7 Mile Saturday

Run: 7 miles
Time: 1:32 (I know, right?)
Mood: Tired

Got up at 5 a.m. But it was still dark. Got up at 5:30. Still dark. Laid in bed until 5:45, decided to get up and drink some water and eat something.

Was out the door a little before 6...and you think it would have been cooler than it was. Ran the first four miles or so solid, then did a walk/run combo for the rest. I took my new hand held water bottle with me, but I didn't put nearly enough water in it. I even brought a little snack. I tore off a piece of bread and put some peanut butter on it, wrapped it in plastic wrap and zipped it in my water bottle pouch. Around mile 3.5 I walked for a second to eat it and drank some water, then hit the turning point and headed back home.

It wasn't my breathing that was slowing me down...I've mastered the yoga breathing I think. It was my legs...they got SO tired. And my shoulders/upper back is starting to get sore/tired, too. That plus a hilly route makes for a slow long run.

Also, managed to get honked AND yelled at this morning. At 6:30. On a Saturday. Really, people? Who is randy in the waking hours of the weekend?!

Also, saw a deer pooping. I do not lie.

Got in a quick 2 miles yesterday morning...finished in 21:30.

Drank a glass of chocolate milk to help recover. Now...a shower and back to bed.

3 4 2 7

On the Up and Up

Run: 4 miles
Time: 47
Mood: Better. Much better.

Yeah, yeah, yeah...it was a slow run this morning. I've been in a rut over the past two weeks, but I'm coming back around. Nothing like knocking out 4 miles to make you feel better about yourself as a runner. Ran yesterday, but it was a crappy 3 miles.



Like this, but a different color and brand.

 I looked into hydration yesterday at a running store and the hydration belts are just....awful. The cute ones only have either one small bottle or one large bottle. A large water bottle strapped to my backside isn't gonna be pretty. Therefore, I went with the handheld water bottle. It straps to my hand, and should get me through the next month or so. When I do my 22 miler, I'm gonna need someone to set up a water station of some sort. ;)

The guy at the running store said he carries a water bottle in one hand and a banana in the other on his long runs. Iiiiinteresting. Eating and running? Although I have heard of ultra-marathoners carrying and consuming whole sandwiches.

3 in the morning, then a rest day and 7 on Saturday.

Bring it on.

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I suck.

Run: 5.65
Time: 1:13
Mood: Negative

It was a long run day. I got up at 6:15 this morning, stuck my head outside and was immediately hit by a blast of hot air. Soooo...I went back to bed.

The roomies and I took a day trip to see Allie and the baby in Pennsylvania. After we got home, I decided it was still too hot (there was a heat advisory in effect until 8 this evening). I popped open a Corona, and then my roommate Jen gave me a hard time for not running.

I caved, laced up my shoes and headed out. First mile came in around 10:30, second mile was about the same, and then somewhere during mile three I just stopped. The six mile route I had mapped had a lot more hills that I'd thought, and I was drenched because of the heat, so I legitimately walked/ran the rest of the way. I turned around before the 6 mile mark because it was dark and I was about three miles from home without a cellphone, all alone on the road. There were some street lights, but it was still creepy.

I was so angry during the second half. I was talking myself out of running the marathon, thinking of ways I could change my bib to the 10K.

It's hard. Running, training, it's hard. And I've been doing it for about a year solid and these long runs are still kicking my ass. I have a LONG way to go, and I'm not looking forward to it. Not in the least.

Grr...

3-4-3-7

Hot Dog

I have two horrible runs to report. One was last night in the gym on the treadmill, and one was this morning. Both were abominations.

Last night I went to the gym at like 8 after the dentist after work, and I had only really drank one glass of fizzy water during the day, so it was no surprise that I was done after about two miles. Plus it's so hot out that you break into a full sweat just walking to your car. So that was no bueno. I did set my pace faster, varying between a 10 minute and 11 minute mile. At least picked up the pace.

Which brings me to this morning. Ate a light, healthy dinner last night and hydrated well. Drank water this morning and had a little snack before what was supposed to be a 4-mile run. I headed out a little after six.

And only did a mile.

Good heavens is it hot out. I was completely drenched and dizzy after mile one. Granted, the first mile of this route has two decent hills, both of which I crushed, but wow. I hit the mile mark, turned around and walked home. Where I did some cross-training, and dripped sweat all over the floor.

Apparently you're not even supposed to be outside today at all.

Who knew?

6 miles on Sunday. I'll probably get up at 5 a.m. to do it and then go back to bed...just to try to beat at least some of the heat.

P.S. My marathon-running brother in Texas is probably laughing at my wilting right now. I'm sure it's beast there some days.

Monday Madness

Run: 5 miles
Time: 58:30
Mood: Can't complain

This was supposed to be done yesterday after the women's world cup game (during which I sat in a pub, and drank water while everyone else had beer - they even had cider on tap. CIDER!), but I had one of those "let me just close my eyes for a minute" moments where I woke up an hour later. I didn't have time to get in a solid 5 before it got dark, so I scheduled it for this morning.

Got up at 5:45, ate a piece of bread with peanut butter, drank a glass of water and hit the pavement.

I had mapped out a new route around Rockville, it took me part of the way on my usual route, but this time I headed out to Montrose and 270 then looped back around. A route that I realized was uphill on the way back in.

Didn't walk, didn't stop. And held form and breathing together until the last hill right before the end, where it got a little ugly, but not too much. And then I finished the last few yards on a downhill, and I don't think I've ever run so fast in my life.

Did a total of 5 runs last week. Now onto six mile week.

Side note: my feet are getting pretty bad. Dry, rough. Where there aren't blisters, there are callouses. Oy. Scott says I have a choice: I can either have athlete's feet and be a runner, or I can have pretty feet and not. Hello, ugly feet.
 
3 4 3 5     3 4 3 6

How 'Bout a Revolution?

Run: 3 miles
Time: 33:30
Mood: balmy

Three miles this morning, the weather is still really great. I was planning on trying to knock out 5 this morning, but the repeated hits to the snooze button whittled away my time, so I stuck with 3. Felt great, no panting or anything. Hit the hills hard.

I really need to make a playlist for these runs, b/c putting the iPod on "shuffle" leaves me with things like Jewel when I'm about to crest a hill. Nothing makes you want to walk like "Pieces of You."

Sunday is long run day. :)

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Beautiful Disaster

Run: 1 ran, 1 walked
Time: Didn't even bother
Mood: Completely drained

After last night's awesome run, I neglected to properly refuel. I had an egg white omelet and a glass of water before bed, and then tried to get up and do three miles this morning.

It was g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s. outside this morning, downright chilly. Sunny and perfect.

And my legs wouldn't move. I did mile one that involves two steep hills, and I felt like I was moving my feet but not going anywhere. It was awful.

Perhaps we eat more next time? My stomach was growling as soon as I'd finished eating.

I'm chalking today as a "rest" day, b/c I don't think it should count.

And it doesn't count.

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Out and Back

Run: 4 miles
Time: 46:35
Mood: Nothing to report

I got super lucky today. It was BEAST out for the most of the morning/early afternoon, and then the monsoons hit and it cooled down a solid 20 degrees.

Even though it was 80, it was nowhere near balmy. Still sticky and humid.

Went out 2.5 and then turned around. I wanted to walk the last mile back to loosen up my legs, plus there's something about that last mile that plagues me, my legs get tired and I lose focus. Probably b/c I know I'm almost done.

The 4 were strong, no panting or loss of form really. I probably could have tacked on another mile and gotten this week's long run out of the way, but that would mess me up I think. I'm trying to keep my long runs on Sunday, since that's the day of the week I'll be racing on. I think I may try to do this week's 5 miler on Friday morning, b/c I'm out of town part of the weekend.

Wore some new gear today. I finally got one of those swanky stretchy racerback tops. It looks like it's straight from the 80s, but I don't care. A little tight for my tastes, but it was nice not to have sleeves today and to look like an actual...oh I don't know...runner?

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Also, new blog post. These guys run for days at a time, its insane.

Herrow Monday

Run: 3.03 miles
Time: 35 flat
Mood: le tired

Let's have a round of applause for the fact that I actually got out of bed this morning. Hit snooze twice, but eventually got out the door. I've learned that just getting myself out the door is the battle, the run comes pretty easily after that.

Did the usual three-mile loop. Felt normal, It was a bit hot. iPod was no help this morning, started pumping out Christmas music when I needed my kick anthem.

Mile 1 and mile 3 were great, and I finished strong. Wrapped it up with some lunges and upper body strength training.

Ran on Saturday morning in the gym because it was SO hot out at 10 a.m., I forgot to eat or drink water so it sucked. We'll call it a "maintenance" run.

This week is a 3-4-3-5 week. Check off the 3 for today, gonna go for 4 in the morning, rest on Wednesday, hit the second three on Thursday, then hopefully have a 5-mile-morning on Friday. Saturday we're out of town, but I'm going to at least try to get a mile or so done just to get the blood flowing. Pretty sure next week tops at 6 miles.

It's go time.

Slow and Steady...

Run: 4 miles
Time: 46?
Mood: Hot

Went for a run after work, in the 90-something degree weather. I'd remembered to hydrate this afternoon, and fueled up with some munchkins. I went super slow, because I wanted to get in a solid 4 - next week I start the fun part: mileage increases. Next week is 5 miles, then 6, then so on and so forth. If I learned anything from the CB 10-miler training, it's that I can't skip the long runs. I need to hit them, and hit them well.

The first two miles felt great, I even considered going past the 2 mile mark, but I knew I'd be paying for it on the return. The back was, as usual, slightly uphill. I negotiated with myself the last mile or so, "I could do 3.5, that's still good. I could stop now, it's been 40 minutes." But I took Scott's advice and when I wanted to stop, I simply thought about something else. Like work. Or this blog post.

Two easy miles in the morning.

Also, two new blog posts...

5 Presidents Who Would Want You to Be Fit

You Might Be a Runner If...

Da 4th of July

Well it was a semi-successful training weekend. I intended to get in a good run to the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday morning, but got exasperated when I thought I had to run across a 4-lane highway unaccompanied (read: Scott was already standing on the other side jogging in place). So I turned around. Apparently if I had turned my head to the right, I would have seen that said "highway" was actually an entrance to Arlington Cemetery and is blocked off 24-7. My four mile run turned into a 1-mile pissy run.

Oops.

Monday was a good morning, it was muggy, but still knocked out 2.5 miles pretty easily. Followed by lunges and stretching (read: Scott hadn't finished his 5-mile run yet) and squealing over the two boxers that this poor man was walking by with. I did really feel bad for him, I bet it looked like I was gonna run up and hug him or something.

I need a dog. Stat.