Last Workout of the Month

I'm still a bit lethargic from Saturday's 18-miler, so I walked for 1.8 miles (35:03 min) on the treadmill this morning. I didn't know at the time that I've logged 98.8 running miles for the month of August (my best since February), but it's probably just as well. I'm bushed! I see an early bedtime in my future!

Slow Bike Ride

This morning I slept in and made it to the gym for an easy ride on the stationary bike, 9.2 miles in 55:06 minutes. I'm still a bit sore and rather tired from yesterday's 18-miler, but I'm glad I made it to the gym for a bit.

I'm off to stretch out and read, maybe even nap for a bit! :)

Another Personal Distance Record in the Books!

I rejoined the Galloway group this morning for the 18 mile long run/walk mileage. I wanted to see everyone in the group and wish 1st time racers in next weekend's Virginia Beach Rock and Roll Half Marathon well, and George also wanted to try running with a faster pace group for part of the morning. (George and I had done our own long run thing the past two Saturdays.)

So, George and I got to today's meeting place and started off with some other early morning starters at 5 AM, but the two of us kept a slower pace going and managed 3.9 miles before returning for the whole Galloway group check-in and send-off. From there, I started out with "my" pace group, but assured them that they didn't need to wait with me, as I was stocked with my Garmin Forerunner, a map, money, my cell phone, water and energy food, and my iPod.

Lo and behold, Jackie, one of the pace group leaders, and I started talking, and she ended up staying with me all the way until my mile 11.2! I kept trying to encourage her to go ahead with the rest of the group, but we had a fun time chatting all the way back to the Panera near our starting point (and a popular Galloway hangout after our long runs). George arrived at Panera shortly after we did, and after making a pit stop and refilling my water while George got something light to eat, we headed back out for the rest of my mileage. We ended up back at Panera with my mileage at about 16.7 miles, so I headed back out on my own while George headed into Panera to wait. I finished on my own, which felt both strange and refreshing. After expecting a lot of alone time and not getting any, I enjoyed both the unexpected company and the time at the end to dig deep by myself and gut it out.

So, I ended up finishing 18 miles using (mostly) a 1/1 run/walk ratio today, in 5:40:02, an average pace of 18:53. Yes, it's still quite slow, but the beauty of this number is that on my last personal distance record of 14 miles two weeks ago, I had an average pace of 19:06! Today, I averaged 13 seconds per mile faster, eventhough I was out on the course for an additional two miles. I'm pleased that the changes I'm making in my workouts overall are finally showing! I still have some hard work between now and the Outer Banks Marathon, but I am feeling encouraged.

Here are my mile splits:
1) 18:31
2) 18:06
3) 19:44
4) 19:58
5) 18:55
6) 18:03
7) 18:35
8) 19:04
9) 18:38
10) 18:47
11) 18:40
12) 19:02
13) 19:05
14) 19:25
15) 19:27
16) 18:46
17) 18:35
18) 18:38

Afterward, I finally had a bite to eat at Panera, and came home to a shower, then an ice bath! Ahhhh! Now I see a nap in my future! :)

Rest Day Today

No running or gym time for me today! My legs feel like lead, and I have an 18-mile run/walk on tap for tomorrow!

Part of the reason I have such heavy legs today is that I had a second run last evening, when George and I joined the North Carolina Roadrunners Club last evening for the last of their August Series runs at Umstead State Park. George still needed to get a run in, and I wanted some trail and hill work this week, but hadn't made that happen this week in a morning run.

Last evening's course was a 5K, but I turned around at "the bridge," and ended up clocking 1.9 miles in 32:06, a 16:56 average pace. I wasn't too disappointed, considering it was a second (and hilly trail) run for me yesterday.

Given the chance, I could lounge around in bed and read today, but alas, I'm off to get ready for work!

More Negative Splits!

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

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

Whew, good run!

Wednesday Workout

1) Rode 6.18 miles (35 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Did 2.03 miles (25:04 min) on the elliptical

It was the first time I'd been on the elliptical in a while, so it was a nice change of pace to spend some time on that machine.

Meanwhile, I've signed up for a couple of trail races for the fall, and I'm excited about those! The Triple Lakes Trail Race will be on October 3, and the Medoc 10-Miler will be on October 17.

Negative Splits Today!

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

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

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

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

Monday at the Gym

1) Rode 6.3 miles (35:02 min) on the recumbent bike
2) Walked 1.8 miles (30:08 min) on the treadmill, with a 2% incline

I'm feeling a bit tired from the runs Saturday and yesterday, so today was a bit easier (and in the air conditioning!).

Things Are Looking Up

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

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

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

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

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

10 More Miles in the Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rest Day

I skipped the roads AND the gym this morning, taking a rest day before tomorrow's long run. Feels a bit odd, but it's also been a relief. My legs are still a bit tired from yesterday's hill work, so it was nice to sleep in this morning. I also got into work earlier than usual, an added bonus! :)

Here's to rest!

Tackling the Hills of Umstead State Park

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tired Bike Ride

I went to the gym this morning and rode 6.06 miles in 36 minutes on the recumbent bike. It was a tired ride from the start, but I did toggle the resistance between 6 and 7 to make things a little more interesting.

I plan to run again tomorrow, and am looking forward to it.

On the Run Again!

I decided to hit the roads for a run this morning, determined to do something to run "outside my comfort zone." By the time I got to the neighborhood where I decided to run, I figured out I was going to set my Gymboss for 2 minutes of running, 1 minute of walking. I HAD been training at a 1:1 ratio, but I really need to work on both endurance and speed, and decided this was one way. Worth a try, right?

In addition to changing the run/walk ratio, I also reset my Garmin Forerunner this morning to record my splits for each mile as a lap time, something I had no idea the Forerunner could do! Thanks to this idea from Christina, I was able to find the Forerunner users manual online and figure out how to set that up (easy, by the way!). I can see how this will really help me analyze my training!

So, I set out on the sidewalks of a nearby Raleigh neighborhood I haven't run in for a while, eager to see how things would go. I decided to shoot for either three miles or 60 minutes of run/walking, whichever felt best, considering how I was already pushing myself with longer running segments. I noticed that the Forerunner screen flashed my mile splits for a few seconds each mile, but I couldn't make them out easily without my glasses. I could tell that the numbers were running in the 15s and 16s, so I knew I was doing pretty well (for me), though I was feeling pretty tired toward the end.

Much to my surprise, I ended up running 3.87 miles in 62 minutes, an average 16:01 pace! Okay, I'm really happy with that! It's my fastest outdoor running average in nearly a month, and the one time I averaged a faster outdoor average mile, I only ran 2.01 miles with an average 15:57 pace. I'm sure that, with more training and weight loss, this will improve soon.

My mile split times:
Mile 1 15:38
Mile 2 16:05
Mile 3 16:17
.87 14:00


One thing I'll work on in the future is doing negative splits, now that I've got the lap time feature figured out on my Forerunner.

Back at the Gym After a Rest Day

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

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

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

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

My First 16-Miler in the Books!

This morning, George and I decided to take a break from the usual run with the Galloway group run, and do today's scheduled 16-miler on our own. Actually, George hadn't ever planned on running 16 miles, but he decided yesterday that he'd run it with me, since I'd decided to strike out on my own this morning.

I decided I wanted to run on the American Tobacco Trail once again, but from the opposite end (of the Durham section) from where I usually start, near the Durham Bulls (local minor league baseball team--ever seen the movie "Bull Durham?") Stadium (they have a newer stadium, but the one in the movie has been renovated--yay!) and the American Tobacco Campus. I have to tell ya, it was a charmed run, even though my pace was slower than usual. (I know, I know, I've been complaining about my speed, BUT it was a nice run, nonetheless!)

We started the run about 5:35 AM, and it was still dark on the trail, which goes through some wooded areas (mostly) as well as behind some neighborhoods. As we started, it was a little creepy, so I was glad George was with me. It was another hour or so before we started having company on the trail, then it really got packed.

After walking as a warm-up for the first mile, we started our 1:1 run/walk cycles. While it was still dark, it felt like we were running through some cobwebs we couldn't see (which added to the creepiness we felt earlier)! Weird. Once the sun started to come up, we could tell it was an overcast morning, which was nice! On the first half of the run, we saw THREE rabbits, two together, then another one. We also saw a number of squirrels and birds, and heard a symphony of wildlife in the woods for a large portion of the morning. On a couple of occasions, I got chill bumps listening to the sounds around me on the ATT! George and I both took our iPods on this run, but never used them. (I'm glad!)

We made one pit stop at the Solite Park restrooms (a little smelly, but nice timing), then headed for the end of that segment of the American Tobacco Trail. There's a strip mall there, with a McDonald's in the parking lot, so we were aiming for that all along. After running 8 miles, we made a pit/refreshment stop there, which worked out really well, and then struck out again to complete the remaining 8 miles. Because the ATT in that area is 6.6 miles one way, we took a couple of detours along the way to make sure we got in the full 16 in one roundtrip.

George was such good company on this run. Toward the end, he made me start repeating mantras out loud, which felt silly at first, but it helped more then I expected! Even though he's a new runner (and maybe because he's a new runner), it was nice to continue discussing some of my recent frustrations about running--while running! I think that running this distance with me (a new personal distance for BOTH of us!) gave him a clearer perspective of what I've been going through.

Having George with me helped me to keep the 1:1 run/walk ratio going today, even when I got tired, and this was great mental as well as physical training. Once, toward the end, we walked two minutes in a row, but then started up again, and actually run the last quarter mile to the end of the trail without a walk break. More good mental training for pushing myself at the end of a run. I was surprised I still had gas in the tank to do that!

We ended up finishing the 16 mile run/walk in 5:05:36. About as slow as molasses, yes, but a good training run/walk, nonetheless. I'm feeling exhausted and rejuvenated, all rolled up in one! (Does that make sense?!)

Meanwhile, I've really appreciated recent comments here, as well as some helpful email advice from Christina. I'm looking forward to the challenge of fine-tuning my marathon training schedule. The running community (both virtual and in-person) is amazing, isn't it?!

Short Bike Ride, Plus Marathon Lodging Booked!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Okay, I'm not giving up!

Back to the American Tobacco Trail

I decided to return to the American Tobacco Trail this morning for a run to help me shake last Saturday's long run there. Once I got into the groove, it felt pretty decent! I ended up going 2.42 miles in 41:03 minutes, definitely faster than last Saturday. The occasional sprinkle was refreshing. I also noticed a little more pinestraw and leaves on the trail. The season's starting to shift! Come on, cooler weather!!

I'm looking forward to returning there soon.

Rockin' Wednesday

1) Walked 1.47 miles (25 min) on the treadmill
2) Ran 1.10 miles (15 min) on the treadmill
3) Rode 3.6 miles (20:05 min) on the recumbent bike

It felt like a pretty strong workout, partly because I got to bed around 10:00 last night (which helped!). I'm excited that I've gotten past the 500 mile mark for the year now with this morning's run! I was hoping to get to that point a couple months ago, but got derailed by injuries. I'm making progress, though.

Walking at Work

I used to walk quite a bit at work, sometimes twice during the workday, but have gotten out of the habit. Well, today is the second day in a row now that I've walked at work, as I try to get back into the habit. Today's average pace was two minutes faster than yesterday's though I took a slightly hillier route. Some days are like that.

When I got back to my desk, someone passing by asked if it were raining outside, because my shirt was soaked with sweat! Charming. :)