I've been training stupidly. And it's finally caught up with me.
Let's backtrack a bit.
I've been embarrassingly bad at doing my weekday runs. I always end up sleeping in before work and then there's inevitably something going on after work. And even days when I do have time to run, something else catches my attention and I make up an excuse, or tell myself I'll get up and do it the next morning.
So over the past four weeks I've done anywhere from 0 to 2 runs during the weekdays and one long run on the weekends. That is so NOT a good way to train for a marathon.
After skipping yesterday and completely chowing down on Twizzlers and ice cream instead, I vowed to run 7 miles this morning. Then I slept in, and finally had the drive to do it this evening.
I felt great for about 3 miles or so. Then suddenly it felt like my shoes lost all support. I actually looked down to double check that I didn't accidentally wear my old running shoes. They felt worn out and my feet and ankles started to hurt.
After 3 1/2 miles I decided to cut it a little less than a mile short to save myself for my 17-miler planned for tomorrow morning.
At mile 4 I flat out headed for home. My left shin was in terrible pain - worse than it's felt all year. In fact, I was just the other day thinking about how great it is that my shins haven't been acting up whilst training. Well, today they decided to remind me that I have to take care of them if they're going to cooperate.
I made it home, with a walk break after the shin incident, in 5 miles (47:31). My body felt great, and ready for more. My legs felt bad.
I really need to get smart if I want to run this marathon without getting injured. I need to dedicate myself to training during the week even if my schedule is busy. Long runs alone will not get me to the finish line injury free.
I've decided to ditch the 17-miler tomorrow and maybe do 10 miles instead. This week I'll focus on training every day and then do my 17 or 18 miles on Saturday. The following week I have the milestone 20-miler.
Theme from now on: GET SMART! TRAIN HARD!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Back it up a week...
Let's back up a little to the past week.
Well, last Saturday I ran my second half marathon! The Full Moon Race from Plymouth to Sheboygan.
This was a night race - it started at 6:30 p.m. and I am so glad it did. Saturday was one of the first really hot, sticky, humid days of summer, and I am so thankful that I didn't have to run much in the sun. I wrote a full recap for Tom's blog, so to keep from repeating myself, just read about it here.
I finished in 2:04:03. Slower than my first half marathon last May in Madison (that one was 1:58:52 or something around there). But it was a pretty course and I knew I wasn't in as good of shape as I was then.
I felt awful after the race. My stomach was queasy and I ended up puking on the car ride home. My whole body was sore the next day. I took a couple days off to recover. And then my training fell off the track and believe it or not, I did not run again until my 15-miler. Bad deal.
Well, last Saturday I ran my second half marathon! The Full Moon Race from Plymouth to Sheboygan.
This was a night race - it started at 6:30 p.m. and I am so glad it did. Saturday was one of the first really hot, sticky, humid days of summer, and I am so thankful that I didn't have to run much in the sun. I wrote a full recap for Tom's blog, so to keep from repeating myself, just read about it here.
I finished in 2:04:03. Slower than my first half marathon last May in Madison (that one was 1:58:52 or something around there). But it was a pretty course and I knew I wasn't in as good of shape as I was then.
I felt awful after the race. My stomach was queasy and I ended up puking on the car ride home. My whole body was sore the next day. I took a couple days off to recover. And then my training fell off the track and believe it or not, I did not run again until my 15-miler. Bad deal.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Daylong runner's high after new PDR
WOW.
I am still in shock that I was able to roll out of bed at 4:55 a.m. and hit the dark and dewy trail at 5:20 a.m. (okay, so my alarm started going off at 4:45 and I almost didn't get up).
I ran a new PDR of 15 miles! It took me 2:36:53. 1,587 calories burned; 10:27 avg pace.
Man, those last two miles were painful, but up until that point I was feeling totally awesome. I finished with an incredible runner's high -- how could you not after running 15 miles before 8 a.m.?
I ran smart, sipping water throughout and eating a Clif Shot about halfway through.
I've found the gel is key to feeling good after the run. The past four weeks I've done 4 long runs of 10, 11, 13.1 and 15 miles. The 10- and 15-milers I ate a gel during and felt great after. The 11- and 13.1-milers I drank water and a little Gatorade, no gel, and felt sick afterwards. After one run I almost passed out, and the other I actually threw up about a half hour after I finished.
So I've come to the conclusion that gels are my savior.
Back to the run... I was a little nervous leaving before sunrise. I clipped my flashing red bike light to my shirt just so cars would for sure see me. The funny thing is I didn't even see any cars at that hour, ha.
Once I got on the trail, the sun was up, but my mind was racing with possible rapist attacker scenarios. Young girl alone on a deserted trail with no one in sight at dawn... could be a recipe for disaster.
My imagination truly went wild, as I pictured a biker coming up from behind me and knocking me down to attack me. My plan was to hit him over the head with my water bottle and race into the tall grass to the right of the trail, hopefully running to a house or some nearby building and screaming for help. I figured the tall grass would slow him down on a bike.
And if you don't think that's crazy, I'm ashamed to admit I then started thinking about possible scenarios with knives, guns and even with them chaining me to the railroad track. Yes, I am psychotic.
So I think I should just invest in some pepper spray to put my mind at ease if I'm going to do any more early morning long runs.
And I hope I will, indeed, have the discipline to run early from here on out. Yesterday I tried to head out for my 15 miles at 9 a.m. and it was just Way. Too. Hot. And humid. I turned around and headed home less than a mile out. There is no way I would have survived. And today, I can't imagine starting any later than I did and surviving. Wisconsin does not get a whole lot of hot humid weather, but August is the one month when we get a little bit of it. It's times like these that I am thankful I don't live in Florida (although throughout the rest of the year I am ready to pick up and move there at any given moment!).
I am still in shock that I was able to roll out of bed at 4:55 a.m. and hit the dark and dewy trail at 5:20 a.m. (okay, so my alarm started going off at 4:45 and I almost didn't get up).
I ran a new PDR of 15 miles! It took me 2:36:53. 1,587 calories burned; 10:27 avg pace.
Man, those last two miles were painful, but up until that point I was feeling totally awesome. I finished with an incredible runner's high -- how could you not after running 15 miles before 8 a.m.?
I ran smart, sipping water throughout and eating a Clif Shot about halfway through.
I've found the gel is key to feeling good after the run. The past four weeks I've done 4 long runs of 10, 11, 13.1 and 15 miles. The 10- and 15-milers I ate a gel during and felt great after. The 11- and 13.1-milers I drank water and a little Gatorade, no gel, and felt sick afterwards. After one run I almost passed out, and the other I actually threw up about a half hour after I finished.
So I've come to the conclusion that gels are my savior.
Back to the run... I was a little nervous leaving before sunrise. I clipped my flashing red bike light to my shirt just so cars would for sure see me. The funny thing is I didn't even see any cars at that hour, ha.
Once I got on the trail, the sun was up, but my mind was racing with possible rapist attacker scenarios. Young girl alone on a deserted trail with no one in sight at dawn... could be a recipe for disaster.
My imagination truly went wild, as I pictured a biker coming up from behind me and knocking me down to attack me. My plan was to hit him over the head with my water bottle and race into the tall grass to the right of the trail, hopefully running to a house or some nearby building and screaming for help. I figured the tall grass would slow him down on a bike.
And if you don't think that's crazy, I'm ashamed to admit I then started thinking about possible scenarios with knives, guns and even with them chaining me to the railroad track. Yes, I am psychotic.
So I think I should just invest in some pepper spray to put my mind at ease if I'm going to do any more early morning long runs.
And I hope I will, indeed, have the discipline to run early from here on out. Yesterday I tried to head out for my 15 miles at 9 a.m. and it was just Way. Too. Hot. And humid. I turned around and headed home less than a mile out. There is no way I would have survived. And today, I can't imagine starting any later than I did and surviving. Wisconsin does not get a whole lot of hot humid weather, but August is the one month when we get a little bit of it. It's times like these that I am thankful I don't live in Florida (although throughout the rest of the year I am ready to pick up and move there at any given moment!).
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Time to refuel
This morning was overcast and a little cooler outside. I didn't end up leaving for my long run until noon, but it still was only 70 degrees out.
1 hour 52 minutes and 56 seconds and 11 miles later, the temperature had risen by 10 degrees and I arrived home. I chugged some water as I cooled down.
The run didn't feel great. I walked more than I did during my 10-miler last week. I didn't have much shin pain or chafing, but I just didn't feel fast. I only had water to fuel me throughout the run, and I had stupidly only eaten a bowl of granola before heading out (and that was about 2 hours before heading out).
So I felt really weak and nauseous upon my return. Hoping a shower would perk me up (the thought of food was sickening), I jumped in and started shampooing, only to feel like I was about to pass out. I jumped out mid-shampoo and Peter helped me get some grapes and toast in me.
The food was hard to get down, but it slowly but surely improved my state. I was able to shower, and then after an hour or so of grazing on light snacks including more grapes, black beans, cheese and tortilla chips, I was feeling up to speed again.
I do NOT want to have another post-run recovery like that. It was really uncomfortable and scary.
This is my reminder to start bringing Gatorade or Hammer Gels with me on my long runs from here on out and to always be sure to fuel up properly before a run.
1 hour 52 minutes and 56 seconds and 11 miles later, the temperature had risen by 10 degrees and I arrived home. I chugged some water as I cooled down.
The run didn't feel great. I walked more than I did during my 10-miler last week. I didn't have much shin pain or chafing, but I just didn't feel fast. I only had water to fuel me throughout the run, and I had stupidly only eaten a bowl of granola before heading out (and that was about 2 hours before heading out).
So I felt really weak and nauseous upon my return. Hoping a shower would perk me up (the thought of food was sickening), I jumped in and started shampooing, only to feel like I was about to pass out. I jumped out mid-shampoo and Peter helped me get some grapes and toast in me.
The food was hard to get down, but it slowly but surely improved my state. I was able to shower, and then after an hour or so of grazing on light snacks including more grapes, black beans, cheese and tortilla chips, I was feeling up to speed again.
I do NOT want to have another post-run recovery like that. It was really uncomfortable and scary.
This is my reminder to start bringing Gatorade or Hammer Gels with me on my long runs from here on out and to always be sure to fuel up properly before a run.
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