The week so far and a (partial) plan for the rest:
Monday: Curves workout
Tuesday: Curves workout, 4 mile run
Wednesday: Curves workout
Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: rest
Sat: Curves
Sunday: 14 mile run!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Miles, Mansions, Dogs and Friends!
12 miles done! This means that soon my weekly long runs will be the farthest I have ever run...once we pass the 13 mile mark, who knows? When my runs are especially tough I take comfort in knowing that I can do it because I've done it before. After 13.1 I can no longer say that. Instead I'll say I can do it because...any ideas? I need a new mantra.
We ran a new route, which I loved. We headed from the civic center down Ocean, past San Vicente and up Amalfi. It took us about 2 hours and 20 minutes, doing This is a hilly neighborhood with gorgeous homes so there is a lot to look at and fantasize about while running. I had plenty of time to do that. In my fantasies I started to become very discriminating about what I did and didn't like about the architecture of these marvelous homes. Yeah right! I should be so lucky to live in any of them, let alone pick and choose among them. It sure was fun, though. One of them was even for sale and its real estate sign said that it had a golf course. A golf course! In their backyard! *sigh*
Another highlight was that I saw a beautiful dog that I sort of fell in love with. She was solid and stocky with a body and face kind of similar to an American pit bull but short, velvety gray fur like a weimaraner. And she had beautiful yellow-hazel eyes. I asked what breed she was and her owner said was a cane corso. I love them! Look at these pictures:
http://www.westcoastcanecorso.com/canecorso.htm
On top of the great scenery, I also had great company. I always love running with Mollie and Kelly, but this week I got to run with Nicole, too! I run with her on Thursdays but don't often get to run with her on Sundays. I lucked out this week and got a twofer: Thursday and Sunday!
One a different note, I'm starting to notice some difficulties with my knees as the mileage gets higher. I talked to my coach about it and he gave me some great advice and things to try, which I will. It's no fun feeling like the Tin Man at the end of a run, desperate for an oil can. I'll update about what I try and my observations as the season progresses.
This week in running:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 20 minute run
Wednesday: Curves and 45 minute run
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday: none
Saturday: none
Sunday: 12 miles
We ran a new route, which I loved. We headed from the civic center down Ocean, past San Vicente and up Amalfi. It took us about 2 hours and 20 minutes, doing This is a hilly neighborhood with gorgeous homes so there is a lot to look at and fantasize about while running. I had plenty of time to do that. In my fantasies I started to become very discriminating about what I did and didn't like about the architecture of these marvelous homes. Yeah right! I should be so lucky to live in any of them, let alone pick and choose among them. It sure was fun, though. One of them was even for sale and its real estate sign said that it had a golf course. A golf course! In their backyard! *sigh*
Another highlight was that I saw a beautiful dog that I sort of fell in love with. She was solid and stocky with a body and face kind of similar to an American pit bull but short, velvety gray fur like a weimaraner. And she had beautiful yellow-hazel eyes. I asked what breed she was and her owner said was a cane corso. I love them! Look at these pictures:
http://www.westcoastcanecorso.com/canecorso.htm
On top of the great scenery, I also had great company. I always love running with Mollie and Kelly, but this week I got to run with Nicole, too! I run with her on Thursdays but don't often get to run with her on Sundays. I lucked out this week and got a twofer: Thursday and Sunday!
One a different note, I'm starting to notice some difficulties with my knees as the mileage gets higher. I talked to my coach about it and he gave me some great advice and things to try, which I will. It's no fun feeling like the Tin Man at the end of a run, desperate for an oil can. I'll update about what I try and my observations as the season progresses.
This week in running:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 20 minute run
Wednesday: Curves and 45 minute run
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday: none
Saturday: none
Sunday: 12 miles
LATE POST: 11 MILE RUN/THE LONG MIDDLE
Last week we ran 11 miles, which sounds long enough but consider this: we ran from city to city! From Santa Monica to Marina del Rey and Venice, to be exact. To be honest, this was a tough run for me for a couple of reasons, the biggest being that I was not paying attention to directions when we were told where exactly we would be running to and from.
The route took us past the pier in Santa Monica and along the beach until we hit Speedway in Venice, all the way to the jetty and back. By the time we hit the beach path on the way back I was feeling pretty good. I was feeling so good that I couldn't believe I had almost run 11 miles. I decided that I may as well finish strong and I took off like a crazy person, left the group I was running with and ended up running with a pretty fast teammate for a while. I was flying and had that strange feeling you get after running for a while that your body is separate from you. It becomes like a machine that you have nothing to do with, all motion and rhythm happening on automatic while you hover above yourself, watching. Watching the whole time, thinking I couldn't believe how great I felt. Was I really improving this much? Did I have abilities beyond my wildest dreams? I started to count the intervals we had done so far and the numbers didn't add up. In a painful flash of sudden understanding I asked my teammate "How many miles do you think we've done so far?"
I knew the answer before he confirmed it. "Probably six or seven, because once we hit the pier it's a mile and a half to San Vicente and back." The machine broke, my stride felt clumsy and I began to slow down. I watched him run ahead of me as I struggled to keep moving. How could I be so foolish? I had just spent the last twenty minutes running like a demon and I had only been a little over halfway done! I still had at least three miles to go and I had run ahead of my teammates so I was on my own. It was a long and lonely middle.
But I finished! I ended up back with my pace group and they helped me to keep moving. Running is so much easier with company!
Lessons learned:
Wednesday: hill training
Thursday: 4 miles
Sunday: 11 miles
The route took us past the pier in Santa Monica and along the beach until we hit Speedway in Venice, all the way to the jetty and back. By the time we hit the beach path on the way back I was feeling pretty good. I was feeling so good that I couldn't believe I had almost run 11 miles. I decided that I may as well finish strong and I took off like a crazy person, left the group I was running with and ended up running with a pretty fast teammate for a while. I was flying and had that strange feeling you get after running for a while that your body is separate from you. It becomes like a machine that you have nothing to do with, all motion and rhythm happening on automatic while you hover above yourself, watching. Watching the whole time, thinking I couldn't believe how great I felt. Was I really improving this much? Did I have abilities beyond my wildest dreams? I started to count the intervals we had done so far and the numbers didn't add up. In a painful flash of sudden understanding I asked my teammate "How many miles do you think we've done so far?"
I knew the answer before he confirmed it. "Probably six or seven, because once we hit the pier it's a mile and a half to San Vicente and back." The machine broke, my stride felt clumsy and I began to slow down. I watched him run ahead of me as I struggled to keep moving. How could I be so foolish? I had just spent the last twenty minutes running like a demon and I had only been a little over halfway done! I still had at least three miles to go and I had run ahead of my teammates so I was on my own. It was a long and lonely middle.
But I finished! I ended up back with my pace group and they helped me to keep moving. Running is so much easier with company!
Lessons learned:
- Know your route before you run it
- Stick with the group
- If something seems too good to be true, it probably isn't
Wednesday: hill training
Thursday: 4 miles
Sunday: 11 miles
Monday, July 13, 2009
Reflections on yesterday's 10 miler
The difference between 8 miles and 10 miles is big, although it doesn't seem so. When you start to run for longer than an hour at a time it's tempting to say, "two miles...that's twenty minutes or less--piece of cake!" Tempting, but not true.
As I discovered yesterday, the difference between 8 and 10 miles is the difference between flying and crawling. It is the rude crash back to reality after riding the high; it is your body's way of humbling you ("you think you're so great? try this").
It's funny that I feel this way because this is not my first time ever running 10 miles...That was three years ago, around a 1/3 mile loop and I was so proud I cried. It's strange how running longer distances brings out such a range of emotions, most of which I think I experienced yesterday in the span of under 2 hours.
Here's my report...
As I discovered yesterday, the difference between 8 and 10 miles is the difference between flying and crawling. It is the rude crash back to reality after riding the high; it is your body's way of humbling you ("you think you're so great? try this").
It's funny that I feel this way because this is not my first time ever running 10 miles...That was three years ago, around a 1/3 mile loop and I was so proud I cried. It's strange how running longer distances brings out such a range of emotions, most of which I think I experienced yesterday in the span of under 2 hours.
Here's my report...
- I moved up into a new pace group...something I was really scared to do. People have a tendency to say "don't worry...if it's too fast for you, you can always fall back into a slower group". Technically yes...realistically no. If I'm going to brave joining this group I'm going to finish with them even if I die doing it ( I know it's a bad attitude to have but it's just a part of who I am...) I'm glad to report I didn't die ;-)
- I love running with girls. The group I ran with was made up of 5 strong girls...The great thing about running with girls is that you become part of a set and as a set you get a lot of encouragement from bystanders that you don't get on your own (probably because guys don't want to be seen as creepy). The following are the encouraging words we got from others as we ran..."Keep it up girls", "And they're cute", "How far are you going today?" and my personal favorite, directed at me and coming from a ninety year old man "That's good for your body". Just a simple good morning can be encouraging while you're out on a run, but these were classic.
- I prefer to run in the group, rather than in front of or behind the group. I felt most secure in my running when I was somewhere in the middle of our group. I kept imagining that I was tethered to the other girls I was running with and that there was no way I could be separated from them...this feeling really motivated me while running at the faster pace and I felt strongest while in the middle of the pack.
- I felt my best between mile 4 and 5
- The only sports drink I enjoy while running long is gatorade. I tried something new that they had on the course and it was pretty awful...unfortunately I filled my bottle with it and kept drinking.
- The last two miles were hard...The last mile was hardest. I began to fall back a bit from the pack and I felt the imaginary lines being cut. Being a little bit behind can quickly turn into being very much behind when you're tired, so I spent the last two miles trying to stay with the group and the last mile trying to catch up to the group. The last twenty minutes of the run was the longest and most difficult part for me.
- I did it!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Disneyland, here I come!
Just wanted to add a quick note...
I will be running the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday, September 6!
I would be happy to be someone's excuse to go to Disneyland/California Adventure that day. Come see me run in the morning, then hop on some rides afterward and take a picture with your favorite Disney character. Or take a picture with me after my race ;)
I hope to see you there!
I will be running the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday, September 6!
I would be happy to be someone's excuse to go to Disneyland/California Adventure that day. Come see me run in the morning, then hop on some rides afterward and take a picture with your favorite Disney character. Or take a picture with me after my race ;)
I hope to see you there!
Making Progress
As I move forward with my training I'm finding myself making more progress than I ever expected. I'm getting faster and feeling stronger after many of my runs and I love the feeling of pushing my body to do more than I did previously.
I've been a runner for a long time, but it seems like this time around running agrees with me a bit more. I remember joining cross country in high school and not being able to finish our practice runs without stopping, exhausted and out of breath, to walk. I finished just about every race that season dead last...but I did finish. The experience of being on that team was important because it was one of my first experiences of really having to struggle at something that I wanted so badly and just wasn't good at.
Now my running feels more natural and not so much like something I'm fighting against...Maybe because I'm older and don't care so much about what other people think of my running, or maybe because I've just put in enough time over the years to make my body a bit more efficient. Whatever it is, I like it.
This week in running:
Monday: 5.5 miles solo in Culver City
Tuesday: 6 miles with a friend in West Hollywood
Wednesday: hill training with Team in Training. It was surprisingly fun!!
Thursday: 4.5 miles with friends through downtown Culver City
Friday: Rest
Saturday: TBD
Sunday: 10 miles with Team in Training
This weekend we move into double digits for our long run...10 miles!! I'll write all about it afterward.
I've been a runner for a long time, but it seems like this time around running agrees with me a bit more. I remember joining cross country in high school and not being able to finish our practice runs without stopping, exhausted and out of breath, to walk. I finished just about every race that season dead last...but I did finish. The experience of being on that team was important because it was one of my first experiences of really having to struggle at something that I wanted so badly and just wasn't good at.
Now my running feels more natural and not so much like something I'm fighting against...Maybe because I'm older and don't care so much about what other people think of my running, or maybe because I've just put in enough time over the years to make my body a bit more efficient. Whatever it is, I like it.
This week in running:
Monday: 5.5 miles solo in Culver City
Tuesday: 6 miles with a friend in West Hollywood
Wednesday: hill training with Team in Training. It was surprisingly fun!!
Thursday: 4.5 miles with friends through downtown Culver City
Friday: Rest
Saturday: TBD
Sunday: 10 miles with Team in Training
This weekend we move into double digits for our long run...10 miles!! I'll write all about it afterward.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Conservative Training
TNT takes a very conservative approach to training, which I have to say I appreciate. It's a bit odd at first, because when I trained for my half marathon two years ago It felt like I was running all the time (about 5 days a week). While I loved it, I was always tired and a little burnt out on running by the end of my training. I ended up taking a pretty long break from running consistently after that race (I think I needed it both physically and psychologically)
With TNT, my weekly mileage is much lower than it was when training for my half. Here is what this week's workout schedule looked like for me so far:
Monday: Curves, 30 minutes
Tuesday: 4 Miles
Wednesday: 8 Miles (this would have been run the previous Sunday but I was out of town, so I made up my run on Wed.)
Thursday: 4.5 miles
Friday-Sunday: TBD
Instead of running 5 days a week, I'm really only running 3-4, which leaves me feeling like I could be running so much more--but I think that's the key. By training conservatively, you avoid injury and burnout. I would much rather finish my first marathon feeling "Wow, I can do so much more next season" than being injured or simply burnt out and needing a break from running.
With TNT, my weekly mileage is much lower than it was when training for my half. Here is what this week's workout schedule looked like for me so far:
Monday: Curves, 30 minutes
Tuesday: 4 Miles
Wednesday: 8 Miles (this would have been run the previous Sunday but I was out of town, so I made up my run on Wed.)
Thursday: 4.5 miles
Friday-Sunday: TBD
Instead of running 5 days a week, I'm really only running 3-4, which leaves me feeling like I could be running so much more--but I think that's the key. By training conservatively, you avoid injury and burnout. I would much rather finish my first marathon feeling "Wow, I can do so much more next season" than being injured or simply burnt out and needing a break from running.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Welcome!
Starting a blog is something that I've thought about for a long time, especially recently as I have found some great blogs that I enjoy reading regularly. As much as I've thought about blogging I've also wondered:
What will I write about? Will I write for myself or others? Would anyone possibly be interested in reading what I've written? My answers to these questions, in order--anything I want to, both, of course!
What I'm most interested in sharing at the moment is my newest adventure: Team in Training! Running is something I've loved to do for a long time, and it has often been a solitary, introspective love that sometimes becomes a bit lonely. Through Team in Training I have discovered that I LOVE RUNNING WITH PEOPLE. Our long group runs on Sunday mornings are one of my favorite parts of the week. It is really cool to meet so many people who share a passion for running that I might not have ever met or become friends with if not for TNT.
With Team in Training I am preparing for my first marathon--a goal I've had for a loooooong time. It's been one of those goals I've been happy to think about, dream about and wonder about but never actually got off my butt to do anything about. The great thing about Team in Training is that I can use something that I love to do--run--to help people in need. While I'm training I am also fundraising. The money that our team raises goes directly to benefit research and patient services for blood cancers. While running and training can be difficult and push my body to its limits, I truly believe that I am blessed to have a healthy body and the ability to run. I believe that I have this passion for running for a purpose that reaches beyond all of the selfish reasons I love running and that my passion is meant to be used for others.
I have made a personal commitment to raise $4,000 while training and I need your help to reach that goal. If you would like to help support me in raising money for this wonderful cause you can donate directly through my website at:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/lbintl09/dhernanb05
I will keep you updated on my progress here, so please check back regularly to hear all about my training.
What will I write about? Will I write for myself or others? Would anyone possibly be interested in reading what I've written? My answers to these questions, in order--anything I want to, both, of course!
What I'm most interested in sharing at the moment is my newest adventure: Team in Training! Running is something I've loved to do for a long time, and it has often been a solitary, introspective love that sometimes becomes a bit lonely. Through Team in Training I have discovered that I LOVE RUNNING WITH PEOPLE. Our long group runs on Sunday mornings are one of my favorite parts of the week. It is really cool to meet so many people who share a passion for running that I might not have ever met or become friends with if not for TNT.
With Team in Training I am preparing for my first marathon--a goal I've had for a loooooong time. It's been one of those goals I've been happy to think about, dream about and wonder about but never actually got off my butt to do anything about. The great thing about Team in Training is that I can use something that I love to do--run--to help people in need. While I'm training I am also fundraising. The money that our team raises goes directly to benefit research and patient services for blood cancers. While running and training can be difficult and push my body to its limits, I truly believe that I am blessed to have a healthy body and the ability to run. I believe that I have this passion for running for a purpose that reaches beyond all of the selfish reasons I love running and that my passion is meant to be used for others.
I have made a personal commitment to raise $4,000 while training and I need your help to reach that goal. If you would like to help support me in raising money for this wonderful cause you can donate directly through my website at:
http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/lbintl09/dhernanb05
I will keep you updated on my progress here, so please check back regularly to hear all about my training.
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