It's hard to believe that I'm already half way through this training cycle. I'm back on track, even though I still missed some goals this week. After some rough weeks, I'm enjoying my runs again and looking forward to the higher mileage weeks that are just around the corner. In three weeks we will have completed our move to the Bay Area and then I can start to scout out some interesting new runs.
Week 9 Summary:
Total Mileage: 40
Average Pace: 9:22
Goals Achieved: 4.5 of 6 (Only 4 days of running and 1 strength training session)
Week 9 Details:
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: Lazy rest day. No excuses, I just didn't get myself out there.
Wednesday: 9:45 pm - 7.5 miles with 6 at GMP (8:38 overall pace, 8:25 for the GMP miles) - I felt really strong for this run. No surprise, after two rest days =)
Thursday: 10:00 am - strength training session. My plans for an evening run were sabotaged by DH, who didn't make it home from work until almost midnight. Darn.
Friday: 10:00 am - 8 miles (9:41 pace) - I set out with the goal of doing my long run for the week. After a few miles, however, I was doing an impression of the Wicked Witch of the West; "I'm melting". Pasadena, I love you, but I will not miss you're hot weather. Sooo, excited to be moving to the East Bay! Defeated, I turned around and headed home.
Saturday: 1:30 pm - 3 miles with the BOB followed by a track session of 4x800m. (9:10 overall pace, intervals at 3:23, 3:25, 3:28 & 3:22). This was our first BOB run as a family! I can't believe it took 8 months to successfully drag DH out there with me and baby girl, but we finally made it =)
Sunday: 8:45 pm - 17 miles (9:42 pace) - This run almost didn't happen, so, I'm just thank full I finally found the motivation to get it done. I got up at 6am like a good girl, had my Clif Bar and coffee and was all ready to head out the door; that's just when baby girl thought it was a good time to get up. After working most of the night on a project, DH was dead to the world and I couldn't get him to come watch the baby. So, I had a lovely morning playing with her instead. Unfortunately, the day was jam-packed, with fun activities. After a BBQ (and wine!) at a friend's place and dinner out with the fam, I thought the long run was history.
I tricked myself into leaving the house by saying "Oh, I'll just do 4 miles and then do my long run tomorrow." I didn't even take GU with me =) It was a beautiful night (thank goodness it really cools off at night) and I just kept adding on a few miles here, another mile there, and - voila! - 2.75 hours later I had my long run done!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Week 8 - San Francisco Marathon Training
While my week 8 training looked a lot like week 4, at least I'm somewhat back on track. After the last three 'down' weeks, I didn't want to over-do it. So, I took one extra rest day and kept the runs a little shorter then planned.
A risky thing I did this week was break one of my cardinal rules - long run shouldn't be 50% or more of the week's total mileage. Okay, so I didn't actually break this rule (15 mile long run to 30.75 total miles) but, I came pretty close. I know from past experience that this is the zone in which I tend to get injured. Next week, I'll try to keep a healthier balance.
Week 8 Summary:
Total Mileage: 30.75
Average Pace: 9:08
Goals Achieved: 4.5 of 6 (Only 4 days of running and 1 strength training session)
Week 8 Details:
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: 8:30 pm - 4.5 miles on treadmill with 3 at tempo pace (8:04 overall pace, 7:37 for tempo miles) - felt good after the run and followed it up with a strength training session.
Wednesday: Extra rest day.
Thursday: 9:15 pm - 7 miles with 5 at GMP (8:35 overall pace, 8:26 for the GMP miles) - 5 GMP miles solo and then 1 mile with each doggie =)
Friday: Rest day.
Saturday: 5:00 pm - 4.5 miles with the BOB. Note to self: running with the BOB in windy conditions is much harder =)
Sunday: 11:15 am - 15 miles (9:31 pace) - I had some knee pain, on and off, the last few miles. Considering the previous 3 weeks' 'training', this shouldn't come as a surprise. All-in-all, this was a solid run.
A risky thing I did this week was break one of my cardinal rules - long run shouldn't be 50% or more of the week's total mileage. Okay, so I didn't actually break this rule (15 mile long run to 30.75 total miles) but, I came pretty close. I know from past experience that this is the zone in which I tend to get injured. Next week, I'll try to keep a healthier balance.
Week 8 Summary:
Total Mileage: 30.75
Average Pace: 9:08
Goals Achieved: 4.5 of 6 (Only 4 days of running and 1 strength training session)
Week 8 Details:
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: 8:30 pm - 4.5 miles on treadmill with 3 at tempo pace (8:04 overall pace, 7:37 for tempo miles) - felt good after the run and followed it up with a strength training session.
Wednesday: Extra rest day.
Thursday: 9:15 pm - 7 miles with 5 at GMP (8:35 overall pace, 8:26 for the GMP miles) - 5 GMP miles solo and then 1 mile with each doggie =)
Friday: Rest day.
Saturday: 5:00 pm - 4.5 miles with the BOB. Note to self: running with the BOB in windy conditions is much harder =)
Sunday: 11:15 am - 15 miles (9:31 pace) - I had some knee pain, on and off, the last few miles. Considering the previous 3 weeks' 'training', this shouldn't come as a surprise. All-in-all, this was a solid run.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Week 6 and 7 - San Francisco Marathon Training - On the Mend
Every marathon training plan has its challenges. These last few weeks were, 'hopefully', the most challenging in this cycle. Unfortunately, that may not be the case since I still have to move and start new job before the SFM in July!
Week 5 and 6 (5 miles and 24 miles, respectively) were pretty much destroyed thanks to the great ear infection of 2011. Last week, week 7, I was finally feeling better but took it easy with 3 3-milers and one 7 mile run. I even got in a strength training workout! Two travel days (to a wedding, yay!) made getting the long run in almost impossible, though.
With 11 weeks to go, I'm looking forward instead of lamenting my poor training the last 3 weeks. Realistically, I of course need to adjust my training plan now that I'm so far off. There is still plenty of time to get in some quality preparation, though. Also, this Thursday is my last day of work and I'll have a few weeks at home (presumably, preparing to move) when I should be able to get some good runs in. Fingers crossed =)
Week 5 and 6 (5 miles and 24 miles, respectively) were pretty much destroyed thanks to the great ear infection of 2011. Last week, week 7, I was finally feeling better but took it easy with 3 3-milers and one 7 mile run. I even got in a strength training workout! Two travel days (to a wedding, yay!) made getting the long run in almost impossible, though.
With 11 weeks to go, I'm looking forward instead of lamenting my poor training the last 3 weeks. Realistically, I of course need to adjust my training plan now that I'm so far off. There is still plenty of time to get in some quality preparation, though. Also, this Thursday is my last day of work and I'll have a few weeks at home (presumably, preparing to move) when I should be able to get some good runs in. Fingers crossed =)
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Week 5 - San Francisco Marathon "Training"
Every training cycle has weeks where it just doesn't work, for one reason or another. This week was like that for me - for several reasons. All I can do now is put this week behind me, do my best to forget and not dwell on it, and try again next week. As far as running is concerned, it can only get better from here =)
Week 5 Summary:
Total Mileage: 5
Average Pace: 10:01
Goals Achieved: 0 of 6 (it happens sometimes, see below)
Week 5 Details:
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: After a very stressful Mon/Tue at work, I was very wound up and very excited for my planned workout - intervals at the track followed by strength training. I jogged the 1 mile to the campus gym, smiled at the gym employee and said hello as a grabbed a towel and showed him my ID.
Employee (MBMOPT - middle-aged balding man on power trip): "That ID won't get you in - it doesn't have your picture on it."
Me: "Oh, you see I don't work on campus - so, I couldn't get to the ID office when they were open (4 hours a week, middle of the day) to get my picture taken. So, my husband got this one for me.
MBMOPT: "Still, can't let you in."
Me: "Here's my drivers license. See, it's actually my name on the ID." (I carry my drivers license to the gym for precisely this reason - gym employee on power trip).
MBMOPT: "Still, can't let you in."
At this point, I considered whether or not he might try to actually physically restrain me from running around the track. My stress level was so high, however, that I just couldn't deal with even testing it. Lest I start either a) crying in front of him or b) cursing at him in unbelievably poor language, I just walked away. I thought I may just go for a tempo run instead, but 0.25 miles later my stress level caught up with my body and I got
some terrible foot cramps. I limped home and spent the next few hours in the fetal position working out cramps. Wonderful workout.
Wednesday: Baby girl was sick so I stayed home with her. DH came home over lunch so I could get a run in (no time that evening, since we were leaving at 6pm to drive to San Francisco). The problem: at noon it was 85 degrees and sunny out. Have I mentioned I consider 65 degrees too warm to run? Anyway, I took it easy and managed 4 slow miles before I completely overheated.
I was so excited to be going to San Francisco! I packed the BOB, the Garmin, GU, fuel belt and planned out several routes I was going to run. Yay! This will be awesome...
Thursday: I woke up and noticed that my right ear felt like it needed to pop. I thought it was just from the drive over the hills the previous night. I went to my job interview (that went well, yay!) but felt worse when I came back - like I was hearing everything from under 3 feet of water. Then the pain started... and got worse and worse. Damn, definitely an ear infection. I've never had one as an adult - and I'm already crying for my baby the first time she gets one - they're that painful!
Friday - Sunday: Various states of discomfort due to ear infection - definitely not running. We ended up coming home a day early so we could drive at night again (worked wonderfully with the baby, she slept the whole way. What a doll!). I was so sad to unpack all of my clean, unused running clothes this morning. The trip, though, was a success overall. I believe I got a job and we found a place to live. As much as I like to focus on running, it clearly wasn't the most important thing last week =)
Week 5 Summary:
Total Mileage: 5
Average Pace: 10:01
Goals Achieved: 0 of 6 (it happens sometimes, see below)
Week 5 Details:
Monday: Rest Day
Tuesday: After a very stressful Mon/Tue at work, I was very wound up and very excited for my planned workout - intervals at the track followed by strength training. I jogged the 1 mile to the campus gym, smiled at the gym employee and said hello as a grabbed a towel and showed him my ID.
Employee (MBMOPT - middle-aged balding man on power trip): "That ID won't get you in - it doesn't have your picture on it."
Me: "Oh, you see I don't work on campus - so, I couldn't get to the ID office when they were open (4 hours a week, middle of the day) to get my picture taken. So, my husband got this one for me.
MBMOPT: "Still, can't let you in."
Me: "Here's my drivers license. See, it's actually my name on the ID." (I carry my drivers license to the gym for precisely this reason - gym employee on power trip).
MBMOPT: "Still, can't let you in."
At this point, I considered whether or not he might try to actually physically restrain me from running around the track. My stress level was so high, however, that I just couldn't deal with even testing it. Lest I start either a) crying in front of him or b) cursing at him in unbelievably poor language, I just walked away. I thought I may just go for a tempo run instead, but 0.25 miles later my stress level caught up with my body and I got
some terrible foot cramps. I limped home and spent the next few hours in the fetal position working out cramps. Wonderful workout.
Wednesday: Baby girl was sick so I stayed home with her. DH came home over lunch so I could get a run in (no time that evening, since we were leaving at 6pm to drive to San Francisco). The problem: at noon it was 85 degrees and sunny out. Have I mentioned I consider 65 degrees too warm to run? Anyway, I took it easy and managed 4 slow miles before I completely overheated.
I was so excited to be going to San Francisco! I packed the BOB, the Garmin, GU, fuel belt and planned out several routes I was going to run. Yay! This will be awesome...
Thursday: I woke up and noticed that my right ear felt like it needed to pop. I thought it was just from the drive over the hills the previous night. I went to my job interview (that went well, yay!) but felt worse when I came back - like I was hearing everything from under 3 feet of water. Then the pain started... and got worse and worse. Damn, definitely an ear infection. I've never had one as an adult - and I'm already crying for my baby the first time she gets one - they're that painful!
Friday - Sunday: Various states of discomfort due to ear infection - definitely not running. We ended up coming home a day early so we could drive at night again (worked wonderfully with the baby, she slept the whole way. What a doll!). I was so sad to unpack all of my clean, unused running clothes this morning. The trip, though, was a success overall. I believe I got a job and we found a place to live. As much as I like to focus on running, it clearly wasn't the most important thing last week =)
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