Beyond The Half

Enlightened.

That is the word I'll use to describe the day's run. Enlightened.

Last night I mapped out a few runs beyond the half. Here is my thinking.

Hal wanted me to go 9 miles tomorrow. But it supposed to be a crappy day. He also wants me to go 15 miles next Saturday. But I plan to run the Chocoholic Frolic 10K that day. The weathermen promised us an amazing day today. I had the time...I took a rest day yesterday. Why not give a good distance a try?

My sister and I (The Petite Pacer) have been discussing what my pace should be for my upcoming marathon. Since we are both still very new to this running thing, and filling our heads with tons of information, we kind of thought the only way I would know how fast I could run it would be to actually run one. But, I have also read that you shouldn't run a marathon for marathon training. That would defeat the purpose. I also know that Hal calls for a 20-miler in May, as the last long run before the taper period. I thought, perhaps, since I'm already an experienced runner that it wouldn't hurt to add a second, especially since I can take it easy this week.

It took a while for this great day to take shape. It started showering in the morning, and it was still cold. But by 11:30 am, it began to clear. I questioned again whether I should try that 19.5 miler I mapped out, or just do the 9 that Hal is calling for tomorrow. I never really know until I get out there. So I prepped for the long run and went out the door.

New CW-X Compression Capris. Neon is my color...

By that time, the sun was shining! Yay! I dressed perfectly, in my new CW-X Compression Capris, compression socks, a long sleeved shirt and a long sleeved jacket...plus a hat. The temp was 38° at start time but it warmed up fast. And at mile 5, when I had to decide whether to go long or short, I made the decision to go for it. I called my husband to let him know I'd be another hour and a half, at least, so he didn't start worrying.

I just kind of ran. I had no pace in mind. I just made sure I was "comfortable". I didn't want to over exert myself. I just wanted to be able to finish the run. I think for the most part, I probably started too fast, although, like I said, I was comfortable. Slower than comfortable might be a better way to start.

Enlightened.

But amazingly, even during the back half of the run, I could easily increase my pace without getting my heart rate up too high. Clearly, my lungs are not the issue. My legs on the other hand. Holy crap.

Enlightened.

At mile 14, I was feeling it. My calves were getting tight...not to mention my butt. I started increasing the time in which I'd stop for some Energy Gels. Every time I took some, there was relief...but the further I went, the lesser the amount of time the relief lasted. This made me think I should have started taking them earlier. I didn't take my first dose until mile 5.

Enlightened.

By mile 16, everything from my ass to my ankles was just screaming. I was having serious doubts, at this point, if I could finish. But just as that thought crossed my mind, the road changed from uphill to downhill and I got another wind. Thank goodness! I also got excruciatingly thirsty. I had brought along a 10 oz. bottle of Cytomax, and a 10 oz. bottle of water. I finished the Cytomax at mile 14. And they water wasn't cutting it. Clearly, I need two bottles of electrolyte fluid, and I'll save the water for the water stops.

Enlightened.

But it was pretty obvious, that with the final mile all uphill, that I wasn't going to go any further. Once the route leveled out, I considered making it an even 20, but I didn't want to risk it. Besides, I was out of fluid, and I was sooooo thirsty. It was time to call it. I did notice, however, I didn't have any pain in the balls of my feel like the last time I ran more than 13 miles. This tells me that the Brooks Cadence will do the job for the marathon. And it takes a great load off of my mind.

Enlightened.

I'm really pleased. I'm pleased as punch. And happy to say, enlightened. I learned a lot on this run. And I'm glad I went the extra mile...literally.

And I can sleep in tomorrow!

When was the last time you were enlightened? Did it happen on a run?

The Pretty Close To Perfect Day

It all came together today. The weather, the mood, the gear, the pace, the run. I couldn't have asked for any more than I got.

We did P90X this morning, and I didn't put my regular "umph" into the workout because of a troubled left elbow. So, maybe that helped as well.

I had some stuff to do before my run. But that was OK, because I was waiting...waiting on that temperature. The promise was 39° degrees today. I figured the longer I waited, the warmer it would get. But I had a lot on my plate this afternoon, so I couldn't wait too long. After all, the Keurig is broken, and the caffeine addicts were getting more than restless. They were getting temperamental.

At 11:00, the temperature was a startling 34°. Good enough.

I dressed light. One layer below the waist, two above. Plus a Turtle Fur cap with a hood over it. I slathered up my face with Dermatone, grabbed some light gloves, and off I went.

It was a little brisk to start, but as the first half of this run is all uphill, it took little to no time until I was warm and toasty. The breeze was light and out of the south, so it was into my face for the start. This too, was perfect. It meant a tailwind and a mainly downhill run for the return home. I was diggin' it. I felt good. I felt light on my feet. I kept repeating the words of the Newton dude from the workshop a few weeks ago..."don't try so hard."

So I didn't. I let it go. I started nice and easy. The hills helped me to do that. And I never felt out of breath. If  I started to get a little winded, I didn't try so hard and backed off. Honestly, I was amazed.

My heartrate never reached 180 until the very last quarter mile when I was feeling SO good, I decided to sprint the final few steps. And I could...because I still had it all. In fact, I was this close to making today my long run day. But it is supposed to be warmer tomorrow. Even warmer Friday. Oy, I got some planning to do the next few days. I won't be able to do my long run Saturday as the weather will be wet and cold. Yuck. Not my thing.

So, I ponder the question. Is this my marathon pace? Gosh, I don't know. For sure this would be my comfortable pace, I believe. I wonder, is a comfortable pace faster than marathon pace? Do I already know the answer to this?

I went to the Training Peaks site and to Hal Higdon's forum to ask him what a comfortable pace was a few weeks back. I completely forgot about it. "Mom Brain", I call it (it is not catching, unless you are a mom). Here is what he said:

Marathon pace is the pace you plan to run in the marathon. If you're a first-time marathoner, you don't yet have a "pace." You maybe able to get a close estimate by running a race or two and using some of the prediction engines. That's one reason why I now include half marathons half way through the 18 weeks.

"Comfortable" pace is any pace that you can hold and still conduct a conversation with a running companion without getting out of breath. If running solo, you'll have to determine what feels comfortable to you. And the numbers won't be the same every day. If tired because of a hard workout the day before, or because of other factors in your life, you may experience discomfort sooner than you would than after a day's rest.

You may or may not be able to hold that 8:40 pace the entire 26 miles of the marathon. You have 18 weeks to figure it out. 

I guess that didn't tell me as much as I had hoped. But if I can run my marathon with as much ease as I ran today's 7-miler...well...then...I've got something.

Runmeter Stats

FitBit and the Inferiority Complex

My Fitbit (I think she needs a name so that she knows when I'm cursing her out) has been tossing out  some pretty nasty messages at me lately. Clearly, she doesn't think I'm doing enough. Faster, Theresa! Step It Up, Theresa! Move It, Theresa! Boy, can she throw a guilt trip.

Therefore, today, I had a few 15 minute breaks amidst my class session. So, I found a staircase, a 3-flight staircase, and walked up and down them...at least 8 times, twice today. Little Miss Fitbit has nuthin' on me today! According to my readings, I did 28 flights. I suppose that includes getting to the cafeteria, and walking in and out of the school today. You gotta make use of every minute you have, right?

Marathon Training: Day 37
Hal said to run 3-miles today. Seeing as that I had class this morning at 8:30 am, this run had to be done on the treadmill, despite the fact that spring really is trying to push it's way into Minnesota. It is just way too dark at 5:15 am for me. And I don't trust anyone awake that early with no natural light to be found.

Despite the fact that I woke up ready and raring to run, I had absolutely no idea what the hell to do today. I figured I'd wing it. The last article I read about endurance tells me I shouldn't worry so much about running fast to increase my overall speed, rather I should run more intervals...moments at a fast pace bordered by recovery minutes. OK.

I still don't know what the hell I did. I know I did a warm up walk for 10 minutes. Then I set the treadmill for 3 miles at a 1% incline. I did 7.0 mph for 4 minutes (don't ask me why I chose 4 minutes. I think it was because I was getting bored and I needed to pick up the pace). Then I upped it to 7.5 mph for the next 4 minutes. And I upped it again to 8.0 mph for the next 4 minutes. After that it gets a little fuzzy.  But here is how I remember it going.

7.0 mph for 4 minutes
7.5 mph for 4 minutes
8.0 mph for 4 minutes
8.5 mph for 3 minutes
7.5 mph for 3 minutes
8.0 mph until I had .25 miles left
8.5 mph until run ended.

All totaled  it was a 24:57 run, I think. Again, this is only how I remembered it. I was pretty soaked when I finished, and I felt like I ran a hard run. Not sure what it did for me, if anything. But I know that when I go outdoors after a few days of treadmill training, I'm running stronger and a bit quicker. So, I must be doing something right.

The weather looks great tomorrow to head outdoors as the temperatures should approach 40°! I'm pretty sure Hal is calling for 6 or 7. I don't have the schedule in front of me. I may just go ahead and do my hilly 7-miler tomorrow if there is no wind.

Are you training for a half or full marathon? Are you following a training plan or are you just winging it?

Marathon Training: Day 29

Gee, has it really been almost a month since I started training? It sure doesn't seem like that. Although, much of it has been done on the treadmill. Today was no exception.

Blizzard warning. You heard me. Blizzard warning. We really didn't get the blizzard, so to speak. But it did snow, and the wind did howl. And driving in it was not pleasant.

Today was a P90X day. Chest, Shoulders and Triceps, to be exact. It came and went. And then I got on the treadmill. Normally, Hal would call this a rest day. But I pretty much did that yesterday. Normally, I'd do a 90-minute treadmill walk following P90X, but for some reason, I felt like running today. Not crazy running...just light running. Is there such a thing?

I figured my regular treadmill walk is 4.2 mph, so if I upped it just a little bit, I'd be jogging. And can a light jog really hurt? So, after a 10-minute warm up walk, I jumped in at 5.0 mph. Eh, not feeling it. Then I upped it to 5.5. Better...good to continue the warm up. After 15 minutes or so, I went up to 6.0 mph. Now THIS is a comfortable running pace. To double check it, I turned on my metronome. Yep, this is reasonable.

And, I kept on running. My elevation was set to 1.5. So, it wasn't a cake walk. But it was easy. And I never struggled. And it was OK. The final 10 minutes, I upped it to 6.2. Altogether, with a 10-minute warm up walk and a 10-minute cool down walk, I did about 9 miles.

Brooks Pure Cadence-The Original

I gotta admit, that I love my new Brooks Pure Cadence. These are the original Cadence. I'm reading that the Pure Cadence 2 do not compare to the originals. Of course they don't. Already, the Pure Cadence originals are scarce. But I found a pair today at a ski and sport store, of all places. I think this could be the marathon sneaker. they feel much like the Brooks Launch, but they have the extra padding right where I need it at the ball of the foot. I'll know more when I run more than a half marathon in them. And I'll have an opportunity in the next few weeks, according to Hal.

Of course, my biggest challenge the next few weeks will be getting outside as winter rages on here in Minnesota. All we can do at this point is pray. Eventually, the snow will stop, right?

A hole in the clouds just for me!

That big hole in the sky is for me...I know it is!

Marathon Training: Day 20

I took it outdoors this morning. Call me crazy, but there was no weather. The temperature was above freezing...and the radar showed nothing nearby for a few hours at least. My husband was surprised I was heading out. And he warned me that the driveway looked bad. So, I pulled on the Ice Treckers at the last moment to get me off the property and up the big hill outside our driveway. I'm so glad I did. It was like grease. The snow had melted on top of the ice and there was no walking on it without the extra traction. But as soon as I hit the pavement of the main road, all was clear. I took off the treckers and held them for the duration...or at least until I had to make my way back to the house.

Hal told me to run slower than Wednesday. And I swear, I felt like I was. Yet, Runmeter told me I was going faster. I kept trying to slow it down everytime I got an update. It is rather clear that my "comfortable" pace is getting faster. At one point, I heard my sister, The Petite Pacer, say "It looks like you are running tempo intervals?" I thought to myself, "No, I'm just trying to run slower than Wednesday, and this is what that looks like!" Between the variable hills on this route, and me trying to run slow, I end up with what looks exactly like tempo intervals! Go figure!

I also ran sans glasses today, which despite the fact that I couldn't see, worked out great because there was nothing to fog up on me. That was kind of nice.

The sneakers performed like a champ. I'm real happy with them. Now I just have to see how they handle long distances. Hal calls for an 11-miler next Saturday. I'm running a 7k that day, so I may switch my long run to Thursday, weather permitting.

I also broke down and bought a Fitbit.

I was so excited to sleep with it last night, that in my haste, I neglected to read the instructions. I was supposed to tell it I was going to sleep. Ooops! Well, tonight is another night. My  6+ miler today was about 12,000 steps. Seems fair. I'm sure I'll add on to that throughout the day. I'm looking forward to seeing what my 90-minute treadmill walks turns out to be!

Are you a gadget junkie? What is your latest electronic must-have?

Marathon Training: Week 3

It has been a busy and exhausting week. I can't even remember when I posted last. There was a death in the family and my husband really felt the need to attend the service of his only Aunt. So, he made a mad dash for Michigan on Monday morning. Therefore I got the crash course on the Bobcat and snow plow as the biggest storm of the season was bearing down on us. This meant a delay in Monday's workout. But I got it done, plus a dog walk.

Tuesday, we were snowed in. Not knowing how the morning was going to play out, I got up at 5am to do my 3-miler on the treadmill. It was a good run. I aimed for a negative split, which I'm pretty sure I accomplished.

Wednesday, the same...early to rise to get the 5-miler in, plus P90X before getting the girls off to school. Hal said to run marathon pace, so I chose 8:30 to do the run. It was good. Maybe a tad fast, but tough for me to gauge on the treadmill. Either way, a good training run.

Thursday, I took it outside. The roads cleared up in a hurry despite the deep snow everywhere else. Hal called for 3. I went 5. Why? It was sunny. Good enough reason for me. I also tried some new treads, knowing that my Brooks Launch's aren't going to live forever. I opted to try the Brooks Pure Cadence. Unfortunately, I got some blisters doing the dog walk in my boots on Monday. So, this wasn't a good, true test. But, I think they will make a good replacement. I can feel the extra cushioning mid-foot. And I think it helps me with mid-foot placement during the run. I had to go a full size higher in these sneakers...up to a 9. I'm looking forward to going a longer distance in these. I'm pretty certain the Launch aren't cushioned enough to take me through a full marathon. These may do the trick. I chose a pretty pink. And because the Pure Cadence 2 is already out, these were a good bargain at around $69.

I think I need to make a trip to my running store and check out some of the newer Brooks models, just to be sure. They are having a Newton event that I signed up for on the 19th. I'm looking forward to that!

Today, I had class again, so I just did a 90 minute treadmill walk. Tomorrow, Hal is calling for 6 miles. Snow is expected again here, this time mixed with a conglomerate of other weather. It will be a treadmill run, I'm pretty sure. I'll be so darn happy when this winter is over!

And I didn't take a photo, but I'm back down to 115.6 this morning. Crazy. I'm reading a new book called "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis. I'm already hooked and I'm convinced that I need to give up wheat. I also believe I may have a late life peanut allergy. Remember that sinus infection I thought I had in January? Well, I'm now suspecting it is peanuts. I haven't had any peanuts for 2 weeks, and I've had no symptoms. The other day, I had a few peanuts, and the post nasal drip was almost instant. I'm going to give it a week and try the peanuts again to see what happens. Third time is a charm. If it happens again, I'll go in for some allergy testing.

I also have significant ringing in my ears so I plan to find an ENT doctor to have that looked at. My sister has had the same issue recently. I'm thinking I've got the same thing.

But, I'm keeping myself healthy, taking my vitamins, continuing my stretching, still off the alcohol, and now abstaining from wheat as well. The next few weeks will tell a lot!

Do you have any food allergies or intolerances? What foods do you substitute for them?

Marathon Training: Day 11

Hal said three. So, I ran three. Happily. (Hey, I'm a poet!)

Funny, because when I got out there I was having slight inward feelings that it wouldn't be enough. I thought I'd run out three and perhaps just walk back. My husband made the same offer he did yesterday, so if it got really bad into the wind, I could just call him. But after a mile and a half, I became grateful that it was just a three miler. I went a few extra steps and turned around. And then I started to think how grateful I was that there is no scheduled run for tomorrow. I'm tired, doggone-it!

I had a great pace today, just under 8:00. And now that I have two fast back-to-back runs out of my system, it should make Saturday's scheduled 9'er much easier to take slow.

It's all going great. I can almost kinda see a method to Hal's madness. This just might work.

Have you ever questioned someone's motives just to find out they were right all along? How did you feel afterward?

Marathon Training: Day 10

An outdoor run! So excited, I could spit. My handy husband called me just as I was about to step out the door to tell me it was windy and colder than it looked. I took his word as truth and added another jacket.

The thermometer read 30°. And the sun was trying to peak through. But, hell...it was windy. I managed to fight it pretty well for the first mile. It was the last that killed me.

Hal's Marathon Training Program called for a 5-miler today, at whatever pace struck my fancy. For some reason, I had the urge to go fast. I think I just wanted to get it over with. I had just finished P90X Shoulders and Arms and I was getting hungry, but I wanted to get that run out of the way first. I awoke this morning with a strange stitch in my lower left pelvic area. In fact, it has nagged at me all day. I was afraid this would affect my run, as well. It didn't, thank goodness, but it sure is bothering me tonight. Wish I knew what the heck it is.

Besides that, I just ran like the wind. I knew I started too fast...I knew my heart rate was up there...but I didn't care. I just ran. I heard Hal tell me I was at the half way point, so I went maybe 100 more paces then turned around. Now, the winds were reeking havoc and I could tell they were out of the north...and strong. This meant that the last mile would be hell...all uphill and into the wind. And I was right. It wasn't necessarily cold, but oh, that wind. Around mile 3.5 my phone started ringing...I answered it rather haphazardly, and found my husband at the other end.

"Did you get my text?" he asked.
"Um...no." (DUH!)
"Oh, well, if you want, just keep running south and I'll pick you up so you don't have to run home into the wind."

That was mighty kind of him, but I had already turned around and wasn't going to change direction again. Besides, this is good for the training, right?

I swear, I was running backwards at moments during that last mile.

Never the less, I finished with a great run at a 7:48 pace, thereabouts. So I'm not complaining.

Run like the wind? Well, ok.

What weather do you hate running in the most?

Marathon Training: Day 5

Hal said I had to run 8 miles today. I really hoped to do it outside, but the temperature read 13° upon waking, and with yesterday's snow...it just seemed like a bad idea. I had to run early today, too, because the rest of my morning and early afternoon was pretty busy. In hindsight, I'm glad I did it early.  The head cold was really kicking in this afternoon.

So, I tuned in the Netflix to National Geographic's Alaska's Denali National Park and got moving. After a 10 minute warm up walk, I set the treadmill to manual. I started off at a 1% incline and 6.5 mph.  I upped it .2 mph every 5 minutes until I reached 6.9 mph. Then I upped it .2 mph every 10 minutes. With 1.2 miles left I was up to 7.5 mph. I did slow to a walk at mile 3 and mile 6 to drink my Cytomax. I skipped the gel today. It was pretty sweaty in the basement this morning for a change. But I kinda wish it were colder because I would have been more comfortable. Of course, I forget I have a cold. That doesn't help. But all in all, it was a good 8-mile treadmill run. I finished it in under 70 minutes. And with a negative spit. That is the great thing about that treadmill. You can force yourself to run negative split. That will be great for training.

I'm focusing on post-run stretching and it is making a huge difference. I really need to keep that up and take the 15-20 minutes afterward to properly stretch. My flexibility is much better than it was.

I'm super sore tonight. But not because of the run, but because of yesterday's P90X Legs and Back. That workout gets me every time.

I'm so proud of my sister, The Petite Pacer. She has come so far in just one year. I have a number of friends on Facebook who have just started running as well. They have come to me for advice and suggestions as they get started. It is so uplifting for me to be able to help them in some small way to get them out there. Maybe running won't be their thing...or maybe it will. Either way, it is giving it a try and putting faith in yourself that matters. I'm so proud of all of them! There is no doubt that running changes your life.

Marathon Training: Day 3

Treadmill...again. This will get old fast. But it is all I have. So it will do.

Today's workout: 5 miles at "marathon" pace.

I really had to think this out. What will be my"marathon" pace? I've never run one, so I'm not quite sure. I've run 3 half marathons, but they are completely different animals. My pace for those averaged about 8:00/mile. Do I add 30 seconds to that? Do I add a minute? I'm not quite certain.

What I do know is what I know. And that is that a 5 mile run I could virtually do in 40 minutes with some effort. What I'm thinking is that I'm not supposed to put too much effort into this run today. A marathon pace should be an easy pace. I started with a 6.0 pace for 5 minutes, then 6.5 for 5 minutes then to 7.0, and finally to 7.2 to finish it off. This made my run about 43 minutes long. I wasn't winded, I was still in my comfort zone. And that pace ended up being about 8:34. Is this my marathon pace? I can't help but wonder.

I'd love to be able to run the thing in less than four hours. A 9:16 pace would be exactly that...4 hours. For me that seems feasible. But I may be overestimating what I am capable of. I'm hoping not. I think what I will do is consider my "comfortable" pace to be faster than my "marathon" pace. I'm going to aim for an 8:40 marathon pace.

Crazy? Maybe I am. I suppose that is what Marathon Training is all about. To see what you are capable of.

It's gonna be a long 18 weeks.

Marathon Training: Day 2

Wait! What happened to Day 1? Well, it was yesterday and it was a rest day. And suffice it to say. 9 hours in the back seat of a Sequoia in 40 mph cross winds was more like hell than a rest day. But still, no workout was achieved.

Today, although listed as Day 2, was more like Day 1. The program required 3 miles at a "comfortable" pace. I already see problems with this program. Someone please define "comfortable". Does it mean I run slow? Does it mean I run at my fast, but I feel great pace?

It seems that since I'll be running on a treadmill for a good chunk of this marathon training program, I'll need some definitions of the words "easy", "comfortable", "normal" and "marathon" pace. Wouldn't I want my marathon pace to be easy, comfortable and normal? Gawd, I'm confused already.

I plan to ask the question from the man himself, Hal Higdon, in his marathon training forum. Perhaps he can give me some insight.

In the meantime, I've picked up both his Marathon book from the library, and Matt Freeman's Racing Weight book. I'm not quite sure what else I'm expecting to learn that I don't already know, but I guess it is better to be well educated than not at all.

All this being said, today's workout was 3-miles on the treadmill. I started at 5.0 mph, and worked my way up to 7.0 mph by the final half mile. It was easy and non-taxing. I didn't include my warm up or cool down in my Dailymile numbers. But I did walk an additional 2 miles after the run. I figured it wouldn't hurt. And if I don't move at least 5-miles a day, I don't feel much accomplished.

We missed P90X yesterday because we were driving home, but my husband and I will tackle one tomorrow. I am also required to do 5 miles tomorrow. This will be done inside again, as we won't even get close to 20° tomorrow and wind chills should be about minus that number. Yuck.

Are you reading any good books these days? What is on your nightstand?