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.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The brink of new
In a week's time I've gone from hum drum to completely nostalgic for my place of employment.
Tomorrow will be the last day for 30-something colleagues who are choosing to accept a buyout offer. One has been working there for 42 years. 42 YEARS!
I've been there exactly a year and a half. It doesn't seem that long and yet it feels like ages. In recent weeks I feel I've grown even closer to my colleagues. This nostalgia as a chunk of us prepares to leave has made me fall in love all over again with my job, my desk, my coworkers and my industry. The romance is rekindled!
I've been wondering what it must be like for someone who has been there 4, 5, 17, 25 or 42 whopping years to come to their last day of this ingrained routine and to say goodbye to this family of sorts.
It's virtually unfathomable for me at this point, to imagine how that must feel. I'm totally nostalgic for them. And nostalgic for myself that I won't get to spend the next however-many years working with them.
Tomorrow will be one tick in the timeline of "the way things were."
I've entered this business at a strange time. I work with people who have been here since the days of typewriters, since the golden days of newspapers, since the days of a 90% smoked up newsroom, since the days when my job didn't exist. They reminisce about those days, and I suppose in time I will reminisce about the days before our paper shrunk (for the second time since I've been here), for the days before the buyout (the third one since I've been here) and who knows what else.
I can't kick the feeling that we're on the brink of a big turning point. A turning point in a good way. This huge decrease in our numbers will be a sad and difficult hit, but I think those of us who are left (assuming I am even left) will be invigorated with a new fervor to be efficient, beat our competition and pave the way for the future of top-notch journalism.
I have hope that this is the kick we need to get ourselves back up. Our product has never been a problem. It's just our revenue stream. But our product has to change to make way for a new revenue stream.
I need to stay focused. I do not work a 9 to 5 desk job and I can't let myself fall into that slump. If I want to stay here and I want my industry to survive, I have to be highly efficient, highly innovative and highly enterprising. That will be my new mantra.
I am so blessed to have my job. I am not yet sure how it fits into God's plan for my life, but I know it somehow must. The timing of everything, from my serendipitous finding of the job posting, to the fact that my editor replied to my e-mail query, to my ability to graduate early, to the timing of the economic recession and essential hiring freeze. I don't know if the fact that I'm in the city I am or the fact that I work at a newspaper are the key parts of this blessing, but either way I feel compelled to embrace every aspect of it and give it my all.
So tomorrow I will breathe it in and commit it all to memory. I will refocus and begin the next chapter.
Tomorrow will be the last day for 30-something colleagues who are choosing to accept a buyout offer. One has been working there for 42 years. 42 YEARS!
I've been there exactly a year and a half. It doesn't seem that long and yet it feels like ages. In recent weeks I feel I've grown even closer to my colleagues. This nostalgia as a chunk of us prepares to leave has made me fall in love all over again with my job, my desk, my coworkers and my industry. The romance is rekindled!
I've been wondering what it must be like for someone who has been there 4, 5, 17, 25 or 42 whopping years to come to their last day of this ingrained routine and to say goodbye to this family of sorts.
It's virtually unfathomable for me at this point, to imagine how that must feel. I'm totally nostalgic for them. And nostalgic for myself that I won't get to spend the next however-many years working with them.
Tomorrow will be one tick in the timeline of "the way things were."
I've entered this business at a strange time. I work with people who have been here since the days of typewriters, since the golden days of newspapers, since the days of a 90% smoked up newsroom, since the days when my job didn't exist. They reminisce about those days, and I suppose in time I will reminisce about the days before our paper shrunk (for the second time since I've been here), for the days before the buyout (the third one since I've been here) and who knows what else.
I can't kick the feeling that we're on the brink of a big turning point. A turning point in a good way. This huge decrease in our numbers will be a sad and difficult hit, but I think those of us who are left (assuming I am even left) will be invigorated with a new fervor to be efficient, beat our competition and pave the way for the future of top-notch journalism.
I have hope that this is the kick we need to get ourselves back up. Our product has never been a problem. It's just our revenue stream. But our product has to change to make way for a new revenue stream.
I need to stay focused. I do not work a 9 to 5 desk job and I can't let myself fall into that slump. If I want to stay here and I want my industry to survive, I have to be highly efficient, highly innovative and highly enterprising. That will be my new mantra.
I am so blessed to have my job. I am not yet sure how it fits into God's plan for my life, but I know it somehow must. The timing of everything, from my serendipitous finding of the job posting, to the fact that my editor replied to my e-mail query, to my ability to graduate early, to the timing of the economic recession and essential hiring freeze. I don't know if the fact that I'm in the city I am or the fact that I work at a newspaper are the key parts of this blessing, but either way I feel compelled to embrace every aspect of it and give it my all.
So tomorrow I will breathe it in and commit it all to memory. I will refocus and begin the next chapter.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Back on the boat
I got back on the running boat this week - yahoo!
Stats:
Tues: Super hot out, ran/walked approx 5 miles, didn't time (hour maybe?) and did strength.
Wed: Garmin died. Ran circa 4 miles in 40 minutes.
Thurs: Ran 3 miles in 28:35, plus strength.
Sat (today): Ran 10 MILES!! 1:39:14. Avg pace 9:54
Totals: ~3:47:49. ~22 miles.
Today was the first time I have run ten miles in over a year. I waited until the evening so the heat and sun would subside, and left at 5:45. Headed up Sunnyslope and then hit the New Berlin Trail. I felt great for most of it. My pace was decent, mainly in the mid 9s.
I did a few new things on this run. First, and this is kind of TMI, I decided to go commando with my built-in-underwear running shorts. I've never done that before, and I guess I didn't really feel any difference.
Moving on... I brought a water bottle. So glad I did. I also brought and consumed a Hammer gel around mile 6. It actually didn't taste that bad (strawberry cheesecake flavor), but I'm not entirely sure if it boosted my energy all that much. I did finish strong though, with my last mile averaging an 8-minute pace (which seems kind of fishy to me, Garmin).
Lastly, I put some Vasoline on my inner thighs to prevent chafing. It didn't really work, because by the time the chafing started (around mile 8) the Vasoline had already worn off. I will have to work on finding a solution for this problem, because it's pretty painful!
I took walking breaks to consume water every mile and a half or so. I think that was a smart move, and it didn't destroy my overall pace either.
All in all, today was a great run, I am motivated to kick my training up another notch and I have exactly two weeks until I run the Full Moon Half Marathon (eek!). After today's run I am feeling more confident.
Stats:
Tues: Super hot out, ran/walked approx 5 miles, didn't time (hour maybe?) and did strength.
Wed: Garmin died. Ran circa 4 miles in 40 minutes.
Thurs: Ran 3 miles in 28:35, plus strength.
Sat (today): Ran 10 MILES!! 1:39:14. Avg pace 9:54
Totals: ~3:47:49. ~22 miles.
Today was the first time I have run ten miles in over a year. I waited until the evening so the heat and sun would subside, and left at 5:45. Headed up Sunnyslope and then hit the New Berlin Trail. I felt great for most of it. My pace was decent, mainly in the mid 9s.
I did a few new things on this run. First, and this is kind of TMI, I decided to go commando with my built-in-underwear running shorts. I've never done that before, and I guess I didn't really feel any difference.
Moving on... I brought a water bottle. So glad I did. I also brought and consumed a Hammer gel around mile 6. It actually didn't taste that bad (strawberry cheesecake flavor), but I'm not entirely sure if it boosted my energy all that much. I did finish strong though, with my last mile averaging an 8-minute pace (which seems kind of fishy to me, Garmin).
Lastly, I put some Vasoline on my inner thighs to prevent chafing. It didn't really work, because by the time the chafing started (around mile 8) the Vasoline had already worn off. I will have to work on finding a solution for this problem, because it's pretty painful!
I took walking breaks to consume water every mile and a half or so. I think that was a smart move, and it didn't destroy my overall pace either.
All in all, today was a great run, I am motivated to kick my training up another notch and I have exactly two weeks until I run the Full Moon Half Marathon (eek!). After today's run I am feeling more confident.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
I am a total bum
This has been a bad week for running.
I skidded through my 8 miles last Saturday, ran 30 minutes Monday, and haven't hit the road since. I was planning on running 10 miles with the Striders tomorrow morning, but since it's 12:30 a.m. already, I think I blew it again.
BUM.
Unrelatedly, I was just looking at a few pics on Facebook, one being of the Zeta house. Man oh man, where did college go? I thought it would last forever. I can't believe it ended and I can't believe how much I miss it. Truly, the best years of my life.
I skidded through my 8 miles last Saturday, ran 30 minutes Monday, and haven't hit the road since. I was planning on running 10 miles with the Striders tomorrow morning, but since it's 12:30 a.m. already, I think I blew it again.
BUM.
Unrelatedly, I was just looking at a few pics on Facebook, one being of the Zeta house. Man oh man, where did college go? I thought it would last forever. I can't believe it ended and I can't believe how much I miss it. Truly, the best years of my life.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Day off
Today, being Wednesday, I decided to rest. I've got a big run on Saturday and a 5K tomorrow, so I don't want to wear myself out. I figure I'll gain more by resting today than by doing 20 minutes of cross training.
Instead I planned on focusing on fundraising. That, well, sort of happened. I wrote an e-mail letter to family and friends. And I created a facebook event. But I just can't bring myself to send them yet. I'm not sure who it's appropriate to send these requests to. Honestly, I've never gotten a request for donations from any of my friends or family members before, so I feel weird doing it.
What makes me feel weirder is that I already hit up all my relatives and family friends for money for Dance Marathon in fall of 2007. This is for a similar cause, and I just feel like a total leech.
I could use some real input on the Facebook thing though. Do I send it to everyone I know, assuming most will ignore it, but also assuming a few unexpected people will donate a little? I sort of feel that Facebook is informal enough that it's okay to just send it to a bunch of randoms I never talk to anymore. But I'll have to think a little more before I decide who to send the invite to. We shall see.
Instead I planned on focusing on fundraising. That, well, sort of happened. I wrote an e-mail letter to family and friends. And I created a facebook event. But I just can't bring myself to send them yet. I'm not sure who it's appropriate to send these requests to. Honestly, I've never gotten a request for donations from any of my friends or family members before, so I feel weird doing it.
What makes me feel weirder is that I already hit up all my relatives and family friends for money for Dance Marathon in fall of 2007. This is for a similar cause, and I just feel like a total leech.
I could use some real input on the Facebook thing though. Do I send it to everyone I know, assuming most will ignore it, but also assuming a few unexpected people will donate a little? I sort of feel that Facebook is informal enough that it's okay to just send it to a bunch of randoms I never talk to anymore. But I'll have to think a little more before I decide who to send the invite to. We shall see.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Books
I haven't written about books lately, so here's my updated list of books I've read in the semi-recent past. I joined a book club so a few of these reads are thanks to my lovely clubbies. This list is in reverse chronological order
-A Thousand Splendid Suns
-Water For Elephants
-Bel Canto
-The Time Traveler's Wife
-Little Altars Everywhere
-The Post-Birthday World (blogged about it previously)
-The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club
-Love the One You're With (blogged about it previously)
I feel like that list is missing something but I can't remember what.
I'm supposed to start and finish reading The Bird Cage Chronicles (I think that's the title) by Monday (eep). Need, need, need to get cracking on that. I haven't read anything in a month!
Now the question is, what do I choose for my book club month? I was thinking either Water For Elephants or A Thousand Splendid Suns (not coincidentally, the last two non-club books I've read). I loved both books, and I especially think ATSS is appropriate for an all-female group, but they aren't exactly fluffy summer reading. I guess WFE is a fairly quick read. I dunno. I'll have to ponder summore.
-A Thousand Splendid Suns
-Water For Elephants
-Bel Canto
-The Time Traveler's Wife
-Little Altars Everywhere
-The Post-Birthday World (blogged about it previously)
-The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club
-Love the One You're With (blogged about it previously)
I feel like that list is missing something but I can't remember what.
I'm supposed to start and finish reading The Bird Cage Chronicles (I think that's the title) by Monday (eep). Need, need, need to get cracking on that. I haven't read anything in a month!
Now the question is, what do I choose for my book club month? I was thinking either Water For Elephants or A Thousand Splendid Suns (not coincidentally, the last two non-club books I've read). I loved both books, and I especially think ATSS is appropriate for an all-female group, but they aren't exactly fluffy summer reading. I guess WFE is a fairly quick read. I dunno. I'll have to ponder summore.
Runner's high
Icing my shins right now after an excellent 6 mile run!
Last night I ended up just biking 8 miles instead of running. It took me 37 minutes I think. Felt good.
Tonight I almost gave up and didn't run, because once again I ate too much right when I got home from work (I was hangry!). But despite my two Mississippi Mud Bars (thank goodness there is only one left now) I dragged my butt off the couch and hit the road just in time to get back before dark.
Took me ~57:30, at an average 9:34 pace. The route was lovely, and I did no double looping - just ran out three miles and back. I actually took splits this time, every 2 miles. Interestingly, the last third of my run was much faster than the rest. I think my splits were 19:16, 19:25 and 18:40 or something along those lines.
This is flat out disgusting, so don't read this paragraph if you're weak, but right at the beginning of my run I had a coughing fit and (ewwwwwww) threw up a little in my mouth. That first half-mile tasted disgusting, and I never thought I'd feel strong. Thankfully, I recovered and took my mind off it after a few minutes.
All in all, I had a really positive outlook all throughout the run. The weather was absolutely perfect, and I am so thankful to have fine gravel in the shoulder of the roads in my neighborhood. It makes my stomping grounds the best place to run around here, since all the wooded running/biking trails are paved with no good shoulder. I also feel safe in the neighborhood, with people out mowing and doing yardwork and walking their dogs.
This Saturday I'm taking a plunge and running 8 miles with the Badgerland Striders. Today's run gives me confidence that I'll be able to handle that distance, and get back on track with marathon training.
This week is, however, a big bump in mileage from previous weeks. I know that's bad for my shins, but I need to get up to the distances on my training schedule that I've been ignoring up to this point.
Last night I ended up just biking 8 miles instead of running. It took me 37 minutes I think. Felt good.
Tonight I almost gave up and didn't run, because once again I ate too much right when I got home from work (I was hangry!). But despite my two Mississippi Mud Bars (thank goodness there is only one left now) I dragged my butt off the couch and hit the road just in time to get back before dark.
Took me ~57:30, at an average 9:34 pace. The route was lovely, and I did no double looping - just ran out three miles and back. I actually took splits this time, every 2 miles. Interestingly, the last third of my run was much faster than the rest. I think my splits were 19:16, 19:25 and 18:40 or something along those lines.
This is flat out disgusting, so don't read this paragraph if you're weak, but right at the beginning of my run I had a coughing fit and (ewwwwwww) threw up a little in my mouth. That first half-mile tasted disgusting, and I never thought I'd feel strong. Thankfully, I recovered and took my mind off it after a few minutes.
All in all, I had a really positive outlook all throughout the run. The weather was absolutely perfect, and I am so thankful to have fine gravel in the shoulder of the roads in my neighborhood. It makes my stomping grounds the best place to run around here, since all the wooded running/biking trails are paved with no good shoulder. I also feel safe in the neighborhood, with people out mowing and doing yardwork and walking their dogs.
This Saturday I'm taking a plunge and running 8 miles with the Badgerland Striders. Today's run gives me confidence that I'll be able to handle that distance, and get back on track with marathon training.
This week is, however, a big bump in mileage from previous weeks. I know that's bad for my shins, but I need to get up to the distances on my training schedule that I've been ignoring up to this point.
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