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?

8 miles this morning. The Boy helped me design a route that involved no backtracking (h8 that on long runs!) so we devised a figure 8 run that retraced just one small section of road on which I could leave my water bottle and rehydrate. It went well, other than being quite hilly. Had some odd hip pain (other hip this time) but now I think it just comes down to running hills, because always when it occurs. Will have to keep an eye on it... I don't want to limit hills completely because I think to some extent I just need to run more of them, though I'll be careful not to do too many!

Today was my long run for the week. 8 miles (that's long for me!) in very hot weather. It's 90 degrees plus here and very very humid. I kept it at a nice comfy pace, almost exactly 10 minute miles. 8 miles total in 1:21:00, average hr a nice 158. I am now icing my foot, as I think I have plantar fascitis. Stay cool everyone!!!

Ran yesterday -- intervals for 35 minutes.
Today -- 9 mile walk.

I've walked 3 times this week, and ran only 2 now. Hard to find a balance when you need both!

And then there's the swimming... completely ignoring that this week. Hope to remedy that soon, as well as get more biking in. Who has time for all of this!?:p

About 5k for me today... we stopped for a couple of doggie potty breaks and to run/smell other dogs. The whole thing still doesn't quite feel right, it feels like it's harder than it used to be - it probably is, and will be for a little while longer. Sometimes breathing, stride, and speed will all come together to remind me of what I had (and will have), but at this point, I have to work to remind myself that this is okay, I didn't lose all of my fitness in 3 or 4 weeks, and I'll get my groove back. It's hard when family members who "don't get it" don't believe that you're still recovering after 3-4 weeks. Recovery... the 6th sport of triathlon (nutrition and mental training being #4 and #5)?

I think it was 40 minutes all told, which probably means 35 minutes of running and 5 minutes of dog time wasting. So slow... but it'll come back. I hope. :)