Heart of the HIlls 10k

I had a good time at the race this morning. I got a personal record for the course. Not a personal record for a 10k, but they tell you on their website that you probably won't PR there. Confidence inspiring, I tell you!

I was remembering this race last year... and I couldn't remember it being super hilly. I remember there were a few hills, but nothing crazy. I remember I was pretty much a wuss for this race last year, and walked a lot more than I should, and could, have.

Let me tell myself something. Self, it IS hilly. VERY hilly. It is a really rough course. Last year's time was 1:10:57. I wanted to beat that time; anything shorter than that would be great.

I ran until about mile 2, and then took a couple of very short walk breaks. The funniest part was at mile 3. I was slowly running along, and heard very loud, hard footsteps behind me. Thinking it was probably a 30-40 year old, 6 foot tall or more man, I was ok with being passed. Instead, it was a 100 pound, 5'4", 70ish year old man. He did great, and he sure passed me! At about mile 4, I said something to another runner, and then he and I ran the rest of the race together. We talked about all the races we've done, and he told me how he'd run the Detroit marathon a few times. Running with him pushed me through the last of the race, and a couple of times, I started to walk on a couple of hills, and he said, "shorten your steps!" It really did help.

I beat last year's time by exactly two minutes and thirty seconds. I am very happy with that. I enjoyed the race (even though I'll probably be sore in the morning), and look forward to beating my time next year. Maybe next year I'll be able to do the whole thing without any walk breaks. We shall see.

Distance: 6.2

Time: 1:08:27

Pace: 11:01

I had a hard time getting pics. I wanted Frieda to pose with me, but she is not very good at sitting still:

Look What I Got!

I went to the beach today to do my long run. It was tough, but I did it! Failure was not an option. I ran straight until 6.9 miles, and then took a walk break about each mile afterwards. Getting better!



My calves and feet started to hurt after 10 miles. As soon as I finished and stopped my iPod, an older man on a bicycle zoomed past me and yelled, "Looking good! You can do it! Keep up the good work!" I thought that was nice. Older people tend to be nicer out on the path than younger people.



I used to allow myself to have a chocolate milk after a 5 mile or longer run. Because I'm trying to lose another 5-10 lbs, I'm changing that to 10 miles. I had one waiting for me in the car today, and boy, was it tasty!



About today's title: I received my training t-shirt for the Detroit Marathon today in the mail! I also ordered a sweater, which they did not have in stock. They called and asked if it was ok to substitute with another sweater, which I said was fine. They sent a Detroit Marathon magnet and a Camelbak water bottle for the "trouble." Score! :)



Here's the shirt. I think I'm going to wear it at the race this Saturday. I'm not sure how I feel about the race. I did not enjoy myself last year whatsoever. I wasn't going to do it again, but felt like I should try to do better. It is a very hilly race, and they say you probably won't PR here. I'd like to get a course PR, though! Last year's time was 1:10:57. I was the second slowest woman in my age group. I'd love to get 1:08!




P.S. - Is it just me, or is this shirt intimidating? I tired it on and showed my hubby, and he responded with, "Eep! 26.2 miles!" :)

Distance: 12.01

Time: 2:21:05

Pace: 11:45

Saturday Run

Yesterday, I attempted 5 miles on the treadmill. At 2 miles, I gave up. I didn't want to post a blog entry yesterday because I was hoping I could redeem myself this morning.

I had a good run this morning. Not the best, but still good. My pace is improving and I think I'm slowly getting back to where I was. I want to get back into the 10:15-10:59/mile range and I'm hoping that can still happen in this humidity.

I'm going to keep running as I have been, with walk breaks, and hope that I can take fewer breaks as time goes on. If I keep on with the mileage, even with walking, my hope is that, once the humidity goes away, in say, September, my pace will naturally quicken, since I'll be able to breathe easier. We'll see what happens.

Friday:
Distance: 2.02
Time: 23:22
Pace: 11:32

Saturday:
Distance: 5.01
Time: 56:26
Pace: 11:16

Walking

I did my 10 miles today. Finally a long run completed. I'm almost one month into marathon training. That is exciting, but I'd be happier if I'd done more runs on my training schedule. As of today, I'm feeling ok with the thought of completing the marathon in October.

When I went out this morning, I told myself that it didn't matter if I took walk breaks, I just needed to finish 10 miles. My schedule said to run it at a 12:14 pace. Because of that, I took walk breaks whenever I felt like it. It did slow me down, but my pace was a little bit better than required. I am going to allow myself to take walk breaks on long runs from now on (and attempt to not walk on other runs). Walk breaks don't have to be the enemy. While I'd love to be able to run 26.2 miles straight, it's not likely. I'm also throwing my goal of 5 hours out the window. I just want to complete the marathon. At this point, that will be really hard work. I'd love to be under 5 hours, and I'd be super happy with under 5:20, but really, as long as I complete it, and they still have medals left, I'll be happy. I'll have a personal record, no matter how long it takes me. :)

As a side note, sometimes it's good to look in the mirror both before and after a run. I had put my shorts on inside out. Pretty funny. I love these new shorts though - they are Under Armour. They feel like silk; they are tight like bicycle shorts, and have a 7" inseam - long enough to prevent chafing, short enough to still be shorts. I'm hoping they go on sale in the fall/winter and I can get another couple of pairs for next year. When I returned home, I looked in the mirror and noticed the pink shirt I was wearing had splotches of wet... one around the neck, my whole stomach, and my back - everywhere that my sports bra didn't cover. It is a moisture wicking top, but the fabric sure shows the sweat! Remind me not to wear this shirt at a race! Too bad, I love the length and the way it fits.

Distance: 10:01
Time: 1:59:05
Pace: 11:54

Treadmill

I considered running this morning before work, but with the whole "not sleeping" thing, I chose not to. Instead I ran on the treadmill tonight.

I wondered if maybe I should go by my training schedule. I consider myself to be a rule-follower for the most part, but apparently not when it comes to training for marathons. My schedule said to do 4 miles today, at approximately a 12:14 pace. So, on the treadmill I went, and didn't worry about my pace. I felt a little like throwing up, since I ate so much garbage today, so I decreased my speed some and just tried to make it through. I managed with a good pace. Hal Higdon says you shouldn't run all of your runs at the same pace. He says it's better if you vary your pace depending on your runs, so that your body is always working differently.

As I was uploading my run to the Nike+ site, I checked out Facebook and found this quote on the Crim's (My favorite race last year - a 10 miler!) page:

Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable do nothing.

Ouch. Did I need to hear that after doing so poorly the past couple weeks!

Distance: 4.06
Time: 46:24
Pace: 11:25

Disappointing

My run can be summed up in one word: disappointing. I could blame it on plenty of things, but the truth is that I haven't run all week. That's the reason why. Not that this week has been really busy for me; not that I have not been able to sleep well all week, so used that as justification for skipping runs. I just didn't do it. Excuses only get you so far, and it's true that they say you make your own priorities. It was my choice to not run, even though I appeared to have a good reason or two. If I really wanted to run, I would have made the time. I'm not sure I have the discipline required for marathon training, but I'll keep trying.

My 9-mile run turned into a 5 mile walk-and-run. The sun was too high, my pace was too slow, my legs were too tired. And I took four days off.

Distance: 5.01
Time: 58:52
Pace: 11:46

My Day in Pictures

I decided to wear a dress to church today:

Then, I went to Lowe's, where dreams come true:

I also went to Target, where I avoided this aisle: And this aisle (pop is evil, pop is evil, pop is evil!! I'm trying to convince myself):And this aisle (I don't buy bottled water. To quote some girl named Megan, "Gathering an essential resource from an impoverished nation in order to profit by selling it around the world is never commendable.") :I did enjoy this aisle, however: After I came home and emptied the Jeep, it started to pour. I looked out and realized I'd forgotten a can of paint in the driveway! So, I got soaked: Then I did a little of this:And ate a little of this:And then jumped on this, and ran 5k worth of hills:Which lead to this, red-faced awesomeness (Please note the beads of sweat):Now I will enjoy this: And this:

Awesome, difficult run. I ran 5 minutes at 2% incline, then 5 at 4%, 5 at 2%-0%, 5 at 6%, 5 at 2-0%, 5 at 4%, and then 0% for the remainder. My speed was 5.5 during the 0-2% inclines, and 4.8-5.3 for the other. PHEW!! I'm not sure I have ever sweat that much in my life.

Distance: 3.12 miles

Time: 34:51

Pace: 11:10

TUTP

Let me first say that I hope at some point I'll be able to consistently post about great runs. I'm hoping for that to be in a couple of weeks. We'll see.

Now, let's get to my title... TUTP... it's something every runner has to deal with at some point. We all hate it, but we have to face it. The Urge To Poop. That's right folks... TUTP is a fairly common and very serious ailment. It can ruin any run. It has ruined many a run for me. It is a good way to work out your glutes, however.

You have a couple of choices when TUTP affects you. You can cut your run short, and hurry home, defeated, or, in the words of Tom Arnold in Austin Powers, you can "show that turd who's boss!"

I chose the latter. Because of this, I was forced to take many a walk break, and spent most of the last mile walking. Ultimately, I had the victory.

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 58:11
Pace: 11:38

Summer is Evil

Have you noticed how the Bible calls Hell a lake of burning fire? That sounds hot, doesn't it? Therefore, hot is evil. Summer is evil. The Bible says so. You know, kinda.

I'm disappointed with myself. It is only week two of marathon training, and I've skipped a run last week, and bombed on my long run this week. I'm printing out a new schedule and I'm determined to run it. Even if that means getting up at 5am a few times a week. Zzzz...

Went for my long run of 9 miles today... managed a 5k. I didn't wake up early enough and it was too hot. Note to self: if The Weather Channel says there is a Heat Advisory, and tells you to stay out of the sun and refrain from outdoor activities, listen. Obey. They are professionals and know what they are talking about.

Tomorrow is another day!

Distance: 3.11
Time: 35:29
Pace: 11:23

Five Miler

My http://www.runnersworld.com/ training schedule said I should run 5 miles today. My middle 3 miles should be at a pace of 10:35.

I had a hard time falling asleep last night, and when my alarm went off at 6:00, I shut it off. As I laid there, I decided I'd run this afternoon, after work, because 6 am is just wrong on a Saturday. After about 20 minutes, I realized how irritated I'd be after work, knowing that I needed to do a 5 mile run in 82 degree weather, so I jumped up and frantically threw my clothes on. I drank a glass of water and took off out the door. I was nervous that I would be late for work, but I figured I should enjoy the run anyway.

Today was a glorious run. I love runs like this. I pushed hard, and when I did, my body responded. I floated through my neighborhood; no leg pain, no lung pain, just pleasure. I managed to do my middle three miles at close to a 10:00 pace, sometimes quicker. I was amazed when my iPod told me, but I just kept going at that comfortable pace!

I was able to get ready for work and leave a few minutes early even, so I stopped for a tea on the way.

Second marathon training run. Two great runs in a row.

Distance: 5.01
Time: 51:34
Pace: 10:17

Eight Miles

My first week of official marathon training hasn't gone exactly as planned, but I did manage my long run today. I ran the whole thing, bright and early this morning, no walk breaks. It felt good and I didn't push too hard. I tried not to stress over my pace, but was really hoping for under 11 minute miles. I just made it. My left knee seems to be bothering me this evening, but hopefully I'll just stretch it out and it'll feel better.

I'm looking forward to building the mileage. While the long runs seem to be the most fun for me, some easier runs sound good too, especially to help with pace.

I registered for another 10k at the end of July. I ran this race last year, and hated it. I decided I should give it another try. I'm hopeful for a better time, and a better experience. And of course, a better race photo.

Happy Canada Day!

Distance: 8.02 miles
Time: 1:27:04
Pace: 10:51