Started feeling the soreness toward the end of the day yesterday. Felt it during puzzle-time at home last night. Woke up this morning to screaming pain in my legs. Rousted my friend Jessie for a 5:45 a.m. short run. Did 1.5 to try to get the blood flowing...felt great during the run. But the rubbery feeling settled in right after the run.
Trying not to baby myself, still taking the stairs, etc. Gotta keep the muscles moving to get the blasted lactic acid outta there!
No pain, no gain ladies.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Well Hi
You didn't really think you were never going to see a post from me again, did you?!
Oh, you did? Bummer.
I basically took last week off. Didn't run, didn't go to the gym, didn't stress, didn't stretch, and didn't really hydrate.
And I felt awwwwwful. I got back into the swing of things this week. Did 1.5 yesterday on the treadmill and then another 20 minutes on the elliptical - killing it. I forgot how good it feels to sweat on the machines. Plus, watching the news at the gym in the morning means I'm that much more informed during the day. Win-win, right?
This morning I got back on the Body Pump wagon. I used to take this class with my friend Hila a few years ago, and I loved it. My whole body would ache and it was fantastic. Body Pump is basically a lifting class, but it's more cardio lifting set to music. The point is not to top out with the weights, but to make it so you're struggling to complete the sets. At which point you move on to another body part. It goes through chest, back, triceps, biceps, legs (front and back - that's lunges and squats), and abs.
The bottom line? It's tough walking down the stairs after class.
I went to the 5:45 a.m. class in Alexandria, and I'm so glad I did! The class was smaller, and the instructor isn't too crazy. And yes, it was tough to drive back to Rockville after. Even tougher to wash my hair.
Today I'll be sore. Tomorrow I'll be incapacitated.
I can't wait.
Oh, you did? Bummer.
I basically took last week off. Didn't run, didn't go to the gym, didn't stress, didn't stretch, and didn't really hydrate.
And I felt awwwwwful. I got back into the swing of things this week. Did 1.5 yesterday on the treadmill and then another 20 minutes on the elliptical - killing it. I forgot how good it feels to sweat on the machines. Plus, watching the news at the gym in the morning means I'm that much more informed during the day. Win-win, right?
This morning I got back on the Body Pump wagon. I used to take this class with my friend Hila a few years ago, and I loved it. My whole body would ache and it was fantastic. Body Pump is basically a lifting class, but it's more cardio lifting set to music. The point is not to top out with the weights, but to make it so you're struggling to complete the sets. At which point you move on to another body part. It goes through chest, back, triceps, biceps, legs (front and back - that's lunges and squats), and abs.
The bottom line? It's tough walking down the stairs after class.
I went to the 5:45 a.m. class in Alexandria, and I'm so glad I did! The class was smaller, and the instructor isn't too crazy. And yes, it was tough to drive back to Rockville after. Even tougher to wash my hair.
Today I'll be sore. Tomorrow I'll be incapacitated.
I can't wait.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Good Night, and Good Luck
Alright everyone, take a seat. I've got some big news.
After a lot of soul searching and thinking and stressing and obsessing, I've made a decision.
I'm stepping down from marathon training.
Throwing in the towel. Turning off the light. Taking a hike. Bowing out.
Why, you may ask? You've been training so hard, you may say. You're almost there, you may plead.
And the answer for all of these is: I'm not happy. And I'm not having fun. I'm straight up dreading it.
I've kept up with my training for over a year, and as I started getting into the 10+ mile weeks, I realized I was dreading every run. Every mileage increase. Everything. I'd already succumbed to the fact that I probably wasn't going to "run" the entire thing - so what's the point?
I headed out for my long run with Scott on Saturday morning, and part of the way through I just stopped running. He stopped, too, and asked me what was wrong.
And I just stood there with tears in my eyes and said, "I don't want to do this."
He said, "I know."
So we walked a little and talked about it, and I realized I wasn't doing it for me. I didn't even know why I was doing it anymore. It was a chore, it wasn't something I was enjoying.
I finished out a brisk 2+-mile run, and then came home to let my brother know. I was terrified he'd be mad or disappointed, b/c he's been so incredibly supportive. But he wasn't at all. He told me he was proud of me for all of the hard work I'd put into it, and that he supports whatever I decide to do.
So I'm going to change my bib to the 10K, which is only 6 miles (I know, "only"). I know I'll enjoy it.
I plan to keep running, but for me. Not because I have to. But because I want to. I do enjoy the shorter runs, the ones that cap at 4 or 5 miles. And it's been an incredible experience, knowing that I can push myself to the greater distances of 8 and 10 miles.
But for my body and for my spirit, I'm gonna sit this 26.2 out.
After a lot of soul searching and thinking and stressing and obsessing, I've made a decision.
I'm stepping down from marathon training.
Throwing in the towel. Turning off the light. Taking a hike. Bowing out.
Why, you may ask? You've been training so hard, you may say. You're almost there, you may plead.
And the answer for all of these is: I'm not happy. And I'm not having fun. I'm straight up dreading it.
I've kept up with my training for over a year, and as I started getting into the 10+ mile weeks, I realized I was dreading every run. Every mileage increase. Everything. I'd already succumbed to the fact that I probably wasn't going to "run" the entire thing - so what's the point?
I headed out for my long run with Scott on Saturday morning, and part of the way through I just stopped running. He stopped, too, and asked me what was wrong.
And I just stood there with tears in my eyes and said, "I don't want to do this."
He said, "I know."
So we walked a little and talked about it, and I realized I wasn't doing it for me. I didn't even know why I was doing it anymore. It was a chore, it wasn't something I was enjoying.
I finished out a brisk 2+-mile run, and then came home to let my brother know. I was terrified he'd be mad or disappointed, b/c he's been so incredibly supportive. But he wasn't at all. He told me he was proud of me for all of the hard work I'd put into it, and that he supports whatever I decide to do.
So I'm going to change my bib to the 10K, which is only 6 miles (I know, "only"). I know I'll enjoy it.
I plan to keep running, but for me. Not because I have to. But because I want to. I do enjoy the shorter runs, the ones that cap at 4 or 5 miles. And it's been an incredible experience, knowing that I can push myself to the greater distances of 8 and 10 miles.
But for my body and for my spirit, I'm gonna sit this 26.2 out.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Blogiversary + 8 Miles
Run: 8 miles
Time: 1:43 (that's a 12.875 pace)
Mood: Better
That's right folks, ran a solid 8 today. Stopped once to drink water and catch my breath after a pretty long hill. But that's it. Ran the rest.
Scott came with me this morning and he's my lucky charm. It was kind of like running with a leashed horse, because his stride and pace are like double my normal pace. Add the fact that I slowed my 11:30 pace by a full minute (basic math tells us that we ran at a 12:30 split), and the poor fella was practically running in place. But he kept me motivated and stuck by my side.
I also figured out that's what I've been doing wrong - trying to run my distance runs at the same pace as my shorter runs. Tisk, tisk. Sure, it was a slower than sin pace, but I ran the whole thing. It also helped having someone give me a high-five after every hill and to carry the water. :)
This is the first time in a long time where I've actually thought, "I can do this."
It's the best blogiversary present I could have given myself! Yesterday marks a year since I started blogging about my marathon path. Woohoo for dedication!
As a side, I have two new blog posts that I'm super proud of:
Shark Week: Three Things to Learn
How to Date a Runner
Time: 1:43 (that's a 12.875 pace)
Mood: Better
That's right folks, ran a solid 8 today. Stopped once to drink water and catch my breath after a pretty long hill. But that's it. Ran the rest.
Scott came with me this morning and he's my lucky charm. It was kind of like running with a leashed horse, because his stride and pace are like double my normal pace. Add the fact that I slowed my 11:30 pace by a full minute (basic math tells us that we ran at a 12:30 split), and the poor fella was practically running in place. But he kept me motivated and stuck by my side.
I also figured out that's what I've been doing wrong - trying to run my distance runs at the same pace as my shorter runs. Tisk, tisk. Sure, it was a slower than sin pace, but I ran the whole thing. It also helped having someone give me a high-five after every hill and to carry the water. :)
This is the first time in a long time where I've actually thought, "I can do this."
It's the best blogiversary present I could have given myself! Yesterday marks a year since I started blogging about my marathon path. Woohoo for dedication!
As a side, I have two new blog posts that I'm super proud of:
Shark Week: Three Things to Learn
How to Date a Runner
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Wait a second...
Run: 4 miles
Time: 47
Mood: le tired
My 5-miler turned into my 4-miler and it was a slow one at that.
Last night, I saw a running group on Rockville Pike, and I was intrigued. I did some research, and found out that it's the Montgomery County Road Runners and they are TRAINING FOR THE MCM. Ah! I need a running group! I emailed two of the people asking if they accepted sign-ups mid-season. I hope they say yes, because I'd love to at least do my long runs with a group that goes my pace.
I also did some reading, and I'm going to work some speed workouts into my training. Also, all of those "fast" recovery runs I've been doing? Bad. Effing. Idea. And my long runs should be about 2 minutes slower than my 10K pace. Let's see...my 10K pace was about 11:30. How is it possible to run at a 13:30 pace?! I'm going to try to slow it down I guess? A little? Is that possible?
I do know one thing, training alone is possibly a bad idea. Possibly.
P.S. Last post was my 100th post. I feel like there should have been cake or something. Oh wait, there was. Disregard.
P.P.S. Friday will mark my one-year blogiversary. Sigh.
Time: 47
Mood: le tired
My 5-miler turned into my 4-miler and it was a slow one at that.
Last night, I saw a running group on Rockville Pike, and I was intrigued. I did some research, and found out that it's the Montgomery County Road Runners and they are TRAINING FOR THE MCM. Ah! I need a running group! I emailed two of the people asking if they accepted sign-ups mid-season. I hope they say yes, because I'd love to at least do my long runs with a group that goes my pace.
I also did some reading, and I'm going to work some speed workouts into my training. Also, all of those "fast" recovery runs I've been doing? Bad. Effing. Idea. And my long runs should be about 2 minutes slower than my 10K pace. Let's see...my 10K pace was about 11:30. How is it possible to run at a 13:30 pace?! I'm going to try to slow it down I guess? A little? Is that possible?
I do know one thing, training alone is possibly a bad idea. Possibly.
P.S. Last post was my 100th post. I feel like there should have been cake or something. Oh wait, there was. Disregard.
P.P.S. Friday will mark my one-year blogiversary. Sigh.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Willpower. I haz it.
Run: 3 miles
Time: 34
Mood: good not great
It. Was. So. Hard. Getting. Out. Of. Bed. This. Morning.
Super hard! I hit snooze twice, and eventually had to like, throw my legs over the side of the bed like an anchor and hoist myself up. I knew I needed to run today, it was non-negotiable.
Did three miles, felt great the whole way. I've learned that the mid-week runs really determine how the longer one on the weekend will go. For instance, running 3 miles today means that tomorrow's 5-miler is NBD b/c it's only two more miles than I ran this morning. Which, in turn, makes the 8 miles this weekend seem not so daunting b/c I just did 5 on Wednesday. See? The middle week runs are the foundation for the weekend long runs. There, I said it.
5 miles in the morning.
3 5 3 8
Time: 34
Mood: good not great
It. Was. So. Hard. Getting. Out. Of. Bed. This. Morning.
Super hard! I hit snooze twice, and eventually had to like, throw my legs over the side of the bed like an anchor and hoist myself up. I knew I needed to run today, it was non-negotiable.
Did three miles, felt great the whole way. I've learned that the mid-week runs really determine how the longer one on the weekend will go. For instance, running 3 miles today means that tomorrow's 5-miler is NBD b/c it's only two more miles than I ran this morning. Which, in turn, makes the 8 miles this weekend seem not so daunting b/c I just did 5 on Wednesday. See? The middle week runs are the foundation for the weekend long runs. There, I said it.
5 miles in the morning.
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