New blog

Sometime soon I'm restarting my "training blog"elsewhere & inviting friends only. It needs a "redo"...a new look...a new start, etc....

This is my final post here & I will say it's kept me accountable.

It's kept me from being one of those people who says they're going to do something but then they never do. 

Although I've had my own excuses I would like to believe that even though I've miss a few goals over the last year, my training speaks for itself.  I put forth my best effort on the race day God gave me.

In the last 12 - 14 months, I've missed my Boston time by less than 2 minutes & again a couple months later by less than 4 minutes on a hillier course. I've learned a lot about marathon nutrition & myself. 

I have fought to regain some endurance/speed the last few months due to injury.  It's not over yet but I'm getting there.  

I've learned to ignore the "doubters". I've learned that I can surround myself with positive people & have positive experiences.  

As crazy as this sounds this blog has brought me to a place where I never knew I could be both personally & athletically as a woman entering her 40's who had never really "trained" for a full marathon to a woman in her mid-40's who finally grasped what my body could handle if I actually "trained" for a marathon.  "Yes, Lisa, you will feel better during a 26.2 race if you do a 20 miler or beyond to prepare.. ".    Doh!

I will close out my final post here with the fact that I just went over 2 years straight on myfitnesspal & I'm proud to report it still works for me.  I am accountable for what I put in my mouth every day.  :-).  I feel good about my 47 year old body & not many folks can say that.  

Friends...you will be getting an invite to the next blog. Adios...

Tom King 1/2 race report

1:54:14 with a sinus infection.  :-)

10 days of antibiotics...22 miler will be moved from next Sat to two weeks from now.  End of report. LMAO!

Freaking hills

My mid week long run was 12.5 with some "fast boys" from NRC.  Roy, Daryl, David, & David V.  drug my hungry butt over our Wed night hilly route pretty much 2x.  I made the mistake of not getting enough carbs Wed.  We had to circle back to my car so I could grab something to eat. That particular mile was a 10:13.  LOL! 

Overall it was an 8:50 pace.  Considering how crappy I felt I'm ok with it. 

Saturdays long run was another 20 miler due to the Tom King half this coming weekend. My plan was to try to run about a 9:20-9:30 & put in a lot of hills.  Mission accomplished...sorta... I had a 9:17 pace overall & forgot to take in one if my gels. (I'm rocking Advocare products on the long runs & it is helping.)

I felt a bit too tired in the end but it's been a hard week of running. 

This week I'm taking it easy & hoping for the best on the half on Saturday, God willing....  I'm still not sold on doing the full in Carmel again.  We shall see....

20.2 mile training run

After doing about 4 hours of yoga last week & not running on Thursday or Friday, my legs were itching for a long run.  

The plan was for 20 miles, practice holding back on the front end, & practice fueling.  It went well but it could've been better.  All the hills were in the first 13 miles or so.  I had company for about 14 of it thanks to Traci B.  

My pace was an 8:56 for 20.2 miles.  My fastest training run at that distance even though I had a flat 22 miler before New Orleans last year at an 8;58 pace.  

This weekend I'm doing another 20 but slowing it down to around a 9:20-ish pace.  The Tom King 1/2 is the week after & I would like to "race" it if I at all possible. 

The week after Tom King I hope to do 22 miles as close to race pace as possible. 

I really need to put hills in the last 4-5 miles though.  

Well, maybe I am training for a full after all.  I hit 40 miles this week & look to hit another 40 this week. I refuse to run more than that, though.  My body just doesn't respond as well. 

I have to say mid-week long runs is where it's at!  Love my fast Wednesday running club friends!  My mid week run is really making my long run seem easy. 

Maybe I finally found my "sweet spot" with marathon training. 😉

blogging break over...I think....?

The blogging break is over...and so is my plantar fascittis for the most part.
Let's just say that it's hard for me to complain about it since I ran an 18 miler on it two weeks ago at an 8:57 pace & I did a hilly 15k Hot Chocolate race on it this past weekend.
The only pain is if I sit too long or when I get up first thing in the morning.  Within minutes of stretching, I'm fine. ;-)

As for my next marathon...who knows at this time but I am signed up at the "cheap rate" for the Carmel full & about 100 peeps are going from the running club.  It should be a fun trip & we'll be seeing our friends, the Heusers, who now live in Noblesville, 20 minutes away.  It's a no brainer that we go back again......3rd yr in a row!
I'm going to attempt 20 miles this weekend & see how it goes....
I'm up to 35 miles a week & loving every step of it.  I have to say that aqua jogging 3x a week along with other cross training for that 4-6 week period really helped me keep some fitness.  I spent the month of Dec trying to get back what I lost & I think I'm almost there. 

My runs have been "conservative" & usually only 3 or 4 runs a week.
Long run:....starting slow & bringing it down as I go....
Long tempo run.......usually 8-10 miles....I hit an 8:19 pace on the hills of Nolensville last night on a 10+ miler.  I was happy with that.  My Wed afternoon tempo run dudes have been pulling me along quite nicely. 
Shorter steadier marathon paced run....around 8:55-ish & usually 6-7 miles.
And sometimes I'll run a very slow run around a 9:30-ish pace...maybe 4 to 4.5 miles

What I've done since early Nov.........

Walked/Ran the half in Indy with friends...didn't want to lose my $
Cancelled our California trip to run the CIM....lost my race fees  ;-(
Ran a 4 mile race in Michigan the Saturday after Thanksgiving & got 2nd in my age group.
Ran the Hot Chocolate 15k in 1:17.......that b*tch was hilly!
Ran Nola  1/2 in some hot, humid conditions a few weeks ago.  1:55 in steamy, foggy conditions!

What am I going to do....

I'm going to run the Tom King 1/2 & I'll likely tuck in behind our running clubs 1:45 peeps & try to hang on as long as I can....
If this weekends 20 goes well, I'll be doing another "slower" 20 the following weekend, then Tom King the next.............then a 22 miler........yeah, I know it sounds like I'm training for a marathon but I'm still leaving the door open to NOT do it, also.  I don't need a 3rd sub 4 hour full.  I need my 3rd attempt to be sub 3:55. 

Joe is gearing up (after a short lay off on running due to injury) for Boston.  He's in it to run it for fun & enjoy the moment.  We have Sox vs Yankees tickets the day after the marathon.  I can't wait!

"Maintenance"

Plantar fasciitis requires a lot of maintenance. It can come back if you don't "fix" your issues….like tight ham strings, tight calves, etc… So far I'm keeping it away enough that I can run with the stretching, icing, & rolling. This morning I got out for 5 miles. It felt great but it also felt like "tempo". It was an 8:42 pace. At this point in the training, I had hoped to have my "tempo" pace on these short runs closer to an 8 minute pace if not lower. One of the reasons, that I will not be running the full marathon in Indianapolis. With all the worried Boston Qualifiers who are "squeakers" (qualfied by less than 5 minutes) I definitely want my next marathon time closer to 3:50 than a 3:55.  I know I can do that because I took my 4:12 down to a 3:56 within four to five months.  ...."positive thoughts".... 

I feel confident enough that I should be able to do 14 miles this Saturday. We're heading to Shelby park & afterwards I'm cheering on some peeps who are running the "Women's half". That hilly downtown course is a beast & if I never do that half again that's fine with me but I'm all about cheering. At least two are from the "Couch to 5k" group from the club!

12 unspectacular miles.....& LOTS of cross training

Saturday, I ran 12 flat, rainy miles....stopping every 2-3 miles stretching the plantar.  Ummm, not my idea of fun but at least I was running.  9:25-ish pace....with all the stretching I did, I'm surprised it was that fast because I didn't turn off the garmin to stretch, of course.

As for what else I'm doing...cross training my ass off. I hit the pool for 50 minutes of aqua jogging yesterday, 30 minutes on an elliptical, 30 minutes on a bike, did my weights, did lunges, P90x ab ripper, & the entire 70 minute "Yoga for Runners" dvd. I was worn out & today I'm actually sore from the weights & lunges.
I ran just over 2 miles in my newtons yesterday, also, just because.....No, really, I wanted to see how the tendon would do in minimalist shoes & it did ok. I kept it super slow but it felt alright. Slowly but surely this issue is resolving itself. I want to run long & I want to run long "fast". ;-P
I did manage 25 miles last week versus the 11 miles I've had for the two weeks before it. I'm determined to find the positive in this "injury" & if it means losing $ on some races & handing off my bib to others then so be it. It's not about "completing" a race with me right now, it's about obtaining what I want out of the race.

All that being said...I do have other stuff going on non-running related.
We saw Taylor Swith this weekend at Bridgestone. (Saw her in '09)
She was sick with a cold but still sang very well.
I'm going to Zanie's for the first time in Nov with a bunch of running gals from the club.
I'm going to see Justin Timberlake in Nov with a bunch of running gals from the club.

And my Texas family is definitely coming here for Christmas. hooray for that!!! Can't wait! ;-)
Lots of planning for that to be done.

Happy Monday & Happy Fall, yall!

99.9% pain free...

Well, knock on wood, I think the dreaded "snake bite" of an injury is almost gone.  

I ran a total of 9 miles Wednesday.  

The second run was on the hilly 5+ mile route with the club.  2 miles into it the heel got cranky. I was ticked....5.25 miles at a 9:50 pace.   

After running in the heat & doing speed work for most of the summer I better be able to run A LOT faster than that on hills here in the next few weeks.  

This morning as I stomp & press on it, it feels fine. (Way better than last week at this time!) 

So, it's time to roll with tomorrow's long run....not sure of distance or pace but I know I'm getting my ass out there.

After aqua jogging for 45-50 minutes three times in the last week I'm ready to hit land in a bad way.  

We have the Taylor Swift concert tomorrow night at Bridgestone arena.  Always a great show!

Let the weekend begin....

a turning point....

After 2 weeks & 2 days of little to no running, I think the plantar fasciitis is at a turning point.

I've done a few VERY short runs over the last week & there was no major pain involved. I've aqua jogged twice in the last week, been on a bike & the elliptical at the gym, etc… I've worked out but the little to no running has taken the Monumental full off my agenda. I don't want to do it just to finish. I want the sub 3:55 if not sub 3:50 finish time. Crossing fingers my husband's 3:22 is fast enough to get his registration accepted this week for Boston.

I decided to give my "Middle Half" bib away to Jo Anne for the Oct 12^th race. I also canceled my plans to run the "Brooksie Way half" in MI. (Switched flight to Nawlins!).

Honestly, I just need to focus more on the big picture & make sure this issue is fully resolved so I can get the "FULL marathon" training done.

This morning, even through I didn't wear my Strasberg sock to bed last night & the arch was a little cranky, I made it 3.75 miles (9:05 pace). I finished without limping or any real pain. If I had more time I would have run more so I'm running with the club tonight. "2 a day Wednesday" will happen this week!

After much thought, I've decided to do the half in Indy. Two weeks of missed runs was just too much for me to wrap my brain around. I know I was slightly ahead of the training but at this point, I do NOT want just another marathon under my belt. I want to know that I've recovered 100% before I think of running another marathon. This leaves open the fact that we have the CIM Dec 8^th .   

After this weekend, I will know for sure if that is doable. We now have plans in the works for New Orleans, also. Whether it be just the half or the full will be totally up to my plantar issue over the next few weeks & whether or not I end up running the CIM.   

It does feel good to run again, though, even though I'm a bit bummed at having to rearrange travel, miss two races. ($103.00 down the drain), etc… But I have missed my 5am Saturday morning group & my "Middle Halfers" formerly known as the "couch to 5ers".

So, I'm crossing my fingers right now that the CIM training is still doable. I had thought I would go ahead with the CIM & run with our friends out there but honestly, I would want to push the pedal because I know "me". Until this goal is achieved, I will not be able to just run a marathon for the heck of it. SSSSSoooooo, this weekend I will attempt to run LONNNNGGGGG again, can't wait.

In other news I tried out the "Bod Pod" & I'm happy to report that I fall into the high end of the "moderately lean" group. I was .8 from being in the "lean" group. Holla!! ;-) The guy doing the test told me that I need to do more weights & eat more "good" calories. Well, it's true, my one day a week of weights probably needs to be lengthened but I don't think I need more calories. I'm still at my goal weight & plan to stay there but if I happen to add more muscle, I'm sure I'll need to add more fuel for the new muscles. I am pretty happy with my body right now & that's enough for me.

testing, testing, 1, 2, 3....

With the exception of one 6.27 mile run (9:22 pace), I've now lost one week of training.
Granted this wouldn't be such a huge deal if I were not trying to shave 2 or more minutes off my marathon PR. I tested the foot Saturday & it was too soon. I ran in new inserts powerstep pulse. They feel awesome & I wish I had changed to them a month ago. Much more arch support than my blue superfeet & softer than the black or green superfeet. After Saturday's failed run, I went back to Fleet Feet & got the Brooks Adrenalines that I used to wear over a year & a half ago. This time around I got a narrow fit since my feet seem to swim in them a year & a half ago. Better fit, softer, & not as heavy as I thought they'd feel but I've not really run in them yet. Tomorrow morning I'll be taking a test run in them with the new inserts. So, as you can imagine, I'm re-thinking the full in Indy. If this weekend's planned 16 miler goes well, then I'm back in the Monumental Indianapolis business of "going for it" for a 3rd time this year.
If not, I'll do the half & go for a half PR. The half course is the flattest I've ever run & as I have said before, it felt effortless last year. If the pf is totally gone in order to do either race then that's the plans I have in place. I'm a "planner" & I hate not knowing what's coming.
It's obvious I don't need a 3rd sub 4 hour marathon this year. I need a sub 3:55 & if it's not doable then I won't waste my energy unless I decide to run with friends at the CIM.
I'm doing things a little different than I did 9 yrs ago because I'm more informed on what to do, obviously. I'm rolling out my calfs/ankles with the Thera-Band roller & I'm rolling out the foot with a small version of the Thera-band roller, I'm icing the heel twice a day, also. It feels so much better than last week.

Plan B: It won't be the end of the world if I have to run the Monumental 1/2 again & make the CIM my "A" race.
Plan C: If the Pf doesn't totally clear in time for the Monumental 1/2 then I'll run the 5k there & obviously run the CIM slow with Adriane & her husband, Kito. It's their first full marathon.
Plan D: See plan C. If Pf is gone enough to train for Nola, I'll head back there for REVENGE!!!!

Ok, I feel better now that I see my back up plans in writing. Carry on... ;-P

mild case of pf

I was told I have a mild to moderate case of plantar fasciitis.  The doc gave me what I needed & it appears to be working.  Now I have to work on my patience.  I really like this doc, he's not "shot happy" like the other one that everyone loves so much. I personally don't believe in getting the cortizone shots.  That's a temporary fix.  Get to the root of the problem, which is usually strengthening something, (the "glutes" for me). I'm also considering switching to a more supported shoe until it's completely gone.  My long run shoes are 880 New Balance & they weight 11 ounces.  I'm going to try to find a replacement that weighs around that much to get my feet through the training.  Am I worried?  Yes, but I tell myself that the worst that can happen is that I do the half again in Indy (smash my half PR) & then save it all for the CIM in December.  I'm choosing to be positive about this situation.  I am pretty proud of myself for being able to complete that hilly, hot as hell 10k course with a wonky heel.  Who am I running some sub 8 miles on a hot morning on hills in a race & not feeling 100%?  ;-)   I know that speed work has paid off.  I grew to love pushing myself on that Ravenwood track because I felt awesome & developed a sense of accomplishment to finish it every Monday night.  Until this year, I had never done any "regular" speed work at all.  I'm currently reading the "Hanson's Marathon Method" book that talks about how runners get "stale" in their paces & don't seem to improve.  That was me.  Speed work can change that.  As summer starts to fade away, I'm pretty stoked about the running that I've done so far. 

Tuesday, I did a complete "rest" day.  Been a very long time since I've not done ONE SINGLE little work out.  Wednesday, I did the bike at the gym for 40 mins, IT Band exercises, & some time on the elliptical along with P90x ab ripper.  Today, I'm walking to the gym to do pretty much the same exercises but adding more glute strengthening.  Friday, I'll very likely do ab ripper & some stretching.  Saturday morning I'm doing as the doc says....7 flat miles.  If that goes well, I'll get out Sunday for 4 or 5 flat miles.  I'm on volaren for 10 days & much like any other anti-inflammatory, you can't take it before exercise so I have to make sure I take it right after I'm finished.  If next week goes well, I'll do my 20 miler on Sept 14th.  I've still got plenty of time to get all the training runs in & still hit my goal.  The thing with marathon training, you have to be flexible with the schedule in case something comes up & having a week or two leeway is always a nice thing.

12 miles, a new 10k PR, & plantar faciitis

Here's the skinny version of the last few days...no running on Thur & Fri for me. I did yoga, the bike, & P90x ab ripper.  I needed a few days to recoup & my legs always feel great on Saturday mornings when I've done yoga & given them a little rest.  We took off for a flat-ish 3.5 miles at 5am Sat morning then swung back for a few more runners at 5:30am....then we headed for the "hills" for the rest of our Saturday morning run pretty much.

12 miles - 1:48:34 - 9:03 pace

9:11
8:46
8:18
9:15 (getting fuel belt on & picking up more runners at MJs)
8:54
9:04
9:04
9:43 (waiting on Joe to use a portapottie)
9:06
9:02
9:16 (bleh, it's HOT)
8:57

The last 3 or 4 weekends after my long runs, I've had a tinsy bit of heel pain in my left foot.  It usually goes away after about 24 hours but this week it lingered.  Trust me, I knew what it was so I've been stretching the DEVIL out of that tendon known as the plantar fasciitis. I had this in my right foot in the summer of '04.  So, I know exactly how to treat it.  I am, however, going to see Dr. Holmes tomorrow.  I left a message on his office answering machine Saturday afternoon & within 30 minutes he called me to set up an appt for Tuesday.  He's good like that!  I'm going to beg him for some oral Voltaren tablets. That's what I took in '04 & it cleared it up within a week.  I have the gel version that I use for the tendonitis on my ankles & it works VERY well. 

Yesterday, I knocked out my weights, walked two miles, & did the bike at the gym. 
Fast forward to this morning....I slept like crap worrying about how I was going to run the Franklin Classic 10k.  I could kick myself for not switching to the 5k because I know I could have PR'd & placed in my age group.
Anyway, I took off with Roy T. & stayed with him until we hit the hilly 2nd half of the course.  Since there's construction, we had the bigger hills towards the back of the course instead of at the front. I knew I had a 10k PR in me today but if the heel pain cranked up, how much of a PR was questionable.  You can sure tell by my splits where we hit the hills & if that wasn't enough my left shoe came untied the last mile & a half.  arg!!  I was so ticked.  I felt like I could've gone faster for sure because I could definitely tell that the speed work was kicking in had the heel held up.  It is what it is & despite everything I'm ok with the time.  I was 6th in my age group.  I would have to crack the 47-48 time for my age group to even think about nailing a 3rd place finisher award.  I can feel it, though.  I'm not that far off!

My garmin results below:
6.31 miles - 50:36 - 8:01 pace

1-7:46
2-7:50
3-7:31
4-7:59 (hills start cranking...)
5-8:26 (left shoe comes untied & I'm feeling the hills in my cranky heel)
6-8:29
.31-8:14

Well, this week will likely be another "cut back" week due to this little set back with my heel but the big picture is Nov 2nd.  I have plenty of time to knock out a couple of 20 milers & a 22 miler before then, God willing & the creek don't rise.  Wait..that's a "flooding" reference....I take that back.  LOL!  No flooded courses, please!!!

Run #2: "2 a Day Wednesday"

The only "good" about this run was that I got to run with Preston, Jane's son. Sweet boy!

The "9 min" group went over to Bent Creek. I think this was my 3^rd or 4^th run over there. They ran it a little differently this week due to Amy K putting out fluids. I think one more run over there should get me somewhat familiar with it. I think we should add it to the Saturday morning route this week, which is only 12 miles. With the temp in the 90s this weekend & a chance of rain all three days, including Labor Day, I'm glad my long run is only 12!

Yesterday felt like the warmest afternoon of the entire summer to me, plus I think the 18 miler & speed work on Monday finally caught up to me. 5.25 miles at a 9:19 pace…it would have been faster had I run the regular route. The Bent Creek route includes two stops to cross Nolensville Rd & a water stop...and as you know I don't stop my garmin... 

Today, I'm heading straight to the gym to spin my legs out on the elliptical & bike for a little while. Then I'm doing the strengthening exercises for my left IT Band & glutes. So far so good…neither have given me fits lately at all. I'm also going to make myself get through at least half of the "Yoga for Runners" dvd when I get home & I'll finish the rest on Friday along with ab ripper.

We don't have yoga on Sunday so I may end up doing this dvd again or P90X Stretch on Sunday to get ready for the Franklin Classic 10k. I hear the route changed so of course, we'll go drive it. LOL!

I can't wait. I'm itching to "race".

10 X 800s boom!

Jo Ann, Pam, Tandy, Russ, & I got over to the Ravenwood track about 6:10pm & got down to business.

I really think the first 800 that I do is always a "warm up" & I'm ok with that. The first one is always one of the slowest. I would make myself hold back on the first loop around the track & then I would start slowly reeling them in as we headed around the end of the track on the 2nd loop. My goal was to stay well under 3:55 but not burn my legs out by the 6^th or 7^th 800. I felt great the entire time. I'm really proud of the 3:26 I did on the 10^th 800 because I still felt like I could do another one. Speed work is essentially over for me during this training cycle. I think the rest of the crew may be coming back for two more weeks of it after the Franklin Classic on Labor Day. I'm going to focus more on longer tempo runs. I will really miss my Monday night speed work buddies!

1.06 mi warm up-10:34

10 X 800s (with 60 to 90 seconds rest in between each one)

3:52, 3:36, 3:41, 3:43, 3:42, 3:40, 3:43, 3:35, 3:51, 3:26

1.06 mi cool down-10:07

The 800s above average out to be about a 3:44. If you believe in & trust the "Yasso 800s" prediction, I should be able to run a marathon around a 3:44-ish. I will believe it when I do it. Ha! Honestly, I have to believe that all these consecutive weeks that I've done these 800s on very tired legs will help me on Nov 2^nd.   This may be the missing piece to this puzzle of missing a sub 3:55 by a few minutes. I have to delay the stress on my legs & the stress on my tummy. I'm still working on eating things that don't upset my tummy. The 2^nd long run in the heat with the dates seems to prove that I should stick with them. The key is to get plenty of rest the two nights before these long runs so that my body isn't missing the caffeine jolt it was getting from the gus. So, that's still an ongoing experiment at this time.

Today I'm going to spin my legs out on a bike at the gym for a little while before I join the Wild Wings group run. I'm only running around 3 very slow miles today as recovery. I'm still undecided as to how hard & long I want to run tomorrow. I'm thinking a progression run in the morning & a tempo in the afternoon….maybe 10 for the day…. I can't believe that I'm almost 2 months away from my 13^th marathon.

Decision made: 18 hilly, hot miles....

We met up with our usual friends at 5am & circled back at 5:30am for more friends.  I had taken two sportslegs tabs, ate my usual oatmeal, banana, honey stinger gel, & coffee all before leaving the house.  I drank as much as I could but probably should've drank more.  I ate 9 dates & took in a gel that came in my stridebox that had coconut water in it.  It went down fast since it was watery.  I took that in when we finished up the 6-7 mile hilly loop. 
We did roughly 3-3.5 by 5:30am then hit the 6-7 mile hilly loop that involves Sunset Middle, a neighborhood, & lots of hills, then we were back at Mama's Java refilling bottles, etc...  We then took off for about 2+ flat miles, including the Industrial park, the ball park, Nolensville Elementary, then I decided to take the "Wednesday night 5+ mile hilly loop" to finish the run off or rather "finish me off".  LOL!  I'm trying hard to add hills at the end of most of my "long" runs simply because the Monumental course does have a few small rollers the back half as I've stated before on here.  This was tough simply because it felt really warm by the time we ran that last hour.  Keep in mind it was 70 degrees when we started at 5am.  At mile 10 when I was feeling awesome, I made the decision to go on with the 18 miles.  I knew deep down it was the right thing to do this weekend since we have the Franklin Classic 10k on Labor Day & I want a shorter "long" run two days before.  Doing a 20 miler two days before that 10k sucked last year & I was determined not to do that again. 

18 miles - 2:51:26 - 9:32 pace
Way slower than my winter 18 miler but that's what summer long runs are...slower!  I have to say I am A OK with the pace, though.  The later warmer miles on tired legs on massive hills were tough.  I was having to play mental games with myself on them since the heat was getting to me.  Many thanks to Jo Ann who ran the entire time with me.  The woman needs to push "play" on her first marathon for sure.

1- 9:12
2- 9:16
3- 8:54
4- 10:15 (putting my fuel belt on & getting the 5:30am crowd)
5- 9:19
6- 9:02 (starting the hills on the loop)
7- 9:03
8- 9:19
9- 9:18
10- 9:09
11- 10:57 (back at the car for refueling)
12- 9:26
13- 9:27 (start hitting the hills again)
14- 9:58 (ugh....Ballenger....& more hills)
15- 9:38
16- 9:43
17- 9:53 (The former "C25ker's" nicknamed this course "hell on hills" for a reason)
18- 9:39

2nd Run: "2 a Day Wednesday" 8 miles on hills in the heat

I told Jay (former C25'er) that running in the heat like we had yesterday on hills for 8 miles would make him really strong for The Middle Half. He's new to long distance running so he believed me. LOL!

We ended up starting out strong on the 5 mile hilly route & I knew it would come back to haunt us later & it did. We were at a death march barely keeping it below a 10 minute pace the last mile & a half. The fact that bugs were trying to eat us alive didn't help but he was staying with it no matter what & we finished at a 9:39 pace overall. His wife is a nurse working 12 hour shifts & they have a son that can't be left alone yet. So, he's struggling to get the "long-ish" runs in but he's now back on track. He told me that running long on Monday's would work better for him since he knows NRC childcare on Wednesday's will very likely end soon. I told him my "speed work" will end over the next couple of weeks. I had already got it in my head that I'm going to do my "long-ish week day runs" on Mondays starting mid to late Sept. That may work out for him if he speeds up a little bit as it gets cooler.

My Monday's will likely have a "long-ish" run of 8-12 miles at a low to mid-9's pace until it cools down. I am hoping by the time I start doing this that the temps are cooler but you never know with middle TN. Wednesday's will be short tempo runs...I may keep the "2 a day runs" on Wednesdays for a little while longer. I do feel that my legs are getting stronger & snapping back faster as the weeks go by. ;-)

I've still not decided exactly what to do on Saturday since it's supposed be a cut back week on the long run. I guess I'll just bring enough fuel & "wing" it. Sometimes the long runs that aren't "over-planned" turn out to be the best long runs. Friday's overnight low is showing 70 on my iPhone right now but I can hope for the best.

1st Run: "2 a day Wednesday" 4 miles - tempo-ish pace

I rolled out the door at 4:56am & had decided to avoid the front of our 'hood. I didn't do the BIG hills but kept some smaller rollers in for 4 miles. My 4th mile had a lot of down hill to it. Trust me, it wasn't that I was feeling great or anything that I pushed out a sub 8 mile. It was warm & humid. When I stopped to bend over & stretch I created a puddle of sweat on the sidewalk.

4 mi - 33:41 - 8:25 pace
9:14, 8:06, 7:56, 8:24

I'm doing ab ripper when I get home & then a slow 8 miles with the club. It's going to be muggy but I can deal if I carry my fuel belt.
Tomorrow, I'm doing IT Band exercises, a few weights, & the bike.
Friday, will be ab ripper & rest....still deciding exactly how much to run Saturday since Joe's brother, Jake (and family) won't arrive until late afternoon.
I really would like a shorter run the Saturday before the Franklin Classic 10k...ummmm......

Monday night speed work at Ravenwood

This week due to a lot of school "open houses" it was just Joe, Jo Ann, Diana, Lauren R. & myself at the track.  We missed the other half of the crew last night.  Some were sick with sinus issues.  It's that time of year here.

 

9 X 800s, 1 to 2 minutes rest in between walking & sipping nuun.

1.3 mile warm up – 13.01 time

1- 3:57 (started too conservative…could've carried on a conversation during this one)
2- 3:43
3- 3:44
4- 3:39
5- 3:46
6- 3:42
7- 3:51 (feeling it!)
8- 3:39 (gave myself a pep talk)
9- 3:46 (thinking I will thank myself & remember this night if this pays off Nov 2^nd!)
1.06 mi cool down - 9:48 time

Next Monday will be my last day at the track for speed work & of course, I'm doing 10 X 800s.

It was around 82 degrees when we started the work out last night but with a lot of cloud cover. No rain so I wore my new Adidas Boost. Love those shoes!
For the evening I had a total of 6.86 miles.

I'm spinning my legs & running an easy 3 miles with Jane & the Wild Wings group tonight.

Recovery & "conservative" speed work

Yesterday I took it easy...jogged 2 miles round trip to the gym at roughly an 11 & a half minute pace, did my weights, & rode a bike for 40 minutes.  I have taken 2 ice baths in the last two days & worn my CW-X compression tights for approximately 8 hours over the weekend.  I feel great & I am looking forward to "speed work" tonight.  Have you ever got into the habit of doing something every week & you're already dreading the fact that's it is going to end soon?
Meaning...I am going to actually miss my speed work friends on Monday nights when this ends.  True, I'll still see most, if not all of them on Monday's (in the dark soon) but it's been an adventure, it's been "playtime" in a new environment.  It's been fun!  Yes, apparently, I've crossed over to the dark side where "speed work" is fun. Who am I?

So the plan for today:
Ab ripper P90X this morning before work
1 mile warm up, then 9 X 800s with about a 1-2 minute rest in between, then another 1 mile cool down

I'm going ahead with the plan to do 9 X 800s & the plan is to start out slow.  Meaning I'm going to be ok with it if my first 1-2 are 3:55-4:00 but the rest better stay below 3:55.  I've not had any trouble at all even in the heat keeping them around the 3:35-3:45 range so this "experiment" should help me practice "holding back" a little but pushing at the end.  Make sense?  It should to someone who's missed a goal twice by literally a few minutes this year. 

Next Monday on the 26th, I plan to do 10 X 800's.  We'll be running the Franklin Classic 10k the following Monday on Labor Day.  The Monday after Labor Day, I hope to do a one mile time trial back at the school to compare it to the one I did 2 days after the Franklin Half.  It should without a doubt be faster than the 6:54 mile I did that night.  (What was I thinking doing a time trial 2 days after a hilly ass half marathon? doh!)

17.2 miles: "the date experiment"

We are having some really good weather for August in middle TN.  Usually in August, the overnight lows are in the 70's & the yards are brown.  We've had so much rain this Spring/Summer that we've not had to water our back yard at all.
All that being said, I still don't run well in warmer temps.   I like it COLD. Cold meaning....anywhere between 20 & 55 degrees.  That's my "sweet spot".  This morning's run went way better than last weekend's 16 miler.  I ended up with 17.2 miles by the time I got back to the car.   This morning I think the temp was mid-60's....what a nice "gift" in August! 
We met Traci & Jonathon at 5am at the Crocket Y parking lot & took off for some hilly neighborhoods in the dark.  I got in well over 6 miles by the time we met up with the 6am group.  We dumped our reflective gear & grabbed more fuel bottles.  I pretty much emptied two out of my fuel belt during the first hour.  I also ate 4 dates 47 minutes into the run at the suggestion of Scott A.  I ate a second helping of dates (4) around the hour & a half mark.  I never got the sick to my tummy feeling that I have got with gels/gu.  I think the dates might just work!
We had dropped Joe's car with a cooler at Ravenwood high school so we would have another place to refill our bottles.  Altogether I know I drank a little more than last week so that went better, too.  I didn't have the glute cramping that I had the previous week.  (We call it "ass cramping"  LOL!)  Overall, I'm pretty pleased with my pace. I never stopped my garmin at any of the refueling spots or when Traci & Mandy went to the Ravenwood portapotties.  ;-)  We did big hills the first hour & then did small rollers the rest of the time finishing the last few miles totally flat. 

17.2 miles - 2:39:59 - 9:18 pace (I'll gladly take a 9:18 pace in August any day)

1- 9:14 (easing into the hills!)
2- 8:55
3- 8:56
4- 8:57
5- 8:58
6- 9:04
7- 11:07 (eating dates, dropping reflective gear, refueling, & circling for 6am group)
8- 9:12
9- 9:08
10- 9:29 (portapottie stop for the girls-stretched a bit)
11- 10:01
12- 10:23 (eating dates, refilling fuel belts, Tim L. & Jonathon rejoin us)
13- 9:10
14- 8:45 (picking up the pace to finish strong)
15- 8:57
16- 9:14
17- 8:46
 .2- 8:35

After breakfast at Mama's Java's, Jessica & I headed to the gym.  She wanted to work out & this was an opportunity for me to stretch & spin my legs out for 35 minutes on a bike.  I even did my free weights for my arms. 

Next weekend Joe's brother comes in with his family for a quick overnight stay on Saturday.  We are way overdue for a cutback on our long run so I'm thinking I'll likely do 12 or 13 at the most next Saturday.  I swear if the Friday night temp drops below 60, I will change my mind!  LOL!

I'm remaining hopeful for a faster marathon time this Fall.  Hey, I've got nothing at all to lose at this point.  Just keep plugging away....  I will say this, I've never run this much in the summer....EVER.  I've never done "organized" speedwork this much with this amount of mileage.  I feel like it's working.  ;-)

2nd Run: "2 a Day Wednesday"

My 2nd run was with the former "C25'ers" soon to be half marathoners at The Middle Half.
The first 5 was the hilly route & then 2.33 miles were flat with Jo Ann & Jay A. He needed 7 & of course I missjudged the distance on my garmin but he'll be ok. The weather was FANTASTIC last night for a Wednesday night NRC run. Vicki & David V. had taken the club's cooler home for the week & brought it in with water in it yesterday. This is a "new" thing that the club has started...sharing the "bring the cooler" duties. Needless to say, they set the bar high with decorating it a bit. They're UT fans so you can imagine. Very cool! Vicki who works in the beer industry brought a pick up truck full of beer to give away! FREE BEER after an NRC run! I'm not a beer drinker but I was blown away with what all they brought. So very cool! Like I said, they set the bar high for everyone who gets the cooler next.

7.33 miles - hilly for the first 5 then flat for the rest - 9:11 pace - Time: 1:07:20
I think Jay could go sub 2 in his first half if he sticks with the training & gets in all his long runs.
He's faster than he knows he is but he's had calf issues. I gave him three "Sportlegs" capsules last night & handed him gatorade off my fuel belt during the run. He had a handheld with water in it.

Yesterday's mileage for me...12.33 miles...not bad for a Wednesday.

Today, I'm doing my "yoga for runners" dvd, 40 minutes on the bike, & my IT Band exercises.
Friday, P90X ab ripper, stretching.........carb loading for Saturday's 17 miler....
I'm going to experiment with eating dates on my long run this weekend per Scott's recommendation.
Always learning something new!

Run #1 on "Two a day Wednesday"

"Everything around us that we call "life" was made up by people who are no smarter than you. So build a life, don't live one."Ashton Kutcher-the lesson he "re-learned" while filming the Steve Jobs movie.

I'm going to see the movie, "Jobs" this weekend. I read the book a few years ago & found it very interesting.

I've recently tried to find more time to read. It's hit or miss with me actually sitting down to read much right now. I started on "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. I'm at chapter 9. I hope to barrel through it more this weekend.

I am really enjoying the "Wild Wings" group run on Tuesday's right now. It fits real well with my schedule. Since I'm doing speed work on Mondays, I don't want to do more than 3 SLOW miles on Tuesdays right now & that's exactly what I did last night. Jane S. & Jo Ann joined us last night. Kim D. plans to join us soon. Great wings!

This morning I jumped out of bed at 4:35am startled at my alarm going off. I was in a deep sleep. I finally got out the door at 4:49am, ran 5 miles of hills, stretched some, got ready for work, & was in the car by about 6:32am. Over the years, I have learned that I can get ready for work really fast if I lay everything out the night before & use the dryer on my hair. LOL! I think it took me less than 40 minutes this morning. Most women take almost an hour or longer so I'm pretty proud of that. ;-P

5 miles – most of the hills the first few miles – 43:17 –pace 8:40

8:56, 8:59, 8:51, 8:14, 8:18

I've agreed to run slow tonight with former "C25k'er" Jay. He needs 7 miles at probably a 10 minute pace. (He's training for the middle half in Oct) I think that's totally doable after this morning's run.

This weather is totally cra-cra right now…high today of 79 in middle TN & it's August 14^th!!!! I'm NOT complaining…just wish tonight's low was Friday night's low.

8 X 800s...."Just do it!"

That's how I felt about this weeks speed work..."Just do it!"
Get it overwith & get home....

I did P90x ab ripper & some stretching yesterday morning before work.
Last night I did a 1.2 mile warm up on the track at a 12:01 pace.
It looked like rain when we started & thank goodness it was overcast but ugh, so humid.
3.36, 3.36, 3.32, 3.37, 3.36, 3.48, 3.42, 3.53 (the 3rd one is always the fastest for me)
I was dying by the last two, which tells me I really do need to slow it down on the front end.
I don't really know that I could have done two more at a 3:54 or lower, I was tired.
I rested about a minute to a minute & a half in between. If it were 400s, I would stick closer to a minute but in this weather, I'm cutting myself some slack.
I cooled down with 1.07 around the track at a 10:20 pace.

The last two 800s we did while it was lightening off in the distance.
It started raining during my cool down but just light rain.
We just barely got the speed in before the weather got bad.
God really WANTED us to get this done! LOL!

I took two sportlegs tabs when I got home & did an ice bath.
I had forgotten to take the the sportlegs before speed work. ;-(
I feel ok but I sure didn't feel like rolling out of bed early enough to get some yoga done this morning.
I've got a massage today during lunch. Hoping Ryan at the Y can work on the pirifomis in my left hip. Honestly, the only part of my body that is cranky is my hips, specifically the left one.
Other than that I feel good. I also have another massage scheduled for Monday over near work.
I will certainly need it if I do 17 miles on Saturday. Now if the Wed night overnight low would just move to friday night, I'd be a happy runner!

"cut back week"....sorta?

I do P90x ab ripper Mon, Wed, Fri, & yoga twice a week.
My yoga time averages about 2 1/2 hours a week right now.
How do I make time for it?  Well, I can't run well if I don't do it.
I'm 46 yrs old, my body doesn't snap back together like it used to, speed work EVERY Monday, & the last 3-4 weeks I've had my mileage at 40+ a week.
I NEED the yoga!  I feel better when I do it & I LOVE it.
The above, I can't cut back on but I can cut back on the running some...

First of all, I was going to do a cut back on the long run this week simply because my body was screaming for a cut back.  I didn't do it because I thought that Joe's brother & his family were coming in next weekend.  I was going to cut back my long run to 12 miles next weekend.  Turns out I had it ALL wrong, they're not coming in for two more weeks.  All this said...and with the way the weather is trending for next Friday night's low, I may go ahead & do 17 miles next Saturday...we'll see.

My "cut back"?...I didn't do 40+ miles this week.  I had about 38 miles but over 4 miles of it was slow walking.  That was my "cut back".  Instead of doing a 5 mile easy run this morning, I decided to walk.  As I stated before, my gym is 1 mile from the house.  I can walk 2 miles or add a little bit or a lot.  Thursday I walked 2 miles, did the bike at the gym, & my IT Band exercises (preventative maintenance).  Today, I walked 2.22 miles, did weights, IT Band exercises, & the bike.  I'm doing Erin's yoga class later this afternoon.  I made the decision to avoid the easy 5 miler simply because I needed to cut back somewhere.  It's also not smart to run 16 miles & then drive 2 hours round trip to Tullahoma.  LOL!

I had to forgo my ice bath & take the car into my car guy in Manchester, plus see family....been too long...  My "behind" ached on the drive simply because I hadn't stretched or had my ice bath.  The smartest thing I did last weekend after my 15 miler was the ice bath & I wore my CW-X compression tights for recovery.  I felt awesome the next morning.  When I woke up this morning...notsomuch....  I let the early Sunday morning runners know I wouldn't be there. 

As for the 16 miler itself...hot & humid meant I had to take in a lot of fluids, plus practice some nutrition.  I took in a total of 4 "sportslegs" capsules, which certainly helped.  Two before the run & two in the middle of it.  I had a "naturally" caffeinated honey stinger gel before we began, a banana flavored honey stinger at mile 7, & then another "naturally" caffeinated honey stinger about mile 11.  I drank lemon-lime Gatorade, some lemonade zippfizz, & some cola nuun.  I am determined to drink & eat everything in order to see what works & to get my stomach used to a lot of different things. I hope I develop a cast-iron stomach by the end of summer!

We met Andrea K., Jo Ann, & David V. at Mama's Javas at 5am.  We dropped fluids at Nolensville Elementary.  We refilled bottles twice.  At mile 11, which was my slowest mile, I changed out my bottles, & waited for Jo Ann to get water in MJ's & get the blood off her leg.  When she had a potty break she hit her knee on the door.  It didn't seem to slow her down.  She ended up with 15.25 miles when we finished.  Joe called his run at 14 miles due to his arm cramping.  Andrea had to be home before 6:30am so her hubby, Zack, could start his run.  (Traci was out of town, Danielle ran later, & Mandy had to do her long run on Friday.)  David V. got in his long run of 7.5+ miles & did great. 
Over all, we were sorta all over the place & at one point Jo Ann & I lost each other.  LOL!  It was an adventure much like most of our long runs. Splits below...I do not stop my garmin for anything as stated before...I strive for a "true" pace on all my long runs.

16 miles - 2:33:05 - 9:34
1- 9:43 (easing into it)
2- 9:05
3- 9:09
4- 9:06
5- 9:19
6- 9:18
7- 10:50 (my first fuel refill, dumping the reflective gear, & running my mouth)
8- 9:29 (started hitting a few hills)
9- 9:09
10- 9:31 (portapottie break)
11- 11:37 (fuel refill at MJ's & amazed Jo Ann is bleeding from her knee & still running)
12- 9:11
13- 9:31 (circling for Joe who's decided to head back early to MJ's)
14- 9:17
15- 9:19
16- 9:39 (drained, sweaty mess & just want it to be over...circling MJ's the last .25)

I am A - OK with this run since I dare say it was definitely the warmest long run I've done all year.  Had Joe been my "pack mule" I think the pace would have been a little faster but he had to cut it short by 2 miles anyway.  It is what it is for an August "long run" in Tennessee.... It feels like the rain forest here.  It was strange to see the overgrown greenery all the way from South Nashville to Coffee County.  SO MUCH RAIN....and not one drop fell on us during this 16 miler to cool us off!  gggrrrrr......

Tomorrow is speed work....8 X 800s....  I've never done that many 800s at one time.  The plan....slow it down again this week.  I have to survive it without making myself crazy sore.  If they are all 3:45's I will be very OK with that.  I just hope it doesn't storm on us. 

BRING ON FALL & FOOTBALL, please!!!!!

2nd run: "2 a day Wednesday"

Note to self:  When I have it in my head that I want a hilly tempo run, I need to do a route I'm familiar with...doh!  I'm craving some fresh new routes so for the 2nd time only, I joined the "Bent Creek" crew last night.  I accidentally called it, "Bent Cweek". The pace was "9" but most were just below that & looping for a few folks.  I seemed to be pushing ahead at some points.  I looped or waited and/or asked for directions when I would see more than one turn.  I will get it with just a few more runs, I think...so for now I'm going to toss the idea of doing a hard-ish, hilly, tempo run on Wednesday evenings. 

5 miles - 44:15 - 8:51 pace
8:50, 8:37, 8:48, 9:12, 8:48

I took two "sportlegs" capsules & boy, did they make a difference.  I usually come home on Wednesday nights from the NRC runs a little stiff legged & then Thursday I wake up a little more stiff but not this time.  I feel pretty dang great!