tonight - I didn't go last week and really missed it.
What;s your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? I like to freeze the Thins Mints and eat then cold, esp. crumbled up into things, like ice cream or oat meal.