The JOY of running--week of 12/14 -12/20

[Jolt]

First real run today in over a week--it wasn't a very good one. Felt slow and uncoordinated--yuck. I think I have been doing too much sitting on my butt lately.

[OakLeaf]

Yikes Urlea! You go.

[colby]

You're doing great, kat, just keep it up. 16 miles is a great, admirable journey. Sometimes we beat ourselves up the most (I am totally guilty). Go back to positive thinking - tell yourself you can do it. Tell yourself you will make it. Think fast. I really think the positive thinking helps, even if it just helps everything be less stressful.

I ran 3 miles on Sunday, sort of with my husband (he jogged about a quarter mile, but walked about 3/4 mile), completely with my dog. It felt... blah. Not really sure why.

Monday I did yoga. I tried to learn about shoulder stands (against a wall) but was too much of a wuss to flip my legs up to the wall (something about falling on my head). Today I did it again and had no problems. Performance anxiety?

Today I ran 4 miles in the snow! Probably 3 inches of fresh snow on top of an inch or two from yesterday, and the first running day after it snows like that is always the best because there aren't tracks in it that make you wobble and it's not slick or icy. It was pretty sweet. I felt like I was moving well, I was not. 4 miles, including letting the dog smell every other dog's trail and pee 8 times, took me almost 45 minutes! My heart rate was more like a 9-10 minute mile, so chalk that one up to snow resistance and having to tiptoe like fred flintstone doing his twinkle toes thing as you cross slippery intersections. My footprints were nice though, even pressure from the midfoot out, rather than being heel or toe heavy. Wore 2 pairs of toe socks, perfect (one pair is just a little too chilly, if I had trail runners I think that wouldn't be a problem).

On a sadder note, my left big toenail has a terminal illness, purple-toenail-itis. It's getting purpler and purpler... I thought I could save it with ice after the marathon, but alas, it was already too late. Hoping to hang on until the new nail starts growing in underneath. When I replaced my Brooks Ariel shoes, I went a half size down because the ones I had felt like they might just be too big. They are still 1 size larger than I normally wear and I just barely feel the ends of the shoes if I reach my toes, but my feet must really expand when I run long distances. Next replacement pair will be back to the bigger size, I guess. Expensive experiment

[Bike Chick]

Urlea, you are so motivating but by the time I got home from work it was dark and 25 degrees. I went to the gym and did a puny 2 miles on the treadmill. I'm such a wus.

[Becky]

I got home late last night, but it was still in the low 50s. Rather than leave the dog home or run on the treadmill on such a nice night, I decided to try taking him with me.

Cody hasn't run with me since the last time I gave up running, probably about 4 years ago. So we took it easy and kept it short, and I think that we both had a great time! We did about a mile in the dark, both wearing our reflective vests and checking out the christmas lights. Towards the end, I could tell that he was getting tired, but not bad for his first effort!

I hoped on the treadmill for another mile while he sacked out in front of the fan and slept

[indigoiis]

Did a 3.2 tempo run this morning.

[katluvr]

So I got up to run my 7 miles this AM. Was out the door before 6. It was in the 60's and at first it felt "cool".
I really thought I was thinking positive. But everytime I looked at my pace it was just dragging. Then I got all "mental". But keep hoofing it along. I actaully only did 5.5 miles. Just was not feeling right. In fact I "re-thought" my whole training plan.

I picked this plan to be agresssive. But I really am NOT a 5 out of 7 day runner. This plan does "speed type" work much later in the plan. So right now, maybe I am where I should be...but I am not feeling it. Maybe I need to cross trian more. (Lots of maybe's here). I know many people work full time and do this...but I am just struggling. Then it is the holidays. And I move to a new job Jan 4th (good thing). But have to "transition" out of this job...no one filling the postion right now. New job will be 2/3 times (not completely full time--yippee). BUT have to keep up some of my current job (extra hours). So just trying ot juggle all this change. And darn it--it is the holidays. I am NOT enjoying myself. And I should. Instead I am stress when I can run when I have a dinner plan w/ friends or family almost every night until X-mas. This is stuff I shouldl WANT to do.

So today I gave myself FULL permission to just shorten or blow off my runs this week. I WILL do my long run. But otherwise--this is just not the week for it. I am looking at doing a major tweak to my plan...I know I need a "speed work" run, a tempo run and a long run. So I need to map that out, add a bike and or swim day and start having run with it again.

I cannot thank everyone enough, especially Colby, for all the words of support and encouragement. I just have to realize this training plan is not working for me....at least not right now. I know I can do the distance--slow and steady is my world. So if I want to work on speed--then I need to look at the quality not quantity of my workouts. I have speed workouts and intervals I did w/ my coach when trianing for my 1/2...so I'll pull those out.

Ok, I feel better now!
(Well almost)

[kacie tri-ing]

hmmmm..5 miles yesterday, and lots of staring at my plaque from winning this weekend

[indigoiis]

Kat, when it is no longer fun, why are we doing it? I think you should do what your body/mind tells you. If scaling back is the way to go, then scale back. You want it to be fun!

[Karma007]

Urlea, that's actually a beautiful picture!!!!

I tried very hard to run yesterday, but it just wasn't happening. 1 mile on the treadmill, then I tried going outside...at about 2 miles I decided to admit that I wasn't in to it, and each step was an eternity. I bought new shoes last night, so hopefully it's inspiration in a box!

[colby]

So today I gave myself FULL permission to just shorten or blow off my runs this week. I WILL do my long run. But otherwise--this is just not the week for it. I am looking at doing a major tweak to my plan...I know I need a "speed work" run, a tempo run and a long run. So I need to map that out, add a bike and or swim day and start having run with it again

If you hate running by then, you won't want to go 26.2 anyway. You TOTALLY learned something about yourself in the process, so the time was absolutely not wasted. You knew at the beginning you weren't sure about the 5 of 7 days thing, so it's not a failure to have to adapt. It's a testament to your will that you made it this far without killing someone.

[Jolt]

45-minute trail run today (some of it was walking). Not too many icy patches to dodge, but there were a few.

[katluvr]

Thanks for all the responses...here I sit "toying" with running just a couple of miles today. (Squeezed in between work and a dinner out). I am still fighting the "guilt" of not running the plan. So I will just see how I feel. Also trying to think of some new place to run. At least for the 5 miler on Sat. AM. Maybe new scenery is good.
And I need to write out my new plan, I think that will help if I see that I have not really just quit!
Having this forum here is so helpful! Thanks!
Oh and you ladies are very inspiring, too!

[katluvr]

So I am struggling with what to change/cut out/total mileage per week, etc.
I know I can look on line and find many plans. For those of you that have done a marathon, how many miles per week do you think I need. Taking into consideration that I am about 9 weeks out from my marathon, and keeping "increase by 10% rule" in mind.

Thanks!

K

[Urlea]

Kat I went back and looked at my training log for this year. When I was training for the marathon & then the 27mi B-day trail run I did my weekly mileage never went over 25-30. How that mileage broke down roughly 9wks out was a 3miler on Monday, 7miler on Thursday & 15-18 miler on Saturday. The 3 & 7 miler never changed, but adding that 10% like you mentioned came in on Saturdays, it was a progressive build for me & then a taper 2wks out. Hth!