The Lazy Runner

About Me (and Resurrection...Blog Style)

2011-03-31T14:22:00.000-04:00

So folks, it looks like it's time for me to resurrect this running blog again. But this time, I think it is not going to be just about running. I think it's time for me to be more transparent. At least in terms of my body image, wanting to lose weight, my motivations for running, etc.

To just put it out there, I'd like to lose at least15 pounds. Why? And how did I get to this point? Well, for starters, I am not happy at my current weight. I've only been here for 3 months, but I hate it. I always heard that you gain weight when you get married, but I thought I'd be different. Not so. My wedding was 4 months ago, and I'm already 6 pounds heavier than I was on my wedding day. Not good. My satisfaction with my body has plummeted. My most recent weight gain is probably a combination of 1) Being happy (being a newlywed is awesome!), 2) Less time to exercise (I moved to another city and spend a lot of my day driving), 3) Often eating unhealthily (again, less time to prepare healthy food), 4) A crazy food and wine fest on our Honeymoon in late November combined with the same over Christmas.

I think I've REALLY wanted to lose weight for the past 2 years or so, but nothing I've tried has worked. Mostly because I don't have the discipline to stick to both diet and enough exercise. I've always thought, "Oh, I'll just train for another race to get my mileage up and burn more calories", or "Oh, I'll eat healthy for a few weeks and drop the 5 pounds that just came on recently". Unlike most brides, I didn't even lose weight for my wedding! But since I turned 25, my weight has crept up and up. I rationalize it by saying, "My clothes still fit...I still look the same, my husband thinks I look great, etc". But, I've hit the point where I don't want to rationalize anymore. I don't want to gain 5 more pounds every 2 years. Soon, I'll be rationalizing 10 more pounds, and then maybe 20. No, my doctor doesn't think I'm overweight, so it is not a dire health issue like many people who need to lose weight. But I don't feel healthy. My jeans are a bit tight and fit differently. I gain weight in my abdomen, which is the least healthy place to gain. Unless I am training hardcore for a race or marathon, I don't exercise enough. I'm lazy (obviously not just as a runner!).

So, I think I'm finally ready to embark on a weight-loss journey. A journey of facing my issues with food (I always view it as a treat and not fuel!), becoming more disciplined with exercise, and sticking with something sensible. It won't be dramatic (I don't have 100 or even 50 pounds to lose!). It may be a long journey (I am never good at losing 1 pound per week!). And, I don't have any special insight, but I do think there are probably more folks out there like me...who could stand to lose a few pounds, but don't have the motivation. I'm working on my motivation, I guess, and putting this out in the blog world is probably a good start!

My goal weight is 150 pounds. When I think back on my adult body, that is where I was most happy with my body...both health-wise, image-wise, and life-wise. Funny that when I was at 150 pounds...I was happy, but would have preferred to be at 140! But, that is an issue to write about at another time.

There is so much more I could write about (my food plan, my exercise plan, my history with weight loss/gain, food, and exercise), but then, I'd have nothing to blog about in the future! So here we go...

Day 1, March 31st, 2011

Stats

Height: 5'7"
Starting weight: 165 lbs
BMI: 25.8 (technically overweight...but I fall into the muscular/athletic body type)

Measurements
Chest (around ribcage): 34.5"
Hips: 41"
Waist: 32.5"

I will plan to update these stats weekly.

Lazy Blogger, Too

2010-01-25T12:51:00.000-05:00

So obviously, the Goofy Challenge is complete! I finished, and finished strong, uninjured, and feeling good.

I don't feel like posting my own recap at this point in the game, so feel free to hop on over to my training partners' blog to read her race report! We ran the whole thing together, so her race report is essentially mine, too!

Race Report

T-2 Days and Counting...

2010-01-07T12:25:00.001-05:00

Well...tomorrow is the day we hop on a plane and fly to sunny Disney World in Orlando, Florida! Or not so sunny...cold-maybe-rainy Orlando, Florida. That's right...after all of my looking forward to a 50s/60s temp for the marathon, Florida is experiencing on of its longest cold snaps in years. The one year I've chosen to do the Goofy Challenge...

But, honestly, I am not that upset about the weather. I'd prefer cold to 80 degrees, which they had 3 years ago. We've trained in snow, sleet, rain, 20s, 30s, 40s...I'm probably ready for anything!

My training recently though, has been a bit lacking due to the severe weather we've had here in Maryland. I missed my last 22 mile run due to the 2 foot blizzard, so my taper was actually 5 weeks instead of 3. I had a bit of a head cold/allergy issue and missed the 12 miles the next week. I made up for it by running 6,5, and 5 respectively last week...but then a wind chill of 0 and 30 mph gusts on Sunday kept me inside and I missed 9 miles. This week has been busy, and I'm just hoping to get out for 3 before I begin packing. So, if training hard and then resting really well means a good race...I should be fabulous! I think it will all be ok, though.

Wish me luck! Race reports to come when I return from the Land of Mickey!

Slacking Off...Even in the midst of my taper!

2009-12-29T16:35:00.000-05:00

So somehow, I've made it to the taper stage of my Goofy Challenge training. Hallelujah! Unfortunately, I seem to be using it as an excuse to completely slack off of running. Last week, I ran a total of 7 miles. Seven! And it was difficult to even do those! I mean, granted...it was Christmas week, and we did have 2 feet of snow on the ground/sidewalks that didn't melt for a week...but I still felt lazy. And ate a ton of food. I know they say you are supposed to gain a little weight during the taper, but I'm at a whopping 4 llbs! Must be all that chocolate cake and Chick-fil-A I've been putting away...

I've also had a bit of a stuffy nose/head, which has made me lazy. At least, that was my excuse for skipping 12 miles on Sunday. I ran 6 with my training partner in the cold, windy dark last night instead. It actually wasn't too bad. We're going to attempt to get 6 more in Thursday after work. Except, it is supposed to rain/snow again. Lovely. This weekend is scheduled for 4 miles on Saturday, and 8 on Sunday. I'm going to up it to 5 and 9 to try and make up for some of my recent laziness.

The bonus to this 5 week taper is I think my body is starting to heal from a lot of the little nagging injuries I was ignoring during the high mileage portion of training...a crunchy ankle, tight hip, and achy achilles/calf. All of those have pretty much gone away, and I feel ready to take on a half marathon followed by a full marathon. Mileage-wise, I have 24 more miles to run before the races.

If I ever say I want to do something like this again, someone please dissuade me! I know I will be so happy to have finished, but it has really taken a toll on me! Back-to-back weekend runs allow no time for sleeping in, or the weekend AM coffee-in-hand-couch-lounging. I can't wait for the "mandatory" 2 week break that I'm supposed to take once we are done with the races! I know some people run/exercise after a few days, but I will not be one of them. If the experts say I need to take two weeks off, I'm going to listen to them. Who am I, the Lazy Runner, to question the running experts?

Blizzard '09

2009-12-23T16:30:00.000-05:00

Remember that winter storm I mentioned in the last blog? Well, it definitely hit...and thus I didn't complete the 22 mile run. By the time I woke up Saturday morning, there was already 4 inches or so on the ground, and it didn't let up. We ended up with over 20 inches of snow. Yikes! I have never seen that much snow in my life!

I did get 11 miles in on Friday morning, though. We ran from my house through Eastport, to the Naval Academy, and back. I'm glad that was accomplished, because I still don't think I'll be able to get out on the roads to run anytime soon! There are still huge mounds of snow in most places where the sidewalk should be!

Today, I managed 3 miles on the dreadmill at the office during lunch. My training partner (who ran 20 miles on the treadmill during the snow...crazy!) is out of town for the holidays, so I'll be running on my own this weekend. Since we are now in the taper phase, I have 4 on the schedule for Saturday, and 12 on Sunday. I don't look forward to running 12 by myself, so I've talked my boyfriend into riding his bike on the NCR Trail while I run. He won't be with me, but at least I'll be motivated to get out there!

Playing Catch Up on This Here Blog

2009-12-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

Well, since I last posted on this blog, I've logged 51 miles. Yikes! It has only been 2 weeks, but that shows you how much I've been running!

The 10 miles/20 miles weekend was a tough one. Saturday morning, we ended up running in rain/snow. We logged 10 miles on the BWI Trail Loop around the airport. The weather started out as rain, and gradually changed over to snow as it got colder. My rain jacket doesn't work so well anymore; thus, I was soaked through by the end of the run. We went to lunch afterwards, and it took me about 3 hours post-shower to warm up!

Our 20 miler was a test of will. We woke up to clear skies, but the snow from the day before had frozen over, so the B&A Trail was rather icy. 3 miles into the run, I wasn't at all sure if I could continue. At about Mile 6, I started to feel better, and by 8 I was ready to finish the whole thing. My only issue was a very tight hamstring for the last 2 miles. I suffered through, though.

Last weekend was an easy 6 miles on Saturday, and 12 miles on Sunday. To get the miles in, we actually ran the Anniversary Race through Quiet Waters Park. The race is only 9.3 miles, so we ran 2.7 beforehand. It was, of course, raining. I was soaked again, and chilled again. This run wasn't the greatest...I was tired and didn't want to do it at all. I perservered again, though. Perserverance seems to be becoming my running theme...

This weekend is going to be rough. It's our last long run weekend with 11 on Friday morning and 22 on Saturday. The issue (besides the distance)? The forecasters are calling for a Winter Storm. Of course! That's just what we need for our 22 mile run...snow and wind all day. Lovely. I am planning on heading out to by a new rain jacket...but if it's too bad, I'm going to bag the 22 and just do as many as I can. It's not worth getting sick over...at this point, we've logged 2 20ish mile runs, with back to backs, as well. If we dont' get 22 in, then we'll just have a month long taper. You do what you can...

Too Much Time off for Turkey Day

2009-12-03T16:51:00.001-05:00

It was a real struggle for me to run during Thanksgiving week. But, I managed to get some miles in anyway. Not the mileage that I needed, but I was proud of myself for doing what I did! Tuesday night, it was raining, but I knew I needed to do something to prevent my legs from forgetting how to run. I ran 3 miles by running up and down my street twice. Boring.

I flew to SC for the holiday, and forced myself to get up and out for 3 miles on Friday morning. We had early mornings each day I was there. I was supposed to log 6 on Saturday, but I just couldn't do it! I was awake in time, but I couldn't get myself out the door. It was in the 30s, and I had neglected to bring warm enough gear. I also just wanted to sit, relax, and drink my coffee. So that's what I did!

Sunday, I was back in town, and met some friends for a nice, slow 12 miles. We ran to Thomas Point, and then an abbreviated Bay Ridge loop. Surprisingly, it wasn't really a tough run, even with all of the hills! My total mileage for the week was 18...lower than it should be, but I think I will survive.

This weekend is another "cornerstone" with 10 and 20 on the schedule. I popped out 3 today on the dreadmill at the office, and will hopefully have rested legs in time for the 30 mile weekend. I believe we will be running 10 miles in the rain on the BWI trail Saturday. It's back to the good ole B&A Trail on Sunday for 20 miles. Sunday is supposed to be sunny, but cold. I'll take cold over rain for 20 miles any day!

10K X 2!

2009-11-24T11:02:00.000-05:00

Last week was one of our "off" weeks in terms of mileage. Our longest run on the schedule was "only" 12 miles. Ha ha! I ran 5 miles on Thursday evening with the 10K class (they only had 2 on the schedule so we had to add an extra loop). Saturday morning was a quick 5 miles from my house down to the Bay and back.

Sunday was the Cold Turkey 10K race in South County. I've run this race for the past 3 years or so. It is usually cold, and typically a pretty day. This year was no exception. The difference is that I am normally not really trained up to 6 miles. As we were pulling up to the high school where the race begins and ends, I tweeted that it only seems reasonable to run a 10K race, finish, and run the course again when one is in marathon training. And that is what we did!

The race was actually about .2 miles short. Which explained why I was shocked to be averaging 10:30 minute miles doing Galloway at Mile 2. I slowed down a bit, but still was averaging just under 11:00 minute miles. I find it's pretty difficult for me to conciously slow myself down during a race. This could potentially be a problem during the Half-marathon portion of Goofy. I have one more race to work on this: the Celtic Solstice 5-miler in December. It's the first leg of our 22 mile day, so hopefully I'll be able to keep it slow and easy. We'll see.

Anyway, even with the short course, I averaged 10:50 minute miles for 6 miles. Yikes! We finished the race, grabbed some water and snacks, and headed back out on the course again. Luckily we waited long enough that everyone was pretty much finished by the time we headed back out. While I thought doing the course again would seem tedious, it really wasn't all that hard. We were much slower, of course, but mentally the out-and-back nature of this loop makes it pretty easy to handle. My legs were a little tired from running the first half quickly, but they persevered. It is a pretty hilly course, though! Thankfully, it was much easier than the 12 miles I struggled with a few weeks ago.

With this week being a holiday week, I'll be scrambling to get my runs in. Tonight, I'm going to attempt to get anywhere from 3-5 in, and then my Thursday and Saturday runs will be in South Carolina. I'm aiming to get 9 or 10 miles in total there. I'll be back Saturday night, and we have another 12-miler planned for Sunday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Field Trip!

2009-11-19T11:23:00.001-05:00

One of the few things I can say I really enjoy about long runs (besides the unabashed joy of being finished with one), is the excuse to take running field trips. When we were training for my first marathon 3 years ago, we took all kinds of field trips to run...to the Mt. Vernon Trail in Virginia, to the NCR trail North of Baltimore, and others. Since I moved to Annapolis, I've always wanted to go on a longish run through DC. When I first thought about running in DC, I was thinking 5 miles or so around the Mall. But, you know, 19 worked for me too! Why run 19 miles on a trail we know or around Annapolis, when it can be a fun adventure in DC!

I have to be honest, I was a little nervous about whether or not I would be able to finish this run. It was our first of 3 major back-to-back weekends in preparation for Goofy. With the route I mapped, we had no real bail-out places since we had no car...only cell phones for communication and Metro Stations here and there. On Saturday, we had run the Cold Turkey 10K course with the 10K class as a race preview, and then tacked on 3 extra to make our goal of 9 miles. The course is very hilly, and I actually could feel it a bit after 9 miles. Not a good plan the day before a 19 mile run! I was busy the rest of the day on Saturday, and we even had a concert Saturday evening with a lot of standing! Luckily, my training partner enjoyes sleeping in, too, so we set out from Annapolis at 10AM and caught the Metro into DC.

We started off at the Smithsonian Metro on the Mall right in front of the Washington Monument. After a potty break, we got started and went past the monument, down the reflecting pool, past the Lincoln Memorial, and over the Memorial Bridge. It was a beautiful day...few clouds, pretty sun, but it was around 67, which was a bit hot for a long run. We managed ok, though. Once we got to the other side of the Potomac, we picked up the Mt. Vernon Trail which runs along the water with great views of DC. The trail goes through Gravelly Park just north of the airport, which is a great place to watch planes land and take off from DCA. We turned around just before the ariport and headed back towards DC. At Mile 8 of our run, we turned off the trail and headed over to Roosevelt Island. We carried our water bottles with us, and I had read that the island trails had water fountains, so we could refill there. Unfortunately, they were apparently turned off for the winter! Rats...on a warm day, I knew it would be a thirsty time until we could get to a populated area and find a convenience store!

The island was really pretty...fallen leaves, water, and even some ducks! Once we got back on the Mt. Vernon Trail, it was up, up and up again before we hit the Key Bridge. This was about 10 miles into the run. We turned down M St in Georgetown and the first place we found for water was Dean and Deluca. At this point, I was really thirsty! We split a giant bottle of water into our smaller bottles, and headed back off down M. I would not recommend M St in Georgetown on a pretty day...the shops were all open and tons of people were ambling down the street. Not conducive to a run! We turned off down Wisconsin and headed toward the water again to pick up the Rock Creek trails. This took us along the river by the Kennedy Center, and back up to Memorial Bridge, where there was no crosswalk! We back-tracked over to the Lincoln and managed to pick the trail back up on the other side. From this point on, I was really glad that my training partner had printed a map of our route! I think we pulled it out every half mile or so after this point...we were at about 13 miles.

We circled the Tidal Basin and went by the Jefferson Memorial, and up 15th st back to the Mall. There was a lot of people-dodging going on again because of the crowds (likely due to the pretty day). We also hit a lot of lights which slowed us down. By the time we got to the Capitol, we were at about 15 miles. I have to admit, we walked up Capitol Hill. There was just no way my legs were going to carry me up that hill running...after 15 miles of hills behind them! Luckily, Disney is pretty flat, so we didn't need the hill training! After getting up the Hill, we headed down Pennsylvania to the Eastern Market area, turned down 8th to East Capitol, and headed back towards the Capitol and the Mall. At this point, I was very much ready to be done! Running down Capitol Hill hurt almost as much as walking up it! We finally hit 19 on the Mall, headed back to where we started! We both downed Gatorades we bought at one of the street vendors, stretched, and got back on the Metro in search of food!

All in all, it was a good run! Especially since I was able to finish the back-to-back days! I was tired that night, but not too sore on Monday, which is a good sign!

This weekend/week is an "off" weekend in terms of long runs, so we have 5 tonight at the Community College, I'll get 5 in at some point on Saturday, and then we are running the Cold Turkey 10K on Sunday. We need to get 12 miles total in on Sunday, so I think we'll just go out and run the hilly race course again. Slowly!

Weekly Update...

2009-11-12T17:16:00.002-05:00

Last week/weekend was a busy one in my regular life, so I had to squeeze my runs in where I could! Last Tuesday, I ran 4.5 miles with the 10K class around the community college. I really hate that loop, but since it's well lit after dark, it's where the class always meets. I'll be glad when we can figure out somewhere else to have our evening runs in the winter! It was a slow 4.5 miles, with a couple of stops here and there.

Saturday, we were scheduled to run a 5 mile race through Downs Park in Pasdena (MD, not CA). It's quite a lovely park, right on the Bay. We had 9 miles on the schedule, so we ran 2 before the race to warm up (which was necessary...it was below freezing!), 5 during the race, and 2 afterwards. I ran the race faster than I wanted since this was supposed to be a training run. I actually averaged 11:00 minute miles for the 5 during the race. Oops. It didn't really bother me on Saturday...

...but Sunday's run was tough. We had 12 miles scheduled, which didn't seem very difficult considering we ran 17 the Sunday before. However, I think my legs were feeling the faster 5 from Saturday, because I started getting pretty tired around 8 miles. I also didn't fuel up properly for the run...Junior Mints and champagne at the opera the night before just won't cut it! We persevered, though. Our route took us to Thomas Point and back, and then through the Hillsmere Shores neighborhood in Annapolis. It was a pretty run with no rain (finally!), but I just wasn't into it.

I think my lessons learned from this training week are to eat properly the night before the run, and that I will need to hold myself back in the 1/2 marathon leg of the Goofy. When you're trained up to 20 something miles it seems easy to run some of them faster, but I will pay for it the next day. Which is what I'm desperately trying to avoid for Goofy since I'll be running a marathon the next day!

Today, I squeezed in 3.25 on the treadmill at lunch because it's a concert week, so no other time to run. Saturday, we've got 9 on the schedule. The 10K class is previewing the Cold Turkey 10K course, so we'll run the first 6 miles with them, and then finish up with 3 on our own. Sunday, our rain-postponed DC monument tour is back on tap. Except, this time it is 19 miles. The weather looks as if it will hold out for 60s and sunny. I'll take it! Look for a full report here sometime next week.

Weekend Running Round-Up

2009-11-02T16:57:00.002-05:00

Whew! I logged a lot of miles this weekend! Actually, all of my miles for the week were logged this weekend. I was supposed to run 3 or 4 on Thursday, but after a stomach virus felled me on Tuesday and Wednesday, I decided to take Thursday easy and save my energy for the weekend. No relapses for me!

Saturday, I had planned on running with the 10K class I occasionally help out with. However, a strange noise in my brakes made me re-think that and decide to take my car in to get it checked out instead. If I weren't training for something, I would have just called my Saturday run off, but with this Goofy Training I knew I had to get it in! So, I dropped my car off, informed them that I was off to run 8 miles and to call me with the diagnosis. I thought I made it clear that I was technically "waiting", but I'm not sure they got that. I ran from West St in Annapolis to downtown, city dock, over to the Academy, through West Annapolis, by the Naval Academy Stadium and back to West St...all in the rain! I cut the run short to 6 miles because I hadn't heard from the car place. It was actually a pretty easy and enjoyable run, even with the rain. Luckily, nothing major was wrong with my car! The men in the shop kept laughing at me though...and were amazed that I was training for a marathon!

Sunday, my Goofy partner and I had planned on running 17 miles in DC. However, waking up to rain changed our minds, and we headed up to the B&A trail. The extra hour of sleep helped tremendously! I felt pretty good through 11 miles, got a little tired around 15...and was ridiculously happy to finish 17. The last 2 I was forcing myself to keep going. I think I could have gone farther, but was mentally only prepared for 17! Thankfully, it started to clear up about an hour or so into the run. We averaged almost 12 minute miles, which is my target pace for the race. I took 2 Gus during the run, and had a pumpkin tart at our 11 mile water stop. Afterwards, we refueled at a local grill/bar while watching NFL.

My total mileage for the week was around 23 miles. Next week I'll be jumping to 27...which is technically 1 mile more than the recommended 10% increase. I think I'll be ok, though. Not much I could do about being sick...!

This week's planned runs include 3 miles on Tuesday/Thursday, a 5 mile race plus 4 on Saturday (for a total of 9), and 12 miles on Sunday. 12 seems easy at this point...

Update on Last Week's Runs

2009-10-29T11:40:00.003-04:00

Last week, on Tuesday I had a very fast and easy, if dark, 4 miles around my neighborhood. The temperature was perfect, about 59, and I had a really easy time breathing. Oh, if only all runs could be that easy!

Sunday, we had 16 miles on the schedule for Goofy training. My training partner has run in a costume for the Halloween 5K in Annapolis for the past few years, and she didn't want to give that up this year. So, the first 3.1 miles of our run were in the 5K race. No matter how hard I tried to keep myself slow, the best I could do was an 11:02 pace. And that was running 2/1 Galloway. After the race, we had a quick break while she got her award, and I planted water, gatorade, and snacks about 4 miles into our 13 mile out and back from the 5K location. We ran from West Annapolis over the Naval Academy Bridge (we walked the hill part to save our legs!), up 450 to Boulters Way, connected up with the B&A trail, ran to mile 3.5 of the trail, and turned around. Our water stops ended up being at miles 4 and 9 of the 13.

It was a stunning day, cool and clear with eye-popping leaf color everywhere! Despite the hills on this route, I felt great for most of the way. My legs were a little tired at the end, but that is to be expected. For the last 13 miles, we averaged about 12 minute miles, including our bridge uphill walks. I was really happy with finishing the run, though.

My first run of this week will be a 3-4 miler tonight. This weekend is a double-header with 8 planned on Saturday, and 17 on Sunday. The 17 will hopefully be a "scenic monument tour" in DC if the weather holds up. I've mapped out a good course around the Mall, Mt. Vernon Trail, Roosevelt Island, Eastern Market, and a little bit of downtown DC. I am hoping I am up to all of this since I contracted a nasty stomach bug on Tuesday, and am just now back at work and recovered. With proper nutrition and sleep, though, I think I will be just fine!

Training in the Rain...It's What Happens When You've Committed to a Marathon!

2009-10-20T11:16:00.002-04:00

Here in Maryland, we had 4 straight days of rain from Thursday through Sunday morning. Of course, all of my training runs for the week were planned during that time. The temps were also in the 40s, so it was a cold rain.

Thursday evening wasn't too bad. I ran about 4 miles around my house. It actually felt pretty good since I was rested and had managed to find my good rain jacket.

Saturday, I was in Baltimore with my boyfriend and had planned on running 7 miles on the NCR trail while he biked on the trail. We woke up Saturday morning to a very steady, cold rain. I wanted to back out, but he wouldn't let me. Good man. :) It was cold and rainy, but once I got going on the trail, I warmed up and it wasn't too bad. Even in the rain, the trail was lovely. It runs along a river, and most of the trees had begun to change colors. One of the high school cross country teams was on the trail, too. I felt sorry for them...I was at least there somewhat voluntarily! It actually was a pretty easy 7 miles out and back. We'll be back on that trail sometime near the end of December.

Sunday, it wasn't really raining anymore, which was nice. I had asked my training partner if we could wait until 2 PM to run so I could get back from Baltimore and recover from a 6 course meal with wine pairings the night before. Even though we waited 'til 2 I still felt ridiculously heavy from the meal. We also chose a hilly route for our 10 miles, so it was a hard run. We walked more than normal, but we finished. Her legs were tired from a hilly run the day before, so at least we were sort of in the same boat.

My last 2 weekends of long runs have taught me that I need to eat better the night before a long run, and get a fair amount of rest!

This week, I have 4 miles on Tuesday and Thursday, Saturday off (my parents are in town), and then 16 miles on Sunday. Sunday will be made up of a 5K Halloween race followed by 13 miles around Annapolis and the B&A trail.

Weekly Training Update

2009-10-13T15:23:00.004-04:00

Well, I managed to get most of the miles in I needed last week. Barely. At least most of the miles were on my feet, if not running.

Thursday, my Energizer Bunny Goofy Training partner pulled me along for a fast 2.75 miles. We averaged right at a 10:00 minute pace. Which is pretty fast for me these days. But, it was a cool night and I was feeling good, so I loped along with her.

Saturday, I got up and joined the 10K class for 4 miles, with a plan of adding a mile on at the end to make 5. It was a warm, humid morning, and I had a tough time breathing. I ended up walking most of the last mile of the 4 with the class. Then, I walked another mile to at least get the mileage in on my feet, even if I wasn't running.

Sunday morning was a bit of a disaster. We had 14 miles on the schedule. This was definitely one of those mornings that I should have just thrown in the towel before I got out the door. I was out until 1:30 AM the evening before at a cast party for a show my boyfriend performed in. I was also wearing new boots that gave me blisters. I only had one glass of wine so that I wouldn't be dehydrated. We had to schedule our run at 8AM despite the late night because we had another concert to sing in the early afternoon. I woke up at 7 AM, and discovered the coffeemaker was broken. Then, I couldn't manage to get any food down. I had 1/4 of a peanut butter sandwich. Not good. My training partner arrived at 8, and I decided to ignore the bad things and get out for the run, anyway.

It took a couple of miles to warm up, and then I was feeling good. But, after we stopped for a potty break at 7 miles, things started to crash for me. I was a bit dizzy, tired, and had to walk, a lot. We cut our route short so that we'd be closer to the start in case I needed to turn back. At 9 miles, I threw in the towel and walked 2 miles back to my house. Not really the way I wanted to have a long training run turn out, but at least I logged 11 miles on my feet.

This weekend is a "light" week, with 7 miles on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. Thankfully, neither of these runs have to happen in the early hours of the morning!

Metric Marathon Race Report

2009-10-05T15:29:00.003-04:00

As I wrote last week, my friend Lauren roped me into running a Metric Marathon this past Sunday. It was either that, or run the 13 miles we had on the schedule all by myself. This race traditionally has 0nly around 100 to 150 runners, most all of them fast. Well, considerably faster than me, that is. This year, I think there were around 200 or so...still mostly all faster than me!

By the time Saturday evening rolled around, I really didn't want to do this race. I was seriously afraid of coming in last, of having hip pain prevent me from continuing, and of just embarrassing myself. I figured if I ran my 13 and then walked the last 3.3 miles in, I would have accomplished what I needed to for the day. I made arrangements to pick Lauren up so that I couldn't chicken out. But, I kept hoping it would be rainy, or that maybe they wouldn't accept my registration, etc. No such luck. At 8:00 on a lovely and cool fall morning, I started running this dreaded race.

Since I was running Galloway (2/1 run walk), I ended up at the very end of the pack since, like a good Galloway follower, I started my first walk after 2 minutes. A little over a mile in, one of the support bikes came by to ask if I was ok. I have to say, I was a little offended that she thought I was going to have trouble because I was walking. I explained that I was doing the Galloway method, and she still looked at me strangely. I figured, "whatever" and kept going.

Earlier in the morning, I asked Lauren why she likes this race so much. She told me that the scenery is lovely. At the time, I didn't see how any scenery could be worth 16 miles of running, but she was right...it was gorgeous and a perfect morning for a run. I could see runners in front of me, and didn't think anyone was behind me. I was essentially alone on quiet roads. Strangely, it was really peaceful and made me wish that I lived out in the country and could have such pretty morning runs all of the time! My goal was to average 12 min miles doing 2/1 intervals. My first mile was 11:00, second was 11:15, and the third was 10:45. I told myself I needed to slow down, but I felt great! I figured I would go at my comfortably fast pace as long as possible, which might help me not finish last.

I picked off my first runner at mile 4. She was running without walking at a really slow pace. I was almost able to walk past her. At mile 6, I passed someone in front of me at the water stop who didn't think she could continue on. She had been running without stopping in front of me, as well. At mile 9, I made the final push past a man that had been in my sights for 4 miles. He had clearly gotten tired and was walking when he got tired, and then running again. We leapfrogged back and forth for about 5 run/walk cycles. I caught him on a hill with my fresher legs (thank you 1 minute walks!), and stayed in front for good. Then, I passed a friend of ours who was running 8 minute/2 minute intervals. Finally, at Mile 12, I caught up to another woman I know who was running straight out as well. We had started together, then when I stopped for my first walk she got ahead. I passed her on the nasty hill at Mile 14. Between 14 and 15, I passed 3 or 4 very in-shape looking people who were walking. I figured they must have been near the front at first, but had been walking for awhile.

I actually finished the race in 3:06. My 12 minute mile pace would have had me finish at 3:16. I managed to average an 11:25 pace for the whole race! That was surprising, and has certainly given me some more confidence for our Goofy Training. I won't be running that fast for that long (especially since I'm a bit sore today), but to know I could maintain that pace for 16 hilly miles (in perfect weather conditions) is definitely confidence-boosting. And, I apparently proved that there is something to that Galloway method jargon...you can stay stronger for longer with walk breaks! At no point during the race did I think "Gosh, I'm so tired and in pain, I'm just gonna walk for awhile". You truly can do just about anything for 2 minutes!

I don't know that I would do this race again unless I needed the mileage for training. It was gorgeous scenery and well-supported with water stops, but it is definitely not slower-runner friendly. While I was walking during the race on scheduled walk breaks, at least 3 people asked if I was ok or needed help or transport back to the start. I appreciate them looking out for runners, and I realize that usually when someone is walking it means they are struggling, but this is a race put on by a running club that has a big Galloway contingent. When I talked to some runners slower than me who have run this race in the past, they relayed similar experiences. I at least felt vindicated in my running strategy when I started picking people off! I would recommend this race to anyone who averages around a 10 minute mile or faster over a long distance. You'll be in the pack and enjoy yourself. If you are slower, be prepared to spend a lot of time by yourself on the course unless you have a running buddy with you to start. I enjoyed the time by myself (I've been so busy lately it was nice to "slow down" and have a little commune with God time), but not everyone would enjoy it so much.

Weekly Training Update

2009-10-01T16:15:00.002-04:00

I haven't really gotten as many miles in this week as I had planned. Our weekend long run was 10 miles on Sunday morning. We ran the BWI Loop and started at 10 AM. I foolishly had a 7 course dinner with wine pairings on Saturday night. Seriously...I have never felt so heavy on a run in my life! It also was a little on the warm side by the time we ran. Originally, the forecast called for a high of 70, but I think it was more like 78 by the time we finished around noon.

I skipped the Tuesday run, but will hopefully get 3 or 4 miles in tonight. Last week's mileage was 13, this week's will hopefully be around 19. Here is an inaccurate Nike+ log of my run...

I really need to get that thing calibrated. The real distance was 10.6 miles or so. I walked the last .6... I think I'll make calibration tonight's post-run goal.

Up this weekend is the Metric Marathon on Sunday morning. I got roped into running this race since my Goofy partner runs it every year. It's either run 16.3 miles (26K) with the possibility of being around other people, or run 13 miles by myself. We have 13 on the schedule, and were supposed to do 6 on Saturday, but are compromising with the Metric Marathon. Ick. Only about 100 people run this race (it's long and hilly), and they are all fast. Looking at last year's finish times, it's likely I will finish dead last. Oh well, at least I'll get the training in! Saturday's run is out because we are tailgating at and going to the Navy vs. Airforce football game. I will have to hold back on the heavy food this time...

Goofy Challenge Training....Whoa!

2009-09-25T11:28:00.002-04:00

For the past 3 weeks or so, my weekly running mileage has gone up significantly due to our Goofy Challenge Training. I transitioned out of Triathlon training into lots and lots of running. For those unfamiliar with Goofy- it's Disney's marathon and a half. Essentially, we run the Disney Half on a Saturday in January, and then turn around and run the full marathon on Sunday. Our training plan involves back to back Saturday/Sunday longish runs.

The first weekend, we ran 5 miles around Annapolis on Saturday, and 10 miles down to Thomas Point Park on Sunday. I was a little tired, but it didn't take too much of a toll. Last weekend, we had Rosh Hashanah services to sing in the AM (which involved standing for almost 3 hours!), and ran the Bay Ridge 5 mile loop around 4 PM. Sunday AM, we ran 11 miles on the B&A Trail. It was a tough run for me...being on my feet so much on Saturday and running late in the day didn't give me enough recovery, I guess.

My old Achilles issue seemed to be bothering me a bit on Monday after the 11 miles on Sunday. It went away quickly, though, and as I assessed it, I think it was more likely a tight calf...from 3 hours standing in heels and all of the abuse I put my feet through that weekend! We will see... I took a couple days off from running just in case. Last night's 3 miles was easy with no pain, so I'm hoping that will help.

We have 10 miles on the schedule for Sunday. We were supposed to run 6 on Saturday and 8 on Sunday as an "easy" week, but my training partner and I have rehearsal at 9:30 and busy days the rest of Saturday, so we are making it a particularly easy week. Next week will only be a Sunday run as well since we are going to attempt the Metric Marathon. Gulp. 16.3 hilly miles...and I likely will come in last. Seriously. Only about 100 or so runners and they are all fast.

So far, I am enjoying the training. We are at the beginning of a long road, though, so we'll see. Hopefully stretching and avoiding heels will help my calf/Achilles, and other than that, I just have to do the work and get the miles in. I'll try to be a more regular updater of this blog, as well.

.

Picking Up Where I Left Off...Iron Girl Columbia Race Report!

2009-08-26T15:39:00.004-04:00

Hello? Anybody still reading this here blog? Likely not. In any case, I plan to at least use it a bit to write about some athletically oriented things in the next few months. Namely, training for the Goofy Challenge. But in the meantime, I thought I'd report on this year's Iron Girl Triathlon in Columbia, MD.

First of all, I should mention that I didn't train as hard for this tri as I did last year. I guess I wasn't as worried about not finishing. I did train fairly regularly and more intensely when I did train, but not as frequently as last year. I also started training in April...which was way too early. I was burned out by early July! Lesson for next year- start training in June! I did swim harder and farther than last year, though.

The race was Sunday morning, so Saturday we picked up our packets, racked our bikes, and Lauren and I had a tasty pasta dinner with our friends Pam and Todd (Pam was doing the tri as well).

I went home, and managed to get myself into bed and asleep by 10:30 PM. Which was great, because my alarm went off at 4 AM Sunday morning. Ick. I met Lauren at her house, and we carpooled to Columbia. At this point, I was a bit apprehensive...wondering if I would do as well as I did last year. I should also note that I bruised my tailbone in a freak cleaning accident the week before, and it was a bit sore. In any case, we arrived at the Park, set up our transition areas, and then wandered over to the start to wait the hour + for our swim waves to begin. In the meantime, my boyfriend J showed up and took a few photos.

My swim wave went off at 8:26 AM. I started out slow, wanting to let some of my wave get ahead so I'd have room to really swim. I had not gotten any open water training in this year, but it wasn't as hard as I suspected. Sighting and swimming straight were difficult, but that was about it. I hit my stroke rhythm about a 1/3 of the way in and swam on home from there. However, I was severely disappointed when I saw my swim time was 28:55, a whole minute slower than last year. Since I had trained the swim more than anything else, I wondered what had happened (more on this later). I chalked it up to pre-race nerves and no open-water training.

Transition 1 was pretty decent and I hopped on my bike and headed out on the ridiculously hilly course. I had used my inhaler about 1.5 hours before I started the swim (can't swim with it easily and couldn't put it back in the transition area), but was starting to feel my lungs closing up on the hills. I toughed it out through the first half of the course, but was dreading the hills coming back. Knowing that, I stopped at the turnaround point for a minute or so to take a Gu, puff on my inhaler, and drink some Gatorade. The Gu must have helped, because I didn't have any "I'm dying" moments on the hills on the way back, which were longer/steeper than the ones on the way out. I cruised back into the park and made a quick transition to the run.

And then, everything came to a screeching halt. I couldn't get my legs to move past a walk. I was even huffing and puffing just walking. At that point, I was ready to just walk the whole course (3.4 miles). I figured as long as I was moving forward, that was a good thing. I remember thinking something along the lines of "This is the hardest thing I've ever done!". Even harder than the marathon. And after an hour or so on the bike, my tailbone was aching. However, after 10 minutes or so of walking, I decided to try a little running. And it wasn't too bad. My legs were still dead and a little crampy, but I was moving. So I settled into a nice 2/1 Galloway run/walk that felt comfortable. Towards the end, I even actually felt good. And could still breathe! I guess it just took some time for my body to recover from the bike!

I was incredibly happy to get to the finish line. It wasn't quite as fulfilling as the marathon finish line, but was pretty close. I think that is probably the most pain I've pushed through in a race, and I hope to not have to worry about it again! My final time was 2:29:46. Almost 3 minutes slower than last year. I was a bit disappointed with that, until I learned that apparently the swim was 200 yards longer than last year! At least that is the discussion on the race bulletin board. Almost everyone's times were 2-4 minutes slower than last year. So perhaps I was a much stronger swimmer after all! There is no way to officially tell, but I will just tell myself that was the case. :)

All in all, here is a side-by-side comparison from last year:

2008 swim: 27:48 2009 swim: 28:55

2009 tran1: 4:41 2009 tran1: 4:17

2008 bike: 1:11:58 2009 bike: 1:13:28 (guess my 1 min break accounts for this)

2008 tran2: 2:49 2009 tran2: 1:53

2008 run: 39:52 2009 run: 41:15 (guess 10 min of walking slowed me down)

Knowing about the swim discrepancy and considering my breathing and tailbone issues, I think I'm pretty happy about my time. Still under 2:30 which was my main goal. Will I do the Iron Girl next year...I think so. The more lessons I learn from triathlons the better I think I will do!

3 Runs Later...

2009-05-06T20:54:00.005-04:00

Well, after writing last week's blog, I managed to bust one of the valves on my bike. So, since I didn't get it into the shop until today, I didn't get any rides in. I felt too lazy to hit the pool, so I ran 3 times...about 4 miles on Tuesday (in place of the bike ride), 5.4 miles on Saturday, and 3 miles tonight in the rain.

This run was longer than it shows...had a 1/2 mile calibration at the beginning.

These two are the same run...the Nike+ cut out on me in the middle of the run. It was a run/walk for 5.4 miles down to Bay Ridge and back.

This run was in the rain...and one of my fastest in awhile. Good triathlon training..though I don't know that I could maintain a 10 min mile pace at the end of the triathon!

Back Again...

2009-04-28T16:56:00.003-04:00

This poor running blog is somewhat neglected, isn't it? I think it reflects my running habits...

I am back in tri training now, so hopefully both my training and blog updates will be more consistent! I've gotten back on the bike recently, and last Sunday was my first foray back into the pool. As I've mentioned here before, I love swimming, so it was nice to get back in the pool and work on my form. I allowed myself one swim workout to get back into the water and remembering what it feels like. It didn't take as long as I expected to get back into my swimming form. Ideally, by the triathlon in August, I'd like to be swimming a mile in the pool without stopping (the swim leg of the tri is 1100 meters).

On the bike, I'm currently up to about 10 miles. The bike part of the tri is 17.5 miles, so I want to be riding about 20-25 once a week or so heading up to the race. I think that is doable...

And running is...well....running. 3.5 miles is nothing compared to my normal half marathons and the Goofy Challenge I'm signed up for next January. Although, my friend Jehiah has issued a challenge to me through Nike+, so I better get a couple of runs a week in!

Speaking of Nike+, I'll be recalibrating for this challenge, and hopefully will get my running stats back on the blog.

Race Report- Disney's Princess Half Marathon

2009-03-11T16:16:00.004-04:00

This was a great race! It was, of course, mostly women (7300 women, 200 men) and a lot of first-time half marathoners, at that. I trained pretty well for the race, but did not follow the rules before a race of staying off your feet, resting, and hydrating. On Friday and Saturday, I spent the time wandering all over the Disney parks. But, it's Disney...who cares about the race! :)
The Expo was pretty good...other than waiting in line 20 minutes to pick up my bib and chip. The tech shirt was pretty and pink, and my bib was pink (I chose Sleeping Beauty as my favorite princess). We also got a nice drawstring bag, and a pink sharpie!

The one drawback to the Disney races is the early start due to the heat. The race began at 7 AM, and the last bus picks up at the race hotels at 5 AM. So, we were up at 3:45 AM! And, it was the Daylight Savings Time change morning, so it was really 2:45 AM. Eek! I made it, though.

I wore my pink dress, a blue princess skirt, a tiara, and blue and pink ribbons in my hair. I was Sleeping Beauty, for real!

It was cold standing around waiting for the race to begin. I wish I'd brought a "throw-away" long sleeved t-shirt or something. Somehow, I ended up in Corral A. Not sure how that happened...except that a lot of the runners were very slow (I finished in the first half of the finishers....and I did a 2/1 run/walk).

The race began near Epcot, and we ran on Disney roads to the Magic Kingdom. There were some bands and some music along the way. My feet and calves began to hurt after mile 4, so I knew it was goingo be a long race! I took a quick 1 minute potty break at mile 5, and then we hit the Magic Kingdom! This was by far my favorite part of the race. We ran up Main St. with hundreds of people cheering...through Tomorrowland and by Space Mountain, and finally ran through Cinderella's Castle. Trumpets were playing as we went through the castle...it was great! By mile 9...I was struggling. Not hydrating and staying off my feet was beginning to catch up with me! I was running a pretty fast Galloway for me...averaging around 11:45 min miles (my marathon Galloway was 12:30 min miles). By mile 11, I was ready to walk it in...but managed to keep running somehow (those are the times when I realize how determined I really am...). We finished up at Epcot, and I managed to finish strong.

The medal was all worth it...a jeweled tiara medal!

I finished with a chip time of 2:33.15. My watch was at 2:31.51 (I stopped it for my potty break). My place was 2300 out of 6000 finishers, and I was 493 out of 1047 in my age group. So...a pretty slow half-marathon! It was a ton of fun, though. I would highly recommend this race. I won't run it next year because I'm heading down to Disney in January for the Goofy Challenge...but watch out in 2011...:)

Taper Week Training

2009-03-05T11:24:00.003-05:00

Since I'm running the Disney Princess Half marathon on Sunday, this week has been a light running week. I was supposed to get out over the weekend for a 5-7 mile run, but for various reasons, that didn't happen. Then, we had an 8 inch snow on Sunday/Monday with temps not getting above 25 on Tuesday...so my Tuesday route would have been turned to ice. I hopped on the treadmill for 2 miles yesterday to at least move a bit and break in my new shoes a little.

I accidentally packed my running skirt instead of my shorts...so I ran on the treadmill at the office in a skirt. Most of the men that wandered into the gym gave me funny looks. If anyone asked why I was wearing a skirt, I planned to tell them that I was practicing for running in a dress this weekend. :) I couldn't let anything else deter me from getting a run in!

Lauren and I are planning on getting out for something short and sweet when we wake up at Disney tomorrow morning. Another 2 miles or so...just so our legs won't forget what it's like to run! I'm looking forward to the race...and the fact that we will be at Disney!

Look for a race report sometime next week...

Running Gear Update

2009-03-02T13:40:00.004-05:00

In preparation for the half marathon I'm running at Disney World this coming weekend, I've been buying and updating my running gear.

I'll be running the race in this dress:

The footloose dress from Skirt Sports. And yes, it's pink. I'm Sleeping Beauty...:) I'll wear my Under Armour compression shorts underneath for comfort.

I also bought this watch:

It's great for interval timing (I use the Galloway run/walk method for longer races..2:1s for those that are familiar with Galloway). It is also sleek and light. Since it's an "ironman" model, it's very water resistant so I can use it for the triathlon as well.

Finally, I got another pair of my trusty motion-control shoes:I am a severe over-pronator, so these are perfect for me. I've worn the Brooks Ariel for 3 years now and have had very few Achilles issues like I had before.

2009-03-02T13:23:00.003-05:00

This distance and pace are incorrect. I ran 3.25 last Thursday evening, and averaged aroun 11 minute miles. Oh well, this just keeps reminding me that I need to recalibrate my Nike+ sensor. One day...

Anyway, I've been finishing up my training for the Princess Half at Disney. I ran 11 miles last weekend (without my Nike+...forgot to re-attach the receiver after charging my nano!) and averaged around 11:30 minute miles. If I can keep that up for 2 more miles, I might actually run a decent half-marathon time. Who knows?

This week I'll be lucky if I get 2 runs in...considering there is currently 8 inches of snow on the ground. Guess I'll be hitting the treadmill!

Back in the Running and Blogging About it Saddle

2009-02-17T16:28:00.003-05:00

So it's been awhile since I blogged about running. And, I took almost a month off from real running during the crazy Christmas season. In any case, I'm at the end of a 1/2 marathon training season- on March 8th I'll be running the Disney Princess 1/2 at WDW in Florida. Complete with pink running dress and blue princess skirt...and a tiara. Fun, huh? In any case, I have the Nike + stats for my last few long runs (minus my 8 miler that I ran sans music because my Nano was dead). I have one 10-11 miler left this weekend before the race. The only other half I've run I only got to 10 miles, so I think I should be fine. After the half, it will be back to triathlon training for me!

Oh, and the Nike+ has been a bit off recently...I think I need to recalibrate at some point.

5 mile Run

2008-11-06T11:41:00.001-05:00

Oh, I forgot...I did manage to get a 5 mile run in last Sunday. I attempted to Calibrate the new Nike +...didn't seem to be too successful, but it's only about a tenth of a mile off now.

Ah...

2008-11-06T11:37:00.002-05:00

Yeah, still a bit lazy. :) Last week was a concert week for me, and it was windy outside every day....so to protect my voice, I didn't run. Not a good excuse, I know, but it worked for me. This week, I've had something going on almost every evening, so I forced myself to hop on the treadmill for 30 minutes at the end of the workday on Tuesday. I suppose I should have done the same today...but I'm wearing a skirt, looking nice at work for once, and I just don't want to have to shower in the middle of the day!

Hopefully, I'll get back into the exercise groove sometime soon. This weekend may be a good time to start...

Nike + Back to Running

2008-10-10T11:38:00.002-04:00

Well, I put the new Nike+ sensor in my shoe...and ended up running much faster than I have! Errrrr...not really. I need to calibrate the sensor to my very slow pace. Last night's run was actually about 3.6 miles at a 10:00 mile pace. But, I'll let "phantom mileage" show for now. I also hope the date reset itself once I plugged the Nano and the sensor into iTunes. Anyway, last night's run felt great. Oh, and just for fun here are my stats from my uphill run in Maine...

Nike + Lazy = No Good Stats

2008-10-01T13:13:00.002-04:00

Well, I still haven't put my new shoe pod in my shoe to track my runs. I'm just lazy...I keep forgetting about it, and then when I remember it's too late and my nano isn't charged, or I don't have the shoe pod with me at all. Oh well.

Swam about 1200 meters on Sunday. I was planning on going longer, but for some reason in the middle of a particularly long freestyle leg, I started getting a headache. I eased off a bit and finished up with a little bit of light breastroke and backstroke. I also felt some weird pressure in my ears. That has never happened before, so I wanted to take it easy. I'm wondering if it has something to do with sinus issues. Anyone ever experienced this?

Last night, the 10K class had a 3.5 mile run with a nasty hill. I was a course monitor, so I ran about 1.6 miles (including the hill), took a 30 min break to help everyone turn down the correct road, and then ran home. Averaged a little over 10:30 min miles.

I'm headed to the mtns of NC this weekend...hoping I can get an easy, but hilly run in...and perhaps hop on the treadmill or ellipitcal machine.

A Little Running, some biking, and a swim or two

2008-09-24T15:18:00.002-04:00

Well, in the past few weeks I haven't had any particularly unique runs or bikes or swims to report.... I figure the fact that I am doing these things should be enough to keep me going!

I did have a pretty decent run last night for me... 3.1 miles with 2 significant hills...and I averaged just under 10:00 minute miles. I haven't run that fast in awhile, so I was pretty pleased with myself. The weather was cool and not humid, so imagine that probably had something to do with the quality of my run.

I need to get my new Nike+ shoe pod calibrated...and then I'll start posting those numbers again!

10K Class

2008-09-10T16:47:00.002-04:00

Another year of the Striders' 10K class has begun. I'm a mentor for the 3rd time. Honestly, I'm not a very good mentor. But, I try. :)

Had a good run on the B&A with the class last night...nice and short, 2.6 miles. I averaged about 10:45 minute miles. Not bad for me... and I didn't take any walk breaks!

I bought a new Nike+ kit for my nano because I lost the shoe pod for my old one. It's in a pouch tied to my laces, and I think I lost it on a bike ride one day. I need to calibrate the new pod (which if I remember correctly can be an arduous process!). Guess I need to head over to the track some day to get it going. Once I get it up and running again I'll start posting the Nike+ stats again.

Recovering and Retooling

2008-09-08T15:10:00.004-04:00

Now that the triathlon is finished, I need to find a nice balance to my workout routine again. I took a lazy week off after the race was finished and also managed to eat every bad kind of food in sight. Bad Page. Last week I got a run in on Tuesday, and yesterday I canoed, somewhat strenuously at times, for about 3 hours.

I'd like to keep cycling and swimming as cross-training options while I'm running. I really enjoyed both of those, although cycling is really only a viable option for the next few months. Swimming is year-round, though. In December, I'll need to start upping my weekend mileage in preparation for the Disney Princess Half-Marathon. That will be a fun race!

Until then, I think my weekly workout schedule will look something like this:

Mon: Off
Tues: Run-usually around 3-4 miles
Wed: Off
Thurs: Run- 3-4 mi
Fri: Off
Sat: Swim or bike
Sun: Swim or bike

In December, I'll probably replace the bike with a long run of 6-12 miles, depending on the weekend. If I can stick to this exercise schedule, I may throw a day of strength-training into the mix at lunch on Monday or Wednesday.

Race Report: Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon

2008-08-26T16:05:00.004-04:00

Yes! I finished! I'm an Iron Girl! I even finished under my "ultimate" goal time. I am one of those "set multiple goal" types in order to avoid complete failure. Goal #1- Finish alive. Goal #2- Finish under 3 hours. Goal #3- Finish under 2:45. Ultimate Goal- Finish under 2:30. My total time was 2:27:07. Not bad for the first triathlon of a lazy runner. :)

Here are my complete stats:

Total time: 2:27:07
Swim time: 27:48 (.62 miles)
Transition #1: 4:41
Bike: 1:11:58 (17.5 miles)
Transition #2: 2:49
Run: 39:52 (3.4 miles)

The morning started off early. I think my alarm went off at 4:00 AM. I was at my friend's house by 4:45 to carpool over to Columbia. We arrived at about 5:30 AM. I started setting up my transition area (I had stuffed most of it into a bucket), got some air in my bike tires, and left the transition area by 6:45 when the first wave of Elite racers headed out for their swim wave (I think the first Elite was done with the swim in 9 minutes. Yikes!). We walked over to the swim start barefoot (lesson for next year: bring a pair of throw-away flip-flops!). My swim wave was next to last and did not start until 8:17 AM. At about 7:45, I realized I needed to visit the port-a-potty. Barefoot. Hence the throw-away flip flops for next year!

My swim wave went off at 8:17...to the strange noise of the AFLAC duck. A funny and endearing touch, but still odd. We treaded water in the lake for about 5 minutes before the start, so I recalled a lot of my old life-saving classes. I started at the back of the pack. During the swim, I got kicked and knocked around, so it took awhile to get into my swimming rhythm. I should have started at the front because I was a stronger swimmer than half of the swimmers in my age-group. One girl kept backstroking diagonally in front of me. I couldn't get away from her! Every time I would breaststroke to get away from her and get into a freestyle rhythm, she would come back across and run into me! I also thought the swim went further down the lake than it did...and suddenly I looked up and we were already at the finish chute! I had been conserving energy with my stroke, so I increased my turnover and hauled myself in.

The first transition was ok- I took some time to rinse my feet off, put on socks, throw on a gel-pack and grabbed my bike. I jogged in and out of the transition area...it was during those points that I actually felt like a triathlete! Once I got on the bike, my legs were pretty much ready to go. The swim really didn't tire me out at all. As soon as I got on the bike I passed about 5 people, especially on the downhills. My new bike made a big difference, I think. The course was VERY hilly, with some hills that seemed as if they would never end! My one complaint was the traffic on the road- since it wasn't closed to cars, there were a few spots near the park where I had to slow down to avoid hitting a car. My ride in Acadia Nat'l Park really made a difference. I think the ride would have demoralized me too much had I not already experienced some tough hills.

After I got off my bike and through the transition to the run, my legs felt ok. I ran for about 5 minutes until my lungs gave out. I took a hit of my inhaler during Transition #2, but it didn't kick in until halfway through the run (lesson for next year: hit inhaler with 15 min to go in the bike). I walked for 5 minutes to catch my breath. My pattern for the rest of the run was a modified run/walk...basically I walked up hills, sprinted down them, and jogged the flat areas. It worked...I averaged a decent pace for me- about 11:30 minute miles. I imagine I could have run faster if it was cooler and less hilly...oh, and if I hadn't just swam .62 miles and biked 17.5! I did have enough to push it the last half mile or so, especially when I realized that I was going to finish under 2:30!

I felt great at the finish line! They gave out medals, and I found my friends to rehash the race. We all had somewhat similar experiences, and all of us loved doing the triathlon. A few friends had a cookout later in the afternoon to celebrate. All in all, I would highly recommend this triathlon, and plan on doing it again next year! My ultimate goal for next year: 2:20...by shaving 2 minutes off the swim, 1 minute off each transition, 2 minutes off the bike, and 1-2 minutes off of the run. I'll keep you posted...

4 Days and Counting

2008-08-20T16:39:00.001-04:00

Well, I'm 4 days away from the triathlon. I'm definitely excited...a little nervous and apprehensive...and a little ready for it to be over! I've had so much fun training and I think I'll be doing another one next year, too.

Last night I went for a short ride/run. As much as I thought my legs would be the transition issue between cycling and running...I think it's going to be my asthmatic lungs! It took about 5 minutes to get my breath. I guess all the oxygen was going to my legs and I suddenly switched and asked it to go to my lungs instead.

Swimmin' in the Lake

2008-08-14T16:16:00.001-04:00

I had another good open-water lake swim today...about 700-800 meters I think. It took me about 18 minutes...but I finally got used to not being able to see in the water. My swim was after water-skiing and tubing, so I was pretty proud that I wasn't exhausted!

Vacation and Triathlon Training

2008-08-13T18:16:00.002-04:00

So, I've managed to get some good training in on this vacation. A swim in the lake, a great uphill run, and a 20 mile super-hilly bike ride along the coast. Tomorrow, I'll be trying out my triathlon suit in the lake, and possibly riding a bit as well. Hopefully I'll also get another run in before we leave.

Today was my 20 mile bike ride in Acadia Nat'l Park on the Park Loop road. The views were stunning, but the uphills were really tough! I had a lot of fun going downhill, though. :) By the end, my legs were shot, but I knew I had gotten a good workout in.

Intense 2 weeks

2008-08-06T14:50:00.002-04:00

Less than 3 weeks until the triathlon! Yikes... so I'm now in the last 2 weeks of really being able to train hard. I'm planning on the week before the race being a "taper" week with very little training.

On Sunday, I did a "test swim" in the pool by swimming the entire race distance (1100 yards/.62 miles). I managed to complete it in about 25 minutes..with only about 100 meters of breaststroke as a "breathing break". Taking into account other swimmers and the fact that it may be a bit choppy in the open water, I'm hoping to finish the swim part of the tri under 30 minutes.

I rode 15 miles on my new bike Monday night! I love it! I cut 10 minutes off my time from the week before on the same course. Who says that technology can't make you faster?? I'd like to finish the bike part of the tri in 1:15.

Today, I went for a run on the treadmill at work. I ran the entire race distance (3.4 miles). I averaged about 11 minute miles. I'll take that for the race, for sure. My goal is to finish the run in about 40 minutes.

Adding those together and including transitions, I think I'd like to complete the whole tri in 2:45 or under. We'll see...I think that's a conservative goal, but considering I've never done one of these, who knows what will happen?!?!

New Bike

2008-07-31T16:52:00.002-04:00

I bought a new bike! After a few months of riding my roommate's city bike...I decided it was time to buy a racing bike. So I did! A Trek 1.5. It's white, grey, and lovely all over! It's all tuned up and waiting for me at the shop...as soon as I can figure out a way to get it in my itty bitty Saturn.

I had a rough run last week...it was hot, humid, and I hadn't run too much because of the biking, swimming and opera deal. I almost got overheated, but thankfully had some smart friends with ice and lots of water. A post-run beer helped as well.

3 weeks until the triathlon. I'm nervous and excited...just ordered my racing outfit yesterday. I should have a few weeks to try it out before the race.

I'm headed to Maine in a week or so for vacation. The friends I'm staying with live on a lake, so I'll be able to get some open-water swims in.

Exercise Holding Pattern

2008-07-17T10:38:00.002-04:00

Until the show I'm in closes (this Sunday....), my exercise regimen-schedule-whatever-you-want-to-call-it is in a holding pattern. Meaning, I'm just trying to maintain the fitness I've built with a little running, some biking, and my normal Saturday AM swims.

Luckily this week, I had time to get a good, hilly bike ride in, as well as my first open-water swim! We went swimming off a friend's dock in the Severn River. It took me about 50 meters of swimming to relax and adjust to the murkiness of the water, but once I did it was fine. I felt like I could swim forever! The odd thing, however, is that it doesn't seem like you are making progress in open water...more like you are floating, flailing your arms about (otherwise known as a stroke..:)), and staying in the same place. I was shocked to look up sometimes and see the next dock was much closer!

Next week, I'll finally be able to get back into a more solid schedule...and hopefully take my running off the treadmill and back outside!

Normal

2008-07-10T11:36:00.002-04:00

Just normal exercise recently... a few treadmill runs at work (gotta get back outside and going with the Nike +), a couple of bike rides, and my normal swim class. Training has been in a bit of a holding pattern while I am rehearsing for an opera production. Hopefully, I'll be able to gear it up in two weeks when the show is over! At the moment, I'm just glad to find time to exercise here and there!

Exercise Update

2008-07-01T16:05:00.003-04:00

I know I keep saying it...but I really love swimming. I headed to the pool for a swim on Thursday evening. My goal was to get into a very slow rhythym that I can maintain for some distance. My swimming class every Saturday morning has been great for my technique and speedwork, but I know that in order to be able to finish the swim portion of the tri, I need to get a nice, smooth, slow pace going. I finally accomplished that on Thursday, and was able to swim about 500 meters without needing to stop. I did throw a few laps of breaststroke in there, but I figure as long as I'm moving forward that is what counts!

Saturday, I went to my regular class and had a good, hard workout.

Sunday, I went for a bike ride. I rode about 12 miles in the middle of the afternoon, so it was hot. I rode from my house down to Thomas Point, but I didn't go out to the water because I was afraid I'd be tempted to stop and not come back and finish my ride!

I've taken the past two days off to rest my legs, but I'll be jumping back in with a run tomorrow.

Another week of Training for a Triathlon

2008-06-25T16:24:00.002-04:00

I'm really starting to like swimming. A lot. There's something about cutting through the water with a powerful stroke that makes me feel sleek and strong. I don't often feel sleek, so experiencing that in the water is a nice change. :) When I run I typically feel like a heavy amazon, and biking makes me feel like an amateur. Swimming is very peaceful, too.

On Saturday, we had a hard swimming workout, and then LC talked me into a 15 mile bike ride. I was glad I pushed myself, but I was exhausted for the rest of the day!

Tuesday, I ran on the treadmill again. This time I managed to go 3.5 miles without stopping. That was an accomplishment for me!

Tonight, I'm scheduled to go for a bike ride, and tomorrow I will swim.

If I ever run outside again, I'll post my Nike+ stats!

Treadmill Time

2008-06-17T16:41:00.002-04:00

So, I ran on the treadmill at work again today. For 35 minutes- probably a treadmill record for me. I hate the treadmill- it really does make one feel like a hamster stuck on a wheel and not going anywhere. I'm normally an outside runner, but recent schedule restraints have sent me inside since I can only run in the middle of the day when it is HOT!

Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to move back outside soon...

Lazy Updater

2008-06-15T21:32:00.002-04:00

Well, I've actually been exercising a lot recently. I just haven't been updating this blog...

The week before last I was at my company's Users' Conference. I ran a few miles on Monday, and then hit the hotel gym for a bike and run (during the tornadoes that were coming through) on Wednesday. Last weekend was sooooo hot that I couldn't bring myself to do any exercise.

I've started my summer "operetta" rehearsals, so exercising in the evening is no longer an option. So, I've been heading to the gym at our office. Tuesday I ran 3 miles on the treadmill (boring), and Thursday I rode the bike for 25 minutes and ran for 25 minutes (even more boring). I managed to hurt my neck on Friday, so Saturday was just an easy run in the heat....as I try to acclimate to it...and today (Sunday) I swam for about 1500 meters (not without stopping) and then biked 7 miles. I'm really getting into this exercise thing.

Unfortunately, I don't seem to be losing weight. That's not a goal of the triathlon training, but it would be an added bonus. I've actually gained weight- which I hope is from the muscle I've been building. My clothes fit the same, which is always my guide.

Anyway, this week will probably be similar to last week...hopefully without the neck strain!

Felled by a Cold

2008-05-31T13:17:00.003-04:00

Well, I had a nice little exercise hiatus due to a cold. I'm back though- and had 2 ok runs this week.

Tuesday's run was ok- it was the first warm, humid day of the year so I struggled. I made it about 19 minutes before I needed to stop and walk...

Thursday's run occurred on the Truman Parkway with its nasty hills. I forced myself to run for 25 minutes without stopping, and then walked up the hills and ran down them. Considering those crazy hills, I was proud of myself for running continuously for 25 minutes!

Today was my first swim. I started off very rough...I forgot that it's difficult to get used to putting your head under water after not doing it for a few years! After awhile though, I got my rhythym. The class I am in has a great coach, and she corrected a lot of my technique. By the end of the class, I was pretty comfortable with my stroke and getting a pretty decent workout in.

It's nice to be cross-training because I had gotten pretty tired of just running. It gets monotonous after awhile...

Last Night's Run

2008-05-21T09:37:00.005-04:00

Well, I finally managed to get a good run in! I guess all this biking cross-training is helping my endurance...

A good run- started with a brief walk...the big dip in the middle is when I walked up the giant hill! Other than that...pretty consistent pace, I think.

Lazy?

2008-05-20T11:18:00.002-04:00

Well, I haven't been so lazy when it comes to running...just when it comes to blogging! Here are my last 2 runs that I was able to capture through Nike +:

And:

The first was last Tuesday...as you can see I'm still working up to running 3 miles without walking again to adjust to the warmer weather. I'm getting close...

The second was last night. Maureen and I went for a run/walk- we did a 2/2 modification of Galloway. I knew I would be doing my regular run tonight, so I figured getting out and doing something easy would be good for me.

I've also biked the Bay Ridge loop with it's killer hills for the past 2 weekends. The triathlon training is well-underway. This Saturday begins my swimming training. Yikes. I'll let you know how that goes...

Weekly Exercise Update

2008-05-11T18:13:00.000-04:00

My ipod had a temporary meltdown at the beginning of my run on Tuesday, so I don't have stats for it. Saturday's run had a few "scenic" stops, so it's far from accurate and I stopped tracking it at 1 mile. So a quick description:

Tuesday- I ran 2 miles without stopping again- at a 10:30 minute mile pace. Pretty decent, considering how I've been running recently. My group was going about 5.5 miles, so I turned back in order to complete about 3. I was pleased with it- managed to run most of the way back, as well.

I was uninspired on Thursday, and was headed to a show at 8 PM, so I skipped my run. Oops.

Saturday, I was feeling uninspired, so I dragged my roommate out with me for a gentle run. We did a 2min/2min run walk combo down to Bembe beach, and took a scenic break to look at Back Creek and the Bay at mile 1. Ran/walked home. I was just happy to get out of the house and get myself moving!

Today (Sunday), I went for a bike ride. I maintained a 12 mph pace, and it was hard! I hadn't realized how efficient my body has become running. I always thought biking was easier than running- but biking up hills is much more difficult! I rode about 7 miles in 35 minutes (the Bay Ridge loop again). I had the grand idea to try to run a bit after the bike...Ha! I ran for 2 minutes and my legs were like lead. I think I should try that again once I've become a bit more used to riding.

My ride today did show me that this triathlon should have me more fit than I've been in awhile. Switching it up between running, biking, and swimming will really boost my fitness level since I've become so efficient at running.

I've been trying to feed myself better- lean meats, fish, veggies...I'm usually pretty good but I have the occasional fast food craving that must be indulged.

Currently, I'm sitting on the sofa with a chicken roasting in the oven (rubbed in rosemary from my own garden), Carolina Plantation rice on the stove, and a glass of unoaked chardonnay on the coffee table beside me. Homemade chicken salad and salmon cakes will be made for the week later...life is good!

Lazy, Lazy, Lazy

2008-05-06T12:57:00.000-04:00

Last week was a lazy week for me in terms of exercise. I had a lot going on, so of course running or any type of exercise fell to the wayside. I kept trying to run during lunch, but I could never get motivated enough to do it.

Finally, on Saturday, I went for another run. I have to carefully ease myself into the warmer temps, so I ran for 2 miles without stopping at a fairly quick pace, and then allowed myself to walk, and then ran home. It worked pretty well, as you can see below:

On Sunday, I went for my first bike ride in years with Lauren and Scott. We rode the lovely Bay Ridge loop...the weather was spectacular and the view of the Bay, the river, and the Bay Bridge was amazing. We rode pretty slowly....but for my first triathlon training ride I was glad to get 7 miles in the seat.

Eeek

2008-04-29T19:59:00.001-04:00

Finally. Nike Plus is working again....last week's runs.

Unfortunately, I didn't run tonight. Too tired after a long day of training and driving. I'm planning on forcing myself to run during lunch tomorrow...

Finally... Nike+ Run information

2008-04-23T15:09:00.000-04:00

Ah. Here we go. Nike finally fixed their webpage so that the HTML code provided actually provides correct information. Here are the official stats on the run mentioned below:

Link Issue

2008-04-22T09:55:00.000-04:00

Hmm. I keep trying to post the link to my Nike+ running stats, but unless you have a Nike+ username, you can't see it. Drat. Anyway, my last run on Thursday was a little rough because of allergies...breathing was tough. We ran at the Naval Academy, and I probably ran 2 miles and walked 2 miles.

This weekend, I replaced my run with a 6 miles walk with a friend who is walking a marathon. We walked at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, and I managed to have some asthma issues just walking. We must have walked through some pollen that I am highly alleric to.

Tonight's run is back at Quiet Waters, but I think that I'll be ok since it has rained recently. I'll definitely be toting my inhaler along, though!

The Debut of the Lazy Runner

2008-04-18T16:50:00.000-04:00

Hi. I'm Page, affectionately known in my running group as the "Lazy Runner". Actually, I gave myself the title since I am often grumpy and complaining at the beginning of our runs. However, by the end of the run, I love being a runner! Despite the title, I have completed a marathon, a half marathon, a couple of 10Ks and numerous 5K races. I'm also training for a triathlon that will be held on August 24th of this year.

This blog is intended to be a log of my training. I think if I put my training stats and thoughts in cyberspace, I may be more motivated to stick to my training plan. We'll see...

In any case, be prepared for my slow running speed. Though I used to be a sprinter and a pole vaulter, as a distance runner I am classified as a turtle. But I almost always finish- which for me, is the point.

Hopefully, I'll be able to update my Nike+ stats from my iPod to this blog. If I can figure out the technical end of that, I'll be happy!