Workout Fail

I cannot remember the last time I didn't finish a workout for any reason.  But last night I quit halfway through.  Not even halfway through.  Here's what happened...

We were supposed to run a speed workout at the high school track but someone forgot to check the game schedule (I won't mention any names and throw Chris under the bus...hehe) and sure enough, there was a girl's lacrosse game.  So we headed over to Live Long Fitness for a workout.  According to the training plan, we were supposed to do 4 800's.  Lisa decided that we should do 2 800's then a Prowler workout.  I felt good for the 800's and actually cut 10 seconds off my second one compared to my first.  But as soon as I was finished with the second one, I felt all wrong.  My stomach got nauseous, my head felt fuzzy and I was getting tunnel vision.  I went inside the gym to get some water...mistake...the heat made me feel even worse.  So I went back outside and sat down.

Everyone else started the Prowler workout.  I couldn't even tell you what they were doing exactly but I know they did the Prowler, the no name sled and something with sand bags...squats and lunges maybe?  I'm not sure.  Anyway, I sat for awhile hoping I would feel better and when I didn't, I decided just to go.

I hate not finishing a workout.  I hate not feeling good.  Lisa called me later and lectured me on taking care of myself, which I haven't been doing a good job of lately.  She is totally right.  I don't have time for much right now but I need to make the time to eat and sleep properly...at least as close to properly as possible right now.  My food has been horrible.  I've been eating dinner at 10:00 at night when I get home from the restaurant and normally it consists of cheese, crackers and chocolate ice cream.  I know it sounds good but it sure doesn't fuel your body.  Breakfast is pretty much non-existent and lunch is typically take out of some sort.  Not exactly a well balanced healthy diet. 

Yesterday my body gave me a huge signal that I'm headed down a really bad path if I continue to run myself ragged and not eat or sleep right.  So I'm going to focus on changing that.  The half marathon is in 30 days.  If I have any hope of finishing the race, I need to make sure that I am not feeling like I was yesterday.

Thoughts on Saturday's Run

There is nothing better than running with friends.  I love running and chatting.  You learn so much about people when you run and talk!  Plus it helps the miles go by faster.

HOWEVER, Saturday was not about running with friends.  Colleen, Michelle, Laura and I met at the Berlin park for a 7 mile run.  I have been concerned about my training pace recently and decided to see how far I could go at a 9 minute pace, which is what I need to keep if I want to break 2 hours at the half marathon.

So when the group started, I headed out on my own.  I didn't want my pace to interfere with anyone else's run so I just took off on my own.  Sorry girls...sometimes I have to run for me.  Of course, they all understood without me having to say a word.

We ran a course that Colleen mapped out for us.  It was great to have a change of scenery from the typical runs in Ocean Pines, but the problem with the course was that it had a lot of turns.  I couldn't remember where exactly I was supposed to run so I kept stopping and turning around to see which way Colleen wanted me to go.  Otherwise, I kept a pretty decent pace.

Colleen and I stopped for a water break at her house which fell at about mile 4.  I sat down and re-tied my shoes.  That was a mistake because the second I stood up, my legs got cramped.  I should not have sat down!  It took me about a mile to get back into my pace but I was able to get it back.  I would say that for the majority of the run I stayed between a 9 and a 9:30 pace.  It's still not where I need to be if I want to break 2 hours, but my last post discussed how I feel about that right now!

We lost Michelle and Laura somewhere along the way so they just ran the 5K course twice.  It was really cool because at the end of the run, I circled back to run the last 1/2 mile with Colleen just at the same time that Michelle and Laura came around the corner.  So we all started and ended the run together.

Saturday was supposed to be a long run, but I turned it into a tempo run I suppose.  I am proud of myself for keeping a steady pace the whole time but know that I have a lot more work to do in the month that's remaining!

Let It Go

Life has not been what I had expected recently.  So there are a lot of things that I have to "let go" right now.

I have a goal of breaking 2 hours in a half marathon.  Ever since the Baltimore half, I have had it in my mind that I will achieve that goal at this year's OC Half on April 30th.  However my training has not been at the same level that it was prior to Baltimore.  I haven't been doing speed work in the same way and my long runs have for the most part been a struggle.  I have only run 10 miles once so far.  The training plan calls for a 10 miler this Saturday but the running group is planning to do 7.  So here are 2 things that I'm letting go:  2 hours and the training plan.  Prior to Baltimore, I was devoted to the plan.  I looked at it every day and planned how I would get the training in.  This time around I don't have time to even look at it every day.  So really, until I just pulled it out, I had no idea how far behind I really was.  I am not concerned about being able to complete the 13.1 miles.  But I know that without the proper attention to the plan, I'm probably not going to break 2 hours.

IT'S OK!  I have realized that it is OK if I don't break 2 hours at this race.  There are other half marathons yet to come.  2 hours is a very fast time...I absolutely have the ability to do it.  If not in April, maybe I'll run a half in May or September in Chestertown.  That's another flat course that would allow for fast times.  Or maybe I'll make it a year from now...or 2 years from now...

The epiphany that I've recently had is that it doesn't matter.  Life is not about the destination...it's all about the journey!  I have met amazing people who have changed my life in many ways along this journey from being a non-athlete to being a runner.  I will meet many more as I continue my journey.  I have also had a positive impact on many of these same people. 

So what if I don't break 2 hours?  I have let it go...and it feels really good.

Mileage Monday

Congrats to everyone who ran the race on Saturday!  Here is the weekly chart:

It's late and I'm tired so I don't have a whole lot to say except that I'm SOOO proud of everyone on this chart for working so hard towards achieving their goals!

St. Patty's Day 5K Race Recap

Saturday morning was a beautiful, sunny morning.  It was a great day for a race!

We bundled up the little ones and headed to the Boardwalk

There were so many people!  I couldn't believe it.  When I saw Chris on Wednesday, he told me that there were about 300 registered.  It ended up that there were 540 runners!  That's amazing, especially since this is the first year for the event.  It could end up being huge.  Here is a pre-race photo of some of the group.

The down side of 540 runners is that they were not prepared for that many people to pick up packets the morning of the race...the start time was delayed by about 15 minutes.  That gave me just enough time to get warmed up, cool down, warm up, cool down.  Ugh...but of course being who I am, I was trying to encourage everyone to do their best.  Here is a funny photo that I swiped from Lisa's Facebook page.  The photo really is supposed to be of Ross but you can see me at the edge of the picture already cheering like a fool.  Let's call it pre-race enthusiasm.

Finally the bagpipes played, the leprechaun started the race and we were off.  I have recently stopped getting in the back of the pack for the start of a race.  I always get annoyed at how many walkers and joggers start towards the front.  So I made sure that Colleen, Ryann and I found a spot in the front 1/4 of the pack.  Still I was dodging slower runners and kids who were sprinting then stopping.  The first quarter mile of the race is really frustrating for me and just a total battle for position.  I finally got into a comfortable pack with people who were running around the same pace as I wanted to run. 

I felt great hitting Mile 1.  I was running exactly where I wanted to be - 8:45 pace and at some points, I was able to speed up the pace for a little bit.  When I crossed the Mile 2 point, I was thinking about conserving energy for the finishing effort.  I still averaged around 8:45 but was having difficulty maintaining anything resembling a steady pace.  I felt like I was all over the place.  Here is a picture of me mid-race. 

When I hit the final turn, there was about 3/4 of a mile left.  It was all I could do to keep the same pace.  I felt like I couldn't accelerate at all.  I saw the finish balloons and wanted to start my finishing stride but I couldn't.  I had no gas left.  At that exact moment, Lisa saw me and ran with me for the last little bit.  She helped me to pick it up enough to finish with a time of 26:59 showing on my watch!  I had really wanted to break 27 in this race so I was very pleased.  (note - the results were posted and my chip time is 20 seconds slower than my watch.  I'm going with my watch.)

Of course by the time we were driving home, I was already analyzing the race in my head and trying to figure out how I could have gone faster.  As I told Colleen, there is something wrong with me!  Speaking of Colleen, here she is running a GREAT time and smashing her goal of beating 29 minutes.

Ryann also ran the race.  She did a great job.  Daina ran the final leg of the race with Ryann, and Ryann said that without Daina's help, she probably would have walked a little bit.  So a big thank you to Daina!  Sorry that she is cut off a little bit in this photo. 

I'm so proud of everyone who ran this race.  It was several people's first 5K including Tammie, Rachael (who I work with at the restaurant) and I think it was Sandra's mom's first race also.  Congrats to everyone and I can't wait for the next race!

We're Going a Little Fast

So the running group met at the lacrosse fields in Berlin last night.  Both Chris and Lisa have a child playing lacrosse so it worked out that they could get their kids to practice and get the run in.  It was a chilly, windy evening.  My camera battery was not charged so I have no photos.  But the group was Pat, Mo, Michelle, Chris, Don, Lisa and me.  We ran the Berlin 5K course except we didn't go into the neighborhoods so it ended up being 2.36 miles.

Lisa and I started out chatting as we ran.  I knew that we were going fast and it felt good since I had some stress that I needed to "run out".  She looked at her Garmin and said "do you realize we are running a 7:45 pace?" and laughed.  I said "yeah...but I wasn't ready to complain about it just yet".  We settled into a more normal pace for me and continued to chat while we ran. 

I love talking and running.  I learn so many interesting things about people when we run together.  The whole run felt challenging to me.  Part of it was the talking, part was the wind, and the other part was the pace.  But if I am going to achieve my goal of breaking 2 hours, I'm going to have to put myself in situations where I'm uncomfortable with the pace.  It's the only way I'm going to get faster.  I have to get more speed work into my routines and I need to steadily increase the pace of my runs so that my body gets used to running faster.

I'm actually toying with the idea of running an 8:15 pace at the 5K this weekend to see how far I can last.  Typically my 5K pace is 8:45 although I don't know that I've ever really pushed myself to the limit on a 5K.  Because this Saturday's race is on the boardwalk, weather will be a big factor in how fast I can run.  If it's windy up there (which it often is), there's no way that I can expect to run 8:15.  So I guess I will play it by ear.

All I can say is that I have to continue to go a little fast in order to get a lot faster!

Weekly Update

Here is the tracking chart for the week:

Welcome back to Ryann!  She has started running track and asked to be added back onto the tracking chart.  I am glad to have her back! 

A race is an awesome thing but it sends the normal routine into a tailspin.  We didn't have our normal Saturday run or our normal Sunday swim.  Normal workout days were rest days and vice versa.  So for me, I'm a little out of sorts this week.  But this week we have a 5K race on Saturday so we should be back into a more normal schedule again.

Race Report - 10 Mile

Yesterday was the Tim Kennard 10 Mile race in Salisbury.  The weather forecast was not looking promising...it was supposed to be a major downpour all day.  So as a running club, we unanimously voted not to run in the rain.  Initially we thought downgrading to the 5K would be OK but the more we thought about it, the more we thought a dry run was the best kind of run.  So Colleen went to Salisbury to pick up our race packets and shirts.

Sunday morning we met at PowerHouse, donned our race bibs and got on the treadmills.  Here is a "before" picture.

I am a really bad treadmill runner to begin with.  I hate running on the treadmill...and now I was going to do it for 10 miles?  Really?  It was torture...but I covered the screen so I couldn't stare at the little marker going so slowly around the track and obsess on how much farther I had to run.  Every now and then I would peek at the screen to see where I was but I didn't obsess about it.  I also can't run with an i-pod...I'm just weird like that...so I watched Sports Center and read the transcription of what they were saying. 

I felt pretty good overall.  After about a mile, I cranked up my speed a little bit and was able to maintain that faster speed pretty much the rest of the race.  My treadmill shut off at an hour so I had to reset it and figure out how far I had left to run.  I considered that time my "water stop" so I fueled up, drank some water and walked while trying to get my treadmill programmed correctly to finish the race.  Math was involved in calculating the remaining miles so that made things much more challenging!  I can't do math in the middle of a long run like that.

I started to struggle a little bit at mile 8 so I slowed it down for a mile but then picked it back up when mile 9 started.  The last mile I gradually increased my speed until the last quarter mile when I sprinted for the finish.  I wanted it to be as close to a real race experience as possible and there's no way I would ever just keep my race pace coming into the finish line so I had to sprint.


Now there is a runner's creed that you can't wear the race shirt unless you've earned it.  We paid our race fees and ran 10 miles so we all agreed that we had earned the right to wear the race shirt.  My overall time was 1:34:41 which is a new personal best for me!  It works out to be a 9:28 pace.  It's a great effort for a 10 miler but if I want to break 2 hours for the half, I need to run a 9:09 pace.  Much more work to be done...good thing there's still 8 weeks or so until the half.

On The Right Track

Ryann started track practice this week.  I was thrilled that she decided to go out for track.  The coach told her that she had a week to decide whether she wanted to run distance or sprints.  In my mind, the decision was obvious.  Ryann has run numerous 5K races with me and she is not a fast sprinter.  So of course she would be a distance runner...just like I was in high school.

Day 1 of track practice - I picked her up and she tells me that she practiced with the sprinters.  I said, OK now you've had a taste of the sprinters' workout now tomorrow you can practice with the distance runners.

Day 2 of track practice - I picked her up and again she says she worked out with the sprinters.  So now I'm starting to get frustrated.  I know her friend Audrey is a sprinter so I assume she's just running with the sprinters so she can hang out with Audrey.

Day 3 of track practice - Again the sprinters.  Really?  Finally I tell her that I think she's making a mistake by choosing to be a sprinter.  I tell her that she is much better at running distance and that when it comes to the meets I'm afraid that she won't do as well if she runs the sprints.  So my child (when did she become a teenager anyway) says to me "I don't care about being good.  I like the workouts that the sprinters do and I don't want to run 6 miles like the distance runners have to do.  I'm running track to stay in shape not to be good at it."

Then it hits me...Ryann is not me.  I was projecting my personality onto her.  I want to set goals for my running and get faster and receive age group awards in the races I run.  But Ryann wants to stay in shape.  Wow.  So I mentally reminded myself that sometimes children do know what is best for them.  I am SO thankful that Ryann is the kind of kid that will tell me the reasons behind her decisions.  If she had never opened her mouth, I would still be pushing her to do something that isn't right for her.  Now that I know WHY she decided to work out with the sprinters, I can support it. 

Every day of my life as a mother I am faced with making decisions for my children and trying to lead them in the right direction.  Every so often, at times like this, I am stopped in my tracks and reminded that my job as a mother is really, really hard...but when you have great kids, it makes it a lot easier.

Catching Up

Is it really Wednesday already???  I actually finished the tracking chart on Monday this week but for some reason never got around to posting it.  Here is the weekly tracking.

Some items to point out - Michelle is WAY ahead of everyone else!  She was in Chile for 2 weeks and hadn't turned in her mileage.  Now that she's back and has reported what she was doing while away, I'm very impressed!  Also, Tammie has a new goal.  Congratulations to her for recognizing that she needs to continue to challenge herself.

The second item I need to catch up on is my own running.  My foot issues have set me back some.  I made an appointment with a foot doctor.  So today I lugged in a bag full of my waitressing shoes, running shoes and of course wore my boots.  He inspected all my shoes and said that they weren't that bad.  I apparently do a twisting motion in my foot when I walk.  It's not really a pronation...it's a twist.  He said that the pivot point of the twist is right in the area that hurts.  He made me a temporary support while I'm waiting for my orthotics to come in.  So my issue is NOT a running issue...it's actually a walking issue that was brought on by the significantly increased amount of time I'm walking now that I'm waiting tables.  SO tonight we ran on the boardwalk.  I was running late (as usual for the Wed runs) so I didn't get a picture tonight even though the sunset was absolutely beautiful.  It was chillier than I expected on the boardwalk although a mile into the run I was hot.  My foot felt great.  On the way up, I chatted with Colleen and Laura and on the way back, we caught up to Mark who was having some back issues.  I got to talking with him and before I knew it we had picked up the pace a little bit.  I didn't realize we had separated from the other 2. 

Now that I have run on my foot with the temporary support thingie that Dr. Jamrok made me, I have more confidence that I can actually finish the 10 mile race.  Now the question is...how fast can I do it?  The 10 mile has always been my nemesis.  I haven't had a good finish in a 10 mile race.  It's supposed to rain on Sunday so I don't think this will be a great finish either.  We shall see...at least my foot won't be the problem!