tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79549499426519325152024-03-13T08:10:56.240-07:00Running Somewhere?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-31468398272381708822016-05-24T06:36:00.001-07:002016-05-24T06:36:49.307-07:00Half Marathon Training, Week 3<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Monday - Rest or XT</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am going to try this whole strength exercise thing again. I very quickly fell off the wagon due to a combination of time, not wanting to be sore for runs, and probably laziness during my last training stretch. I found the workout I will start with <a href="http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/runners-must-do-workout">here.</a> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDdicCds9CaQN7EpiO8ihLC6nSEvf_3_hrRbLiYQ8hp_rH0ho5YAutb6BlgvslkE0Yh2kN8KGjvwqYrzWBc4NoA_wJX9HnlBAKXTceNEJc1PYVe7S2ggSlLM4JRkafZwJjK9pd-xWcBA/s1600/runners-must-do-pinterest_0_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDdicCds9CaQN7EpiO8ihLC6nSEvf_3_hrRbLiYQ8hp_rH0ho5YAutb6BlgvslkE0Yh2kN8KGjvwqYrzWBc4NoA_wJX9HnlBAKXTceNEJc1PYVe7S2ggSlLM4JRkafZwJjK9pd-xWcBA/s640/runners-must-do-pinterest_0_0.jpg" width="345" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am also going to do some hamstring curls. My knee is twinging when I run, and it makes me nervous. I used to have patella femoral syndrome in high school- possibly from volleyball and squats in the weight room for throwing during track season. I am wondering if I might have the same issue coming back. I don't think I need to go see anyone right now, and what I remember is working all the other muscles in my legs to try and compensate for my focus on the running set of muscles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is what I ended up doing:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift: 25 lbs, 2 sets of 10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lunges: 2 set of 5 for each leg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Single-Leg Deadlifts: 8lbs, 2 sets of 10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Planks: 2 sets, 30 seconds for the middle, 15 seconds on each side</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Single-Leg Hip Extensions: 2 sets of 5 for each leg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hamstring Curls: 30 lbs, 3 sets of 10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really wanted to make sure I was careful not to do too much. I can feel a little quiver in my quads, but hopefully any soreness will be minimal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am going to try and pay attention a lot more to my calories. I want to eat at a deficit- which I know is not ideal for training. However, I have to remember that I am not elite, and weight loss at this point would do huge thing for my performance. So I am still ballparking at 1200-1500 in order to lose weight, but also eating back calories from running. I am not strict, things happen, and I'm not trying to starve myself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories in: 1624</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories burned from exercise: 268</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tuesday - Fast Finish Run 1</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was feeling it a little in my hamstrings today. Definitely struggled to get out of bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Time: 54:23</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Distance: 3.75 miles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Pace: 14:30</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Heart Rate: 147</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories Burned: 661</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.5M Zone 1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1.5M Zone 2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1M Zone 3</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.75M Zone 1</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I went back and looked, I was probably not in Zone 3 using the calculator I have. I was in kind of a black home between Zone 2 and Zone 3. I will have to pay more attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tracking calories makes me hate certain restaurants. Seriously, Abuelo's. Why can't you post nutrition information? Using My Fitness Pal has taught me that my guess on calories is usually way off base, so I hate trying to find the thing on the menu that is the least awful for me that isn't a salad. I settled on seafood tacos. Probably not great, but could be much worse. But my calories on my lunch are a TOTAL guess. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories in: 2325</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories burned from exercise: 661</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wednesday - Foundation Run 2</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today my hamstrings hurt even more. Despite my heart rate monitor telling me I still had room, I FELT like I was going harder- but a lot of that could have been the soreness. Definitely struggled to get out of bed AGAIN. I can't keep doing this and go any higher on miles because I will be running so late!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Time: 59.03</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Distance: 4.00 miles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Pace: 14:46</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Heart Rate: 142</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories Burned: 665</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.5M Zone 1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3M Zone 2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.5M Zone 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I actually made a salad/side out of corn, black beans, red peppers, lime juice, and cilantro, and I LIKE it. I threw some chicken breast on it and YUM. So what if it called for onion and tomato? Why ruin a good thing?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories in: 2112</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories burned from exercise: 665</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thursday - Speed Play Run 2</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tried this whole speed work thing for the second time. Since I couldn't get out of bed, I had to do it on my lunch break. And since I get sweaty, I can't spend as long cooling down as I would like because I have to re-beautify. Running at lunch is just an act of desperation. I know I have no motivation at night after my son goes to bed, and I have too much mommy guilt to run before he goes to bed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Time: 34:28</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Distance: 2.50 miles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Pace: 13:51</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Heart Rate: 155</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories Burned: 463</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.5M Zone 1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.5M Zone 2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5 x 1 min Zone 5</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cooldown</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am able to get up to a little under a 9:00 mile pace at Zone 5. I definitely do not enjoy it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was a day where the whole calorie counting thing seemed do-able. I wasn't starving, I liked what I ate, and I didn't eat a ton of calories.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories in: 1695</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories burned from exercise: 463</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Friday - Foundation Run 2</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was feeling the effects of the speed workout. It kind of amazes me that just running hard for one minute, five separate times, can make my muscles sore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Time: 47:43</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Distance: 3.10 miles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Pace: 15:23</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Heart Rate: 143</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories Burned: 554</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nothing too special here. It's probably not the greatest as far as sugar, but I love the dark chocolate spice smoothie at Smoothie King. It's discontinued, but they have all the stuff. It is also Friday, so smoothies are $5 for a 32 oz, which is actually cheaper than a 20 oz, but obviously more calories. I tried to just sip it over a longer period of time so I wouldn't need an afternoon snack.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories in: 2310</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories burned from exercise: 554</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Saturday- Long Run 1</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was not quite drizzling when I left, so I didn't bother with a hat. I was even feeling good so I went a tad longer than the 6 miles. But when I turned around, it was suddenly fully raining despite the forecast saying it wasn't supposed to start for hours. Ugh- all the water running down my face and pushing sweat into my eyes. At least it kept the temperature pleasant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Time: 1:37:25</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Distance: 6.50 miles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Pace: 15:00</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Heart Rate: 146</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories Burned: 1,171</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was doing not terrible on calories until I visited my family. Ribs, mac and cheese, and a few hours later we went out to a local ice cream shop with GREAT ice cream. There are some calorie listings, but I am really bad at estimating portions. I would say I did something between 500-1000 calories in ice cream from a small. It seemed like a very reasonable portion, definitely smaller than a small blizzard, but I think they use the good, full-fat stuff when they make it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories in: ??</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories burned from exercise: 1,171</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sunday - Foundation Run 2</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nothing special here, other than the reminder of just how much slower I go in the heat. It's not even TRULY hot, but I went out around 12:30, and at 75 degrees in full sun it sure does FEEL hot. Also just another reminder to myself to try on EVERYTHING before I cut off the tags. I bought a second pair of capris, thinking they were the same ones I already wore once but in a different print. No, these have a drawstring that seems almost necessary to keep them up. Not a fan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Time: 1:02:41</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Total Distance: 4.00 miles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Pace: 15:41</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Average Heart Rate: 146</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories Burned: 749</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am finding myself wondering if I'm getting enough carbs after some reading. I saw numbers as high as 3.5x weight in grams of carbs. I'm not sure how realistic that is at my weight and with my calorie goals. I will have to investigate more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, definitely binged on salsa con queso tonight while watching Game of Thrones- "Hold the Door!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories in: 2199</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calories burned from exercise: 749</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-63893056266895014392016-05-24T06:30:00.000-07:002016-05-24T06:30:35.896-07:002016 Little Miami Half Marathon - Weeks 1 & 2Well, I enjoyed the 10K for the Little Miami, so I thought, why not? Because my half marathon went so badly, I was definitely tender, but probably okay by the Wednesday after. I started doing some light running of my usual 5K loop.<br />
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I read the 80/20 book on heart rate/ effort training by Matt Fitzgerald and thought, why not? I might be getting pregnant in the next few months, so why not do a training plan where my heart rate isn't in the 170s all the time? Even if I had MONSTER gains, they would probably disappear while being pregnant and for the time after when I can't run. So this certainly can't hurt.<br />
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I did my testing according to the book and using his website and the calculator it links to <a href="http://tri-talk.com/ZoneCalculator/ZoneCalculatorV1.1.htm">here.</a><br />
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Here are my results:<br />
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Essentially, you take race times and it estimates the speed zones. Then, you warm up then run at the pace at the fastest end of Zone 3. Once your heart rate levels out, that is what you input as your LTHR, which then tells you your heart rate zones. I haven't done a 5K in about a year, but I used an estimate when I did this initially. I did go back in and put in a real 5K time here from an actual race. the determination of the speed for the zones seems heavily influenced by your fastest mile and 5K times. But, I put in a few numbers for my LTHR and it didn't really change my heart rate zones too much, so I think I'm okay.<br />
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What I found is I THOUGHT a 13:00 was an easy pace for me, though admittedly I don't do my long runs that slow. And I take breaks and pause my Garmin on my long runs... So I went out and tried running in Zone 1. I wanted to just scream. I can go faster than this! How can I get better if I do this! I know the answer, or book told me the answer, anyway. I am building up my aerobic endurance, which does not happen well at the heart rate I normally run at.<br />
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After I settled down, I realized that this pace is enjoyable. I could go forever! And I can listen to a podcast instead of music. Music allowed me to focus on something other than pushing through and wanting to stop. Now I don't really want to stop, and I am able to focus on something else because the running requires less effort.<br />
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Another item I noted after reviewing the half marathon plan in the book is that other than the long run, the workouts were time-based. After reviewing how many miles I would cover on even the longest time-based runs, I knew I couldn't take the plan as it read. No way those miles would be sufficient. So I emailed the author. He got back to me the next day and said at a minimum, he would assume a 10 minute mile to determine how far or long I should be running- which was a pretty big difference. I also agree that is a minimum. I'm guessing it could be anywhere from 7-10 minute miles.<br />
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As far as speedwork, I think I have to take those as they read. If it says a 1 minute interval, I will probably do a 1 minute interval. I have done so little speedwork that I don't think I can sustain maximum effort for 2x longer than someone else doing this program.<br />
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I counted back and realized I would have had to start my training the week after my my half marathon in order to do the full 15 weeks. I figured since I didn't seem to need very much recovery time, I could at the very least assume I had a decent base already and jump in a little late. I did my own running and started the program really in the second half of week 2.<br />
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I will say, I do a "group run" at my local running store. I have to use quotes because everyone there, literally everyone, is faster than me. I've accepted this and just used it as a way to get new routes and motivation. I'm not sure I can run 10 miles just on my own. But if someone gives me the route and I know everyone else is doing it that day, it somehow makes it easier.<br />
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And even though I'm the slowest person in that group, I still manage to have some amount of vanity because showing up for the first time, knowing I was going to run my Zone 2 pace, and even warm up in Zone 1, was hard to swallow. Zone 1 is 4-5 minutes slower than I would have started out at on any other long run. So if they thought I was slow before, LOOK AT ME NOW! Even better when we do an out and back, so they can see how far I HAVEN'T made it yet when they turn around. Oh well. I will just keep telling myself its worth it when I can turn around and have a big drop in my half marathon PR. Hopefully.<br />
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Since I am at a slower time at work right now, I'm also going to try and take the time to try and reign in my eating a little bit. We will see how it goes.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-70784834735349852852016-05-15T11:53:00.000-07:002016-05-15T11:53:38.159-07:00Flying Pig 2016<br />
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I spent most of the week staring at the weather reports. 80% chance of rain the morning of the run. As we got closer and the hourly forecasts became available, it was starting to look like I might only be facing rain in the last hour.<br />
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I had also decided because my training had fallen apart so much, that there was no way I could really push myself too hard. I was going to hope for 2:45, or about a 13 minute mile pace. Basically, I was going to treat it like a long run, but hope that the crowd and the adrenaline would allow me to pick up my pace a little and maybe I could beat the 2:45.<br />
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I got the the night before and it suddenly looked like there wouldn't be rain after all. So, I put on my favorite tank, my favorite capris, my new Spibelt, and my hat. I brought some Honey Stingers and what I THOUGHT was a fuel gel that I had already tried.<br />
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I got down there and realized I wasn't ENTIRELY sure where we started, though I had an idea. It just meant I wasn't sure the best place to park. I settled for a big landmark that I knew I wouldn't forget no matter how exhausted I was. Bonus: I got out of the elevator and there was an actual public restroom and not a port-o-potty!<br />
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I started walking down, realizing I was running behind. The first coral started while I was still walking! I never actually found the real entrance to my coral, I just slipped in through the fence. I was probably in the middle of my coral, though I wasn't entirely sure. We started and I immediately realized that while there were some runners, there were so many walkers.<br />
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That is what I remember for a lot of the first mile, and for a good portion of the second. Dodging walkers. Sometimes they clumped up and literally blocked the whole street. At one point I just yelled "Coming through!" and pushed through a group. Maybe rude, but I couldn't get through in any other way. I didn't pay much attention to time because I was weaving so much. Later I looked back and saw that despite this I was running a sub-13:00 mile, which is all I could hope for.<br />
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It was around 2.5 miles that I realized my feet were wet, and before mile 3 they hurt. I wasn't sure if it was my socks being bunched up and wet or something else. Before much longer I realized it was the pain of blisters. I had been getting blisters on my long runs, but never this early. And they usually didn't hurt until I was done. Maybe this sounds overly dramatic, but every step hurt. And possibly because I was running a little weird due to pain, but my legs started to hurt as well. I recognized the pain as the one I had been feeling when I was adding a new mile to my long run, but this was what, mile 4? Why was I hurting already?!<br />
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I didn't realize at the time, but it was humid. I knew it was warmer than it had been for pretty much all of my runs in the past few months, but I didn't process that it was humid and it just made me sticky. The rest of the race was just a haze of making myself not stop. I was passing walkers the whole way, which doesn't seem possible. Shouldn't they have started behind me? When I got to the big climbs, my run was just as fast as their walk. The climb wasn't even that bad, just slow. What was bad was going down.<br />
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I never understood why going downhill was a bad thing. I watched the Boston Marathon coverage for the first time ever this year and they talked about it starting on a downhill and that being a challenge. I thought, why? Downhill is easy! Well, it just felt like my swollen feet were sliding further into my shoe and rubbing my blisters. Like the tops of my toes had a lot of pressure. I could feel the purple toenails coming on!<br />
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I alternated water and gatorade. I ate my honey stingers one at a time and finished them by mile 7. I tried my gel and realized it was a different one. It was honey stinger and the sugar just burned in my throat, so I had to throw it away. I ate a few pieces of gatorade energy chews they were passing out. I was so hot. It was supposed to be cloudy, but the sun was shining the whole time.<br />
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Somehow I finished. I never walked. I saw all the people at the finish line cheering and I got a little teary eyed because I had done it, but none of them were there for me. I got one of those shiny foil blankets right after, which was good because I got cold really fast. And that was when I realized the finish line was not at the starting line, and I had a walk ahead of me. Not one I would mind otherwise, but as much as my feet, calves, and hamstrings hurt, I didn't want to do it. And there was a LONG row of fenced in goodies that was going the OPPOSITE way that I had to go through. I couldn't find a gap in the fence.<br />
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So I trudged back to my car slowly. I figured if I sat down I might not be able to get up. All the people around me had someone helping them and I was wishing I had that. But, but the time I got back to my car I felt like I had worked out a lot of the pain in my calves and hamstrings. My feet possibly felt worse. I told my husband on the car ride home I was never doing that again before I lost weight. I was up about 6-7 pounds from when I started training.<br />
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I got back and got my official time. I had forgotten to turn off my garmin for a few minutes so I didn't even look. 3:05:06. I was really disappointed. People messaged me to congratulate me and ask how I did. I kept saying not well. I finished, but I should have been able to be faster than that. I wasn't expecting a breakout performance, but 2:45 seemed achievable.<br />
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By the afternoon I had decided I was at least doing a 10K in August. Before I went to bed I had decided I needed to do another half marathon.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-34362781173564102252016-01-03T09:00:00.002-08:002016-01-03T09:03:49.473-08:002016 1/2 Pig Training - Week .5<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since technically next week is the first official week of the program, I'm calling this week .5. I'm going to be posting once a week outlining what I accomplished, how it felt, and anything else that might be interesting. While maybe I have a secret hope that someday someone else will read this and find it inspirational or at least interesting, this is mainly to hold myself accountable. If I enjoy this enough to do it again, then I can use it as a reference to see how far I've come.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monday - Rest or XT</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I normally don't run on Mondays anyway, usually because I stay up past my bedtime watching Walking Dead, and however much of Talking Dead I can stay awake for. Thankfully, the schedule calls for rest or crosstraining today. I took myself down to the gym to do this random runner leg workout I found on Pinterest. Now, I'm not totally gullible where I think if I found it on the internet and it says "runner," it must be good. I looked it over and it is more body weight or low free weight things, which appealed to me. And it is only 5 exercises, so it won't take a ton of time since I'm doing it during lunch. I found the workout <a href="http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/runners-must-do-workout">here.</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDdicCds9CaQN7EpiO8ihLC6nSEvf_3_hrRbLiYQ8hp_rH0ho5YAutb6BlgvslkE0Yh2kN8KGjvwqYrzWBc4NoA_wJX9HnlBAKXTceNEJc1PYVe7S2ggSlLM4JRkafZwJjK9pd-xWcBA/s1600/runners-must-do-pinterest_0_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDdicCds9CaQN7EpiO8ihLC6nSEvf_3_hrRbLiYQ8hp_rH0ho5YAutb6BlgvslkE0Yh2kN8KGjvwqYrzWBc4NoA_wJX9HnlBAKXTceNEJc1PYVe7S2ggSlLM4JRkafZwJjK9pd-xWcBA/s640/runners-must-do-pinterest_0_0.jpg" width="345" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here is what I actually accomplished:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift: 15 lbs, 2 sets of 12</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lunges: 2 set of 20 for each leg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Single-Leg Deadlifts: 8lbs, 2 sets of 10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Planks: 45 seconds, 30 seconds, 30 seconds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Single-Leg Hip Extensions: 2 sets of 5 for each leg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So while it seemed not a big deal, I could tell when I was done I would be feeling it tomorrow. And I am. It hurts to go down the stairs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did okay today. A shake for breakfast, some cookies, yogurt, and slow cooker chicken and vegetables. The dinner and dessert were less healthy: sausage with mac and cheese and cherry pie for dessert. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuesday - 3-5 Miles</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I actually got out of bed to run. I set my alarm for 5:05, got out of be at 5:20, and was out the door at 5:40. I could really get a lot more sleep in if I changed some parts of that routine...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Total Time: 42:06</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Total Distance: 3.00 miles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Average Pace: 14:02</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Average Heart Rate: 162</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calories Burned: 615</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yikes! That time is worse than a normal bad run. I can only say that with sore hamstrings, quads, and glutes, it FELT like I was going faster. Everything I read says I SHOULD be doing some strength exercises, not just running or cross training. And maybe my muscles just aren't used to it- I've probably only done leg strength training a handful of times over the past year. All I know is, I am going to keep trying these exercises, but I'm going to be really careful that I am not in this condition for a race!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today went a little better. Shake and raisin bread for breakfast. Banana and yogurt for snacks (and maybe a cookie or two). Slow cooker chicken and veggies for lunch. And dinner was chicken and spinach burgers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wednesday - XT</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I just went on the elliptical for 35 minutes. I did the alpine pass setting, which is basically high inclines and then lots of downhill. Nothing too special here. I'm still sore in my hamstrings and quads.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today was pretty much identical to yesterday, with the exception of pizza for dinner. I am weak. Pizza also involved pizza bombs, which are a deep fried awesome thing as good as it sounds. No dessert though, the pie is gone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thursday - 4 Miles Free Run</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't think I made it out the door until 5:50. I actually laid there debating on going out at lunch to run instead since I am working from home today. After looking at the weather it turns out it was going to be the same temperature at lunch, so I might as well get it over with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So this run is supposed to be a moderately hard run by feel only, no pacing myself with my Garmin. I feel like I accomplished that. I think my hamstrings are a little more sore from the elliptical yesterday. So while I didn't feel out of breath, I felt I was pushing myself because my legs were burning the whole time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After logging on and playing with some more features on the Garmin site, I noticed that my heart rate read as over 200 for several minutes early in the run, so I think my calories and heart rate are high. I went back and looked, I saw it happen one other time. I probably need to tighten the band or put a little water on it before I go out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Total Time: 50:21</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Total Distance: 4.00 miles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Average Pace: 12:35</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Average Heart Rate: 174</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calories Burned: 827</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's New Years Eve. This is a day I celebrate with food. So far its has been pizza and popcorn. There is champagne and pasta in my future as well. However, we are going over to a friend's house who is vegan, so I should probably be able to control myself on the snacks. I don't care what he says, none of that food is "just as good." Vegan ice cream.... why?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday - Rest</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really did rest. I did practically nothing except visit family. I only had 2,115 steps for the day total.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't bother to control myself. They set out so many finger foods! And sushi for dinner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saturday- 3-5 Miles</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It took a little while to get moving, but I got out there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Total Time: 56:26</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Total Distance: 4.50 miles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Average Pace: 12:32</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Average Heart Rate: 171</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calories Burned: 900</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had that spike in heart rate again. No way my heart is actually beating over 200- I've done workouts where I thought my heart was going to explode and it was only in the 180s. I didn't feel like I was pushing TOO hard, but I was pushing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also went to the meeting about the training that officially starts next week. I happened to sit next to someone as slow as me, so it's nice to know there will be someone there. However, she is going to run a different half marathon, so no running buddy for race day. I also learned that they have in-person speed work or road/hill training on Tuesdays. I really need to try and make as many of those as possible, but it is going to be hard to make it during busy time at work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shake for breakfast. Sushi for lunch. Skyline for dinner. Cookies, ice cream, and Mountain Dew. I'm not even trying...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunday - 30-40 Minutes Easy</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Training:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really need to work on discipline. Why does it take me so long to get out the door??</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Total Time: 43:43</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Total Distance: 3.25 miles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Average Pace: 13:26</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Average Heart Rate: 154</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calories Burned: 580</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really did take it easy. I felt pretty good the whole time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Food:</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shake for breakfast. Pizza for lunch. Spaghetti squash spaghetti for dinner, maybe with a little bit of real pasta mixed in. But when I think of what I'm forcing myself to try and eat next week for lunch, I feel no guilt.</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-41077527812248745072015-12-27T09:36:00.002-08:002015-12-27T09:36:44.327-08:00Running in the Rain<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An Update on My Goals</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well after not posting and doing very little running, I am back! What can I say? I seem to use any excuse not to run. I did go check out my semi-local running store. The closest store kept not having their Saturday group runs when I was actually able to make it, so I moved on to the next closest store. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a crowd! I talked to the first person I saw. She explained that basically there is no official training program going on right now, which is when I will likely see people my pace start showing up. So, even though there are 50+ people there every Saturday, I end up running alone. However, many of them are running many more miles than me, so I am not the last one back. At least when I show up I know I can make myself do 6 miles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I found out they are starting half marathon training on January 9th. I'm going to an informational meeting on January 2nd. The schedule is set up to work with the <a href="http://flyingpigmarathon.com/events/half-marathon/">Cincinnati Flying Pig Half Marathon</a> on 5/1/16.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll admit, it is a little intimidating. My area is pretty flat, so not only do I have to train up an additional 7 miles of distance, I have to be able to handle some possibly extensive uphill running- though mile 10.5 until the end looks mostly downhill. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite how crazy my work schedule is going to be, I think this is something I'm going to have to do. I'm very demotivated. I'm up to 185 lbs (my low has been about 179 since I've started losing weight as a basis for comparison). I've been running about 2x a week- usually a long run of 6 miles and then a normal 3 mile loop I always do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I've got to get started soon! I'm a little concerned that a sudden increase in miles might do some damage, and the first week of training calls for 13-16 miles, so I need to at least be doing 3 times a week for a few weeks before 1/9/16! So hopefully this blog will be about my experiences training for a half marathon pretty soon!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rocking My New Gear</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As additional incentive to start going out more, I did get a few new items for Christmas! I mostly ask for running stuff. I'm finally at that age where I don't really have many hobbies and since we live an apartment and have a toddler, I don't want a lot of stuff or knick knacks that can be thrown around!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My husband got me this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EA1A3AC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00">Outdoor Research Helium II Jacket</a>. I have always made the excuse when I hear it raining in the morning that I can't go out, so now I have no excuse. I also got some new socks and some new capris. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had the chance to try out my jacket this morning. Other than being caught in the rain, I have never actually run deliberately if it was raining outside. This is also the first thing I've owned to run in that was supposed to keep out the rain, so I really have no basis for comparison. Overall, the jacket worked pretty well. I wore my armband and earbuds underneath with no problem. It has a brim on the hood, but I did have some trouble keeping it below my hairline. My torso was basically dry when I was done, but my lower arms were wet- which didn't make a ton of sense to me because they are all the same material. Overall I was pretty comfortable. The fit was a little off for me- I carry some of my weight on my lower abdomen so it was a little snug there. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rain was pretty steady, not a downpour, but definitely not a drizzle. I only ran a little over 2 miles. Obviously my pants were soaked, as were my socks and shoes. There is probably some sort of trick to getting my shoes dry, but all I know is I'm not supposed to stick them in the dryer. So, they are just sitting in my bathroom with the fan on? I should probably do some research.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #888888; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px;">2.19 mi | 27:30 | 12:35 min/mi</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-80437714692291614192015-09-25T12:35:00.003-07:002015-09-25T12:35:58.601-07:00Chubby Runner ProblemsIn an effort to motivate my husband, I offered to go with him when I forced him out of the house to do C25K. He complained and got crabby, but we made it to the park down the road after dinner. I turned on the app and we got going.<br />
<br />
As I suspected, despite the fact that I often take more steps in a day than he walks in a week, his 6'2" body will just naturally go faster than the legs that come with my 5'2" body. I think the first few one minute runs he was going as fast as 6 mph. Even his walking pace put me to shame. However, I could see that it was quickly catching up with him. After the first few intervals he asked me to push the stroller.<br />
<br />
The loop around the park is 3/4 of a mile. After the first loop I offered to take our son to the playground so my husband could keep going. I can honestly say this is not laziness on my part- my son has difficulty being confined and I could tell he was already getting bored.<br />
<br />
But to get to the complaint the title of this post references... shorts. I see all of these runners at races in their short shorts- which I understand, I would LOVE to be able to wear shorts when I run. BUT, shorts are something that I am unable to wear. For the first few months when I started running I had just had a child, but even before that I felt so chubby that I didn't think I should show my legs in public. Why wearing workout pants that are nylon or spandex and fairly form-fitting is so much better than shorts? That I can't answer. But somehow showing the skin crossed the line.<br />
<br />
This past summer I worked up the nerve to buy a pair of running shorts now that I was down 30 pounds or so. I brought them home and tried running up and down our long hall with them. They had spandex built in under the top layer, which seemed to solve all my problems! That week I tried to squeeze in a short run before dinner, so I thought I would try them out. Epic fail. As soon as I started going that spandex rolled up and the top material bunched up. I was showing FULL leg. I might have been able to live with the exposure if that didn't mean my thighs immediately started rubbing together. I can't say I started chaffing, but I didn't give my legs the opportunity to do that to each other. I turned right around and walked home.<br />
<br />
So on this run with my husband I thought, why not try them again? Since I'm down 5-10 pounds from last time, surely this has to go better? Even though I wear the shorts around when I run errands and always have to pull the spandex down, somehow there will be a different outcome.<br />
<br />
Well, the outcome was the same. I don't know why I bothered. And I can't help but wonder, how much weight do I need to lose in order for shorts to function properly when I run? And can I lose that amount? I ask this when I just had a work-provided lunch of a Potbelly sandwich, chips, and a giant cookie...<br />
<br />
On a related note, I have these awesome C9 leggings or tights I wear to run in the winter. They are awesome, my legs are never cold. However, what I have discovered through several very nearly embarrassing sets of trial and error is that they fall down. Without fail. UNLESS, I wear cotton granny panties. And I say cotton because I haven't really gone through the effort to acquire granny panties in other materials.<br />
<br />
Now, I don't know if this is a chubby girl problem, a flaw with the pants, or a general runner problem? I love the pants otherwise. And I can say that no amount of running around in my house allows me to identify this issue. Somehow going further without taking off the tag makes me feel bad, like going that 100 feet will cause me to have microscopic sweat that gets on the pants.<br />
<br />
But, I haven't lost enough weight to make shorts an option, and I haven't gone down a size yet in the running tights. So for now, I will have to live with apparel not really designed for people of my build!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-35374369610561181552015-09-21T07:07:00.001-07:002015-09-21T07:07:25.810-07:00Panerathon Cincinnati 2015On Sunday I ran in the Panerathon 10K. I knew nothing about the race, other than it was cheap, near my apartment, and I wasn't aware of any steep hills in that area.<br />
<br />
My intent had been to do shorter, lighter runs all week after my great 6 mile run the previous Sunday. I took of Monday as usual, but that day I left to go to Orlando for a conference. Since I wasn't familiar with the area I thought I might be better off on the treadmill. My mistake! I don't know what it was, but as I was running the room started to feel like a sauna. I only ended up running two miles, which I guess is a light run.<br />
<br />
Despite my best intentions to get out the next day and just run outside, I ended up sick that night and the next. I got home Thursday evening, but didn't feel 100% Friday. On Friday I discovered that the race was on Sunday, not Saturday, which just threw a wrench in the plans I had made. My son was going to be at his grandparents' house Friday night since my husband had to work Saturday morning. I had planned a solo spaghetti dinner. And then we could also enjoy ourselves Saturday evening.<br />
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I have no excuse for not running on Saturday. I was just grumpy after my crummy week and didn't want to leave the couch.<br />
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I really struggled to get out of bed on Sunday. So far my race morning routine has been to have a shake or smoothie and some water, hang out, get dressed, and then eat a poptart or a piece of toast on my drive in. I did the same thing here, except I forgot to grab food before I left.<br />
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I got to the race and picked up my packet and shirt. I realized that since it was in the 50s, my normal tank top was leaving me a little chilly, and I seemed to be one of 3 people who was wearing one. I tried on my race shirt in the parking lot since it was at least short sleeved, but it didn't feel that comfortable for running since I got one that was a teeny bit snug. Is it terrible to change in the parking lot if you have on a sports bra? I feel like I got the side eye from some people. I certainly wasn't showing off, I was kind of doing it behind my car door, and I don't have much to be conceited about.<br />
<br />
I had a little bit of difficulty finding the starting line, so I just went to the cluster of people and tried to face the same direction they were. I could hear someone was talking into a microphone, but it wasn't audible. I eventually heard the countdown and everyone started running.<br />
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I don't know if it is better to start in the back of the pack when you are slow, or in the middle or front. In the back of the pack it almost seems lonely and you don't really even get a sense of all the people. Further to the front you just see everyone pass you, and that speed can make you feel off on your pace. I found myself feeling slow compared to everyone else because they were passing me, but I looked down and I was running almost an 11:00 mile, which is way too fast for me to start with.<br />
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The course runs about a quarter of a mile back to a long road, where they have you run up one side, then back down the other. There are some gentle inclines, but nothing too bad. The 5K participants split off to go back to the Panera when they come back, but the 10K runners run past that entrance to the shopping center to a point further down the road where they turn around and do the loop again.<br />
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I once again found myself with the jog/walkers and some people who make me think, "Do I really look that slow?" There was even one tall man who was practically strolling and keeping up with my 12:00 mile time. But I like having some people around me. It gives me something to push for, to catch that person in front of me. There were even 5K people going so slowly that I was passing them when I got closer to the finish line!<br />
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At the finish line were some bounce houses, some fire trucks for kids to explore, and kids crafts to participate in, as well as food from Panera.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://panerathon.com/cincinnati-panerathon/">http://panerathon.com/cincinnati-panerathon/</a><br />
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Here is my overall review:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Pros:</u></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Price</li>
<li>Not too many elite runners- which is good if you want to try and place. </li>
<li>Location- very accessible</li>
<li>Cause- you can feel good because you are running for charity</li>
</ul>
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<b><u>Cons:</u></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Street cleaning- is it normal to see 3 dead animals on the road? And then since you are looping you see them more than once.</li>
<li>Food- if you are finishing near the end like me they only had a handful of plain and blueberry bagels left. That's fine, but the reminder that you missed out on cinnamon crunch and cherry vanilla because of the signs makes it sad. Most of the sandwiches left were Mediterranean Veggie. Having worked at Panera, I find that few people order that sandwich, so why would you make so many!? I realize that this is upsetting mainly because I'm a picky eater, so this is not a con for many.</li>
<li>Course- the repetitive loop was a little boring, but I do that on my own long run so I can't complain too much.</li>
<li>Walkers- while this was not a problem for me, I could see that there were a lot of people really taking their time and taking up most of the road. I started to see the faster 10K runners having to navigate around them a lot as they came back to do their second loop. </li>
</ul>
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Overall I would run this race again for the price. I'm a sucker for t-shirts. My time was great! I finished in 1:14:50, or a 12:03 pace. I didn't think I could possibly go that fast, which only makes me think more and more that maybe I should try that 15K.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-40941596547584414142015-09-14T06:40:00.001-07:002015-09-14T06:40:17.819-07:00Feelings of EuphoriaToday was a great run! I thought it would feel better than it has in a while when I saw a high of 66 and a current temperature of 52. So not only did I get out and run, but I made my husband go as well.<br />
<br />
While we all complain about exercise before we get going, and maybe even during when we push ourselves, I don't really know anyone but my husband who complains so much AFTER. Sure maybe you are sore, or the workout kicked your butt, but you have all those endorphins running through you, and you feel great about what you did. If he ever experiences that feeling, he has never expressed it.<br />
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So I pushed him to try and start the C25K app again. He did it with me when we were trying to work out for our wedding, but we both probably only made it to week 3 or 4 (and we both managed to not gain weight, but were unsuccessful in losing anything). He has zero interest in running, but he has zero interest in any physical activity other than maybe shooting a basketball. Since our son is at an age where he is either going to run away when you turn around or scream if he can't make the basketball go up, I feel no guilt in pushing the running with a stroller.<br />
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He headed out the door and so did I.<br />
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I always try to keep my pace around 13 mph for the first two miles. Other than my actual 10K race, I have barely been able to sustain that pace, and often get slower as I go on. Today, I found my speed increasing. Eventually I just stopped looking at my pace and just running however I felt like running. I know I have enjoyed running in the heat and humidity less than the fall and spring, or even winter. I have also read that you can see speed decreases as the temperature climbs. I just had no idea mine were that significant. It was hard to see because even in the summer when I felt slower, I was still faster than last summer when I was just getting started running.<br />
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Days like today remind me why I run. Just when I was questioning whether I should think about doing something else. <br />
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When I returned, my husband did not feel the same way. But I didn't let him get me down.<br />
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I checked out facebook and saw a friend of mine had signed up for the Hot Chocolate Run in Columbus.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.hotchocolate15k.com/columbus/">http://www.hotchocolate15k.com/columbus/</a><br />
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My sister had been requesting that I come up and do it as well. Two months ago I thought, "Why run the 5K when there is a 15K?" A month ago I thought, "No way I can do the 15K. Why bother going up?" Apparently 5Ks are now beneath me even though I finish back of the pack, because at no point did I think, "Sure let's do a 5K." My sister is not a runner at all, and has no interest, but she likes fun runs. She would not be joining me in the 15K distance.<br />
<br />
So despite my last post where I decided, why not stick to the 10K and work on getting faster? I think I may sign up for the 15K. I figure, if I want to get faster I am supposed to have my long runs be longer than a 10K. I should at least be able to finish a 15K. Of course I will do that and somehow think, "Oh, that half marathon is just 3 or 4 more miles, why not?"<br />
<br />
So what's three more miles when you have awesome 10K speed like this:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #888888; font-family: 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px;">6.00 mi | 1:14:08 | 12:21 min/mi</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-62139255074533460432015-09-07T05:11:00.001-07:002015-09-07T05:11:31.019-07:00Where Do I Go From Here?From my research (googling), it really looks like I have a decision to make. Right now the longest race I have run is a 10K. I was really happy with my time personally, though I am nowhere near even the middle of the pack. I have not made the progress on getting back into training that I would like- especially this week when I was up in the mountains on a work retreat. Let me tell you, mountain trail running at 9600 feet? I was barely above a walk and my heart was racing.<br />
<br />
My attempt to run 6 miles yesterday fell flat. It was so hot and humid that I gave up after 3. I think when I ran the 10K several weeks ago it was just like I had given my body a short break and I was fully recharged. At this point it is really just showing that I am not training where I was.<br />
<br />
But back to my decision. Is 10K where I stick for a while? From what I have read, it is very difficult to get faster and go further. My big goal is to at least do a half marathon. Maybe I go further than that eventually. BUT, given my current speed, I don't know that I have the TIME to train for even the half. When you go as slow as I do, I need about 1.5 hours to go out and run 6 miles. Do I have the time to run 2-2.5 hours one day each week, and an hour 3-4 other days a week? Plus the weight training...<br />
<br />
Or do I stick here? I know weight loss will make me faster, though it would have to be pretty substantial to REALLY make a difference. However, substantial weight loss is what I need. But if I stick here I can focus on getting my time down before I move on to bigger things. Maybe I can get down to that sub 10-minute mile eventually. Or at least down to a time where I can finish a half marathon in less than 3 hours so I don't have to worry about a pacing golf cart picking me up.<br />
<br />
I think that is what I'm going to do. I am going to stick around the 10K for a while. See how the weight loss and the winter goes. In theory, if I really want to run a half marathon, from a 10K I probably only need 2-3 months of training to at least be able to finish a half marathon.<br />
<br />
My husband is finally on the weight loss bandwagon with me. Of course, so far that has meant cutting back on snacking after dinner and eating yogurt instead of poptarts for breakfast, which translates into weight loss of several pounds in one week. I'm not bitter.<br />
<br />
For me, I'm trying to go to a slightly less processed, less sugar, more veggies, and less pasta route. I love slimfast shakes for breakfast, but I don't think the sugar is doing me any favors. I'm trying to make my own shakes using Trader Joe's Whey Protein Powder- the chocolate one.<br />
<img alt="Image result for trader joe's whey protein powder" src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" /><br />
I'm adding a couple cups of spinach, vanilla-flavored almond milk, and a few frozen strawberries. I guess I was hoping it would taste like a chocolate-covered strawberry. Once I logged it in I realized it really isn't helping my lower sugar thing. However, I can hide a lot of spinach in there without really noticing any taste.<br />
<br />
So now I'm torn because I'm not sure which one is better for me. The slimfast has a lot of vitamins, even though they are put in there chemically. Something about me putting spinach in a blender makes me feel healthier. And maybe I can figure out some other things to add as well. I have to keep it fairly low calorie because I haven't developed the willpower to eat a 400 calorie dinner, and I have to snack between meals to not be miserable. I also haven't developed the willpower to eat plain veggies as a snack, which would solve all of my problems...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-20921758324218675652015-08-27T06:36:00.002-07:002015-08-27T06:36:11.929-07:00Victory!I got out of bed! My alarm may have gone off at 5:10, I may have snoozed until 5:25, and I may have even dozed while sitting upright in bed until around 5:35, but I finally got back out there! I also may have gotten out the door before I realized that I had completely forgotten to pull my hair back. And I may have dropped the brush on the counter, and it may have then fallen on the bathroom scale, all of which was very loud and woke up my husband...<br />
<br />
I could have sworn I had run at least a few mornings in the past 3 weeks- I guess some of them were while I was out of town. But holy cow it was dark out! And I nearly walked into the web of a monster spider. I went back to take a picture when I was done, but it was gone. Probably for the best. I had an irrational fear that the flash would make it angry, and maybe it would attack me somehow.<br />
<br />
I don't know if anyone uses the knuckle lights? But I'm going to have to bust mine out tomorrow morning if I make it out of bed. I really like mine. I've found that I only need one to run with. Which is good because somehow the other one got knocked into the washer, so I'm not sure it works.<br />
<br />
I also had another small victory this morning on the scale. I had VERY recently recommitted myself to trying to get on the weight loss bandwagon. So far that has just meant that I logged back in to myfitnesspal,com. I put in everything I eat- but that hasn't stopped me from eating. Yet somehow I have managed to drop 3 lbs this week. It's probably water weight- that is too much too fast to be much else.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately (for my weight, not for my tastebuds) I am going out with co-workers to lunch and a baseball game this afternoon, and then possibly out to dinner with friends. I am such a picky eater is it incredibly hard for me to find a healthy out-to-eat meal. And how can I go to a game an NOT get nachos? And these thoughts are how I got into the situation I am in- where I need to drop another 40 lbs if not more.<br />
<br />
I am currently down 46 lbs. This has not been a steady drop. This has taken a few years, with big spurts and then no movement. I can at least say proudly I haven't gained it back (except for that part where I had a child and went nuts eating Captain Crunch). That drop has been the difference between me shopping at Lane Bryant and being able to simply walk into any store and pull something off the rack. And while I can say now that I am capable of eating in a way that at least allows me to maintain my weight, or maybe even lose a little, it is the running that allows me to see real progress in weight loss.<br />
<br />
My next race is another 10K - the Panerathon Cincinnati. <a href="http://www.runningtime.net/Races/PanerathonCinti/home.htm" style="background-color: #fafbfb; color: #1155cc; font-family: 'Lucida Sans', 'Lucida Grande', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23px;" target="_blank">http://www.runningtime.net/<wbr></wbr>Races/PanerathonCinti/home.htm</a> I have to stay on top of running if I have any hope of performing as well at this race as I did at the Little Miami race.<br />
<br />
I am running to lose weight, I am running to be in better shape. I don't know if I want to get faster or go further yet. It is something I really need to think about.<br />
<br />
8/27 Running: 3.05 miles, 39:28Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-20318869063477068542015-08-25T09:02:00.000-07:002015-08-25T09:02:03.150-07:00Little Miami 10kAbout a month ago I decided to run a 10k- because why not? I felt like my running had really gone stagnant. My long runs used to be 5 miles, but it seemed like it had been a few months since I had gone that far. And there was always some reason to cut my long runs short. After some googling I came across the Little Miami 10k. It seemed perfect- close, soon, and flat.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.littlemiamihalf.com/">http://www.littlemiamihalf.com/</a><br />
<br />
<b><u>Training</u></b><br />
Wait, I was supposed to train for this? I started by increasing my long runs from 4 to 4.5 miles. The next week I said to myself, that went so well, why not try this 5.75 mile loop you just mapped out? Well the answer to that question is because it is 87 degrees outside, humid, and it turns out the route has a lot of uphill sections.<br />
<br />
I ended up walking a longer chunk of that than I care to admit- which was really disappointing when I had been able to run 4.5 miles the previous week with no issue. But I celebrated my calorie burn with chocolate milk and a carton of fried rice (did I mention a big part of this running thing is supposed to be losing weight?)<br />
<br />
The following weekend I took another stab at it- 6 miles. I was going to run my normal circuit twice. After some reading I realized I had been focusing on speed and distance, and what I needed to do was run a little slower if I was going to make this happen. 13 minute miles- that was what I was going to push for.<br />
<br />
The long run made me realize I needed new songs on my playlist- being out that long meant a good chunk of my music played twice. I also realized that while a 13 minute mile felt slow for the first 3 miles, I didn't feel like a 13:45 mile was slow after that- and that ended up being my average pace when I finished the 6 miles.<br />
<br />
The following week I don't know what happened, but I really only ran twice during the weekdays. On Saturday my nephew was injured and put on life support. On Sunday I tried to run the six miles again. The sadness, and congestion from all the crying and getting a cold, really just made it miserable. I barely did 3 miles. I was hoping the endorphins would make the day more bearable, but it just didn't quite do it.<br />
<br />
Because of being sick and just general sadness, I didn't really run the week before the race.<br />
<br />
<b><u>The Race</u></b><br />
I was extremely concerned about my ability to run the entire race. While I hadn't run in the week leading up to it except for maybe a few miles, I had tried to watch what I ate. I hate vegetables, so if I try to eat them I generally rely on stir fry. The night before I definitely ate too much spaghetti.<br />
<br />
The morning of I had a slim fast shake when I woke up and a poptart as I was driving. I've found that the slimfast shakes don't bother my stomach when I run and give me some fuel before the long runs. Its probably the sugar, but it works.<br />
<br />
I got there in plenty of time to see the half marathon runners start (they go 30 minutes ahead of the 10k). I thought that would give me plenty of time to use the bathroom one last time. Since I'm a total priss, I skipped the port-o-potty line and went to the park bathroom line. BIG mistake. I wondered why the line was slow- turns out there was one working stall. It also turns out the stall had holes in it so if the front of the line was too close they could basically watch you. Also there was no soap- at least the port-o-potty would have had hand sanitizer. By the time I got out the race was about to start, so I wove my way to the back of the pack where I belong.<br />
<br />
Once the race started I quickly established myself in the back. I seem to run at a speed that averages out to the same pace as some of the run-walkers. I run by them, but they would pass me when they started running again. It was almost a game to try and pass them, but I refused to go much faster than my 13 minute mile. I was also behind a lady for several miles that made me question what I look like when I run. To me it looked like she was shuffling along at a pace that couldn't have been much faster than a walk- but she was clearly keeping pace with me.<br />
<br />
Eventually after several miles I found myself wanting to get past people I had been with for a while, and others who had started at a faster pace but had fallen back to the back when they couldn't sustain it. Once I started passing I realized I didn't feel bad when I went faster, so I kept it up. Toward the end I'm pretty sure I was running something around an 11:00 mile, which is flying for me. My total time as 1:17, compared to my goal of 1:20.<br />
<br />
Afterwards I felt great. I didn't really feel like I needed to recover, or that I had just run my farthest distance yet.<br />
<br />
The only let down was when my Garmin somehow erased the race data!<br />
<br />
<b><u>Pros and Cons of the Little Miami 10k</u></b><br />
Take this for what it's worth given my far from elite runner status:<br />
<br />
Pros:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Shade- it just made the whole course feel wonderful the whole time. It was possibly the most comfortable I've been on a run in months.</li>
<li>Flat course- unlike some, I find the distance challenging enough</li>
<li>Number of participants- In the few races I've run I sometimes find myself fairly alone- slower than most runners but faster than most walkers. However, due to the loop of this course I could see everyone run by, which I liked, and I never felt too alone. But it wasn't crowded at all.</li>
<li>Time- I know most runs are in the morning, I liked that it was at 7:30 before it got too hot.</li>
<li>Nature- It was prettier than running around with nothing to look at.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Cons:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Shirts-I was not a fan of the t-shirts. They were technical shirts, but a heavier kind. And they were white. I got an XL (many races I go with an L). However, it was still tight and because of the white you can just see everything under it.</li>
<li>Swag bag- just nothing exciting. There really weren't any fliers for other races or anything at all. I know that isn't the point, but sometimes there is good stuff!</li>
<li>Packet pickup- times just seemed a little limited. Doable, just not great.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I swear, next time I will try to remember to take pictures...</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-5422431762631576092015-08-25T08:06:00.000-07:002015-08-25T08:06:35.015-07:00Morning Runs- or a Lack ThereofI have always been very selfish with my time, and being a mom has really made that a challenge. I once read that being an introvert and a mother can be difficult because you miss that alone time to recharge. It seems weird, but I feel like it rings somewhat true for me. If you ever have to take one of those personality quizzes like Myers-Briggs, it will tell you where you fall on the introvert-extrovert spectrum. And it is a spectrum, not a bucket. Unless you are me who usually scores 90% or higher as an introvert.<br />
<br />
What this means for me is that when my son goes to bed at 8:30 and I need to get up around 5:20 to run, I have only a limited amount of time to play with, but one of my priorities always seems to be some alone time. I always feel like I need a break right when he falls asleep. On top of everything else I seem unable to function well on less than 7-8 hours of sleep. So do I take that 1-1.5 hours to do something I want to do alone like read? Do I spend quality time with my husband? Do I accomplish some of that cleaning that seems impossible when my son is awake?<br />
<br />
Or do I take the 4th option and stay up past 11 and somehow miraculously expect to get up and run? I was wide awake when I woke up at 3:30, but with all the tossing and turning after that it just seemed impossible to actually do anything but hit snooze when the alarm went off.<br />
<br />
And maybe if I was a faster runner, I could trot out and run my 3 miles in the morning in 25 minutes. Would that somehow make getting out of bed easier? An extra 30 minutes before the alarm went off? For those of you doing math, it doesn't actually take me 55 minutes to run 3 miles, I'm just generously rounding.<br />
<br />
I can't blame this on my son, though. How often was I really getting out of bed at 5:30 am to run before he came around? What he has done, though, is forced me to prioritize much differently. Unfortunately, I am finding lately that I want to stay awake and read rather than go to bed so I can get up to run.<br />
<br />
I've got to change my attitude an adjust my priorities. This running thing doesn't come naturally to me, and I'm not sure it does for anyone. I am rarely excited to roll out of my bed any earlier than I have to. And while there will be a brief time where it is 55 degrees outside and WONDERFUL to run in, that will quickly slip down to 30 and 40 degrees where it is even harder to get out from under the covers.<br />
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I've read it takes two weeks before doing something like getting up to workout becomes a habit. I've yet to run consistently for two weeks since we moved at the end of June. When I look out at my calendar for the next 3 weeks I have 2 out of town trips for work where I am uncertain if I will have the means or the time to run.<br />
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So here's hoping I can roll out of bed tomorrow and get those 2 weeks started, and that I can find the means to keep it up.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7954949942651932515.post-60829463576866332652015-08-20T18:52:00.001-07:002015-08-20T18:52:48.051-07:00BackgroundI never thought I would call myself a runner. While I was on the track team in grade school and high school, I was a lazy participant. In grade school I threw the discus and shot-put, but I also ran the 100M and 200M. Sometimes a 400M was thrown in if my coach forced me. But I ran those distances because to me they were easy. I could do pretty well without ever really practicing. Once I was in high school, they suddenly wanted me to run around the track multiple times to prepare to run those distances! I said, "No thanks!" and moved over to throwing exclusively. <div>
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Fast forward 10 years or so - past all the fast food, lying around the house, never going to the gym, and general disregard for my health- and I had the crazy idea I wanted to run the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day, which is a 5 mile run that starts around 7 AM. Last Thanksgiving it seemed like everyone I knew was wearing their shirt from the event while eating their turkey- while I was just wearing a sweater and eating just as much, even though I had done nothing that morning except make a big breakfast to indulge in first. </div>
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This decision to run was just another idea for me. I had been dieting and trying to work out, and I had at that point successfully lost around 20 lbs. In my mind running was just going to make the pounds melt off (I still had a lot more to go).</div>
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I downloaded my couch-to-5K app (C25K by RunDouble) and started the process on a treadmill. If you are not familiar with the process- the program builds you up to 30 minutes of running using running and walking intervals- with the running amounts increasing over something like 8 weeks. On the treadmill I was doing run intervals at a speed of 5 mph, or a 12 minute mile. I got stuck on the week where you run 3 5-minute intervals. I kept getting a stitch in my side and it seemed like I would never make it past that week in the app.</div>
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So, why not get pregnant and just give up on working out completely? I can't excuse this- I know if you want to be fit you have to make it a priority. I can only say I was working a TON because of a major acquisition and pregnancy made me want to go to bed as soon as I got home. </div>
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Fast forward AGAIN - past gaining all the weight back plus another 5, having a baby, then dropping the weight except for the extra 5- and I decided that once I got the all clear from the doctor I was going to try this running thing again. Except with a baby. And outside. With a stroller. </div>
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Running outside was scary to me- I didn't understand how someone could run without a TV. Wouldn't you be bored? And isn't outside HARDER? And how do you push a stroller while doing it? Well, it turned out the stroller thing wasn't too bad. That was actually the only way to get my son to nap. And huffing and puffing and praying that the interval is over really does seem to fill up the time. Eventually I was able to complete the C25K program, even without the stroller! </div>
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One problem, at the end of the program I could run for 30 minutes straight. It turns out that running for 30 minutes does not always equate to a 5K distance...</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11309746663554213875noreply@blogger.com0