Ain't nothing gonna break my stride - Week of July 14

So, today's run was a real turning point for me. Throughout the past 3 or so months as I have been training for my first season of sprint tris, running has been my biggest hurdle. I just don't take to it naturally like some do, but I have been putting in my miles and hoping that someday, it would pay off. It happened today!!!

I did the same interval ladder that I have been doing for the past few weeks, but I realized as I was running that it felt so much better! My HR was going down really nicely during the recovery times, and I finished my 6.4 miles (same exact course @ the reservior) 2 minutes faster than last week!!! The best part is that I wasn't pushing harder, my HR average was 163, compared to last week's 171 :eek: AND I rode a 50 mile charity bike ride yesterday (well, 58 miles, 'cuz we missed a turn!!!), so my legs weren't really "fresh".

I was so inspired by the fact that I am actually making progress that I signed up for the Hartford 1/2 Marathon in October!!! I figured since it was the sport that I wanted to concentrate the most on in the tri off-season, that I might as well give it a shot!!! :D

Wow OneskinneeJosie... great news! It's so nice to see payoff for the hard work and time spent. I'm the same with running -- NOT my strong suit. I felt that happen with me a couple months ago and it is wonderful.

My run today not as great! 3.5 miles fairly slowly... I'm just worn down, I think. Then walked 2 miles. I have to start walking more b/c I have the Breast Cancer 3-Day in 8 weeks -- 60 miles of walking then:eek:. So I better get some in! I think I'll do a lot of going out the trail for my days' running for the triathlon schedule, then walk back whatever distance that is. That will help a lot. Walking just takes so much time!!!!

Thanks!!!

60 miles??? WOW!!! :eek:

Did 6km this morning but stopped before I could reach 8k because my shins were bugging me. Went for physio this afternoon and had some treatment.

Did a 5 miler last night, reverse direction of my last run putting the rollers at the end... Prolly my best run in a few months as my HR stayed a comfy 164 except on the uphills. I was also surprised to be back at my house (versus thinking over the last mile about how I couldn't wait to be home).
The lack of heat and humidity helped too.

Did a half-hour run this morning; it's way too hot here!! The heat and humidity just takes all the fun out of running--I had to force myself to go out and felt pretty icky by the end.

Sometimes, its fun to be angry.

I was planning on doing a treadmill today, because it's been incredibly hot and muggy lately. Was in a bad mood from a planned brick gone wrong yesterday, and other things that just had me angry at life. Running on the treadmill, and my dang hairband wouldn't work and i just found myself getting angrier and angrier, and all of a sudden i felt like my legs were just pushing me up off the treadmill, so I cranked up the speed and just busted out with the rest of the 3 mile run. It felt so good, and afterwards I found I didn't have any anger left at anything (well, maybe a little) a felt cleansed.

Ah.

I'm in my 3rd week of steady training (a record for me!). I devised a training plan for 2 1/2 mary's. One is in mid September the other mid October. My goal is to run 2:05:00 (about 9:30/mile pace).

Monday: 4 mile run with DD in baby jogger

Tuesday: 25 mile bike ride

Wednesday: Pace run -- 1.25 mile warm up, 2 miles at 8:40, 2 at 9 (it was to hot and humid to keep up that faster pace) and 1.25 miles cool down.

Thursday: I'm planning a 16 mile mountain bike ride

Friday: Relaxed bike ride

Saturday: rest

Sunday: 6 miles at 9:30

Did a brick today, and it was hot as h-e-double hockey sticks!!!! I only ran a little over 2 miles because my right foot is bothering me. Bummer!!! I'm trying to take it easy, as I have the Danskin tri in a little over a week. Besides the heat and sore foot, it was a good run and I got over the "jelly legs" feeling quickly.

I just can't run in the heat and humidity. It's all treadmill for me this time of year. It's kinda boring to post about my 3-5 mile treadmill runs here, so I kinda slacked off on doing that, but I'm still running twice a week. Looking forward to cooler days in the fall and some trail runs!

Emily

4 miles with my doggie... not entirely running, since she likes to take "lay in the shade for 45 seconds" breaks. ;) Also trying to limit myself to 1 day a week, easy, especially until I know anything more about my hip stuff.

It's all still pretty tiring (either biking or running) if I go harder than "relatively easy" -- if I go anywhere near "serious effort" for even a couple of minutes (up a hill, say), I don't pay for it necessarily right away, but I feel exhausted later in the day. My body basically says "hey, not so nice... we need to recover NOW! - zzzzzzzzz". It's getting better, and I do kind of enjoy the 9-10 hours a night of sleep when it happens... but I know it's my body's way of saying "too much" :)

Third time zone in 60 days (and really, I was totally robbed, because I was SURE that Indiana was in Central Time which would've made it four).

I'm never going to get acclimated to the heat at this rate. 62 degrees F at 2:00 in the afternoon :rolleyes: It was 86 at home and they're calling for 91 tomorrow...

Jet lagged, stressed every which way, 4.35 miles mostly along the coast. A pretty day and I wasn't cold at all which really surprised me!

I ran to work today :D

It’s about 6-7 km starting with a pretty good sized hill and then some downhill, ending in another flat 1-2k. 45 minutes. I’m experimenting with rice syrup (1 spoonful) in a glass of something, actually a dilute fruit juice worked great today - before running mornings, as I can’t run on a completely empty stomach.

So there I trotted, vest, tiny backpack strapped tight to my chest&hips… company has showers. Excellent.


In addition: my shin problem is hopefully resolving.… after many ups and downs, trips to physical therapy, 2 trips to two different orthopedists, remodelled custom orthotics, as well as intermittent, relentless begging of advice from Yoda, it’s stabilizing. I think. Today marks the first week over 20 km!

Five miles even today, all the way to Cannery Row and back. High temp was 59 today :rolleyes:

I always feel so much better running in California. It must be because I breathe better in the low humidity - I can't think of any other explanation. DH theorized negative ions plus low humidity - but I was getting the same effect when we were staying more than a mile from the water.

Didn't go any faster than usual :p but felt good.

three days in a row...

I'm not going to get a chance to do any cardio tomorrow or Monday, so it was a choice between three days in a row of running, which I'm totally not used to, or three days in a row of no cardio at all. THAT wasn't going to happen.

Mostly the same route I ran the last two days - 5.35 miles. Temperature was 56 degrees. How the heck am I ever going to get acclimated to the heat at home?