I did it!!! It hit my goal of less than 2 hours, even with my unconventional Friday evening/Saturday morning! I am so excited!!! This is definitely a big accomplishment for me.
For years, I've told people that I'm not really an athlete. That's because I didn't play sports as a teenager. I was a dancer. I started going to the gym in high school and picked up lifting weights. Since then I've been into working out, off and on of course since there were times when I fell off the wagon. I started running for fun later in high school, and then I ran on a more regular basis in college. But I always told myself, I'm not built to run... so I kept myself at a 10 - 11 minute mile pace.
For years, I've been telling myself I'm too big to run faster. At 5'8" and my size, I felt like it wasn't possible for me to run faster. Now, I've proven myself wrong! I love proving myself wrong! My overall pace was 9 min and 5 seconds. My pace at mile was 9 minutes and 6 seconds. Guess I was pretty consistent!
Now I have to figure out my next project... it will not be a race, at least until 2011. I do believe that part of my improved pace was that I lost some weight (15 pounds). If I want to keep getting faster, I think I should drop a few more. For the next few months, I'm going to maintain my running and focus on strength and flexibility. Not sure what that'll look like, but I'll report back on that. I'm also going to focus more on my food. I've been pretty good, but I spent some time focusing on running that it was sometimes easy to forget the food.
I'm taking today to relax... I deserve it! :)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Twas the Night Before Race Day
Sooo, it has been a busy week! Work was a little hectic, so it worked out well that it was taper week. I did a solid 4 miler in the beginning of the week, a short jog, and also some elliptical. I am so excited for the race! The weather is going to be clear and in the 50s with it potentially hitting 60 by the end. PERFECTION!
I have to admit, this is probably the least organized race week I have ever had. On one hand, I am more prepared for this race than any other that I've run. On the other hand, I AM A MESS! I lost my HRM in May and I still never made it out to get one, so I bought one last night. Now I need to figure it out so I can wear it tomorrow and track my time! I didn't have an armband for my iPod so I got one of those too. Sorry for the die hards who don't run with music... I keep it soft enough so I can hear what's going on. But I seriously need my cheesy pop music when the going gets tough.
On the food topic, I literally was too busy to eat lunch till 3. WHAT!?!? I am so not one of those people who "forgets to eat." So this was quite odd for me today. I made it to a pasta dinner with a friend tonight though, so I think I'm all set for tonight. Just drinking water! Now, breakfast is another story. I ran out of bread!!! I usually eat toast with peanut butter, and I HAVE NONE. WHAT!?!? I am toying with the idea of a Clif bar for breakfast, but we'll see. I'll report back on what craziness I come up with.
Oh, and I also realized my favorite running pants are dirty. Oops. Judge me if you may, but I'm wearing them anyway. Whatever!!!
All of this disorganization could very well make me nervous (or anyone really). Instead, I actually don't care! I'm going to get a good night of sleep and I'm going to be hydrated and I'm going to run my booty off! I'm confident in my training, and I know I can run a strong race. Throughout, I'm going to repeat my favorite mantras:
"Pain is temporary!"
"You can do this!"
"I own this hill! This is nothing!"
And whatever else comes to my mind to keep me going... I'm sure there will be some new ones. Now to figure out my heart rate monitor and to load my iPod! Will report back soon with my time!
Thanks for the support! Have a healthy weekend!
I have to admit, this is probably the least organized race week I have ever had. On one hand, I am more prepared for this race than any other that I've run. On the other hand, I AM A MESS! I lost my HRM in May and I still never made it out to get one, so I bought one last night. Now I need to figure it out so I can wear it tomorrow and track my time! I didn't have an armband for my iPod so I got one of those too. Sorry for the die hards who don't run with music... I keep it soft enough so I can hear what's going on. But I seriously need my cheesy pop music when the going gets tough.
On the food topic, I literally was too busy to eat lunch till 3. WHAT!?!? I am so not one of those people who "forgets to eat." So this was quite odd for me today. I made it to a pasta dinner with a friend tonight though, so I think I'm all set for tonight. Just drinking water! Now, breakfast is another story. I ran out of bread!!! I usually eat toast with peanut butter, and I HAVE NONE. WHAT!?!? I am toying with the idea of a Clif bar for breakfast, but we'll see. I'll report back on what craziness I come up with.
Oh, and I also realized my favorite running pants are dirty. Oops. Judge me if you may, but I'm wearing them anyway. Whatever!!!
All of this disorganization could very well make me nervous (or anyone really). Instead, I actually don't care! I'm going to get a good night of sleep and I'm going to be hydrated and I'm going to run my booty off! I'm confident in my training, and I know I can run a strong race. Throughout, I'm going to repeat my favorite mantras:
"Pain is temporary!"
"You can do this!"
"I own this hill! This is nothing!"
And whatever else comes to my mind to keep me going... I'm sure there will be some new ones. Now to figure out my heart rate monitor and to load my iPod! Will report back soon with my time!
Thanks for the support! Have a healthy weekend!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Best run EVER
Seriously! The weather has taken a turn to the cooler side, and the leaves are changing in New England. I have one week till my half marathon, so I'm basically tapering. I used Runner's World's training tool on their website to come up with my training plan. It pretty much falls in line with Hal Higdon's intermediate training. What I like about the Runner's World tool is that it gives me paces to follow for each run... I don't ALWAYS follow them but I definitely do on my interval and tempo runs.
In any case, I decided I'd run 7 miles today and try to go as fast as I could. To hit sub-2 hours I need to maintain my pace around 9 minutes per mile for the whole race. I went over to a reservoir near me that has a 3.4 mile loop with a little extra distance required to get to the beginning of the loop from the parking lot. The loop is actually quite hilly! They have a bike lane, and there are portions where they have warning signs because the grade is steep. I started out fairly easy but I picked it up a notch almost immediately. The temperature helped a ton! It was about 55 degrees out (but sort of windy). It was one of those runs where you bound up the hills and don't dread them... love it! In the end, I finished two loops in just over an hour. Perfect! That was exactly what I needed!
Hope you had a happy and healthy weekend!
In any case, I decided I'd run 7 miles today and try to go as fast as I could. To hit sub-2 hours I need to maintain my pace around 9 minutes per mile for the whole race. I went over to a reservoir near me that has a 3.4 mile loop with a little extra distance required to get to the beginning of the loop from the parking lot. The loop is actually quite hilly! They have a bike lane, and there are portions where they have warning signs because the grade is steep. I started out fairly easy but I picked it up a notch almost immediately. The temperature helped a ton! It was about 55 degrees out (but sort of windy). It was one of those runs where you bound up the hills and don't dread them... love it! In the end, I finished two loops in just over an hour. Perfect! That was exactly what I needed!
Hope you had a happy and healthy weekend!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Runner's Etiquette
So I know Runner's World and other magazines talk a lot about runner's etiquette. I think the typical discussion revolves around what to do on a running trail when someone needs to pass you or something along those lines. I'm a big fan of that type of etiquette. I like to hear "On your left!" when a faster runner or a bicyclist is passing me. It lets me know they're looking out for me and that we're both part of a larger community that knows how to behave on public trails.
In any case, there's a different kind of etiquette I wanted to write about tonight. This is the "I'm not going to compete with you" etiquette. That's what I call it at least! Here's the deal...
I was at a barbecue last weekend, and I was chatting with a woman I've met but barely know. She had a baby a little over a year ago, and she has been using running as a way to lose the baby weight. Good for her, right? I tend to be the uber-supportive runner type who thinks that you're a runner whether you jogged down the block and worked your way up from there at a slow pace or you're an elite runner who wins races left and right. We're ALL runners. For that reason, I will NEVER EVER compare myself to another runner for fear of making them think that I'm trying to compete with them or show them up or put them down. To me, running is something I do for me and only me, and there is no reason to compare myself to anyone else or to try to make them feel inferior to me. What fun is that?
So this woman starts talking to me about the half marathon I'm running (she's running it too), and she is telling me how she's been running 30 or 40 miles a week, etc. etc. She then tells me how I'll do great and it's no big deal and she was nervous her first time but now she's better... without ever asking me what my running experiences are like. I was kind of insulted! This will be my fifth half marathon and I've run two full marathons. I know what I'm doing. So I politely tell her I'm fairly experienced, etc. without sounding like a snot. She proceeds to say, "Oh you'll be fine then. What's your best time? How fast do you think you'll run?" Now if someone had been having a low key supportive conversation with me, I would have thought nothing of it. But this woman was literally trying to size me up! What is that??? That is so not the supportive running culture I am a part of! I told her my goal, and she was like "Oh, okay, it sounds like we run the same pace basically." I'm thinking, I really don't care how fast you run, but of course I didn't say that. I just nodded and smiled. :) Maybe I'm different??? Maybe I'm the only one who thinks it's inappropriate to turn running into a competition even if it's a hobby?
I don't know... all I know is that I can guarantee that I will always be the supportive, non-competitive runner. Running (and all forms of exercise) are things we do for ourselves. It is not a competition. It is a personal journey. It is a way of life and it is a part of my identity. I do not need to compare myself to other runners. All I need to do is nod, smile, or wave as they run by knowing that we're both part of the same community of crazy people who lace up and put one foot in front of the other for no reason other than a love of running.
In any case, there's a different kind of etiquette I wanted to write about tonight. This is the "I'm not going to compete with you" etiquette. That's what I call it at least! Here's the deal...
I was at a barbecue last weekend, and I was chatting with a woman I've met but barely know. She had a baby a little over a year ago, and she has been using running as a way to lose the baby weight. Good for her, right? I tend to be the uber-supportive runner type who thinks that you're a runner whether you jogged down the block and worked your way up from there at a slow pace or you're an elite runner who wins races left and right. We're ALL runners. For that reason, I will NEVER EVER compare myself to another runner for fear of making them think that I'm trying to compete with them or show them up or put them down. To me, running is something I do for me and only me, and there is no reason to compare myself to anyone else or to try to make them feel inferior to me. What fun is that?
So this woman starts talking to me about the half marathon I'm running (she's running it too), and she is telling me how she's been running 30 or 40 miles a week, etc. etc. She then tells me how I'll do great and it's no big deal and she was nervous her first time but now she's better... without ever asking me what my running experiences are like. I was kind of insulted! This will be my fifth half marathon and I've run two full marathons. I know what I'm doing. So I politely tell her I'm fairly experienced, etc. without sounding like a snot. She proceeds to say, "Oh you'll be fine then. What's your best time? How fast do you think you'll run?" Now if someone had been having a low key supportive conversation with me, I would have thought nothing of it. But this woman was literally trying to size me up! What is that??? That is so not the supportive running culture I am a part of! I told her my goal, and she was like "Oh, okay, it sounds like we run the same pace basically." I'm thinking, I really don't care how fast you run, but of course I didn't say that. I just nodded and smiled. :) Maybe I'm different??? Maybe I'm the only one who thinks it's inappropriate to turn running into a competition even if it's a hobby?
I don't know... all I know is that I can guarantee that I will always be the supportive, non-competitive runner. Running (and all forms of exercise) are things we do for ourselves. It is not a competition. It is a personal journey. It is a way of life and it is a part of my identity. I do not need to compare myself to other runners. All I need to do is nod, smile, or wave as they run by knowing that we're both part of the same community of crazy people who lace up and put one foot in front of the other for no reason other than a love of running.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
home stretch...
I am in the home stretch of my half marathon training... I have to admit, I'm getting tired! The weeknight "tough runs" are getting pretty long. Last week I did 7 miles of intervals (with the warmup and cooldown) and this week I have to do 7 miles with a tempo run (with warmup and cooldown). I am seriously craving a massage! To deal with my tired muscles, I've been doing my own little yoga routine when I get back from my runs. It is soooooo nice! I really need the quad stretches and the hip openers. Perfection!
This weekend I have to do a 10 miler, which shouldn't be a problem. It will be my 4th run at 9 miles or more since I started the program. It doesn't actually have me tapering, which I think I'll change. I have 3 weeks left, and I'm thinking I'll do a long run this week, a mid-length run the following week (maybe 7???), and then it's the race. Any thoughts?
Hope everyone is doing well with their healthy journeys!
This weekend I have to do a 10 miler, which shouldn't be a problem. It will be my 4th run at 9 miles or more since I started the program. It doesn't actually have me tapering, which I think I'll change. I have 3 weeks left, and I'm thinking I'll do a long run this week, a mid-length run the following week (maybe 7???), and then it's the race. Any thoughts?
Hope everyone is doing well with their healthy journeys!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Why do I run?
This is what I was pondering today as I did my 4 miler through town... I think it's pretty easy to be contemplative today given that it's the 9 year anniversary of 9/11. After watching some tributes this morning and shedding some tears in memory of the events of that day, I decided to go out and enjoy the beautiful fall New England weather. Plus, I had to run. :) No choice when you're training for a race!
I've noticed that over time, my reason for working out has changed drastically. When I started lifting weights in high school, it was because my mom wanted to go to the gym in town, so I decided to go with her. There, it turned into a love, plus there were cute boys to stare at while I did my walking lunges across the floor. :) In college and shortly after, when I was good about getting in my workouts (which was sporadic), it was just because I wanted to be skinny. I thought I was fat (I had in fact gained some weight), and I worked out for purely superficial reasons. BTW, cute boys at the gym still make it much easier to keep myself there when I'm feeling lazy!!!
You know what happens when you do it just because you want to look better in your jeans or just so you can be thinner than the woman standing next to you in line? It doesn't work! It isn't enough (at least for me) to work out so that I can be thin. It has to be about my health... my physical health and my mental health. It's about not getting sick, keeping my cholesterol in check, having strong bones and muscles. It's about being able to relieve stress and push myself to do more which makes me feel better about myself and my future.
As I was propelling myself up a hill today, I started to take notice of how I felt and really appreciated what I was doing. I say propelling because today was one of those days where I felt stronger running up hill and actually felt myself pushing harder when it usually hurts the most. I could feel the strength of my legs, the evenness of my breathing, and I thought... wow, now this is why I run. I run because it makes me stronger, both inside and out. Sure, I like that it makes me clothes fit better and has allowed me to tone up and drop pounds. But in the end, it's about health for me.
You know what the best side effect of running for your health is??? It inspires me to eat better. Why would I mess up a good workout with junk? Until I started focusing on exercise for health, I never could commit to eating healthy all the time. I worked out so I could eat crap and still be thin, which definitely didn't work. I'm happy I've made my way to this spot. It took YEARS to get here, and I will never turn back.
Soooooo... that's why I run. Why do you run?
I've noticed that over time, my reason for working out has changed drastically. When I started lifting weights in high school, it was because my mom wanted to go to the gym in town, so I decided to go with her. There, it turned into a love, plus there were cute boys to stare at while I did my walking lunges across the floor. :) In college and shortly after, when I was good about getting in my workouts (which was sporadic), it was just because I wanted to be skinny. I thought I was fat (I had in fact gained some weight), and I worked out for purely superficial reasons. BTW, cute boys at the gym still make it much easier to keep myself there when I'm feeling lazy!!!
You know what happens when you do it just because you want to look better in your jeans or just so you can be thinner than the woman standing next to you in line? It doesn't work! It isn't enough (at least for me) to work out so that I can be thin. It has to be about my health... my physical health and my mental health. It's about not getting sick, keeping my cholesterol in check, having strong bones and muscles. It's about being able to relieve stress and push myself to do more which makes me feel better about myself and my future.
As I was propelling myself up a hill today, I started to take notice of how I felt and really appreciated what I was doing. I say propelling because today was one of those days where I felt stronger running up hill and actually felt myself pushing harder when it usually hurts the most. I could feel the strength of my legs, the evenness of my breathing, and I thought... wow, now this is why I run. I run because it makes me stronger, both inside and out. Sure, I like that it makes me clothes fit better and has allowed me to tone up and drop pounds. But in the end, it's about health for me.
You know what the best side effect of running for your health is??? It inspires me to eat better. Why would I mess up a good workout with junk? Until I started focusing on exercise for health, I never could commit to eating healthy all the time. I worked out so I could eat crap and still be thin, which definitely didn't work. I'm happy I've made my way to this spot. It took YEARS to get here, and I will never turn back.
Soooooo... that's why I run. Why do you run?
Sunday, September 5, 2010
I love fall weather!!!
I just got back from the most beautiful run ever! Well, maybe not ever, but it was great! I was on vacation at the beach for the last week, and I was admittedly a slacker. I are CRAP and I only went running twice. I guess I should be slightly happy that I at least ran twice. I did my long run last Sunday (8 miles) and I did a quick 2.5 miler as well. The weather at the beach was ridiculously hot. It was in the high 90s and humid all week. Not fun (for running)! I lounged around the beach (with my sunscreen on) and read some books. It was really, really relaxing and great fun!
Today's run was back in beautiful New England. I'm quite excited to see what a New England fall is like although we didn't get much weather so I have a sneaking suspicion it won't be as beautiful as other years. I did a loop around town that was really quite hilly, but I felt strong despite my laziness over the past week. Phew! I did a total of 4.1 miles at 40 minutes, which is a decent pace given the hills (and me being a slacker).
In other news, I'm getting my metabolism tested at the gym this week so I can see what my BMR is. Being the nerd I am, this is greatly exciting for me! Other than that, I'll be doing my long run tomorrow (9 miles). I have no clue what is on the schedule for the week, but I like that! I've been very busy and planned for the last 2 months, and I'm ready to relax and go with the flow.
Happy Labor Day weekend!
Today's run was back in beautiful New England. I'm quite excited to see what a New England fall is like although we didn't get much weather so I have a sneaking suspicion it won't be as beautiful as other years. I did a loop around town that was really quite hilly, but I felt strong despite my laziness over the past week. Phew! I did a total of 4.1 miles at 40 minutes, which is a decent pace given the hills (and me being a slacker).
In other news, I'm getting my metabolism tested at the gym this week so I can see what my BMR is. Being the nerd I am, this is greatly exciting for me! Other than that, I'll be doing my long run tomorrow (9 miles). I have no clue what is on the schedule for the week, but I like that! I've been very busy and planned for the last 2 months, and I'm ready to relax and go with the flow.
Happy Labor Day weekend!
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