Ugh. First half of the week not so great.
Monday I did my at-home self-guided stretch/yoga/pilates for almost an hour and a half. But I was not motivated and feeling tired, so it was pretty half-hearted.
Tuesday was a disastrous 6 mile run ("rest" week this week). I slept past my alarm, so Chris showed up at 6:45 and I was still getting ready and hadn't stretched. Then, my Garmin was on the fritz, so instead of having an adventure and trying out some new roads, I had to plan a route last minute over our usual roads. To make matters worse, I thought my right quad was just sore on Sunday from the long run, but it got sore and tight midway through and just kept getting worse for the remainder of the run. It hurt so bad by the end I almost cried walking up the stairs. We have a race Sunday, so there's just no room for an injury right now. Yesterday and today I stretched, took ibuprofen every 4 hours, drank lots of water and green tea, and iced twice. I also avoided taking the stairs at work, which was like torture because everyone who takes the elevators is clueless, which makes me frustrated, or actually disabled, which makes me feel guilty. It doesn't hurt at all tonight, so I'm going to try to run in the morning, but I'm going to take it really slow, and if it hurts at all I'm going to stop. I'd rather be able to run the race Sunday then push it tomorrow just for the sake of saying I got the run in.
Last night I went to belly dancing again. We worked on lower body shimmies: knee shimmies, hip shimmies, pelvic shimmies, and twist shimmies. Who knew there were that many shimmies? And we're not even to upper body yet! I finally got my own coin skirt too; it helps with practice because you can hear if you are doing the moves correctly. I was going to be functional and mature and just go for a black skirt with silver decorations, but then I found buried on the shelf this awesome bright orange and gold skirt, and I couldn't resist. It's totally fun. The cats, however, are not impressed... Lila stared at me indignantly during my entire 20 minute practice tonight, and Frye ran away to hide. Gonna be a long few weeks for them. :-p
I went to Bikram yoga today as my cross training. I found a website through which I can earn free classes online, so it didn't cost me a thing! It was sooooo good to go again. Banff really threw me off, and I've been kind of a slacker since I got back, so my abs are starting to feel a little flabby. Can't lose that 6 pack! Hopefully between belly dancing and getting back into yoga I can get back on track.
Well, wish my quad and I good luck for tomorrow...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Days 123 - 127
Wow, I am really failing at this blogging thing, huh.
Ok... Wednesday I took advantage of my double workout Tuesday and kind of slacked off a little. I did practice my belly dancing and did some arm & ab exercises for about 30 minutes, so it wasn't a total loss.
Thursday was a better run than Tuesday was. 7 miles again, but Chris and I were both less sore and tired, so we finished in about 1:13... definitely much better.
Friday was a rest day! Saturday I went to hot yoga, but not Bikram. Decatur Yoga & Pilates offers a Karma class on Saturday afternoons, so you just pay what you can and it allows some newer teachers to get in a little extra practice. The class was really small yesterday, only 5 of us. And the instructor was super-zen. But it was good to get back into some real yoga after over two weeks without any. Definitely need to get more diligent about practicing again. I really believe it helps with the soreness from running.
Today was 16 miles, and it was actually a great run. Our mile times stayed under 12:00 the entire time, except for 3 short walking breaks we took so we could hydrate properly. Supposedly the run/walk thing is actually good; there are several trainers who recommend some sort of combination. During races, Chris and I have settled on a regimen in which we walk through the drink stations every 2 - 3 miles, and that seems to work pretty well. It allows us to actually consume the water/gatorade instead of pouring it down our shirts, and gives our heart rate a chance to decline for a few minutes. Our 3 walking breaks today were at about a 15:15 pace for 2 - 3 minutes each. We just need to keep our overall pace under 16:00 to ensure we finish the marathon (otherwise they'll pick us up in the truck and we won't get to finish because we're too slow. I'm not too worried about it). We talked and laughed and had smiles on our faces nearly the whole way, and didn't really start hurting until about the last 2, and even then we both agreed that it was mostly just our legs. We even ran the two big hills at the end of the route! From the waist up, I could have run several more miles when we finished, but my legs would definitely have revolted. Our total time was 2:57:47. That's basically 3 minutes better than our 15 mile run! Hurray!
I think 15 miles was just the next wall in distance training after 10. It's just one of those points where your body gives you a big middle finger and pulls out all the stops trying to get you to quit. How you handle those walls really affects how the rest of your training will go. Because you HAVE to listen to what your body is telling you to some extent, or injuries are guaranteed. But running is also a lot of mind over matter. So last week I let myself be slow and walk up those last two big hills, because my body was right: we were covering a significantly longer distance than the 13.1 it's getting used to running, I hadn't eaten, slept, hydrated, or trained properly the entire week before, and it was hot. But forcing myself to make up the distance by running the flat stretch at the end and dragging myself out Tuesday despite how sore and tired I still felt was my way of telling my body that I am still in charge, and darn it, we've worked this hard, we are going to finish this. I think that mental attitude, combined with carbo-loading, lots of water, and a good night's sleep yesterday really facilitated today's excellent run. I can barely walk up the stairs, but I feel confident and optimistic and just generally great that we conquered that next wall and are still fighting. Definitely feeling excited for the marathon...
Ok... Wednesday I took advantage of my double workout Tuesday and kind of slacked off a little. I did practice my belly dancing and did some arm & ab exercises for about 30 minutes, so it wasn't a total loss.
Thursday was a better run than Tuesday was. 7 miles again, but Chris and I were both less sore and tired, so we finished in about 1:13... definitely much better.
Friday was a rest day! Saturday I went to hot yoga, but not Bikram. Decatur Yoga & Pilates offers a Karma class on Saturday afternoons, so you just pay what you can and it allows some newer teachers to get in a little extra practice. The class was really small yesterday, only 5 of us. And the instructor was super-zen. But it was good to get back into some real yoga after over two weeks without any. Definitely need to get more diligent about practicing again. I really believe it helps with the soreness from running.
Today was 16 miles, and it was actually a great run. Our mile times stayed under 12:00 the entire time, except for 3 short walking breaks we took so we could hydrate properly. Supposedly the run/walk thing is actually good; there are several trainers who recommend some sort of combination. During races, Chris and I have settled on a regimen in which we walk through the drink stations every 2 - 3 miles, and that seems to work pretty well. It allows us to actually consume the water/gatorade instead of pouring it down our shirts, and gives our heart rate a chance to decline for a few minutes. Our 3 walking breaks today were at about a 15:15 pace for 2 - 3 minutes each. We just need to keep our overall pace under 16:00 to ensure we finish the marathon (otherwise they'll pick us up in the truck and we won't get to finish because we're too slow. I'm not too worried about it). We talked and laughed and had smiles on our faces nearly the whole way, and didn't really start hurting until about the last 2, and even then we both agreed that it was mostly just our legs. We even ran the two big hills at the end of the route! From the waist up, I could have run several more miles when we finished, but my legs would definitely have revolted. Our total time was 2:57:47. That's basically 3 minutes better than our 15 mile run! Hurray!
I think 15 miles was just the next wall in distance training after 10. It's just one of those points where your body gives you a big middle finger and pulls out all the stops trying to get you to quit. How you handle those walls really affects how the rest of your training will go. Because you HAVE to listen to what your body is telling you to some extent, or injuries are guaranteed. But running is also a lot of mind over matter. So last week I let myself be slow and walk up those last two big hills, because my body was right: we were covering a significantly longer distance than the 13.1 it's getting used to running, I hadn't eaten, slept, hydrated, or trained properly the entire week before, and it was hot. But forcing myself to make up the distance by running the flat stretch at the end and dragging myself out Tuesday despite how sore and tired I still felt was my way of telling my body that I am still in charge, and darn it, we've worked this hard, we are going to finish this. I think that mental attitude, combined with carbo-loading, lots of water, and a good night's sleep yesterday really facilitated today's excellent run. I can barely walk up the stairs, but I feel confident and optimistic and just generally great that we conquered that next wall and are still fighting. Definitely feeling excited for the marathon...
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Days 121 & 122
Yesterday I was feeling indecisive, and just ended up doing my own combination of stretching, yoga, and pilates for an hour and 15 minutes. I think it was still a good workout; my abs are sore, so I must have accomplished something.
This morning we ran 7 miles. We were both nervous it would be a tough run, given how much we had been hurting since the 15 miler (apparently 15 is the new 10). But we finished in 1:16:25, so it wasn't as terrible as it could have been.
Tonight I tried a new cross training activity: belly dancing! (As my mom said, "You'll try anything for cross training, won't you?" Hey, I need to mix it up a little.) I got a Groupon for a 6 week course, so I'm taking a beginner's technique course. Today we just did some introductory stuff: posture, walking, arm movements. But I think it's going to end up being a really good workout... especially for my arms and quads. And I get to wear a pretty skirt that jingles when I walk. What else could I possible ask for?
I might have to count tonight's class as tomorrow's cross training, which I think is fair since I ran AND went to class. Gonna try to get a workout in, but my schedule just might not allow it.
This morning we ran 7 miles. We were both nervous it would be a tough run, given how much we had been hurting since the 15 miler (apparently 15 is the new 10). But we finished in 1:16:25, so it wasn't as terrible as it could have been.
Tonight I tried a new cross training activity: belly dancing! (As my mom said, "You'll try anything for cross training, won't you?" Hey, I need to mix it up a little.) I got a Groupon for a 6 week course, so I'm taking a beginner's technique course. Today we just did some introductory stuff: posture, walking, arm movements. But I think it's going to end up being a really good workout... especially for my arms and quads. And I get to wear a pretty skirt that jingles when I walk. What else could I possible ask for?
I might have to count tonight's class as tomorrow's cross training, which I think is fair since I ran AND went to class. Gonna try to get a workout in, but my schedule just might not allow it.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Days 114 - 120: Banff and back
Oh geez, fail week, training and blogging.
So... Monday afternoon we had free time from the conference, so my lab and I rode a gondola up Sulfur Mountain and hiked all around the top. There were mountain goats and a cosmic ray station (I don't even know what that means) and an amazing view. Besides the wooden paths they had set up to the very top of the mountain (7,500 - 8,000 ft), we decided to hike one of the dirt trails. Going down seemed so easy, but when we decided to turn around to head back to the gondola... who knew it was that steep? We all almost passed out. Does that count as hill training? Definitely not stretching, but I think I got my strengthening in... all that climbing = buns of steel!
Tuesday I was supposed to run, but didn't. My coworker and I instead went hiking along the river over to the Banff springs hotel, where we ate lunch which consisted of banana chocolate bread pudding that's been featured twice on the Food Network, and two rounds of drinks, 1.5 of which were complementary (we're just that hot, I guess). We hiked for about 1.5 - 2 hours total, so we probably did about 3 - 4 miles.
I tried to make up for my failed running by doing some speedwork on the indoor track on Wednesday. Did 3.5 miles of a sprint ladder, 200m to 1 mile and back down, with 200m walking as my recovery. Was hoping the training in the altitude would help me out. Also went horseback riding... a little extra workout for the legs.
Thursday I actually ran, 3.5m on the treadmill and 2 more miles of sprint work. Couldn't make the last mile I was supposed to though; I guess I still wasn't adjusted to the elevation, and I was extremely tired and dehydrated and sick to my stomach afterward. After some water and rest I recovered enough to dance the night away at our end of conference dinner dance.
So, all in all, despite the massive amount of food consumed at breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets all week, I feel I didn't fall too far behind, and maybe mixing up the workouts was good for me.
Friday was a rest day spend traveling back to the States (cell phone again, woohoo!). Saturday I didn't work out... I slept for 11 hours, stayed in bed until 3, did some errands, made dinner, and went for a walk... while eating frozen yogurt. Oh well. It was my first weekend off in a long time, and I was determined to enjoy it and recover from the stress of international travel.
Today... 15 miles. Tried to carb up beforehand with some oatmeal and a banana, stashed several drink stops and a banana for Chris and I to split at mile 10, stretched, and got a good start a little after 9. But too much sitting and not enough yoga this past week made my legs feel super tight, so it was a bit of a struggle. Maintained a 10:30 - 11:30 for most of it, but once we hit mile 13 I thought I might not make it. Pace bottomed out around 13:30 - 14:00 in mile 14, and we had to walk the two hills at the very end because I just couldn't run them. We did run a little extra distance at the end to try to make up for it. We finished in 3:01:33, and crashed with our legs in the pool for a little while to try to recover, but my legs are so sore it hurts just wearing jeans. I'm hoping it was just a bad run from jet lag and too much rich food all week and not being diligent enough with my running while I was away. Because if all the long runs are going to be this bad, I'm not sure I can do it.
So... Monday afternoon we had free time from the conference, so my lab and I rode a gondola up Sulfur Mountain and hiked all around the top. There were mountain goats and a cosmic ray station (I don't even know what that means) and an amazing view. Besides the wooden paths they had set up to the very top of the mountain (7,500 - 8,000 ft), we decided to hike one of the dirt trails. Going down seemed so easy, but when we decided to turn around to head back to the gondola... who knew it was that steep? We all almost passed out. Does that count as hill training? Definitely not stretching, but I think I got my strengthening in... all that climbing = buns of steel!
Tuesday I was supposed to run, but didn't. My coworker and I instead went hiking along the river over to the Banff springs hotel, where we ate lunch which consisted of banana chocolate bread pudding that's been featured twice on the Food Network, and two rounds of drinks, 1.5 of which were complementary (we're just that hot, I guess). We hiked for about 1.5 - 2 hours total, so we probably did about 3 - 4 miles.
I tried to make up for my failed running by doing some speedwork on the indoor track on Wednesday. Did 3.5 miles of a sprint ladder, 200m to 1 mile and back down, with 200m walking as my recovery. Was hoping the training in the altitude would help me out. Also went horseback riding... a little extra workout for the legs.
Thursday I actually ran, 3.5m on the treadmill and 2 more miles of sprint work. Couldn't make the last mile I was supposed to though; I guess I still wasn't adjusted to the elevation, and I was extremely tired and dehydrated and sick to my stomach afterward. After some water and rest I recovered enough to dance the night away at our end of conference dinner dance.
So, all in all, despite the massive amount of food consumed at breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets all week, I feel I didn't fall too far behind, and maybe mixing up the workouts was good for me.
Friday was a rest day spend traveling back to the States (cell phone again, woohoo!). Saturday I didn't work out... I slept for 11 hours, stayed in bed until 3, did some errands, made dinner, and went for a walk... while eating frozen yogurt. Oh well. It was my first weekend off in a long time, and I was determined to enjoy it and recover from the stress of international travel.
Today... 15 miles. Tried to carb up beforehand with some oatmeal and a banana, stashed several drink stops and a banana for Chris and I to split at mile 10, stretched, and got a good start a little after 9. But too much sitting and not enough yoga this past week made my legs feel super tight, so it was a bit of a struggle. Maintained a 10:30 - 11:30 for most of it, but once we hit mile 13 I thought I might not make it. Pace bottomed out around 13:30 - 14:00 in mile 14, and we had to walk the two hills at the very end because I just couldn't run them. We did run a little extra distance at the end to try to make up for it. We finished in 3:01:33, and crashed with our legs in the pool for a little while to try to recover, but my legs are so sore it hurts just wearing jeans. I'm hoping it was just a bad run from jet lag and too much rich food all week and not being diligent enough with my running while I was away. Because if all the long runs are going to be this bad, I'm not sure I can do it.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Days 111 - 113: High altitude training!
Well, here I am in lovely Banff... pretty much a hiking/skiing town, elevation approximately 4,000 ft.
Friday was a rest day... but I have to say that running through international airports and staying up for 24 hours straight and going out dancing after a long day of traveling probably isn't too restful.
Yesterday my cross training was mostly all the walking we did... we walked to downtown and checked out the main street. Probably walked 2 - 3 miles. Also checked out the gym at the Banff Centre and did about 20 minutes on the bike. And went out dancing again for about 2 hours. Have to burn off all the rich food and lovely drinks that went with the traveling and exploration of Banff nightlife before the real work starts.
Today I ran 10 miles with a coworker also here for the conference. Well, really we ran/hiked/walked. The town is only a mile and a half long, so to avoid boredom and lots of circles, my coworker and I checked out some of the trails too, which got a little steep in places. The altitude is quite a challenge as well, but we finished all 10 and had an awesome adventure with rivers and waterfalls and lots dogs and walkers and trails and excellent scenery (including the very attractive mountain men :-p ).
The good thing about all this elevation training is that I'll be super human when I get back to Atlanta. Maybe it will help me suffer through the heat and humidity better... it has been quite lovely to have cool, dry air to run in no matter what time of day.
Friday was a rest day... but I have to say that running through international airports and staying up for 24 hours straight and going out dancing after a long day of traveling probably isn't too restful.
Yesterday my cross training was mostly all the walking we did... we walked to downtown and checked out the main street. Probably walked 2 - 3 miles. Also checked out the gym at the Banff Centre and did about 20 minutes on the bike. And went out dancing again for about 2 hours. Have to burn off all the rich food and lovely drinks that went with the traveling and exploration of Banff nightlife before the real work starts.
Today I ran 10 miles with a coworker also here for the conference. Well, really we ran/hiked/walked. The town is only a mile and a half long, so to avoid boredom and lots of circles, my coworker and I checked out some of the trails too, which got a little steep in places. The altitude is quite a challenge as well, but we finished all 10 and had an awesome adventure with rivers and waterfalls and lots dogs and walkers and trails and excellent scenery (including the very attractive mountain men :-p ).
The good thing about all this elevation training is that I'll be super human when I get back to Atlanta. Maybe it will help me suffer through the heat and humidity better... it has been quite lovely to have cool, dry air to run in no matter what time of day.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Days 108 - 110
This week has about killed me, even though it's a rest week. Rough run Tuesday. Tried really hard to keep up a good pace, but I was tired and it was humid and I just couldn't do it. Finished 5.5 in 57:42, feeling pretty disappointed. Wednesday did Bikram... thought I might pass out. Felt kind of dizzy and dehydrated, but stuck it out. Ran early this morning... 5.5 in 1:01, but considering I only slept about 3 hours last night, I'm not too surprised or upset about it.
Last week of conference prep... headed to Banff, Canada tomorrow. Should still be able to keep up the training, although it will be lonely... and interesting, given the high elevation... and cold... and hilly. Ugh. Trying to think of it as an adventure and a change of scenery...
Last week of conference prep... headed to Banff, Canada tomorrow. Should still be able to keep up the training, although it will be lonely... and interesting, given the high elevation... and cold... and hilly. Ugh. Trying to think of it as an adventure and a change of scenery...
Monday, September 6, 2010
Day 107: Crushed
Well, my running self esteem is pretty much destroyed for the week. On Wednesday, I was hanging out with a couple of friends, and one of them was asking me about running and said maybe we could run together some time. She asked how fast I ran, and I said 9:30 - 11:30 depending on the distance and the day. She responded with "Oh. I run a lot faster than that. I could push you to make you go faster..." I know she meant well, but it's just like... I know I'm slow. I don't need it rubbed in. It doesn't help that she's way taller and has way longer legs than me to begin with. What am I supposed to do about that?
Then last night I checked in with Chris to see how his 14 miles went. I was so excited just to have finished, and then he texted back how great his run was... he was doing 9:15 miles, and his slowest was only at the very end and was only like 12:00. Apparently his run was fantastic. Which is great, I'm glad he had a good run, but mine was so much slower and so much worse, and I really didn't feel fantastic afterward. So now I feel like maybe I'm holding him back.
I don't know what to do to get faster. Losing weight is definitely not an option, and I only run with my Garmin, so there's not a bunch of equipment I can cut back on. I clearly can't do hill sprints since that's what caused my ITB to start hurting again. I guess I can try some other interval training on the track or something, but I'm not sure I want to sacrifice one of my weekday runs to the track. I need some sort of cross training or strength training that would help, or something else I can do on my runs to work on my speed. Until then I guess I'll just be depressed about my slowness. Gah.
Went to Bikram this morning. I have a love/hate relationship with that class. The first half of the class is so miserable... it's so hot and sweat is just pouring from everywhere, and it's so hard. But then by the last half I'm adjusted to the heat and I'm feeling really stretched out and tired, but in a good way. And then when it's over, I come out feeling great... stronger, more flexible, energized, less sore. So I guess suffering through the first half is worth it. I think once my 10 days are up, it will be good to take a little break though, so I don't get burnt out.
Despite a good yoga class, still pretty sore tonight from yesterday. Tomorrow's run should be interesting.
Then last night I checked in with Chris to see how his 14 miles went. I was so excited just to have finished, and then he texted back how great his run was... he was doing 9:15 miles, and his slowest was only at the very end and was only like 12:00. Apparently his run was fantastic. Which is great, I'm glad he had a good run, but mine was so much slower and so much worse, and I really didn't feel fantastic afterward. So now I feel like maybe I'm holding him back.
I don't know what to do to get faster. Losing weight is definitely not an option, and I only run with my Garmin, so there's not a bunch of equipment I can cut back on. I clearly can't do hill sprints since that's what caused my ITB to start hurting again. I guess I can try some other interval training on the track or something, but I'm not sure I want to sacrifice one of my weekday runs to the track. I need some sort of cross training or strength training that would help, or something else I can do on my runs to work on my speed. Until then I guess I'll just be depressed about my slowness. Gah.
Went to Bikram this morning. I have a love/hate relationship with that class. The first half of the class is so miserable... it's so hot and sweat is just pouring from everywhere, and it's so hard. But then by the last half I'm adjusted to the heat and I'm feeling really stretched out and tired, but in a good way. And then when it's over, I come out feeling great... stronger, more flexible, energized, less sore. So I guess suffering through the first half is worth it. I think once my 10 days are up, it will be good to take a little break though, so I don't get burnt out.
Despite a good yoga class, still pretty sore tonight from yesterday. Tomorrow's run should be interesting.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Days 102 - 106: Oh. My. Gosh.
Ok, boys and girls, party time is over. Now the REAL training begins.
But first, I clearly haven't written in forever, so I have a little catching up to do.
Wednesday I didn't work out, like I predicted. But between the yoga class Tuesday and walking to campus and back on Thursday, I think I made up for it. Thursday, I also ran 6.5 miles with Chris as scheduled. Our time was pretty good... about 1:10. Better than my run Tuesday, but still room for improvement. Friday was a rest day, so nothing exciting. Saturday was... well... interesting. I went to Savannah, so I had to get creative with my cross training. I did 3 sets of 3 sun salutations in the morning to get myself up and awake and ready for the car ride. The afternoon was spent battling hurricane rip tides at Tybee beach... either I'm out of swimming shape already from earlier this summer, or I'm not quite as strong of a swimmer as I thought. I was really tired. Need to work on that for the triathalon. But it was the beach, so I really can't complain... salt water, sand, sea shells... lovely. We wandered all over downtown Savannah in the evening, taking in River Street and attending a haunted pub crawl. Yeah, so we drank beer... but we had to walk between all those pubs! Beer = carbs, walking = cross training. Totally counts. We did lots of extra walking this morning too, so I consider myself cross trained.
And now for today's adventure: 14 miles. Farthest I've ever run in my life. Going to be saying that a lot, I guess. But this was the first time over the 13.1 hurdle, and I was pretty nervous, especially since I had to run it by myself because Chris is out of town. Thankfully, my gluttony over the weekend paid off (hamburgers, gelato, pizza, beer, shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, etc etc etc). I had lots of energy and ran a really great first half... kept my pace steady between 10:30 - 11:30, felt strong and pain free, and actually enjoyed myself. The weather was a big help too: under 30% humidity, temperature under 85 when I started and continued to cool, ran a nice shady route. I made it through the first 10 miles still feeling ok. But the last 4 were like torture. I started hurting in my knees and ankles, my quads and calves started cramping, and I was just generally tired. And that last mile... I seriously thought I was going to have to quit. Most people think 14 shouldn't be that big of a deal, since I've "already run 13." But the thing is... 13 is still a big deal. 13 isn't easy. So 14 is not any less of a big deal. It was a struggle, and I'm a little scared for the upcoming continuous increase in mileage. In the end, though, I finished in 2:45:07... key words being "I finished."
From here on out, long runs are going to be rough. Every single one. But hopefully having Chris around will help. And I have hope that if I have reached the point that I can run a strong 10 miles feeling good (remember how miserable that first 10 miler was?), at some point the miles above 10 will start to feel easier too.
But first, I clearly haven't written in forever, so I have a little catching up to do.
Wednesday I didn't work out, like I predicted. But between the yoga class Tuesday and walking to campus and back on Thursday, I think I made up for it. Thursday, I also ran 6.5 miles with Chris as scheduled. Our time was pretty good... about 1:10. Better than my run Tuesday, but still room for improvement. Friday was a rest day, so nothing exciting. Saturday was... well... interesting. I went to Savannah, so I had to get creative with my cross training. I did 3 sets of 3 sun salutations in the morning to get myself up and awake and ready for the car ride. The afternoon was spent battling hurricane rip tides at Tybee beach... either I'm out of swimming shape already from earlier this summer, or I'm not quite as strong of a swimmer as I thought. I was really tired. Need to work on that for the triathalon. But it was the beach, so I really can't complain... salt water, sand, sea shells... lovely. We wandered all over downtown Savannah in the evening, taking in River Street and attending a haunted pub crawl. Yeah, so we drank beer... but we had to walk between all those pubs! Beer = carbs, walking = cross training. Totally counts. We did lots of extra walking this morning too, so I consider myself cross trained.
And now for today's adventure: 14 miles. Farthest I've ever run in my life. Going to be saying that a lot, I guess. But this was the first time over the 13.1 hurdle, and I was pretty nervous, especially since I had to run it by myself because Chris is out of town. Thankfully, my gluttony over the weekend paid off (hamburgers, gelato, pizza, beer, shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, etc etc etc). I had lots of energy and ran a really great first half... kept my pace steady between 10:30 - 11:30, felt strong and pain free, and actually enjoyed myself. The weather was a big help too: under 30% humidity, temperature under 85 when I started and continued to cool, ran a nice shady route. I made it through the first 10 miles still feeling ok. But the last 4 were like torture. I started hurting in my knees and ankles, my quads and calves started cramping, and I was just generally tired. And that last mile... I seriously thought I was going to have to quit. Most people think 14 shouldn't be that big of a deal, since I've "already run 13." But the thing is... 13 is still a big deal. 13 isn't easy. So 14 is not any less of a big deal. It was a struggle, and I'm a little scared for the upcoming continuous increase in mileage. In the end, though, I finished in 2:45:07... key words being "I finished."
From here on out, long runs are going to be rough. Every single one. But hopefully having Chris around will help. And I have hope that if I have reached the point that I can run a strong 10 miles feeling good (remember how miserable that first 10 miler was?), at some point the miles above 10 will start to feel easier too.
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