Another "Magic Mile" Test`

I decided to head to the American Tobacco Trail this morning for a change of pace and do a timed mile, known in Galloway lingo as the Magic Mile.It's a predictor of finishing times for various racing distances, as well as a way to figure out what pace someone should be training at for different race distances. Anyway, I'd put off doing this Magic Mile test on last week's training schedule because of the pulled muscle in my lower back. My back's much better after buying a heating pad Friday after work, but it's still not 100%, and I felt it this morning during that Magic Mile! (Boo hiss!)

I did warm up for a half mile, first with walking, and then with run/walk intervals of 30 seconds each. That felt pretty decent. On the timed mile, I ran as much as I could, and walked a little bit. I did have to cross over a couple of streets along the trail, but I lucked out with little-to-no car traffic. I ended up with a 17:30 minute mile, 8 seconds slower than my Magic Mile time last month. A bit disappointing, but I'm sure it would've been faster if my lower back hadn't been a little sore.

When I worked with a running coach, she used to have me do an exercise called "alternate superman" as part of my core strengthening routine, but I've gotten away from doing it! I need to start back and stick with that part of my training, because a sore back stinks (and probably could've been avoided)!

Here's an example of the alternate superman exercise I'll start doing again soon:



Back to the Magic Mile, the Jeff Galloway website suggests doing 4 Magic Miles over several weeks, then dropping the slowest and averaging the fastest three times for a more accurate snapshot of current ability. I did that and came up with a 17:32 average. According to the Magic Mile calculator on the Galloway site, I should be training at a 23:48 min/mile pace for a half marathon, which makes my 21:05 min/mile average pace this past Saturday look pretty good. It also predicts I'd finish a half marathon in 4:35:37 in a hard effort under ideal conditions. Considering that my last half marathon (back in March) was 4:50:06 (chip), I'd certainly take a 15 minute improvement!! Still, I'm not where I want to be, which is definitely a sub-4:00 half marathon finish (and that's just for starters!).

Galloway Long Run #13 (Plus Pancakes!)

I had a 6 mile run/walk on this morning's calendar, and I'm happy to report that I completed it. It was a good bit slower than last week's run, but it felt really good to finish it AND stay on track with my training schedule.

I started at about 5:30 AM on the Bent Creek Greenway in Raleigh, and followed it to the Shelley Lake Trail. This YouTube video (done by someone else) shows my path today (though I went the opposite way around the lake):

While I was on the trail, I passed a number of other Raleigh Galloway runners, and it was fun, as always to see them out there. Even though I'd set out on my own this morning, the camaraderie among the group as a whole is very encouraging! Thanks to Ashby for shooting this picture of me in passing!

After the run, we had the annual Raleigh Galloway/ North Carolina Roadrunners Club pancake breakfast, cooked by volunteers who gave up their training time this morning to cook for over 400 runners! The food and company were great!


Here's a map of my run/walk course this morning:

Wednesday Morning Run

It was another pretty warm, pretty humid morning, but it was a good run/walk. I went to the same neighborhood to run this morning, but decided to go in another direction. It was a nice change of pace, with a few sprinklers to run through, to boot! I ended up going 1.92 miles in 37 minutes, for a 19:14 average pace. It's nice when I can go a little farther AND a little faster than the last run! Progress doesn't always show itself in the numbers on every run, so I'll take it when I can get it.

Monday Morning Run

This morning's run was another score for the warm outdoors! I've just gotten into the habit of running outside lately, though it really helps that I'm able to get out there early, before work, instead in the post-work heat of the late afternoon.

Today's running assignment was 35 minutes (up from 30 minutes on last week's mid-week training), so I went to a nearby neighborhood to pound the pavement. I ended up going 1.81 miles in 35 minutes, mostly doing a 30/30 run/walk interval. I pushed the pace a little to get my average pace under 19:30, and ended up with a 19:20 average pace for the run. If it weren't for being cautious about a pulled back muscle from the weekend, I think I could have gone faster. I'll keep working on that!

Galloway Run #12 Complete

Boy, this morning's run was a hot one! I'm glad I started early, got about 3 miles in (starting about 5:10am) before the regular Galloway run at 6:30. The time & temp sign I passed on the course around 5:15am read 82F, and it warmed up pretty quickly as the sun rose. Those first 3 miles were relatively flat, but the regular course for the Galloway group was pretty hilly through the North Hills neighborhood. I was glad I only had two more miles to do. My new training plan called for 5 miles today, but I ended up doing 5.26 miles in 1:45:01, for a 19:57 average pace. It's my best average pace for a long run since shorter mileage in early July, so I'm pretty pleased with the progress, especially for a hot, hot day. The rest of the group did longer miles, but I was happy to complete the assigned mileage on my newest training schedule. Week #1 is in the books!

Afterward, I got a little bit of walking in by walking to the nearest Panera, instead of driving, to meet some Galloway friends for breakfast. From there, George and I went to a nearby gym that has a saltwater pool AND hot tub, great for soaking!

I'm still having some lower back pain, muscle spasms, I think, which I first noticed after the run. I did a little hand massaging, then foam rollering, but both hurt!! I'm off to try an ice pack.

Here's my course map of today's run.

Another Treadmill Delay

I decided to head to the gym to walk on the treadmill this morning, but when I got there, I decided to walk outside instead! (Glad I had my Garmin Forerunner with me to help make it happen.) There's a paved trail that goes around my gym and meanders through part of RTP, so I walked around there for 1.5 miles in 31:16 minutes.

After the walk, I finally went inside the gym (first time this week!), and got a short bike ride and some (upper body) weights in for a well-rounded workout. I'm feeling a little tired from the workout, so I think (and hope) I'll sleep well tonight.

When I arrived at the gym this morning, it had a new name. Read all about the change here.

Meanwhile, I've dropped a couple of pounds in the past week, so there's progress again on the diet front. Yay!

Wednesday Morning Run

I feel like I'm getting into the groove with the new training schedule. This morning's run was my second on the new plan, and my second outdoor run in a row. It feels nice to break away from the gym for my runs, even though I'm slower outside than on the treadmill. My weight training has slacked off this week, and I need to get back on track with that, but one thing at a time, I guess.


This morning's run was 1.53 miles in 30:02 minutes, slightly farther than Monday's 30-minute run, with 30-second run/walk intervals. I tried to pay attention to cadence this time, though I didn't bother to keep count. I got a good night's sleep last night, which helped too, I bet.

New Week, New Training Plan

This morning I started a new training plan, Jeff Galloway's half marathon training schedule for a time goal. For now, I'm going to follow it as closely as I can, but I'll keep in mind that I may need to be flexible down the road and scale back a bit. Here's the link. Scroll down to the second plan to see what I'll be working on.

So, I did the 30 minute run on today's schedule outside for a change. I'd gotten into the habit of going to the air conditioned gym and running on the treadmill. Because I run more quickly on the treadmill, that's always a confidence boost. In the big scheme of things, though, running outside is more realistic, and allows me to track my progress on a wider variety of surfaces. Anyway, I ran through the Brier Creek Country Club neighborhood, and had plenty of company, including several dog walkers. (I enjoy seeing people's dogs, as long as they're leashed as I'm running by! Who knows, maybe being chased by a dog might help me with my speed, though!)

Today's workout: 1.51 miles in 30:01 min., 30 sec/30 sec run/walk intervals, sunny and around 75F

Back to Triple Lakes?

I'm thinking about heading back to Triple Lakes, the course of my first marathon, this year, but to do the half marathon instead. I still have some solid training to do, but I'm thinking hard about it! I just ran across a race report by "Barefoot Josh" (aka Josh Sutcliffe) for the Triple Lakes Half, and had to share! Follow this link to check it out.

If you're interested in learning more about barefoot running, Josh's site looks like an informative one, and if you're into North Carolina races (as he seems to be), maybe you'll run into him! (He'd be the one without any shoes, apparently!)

So, I haven't paid for this race yet, but will post, of course, if I decide to. If I can stay on target with my newest training schedule, it would be a great fit. I'd just need to be careful on the trail course and remember to use it as a training run.

Another Difficult Long Run

I had another challening long run today, but this time weather wasn't the problem. I think that lack of sleep and good nutrition over the past few days were the biggest factors. My right foot toe pain came on early today as well, at around two miles, which was surprising and discouraging. I'm icing my toes now as I type. I need to do more icing, in addition to getting better sleep and food inside of me.

Total mileage today was 4.1 miles. Blah on the time and min/mile average. I got it done. Tomorrow's another day!

Who's On MapMyRun?

While I've been a member of the website MapMyRun for quite some time, I just rediscovered it this week! It feels like a fun new running toy, and I really like the various stats it provides (like elevation). I'm still getting acquainted with the features of the "plain vanilla" version, but it's fun to study the route(s) on a map.

I've decided to do about 4 miles tomorrow, and have mapped out a couple of different possible courses. I'll be starting with the Raleigh Galloway group, but will do shorter mileage than the group has planned. George and I will be doing the same mileage, so we plan to run together.

Are you on MapMyRun, what's your favorite feature? Is the premium membership worth it? If you're not on MapMyRun, check it out and let me know what you think.

If you're interested in being "MapMyRun buddies," click on my MapMyRun profile and click on "Add as Friend."


Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

No Run Today

I'd planned to get a run in this morning, but last night's water aerobics class was a tough one! After the class was over, the instructor shared that she was a competitive swimmer for over a decade, and the drills she had us do were some of the things she did on her swim team. No arguments about that. It was a great workout!

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com.

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,

Gym Workout

This morning I rode 5:04 miles in 31:02 minutes on the recumbent bike at the gym. My legs still felt a bit tired, probably from Saturday's hilly long run. I decided not to worry about it and moved on the the weights for some upper body strength training (machine and dumbbell combo). I felt like I had a good upper body workout this morning! I think that if  I can be consistent with the strength training (especially core and upper body), it could really help me with the running.

I'm still mulling over my long run last Saturday, and how hard it was. Part of it was the humidity, heat, and hills, I know, but it was my slowest average pace for the season! I decided to plug my most recent Magic Mile time in on Jeff Galloway's website, and it says I should be training at a 23:35 minute/mile pace for a half marathon! It makes my 20:26 min/mile average pace from Saturday seem pretty good. It makes me wonder if my Magic Mile last week could've been faster. Maybe, but it felt like a pretty hard effort. Well, it could be that I'm still doing a pretty short long run (6 miles this past weekend), and I'll need the cushion of the extra minutes when the longer miles kick in, especially while it's still so hot! But I also hope that my endurance and speed will continue to improve, resulting in a faster Magic Mile.

Meanwhile, I've been tweaking my half marathon training schedule a bit, based on my target race and class schedule for the fall. (I'm starting graduate school part time in August, and will have a class every other Saturday.) I'm actually looking forward to making it work. Weekend long runs will be more challenging on class weekends, but I'm determined to make it work!

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Galloway Long Run

This morning the Raleigh Galloway group met at the Athlete's Foot store in Cameron Village for our long run. This course has a reputation for being hilly, and it was very humid and hot today too! It ended up taking it slower than usual, but I made it! My goal for today was 6-7 miles. I did .20 mile as a warmup before the official group run started. Once the run got going, I made it to the bridge over I-440, the first time I've made it to the bridge this year, so it was a personal milestone. Making it to the bridge also meant I was at the 3-mile mark and had 3 miles to get back to my car! It was a long 3 miles back, and my 30 sec/30 sec run/walk intervals broke down going back. The pain in my right toes returned in the late miles, a little discouraging. I was glad to finish my longest run/walk of the season, though. Time on my feet. It's done.

.20 mi 4:19
6.02 mi, 2:03:00

Another Magic Mile Test

George and I returned to the American Tobacco Trail this evening, this time to do a Magic Mile. I was concerned about doing a Magic Mile at the end of a warm day, but the sky was full of big, billowy, gray clouds, with a gentle breeze but no rain. I was pretty pleased with my Magic Mile time, a 22-second improvement over my last Magic Mile in late May!

Warm-up walk: 0.23 mi, 4:59 min
Warm-up run: 0.27 mi, 5:11 min
Magic Mile: 1 mi, 17:22 min
Cool-down walk: 0.40 mi, 9:00 min

I think I spotted a red fox running away from the trail, but I missed the black snake that a couple of people on the trail mentioned to me. :)

nOg Run #1

Nog Run by dukefan86 at Garmin Connect - Details

George and I joined the nOg Run Club tonight at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub in Raleigh. This is a run that goes on every Monday evening, but it's usually pretty hard for the two of us to make it there after work. Since we both had today off for Independence Day, we decided to shoot for it.

We made it there in plenty of time to sign the waiver form and get our little keychain swipes. After 10 runs, you get a t-shirt, and after 25 runs you can a mug. But it's more about the social run than the swag! I got 2.12 miles in, most of it by myself, but several folks helped me find my way on a shortened (by me) course. I only vaguely know my way around this area of Raleigh, but it was a nice course, and I look forward to doing it again. I finished in 40:01 min. (18:53 average pace). I ran/walked 30/30 second intervals, and was happy to get my average pace below 19:00 this evening.

Afterward, we enjoyed a light dinner outside in front of the pub with some Raleigh Galloway friends, and headed back home before the big thunderstorm hit.

Yesterday's Long Run on the American Tobacco Trail

Yesterday's Galloway long run was on the American Tobacco Trail in Durham, one of my favorite places to run! I'm not up to the distance on the schedule, but I did do my longest run/walk total of the season, and I'm generally okay with that.
It was our first run starting at the new time of 6:30 AM. I enjoyed the slightly cooler temperatures; in fact, I arrived at 6:00 and got a mile in before the official run started. Then I joined the 17:00 training group, which is run/walking at 20 sec/40 sec run/walk intervals. I was at the back of the pack for most of my time with the group, but was able to hang pretty well. I suspect that their actual pace was a bit slower than 17:00, since I was able to keep up pretty well. Since I got a mile in early, I turned around at 1.60+ and headed back to yesterday's sponsoring running store, where I enjoyed a discount on a new pair of running shoes, Brooks Ghosts. (I walked in expecting to replace my Brooks Dyads, but learned that the Dyad line has been discontinued.)

Oh, on my run/walk back to the start (and the running store), I switched from 20/40s back to a 30/30 run/walk ratio, since I wasn't with the group anymore, and I was able to improve my average pace a bit.

Run #1: 1.02 mi in 20:04 min (19:42 avg pace)
Run #2: 3.33 mi in 64:04 min (19:14 avg pace

Mid-week Run on the American Tobacco Trail

George and I met after work to run on the American Tobacco Trail last evening. I'm not used to running in the heat of the late, late afternoon, but it was a nice change of pace! I usually exercise in the morning, and on Wednesday evenings we usually do water aerobics together at the gym. It was good to shake things up a little, and I really enjoyed having the running company! We did 2 miles, and then hit the Mellow Mushroom at the American Tobacco Campus for dinner. Yum!

I was happy to have negative splits for the 2 miles. The first mile did include our .25 mile warm-up walk. After that, we ran/walked at 30 second intervals.

Mile 1: 20:16
Mile 2: 18:55

Race Report: 2011 North Carolina Blueberry Festival 5K

Last Saturday, June 18, I participated in the North Carolina Blueberry Festival 5K. My goal was to break 60 minutes, but I was a little nervous about it. Anything can happen on race day, even in a 5K! This was my second trip to  Burgaw, so I knew that the course would be pretty flat.

I rode down with fellow Raleigh Galloway runner Marjorie and her boyfriend, Rudy, and we left from Raleigh about 5:00 AM. (I think this is the farthest I've driven to a race and not spent the night!) We ended up with plenty of time before the 7:30 AM start to warm up and use the porta-johns (some of the nicest I've ever been in, seriously!).

The race started on time, and I had my interval timer set to run/walk at 30 second intervals. That worked pretty well, as I was able to maintain that throughout the race.The course was flat, over several neighborhood streets. There wasn't much crowd support, but maybe the residents were already at the Blueberry Festival! There was a firetruck along the course that had water streaming from the hose, and I ran under it a couple of times, but was sorry later that I had done that. It was so humid that my wicking shirt never dried. I was glad I brought a change of clothes for walking around the festival!

I ended up with a chip time of 58:06, and a gun time of 58:39, and that's with having to stop and tie my shoe! I came in 475th out of 482 runners and walkers, and 30/30 in my age group. Official results are here. Slow as my finishing time was, I'm encouraged the progress over my last 5K.

NC Blueberry Festival

Marjorie, Rudy, and I enjoyed walking around the North Carolina Blueberry Festival afterward. Many vendors were in the courthouse square shown on the left. (If you click on the picture to make it a little bigger, you can make out the Pender County Courthouse in the background.) I bought two pints of blueberries--yum!! (Now I wish I'd bought more!)

Marjorie and Rudy

There was a classic car show going on in conjunction with the Blueberry Festival. Here are Marjorie and Rudy in front of one of my favorite cars there.

Love the License Plate!

The back of the same car, with a clever license plate!



The rest of my pictures from Burgaw and the 2011 NC Blueberry Festival are here.

Race Recovery

Today has been a busy recovery day from yesterday's North Carolina Blueberry Festival 5K! It was a pretty nice race, connected with the annual NC Blueberry Festival in Burgaw. Normally, I would've enjoyed a low-key post-race day, but George and I were busy today! I'm still waiting for official race results, so I'll wait until those come in before I write and post my race report. (Good thing 'cause I'm about to fall asleep in this chair as I type!) The good news is that I have a new 5K PR for 2011! (I'm taking progress where I can find it!) More soon!

Back to the Gym

I decided to go to the gym last night after work, to give my legs more of a rest from Monday morning's workout. After some cardio, I tried a weight machine for legs for the first time in ages, but felt some sharp pain in my left leg, so I tried some one-leg lunges instead. I didn't feel any sharp pain doing those, so I'll stick with those for a little while.



I did some upper body strength training after that, and followed with a good stretch/flexibility session on the floor. A hot bath with Epsom Salt felt great afterward!

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.

Taking it Easy

Just realized I haven't posted here at all in June! Wow! Work has been super busy, trying to finish the end of the fiscal year. On the exercise front, I did join the Galloway group for last Saturday's training run. We had a guest leader who took our pace group out faster than usual, and try as I might, I couldn't keep up. My run/walk pace was my fastest of the season, but I wasn't able to hang with the pace or the distance last Saturday. I've been licking my inner wounds a little, but mostly letting my legs rest so far this week. The IT Band Syndrome seems to have come back, and the tendonitis in my ankle has been fussy lately too, the price I may be paying for trying to get faster too quickly. So, I've been skipping my morning workouts and getting to work a little earlier (not a bad thing for me in June!) this week. I do miss my exercise, though, on several fronts. George and I are planning to go to water aerobics tonight, which should be good.

Magic Mile #2

I did my second Magic Mile of the Raleigh Galloway season this morning. I decided to head for the American Tobacco Trail, but got there later than I'd planned. The temperature outside was warming up already, but I decided to go ahead and get it done.

Walked 0.52 mi in 12:01 min to warm up
Ran 1 mile in 17:44
Walked 0.63 in 14:10 min to cool down

My first Magic Mile on 5/14/11 was 18:00, so there's some improvement. Not a lot, but some. According to my current MM time, my training pace should be a good bit slower than the pace group I'm running with--or better yet, running behind, but not THAT far behind, and I'm closing the gap. I do feel like my Magic Miles have been a good, hard effort. My knees, in fact, are talking to me this evening, so I'll be taking an Epsom Salt bath after I finish this post!

Jeff Galloway recommends running Magic Miles every two weeks or so. Once you have four Magic Mile times, drop the slowest and average the remaining three for an indicator of various race times. I hope I can continue to see improvements over the summer, even with the rising temperatures. Since my target race for 2011 is the City of Oaks Half Marathon in November, the cooler fall temperatures will be a plus.

Speaking of the Galloway group, George has started a Facebook page for our Raleigh Galloway pace group, the Pacers! Check it out here and feel free to "like" it!

Meanwhile, I've registered for the North Carolina Blueberry Festival 5K, which is in Burgaw on June 18. I'm really excited about it, and hope that I can beat my 5K time from the Catch Me If You Can 5K back on Mother's Day!

Galloway Run #4 from Inside Out Sports (Cary)

Today was the fourth Galloway run for the 2011 season. We ran from Inside Out Sports in Cary. We went a different route than usual from there, and the change of scenery was nice. Someone took a picture of our pace group before this morning's run. We were down a few people due to the holiday weekend, but it was still a good crowd across the different pace groups. We had big storms late yesterday afternoon, but things cleared up nicely for this morning's run, though it was very humid. (It did rain later in the morning, during breakfast at Panera.)

George is still curtailing his mileage due to IT Band Syndrome, but he saw us off this morning, then met up with us at the McDonald's bathroom stop. Since my pace (and our pace group's) is faster than I'd been doing on my own before the season started, I decided to hitch a ride with George about a mile down the road, where he'd decided to start his mileage with the group, continuing to the finish. I'm still having some issues falling behind the group, but I'm working on my mid-week training (which includes speed work) and weight (down 9.6 pounds--yay!). I was able to close the gap between the group and me a good bit this morning, and finished strong. I ended up doing 5.53 miles in 1:47:27, a 19:26 min. mile average pace. This included a warm up walk of about a quarter mile, followed by a run/walk ratio of 00:30/00:30. The slightly slower mileage buildup will pay off , I think. (The rest of the group did about 6.4 miles.)

My splits:

1) 20:19 (warmup)
2) 18:53
3) 19:19
4) 19:12
5) 19:25
0.53) 10:20 (19:26 pace)

Training Update

Saturday's Galloway training run went pretty well, even though it was a hilly course. I struggled at times to keep up with the group for the first half of the run, but after a pit stop at a Burger King bathroom along the way, I did a good job of keeping up with the group on the way back to The Athlete's Foot in Cameron Village. I ended up doing 4.32 miles in 1:26:08, a 19:56 min/mile average pace (which included a walking warm-up at the beginning). I was happy to get the average pace under 20:00 min/mile, definitely a milestone for a "long run" that doesn't include the Magic Mile like the second Galloway run did.

I took Sunday off to recover and spend time with family, but I was back at it yesterday morning. I was planning to run outside, but rain sent me inside to the gym treadmill for a pre-work. I ended up running for 2 miles straight in 37:08 minutes, an 18:34 average pace! I'm happy to see that progress, though I know it was on the treadmill and not outside! I worked to keep myself from trying to go faster, and I'm glad I held back a bit. I was pretty tired from the workout (which included some strength training after the run) for the rest of the day.

This morning, I decided to give my feet a break at the gym, so I rode the bike for 6.41 miles in 37:00 minutes.

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

Stretching Again

George has recently started physical therapy for his newly diagnosed IT Band Syndrome, so I've been reinspired to start my own stretching regimen again. I've been through PT twice (at least), once for IT band, and I was told to be diligent with my stretching to help my legs stay healthy. I have been inconsistent at best, until this week. I've even pulled out a couple of yoga books, and my legs have felt so much better after a warm Epsom salt bath and yoga!

Tomorrow's Run #2 of the latest Galloway season. Jeff Galloway, by the way, is against stretching, citing stretching-induced injuries by hundreds of runners. I think it's one of those "balance" things.

Taking a Rest Day

I decided not to head to the gym before work this morning, since my legs are feeling especially tired. I'm missing the feeling of accomplishment after a morning workout, but I'm listening to the legs in hopes of staying injury-free this training season.

Meanwhile, the weight seems to be dropping again. After a quick 6 pound drop a few weeks ago, I've been playing with those last three pounds recently. *rolling eyes*  Two things I've realized this morning: 1) limiting cheese (and the foods I want to put cheese on) helps, and 2) I can't keep peanut butter (regular, reduced fat, reduced sugar, doesn't matter) in the house.

Race Report: 2011 Catch Me If You Can 5K

I've been eyeing the Catch Me If You Can 5K in Garner, NC, for a few weeks now, but finally registered for it last Wednesday. I had to get up at 5 AM this morning, which was harder than I expected it to be! I had laid everything out last night, so it was fairly easy to get myself together this morning. The only thing I didn't do last night was check the weather forecast for Garner this morning, and when I opened the door this morning to leave for the race, I saw that it was raining! Oy!

I paused briefly, but decided to head down the road anyway, since I'd already paid for the race. Surely, the rain would stop by race time!

It took me about 35 minutes to get to the race start and get my race number. The races (my 5K and a 10K too) started and finished at a strip mall, Aversboro Square, so the bathrooms were nice--a big improvement over the usual porta-johns, only we had to go upstairs to use them! I ran into Hardin Watkins, the Town Manager of Garner, who was participating in the 10K, and it was nice catching up with him. (Hardin is a marathoner, and part of the Raleigh Galloway Training Group too.)

The rain did slow down to barely a spit, so I thought it was be a perfectly cool, cloudy morning for a race! The 10K started first, then after about 5 minutes, the 5K started. Initially, I tried 0:30/0:30 run/walk intervals, but my legs were pretty tired and creaky from yesterday's 3-miler with the Raleigh Galloway group, so I took it down to a walk after a while, and worked on my walking form, especially with using my arms and keeping my chin (which tends to drop when I'm tired) up.

Within the first mile, I had to go to the bathroom, and while I eyeballed some bushes and a convenience store along the route, I made it to the finish line for a gun time of 1:00:52.8. If I'd made a pit stop, I would've missed out on the "00" part of the time. Slow as I am, it's the little victories that count! :)

The course was mostly residential, with some "rolling hills." It was pretty, but it was wet! The rain picked up while we were on the course, but there wasn't any thunder, so we kept going. One volunteer, under her umbrella, actually said, "Isn't it miserable out there in the rain?!" Another volunteer along the course said, "Are you the last one?" I told her I was probably the last 5Ker, but I didn't know about the 10K runners. I was a little grumpy by then because of the run, and that didn't help! She probably wasn't having much fun out in the rain, herself!

I was, indeed, the last 5K participant, but came in before a handful of 10K runners. My finish time was slightly faster than my current training pace, but not a 5K race pace of old. It's a good place to restart, though. In fact, Buckeye Outdoors, my favorite online training log, is back up after a hardware crash. All of the runner data was lost, so when I put this morning's race in, it told me that it's a personal record! I know better, but it's a nice place to restart!

Core Exercises for Runners and Walkers

I really need to improve my core for running AND walking, so I was glad to find this video by Jenny Hadfield! I decided to post it here, partly to share, and partly so I can find it again! :)


Core Exercises for Runners and Walkers from Jenny Hadfield on Vimeo.

Catch Me If You Can

Well, I've registered for my first 5K of 2011, the Catch Me If You Can 5K in Garner on May 8. It'll be my first 5K since last September. I'm looking forward to seeing how my times compare. Since I haven't done much speedwork since then, I may be slower. BUT I do have custom orthotics in my shoes now. We'll see. I love the name of this 5K! Maybe it'll help me run faster! :)

Run/Walk AND Water Aerobics Today!

This morning, I decided to return to the Black Creek Greenway, where I did a 3-mile run/walk in beautiful weather. I was able to pick up the pace a bit, but forgot to turn off my Garmin for a bit when I stopped to use the facilities in Godbold Park, so my Garmin time isn't totally reflective of my time on the move. Ah, well, it happens!

Afterward, I met George at the gym for an hour of water aerobics. The pool water usually feels cold to me, but it felt really refreshing after my run/walk!

So after back-to-back exercise sessions this morning, I'm pretty pooped tonight! It's a "good" tired, though! :) I think I'll crawl into bed with a good book now.

Don't Go, B.O.!

I logged into my favorite online training log, BuckeyeOutdoors.com (B.O.), this morning to log yesterday afternoon's walk, and got the following message:

Buckeye Outdoors has suffered a major outage. A series of electrical storms first knocked out the backup servers that were located at the backup up location. Then the unthinkable happened 4 days later and a second electrical storm caused an extended power outage at the datacenter where the primary Buckeye Outdoors servers are hosted. The current situation is pretty grimm [sic] and I'm despritly [sic] trying to recover the data that has been lost. If I am un able [sic] to recover the data I will put the application back online but right now I am holding out hope and I even might send the Hard Disks to a data recovery place. If you have any questions please email here: questions@buckeyeoutdoors.com

Ahhh, rats! A lot of personal data will be lost, but I do hope the site comes back up in time (hopefully sooner than later!). In a way, it would be like having a fresh start with my training. I hadn't planned on "wiping the slate clean," but hardware crashes happen. *sigh* I've really enjoyed BuckeyeOutdoors as an exercise log, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Meanwhile, I was able to update my data on DailyMile.com this morning. I like DailyMile, which is like Facebook for exercise, big into the social networking, but lacking in the data and stats departments. I also revisited Running2win.com and RunningAhead.com, two more online training logs I've tried in the past, and uploaded my current Garmin date to RunningAhead (which I prefer over Running2win, but not as much as BuckeyeOutdoors).

New Weapons in the Weight Loss War

I ordered a new bathroom scale from Amazon.com a little while back, and have had it at home for a week or so, but I finally put the batteries in it this morning. It seems to be a nice scale, and it weighed me a little less than the old scale did, so it's my new best friend! :) It is nice to have a fresh, new machine to step on, and I like that the display is backlit. The bathroom scale I ordered is here.

Meanwhile, I'm trying out a new diet website called FatSecret.com. I heard about it last weekend from Jeff Galloway, so I decided to check it out. It's a food, exercise, and weight tracking website that also has an iPhone/iTouch app. Although I use bits and pieces of other similar websites, I'm enjoying the newness of FatSecret.com. It's fun and motivating to see the numbers in a slightly different context.

The good news is that I'm down 6 pounds, the most success I've had in a while. (A little bit of that is the new scale, but most of it is from effort.) Things that have made a difference so far this week: more exercise, packing my lunch for work, and staying away from the Peanut M&Ms, a new temptation at work.

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Galloway Season Starts Again!

Me, George, Jeff Galloway, Margaret

It's been a busy weekend for the start of the new Raleigh Galloway season here in the Triangle. Friday night, pace group leaders and their significant others were invited to the program director's home for a meet-and-greet with Jeff Galloway. This is the second year I've gotten to attend this event with George, who's a pace group leader. It's a lot of fun to visit with the leaders, and to re-meet Jeff Galloway. He is very personable, knowledgeable and encouraging. The picture on the left is from the Friday night gathering. Jeff Galloway is the man in the cap.

The Raleigh Galloway Program Annual Kick-Off was yesterday morning at the North Carolina Museum of Art. George and I both volunteered, so we were there at 7:30 AM! It was fun to see the large crowd (350+), including a number of people I know in the running community. Afterward, George and I participated in the 3-hour running school that Jeff Galloway ran at a nearby wellness facility. It was my third year doing the running school, and I enjoyed it a lot. It's been a little different each year, depending on who's there, mostly. Galloway changed the format a little bit this year, too.

After leaving home at 7:00 AM, we got home around 4:00 PM, after a day full of talking about running, but without actually running at all! It was a fun day, though!

I had planning on doing a 7-miler this weekend, but all I could muster was a 1.5 mile walk at Umstead State Park this morning. I was feeling pretty tired, and my right ankle's tendonitis is fussy from all the standing this weekend. Otherwise, it was a nice, but hilly walk.

Another Long Walk in the Books

George and I did our long run/walk yesterday, since we both went to a Galloway training session Saturday morning. I did 6.2 miles (2:20:00) with George's company, first along the Rocky Branch Trail, then on part of the Reedy Creek Trail, both part of the Capital Area Grenway System. The Rocky Branch Trail was new to me, so I really enjoyed it the change of scenery, and would go back there on my own. Here are three YouTube videos, showing different parts of the Rocky Branch Trail:








I ran/walked about 3.3 miles, and just walked the rest. It really wore me out! My right toes and right ankle bothered me some, to boot. I am rethinking the New River Half Marathon next month. Perhaps I'll continue my training and shoot for one later in the season.

Long Walk on Crabtree Creek Trail

I decided to do my long walk yesterday, instead of Saturday, since I had college reunion festivities Friday and Saturday. It was a really busy week leading up to the reunion, so I was really tired heading out the door yesterday morning. George had promised to do some of the mileage with me, and the fact that he was heading out the door with me helped a lot.

I ended up doing 5.12 miles on the Crabtree Creek Trail in Raleigh, with about 3.5 miles of it run/walking. Even with some running in there, it still took me 1:50:01. Still, it was time on my feet, and Saturday night's rain had everything looking especially green yesterday morning. Crabtree Creek was flowing more like a river, and the sounds of the rushing water and the birds chirping was all very pleasant.

Even though it was slow, I was pleased with the mileage. I'm hoping to do 6 miles next weekend.

Meanwhile, I started back to tracking my food intake this morning, in hopes that it will help with the weight loss.

Water Exercise

Last night, George and I did water aerobics at the gym again. A different instructor was there last night, so it was a different workout! I'm sore this morning in places I haven't been sore in a while!

Afterward, I joined George in some water running for the first time, so that might have something to do with my soreness too! Although it can't totally replace running time on the road, it was a great workout too! I'm really glad our gym has water running belts available.

Here's an intro video to water running, also known as aqua jogging:

Weekend Walk and Workout

Yesterday morning, I joined the Galloway Pre-Season Run from Raleigh Running Outfitters in Cary. It was nice to see some "old" folks and meet some new people! I walked 4 miles in 1:21:56, with negative splits on all miles!
1) 20:40
2) 20:37
3) 20:21
4) 20:13

I was going to do the Cary Road Race this coming weekend, but have decided to pass on that and continue to work on endurance in light of the New River Half Marathon on May 7. I haven't signed up for it, but would still like to do it.

Today I went to Gold's Gym at North Hills Mall, and really enjoyed my workout there. I did 2.82 miles in 37 minutes on the elliptical machine, then did some upper body and core strength training. I also sat in the steam room, which was like dessert after the workout, especially with the eucalyptus spray! Mmmmm!

Umstead Walk

Yesterday I started with some of my Raleigh Galloway friends at the Old Reedy Creek Rd. entrance to Umstead State Park. I've never been to that area of the park before, so I had a very enjoyable walk. (The only downside was the lack of bathrooms at the start!) Once I got past the gravel road leading up to the gate, the trail was packed dirt. The flowering trees are starting to blossom, and there was a good bit of foot and bike traffic, but it wasn't overly crowded. I hear that the airport overlook is off of this trail, but I didn't make it quite far enough down. Check out this webpage about this end of Umstead and the airport overlook.

I ended up going 3.26 miles in 1:09:01 with no toe pain.

Mile 1) 21:28
Mile 2) 21:09
Mile 3) 21:00 (the Garmin called this mile 20:60!)

Afterward, I met up with the rest of the group (they ran longer) at Panera for lunch. After lunch, George and I grabbed our bathing suits and went to the Gold's Gym at North Hills, where they have a saltwater swimming pool AND a saltwater hot tub! Ahhhh!

Race Report: 2011 Tobacco Road Half Marathon



Toni White and Lesley Looper

 This past Sunday, March 20, I participated in my third half marathon, the Tobacco Road Half Marathon in Cary, North Carolina. The weather was perfect, and the volunteers were wonderful!

This was my first race with the custom orthotics I picked up in mid-February. I was curious and concerned about how things would go, since I hadn't trained beyong 3.5 miles with the new custom orthotics in my shoes. I wondered if my right toes would hurts, and how my feet and legs in general would handle the orthotics. Mostly, I was concerned about my lack of training in general this winter, but I was determined to start the race and see what happened.

George and I parked at NetApp in RTP around 5:30 AM and caught the shuttle bus to the park where the race would start and finish. (We were glad we got there early, because others arriving later had problems with the shuttles and late arrival to the race.) We didn't know until we got there that the bus drop-off was about .7 mi. from the start and finish line, an unexpected hike, both before and after the race! The race itself started about 15-20 minutes later than expected, as we were waiting on some of the late shuttles to arrive.

Before the race, George and I had a good visit with Emily, Jon, and Ashby. At the start line, I saw Barbara and Toni too. Toni, pictured with me above, is the cousin of Danny, someone I met on the Outer Banks Half Marathon course back in November 2010. Danny introduced the two of us through Facebook, and Toni and I met for dinner in Raleigh a few weeks ago. It was a lot of fun to walk with Toni for the first half of the race (her first half marathon)!  (Thanks for Cara Greening for taking the picture! Cara was a water stop volunteer at Mile 6.)

Speaking of volunteers, there a lot of Raleigh Galloway runners on the course, both participating in and volunteering for the race. It was a lot of fun to see so many people I knew out there!

My right toes starting hurting a little before the Mile 6 mark, and the tendonitis in my right ankle started bothering me as well. At one point, I was glad I didn't see a bench, because I might've succumbed if I'd seen one! When I told my mom about the pain later, she asked, "Well, couldn't you have stopped?" Yes, I could have, but the truth is, I didn't want to, not really.

With about a mile to go, George found me! He finished a while before I did, and after a stop at the first aid tent for his knee, he walked backward to find and walk in with me! How sweet was that?! :)

I finished the race with a chip time of 4:50:06, my worst time ever in a half marathon, but I was mighty glad to finish! I've been thinking about it over the past few days, and here are some things I learned from this race:

1) It pays to train! My longest walk since my last half marathon was 3.5 miles. Even though I've been crosstraining, nothing beats time on your feet when you're training for an endurance race.

2) The extra weight I've gained had an effect, and I don't like it. I need to find a "healthy way of eating" (avoiding saying the "D" word) that works for me.

3) The pain in my right toes came several miles later, a good sign! Time and training will tell if that's the new norm.

4) When my tendonitis gets better, I need to work on building stronger calves, and continue to work on my upper body and core strength.

5) I continue to love, love, love Race Day and all the runners and walkers out there. I pay for it for a few days afterward, though,  in "recovery" since, by nature, I'm an introvert. I think I've been quieter than usual  the past few days as I've tried to recharge internally. I've also been much more physically tired than usual since the race, so that probably has something to do with my quietness too.

6) I want to stop my trend of slower and slower half marathon times. I'd like at least one more that's faster than the last one!

7) I found out last Thursday that I got into graduate school, and today when I registered for classes, I learned that one of my classes in the fall will be every other Saturday. It'll make training a little more interesting, but the things that are important to me will rise to the surface.


Meanwhile, I haven't exercised since the race on Sunday, but George and I are planning to meet for water aerobics this evening. Should be a good way to start my comeback! :)

Icing My Ankle

I've been icing my ankle throughout the morning--under my desk at work (thanks to my efforts in yesterday's Tobacco Road Half Marathon)! I did finish, although it wasn't my prettiest race. A race report will be coming sometime in the next few days.

Meanwhile, I'll be giving my ankle a little more TLC!


Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Getting Ready for Tomorrow

Tomorrow morning I'll be attempting my third half marathon, the Tobacco Road Half Marathon in Cary, NC. My training has been less than stellar this winter, but I'm hoping for a nice 13.1 mile walk on a beautiful course. I'll be introducing my new custom orthotics to their first race, though I think my feet have adjusted to them in daily life. I also have a new ankle support that I've been wearing today only, but I think I will try it out for the race anyway, and see if it provides adequate support for walking the half marathon.

George and I went to the expo last night, and saw several people we knew, which was fun. One fun surprise was seeing my freshman year roommate, Lisa! We hadn't seen each other since college, but we've been Facebook friends for a while. She's doing the Tobacco Road Half too, and this will be her first! How exciting!

I've also set up race alerts for Facebook and Twitter, hope it works!

Missing That Lost Hour of Sleep!

Yesterday, we changed to Daylight Saving(s) Time, and I'm really missing that hour of sleep I lost! I had an industrious workout at the gym (50 minutes on the elliptical, 3.85 miles, including some intervals, and some upper body strength training) yesterday, and I'm feeling a little sore in the arms today. On another positive note, I've got a professional massage on tap for this evening, and I'm really looking forward to that! I have a feeling that I'll be tempted to come home and go straight to bed after the massage!

Walk on American Tobacco Trail

I had a nice walk this morning on the American Tobacco Trail (White Oak Entrance). I started with Meri, Bert, Jon, Susan, and Linda, but did my own pace. It was a chilly, but beautiful morning out! I didn't feel any pain in my right toe bridge (yippee!), but the achilles tendonitis (I think) in my right ankle DID bother me. I return to the podiatrist on Monday for a followup on the orthotics, so I'll ask him about the tendonitis. (Meanwhile, I'm icing as a type!) Today's walk: 3.54 miles in 1:12:00.

More Water Aerobics

George and I did a water aerobics class last night at Gold's Gym, and Kathryn from our Galloway running group joined us! It was another pretty good sized class, not like two weeks ago when I was the only one. I enjoyed knowing one more person in the class, and Kathryn had a nice time chatting in the sauna for a few minutes afterward. I tried the heavier water weights during the class last night, and I can feel it this morning! Not too bad, but I can tell I had a good upper body workout last night. I need more of those, since upper body strength is a weakness of mine right now.

Meanwhile, I've finally started having some success with my latest Weight Watchers venture, down 6.8 pounds on my own scale. I continue to be consistent about weighing myself daily, even when I've gone over the points allowance. I'm not enjoying tracking what I eat and drink, but I think it's helping me be more aware of what I eat, which is a good exercise right now.

I'm Tired!

I finally made it to the gym last night for the first time in this week's exercise cycle. I've been pretty tired from last weekend's workouts (bike & running clinic on Sat, elliptical workout on Sun.), so I took Monday off from working out. I didn't want to take two days in a row off, so last night I hit the gym a bit later than I like, but I did an easy session on the recumbent bike, and am glad I did. Good to move the legs just a bit, a slow, cruising 5.26 miles in 37:00. I'm still pretty tired this morning, but I do plan to go to water aerobics with George tonight. Another running friend might join us, hope she does!

Meanwhile, early to bed tonight!

Elliptical Love

I arrived at the gym a little later than I'd planned, feeling tired and uninspired, tempted to go back home and take  rest day. But since George was working out in the pool, I decided to head upstairs to the cardio machines and get moving on the elliptical machine. Once I started moving, I felt sooo much better! And I'd forgotten what a great workout the elliptical machine can be! I ended up doing 3.15 miles in 45 minutes on the elliptical, and followed it with some stretching, dumbbells, and ab crunches. I felt good AND tired when I got home!

I feel a lot better about my training looking forward, now that I've rediscovered the elliptical machine. I think that, as someone who wants to return to running, the elliptical may be a better workout for me than the bike on most days. I love how my weekly total mileage can hike up with bike miles, but it's not always about the high numbers, right?

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.

A Little More Running!

This evening, I met with the Triangle Turtles Meetup group for the first time, at the Fleet Feet Raleigh Thursday Social Run. It was fun to meet some new people on this chilly evening. Once we started, I was at the back of the pack, as usual, but I was focused on getting a good workout in and didn't worry about anyone else. Since I didn't have my interval timer, and it was soon too dark to see the time on my Garmin, I just ran and walked by feel. I ended up going 2.24 miles in 42:01 minutes, an 18:44 average pace. It's nice to be under 19:00, but I still have a way to go. My right toes started hurting around 1.75 miles (earlier than before), but it wasn't very sharp. I don't know if it was just orthotic adjustment, or if the toe pain is here to stay. Time will tell. I'm icing now, and will take some ibuprofen before bed.

Good Crosstraining Day!

This morning I went to the gym before work, and did 35 minutes (6.25 miles) on the recumbent bike, and followed that with some upper body strength training and much needed stretching. On a work break, I I walked 1.5 miles. After work, George and I met at the gym and took 60-minute water aerobics class together.  I am worn out and ready for bed!

A Little Running!

Yesterday I decided to hit the local trails again, and try my luck at a 2-mile walk. I headed to Cary, NC, and started on the Black Creek Greenway, then turned onto the Northwoods trail. When I got to the end of the Northwoods trail (a new one for me, pretty!), I turned around, and decided to try alternating minutes of running and walking and see how my foot would take it. I made it all the way back to the car doing 1:1 run/walk! It felt great to run again, even if it was just for part of a mile! I finished 2 miles in 40:35, still a pretty slow pace overall, but the second mile was a big improvement over the first.

Mile 1) 21:03
Mile 2) 19:30

Today, I didn't get to the gym until mid-afternoon, riding the recumbent bike for 6.67 miles in 37:00. I warmed up for the first mile, then did 1 minute intervals (fast/slow/fast) for the rest of the workout.

It feels great to be tired from working out again!

Water Aerobics

Tonight I made it to a water aerobics class at the gym, my first class at this gym, and my first water aerobics class in, like, forever! My right ankle is still pretty tender with achilles tendonitis (self-diagnosed), but I'm going nuts over lack of exercise! So, late this afternoon at work, I checked the group exercise schedule at the gym, and decided to try to make either the 6:30 water aerobics class or the 7:00 yoga class. Either one would have been great for me tonight, I think. I made it in time for water aerobics, and really enoyed the it, even though I was the only student! The instructor asked if I still wanted to have the class, and I was totally game if she didn't mind. She seemed good with going forward with the class too, so we grabbed some pool "toys" (noodles and foam weights) and hopped in the pool. I was glad it worked out, as I got a really good workout, as well as some good ideas for things to do on my own in the pool. And it was an hour long class, to boot. It felt great to exercise for a whole hour--my arms (especially) are still pretty tired! :)

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.

New Orthotics, New Shoes

I picked up my new orthotics on Monday, and last evening I got a fresh pair of Brooks Dyads to put them in. I've worned the orthotics since I picked them up Monday morning, and even walked twice yesterday--once on the treadmill yesterday morning before work, and then outside late yesterday on a break. I'm pretty tired today, probably a combination of getting accustomed to the new orthotics, and getting my strength back from being out last week with the flu. I've had laryngitis for a week now, a secondary viral infection from the flu, and trying to talk at work makes me tired too. I'm eager to lean into my half marathon training and test the limits of my new orthotics, but my body is telling me to ease into things! Meanwhile, I'm trying to get more rest and drink plenty of liquids.

Nothing Like Forced Rest!

I've had the flu since Sunday night, though I tried to deny it by going into work yesterday morning. (My workday only lasted about 3.5 hours!) Today, I woke up with a 102.2 degree temperature, so George was nice enough to take some time off work to drive me to the doctor. This afternoon, I'm feeling better, but still not 100%. I'll stay home tomorrow, and hopefully be back at work Friday or Monday.

Meanwhile, I haven't exercised since Sunday morning, and while I miss it a lot, I think it's actually helped to have some rest! The tendonitis in my ankle (which has bothered me since the OBX Half in November), for example, seems much better!

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com.

Working on Speed

Yesterday morning's running clinic with Luis was cancelled due to weather, so I ended up doing my scheduled 4-mile walk as usual, though in the afternoon instead of the morning. I drove to the gym, planning to walk on the treadmill since it was still chilly and icky, but as I was getting out of the car, I noticed my light jacket in the back seat. Since I had my Garmin with me too, I decided to walk what I could outside, then head indoors later if I needed to finish up 4 miles.

My Hal-Higdon-Plan assignment today was 4 brisk miles, so I headed out on a paved path near the gym, and decided to see how far I could go at a zippy pace. I'd taken this path before, but had never gotten to "the end." Well, I made it to "the end," which (not a bit surprise) took me back to my gym! I ended up walking 2.63 miles from and back to my car, where I decided I'd head inside to use the facilities, then the treadmill. I did the 2.63 miles in 52:33, a 19:57-ish pace. I was happy to see that sub-20 pace on the asphalt! Inside, I walked 1.75 miles on the treadmill in 31:07, a 17:46 pace, a much better pace--but treadmill-assisted. My right toes hurt by the end, but I iced them afterward and that helped a bit.

My current goal is to hit a 4:00 (or below) half marathon, an 18:00 pace or below. I'm not sure if I'll hit that at the Tobacco Road Half Marathon in March, but it's definitely a doable goal before the end of this year. And who know's, maybe I'll be running by spring!

A Date with (and for) New Orthotics!

Well, I finally have a date to get my new orthotics--February 14, Valentine's Day! As much as I love running, I can't wait to get them in my running shoes and start breaking them in!

Meanwhile, I'm looking at fall races and wondering if I'll be able to do some running by then! Time will tell. I'm working on my walking form, in the mean time, and am currently reading the book, The Complete Guide to Marathon Walking, by Dave McGovern. I've just started it, but so far, it's a pretty good read. I'm trying to be optimistic about running comfortably again, but realistic too, planning for what I CAN do. I may never do another marathon, but I hope this book will help me with half marathons.

Back on the American Tobacco Trail

I hit the American Tobacco Trail again this morning, this time for my longest walk of the new training cycle. It was a chilly start, but once I warmed up, I was able to take the gloves off and drop them off at my car. My pace was decent through Mile #4 (mostly under 20:00:00), but slowed down during the last two miles. I think part of it was the pain in my right foot, as well as slowing down to walk with some friends who were cooling down from their run. (I had also walked pretty darn quickly to get to the bathrooms at the end of Mile #4!)

So, I finished walking 6.22 miles in 2:08:01, a 20:35 pace. *sigh* Was hoping to finish 6 miles in under two hours today. Just gotta keep at it! (And I DID enjoy walking and talking with my friends for a little bit!)

Yesterday's Long Walk

Yesterday's "long walk" was a 5 miler on the American Tobacco Trail from the White Oak Entrance. It was cold, cold, cold, but it felt good once I got going. The nippy temperatures were a good motivation to keep the pace as zippy as possible! The toes in my right foot felt pretty good until around Mile 3, when the pain came on again. Still, I finished 5.01 miles in 1:41:01, a 20:10 average pace by the end. (I was shooting for 20:00 or less for the average pace per mile, so I was a little over the mark, but still feel pretty good about it.)
Mile Splits:
1) 20:13
2) 19:36
3) 19:52
4) 20:25
5) 20:41

Driving to a Race--What's Your Limit?

I've been looking at walker-friendly half marathons within driving range of where I live (to save on costs since I'm saving for graduate school), and the New River Half Marathon looks delightful! The only catch is that it's three hours away!  I don't really want to spend the night, but I think I'd enjoy doing this course! What do you think? And what is the longest distance or time you'd drive to participate in a race on that day?

Check out this video of the course:

(Almost) No Tech, Just Me

Today's a holiday from work for me, thanks to Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, but I got up early anyway, planning to go to the gym. George left for work and I puttered around a bit. Finally, I decided to put my Garmin on, but leave the iPod and my camera at home, and just take a walk outdoors for a few minutes before leaving for the gym. A few minutes turned into 30, then 3 miles! My goal of getting some (cold) fresh air turned into trying to come in under a 20:00 min/mi average walking pace. Leaving the music and camera at home allowed me to concentrate on my form a little more.  By the time I got back home, I'd walked 3.04 miles in 1:00:02, for a 19:46 min/mile average pace. I was pleased with the results, even though my right toes were hurting again. I need to do this sort of workout more often! I love taking pictures when I'm out on a walk, but I need to make sure I'm ready for my next race, too!

Mile splits (glad I had my Garmin!):
1) 20:13
2) 19:23
3) 19:43 (right toes hurting here)

It's Hard to Listen with Good Company and Good Scenery

Jafar, George, Sue, & Margaret

Well, I walked farther than I expected (or wanted) to today, but I took my camera with me today, and I just couldn't help it!

I started out with these four fun people, but they took off after a few minutes to do their run/walk thing. Since I'm "just" walking for now, I started stopping peridocally to take pictures! I made it once around the lake with camera at the ready, then closed it up and decided to take another lap around a slightly frozen Shelley Lake.

I ended up walking 4.26 miles in 1:31:02. It felt great at the time, all the fresh air and nice scenery! Tonight, my knee is talking to me a bit louder! I'd better listen tomorrow!

The pictures I took of today's nice walk around Shelley Lake are here.






My Knee is Talking to Me!

I've had a busy training week, nearly 28 miles of biking (mostly) and walking (a little) since Monday, and today (a planned rest day anyway) my right knee is tender when I walk! I iced it a while this morning before work, and I'll ice it some more when I get home. I'd planned to walk 2-3 miles tomorrow morning, but maybe I should do the pool at the gym instead. I'll see how I feel in the morning.

Feel Like a Million!

Today is the start of a new 12-week health incentive program through Duke's Live for Life (employee health) office, called "Feel Like a Million." I'm excited this has started, and I'm looking forward to being part of the "Bookworms" team again! The employee health office offered a similar program last year, and I created a team called the Bookworms, and 7 fellow library employees joined me. This year, 6 of us have signed up for the reconvening of the Bookworms, but we have the end of the week to "recruit" new team members! :) We have a good team, but "the more, the merrier," right?! I think the team concept will help me stay a little more motivated and focused during these winter months!






Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Black Creek Greenway (Cary, NC) Walk

This morning I joined George's running group for a 4-mile walk. (This running group is an extension of the Raleigh Galloway running group, but that training season ended in early December.) I was planning just to meet them at Starbuck's and walk at my own pace, while they did the run/walk thing, but they were so nice to walk with me for the first two miles, then I turned around and they continued on (George and Margaret are doing 18 today, and Sue has 10 on her schedule.) It was the first time I'd been on the Black Creek Greenway in Cary, NC, and it was lovely! I'd like to go back there.

I ended up walking 4.06 miles in 1:25:02, and am happy about my negative splits:

1) 21:47
2) 21:32
3) 21:05
4) 19:24 (yahoo!)

The morning was cold but beautiful, to boot! Great morning to be outdoors!

New Year, New Plan

Umstead Entrance on Hwy 70

I had a great walk this morning in one of the state parks in our area, William B. Umstead State Park, a place the locals call "Umstead" for short. I was a gal on a mission, with a new training plan in hand, but didn't expect to find myself hiking in a state park this morning. I was on my way to walk on the Raleigh Greenway system, and was passing by Umstead on the way when I remembered that I had my camera and decided to pull into the park and see if there was still any snow around for some shots. I found myself going further and further into Umstead, then I decided to park and walk around for just a few more pictures. Then I decided to turn on my Garmin Forerunner 205 and get some of my mileage out of the way while I was there taking pictures. Oops! 3.17 miles later, I had my mileage done for the day, and nearly 100 pictures in my digital camera! While I'm including three of my favorite shots in this post, the rest of my Umstead pictures are here.

Sycamore Trail

I had forgotten how pretty winter can be in the woods of North Carolina. It's a beauty that didn't really come through in the pictures like I'd hoped, and while most of the snow had melted, the scenery and atmosphere still reminded me of Robert Frost's poetry (though I can hardly compare our snow to New England's!). One of  my most delightful finds this morning was a small, well-kept cemetery on the edge (I think!) of the park. Since I'm a taphophile, I was so glad I had my camera with me, and stopped my Garmin to slow down and take some pictures there. My photos of the cemetery are here.

Wild Ferns Along the Sycamore Trail

Oh, I mentioned at the beginning of this post that I had a new training plan! Earlier in the Christmas break, I checked out Hal Higdon's website when I googled "half marathon walk plan," and discovered that the website had just the sort of plan I was looking for, something with structure that I could tweak. His half marathon walk program is twelve weeks long, and provides for long walks of varying intensity and mileage on the weekend, and five other days of walking (by minutes rather than miles) during the week. While I'm still waiting on my orthotics casting appointment, I'm going to do more crosstraining than walking during the week, mostly saving the walking for the weekend. Also, Higdon's plan doesn't include any speedwork, which I plan to do at least once a week (probably on the stationary bike, at least for now). I really miss working with a running coach, but it feels great to have a plan and to be able to tweak it for my needs and fitness level.

So, according to Higdon's half marathon walking plan, I had 3 easy miles on tap for this weekend, and thanks to my walk with the camera on the Sycamore Trail of Umstead Park, I covered 3.17 miles in 90 minutes, covering 3.644 feet of ascent (according to the Garmin), which is a lot more than I'm used to! Even though my average pace per mile was 28:23 min, I know I can normally go faster without my camera. This was the longest distance I've covered on foot since the Outer Banks Half Marathon, so it was a good start, I think. My right foot is a little sore around the toes this evening, but not as bad as I expected. I've been icing the area with a frozen water bottle.

In other news, I still need to find the right ticket for weight management, as I am up 1.4 pounds from January 1, 2010! There, I admitted it. Wrong direction! Stay tuned!