I did complete the 2010 Madison Half Marathon on May 30th!!
It was a very hot day. Straight off in the morning even. I was super nervous this time. I couldn't drink or eat very much. I had only gotten approx 4 hours of sleep because I was sick with some sort of stomach deal the night before. So it wasn't a promising start.
We stopped by my pal, Forrest's place. He trained and ran the Crazylegs run and this Madison Half marathon with me. Yay, Forrest!!!
Back to the story...we were running behind on time as usual. We drove directly up to the square and Caleb and Finn dropped Forrest and I off. We walked towards the start line where peeps were lining up. I should have peed then. In my head I scoffed at those who stood in line before the race to pee in those port-a-potties!! Ha! I would never have to do that. Little did I know I would have kissed one of those port-a-potties on the seat later on. The race finally started.! There were so many people participating that it once again took several minutes to arrive at the actual start line and where your timing chip clicks on. It was a cool route http://www.madisonfestivals.com/marathon/documents/2010Half_Marathon4.26.pdf
Madison streets, downtown anyway, can be kind of hilly in spots. Especially over by the UW Student Union. Killer hills.
Around mile 6 I had to pee so badly I was forced to stop and line up for one of those aforementioned port-a-potties. That added about 12-14 minutes of time to our finish :( grrrr The last time I ran the Madison Half I didn't have to stop to pee at all so I was disappointed. And poor Forrest had to stand there and wait for me.
We got back on the road. The nine mile marker was by John Nolen and Wilson right by Lake Monona and the Terrace. My mom, step-dad, Dewey, my sister Makenna, Finn and Caleb were there to greet us and heartily cheer us on. The people of Madison, all along the route, were so supportive. And just so you know, when you are running that far or farther, it really helps to have that support. Some madisonians that lived in houses along the route had their hoses or sprinklers out to help cool us off. Those were like a godsend. There were a lot of people dropping out. It was HOT and like no wind and no clouds. Around mile 11.5 my Aunt Sonja was stationed along the route to cheer us on. And we finally got the "Run, Forrest, Run!" I was expecting to hear all day. Haha That was awesome.
Forrest had to talk me through the whole last mile. I would have stopped running if it weren't for his constant reassurance I *was* going to make it up the W. Washington hill to the capitol in the last mile of a half. I started to feel pretty sick to my stomach at about Henry Street. My legs were kind of on auto-pilot at that point. We got to the Capitol Square and turned right and then left and the finish line was right by Martin Luther King Jr. They removed the chip. It was really difficult for me to stop moving my body for the volunteer trying to remove the chip on my wrist. I kept walking around. Even though I was exhausted my legs kept moving. I made the mistake of accepting and drinking a big, cold chocolate milk. Never again. And then I consumed really quickly a water. I almost immediately felt really ill. I tried to lay down. That made it worse. So I started to look for the closest, most inconspicuous spot to puke, cuz I was blow chunks any moment. I saw a very large tree near the railing of the capitol building. Unfortunately, for them really, two little girls were sitting on the railing. I tried to warn them to move or they were going to witness me spewing my guts out, but they didn't move. I totally puked. Then the world started to spin. I sat down. I wasn't feeling top notch. So they made me go to the med tent. I recovered just fine after getting out of the sun and drinking some gatorade. I just got overheated. By 11am they had called off the marathon and stopped times because so many people were dropping like flies from heat exhaustion. We finished in two hours 34 mins. not too bad with the bathroom stop I guess and the extreme temps. I was really happy to attain my goal! I took a lot of the summer off of training for any races. I have started to think about triathlon training. I am just waiting to find the right road bike. Tomorrow is the 5K Zoo Run Run. Hope to see some of you there!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
another step closer
I woke up nervous about running today. It is getting pretty close to my goal now. It is a lot like rehearsing for a musical for quite awhile and then having to perform. I always got very nervous before singing performances.
I've been trying to run early as I can. I finally got on the road a bit before 9am this morning. It was warm and sunny already. A beautiful day. Caleb, Finn and Atticus walked with me during my warm up walk through the Canterbury woods I ran down Anthony via IPFW. I passed a group of 3-5 year olds all wearing their yellow t-shirts on their way to visit the fire station. They looked a little excited. I can't wait for Finn to do those things.
I crossed over to Columbia. That's a nice little neighborhood with a park over there. Then I turned back around at that point and ran back on the other side of Anthony back through IPFW and home. I ran a total of 8 miles today. My calves are feeling the pain. Even after running at least 5 times a week since January my body is still having all the growing pains. I wonder if it ever stops? Otherwise I feel pretty good. Not super tired out or anything. I'm shooting for 11 miles tomorrow...we shall see how it goes ;)
I've been trying to run early as I can. I finally got on the road a bit before 9am this morning. It was warm and sunny already. A beautiful day. Caleb, Finn and Atticus walked with me during my warm up walk through the Canterbury woods I ran down Anthony via IPFW. I passed a group of 3-5 year olds all wearing their yellow t-shirts on their way to visit the fire station. They looked a little excited. I can't wait for Finn to do those things.
I crossed over to Columbia. That's a nice little neighborhood with a park over there. Then I turned back around at that point and ran back on the other side of Anthony back through IPFW and home. I ran a total of 8 miles today. My calves are feeling the pain. Even after running at least 5 times a week since January my body is still having all the growing pains. I wonder if it ever stops? Otherwise I feel pretty good. Not super tired out or anything. I'm shooting for 11 miles tomorrow...we shall see how it goes ;)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
gearin' up
I'm starting to sound like a broken record here. sorry, with moving I haven't been as good about posting stuff on here. I will sum it up.
I have been increasing my mileage a lot over the past couple of weeks. I have been trying to run in the morning hours as much as possible. I want to avoid the warmest hours of the day.
Today was my longest run so far. I ran 10 miles here in Fort Wayne. I had intended on only going 9 miles or so, but my guessed route took me a bit further than anticipated. It's all good though. I guess that will be my long run for this week. When you run that distance/time one's skin is constantly rubbing against your clothing, unless you run naked. I don't...run naked that is. I have sores all over my body. At my waist where my running shorts sit. About 6 areas around my bust and back have gotten to the point of being bloody. And that is with 3 running bras on. Intense. It's all part of the process.
The half marathon is on May 30th in Madison. In less than 2 weeks I will be running 13.1 miles. Crazy. I ran this same race before in May of 2008. I finished in 2 hours 25 minutes. I guess it would be nice to beat my time from before, but I will seriously just be happy to run it. The race organizers have changed the half marathon route this year from the last time I ran it. Can't wait to see the differences. My friend, Forrest, that I ran the Crazylegs race with, has decided to run this too. That will be nice to have a co-runner to help you get through the tough parts of the race. The last time I ran the half marathon distance I started to feel the fatigue hit me around 9 miles or so. I'm hoping to push it to at least there before stopping to walk at all. Once you stop, it just seems to happen more and more. It's a mental thing. It would be great to run the WHOLE deal, but I don't have any attachments or expectations about that.
Finn runs everywhere and loves it. I think we may have another marathoner on our hands ;)
I have been increasing my mileage a lot over the past couple of weeks. I have been trying to run in the morning hours as much as possible. I want to avoid the warmest hours of the day.
Today was my longest run so far. I ran 10 miles here in Fort Wayne. I had intended on only going 9 miles or so, but my guessed route took me a bit further than anticipated. It's all good though. I guess that will be my long run for this week. When you run that distance/time one's skin is constantly rubbing against your clothing, unless you run naked. I don't...run naked that is. I have sores all over my body. At my waist where my running shorts sit. About 6 areas around my bust and back have gotten to the point of being bloody. And that is with 3 running bras on. Intense. It's all part of the process.
The half marathon is on May 30th in Madison. In less than 2 weeks I will be running 13.1 miles. Crazy. I ran this same race before in May of 2008. I finished in 2 hours 25 minutes. I guess it would be nice to beat my time from before, but I will seriously just be happy to run it. The race organizers have changed the half marathon route this year from the last time I ran it. Can't wait to see the differences. My friend, Forrest, that I ran the Crazylegs race with, has decided to run this too. That will be nice to have a co-runner to help you get through the tough parts of the race. The last time I ran the half marathon distance I started to feel the fatigue hit me around 9 miles or so. I'm hoping to push it to at least there before stopping to walk at all. Once you stop, it just seems to happen more and more. It's a mental thing. It would be great to run the WHOLE deal, but I don't have any attachments or expectations about that.
Finn runs everywhere and loves it. I think we may have another marathoner on our hands ;)
Monday, May 10, 2010
one foot...
Yes, so it has been some time in between entries again. Naughty Angie. I have found the past couple of weeks to be a little...chaotic, in a good way. I will see how much I can recall.
Sunday May 2nd was the Mastodon Stomp 5K race. I was on campus already because I was working...coordinating the race. I worked with the race organizers to get everything up and running, oh gosh, seriously didn't intend that pun. haha
The morning had been cool, like in the 50s Fahrenheit. So I had dressed to run in that kind of weather. By the time the race started at 2:10pm it was in the mid-70s and very humid. I was severely overdressed. I had a long sleeve shirt and running pants on under my shorts. I was kinda warm. The race was hard for me this time. It felt really hard. And I hate to admit it, but I had to stop and walk about half way through. I was running wayyy to fast in the first half. I let the excitement and spirit of competition get to me and I ran so much faster than my normal pace. By the time I was 2 miles in it felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest and my lungs were surely bleeding, ok maybe not, but it felt like it. It was hot. I had forgotten how much harder it feels to run in heat. I wasn't hydrated enough by a long shot. I have to hydrate like 2 or more hours before the race. Otherwise I get pretty bad stomach cramps. I didn't drink much beyond a cup of coffee in the morning. So I had that strike against me too. I learned from this race to trust my pace, dress for the weather and be serious about hydrating myself safely prior to running. Caleb and Finn met me at the finish line. Finn ate my complimentary banana. I am pretty sure that is Finn's favorite part of my running in races. The free banana.
I took Monday off to get my tooth fixed. The tooth basically broke in half. I had to have a temporary crown put on and a permanent one will be put in place in about a week and a half. After almost 4 hours in the dentist chair I had to take the day off running too. Or at least that is the excuse I gave.
Tuesday I ran 6 miles over by the bible school.
Wednesday I took off running because my schedule and Caleb's schedule with finals was hectic and full.
Thursday I ran 6.5 miles in the morning before work through neighborhoods and Shoaff Park. Caleb had his VERY LAST FINAL EVER today!!!!!!!! Yay! It is almost 100% over!
Friday I took off work and we drove up to Shipshewana, Indiana to camp over night. I was running the Mayfest 4 mile road and trail race Saturday morning at 8am (those masochists!) I was going to run once we arrived to Shipshewana. The weather thought otherwise. Upon arrival in Shipshewana it was in the low 50s/upper 40s, cloudy, wind gusting and raining/pouring. It continued in this fashion all night. We had intended on sleeping in the van or tent over night. But due to the beautiful weather we chose to spend an extra $20 and get a cabin. Boy am I glad we did that. The wind was blowing so hard you could feel the wind coming through the cabin walls and it would wake you up. The cabin had heat and electricity so we were warm and cozy inside, thank you!
Finn woke us up at 7:15am...that's right, 45 minutes before race time. So we really had to haul *ss to get to get Finn fed, get dressed, loaded into the van, drive into Shipshewana, pick up my racing bib and check-in and stretch etc before race time. I had exactly 1 minute to stretch.
The weather was about the same Saturday morning cold, raining and wind blowing very, very hard. Just a little colder. But I was dressed appropriately this time. I even remembered my gloves! I think because of the weather only like 140 people ran in the race. I promised myself no matter what, after the Mastodon Stomp experience, I would keep my pace. I just had to trust that if I stay true to my pace and style that eventually it would pay off and I would gain ground and do well. So I did just that. I didn't know this about myself before this race, but I am a really good trail runner. I picked up a lot of ground/time during the portion of the race we ran on trail. It felt effortless and I passed about 20 people in this section. It was crazy. So I guess I will look into more trail races :)
There is a huge population of Amish that live around Shipshewana. At the 2.5 mile marker a young Amish girl, dressed in total traditional/proper Amish wear besides Nike running shoes, was standing off to the side of the road and watching longingly as the runners went by. Just as I passed her I smiled at her and said "hi". Then about 20 seconds later I heard her start to run behind me. She stayed just behind me until the last 1/4 mile. Then she ran around me and began to gain ground on me quickly. As she ran in front of me a horse buggy with a local, older Amish couple riding inside was driving past. The Amish girl running waved to the couple. The older man smiled and waved and laughed as if he were tickled by her audacity to run in this race. The older woman didn't even acknowledge this girl's existence, as if disgusted by her participation in the running race. It is pretty taboo and frowned upon for Amish girls to run, especially in public. It took a lot of guts to do what she did running out in public, for everyone to see. I was so inspired by this young girl's courage and love for running. How much would you have to love running to go against everything your community believes in just to participate in a race? I could see it in her eyes. She just *had* to run. There was no option for her. Now that's truly awesome. I finished with a time of 41:25. Caleb and Finn were freezing so we pretty much took off for the cabin directly after I completed the race. Shipshewana is a cool little town if you are ever passing this way, check it out! Especially this store called E&S. That place rules.
Sunday was Mother's Day. We drove down to Peru, IN to Caleb's dad's family farm where his Gram lives. His Gram, Mom, Dad, sister Holly and her boyfriend, Michael and Aunt Becky were all there. The weather was cool and a little windy, but super sunny and all in all a really nice day. The farm is beautiful. Finn got to ride on his Grandpa Brauneller's tractor. He didn't like it very much :( He was terrified and cried most of the time. I was surprised because he seemed so interested in the tractor before Grandpa started it up.
After Holly and Michael left I went for my Sunday long run. I ran the back roads that follow the Eel River. It was a gorgeous run. I ran a little over 7 miles. The run went really well except I had to go to the bathroom most of the time. It is amazing how you can divert your attention from that for so long while you run if you have to. My body felt great post run. The past two weeks I was getting a little scared and unmotivated with my running and training for the mini marathon. But after this week, I feel soooo much better and a lot more confident. You just have to put in the work, and the results will come. Patience young Jedi. Oh Yoda
Sunday May 2nd was the Mastodon Stomp 5K race. I was on campus already because I was working...coordinating the race. I worked with the race organizers to get everything up and running, oh gosh, seriously didn't intend that pun. haha
The morning had been cool, like in the 50s Fahrenheit. So I had dressed to run in that kind of weather. By the time the race started at 2:10pm it was in the mid-70s and very humid. I was severely overdressed. I had a long sleeve shirt and running pants on under my shorts. I was kinda warm. The race was hard for me this time. It felt really hard. And I hate to admit it, but I had to stop and walk about half way through. I was running wayyy to fast in the first half. I let the excitement and spirit of competition get to me and I ran so much faster than my normal pace. By the time I was 2 miles in it felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest and my lungs were surely bleeding, ok maybe not, but it felt like it. It was hot. I had forgotten how much harder it feels to run in heat. I wasn't hydrated enough by a long shot. I have to hydrate like 2 or more hours before the race. Otherwise I get pretty bad stomach cramps. I didn't drink much beyond a cup of coffee in the morning. So I had that strike against me too. I learned from this race to trust my pace, dress for the weather and be serious about hydrating myself safely prior to running. Caleb and Finn met me at the finish line. Finn ate my complimentary banana. I am pretty sure that is Finn's favorite part of my running in races. The free banana.
I took Monday off to get my tooth fixed. The tooth basically broke in half. I had to have a temporary crown put on and a permanent one will be put in place in about a week and a half. After almost 4 hours in the dentist chair I had to take the day off running too. Or at least that is the excuse I gave.
Tuesday I ran 6 miles over by the bible school.
Wednesday I took off running because my schedule and Caleb's schedule with finals was hectic and full.
Thursday I ran 6.5 miles in the morning before work through neighborhoods and Shoaff Park. Caleb had his VERY LAST FINAL EVER today!!!!!!!! Yay! It is almost 100% over!
Friday I took off work and we drove up to Shipshewana, Indiana to camp over night. I was running the Mayfest 4 mile road and trail race Saturday morning at 8am (those masochists!) I was going to run once we arrived to Shipshewana. The weather thought otherwise. Upon arrival in Shipshewana it was in the low 50s/upper 40s, cloudy, wind gusting and raining/pouring. It continued in this fashion all night. We had intended on sleeping in the van or tent over night. But due to the beautiful weather we chose to spend an extra $20 and get a cabin. Boy am I glad we did that. The wind was blowing so hard you could feel the wind coming through the cabin walls and it would wake you up. The cabin had heat and electricity so we were warm and cozy inside, thank you!
Finn woke us up at 7:15am...that's right, 45 minutes before race time. So we really had to haul *ss to get to get Finn fed, get dressed, loaded into the van, drive into Shipshewana, pick up my racing bib and check-in and stretch etc before race time. I had exactly 1 minute to stretch.
The weather was about the same Saturday morning cold, raining and wind blowing very, very hard. Just a little colder. But I was dressed appropriately this time. I even remembered my gloves! I think because of the weather only like 140 people ran in the race. I promised myself no matter what, after the Mastodon Stomp experience, I would keep my pace. I just had to trust that if I stay true to my pace and style that eventually it would pay off and I would gain ground and do well. So I did just that. I didn't know this about myself before this race, but I am a really good trail runner. I picked up a lot of ground/time during the portion of the race we ran on trail. It felt effortless and I passed about 20 people in this section. It was crazy. So I guess I will look into more trail races :)
There is a huge population of Amish that live around Shipshewana. At the 2.5 mile marker a young Amish girl, dressed in total traditional/proper Amish wear besides Nike running shoes, was standing off to the side of the road and watching longingly as the runners went by. Just as I passed her I smiled at her and said "hi". Then about 20 seconds later I heard her start to run behind me. She stayed just behind me until the last 1/4 mile. Then she ran around me and began to gain ground on me quickly. As she ran in front of me a horse buggy with a local, older Amish couple riding inside was driving past. The Amish girl running waved to the couple. The older man smiled and waved and laughed as if he were tickled by her audacity to run in this race. The older woman didn't even acknowledge this girl's existence, as if disgusted by her participation in the running race. It is pretty taboo and frowned upon for Amish girls to run, especially in public. It took a lot of guts to do what she did running out in public, for everyone to see. I was so inspired by this young girl's courage and love for running. How much would you have to love running to go against everything your community believes in just to participate in a race? I could see it in her eyes. She just *had* to run. There was no option for her. Now that's truly awesome. I finished with a time of 41:25. Caleb and Finn were freezing so we pretty much took off for the cabin directly after I completed the race. Shipshewana is a cool little town if you are ever passing this way, check it out! Especially this store called E&S. That place rules.
Sunday was Mother's Day. We drove down to Peru, IN to Caleb's dad's family farm where his Gram lives. His Gram, Mom, Dad, sister Holly and her boyfriend, Michael and Aunt Becky were all there. The weather was cool and a little windy, but super sunny and all in all a really nice day. The farm is beautiful. Finn got to ride on his Grandpa Brauneller's tractor. He didn't like it very much :( He was terrified and cried most of the time. I was surprised because he seemed so interested in the tractor before Grandpa started it up.
After Holly and Michael left I went for my Sunday long run. I ran the back roads that follow the Eel River. It was a gorgeous run. I ran a little over 7 miles. The run went really well except I had to go to the bathroom most of the time. It is amazing how you can divert your attention from that for so long while you run if you have to. My body felt great post run. The past two weeks I was getting a little scared and unmotivated with my running and training for the mini marathon. But after this week, I feel soooo much better and a lot more confident. You just have to put in the work, and the results will come. Patience young Jedi. Oh Yoda
Saturday, May 1, 2010
motivation
Thursday was a day off running.
I am having trouble keeping my motivation going. I was working towards the Crazylegs run and once that was over I started thinking in my mind...oh, it's vacation time/ rest time now. But really this is when I need to step it up when it comes to my level of training.
Friday I got up before work to run. It was really warm already at 6:15am. I was dressed for the weather I encountered on Wednesday morning, but didn't really need to be. I ran over to Shoaff Park, ran the 5K course and then ran home and showered as fast as I could. This running in the morning thing is making me late to work (shhh, don't tell my boss). Now that it is getting closer to the Half Marathon I need to be up-ing my mileage every week. Luckily I will be contending with my work schedule only 7 more work days! That is so awesome.
I took today off since I am running tomorrow and Sunday was supposed to be my day off running. I am going to start doing some kind of cross training activity on my days off running . I am not getting into the kind of shape I was in the last time at this point when I ran this half marathon.
Tomorrow I am working, but it is to coordinate the Mastodon Stomp 5K run on campus, which I am also running in. So I was going to be here anyway. I'll let you all know how it goes;)
I am having trouble keeping my motivation going. I was working towards the Crazylegs run and once that was over I started thinking in my mind...oh, it's vacation time/ rest time now. But really this is when I need to step it up when it comes to my level of training.
Friday I got up before work to run. It was really warm already at 6:15am. I was dressed for the weather I encountered on Wednesday morning, but didn't really need to be. I ran over to Shoaff Park, ran the 5K course and then ran home and showered as fast as I could. This running in the morning thing is making me late to work (shhh, don't tell my boss). Now that it is getting closer to the Half Marathon I need to be up-ing my mileage every week. Luckily I will be contending with my work schedule only 7 more work days! That is so awesome.
I took today off since I am running tomorrow and Sunday was supposed to be my day off running. I am going to start doing some kind of cross training activity on my days off running . I am not getting into the kind of shape I was in the last time at this point when I ran this half marathon.
Tomorrow I am working, but it is to coordinate the Mastodon Stomp 5K run on campus, which I am also running in. So I was going to be here anyway. I'll let you all know how it goes;)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
getting back on the horse
I took two whole days off running after the Crazylegs run on Saturday (audible gasp! haha) I haven't done that since the beginning of February I think. I took Sunday off because I was driving back to Indiana from Wisconsin. I took Monday off because I wanted to :)
Tuesday Finn and I ran together...ok, he was in his stroller. Cuz that's how he rolls. He was wearing his t-shirt from Heather that says so. We ran from home to Shoaff Park and then ran the 5K route around the golf course. We ran in the late afternoon. It was in the low 60s that day so the temp was very comfortable. It was on the windy side on the way to the park. But on the way home was cool runnin'. We stopped very briefly at the quik-e-mart to get some milk for us and Finn and then ran home. All in total we logged about 6 miles together. Finn and I make a great running team.
Wednesday I got up early to run before work. I almost didn't make it. I was T-I-R-E-D
It was a beautiful morning. A bit brisk. I wasn't dressed quite warm enough for how cold it was. Luckily I was running so I warmed up pretty fast. The sun shining was super golden. I run past a creek on the premises of our complex and I noticed that the swans were still sleeping.
I always run a different route every day I run, for safety and to avoid boredom. I get bored easily. Damn ADD. I ran through the complex and then over to campus and over the Venderley Bridge and then over to the soccer fields and then ran next to the river over to St Joe Center and then looped back home. There is a little strip of land on St Joe Center that doesn't have a sidewalk or room to run on the grass. You are forced to run on the street if you want to get further down the road. It is kind of busy at that time of the morning on St Joe Center because it is a main street. So during that time I have to run on the street over there I am just praying someone doesn't go postal on me and mow me down.
I love getting my run done early in the morning. I ran 4.7 miles. It is seriously time to change the songs on my MP3 player.
Tuesday Finn and I ran together...ok, he was in his stroller. Cuz that's how he rolls. He was wearing his t-shirt from Heather that says so. We ran from home to Shoaff Park and then ran the 5K route around the golf course. We ran in the late afternoon. It was in the low 60s that day so the temp was very comfortable. It was on the windy side on the way to the park. But on the way home was cool runnin'. We stopped very briefly at the quik-e-mart to get some milk for us and Finn and then ran home. All in total we logged about 6 miles together. Finn and I make a great running team.
Wednesday I got up early to run before work. I almost didn't make it. I was T-I-R-E-D
It was a beautiful morning. A bit brisk. I wasn't dressed quite warm enough for how cold it was. Luckily I was running so I warmed up pretty fast. The sun shining was super golden. I run past a creek on the premises of our complex and I noticed that the swans were still sleeping.
I always run a different route every day I run, for safety and to avoid boredom. I get bored easily. Damn ADD. I ran through the complex and then over to campus and over the Venderley Bridge and then over to the soccer fields and then ran next to the river over to St Joe Center and then looped back home. There is a little strip of land on St Joe Center that doesn't have a sidewalk or room to run on the grass. You are forced to run on the street if you want to get further down the road. It is kind of busy at that time of the morning on St Joe Center because it is a main street. So during that time I have to run on the street over there I am just praying someone doesn't go postal on me and mow me down.
I love getting my run done early in the morning. I ran 4.7 miles. It is seriously time to change the songs on my MP3 player.
Monday, April 26, 2010
great running
I know I missed several days there leading up to this past weekend, including this past weekend. I will attempt to bring y'all up to speed.
I ran Wednesday and Thursday with the thought in mind that I probably wouldn't have time to run on Friday the 23rd. Friday I got up early and drove to Madison, WI. Ok, Stoughton, WI really. That is where part of my family lives. It was the first trip I took to Wisconsin on my own since Finn has been born. Caleb and Finn stayed in Indiana to help our niece, Skye, celebrate her first birthday on Saturday. So I was livin' la vida loca. And by "la vida loca" I mean running a lot and sleeping as much as possible. I used to hit the bars and parties when I would come to Madison for visits....ahh how things have changed. I'm not saying I can't see it happen again, it's just different now for me and for all my friends. But I digress...
Friday I went to look at a few houses with my sister Makenna, parents and friend, Jessie. We found one I really like. Then we went to the Kohl Center to pick up my registration packet for the Crazylegs Classic. They had the timing chip embedded in the bib! That is so awesome, cuz I am always so worried that those timing chips are going to fall off my shoe no matter how many bread bag ties I use and how tight I wind them. I started getting really excited seeing all the other people that were picking up their packets. It made it more real. I checked out the route map they had posted in the Kohl Center. I hadn't seen the route until that moment. It was a great route: Starts at the Capitol Square, down Pinckney and then onto Wisconsin Ave up to Langdon, took Langdon past Frat Row and the Student Union, up to Observatory Drive, down by University Hospital, cut over to Old Univ, and then over to Camp Randall Stadium. Very hilly, but a beautiful route nonetheless. I had Chinese take out with my mom, Dewey, Makenna and my Grandma Parish. I went to bed early Friday night. No run.
I got up around 7amish. I wanted to eat a small breakfast and drink 2 cups of coffee before it got too close to the race. I have found that if I eat less than 2 hours before a race I am asking for trouble. I'm a big geek and I had picked out all my running clothes the night before. Only the tried and true and very comfortable for a race. Don't ever try to wear something, especially new running shoes, for a long distance race. You will be sorry. I did it once with very sore consequences.
I drove up to Madison separately from everyone else. I wanted to get to the square a little early to walk the Farmer's Market that opened only 2 weekends ago. Madison has the BEST Farmer's Market! Then I met my pal, Forrest, at Michelangelo's Coffeeshop. We ran Crazylegs together. We walked up to the Capitol Square where all the other Crazyleggers were lining up for the start of the race. I had never run in this race before but Forrest had. He told me that it would probably take 15-20 minutes after the race had started for us to even get to the starting line. I thought he was kidding. And this year it was even worse. There were over 20, 000 people running in this year's Crazylegs Classic. Unfortunately when I registered for the race they ask you what you expect to be your finishing time for the race. At the time I registered for this race, (sometime in February), I had no idea how fast I would be running by now. I wayyyy underestimated my finishing time. So I was in running heat PP (it goes A-Z then starts with double letters AA...). We didn't even see the start line until more than 45 minutes after the 8K (roughly 5 miles) race had started. You didn't read that incorrectly. So some people had already finished the race and were drinking their complimentary beers (you got 2 beers post race totally free along with awesome oranges and other snacks) before we even began the race. So funny. Next year I will predict I run a 5 minute mile by the way :)P
With that many people running it isn't a problem pacing oneself. You were literally tripping over people to pass them at first. It wasn't until the 3rd or 4th mile that it cleared out enough to safely and quickly pass people. Both Forrest and I wore our headphones. I took mine off around the 3 1/2 mile mark because there were more people on the sides of the streets cheering us on and blaring music from their apartments and homes. Once Forrest and I hit the 4 mile mark we really turned on the speed. One of the houses was playing "Eye of the Tiger" at volume 11. Hilarious! The end of the Crazylegs Classic is truly something to see. You run into Camp Randall Stadium where they play all the Big 10 Madison WI Badgers football games. They have the finish line on the 50 yard line. By the time we ran in a lot of the 20,000 runners/walkers and all their spectators were in the stands cheering us on. That is quite a feeling to have all those people greet and cheer on your completion of this race. Plus our friend, Kat, was hanging over the side of the entry way screaming our names. It was pretty cool. I think I had a permasmile when I crossed the finish line. Neither Forrest or I had our cell phones so finding my parents and Katrina was a little less than easy. We asked this other lost looking dude to borrow his cell phone. Thanks lost looking dude!
I ran Wednesday and Thursday with the thought in mind that I probably wouldn't have time to run on Friday the 23rd. Friday I got up early and drove to Madison, WI. Ok, Stoughton, WI really. That is where part of my family lives. It was the first trip I took to Wisconsin on my own since Finn has been born. Caleb and Finn stayed in Indiana to help our niece, Skye, celebrate her first birthday on Saturday. So I was livin' la vida loca. And by "la vida loca" I mean running a lot and sleeping as much as possible. I used to hit the bars and parties when I would come to Madison for visits....ahh how things have changed. I'm not saying I can't see it happen again, it's just different now for me and for all my friends. But I digress...
Friday I went to look at a few houses with my sister Makenna, parents and friend, Jessie. We found one I really like. Then we went to the Kohl Center to pick up my registration packet for the Crazylegs Classic. They had the timing chip embedded in the bib! That is so awesome, cuz I am always so worried that those timing chips are going to fall off my shoe no matter how many bread bag ties I use and how tight I wind them. I started getting really excited seeing all the other people that were picking up their packets. It made it more real. I checked out the route map they had posted in the Kohl Center. I hadn't seen the route until that moment. It was a great route: Starts at the Capitol Square, down Pinckney and then onto Wisconsin Ave up to Langdon, took Langdon past Frat Row and the Student Union, up to Observatory Drive, down by University Hospital, cut over to Old Univ, and then over to Camp Randall Stadium. Very hilly, but a beautiful route nonetheless. I had Chinese take out with my mom, Dewey, Makenna and my Grandma Parish. I went to bed early Friday night. No run.
I got up around 7amish. I wanted to eat a small breakfast and drink 2 cups of coffee before it got too close to the race. I have found that if I eat less than 2 hours before a race I am asking for trouble. I'm a big geek and I had picked out all my running clothes the night before. Only the tried and true and very comfortable for a race. Don't ever try to wear something, especially new running shoes, for a long distance race. You will be sorry. I did it once with very sore consequences.
I drove up to Madison separately from everyone else. I wanted to get to the square a little early to walk the Farmer's Market that opened only 2 weekends ago. Madison has the BEST Farmer's Market! Then I met my pal, Forrest, at Michelangelo's Coffeeshop. We ran Crazylegs together. We walked up to the Capitol Square where all the other Crazyleggers were lining up for the start of the race. I had never run in this race before but Forrest had. He told me that it would probably take 15-20 minutes after the race had started for us to even get to the starting line. I thought he was kidding. And this year it was even worse. There were over 20, 000 people running in this year's Crazylegs Classic. Unfortunately when I registered for the race they ask you what you expect to be your finishing time for the race. At the time I registered for this race, (sometime in February), I had no idea how fast I would be running by now. I wayyyy underestimated my finishing time. So I was in running heat PP (it goes A-Z then starts with double letters AA...). We didn't even see the start line until more than 45 minutes after the 8K (roughly 5 miles) race had started. You didn't read that incorrectly. So some people had already finished the race and were drinking their complimentary beers (you got 2 beers post race totally free along with awesome oranges and other snacks) before we even began the race. So funny. Next year I will predict I run a 5 minute mile by the way :)P
With that many people running it isn't a problem pacing oneself. You were literally tripping over people to pass them at first. It wasn't until the 3rd or 4th mile that it cleared out enough to safely and quickly pass people. Both Forrest and I wore our headphones. I took mine off around the 3 1/2 mile mark because there were more people on the sides of the streets cheering us on and blaring music from their apartments and homes. Once Forrest and I hit the 4 mile mark we really turned on the speed. One of the houses was playing "Eye of the Tiger" at volume 11. Hilarious! The end of the Crazylegs Classic is truly something to see. You run into Camp Randall Stadium where they play all the Big 10 Madison WI Badgers football games. They have the finish line on the 50 yard line. By the time we ran in a lot of the 20,000 runners/walkers and all their spectators were in the stands cheering us on. That is quite a feeling to have all those people greet and cheer on your completion of this race. Plus our friend, Kat, was hanging over the side of the entry way screaming our names. It was pretty cool. I think I had a permasmile when I crossed the finish line. Neither Forrest or I had our cell phones so finding my parents and Katrina was a little less than easy. We asked this other lost looking dude to borrow his cell phone. Thanks lost looking dude!
Monday, April 19, 2010
she's going the distance
Thursday 4-15 was a day off of running/training. Finn and Atticus and I went for a walk through the woods together.
Friday I was working at IPFW from 8am to 5pm. This is the busiest time of the year for events with all the honors/good bye dinners, and graduations. Immediately after work I strapped running shoes on and started out. I picked a route I thought would be around 4 miles. My estimation was a little off. I ran through the IPFW campus, over the Venderly Bridge, through Johnny Appleseed Park and onto part of the Rivergreenway path by Spy Run (where Atticus got hit by an SUV in 2008, I still get sad when I run that part of the path) and then down to State and back to Anthony via Clara and back through the IPFW campus. It ended up being a little over 5 1/2 miles. A good run, but not what I was planning.
Saturday I ran to Shoaff Park around 8:30am and then ran the 5K route they have within the park. I logged about 4.6 miles all together. Then I ran over to the playground to meet Caleb and Finn and Atticus. We stayed to play on the playground for awhile because no one else was there. Atticus could play too without inadvertantly tackling any children in his excitement. It was so nice to get my run in early on Saturday so I could just relax and spend the rest of the day with Finn and Caleb.
I took Sunday off, following my run two days and then off schedule. It seems to be working for me so far.
I ran this morning. I was going to run to the gym and treamill it and then run home, but once I got out on the road the air felt pretty damn good and we are getting enough sunlight at 6:25am in the morning to allow me to run more safely outdoors. So I spontaneously ran towards the IPFW campus and ran the 5K route. The Mastodon Stomp 5K is coming up on May 2nd and I want to kick some IPFW employee butt ;)
I need to kick start my weight loss again. I have only lost 2lbs in the past 5 weeks. My body is already becoming complacent even with running between 4-6 miles every training day. I swear if there is ever a famine I will be one of the last to go because unfortunately my body is hella efficient at storing fat. I guess I will have to start getting up at 5am to run 10 miles before I go to work everyday just to lose more weight....or you know, stop eating pancakes for breakfast on Saturdays. Now that's just crazy talk! :)
Friday I was working at IPFW from 8am to 5pm. This is the busiest time of the year for events with all the honors/good bye dinners, and graduations. Immediately after work I strapped running shoes on and started out. I picked a route I thought would be around 4 miles. My estimation was a little off. I ran through the IPFW campus, over the Venderly Bridge, through Johnny Appleseed Park and onto part of the Rivergreenway path by Spy Run (where Atticus got hit by an SUV in 2008, I still get sad when I run that part of the path) and then down to State and back to Anthony via Clara and back through the IPFW campus. It ended up being a little over 5 1/2 miles. A good run, but not what I was planning.
Saturday I ran to Shoaff Park around 8:30am and then ran the 5K route they have within the park. I logged about 4.6 miles all together. Then I ran over to the playground to meet Caleb and Finn and Atticus. We stayed to play on the playground for awhile because no one else was there. Atticus could play too without inadvertantly tackling any children in his excitement. It was so nice to get my run in early on Saturday so I could just relax and spend the rest of the day with Finn and Caleb.
I took Sunday off, following my run two days and then off schedule. It seems to be working for me so far.
I ran this morning. I was going to run to the gym and treamill it and then run home, but once I got out on the road the air felt pretty damn good and we are getting enough sunlight at 6:25am in the morning to allow me to run more safely outdoors. So I spontaneously ran towards the IPFW campus and ran the 5K route. The Mastodon Stomp 5K is coming up on May 2nd and I want to kick some IPFW employee butt ;)
I need to kick start my weight loss again. I have only lost 2lbs in the past 5 weeks. My body is already becoming complacent even with running between 4-6 miles every training day. I swear if there is ever a famine I will be one of the last to go because unfortunately my body is hella efficient at storing fat. I guess I will have to start getting up at 5am to run 10 miles before I go to work everyday just to lose more weight....or you know, stop eating pancakes for breakfast on Saturdays. Now that's just crazy talk! :)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
gettin' things done
After arriving home from work for the day I discovered Finn had not taken an afternoon nap and was wide awake. That's cool by me because it means I get to spend just that much more time with him. We really needed some milk and dish washer detergent. I also hadn't run yet today. Why not combine them both and take Finn with? That's what I did. I got Finn fueled up with a snack and juice, I got dressed in my running stuffs, stretched, got Finn ready in his jogging stroller and we went out the door! I went through the woods, then through the IPFW campus and onto the Anthony/Crescent Scott's grocery store. Finn and I quickly picked up what we needed, paid for it and then ran back home the same route. I ran 4.5 miles, with Finn and everything. I guess running by myself will seem easy now? Maybe not :)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Catch up
Boy I have a couple of days to catch up on here, huh? Sorry about that. Life is getting a bit more hectic right now on both a personal and professional level. Hang in there with me :)
I took Thursday off.
Friday I ran from home to the gym and back. All together I ran 4 miles. I like to spend as much time as possible with Finn. Especially on the days I work 10 hours in the office. I had not run in the morning that Friday. It ended up that I didn't get to the gym until after Finn went to bed...somewhere around 9pm. That's ok though. I got to watch the continuation of a two parter of the show "Medium" while I was running on the treadmill for the gym portion of my workout.
Saturday I was working. I have been so tired lately all the time. I decided to sleep in as much as possible before going to work instead of running in the morning. After I got done with work Caleb and Finn were still in North Manchester visiting Grandma and Grandpa Brauneller. I decided to do a fast pace run at a shorter distance. This pace was much faster than my normal race/long run pace. I think it was extremely beneficial. I surprised myself with how well I did. I ran 3 miles in 25 minutes...that's less than a 8 1/2 minute mile! For me, that's pretty damn good.
Sunday I finally got the chance to follow through on running downtown to Lawton Park from home and met Caleb, Finn and Atticus. I love running new places. It helps keep things interesting. I really tried to push myself towards the middle and end of the run. It felt so good. The weather was perfect on Sunday. Partially sunny and cool, but not cold and not too windy. Love it. I ran 5 miles in 51 minutes. Not too bad.
In the past I always thought of myself as a non-competitive, super laid back person. And in some ways I am pretty laid back. But what I have come to discover and accept recently is that I am very goal driven and competitive. Particularly when it comes to running. I think that's why it is so important for me to participate in running races. I constantly have a goal to work towards. This has made me a happier person overall. It is what is so great about running for me, besides the physical attributes. I would have never learned of these qualities about myself had I not started running. For this I will be forever greatful. Even if it is a quality you don't initially embrace, it is always better to truly know yourself on a deeper level :)
Today is a day off of running. I did ride my bike to and back from work and also for lunch the same.
I took Thursday off.
Friday I ran from home to the gym and back. All together I ran 4 miles. I like to spend as much time as possible with Finn. Especially on the days I work 10 hours in the office. I had not run in the morning that Friday. It ended up that I didn't get to the gym until after Finn went to bed...somewhere around 9pm. That's ok though. I got to watch the continuation of a two parter of the show "Medium" while I was running on the treadmill for the gym portion of my workout.
Saturday I was working. I have been so tired lately all the time. I decided to sleep in as much as possible before going to work instead of running in the morning. After I got done with work Caleb and Finn were still in North Manchester visiting Grandma and Grandpa Brauneller. I decided to do a fast pace run at a shorter distance. This pace was much faster than my normal race/long run pace. I think it was extremely beneficial. I surprised myself with how well I did. I ran 3 miles in 25 minutes...that's less than a 8 1/2 minute mile! For me, that's pretty damn good.
Sunday I finally got the chance to follow through on running downtown to Lawton Park from home and met Caleb, Finn and Atticus. I love running new places. It helps keep things interesting. I really tried to push myself towards the middle and end of the run. It felt so good. The weather was perfect on Sunday. Partially sunny and cool, but not cold and not too windy. Love it. I ran 5 miles in 51 minutes. Not too bad.
In the past I always thought of myself as a non-competitive, super laid back person. And in some ways I am pretty laid back. But what I have come to discover and accept recently is that I am very goal driven and competitive. Particularly when it comes to running. I think that's why it is so important for me to participate in running races. I constantly have a goal to work towards. This has made me a happier person overall. It is what is so great about running for me, besides the physical attributes. I would have never learned of these qualities about myself had I not started running. For this I will be forever greatful. Even if it is a quality you don't initially embrace, it is always better to truly know yourself on a deeper level :)
Today is a day off of running. I did ride my bike to and back from work and also for lunch the same.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Not exciting, but it works
Both Tuesday and this morning, out of necessity not choice, I ran from home to the gym and ran on the treadmill and then ran back home. I'm finding it works for my body and my schedule these days to get up early and run before I go to work. That experience last week running with Finn in the heat and how uncomfortable I was after has left me less than excited to repeat that process. Tuesday I ran 3.8 miles. This morning I ran 4.5 miles.
The weather has been pretty weird around here too. When the sun comes out everyone in Fort Wayne is in such a good mood. The sun hasn't shone on a regular basis since last August.
The weather has been pretty weird around here too. When the sun comes out everyone in Fort Wayne is in such a good mood. The sun hasn't shone on a regular basis since last August.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Bunny fun weekend
Saturday didn't quite work out as planned. The morning was beautiful. Sunny and warm. A perfect day for the park. My intention was to run downtown to Lawton Park here in Fort Wayne and meet Finn and Caleb there.
I got all dressed and started to stretch...and Finn decided it was nap time :) Finn's the boss so we put him down for his nap and waited it out. While he was sleeping the weather changed drastically. The temp dropped about 15 degrees and it started to rain very hard and the wind picked up.
This situation has happened before. I would wait out the weather and it would not clear up all day and then I would end up running the full run in the gym at 9pm. Not the optimum work out. While Finn was still asleep I decided to run from home to the gym, ran on the treadmill at the gym. I ran at a 9:50 pace. I can feel myself getting stronger now. I remember when I started training in January that if ran at that pace I felt like I was going to die and could only keep it up for a minute. I focused on my stride and using my whole leg. I also changed up the elevation. Both of the Madison races I have coming up will be a little hilly. I am working on being able to power myself up hills. You can pick up a lot of ground that way if you do it right. On my way running home the rain had stopped and the temp had gone back up. Oh well. I ran 4 miles total.
Finn was up when I got back home. We did try to go to the Park anyway. But two minutes after we got on the playground...rain. We tried! It was cool and rainy the rest of the day. I was glad I had decided to complete my run when I did.
Yay! Sunday was Easter, as I am sure you know. No rest for the wicked ;) We joined Caleb's family at the Brauneller Lake cottage in Rochester, Indiana. His whole immediate family was there. We had quite the feast and tons of candy and goodies. Hooray for holidays as it means I get the day off my diet, at least in my world. After lunch, and while Finn napped, I ran in the country side, and no, I wasn't wearing bunny ears while I ran ;)
It was beautiful out there. I took Cty Rd 150 to 500 to 50 to Bessemore and around the golf course. It was supah windy. Instead of being bitter about it, as I have been known to do, I decided to embrace it. It is quite possible that it would be windy during a race. It can only make me stronger, right? I tried to focus on my surroundings and appreciate seeing something new on my run. So often you run the same routes all the time. That can be comforting and help with setting your pace, but it can also become boring. At the very end of the run I pushed myself hard. I think this helps during races to increase endurance and overall time. I ran 5.3 miles all together. I need to change up my MP3s. I'm kinda over some of the songs on my player.
Finn was up from his nap when I returned from my run and hanging out with his Aunt Leelee. Caleb's sister, Holly, got a new kayak. Finn and I took a little spin around the lake together in the kayak. Finn was laughing and clapping his hands. We both loved it. Now I want a kayak. Thanks to Holly for letting us use it!!! It was Finn's first trip out on the water ever!
I got all dressed and started to stretch...and Finn decided it was nap time :) Finn's the boss so we put him down for his nap and waited it out. While he was sleeping the weather changed drastically. The temp dropped about 15 degrees and it started to rain very hard and the wind picked up.
This situation has happened before. I would wait out the weather and it would not clear up all day and then I would end up running the full run in the gym at 9pm. Not the optimum work out. While Finn was still asleep I decided to run from home to the gym, ran on the treadmill at the gym. I ran at a 9:50 pace. I can feel myself getting stronger now. I remember when I started training in January that if ran at that pace I felt like I was going to die and could only keep it up for a minute. I focused on my stride and using my whole leg. I also changed up the elevation. Both of the Madison races I have coming up will be a little hilly. I am working on being able to power myself up hills. You can pick up a lot of ground that way if you do it right. On my way running home the rain had stopped and the temp had gone back up. Oh well. I ran 4 miles total.
Finn was up when I got back home. We did try to go to the Park anyway. But two minutes after we got on the playground...rain. We tried! It was cool and rainy the rest of the day. I was glad I had decided to complete my run when I did.
Yay! Sunday was Easter, as I am sure you know. No rest for the wicked ;) We joined Caleb's family at the Brauneller Lake cottage in Rochester, Indiana. His whole immediate family was there. We had quite the feast and tons of candy and goodies. Hooray for holidays as it means I get the day off my diet, at least in my world. After lunch, and while Finn napped, I ran in the country side, and no, I wasn't wearing bunny ears while I ran ;)
It was beautiful out there. I took Cty Rd 150 to 500 to 50 to Bessemore and around the golf course. It was supah windy. Instead of being bitter about it, as I have been known to do, I decided to embrace it. It is quite possible that it would be windy during a race. It can only make me stronger, right? I tried to focus on my surroundings and appreciate seeing something new on my run. So often you run the same routes all the time. That can be comforting and help with setting your pace, but it can also become boring. At the very end of the run I pushed myself hard. I think this helps during races to increase endurance and overall time. I ran 5.3 miles all together. I need to change up my MP3s. I'm kinda over some of the songs on my player.
Finn was up from his nap when I returned from my run and hanging out with his Aunt Leelee. Caleb's sister, Holly, got a new kayak. Finn and I took a little spin around the lake together in the kayak. Finn was laughing and clapping his hands. We both loved it. Now I want a kayak. Thanks to Holly for letting us use it!!! It was Finn's first trip out on the water ever!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Okeedoke let's roll
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, if it is a running day, Finn and sometimes Atticus come with me. I work 7:30am to 3:30pm on these days and then Caleb goes to school until 8:45pm. So when I got home from work Finn and I packed up the stroller and started out for our run. Atticus stayed home because of the warmer weather. It was pretty cute. Finn had his cool new sunglasses on and hat and his bottle of water. Coolest baby in town!
We started out running north. We ended up running all the way to Shoaff Park, doing the mile loop and then running back. I hadn't looked at the weather all day. I thought it was warmer, maybe 69-70 degrees F. It turns out it was actually 83 degrees F when I was running with Finn in the stroller with all his stuff against high winds. I was wondering why I felt a bit more physically taxed that usual. I ran 3.8miles. When I got home I felt sick. I was dizzy, really sick to my stomach and was sweating profusely. It is common for my resting heart rate to return within 2 minutes at the most. My heart was still pounding after a half hour.
Finn had to eat dinner so I made dinner for him and got him in his chair and let him eat. While he was eating I laid on the floor and did my stretches very slowly. I have never experienced that kind of physical reaction to running before, ever. I had drank water before the run and had two glasses of water after. About 3 hours after the run I almost felt normal.
Friday I worked 10hours and considering what had happened the day before I decided to make Friday my other day off this week.
Happy Easter Everybody!
We started out running north. We ended up running all the way to Shoaff Park, doing the mile loop and then running back. I hadn't looked at the weather all day. I thought it was warmer, maybe 69-70 degrees F. It turns out it was actually 83 degrees F when I was running with Finn in the stroller with all his stuff against high winds. I was wondering why I felt a bit more physically taxed that usual. I ran 3.8miles. When I got home I felt sick. I was dizzy, really sick to my stomach and was sweating profusely. It is common for my resting heart rate to return within 2 minutes at the most. My heart was still pounding after a half hour.
Finn had to eat dinner so I made dinner for him and got him in his chair and let him eat. While he was eating I laid on the floor and did my stretches very slowly. I have never experienced that kind of physical reaction to running before, ever. I had drank water before the run and had two glasses of water after. About 3 hours after the run I almost felt normal.
Friday I worked 10hours and considering what had happened the day before I decided to make Friday my other day off this week.
Happy Easter Everybody!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
And so it goes
Another 6am morning. When I run in the morning to the gym it is still dark out. The only people I see are the kids waiting for the early school bus. It kind of freaks me out sometimes. I tend to run in the road so that I am not close to the bushes and trees. I now know the manager of the Canterbury clubhouse/gym by name (Karen) because I see her more than my parents these days. I ran a 9:50 mile on the treadmill with elevation. I was surprised I felt pretty comfortable at this pace. I ran 4 miles today. It almost made me late to work. My runs are getting longer and longer. I am going to have to start getting up at 5 am just to get my full run in before work. sheesh
I think I need to start doing speed intervals. But I have never made this part of my training program. Does anyone know much about hill or interval/fartlek (I know, I laughed the first time I read about it too) training? How often are you supposed to do this?
I think I need to start doing speed intervals. But I have never made this part of my training program. Does anyone know much about hill or interval/fartlek (I know, I laughed the first time I read about it too) training? How often are you supposed to do this?
Monday, March 29, 2010
Regular Day
I took yesterday off. A day of rest does the body good!
I got up at 6am and ran to the gym and then ran on the treadmill and then ran home (3.3 miles). It is my 10 hour work day today so I thought I would get my run in early.
I just found out that there is a fun run the Saturday of my college reunion. That will be so much fun :)
I got up at 6am and ran to the gym and then ran on the treadmill and then ran home (3.3 miles). It is my 10 hour work day today so I thought I would get my run in early.
I just found out that there is a fun run the Saturday of my college reunion. That will be so much fun :)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Nutri-Run 5 mile Road race
I got to "sleep in" this morning until 8am. What a luxury. I never thought there would be a day I would be greatful for such a thing, but the time has come.
We had pancakes for breakfast since it was a race day. I have discovered that even though I expend a lot of energy during a race, I still don't go overboard. And I only had one cup of coffee. Otherwise you feel like you have to pee during the whole race.
I thought I knew how to get to the race start/registration location. I didn't. And we usually have our Tom-Tom GPS in the car, but today we forgot it, and I forgot my cell phone. So after driving around downtown Fort Wayne for a half hour and asking 6 different people directions to no avail, we stopped at the good ol Allen County Library. Love those people. One of the nice ladies that works there printed out mapquest directions for us. So I made it with 2 minutes to spare before the registration closed.
The race started at 11am. This is way past the normal time for Finn to take his nap, so he was a real trooper staying awake to watch mommy run the race. He's such a good boy.
The race route was out in the country a bit. It was real sunny and cool, on the windy side, but not too bad. My plan to run nice and easy in the first mile and 1/2 worked. I really just enjoyed the people I was running with. My pack. You find them naturally. You don't know these people, but you naturally choose each other in a race. You become running comrades...to a point :) This pack becomes your instant support system through a race. I have never talked to any of them until after the races. But there seems to be this unspoken agreement that for at least a good part of the race, this person or persons are going to hang with you. It's pretty cool. Because I didn't spend all my energy at the beginning I had some left at the end of the race. The last mile felt great. My time was 51:24 I came in 8th in my age group. I am very happy with this. My goal was to finish in a hour or more. So 51:24 will do just fine. I feel a lot more prepared for the Crazylegs Classic now.
After the race they had a loaf of bread from Panera for all the finishers and fruit smoothies, bananas and water. Oh! And a commemorative race glass. It was a very good race!
We had pancakes for breakfast since it was a race day. I have discovered that even though I expend a lot of energy during a race, I still don't go overboard. And I only had one cup of coffee. Otherwise you feel like you have to pee during the whole race.
I thought I knew how to get to the race start/registration location. I didn't. And we usually have our Tom-Tom GPS in the car, but today we forgot it, and I forgot my cell phone. So after driving around downtown Fort Wayne for a half hour and asking 6 different people directions to no avail, we stopped at the good ol Allen County Library. Love those people. One of the nice ladies that works there printed out mapquest directions for us. So I made it with 2 minutes to spare before the registration closed.
The race started at 11am. This is way past the normal time for Finn to take his nap, so he was a real trooper staying awake to watch mommy run the race. He's such a good boy.
The race route was out in the country a bit. It was real sunny and cool, on the windy side, but not too bad. My plan to run nice and easy in the first mile and 1/2 worked. I really just enjoyed the people I was running with. My pack. You find them naturally. You don't know these people, but you naturally choose each other in a race. You become running comrades...to a point :) This pack becomes your instant support system through a race. I have never talked to any of them until after the races. But there seems to be this unspoken agreement that for at least a good part of the race, this person or persons are going to hang with you. It's pretty cool. Because I didn't spend all my energy at the beginning I had some left at the end of the race. The last mile felt great. My time was 51:24 I came in 8th in my age group. I am very happy with this. My goal was to finish in a hour or more. So 51:24 will do just fine. I feel a lot more prepared for the Crazylegs Classic now.
After the race they had a loaf of bread from Panera for all the finishers and fruit smoothies, bananas and water. Oh! And a commemorative race glass. It was a very good race!
Friday, March 26, 2010
early in da morning
My day began with me half awake, in bed having a conversation with myself...it went kind of like this...
GOOD ANGIE: "Get up now! You must go run 4 miles before you go to work at 8am! You won't have time or energy to do it when you get done with work at 7pm. You made a commitment to yourself to run."
BAD ANGIE: "Oh, it feels so good to be laying in this nice warm bed. Maybe I will just snuggle in for a little while. If I don't go run this morning..I could always do it later and I could sleep another hour. Or maybe I could just take today off too?"
Who won? Good Angie! Yay!!
So I ran to the Canterbury gym and then ran on the treadmill and then ran back home. I find that mixing it up works in my favor. Your mind and body grow accustomed to repetitive physical activity. If you are trying to build up your body and lose pounds, varying your training schedule/location/time can only help in meeting these goals.
I am, barring totally crappy weather again, running in the Nutri-Run 5 mile race tomorrow in Fort Wayne. I am super excited!
GOOD ANGIE: "Get up now! You must go run 4 miles before you go to work at 8am! You won't have time or energy to do it when you get done with work at 7pm. You made a commitment to yourself to run."
BAD ANGIE: "Oh, it feels so good to be laying in this nice warm bed. Maybe I will just snuggle in for a little while. If I don't go run this morning..I could always do it later and I could sleep another hour. Or maybe I could just take today off too?"
Who won? Good Angie! Yay!!
So I ran to the Canterbury gym and then ran on the treadmill and then ran back home. I find that mixing it up works in my favor. Your mind and body grow accustomed to repetitive physical activity. If you are trying to build up your body and lose pounds, varying your training schedule/location/time can only help in meeting these goals.
I am, barring totally crappy weather again, running in the Nutri-Run 5 mile race tomorrow in Fort Wayne. I am super excited!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Juggling
Yesterday I ran around 3 miles with the baby in the jogging stroller and with Atticus. Today I am running about 5.5 miles. I want to run on the Rivergreenway today. The Rivergreenway is a set of trails in Fort Wayne that mostly follow along the three rivers (Maumee River, St. Joseph River and St. Mary's River) in the city. I have been waiting for the weather to get nicer for a long period of time. Some parts of the trail, just after winter, are still pretty muddy and wet. I am going to give it a go today.
Assuming the weather is nice, I will be running in the Nutri-Run 5 mile race here in Fort Wayne. I really hope it works out because I have only participated in one race in my "home" town (the 5K Fanny Freezer in February) and would love to experience another before we move in May (back to Madison, WI where we lived before my husband started his degree program).
When sharing stories about the running I do, the most popular comment I get is, "Oh, you are amazing! I could never do anything like that!" And although I super, authentically appreciate those kinds of comments (great for my self-confidence!) I assure you I am not that special. Anyone can do what I am doing. I feel that some people think I have some magical gene/DNA/will power to do what I am doing. SO Not true. Almost everyday that I exercise, either running/biking/aerobics, I have to talk to myself gently but firmly into getting off my ass and move my body.
Some days, up to the point where I have all my running clothes on, my running shoes on and I am stretching minutes before leaving for the run, I don't want to go. I would MUCH rather just hang out with Finn and play or watch tv or sit in the lounge chair out back and look at the river while Finn plays or take nap. So just know that I have to work at it constantly to embrace exercise. The first two weeks are the hardest to stay motivated. If you can make it past the two weeks it does get a little, tiny better. This is why I do so many races. If I didn't have a goal in mind for my running, I just wouldn't be motivated to do it.
Assuming the weather is nice, I will be running in the Nutri-Run 5 mile race here in Fort Wayne. I really hope it works out because I have only participated in one race in my "home" town (the 5K Fanny Freezer in February) and would love to experience another before we move in May (back to Madison, WI where we lived before my husband started his degree program).
When sharing stories about the running I do, the most popular comment I get is, "Oh, you are amazing! I could never do anything like that!" And although I super, authentically appreciate those kinds of comments (great for my self-confidence!) I assure you I am not that special. Anyone can do what I am doing. I feel that some people think I have some magical gene/DNA/will power to do what I am doing. SO Not true. Almost everyday that I exercise, either running/biking/aerobics, I have to talk to myself gently but firmly into getting off my ass and move my body.
Some days, up to the point where I have all my running clothes on, my running shoes on and I am stretching minutes before leaving for the run, I don't want to go. I would MUCH rather just hang out with Finn and play or watch tv or sit in the lounge chair out back and look at the river while Finn plays or take nap. So just know that I have to work at it constantly to embrace exercise. The first two weeks are the hardest to stay motivated. If you can make it past the two weeks it does get a little, tiny better. This is why I do so many races. If I didn't have a goal in mind for my running, I just wouldn't be motivated to do it.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Movin things around
The thing about running schedules, as it turns out, they can and must be flexible. I have decided to run two days in a row and then have a day off. Running 4-5 days in a row, as I was doing according to the schedule I laid out at the beginning of the month because of my hectic schedule, was not working for me. Especially now that my mileage is increasing at a faster rate.
I ran on one of my favorite trails near Concordia Theological Seminary and the river on Saturday evening after work. I ran a bit over 5 miles. This is my longest run to date and I felt really good at the end. I have been running exclusively on the treadmill or road. I had forgotten that trail running is a little harder. I don't know if harder is the right word, but it felt like I was running in water or something. It did make me more aware of my posture and how I was using my leg muscles.
I took Sunday off. Even God rested that day, right? Not saying I'm like God fyi, just that he took the day off and so did I.
I will treadmill it up today. It is another cold and rainy day. I only have committed myself to running 3 1/2 miles so it won't be too bad. Maybe I'll watch some "Family Jewels". Gene Simmons family is hilarious.
I am struggling at this point with food. When I was just starting to run again my mileage was low and I couldn't consume as many calories so I was super strict with myself. Well, now I am up-ing my mileage so my body needs more energy, but I am still trying to lose pounds. so finding that happy food medium is so very difficult for me. I am still losing weight. I lost 4 more lbs. over the past 3 weeks. At least I am going in the right direction.
I ran on one of my favorite trails near Concordia Theological Seminary and the river on Saturday evening after work. I ran a bit over 5 miles. This is my longest run to date and I felt really good at the end. I have been running exclusively on the treadmill or road. I had forgotten that trail running is a little harder. I don't know if harder is the right word, but it felt like I was running in water or something. It did make me more aware of my posture and how I was using my leg muscles.
I took Sunday off. Even God rested that day, right? Not saying I'm like God fyi, just that he took the day off and so did I.
I will treadmill it up today. It is another cold and rainy day. I only have committed myself to running 3 1/2 miles so it won't be too bad. Maybe I'll watch some "Family Jewels". Gene Simmons family is hilarious.
I am struggling at this point with food. When I was just starting to run again my mileage was low and I couldn't consume as many calories so I was super strict with myself. Well, now I am up-ing my mileage so my body needs more energy, but I am still trying to lose pounds. so finding that happy food medium is so very difficult for me. I am still losing weight. I lost 4 more lbs. over the past 3 weeks. At least I am going in the right direction.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
The Winds of the South
Sorry, I guess I have missed a couple days here :)
I ended up not running on Wednesday because of my weird day. Thursday once again Finn and Atticus and I went on a run together. It is just easier and safer to run towards and on campus when I am with those two. It was WINDY! And with the resistance of the stroller I felt like I was pushing an ACME safe ( I am realizing that this is my second reference to ACME. Who am I, Wylie Coyote?) around while I was running. That has to be good conditioning, right?. Atticus was a little less cooperative this time. He stopped on a dime at least 5 times during the run. I tried to tell him we were on a mission, but he wasn't buying it that day. All in all, a tougher run, but I am glad I did it. When I run without the baby and dog it makes my runs almost, I said almost, feel easy peasy.
Yesterday I worked a 10 hour day at IPFW.
As an aside, there are some real cry babies on campus. I say if taking out the garbage is the hardest thing you have to do in your professional career, you are getting off with grace. What a bunch of complainers.
But back to the lecture at hand...I went home after work and played with Finn outside until dinner was here. He was enthralled by the birds flying in the sky. He was making his new "Oh my gosh" face. hilarious I splurged and had Taco Bell for lunch and had pizza with the guys for dinner. We had B. Antonio's Pizza. They have a chicken, broccoli, hand tossed crust pizza that is to die for. Finn and Caleb loved it too. Then I played with Finn after dinner in his room. I love that sweet boy. Then bath time, bottle and bedtime. So at 8:45pm I got my running clothes on and stretched and ran to the Canterbury gym and then ran on the treadmill for 35 minutes and watched The Kardashians (it makes me feel good about my life watching their madness). Then I ran back home from the gym. I think I ran almost 4 miles all together. And I felt really good afterwards which was great. Showered and went to bed a little before midnight. Then I had to get up a little before 6am to come to work this morning for another fun filled 10 hour day at Walb. I can't wait. Once again after work I will go for my run. I have to run a bit over 4 miles tonight. I am hoping the rain will hold off. The weather has been bad ass this week. Oh please let it stay. No more snow!
I ended up not running on Wednesday because of my weird day. Thursday once again Finn and Atticus and I went on a run together. It is just easier and safer to run towards and on campus when I am with those two. It was WINDY! And with the resistance of the stroller I felt like I was pushing an ACME safe ( I am realizing that this is my second reference to ACME. Who am I, Wylie Coyote?) around while I was running. That has to be good conditioning, right?. Atticus was a little less cooperative this time. He stopped on a dime at least 5 times during the run. I tried to tell him we were on a mission, but he wasn't buying it that day. All in all, a tougher run, but I am glad I did it. When I run without the baby and dog it makes my runs almost, I said almost, feel easy peasy.
Yesterday I worked a 10 hour day at IPFW.
As an aside, there are some real cry babies on campus. I say if taking out the garbage is the hardest thing you have to do in your professional career, you are getting off with grace. What a bunch of complainers.
But back to the lecture at hand...I went home after work and played with Finn outside until dinner was here. He was enthralled by the birds flying in the sky. He was making his new "Oh my gosh" face. hilarious I splurged and had Taco Bell for lunch and had pizza with the guys for dinner. We had B. Antonio's Pizza. They have a chicken, broccoli, hand tossed crust pizza that is to die for. Finn and Caleb loved it too. Then I played with Finn after dinner in his room. I love that sweet boy. Then bath time, bottle and bedtime. So at 8:45pm I got my running clothes on and stretched and ran to the Canterbury gym and then ran on the treadmill for 35 minutes and watched The Kardashians (it makes me feel good about my life watching their madness). Then I ran back home from the gym. I think I ran almost 4 miles all together. And I felt really good afterwards which was great. Showered and went to bed a little before midnight. Then I had to get up a little before 6am to come to work this morning for another fun filled 10 hour day at Walb. I can't wait. Once again after work I will go for my run. I have to run a bit over 4 miles tonight. I am hoping the rain will hold off. The weather has been bad ass this week. Oh please let it stay. No more snow!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Weird St. Pat's Day
Today was a strange day. After work (5pm) I came home and changed into my running clothes right away. Finn was napping and Caleb went to class. I laid down on the couch (not even close to a normal thing for me to do) because I was exhausted yesterday. This daylight saving time is kickin' me in the ass this time, I don't know why. I woke up just before 6:45pm. Finn was still sleeping, Atticus was sleeping and I felt totally out of it. It was close to 7pm by the time Finn was up. He hadn't eaten anything since lunch time, which is a long time for Finn. So I thought we better eat before going on my run.
I started up the gas grill outside to grill some pork tenderloin. Within about 5 minutes the grill started on fire. Both Finn and Atticus were super curious and like moths went right to the flame. So I put Atticus inside the apartment. Finn I picked up and took about 50 feet away from the patio so he wouldn't touch the fire. Then I turned off the gas. I opened the apt door to set down the pork tenderloin from the on fire grill so I could finish cooking it inside. When I did this Atticus escaped and ran away. Finn still hasn't eaten at this point and now it is almost 7:30pm. We tried to find Atticus but he was way gone. So Finn and I went inside so he could sit down and at least eat a snack and I started dinner. About 15 minutes later Atticus showed up at the back door. naughty dog
We didn't finish dinner until after 8:30pm. Around 8:50pm Caleb came home from class and we gave Finn a bath, bottle and bedtime. Now it is after 9:30pm. Needless to say, I didn't run today...zzzzzzz Finn woke up at 3am after having a bad dream and was up for about an hour or so. I slept 1 more hour before it was time to get up so I didn't run this morning either. Now the plan is to run after work today with Finn and Atticus in tow. I will let you know how it goes down :)
I started up the gas grill outside to grill some pork tenderloin. Within about 5 minutes the grill started on fire. Both Finn and Atticus were super curious and like moths went right to the flame. So I put Atticus inside the apartment. Finn I picked up and took about 50 feet away from the patio so he wouldn't touch the fire. Then I turned off the gas. I opened the apt door to set down the pork tenderloin from the on fire grill so I could finish cooking it inside. When I did this Atticus escaped and ran away. Finn still hasn't eaten at this point and now it is almost 7:30pm. We tried to find Atticus but he was way gone. So Finn and I went inside so he could sit down and at least eat a snack and I started dinner. About 15 minutes later Atticus showed up at the back door. naughty dog
We didn't finish dinner until after 8:30pm. Around 8:50pm Caleb came home from class and we gave Finn a bath, bottle and bedtime. Now it is after 9:30pm. Needless to say, I didn't run today...zzzzzzz Finn woke up at 3am after having a bad dream and was up for about an hour or so. I slept 1 more hour before it was time to get up so I didn't run this morning either. Now the plan is to run after work today with Finn and Atticus in tow. I will let you know how it goes down :)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
movin' along
Sunday I ran my longest run so far..a little over 4 miles.
Monday was a day off. Grateful for those days off. If for no other reason I have more time to spend with Finn.
Yesterday I didn't run in the morning. I am with Finn and Atticus after work from 3:35pm on Tuesdays. So Finn, in his jogging stroller, and Atticus, on leash, ran with me. I'm sure it is quite the sight. The three of us jaunting about.
We ran over to the far side of the IPFW campus and back. About 2.5 miles in 33 minutes (including warm up and cool down). I guess that is alright considering I was pushing a stroller and fighting with the dog. Actually Atticus was pretty good yesterday. His M.O. is stopping suddenly while I am running and yanking my arm out of the socket. But it was all good yesterday. Finn loves it. He just sits back for the ride with his new sunglasses on lookin' all cool and sh*t.
The weather has been so very nice yesterday and today. Today I will be running with Finn and Atticus again. I'll let you know how it all goes down.
Monday was a day off. Grateful for those days off. If for no other reason I have more time to spend with Finn.
Yesterday I didn't run in the morning. I am with Finn and Atticus after work from 3:35pm on Tuesdays. So Finn, in his jogging stroller, and Atticus, on leash, ran with me. I'm sure it is quite the sight. The three of us jaunting about.
We ran over to the far side of the IPFW campus and back. About 2.5 miles in 33 minutes (including warm up and cool down). I guess that is alright considering I was pushing a stroller and fighting with the dog. Actually Atticus was pretty good yesterday. His M.O. is stopping suddenly while I am running and yanking my arm out of the socket. But it was all good yesterday. Finn loves it. He just sits back for the ride with his new sunglasses on lookin' all cool and sh*t.
The weather has been so very nice yesterday and today. Today I will be running with Finn and Atticus again. I'll let you know how it all goes down.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Rain, rain go away
It rained all day today. Including this morning for the 5Kilt. Because I had only learned about the run later this week, I was unable to register online ahead of time. It was 39 degrees F and pouring down toasters and ACME anvils at 9:30am this morning and I hadn't registered... I totally wimped out and didn't go and do the run. I didn't want Caleb and Finn to be standing out in the cold rain for a half hour and I didn't want to do the run totally alone, so I bailed on this one. But I DID run 5Ks on the treadmill to make up for it, so worry not, the mileage still got in there! I give it up to anyone who actually made it out there today. Couldn't have been the driest run ever.
I did some weight lifting after my run. I forgot how much that helps.
I did some weight lifting after my run. I forgot how much that helps.
Friday, March 12, 2010
rain day
It was raining pretty hard for my run yesterday. But that meant it was nice and cool I guess ;) My heel was feeling much better.
I wish it was possible to just sleep through or just somehow skip the first 10 minutes or so of the run because that is the least fun part of the run. My muscles seem to want to revolt against such effort at first. Once they are warmed up it's so much better.
I ran down Anthony to the Scotts at Anthony and Crescent and then cut over until it met Parnell and then ran down Parnell to Johnny Appleseed park, ran through the park, across Coliseum, over the Venderly Bridge to campus, through campus, over the Willis Family Bridge and back and then to Walb.
While I was running over by the park I passed two high school runners. As each girl passed she said, "Good Job!". I have heard other runners say this to me while doing my longer runs on Saturday and Sundays. I just thought these runners were just trying to give me encouragement since I'm like this old lady, huffing and puffing, probably 3 shades of red in the face. But now I am thinking that it is running etiquette that most runners learn in school teams/running groups. However, I started running well into my 30s and I have always trained/run by myself so I just wasn't familiar with this supportive runner's etiquette. I dig it though :)
Looking forward to the Fort Wayne Fire Dept 5K(ilt) tomorrow morning. Should be full of the blarney. They are encouraging people to wear kilts (ummm, aren't kilts scottish in nature and it is St. Pat's Day and they poster has a leprechaun on it?). I will be taking pictures of this kilt wearing shenanigans.
I wish it was possible to just sleep through or just somehow skip the first 10 minutes or so of the run because that is the least fun part of the run. My muscles seem to want to revolt against such effort at first. Once they are warmed up it's so much better.
I ran down Anthony to the Scotts at Anthony and Crescent and then cut over until it met Parnell and then ran down Parnell to Johnny Appleseed park, ran through the park, across Coliseum, over the Venderly Bridge to campus, through campus, over the Willis Family Bridge and back and then to Walb.
While I was running over by the park I passed two high school runners. As each girl passed she said, "Good Job!". I have heard other runners say this to me while doing my longer runs on Saturday and Sundays. I just thought these runners were just trying to give me encouragement since I'm like this old lady, huffing and puffing, probably 3 shades of red in the face. But now I am thinking that it is running etiquette that most runners learn in school teams/running groups. However, I started running well into my 30s and I have always trained/run by myself so I just wasn't familiar with this supportive runner's etiquette. I dig it though :)
Looking forward to the Fort Wayne Fire Dept 5K(ilt) tomorrow morning. Should be full of the blarney. They are encouraging people to wear kilts (ummm, aren't kilts scottish in nature and it is St. Pat's Day and they poster has a leprechaun on it?). I will be taking pictures of this kilt wearing shenanigans.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Another 5K
I discovered a new race that is occurring this Saturday, March 13th in downtown Fort Wayne. It is called the 5Kilt Run/Walk. I am going to run in it.
The route apparently goes through the Rivergreenway. (www.fortwayneparks.org then click on Rivergreenway) That will be a really nice run. I love the energy of races. I always run a little harder during a race as opposed to a training run because of adrenaline. My competitive side drives me too.
The route apparently goes through the Rivergreenway. (www.fortwayneparks.org then click on Rivergreenway) That will be a really nice run. I love the energy of races. I always run a little harder during a race as opposed to a training run because of adrenaline. My competitive side drives me too.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
practice run
My run on Tuesday went pretty well. I ran right after work so I was on campus. I decided to look up the Mastodon Stomp 5K route and run that cuz most of it is on or around the IPFW campus. I am thinking about my posture a lot this week. I will find myself with my shoulders practically up to my ears and pumping my arms just a little too hard. So I am trying to check in with my body every once in a while. Once I relax my shoulders and stand upright it seems even my breathing is easier/more even. It makes my back hurt less also. My heel feels stressed this week a little. I also focused on lengthening my stride and using my whole leg as I get into the run. It is so easy to get into the habit of taking shorter strides if you don't think about it.
I need to do some speed/interval training this time. I have never integrated that training element into my daily practice. I bet it would help. I tried to pick up my speed that last mile or so to push myself. I know this will pay off when I am running races.
I will take today off for two reasons: It is my scheduled day off and I want to give my heel a break. Why do I always feel guilty when I take a day off? Maybe I could do some light weight training to make myself feel better :)
I need to do some speed/interval training this time. I have never integrated that training element into my daily practice. I bet it would help. I tried to pick up my speed that last mile or so to push myself. I know this will pay off when I am running races.
I will take today off for two reasons: It is my scheduled day off and I want to give my heel a break. Why do I always feel guilty when I take a day off? Maybe I could do some light weight training to make myself feel better :)
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Running for Life
I really began running in 2003. I had just lost over 100 lbs over the previous year.
Before losing that weight I had always been at least a little over weight my whole life. I think the highest weight I got to was about 270 lbs. It would have been pretty difficult to hoist myself off the couch and just start running. So I started out walking and biking. Once I got closer to my goal weight I started doing Pilates and doing very short runs...or jogging really. And by short I mean down my street and back. And that was with walking breaks. Each day I would go just a little further than I thought I could go.
In 2004 I decided that I wanted to start to train for the hardest race you can run...a marathon...ok a 100K is the hardest race I can think of, but you get the idea. I picked the Chicago Marathon because it takes place in October so the weather usually isn't too extreme and it is a pretty flat race route. I trained all of 2004 following the training program from 2 books. "Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide" and "How to Train for and Run Your Best Marathon". These at least gave me a clue as to what to do to be successul in attaining this goal. The problem was, I wasn't wholely following their programs. I didn't run in any smaller (5K, 8K, 10K etc) races prior to the goal of the 2004 Chicago Marathon. I did a little too much cross training (aerobics and biking) and not enough running. I didn't weight train enough. And I think I just tried to do too much too fast. Needless to say, I got a pretty bad stress injury the 3rd week of September 2004. I couldn't run the Chicago Marathon because of it. I was pretty devastated. I had worked towards that goal with all I could muster for 8 months. I think I had told everyone and their mother that I was going to run the Chicago Marathon. So I was embarassed on top of it.
Then Caleb and I went on a 6 month backpacking trip in Europe from November 2004 to May 2005. Upon returning to the states we got married in Madison, WI in June 2005. Caleb started his undergrad degree in Mechanical Engineering in Fort Wayne, Indiana August 2005. I basically did not run most of this time. We were constantly on the move while in Europe and I didn't have my running shoes with me.
2006-2007 we spent a year in Houghton, Michigan. Caleb participated in a national college exchange program to Michigan Tech University. I did a little running while we were there. Mostly in the spring. During the blustery winter I finally really learned how to snowboard because we lived only 2 miles from a ski hill. LOVE the snowboarding. We did a lot of mountain/trail bike riding while we were there. Michigan Tech has a number of extensive rough terrain and jumping trails for bikes. It was so awesome. That area of Michigan is so beautiful. Living there was like being on vacation all the time.
June 2007 we headed back to Fort Wayne, IN so Caleb could finish his degree at IPFW. I didn't really run during this period. In November 2007 I went out to Salt Lake City, Utah to work for the Sundance Film Festival. Caleb stayed in Indiana so I was out there by myself. So after work for the day I would have a lot of free time. I had put back on some extra poundage between 2005 and Fall 2007 so I was feeling the need to work out again. I started to run again in December 2007.
Upon wrapping Sundance I returned to Fort Wayne in the spring of 2008. I decided to run the Madison, WI Half Marathon in May 2008. So I started to really train again. This time I did a lot more weight training and was consistent in my running schedule and really watched what I ate. I also ran a couple of build up races. I ran the Mastodon Stomp 5k here on the IPFW campus in April, I ran the Shipshewana 4 mile trail run, and the Warbird 6 mile run (Fort Wayne, IN).
I completed the 2008 Madison Half Marathon race in 2 hours 26 minutes. It was truly a wonderful day!!! I did start to feel extremely fatigued around 10. 5 miles. I stopped to walk about that time for about 2-3 minutes. Then as you get closer to the finish line there are more and more people out there to cheer you on. The people cheering really does help! My mom, step-dad Dewey, my sister Makenna, my husband Caleb and my dog Atticus all came to cheer me on at different points along the route and our friends Rick and Meg met us at the finish line. That support was greatly needed and appreciated :)
I felt so good about attaining that goal. It is also the best shape I have ever been in my life. I felt really prepared to run that race. Some people told me that I probably wouldn't be able to walk the next day, but I felt great after the Half Marathon. In fact I ran the next day just for fun. Gosh, who would have believed I would say and do that?
I started planning for the next race right away...maybe even the Chicago Marathon that fall........then June 2008 came along. This is when I found out I was pregnant with Finn. So I stopped running. I was concerned that being an older (36 yr old at the time) mom so I didn't want to take any chances with a miscarriage.
I had Finn January 29, 2009. I had to have him by C-section because my water had been broken for more than 24 hours and I wasn't going into labor and Finn had turned breach slightly. I had no idea what major surgery a C-section is. It took me a couple months to start to feel myself again.
I didn't really workout and definitely didn't run again until Fall of 2009. We got a jogging stroller so I could go out with Finn and the dog, Atticus. I didn't get serious about running about until December 2009. That is when I registered to run the 2010 Madison Half Marathon again and get a better time. I found out with all this running jazz that I am a die hard goal setter/attainer. Running in races keeps me motivated to continue to strive to be a better runner and athlete overall. So I have been training pretty religiously this time. February 20th I ran in the Fort Wayne Fanny Freezer 5K. This isn't a huge race, just for fun. But it did give me an idea where I was at endurance wise with my training/performance. It is worth noting that a 78 year old, blind man did beat me by a good minute. So that ought to keep me humble :)
I think running is way more of a mental game than a physical feat. My mind will give out way before my body does. Everytime I think I can't go any further, I do. So I have learned to set a goal and then push myself a little bit past it. This has helped me just in life. That mind frame, for how strict it sounds, has actually made me a happier person. Running now means freedom and fun to me. I can't live without it.
Now that the weather is getting nicer I can start to run outside more and more. I will try to keep up with this blog daily so I can get a feel for how my runs are going and what I can do to improve my time and how my body feels during and post the run.
Yesterday I ran from the IPFW campus, over the new bridge, through Johnny Appleseed Park, down Spy Run to where it meets Lafayette and then back. The first 15 minutes was a little rough. My left calf was giving me grief. Then I felt great the rest of the run. It was a beautiful day! This is the longest training run I have done so far since December. I ran a little over 4 miles.
I decided today to run in the Nutri-Run 5 mile race here in Fort Wayne on March 27th. I signed up for the Crazy Legs Classic 8K in Madison, WI to be run on April 24th. I will also run in the Mastodon Stomp 5K on May 2nd here on the IPFW campus. Then on May 30th I run the Madison Half Marathon again!
Before losing that weight I had always been at least a little over weight my whole life. I think the highest weight I got to was about 270 lbs. It would have been pretty difficult to hoist myself off the couch and just start running. So I started out walking and biking. Once I got closer to my goal weight I started doing Pilates and doing very short runs...or jogging really. And by short I mean down my street and back. And that was with walking breaks. Each day I would go just a little further than I thought I could go.
In 2004 I decided that I wanted to start to train for the hardest race you can run...a marathon...ok a 100K is the hardest race I can think of, but you get the idea. I picked the Chicago Marathon because it takes place in October so the weather usually isn't too extreme and it is a pretty flat race route. I trained all of 2004 following the training program from 2 books. "Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide" and "How to Train for and Run Your Best Marathon". These at least gave me a clue as to what to do to be successul in attaining this goal. The problem was, I wasn't wholely following their programs. I didn't run in any smaller (5K, 8K, 10K etc) races prior to the goal of the 2004 Chicago Marathon. I did a little too much cross training (aerobics and biking) and not enough running. I didn't weight train enough. And I think I just tried to do too much too fast. Needless to say, I got a pretty bad stress injury the 3rd week of September 2004. I couldn't run the Chicago Marathon because of it. I was pretty devastated. I had worked towards that goal with all I could muster for 8 months. I think I had told everyone and their mother that I was going to run the Chicago Marathon. So I was embarassed on top of it.
Then Caleb and I went on a 6 month backpacking trip in Europe from November 2004 to May 2005. Upon returning to the states we got married in Madison, WI in June 2005. Caleb started his undergrad degree in Mechanical Engineering in Fort Wayne, Indiana August 2005. I basically did not run most of this time. We were constantly on the move while in Europe and I didn't have my running shoes with me.
2006-2007 we spent a year in Houghton, Michigan. Caleb participated in a national college exchange program to Michigan Tech University. I did a little running while we were there. Mostly in the spring. During the blustery winter I finally really learned how to snowboard because we lived only 2 miles from a ski hill. LOVE the snowboarding. We did a lot of mountain/trail bike riding while we were there. Michigan Tech has a number of extensive rough terrain and jumping trails for bikes. It was so awesome. That area of Michigan is so beautiful. Living there was like being on vacation all the time.
June 2007 we headed back to Fort Wayne, IN so Caleb could finish his degree at IPFW. I didn't really run during this period. In November 2007 I went out to Salt Lake City, Utah to work for the Sundance Film Festival. Caleb stayed in Indiana so I was out there by myself. So after work for the day I would have a lot of free time. I had put back on some extra poundage between 2005 and Fall 2007 so I was feeling the need to work out again. I started to run again in December 2007.
Upon wrapping Sundance I returned to Fort Wayne in the spring of 2008. I decided to run the Madison, WI Half Marathon in May 2008. So I started to really train again. This time I did a lot more weight training and was consistent in my running schedule and really watched what I ate. I also ran a couple of build up races. I ran the Mastodon Stomp 5k here on the IPFW campus in April, I ran the Shipshewana 4 mile trail run, and the Warbird 6 mile run (Fort Wayne, IN).
I completed the 2008 Madison Half Marathon race in 2 hours 26 minutes. It was truly a wonderful day!!! I did start to feel extremely fatigued around 10. 5 miles. I stopped to walk about that time for about 2-3 minutes. Then as you get closer to the finish line there are more and more people out there to cheer you on. The people cheering really does help! My mom, step-dad Dewey, my sister Makenna, my husband Caleb and my dog Atticus all came to cheer me on at different points along the route and our friends Rick and Meg met us at the finish line. That support was greatly needed and appreciated :)
I felt so good about attaining that goal. It is also the best shape I have ever been in my life. I felt really prepared to run that race. Some people told me that I probably wouldn't be able to walk the next day, but I felt great after the Half Marathon. In fact I ran the next day just for fun. Gosh, who would have believed I would say and do that?
I started planning for the next race right away...maybe even the Chicago Marathon that fall........then June 2008 came along. This is when I found out I was pregnant with Finn. So I stopped running. I was concerned that being an older (36 yr old at the time) mom so I didn't want to take any chances with a miscarriage.
I had Finn January 29, 2009. I had to have him by C-section because my water had been broken for more than 24 hours and I wasn't going into labor and Finn had turned breach slightly. I had no idea what major surgery a C-section is. It took me a couple months to start to feel myself again.
I didn't really workout and definitely didn't run again until Fall of 2009. We got a jogging stroller so I could go out with Finn and the dog, Atticus. I didn't get serious about running about until December 2009. That is when I registered to run the 2010 Madison Half Marathon again and get a better time. I found out with all this running jazz that I am a die hard goal setter/attainer. Running in races keeps me motivated to continue to strive to be a better runner and athlete overall. So I have been training pretty religiously this time. February 20th I ran in the Fort Wayne Fanny Freezer 5K. This isn't a huge race, just for fun. But it did give me an idea where I was at endurance wise with my training/performance. It is worth noting that a 78 year old, blind man did beat me by a good minute. So that ought to keep me humble :)
I think running is way more of a mental game than a physical feat. My mind will give out way before my body does. Everytime I think I can't go any further, I do. So I have learned to set a goal and then push myself a little bit past it. This has helped me just in life. That mind frame, for how strict it sounds, has actually made me a happier person. Running now means freedom and fun to me. I can't live without it.
Now that the weather is getting nicer I can start to run outside more and more. I will try to keep up with this blog daily so I can get a feel for how my runs are going and what I can do to improve my time and how my body feels during and post the run.
Yesterday I ran from the IPFW campus, over the new bridge, through Johnny Appleseed Park, down Spy Run to where it meets Lafayette and then back. The first 15 minutes was a little rough. My left calf was giving me grief. Then I felt great the rest of the run. It was a beautiful day! This is the longest training run I have done so far since December. I ran a little over 4 miles.
I decided today to run in the Nutri-Run 5 mile race here in Fort Wayne on March 27th. I signed up for the Crazy Legs Classic 8K in Madison, WI to be run on April 24th. I will also run in the Mastodon Stomp 5K on May 2nd here on the IPFW campus. Then on May 30th I run the Madison Half Marathon again!
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