Today's Long Run on the American Tobacco Trail (Durham)

I had a delightful run/walk this morning on the American Tobacco Trail with Jeanette and Janet! What a nice way to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring!

My assignment was to run/walk 4 miles, with two 1-mile running segments, and two .5-mile running segments, with short walk breaks in between. It challenged my endurance, but wasn't out of reach. Having Janet and Jeanette there to chat with helped me keep my pace in check, slow enough to be able to carry on a conversation. It was a beautiful morning out, and once I warmed up, it felt really good!

We ended up going 4.03 miles in 1:08:39, a 17:01 average pace for me, the fastest average pace I've had on an outside training run in, uh, forever! (When I did a 4-miler on the same course last month, my average pace was 18:22!!) My mile splits today were:

1) 17:57
2) 17:18
3) 16:33
4) 16:13

Ahhhh, Rest Day

No, I haven't had a TOTAL rest day, but it was a rest day from exercise and the gym. I used the time this morning to get into work early for some library search committee business. I'm glad it's been a rest day, as my leg muscles are a bit sore and tired. I've come to appreciate the value of days off from exercise. Sometimes it's good to push, as I often feel better after a workout, but sometimes it's even better to let the body rest and recover.

Making Progress

I was back on the treadmill this morning for a run/walk session, 3.6 miles on the board. My longest running segment today was 1.25 miles, not the first time I've run that far since working with Brennan, but the longest I've run at one time in a while. Since I've had a couple of back-to-back races now, I have a pretty good sense for the pace I need to work toward. Of course, this morning's run was on the treadmill, which is much easier for me to run on than the road. I ended up running most of my running segments at around 15:00 (though sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less), but then most of the walking segments were a little slower as I worked to recover from the runs.

I have a rest day tomorrow, and am looking forward to Saturday's 4-miler!

Tired Tuesday Run

I had a run/walk on the schedule this morning, so I hit the treadmill at the gym. (It's still dark outside when I leave to do work out.) My assignment was to run the 1 mile segment of my run/walk at a sub-15:00 pace. I decided to try to run all of the running segments (shorter distances) at a sub-15:00 as well. I managed to do that, but my walking segments felt a little slower today because of it. I'm still dragging today, partly because of race recovery, I suppose, as well as the time change. I also had a meeting last might, and didn't get home until about 9:30. *Yawn!* Post-run, my quads are hurting a little, and I could use a nap! :->

Monday, Monday!

My Monday morning workout assignment was 45 minutes on the treadmill, with 30 minutes of it at a more intense pace. Ahh, it was a little harder than it should've been, I think! I'm still a little tired from Saturday's race, perhaps, and also a little groggy from the time change. But I'm glad I did it! 3.36 miles in 45 minutes, it's in the books now.

Race Report: 2010 Run for the Oaks 5K

Yesterday, I completed my fourth 5K of 2010, the Run for the Oaks in Raleigh, NC, and I'm excited to report that it was my best 5K time of 2010! I crossed the finish line with a gun time of 46:51 and a chip time of 46:35.

The weather was overcast and in the 50s, so it was great weather for the start of the race! (There had been a decent chance of rain 10 days out, and even earlier in the week.)  I met up with work colleagues Samantha and Karen, and we signed up together as a team in this race, which was the first in the Eastern Carolina Corporate Cup Road Race Series for this year. (I tried to organize a Duke team for last year's Run for the Oaks, but it didn't work out at the last minute, as we ended up being one person short of an official team.)  This was Karen's first race ever, so I was happy that she was willing to be part of our team too!

I was a little tired from the start, and I think it was partly because I hadn't slept well Wednesday and Thursday nights. I went to bed early Friday night, and had one of those sleeps that had me feeling kinda groggy and hung over (eventhough I hadn't had any alcohol) when I woke up with a start when the alarm clock went off yesterday morning.

It was a great morning to be out on the streets of Raleigh, though, and I had hopes of getting a PR for this year from the start of the race. The first mile felt pretty good, but I sagged a little in the second mile, and I became aware of the cop car iddling not far behind. Somewhere along the way, I caught up with teammate Karen, and I thought about what I'd tell her if she worried about the cop car. "Don't worry about it!!" So, we both forged ahead, doing our own running and walking patterns as we needed to. I was glad that Karen and I were near each other for encouragement and comraderie, eventhough we were going at our own pace. (She was actually ahead of me for most of the race!) There were a few other run/walkers around us, in fact, so it was all good. Nobody asked us to move off of the city strees and onto to the sidewalks, even! :-) I was able to pick up the speed a bit in the last mile of the course, and the last turn in the course revealed the finish line a couple of tenths of a mile ahead, with a nice downhill in. Karen and I decided to cross the finish line together, and Samantha was already there to cheer us in! (Congrats to both Samantha AND Karen!)

My mile splits were:
1) 14:26
2) 15:45
3) 14:55

I wonder if I went out too fast in the first mile, probably by a bit. Otherwise, it was a decent race for me, and I was happy to find out at home that I beat my 5K time from last September's Anna's Angels 5K, to boot, in addition to getting a 2010 PR. My next goal will be to pull in a sub-45 min. 5K, as I pull my race times on down.

I enjoyed hanging out with Samantha and Karen a bit after the race. I also chatted with Shannon and Tracey, local runners from the SparkPeople website, as well as some folks I know from the Raleigh Galloway training group. Samantha had to head home, so Karen and I stayed for the awards ceremony, to see if our team placed. (I'd noted only two other Women's Open teams when we registered, so I thought we'd have a chance of getting some sort of prize! It turns out that we did! Our team got the 3rd place plaque for the division! Okay, so it was a "showing up" prize, since only three teams signed up for our division, but after last year's unsuccessful bid at putting a corporate team together, I was grateful to have enough runners show up for a team this year, and I was pretty darn pleased for the three of us! We did better than just "show up" for this race, we had fun too!

Since Samantha needed to head home, Karen and I got someone to take a picture of us with our plaque:

This was the fifth race in this spring's Second Empire Grand Prix Series. I'm looking forward to competing in the next two 5K races in the series! I don't think I'll be ready for the half marathon at the series' end, but finishing seven out of the eight races will allow me to attend the series-end awards luncheon at series-sponsoring Second Empire Restaurant, which I hear is quite nice!

Today--Rest Day, Tomorrow--Run for the Oaks 5K!

Today's my weekly rest day (by order of my orthopaedist and scheduled by my running coach)! It feels wierd, but I enjoyed staying in bed a little longer this morning!

I have another 5K tomorrow, the Run for the Oaks 5K.I'm really looking forward to it! For one, there's a corporate team challenge component to it, so I'll be joined by a couple of colleagues from Duke! I tried to organize a team last year, but one of the three of us didn't show up at the last minute, so we didn't have enough to form an official team. So far, the team thing looks like a go for tomorrow morning, and I'm excited about that! Samantha and Karen will be joining me, and it's going to be Karen's first 5K--yay!

I'll write up a race report this weekend and let you know how we did.

Recover and Rest and Rain

This has been an unusual exercising week for me, as I'm recovering from last Saturday's 10K and taking it easy for this coming Saturday's 5K road race, but I've still had some pretty challenging workouts. Monday's workout was easy enough, a light workout on the elliptical. Yesterday was my only training run of the week, but I did intervals, including a couple of sub-14:00 segments. Today, I did intervals on the recumbent bike. My legs are definitely feeling it, but it's a good feeling, ya know? Speed is something I definitely need to work on, so it feels good to be practicing that.

Saturday's forecast is calling for rain, but who cares?! I'm hoping for a 2010 5K PR.

Race Report: 2010 WakeMed Distance Festival 10K

Yesterday was my first 10K since the fall, so I was both excited and nervous about it! My main goal was to finish feeling decent in 1:45:00, since I had some recent knee troubles that slowed down my training, and I have another race (the Run for the Oaks 5K) next weekend.

It was a beautiful, crisp morning for the race! I started out wearing gloves, but ended up taking them off part way through the race, and was good in short sleeves. It was that nice of a late winter morning!

As others had warned, the course was rolling hills, some of them more rolling than others! According to my strategy for this race, I started out doing a 1:1 run/walk ratio, taking the downhills for a longer run. Pretty soon into the race, I was asked (very nicely!) to get on the sidewalk by one of the policemen, and I complied. I focused on not getting worried about being last, since I still had some people in sight, and the traffic cones were still in place to mark the way.

Well, in the 2nd-3rd mile, they started taking the traffic cones up, so I started to panic just a little! I had to slow down a couple of times to ask policemen at the street corners what the next turn would be, just in case I lost sight of the other racers as well as the cone-pick-up truck. After that, I tried to speed up a little to make up some time. But once I turned into the neighborhoods, the cones were still there, as well as an out-and-back water stop with some wildy enthusiastic and very funny volunteer teens! (The 1st water stop kids were packing up as I passed them, and no one offered me anything. I was a little thirsty then, but was in decent enough shape that I decided to let that slide off my back. The next water stop was worth the wait--they were great!) So, it was nice to relax a little through the neighborhoods! In addition to the course monitors and fun water stops, there was a course sweeper on a bike, who was very encouraging as well as helpful.

So anyway, my race plan from my coach was to do 1:1s for the first half of the race, then walk quickly for the second half of the race. I felt like this was going to take me forever, and told her so! She gave me the idea to run the downhills to make up some time, and to otherwise see how I felt during the race. She encouraged me to take it all conservatively for the sake of the knee, and to listen to my body. I probably ran a little more than was called for, but my knee only fussed at me a couple of times. Walking helped with that.

Within the last mile, my friend Stephanie showed up to walk/run the last part with me! She had already finished the race under her goal (congrats, Steph!), and she still had the energy to come join me for the last part of my race! Thanks, Steph! At the finish line, I ended up meeting up with a new buddy from Sparkpeople, Sharon from Raleigh, and it was a lot of fun talking with her too!

I ended up crossing the finish line at 1:40:58 (no chip time here), four minutes under my goal, and just a couple of minutes over my 10K time from the fall! I passed another racer at the last water stop, so I finished 256/257, a couple of minutes ahead of the last person. I'm still waiting for the updated points standings for the Second Empire Grand Prix Series.

Mile splits were:

1) 16:04
2) 16:17
3) 16:26
4) 16:03
5) 16:44
6) 15:37 (woohoo!)
.26) 13:54 for the last 3:39 minutes (a pretty good kick at the end)

All in all, I'm feeling good about the experience, and am looking forward to other 10Ks down the road!

Easy Pre-race Workout

This morning, after enjoying a day off from the gym yesterday, I hopped on the recumbent bike for 5.2 miles in 31 minutes, then I walked an easy 1.01 miles in 21:05 minutes on the treadmill. I'm thankful for yesterday's day off, as my legs really needed the rest. Tomorrow--my first 10K of 2010! I'm excited and a little nervous about it.

Getting A Little Faster

This morning I had another run/walk on tap, a 3-miler with shorter walk breaks. I was kind of amazed to find out after my workout that my 3.07 miles in 50 mintes (on the treadmill) turned out to be a 16:17 min/mile average pace. That's pretty zippy for a training run of mine! I must admit, though, that my legs have been feeling pretty tired ever since. I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day!

A Run to Start the Month

I had another run this morning, and though I forgot my little pink runner's strap to wear under my left knee, the run/walk went fine! Part of the assignment was to run a mile without stopping in under 16 minutes, and I was able to do that without any knee pain--yay! The total for the run/walk was 3 miles in 50:04, a 16:41 pace. Not bad for me! :) (Of course, being on the treadmill helped!)

Yesterday's Run/Walk on the American Tobacco Trail

Yesterday's workout assignment was 4 miles of run/walk outdoors, the farthest I've gone all year with running segments added. I was a little nervous about it, with recent knee troubles, so I decided to put speed worries out of my mind and just enjoy it!
I emailed my "new" running buddies from the pre-snowy Saturdays and races of late, but no one else was available for yesterday. I was a little bummed, but then remembered that I do like running on my own anyway, and to enjoy the time to myself. I wasn't sure I could make the whole four miles anyway, so I could just make the run my own.

I started out with a .25 warm-up walk, then started running the 1.5 mile segment. A little bit into the run, my right shin starting hurting a little bit, so I walked a couple minutes until it passed, then started jogging again. After that, I felt good! I took periodic .25 mile walk breaks after that, and the running continued to feel strong, though I was very, very conservative about my speed! I ended up doing 4 miles in 1:13:28, and finished with energy still in the tank. Good deal! My legs (and I) were kinda tired for the rest of the day, but other than that I felt fine.

Just a Walk

I decided just to walk on the treadmill this morning at the gym. I had the nicest surprise when I got outside this morning--there was a light snow falling! Well, it was mostly light, but the flakes themselves were HUGE! It was so pretty, that I got a front window treadmill and just watched the snow as I walked. I never did put my iPod's earbuds in my ears. I walked 2.6 miles in 50:01 minutes, a pretty easy pace.

A Little Running!

Well, I had a 2.5 mile run/walk on the schedule today, and I decided to try some running. I had to ride 6.01 min. (0.82 mile) on the recumbent bike while I waited for a treadmill to open up at the gym. When I hopped on the treadmill, I ended up doing 2.65 miles in 45 minutes, with some random runs mixed in with my walking. I ended up with an average pace just under 17 minutes, which isn't good, but I've done slower and called it running in my past.

Someone suggest I try a runner's/jumper's band below my fussy left knee, so I ordered one and it arrived yesterday. It's pink. Go figure. Anyway, I tried it today, and my knee felt a bit better during and after the workout. Maybe it's the power of suggestion. Maybe it's my body healing. Maybe the little pink thing works. Anyway, I'll have an easier workout tomorrow, I can tell. My legs are tired tonight, and my knee IS a little bit tender. I haven't actually run about two weeks, plus I stood at a retirement party for a couple hours this afternoon. Looking forward to stretching out on the couch with an ice pack (not a 6-pack!) this evening.

Elliptical Machine

I was happy to have an elliptical workout today, but by the time I finished the 30-minute (2.1 mile) assignment, my left knee was pretty tender. I'm asking myself when I should listen to my body and stop, and when I should ignore it.

I decided to stretch today for the first time in a week to 10 days, and I was pretty stiff. It was especially hard to stretch my left quads. I just went gently.

On a brighter note, I left a Bookcrossing-registered book (about weight loss tips) in a "new" location, on a bench in front of a nail salon near where I work out! The shelves at the Starbucks at Olde Raleigh Village on Edwards Mill Road are overflowing with books now, so I've decided to start branching out and looking to other places to leave books that other people might enjoy reading. There are several good spots near my gym.

Walking for Endurance

This morning's pre-injury assignment was a 4 mile run/walk with incline on the treadmill. I traded it in for 4 miles of walking on the flat treadmill surface. I had to break my walk into two segments because the gym treadmill stops at 65 minutes:

1) 3.52 miles in 65 min.
2) 0.58 miles in 10:08 min.

Truth be told, I wish I'd stopped after 65 minutes, as my knee was hurting again at that point. I'm a stubborn thing, though, and wanted to finish the workout! Now my knee continues to hurts post-workout as well. *sigh* A rest day may be in my future tomorrow!

Race Report: 2010 Law Enforcement Torch Run 5K

It seems like this is the first pretty weekend we've had in a few weeks, so it was nice to wake up to blue skies for this morning's Law Enforcement Torch Run! I knew I'd be walking this one, as my knee is still bothering me a little bit, so I made it my goal to work on walking form a bit and finish strong. This was a pretty hilly course today, but I stayed pretty consistent throughout the race, and even managed to pass a few other walkers. It was a pretty big crowd for a February race, and quite a few walkers to boot. I was happy to finish with a chip time of 54:43 (gun time of 55:21), and 594th out of 645 runners and walkers.

It's kind of interesting how two 5Ks in the same city, just two weeks apart, can have such a different feel for me. At the Run for the Roses, I was the last finisher, with a time in the upper 40s. This time there happed to be more walkers, perhaps because this was for a different charity. Also, the Run for the Roses was on a Sunday afternoon, and this one was on a Saturday morning. Eventhough I finished with a slower time this morning than I did two weeks ago, and I'm still not 100% physically, I feel better about today's finish than I did two weeks ago.

More Walking

After taking a day off from exercise yesterday, I walked again on the treadmill this morning. It was a great walk, but it was something. My knee is improving, but it's still a little sore, especially in the lower part of the kneecap. It's a mad dash to be both rested and ready to at least walk at Saturday's 5K race. We'll see what happens tomorrow morning at the gym. *sigh*

Runner's Knee Recovery

I've been keeping things low key since last Thursday. A little "Dr. Google" and I think I have Runner's Knee. Bummer! The low key (and some days no) workouts since then are helping me to heal, but I am getting antsy to run again! My workouts of late have consisted of walking pretty slowly and doing upper body workouts with free weights. That does help with the stress a little, but I'm eyeballing my spring race schedule and wonder if I'll be ready. Time will tell!

Taking it Easy

I emailed Brennan last night, and her advice was to stay off the knee through the weekend, plus ice and advil. If only I could stay home from work and REALLY stay off of it! It felt better this morning, but I'm still going to take it easy. I walked on the treadmill for 35 minutes (1.65 miles) pretty slowly, then did some upper body strength training with dumb bells.

Ahhh, Rats!

My legs (and body, for that matter!) have continued to feel tired since Sunday's race, partly because of the hills and stress of a race, but also because of a cold that started Friday night, and flaired back up on Sunday night. The area above my left knee has been nagging me a bit more than the rest of my legs, so I've been giving it a little extra TLC. Last night, I noticed a bulge on the side of my left leg, near my knee, so I iced and soaked it as well. This morning, I went to the gym to try the bike workout in my schedule, and I felt discomfort around (mostly above) my left knee for the whole 11 minutes (1.32 miles) I tried to bike! I was hoping it would feel better after I warmed up, but no such luck. I decided to stretch for a bit and come on home. When I tried stretching my left quads, even THAT hurt that area above the knee. Ummm, ow! Rats!

Okay, these are signs that my body needs a rest, but of course I have a really busy day at work! Tonight, I'm in bed early!

Tired Elliptical Day

My assignment for this morning's workout was 45 minutes in Zone 1-2 on the elliptical. Man, I took it really easy! My legs are still pretty tired from two days in a row of running. (Haven't done that in a while!) Today's totals: 3.2 miles in 45:13 minutes, followed by about 10 minutes of stretching. Nothing special, just a little calorie burn.

Recovery Run

Another run was on my schedule today. I was kinda surprised, considering I had a race yesterday afternoon. Plus, I didn't sleep well last night, partly because the nasal congestion from Friday flaired back up again. So I was pretty grumpy this morning as I started my run/walk. My assignment was to run/walk 3.5 miles, with a 1% incline during the running segments. I ended up doing 3.54 miles in 60 minutes, a pretty slow pace for me of late, but I was happy to complete the distance. It helped me to get over yesterday's race...a little. I'm still kinda perturbed about it, but I need to shake it off. It was a 2010 PR, and in the big scheme of things, that's what matters, right. I can't control everything in a race, so I just need to focus on what I can control--my own nutrition, overall health, and training!

Race Report: 2010 Run for the Roses 5K

After having the Run for the Roses 5K on my mind for the last month, it feels good to finally have it in the books! It was a race of highs and lows, but in the end, I got a PR for 2010, and I'm pretty satisfied with that!

One of the highlights of the day was meeting Tracey Wilson before the race. I met Tracey online on the SparkRaleigh Team on SparkPeople.com, and learned that she was planning to run this race as well. We actually recognized each other from our profile pictures, which was a nice thing! We got someone standing nearby to take our picture together before the race to record the meeting--fun!

I warmed up with an 11 minute walk before the race, and thoroughly enjoyed being out in the sunshine this afternoon. It was a beautiful day, and after so many cloudy days lately, it lifted my spirits and helped me feel hopeful about the race.

The 5K started promptly, and the first mile went pretty well. In that time, Steph, an ERUUF and running friend who was doing some mileage before the race, caught up with me and decided to run/walk with me. It was nice to have the company as we worked through the miles. I'm usually going so slowly that I'm on my own with the running, so the company was good!

Somewhere between the 1st and 2nd mile, the police car at the end actually went ahead of me, and said we should consider running on the sidewalks when they were available! I was thrown off kilter by this, since I could tell by my Garmin that I was ahead of last month's 5K pace, and I've never had the police car escort actually pass me before. One of my mini-goals for today was to stay ahead of the police escort, so that unnerved me a little. Having Steph there helped me shrug it off, and we plugged along, mostly on the streets.

By the way, my prerace plan was to run for .60-.70 of a mile, then walk for .10 of a mile, then repeat throughout the race. I ended up doing a .70 run/.10 walk ration, partly because I wanted a PR, and partly to get done with it.

At the halfway water stop, one of the volunteers (and someone I know through road racing) started shouting something to us, but we couldn't really understand what she was saying. Then we realized we heard something about sidewalks. It made me feel kinda strange, like I didn't deserve to use the roads because I was so slow. Besides, the asphalt is easier on my IT bands than the concrete sidewalks, and there's less of a chance for my clumsy self to trip and fall on the road. So Steph and I stayed put for as much of the rest of the course as we could, hopping on the sidewalks for only a short segment toward the end of the 3rd mile. Oddly enough, I ran into that volunteer after the race, and she had something to say about my lack of sidewalk use again! I mentioned that I made it to the finish safely, and she replied, "Thank goodness for that!" No congratulations or anything. George heard the exhange, and said, "Well, at least she cared." Hrrrmmmpphhh! (Am I being sour grapes about this? An unsportsmanlike race participant? I'm not sure. This majority of this race, including the last half of it at least, was on neighborhood streets that weren't all that busy, at least until part of the third mile when we did get on the sidewalk. The race information didn't mention a time limit, either.)

The North Carolina Roadrunners Club president was doing the sweep, and ran the last little bit in with us. Again, the additional company was nice, since there have been plenty of times when I waddled in on my own. George ended up spotting me on the way to the finish line, and he ran with us for the final bit as well. It felt a bit like an entourage! Oddly enough, the police car mentioned before was parked length wise across the street as we made the final turn toward the finish line, so that he was between us and the finish! Odd! There were enough of us together that he saw us, hopped into his car, and backed up for us to pass! (Okay, this shouldn't have been an issue!)

After the race, I met someone (Sarah) from the Durham Spark Team on SparkPeople, which was fun! TWO fellow SparkPeople--cool! I also had a nice chat with my running coach (who was the first female to cross the finish line today--congrats, Brennan!).

On the way home, George and I stopped at Panera, where I had a big honkin' salad, and gave George my side of bread. (Low carb dieting can be a bitch sometimes, but I felt pretty smug later!)

The official results are in, and I finished with a chip time of 47:58, and a gun time of 48:24! Yes, it's still mighty slow by most runners' standards, but it's race progress I haven't seen about a year. Taking off about a minute and a half is a nice reward, but I did finish last, 430/430. I have another 5K in a couple of weeks, so I need to stay focused. Can I break 45 minutes by then? We'll see! It's definitely time for me to look ahead, and not dwell on the small weirdnesses of today's race. It's over! Thanks for listening!

Just a Walk

I walked on the treadmill this morning, an easy 1.35 miles in 30:02 minutes. I was thankful for the easy assignment, as my legs are tired and a bit sore from yesterday's workout. Tomorrow is a rest day, a mini-taper for Sunday's Run for the Roses 5K. I'm shooting for a 2010 PR, though Sunday's course is hillier than last month's Run for the Young. Wish me luck!

Maybe Fastest Bike Pace Ever!

This morning's workout assignment was to ride the recumbent bike for 45 minutes, with a warm up and cool down, with a Zone 3 ride in between. I take "Zone 3" as "peddle faster." I ended up riding 9.12 miles in 45:16, for a 4:57 min/mile average pace! FYI, that's pretty fast for me, especially over 9-ish miles and 45 minutes. I'm pleased with the progress, but have tired legs this evening! (Okay, not a bad thing!)

I did have a bit of an accident leaving the gym, though. I hit some black ice walking back to my car, slipped and landed on that darn left knee (same one I fell three times on during the Triple Lakes Marathon!). *sigh* I iced it before I went to work, and will ice it some again this evening. It isn't too sore tonight, but sometimes there's a delayed soreness, so I'm going to give it some TLC tonight. Tomorrow's workout is a light one, and Saturday is a rest day before Sunday's 5K, so the rest of the week's exercise should be easy! That'll be a good thing, as my body is telling me it needs some rest.

Faster Run!

This morning's workout assignment was to run/walk 2 miles on the treadmill. My usual mid-week run of late has been 3 miles, but Brennan is pulling it back a little because of Sunday's race. Well, I decided to work on my pace a little, and ended running 2.02 miles in 32 minutes, a 15:50 pace! I'm happy about breaking the 16 minute training pace barrier, but now I'm kinda sore! I'll ice and/or soak this evening.

No IT Band Fussiness Today!

I'm pleased to report that my IT bands did not fuss at me today, through 2.75 miles (46:06 min) on the treadmill, which included a 1% incline on the running segments (1 mile and .75 mile) of my run/walk workout. Eventually, I increased my speed as well, and nothing from the IT bands! Yay! I did have a good stretch afterward, and could feel them a little, but not much. I may not be totally healed yet....but it feels like it today, so I'll enjoy it for now, and keep my fingers crossed!

It's a Walk

I was happy to get back to the gym today, and I had 30 minutes of walking to get done. I still had a little bit of cabin fever from the weekend, though we'd met my sister, brother-in-law, niece, and her roomie at Guglhupf for brunch this morning. It felt so good to get 30 minutes of treadmill walking (1.53 miles) in that, after a visit to the restroom, I returned to the treadmill for what turned out to be 30 more minutes and another 1.62 miles on the treadmill. Okay, now I'm kinda tired! Afterward, I stretched for about 10 minutes, then did 50 ab crunches on the stability ball. (I love that stability ball!!! Seriously!!!)

Rest Day Became Jillian's 30 Day Shred Video Day

Well, I had the day off from exercise today, a designated rest day, since I did my Saturday run yesterday due to today's forcasted snow that did indeed arrive (starting last night). I must admit, I usually don't take rest days very well, and Brennan doesn't assign them very often (which I'm usually glad of!). Still, I was a litle surprised when I started getting antsy late this afternoon, so I decided to pop open a video my sister gave me for Christmas, Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. Since I've been working out harder thanks to Brennan's planning my workouts, so I thought that a 20 minute workout on the video wouldn't be a big deal! Well, the 20 minute "Day 1" was a bigger deal than I expected!! I worked up a sweat, the jumping jacks were a challenge, and the upper body workout was harder than I expected, eventhough I just used 3 lb. weights that my sister also gave me for Christmas. (Eventhough I've used 5 and 10 pound weights at the gym, 3 pounders were plenty here!) It was a good workout, and I plan to do it again.

"Long" Run Today Since Snow's Coming!

With Coach Brennan's OK, I ran/walked my "long" run this morning on the treadmill, since it's supposed to be snowing (at least, maybe the icy stuff too) tomorrow! I was supposed to have a rest day today, but she switched running/rest days on my workout calendar. Instead of running and walking 3.5 miles outside, I did 3 miles on the treadmill. Walk breaks were .5 mile to warm up and three quarter miles dispersed. My first mile was on the flat, the second run was a half mile at 2% incline, and the last run was .25 at 1% incline. I could definitely feel the 2% incline, but it didn't bother me much. All in all, a good run/walk. I finished the 3 miles in 50:02, a 16:40 average pace. Would've liked a faster pace, and looking back, I had a little more in me, but I was being a little cautious running on the incline because of my IT bands (the left was a little fussy this morning). Also, I did do yesterday's workout, so no rest day this time before the extra effort. I'm glad it's in the books, so I can enjoy tomorrow's snow day!

Excited about Today's RunWalk!

Today's run/walk on the treadmill is in the books, 3.02 miles in 49:06 minutes, a 16:12 average pace. It's the fastest average pace I've had for 3 miles in, like, forever! I had faster paces last month for shorter distances, but it's nice to be bringing the pace on down as I extend my distance. Minor victories are nice!

I did have a good stretch afterward.

Tuesday Bike Ride, Plus President's Challenge Complete!

This morning I did a revved up (for me) stationary bike ride, 8.1 miles in 45:03 minutes. Afterward, I still had more gas left in the tank than I expected, so I did some extra strength training reps, and finished with stretching.

When I got back home, I entered my workout on the President's Challenge website, and finally finished the Platinum level! It's taken me over three years to go through Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels. I was wondering what would happen after I crossed the Platinum line. No fireworks or songs eminating from the computer. The website just put the excess points toward the Bronze level--again! Yes, it reset the clock without even asking me! Ha! Now that I've reached "the end" of this challenge, I don't know that I'll continue it. It's been pretty fun, but I keep track of my exercise in several other places now. Time to look for other challenges and motivators! Sayonara, President's Challenge! :)

Monday Run/Walk

This morning I did 2.54 miles in 43:07, part of it at a 1% incline. I felt a little achy while doing this workout, but now I'm feeling fine. I suppose I could've pushed a little bit harder, but I'm still being kinda cautious due to fear of injury. I stretched for about 10 minutes afterward, then did 40 ab crunches on the big blue stability ball. I'm trying to do the ab crunches more frequently now, not just for my abs (which need a lot of work), but for the core strength work as well. Maybe I'll start adding a dumbbell to that workout in time.

Sunday Elliptical Workout Plus Running Thoughts

Today's assignment was an optional 40 minutes on the elliptical machine. I decided to go for it, but part way into the workout, my legs were feeling pretty cranky. I decided to finish, but I was really glad when it was over! (Now, I'm glad I did finish, but at the time, I was "done!") I ended up with 3.01 miles in 41:01 minutes. I stretched for about 10 minutes afterward, and did 50 ab crunches.

I've been thinking more about yesterday's run, and how much I enjoyed doing it with Janet and Michelle, rather then with the winter splinter of the Galloway group. I enjoyed having company to run with, and didn't feel like the odd man out for doing shorter mileage (alone) than the 10 mile base the group is doing. It has me wondering about how I want to proceed with training for the rest of the off-season. Certainly, I'll continue to follow the coach's plan, but I'm wondering if I need to continue to drive to Raleigh for my runs. Both Michelle and Janet live in Durham, and I'm just outside the Durham city limits. Hmmmmm.

Saturday "Long" Run/Walk

This morning I met Janet (from the Galloway training group) and Michelle (from the gym) at a local running store, so that we could run together on the American Tobacco Trail. It was a cold, but very pretty morning! (It's been raining lately, so it was nice to see the blue sky.)

To be honest, I was happy to see both of them, as I helped coordinate this off-shoot shorter run of some the off-season Raleigh Galloway runners. Most of the rest of them were running an informal 10K race, but I had 3 miles of run/walk scheduled for today. Janet indicated she was interested in running shorter miles, and Michelle emailed me a couple of days ago to see when I was running again. Things seemed to click, the time and location were right, and we had a fun time together!

I did 3 miles in 51:39, a time I was pretty happy with! My average mile pace was about 17:13, faster than last weeks by several seconds. It was nice to see the improvement in this training run, even if by several seconds. I'm looking forward to breaking 17 minutes, and I'm pretty confident that will happen in the next few weeks.

Still Here and Workin' the Program!

Wow, it's been 4 days since I've blogged here!??! Well, things have been happening on the exercise and diet front, for sure, and it's been taking some extra focus and energy. Most nights this week, I've been in bed by 9 or 9:15, with lights out soon after. I feel like it's going to pay off, so I'm excited about it all.

I'm still working with the running coach, who added something new to my plan earlier this week: adding incline to my treadmill runs. Wow, I felt THAT later! :)

Also this week, I had my second appointment with a bariatric physician, who has put me on a low carb diet. Yes, you read correctly, me, a runner wannabe, on a low carb diet! I was about to start the program afte Tuesday afternoon's appointment, cutting my carbs pretty drastically, staying away from sugar and flour, among other things. So far, I'm seeing encouraging progress on my home scales, partly because I'm peeing alot, I'm sure! (Sorry for the TMI!) I'm glad I have a mini-support system already, in Michelle from the gym, and Shauna, whom I met at the doctor's office on Tuesday (we were in the same group session and really hit it off!). I'm using Fitday.com to track my weight, and am happy to report that I'm already skinnier than I was on New Year's Day. (Time to dial back the years now!)

One of the things that will be checked each time I return to this doctor is my body mass--fat vs. muscle. That'll be one of the coolest things to follow, I expect, since I'm really working on my running and have added some strength training.

My running coach seems a bit skeptical about my doing a low carb diet, so I made sure to tell the doctor that I'm working on my running. Low carb is NOT the popular endurance athlete diet, but carrying around extra weight doesn't help with running either! Time and experience will tell how I'm able to merge the two.

Meanwhile, I'm the team captain of the Bookworms, a group of library employees I got together to take part in a 12-week health incentive program offered by my employer. There are 11 of us in all, covering two library buildings on two sides of campus. This is the second week, and so far, we're doing well. It's taking a little more time than I imagined, but it's been fun! We each work on one to three goals, with the choices of weight loss, pedometer steps and exercise minutes. I chose to work on all three, of course! This is my first time working with a pedometer, and it's been really interesting and enlightening tracking my daily steps.

Okay, I'm about to start snoring here at the computer. It's probably a combo of a challening week at work, the new diet, and workouts that have been kicking my butt. Back soon!

Monday Treadmill Run

I had today off for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, so I slept in and went to the gym a little later than usual. I had a 2-mile treadmill run/walk scheduled, with a 1% incline during the running portions. That was new. It was a shorter run than I have been doing, which I think was to compensate for the addition of the incline. It felt weird to just do two miles, so I worked on picking up the pace a little bit. I ended up with 2.01 miles in 33:01 minutes, a 16:25 pace. It's a slower average pace than I expected, but faster than any of my training runs last week. I had some faster treadmill runs earlier in the month, but no incline. At times I had the treadmill going faster, but scaled back a little. As it is, I'm pretty sore now. Maybe I'll take a hot bath BEFORE tonight's meeting. (Ah, the luxury of a day off! Love it!)

Location Change

I headed to UNC Wellness Center for today's workout, as they're installing new carpet at my regular gym today. While I missed the usual routine, it was nice to get  a change of scenery at such a nice facility. I ended up doing 3.27 miles in 46:01 minutes on the elliptical, nothing spectacular, but a decent cardio workout, nonetheless. My quads are still sore from yesterday's run, so I did a good bit of stretching afterward.

Run Down Six Forks

This morning I took my "long run" down Six Forks Rd. in Raleigh. The running group met at Panera, and while everyone esle did longer, I stuck to my plan and did 3.06 miles of running/walking in 53:05 minutes. It was a very good run/walk, where I upped my pace a bit with minimal (though some IT and PF) discomfort. The weather was a little warmer, which I ejoyed as well. Afterward, the group reconvened at Panera for coffee and breakfast. In honor of my working toward a low carb diet in the coming week, I had a Mediterranean Salad for breakfast, and it was good! (I almost felt smug for getting some veggies in so early!)

Today's mile splits:
18:05
17:26
16:31

Yay for negative splits! The first mile did include a .5 mile warmup, my biggest chunk of walking today.

Just the Elliptical

My legs were still sore and tired from yesterday's bike ride, so I was relieved to only have 30 minutes to do on the elliptical machine today. That was the plan, and I did 2.2 miles. Sometimes I'm chomping at the bit for more after a 30 minute workout, but I hopped on off of there today and did some stretching! Tomorrow's a run!

Big Bike Workout

This morning's assignment was 45 minutes on the bike (at the gym), with 30 minutes in "Zone 3." One thing I forgot to ask Brennan is, are the heart rate zones for bike riding the same as for running? Dunno. So I peddled my little heart out for 30 minutes, after warming up for 10 minutes. My tongue was hanging out for the last 5 minutes of the recumbent bike ride. It turned out to be 9 miles in all, in 45:05 minutes, quite fast for me. Seriously. I'm pretty tired and sore this late afternoon, and am looking forward to an early bedtime tonight. (I hope I can make that happen! Zzzzzzzz.....)

Wednesday Run & Weights

Today I did a run/walk on the treadmill, 3.04 miles in 52 minutes, a 17:06/mile pace. Not stellar, but faster than Monday. Of course, today, I did more running than I did during Monday's run/walk. Getting there, very slowly but surely. I did feel my left IT band a bit during the run/walk this morning, so I iced it for a bit before work.

I also did some stretching and upper body weight training this morning. It had been a while since I'd worked the biceps and shoulders, so I'm a little sore this evening!

Yesterday I went to see a new doctor to work on my weight via diet (no surgery!), and I'm pretty encouraged by yesterday's dialogue. He's an internist who specializes in bariatrics, and so far, I like his style. I'll return next week for one of the classes he teaches about the low carb diet he puts his patients on, and I'll find out the blood results from yesterday's visit to the lab.

One of my concerns about a low carb diet is how it will affect my long runs, both in training and in racing. Of course, I still have a good bit of time (and weight to lose) before I have to worry about running long enough to need additional carbs! My long run this coming Saturday will be 3 miles, after all. I did tell the doctor about my concerns, and he recommended I look at a book called The Men's Health TNT Diet. If you've read this book, let me know what you think!

Tuesday Bike Ride

This morning I did 45 minutes on the recumbent bike, but this time with a plan, thanks to the running coach! I did a 10 minute warmup, followed by 30 minutes at an increased speed, then a 5 minute cool down. I finished with 7.6 miles in 45:02 minutes. Not bad! I followed it with some strength training and lots of stretching.

Monday, Monday

I did a recovery run/walk on the treadmill this morning, and am still feeling a bit tired and generally achy. It was a slow and not-so-easy 3.08 miles in 55 minutes. My IT bands were okay during the run, but my plantar fasciitis was fussy. I had a good stretch afterward, though.

Post-Race Workout

Today's workout was an optional 30 minute ride on the recumbent bike. Being how I have a hard time taking rest days anyway, I went to the gym for the workout, but not until mid-afternoon. I enjoyed being a slug this morning, and even finished a book as I rested my legs on the couch! :)

So, this afternoon I did 5.63 miles in 36 minutes, then did some stretching and light core work. The bike riding felt slow, but my legs are still pretty tired, surprisingly so for a mere 5k!

Race Report: 2010 Run for the Young 5K

This morning I ran in my first road race of the year, the Run for the Young 5K in Raleigh, NC. It was my first 5K since September, and my first race since the Outer Banks Marathon DNF in November, so I was eager to get back on the road. It was a cold morning, so George came with me and brought coffee for himself (and for me later--yum!).

Parking was easy, and chip pickup was inside Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Raleigh. (I picked up my race packet last evening at the Athlete's Foot in Cameron Village. One of the men at the bib number and t-shirt pickup table commented that I ran lots of races. That gave me something to mull over on the way home, as it's been quite a while since I've run a PR. I really have been afloat for a while in my running, and am so happy to have more direction in my training and running goals now.)

I walked briskly to warm up before the race, at Brennan's suggestion, to warm up, and I enjoyed seeing and visiting with Pauline a little bit. The race started on time, best I could tell! The course took us through parts of downtown Raleigh, including my high school alma mater, which was cool! There was some hillwork in there, but I took it as it came along. My IT bands didn't give me any trouble, but I ran and walked pretty conservatively to test them out. Coach Brennan told me to try alternating running .5 mile, walking .1 mile, then repeating, and to alter that if I needed to for more walking. That run/walk ratio ended up working out well, though, and I was really glad. At the 2.4 mile mark, I started running the scheduled half mile, and when I got to 2.9, I could see the finish line, so I kept on going! Brennan found me on that last stretch, and ran  with me to the end. My last mile was the fastest, which was fun to learn from my Garmin later! Part of the motivation for speeding up was that I was tired of having the police car on my tail for most of the race, and I was ready to shake him/her! After the race I enjoyed chatting with Brennan and Steph.

I finished with a chip time of 49:28, gun time of 50:03, 302 out of 309 finishers, and 20/20 in my age group. After being the last finisher of the Mebane on the Move 10K and the Triple Lakes Marathon back in the fall, I was glad to finish ahead of the back this time! Now, I'd like to start moving up the age group ranks as well.

Afterward, we met some other runners from the Galloway group at Panera for an early lunch, which was a treat! We enjoy the running fellowship a lot! All in all, it was a really fun morning, and it reminded me why I run.

Rest Day, Plus New Pedometer

Well, today is an officially scheduled rest day, heading into tomorrow's 5K. Brennan and I talked last night about my race "strategy" for the Run for the Young, mainly about things like warming up, and the run/walk segments I'll be doing. I'm looking forward to this race, but I'm also looking forward to getting it over with! It's going to be below freezing outside! Brrrr!

Meanwhile, I'm excited about being the team captain of the Bookworms, a group of library employees, in the new Shape Up Duke challenge starting Monday! It's a three month challenge that allows team members track weight loss, exercise minutes, and pedometer steps, and compete against other teams within the university. I'm excited about it!

Light Cardio Day

I had instructions to take it easy at the gym today, so it was 5.07 miles in 31 minutes on the recumbent bike. Truth be know, my quads are sore from yesterday's run, so I was relieved to see a light day on the schedule. I also did some stretching and core exercises afterward. (I'm up to 40 ab crunches on the big ball!)

Tomorrow's a scheduled rest day from exercise, and I'm glad for it, truth be known. Since I'm training with a coach now, I see why most people who are seriously training need some rest days built in to their schedule.While I feel a bit more rested than I did earlier in the week, I'm still feeling kinda tired overall, and my legs definitely need a rest!

Wednesday Run

Ahhh, today's run went much better than Monday's! I did 2.77 miles of a run/walk combo in 45:06 minutes on the treadmill. I had a new lavendar-colored running shirt on, which didn't make my legs move faster, but it lifted my spirits, for sure. I've been getting more sleep this week, which has helped a lot, I know.

I stretched for a few minutes afterward. The left IT band was a little tight, so I iced for a while after I got home from the gym.

Weary Workout

I did 2.15 miles in 30:08 minutes on the elliptical machine, stretched for about 10 minutes, then did a shortened version of my lower body strength/core workout. My legs are sore and I'm stil feeling pretty tired. Now, some of that may be the fact that I returned to work yesterday after a two week break, and then had a meeting tonight. I'm often tired after those Monday marathon days that happen a couple of times a month. But, right now, I'm eyeballing the rest day (from exercise) that the coach has scheduled for Friday, and it's not coming fast enough! I suppose I'll get through the next couple of workouts, but I'm really looking forward to that rest day before Saturday's race!

I have been trying to get to bed earlier, and started drinking my 8 glasses of water again yesterday. I'm back to taking a multivitamin as well. Bit by bit.

Monday Run with Tired Legs

I did a treadmill run/walk this morning, 2.52 miles in 43 minutes. Okay, my legs are still quite tired! I soaked in warm water and epsom salts last night and went to bed early. I stretched today after running, and am taking Advil/Tylenol stuff. Brennan keeps telling me I need to ice, but I haven't been good about that yet. Need to start, but I need to head to work now.

On the Elliptical

Today I had a late workout, because I was pretty tired and sore from yesterday's run. I had 45 minutes to do on either the bike or the elliptical, or both. I opted for the more challenging of the two for me, the elliptical, and did 3.55 miles in that time. In retrospect, I probably should've done an easier bike ride, but there it is. I stretched for about 5-10 minutes afterward, which felt good.

Chilly Shelley Lake Run/Walk

This morning, George and I joined an off-season running group of the Raleigh Galloway group at Shelley Lake in Raleigh this morning. I had my own run/walk plan going on, but it was good to see them ahead of time. Some in that group ran 10 miles, and others ran 6 miles. I was supposed to run/walk 2.5 miles, but ended up going 3.5 miles! It was my first run outside since the Outer Banks Marathon, and it was a nippy 25 degrees, but it felt good to be out there. It took me 67 minutes to finish 3.54 miles, and I was disappointed with my time, but happy about the distance.

Back at the American Tobacco Trail

I went to the American Tobacco Trail for my "30-40 minute walk outside" today, which was on the Coach Brennan plan! I enjoyed it so much I ended up going 44 minutes and 2.23 miles. I was able to pick up the pace as I got warmed up, which felt really good. Tomorrow I'm going to run/walk outside for the first time in ages. Looking forward to that!

2009: The Running Year That Was

It was an interesting running year, for sure. I must say that it didn't really turn out like I expected, but I learned a lot about myself. Some highlights:

1) I completed my first marathon, the Triple Lakes Race, in an other-wordly time of 10:55:43. It's rare that someone would be allowed the time to complete a marathon in so much time, but there was a 40 mile race going on at the same time. I ended up falling three times during this trail race, and spent a lot of time at the aid stations, washing out my knee and doing first aid things to it. I was determined to go the distance, and I'm glad I did.

2) My second marathon attempt of the year, about 5 weeks later, was a DNF. My left IT band got the better of me at the Outer Banks Marathon, which was a bummer. I loved seeing the Outer Banks again, though, and running past the Wright Brothers Memorial was a definite highlight.

3) I joined the Raleigh Galloway Training Group for the second year in a row. I dropped out of the group early last year to train on my own, but decided to come back this year, partly because George decided to run with the group as well! That was a lot of fun, and George's participation kept me going to the group runs all the way through the season this year. At the end of the year celebration, I ended up winning one of this year's inspiration awards for finishing the Triple Lakes Race.

4) I got to hear John Bingham talk at the 4th quarter meeting of the North Carolina Roadrunners Club. I've been reading his books and columns for several years now, so it was a treat to hear him talk in person. He was both funny and insightful, and really spoke to me.

5) I got to co-host an episode of a running podcast called the Runners Roundtable, and while I was nervous at first, I really enjoyed the experience! I hope to do it again sometime.

6) George and I ran our first race together, the Mebane on the Move 10K. It was my first 10k in years, and George's first road race ever. I was quite proud of him! He finished ahead of me by a few minutes, which was all good.

7) I started working with a running coach in December, the first time I've tried a running coach. This leaves me with high hopes for the coming year.

8) I ran (or ran/walked) 753.76 miles in 2009. I'm still shooting for that elusive 1000 miles in a year. I'm not sure if that's in the cards for me or not.  Time will tell!

Last Workout of 2009

I ended this year with the elliptical machine and a strength training workout. I started with 2.45 miles (35:14 min) on the elliptical, not a stellar performance, but it's a light cardio workout day anyway. I followed it with a variety of strength building exercises, some of which I added some sets or reps to. (Yay!) At the end, I stretched. All in all, a good workout.

Wednesday Treadmill Run

I got on the treadmill this morning and followed orders to run/walk 2.5 miles, with an ever increasing amount of running and less walking--yay! I did this on the treadmill again, which makes it all easier, but I'm doing it. I did the 2.5 mile stint in 38:10, faster than Monday's run, per orders from the coach. It felt good today, to boot. I stretched for about 10 minutes afterward, which my right IT band appreciated today.

Tuesday Gym Workout and Weigh-in

I rode the recumbent bike for 7.8 miles in 45:05 minutes, then stretched for about 10 minutes and spent about another 5-10 minutes on strength training. Saw my new low-carb diet buddy again at the gym, and it was fun to talk with her a little more. :)

My first 5K of the new year is coming up next weekend--yay! I hope the weather is good, but either way, I'll be there! Now, if I can lose a few pounds between now and then, that would be great! Today I weighed after I woke up and used the bathroom, instead of waiting until after I lost some water weight from working out. I didn't like what I saw, but I have to think of the number as data, not as a measure of my self worth.

Monday Treadmill Run

This morning I continued to follow Brennan's workout schedule, and ran/walked 2.53 miles in 40 minutes on the treadmill. It was a better run than last week, felt like I was more in the groove. I hope it means I'm getting a little stronger too. :) I stretched afterward.

I had a nice conversation with a lady at the gym, the one I met a couple of days ago in the gym lobby. We struck up a conversation about weight loss then, and had an even longer conversation about it this morning. She was very inspiring! I got her contact information, and will drop her an email soon. I hope we stay in touch!

I started a new exercise log today--fun to think about the possibilities that the coming year will hold in terms of my running. One new thing I put in the section for today is this morning's resting heart rate. I think it'll be interesting to track that over the course of the year ahead. I wonder if the number will go down.

Sunday Bike Ride

It took me a while to get to the gym this morning, after a late night playing games at George's brother's house. (We had such a good time, that we didn't leave until midnight, and were still wound up when we got home! It was 2 AM before we went to bed--yikes!)

My workout plan for this morning was an optional 30-35 minutes of low intensity riding on the recumbent bike. I almost didn't go, but decided I'd feel worse mentally, at least, if I didn't go to the gym. I'm glad I did. It was a slow 5.23 miles, but it's in the books.

Tomorrow, I start a brand new exercise journal. Pretty good feeling.

Saturday Run at the Gym

This morning I ran/walked 2.53 miles in 43 minutes on the treadmill, and it was one of those "tough" runs. I knew I could gut it out, but I just felt out of sync. I was glad I finished, and my left IT band and plantar fasciitis felt better as I went along. It was slow going at the beginning, though, and it was hard to recover my pace by the end to keep it line with earlier run/walk paces this week. I'm building my endurance back, though, and not every run is going to be a winner.

I had a nice little visit with another gym member on my way of out the gym, as we somehow struck up a conversation about weight loss. She gave me some good tips that helped her, included the book, Good Calories, Bad Calories, which I ordered from Amazon when I got home! Has anyone else read this book? If so, any comments?

Merry Christmas!

I went to the gym this morning, and had more company than I expected. There were two people there when I arrived, and different person there when I left.

Today's workout was optional, according to my new plan from the running coach. I decided to follow it and walked 2.03 miles in 36:07 minutes on the treadmill. I followed it with 2.11 miles on the recumbent bike in 12:06 minutes.

My eye is feeling much better today. I had to delay my workout yesterday due to an early (thank goodness!) appointment with the eye doctor, who diagnosed a corneal ulcer on my right eye. It had been feeling very irritated, so I've been the eye drop queen (two types) for the past day. Minor bump in the road, in retrospect, but it was a little unnerving not knowing what was going on with my eye. Much better now!

Holiday Workouts

Yesterday I ran/walked on the treadmill for 2 miles (31:06 min), did some work on the ab crunch Nautilus machine, then did a light 10 minutes (1.34 miles) on the bike.

Today, I did 3.14 miles in 40 minutes on the elliptical machine, and followed with a 15 minute stretch. I'm still getting used to concentrating on one cardio machine when I'm at the gym. I got so used to hopping around on different machines that it's a bit of a challenge for me to just focus on one. I think it'll pay off, though.

Training Progress

This morning I did 2.72 miles in 36 minutes on the elliptical machine, followed by stretching and strength training, both upper and lower body. While my muscles ache a bit, I'm feeling the satisfaction of hoping that my muscles are getting stronger and benefiting from a more well rounded training plan. If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know I've stretched a bit and done strength training even less consistently. Well, I think THOSE days are over, and I'm looking forward to seeing how my body responds in 2010. Stay tuned!

New Week

It's the last full running week of 2009, and it happens to be the last week of pages in my paper workout log that I take to the gym with me daily.

Today I continued to follow coach's orders, and ran/walked 2.52 miles in 40:06 minutes on the treadmill. It was a pretty challenging run/walk for me, and I'm not sure why. It's the longest I've gone in a while, but I thought I was maintaining my fitness level better than that. I'm scratching my head on this one. I'm glad I made it to the end, and am surprised I finished in under a 16 min/mile pace today. Yep, I felt pretty sluggish. Maybe the fact that I'm on vacation and got to the gym a little later than usual had something to do with it.

Another Run in the Books

This morning I ran (on the treadmill) for only the third time this week, but I still have a weekly high for the month. It's been nice having running coach Brennan's guidance on the runs and cross training. One thing I'm not accustomed to is focusing on one cardio thing during a workout session; a couple of people have commented, after looking at my workout log online, that "you sure do do a lot of different things." I thought it was all about crosstraining, but truth be known, and both of those people said it, if I want to become a better runner, I need to practice being a better running. The other stuff is of secondary importance, and will help me become a better runner, but eventually, I'll be doing a lot more running than the other stuff (biking, elliptical, walking).

So, today, I did 2.29 miles of running and walking on the treadmill, increasing the amount of distance I ran, and finished it in 35 minutes. I also did some good stretching afterward.

Meanwhile, I found that online registration is open for the 2010 Run for the Roses 5K in Raleigh, so I'll be signing up for that after holiday shopping is over.

Next Race on the Calendar!

I'm happy to report that my next race is on the books, and the registration fee has been paid! It's the Run for the Young 5K on January 9, 2010, in Raleigh. It'll be my first post-DNF race, and I'm really looking forward to getting back out there!

Meanwhile, my training with the running coach's plan is going well so far, considering it's the first week and all. It's too soon to be noticing improvement, really, but I am pushing myself a bit on the workouts, and have incorporated daily stretching and lower body strength training twice a week. Brennan has me running just three times a week for now, probably a smart move since both IT bands have talked to me some this week. I've gotten religious about stretching because of that, as I'm eager for both of my IT bands to heal totally so that I can forge ahead.

While working out this morning, a new personal trainer at the gym approached me about signing up for a free consultation with him, and by the end of the conversation, he was "looking forward to working with me." Pretty hard sell. Thinking about it for the rest of the day, I think that paying for the gym membership and a running coach is plenty for now. In time, I could see myself having some strength training sessions with a personal trainer, but for now, I've got a full plate.

He seemed surprised when I asked him about his educational background, and replied that his BS is in something sports related, and he's in Duke's physical therapy program now. What else should I expect from a personal trainer? Should he/she have personal trainer certification, in addition to experience?

Runners Roundtable Podcast

Last night, I co-hosted a podcast called Runners Roundtable with Mike and Albert, and it was fun to do! It was my first time to do a podcast, and we used the website Talkshoe to record the call-in, live-recorded (and not-edited) podcast, so it was a big ole learning experience for me! It was a good one, though, and I would highly recommend the experience!

The guests on the podcast were Jan Seely, publisher of Marathon and Beyond, and Joe Henderson, a columnist for the magazine. I'd never heard of "Marathon and Beyond" before, and had a hard time finding it at the bookstore, because it's a shorter magazine, height-wise, than others, but it has a lot of great articles. I enjoyed learning more about the magazine, and found both Jan and Joe very personable.

The link to the show notes and last night's podcast is here.

Another Run and More Stretching

Following Brennan's training plan for me, I did another run/walk today on the treadmill, going 2.28 miles in 36 minutes. It felt strange finishing my cardio so soon, but it felt like enough running for today, considering my left IT band and plantar fasciitis were peeping at me.

Afterward, I had a great stretching session, which went on for about 15 minutes. Once I get on the floor, my right IT band felt as tight as my left, so I gave them some extra TLC. I also did some calf lifts and vertical leg lifts. It's nice to feel like I have permission to include lots of stretching now, as I've been bad about making time for it. Now stretching's on the schedule, part of the plan.

Starting With the Running Coach

Well, yesterday I started my workouts planned by my new running coach, Brennan Liming. It's felt a bit strange being out of control of planning my workouts, but then again, I've never done a lot of planning. Often, I would just show up at the gym and do what I felt like doing, and stop when I had to. Already, I've done a variety of things, all with some energy left to spare. I'm not overdoing yet, though it's been a little hard not pushing myself a little harder, especially on the treadmill and elliptical. I've felt a difference later in the day the past two days, though. My legs haven't felt sore hours afterward, and my plantar fasciitis has hurt less. All progress, I think.

Yesterday (Monday):
1) Ran/walked 2.1 miles (33 min) on the treadmill, measuring my run/walk cycles by distance instead of time, which was nice.
2) 10 min. stretching

Today:
1) Did 2.37 miles (30 min) on the elliptical
2) 20 situps on the stability ball, plus 20 obliques (1o left, 10 right)
3) I inserted some stretching here, though it wasn't part of the plan for today
4) 10 Superman moves
5) 2x10 calf lifts
6) 2x10 1-leg lunges

I was tired this morning at the gym, and kinda down, so it was nice to have a plan, especially with some new things to try.

Sunday Afternoon Workout

I ended up getting a late start this rainy Sunday morning, then ran some errands before going to the gym. I decided to keep it simple by riding an hour (for 10.53 miles) on the recumbent bike, followed by some stretching. At home, I did some bicep and hammer curls with 5 lb dumb bells my sister sent me for my birthday. First time breaking the 5 pounders in, and it was fun being able to do some strength training at home--yay!

Saturday at the Gym

This morning I slept in, and made it to the gym for 45:03 minutes (3.55 miles) on the elliptical before calling it a day. Then I met Teri at Shelley Lake for a quick photo shoot of me running a little bit. She's writing an article about John Bingham's visit to Raleigh a couple of nights ago, and wants to ask me a few questions tomorrow afternoon about my marathon and my impressions of Bingham's talk to the North Carolina Roadrunners Club. Pretty neat!

More Running Today, Plus John Bingham

Today I started with 5.3 miles (30 min) on the recumbent bike, then went straight to the treadmill, where I ran 1.41 miles in 20:04 minutes! Let me tell ya, it felt good! Once I warmed up a little more, it felt just right, so I went longer than the 15 minutes I was planning. I really enjoyed being able to increase my distance a bit. I finished with 15 minutes (1.25 miles) on the elliptical, a faster pace than usual for me, probably because I was pretty jazzed about the run. It's all still a pretty slow pace, but it's picking up!

Last night I attended the fourth quarter meeting of the North Carolina Roadrunners Club, and had the privilege to hear John Bingham speak. He was a very entertaining, funny speaker, and I'm so glad I went!

More Elliptical

I started with the elliptical machine today, and it was nice to change up my routine a little bit!

1) Did 3.03 miles (40:02 min) on the elliptical
2) Rode 3.55 miles (2:04 min) on the recumbent bike
3) Stretched for about 5 min
4) Did 10 pushups

Wednesday Workout

1) Rode 6.15 miles (35:04 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Did 2 miles (25:16 min) on the elliptical machine

I was soaked before I even got to the gym, as it was storming big time when I went down to the parking lot of my apartment complex. I couldn't remember where I parked my car last night, so I ended up trying to put my car key in a couple of incorrect blue cars! Third time was the charm, but I looked like I'd fallen into the pool or something! I thought about going back up two flights of stairs to dry off and change shirts, but I had a feeling if I did that, I might not make it to the gym! As it was, I was on the fence until I pulled out of my parking space. I was glad I went--once I got there!

Still Working Out

Well, I've gotten behind by a few days on blogging, but I've continued to work out the past few days, honest! I ended up having a busy, but very fun birthday weekend, which included meeting with my new running coach and attending the Galloway training group's end-of-year party at Frankie's. It was fun to see everyone in normal clothes, with hair down and makeup on in some cases even! :) I was surprised to receive one of the Inspiration Awards given out for finishing the Triple Lakes Marathon in what turned out to be an all-day affair. (Here's hoping I get to go for a PR eventually!)

Anyway, today's workout:

1) Rode 6.73 miles (40:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Ran 1.02 miles (15:04 min) on the treadmill
3) Cooled down with 0.38 mile (5 min) on the elliptical
4) Stretched for about 10 min
5) 10 pushups

Birthday Run

1) Did 3.08 miles (40 min) on the elliptical
2) Walked 0.70 miles (12:09 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 1 mile (15:09 min) on the treadmill

It felt really good to run a whole mile on the treadmill, eventhough my legs (especially IT bands) were tight, and I didn't leave time for stretching this morning!

Today's my birthday, and I'm so excited about getting some dumbbells and a Jillian Michaels DVD from my sister! I actually asked for some dumbbells, and she saw the Jilliam Michaels DVD and thought I'd like it. The reviews for it on Amazon are quite good, so I can't wait to check it out! (Thanks, Lisa!)

Thinking about Running

Well, I thought about running again today, but did more crosstraining instead. My legs just aren't quite ready yet, with the fussy IT band. That being said, I haven't made time fore stretching yet today, but I must make the stretching a regular part of my routine. My recovery and return to running depend on it.

Meanwhile:
1) Rode 4.07 miles (31 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Did 3.3 miles (45:04 min) on the elliptical machine (this felt great, and is currently replacing my running, I think)
3) Walked 0.60 miles (10:15 min) on the treadmill

Mid-Week Workout

1) Rode 3.25 miles in 20 minutes on the recumbent bike
2) Did 3.02 miles in 40 minutes on the elliptical
3) Walked 1 mile in 17:05 minutes on the treadmill

I felt like a crosstraining machine today, on the cardio machines, anyway. I miss the running, really miss it, but I don't feel physically ready to start it up again. Soon, I hope!

This Week's Workouts

I've gotten a little bit slack about updating my workouts here on my blog, mostly because I was busy finishing the rough draft of my novel for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November. I'm happy that December is here, but I really enjoyed channeling my writing in the month of November. My story as about a group of runners. Now, I need to decide what to do with this rough draft of a novel, which I titled The Finish.

Meanwhile, here are my workouts from the past few days:

Sunday
1) Walked outside for 3.09 miles and 60 minutes. I stopped at a little family cemetery back off in the woods near this particular course that I take sometimes. It was both neat and creepy to be back there.
2) Did 0.75 miles in 10 minutes on the elliptical in the gym


Monday
1) Rode the recumbent bike for 5.55 miles in 35:03 min


Today
1) Rode the recumbent bike for 3.51 miles in 20:01 min
2) Stretched for about 5 min
3) Did the elliptical for 2.32 miles in 30 min
4) Walked 0.56 mile in 10 minutes on the treadmill

Late Workout

I'm just back from a late workout at the gym. After getting up early to work on my novel for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), George and I went to his brother's house in Apex for brunch with relatives in town for Thanksgiving. Since then, I've been writing away on my book again. I finally decided, about 7:30 or so, that I needed to get some exercise!

I got the gym a little after 8 PM, which felt a little weird since I usually work out early in the morning, but there were some other gym rats there for part of my workout. I ended up with a nice mix of cardio and upper body strength training.

1) Rode 10.51 miles (1 hour) on the recumbent bike
2) 2x1o reps bicep curls (1o lbs)
3) 2x10 side lateral raises (5 lbs)
4) 1x10 tricep extensions (5 lbs)
5) Walked 0.86 mile (15:05 min) on the treadmill

Thanksgiving Holiday Workouts

Yesterday (Thanksgiving)
1) Rode 8.75 miles (50:02 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Stretched for 10 min
3) 2x10 sets of pushups (not getting any easier yet)
4) Did 1.4 miles (20:10 min) on the elliptical
5) Walked 0.27 mile (5:01 min) on the treadmill

Today
1) Did 2.36 miles (35:01 min) on the elliptical
2) Walked 1.13 miles (20:01 min) on the treadmill
3) Ran 0.72 mile (11 min) on the treadmill

I'm not sure what has me more tired tonight, today's running attempt, or two days in a row on the elliptical. The running helt pretty decent, but I'm weary of overdoing it.

Hour of Power (No,Just Cardio)

I actually logged 65 minutes of cardio this morning, which felt really good. I started with walking (2.13 miles in 40:07 min) on the treadmill, and followed it with 25 minutes (4.41 miles) on the recumbent bike. I didn't make time for strength training or stretching this morning like I should have, but the cardio felt sooo good. (Only bad thing was a few twinges in my left knee as I walked.)

Short Run

1) Rode 6.75 miles in 50:01 min on the recumbent bike (wasn't paying much attention, so it turned out to be a lazy pace for a long time)
2) Walked 1.11 miles in 20 min on the treadmill
3) Ran 0.32 mile in 5 minutes on the treadmill, first try at running since the Outer Banks Marathon DNF. Body felt a little creaky, left IT band tight, some slight pain around left knee cap

Cardio and Strength Training at the Gym

I enjoyed getting to the gym a little earlier this morning. I did 6.5 miles (40:08 min) on the recumbent bike, followed by about 10 min. of stretching and 10 pushups. Then I walked 1.11 miles (20:16 min) on the treadmill (IT band talked to me a little bit), and ended with some bicep curls and tricep extensions. With the weight training, I am beginning to feel like Little Miss Crosstrainer, though I'm not doing much of it. Still, I think it's a good start.

Saturday Long Walk

I joined the Galloway group again this morning, and still walking, ended up covering 5.31 miles in 1:41:02, about a 19 minute pace. My left IT band was a little bit fussy, but not too bad. Still, I was glad I got out and saw the group and walked. The cooler temps felt really good, too! I met he group back at Panera Bread at the mall, and it was nice to meet a few new (to me) runners from the faster pace groups today. A good morning out.

Mixing It Up

1) Rode 5 miles (30:10 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Stretched for 10 min, mostly IT bands (the right one is bothering me a lot more today)
3) Did 5 pushups
4) Walked 1.10 miles (21:04 min) on the treadmill
5) Bicep Curls, 2 sets of 10 reps @ 10lb weights
6) Tricep Extensions, 2 sets of 10 reps @ 10 lb weights

Good Workout at the Gym

I had a good workout today, though I didn't run. That's a nice hurdle to cross. I so miss running, but I am learning to enjoy other things, so I hope that will help me become stronger and better fit.

1) Rode 3 miles (20 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Stretched (especially the IT bands) for about 10 min, including some yoga poses and the gym's foam roller
3) 10 pushups (I've signed up for a 100 pushup challenge on DailyBurn, and started the pushup count today. Uh, ouch!)
4) Walked 1.01 miles (20 min) on the treadmill
5) Did 0.71 mile (10 min) on the elliptical. (Okay, this may fall into the category of overtraining, but it felt good to push myself here!)

Upper Body Strength Training

This morning I decided to shake things up a little. I started with an easy 2.06 (15:01 min) miles on the recumbent bike, easy mostly because my knee was being a little fussy (runner's knee?), then stretched (mostly IT bands) for about 10 minutes. Then I hopped on three different weight machines to work on my upper body strength. By the last machine, my arms were burning! I feel pretty good about that, as it reminds me that I could use more strength training. I finished up with 15:05 minutes (0.72 mile) of walking on the treadmill.

I am sorely missing the more intense cardio workouts (because of soreness), so I'm a little frustrated right now. I did have an interesting talk with a running coach last night about using her coaching service after the holidays are over. I'm encouraged by the possibility. More to come!

My Legs Say, "Ouch!"

I went to the gym this morning, feeling guilty about overeating at our Covenant Group potluck last night. My legs are still sore enough, though, that I only did 1.05 miles (15:01 min) on the elliptical machine. The soreness in my legs is beyond the soreness of a hard workout, more like, "You push us too hard now and you'll be sorry! Give us a rest!" *sigh*

Workouts to Start the Week

I never got around to posting yesterday, but I did 2.1 miles (31 min) on the elliptical, then returned to Bull City Running and got fit for a new pair of running shoes and inserts. Yay! This morning I was chicken, though, and didn't try running in them. I did 5.62 miles (36:01 min) on the recumbent bike instead. I also stretched both IT bands for about 5 minutes this morning, which helped. They were sore after testing several pairs of running shoes yesterday. Better this morning. Hope it holds, want to run!!

American Tobacco Trail Walk

I'm back from a walk on the American Tobacco Trail, where I did 4.43 miles in 82 minutes and change. I went with the Galloway group, but decided to take it easy and turn around early. Still, I'm glad I did it. I enjoyed catching up with folks a bit, and it was the first run/walk since Triple Lakes where I really enjoyed the trees! :D Some leaves were still on the trees, but this past week's rain had brought down a lot of leaves, leaving a carpet of color on the ground. It was still cloudy and cool this morning, but very pleasant.

Afterward, I walked into Bull City Running Store to look around, and the owners asked if I'd had a good run. One thing lead to another, and we got into an interesting conversation about my shoes, and how I probably needed a different make and model. I'll go back there in a few weeks to get some new shoes. They were very helpful!

Rest Day

I decided to take a break from the gym this morning, in hopes of running or walking with my running group this morning. I had a rude awakening a little while later, as I was walking down my apartment stairs to go to work this morning, that made me glad I hadn't gone to the gym! My left IT band hurt walking down the stairs, a sure sign that I need to give it a rest. *Sigh* I think it's time to pull out the one or two yoga books I have, and perhaps look into some yoga videos. I also have a good book on stretching and another on strength training for runners. Time to put some other things into action while my leg heals.

Tight IT Band

I returned to the gym this morning after a rest day yesterday, and had a pretty decent workout, though my left IT band is rather tight.

1) Rode 5.72 miles (35:01 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Stretched the IT bands for about 5 minutes
3) Walked 1.5 miles in 25:09 min. on the treadmill

I haven't decided yet whether or not to try to run/walk with the running group on Saturday morning. They'll be meeting at the American Tobacco Trail in Durham, a pretty easy course. Maybe I'll go and walk.

More Gym Time

I returned to the gym this morning, planning to do a short workout. I ended up riding on the recumbent bike for 11.36 miles in 63:22 minutes. I got carried away, between the podcast I was listening to and the thoughts going through my head, and before I knew it, I had to stop right then and there and head home to start getting ready for work! It felt good, though.

I was thinking about the two marathons I've started this year now, and how neither one of them went like I expected. It's interesting, disappointing, enlightening, all sorts of things. Part of me wants to say, "Okay, half marathons and distances shorter will be good enough for me." But, a bigger part of me wants to have a better marathon experience, to nail it and get a marathon PR in a more "normal" time. I WANT to show the distance that I can do it, and do it decently.

Yesterday at work, several people asked me about the Outer Banks Marathon, and I did a decent job of putting on a brave face, but to be honest, I wish I could've told them I'd finished. I want to do it again and have the sense of accomplishment, not just of finishing but of improving as well.

Monday at the Gym

1) Rode 7.05 miles (41 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Did 0.75 mile (11:02 min) on the elliptical

I'm pretty sore from yesterday's OBX DNF, but it felt good to get to the gym and do some non-impact exercise. My body could've used the rest, I'm sure, but mentally, I needed to "get back on the horse." *sigh*

Outer Banks Marathon DNF

Well, the big news isn't what I hoped for. I was hoping to report a big fat PR, but instead, I had my first DNF, or Did Not Finish. I have mixed feelings about it, but am glad I went. George and I did this race together, and we both learned a lot from it.

We did run, by several accounts, the prettiest half of the course, and decided to stop there, as my IT Band continued to hurt, and George ended up with an unexpected knee injury, which he got diagnosed at the medical tent later. He has decided since then that it was probably caused by the new pair of shoes he had to by in Kill Devil Hills Saturday afternoon because he'd left his shoes at home! The pair he was sold was a size narrower than he's used to wearing, a recipe for injury, it turns out!

We were glad to get a half marathon in, but it's too bad we didn't get a finisher's medal for it. Sunday's race course took us through pretty neighborhoods and past the Wright Brothers Memorial, which was awesome! I took pictures, which I'll post later. We were impressed by the volunteers at the water stops and aid stations, as well as the crowd support along the way.

I'm still processing the experience, but here are some things I've learned:
1) I need to continue to work on speed, endurance, and weighht loss to improve my running.
2) Make a checklist of things to pack for a marathon out of town, and start packing earlier.
3) If George and I run another long distance race together, we need to get on the same page in terms of packing, shopping, and sleep, about a week in advance.
4) I need to work on stretching my IT bands more frequently, perhaps returning to yoga class.
5) I enjoyed running with George, and I'm glad we talked a bit beforehand about a game plan.
6) It might help to think about things to talk about ahead of time, when I'm planning to run a long distance with someone. Actually, it helped me to have George talk and be able to listen to him as I ran through some tough sections!


I've already signed up for my next race, a 5K in a couple of weeks. I need it to help me pick my chin up and keep going. I must remember to allow myself to rest and recover this week too, though.

UPDATE: George's and my split times didn't show up on the official race results! Arrrgh! It was one of those little strips that you pull off the back of the bib and loop on your shoe laces. George already emailed the company, and I will as well, after I get home and look at my bib number again (I don't remember it.)

Back in the Gym

This was my first workout since Sunday (which I didn't post). I had a mild fever Sunday and Monday nights, and felt like I was fighting a bug, so I've been making it to work, but laying low otherwise. I'm resting up for Sunday's Outer Banks Marathon, as well as taking part in National Novel Writing Month, which takes place every November.

Anyway, I wasn't sure how today would go at the gym, but I was looking forward to the workout! I did 6.23 miles (35 min) on the recumbent bike and walked 0.60 miles (10:06 min) on the treadmill, both of which felt great! I decided to run next, and ended up doing 0.43 miles in 7 minutes, and was limping by the end because my left IT band was hurting! Yikes! I wonder if I can walk the OBX Marathon and finish in time. Hmmm.