6 miler down.

Well after my long run for the week I feel pretty good. I did it last night even though I was supposed to do over the weekend but with my travel plans (helping my sister shoot a wedding in Cali) I made the executive decision wait until Monday. I Had plenty of time off from my last workout which was last Thursday oops. I will be getting better at a schedule but at least I am getting my mileage in. During this program of mine I am supposed to do my long runs at HMP plus 30 secs so last night run should have been about 1 hour and 12 mins. As of right now my HMP is 11:30 secs. I feel that will get faster because I have been away from consistent running for so long..ish that my pace is slow!! Last night's run took 1 hour and 15 mins so I was close to my goal but missed it. The good news is that the 6 mile mark is when I got injured last time I was training for a half. So to be done with it and not be injured and feel pretty good I do have some soreness but nothing really out of the ordinary. I did do ice last night just to be sure and reduce my soreness. I have the running bug and am now excited about training once again so that is great and this running only 3 times a week is fabulous. Pumped for tomorrow speed work.
Now for the cross training portion of the program. I have recently picked up a road bike thanks to Santa and My mother. I have had it for a day and I love it I have not gotten to ride much because well I've had it for one day, but have decided to ride to work when I can. So today I set out on my quick 10 min ride to the office which I did not realize is ALL UP HILL. So my quads were burning just a touch due to the run the night before and the not so leisurely stroll to work. I have it planned that after my long runs I will have a day off but the short bike ride to work took me by surprise not that it was long by any means but it was sure a burner on the old quads. I'm looking forward to cross training on my bike and being able to put in some real miles.
Week 2 Plan
4x800
4 Mile tempo
7 mile long run.
-RR-

Week 1's Recap

Training run #1: 4x400:
This was a great little run to get thing started and well it felt easy probably due to the fact that is was short. I cruised through it with no problems at all but because I had taken some time off of my pre training I was a little more sore then I have been in past runs. All in All I give this run a 8 on a 10 scale.
Training run #2: 3 mile tempo Run:
The goal of these runs are to increase my speed I was set for a pace of 11:15sec miles. I missed this goal by about 1 minute meaning I did not run 15 secs under my HMP so this was not a successful tempo run I felt like I was moving pretty good but apparently not. Next time I guess.

First long run is happening today and it is set for 6 mile and I am supposed to run this at my HMP plus 15 secs. This help with stamina to make sure I can continue running for a longer period of time. I should be done with this run in 1 hours and 10 mins. We shall see how this goes it is the longest run I have gone on in quite some time. I am sure I will struggle through it at times so I am just going for finishing the whole thing:)
I will give you the update tomorrow or tonight if things go well.
-RR-

So it begins.

Well today I know I have my first official training run set up and well to be quite honest I am not looking forward to it and I am also figuring out a way to fit it into my day. I know that getting back into things is not so easy and well with the rain outside I have ZERO motivation. The only thing that keeps me motivated is that if I do not start out committed to this I will have wasted 125 bucks and well I tell you what I am not okay with that. So it is a mind over matter for today not excited not happy about it and would skip it. But that aforementioned 125 bucks would look great hanging on my wall in the form of a TV ( because that money would have gone to my new TV fund.) and if I throw my training down the tube on day one I might as well have fuel my couch potato attitude and bought the TV with my entry fee. So that being said I must make this 125 dollars worth it and maybe once I complete this I get that TV for myself. Fake it til you make it coming at you hot here is a list to make sure I keep on track ( like actually start today) and healthy. I think if I can make a list right now then I'll be pealing out of work ready for my 4x400 run (p.s. so happy that I can pound out this run in like 20 mins:):

1- Remember how I felt on mile 11 last 1/2 marathon ( trust me I don't want to go back to that place) lack of training equals lack of enjoyment and misplaced anger toward everyone in your vision.
2- Thinking that this will help me with my bikini body, like help me get one. I have a body that should be kept far from bikinis. Right now if I look at them in the store people must think I'm buying it for a friend.
3-Stress relief, I'll be happier if I am running.
4- accomplishment: there is something to be said about the way you feel when you finish your longest training run that you have ever had to do. Mine will be 7 miles when I hit 7 miles that will have been the longest run I have ever completed in my life. I did already do a 1/2 yes, but it was a walk/jog/walk.
5- I will be able to come to work and tell my boss I did run yesterday. SO TAKE THAT! My recent trend has been nope I did no running this weekend, waiting for official training date (SHOOT ITS HERE!!).
6- I'll feel Better about going out to dinner.
7- It will keep me from doing an after school nap.
8-I'll get to cross off a day on my training day schedule that's hanging in my office (cube lets be real I am no big wig here) at work.

Well that's it. Those are the only things that will get my butt moving today. some maybe silly but they work.......I hope. I shall report back tomorrow with the glorious triumphant break down of today's sad small run.
WORKOUT:
4x400- This is today (and every tuesday's) workout. Interval training designed to make me faster. How this works is I will be running the 400m at a pace that is 75 seconds faster then my HMP ( half marathon pace). Then I get my heart rate back down and once it has recovered I go into my second 400m leg. I will be doing a 10 min warm up then the work out begins and I will finish it with a cool down. These workouts will very between 400m, 800m, and 1600m. Depending on the distance of the interval that will deterime my pace 400m - 75 sec faster then HMP, 800m- 65 seconds faster then my HMP and last with the 1600m- I will be going just 65 seconds faster then my HMP. I may have to do this interval on a treadmill tonight due to the fact that I can not make it to a track before dark this evening.
until next time;
-RR-

Sorry yet again!!

I feel that I often start my post with sorry, due to the fact I blog once every 8 weeks :) Not any more!! Today I bit the bullet and have decide to eat top roman for the next 8 days while I wait for my next paycheck because I paid my entry for the Seattle Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon. I was sacred it would sell out and after talking with my sister she said that I should just do free activities until next week and I should be fine. I have been keeping up with running about 12-15 mile a week not great but enough to where I do not feel overwhelmed by running. I am getting done with pre training this week and start speed training and tempo runs next week. Like I have mentioned before this time I will be doing just three days of running a week to make sure I stay healthy. Recently I have had a groin problem that has flared up on my last two runs ( nothing that I couldn't run through but I do not want to go down the road of injury again so I am keeping an eye on it). I will be doing this half with my sister Dawn who is a little running bean I think. By little I mean she is about 5'10'' and so she groves at a fast pace. She tells me all the time that she does not run that fast and that she would slow it down for me. We shall see how that goes when she is walking and I am at a dead sprint. Wish me luck and that I will not get sick of top roman int he next 8 days ( maybe I can snaggle me a date for one meal to save myself from the roman).

Training for Week 1:

Tuesday: 4x400
Thursday: 3 mile tempo
Saturday: 6 mile long run

Next week I will explain in detail what these trainings do and what it means for me and what my pace will be for each.

2011

Well it is time to get back at it.... It had been days, years, weeks, months since I have posted a thing sorry for that but with the new year and a new program I will be back at it again. I have committed myself to running the rock and roll Seattle Half marathon this year and it is in June. I have given my boss a high five on the deal and in his terms that's like signing your name in blood. but I am going to go about my training a touch different no more running more then three days in a week. I just do no have the body for that so I will be doing cross training and running. I have been running for the last few months but it has just been to keep my miles up so that I can go out and run 5 miles if I want to which I am not sure I am there yet but 4 mile I can do on a whim. Right now the goal is to work out 6 days a week. We shall how see how that goes and will keep you all in the loop....
RR

Denver

I know I have been absent in the world of blogging and well that is because my hopes and dreams of running an entire half marathon were shattered with the news of my injury. I have been taking it easy and only doing small 3 mile runs lately to just test thing out and so far I have been good to go. Pain but nothing outrageous like before. I had decided that I am not built for running 5 days a week and that 3 day of running with cross training would be best for me. I have also been lacking on the blogging because I have not been working out everyday like I wanted to so I had fallen off the wagon of exercise... ish (three days a week aka not enough time in the gym). and was feeling totally bummed because my Denver trip was coming up and that was the day i was supposed to run my half marathon.


So last week on Thursday I hopped on a plane to head to the mile high city. I am not such a good flier so I always stop into the bar for a little bit of courage. Here is a picture of my courage of choice ( 20oz beer and Crown Royal on the rocks) and my drinking buddy ( no judgment there).

I got off the plane was greeted by my nephew and my sister who made the short..ish trip to the airport to come pick me up and then we headed back to their place about 25 mins outside of Denver. At this point I am just a supporter of this half marathon and I get to enjoy this much needed vacation. As I am riding in the car with my sister she begins to tell me the farthest she has gone in her training is 8 miles so I begin to start thinking if she is going to do this then I can. I mean I know I can't RUN it but who's to say I can't walk and run, walk and run the darn thing. So now she's got me thinking......

The next morning I wake up to my precious little nephews trying to get their Aunt out of bed with their silly faces of course I made them smile once too. We headed out to get a cupcake at the cupcake store and then off to the arcade and bowling I will have you know I was the big winner I bowled a 161 ( a score I will probably never duplicate or come close to again in my life). We head back to the house and wait for all the other to arrive. My mom and her two friends are also joining in on the 13.1 mile madness. I am now watching everyone printing out their release forms and talking about corral numbers and I decide well heck might as well giver
NOw that the whole crew has arrived and I have decided to take on this challenge (UNDER TRAINED) I do what all run walker do to get ready..... A hay maze with my nephews!!


Well with that complete and one cup of coffee down it is time to head into Denver and pick up packets and meet up with the last member of the team.

When the directions to packet pick are go inside the building with the big bear they were not kidding. This is where we'd be meeting up with the last member of the A squad Jamie (who by far is no rookie runner The Denver half was her 11th of the year I believe). As for most of us this was our first time doing the rock and roll half marathon so we took picture and tried to get as many free thing as possible. My sister and I made out like bandits.

Now for the pre race day tradition
It was game time and well I trapped on my shoes and went for it i walk the majority of the race because I had not run in 6 weeks but the walking was wearing on me so I did about a 4 mile running portion and then ended with a hellish mile of running. All in all it was a great event and I had fun but was not able to reach my goal but I did finish :)

tried again

Just 2 miles tonight with a 2o mins row workout after but I just wanted to see how the foot would hold up and so far so good. For you runners out there when you take time off and you come back your first run always feels great you feel like you could run forever but then the next time you go out two days later it not quite as easy as it was the first time. There are always good days and bad days with running but I am just happy to be back putting some miles on not many but still more then I have ran in the past 4 weeks. My sister has now started training too so it is fun to have a buddy. Although we can't run together because I think one of her strides is about one and a half of mine. She is making great time on her runs so we could start together then she can stretch, drive home and put dinner in the oven by the time I am wrapping up a run. It is nice to have someone that is training anyway. I think she will be happy when I can go more then 4 miles again:). Off to bed this girl has got to get her beauty rest.

-RR-