March Runs

[Anelia]

First run for March and the distance is half marathon. My husband came with the bike to keep me company and to carry my bottle of water with aminos. I drank only 3 times each time 3 sips. While in winter I managed to run without eating or drinking, now I will have to bring water for my long runs.

[skhill]

I'm hoping this was the last 20F morning of the season... Ended up on the treadmill, yet again. 5.5 miles, at an 8:10 pace. It would have been 6 miles, but I was delayed getting to the gym by having to scrape the windshield. But it's great to find that a pace that fast can feel so comfortable, especially after yesterday's hill and wind workout (up and down, with the up into a 20mph headwind).

First race of the year is Saturday! Just a little 3k, and I'm hoping on a pr. The weather's looking to be good, and I'm feeling good. But I'm going to enjoy it, even if I don't make my time goal!

[Anelia]

Today I did some hill runs but I felt so heavy and unfit. Recently I can't raise my heart rate neither cycling, nor running:my heart rate in Garmin but the initial high HR is due to the monitor mistake, Í don't go to 173 in the first 5 minutes of running.

[skhill]

First race of the year is done! It was plenty warm-- about 58F at start time-- and also plenty windy. Nothing like a 20 mph headwind for the last 3rd of a race... I started out fast, with my best mile yet in 7:15. Then I faded, running into that wind. Finished the 3k in 14:04, a pr by 38 seconds (whew!). That was good enough for 3rd in the age group, as a lot of the fast 40 year old women weren't there. The woman who usually finishes every race about 5 seconds ahead of me was 4 seconds ahead of me (oh well). Can't help thinking that if I had pushed a little harder when I slowed down to gather myself for a final kick, I might have broken 14 minutes (and beat Liz too).

Now it's off to the St Pat's festival, to visit the beer tent. It's blowing even harder now, I'll need that beer after biking into a head wind getting there...

[OakLeaf]

Very nice skhill! Enjoy your beer.

Anelia, I wonder if you aren't dehydrated and/or overtrained, the way you've been describing your workouts. Has your resting heart rate gone up?

This week has been a little bit of a bust for me, with a houseguest and the motorcycle races this weekend. 20 again on Monday, a quickie Wednesday, bridge repeats Thursday and I'm going out for a quick loop yet this afternoon. I've pretty much made my footwear decision for the marathon - which is not the nice light Nikes I really want to wear but seem to be hard on my Achilles, but the brick heavy Brooks that I've done all my long runs in so far. Ah, well. Not like I was going to be setting any PRs this time in any case.

[skhill]

It took until September last year before I had a pr; got that out of the way early this year! Next Saturday is my first 5k of the year, which I need to run fast to get off to a meeting at church. And I've been invited to go riding with a couple guys I know about an hour after the meeting is supposed to end-- they're both older and less fit than me, but with better bikes and more miles in this winter/almost spring. What to do, what to do....

Oak, the shoe issue is one thing that has me reluctant to sign up for a marathon. I'm running exclusively in VFFs these days, and I've done a half in them without much trouble. Not sure about extending out to a full marathon in them, however, and I don't really want to go back to conventional running shoes. Guess getting to the finish line in good shape is the most important thing!

[Anelia]

Anelia, I wonder if you aren't dehydrated and/or overtrained, the way you've been describing your workouts. Has your resting heart rate gone up?

In fact, it's down...My HR is 35 (yes, I'm sure). I went for a regular physical and the red circle is my HR:
I'll try to drink more water before I go running.

[Anelia]

skhill,
Congratulations! This is a very fast run in the wind!