A Lighter Tuesday

Today, I just walked 1.07 miles in 21 minutes on the treadmill. I feel myself heading toward a rest day, which I really feel I need, but it's sooo hard to give up the exercise, even for the day! Exercise is for my body, for the most part, but there's also a mental component, how the exercise makes me feel about my body, the sense of accomplishment I have when I exercise right off the bat, before I do anything else.

BUT...I really want to heal, and have my body as healthy as it can be, when I really start ramping up the marathon training!

Monday, Monday

I woke up tired today, and my hip's a bit sorer than I'd like, but not as bad as it was a week ago. Yesterday was a busy day, standing on my feet at church a good bit of the morning, then visiting with family for the rest of the afternoon, so that explains a lot of the weariness.

This morning, I rode the recumbent bike first, 7.4 miles in 45:04 minutes. Then I walked 0.75 mile in 15:07 minutes. I wanted to take it easy, but wanted to burn calories too. *sigh* I may need to take a total rest day soon.

Meanwhile, I lost 4/10 of a pound when I got on the scales this morning, and am pleased with that, since I had a yummy brunch at Watts Street Grocery (a local restaurant) yesterday. Since I'm not back to running yet, I'm glad I'm losing some weight in the mean time.

Short Sunday Workout

I had a short workout today, as I helped out at both services at church today, and had to be there at 8:30 AM. I walked 1.06 miles (20:05 min) on the treadmill, then rode 1.76 miles (10:01 min) on the recumbent bike. It helped me wake up and get the blood pumping for the day.

A Half Marathon on the Bike

Well, I decided to hold back on running either the half marathon or the 5K this morning. I knew I'd probably try to go faster than I should on the 5K race, and running the half marathon distance was out of the question.

So, I headed to the gym and hopped on the recumbent bike first. Several miles into the ride, I wondered if I could go 13.1 miles on the recumbent bike. I decided to give it a try and see how I felt. I ended up overshooting the half marathon distance to hit a multiple of 5s in the exercise minutes category. (It adds up to extra points earnings with SparkPeople and the Presidents Challenge to do multiple of 5s in exercise minutes. An odd little motivator, but there it is!)

1) Rode 13.35 miles (1 hr, 5min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.90 mile (15 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 0.16 mile (2:07 min) on the treadmill--this I shouldn't have tried, especially last, after 90 minutes of working out already. I'm not quite ready for running action yet, so I'm relieved I didn't go to Raleigh for the races today. I'm getting closer, but not quite there yet.

Friday on the Bike

Today I rode 10 miles (56:04 min) on the recumbent bike, then walked 0.31 mile (6 min) on the treadmill. Day #2 of no running was a little easier to take than yesterday. I know the sooner I heal, the sooner I'll start running again and training for the Outer Banks Marathon (225 days and change away!).

Meanwhile, I've found some stretching exercises to do for the hip area that's sore, so I'll start doing those soon.

I emailed the race director of the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon yesterday, to see if I could switch to the 5K, and he said I could. With rain in the forecast for tomorrow morning, though, I might just pass and do some lighter stuff in the gym. Tonight, I'll do the pertinent RICE steps(RestIceCompressElevate), though I don't know that I need to compress this injury.

Thursday Workout

1) Rode 6.32 miles (35 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Did 1.65 miles (20:05 min) on the elliptical
3) Walked 1.2 miles (20:06 min) on the treadmill

This is the first time since late November that I haven't run at least a little bit. My hip is still sore, so I've decided to scale back on the running first and see if that helps. I hope I don't have to quit exercising altogether, but it may boil down to that.

Of this morning's exercise, the bike riding felt the best, maybe because I did it first!

Wednesday Morning Workout

1) Walked 3.57 miles (1:05:00) on the treadmill
2) Ran 0.15 miles (2 min) on the treadmill

The running just didn't work. The right hip (flexor?) still hurts. Bummer! *sigh*

Ouch!

My right thigh and hip (sort of ) area are still sore today. They felt better when I got up, but when I exercised, and afterward now, not so much. What does this tell me? Hmmmm. Anyway, I accomplished a little:

1) Walked 2.35 miles (40 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 0.90 mile (11 min) on the treadmill. Went until I felt a sharper twang, had to stop!
3) Walked 0.66 mile (12 min) on the treadmill, slower pace.
4) Tried running long enough to get the extra tenth of a mile of running in, couldn't do 30 seconds. Bad news there.

So, when do I know when to take a rest day? I'm so bad a taking rest days, I don't think I've missed a day of running since I had the flu in November. That might have something to do with why I'm hurting, huh?! Still, I love the calorie burn from running to help with my weight loss efforts. What do I do?! Grrrr!

Meanwhile, there's a good chance of thunderstorms on Saturday morning, half marathon day. Hope things change!

Monday Workout

I woke up this morning with a sore right thigh and hip joint, plus still a little tired from Saturday's long run. (Gotta get to bed earlier!) So, today's workout was a bit of a patchwork quilt.

1) Walked 1.8 miles (30 min)
2) Ran 0.15 mile (2 min)
3) Walked o.63 mile (10 min)
4) Ran 1.5 miles (18:05 min)
5) Walked 0.63 mile (10:05 min)
6) Ran 0.42 mile (5:07 min)

Bleh.

Meanwhile, the weather forecast on this morning's newscast showed a 50% chance of rain for Saturday, the day of the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon. Eh. I hope it's not another rainy race day!

Sunday Morning Workout

1) Walked 1.21 miles (20:05 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.26 miles (15 min) on the treadmill
3) Rode 2 miles (10:10 min) on the recumbent bike

I'm just plain tired today from yesterday's long run. I wanted to work out longer, but my legs are just plain tired! That's understandable, but I'll be glad when the long runs don't take such a toll on my legs.

Saturday Run (mostly) at Shelley Lake

This morning I decided I was up for a change of scenery, so I headed to Shelley Lake to do my long run. The parking lot was pretty full, and I soon learned that the Annual Huck Finn Fishing Derby was being held today. Here's a cute article about a previous year's Huck Finn Fishing Derby at Shelley Lake. Despite the extra cars, I saw several Gallowayers gathering for group runs or walks, and it was fun to catch up a little! I walked with three of them for a little while, then took off!

I wasn't sure how long I was going today, but I knew it needed to be "long." I'd added some new songs to my iPod before I left home, for extra ammunition. I ended up going 9.05 miles in 2:30:15 in the beautiful weather, and saw several other Galloway run/walkers on the trail while I was at it! I worked on walking faster during my walk breaks, and the music helped my running go a little faster too, I think, so my average pace was 40 seconds faster today than it was during my last long run 2 weeks ago. (Last weekend I had a 5K race.) I'm happy about the faster pace, especially since the pain is back under the bridge of my right toes. I think a doctor's appointment is eminent, especially with marathon training just around the corner.

After the Shelley Lake run, I ran by the public library for some books I had on hold, then stopped by the gym. I decided to run on the treadmill for a while to work on speed when tired. I was just going to do a mile, but ended up doing 2.15 miles in 25:09 minutes, a decent pace for me any day of the week! So, I ended up with 11.2 miles for today, decent mileage (but not too much?) the week before a half marathon.

I got a little sun on my face today, and wonder if any readers have suggestions for sunscreen for the face, something that won't melt and dribble into my eyes (ouch, sting!).

My running, walking, and biking mileage for this week have all surpassed last week's mileage totals! Yay!

Friday Workout

1) Rode 5.22 miles (30:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.90 mile (15:07 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 2.26 miles (26:02 min) on the treadmill

I also got on the vertical left left again and did 4 sets of 5 reps each. I realized my ab muscles were sore, eventhough I did it two days ago! Ouch! I need to keep working on my abs--I can tell I REALLY need it!

Thursday Walk/Run in New Shoes

First I walked 0.87 mile in 15:03 minutes to warm up, feeling a little sluggish. Then, I managed to run 3.77 miles in 45:01 minutes! It's a slower pace than I've done lately, but it felt good to slug it out. I wore my new Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9s, which had nothing to do with my sluggishness (at least I don't think so!), and almost everything to do with my being able to last an hour of walking, then running, this morning.

I was sore in the hips this morning when I got up, very likely from yesterday's reps on the vertical leg lift thing at the gym. I didn't take the time to do it again this morning, but plan to make it a regular part of my workout. I'm excited about having a new addition to my workout plan!

Wednesday Workout

1) Rode 5.37 miles (30:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 1.01 miles (16:06 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 2.15 miles (25 min) on the treadmill

I also did 4 sets of 5 reps on the vertical knee raise. I haven't done any core work in, like, forever, so this was a little hard for me to do. I can tell I need to strengthen my abs, so this should be good for me, right? :)

I've decided to really work on the weight loss again, so I don't have to carry any more extra weight than I have to during the marathon. No doubt about it, weight can slow a body down. I recorded my weight yesterday, and much to my suprise, I was UP 2/10 of a pound today! WAAAA! Not the encouraging start I wanted on the diet front, but I must remember the big picture.

First Marathon!

Big news! I've signed up for my first marathon, the Outer Banks Marathon on November 8! I have lots of time now to train (and stay healthy!). I'm nervous, but excited too!

I've also decided to use it as a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House of Durham. I visited there last month as a volunteer stint with my Junior League committee, and it really made an impression on me! My fundraising goal is $500, and my online fundraising page is here.

More to come!

Tuesday Workout

1) Walked 1.26 miles (20:05 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 3.37 miles (38:03 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.66 mile (10:07 min) on the treadmill

I also walked from West Campus back to my work building after a meeting, about a 30-minute walk.

Looking on the Bright Side

A little while ago, I received an encouraging comment on my race report from the Run for the Oaks in 2007, and it was fun to reread my excitement over finishing in 46 minutes and change! I totally missed the Run for the Oaks last year due to a broken nose, so I hit a course record this year--in the rain! Eventhough I wish I'd gone faster this year, it's nice to be reminded of overall progress. The comment poster for the two-year-old race report is anonymous, but I thank him or her for the encouragment--and the neat reminder that running is, indeed, a journey.

Monday Morning at the Gym

1) Rode 5.45 miles (30 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.61 mile (10:02 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 3.11 miles (35 min) on the treadmill

I've pretty much decided to run the Outer Banks race this year, and am trying to decide between the full marathon or the half. It's nice having a little extra motivation during my morning workout as I ponder that.

Post-race Workout

1) Ran 2.57 miles (30:05 min) on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.62 mile (10:04 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 1.73 miles (20 min) on the treadmill

It's still raining like crazy here, so I did a gym workout this morning. I probably would have done the treadmill anyway to work on my speed a bit. I'm sore today from yesterday's 5K race, which surprises and disappoints me a bit. Based on my time, it wasn't that impressive a performance, and the course has less hills than the Run for the Roses (where I ran a little faster). What gives?! Ah, well, I need to shake it off and set my sights on the Raleigh Rocks Half.

Race Report: 2009 Run for the Oaks

I ran the Run for the Oaks 5K this morning! Though it didn't turn out like I'd planned or hoped, I had fun, and I'm definitely glad I did it!

1) The weather. It was raining and in the 40s--the whole race. I knew this was in the weather forecast, but when I headed out the door, it wasn't raining (yet--or again, I should say), so I was hopeful. Ha! By the time I got out of my apartment complex, there were sprinkles on my windshield, and it got a bit harder. Not gully washer, though. Still doable for the race.

2) The team. This race had a corporate team component, where female and male teams from a same employer could sign up for team award eligibility, in addition to running as an individual. I thought it would be fun to try to get a library team together, so I sent out an email blast and got five interested women! Earlier this week, it whittled down to three, the minimum number for a team, but alas, there were two of us left standing at race time this morning. Although Amy and I didn't make enough members for an official team today, she was a great sport about coming anyway (from Hillsborough to Raleigh, no less!), and it was a lot of fun to see and talk with her outside of the work arena.

3) My finishing time. Official times haven't been posted yet, but I think I finished around 41 minutes, much slower than I'd hoped, considering I've been working on my speed more lately. I'll blame it on the rain.

On a bright note, I saw several online acquaintances in person this morning, meeting some for the first time! Shout-outs to Cindy, Mary, and Margett for being out there this morning. I also caught up with Louise (from the Frozen 5K, the Run for the Roses water stop, and numberous other races) for a bit, which was fun too. Another nice surprise was running into coworker Colleen, and meeting her boyfriend and father briefly. In ACC Basketball Tournament news, the Duke t-shirt I wore for today's race garnered a couple of comments about last night's game, which Duke won by one point!

UPDATE: Chip time 40:37, Gun time 41:01

Friday Workout

1) Walked 1.22 miles (20 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 3.2 miles (36:02 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.64 mile (10:03 min) on the treadmill
4) Ran 0.55 mile (6:06 min) on the treadmill, a little speedwork at the end

Tomorrow's the Run for the Oaks 5K, and there's an 80% (some places say 90%) chance of rain tomorrow! Since I've organized a team from work for the team competition, we're all like, "Okaaayy, I'll be there!" I'll tell ya, though, after surviving the Frozen 5K back in January, what's a little rain?! I'm gonna do it!

Thursday Workout

1) Rode 6.24 miles (35:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 1.02 miles (17:04 min) on the treadmill
3 Ran 2.81 miles (31:05 min) on the treadmill

The run was at an 11:04 average pace--yay! Making speed progress! I know it must sound like a snail's pace to others, but I'm encouraged.

In walking and biking news, I've already surpassed last week's walking and biking totals, so I need to work a little more on my running mileage between now and the end of the weekend, since I'll be doing a 5K race instead of a long run on Saturday. (Rain, rain in the forecast, go away!)

Wednesday (Mostly) Running

1) Ran 1.35 miles (16:10 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 2.15 miles (25:06 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.62 mile (10 min) on the treadmill
4) Ran 0.51 mile (6 min) on the treadmill

Feeling a bit sore afterward. Good workout overall, though.

Tuesday Run

1) Ran 3.14 miles (36 min) on the treadmill. Had to make a pit stop.
2) Ran 1.05 miles (11:15 min) on the treadmill. 10:42 avg. pace is my fastest in a while! :)

Wish I'd had longer to workout, but have an early-ish meeting at work. Maybe I'll take a walk later and enjoy the beautiful day.

New Workout Week

1) Ran 2.1 miles (25:15 min) on the treadmill
2) Walked 0.61 mile (10:05 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 0.92 mile (11:04 min) on the treadmill
4) Walked 0.62 mile (10:01 min) on the treadmill
5) Rode 2.02 miles (11 min) on the recumbent bike

It felt good to get over an hour of cardio in this morning!

Sunday Morning Workout

1) Walked 1.23 miles (21 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 0.50 mile (6:06 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.63 mile (11 min) on the treadmill
4) Ran 0.50 mile (6:06 min) on the treadmill
5) Rode 1.05 miles (6:01 min) on the recumbent bike

Felt a bit tired and sore from yesterday's 10-miler, so I decided to take it easy today. I ended up with 26.29 miles for the week, up from last week's 20.10 weekly mileage. Pretty good improvement, though last week was a down week.

Saturday Long Run/Walk

I finally got another long training run/walk in today, a 10.01 mile run/walk on the American Tobacco Trail. It was a beautiful day to be out, though I wish I'd started earlier, because it started to warm up! It took me 2 hours and 53 minutes to finish, but I was determined to get a 10-miler in today, in training for the Raleigh Rocks Half Marathon later this month! Woohoo!

Friday Treadmill Workout

1) Ran 0.80 mile (10 min)
2) Walked 0.30 mile (5:01 min)
3) Ran 0.91 mile (11:03 min)
4) Ran 1.71 miles (20 min)

Enjoyed playing with the pacing on the treadmill this morning. I had extra energy after yesterday's short run. Wish it had fallen differently, because I need to do a long run tomorrow.

Thursday (Kinda) Short Run

1) Ran 1.23 miles (15 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 0.90 mile (10:12 min) on the treadmill

Okay, so I slept in a bit this morning, after a Junior League meeting kept me out a bit later than normal. Plus, it was my first night of sleep without a mid-night coughing spell, and I think my body enjoyed the extra sleep. Then, there was the whole thing where I forgot to set my alarm clock last night, and was thankful that George got me up (though an hour later than I'd planned!). I had an early (for me) meeting this morning, so my workout was short. That was probably a good idea after yesterday's long-ish run.

Wednesday Running

1) Ran 3.16 miles (37:03 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.26 miles (18:04 min) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.32 miles (5:01 min) on the treadmill

It felt great to have a strong run after Tuesday's blah effort!

Tuesday Morning Blahs

1) Rode 2.61 miles (20:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 0.56 mile (10:01 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 0.16 mile (2:05 min) on the treadmill

Talk about the workout blahs! Ick! I think it was a combination of things this morning. I had a hard workout yesteray, and my legs feel much more tired than usual this morning. Add to the tiredness the fact that I had my bimonthly small group meeting last night and didn't get home until nearly 10 PM, and then was up in the middle of the night with a coughing spell.

In hindsight, perhaps I could've pushed myself a little harder this morning, but I could tell I was just plain tired. And there's always tomorrow. I'm just used to being a little more consistent with my running miles and longer workouts during the week. Maybe there's something to alternating hard and easy days. What's your experience with that?

On a positive workout note, I did enjoy reading some of Charlaine Harris's Dead Until Dark while I rode on the recumbent bike. I've read all or part of three ofther mystery series of hers, so I decided to start at the beginning with the Sookie Stackhouse books.

Monday (Snow Day!) Workout

1) Ran 1.26 miles (15:01 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.75 miles (20:16 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 1.04 miles (12:02 min) on the treadmill
4) Walked 0.65 mile (1o:13 min) on the treadmill
5) Ran 0.73 mile (8 min) on the treadmill

I had today off due to a snow day at work! It felt good to relax for a bit before going to the gym, and I even thought about taking a "snow day" from working out, but once I was there, I decided to take advantage of having a day off to work out a little bit harder. Once I got through one run, I decided I had more umph in me, so I'd run more! The first run was at an 11:55 min/mile average pace, the next two at 11:34, and the last at 10:57, which felt quick but good. I don't feel like I left much at the gym this morning. After lunch, it felt great to be able to take a nap!

Sunday Morning Run/Walk

This morning I ran 2.5 miles (30:07 min) on the treadmill, and walked 0.11 mile (2:04 minutes), again on the treadmill. My main exercise goal for the day was to get in 2.4 running miles in to top 20 miles for this week. It felt good to hit that goal, especially since I've been fighting a cold for the last few days. When I ran my first half marathon in November, I ran 14 miles and change the week after, so I feel like I'm building some endurance, doing 20 miles the week after a 20k race. Slow but steady.

In other goal news, I hit 103.8 miles for the month of February. Not a record month, but I'm still on track for 1000 miles in 2009. (This time last year I'd already been sidelined with a groin injury, and the broken nose was just around the corner!)