I did 3.5 miles yesterday on a glorious day - sunny, breezy, great for running. Then last night I got that telltale scratchiness in my throat that tells me some sort of virus is moving in (or already has). I'm not surprised -- nearly 2.5 hours of running can wear down the body, making it more vulnerable to getting sick. I was just kind of hoping I'd avoided that.
I'm taking today off and hoping that I feel better tomorrow - I would love to do an easy 4-miler and then a long-ish run on Sunday (6-8 miles depending on the weather).
Stats from yesterday:
3.54 mi
38:09
10:45 pace (woot!)
817 cal
153 bpm (quite low for such a "fast" pace, IMHO)
max pace 7:37
max bpm 172
Mile 1: 10:18, 143 bpm
Mile 2: 10:58, 155 bpm
Mile 3: 11:19, 157 bpm
Mi 0.54:10:12, 166 bpm
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Race Report: Fun and A PR Too!
Race day was sunny and warm (just a bit too warm for my tastes, but it worked out okay) and I ran a great race - a personal best for me! 2:26:39, which beats my previous personal record by a whole 14 seconds (back in 2002, the B&A Trail Half Marathon outside Baltimore)! Woot!
I am a bit disappointed that I didn't meet my goal of a 2:24 half (I would have taken 2:24:59!), but I don't know where I would have picked up enough time. It was hot enough that I stopped at every water stop - I suppose if I hadn't done that, I might have managed it, but those short walk breaks might actually have helped my time, for all I know.
I picked up the chip from Julie, my relay partner, in Oakledge Park and headed out. All of my nervous energy, plus the crowd support, pushed me to do sub-11-minute miles for the first 5 miles. Maybe longer...I meant to hit the "lap" button on my Garmin each mile, but I was distracted by the race itself and my miles didn't synch exactly with the mile markers, since i started at the 13.1 mile point. So I wound up with 5 laps of varying distances....LOL.
Battery Hill came at mile 15, but the Taiko Drummers and the crowd helped me push my way up without walking. After that, it was downright fun until about mile 21. Then I was ready to push to the finish...except I had 5.2 miles to go. The last 3 miles were tough; the last mile or so even tougher, but I only stopped to walk one time outside of water stops, and that was short lived. I had good energy almost all the way through and really was enjoying myself - I heard one woman comment after I waved, "They are smiling out there!"
I'd forgotten what a large, highly supportive race could be like and I want to do it again. Maybe not next weekend or anything...I'm kind of sore.
Also...I crossed the finish line next to a marathoner who was dressed like a beaver. I didn't ask why, though I desperately wanted to. I wish my husband had gotten a photo of that....
Anyway - here are the numbers!
Overall:
2:26:39
11:10 pace
169 avg bpm (you'll notice I had no trouble keeping it up!)
2,623 cal
Lap 1:
3 miles
10:46 pace
169 bpm
Lap 2:
1 mile
10:49 pace
167 bpm
Lap 3:
1 mile
10:57 pace
169 bpm
Lap 4:
2 mi
11:38 pace
166 bpm
(this may have been where I fought with my gel packet and could not get it open!)
Lap 5:
6.1 mi
11:17 pace
171 bpm
My heart rate maxed out at 182 during this race...so I guess my maximum heart rate is NOT 181. I was really surprised at how easily I kept my heart rate in the high 160s and low 170s...right where it should be on tempo runs, but where I never could manage to boost it!
I brought 3 gels with me. I had one before Julie showed up, one around mile 19 or 20 (just getting that packet open took a good 30-45 seconds) and another one about mile 23. I had a water-bottle carrier with 2 pockets that I bought Friday, but I just couldn't bring myself to use it...it seemed really bulky and bouncy, so I didn't. I carried the gels in my hand.
It was a great race, and I got a PR and almost met all 3 of my goals...so I'm happy. I realize now that more tempo racing and maybe one more longer run might have helped - but I can't go back, only forward. So now it's time to figure out my summer and fall races!
I am tempted now to try a flat fall half marathon, like Philadelphia....with a summer of training I bet I could meet my 2:24 goal and then some!
I am a bit disappointed that I didn't meet my goal of a 2:24 half (I would have taken 2:24:59!), but I don't know where I would have picked up enough time. It was hot enough that I stopped at every water stop - I suppose if I hadn't done that, I might have managed it, but those short walk breaks might actually have helped my time, for all I know.
I picked up the chip from Julie, my relay partner, in Oakledge Park and headed out. All of my nervous energy, plus the crowd support, pushed me to do sub-11-minute miles for the first 5 miles. Maybe longer...I meant to hit the "lap" button on my Garmin each mile, but I was distracted by the race itself and my miles didn't synch exactly with the mile markers, since i started at the 13.1 mile point. So I wound up with 5 laps of varying distances....LOL.
Battery Hill came at mile 15, but the Taiko Drummers and the crowd helped me push my way up without walking. After that, it was downright fun until about mile 21. Then I was ready to push to the finish...except I had 5.2 miles to go. The last 3 miles were tough; the last mile or so even tougher, but I only stopped to walk one time outside of water stops, and that was short lived. I had good energy almost all the way through and really was enjoying myself - I heard one woman comment after I waved, "They are smiling out there!"
I'd forgotten what a large, highly supportive race could be like and I want to do it again. Maybe not next weekend or anything...I'm kind of sore.
Also...I crossed the finish line next to a marathoner who was dressed like a beaver. I didn't ask why, though I desperately wanted to. I wish my husband had gotten a photo of that....
Anyway - here are the numbers!
Overall:
2:26:39
11:10 pace
169 avg bpm (you'll notice I had no trouble keeping it up!)
2,623 cal
Lap 1:
3 miles
10:46 pace
169 bpm
Lap 2:
1 mile
10:49 pace
167 bpm
Lap 3:
1 mile
10:57 pace
169 bpm
Lap 4:
2 mi
11:38 pace
166 bpm
(this may have been where I fought with my gel packet and could not get it open!)
Lap 5:
6.1 mi
11:17 pace
171 bpm
My heart rate maxed out at 182 during this race...so I guess my maximum heart rate is NOT 181. I was really surprised at how easily I kept my heart rate in the high 160s and low 170s...right where it should be on tempo runs, but where I never could manage to boost it!
I brought 3 gels with me. I had one before Julie showed up, one around mile 19 or 20 (just getting that packet open took a good 30-45 seconds) and another one about mile 23. I had a water-bottle carrier with 2 pockets that I bought Friday, but I just couldn't bring myself to use it...it seemed really bulky and bouncy, so I didn't. I carried the gels in my hand.
It was a great race, and I got a PR and almost met all 3 of my goals...so I'm happy. I realize now that more tempo racing and maybe one more longer run might have helped - but I can't go back, only forward. So now it's time to figure out my summer and fall races!
I am tempted now to try a flat fall half marathon, like Philadelphia....with a summer of training I bet I could meet my 2:24 goal and then some!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Only A Day Away
Tomorrow....the race! We went to a pasta feed tonight at a fellow runner's house - there were at least 6 of us there doing either the full marathon or the 2-person relay. I realized tonight that this will be my first race in a long time that I haven't run with someone else. I've done a half marathon and two 5Ks with friends, and in each of those races, my goal was to make sure the friend finished -- so I wasn't concerned with my time at all. This race, yes, I have a time goal (2:24) and another time goal (under 2:30) and yet another time goal (just finish!). So there's a bit more pressure. But, I have run this course before and I feel ready (though I'm still not sure which shoes I am wearing...the old ones that might be just TOO old and hurt my toe last week, or the new ones that are a bit small and hurt my feet a few weeks ago - great choice, eh?).
My daughter ran a half-mile race today...it was a bit of a letdown, I think. They were very autocratic about lining up for the race (the guy in charge was a principal...I mean really) and then there were sooooo many kids and parents in the half-miler (including me - S. asked me to run with her) that we could never actually RUN....we wound up jogging the whole way. But she did great, didn't get tired out and was pretty happy about her medal. Maybe she'll bump up to the 1-mile race next year.
Next post will be a race report!
My daughter ran a half-mile race today...it was a bit of a letdown, I think. They were very autocratic about lining up for the race (the guy in charge was a principal...I mean really) and then there were sooooo many kids and parents in the half-miler (including me - S. asked me to run with her) that we could never actually RUN....we wound up jogging the whole way. But she did great, didn't get tired out and was pretty happy about her medal. Maybe she'll bump up to the 1-mile race next year.
Next post will be a race report!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Tapering....
Tapering is meant to induce a state of restlessness, I think. The act of tapering for a race means running less the week or two (or three) before the race. Your body gets a chance to rest; you don't lose fitness; and you get restless. People have been known to do plenty of impulsive things during a taper, including purchasing cars and houses.
Tapering for a half marathon isn't as intense as marathon tapering, though. I haven't noticed much restlessness....just crabbiness, which I think is different, but maybe not!
Today was my 4x400; I did it on the treadmill while watching part of a Buffy episode. I have a 2-mile tempo run slated for Thursday and an easy 3 miles tomorrow.
The stats:
9:46 warm-up (0.75 mile)
2:22
2:24
2:22
2:21
3:38 cool-down (0.25 mile)
total of 2 miles and 263 calories.
My goal time for the 400 is 2:27. I did all four of these with effort, but I wasn't completely wiped out after each one. I actually ran part of my cool-down.
Huh. Training works! Go figure. ;)
Tapering for a half marathon isn't as intense as marathon tapering, though. I haven't noticed much restlessness....just crabbiness, which I think is different, but maybe not!
Today was my 4x400; I did it on the treadmill while watching part of a Buffy episode. I have a 2-mile tempo run slated for Thursday and an easy 3 miles tomorrow.
The stats:
9:46 warm-up (0.75 mile)
2:22
2:24
2:22
2:21
3:38 cool-down (0.25 mile)
total of 2 miles and 263 calories.
My goal time for the 400 is 2:27. I did all four of these with effort, but I wasn't completely wiped out after each one. I actually ran part of my cool-down.
Huh. Training works! Go figure. ;)
Monday, May 19, 2008
Last Long Run!
Six miles, all negative splits (except for one mile). I started out realllly slow, but by mile 3 I was feeling really good. And there were turtles, which is always a bonus.
Totals:
6.04 mi
71 min
11:35 pace
7:59 max pace
150 bpm
174 max bpm
1276 cal
per mile:
Mile 1: 12:10 140 bpm
Mile 2: 11:51 148 bpm
Mile 3: 11:39 147 bpm
Mile 4: 11:25 153 bpm
Mile 5: 11:35 156 bpm
Mile 6: 11:02 162 bpm
.04: 7:44 173 bpm
This week I have 4x400, a 2-mile tempo run, and I'm supposed to cross train at least once, which for me probably means an easy 3- or 4-miler.
Totals:
6.04 mi
71 min
11:35 pace
7:59 max pace
150 bpm
174 max bpm
1276 cal
per mile:
Mile 1: 12:10 140 bpm
Mile 2: 11:51 148 bpm
Mile 3: 11:39 147 bpm
Mile 4: 11:25 153 bpm
Mile 5: 11:35 156 bpm
Mile 6: 11:02 162 bpm
.04: 7:44 173 bpm
This week I have 4x400, a 2-mile tempo run, and I'm supposed to cross train at least once, which for me probably means an easy 3- or 4-miler.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Coming Along
I went out to do an easy 3 miles (1 mile warm-up, 1 mile fartlek and 1 mile "whatever"), but wound up doing a tempo 5K. I did it in 33:05 for a 10:41 pace, baby. (And 640 calories burned.)
While I often complain I am slow, I am 2 minutes per mile faster this year than I was last year at this time. If I can keep up my fitness, I'm hoping to be a regular 9:30 miler by next year, if not sooner! That will require a bit more effort on my part, I guess.....
The breakdown:
Mile 1: 10:29
Mile 2: 10:57
Mile 3: 10:47
Mile .1: 8:36
I am so superstitious about some things...I wore this red shirt the last two times I ran outside, and I ran really well both times...so now I'm thinking I need to wear this shirt for my race. :) I'm just hoping it's cool that day, because it's a long-sleeved shirt.
Six miles on Sunday - the last long run before the race!
While I often complain I am slow, I am 2 minutes per mile faster this year than I was last year at this time. If I can keep up my fitness, I'm hoping to be a regular 9:30 miler by next year, if not sooner! That will require a bit more effort on my part, I guess.....
The breakdown:
Mile 1: 10:29
Mile 2: 10:57
Mile 3: 10:47
Mile .1: 8:36
I am so superstitious about some things...I wore this red shirt the last two times I ran outside, and I ran really well both times...so now I'm thinking I need to wear this shirt for my race. :) I'm just hoping it's cool that day, because it's a long-sleeved shirt.
Six miles on Sunday - the last long run before the race!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
A Non-running Post
This gave me some perspective, for sure! I can still remember slogging around Scotland in the rain.....
What were you doing 15 years ago this month?
May 1993. Traveling! England, Scotland, Iceland. I think I was in Scotland in the middle of May. Doing a lot of walking, eating fish-n-chips, staying in hostels and BnBs. I was very single then, very dissatisfied with my job (I took a 16-week leave of absence to travel), and just generally confused. My "home base" was U St. in Washington, D.C.
What were you doing 10 years ago this month?
May 1998. Working at the University of Maryland, Baltimore ("Director of Creative Services" -- doesn't that sound fun and interesting? It was neither.....). Engaged to Matt since March of 1997, but we still hadn't planned a wedding. :) I think we bought our house on Harford Rd at the end of this month.
What were you doing 8 years ago this month?
May 2000. Anticipating our June wedding in St. Lucia.....freelancing and loving it.....living in our Harford Rd. house with Matt, Theo, Lucky, Squeaker, and possibly Scout.
What were you doing 5 years ago this month?
May 2003. Nursing a 6-month-old (Sascha). Still living in Baltimore, same house, same spouse, down one cat (RIP Squeaker) but up a dog (welcome Brando). I had worked for Intelihealth for almost 3 years, telecommuting 4 days a week and driving to the Philly area one day a week.
What were you doing 2 years ago this month?
May 2006. Nursing a 9-month-old (Zoe) AND a 3-year-old. Living in NW Vermont with 2 kids, 1 spouse, 1 cat and 1 dog (RIP Lucky). Still working for InteliHealth (now known as Aetna InteliHealth - the gloves come off) and telecommuting.
What are you doing now?
May 2008. Nursing a 2-year-old. Still living in NW Vermont with 2 kids, 1 spouse, 1 cat and 1 dog, and STILL working for InteliHealth (though it's just called Aetna now). Taking a class tonight on planting and tending a vegetable garden. Running a half marathon in 10 days. Loving spring!
What were you doing 15 years ago this month?
May 1993. Traveling! England, Scotland, Iceland. I think I was in Scotland in the middle of May. Doing a lot of walking, eating fish-n-chips, staying in hostels and BnBs. I was very single then, very dissatisfied with my job (I took a 16-week leave of absence to travel), and just generally confused. My "home base" was U St. in Washington, D.C.
What were you doing 10 years ago this month?
May 1998. Working at the University of Maryland, Baltimore ("Director of Creative Services" -- doesn't that sound fun and interesting? It was neither.....). Engaged to Matt since March of 1997, but we still hadn't planned a wedding. :) I think we bought our house on Harford Rd at the end of this month.
What were you doing 8 years ago this month?
May 2000. Anticipating our June wedding in St. Lucia.....freelancing and loving it.....living in our Harford Rd. house with Matt, Theo, Lucky, Squeaker, and possibly Scout.
What were you doing 5 years ago this month?
May 2003. Nursing a 6-month-old (Sascha). Still living in Baltimore, same house, same spouse, down one cat (RIP Squeaker) but up a dog (welcome Brando). I had worked for Intelihealth for almost 3 years, telecommuting 4 days a week and driving to the Philly area one day a week.
What were you doing 2 years ago this month?
May 2006. Nursing a 9-month-old (Zoe) AND a 3-year-old. Living in NW Vermont with 2 kids, 1 spouse, 1 cat and 1 dog (RIP Lucky). Still working for InteliHealth (now known as Aetna InteliHealth - the gloves come off) and telecommuting.
What are you doing now?
May 2008. Nursing a 2-year-old. Still living in NW Vermont with 2 kids, 1 spouse, 1 cat and 1 dog, and STILL working for InteliHealth (though it's just called Aetna now). Taking a class tonight on planting and tending a vegetable garden. Running a half marathon in 10 days. Loving spring!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
3x800
Yesterday I started having a pain on the outside of my left knee. It was still there this morning, but disappeared between the time I woke up and the time I went to change clothes to run repeats.
I was slated to do three half-milers in 4:59.
My times:
4:57
4:56
4:53
Negative splits, even! Go figure.
I also did a half-mile warm-up and a 1/5-mile cool-down, for a total of 2.2 miles, 25:42, and 291 calories burned.
My relay partner for next weekend ran 13 miles last week, and is planning on running another 13 this week! Makes me feel like a slacker. Oh well - what's done is done. I (mostly) followed the plan, and we'll see how it plays out!
I was slated to do three half-milers in 4:59.
My times:
4:57
4:56
4:53
Negative splits, even! Go figure.
I also did a half-mile warm-up and a 1/5-mile cool-down, for a total of 2.2 miles, 25:42, and 291 calories burned.
My relay partner for next weekend ran 13 miles last week, and is planning on running another 13 this week! Makes me feel like a slacker. Oh well - what's done is done. I (mostly) followed the plan, and we'll see how it plays out!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Groovy
I never run the day after a long run. I figure I deserve a break, time to let my muscles recover, blah blah.
I just went out and did 3 miles in 32:31. (Avg HR 153 bpm, 563 cal burned.) Not blisteringly fast for most people, but a 10:50 pace is good for me these days. Better than good, really!
Mile 1: 10:45 143 bpm
Mile 2: 10:58 155 bpm
Mile 3: 10:48 162 bpm
After running for 2 hours yesterday, 32 minutes seemed like nothing at all. It helped that it was another indescribably glorious spring day. It was like running through a Vermont postcard.
I just went out and did 3 miles in 32:31. (Avg HR 153 bpm, 563 cal burned.) Not blisteringly fast for most people, but a 10:50 pace is good for me these days. Better than good, really!
Mile 1: 10:45 143 bpm
Mile 2: 10:58 155 bpm
Mile 3: 10:48 162 bpm
After running for 2 hours yesterday, 32 minutes seemed like nothing at all. It helped that it was another indescribably glorious spring day. It was like running through a Vermont postcard.
The Home Stretch
Keeping this blog has made me see that I am lame. :) By that I mean that I short myself a lot. I don't do runs that should be done....I run fewer miles than I'm slated to run...and I don't push myself hard enough.
Instead of 12 miles yesterday I did 9.65. I decided I didn't want to run more than 2 hours, and that I was going to do a hilly run, and that dammit, it was Mother's Day and I didn't want to spend the whole day jogging around Vermont, sweating.
The stats:
Total time: 2:00:07
Total miles: 9.65
Total pace: 12:27
Avg HR: 150
Total cals: 1773
Mile 1: 11:29 139 bpm
Mile 2: 11:30 150 bpm
Mile 3: 11:50 153 bpm
Mile 4: 12:01 152 bpm
Mile 5: 12:40 157 bpm
Mile 6: 13:41 152 bpm (potty stop)
Mile 7: 12:19 147 bpm
Mile 8: 12:44 152 bpm
Mile 9: 13:51 149 bpm
0.65 m: 12:05 151 bpm
To review, my heart rate on long runs should be no lower than 151 bpm and no higher than about 164 bpm. But I just seem to get worn out before I can get my heart rate up where it should be. I'm not sure what this means, other than I need to get in better shape. :)
On the bright side, I felt good until the end, when I started to get sore....I only stopped twice on hills (and there were a LOT of hills, and some of them were STEEP)....otherwise I didn't stop at all (except for the potty stop)...and I saw some gorgeous views of the Vermont countryside.
I went back to my training for the fall half marathon...and I was out there running more miles. I have been very lazy about running if it wasn't on my "plan," even though the plan specifically says to cross train two days a week PLUS do the three days of running each week. Last week I worked out twice instead of five times....I actually don't remember the last week I worked out four or five times! And that's not good.
But...my last long run for the fall half was 10.5 miles at a 13:11 pace. So if I go by that, I'm almost a minute ahead of my fall training. And I finished my fall half in an 11:40 pace. So there is a lot of hope!
Now, I want to work out several times a week but also do enough tapering that my body is raring to go come May 25. This week calls for repeats, a 3-mile tempo and a 6-mile long run. I am going to add in a 3- or 4-mile easy run, too.
Instead of 12 miles yesterday I did 9.65. I decided I didn't want to run more than 2 hours, and that I was going to do a hilly run, and that dammit, it was Mother's Day and I didn't want to spend the whole day jogging around Vermont, sweating.
The stats:
Total time: 2:00:07
Total miles: 9.65
Total pace: 12:27
Avg HR: 150
Total cals: 1773
Mile 1: 11:29 139 bpm
Mile 2: 11:30 150 bpm
Mile 3: 11:50 153 bpm
Mile 4: 12:01 152 bpm
Mile 5: 12:40 157 bpm
Mile 6: 13:41 152 bpm (potty stop)
Mile 7: 12:19 147 bpm
Mile 8: 12:44 152 bpm
Mile 9: 13:51 149 bpm
0.65 m: 12:05 151 bpm
To review, my heart rate on long runs should be no lower than 151 bpm and no higher than about 164 bpm. But I just seem to get worn out before I can get my heart rate up where it should be. I'm not sure what this means, other than I need to get in better shape. :)
On the bright side, I felt good until the end, when I started to get sore....I only stopped twice on hills (and there were a LOT of hills, and some of them were STEEP)....otherwise I didn't stop at all (except for the potty stop)...and I saw some gorgeous views of the Vermont countryside.
I went back to my training for the fall half marathon...and I was out there running more miles. I have been very lazy about running if it wasn't on my "plan," even though the plan specifically says to cross train two days a week PLUS do the three days of running each week. Last week I worked out twice instead of five times....I actually don't remember the last week I worked out four or five times! And that's not good.
But...my last long run for the fall half was 10.5 miles at a 13:11 pace. So if I go by that, I'm almost a minute ahead of my fall training. And I finished my fall half in an 11:40 pace. So there is a lot of hope!
Now, I want to work out several times a week but also do enough tapering that my body is raring to go come May 25. This week calls for repeats, a 3-mile tempo and a 6-mile long run. I am going to add in a 3- or 4-mile easy run, too.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Terrible With Raisins, Indeed
The title of this blog comes from a Dorothy Parker quote. She was reviewing something -- I don't even know what it was; a book, probably -- and she said something like, "This wasn't just plain terrible. It was fancy terrible. It was terrible with raisins in it."
I just had a run that was terrible with raisins. I tried to do 4x1600 after three days off. Plus, I was traveling Tuesday, Wednesday and this morning and am overtired and have been eating poorly.
I managed half a mile warm-up in 6:35, and two repeats:
10:19 with two rest stops
10:22 with two rest stops
My goal was 10:17. I cannot do two more repeats, though I may try one more after I write this post. Or I may just take a shower.
Just to review, I'm also supposed to do an 8-mile tempo run, and a 12-mile long run this week. I think tomorrow I will run 5 miles, 4 at tempo, and on Sunday I'll do the 12. I hope I'm in better shape and spirits then. Wow. I mean, my knees are sweating. Is that even supposed to happen???
I just had a run that was terrible with raisins. I tried to do 4x1600 after three days off. Plus, I was traveling Tuesday, Wednesday and this morning and am overtired and have been eating poorly.
I managed half a mile warm-up in 6:35, and two repeats:
10:19 with two rest stops
10:22 with two rest stops
My goal was 10:17. I cannot do two more repeats, though I may try one more after I write this post. Or I may just take a shower.
Just to review, I'm also supposed to do an 8-mile tempo run, and a 12-mile long run this week. I think tomorrow I will run 5 miles, 4 at tempo, and on Sunday I'll do the 12. I hope I'm in better shape and spirits then. Wow. I mean, my knees are sweating. Is that even supposed to happen???
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Are 7 Good Miles Better Than 10 Mediocre Ones?
Just my way of saying I didn't get to do 10 this weekend. It was poor planning on my part; Kristen was visiting and we'd originally planned for her to drive me 10 miles away from home and drop me off (not unlike what people do with kittens that they don't want), and I'd run home.
We had to scrap that plan because I stepped on one of Sascha's Bob the Builder diggers and I wasn't wearing shoes. (I also wasn't looking where I was going because I was intent on getting Sascha as far from Zoe as I could in the shortest time period possible - they were getting in each other's hair, so to speak.) I had at least one big bruise on the bottom of my foot.
So, being 10 miles from home could be very bad if it turned out I couldn't run. I worked out a route, but by the time I did that AND got dressed AND found a running hat AND geared up with my Garmin and HRM AND came back to get a bottle of water, I didn't have time to run 10 miles. That's because I was taking Sascha to the symphony at 3 pm. (Her first taste of classical music and my first orchestra concert since about the age of 7. Remind me in the future NOT to get front-row seats, because mostly what you see is the conductor's a$$.)
Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I did 7 good miles with no foot pain (thanks to thick socks and ibuprofen)! Here are the stats:
Mile 1: 11:25, 140 bpm
Mile 2: 11:37, 149 bpm
Mile 3: 11:40, 152 bpm
Mile 4: 12:25, 157 bpm (this mile had two HUGE hills in it)
Mile 5: 11:29, 152 bpm
Mile 6: 11:44, 155 bpm
Mile 7: 11:08, 161 bpm
Totals:
7 miles
81:35
11:38 pace
9:16 max pace
152 bpm
171 max bpm
1,427 calories
I'm pretty happy with that - 152 is almost exactly 75% of my max heart rate (my resting HR is about 64-65 bpm - I have been measuring it at night when putting Zoe to bed). That is the low end of what I should be doing for long runs, but I'll take it.
I'm also happy I got to see those little red lizards on the road near Goose Pond. I have no idea what they are. They kind of remind me of gummy candy. They're not quite *that* red, though.
In other news, I *just* figured out how to light up the background of my Garmin display, after owning it for more than a year. Read the manual? What manual?
Next week is heavy - four timed miles, an 8-mile tempo run and a 12-mile long run. I have no clue when I'm going to do all this, since I am going to Hartford and Boston this week and they extended my already-too-long-day-long class by an hour. The nerve!
I'll figure it out. I may be doing those 12 miles on Mother's Day...
We had to scrap that plan because I stepped on one of Sascha's Bob the Builder diggers and I wasn't wearing shoes. (I also wasn't looking where I was going because I was intent on getting Sascha as far from Zoe as I could in the shortest time period possible - they were getting in each other's hair, so to speak.) I had at least one big bruise on the bottom of my foot.
So, being 10 miles from home could be very bad if it turned out I couldn't run. I worked out a route, but by the time I did that AND got dressed AND found a running hat AND geared up with my Garmin and HRM AND came back to get a bottle of water, I didn't have time to run 10 miles. That's because I was taking Sascha to the symphony at 3 pm. (Her first taste of classical music and my first orchestra concert since about the age of 7. Remind me in the future NOT to get front-row seats, because mostly what you see is the conductor's a$$.)
Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I did 7 good miles with no foot pain (thanks to thick socks and ibuprofen)! Here are the stats:
Mile 1: 11:25, 140 bpm
Mile 2: 11:37, 149 bpm
Mile 3: 11:40, 152 bpm
Mile 4: 12:25, 157 bpm (this mile had two HUGE hills in it)
Mile 5: 11:29, 152 bpm
Mile 6: 11:44, 155 bpm
Mile 7: 11:08, 161 bpm
Totals:
7 miles
81:35
11:38 pace
9:16 max pace
152 bpm
171 max bpm
1,427 calories
I'm pretty happy with that - 152 is almost exactly 75% of my max heart rate (my resting HR is about 64-65 bpm - I have been measuring it at night when putting Zoe to bed). That is the low end of what I should be doing for long runs, but I'll take it.
I'm also happy I got to see those little red lizards on the road near Goose Pond. I have no idea what they are. They kind of remind me of gummy candy. They're not quite *that* red, though.
In other news, I *just* figured out how to light up the background of my Garmin display, after owning it for more than a year. Read the manual? What manual?
Next week is heavy - four timed miles, an 8-mile tempo run and a 12-mile long run. I have no clue when I'm going to do all this, since I am going to Hartford and Boston this week and they extended my already-too-long-day-long class by an hour. The nerve!
I'll figure it out. I may be doing those 12 miles on Mother's Day...
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Tiki Tiki Tempo!
I was supposed to do 6 miles today, but I did 4....but I did them in a sub-11-minute pace! 10:56, baby.
I also thought to keep track of my pace each mile. Note that I failed miserably at the "negative split" idea.
Mile 1: 10:29
Mile 2: 10:52
Mile 3: 11:01
Mile 4: 11:23 (this included A Nasty Hill)
I guess it was more like 4.5 - I jogged and walked the other half mile naked*.
I also forgot the heart-rate monitor, which may have been a good idea.
So...close to tempo pace! It was a great day, my favorite kind of running weather - 50s, sunny, no breeze. I saw some intimidating cows (no, that is not a typo - they were staring me down. I think they knew I was not a vegetarian) and a dead beaver. Yuck.
Hoping to do 3-4 easy miles tomorrow, but I'm rethinking the idea of "easy miles." If I ran this hard or harder each time I got out there, would that make my runs more worthwhile? It would certainly get me in better shape.
*meaning I used no watch, heart-rate monitor, or other measuring device. I kept my clothes on!
I also thought to keep track of my pace each mile. Note that I failed miserably at the "negative split" idea.
Mile 1: 10:29
Mile 2: 10:52
Mile 3: 11:01
Mile 4: 11:23 (this included A Nasty Hill)
I guess it was more like 4.5 - I jogged and walked the other half mile naked*.
I also forgot the heart-rate monitor, which may have been a good idea.
So...close to tempo pace! It was a great day, my favorite kind of running weather - 50s, sunny, no breeze. I saw some intimidating cows (no, that is not a typo - they were staring me down. I think they knew I was not a vegetarian) and a dead beaver. Yuck.
Hoping to do 3-4 easy miles tomorrow, but I'm rethinking the idea of "easy miles." If I ran this hard or harder each time I got out there, would that make my runs more worthwhile? It would certainly get me in better shape.
*meaning I used no watch, heart-rate monitor, or other measuring device. I kept my clothes on!
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