Weekend Workouts

Yesterday's long run/walk was an "H" trifecta: hot, humid, and hilly! I got it done by starting early and taking advantage of the Galloway water stops. In the end, I completed 6.62 miles in 2:10:21. It was a good bit slower than last week's pace, but I didn't worry about it yesterday. I still ended up between pace groups, faster than the group I ran/walked with last year, but not fast enough to join the next group up. Maybe I'll get there as I continue to lose weight.

My body has been tired today, but I hit the gym anyway. My assignment was to bike 30-45 minutes, depending on how my legs felt. My legs weren't sore (except for my knee, which got banged by a chair after the run was over!), but I'm just feeling tired today, so I ended up riding 6 miles in 36:03 on the stationary bike. It wasn't a very hard ride, but I still came home and took a nap!

Walking Machine

Today's assignment was 45 minutes of brisk walking, so I decided to head outside to a nearby neighborhood instead of going to the gym. When I started, I forgot about the "brisk" part of the workout, as I was enjoying being outside. Then I realized I needed to pick up the pace! I ended up doing 3.28 miles in 1:05:01, a longer workout than I'd planned, especially before work, but it was great to start out the day outside! My mile splits are below:

1) 21:37

2) 19:37

3) 18:39

.28) 5:07

Meanwhile, here's a fun little photo from the San Francisco Chronicle:

 

Bob Schneeveis of Palo Alto demonstrates his battery-powered "Walking Machine." Chronicle photo by Michael Maloney

Another Speed Workout in the Books

Today's speed assignment was 3 mile repeats between 13:00 and 13:30. I looked at this with a hairy eyeball, but decided to see if I could have negative splits, to boot! First , I warmed up a little.
Walked 0.25 mi in 5:00
Ran 0.53 mi in 8:02
Ran 1 mi in 13:21
Ran 1 mi in 13:14
Ran 1 mi in 13:12
Walked 0.27 mi in 5:03

I wish I could claim this workout on the road, but alas, it was on the treadmill, which is an easier way to go. Still, it was a good workout for me.

Longest Run of the Year!

Today's scheduled 6-miler turned out to be my longest run of the year! :)

I started out about 6:20 this morning in the Crabtree Creek area of the Raleigh Greenway System, and got a couple of miles in early before meeting up with the rest of the Galloway group. I saw some other Gallowayers on the trails getting in some early mileage before the group run as well, which made me feel a little "hardcore" like I think they are! :) After walking an extra quarter of a mile with the pace group, I started my own run/walk routine. It was a warm and muggy morning, but not quite as bad as I expected. I enjoyed stopping at the Galloway water stops and allowing the pace group to catch up with me. Since George is one of the pace group leaders for that particular group, it was fun chatting with him as well as the others for a couple of minutes. Toward the end of the run, one of the runners actually caught up with me, as he was in the mood to go a little faster than the group was going (and I was following my running coach's orders), so we had a nice chat. Herb is in his 80s, and is a real inspiration to me! I enjoyed talking with him so much that I ended up going an extra half mile today, finishing 6.5 miles of run/walk in 2:00:03! It was a long time to be out there, and it was slow, for sure, but it was one of the nicest runs I've had in a while.


Picture of Crabtree Creek above from http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmartin/3448508863/

This Week's Treadmill Runs

It's HOT here in central North Carolina, so I've enjoyed my treadmill runs this week, I must admit! Tuesday's run was a little bit of a speed workout, but not a big deal, really (3.62 miles in 52:52). For yesterday's run, I did some incline work on the treadmill, 1% at first, and 2% later on. I worked up a good sweat doing that (3.75 mi in 1:06:16)!

Tomorrow's run/walk assignment is a 6 miler, the most I've done in a while. I'll be running outside, and it's going to be another scorcher, so I hope to get an early, early start.

Decent Run Today!

I joined the local Galloway training group again for my run today, as I enjoy the people, the running comraderie, but I did my own run/walk assignment. (I continue to hope I'm not causing any ill will or confusion by doing this!) My Garmin Forerunner battery died before I completed my 4.2 mile assignment, but it did record 3.92 miles in 1:07:50, which was a 17:18 overall pace for me, pretty darn good for a long run for me, especially since it was pretty hot and humid at the start.

1) 19:44 (walked the whole mile)
2) 13:44 (ran the whole mile)
3) 17:59 (ran/walked, going uphill)
.92) 16:23 (ran/walked, going uphill)

At the halfway point, we stopped at the Galloway water stop, and noticed that someone down the street was on the ground! It was a neighborhood runner who had passed us on the other side of the street, it turned out. There were several nurses in our group who went down to help and stay with him until help arrived after the 911 call. Scary stuff, and reminded me of the importance of drinking water and being mindful of how I'm feeling out there!

Recovery Week Continued

So this continues to be a low-key week, exercise-wise. It's been a nice change of pace, which unsettles me a little! Am I losing my passion for running? I don't know about that, but I'm certainly discouraged about the pain in my feet (at around 3 miles), and I'm going through road race withdrawal. I'm signed up for an 8K that happens tomorrow, but that distance is beyond my pain threshold, and my coach has encouraged me to take a pass on this nearly-5-mile race. *sigh* I should look for some 5K races coming up, but haven't yet. I do have a 4-mile run/walk tomorrow morning, so hopefully I'll get my "sea legs" back.

Meanwhile, the Second Empire Grand Prix Series luncheon is coming up next month, and that's definitely something to look forward to! More good news is that the Duke women's open team that I formed for the Run for the Oaks ended up finishing 3rd in the corporate cup series! So, we're getting another plaque and a check for $35! I'll be splitting the winnings with the other two ladies on the team, so it doesn't look like I'll be quitting my day job to become a professional runner! Oh well. :)

Recovery Week

So, this is a recovery week for me. Brennan schedules me for three "hard" workout weeks, followed by one "recovery" week, to let my body rest for a bit. I still work out, but it gives me a chance to recover a little bit. At first, it felt a little strange, but now I kinda look forward to that fourth week of low-key workouts. Since this will be a busy week at work, I'm thankful for the shorter workouts, too.

George and I enjoyed a short getaway to Emerald Isle, North Carolina, from Sunday to yesterday, where we gathered with some other family members to break in my sister's newest rental house on the beach. We helped hang pictures and arrange things, and it was fun to help out, in addition to getting a little extra exercise. :) We also enjoyed the hot tub and pool for a bit, in addition to the beach, and as an added bonus, my uncle gave George, Emily, Laura, and me a long tennis lesson Sunday night! The tennis lesson was great exercise, and I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed the game! Now I want a new tennis racquet and lessons!

First Raleigh Galloway Run of the Season!

Today was the first Galloway run of the season, and it was fun seeing old running friends and meeting new people! I really enjoy meeting new runners, so this morning was a treat for me! It was bittersweet, though, because I couldn't stay with them. I had my own run/walk intervals to do, so it was a little tough to leave the group behind. I did my first mile before the group started, so I had another 4.5  to do once the groups were given the signal to start out from Raleigh Running Outfitters on Six Forks Road. I followed the same course the rest of the group used, but had to go beyond the turnaround for my extra mileage. Once I started running by myself, it was fun to see the other groups as they passed me after their turnaround (and before I got beyond the turnaround).

As usual, my right foot started hurting at about mile 3. *sigh* I'm beginning to look forward to those orthotics, eventhough they're expensive.

Total for the day: 5.5 miles in 1:43:11


Afterward, a bunch of us met up at Panera Bread down the road. It was especially fun to walk with a fellow Gallowayer, Eric, who is one state away from completing a marathon in all 50 states. He'll be completing that last marathon in Alaska in mid-June! How cool is that?!

Tuesday on the Treadmill

I did yesterday's speed workout on the treadmill, and let me tell ya, it's sooo much easier running on the treadmill. That's a good thing, and it's a bad thing. My assignment was to walk a half mile to warm up and another half mile to cool down, with two 1-mile repeats @ 13:00, with a 3-minute rest in between. I would've been hard pressed to hit the 13 minute mark on the roads, but I was able to nail it on the treadmill.  Well, okay, I'll be honest, it was pretty hard to do on the treadmill, and I was relieved to be able to do it! It was a nice confidence booster, to be honest, but I know it's not reality--yet.

Final results:
Walked 0.52 mi in 10:05
Ran 1 mi in 13:09
Ran 1 mi in 13:00
Walked 0.56 mi in 10:06

Running With New Shoe Inserts

I ran at Shelley Lake yesterday morning, and eventhough it was early (around 7 AM), the humidity was pretty thick already! I had the new Sole inserts in, and was hopeful that it would be a good 5 mile run/walk along Shelley Lake and Crabtree Creek. Although I don't usually run with music outside, I had my iPod with me yesterday for a change of pace. Things started out well, but then the right foot pain returned as usual just before mile 3. :( I didn't have any problems with the plantar fasciitis on my left foot, which was a good thing, but the right foot pain was bad enough that I increased my walk breaks, and my running intervals were slower too. Of course, the bottom fell out of the clouds while I was out there, as a big thunderstorm rolled over! *sigh* We've been in need of rain big time, so it's hard to complain too much, but I'd rather it waited til I was in my car!! At the end of the run/walk, it was 5 miles in 1:33:27. Stinky time, but I made it in.

A Busy Galloway Weekend

It's been a busy weekend, much of it filled with Jeff Galloway-related events!

George, my better half, is going to be a pace group leader for the Raleigh Galloway group this season, so we were invited to the program director's home Friday night for a party, and Jeff Galloway was there. It was really nice to chat with him and  quite a few others Friday night.

Yesterday morning was our annual Galloway kick-off for the new season, which starts next weekend. It was a great turnout at the art museum auditorium, fun to see "old" friends and meet some new people. Afterward, George and I both participated in the running school taught by Jeff Galloway at Rex Wellness Center in Raleigh. Between the kick-off and the running school, I got a wealth of information, and left with a good bit to process. During a break at the running school, I had Jeff Galloway sign my training log, and one of our classmates took a picture of George and me with  Jeff.

Sole Sisters

I finished the book Sole Sisters over lunch today, and I enjoyed it! I am a sucker for running stories, learning what makes runners tick, how they got started, what continues to motivate them to run. I got a lot of that in this book! I especially enjoyed learning more about elite runners like Grete Waitz and Joan Benoit Samuelson in this collection of stories. Since I'm still looking for a running group of my own, it was interesting to hear about how some other running groups got started. Some of the story themes were predicatable (though still interesting to me), like being motivated by divorce or cancer, but still, it's a nice collection of stories about women runners.

Intervals on the Bike

This morning I did intervals on the stationary bike, doing 5.54 miles in 30 minutes. I still had some gas left in the tank at the end, so I think I could've, and probably should've, pushed harder. I was still a little down in the mouth about the pain in both feet, although it was a non-impact workout. Whenever I get injured, I wonder if I'll be able to run again, though I've always been able to return!

Well, a few minutes ago I decided to call the ortho clinic and see if there was a cancellation, and I was thrilled to be able to go day after tomorrow, instead of waiting until the end of next week! Yay! Stay tuned.

Speedy Tuesday

I went ahead and did my speed workout today, somewhat against my coach's advice. I was hoping to be able to run outside again today, to compare it to last week's outdoor speed workout. (I also love that I've finally figured out how to sync my Garmin to my online training log which makes it sooo much easier to record my runs!) I decided to run on the nearby, softer treadmill, as a compromise. ("Run on softer surfaces this week," she said.)

So, I hit the treadmill for the splits below. My plantar fasciitis bothered me today, and I think I felt a little bit of burning in the ball of my right foot, but I couldn't quite tell if it was a phantom pain because I was looking for it, or a real one.

Walked 0.53 mi in 10:09
Ran 1 mile in 14:06
Ran 1 mile in 13:51
Ran 0.50 mile in 6:17
Ran 0.50 mile in 6:11
Walked 0.51 mile in 9:06

Yep, I wonder how it'll be if I can get my feet feeling right, now that my legs seem to be ITBS-free. (Woohoo!) I received the Spenco gel cushions for the balls of my feet. Actually, I just need it for the right onw (maybe), but I wonder if I should where both for balance the next time I run. Huh. I don't want to get overzealous with the gadgets. Maybe I'll call the podiatrist's office tomorrow and check on possible cancellations! Meanwhile, I am icing my feet as I type!

Good News

This morning I searched through this blog, trying to remember the podiatrist I was recommended last summer before an NCRC series run. Well, I found the post and the link I'd included for the North Carolina Orthopaedic Clinic in Durham, so I called the appointment line this morning and made an appointment for next week! Wish I could get in sooner, but it'll do. The lady I spoke with asked which doctor I wanted to see, and since I wasn't sure, it was an interesting process to whittle it down based on the issues I'm going in for. She finally asked me if I were diabetic, and when I gave a positive reponse, she said I had to see a particular podiatrist. So there. Funny thing is, I think it's the podiatrist that the runner mentioned to me last summer!

Meanwhile, I did a 40-minute elliptical workout this morning, followed by some stretching, core exercises (up to 85 ab crunches on the ball!), and some upper body weightlifting with 5 lb and 10 lb dumbbells.

Yesterday's Run Plus Foot Aches

Yesterday I landed on one of the Raleigh Greenways again, the one between the mall and Shelley Lake. I got an earlier start, around 7:30, but still ended up struggling at the end, for a total of 4.86 miles in 1:30:00. I was hyper-aware of a recurring pain in my right foot, under the toe bride after about 3 miles. It bothered me more yesterday than I remember, though it's been a recurring problem for longer distances since club cross country in college. It doesn't bother me on a daily basis, just after running about 3 miles. After some research today, I think it might be Morton's neuroma. I've ordered a Spenco cushion to try, and if that doesn't work, I'll go see the podiatrist. I think that if I can get this problem (and the pain) cleared up, then my running speed will improve!

Another American Tobacco Trail Run

Well, this morning I returned to the American Tobacco Trail for another run/walk. It was a little warmer this morning than it was on Tuesday, but I was glad not to have to make any unexpected stops during today's run (like I did on Tuesday). I enjoyed the smells and sounds of late spring out there, and even recognized some faces from Tuesday's run.

I finished 3.93 miles in 1:10:01 this morning, faster than last Saturday's pace, but still a slower pace than I ran a few weeks ago. Could the heat be affecting me already? I do need to get out there earlier anyway, which means I need to get to bed earlier!

While I was on the trail, I left a book by Jill McCorkle that I'd registered on Bookcrossing on a bench along the ATT, and by the time I came back by that bench, the book had been taken already! :) I hope someone enjoys it.

Well, tomorrow's a rest day, and then I'm back on the trail on Saturday. Since I've had two runs in a row on the American Tobacco Trail, I'll probably try someplace different this weekend.

Speed and Strength

I've had a couple good workouts yesterday and today!

Yesterday was my first speed workout outdoors. Coach Brennan has encouraged me to get outside to run more often, as time and weather permit. So I headed for the American Tobacco Trail yesterday to do this week's speed workout, and that was tough! My outdoor times were a good bit slower than my treadmill times, I had to stop to retie my shoelaces and make a couple of pit stops, and that threw me off course a little bit too. Part of it, though, will be getting used to dealing with outdoor running AND speed at the same time. I think I've kinda gotten used to running slowly outdoors, and I need to change my way of thinking as well as my legs!

Running intervals were 1 mile and four half miles (sometimes referred to as Yassos, though the distance may vary a little--I think official Yassos are 800m), with some walking before and after, plus a little in between. I was experimenting with resting for three minutes in between, vs. walking for about three minutes in between. Splites are below:

Walked 0.53 mi in 10:10
Ran 1 mi in 14:42
Walked 0.12 mi in 3:00
Ran 0.50 mi in 7:30
Ran 0.50 mi in 7:26
Ran 0.50 mi in 7:22
Walked 0.10 mi in 2:30
Ran 0.50 mi in 7:27
Walked 0.58 mi in 11:01

This course isn't as flat as I would've liked for doing speedwork, but I think it's good to practice on it anyway. And it's probably the flattest running trail I know at the moment. It does cross over several streets, so I was a little tentative at the crosswalks. I was pretty tired when I got done, but not as tired as I've been after a treadmill speed workout. Having a little gas in the tank afterwards tells me something. The thing is, I did have to go work a full day afterward.

By the way, my best race pace of the year so far is around around 15:00 m/m of run/walking, so I'm glad I got to practice that pace a little bit, and even better it on some of the running.

Now, TODAY'S workout was a little more speedwork, but this time it was interval training on the bike at the gym. (Ahhh, air conditioning!) Unfortunately, I only got about 4 hours of sleep last night, so I had some trouble counting the intervals this morning. But, I managed to finish the workout anyway, logging 8.35 miles on the bike in 45:06 minutes. Nice cardio for me.

Afterwards, I stretched, then worked on core and strength training again. One of the core exercises I did was 80 ab crunches on the stability ball--yay! No abs of steel yet--there's still plenty of padding! Working on it, though. I also returned to the dumbbells and did some upper body work with the 5lb and 10lb weights. Yes, I'm a wimp, but I'm working on that as well! :)

Who Do You Run With?

I got hit with a new mantra this morning: "Who do you run with?" Wierd, I know, but it's been on my mind on and off over the past couple of years, and lately, the whole concept of running alone vs. being able to run with others (i.e. keeping UP with others!) has really been weighing on my mind lately! Right now, the answer to the question is, "Not much of anyone." George ran/walked with me last Saturday, but not without some remarks like, "I need to slow down today anyway because it's hot!" and "I need to practice running slower anyway." Sheesh! (Yes, he got a couple of dirty looks!!)

Add to that the fact that the new season for the local Galloway training group is about to start up, and George has agreed to be one of the leaders of the 14:00/15:00 pace group. I haven't decided what to do about my own participation in the new running season yet. It's a tough call. I've joined the group for the past two years, and have had difficulty keeping up with the slowest pace group (the 14:00/15:00 group that George is going to lead) part of the way through each season. Looking at everyone's backends got old after a while, but even with my slowness for two years running, I've managed to complete a half marathon and a full marathon, AND meet a ton of interesting people along the way!

Meanwhile, my performance in last year's season inspired me to hire a running coach, who I've been working with since December, soon after the Galloway season finished. We've been working on building my base pretty slowly, and she's introduced speedwork and strength training to my regimen. She does have me do the run/walk/run like the Galloway program does, but I'm doing my intervals by varied distances rather than a set time for run/walk, like 1:1 or 2:1, and it seems to be working for me so far.

So, with my new running program, I wonder how...and if... I could merge it with the upcoming Galloway season. It probably comes closet to meeting my training pace needs (I think!), as there aren't any other local running groups at my current pace, that I know of. But, I wonder if I could get away with running and walking my distance intervals while their timers are going off every minute. I don't know.

Meanwhile, I had another gym workout this morning, and I was pretty inspired. I did 10:08 minutes of walking (0.56 miles) on the treadmill, and followed it with 40:01 minutes (3.12 miles) on the elliptical machine. Afterward, I did some good stretching, then I did some core work (including 60 ab crunches on the exercise ball!) and some upper body strength training. I went up to 10 lb. dumbbells this morning, and by the time I got to the shoulder presses  with those 10 pounders, my form was pretty sloppy. I need to keep working on all of that.

Who do I run with? Not much of anyone right now, whether in training or in road races. While I have had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with some really nice back-of-the-packers over the past few years, I'm looking forward to seeing where my training (and my new mantra!) will take me.

Saturday's Run

I'm a bit delayed in posting, but I did have a pretty good run on Saturday, all things considered. George and I stayed up waaayyyy too late on Friday night, so we didn't get started on our run until 8:30 Saturday morning, and it was already starting to get warm! :( For a change of pace, we ran the Crabtree Valley and Crabtree Creek trails together, then George went out and ran some more. I finished with 3.85 miles in 1:10:01, averaging a little over 18 minutes/mile doing run/walk. Not my best effort, but it was good to get back to running after taking a few days off to rest and crosstrain a little. It was a good reminder, too, that I really need to get to bed at a decent hour the night before a long run, AND that I need to start running earlier on Saturday mornings!!

Another Lowkey Workout

This morning I did 2.2 easy miles in 30:11 minutes on the elliptical machine, and decided to follow it with .55 mile in 10 minutes on the elliptical (with a 1% grade). It's nice to have a "rest" week, but I'm beginning to look forward to ramping things back up!

Meanwhile, I enjoyed participating in the Runners Roundtable podcast last night! It was an interesting topic about road race medical tents, and how to avoid them as a runner. It was good to chat with Mike and Albert, and Steve Walker/Runner joined us as well.

In other, more mundane, news, I ordered some new running shorts from Champion today. I recently tried a more inexpensive pair from Lands End, a company I really like, but I just like the Champion shorts better right now.

Back on...the treadmill...again

After taking a rest day yesterday (following Sunday's Record Heat Walk 5K), I had an easy workout this morning, 30 minutes of walking on the treadmill, which turned into 1.55 miles. I followed it with some stretching, core work, and upper body strength training with free weights. It was a pretty decent workout, and I'm finding I'm enjoying this "power down" week, which my coach planned for me. When I think about it, 8 races since mid-January is a pretty busy schedule. I'm glad to be shifting away from racing for a few weeks, as I build my endurance a bit.

On the medical front, I returned to the orthopaedist this morning for a follow-up to knee and IT band pain. She was pleased with my progress so far, as well as running plans for the summer and fall, so she released me! Yay! Don't get me wrong, I really like this orthopaedist, but I'm relieved to be getting stronger, while making better training and racing decisions. (Okay, Brennan has helped a lot with that!)

Running Communities

On this post-5K rest day (from exercise, but not from work and other duties), I've been pondering the concept of running communities, and what "running community" means to different people. I've suprised myself in my own journey from a preference to running alone to a yearning to be part of a running community.
I've found that running community in a few ways over the past few years. First, I started a blog about my new exercise and running efforts a few years ago, and have enjoyed becoming part of the blogging community, especially when the subjects are running and weight loss. I've learned a lot from and been inspired by others in the blogosphere, and have been amazed at how fellow bloggers reach out to encourage and inform each other. Like in many arenas, bloggers come and go, but several of my favorites are still around, and it's fun discovering new running blogs out there. I'm intrigued by blogs that have a lot of visitors and comments, and how individual bloggers foster that. I think it's a combination of blog post content, commenting on other blogs, and some self-promotion, all factor into a well-visited blog.

Another running community I've stumbled into is the running podcast community. I've listened to a number of running podcast over the past few years, and have commented on occasion when an episode has been especially helpful. Now, I find myself getting ready to co-host my fourth episode of The Runners Roundtable tomorrow night! I've thought about producing a podcast of my own, but find that co-hosting every once in a while is a lot of fun.

Facebook and Twitter have also contributed to making the running community a Web2.0 affair. I must admit that I've Facebook/Twitter friends with a number of runners across the country and world whom I've never met, but it's fun to offer and receive encouragement and advice with them, nonetheless.

There is definitely a local running community in my area, and taking part in it has been interesting, for sure! In the first few races I participated in, I was pretty oblicious to it, but as I entered more races, I began to see familiar faces. I also noticed that it got easier to strike up conversations with other runners, whether before or after the race, and sometimes even out on the road. Not everyone's a chatterer, but some folks are, and now, rarely a race goes by that I don't see someone I know.

Part of what's helped with that is that I've joined the Raleigh Galloway group for two years in a row, and have met a lot of area runners that way. In fact, the social aspect is what I've enjoyed the most! On most Saturdays during the training season, people meet afterward for breakfast, and that's a great time to share advice and encouragement about a wide range of things, including area marathons and halfs. I'm also a member of one of the local running clubs, the North Carolina Roadrunners Club, and have just started attending quarterly meetings in the last six months or so. That's been a good way to get to know some other runners too. I've also volunteered at a couple of races, and have gotten a lot out of cheering other runners and walkers on. I've come away inspired each time I've volunteered. Sometimes I think it's easier to race than to volunteer!

One thing that's been bugging me lately, though, is the lack of a running community for us slow, back-of-the-pack, want-to-improve runners and run/walkers. It's often (though not always) lonely at the back of races, where water stops are often out of supplies or closed down altogether, and/or I'm asked to get off the road and finish on the sidewalk. I have hired a running coach to help with the speed and all, and progress is slow but steady there. But I'm wondering if there are other slower runners out there like me, who don't know I'm out there plugging along and wishing I could encourage others to join me! I actually tried to start a little running group of my own during the winter and early spring months, but I found that to be a bit challenging. It's a numbers game, I think, since a lot of us runners lead busy lives, by nature. Have you noticed that? Many runners seem to have a lot going in, like it's in our nature. I do wonder, though, how I could find and bring out the local runners who aren't getting out there because they think, "I'm too slow!" I've been thinking about this more and more, as the new Raleigh Galloway season gets close, and I'm running my own run/walk intervals based on distance (my running coach's plan) instead of by time (Jeff Galloway's plan). I'm not sure that I'll really fit into a group this year, so I may take that $99 and spend it on something else. Still, I'm eager for that Saturday morning community of runners--I think that's part of what draws me to road races. As I focus now on longer distances in hopes of doing a fall half marathon, I think about how group runs are pretty motivating. They get me out of bed really early, and keep me going in the heat and weariness of long summer miles. What to do?

What are YOUR thoughts on running communities?

Race Report: 2010 Second Empire 5K Classic

I ran my first afternoon race this afternoon, the Second Empire 5K Classic. It was a 2:00 PM race, pretty unusual for this area. Also unusual were the temperatures in the low 90s, a high for this day in the Triangle!

I enjoyed chatting a bit before the race, seeing some other runners and walkers who have been running the Second Empire Grand Prix Series like I have. It was nice knowing what the course would be like, but there were still a few hills in there. Still, it's fun to run in downtown Raleigh, which includes the State Capitol area. The course also took us past St. Mary's School, my high school alma mater, and NC State's Bell Tower. The two water stops on this course were well-stocked, and the second one even had someone with a hose spraying water on people as they wanted it. Very nice!

I ended up walking more than I expected due to the heat, but Brennan and others had told me to take it easy today, and I did. At the end, my Garmin said I'd gone 3.16 miles in 53:14. I'm still waiting for official results. I was a bit disappointed in my results, but relieved to have finished the race.

Mile splits:
1)15:45
2)17:42
3)17:20
.16)14:50 pace

I met George for a late lunch afterward, then stopped by the gym to ride the stationary bike indoors to "cool down" and maybe prevent some potential soreness. The coming week will be an easy exercising week for me. I'm looking forward to the rest, but part of me is ready to get back in the saddle so I can improve on the last couple of 5K races I've done!!

Traits and Habits of Slower Runners vs. Faster Runners?

I took a rest day yesterday at Brennan's request, so it was good to get back to the gym this morning for a 1.75 mile treadmill walk in 30:04. As I was stretching afterward, I thought about how I'd really like to head home and start getting ready for work, but then I decided that time working on core and upper body strength would be time well spent. So, I did 50 ab crunches on the ball, then some alternate supermans, before heading to the free weights for some bicep and tricep curls, and ended with some shoulder presses. As I type, my arms are a bit tired. I can tell I'll be a little sore later.

Part of what motivated me to stay at the gym for a few more minutes and extend my workout was the thought of "going the extra mile," as the name of my blog goes. I've been thinking about the differences between slow and fast runners, and how a slow runner like me can make the transition to becoming a faster runner. I think that part of it is talent, especially for elite runners, and part of it is years of training. But, what are some things that slower runners can do to shorten the gap? I'm thinking that some changes can be made pretty easily, but others take time.

So, what do faster runners have in common? Here's what I'm thinking so far....
1) Low BMI (No brainer here, the fewer pounds I have to lug around, the faster I'll go)
2) Well-rounded training that includes (especially for a middle-aged runner like me) speedwork, endurance work, crosstraining, and strength training
3) Plenty of sleep
4) Staying hydrated daily
5) Healthy diet

I'd love additional ideas to add to this list! Any thoughts?

Another Tuesday Speed Workout

I did more speedwork today, but a shorter speed workout than last week, as Brennan has me tapering a bit for Sunday's 5K.

Walked 1 mile 19:01
Ran .5 mile 5:41
Ran .5 mile 5:32
Ran .5 mile 5:32
Walked .51 mile 9:00

My goal was to break 5:30 for the half mile, didn't quite get there today.

Another Hilly Course...

But this time I asked for it! (The hilly course, that is!)

I'm still smarting a little from last week's mega-hilly (to me) 5K, so I decided to join an unofficial Galloway run, but do my own run/walk intervals. We started at the new Raleigh Running Outfitters in Cary, on NC Hwy 55 in High House Crossing Shopping Center, near the Harris Teeter. They had maps for up to 10-mile courses out to (and on) the White Oak Creek Trail that's part of the Cary Greenway System. I'd heard the course has some hills, so I decided to tackle it, but take it pretty slowly. I did the run/walk intervals set out for me, which--after the warm-up walk, were 1 mile runs interspersed with .2 mile walks. The hills weren't a total shock this week, so they didn't feel terrible, but I sure did feel slow. It was time on the hills, though, right? The total ascent was 951 ft, and total descent was 952 (according to my Garmin). St. Tim's 5K ascent and descent last weekend were in the low 500s, to put in into perspective! (Today's mileage was a mile longer, though.)

I ended up with 4.1 miles in the books, in a slow-pole 1:18:02, a pokey 19:02 average pace. Time-wise, it feels like I'm back to Square 1. The hills are a new twist, though, and something that I feel like I need to conquer to become a stronger runner--and better racer in the Raleigh area.

Mile Splits:
1) 18:42
2) 18:24
3) 19:07
4) 19:41 (From the trail up NC Hwy 55 to the shopping center and running store is a big long incline!)
.1) 21:04 pace

Another Run in the Books

This morning's running assignment was 3.5 miles, with another 1.5 mile running interval thrown in there. I'd still been feeling pretty tired, so I was concerned about how I'd do this morning. I did get a good night's sleep last night, and I'm sure that helped me this morning. I felt a little creaky when I started, so while I took a quarter mile of walking to warm up, I still took it pretty slow. About a .5 mile into the workout, I decided to increase the grade on the treadmill to 1%, and it felt surprisingly easy, so I left it like that. I ended the run/walk at 3.51 miles in 57:04, a 16:15 average pace. I was surprised my average pace was that "fast!" ("Fast" is a relative term, of course! Fast for me!)

Bike Intervals

This morning I did interval work on the stationary bike, with a 10 minute warmup and 5 minute cooldown. It was a pretty challenging workout, since I still feel pretty tired from yesterday's speed workout on the treadmill. I finished it, though, 7.65 miles in 45:03 minutes, a 5:53 average pace. I was surprised to learn that I broke a 6:00 minute average pace, since I was feeling kinda tired. I bet I'll sleep well tonight. :)

Tuesday's Speed Workout

This morning's workout assignment was what has turned out to be my weekly speed workout on the treadmill. It was pretty darn hard, as usual, but was a little different this time, as it was the longest total distance where I've worked on speed intervals. Hoping it'll pay off down the road! Here are the results:

1) Walked .26 mi in 5:09
2) Ran .25 mile in 4:00
3) Ran 1 mile in 13:46
4) Ran .50 mile in 5:16
5) Ran .50 mile in 5.52
6) Ran .50 mile in 5:53
7) Ran .50 mile in 5:52
8) Walked .50 mile in 8:59

The first half mile was an anamoly, as I looked at my workout notes and thought it read that my half mile intervals should be at a 5:30-5:45 pace, when my coach meant that I should run the half mile invervals IN 5:30-5:45. Hehehe, big difference, no?! I was trying desperately to work my pace down to something sub-6:00, and my legs were flying (by my standards)! I knew I couldn't maintain that for long, and I'd just started! I was relieved that the lightbulb flashed on and I realized I could slow down, but by the time I worked my way back down to a more reasonable pace on the treadmill, I was pretty spent. I had 3-minute rests between each running interval, but it was still a struggle to complete the workout! I'm glad I made it through to the end. I DID consider cutting it short, but I kept remembering last Saturday's 5K race, and how much I want to get faster!

Race Report: 2010 St. Timothy's Spring Sprint 5K, Raleigh, NC

Well, this was not the race I was expecting. I was hoping for a PR in this sixth race of the Second Empire Grand Prix Series, but it wasn't meant to be, though I felt like I did a lot of things right in preparation for this race. I followed Brennan's workout and rest plan for the week, got plenty of sleep, drank lots of water throughout the week. Yep, I thought I was ready. And the race description online called it a flat and fast course! Hehehehe. *sigh* It turned out to be the hilliest course of the series!

My plan was to run .75 mile intervals at around 14:30, with walk intervals of .1. I pretty much did the distance, but the hills sent my pace all over the map. The heat got to me as well after the 9:30 start. I was surprised to find that by the time I got to the water stop, they'd run out of cups! I was slow, but not THAT slow! Since I was struggling anyway, that really threw me for a loop. Thank goodness, by the time I got back around to the water stop on the opposite side of the street from the first water stop, the volunteers had located some cups, and the water was especially cool!

I felt pretty discouraged by the end of the race, which ended uphill. My chip time was 49:43, gun time was 50:12. It was a finish, but it was more a hill workout than a race for me. I felt pretty deflated when I was done. When I went inside to the bathroom, my face was really red, much more so than usual after a race. I stopped and got some fluids in me for the drive home.

I did see some Galloway people before and during the race, as well as some other runners I know. It was a nice surprise, too, to see the daughter of one of my former Wake Forest University coworkers walking the race. I introduced Steph and Ruby before the race, and met George afterward at Panera for lunch.

I must admit that I'm not eager to do this race again, not without some more hill training, anyway. This was a new course for this race, which went through the North Hills neighborhood in Raleigh. It's a beautiful neighborhood, but a tough course for a race. Also, they had a one-mile race before the 5K start, which pushed the 5K to 9:30, kinda late for this area. Parking was plentiful, and it was nice to get a closer look at St. Timothy's School, which looks pretty and probably has a good reputation. The proceeds went to the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, a great cause.

All in all, the best thing I can say about my own performance was that it was a finish, for which I'll earn Series points toward the series-end luncheon. My mile splits are below:

1) 15:15
2) 16:39
3) 15:43
.14) 14:55 pace

Today I've gotta work on getting this one behind me so I can look ahead. The next 5K in the series is in two weeks, and will be a 2 PM (Sunday afternoon) start. Weird start time for an early May race, when things have warmed up even more. Yes, everyone will be out in the same heat, but I'm still dreading it, in a way! Must. Stay. Positive.

Music vs. Podcasts

I had a light workout this morning, 2.2 easy miles in 30:15 min. on the elliptical. I was thankful for the easy assignment, as yesterday's speed workout was tough!!

I listened to podcasts instead of music during this morning's workout, unusual for me, but a nice change of pace! I wonder if others have a preference for music vs. podcasts. I'm usually a "workout playlist on my iPod" gal, but I've been listening to more podcasts during my workouts this week. I think part of it is just a change of pace, but maybe I need some new songs to liven up my workout playlist. Any song suggestions?

Speedwork Tuesday

This morning I did some speedwork on the treadmill. First, I walked 0.50 mile (10 min) to warm up, then ran 0.51 mile in 8:05 mile to warm up some more. After a 2 min. rest, I ran 1 mile in 13:44, rested three minutes, then ran 1 more mile in 13:30. I cooled down with a 0.52 mile walk  (9 min) and about 10 minutes of stretching. It was tiring, for sure, but in a good way. I think I'll sleep well tonight!

Coach Brennan and I had a nice chat last night about last Saturday's run and my upcoming 5K. She encouraged me to get plenty of rest, good nutrition, and plenty of water over the next few days. We'll talk again Friday night before the race.

Yesterday's Long Run Plus Race Report: Cary Road Race 5K

I felt like such a renegade yesterday, as I decided on Friday to run the Cary Road Race without running it by my coach. Mainly, though, I was looking for a way to jazz up my training run just a bit, so I decided to make the 5K race the end of my training run, that's all. I knew there'd be a pretty good hill in the first mile or so, then later in the course a small lake to run around. Also, George had decided to run in the 10K, which started before the 5K, so it was a good opportunity for me to cheer him on as well. An added bonus was getting to see a number of my running friends (in addition to George, of course!), plus, the weather report for yesterday promised it would be a beautiful and slightly cool morning.

So, after seeing George and Meri (one of our Galloway friends) off for the 10K, I took care of my early mileage, about 1.15 miles of running and walking, then looked for people I knew in the 10K while I waited for the 5K show to start. I was able to see George once and Meri twice before the 5K started.

The first mile was my slowest (with the big hill), but also just about my favorites, since one of my Galloway pace group friends, Ellen Klinger, came up behind me! She called out to me and  when I turned around, we hooted and hollered and carried on! :) It was sooo much fun to visit with her!

My training run for yesterday called for running three 1 mile intervals with quarter mile walking intervals in between. I decided to still run the 1 mile intervals, and walked somewhere between .1-.25 in between, so that the last "mile" of the 3.1 miler was a little short, but close enough. I kept a pretty close watch on my pace, as I didn't want to race this race; I just wanted it to be a training run with punch!

At the first water stop, I had to get my own water cup off the table, as the volunteer kids were busy starting to clean up. (I was near the back of the pack, of course!) Still, I was thankful for the water, which took care of me through the end of the race.

As I finished running around the lake, I saw George and Meri waiting on me to cheer me on, and they ended up running in the last bit (maybe a quarter of a mile) with me, which was fun! There was only one finish clock, and it showed the 10K time only, so I had to wait until results were posted to see how I did for the 5K portion of my run.

Before the race, it was good to visit with Gary and Rachel from Galloway/NCRC, and afterward I saw Lena from NCRC. Ron and Elaine were manning the Raleigh Galloway table, so we enjoyed visiting with them after the races as well.

My overall time for 4.25 miles was 1:10:46, a 16:40 overall average pace, which is an improvement for me! I finished the 5K in 49:07, an average 15:49 pace. Although I had a chip on my shoe (thank goodness!), there wasn't a starting pad, so the time is "gun time" only. This wasn't my best 5K time of the year, but not my worst either. Not bad, considering it was a training run. I'm pleased with the negative splits below.

Mile Splits:
1) 19:26 (part of warm-up)

2) 16:43 (big hill here)
3) 15:57
4) 15:18
.25) @ 13:35/mi pace

Sidestep: Low Carb Diet Progress

Yesterday, I went to see Dr. Westman. He's a Duke internist who's specialties include bariatrics and addictions, and he has a new book out that updates the Atkins diet. I've been seeing him since mid-January, so yesterday was my monthly appointment, as well as my first visit to the lab since my initial visit in January. I'm happy to report that I'm down about 18 lbs and 7 inches in my waist! My labwork also tells an interesting tale. Below, I'll give my numbers from mid-January and yesterday:

A1c: 7.1--> 6.3
Total Cholesterol: 246-> 193
Triglycerides: 161--> 114
HDL: 46--> 42
LDL:168--> 128

Most of these numbers are rather good, and all without medications! I still need to stay the course, as they could be better still. The goal for my A1c is to get it below 6.0, and the HDL should be higher. I'm encouraged by the improvement, though! And the whole cholesterol thing fascinates me, since Atkins has the reputation for being all about fats--steak and cheese, and all of that. I must admit, I have stayed away from red meats, by and large, and usually choose low-fat cheeses when I can.

I'm still pondering the differences between the Rice Diet, which I spent numerous months on with success, and the Atkins Diet, which is successful so far as well. One is low-fat, the other low-carb. How do they both achieve similar results for me?

Thursday Run

This morning I ran/walked 3.27 miles on the treadmill in 54:04, a 16:32 average pace. I could've gone a little faster, but I decided to take it pretty easy on my knee. Still, this is a decent training pace for me, better than I usually do on the road for a training run. My road training pace will get there someday! :)

Yesterday's Speedwork--Not! But Go Blue Devils!

Yesterday was supposed to be a speed workout, but that didn't happen. Brennan, my running coach, had emailed me over the weekend, and asked how my knee felt. I admitted that my weekend workouts had felt a bit sluggish, and my knee was talking to me a little. So, she suggested I make yesterday's speed workout a 2-2.5 mile walk instead! I'm glad she gave me a way out of having to do speed, because it turns out I had a way late night Monday night, staying up to watch the whole Duke-Butler game in the NCAA Basketball Championship game! It was too exciting and CLOSE not to watch the whole thing, which lasted til around Midnight EDT, then I was too keyed up to go to sleep for a while. *sigh* So, I walked an easy 2.32 miles in 45:03 minutes on the treadmill yesteray morning, then went to bed early last night. (I think I finally gave up and turned my light out aroun 8:00!)

I was good for little yesterday at work, but it was a good day to be a Duke fan! :) Unfortunately, I arrived at work to see the (Duke) blue screen of death on my computer screen, so I had to work at another computer all day. I hope it gets fixed today.

Saturday's Run on the American Tobacco Trail

I had a "long" run on the American Tobacco Trail on Saturday. It was a beautiful morning, clear with temps in the mid to high 50s. I wish my mojo had matched the great weather!  I felt sluggish, and was worried about my knee, so I ended up run/walking 3.81 miles in 1:08:31, barely breaking 18:00 for my average pace. Blah! Some runs are like that, though. I'm glad I got out there and got the mileage in.

Yesterday's Run/Walk on the Treadmill

Yesterday's run/walk workout assignment on the treadmill was my longest workout of the week! I'm used to having my longest run on Saturday's, so this was different for me. As usual, my running and walking intervals were by distance. Since I've become accustomed to doing speedwork on the treadmill, I found myself pushing the pace yesterday morning on the treadmill. Bad move! After running intervals of one mile and 0.5 mile with walks in between, I was running my second 1/2 mile when my left (oh, yes!) knee starting hurting--more than usual. I looked at my pace, and it was sub-14:00 by then, faster than my race pace of late. No wonder! I took it down to a walk, and walked through my next walk interval, and stopped for a minute. I decided to record my distance and time up to that point, then massaged my knee for a few seconds. It felt better, so I decided to try to run and walk the end of my workout MORE SLOWLY and see how things felt. My knee felt much better after that. Whew! So, here are the numbers from yesterday:

2.56 miles in 40 minutes
1.5 miles in 23:08 minutes

Today, my knee has felt a little creaky, so I'm glad it's been a rest day. I also took today as a vacation day, so I've really been able to take it easy. I hope tomorrow's run, 3.75 miles on run/walking, goes okay.

On the Bike

This morning I did a 50-minute bike ride, doing 2 minute speed intervals with 2 minute easy rides for most of it. It was a good workout, one I wasn't accustomed to doing before I started working with Brennan. I think it'll pay off in the long run. I had to do a 10 minute walk on the treadmill while I waiting for the bike to open up. Final tally:

Walked 0.50 mile in 10:12
Rode 9.76 miles in 50:00

I signed up for my next 5K road race earlier this week, the St. Timothy's School Spring Sprint 5K. I'm very excited about this race, since my training has been going well, and I'm continuing to lose weight and stay injury-free. I hope to break 45 minutes in that race.

This is the final week of the "Shape Up Duke" challenge I've been participating in at work. 12 weeks of being part of the "Bookworms" team will end on Sunday! Wow. I've gotten a lot out of being part of this team effort, and we've done well as a group. I'm proud of my teammates!

Speaking of teams, and perhaps because my time as a "Bookworm" team member is coming to an end in a few days, I've created a new team on SparkPeople called Triangle Roadrunners. While I have a group of people I enjoy running with already, I'll be interested to see if any runners from the area where I live are on SparkPeople and find the group. We'll see! :)

Back on the Elliptical, Plus Cookie Baking

This morning, I did 3.41 miles in 46 minutes on the elliptical machine, with 30 minutes at a more intense pace. It was a pretty good workout, all in all. I finished with about 10 minutes of stretching.

Yesterday morning, I got a two mile walk in before the rain, thank goodness. At Brennan's suggestion, I walked outside instead of my usual treadmill walk. I could feel the hills, but I'm glad I did it.

Yesterday afternoon, George and I met our covenant group for lunch, then went to Nancy's house for cookie baking. I have been dreading the cookie baking for WEEKS, ever since I started the low-carb diet, because cookies have been a big downfall of mine! I *heart* cookies.

So, why didn't I bow out? Well, every year our covenant group works a dinner shift at a local homeless shelter. We meet early and cook dinner together for the folks who come through the homeless shelter on a Saturday night. Well, starting last year, our covenant group was asked to bake the cookies that we'd serve the people for dessert. Since we have our dinner shift coming up in a couple of weeks, we met yesterday to bake around 400 cookies! Of course, now that I'm eating low carb, and am more conscious of nutrition, I'm asking myself why we're handing out cookies for dessert at the shelter instead of something like granola or fruit. I imagine that cost is a factor, like it is for American families trying to stretch their food budgets stocking up on cheaper, empty-calorie foods. Maybe another mindset at work here is that the people who come to the shelter deserve a "treat" in the cookies we've baked. That's a trap I've fallen into soooo many times---rewarding myself with food that's full of refined flour and sugar, when I could be rewarding my body with something healthy instead.

I guess the answer to the question about why I stayed to help make and bake 400 cookies is that the experience itself was a bonding one with my covenant group. Part of me needs to remember that sometimes, it's not about the food. It's one thing to join people for a meal, though, and harder to make something I can't join the group in tasting. I didn't even lick my fingers! By most accounts, I worked by myself on one recipe and looked pretty intense while I was making 4 batches of Toll House bar cookies. I think I got into "the zone," eager to get 'em done and out of my sight! Everyone else was working in pairs pretty much, but I grabbed one of the recipes, found the ingredients and the bowls and utensils I needed, and just ran with it. Occasionally, I would ask for help in grabbing another two sticks of butter or a greased pan, but otherwise, I was pretty focused on getting the job done. I did enjoy the company and chatter of the people around me in the nice, big kitchen with two convection ovens, but I guess the introvert in me came out, too. I was able to think about whatever I wanted to, rather than having to TALK about the cookies while I was making them. I hope I didn't come across as unsocial or pouty, now that I think about it....Anyway, I'm glad I resisted temptation, as I was down again on the scales this morning! Now I'm down 16 pounds since I started the low carb diet in mid-January. Nicer feeling than even licking cookie dough off my fingers would've been yesterday!

4-Miler on the American Tobacco Trail

I had a really nice run/walk this morning on the American Tobacco Trail section in Durham! It was a clear, cold March morning, but spring was in the air and on the ground (in the shape of a bunny rabbit hopping across our path!). I met fellow runner/walker buddies Wendy and Michelle, and we started out together. I was in the presence of a couple of speedy ladies, so I soon set my own pace behind them. Part of my workout today included two running segments of 1 mile each, and two more segments of 1/2 mile each, with some walking in between. I ended up finishing 4 miles in 1:07:07, a 16:46 average pace. I'm pretty pleased with this, since it's the first sub-17 average training pace I've had outdoors in several months!

Speedy Tuesday

I was assigned some speedwork on the treadmill today, and it was challenging, but satisfying at the end! I was to walk 1 mile to warm up, 1/2 mile at 100%, followed by a 3-minute rest, then another 1/2 mile at 100%, then a 1/2 mile walking cooldown. My final numbers were:

Walked 1.02 mi in 21:05 min

Ran 0.50 mi in 5:48 min
Ran 0.50 mi in 5:34 min
Walked 0.65 mi in 12:07 min

It's a little bit hard for me to guage 100%, oddly enough. I wonder if I could've pushed myself a little harder. And on any given day, 100% could be a little bit different, depending on the circumstances. At least I have numbers now, something to compare to down the road.

Volunteer Report: Tobacco Road Marathon

Yesterday, I volunteered at a race for the second time, and it was my first time volunteering at a marathon! It was the Tobacco Road Marathon and Half Marathon, which started and ended in Cary, NC. George and I joined some other Raleigh Galloway runners to help man this water stop, which covered both sides of the trail for both the half and the full marathon. George and I actually took folding chairs for when we had a chance to sit for a minute, but we never did!! We arrived at the water stop around 5:45 AM to help set up, and didn't leave until after 1 PM! Long day on my feet, but I had a fun time working with the other volunteers, so the time went by pretty quickly.

I was surprised by the number of runners I knew (or knew of) in the races, between the Raleigh Galloway training group, church, Web 2.0 (Facebook, Athlinks, Twitter, etc), the North Carolina Roadrunners Club, and other ways. It was so much fun to be able to encourage both friends and strangers out there!

Theoretically, we saw everyone twice, as we were part of both the half and the full course, and our water stop was before AND after BOTH courses' turn-arounds. Sometimes it felt really congested to me, and I wondered if the runners noticed it, or if it was okay for them. Hopefully it was all good.

I saw a barefoot runner, a sock-only runner, and at least one pair of Vibran Five Fingers! Since I just finished the book Born to Run last week, it was interesting to see the barefoot running in action. I enjoyed the book well enough, but don't really buy into the barefoot running thing for myself at this point.

I left the water stop yesterday exhausted, but happy to have been part of something bigger than myself for a morning! I've run so many road races, and been at the back of soooo many packs, that I was glad I stayed  with several other volunteers to cheer, encourage, and offer water to the last walker to pass.

Since then, I've been thinking that I definitely want to do another half marathon, but I think it'll be a while before I'm ready to do a 26.2. I have much, much work to do!

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

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

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

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

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

Ahhhh, Rest Day

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

Making Progress

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

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

Tired Tuesday Run

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

Monday, Monday!

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

Race Report: 2010 Run for the Oaks 5K

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recover and Rest and Rain

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

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

Race Report: 2010 WakeMed Distance Festival 10K

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mile splits were:

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

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

Easy Pre-race Workout

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

Getting A Little Faster

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

A Run to Start the Month

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

Yesterday's Run/Walk on the American Tobacco Trail

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

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

Just a Walk

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

A Little Running!

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

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

Elliptical Machine

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

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

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

Walking for Endurance

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

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

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

Race Report: 2010 Law Enforcement Torch Run 5K

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

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

More Walking

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

Runner's Knee Recovery

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

Taking it Easy

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

Ahhh, Rats!

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

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

Tired Elliptical Day

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

Recovery Run

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

Race Report: 2010 Run for the Roses 5K

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just a Walk

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

Maybe Fastest Bike Pace Ever!

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

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

Faster Run!

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

No IT Band Fussiness Today!

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