I've really been slacking at posting. This may have something to do with not being 100% happy with how my training has been going :( But, I've been doing the mileage I need to do to be ready for race day, so I guess that's all I can ask for.
Last Saturday, I ran the Rock the Parkway 10k. I actually had 10 miles in my plan for that day, so I ran about 3/4 of a mile before the race, ran the 10k and then added on a little over 3 miles.
When we got to the race location (about 30 minutes before the race started), the weather was cloudy and a little chilly. I checked the radar on my phone in the car and supposedly there was a big green/yellow cell right over Kansas City, but it wasn't raining. I debated on whether or not to wear my rain jacket and a hat and decided I wouldn't. As if the Lord was listening, it immediately began sprinkling, so I changed my mind and ended up wearing the rain gear. Thank goodness I did because it rained the entire time! I'm talking water-running-off-the-bill-of-my-hat, raining. And, I haven't really run more than just a couple miles in the rain, but I secretly loved it! It kept me nice and cool, too. And, I do believe it's good to train in the rain because you never know what it will be like on race day. I know last year, it was raining the entire STL half....so you never know!
My overall pace for the 10 miles was 9:36. Not as fast as I would like, but I definitely wasn't pacing myself very well. Before the race I told myself I wasn't going to do the 10 full out since I had to tack on those extra miles. Well, after spending the first mile going slow due to weaving in and out of people (I've never understood why slow people get in the front of the race start line!), my competitiveness kicked in and I picked up the pace. My total time was 59:34, which I wasn't thrilled with considering I ran three miles under an 8:45 pace, but I also know that first mile really slowed me down. So, it's ok. Also, we ran a little before the race and I didn't reset my Garmin so that I could track the entire 10 miles I had to run that day. Then, after I crossed the finish line of the race and stopped running for probably 5 minutes to recover and talk to a couple people I saw that I knew, I totally didn't stop my Garmin. So, that really threw off my overall pace for the 10 mile run.
But, I ran the 10 miles and felt pretty good after. I was a little nervous that I'd have some digestive issues during the race, but thankfully, they held off!
Yesterday, I had to run a quick three miles. It was beautiful weather here....77 degrees and sunny, which was wonderful after the harsh, long winter we've had here in the Midwest. But, it was also a tad bit hot for me. I know that once I got going, it probably felt around 90+ degrees. Thank God there was a little breeze! I swear, if it's that hot on race day in STL, I don't know what I'm going to do....other than constantly be dousing myself with water (note to self: do not wear a white shirt on race day). I'm sure a running drowned rat will be a nice sight!
Anyway, just wanted to give you all an update and hope everyone enjoys their Easter weekend. We have a busy weekend planned: a long run on Saturday, engagement party Sat night, church Sunday and the Royals home opener on Monday! Can't wait!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
training week #3
Well, the first day of spring has arrived in the Midwest and it looks something like this.....
Needless to say it was pretty smart of me---alright, it was my running buddy, Katy's, idea---to move my 8 mile run from today to this past Thursday when it was 65 degrees and sunny. Now, normally I need to mentally prepare myself before my long runs (I know...to some of you 8 miles isn't a long run, but it kind of is to me). And, this mental preparation usually starts the day before. So, when Katy emailed me mid-morning on Thursday with this proposition, I had a minor freak out but then decided that she was right. We should move our run. And, it went pretty well. I was hoping for a little faster pace, but I'll take it. Here's how the miles looked.
Mile 1: 10:05
Mile 2: 9:17
Mile 3: 9:40
Mile 4: 9:42
Mile 5: 9:27
Mile 6: 9:34
Mile 7: 10:08
Mile 8: 9:13
Total: 1:17:13 @ 9:39 pace
I'm a little bummed I had two miles with over ten minutes b/c that doesn't happen to me very often anymore. Both miles with over a ten minute pace were mostly uphill, but still....I really expected a little bit better. I'm not going to stress, though, because my body felt great at the end. So, I probably could have pushed myself a little more during some miles.
As for the rest of this past training week...
Monday: totally planned an elliptical workout, but it didn't happen :(
Tuesday: 3 miles @ 25:33 (8:15 pace)
Wednesday: 35 minutes on the elliptical
Thursday: 8 miles @ 1:17:33 (9:39 pace)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 40 minutes elliptical, abs, free weights
I was hoping to get out and run about 4-5 miles today, but that's not gonna happen. I'm hoping that I can tomorrow afternoon/evening. It's supposed to hit about 41 degrees tomorrow so hopefully at least the running trails will be clear.
As for fun stuff this weekend, Coach and I have been watching basketball pretty much non-stop. Also, an old high school friend is in town this weekend to visit her parents, so I'm going to head over there soon. I'm really excited to see her and her baby. I haven't seen in her in almost 8 years which is crazy to think about....how time flies!
Hope everyone enjoys their weekend and is seeing better weather than we are here.
Needless to say it was pretty smart of me---alright, it was my running buddy, Katy's, idea---to move my 8 mile run from today to this past Thursday when it was 65 degrees and sunny. Now, normally I need to mentally prepare myself before my long runs (I know...to some of you 8 miles isn't a long run, but it kind of is to me). And, this mental preparation usually starts the day before. So, when Katy emailed me mid-morning on Thursday with this proposition, I had a minor freak out but then decided that she was right. We should move our run. And, it went pretty well. I was hoping for a little faster pace, but I'll take it. Here's how the miles looked.
Mile 1: 10:05
Mile 2: 9:17
Mile 3: 9:40
Mile 4: 9:42
Mile 5: 9:27
Mile 6: 9:34
Mile 7: 10:08
Mile 8: 9:13
Total: 1:17:13 @ 9:39 pace
I'm a little bummed I had two miles with over ten minutes b/c that doesn't happen to me very often anymore. Both miles with over a ten minute pace were mostly uphill, but still....I really expected a little bit better. I'm not going to stress, though, because my body felt great at the end. So, I probably could have pushed myself a little more during some miles.
As for the rest of this past training week...
Monday: totally planned an elliptical workout, but it didn't happen :(
Tuesday: 3 miles @ 25:33 (8:15 pace)
Wednesday: 35 minutes on the elliptical
Thursday: 8 miles @ 1:17:33 (9:39 pace)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 40 minutes elliptical, abs, free weights
I was hoping to get out and run about 4-5 miles today, but that's not gonna happen. I'm hoping that I can tomorrow afternoon/evening. It's supposed to hit about 41 degrees tomorrow so hopefully at least the running trails will be clear.
As for fun stuff this weekend, Coach and I have been watching basketball pretty much non-stop. Also, an old high school friend is in town this weekend to visit her parents, so I'm going to head over there soon. I'm really excited to see her and her baby. I haven't seen in her in almost 8 years which is crazy to think about....how time flies!
Hope everyone enjoys their weekend and is seeing better weather than we are here.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
half marathon training - week #2
This morning I did my long run of 6 miles. The miles looked like this....
Mile 1: 9:17
Mile 2: 8:57
Mile 3: 9:18
Mile 4: 9:17
Mile 5: 9:18
Mile 6: 9:32 (uphill)
Total Time : 55:37 (avg pace = 9:16)
I was pleased with this run and felt pretty good afterwards. I've been doing pretty well sticking my training program this week.
Sunday, my rest day, I did 40 minutes on the elliptical since I knew that Monday I wouldn't have time to get my workout in. Turns out also, Monday I came down with some sinus issues, so I ended up not having the energy the workout anyway...nor did I on Tuesday. Tuesday night I went to bed at 7 PM, was asleep by 8 PM and slept until 6 AM! It was glorious! Wednesday I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and Thursday I did my short run. Friday was supposed to be another cross training workout, but I decided to get a pedicure after work instead. And, then my nephew came over for a couple of hours in the evening. So, my workout was basically shot!
Today, Coach and I have had some free entertainment around our house. Turns out there's a opossum (sp?) hanging out in our back yard so we've been watching him. They are such nasty animals and I really hope he leaves soon! I thought they were nocturnal?! Anyway, Coach has been outside with his BB Gun hoping to at least scare it away. He almost pulled out his 22, but then we'd have to find something to do with the dead carcass so we nixed that idea.
Tomorrow, my nephew Jackson is turning 4 years old so we will be attending his Batman Birthday Party. Should be a lot of fun.
On a sadder note, my running buddy Katy and her husband just bought a house in Kansas City so she will be moving away :( Sad for me, happy for them.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Mile 1: 9:17
Mile 2: 8:57
Mile 3: 9:18
Mile 4: 9:17
Mile 5: 9:18
Mile 6: 9:32 (uphill)
Total Time : 55:37 (avg pace = 9:16)
I was pleased with this run and felt pretty good afterwards. I've been doing pretty well sticking my training program this week.
Sunday, my rest day, I did 40 minutes on the elliptical since I knew that Monday I wouldn't have time to get my workout in. Turns out also, Monday I came down with some sinus issues, so I ended up not having the energy the workout anyway...nor did I on Tuesday. Tuesday night I went to bed at 7 PM, was asleep by 8 PM and slept until 6 AM! It was glorious! Wednesday I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and Thursday I did my short run. Friday was supposed to be another cross training workout, but I decided to get a pedicure after work instead. And, then my nephew came over for a couple of hours in the evening. So, my workout was basically shot!
Today, Coach and I have had some free entertainment around our house. Turns out there's a opossum (sp?) hanging out in our back yard so we've been watching him. They are such nasty animals and I really hope he leaves soon! I thought they were nocturnal?! Anyway, Coach has been outside with his BB Gun hoping to at least scare it away. He almost pulled out his 22, but then we'd have to find something to do with the dead carcass so we nixed that idea.
Tomorrow, my nephew Jackson is turning 4 years old so we will be attending his Batman Birthday Party. Should be a lot of fun.
On a sadder note, my running buddy Katy and her husband just bought a house in Kansas City so she will be moving away :( Sad for me, happy for them.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
half marathon training week #1...down
On Tuesday I mentioned that my run kicked my butt and I wasn't sure if my Garmin was right since I lost signal in a couple of places. Now, I'm pretty sure it was right because I was so winded afterwards. And, my Tuesday pace was definitely fast for me at 8:48, which explains why I was so winded.
I ran two miles on Thursday as well and finished at a pace of 9:07. My elliptical was FINALLY delivered on Thursday night and Coach spend about a total of 5 hours putting it together on Thursday and Friday....he's awesome! It's pretty massive and heavy duty. I tried it out on Friday for my cross training workout and did a 30 minute interval workout. It was a good full body workout and I definitely feel like throwing those cross training days in my training plan will be worth it.
Today was my first "long" run for my half marathon training. I had to run four miles, so I opted to run all hills since the mileage was short. It was tough in some places, but I actually felt pretty good the entire time. I did 4.18 miles in 37:47 for an average pace of 9:02. Not too shabby. So overall, I've been very pleased with my pace this first week and I hope that I can keep it up throughout the training. If so, I'll easily PR the STL half.
Tomorrow is a rest day, but I may end up doing an elliptical workout...we'll see. I'm also going to see the movie Dear John tomorrow, which I've been dying to see. I love ALL Nicholas Sparks movies/books!
This morning I started my day volunteering at this event called Cinderella's Closet. It's where girls in and around my community can shop for prom dresses that have been donated. It was so much fun seeing those girls in their prom dresses and seeing their face light up when you tell them how beautiful they looked! It's sad because a lot of them seemed to be shy, quiet and probably have low self-esteem. So, it felt really good to see them realize how pretty they looked in their gowns. It was such a fun event.
Hope everyone had great long runs today!
I ran two miles on Thursday as well and finished at a pace of 9:07. My elliptical was FINALLY delivered on Thursday night and Coach spend about a total of 5 hours putting it together on Thursday and Friday....he's awesome! It's pretty massive and heavy duty. I tried it out on Friday for my cross training workout and did a 30 minute interval workout. It was a good full body workout and I definitely feel like throwing those cross training days in my training plan will be worth it.
Today was my first "long" run for my half marathon training. I had to run four miles, so I opted to run all hills since the mileage was short. It was tough in some places, but I actually felt pretty good the entire time. I did 4.18 miles in 37:47 for an average pace of 9:02. Not too shabby. So overall, I've been very pleased with my pace this first week and I hope that I can keep it up throughout the training. If so, I'll easily PR the STL half.
Tomorrow is a rest day, but I may end up doing an elliptical workout...we'll see. I'm also going to see the movie Dear John tomorrow, which I've been dying to see. I love ALL Nicholas Sparks movies/books!
This morning I started my day volunteering at this event called Cinderella's Closet. It's where girls in and around my community can shop for prom dresses that have been donated. It was so much fun seeing those girls in their prom dresses and seeing their face light up when you tell them how beautiful they looked! It's sad because a lot of them seemed to be shy, quiet and probably have low self-esteem. So, it felt really good to see them realize how pretty they looked in their gowns. It was such a fun event.
Hope everyone had great long runs today!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
commence training program
Yesterday my training program began for the STL half. And, yesterday was the first workout I skipped :) It was a cross training day and my elliptical STILL has not been delivered! That's another story, but I've been promised it will be there Thursday or Friday. Therefore, I had no cross training I could do--I totally could have done yoga and some weights, but didn't do that either...FML.
Today my training called for a 2 mile run which is what I did. My pace was 8:48 which I was really happy with, but I know I had a weak GPS signal in a couple of spots, so I'm not sure if that somehow affected it. I felt like I was going slower my second mile and my Garmin said I was quite a bit faster. Oh well. I'll just trust my Garmin :)
The weather has gotten fairly nice here and is supposed to be in the low 50s and rainy all weekend, but I'll definitely take it!
Today my training called for a 2 mile run which is what I did. My pace was 8:48 which I was really happy with, but I know I had a weak GPS signal in a couple of spots, so I'm not sure if that somehow affected it. I felt like I was going slower my second mile and my Garmin said I was quite a bit faster. Oh well. I'll just trust my Garmin :)
The weather has gotten fairly nice here and is supposed to be in the low 50s and rainy all weekend, but I'll definitely take it!
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