run, run far!

This past week was a great one for training!! It was cool, well, it wasn't in the 90's. It was not so humid, and it was sunny! After getting in the 13.7mi on Tuesday, I took Wednesday off to go up to Water Country with the Middle Schoolers from church. It was a good way to get some of the built up lactic acid out of my muscles. My downfall was not drinking enough water...after lunch I started to feel a bit faint and really worn out. I couldn't really figure out why, then remembered that I'd hardly drank any water all day! Whoops! Hanging out back at the picnic tables by our stuff downing a liter of water certainly helped me in feeling much better!

On Thursday, I met up with my friend John for dinner and a run. We went on a 4.5mi loop thru Waltham. It's always good to run with someone faster than you (which John most certainly is!) and in a place where you haven't been before. At least that's true for me. It helps me concentrate on what's surrounding me instead of my own physical pain. :) I've been sticking around the 10min-10:30min mark but with John I ended up running at a 9:14min pace. Friday I picked it up even more! Knowing I had only a short window of time I set out on a quick, hilly loop around my neighborhood. I got in 3.17mi in 28min and some odd seconds. It equaled out to 9.02min miles. Hot diggity!

Saturday we were doused with rain from one of the tropical storms making it's way up the coast so I took that day off but yesterday got in a great long run...the longest I've ever run in my life. 15miles. Whoa. It was so far...I don't know what I'm going to do with another 11miles tacked onto that!! :) I hit a wall with 3miles to go. I just wanted water...that was all I could think about. I envied all the bikers passing me, they all had water bottles with them. With one mile to go I started telling myself...just 10 more minutes then I can have all the water I want. It was a struggle but I pushed thru and made it in 2hrs, 37mins, 23 sec. That's a 10:29min/mile. I feel pretty good about that timing. And I'm thankful that I was able to complete that distance!!

This week will be a little bit lighter on mileage. I'll try to get a 10miler in on Wednesday or so but with a 25K on Monday I want to have some fresh legs! Pray for me!! :)

feeling like a fraud

This past week was challenging.  Temps soared to new records and the humidity level was super high.  It was too hot to simply stand outside, let alone run.  All this to say, the only mileage I got in last week was a broken up 10.3 on Tuesday.  I got 7mi in on the bike path near work then another 3.3mi in the neighborhood where I was cat/housesitting.  

Monday was my first day back...6 days after that Tuesday.  I ran 7mi but it was a struggle.  My mind kept repeating over and over, just keep running just keep running just keep running.  I mixed it up a bit by repeating don't go fast, just go don't go fast, just go.  I completed it, my time was around 10:30 per mile.  Not too bad...this is the pace that I would love to maintain for the marathon, btw.

I still had not done the 14mi run that was scheduled into my training.  It seemed that my mind and body couldn't get past that 10mi mark.  I felt like a fraud.  Am I really a "runner"?  Do I actually think I am going to finish a marathon?  In my head, the answer to both questions is No.  But in my heart, the answer to both questions is a resounding Yes!!  I want to do this, I have the desire to do this, I need to do this for myself.  Even with my mind and body groaning and protesting, my heart is winning out on this and I WILL run this marathon and I WILL finish!!

I set out Tuesday, determined.  I told no one how far I was planning to run.  I often find that if I tell people, I usually end up giving up and feel as though I've let the people down who I've told.  (even though they often say, holy cow, I couldn't run xx amount of miles!)  I mapped out a route in Wakefield and set off.  I put some water and energy gummies (not very good tasting...) out on my porch for a pick-me-up, knowing I was going to run by the house.  

I ran through town to the lake, around it twice, over to the hilly (little ones) street, down around 7-11 and back to my house.  That's 9.2miles.  After a brief stretching/refueling session, I headed off for the lake again through town, around and back.  Another 4.5mi.  That makes for 13.7mi.  Not quite 14 but good enough!  The first 9 weren't too bad...the last 4 were really tough.  But I did it.  I finished and that is what counts.

Today I did another 4.5mi or so around Waltham with my friend, John.  He's a speedster so he kept me going at a brisker pace than I usually go but it was great.  I was rewarded with homemade grilled pizza (3 kinds!) and a garden salad-all from his garden.  It was quite a treat.

i don't need no stinkin' headphones

I don't know when it happened. I don't know when I stopped relying on it. I don't know why I like not using it. I'm talking about my iPod. I realized the other day that not only have I stopped using it but I've enjoyed not using it.

Someone asked me, "What do you DO when you run for over an hour?!" At one time, I may have said something about a playlist I'd created that had the perfect number of the right kind of songs...but instead, I answered, "I pray, I spend time talking to God. I think about my girls. I think about my ministry, what topics I may want to teach on, what series we may want to do next. Things like that."

I also try to spend some time not thinking. Let the day play over in my head, things I noticed or something a friend said. I look at my surroundings and notice how different the world looks in the summer compared to the spring compared to fall and winter. I wonder about what I'm going to have for dinner. :) There is so much to think about and not think about, I would just be too distracted wearing my iPod. (There is a safety benefit here too...when not using my iPod, I can hear bikers/cars/etc coming up behind me and can scoot close to the edge so as not to die.)

Last night as I went out for a run in a brand new neighborhood, I thought how great it was that I didn't have to rely on music anymore. I enjoyed the sights and sounds (and smells, pwww!) of a rural area; coming up over a hill and seeing fields and more hills stretching out before me just beyond an old stone wall, a warning sign for cow crossing (not kidding here), trees trees and more trees...I also saw a dead snake on the side of the road and hoped I would not see a real one! That's all the upside of running in a new place, seeing things you wouldn't normally see. The downside is, I didn't really know where I was going... I mapped out a 6.5mi run but missed a turn and got back to the house after only 4mi, whoops! Not to worry, dear reader, I realized I needed another 2mi and completed them after a few swigs of ice cold Gatorade. :)

Tonight I'm back on the Minuteman Path for 12mi. I have a good feeling about getting all 12 in since it's only 70deg today instead of 90deg! Wish me luck!

heat+humidity=fail

I'm gonna be honest here, folks. Training has been tough. I've yet to train myself to get up early and run (I am NOT a morning person without 2 cups of coffee!), so I've been running after work. Usually, it works out great - I miss traffic going home - but lately the heat and humidity have made for slow, uncomfortable running. Case in point: last night I planned for 12...but only made it 7. I was so mad!! But I was feeling really bad and needed to stop...

One good thing about last night was I felt very innovative with my water bottle. I didn't have my pack (surprise, surprise) but knew I needed to have water. So I brought a normal bottle, after about 2 miles I was so sick of carrying it! I decided to shove it right between my shoulder blades in my sports bra. Worked perfectly...although my water did get quite warm since my body temperature was a little high... :) And I may have looked a bit like Quasimodo to others but let's be honest...there's nothing too attractive about me when I'm running anyways!

I'm hoping to get some more mileage in tonight after dinner with one of my Middle School girls. I have to try and find some lesser used roads in Boxborough, where I'm living this week. We'll see how that goes!

not beating the heat

I took a few days off to recover from my 10miler (and to head up to Camp Berea with the Middle Schoolers). Yesterday was my first run in three days and although it should have been easy...it was a killer! With temps at about 85deg and much humidity, I really struggled to keep my pace. I made it the entire 7miles but there was many a walking break in there! And without my watch (I totally forgot to pack it when I went to work in the am) I have no idea how long it took. I had begun wishing I'd worn my pack so I could have had something to drink along the way but I didn't have that either, stupid mistake.

Speaking of the pack I had a request to share it with you. It's from Ultimate Direction, called Access. Check it out.

On to the training schedule (in the hopes that you will keep me accountable to this...), tonight I am hoping for 4mi. I have a full day of work, Bible Study and drama rehearsal so I'm hoping to squeeze in a run around 4pm or so today. Tomorrow, I may try to get a run in before heading to the Leadership Summit at GC...it will be a busy morning as I finish up house/kitty sitting. After work, I'll be heading back up to Berea to spend the rest of the week with my kids and fellow leaders. Friday I am SO looking forward to an early morning run along Newfound Lake...maybe even see a sunrise?! It might even be worth me bringing my camera along...I make no promises but check back next week for a pic or two. :)

i made it!

10 miles=done! Friday, in between the thunderstorms, I was able to get a sweet 10miler in. And the best part of all...there is no injury to speak of! I was nervous about logging this many miles since the last time I tried 10, I ended up with tendinitis in my ITBand.

This time the only bother was a new pack I tried out for the first time. It's kind of like a fanny pack...only way cooler. At least that's what I'm telling myself. It's got a water bottle holder and a pouch for power-packed snacks. I strapped it on and set out for the first 7miles before doubling back for the final 3. About 30seconds in, I was hating the new pack. It felt like an additional 20lbs wrapped around my waist pulling at my stomach. Most uncomfortable... It got a little better as I got used to it. I like being able to have the water and the snacks but I'm not too excited about having this thing strapped to me on my long runs.

Like I said, when I doubled back to my car after the first 7miles, I put the pack in the car and headed off for the last 3. Ironically enough, I ran the last three slower (without the pack) than the first seven (with the pack). Hmmm, maybe it was all in my head...

Anyway, I'm stoked that that is done and I'm movin' on up! In mileage, that is. I planned out the rest of my long runs. Here goes:
Aug 9 - 12miles
Aug 16 - 10miles
Aug 23 - 15miles
Aug 30 - 12miles
Sept 6 - 17miles
Sept 13 - 14miles
Sept 20 - 20miles (note that the 20miler comes on the 20th. This was not coincidental.) :)
After that, it's all lower mileage until Oct 11th when I will be shooting for 26.2 miles!!!!!!!!!!! The excitement is building...and I can NOT WAIT!!!