January review

Well, January started out really strong, and ended really weak, but I at least managed to get 100+ miles in the bank and I'm still feeling strong even if I haven't been able to run much lately.  Tendonitis pain came back in my left foot after Wytheville, and I've had to take it pretty easy.  I've got an appointment to get new orthotics on the 5th, and until then I'm just trying to hold my foot together without completely quitting running.  There's been a lot more time spent on the bike trainer than I would like, but oh well!  I'm glad I have the trainer so that I have something to do other than run.  I also went to the gym to use the rowing machine once, and that was a nice change of pace.  

I like that the rowing machine is a full-body workout!  

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Week 1 : 1/1 - 1/7 : run 35.7 miles
What a week!  I can't imagine a stronger start to a new year than this one!  A nice easy New Year's Day run with a friend, a spectacular 4 mile tempo run paced by feel (all 4 tempo miles ended up under 7:00), an extra long wandering run around Bristol (8.8 solo, 6.5 with friends), an easy 5+ miler on tired and sore legs, and then finished out the week by running a few more easy miles with a friend.  Somewhere in there I also tried a circuit workout with my balance discs for the first time and all I can say about that is ouch! Great workout, but I was feeling it all through my 15 mile run and the 5 mile shakeout.

There have been some very cold days this month!

Week 2 : 1/8 - 1/14 : run 35.5 miles
Another really solid week!  Started off with a nice group 7 miler, had a great pick-up mile repeat session on the track at school after a circuit workout with co-workers, got introduced to a fun new hill, ran a mountainous half marathon and then kept going for 3 more miles to get a 16 mile long run, and finished out the week with a 2.5 mile shakeout. 

Week 3 : 1/15 - 1/21 : run 23.5 miles, bike 20 miles
Started off with some easy group 6-8 mile runs, then had a snow day and did easy AM miles in the snow and then a short group run in the evening.  By the end of that day, I knew my foot pain wasn't going to go away and I made the decision to take time off from running.  The rest of the week involved 2 trainer rides, a TRX workout, and a hike. 

Week 4 : 1/22 - 1/28 : run 13.3 miles, bike 25 miles 
I started off the week with a trainer ride and a circuit workout, then tried a run. Meant to ease my way back into running but got overly excited to run after 6 days off, ran 3 days in a row, and then had to take more time off because clearly my tendonitis is back.  Those three runs were each only 4-5 miles, and I tried to take them easy, but my foot started hurting about 3 miles into the first run.  It didn't hurt the second day, perhaps because I was wearing my Hokas and they are more cushioned, but by the end of the third run I could tell it needed more time off. I finished out the week with the rowing machine, a flat photo-walk, and another trainer ride.

Not my favorite way to exercise, but grateful for the option!

Week 5 : 1/29 - 1/31 : run 9.3 miles, bike 10.2 miles
Now that I've made an appointment to get new orthotics, short runs every other day feel like an ok idea.  So, easy run Monday, trainer Tuesday plus circuit workout, then an easy run on Wednesday.  Didn't really feel any pain today so I may run tomorrow, especially since I know I won't have time for exercise on Friday. 

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Year to date:

total run miles : 117

total bike miles : 55

6 days til Star City!

This week : 

M : circuit training 33:15

T : yoga class 1 hr

run 10 / 8:34 / 906 ft

W : trainer ride 11.1 / 46:57 / 14.2 mph

TRX 10 minute abs

R : rest

F :  run 9 / 7:18 / 679 ft

Sa : run 6.1 / 7:50 / 482 ft

Su : TRX 35:00

trainer ride 12 / 48:37 / 14.8 mph

total run miles : 25.2

total bike miles : 23.1

Thankful to say my cough is almost entirely gone!  I've definitely been taking extra good care of myself lately, and maybe that special homemade chicken soup helped too.  

I hadn't originally planned to run fast on Friday, but I felt good starting out and my legs really wanted to go, so I ended up deciding to let them.  I didn't look at the pace while I was running, just ran as fast as I could maintain comfortably without getting too out of breath, then picked it up even faster for the last 2 miles (7:08, 7:06).  It felt really good, and was a great boost of confidence for me as I enter the final week before Star City!  

In other news, today is exactly 6 years since I ran my first marathon!  I've been thinking lately about how grateful I am to have had Jim as my running partner back then.  When I came up with the crazy scheme to run a half marathon, he trained and raced with me.  He did the same when I decided to be even crazier and run a marathon 11 months later.  If it weren't for him encouraging me, training with me, and traveling to those races with me, who knows where I'd be now.  Maybe I would have eventually run these distances anyway, maybe I would have kept running a 5k a day forever.  But I bet I wouldn't be about to run my 33rd half marathon in less than a week, or planning my 4th marathon in 6 months.  My running fitness has come a long way in the last 6 years, and I can't wait to see how much further I can take it!  

Flashback!  11/12/2011

PS : I can see my abs.  They aren't super 6-pack defined yet...but they are definitely there.  Exciting. 

Recovery Week + Growler Relay

I did my best to keep it light on the running this week, although I did not back off of the strength training.  My legs and body have definitely been worn out from the half marathon last Sunday!  My team for the Growler Relay was 7 people for 8 legs, so I did end up being the person that ran 2, but at least I had only run twice this week before that, and I didn't treat it like a race this year.  (I didn't jog either...but I definitely wasn't pushing myself to the max!)

I didn't get home from Roanoke until almost 3:00 today but a friend asked if I wanted to bike and that seemed like a good thing to do after sitting in the car, especially since I've been trying not to run too much, but still need exercise.  It ended up being really windy for our ride which made it harder than I'd like, but I'm glad I got out and did it.  It was a gorgeous day, and I do need to be getting on that bike once in awhile!

This week : 

M : circuit training 33:15

T : yoga class 1 hour

W : TRX 30 minutes

run 3.6 / 7:43 / 272 ft

R : trail run 4.8 / 9:56 / 997 ft

F : rest

Sa : relay leg- 1 5.3 / 7:37 / 223 ft

relay leg 3- 6. 2/ 7:36 / 213 ft 

Su : bike w/Coby 22.2 / 17.6 mph / 1247 ft

total miles run : 19.8

total miles bike : 22.2

Handing off to our second runner yesterday after I started off the relay.  I've never seen my muscles pop out like that...the camera must have caught the exact moment my foot hit the ground and the impact traveled up my leg!

Effort-based running

This week : 

 M : TRX arms / 12 minutes

run 4.1 / 7:06 / 217 ft

T : yoga 15 minutes

run w/Ben 9.2 / 7:40 / 525 ft

W : rest

R : run 5.7 / 8:38 / 400 ft

TRX 34 minutes

F :  rest

Sa : yoga 20 minutes

run 14 / 8:07 / 853 ft

Su : yoga 17 minutes

bike w/Dan 20.3 / 18 mph / 1142 ft

total run miles : 33

total bike miles : 20.3

I've been running primarily #nowatchme for the past few weeks. This means that while I am wearing a watch and recording all my runs, I do not allow myself to look at the pace or mile splits while I am running. I decide what kind of effort I want to put in, and that is the effort I exert.  I can't look at my watch to see if my pace matches what I think it should for my effort.  I often keep my watch on the HR screen so that I can judge my effort by my HR, but not accidentally see my pace.  Some days I have the self control not to look at my watch at all.  

On Monday, my legs were itching to go.  I hadn't let myself open up to a fast pace in awhile, and my legs wanted to stretch out.  I had barely been free of calf pain for 24 hours, but sometimes it is worse to hold my legs back, so I decided to let them go.  I kept the effort somewhere between moderate and hard, and did not look at my watch until it was over, other than to check the mileage occasionally because I wanted to make sure I got at least 4.  I was incredibly happy to see my average pace when I completed the run.  7:06 average in a training run without exerting maximum effort was a huge confidence booster for me.  

On Tuesday I was still feeling good and my legs still had that "get up and go" feeling.  I wasn't quite ready to put myself back on the track, so I decided to do a long hill push.  I hadn't run the 2+ mile White's Mill hill in awhile, and I was craving a good long hard climb.  Ben agreed to go with me, so off we went.  We kept the pace easy-moderate on the downhill, and after turning around at the bottom I focused on a good steady push up the hill.  Last time I did this run, I pushed too hard on the first part of the hill and died before I reached the top, so this time I made sure I was keeping something for the final push.  I felt really strong as I pushed up that hill, and was really pleased with the run overall.  

I made myself take Wednesday off because I was afraid of overdoing it and setting myself back again when I was finally feeling good.  On Thursday I had planned to do a TRX workout for Gail in the evening, so I decided to do my run before work in the morning.  I decided it would be better for my legs to not do the run and TRX back to back.  Plus, I'm always slow in the mornings, so a morning run guarantees that I won't overdo it.  I forgot to eat a little something before the run, so my stomach was yelling at me to feed it during the whole run, but other than that is wasn't bad.  

I was hoping for a minimum of 12 miles on Saturday (although I only needed 11 to hit my 30 miles for the week so I knew I could stop there if it was going poorly).  I had a vague route planned out in my head, but I hadn't mapped it, and suspected I would have to add several miles at the end of the loop I had in mind.  A few miles in, I was feeling pretty good despite the persistent rain and had an idea for a loop to add, so I did.  Coming up on 11 miles, I had a choice to run straight home and get about 13, or add a bit and get to 14.  I decided to go for the 14.  I ended up having to zig zag back and forth between two streets to get the 14 without running past home, but I got it.  I kept the effort pretty easy throughout the run.  I noticed my HR creeping into Z4 a few times, and each time I worked to steady my breathing and bring it back to Z3.  I ended up with only 12% of the run in Z4, which can mostly be attributed to hills.   I was a bit disappointed that my average pace was over 8, but after looking at the HR data I realized that 8:07 is a good pace for me, with staying out of Z4.  I'm still hoping that comes down below 8:00 soon, but I think as long as things continue to go well, it will.  

Happy face after a great hill run!

Successful 14 miler done despite the chill and rain!

Make a plan. Ignore plan.

I do this a lot.  I'm always making up training schedules for myself.  Once in awhile, I actually do manage to follow the schedule exactly.  But only once in awhile.  The rest of the time...it's just an idea, right?  Not something set in stone?  This is why I won't hire a coach for myself.  Yet I want to coach others...because I'm good at making the plans!  I just need someone more dedicated than me to actually follow the plans!  Although I'm not sure "dedicated" is quite the word I'm looking for.  I am dedicated.  I get done what I need to eventually.  Life just gets in the way sometimes and messes up the order and timing.

This was the plan for the week : 

(purple is yoga minutes, blue is running miles)

Here's what I actually did : 

Monday : yoga : 25

Tuesday : yoga : 20

TRX : 34

run : 5.5 / 7:50 / 400 ft

Wednesday : yoga : 40

hike : 5 miles

swim : 26 / 1100yds (rest every 50)

bike (group) : 18.4 / 14.7 mph / 1050 ft

Thursday : yoga : 20

run : 9.6 / 8:46 / 420 ft

(4.5 solo, then with group)

Friday : yoga : 25

Saturday :  yoga : 20

horseback ride on and off for 7 hours

Sunday : yoga : 15

run 10.8 / 7:53 / 587 ft

total bike miles : 18.4

total run miles : 25.9

total swim : 1100 yds

I was super proud of myself for doing yoga first thing in the morning EVERY SINGLE DAY this week.  I found a different "morning yoga" video on YouTube each day.  I tried to pick the gentler ones so I wouldn't feel too horribly in need of a shower afterwards.  I meant to also do a more strenuous video at least once this week, later in the day, but that hasn't happened yet, so it probably won't happen.  I'm sure I'm benefiting just from the gentle stretching each morning though!  The trick will be trying to keep that routine once school starts and I have to be out of the house by 7:20 every day. I did start work on Thursday this week, but I didn't have to be in til 9 on Thursday or Friday.  

I don't remember why I didn't bike on Monday.  I think I just decided that my legs needed rest and that they didn't need to deal with hills on a bike.  If I could have ridden without coming across a single hill I probably would have.  Oh yeah, I remember what else happened.  I decided to dust my bedroom, and do a little vacuuming, and somehow that turned into cleaning and re-organizing my entire kitchen.  That took several hours.  It definitely needed to be done, but it also definitely threw a wrench in my day.  I had intended to go into work in the morning.  I ended up going in the afternoon instead, once I had finally finished the kitchen.  

Tuesday's run was a "shakeout" right after I did TRX.  I didn't let myself check my pace at any point during the run.  I just did whatever felt good.  I did try to throw in a good mix of hills so my legs wouldn't get too "bored."

On Wednesday I had every intention of running and biking, but then I decided that since it was my last day of vacation, I also needed to go on an adventure.  Blog post here. My adventure ended up being a 5 mile hike.  I made the mistake of telling someone I would be back in time for lunch, which meant that I got really rushed towards the end of the hike.  Like, I realized I wouldn't be back til 2 if I didn't really hurry, and that my friend might start to freak out that something had happened to me.  So I ended up walk/jogging the 2.5 miles back to the car.  In my chacos.  Which were wet from the creek crossings.  So now I have a bunch of rubs on my feet, and my calves have now almost stopped screaming at me.  But hey, my calves probably needed the workout.  Anyway, I made it back to cell service by 12:40 so all was well.  After lunch, Gail somehow convinced me to go to the pool with her to swim laps.  I've been avoiding this for ages.  I want to be able to swim...but I just can't get the breathing thing down.  I've inhaled so much water in my life it freaks me out to even think about trying that sideways turning breathing thing.  But, I went to the pool with Gail.  As I got in the pool, I realized I had forgotten my inhaler.  Because why not make this breathing thing even harder on myself?  After inhaling a tiny bit of water, I decided I was definitely going to use a nose clip.  That thing is a life saver.  I did about 20ish laps with a kickboard, just kicking myself back and forth across the pool as fast as I could with my arms straight out in front of me, and trying to practice turning my head to breathe.  I had to rest for several minutes between each lap to catch my breath.  Then I did a few laps trying to do some approximation of a breast stroke, which I decided would be easier to master the breathing for.  Turns out I can only think about 2 things at once.  So I can get the arms and the legs right, or I can get the arms and the breathing right.  But at least I was making it back and forth across the pool without a kickboard.  I did flip to my back a couple times to just kick and catch my breath though.  In the end, I survived my first ever experience "swimming" laps.  And then I decided I couldn't ditch my bike ride like I had clearly ditched my run, so I went to the group bike ride.  To which no one else showed up.  But there were a couple people who had randomly shown up to ride together at that time, and they let me join them.  So that was nice.  

On Thursday I was not feeling so great, and it was 80+ degrees out, but I was already way behind on my mileage for the week so I had to go for a run.  I decided to time my run so that I would get 4-5 alone and then be able to jump in with a group starting at 5:00 to get some more miles with them.  I ended up getting 4.5 alone and then dragging myself behind the group for the rest of the run.  I felt awful, but I made it through the whole run so, yay miles!

I accepted that Friday would have to be a rest day and that I would get the remaining miles I needed on Saturday and Sunday. 

Sue had texted me earlier in the week to say she would be at a horse show near me and would bring Pony if I wanted to ride.  Of course I said yes.  How could I say no to Pony visiting me instead of me having to go visit her?!  The show was only about 15 minutes away from  me!  I got there around 11, and ended up spending the next 9 hours on and off  my horse, riding back and forth between the trailer and the arena where they were having a cattle sorting show.  I spent lots of time just sitting on Pony watching the show.  It was a fun time, and it was great to spend some time with Pony!  But it meant that I did not run.  So...another rest day, more or less.  

I accepted that I was not getting 30 miles this week.  I briefly toyed with the idea of trying to get 15 today, but then I saw that it was going to be over 80 by noon, and closer to 90 by 5, so I scrapped that idea.  I realized if I wanted anything close to a long run I would have to get up early and run before church.  I got up at 5:15.  I hit snooze til 5:30 because I could not get myself up.  I did yoga til 5:45.  I had breakfast.  I finally got out the door at 6:45.  If I wanted to go to church in Abingdon, I had to be home by 8:15 for the 9:00 Mass.  There was a 10:30 option in Bristol, but I didn't want to drive that far if I didn't really have to.  So I got as many miles as I could by 8:15 and called it good.  I think it helped me run a bit faster than I might have otherwise though.  It actually ended up being the best I've felt on a run in awhile, and I was pleased that I averaged under 8:00 pace.  And since it wasn't super long, I shouldn't need too much recovery.  I hope to be back over 30 miles next week!  

So awesome that Pony got to come visit me!

Sue offered to take photos of us.  

Pony was much more interested in eating grass than in posing.

In other news, I found out that the gym near me (with the pool) is only $140/year for teachers.  And they have TRX hooks on the wall, in addition to a pool, so I think I will actually get a gym membership!  Then I'll have to learn how to swim efficiently and use it for cross training, AND I will be able to do so much more with TRX because I won't be confined in my hallway anymore!  

Time to take a break

But not from running of course!  Just from the training.  Ever since I hurt my back in July and took a week off from running, it's been hard coming back.  There was the terrible flat-ness in MI that made my legs angry, and then I got back home and my body just doesn't want to run hard anymore.  It's been super frustrating, but it's time to accept that I need to back off.  Sure, I'm 6 weeks away from half marathon that I could potentially do really well at, but I just have to keep reminding myself the real goal race isn't til November and if I want to be strong I can't keep pushing myself too hard.

So for the next 2 ish weeks, the goal is just to get back the joy in running.  I have minor distance goals for each run, but no pace goals.  I'm not going to purposely run fast, but I'm not going to purposely run slow either.  I've found my legs are angrier after being forced to run slower.  I also think part of my problem is all this time on the couch since I got home from my roadtrip.  Not working is weird.  I went into school 4 days this week more to get off the couch than because I really had to.  It was nice to get a head start on setting up my classroom and thinking about lesson plans, but it wasn't necessary.  I think getting back to work and being on a normal daily schedule will probably help my running too.

This week :

M : yoga 50 minutes

T : group run 6.1 / 7:39 / 348 ft

W : workout 30 minutes

group bike 23.1 / 15.2 mph / 1355 ft

R : group run 7.5 / 7:58 /522 ft

F : run 6 / 8:01 / 449 ft

yoga 20 minutes

Sa : bike 24 / 17.4 mph / 1348 ft

Su : run w/ Corey 14 / 8:30 / 869 ft

total bike miles : 47.1 

total run miles : 33.6

We had planned mile repeats on Tuesday, but none of us were feeling up for it so we just ran instead.  And then we planned a tempo run for me on Thursday, but I wasn't feeling up for it and no one else wanted it enough to pull me through so again, we just ran.  

Today's run was brutal.  I probably should drop long runs while I'm trying to just enjoy running, but I feel like I've lost so much of my endurance in the last 2 months and I don't want to lose any more of it.  I wanted to keep my endurance after the marathon!  The plan for today was about 12 miles.  I really wanted a change of scenery for the long run so we went to Bristol.  I filled my camelbak 3/4 full.  I didn't want to need it, but I've been feeling so drained on runs lately I figured better safe than sorry.  I ended up wishing I had filled it the whole way...it was empty with 2 miles left in the run.  I had planned about roughly the first 6 miles of the run point to point, and then figured we'd run around Steele Creek park, see where we were mileage wise, and head back on a shorter route than how we got there.  It ended up being much sunnier and hotter than either of us expected (I got rained on during my run Friday and during my ride Saturday!) We were both feeling the heat by the time we got to Steele Creek.  We decided to run the shaded trail around the lake for a break from the sun.  Then we had to climb a looooong hill out of the park.  With little shade.  I actually thought I might pass out at one point.  How did I make it to August without acclimating to running in the heat?!  I was dragging more and more with each mile, but I did make it back to the car without giving up.  On the bright side, running 14 instead of 12 this weekend means I can do 8-10 instead of 12 next weekend.  Or who knows, maybe I'll just feel really good next weekend and do more. You never know. Maybe it won't be as hot. 

Perseverance

Neither of my longer runs this week went as planned.  The heat is at least partially to blame, and overestimating my current fitness is level is most likely another culprit.  Bad runs are lessons to learn from, and I will use what I learned to help make better decisions next week.  (I hope...)

This week : 

M : pub run 4.7 / 8:10 / 121 ft

T : TRX class @ GVF 50 minutes

horseback ride 1:40

W : run 4.2 / 7:49 / 312 ft

(medium effort hill run)

R : run w/Corey 10 / 8:37 / 305

(2x 2 mile, 1x 1 mile, 1x 0.5 mile)

F : yoga 50 minutes

Sa : group bike 23.1 / 14.3 mph / 1125 ft

run 3.3 / 8:02 / 240 ft

(easy effort)

Su : run 9.7 / 8:24 / 597 ft

total bike miles : 23.1

total run miles : 31.9

Thursday's plan was to run the repeats at 6:30 pace, which is my eventual goal half marathon pace.  If I was smarter, I would have known that I am not ready to train that pace yet and I need to start at a more realistic place.  The first 2 miles went fine, but halfway through the 2nd repeat my lungs died and I started to slow.  I had to walk the recovery after that, trying to calm my breathing and my HR, but my body wasn't cooperating.  I decided not to abandon the workout, but didn't even try to hit the 6:30 pace for the mile or 1/2 mile.  I just put it whatever effort I could, and I walked the 1/2 mile recovery between the mile and 1/2 mile.  I will do this workout again in a week and a half or 2 weeks, but I will probably try for 6:40-45 pace instead of 6:30.  

Today I hoped for 10-12 miles, but after staying up too late having too much fun with friends last night, I knew it was optimistic to hope for.  I hardly drink alcohol anymore, and I'm usually good at saying no when other people offer me drinks, but last night I did not do such a good job of saying no.  I drank plenty of water after waking up this morning, but the drinking still took a toll on my body that did not mix well with trying to run 10 miles in 80+ degree heat, even with the nice breeze and the low humidity.  The first 6 or so miles were fine, but as I got slower and slower after that, I knew it wasn't worth it to keep pushing and so I cut the run short. I probably should have been satisfied with one 10 miler this week anyway.  

The good news is, I made it 30+ miles 2 weeks in a row!  I just need to start working towards getting that 30 miles in 4 runs instead of 5 and trying to bike at least once a week.   

And in other news, I signed up for the Pittsburgh marathon this week! There were 2 years between my first two marathons, 4 years between the second and third, and now I am going to have 2 in one year... I'm hoping to stay in some semblance of marathon shape while focusing on half marathon training so that I won't have to spend all winter and spring building back up, but every week I miss another long run is taking me further from that fitness level that I am trying to maintain.  

MIchigan Week 2 =>OH =>VA

Trying to bring my mileage back up slowly and wisely.  It helped that I couldn't stand the flatness in Michigan so it was hard to run too long anyway.  Monday's and Tuesday's runs went really well because it felt so good to stretch out my legs, but by Thursday my legs were over it and didn't want to go.  It was nice that I got some good use out of my bike this week though!

This week : 

 M : run 8 / 7:34 / 226 ft

T : run 7.2 / 7:29 /98 ft

W : bike 16 / 18.5 mph / 305 ft 

R : run 5.1 / 7:38 / 194 ft

F : rest

Sa : bike w/Lauren 19.6 / 16.3 mph / 912 ft

kayak 5.1

Su : run 4 / 7:28 / 262 ft

total run miles : 24.3

total bike miles : 35.7

Tuesday's speedwork was timed intervals.  10 minute warm up around 8:00 pace, then 6 x 4 minutes at 6:30 pace / 2 minute jog, then cool-down back to the house.  I used the Kal-Haven trail, which is a flat bike path that is mostly well-packed dirt.  Now that I'm back home, I will still do some track Tuesday's, but I am going to start doing some Tuesday's on the Creeper Trail instead to get longer intervals without having to run so many circles.  I dislike the trail because of it's slight downhill grade going out and uphill coming back, but it's time to learn to deal with it!  I want to start doing some 2 mile intervals, and I'm not going to make myself run that many laps around a track.  I also need to be building more muscle for the flats so that they don't hurt me in races.  

I feel like I am so very overdue for a long run, as I haven't had one since my marathon/half marathon week, but it just hasn't been in the cards.  And I know I can't just go out and force a long run if I want to stay healthy.  Not sure how long it will take to lose all that endurance I built up but hopefully it can hang on for another few weeks!  I'm hoping to stay in marathon shape while working towards my half marathon PR.  

Michigan fun

Ohio fun

back home in VA

RI week 1

This week : 

M : run  6.1 / 8:09/ 510 ft

(5 w/sister)

T : warm up 1.5 / 8:55 / 95 ft (1 mile + 4x100m strides)

1600 time trial 5:54 (1500 @ 5:26)

cool down 1.5 / 9:08 / 89 ft

W : 30 minute TRX

rowing machine 15:00 / 2750m

R : run 8.4 / 7:52 / 505 ft

F : 40 minute yoga

Sa : group bike 20 / 17.1 / 584 ft

run w/sister 5.7 / 8:46 /354 ft

Su : run 3.5 / 9:09 / 253 ft

total miles run : 27.8

total miles biked : 20

I was super happy with my time trial on Tuesday, when I beat my HS 1500 PR by 10 seconds, plus it was fun to do my time trial on the same track where I started my running career!  

Wednesday's TRX had me sore for 2-3 days afterwards, which is always welcomed after a workout as it lets me know I worked hard!

Thursday's miles didn't feel quite as easy as I wish they had, but they still went well overall, especially considering the strong winds, and it was nice to get in a slightly longer training run. 

The runs with my sister were more about her than me, just trying to stick to a pace she could handle for some longer runs than she's used to and trying to give her tips here and there.  

 Today I made the mistake of barely drinking any water, napping too long, and then attempting to run straight out of the nap.  The result : dead legs and an angry stomach. But hey, any run is better than no run!  

Portions of Monday's and Sunday's runs were on grass, which was no big deal in HS but now feels so much harder than pavement!  So much extra effort required to run on grass.  I'm sure it's good for my legs and feet to work all those extra stabilizer muscles...but I definitely prefer pavement! 

I've drawn up a schedule for this coming week to try and get myself back into training and motivated.  TRX twice, a track workout, a distance pace workout, and hopefully 2 bike rides!  And an easy run or two of course. 

Hooray for being able to sprint faster than my high school self even though I'm much more of an endurance runner!  

Marathon Countdown...T-6 days!

I'm playing all sorts of mental mind games as marathon day approaches.  The bad run on the 27th really messed with my head, and runs have been hit or miss since then.  I'm trying to do the taper thing, but I feel like there's a very fine line for me between tapering being beneficial, and tapering being detrimental.  I've been taking a lot of days off, and have reduced the my mileage, but my legs feel dead on about every other run.  I'm now spending a lot of time reminding myself to trust the training, but also that this race is not the end goal, it's just a step on the way, and as long as I finish it will be a good run.

This week : 

M : 

T : morning shakeout 3.2 / 8:38 / 151

hill repeats  5 / 8:02 / 466 ft

(3 x 0.5 mile uphill) 

W : workout 12 minutes

yoga 20 minutes

R : off

F : run 5.5 / 7:48 / 299 ft

Sa : 5.5 / 8:04 / 374 ft

Su : bike 17.1 / 17.6 mph / 935 ft

total run miles : 19.2

total bike miles : 17.1

Wednesday Workout x3

10 squats

10 pushups

10 lunges

10 leg raises

10 burpees

10 sec side plank, each side

I've got 3 teacher work days this week, and then I'm on summer vacation!  My brain is apparently already on vacation though, because I feel asleep on the couch around 3 this afternoon and couldn't get my eyes open until about 7.  Thankfully there was enough daylight time left for me to get in the bike ride I had planned to do today!

post-long run

This week: 

M : bike w/Chuck 20.3 / 16.2 mph / 1385 ft

T : bike w/Chuck & Joe 20.4 / 14.7 mph / 1207 ft

W : TRX 3 x 10 @ 45/15

shakeout 1 / 7:54 / 0 ft

R : yoga class 1 hour

group run 4.7 / 7:53 / 253 ft

F : rest

Sa : run w/ Mollie 7.1 / 8:39 / 154 ft

Su : workout 15 minutes

total run miles : 12.8

total bike miles : 40.7

It was hard not to run for so many days in a row...but I managed!  I tried to wait til Thursday, but after Wednesday's TRX in an 80 degree apartment I really wanted to feel a breeze.  Also, I went overkill on the squats and lunges and I wanted to shake out my legs.  At least I only did a mile, and I skipped the inhaler so that I couldn't go too far or fast anyway.  It felt good though, and so Thursday I felt good about going for a good 4-5 mile run.  In the meantime, my bike got some good use while I was resting my foot!  

On Thursday I started with the guys.  They were running faster than I wanted to go, but I let them carry me for a few miles, and then I split off to jog back to the brewery while they continued on, since they wanted more miles than me anyway.  My foot hurt a little bit, but it's unavoidable as the roads I was running on had the same camber that hurt it to begin with!  

On Saturday, Mollie and I headed to Damascus where we ran around town and up and down the Creeper Trail while people-watching at the Trail Days Festival.  We ran the first 4.5 ish miles together, then she stopped and I picked up the pace and got a few more miles in.  It was hot and sunny, but I felt pretty good.  

Creeper Trail on a gorgeous day.

Last minute 5k...because, hills!

I came across a race called Hike the Hill 5k, in Abingdon, scheduled for April 15.  I thought that was the date of Blue Ridge, so I figured it was not an option for me.  Then I found out that Blue Ridge was a week later than I thought it was...and I couldn't find a good excuse not to run the Abingdon race.  (I mean, resting for Blue Ridge was an excuse, but not a good enough one to keep me away from a hill challenge!)  I'll post my race recap tomorrow or sometime this week.  I'm waiting to see if any race photos come out...

This week : 

M : run 10 / 7:33 / 561

T : group 4.3 / 7:51 / 151 ft

W : rest

R : run 8 / 7:34 / 581 ft

F : 45 minute Power Yoga

Sa : warm up 1.6 / 7:22 / 79 ft

race 2.76 / 7:34 / 414 ft

cool down 0.7 / 9:51 / 89

Su : bike 21.2 / 17.3 mph / 1286 ft

total run miles : 27.4

total bike miles : 21.2

On Monday I decided I needed another long hill workout since I still had almost two weeks til Blue Ridge.  So I went out to the closest hill from home that most closely resembles the Mill Mountain climb at Blue Ridge - White's Mill Road.

I ran down to the bottom at a moderately hard pace, and then really pushed the uphill coming back.  My pace was close to 7:00 and I was feeling really strong, until I reached the steep part towards the end, and then I completely died.  I dug deep and found every bit of grit in my body to keep pushing for the top, but it was a major struggle, and I fell way off my pace as I gasped for air and my legs slowed from lack of oxygen.  Needless to say, I will be running that hill again, and trying to make strategize better so as to make it to the top without dying.  But it will have to wait until after Blue Ridge at this point.

Heading down the hill...sporting some nice blue argyle compression socks!

On Thursdays run, I again decided to push some hills.  I ran a moderate pace in between the hills, and pushed the uphills.  And I sought out as many uphills as I could during the 8 miles...some long, some short.  The last one looks tiny, but it was really steep and definitely hurt that late in the run!

Today's bike ride was supposed to be pretty easy, but the wind had other ideas.  I still managed not to quite overdo it out there, but I had to work harder than I wanted to with the wind in my face for the last 7+ miles!  It was a gorgeous day though, I rode out to the Emory & Henry campus and back.

Year in Review

My goal for 2016 was to get 1300 miles.  Twice over the course of the year I was 30+ miles ahead of the goal.  And at least once I was about 30 miles behind it.  This year was a lot healthier for me than the past two, but it still wasn't injury free.  I think the bad ankle sprain in February was the worst that happened though.  Foot pain after my last half marathon had me cut back miles when I was over 30 ahead, but at least I managed not to ever fall behind.  I finished up the year with 1311 miles.  Would have been higher if I hadn't lost the last day of the year stuck at home waiting for a cable guy who never showed, but apparently a run was just not meant to happen that day.

2016 run stats

2016 vs 2015

380.3 more miles 

53 more hours

17,024 more feet of elevation gain

79 more runs

2016 race stats

11 races, 4 were half marathons

2016 bike stats

2016 vs 2015

1648.3 fewer miles

101 fewer hours

154,495 fewer feet of elevation gain

68 fewer rides

...clearly biking was not my first priority this year...because I was able to run all year without having to take any breaks more than a couple of weeks long!

Overall I'm pretty happy with my year.  Still haven't quite gotten back to where I was in 2013 but I am getting closer.  I definitely feel a lot stronger than I have in a long time, and am looking forward to an even better 2017!  I've upped the mileage goal for this year to 1500, and I'm off to a great start with 10.5 on January 1!

Easing my mileage back up

This week : 

M : sweatfest 12.3 / 50 minutes

T : group run 5.4 / 8:08 / 217 ft

R : run w/Ben 7.1 / 8:02 / 328 ft

F : run 4 / 7:11 / 184 ft

Sa : hike 5.5 miles / 650 ft 

sweatfest 13.9 / 60 minutes

Su : run w/Ben 6.1 / 7:43 / 479 ft

run total : 22.6

bike total : 26.2

It got COLD this week!  I guess winter is here now.  Tuesday's run was cold and rainy, Thursday's run was colder, and Friday's run was frigid!  I didn't plan or really try to run super fast but I was trying to stay warm, apparently that made me fast.  Thankfully it was a few degrees warmer today when we ran.  It was also the middle of the day instead of evening, I'm sure that helped... 

My foot doesn't feel 100% but it doesn't exactly hurt either.  Hard to say exactly what is going on.  It was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable towards the end of the hike, but it wasn't easy going, so I wasn't surprised.  Still no real pain though, so I guess as long as it doesn't really hurt I will continue running.  Definitely taking it easy on downhills so as not to pound it too hard though!  

On a mission through the woods...gotta find a waterfall!

Found it!

Holding my breath

4 successful runs this week.  They were all short, and mostly flat/easy, but there was no foot pain, so I'm hopeful that I will be back to business as usual soon.  There hasn't been any real pain since the day it appeared, but there have been moments of discomfort, and I'm trying to be as cautious as I can.  Haven't worn anything but Danskos in two weeks, other than to run, and I've only worn my best, most supportive running shoes when running.  This weekend was the first time I ran two days in a row, but so far so good.

I've been on the bike trainer quite a few times now, and I'm hoping to keep that up for the cross training.  I've found it's decently tolerable to spend time on the trainer when I put on a Netflix show and pedal til it's over.

This week : 

M : bike 13.9 / 17.4 mph / 1007 ft

T : group run 3 / 8:08 / 128 ft

R : group run 4.2 / 8:05 / 190 ft

F : sweatfest 12 / 50 min (intervals 4x 7 easy, 3 hard @18+mph)

Sa : run 4.6 / 7:19 / 194 ft

Su : run w/Ben 4 / 7:46 / 187 ft

sweatfest 12 / 50 minutes (40 min @ 80+ rpm )

run total : 15.8 miles

bike total : 37.9 miles

Monday was my 1 year "crashiversary" and it seemed like a day I should bike.  Thankfully the weather cooperated...20-30 mph wind gusts were forecasted, but happily they waited til after my ride to start.  Wouldn't want to crash on the same day two years in a row!  I brought my bike to school and biked from there so that I wouldn't have to race the daylight.  I had thought about a 20+ mile loop, but when I started riding I noticed my legs were a bit sore from my ride the day before, so I decided not to push it.  

I kept my runs short and easy with the group on Tuesday and Thursday, although I was itching for more.  I wasn't ready to run two days in a row yet, so it was back to the trainer on Friday.  I decided to do intervals, to make sure I got a workout out of it.  I ended up with even more of a workout than intended, because the old inhaler I used was apparently empty.  My lungs were struggling hard, but it felt good in a way.  Good to make them work hard and grow stronger.  I was exhausted by the end though!

I've been trying to "listen to my body" with this whole foot issue, but I realized on Saturday that it's rather impossible to listen to your body when it is sending contradictory messages!  My foot was saying maybe I should take another day off, but my legs were screaming for a run.  I had to listen to my legs.  I started out intending to do an easy 4 or 5 miles, but my legs started carrying me faster and faster.  It felt so good to run hard, the workout was just what my legs and lungs were craving.  No foot pain during the run, and no foot pain today either, when I let Ben talk me into going for a run.  I wasn't sure it was a great idea to run twice in a row yet, but hard to turn down a run... Our run was mostly flat with a nice tough hill climb in the middle. It was cold and raining but didn't seem so bad once we were out there. 

Current plan is to ride the trainer tomorrow and then hopefully get 6 mile runs on Tuesday and Thursday with the group. 

In other news, I keep getting Christmas songs stuck in my head.  I am not nearly ready for Christmas yet...I'd be tired of the songs and the tree by the time Christmas actually gets here if I was starting Christmas now...but Christmas is everywhere you look now and of course the kids have started singing carols in school so...today's picture comes with a re-written song.  

When the weather outside is frightful

But your tights are so delightful

When your legs just want some fun

Gotta run gotta run gotta run.

Dusting cobwebs off the bikes

This week : 

M : sweatfest 9.5 / 40 minutes

R : turkey jog w/ Lewisburg Run Club 3.2 / 8:54 / 0 ft

F : horseback ride 1:22

Sa : sweatfest 10.2 / 40 minutes

Su : bike 20.1 / 18.3 mph / 1063 ft

total run miles : 3.2

total bike miles : 39.9

My legs were begging for a shakeout jog but I was trying really hard to give my foot some time off after how bad it hurt on Sunday, so I decided to torture myself with the dreaded bike trainer.  I put on an episode of Criminal Minds (the current series I'm marathoning through) and did some easy pedaling until the episode was over.  Tuesday was a half day at school and then I headed to Lewisburg.  Wednesday I got my new orthotics made, got my hair chopped off, and caught up with friends.  I had been pain free since Sunday, although I also hadn't worn anything but my best Danskos.  So Thursday morning I decided to try an easy Turkey-Day jog with a couple people from the Lewisburg run club.  We did two nice slow, flat, loops, and there was no pain.  The orthotics felt good, so hopefully they won't need to be tweaked.  I then decided that to be safe, I would wait til Tuesday before trying to run again.  I got home Saturday evening, and was losing my mind from barely exercising all week, so at 8 PM I gave in and hopped back on the bike trainer.  This time I made myself work a lot harder than on Monday.  I did intervals-ish...I didn't time them, but every now and then I made myself pedal harder until my heartrate got up above 175.  Then today it made it slightly above 50 degrees, so I decided it was time to dust off the Supersix and head outside for a ride. My legs felt a lot stronger than the last time I biked outside!  It seems that running does a lot more for my bike muscles than biking does for my run muscles.  

The plan is to bike outside again tomorrow...it's my 1 year "crashiversary."  And I hope to do short easy jogs on Tuesday and Thursday with the Wolf Pack.  

My new do...and the long braid I will be donating!

It may be the shortest I've ever gone...and so far I love it.  

(The facebook world also loves it...it may be my most popular post ever.  

Nobody seems sad to see the long hair go...)

A few friends and I decided we would rather make sushi than turkey for Thanksgiving.

We call it Sushisgiving. 

We had such a great time, we decided we have to do it again next year!

The ingredients waiting to be rolled into sushi-roll deliciousness.

 

I made some cranberry sauce to dip the rolls in...as a Thanksgiving touch...

This was the third or fourth time I made sushi, but the first time I tried making the rolls with the rice on the outside.  It was a success!  I've always preferred the rice on the outside, so I'm glad it didn't end up being that hard to make them this way.  

Trying to find motivation

It used to be that no day was complete without a run.  If I didn't run before work in the morning, it was the first thing I did after work.  And I wanted to run.  Every day.  I didn't get home and think to myself that maybe it would be ok to skip the run because I just wasn't feeling it.  I was always feeling it.  I've been noticing lately that that is gone.  Now I get home and just don't feel it many days.  I guess there is a combination of reasons for that.  I suspect that one of the culprits is all the time I took off for tendonitis.  I had to adapt and learn not to need the run so badly simply because it wasn't an option for so many months.  And I'm beginning to think that the other culprit is the stress factor.  Running has always been my stress reliever.  My job over the past 8 years was often high-stress, and I absolutely needed a run at the end of the day to de-stress.  It was really hard for me to deal with the inability to run during my bouts with tendonitis because it meant I was unable to really de-stress at the end of each day.  I finally left that job, and have found myself in a job that has, so far, been stress free!  It kinda weirds me out... Each day the school day ends and I find myself continuing to work because I want to.  I'm not in a hurry to leave because I am enjoying what I do and I don't mind continuing to work.  This is so opposite from my last job where I had to get home and go for a run asap before my head exploded. When I do eventually get home from work, I don't need the run, and because I don't need it, I am finding it harder to make myself do it.  I know I do and did enjoy running, but at some point I guess it became more about needing it than wanting it.  And now I have to learn how to want it again.  And I think another part of the problem right now is that I'm in a new area and I haven't found a good loop that I like.  I'm not used to the flat yet, and all the flat parts in between the hills sap my energy and make me want to quit.  I'm hoping that I'll adjust soon and be able to enjoy running around my new town.

Monday was my last day in Lewisburg for the long weekend.  I had donuts for breakfast with the kids.  I was a little worried about running after donuts, but I hadn't had a chance to run at all earlier in the weekend, and I couldn't leave town without revisiting my beloved hills.  So I set out for a run, thinking I might manage 3-5 miles.  I ran 9+ miles.  My legs were so happy to be back on the old familiar hills.  The weather was gorgeous with a chill in the air but warm sunshine.  And I didn't want to stop.  So I ran until my hip started to feel broken, and then I stopped.  It was the best run I've had in a long time!

Today I went for a "longer" run.  I had biked most of the loop, and knew it would come out to be somewhere over 6 miles, but couldn't remember exactly how long it was.  And I didn't let myself pull up the map to check, because I needed a longer run and just needed to make myself get out there and do it.  I also made myself push the pace a little bit, because I've been settling into a jog too often lately and am losing the ability to push and run faster.  The loop turned out to be 7.5, and I was hurting at the end.  I used to run 7-8 miles each day and feel great.  And now 7.5 feels like a chore.  I'd love to blame all the flatness, but that can't be the only problem.  I have got to find my motivation and start training hard again.

Last night I was looking at races in the area over the next month or two.  I found a half marathon not too far away from me, on October 1.  I think I'm going to sign up, just to give myself a reason to start training harder.  I have another half in Roanoke in November, and I'm hoping that the October 1st race will jump start my training and then hopefully I can keep it going in order to do really well in November.

I also realize that doing a group run twice a week with people who are slower than me is not helping my own training.  But, they are the only people I know in town right now, and they are fun to hang out with.  I may have to start running alone on at least one of those nights though...I can always still finish around the same time as the group and join them to socialize afterwards...not sure what I will end up doing, but something is going to have to change if I want to get my speed and endurance back.

This week : 

M : run 9.2 / 8:09 / 823 ft

T : group hills 5.5 / 8:13 / 390 ft

Creeper Trail w/ Glenn 5.6 / 8:10 / 171 ft

R : early morning speed work 4 / 8:00 / 0 ft

warm-up, 4x400 with fast jog 400 recoveries, cool-down

F : bike w/Paul 13.9 / 14.9 mph / 981 ft

Sa : bike 18.7 / 17.3 mph / 1066 ft

Su : run 7.5 / 7:36 / 446 ft

bike total : 32.7 miles

run total : 31.8 miles

There's this random bike lane on the road by my street that is almost exactly a quarter mile long.  It's really random and it doesn't make much sense, especially since it ends right before a blind curve, but it is useful for sprints...

Sprints going north, fast jog recovery going south. My times weren't super consistent, but you can tell I was dying on the 3rd one and then put in extra effort on the 4th one trying to make up for it.

I was going to do a long run on Saturday, but didn't want to set an alarm.  I went to bed at 11 and was just hoping that I wouldn't sleep too late.  I was tired though, and didn't want to set an alarm because I didn't want the long run badly enough to deprive myself of much-needed sleep.  I didn't wake up til 11 AM.  I am loving this bedroom that doesn't have an east-facing window...  It was too hot for a long run by the time I was up and moving, so I decided I should bike instead and do a slightly shorter run after church on Sunday. 

run, bike, ride

Running fell by the wayside at the end of this week, as I packed up and headed straight to Lewisburg after work on Friday.  But I biked an old familiar route in Lewisburg on Saturday morning, and got to ride my horse on Saturday and Sunday, which was awesome.

This week : 

M : run 5 / 7:42 / 308 ft

T : group run 5.5 / 7:51 / 151 ft

R : group run 4.7 / 9:10 / 203 ft

Sa : bike with Stu 22.4 / 16.2 mph / 1581 ft

trail ride 1:40

Su : trail ride 1:14

total miles run : 15.2

total miles biked : 22.4

Tuesday's group run was an out and back on the Creeper Trail.  I stuck with someone for 3.3 miles, then he stopped for water and I decided to keep going.  So I ran hard until I reached the beginning of the trail, then turned around and continued running hard until I found him again and finished the run back to the brewery with him.  It ended up being about 1.5 miles of hard running under 7 min/mile pace for me.

Ready to head home for the long weekend!

A rare occurrence of Pony actually wanting to hang out with me after I put her back in the field. 

Is it possible she actually missed me?!

The tiniest little toad was hanging out on the hitching post...totally unfazed by Pony.

 Sunday Funday.

A 30 mile week for the first time since April!

Getting those last few miles this week was hard...yesterday was too hot so I biked instead...and then today was too hot and I just had to deal with it.  My first mile was a 7:07 pace and the last half mile was a 9:02... But I got the miles and that's what matters in the end.

The running group I've been joining officially runs at 6 on Tuesday/Thursday, but there are a few people who meet at 5 and run twice.  I decided that joining the 5:00 group and then running again at 6:00 would be the ideal way to get my mileage up.  So that's what I did this week.  It was hard to stand around after the first run and then head out again, but that's one of the great things about running with a group; it's even harder to quit than when you are alone.  The group can act as a distraction from the fatigue and help me push through.  On Thursday I didn't get home in time to meet the 5:00 group, but I got there around 5:25 and did my own hill sprint run, making sure I finished right around 6 to meet the group for the second run.

This week : 

M : run 4.5 / 7:12 / 249 ft

T : group run 6.1 / 8:09 /400 ft

group run 4.8 / 8:19 / 164 ft

R : hill work 4.3 / 7:35 / 381 ft 

(1 long hill push and 3 short hill sprints)

group run 5 / 8:17 / 141 ft

Sa : bike 22.6 / 17.7 mph / 1276 ft

Su : run 5.5 / 8:05 / 430 ft

run total : 30.2

bike total : 22.6

In other news, the first three days of school went great!  I only taught a handful of middle school classes, but tomorrow I start with my full schedule.  Tomorrow will also be the first time I wear a blazer to school since I graduated from high school...but here we will only wear them on Mondays instead of every day.  

Also, my spare bedroom is set up and ready for guests!  Just waiting to see who the first one will be...

The spare bedroom was last weekend's project...I had to scrub every inch of the carpet to try and get rid of the cigarette stench in that room.  It still doesn't smell as odorless as I would like, but it's a lot better!  Today's project was supposed to be the stairwell.  I did vacuum it and spray to help keep away the spiders, but I didn't scrub the carpet as planned.  Wasn't up for all that work after my run.  I will be in Lewisburg next weekend (hooray!) so I will get another 2 weeks off from carpet scrubbing.