Tag Archives: running

Getting back into running…soon.

30 Mar

morning_run_29393With the weather warming up, the daylight stretching into the evenings and the end of my pregnancy right around the corner (a max of 3 weeks away), I find myself seriously jonesing to get out and run. The other day, I was out on a walk and my legs felt the best they have in months, and it was so tempting to just break into a jog! I didn’t because I’m still carrying around this bowling ball in my belly, and I don’t think running would feel very good.

As much as I love to train for races, and have been very tempted to start looking up dates and planning things out, I’m restraining myself. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a few ideas rolling around in my head… or that I haven’t talked to a friend about doing a sprint triathlon in August. But I’m not committing to anything just yet.

My plan is to first get the all-clear from my doctor that I can start high-intensity exercise again. Then I’m just going to see where I’m at. I honestly would not be surprised if running 2 miles at a 12 minute pace is a stretch. I can definitely tell that I’ve lost muscle tone and endurance from not doing much during pregnancy other than walking. I mean, I’m pretty sure my butt has actually gotten smaller during pregnancy, from not running. You wouldn’t think that’d be a bad thing, but it’s slightly depressing because it makes me wonder how long the road will be to get back into the shape I was in before (though I can guarantee that I will not be in marathon shape again for a very long time!)

But whether I’m starting from scratch, or pleasantly surprised that I’m not as out of shape as I thought, it’ll be good to get back out there.

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Up and running

6 Nov

Yesterday, I forgot that the time change meant that it would be dark when I was leaving work. So the dogs did not get a walk.

Since they have to be locked up all day (when Travis isn’t home), I feel bad when that happens and this morning, I made sure to take them on a wog before work.

Yes, a WOG.

I actually jogged a bit! My first “run” in over a month. ::hangs head in shame::

I only had time for 2 (slow) miles and my Garmin was dead so I just based my intervals on feel but I got out there and did it.

The dogs were happy.

And so was I.

 

{Pictures recycled from a run last year but this year’s dry Colorado fall looks pretty much identical}

 

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My Latest Workouts

25 Sep

I’ve already lamented my laziness/exhaustion several times so that’s not what this post is about. Rather, I thought I’d talk about what working out looks like (when I actually do it) now that I’m pregnant.

Running these days looks pretty different from a few months ago. I do 3 miles max (though that’s more owing to my decreased energy than anything else), actually do a warm up and cool down for 5 minutes each (walking), and do jog/walk intervals – usually about 5 min/2 min. My Garmin has won big points in this area, with its programmable intervals.

The reason for all of this is that my doctor said I could still run but needed to keep my heart rate below 140. That’s definitely easier said than done. During Weeks 7-8, I did a little online research and decided that it wasn’t the end of the world if my heart rate was higher than 140, but stayed below 150. That way, I could jog the whole thing, instead of walking some (since my jogging heart rate is around 145).

But these days, I actually enjoy running more if I build in some walking. Maybe it’s because I’m losing my running fitness. Maybe it’s because I’m tired to begin with. But regardless, one benefit of wogging (walking/jogging) is that I’m barely sweaty when I get home. Fewer showers!

Another benefit of wogging is that my pace is so slow, I can’t compare it to anything I used to run. Now, it ranges from a “speedy” 13:30/mile to a moderate 16:00/mile. I just remind myself that this isn’t the time for an ego trip – I need to focus on being healthy and protecting my baby.

I’ve also had to adjust my expectations for exercise. Whereas before, I never would’ve considered a walk a workout, it is now. It’s weird to go from marathoner to near-couch potato but I’m trying to strike a balance between giving my body the rest it needs and just being lazy.

As much as I like the thought of being one of those pregnant ladies who runs all through pregnancy, I don’t know if I’ll be able or want to. So I plan on getting back into swimming and getting some prenatal DVDs I can do from home. I’m often a lot more motivated to work out in my own living room than drive the 5 minutes to the Rec.

Here’s what the past couple of weeks have looked like:

 

September 9 – 15

M: Jog/walk 2.58 miles, 15 minutes arms + legs

Sa: Jog/walk 3 miles, 10 minutes back + core

 

September 16 – 22

Su: 1.15 mile walk with pooches

M: 30 min elliptical + 10 min arms

F: 10 min Pilates

 

I’d still like to increase my activity level to at least taking the dogs on a walk every day but I’m not beating myself up for it. I’ll get there.

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Garmin 210 Review

15 Aug

I got the Garmin Forerunner 210 this year from my parents for my birthday. I was going to get the Forerunner 405 but discovered at REI that they no longer made that model. I wasn’t a fan of the square, bulky screen of the 310 and the 610 and 910 were too much watch for me. I just wanted the basics of distance, pace, time and heart rate. So the 210 it was.

I have to admit, the first couple of times I tried out my Garmin, I was kind of disappointed. One of the main things I was looking forward to was knowing what my pace was at any given moment. It didn’t take me long to discover, though, that the pace jumped all over the place – all the way from 7:30 to 13:00 within just a few minutes. Which made me doubt the accuracy of any pace I saw displayed. I lamented this to Travis and he suggested that the Garmin was just too accurate. Well, as much as I’d like to believe I could run a 7:30 pace, let’s be honest – never gonna happen.

Another aspect of the Garmin I didn’t take into account before getting it was that it calculates the distance you actually run (duh). So if you cut a corner a little tighter than normal, ‘Mile 1’ (as previously mapped online) is that much farther away. No longer was Mile 1 simply 1 mile away. Sometimes, it was only .85 mile; other times, 1.15 miles. Of course, I realize my Garmin is more accurate than my mapping routes and corner cuts but still. Getting to what I knew was Mile 1 and not having it be Mile 1 was annoying.

Add to that the fact that I had pretty much every running route I’d ever need mapped out already and I thought long and hard about returning the Garmin. I just didn’t know if it was worth the money (despite the fact that it was a present). But then… I tried setting the Garmin to show my average pace overall, for the entire run. From my first run, I knew that was a setting I could get behind. In fact, that’s what I used during my marathon and I found it really helpful. So I decided to keep the watch.

Plus, I know that just because I have a store of already-mapped-out routes, that doesn’t mean I will never want to just wing it. As far as I can tell, the mileage is accurate and it’s fun to see the ‘playback’ of my workout on Garmin Connect.

The heart rate monitor works well. The watch and strap both fit well. The watch is not waterproof, which is the only drawback besides the too-accurate pace IMO, but I knew about that before I bought it. Oh, and that whole ‘remembering to charge it’ thing – that’s definitely going to take some getting used to.

So is it worth it? I would say overall, yes. Especially for someone just getting into running and wanting to save precious hours of their life by not painstakingly mapping their running routes out online. Or someone who frequently likes to shake things up at the spur of the moment but still wants their distance and pace stats. Or for someone like me who wants the option of switching things up at the spur of the moment, while still knowing exactly how far you ran.

All that said, I fully expect that my satisfaction with the Garmin will only go up from here, the more I use it instead of trusty old MapMyRun.

Just be aware that the “current pace” isn’t as helpful as you might think…

Do you have a Garmin watch? What’s your experience been?

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Worth noting.

13 Aug

Even though I’m really enjoying my relaxing weekends, it really doesn’t bode well for the blog. I mean, you guys don’t want to hear about how much I didn’t do every single post. But here are a couple of things that are {somewhat} notable:

1) Watched the entire first season of Downton Abbey. I had heard how awesome this show was from fellow bloggers and friends so when I saw it in Redbox, I snagged it. And I really enjoyed it. Now I’m scheming on how to watch Season 2.

2) Watched Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime. It is one of my absolute favorite shows of all time. And I am so thankful that it’s on during the summer when Bones and NCIS aren’t. I don’t know how I would survive the summer without at least one weekly show that I die for.

 

3) Veered from my cleaner eating habits. I ate Taco Bell for dinner Friday, Chinese for dinner Saturday and McDonald’s for lunch Sunday. But enough’s enough. Back on the horse today.

4) I went on my first bike ride since the beginning of marathon training. Travis and I got caught in a downpour and hid under a tree. At first, it was an adventure. Then, when the tree got saturated and stopped protecting us, it was just kind of irritating. But it was fun to ride home through all the puddles!

5) Got really sad watching the men’s Olympic marathon. (Spoiler alert) Ryan Hall seems like a such a great, down-to-earth guy and I really respect the way he involves God in his training, so seeing him have to drop out so soon was really sad. It’s also sad that Abdi Abdirahman had to drop out, but I know less about him so it didn’t affect me as much. But YAY MEB KEFLEZIGHI!!! I was SO excited to see that he came back from being in something like 10th place to being 4th. I told Travis that if the course had been longer, I think Meb would’ve been able to come in 3rd. But alas, no medals for Americans in the marathon this year.

6) I got ambitious yesterday and deep-cleaned my bathroom. Even though I really dislike cleaning, I love things being clean. If I ever have extra income burning a hole in my pocket, I would consider hiring a maid. (And I’ve already suggested to Travis that when we try to sell our house, we have a cleaning service come clean the house for me.)

And that’s all that’s worth telling you about!

I realized last week that I haven’t posted my thoughts on my new Garmin yet so stay tuned for that sometime soon…

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Week 18 Tapering: 6/18 – 6/24

20 Jun

I am doing this training recap early because this morning, I went on my last training run!

Marathon training is officially over. All that’s left now is to run the actual race. 😉

My runs this week were just like last week’s – slow, recovery pace. My massage Monday seems to have helped my tight muscles ever so slightly but they’re still begging for lots and lots of stretching.

Anyway… here’s what has happened so far this week.

Monday: 3 mile recovery run (37:20; 12:06/mile)

Tuesday: 2 mile recovery run (~12:15/mile)

Wednesday: 4 mile recovery run (49:30; 12:22/mile)

On today’s run, the first 3 miles I ran were around a 12:50 pace. Then the last mile, I ran in 10:59, just to remind myself that I can run faster.

Running Miles = 9

Here’s what the rest of the week will look like:

Thursday: Rest (to finish packing!)

Friday: Traveling

Saturday: Mayor’s Marathon – 26.2 miles!

Sunday: ??

………………….

Like any other athlete before a race, I’ve been checking the weather for race day everyday. So far, it’s looking like the perfect day:

Apparently, 69* is hot for Anchorage. But for Denver, it’s downright chilly (what with all the upper 90s we’ve been having lately. I’m not complaining though – dry heat is nothing like humid heat!) And I love that sunrise in Anchorage is at 4:21 – no getting up when it’s still dark outside for this race! The race starts at 8:00 so I figure I could get up around 5:30 or 6:00, get to the race site around 7:00 and be good to go.

T-3 days!

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Week 15 Tapering: 6/11 – 6/17

19 Jun

I got in all of my planned miles last week and each run felt better than the last. I purposefully ran them all at a very slow recovery pace. Even when I felt like I could run faster, I made myself keep it slow and VERY easy, reminding myself, “Running slow is the thing helping your legs feel better.” Having no pace pressure also made running more enjoyable!

Monday: 3.06 mile recovery run (38:08; 12:27/mile)

Tuesday: 6.01 mile recovery run (1:13:43; 12:16/mile)

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 6.02 mile recovery run (1:12:19; 12:01/mile)

Friday: 4.03 mile recovery run (49:00; 12:10/mile)

Saturday: 2 hours of easy hiking

Sunday: 30 minutes of moderate hiking

Total Running Miles = 19.12

And with that, it is now RACE WEEK! Gah!

My IT band/hamstring/glute/hip area has been feeling really tight the past week so I got a massage last night. It felt great, though there were definitely some areas that had me wincing a bit while the lady worked them over. My legs felt great on my run this morning but they end up getting angry the longer I sit down at work. Even though I get up to stretch and walk around every hour, my hips are not happy! At least they don’t hurt while I’m running.

Travis and I still have a lot of stuff to do before we leave on Friday morning so I gotta go. It’s good that I’m busy – less time to drive myself crazy with race day nerves!

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The Race Strategy

14 Jun

As I’m almost staring down a week until the marathon, I’ve started getting my race strategy together. Using the published course map and the satellite view in runningahead.com, I mapped the marathon course. It helps me in races to recognize the portion of the course I’m on so that I have an idea of where I am and where I’m going. For this race, it will also help me prepare for the hills – and get ready to cruise the downhills!

{I posted the maps in map view instead of satellite so that they’d be easier to read.}

Miles 1-5

Miles 1-5 are an out and back along the highway following a paved trail or road. The elevation gain is steady – 150 feet in 5 miles. Since I’m used to this kind of elevation gain from my daily runs, I’m not worried about the hills. I will, however, be keeping a close eye on my watch to make sure I don’t go out too fast. Coming from elevation to sea level, it could be hard to accurately gauge how fast I’m running when I start. My goal is to run these miles at a very conservative, relaxed pace, probably somewhere around 11:45/mile. If I see my pace go faster than 11:30, I will slow myself down.

Miles 6-10

Miles 6-10 are a nice little downhill! But they also include 4 miles out of 7 that we run on a gravel road called the Oilwell Tank Trail. So these miles will be spent focusing on not twisting my ankle and watching out for wildlife like moose and bears! I read that the race organizers and wildlife rangers sweep the trail in the morning to make sure there aren’t any hanging around but that doesn’t mean they could mosey on over there before I get to that spot.

Other information I read: If you encounter a moose, you’re supposed to give them a good 10 yards of space and an open escape route to get around them. If in doubt, don’t approach. Moose can be moody and ornery. Bears are much more timid and if they hear humans, they’ll probably run away. If you happen to surprise one, put your arms up to appear larger and back away slowly keeping the bear in your sight. (I’m kind of hoping I don’t encounter either of these guys on the course.)

Miles 11-14

Miles 11-14 are still on the Oilwell Tank Trail and are the last section of extended uphill! I will allow myself to walk if needed here and just focus on getting to mile 15 without killing my legs.

Miles 15-20

Miles 15-20 are a net downhill of 300 feet! This is where I’ll pick up steam if I’m feeling good. But I won’t let myself run faster than 11 minute miles because I’ll still have that last 10K to run! The few short pesky hills in this stretch should help keep my pace moderate. Mile 15 is also the last of the Oilwell Tank Trail – I’m sure it will be a relief to get back on to pavement. Around Mile 18, we start running through the actual city of Anchorage. Hopefully this also means more spectator support!

Miles 21-25

Miles 21-25 are mostly downhill, but still involve a few pesky (and downright ornery) hills. If I’m still feeling good, I’ll run at whatever pace feels comfortably fast. But if I need to walk, I’ll walk. It’ll be the longest run of my life at this point!

Miles 26 and 0.2

Mile 26 gets right down by the water (only 3 ft elevation!). But to get to the finish line, we have to climb back up to 79 feet! That’s just cruel. But exciting because it mean we’re almost there. We finish on the high school’s track. (The route I mapped is long by 0.2 mile.)

…………………

I found a really cool running calculator today while surfing Runner’s World boards about increases in running performance going from altitude to sea level. Using the pace from my 20 mile run (which would mean a 5:07 marathon), it calculates that at sea level, I could run the marathon in 4:48, an average pace of 10:58 (an increase of about 30 seconds per mile). I would be beyond thrilled with that time. But again, I want to enjoy this race more than I want a certain time so even though I’ve been tempted to print off a pace band for a 5-hour finish, I won’t. I don’t need the clock staring me down – I’ll have plenty of hills doing that!

Even though my legs aren’t feeling fully recovered from my 20-miler, my brain is feeling excited! I’m still nervous, and reading about the Oilwell Tank Trail hasn’t done me any favors – in the participant guide, it’s described: “Narrow, brushy, and full of rocks that threaten even the most stable of ankles, the Tank Trail tests both physical and mental mettle, as lesser-prepared participants begin to wonder, even this early in the race, if perhaps this wasn’t such a great idea.” Sweet. Thanks for telling me that. (Double gulp.)

But I’ve very glad to be feeling excitement! I’m looking forward to getting out there and proving to myself that I can do this. It still seems incredible to me that I am ready to run a marathon. That’s crazy talk! And in just 9 days, I’ll be at the start line.

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Ready like Spongebob.

5 Jun

After this weekend’s successful 20-mile run, I want to run around like Spongebob: “I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready.”

My parents came out Friday night and we went out to eat at a new pizza pub near us called Right Coast Pizza Company. The place was packed and it took a while to get our food, but when it did come, the pizza and bruschetta were amazing. I would definitely go back.

We rented the movie J. Edgar from Red Box and so I ended up staying up until almost 11 before deciding I really needed to go to bed, considering I had 20 miles to run in the morning. The movie wasn’t even that great – very slow-moving albeit somewhat interesting.

The next morning, I got up at 4:40 to get running by 5. The race start was at 8 am, it would take 30 minutes to drive there, and I wanted to run all 7 additional miles before the race, since it was supposed to be 90 degrees later. I was so nervous/excited about running 20 miles that I didn’t sleep very well (woke up at least once every hour) and I woke up without an alarm clock. I had gotten everything ready the night before so I just had to get dressed, eat breakfast and head out the door. I’ve decided that my best pre-race fuel is a blueberry or cinnamon raisin bagel with butter, eaten 5-15 minutes before starting my run. The butter doesn’t seem to bother my acid reflux like peanut butter does.

I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of running 20 miles when I headed out but it’s hard to not enjoy running in the morning. Everything feels so fresh and sunny. Even though my legs felt pretty good, I kept my pace very conservative and easy.

Splits:

By the time I got back, my gray shirt (that I was planned to wear for the marathon) was already soaked… making me decide against wearing it for the actual marathon.

I changed my sports bra and shirt, drank a glass of chocolate milk, grabbed my stuff and by 6:45, we were heading up to Louisville for the Taste of Louisville half marathon.

Finding the park and getting our bibs and timing chips was a breeze. We had just enough time to run our stuff back to the car and stand in line for the bathroom before they announced we should start lining up.

Women’s on left, Men’s on right

Soon, we were off. Right away, we settled into a very comfortable, easy pace. All of the other racers took off so we were pretty much alone for the first 5 miles, with the except of a few racers around us. Aid stations were roughly every 2 miles and were well-stocked with water, oranges, grapes and bananas. I ate several oranges and grapes out on the course and even though my parents were waiting at Mile 6 with Honey Stingers, I didn’t feel like I needed them. The course was also very well-marked and very pretty – we ran through a lot of neighborhoods and quite a bit of the trails were gravel and shaded. Tons of volunteers were helping out too. I’d definitely do this race again!

My stomach wasn’t feeling the greatest for the first 2-3 miles. Maybe it was drinking the chocolate milk in between my runs? Whatever it was, I’m not too concerned about it happening during the marathon since I won’t be taking an 90 minute break in the middle.

Around Mile 3, we started catching up to the runners in front of us and we ended up passing quite a few over the course of the morning. I may not be a fast runner, but I’m a steady one!

After Mile 4, we started to pick up the pace and I had a full-blown runner’s high. Legs felt great. Lungs felt great. Travis said that I talked the most he’s ever heard me talk on a run. I was just having a really great time!

The course has 2 out and back loops – one is Mile 1 to Mile 6, the other Mile 6 to Mile 12.5. So when we reached Mile 6, we got to see the first male coming in on his last mile, as well as all of the other runners in front of us. Even though it made the trail a little crowded at times, I really liked this. It made me feel like I was actually in a race instead of just out for a run with Travis (because when you’re in the back of the pack, sometimes it doesn’t feel like you’re even in a race!)

I was encouraging other runners and thanking the volunteers and loving life until about Mile 9 – when that turnaround seemed so. far. away. and my hips, specifically the left, had started throbbing. It wasn’t that surprising though, since I was technically on Mile 16.

Even though it was HOT, we kept up the pace until a major hill at Mile 12, and then slowly made our way to the finish line.

Finally, the finish line was in sight. I ran as fast as my tired legs would carry me and was SO excited to be done! I ran 20 MILES!

20 miles. Done.

Not only that, I beat my Colorado Half Marathon time (2:30:52) again! Our official net time was 2:30:05. Even though it wasn’t a PR, I didn’t care at all. I didn’t go into the race thinking it would be, I ran at a good pace, I LOVED THE EXPERIENCE, Travis ran with me, my parents were spectating, and it was the culmination of my marathon training. It is a huge blessing to reach this point in my training without injury and feeling as good as I did.

Now you can see why I feel like Spongebob. I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready. I’m confident that with tapering, sea level altitude and the race excitement, I’ll have the energy and strength I need to run the full 26.2 miles in a little over 2.5 weeks. I just need to stay motivated to run for the next 19 days and I’m golden (note to self).

So with that said, these are the race goals I’m toying with:

Goal A (This is AMAZING!, 11:26 average pace) – 5:00:00 or less

Goal B (I love running!!, 11:50 average pace) – 5:10:00 or less

Goal C (I feel pretty good, 12:15 average pace) – 5:20:00 or less

Goal D (This is tough but I’m finishing, dangit, 12:35 average pace) – 5:30:00 or less

But ultimately, since this could be the only marathon I run ever (or at least for the foreseeable future), I want to enjoy the experience like I did on Saturday. Run at a comfortable pace. If one mile is slower, don’t sweat it. If 20 miles are slower, don’t sweat it. Stop at the aid stations. Walk if you need to. Say hi to fellow runners and the volunteers. Take it all in. As long as I enjoy the race, I don’t really care about my pace. (Though I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t choose a faster time over a slower one.)

The 2o mile run being over also means… IT’S TAPER TIME! So. excited. I Heart Taper.

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Blazing Long Run

26 May

Last night, Travis and I went to see the 6:30 showing of The Avengers. The movie was really good! For some reason, I really enjoy that kind of movie. After some ice cream from Coldstone, I went to bed around 10. I didn’t set my alarm clock because I assumed I’d wake up early like usual. Well, the pooches did wake up at the usual time. I got up at 7 long enough to let them outside and feed them. But then I went back to bed and closed the bedroom door. When I finally did get up at 8:45, I was completely groggy and exhausted so I had breakfast and a cup of coffee to wake up.

All that to say, I didn’t get started on my long run of 14 miles until 11 am, when it was already 80 degrees out with no clouds in the sky. Wow, does that make a difference! It felt like 95 degrees on this run.

I ran 2.5 with the dogs (and they were doggin’ it especially slow today so I turned around earlier than I had planned) and then 7 with Travis, who is still contemplating the half marathon next weekend (never mind that this was his longest run in…a couple years?). By the end of that 7 (so 9.5 for me), I threw in the towel. The stubborn part of me wanted to just get the run done with but it was SO HOT and I couldn’t imagine running another 4.5. I drew up an ice cold bath and sat in there for about 7 minutes.

I plan on running those last 4.5 miles tomorrow morning, which is still within a 24 hour period so close enough. And I’m feeling pretty good about this:

I’ve ran 45.5 miles in the past 7 days. What’s amazing, though, is that they’ve been good miles. In fact, Monday’s run was the best run I’ve had all month. Running just felt so easy and natural and I couldn’t help but smile as I ran. It made me think of a new running phrase – instead of Run Happy, my motto is Run Blessed. I’ll post some more thoughts on that soon.

Well, we’re off to a BBQ. Hope you’re having a fun weekend full of great weather and even better company!

 

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