15 weeks until race day.
Week 4 was, well, weird. It had nothing to do with training, but it threw me completely out of my game. Kourt and I have started planning a wedding, and the first part of the week I was consumed in a weird emotional tug of war with my parents over the whole thing. I wasn't sleeping well and was carrying a lot of stress, and that just makes me really exhausted. So we skipped on Sunday. I went by myself and ran that Tuesday and actually did really well. I managed to get Kourt to the gym to lift weights that Wednesday, but struck a bargain to skip cardio. By that Thursday we'd kind of resolved the weirdness with my parents, but both our work shifts were pretty demanding so we skipped again. And then that weekend I had a high school reunion gathering to go to. It was great, and I didn't let myself skip my 6 mile long run on Friday, but we ate too much and didn't work out at all the rest of the weekend.
Oddly enough, at the beginning of this week my leg muscles were sore. It took me a bit to realize that it was from walking around downtown in high heels all Saturday night. I've gotten very unaccustomed to wearing heels on a regular basis. The reunion events ran through Sunday, so it wasn't until Tuesday that we got back into the gym, and I was actually still sore. But I ran. Didn't make it through all the intervals as planned -- I think it was because it had been too long between my last meal and going to the gym. But I did the whole distance, just not without modifying the interval lengths.
I got to thinking, though, about the whole running vs walking bit. I'm challenged by running. Walking just doesn't challenge me anymore. I've been doing the incline intervals, and those did kick my ass, but Chicago hosts one of the flattest marathon courses ever. So why not just keep working on my running?
So we've changed up our routine a bit this week. On Wednesday, we did two of our three weightlifting workouts together, but no cardio. Then on Thursday we only did cardio, and I ran shorter but faster intervals with longer rests.
Friday, then, Brenda and I met to do a 10 miler. We started early because she'd started taking allergy meds that make her drowsy and she didn't want to be still out when the sleepiness kicked in. Plus, we knew 10 miles would take a bit. Turns out the sun is still pretty high and hot at 5:30. But I pushed on. Brenda bailed after mile 3, partly due to the meds and partly due to residual discomfort from physical therapy on her shoulder that morning. But I kept on going, and made it in under 3 hours, which I consider pretty good considering how freakin' hot it was. The sun finally set around mile 8, and after that I had a ton more energy to keep going. And in the end, 10 miles turned out to be not the challenge I expected it to be. The only problem I had was that there's a stripe on the tank top I wore that is top-stitched onto the shirt and it chafed against the inside of my upper arm. It didn't leave much of a mark, but it was an annoyance. Apparently it's time for a wardrobe change. Next week's long walk is another 8-miler, and then the week after that it jumps to 12. I'm curious to see how long these runs get before I start struggling.
I was sore, however, on Saturday. Not so much in my legs, but tiny little muscle twinges in my arms and shoulders. So we took Saturday as a rest day, and I think that's going to be a practice I continue. As the long runs get longer, I think my muscles are going to need that extra rest.
Our new plan, then, is to do double weightlifting sets on Wednesdays and Sundays, and runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays (and maybe sometimes Mondays if I'm feeling really ambitious), with long runs on Friday nights until the weather cools down again and we can move them back to Saturday mornings.
About Me
- Jaye
- I'm an artist, convenience store general manager, Nine Inch Nails fan, and hopeless internet addict. And now I'm a marathoner! Blogged By Jaye is my general-purpose blog, and Fat to Finish Line is my running journal. Occasional foul language included on both sites.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Marathon Training, Week 3
17 weeks until race day.
This week went much better than last week. For starters, it occurred to me that maybe I wasn't consuming enough water for all the hard workouts and hot weather. It's never been a problem before, but my digestive system has been increasingly stubborn lately, so I decided to see what would happen if I tried drinking more water. Funny thing, as soon as I did, I dropped a pound a day for three days in a row. And another one later in the week. So apparently now that I'm an elite athlete (*snicker*) I need to hydrate like one.
Both Tuesday's run and Thursday's incline walks (with decreased speed on the highest incline) went exactly as planned, so that's two workouts off the checklists. This Tuesday I'll be going for 3/4 mile running intervals with 1/4 mile walking rests. And Thursday I'll go for a second successful attack at the inclines.
Well, okay, exactly as planned except that on my cooldown after Tuesday's run, I tripped on the treadmill. Kourt was trying to point say something to me, and I leaned too far over to try and hear her and stepped off the belt a bit. Ended up hitting the emergency stop button on accident, and while I didn't actually fall down, the contortions I went through to stay on my feet were pretty jarring. As we left the gym I felt just a little tightness in my muscles, but it seemed to go away by the next day.
My sister wasn't available to do our long run on Friday night, so I had to go it alone. The trail we've been using is a straight out and back, and since it's not lit at night and I wasn't sure what time, exactly, the sun would set, I wasn't comfortable with the prospect of finding myself still two miles out with no light and all alone. So I went to the park we used to walk at before I started training this time around. It's lit at night, there's a lot of people around (especially if there are baseball games going on, which is almost every night in the summer), and therefore is a lot safer for somebody running alone. The downside is that it's a 1 1/2 mile loop, so it can get monotonous. It's also not flat like the new trail. There's one hill with about a 23' vertical rise over about an eight of a mile. Short, but kind of brutal.
The temperature was 86 degrees when I arrived at the park and the humidity was high, but it makes all the difference in the world when the sun isn't also beating down on me. It made so much difference that I set the goal of running it with the same strategy I'd like to use for the race: run 1/4 of each mile. It's easy on this trail, because the distance is marked off in 1/4 mile increments, so I could leave my phone in my pouch and just run to the distance markers. I managed the whole run, feeling good. I felt like a runner. I caught a glimpse of my shadow as I ran around a bend and was kind of impressed: shoulders back, confident stride. As the run progressed, though, the uncomfortable tightness in my muscles from the trip on the treadmill came back, and worsened with each mile. It didn't hurt, per se, so I didn't stop (except to stretch briefly here and there), but it was noticeable. I stretched thoroughly when I got home and took a rest day on Saturday, and haven't noticed a twinge since.
But no more trying to talk to me on the treadmill!!!
This week went much better than last week. For starters, it occurred to me that maybe I wasn't consuming enough water for all the hard workouts and hot weather. It's never been a problem before, but my digestive system has been increasingly stubborn lately, so I decided to see what would happen if I tried drinking more water. Funny thing, as soon as I did, I dropped a pound a day for three days in a row. And another one later in the week. So apparently now that I'm an elite athlete (*snicker*) I need to hydrate like one.
Both Tuesday's run and Thursday's incline walks (with decreased speed on the highest incline) went exactly as planned, so that's two workouts off the checklists. This Tuesday I'll be going for 3/4 mile running intervals with 1/4 mile walking rests. And Thursday I'll go for a second successful attack at the inclines.
Well, okay, exactly as planned except that on my cooldown after Tuesday's run, I tripped on the treadmill. Kourt was trying to point say something to me, and I leaned too far over to try and hear her and stepped off the belt a bit. Ended up hitting the emergency stop button on accident, and while I didn't actually fall down, the contortions I went through to stay on my feet were pretty jarring. As we left the gym I felt just a little tightness in my muscles, but it seemed to go away by the next day.
My sister wasn't available to do our long run on Friday night, so I had to go it alone. The trail we've been using is a straight out and back, and since it's not lit at night and I wasn't sure what time, exactly, the sun would set, I wasn't comfortable with the prospect of finding myself still two miles out with no light and all alone. So I went to the park we used to walk at before I started training this time around. It's lit at night, there's a lot of people around (especially if there are baseball games going on, which is almost every night in the summer), and therefore is a lot safer for somebody running alone. The downside is that it's a 1 1/2 mile loop, so it can get monotonous. It's also not flat like the new trail. There's one hill with about a 23' vertical rise over about an eight of a mile. Short, but kind of brutal.
The temperature was 86 degrees when I arrived at the park and the humidity was high, but it makes all the difference in the world when the sun isn't also beating down on me. It made so much difference that I set the goal of running it with the same strategy I'd like to use for the race: run 1/4 of each mile. It's easy on this trail, because the distance is marked off in 1/4 mile increments, so I could leave my phone in my pouch and just run to the distance markers. I managed the whole run, feeling good. I felt like a runner. I caught a glimpse of my shadow as I ran around a bend and was kind of impressed: shoulders back, confident stride. As the run progressed, though, the uncomfortable tightness in my muscles from the trip on the treadmill came back, and worsened with each mile. It didn't hurt, per se, so I didn't stop (except to stretch briefly here and there), but it was noticeable. I stretched thoroughly when I got home and took a rest day on Saturday, and haven't noticed a twinge since.
But no more trying to talk to me on the treadmill!!!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Miscellanea
1. I have my race shoes! I've known from the beginning that one pair wouldn't take me all the way from February to race day, so I've gotten a pair to use on outdoor runs (and then for the race), and my existing pair will be for gym workouts. I was super excited to see that the ones I've been using were still available to order, although I'm a little bummed that my sister got her pair for about $20 less because she ordered them months ago, but whatever. I like the way they feel, the pair I have has served me well, so I don't feel bad about paying full price. And most of all they're so pretty! All hot pink and neon green!
Now all I need is a different colored pair of laces, so I know which pair is which.
2. During my internet down time, I hit another 10-pound weight loss milestone and took more pics. The odd thing is that between the first pic (210 lbs) and the second pic (200 lbs) I didn't feel like there was a big change in my body, but the pics show noticeable difference. This time (190 lbs), I feel so much smaller and more toned, and yet it just doesn't read that way in the pics. But whatever. Maybe it's the tighter workout pants.
3. I really thought I had more to write about, but I can't come up with anything else.
2. During my internet down time, I hit another 10-pound weight loss milestone and took more pics. The odd thing is that between the first pic (210 lbs) and the second pic (200 lbs) I didn't feel like there was a big change in my body, but the pics show noticeable difference. This time (190 lbs), I feel so much smaller and more toned, and yet it just doesn't read that way in the pics. But whatever. Maybe it's the tighter workout pants.
3. I really thought I had more to write about, but I can't come up with anything else.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Marathon Training, Week 2
18 weeks until race day.
It's been a somewhat lackluster training week. It started out strong on Sunday with our hamstrings and shoulders workout, which meant I finally got to put Kourt through the lovely drop sets that Andrew put me through the night I trained by myself. Muahahaha! Then an hour on the elliptical machines.
We took our rest day, and then on Tuesday I went to the gym alone to run. I had to make myself go, as I wasn't feeling into it. Constipation's a bitch. But I knew I should go, so I made myself get dressed and get in the car. I got on the treadmill and started running, and kept going until the 2.5 mile mark, at which point I felt things starting to, well, move. And at that point I decided the run was over and I did a quick cooldown and headed for the locker room. I never thought I'd see the day when I was disappointed in myself for "only" doing 2.5 miles instead of 3. So next week it'll be the half mile intervals again so I can make it to the end.
Wednesday we lifted again, triceps and back, but only did a half hour of cardio because we got a late start. We decided that maybe it would work a lot better for us on work nights if we just go to the gym as soon as Kourt's shift is over and get it over with. If we come home and cook dinner first, we feel compelled not to run right to the gym without letting dinner settle, and then we get sidetracked with things and it's sometimes 1am before we get our fat asses out the door.
So Thursday we did just that. I came home and changed and met Kourt for our workout directly after she got done with work. I think that will have to be our plan from here on out, as we were finished with our workout before the time we'd usually be heading out the door. Plus, I get off work an hour before she does, so as my training workouts get longer I can get a head start and not force her to hang out at the gym waiting for me to do my last couple of miles. The workout that night, though, wasn't a resounding success. I'd concocted a series of incline interval workouts to do, and had been trying to do quarter mile intervals increasing the incline by 2% each time, dropping back down to a level incline at the beginning of each mile. And I intended to maintain 4mph for the whole workout, since 4mph is a reasonably easy speed with no incline. Apparently, though, 4mph at 7% is a little TOO challenging, because the only way I could keep going was to hold on to the handrail, which is a big, big no-no. I wasn't able to do it last week, and I thought it was because I'd already spent all the muscle endurance in my legs that night, but my ability wasn't much better on fresh legs. So it looks like I need to back off on the speed a little if I'm going to conquer that kind of incline. Of course, I could also just stop trying to do such a steep incline, especially considering that the Chicago marathon course is pretty darn flat from what I've heard, but it's like a personal challenge at this point. I feel like I should be able to do it.
Friday we skipped. I'd proposed that we go to a local amusement park that day, which would involve a hell of a lot of walking up and down hills and is always a good workout, but upon further consideration I decided that there were simply too many errands and chores to get done. Plus, our service appointment to get our cable fixed (IT'S BACK!! IT'S FINALLY BACK!!! I LOVE MY BROADBAND!!!) was yesterday afternoon and I knew they'd want somebody to be here for that. So we slept an hour or so late, ran errands all morning and into the afternoon, and then rushed home to be here for the cable guy. Once that was done we dosed all our cats with their flea meds, did some more errand-running, had dinner, and it was pretty late at that point so I was more than willing to just call it a day. Sometimes things just need to be done, you know?
Today's long run was just 4 miles. When I got up, Weather.com said it was 84 degrees out already. The trail is asphalt, and by mid-to-late morning there's basically no shade to speak of. It was miserable. I have no idea how hot it had gotten by the time we started out on the trail, but it was into the 90s by the time we were done. I took off running after walking the first mile, and wore myself out in pretty short order. We walked the rest, and only did three miles because my sister tripped on a curb the other day and thinks one of her toes is broken. We've decided that if the rest of the summer is going to be this hot and humid (it's only June, and this is August-type weather!), we'd be better off doing our runs in the evenings on Fridays. It'll be cooler, none of us have to be anywhere important on Saturday mornings so time won't be a factor, and I won't have to drown myself in SPF 50.
So, the agenda for next week? Tuesday I need to get through the whole three miles of running intervals so I can mark it off my list. Thursday I'm going to tackle the inclines again at a lower speed and see if I can't keep my hands off the bar for the duration. I should spend one of my cross-training days on the treadmill since I've not gotten in any good running other than Tuesdays for a few weeks. And then our long run Friday night will be 8 miles. Hopefully going out at sunset will allow me to actually get in some good running.
It's been a somewhat lackluster training week. It started out strong on Sunday with our hamstrings and shoulders workout, which meant I finally got to put Kourt through the lovely drop sets that Andrew put me through the night I trained by myself. Muahahaha! Then an hour on the elliptical machines.
We took our rest day, and then on Tuesday I went to the gym alone to run. I had to make myself go, as I wasn't feeling into it. Constipation's a bitch. But I knew I should go, so I made myself get dressed and get in the car. I got on the treadmill and started running, and kept going until the 2.5 mile mark, at which point I felt things starting to, well, move. And at that point I decided the run was over and I did a quick cooldown and headed for the locker room. I never thought I'd see the day when I was disappointed in myself for "only" doing 2.5 miles instead of 3. So next week it'll be the half mile intervals again so I can make it to the end.
Wednesday we lifted again, triceps and back, but only did a half hour of cardio because we got a late start. We decided that maybe it would work a lot better for us on work nights if we just go to the gym as soon as Kourt's shift is over and get it over with. If we come home and cook dinner first, we feel compelled not to run right to the gym without letting dinner settle, and then we get sidetracked with things and it's sometimes 1am before we get our fat asses out the door.
So Thursday we did just that. I came home and changed and met Kourt for our workout directly after she got done with work. I think that will have to be our plan from here on out, as we were finished with our workout before the time we'd usually be heading out the door. Plus, I get off work an hour before she does, so as my training workouts get longer I can get a head start and not force her to hang out at the gym waiting for me to do my last couple of miles. The workout that night, though, wasn't a resounding success. I'd concocted a series of incline interval workouts to do, and had been trying to do quarter mile intervals increasing the incline by 2% each time, dropping back down to a level incline at the beginning of each mile. And I intended to maintain 4mph for the whole workout, since 4mph is a reasonably easy speed with no incline. Apparently, though, 4mph at 7% is a little TOO challenging, because the only way I could keep going was to hold on to the handrail, which is a big, big no-no. I wasn't able to do it last week, and I thought it was because I'd already spent all the muscle endurance in my legs that night, but my ability wasn't much better on fresh legs. So it looks like I need to back off on the speed a little if I'm going to conquer that kind of incline. Of course, I could also just stop trying to do such a steep incline, especially considering that the Chicago marathon course is pretty darn flat from what I've heard, but it's like a personal challenge at this point. I feel like I should be able to do it.
Friday we skipped. I'd proposed that we go to a local amusement park that day, which would involve a hell of a lot of walking up and down hills and is always a good workout, but upon further consideration I decided that there were simply too many errands and chores to get done. Plus, our service appointment to get our cable fixed (IT'S BACK!! IT'S FINALLY BACK!!! I LOVE MY BROADBAND!!!) was yesterday afternoon and I knew they'd want somebody to be here for that. So we slept an hour or so late, ran errands all morning and into the afternoon, and then rushed home to be here for the cable guy. Once that was done we dosed all our cats with their flea meds, did some more errand-running, had dinner, and it was pretty late at that point so I was more than willing to just call it a day. Sometimes things just need to be done, you know?
Today's long run was just 4 miles. When I got up, Weather.com said it was 84 degrees out already. The trail is asphalt, and by mid-to-late morning there's basically no shade to speak of. It was miserable. I have no idea how hot it had gotten by the time we started out on the trail, but it was into the 90s by the time we were done. I took off running after walking the first mile, and wore myself out in pretty short order. We walked the rest, and only did three miles because my sister tripped on a curb the other day and thinks one of her toes is broken. We've decided that if the rest of the summer is going to be this hot and humid (it's only June, and this is August-type weather!), we'd be better off doing our runs in the evenings on Fridays. It'll be cooler, none of us have to be anywhere important on Saturday mornings so time won't be a factor, and I won't have to drown myself in SPF 50.
So, the agenda for next week? Tuesday I need to get through the whole three miles of running intervals so I can mark it off my list. Thursday I'm going to tackle the inclines again at a lower speed and see if I can't keep my hands off the bar for the duration. I should spend one of my cross-training days on the treadmill since I've not gotten in any good running other than Tuesdays for a few weeks. And then our long run Friday night will be 8 miles. Hopefully going out at sunset will allow me to actually get in some good running.
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