First 800s Workout in the Books

In place of a long run on yesterday's training schedule, the assignment was to do 4x800s at race pace. So, I used my projected half marathon race pace per mile based on my current Magic Mile average, which is 21:02, which translates into a 10:31 minute half mile, 800, or "Yasso." I decided that, since I only had four of them to do on yesterday's schedule, I'd try to pick up the pace. After a walking warm up, I nailed all four of them, with some walking in between. I walked a half mile afterward to cool down.

Here are my 800/half mile/Yasso splits:

1) 0.50 in 9:51 min
2) 0.50 in 9:42 min
3) 0.50 in 9:47 min
4) 0.50 in 9:43 min


Not quite the negative splits I was going for, but not bad. I felt pretty decent afterward too, so either I didn't run hard enough, or I'm getting in better shape. A little of both, perhaps.

Mid-week Runs

I haven't blogged as much this week, but I have gotten my mid-week runs in. On Monday, I went to the American Tobacco Trail in Durham, and completed 2.44 miles in 48:01 minutes for a 20:36 min/mile average pace. This morning I returned to the Brier Creek area, and completed 2.30 miles in 47:01 minutes, for a 20:26 min/mile average pace. I was happy to get a little faster today, but I've been feeling sluggish in my run/walks this week. Last weekend was pretty busy, with a lot of time on my feet both Saturday and Sunday, and I think that has factored in. I need to work on getting my mid-week pace back below 20:00 min/mile, though, on the way to getting faster overall.

This weekend's Galloway training schedule calls for 4x800 in place of the long run. I have a love/hate relationship with speedwork, but I hope it will help! I need to decide which track to hit.

Mile Repeats

I decided to run on the treadmill before work this morning, since today's heat index is in triple digits Fahrenheit, and I usually prefer to exercise in the morning anyway. My plan was to "get some running in," but it turned into mile repeats! This happened mostly because I had to go to the bathroom, but wanted to see how long I could last before I really had to stop and run to the ladies locker room! Maybe this is TMI, but it's how it happened to work out today. In retrospect, I'm glad I did it, and I can tell it was a good workout, more for endurance than speed this time, really. I did two mile repeats, which was plenty for my first time, especially since I ran without walk intervals for both! I've been feeling it for the rest of the day, in some overall tiredness. A good workout overall, though. In the near future, I think I'll try some shorter distance intervals (quarter and half miles) to change things around and work on my speed.

0.52 mile walk (warmup) in 10:05 (19:23 avg pace)
1 mile run in 17:24
1 mile run in 17:03

The second one was faster than last week's 17:22 Magic Mile outdoors, which reminds me how much easier it is for me to run on the treadmill in an air conditioned gym! Ah, well!

My upper body is sore from yesterday's strength training,

Running Dreams

I had two dreams about running recently, one Saturday night and another Sunday night, both involving my running speed (or lack there of). In Saturday night's dream, I was running a marathon that was taking me all day (quite literally)! In Sunday night's dream, I was meeting up with the running group, which was so large that we had to meet inside a mall (don't know why!). In the dream, I was walking around and looking at all the runners before we got started, and I was thinking, "I'm not going to be able to keep up with any of these people!"

Gee, do you think I have issues about my speed? :-P So, what am I going to do about it?

When I woke up yesterday (Monday) morning, I shook a leg and headed to the gym for a solid workout before work. I need to remember not to overdo it this week, though, since I have a 5K this weekend.

Welcome Back, Speed Workout!

I did a speed workout this morning for the first time in AGES! It was long overdue, for sure!


I was inspired, in part, by last Saturday's Galloway group training run, a 4-miler which included a "Magic Mile." I was the last one to finish the 1-mile test, with an 18-minute mile. Now, my average pace for the 4-miler is my best in quite a while, but I'm still at the back of the pack.

On Monday, I ran/walked 1.52 miles outside for 31 minutes, pretty slow, but I was pretty tired from Saturday morning's 4-miler, followed by two fun days of Duke graduation festivities and family time (congratulations, Laura!). Yesterday's exercise was a slow walk, so I decided I'd better work on speed today.

So, I decided to head to the gym and do my speed workout on the treadmill to help me ease into it. After warming up on the stationery bike, I did four 0.25 mile repeats, at 3:47, 3:46, 3:46, and 3:45. It's a good starting point, I think. My legs were pretty spent, but not totally (which is a good thing, since I still had to go to work!). In time, I'd like to build up to Yassos, the mile repeats, and plan to do some on the track or road too.


Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Some More Speedwork

This morning I joined some running friends for another speed clinic, and it was very helpful. We did some stretches after a warm-up on the track, then did some 400s. I was pretty pleased with my splits, even though I was the last one to finish each time. It was fun to see that I could go faster than I expected. I need to keep working on it.

Before the speed clinic, I worked out at the nearby Gold's Gym, a different location from my normal Gold's Gym, but still in the network of gyms I can visit under my membership.That's one of the nicest gyms I've ever been to! I was very pleasantly surprised! It's much bigger than my location, with cardio machines both downstairs and up. The women's locker room is huge, with amenities like lotion, mouthwash, and Qtips. The steamroom has eucalyptus spray available, which was sinus-clearing and smelled great, and the pool (they say) is salt water! The whirlpool was indoors by the swimming pool. The weight machine area was expansive, with at least one machine I'd never seen before. Ever.

And then, there's the fact that I rode the recumbent bike (4.55 miles in 31:01 min) in the cardio theater, with a James Bond movie playing. I have no idea which one, but it was interesting to experience. At first I thought it would be neat to watch a movie while I exercised, but since it was dark, I couldn't see the buttons on the recumbent bike. I had to use my iTouch as a flashlight to start my workout, which was a little frustrating. Also, my bike pace was a good bit slower than usual this morning, and I don't know if it was because of the movie, or because I was being cautious before the running clinic, or maybe because of my slightly tired legs at the time. *Shrug*

Anyway, very nice gym experience, too bad it's 30-40 minutes away, with gas prices the way they are. "My" Gold's Gym is less than 10 minutes away.

Saturday Speedwork

Saturday's workout was a little different! I signed up to join some other Raleigh Galloway runners for a running clinic held by another Raleigh Galloway runner, Luis, where we learned some speed work exercises plus a hill repeat drill. Since that didn't start until 10:00, I walked 2.29 miles beforehand. I'd meant to walk indoors on the gym treadmill, but by the time I got to the gym, there was only one treadmill left--and it was broken! Not a bad thing, though, walking outdoors, as it was a beautiful morning (though a little windy). I covered the distance in 45:08, a 19:42 average pace. I was happy to get under 20 min. for the average mile pace, as I'm trying to work my way down to sub-18 for some half-marathons with 4-hour cut-offs that I'm interested in doing.

The running (speed) clinic was great! Got lots of ideas for strengthening exercises. Unfortunately, the tendonitis in my right ankle really got aggravated, so yesterday turned into an unexpected rest day from exercise. My ankle was still quite tender this morning, until I took a warm shower and the ankle warmed up a little took, so I decided not to exercise this morning too. I think I'll use the dumbbells at home after work this evening, convenient to do and restful for the ankle.

I'm a little discouraged about missing some more endurance training with the half marathon coming up in a month, but I still have time. Perhaps I need to remember that rest is part of training too!

Meanwhile, I am working on other healthy habits, and my weight was down a little this morning.

Signed Up For Another Race!

Well, I did it! Last night I registered for the Tobacco Road Half Marathon in March! The race is a local one (in Cary, North Carolina), and a good chunk of the course goes along a section of the American Tobacco Trail in Wake County. One of the biggest plusses for me is that the half marathon has a seven hour time limit! Not that I plan to take seven hours for a half, mind you! It means that the race, which has the same finish line as the full marathon, is walker-friendly! :)

Meanwhile, training at the gym has been going pretty well the past few days, but it's nice to have a race to focus on now. I'm tempted to do some 5Ks now for speed practice (and, truth be told, I love road race mornings!), but I'd be pretty slow right now.

And yes, I am watching the calendar! January 7 is my podiatrist appointment for casting the orthotics! Woohoo!

Setting a New Bar

I went to the gym late this afternoon for a change (since I started my vacation around Noon-woohoo), and decided to start with the ArcTrainer, an elliptical-like contraption that's pretty challenging for me. I surprised myself by staying on there and moving for a whole hour! It was slow, but it was a good workout to me! When the machine cut off at 60 minutes, I'd completed 2.66 miles. Slow, for sure, but now I have a distance to beat! Feeling pretty good about that! :) All in all, a good endurance workout for me.

(It did remind me that I need to work on my speed this winter too.)

More Negative Splits!

I got a late start this morning, so I headed over to Brier Creek, and ran around that neighborhood. I tell ya, having my average pace display on my Garmin Forerunner is doing wonders for my training! I ended up running 3.07 miles in 50:01 minutes, an average pace of 16:16 min/mile, more than half a minute faster on average than Tuesday! AND each mile was faster, again!

Mile 1) 16:42
Mile 2) 16:29
Mile 3) 15:46
.07) 1:03 (on target for a 14:22 pace, but that was just me pushing at the end.)

Whew, good run!

Negative Splits Today!

This morning, I ran on the American Tobacco Trail again, and decided to take it easy, since I had a couple of challenging runs over the weekend, and have an 18-miler coming up on Saturday. I changed my run/walk ratio back to 1/1, with the option of running longer if I felt like it.

I ended up running 3.26 miles in 55:01 minutes, with negative splits on the miles! I was hoping for that, and worked on it a bit without doing the math in my head. I did do some extra running, and also did 4 fartleks, using different things (signs, trees, benches) as marks along the trail.

Mile
1 17:09
2 16:50
3 16:38
.26 4:23

It was a good run overall, though I'm still a little tired from the weekend running, and my knee is still feeling tender from last Thursday's spill in the state park. While the pace could've been faster, I am encouraged by the negative splits. With a distance PR coming up this weekend, I'm kinda in endurance mode this week, so I plan to get some extra rest and take care of my knee.

Things Are Looking Up

Eventhough I did a long run yesterday, and partly because I did a long run yesterday, I went back out this morning, with plans to do an easy run on the American Tobacco Trail. I put my iPod in the armband again, and clipped on my Gymboss--BUT decided not to turn it on. Oh, how the Gymboss has made my run/walk pacing easier, but I just needed a break from the beeping sound!

So, I decided to run for a while and see how I felt, taking walk breaks whenever I needed them. I set mini-goals for myself, picking off benches, trees, signs, and people as needed to get a relaxing run in. :) I ended up with my fastest outdoor average running pace of the year!! Couldn't believe it! I ended up with 3.17 miles in 50 minutes!

Mile
1 15:51 min.
2 15:56 min.
3 15:37 (came up with a new mantra there!)
.17 2.35 (a 15:26 pace)

I felt pretty okay afterward, but this afternoon, as I'm writing, I'm tired! My knee's also bothering me a little from Thursday's stumble. Gonna try to take it easy this afternoon and evening.

Meanwhile, last night I finished reading the Carolina Godiva Track Club's most recent newsletter, and my running horoscope said, "Think through your training regime and don't overreact when it doesn't go according to plan. Just keep running along." Huh. :)

10 More Miles in the Books

Well, today's 10 miles is in the books, and that's the best thing I can say about it, really. *sigh* Just one run, though, right? :> I think I had high expectations for it going better than it did, since I've gotten some great advice from fellow runnings, altered my mid-week workouts to include more and faster mileage as well as some hill work, lost some weight, AND took a rest day yesterday.

George and I set out 30 minutes ahead of the rest of the Galloway group, in part to try out a new run/walk ratio of 20 seconds running/40 seconds walking that Jeff Galloway suggested I use for long runs. (I emailed him a couple days ago about my struggles with my pace.) George and I decided we wanted to try going out slow, and going faster along the way, a try a negative splits. We walked the first mile, and started the 20/40 ratio in mile 2. My personal goal was to finish with an average pace of under 18 minutes/mile.

We both felt like we left a lot on the course, more than the numbers reveal. The heat and humidity did have an effect. One of my wishes is that we'd started out a little faster, walking less at the beginning.

Mile
1 20:45 (walk)
2 17:57
3 18:39
4 18:01
5 18:28
6 20:21 (after our McDonald's pit stop)
7 18:37
8 18:25
9 16:33 (Fastest mile, when we realized how slow our pace had been on G's phone calculator)
10 18:45 (Tuckered from picking up the pace in the last mile)
.38 6.26 (On target for a 16:51 mile, ran part of the way in)

Total for the run was 10:38 miles in 3:13:01, an average 18:35 pace, with 3109 ft. of ascent. I've put on a good face for George, but I'm pretty deflated about today's run.

Today was the annual Galloway pancake breakfast after the run. I had some orange slices and juice, but didn't feel like much else. *sigh*

I think I'll have a light run tomorrow to get back in the saddle. Meanwhile, I think I'll continue to tweak the run/walk ratio, as well as my workouts overall.

Tackling the Hills of Umstead State Park

This morning's run was my first intentional mid-week hill workout, and it was an interesting one! I returned to Umstead State Park today, and instead of running the paved area this morning, I decided to shoot for the trails this morning. I missed the turnoff for the trails, but got a really good workout on the dirt and gravel roads instead.

I kept Tuesday's setting on the Gymboss pace timer to signal 2 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking. There were times when I was tempting to keep running after 2 minutes, but since this was my first mid-week hill workout, I decided to see how this worked out.

The temperature outside seemed a little bit cooler than earlier in the week. It was still plenty hot, but just a tad more pleasant. Of course, the area where I was running had plenty of trees, so I'm sure that helped. Umstead is such a pretty place to run! I saw a deer in the woods today--nice! There were a few other runners and bikers out this morning, and I enjoyed the company.

I tried out my new iPod armband this morning, and it worked pretty well! It was nice to have my hands free from carrying things. The only downside of my morning run was that once, while I was fiddling with the iPod on my upper arm, I tripped and fell! Ouch! My left knee got pretty scraped up, but otherwise I was okay. A park ranger happened to come into view just after I fell, so he stopped to check on me just as I got up. I was sooo close that I wanted to make it to my car, so I assured him I was fine. By the time I got back to my car (continuing my run/walk ratio), the blood had streamed all the way down to my sock! Charming. Thankfully, I had a clean towel in my trunk, so I was able to clean up a bit. I cleaned up the wound after I got home, and my knee doesn't seem to be too much worse for the wear, other than the scrapes. I'll probably ice it after work, though, just to be on the safe side.

My average pace per mile was 17:14, pretty slow, but faster than some of my other mid-week runs this summer. I was a little tentative, not knowing how my body was going to react, and then, of course, there was the fall. (I've learned how to make my Garmin Forerunner stop automatically when I do, so that feature came in handy!) As I write this, I'm feeling a little stiff (mostly in the knee that I fell on), but I feel like I could've given a little more out there. Now I know.

I ended up run/walking 3.48 miles in 60 minutes.

Mile Splits:
1) 17:25
2) 16:38 (Better pace there! Wonder why.)
3) 17:44 (the mile in which I fell)
Last 0.48 of a mile in 8:13 (On target to be my second best mile)

I think my overall training plan will include three runs--one speed workout, one hill workout, and then the weekend long run, and crosstraining on most other days, with a rest/easy day on the day before my long run (which usually falls on Saturday). I may do an easy run on a crosstraining day sometimes. I'll see how it all goes, and tweak things along the way. I'm so eager to improve my speed and endurance! (To do that, I need to stay healthy too!)

Back at the Gym After a Rest Day

After taking a rest day from exercise yesterday, I headed back to the gym today. I'm still a bit tired from Saturday's 16 mile run/walk on the American Tobacco Trail, but not as sore as I thought I would be! Still, I decided to save another run for tomorrow, and did some crosstraining instead.

1) Walked 2.06 miles (35:01 min) on the treadmill. I pushed the speed a little, but left the incline alone.

2) Rode 5.42 miles (30:01 min) on the recumbent bike. I pedaled a little faster, and did the interval program on the recumbent bike.

I've exchanged a couple of emails with Christina recently, and she's really got me thinking about my training, and how I need to step it up a notch and get outside my comfort zone, both physically and mentally, when it comes to my marathon training. There is a balance between pushing yourself and resting your body and mind a bit, of course. I'll want to listen to my body and try to prevent both injury and burnout. That said, I'm excited about this attitude shift, especially on the heals of my personal distance record 16 mile run/walk last Saturday!

Short Bike Ride, Plus Marathon Lodging Booked!

This morning I rode 5.25 miles in 30 minutes on the recumbent bike at the gym. Saving my legs for tomorrow's 16 miler! Holy cow, I still can't quite believe I'm doing it, but I AM!

I'm more determined now than ever, because I got an email from another one of my pace group leaders yesterday, suggesting I pull back from the marathon and go for the half marathon instead. I'm healthy (except for some extra weight), just SLOW right now, and the marathon is nearly three months away! Still a good bit of time to make improvements, in my book, plus it should be cooler in November--which will help!

So, two group leaders--in less than a week's time (see last Saturday's post)--are trying to wave me off an event that's almost three months down the road, and I'm about half way through the training program! I've been gracious to them, but I am a bit disappointed in their timing. It feels like an ill-timed and premature suggestion. I would've appreciated advice on speed drills to try, or nutrition tips, or something. Granted, they aren't getting paid to be group leaders, and they're regular runners like me, only faster. ;)

So, I'm feeling a combination of discouragement and determination this morning. And I'm going to run tomorrow's long run on my own in the morning, instead of with the group. I enjoy the time to myself that running affords, anyway. I'm an introvert at heart, and savor the recharging time that my morning exercise usually provides. George may run with me tomorrow, but it's still up in the air.

Meanwhile, I've started doing some mid-week speedwork, and am working on my nutrition and weight loss as well. I'm thinking about finding some hills over in Umstead for mid-week training. I'm determined to make this happen, or pass out from trying! Marathon training is a journey, and part of the experience is learning about myself--my body, my mind, and how I can push the total package.

Meanwhile, I have made our hotel reservations at the Outer Banks for marathon weekend!! Woohoo!!

Okay, I'm not giving up!

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.

Tuesday On the Go

1) Walked 1.55 miles (26 minutes) on the treadmill
2) Ran 3.04 miles (35:03 minutes) on the treadmill
3) Walked 0.25 mile (4:03 minutes) on the treadmill

The running continues to be a little faster this week, though I slowed down a bit from yesterday. I'm working on weekday training runs at below a 12 minute per mile average pace, with weekend long runs being slower.

Lighter Morning

This morning I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine (2.15 miles), then 20:03 minutes of running on the treadmill with a 1% incline (1.6 miles). That's a 12:31 pace, so I'm getting a little faster. :) I did push the pace a little, since I knew it would be a shorter run.

I wanted to run longer, but have to think about tomorrow. I'm a member of the local Junior League, and tomorrow's our annual Bargain Sale, a huge garage sale thing. Everyone in our local league must work at least one shift, and tomorrow morning I'm working from 7:30-10:30 AM. That'll be 3 hours on my feet, for sure. After that, I need to get a long run in, not sure if it'll be 10 miles or not. I'm not going to worry about it. Helping with the Bargain Sale is always fun, and it's a big fundraiser for us. I'm sure I'll get my miles in between Saturday and Sunday.

Extra Push, Plus Race Concern

I woke up this morning feeling a little better, thanks goodness, so I was thinking I'd be feeling okay for this afternoon's race. I got on the internet for a few minutes for my habitual early-morning-quick-check of news/email/Facebook/Twitter. On Yahoo, one of the featured stories was called "4 Reasons We Regain Weight." Since I've regained a few of the pounds I lost on the Rice Diet and am eager to get them back off (see my progress pictures here), I pulled up this article to read it. One of the things the article said that people do to maintain weight loss is to exercise an hour or more daily. I used to do at least an hour daily while I was on the Rice Diet, but I don't do that as much any more. I do at least 30 minutes every day, but usually 40-45 minutes, and on Saturdays, I usually exercise 2-3 hours (when I do my long runs, except for yesterday--blasted cold!).

So, eventhough I'm still sniffling a bit from this cold, I decided to pick things up a bit at the gym this morning, eventhough I have a 1-mile race scheduled this afternoon. I did 30 minutes on the treadmill (2.24 miles, a slower pace with occasional .5% incline), and 15 minutes (2.67 miles) on the recumbent bike. Since I knew I'd probably make it to the race this afternoon, I stopped there. Now I wish I'd stopped a little sooner, because now my legs are tired! But, a mile's a mile, and I definitely have another mile in me. (Just wish the temps were going to be a little cooler; it's supposed to be over 90 degrees this afternoon! Ick!)

Speaking of the Magnificent Mile, I went to Raleigh to pick up my race packet at the Athlete's Foot in Cameron Village. The North Carolina Roadrunners Club had two tables set up outside, with one with race numbers and the other with t-shirts. (I can't remember where the goodie bags fell into the flow.) When I took my race number to Table #2 for my t-shirt, an older man standing at the table looked at my race number, looked at me, and said, "So, you're running in the competitive mile?" Okay, so I was already a little sensitive about my slow running, but I still took his comment a little personally. I doubt he meant a thing by it, but I felt a little self conscious! Silly, huh? But I nodded, and replied, "Yes!" Since then, I've been trying to remind myself that 1) I have as much right to be a participant as anyone; 2) the website didn't mention a time limit; 3) I paid the entry fee for a worthy cause, the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation.

Now, I did check the times from last year's race, and based on those times, I probably will be one of the last ones to finish. Do I want to set myself up for that? Hmmm, I think I just need to get over that, though there is the whole pride thing. What I should be proud of is showing up and doing my best. Now, this 1-miler is a USTAF State Championship, as well as a RRCA Southern Region Championship, so I may be a little out of my league. But, since I aspire to be a faster runner, I want to go out there and practice running faster this afternoon. Perhaps I need to remember to smile and have a good time (even with the remnents of this icky cold), to try my best without taking myself so seriously that I forget about the joys and benefits of running.