falling behind, trying to catch up.

Been kickin' some ass this week so far.

My Tuesday run was HARD. Like... I was huffing and puffing the whole way through. It was my first outdoor run since Beach to Bay in May. Between the heat, the wind, and the variations in incline, it was a challenge. I did 2.48 miles in 26:30, which put me at about a 10:40 min/mile pace. Not too bad, but for the effort... well I've got some improving to do. I'm planning on running three miles today, but I think I will slow the pace down to around 11 min/mile for this one.

As far as training for my upcoming races goes, I should be running 4 miles by early August. I am not sure that's going to happen. I'll have to alter my half marathon training schedule as needed, I guess. I have my 10k in October, which I'm not worried about being ready for. I have plenty of time to get up to 6 miles before then. But that half marathon... I shouldn't have been slacking on my running as much as I have been. Way to go, Nina.

I am contemplating registering to the Rock 'N' Roll New Orleans half marathon again. Two of my buddies are signing up for it. It's hard to turn down a road trip/race/buddy run event. I'll have to think on it and figure out what I can manage in terms of money, time off, and time invested in training. I have until October to decide, luckily.

Anyways, this morning I woke up and went to the gym before work again. Here's how it went:

• 3x15 deadlifts 30 lbs. (lowered weight to work on my form)
• 3x15 squats 40 lbs
• 3x15 upright rows 30 lbs
• 3x12 overhead press 30 lbs.
• 3x20 side bends 25 lbs.
• 3x15 bent rows 50 lbs.

Yep.

WWS.

Well, my back is still kind of achy, but I made my way to the gym after work yesterday anyways. I'm just taking Excedrin to take the edge off. Yesterday was just a running day so I did a total of 30 minutes on the treadmill. I did my scheduled two miles in 20:34. Averaged at a 10:16 min/mile pace or something like that. Not too shabby. The whole run was a sort of Fartlek style run, I just went up or down with the speed as I saw fit.

I am registering for another 10K that is in October. It's at Sea World. I need to have more runs in my future to keep me up, running, motivated, and accountable. I'm probably going to look for some other races going on between now and then, as well.

Here's the plan for this week:

• Sunday - two mile run
• Monday - legs
• Tuesday - upper body, run 2.5 miles
• Wednesday - legs (might not happen, working late that night..)
• Thursday - upper body (if Wednesday doesn't happen, full body)
• Friday - Zumba
• Saturday - Body Pump

Kare to Excel 8K recap

I'm pooped from getting up at 5:30AM but here's a quick recap of this morning's race.

I woke up bright and early, headed to my house to grab a quick pre-race snack, then made my way to campus. The race started promptly at 7AM. Josh left me pretty much as soon as the race started to keep his own pace, and I kept nice and steady at mine. 

It was an out and back course that was mostly along Ocean Drive. The wind wasn't horrible today, thank god. This run was pretty tough, considering that I haven't run five miles since the half marathon back in March. I managed to maintain a fairly constant pace. My first mile was definitely a little speedy, around 9:43, but I slowed down after that and my average pace was 10:02 min/mile. Excellent for me, especially maintaining it for five miles. I'm happy with the way things went. My final time was 50:27. Josh finished in about 48 minutes, so I wasn't too far behind him.

I chugged water and ate a banana while we waited for the awards and raffle give aways. They finally got to the 8K awards and did the men first. Josh got third in his age group, yeaaaaah Josh! Then they got to the women's, and the announcer totally skipped over my age group. I was like "say whaaaaat?!" So I went up to him afterward and asked him about it and it turned out he accidentally skipped over it because, well, I was the only one in my age group. So, I got first place by default! Hahahah, ain't no shame. I'm reppin' for the 20-24 year old ladies. I'm really surprised that no one else around my age was running! What gives?! 

I guess there's really not a whole lot more to say about the race. It was tough, and I missed my goal  of 50 minutes by 27 seconds, but it went well, and I got a gold medal, and now I am going to take a well deserved nap.

WWS

Here is my weekly workout schedule for this week.

• Monday - 3 miles
• Tuesday - 2.5 miles
• Wednesday - 7MM
• Saturday - Kare to Excel 8K

We'll see how this turns out... I woke up drenched in sweat this morning and I feel really run down. Hopefully I can muster the energy to get my runs done. I better not be getting sick.

My mom is coming into town to visit this weekend and she's going to come see my race! I'm excited. Josh and I have a set a goal of 50 minutes. I'm not sure I can sustain a 10:00 min/mile pace for five miles, but I'm going to do my damndest. It better not be a windy repeat of the 10K...

phwew.

Ended the week strong. 

• Thursday - 3.11 miles in 35:00 (11:15 pace)
• Friday - 2.05 miles in 19:05 (9:18 pace)
• Saturday - 4.65 miles in 51:22 (11:02 pace)

I'll post this week's schedule tomorrow. I'm hungry and tired right now.

7MM - week 3.

Well, not as good as week one, but still pretty good for me. I ran the mile in 8:17. It probably didn't help that I ran right after waking up from a nap.

I think in order to get faster, I have to do more interval workouts. I'll get on that, stat.

sunday funday.

Except NOT. Work was long, I was hungover, it kind of sucked. I survived, though. After I got off, all I wanted to do was come home and nap but that couldn't happen. I had way too much to do around the house in terms of cleaning. Clothes that needed to be put away, dishes that needed to be washed, floors that needed to be swept, sheets that needed changing... so I sucked it up and did everything I needed to.

After an hour and a half of cleaning, I went for the day's run. 2.05 miles in 20:02. Still sitting at a sub-10:00 min/mile pace which is awesome.

7MM - week one.

Not too bad for my first week. In fact, I'd say it was great (minus the fact that it was a little toasty outside for my liking). Here's the breakdown:

• warm up - .5 mile jog, 5:14, 10:28 min/mile pace
• mile run (which ended up a tad longer due to an accidental err in my planned route) - 1.08 miles, 8:43, 8:04 min/mile pace
• cool down - .5 mile jog, 5:13, 10:28 min/mile pace followed by a quick walk around the block

Dude. 8:04. That is my fastest mile in my life I think. It was hard. Especially with the heat. But I did it. Wee! Now to just shave 1:04 off...

I managed to run again tonight. I'm going to try to get a run in every day this week, except maybe Friday. I'm diving at work that day and it's a workout in itself. Tentatively, I have this planned:

• Tuesday - three miles with the man, followed by dinner
• Wednesday - my first 7MM one mile run
• Thursday - 2.5 miles
• Saturday - 3.5 miles

So all fairly short runs, but still getting a semi-decent amount of weekly miles in.

I did two 1.22 mile loops around the neighborhood tonight. It was really windy and spooky outside, so I brought a canine unit for backup. Thanks to him, my pace for the first loop was kickass. It took me 10:57, setting me at an 8:58 min/mile pace! Holy cow, that is terrific for me! The second loop I slowed down for and made it in 13:17 (10:53 min/mile pace), setting me an overall workout time of about 25 minutes and an average pace of 9:58.

I'm glad I went. I napped on the couch when I got home, which is something I seem to do almost every day lately. When I woke up I ate leftover fried fish and it was at that point that I decided I should go get moving for a bit.

When I got home, both my pup and I got bathed and now we are in bed. Glorious.

back in the game.

I ran again this evening after work and I feel a million times better about where I'm at. I set out to do a two mile run through the neighborhood that I had mapped out beforehand. Roommate decided to come last minute. Since it was only a two mile run, I decided to pump up the pace a bit. It was tough, but I wouldn't say it was any tougher than the slower run I had done on Friday.

During the run, I completely forgot what my planned route was so I just winged it, hoping that I would come in around two miles. I just set a goal of 23 minutes, just to be on the safe side. Maintaing the pace was hard, but I kept telling myself that it was only two miles. That's it. And I was able to push through and kick my own ass. More proof than running is at least (if not more) as mental as it is physical.

After finishing up and cooling down, I came in to map out the route I had taken. Turned out to be 2.34 miles and I ran it in 22:23. That set me at a 9:34 min/mile average pace. Not too shabby at all! I'm proud of the run, especially because I was super exhausted after work but I still pushed myself out the door with no hesitation.

This week begins my journey towards a seven minute mile, which will be referred to as 7MM from here on out (not to be confused with 7 millimeters). This will be me attempting to consistently improve my one mile time little by little. My goal is to reach seven minutes or less by the end of the year. I feel like that's plenty of time to achieve it. Wednesday is my very first mile, so I'll check back in with a starting point later this week!

After catching up on The Walking Dead tonight and hanging out with the man, I am ready for bed. Goodnight, internet.

first race recap!

My first real race, the 2012 Surf N Turf 10k, is OVER! And let me tell you, it was a doozy. I was a bit concerned about it before hand, not because of the distance but because of the sand. I had never run on sand before and I wasn't sure what the beach was going to be like on race day. It turned out to be perfect. Lots of hard packed, flat sand for everyone to run on.

We got there nice and early to get a decent parking spot and we enjoyed some tunes while I sipped a cup of coffee and had a couple of pre-race jitter bathroom breaks. Finally, the runners started to line up. Half marathoners went first, promptly at 9AM, and us 10k-ers started two minutes after. The first leg of the race was a little disheartening. The wind was strong and people were passing us left and right. We ended up being at the end of the pack of 10k runners. Then 5k people started passing us. Well, it proves that slow and steady wins the race because we soon began to pass a ton the 10k runners that had passed us initially.

The first 4 miles of the race were divine. The beach was beautiful, the weather was PERFECT, and even though there were six year old children passing me I didn't care. My pace felt good and peppy and we even started to pick up beach garbage while we ran. According to Josh's GPS, our first three miles were paced something like 10:20, 9:54, and 10:15. Oh yes, it was lovely.

Until the turn around. Holy god, the turn around. Until then we had been running with the wind. All of a sudden, after already running four miles, I was expected to run into winds of who knows how fast. Our pace dropped to more than a 12 minute mile. Unbelievable. I was jogging, just trying to keep up momentum, and I was going as fast as people that were walking. I wanted to cry at a few points because it was the toughest running that I have ever, ever, ever done. But I pushed on, cursing occasionally, and after 2 miles we were back on the pavement facing a sign that so joyously stated '0.9 miles left!' We were now running in a different direction and the wind lessened a bit.

Those two miles took so much out of me and we were getting dangerously close to our goal time of 69 minutes. I didn't think I was going to make it and at that point I didn't really care. I just wanted it to be over. Finally, the finish line was in sight and that's when my nausea hit. After pushing so hard on the beach with the wind, and then trying to pick up the slack once we hit pavement again, I was at my maximum. I told Josh I thought I was going to throw up and he simply told me "Wait 'till the end." So I did. We rounded the corner and sprinted to the finish line. Final time: 1:07:25. I made my goal, with a few minutes to spare.

Once we started walking, I started gagging. I didn't reaaaaally throw up but a little bit of Gatorade came up, I'll admit. After a few minutes of walking I was right back to normal and jogged around the parking lot a little. We bided our time while waiting for the results to post by eating bananas, downing cups of water, and stretching. And finally, the 10k results were up... and....

I GOT THIRD PLACE IN MY AGE GROUP! Not even out of three! There were five runners in my group. And I didn't place last. It was the best feeling in the world. I won a medal and got to stand on one of those special 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place podium things and get my picture taken. After the hardest run of my life, and my first true race ever, I actually placed. It ruled, and I am officially addicted to races. Also, I won a free dinner for two in the door prize drawing. Overall, a total win.


I've got five weeks until my half marathon and I am feeling good about it. I can totally fucking do this.

bright and early run.

Well, maybe not as early as I had wanted, but I still woke up around 8:20AM, grabbed a quick snack (today was peanut butter on half a whole wheat english muffin), and headed out for my run at 9AM sharp. I did 4.52 miles in 47:42, setting me at a 10:33 min/mile. Excellent! I felt pretty good throughout most of the run, I definitely slugged through a few sections of it but in the end my time was pretty strong. For me, at least. I've got to work on getting these long runs started earlier and earlier. Baby steps.

I missed my Thursday run this week. It's the second week in a row that I've done that. I'm going to get my shit together this week and shake this laziness. I'm doing my week runs on Monday/Wednesday this week, since Thursday after work I'll be traveling home for the holidays. I plan on doing my long run on Saturday just as planned! I've got five miles to do and I swear if I end up doing it at the gym on a treadmill I will cry.

We are having an ugly sweater Christmas party at my place tonight. I'm making guacamole and sweet potato chips/fries (haven't decided yet). I'm looking forward to it!

getting my head back in the game.

It was a close call, but I did get my run done yesterday. I almost bailed again due to a post-work nap, but I got myself moving and did 4.06 miles in 44:38. Just under an 11:00 min/mile. I'm seeing an improvement in my pace trends. It used to be over an 11:00 pace every time, and lately it's all been below. Progress! Aiming for a three mile run tonight to catch up and get back on my schedule.

My eating has been bad and I think I'm realizing it's because I was getting bored with my diet. I eat generally the same things every day for lunch and my boredom was causing me to go down to the food court and get something different than what I had brought. So rather than bringing the same old salad every day I am trying to find different ways to get the fruits and veggies into my lunch. Today I brought a little bit of pasta with homemade tomato sauce and some leftover asparagus and butternut squash. I brought an apple and some carrots as a snack.

I just registered for a 10K in January, too! Just a little something to keep me motivated through the winter. It's the Surf N Turf 10K on the island. So far I'm going it alone, but I'll see if I can't recruit some buddies.

BRRRRRRRR.

IT. IS. COLD.

3.63 miles tonight, 37:49. I'm always happy with a sub 11:00 min/mile and my times seem to be improving significantly in the past week or two. I've been around 10:30-ish. I don't feel like writing a lot, but I did the scheduled run and that's all that matters.

Hot shower time.

recaps.

I'll start with the recap of today's run. I did the 3.11 mile route and finished in 32:50. That set me at a 10:33 min/mile pace. Better than most lately. I definitely pushed harder and was more tired, but I was able to keep that pace up consistently throughout the entire run so I wasn't pushing TOO hard. I'm glad I forced myself to go right after work, I was feeling really tired and wanted to chill out. I know if I had plopped down on the couch I'd still be there right now, though.

Since it is December 1st, I suppose that means I have officially completed my first month of training. It's been good so far. I only missed one 2.5 mile run, but I added two extra runs throughout the month, one of which was a 3.74 mile run a few days after the missed run, so I more than made up for it. So far, I'm injury free. No sign of shin splints, minimal knee pain/discomfort. I've been icing my knees after runs as needed. I should probably start stretching more, though, so there's a goal I can have for the upcoming months. I'm feeling strong, seeing some progress in different forms, and am excited about continuing training - I'd say month #1 was a success!

Well, it's time to shower and raid the fridge. Maybe I'll head out for a beer later..

still goin' strong.

Today was my first scheduled run of week 4 of training. I had kind of planned on cutting it short since I did two longer runs on Saturday and Sunday, buuuuuut go figure I couldn't bring myself to cut it down and I did my planned length. I did my standard 3.11 mile route around the neighborhood in 34:56, making it an 11:13 min/mile pace. The exact pace as Sunday, if I remember correctly. I felt good throughout the run, though I think the pup got tired after the first mile. She kept staring up at me, as if to say "are we done yet...?" Luckily she found some cats to chase to keep her occupied.

After the cool down walk, I was coming in through the back gate and pup #2 was waiting there, looking so pitiful and ready to get out of the backyard. So I unhooked pup #1 and grabbed pup #2 and took him for a little stroll around the block. I think he appreciated it.

Now I'm going to figure out what to munch on for dinner, then I'll probably sit around and sew.

My first month of training is almost over, too! Celebration will occur, more than likely.

11.19.2011

Today was my long run, completing Week 3 of training. Since my Wednesday run turned out to be longer than anticipated, this run wasn't really my 'long' run. In fact, it turned out to be the same distance as the run on Wednesday. 3.74 miles in 43:30, making my pace an 11:37 min/mile. A little slower than usual but not a big deal, it was a longer distance than I've been doing too. And I felt pretty great throughout the whole thing. It was about five minutes slower than the one I ran on Wednesday, but I'm attributing that to the lack of race energy and my competitive nature. Also, because it was slower, this run was MUCH more pleasant than Wednesday's.

I did have a few knee issues, but no actual pain. I'm mostly feeling what seems like pressure underneath my knee caps. I also felt my IT band twinge a few times but I find that when I really focus on my form, I can prevent that from happening.

Not only was my run damn good, but it perked me up after a long day at work. I have much more energy now. I'm going to eat a salad and a turkey burger for dinner and then possibly go meet up with the gals.

my first '5K'.

This afternoon was the Turkey Trot on campus. It claimed to be a three mile run, costing only a canned good donation to participate. We were on our marks and started the race at 5PM and I started my HRM. This was a tough one. It was more inclines than I was used to and I could feel myself going faster than normal just because I was running with other people. But I was really disappointed when I got to the 'half-mile' marker and checked my timer - 6:30. Wait.. what? Really? There's no way I'm running at a 13:00 min/mile pace when I'm pushing super hard and my HRM is telling me my heart rate is at like 90%. No. Freaking. Way. Plus a bunch of children were kicking my ass, it was very disheartening. So I just continued on my way and continued to be confused as to how my time was so shitty when I was working so hard.

My final time was 38:00 min/mile - a far cry from the 30 minute goal that I had set for myself. I truly felt that there was absolutely no way that I took that long to run three miles. Even at my slowest I'm sitting at a 12:00 min/mile. And this definitely wasn't my slowest. Roommate and I cooled down a bit and drank some water while I bitched about how something was fishy. So we get home and I pull up MapMyRun and... sure enough...

The freaking route was 3.74 miles! I feel much better about a time of 38:00 minutes for that distance. And it makes much more sense. Running a 10:09 pace is good for me, and sustaining it for almost four miles would explain why I was pooped.

So I'll consider my first race a win. Now for a shower and a turkey burger.

11.12.2011

Had my second 'long run' of training today. It was just another three miles. I did the 5K loop that I'm familiar with around the neighborhood. The weather was terrific. Nice and breezy and cool. So I did 3.11 miles in 33:20, putting me at a 10:43 min/mile pace. I know my first mile was done in about 10 minutes, but it tired me out and I slowed down for the last two. Boyfriend rode alongside me on the bike and we brought the pup.

So week 2 of training is DONE. I even got an extra run in this week. I'll call that a success. Roommate and I are already planning out our longer routes for when we get up to the five mile-ish mark. Still have a couple of weeks to go until then, though.

We are running a Turkey Trot on campus on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. My tentative goal is to do it in 30 minutes. We'll see what happens.

11.10.2011

Did my second 2.5 miler of the week today. I did the same route as on Tuesday, so it was really 2.57 miles. On Tuesday, my time was 28:30, today it was 26:25! Shaved two minutes off. I partially blame the dog because he was pulling me a bit but, hey, whatever works! No knee issues today, even though I forgot to wear my brace. So all in all a good run. I've got a three mile 'long' run on Saturday and that will complete Week 2 of half-marathon training. Lovin' it.

The boy gets in tonight at midnight! Woohoo!