Saturday, September 30, 2006
Crash
I am going to keep this short and sweet, because I am not going to dwell on it. Here's what happened: I'm cruising along about 18 mph, not many people around at the moment, so I drop down to my aerobars. Just cruising along the flat. Michele cruises up to my left and for some reason which I still do not know, I veer over close to her. So close, as a matter of fact, that my brake lever locks around her handle bar. And in a split second our bikes are stuck together. There were a few seconds of Michele screaming "LANA!!!". My eyeballs were as big as golf balls, but I couldn't get anything to come out of my mouth. And then we crashed....skidding along the road before coming to a stop. I had no real monumental thoughts as I was slidding across the pavement, other than hoping Michele was not hurt and hoping my new helmet was okay. I knew I was okay, everything except my pride, ofcourse. I knew that we were going down before it happened...so when we did I just tucked my chin and took a ride. A bumpy ride I might add. As it turns out, I have some pretty nasty scrapes and bruises, mainly on my knee, hip and elbow....and my helmet was okay, other than a couple scratches. My new Pearl Izumi jacket has a small hole in it, too, but it will still work. Michele wasn't as lucky. Her head hit the pavement hard and actually cracked her helmet. Her elbow was pretty torn up, and she was pretty well scrapped from her shoulder to her ankle. She about passed out after standing up, and we deemed it necessary that she call it quits on the day. We called the SAG wagon, and I went back with her.
I don't really know what to say, other than I feel awful about it, and I am pretty embarassed. It certainly ruined a good day for cycling. Lessons learned?...stay off the aerobars while riding with a group, maybe?? Perhaps I could have reacted better if I weren't on the aerobars.
Friday, September 29, 2006
You Ain't Gotta Take Drugs To Get High
There is just something about distance running, or pushing your body to it's limits, especially in this kind of weather, that seems to make me intricately aware of my surroundings. Aware of my blessings. Aware of the gifts that The Creator gives me daily. Aware of my health. I can feel the air circulating through my lungs, and can see it as I exhale. It might be cool outside to someone standing around, but I am warm. My heart beats just enough to keep me warm and to supply the needed oxygen to my muscles. When I get too cocky, it speeds up and reminds me to have respect. After all, there have been 20 milers in the past that have kept me from making it home. I am rich with God's blessings. I have been steady lately. Not too high, not too low. But today I am high on life.
Michele and I had a brilliant 20 miler this morning. We ran our normal 20 mile Normandy bike route. It is hilly, but we handled it well. Target pace was 9:45-10:00/mile. I felt good pretty much the entire way, other than a little knee pain in my left knee, but it didn't seem to be anything serious. I finished in 3:13:47, a 9:41/mile pace. Week 6 running is in the books. Tomorrow I am doing the Delta 100k bike ride here in town.
Here are the mile splits for my 20 mile run:
1. 9:47
2. 10:07
3. 9:41
4. 9:32
5. 9:40
6. 9:40
7. 9:56
8. 9:45
9. 9:50
10. 9:43
11. 9:39
12. 10:07
13. 9:55
14. 9:43
15. 9:48
16. 9:37
17. 9:29
18. 9:16
19. 9:27
20. 8:54
Here's hoping your long runs go as well as mine!
You Ain't Gotta Take Drugs To Get High
There is just something about distance running, or pushing your body to it's limits, especially in this kind of weather, that seems to make me intricately aware of my surroundings. Aware of my blessings. Aware of the gifts that The Creator gives me daily. Aware of my health. I can feel the air circulating through my lungs, and can see it as I exhale. It might be cool outside to someone standing around, but I am warm. My heart beats just enough to keep me warm and to supply the needed oxygen to my muscles. When I get too cocky, it speeds up and reminds me to have respect. After all, there have been 20 milers in the past that have kept me from making it home. I am rich with God's blessings. I have been steady lately. Not too high, not too low. But today I am high on life.
Michele and I had a brilliant 20 miler this morning. We ran our normal 20 mile Normandy bike route. It is hilly, but we handled it well. Target pace was 9:45-10:00/mile. I felt good pretty much the entire way, other than a little knee pain in my left knee, but it didn't seem to be anything serious. I finished in 3:13:47, a 9:41/mile pace. Week 6 running is in the books. Tomorrow I am doing the Delta 100k bike ride here in town.
Here are the mile splits for my 20 mile run:
1. 9:47
2. 10:07
3. 9:41
4. 9:32
5. 9:40
6. 9:40
7. 9:56
8. 9:45
9. 9:50
10. 9:43
11. 9:39
12. 10:07
13. 9:55
14. 9:43
15. 9:48
16. 9:37
17. 9:29
18. 9:16
19. 9:27
20. 8:54
Here's hoping your long runs go as well as mine!
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
The Wednesday Tempo Run
Anyways, even though I missed yoga, I did stretch on my own...trying desperately to rid myself of the soreness the lunges created. I knew the 5 mile tempo run would be rough at 5:30 a.m. if I was still pretty sore.
5:10 a.m. : beep...beep...beep...beep
My legs(as I roll over) : No Way. Nope. No freakin' chance. Don't even think about making me carry you for 5 miles at this hour at that ridiculous pace you were talking about last night. I HURT. You got that? YOU chose the lunges Monday night...not me...it was your choice. Now you figure something out.
Me: Ohhhh my...this is not good. It's 5 miles at MT...that would be 8:06/mile. They aren't going to do that right now. Not even close. Hmmm...let's see...if I go back to sleep...maybe, just maybe they'll cooperate at lunch today. I could do that. Yes, that's what I will do.
So I turned off the alarm, slept until 7:00 a.m., got Bo off to preschool, myself to work, and tried again at lunch. My legs were still sore, but not like this morning. I stretched, took a deep breath and set out for the 5 miles.
Mile 1 - I felt stiff, very stiff. Split: 8:25 Avg heart rate:156 My thoughts: oh boy...I need to speed up...can I do that?
Mile 2 - Still a little stiff, trying to find a groove. Split: 8:27 Avg heart rate:172 My thoughts: Ouch...I didn't speed up any...I thought I did...try again
Mile 3 - Not as stiff anymore, not feeling the soreness, finally finding a groove. Split: 8:21 Avg heart rate:175 My thoughts: Better. Atleast you sped up that time. You're over half way, you're gonna make it. Kick it, and see what you can do.
Mile 4 - Found the groove, feeling better and more confident. Split: 8:10 Avg heart rate:178 My thoughts: Much better. You were just 4 seconds shy of the target. Close enough...hold steady...you're almost there.
Mile 5 - Held steady, even uphill, finished fairly strong. Split: 8:11 Avg heart rate:181 My thoughts: Whew...glad it's over...It wasn't on target, but it was better than a I thought I would do.
5 miles: 41:37 Pace: 8:19/mile Avg Heart Rate: 172 bpm Max Heart Rate: 185 bpm
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Cross Training, Honey Grilled Salmon, and My Butt Hurts
But - Briar and I did manage to get back to the rec center this morning for a 2 mile jog (I do that solely for him, to keep him in good shape, because today is really a cross training day for me) and a swim. He wasn't about to brave the cold water in the pool, so while a swam a mile in 37:01, he bobbed around in the warm water therapy pool with the old people...hahaha. The swim was slow, but I felt pretty good near the end...I'm back to working on my recovery stroke like Coach Dan told me. Hopefully in a few days I can get J.T. to video me, so that Coach Dan can take a look and give me some more pointers.
While at work today, I got to thinking about Applebees' Honey Grilled Salmon...mmmmm....so I placed a "Carside To Go" order before getting on my bike. I did 14.68 miles in about 48 minutes...mostly flats and little rolling hills. It was tough with all the soreness from last night...but the thought of the Honey Grilled Salmon with rice and broccoli was enough to get me through.
Tomorrow is a 5 mile tempo - it will be tough - let's hope the sore muscles feel better soon. I think I'll go to Yoga tonight and try to stretch it all out again.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Starting Week 6
And Sunday, Briar's fall baseball games were rained out, leaving me a perfect opportunity to ride with the group. "The Group" is whoever Tracy, Michele and Amy can round up on a Sunday afternoon. This time we had me, Michele, Tracy, Amy, Don Jr., David, and Julie - very nice!!! Our little town is going to grow accustomed to sharing the road with cyclists before they know it. As of now, they still react in the same way they do when seeing a deer on the side of the road....but it's getting better. Rome wasn't built in day. I am so cliche it's pathetic. Anyways, it was a nice ride. I love riding with people.
So, that leaves us with Monday morning. And FIRST brought me 2 x 1200 w/2min RI and 4 x 800 w/2min RI. Target for the 1200s was 5:28, and target for the 800s was 3:31.
Here's the splits:
1.77 mile warmup:19:26
2 x 1200m w/2min RI
1. 5:28
2. 5:31
4 x 800m w/2min RI
1. 3:38
2. 3:35
3. 3:32
4. 3:31
1 mile cooldown: 8:48
Not too bad. I like the negative splits on the 800s.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
LVM Training: Week 5 Long Run
A 4 bottle "Endurance" Fuel Belt to hold Gatorade and a Hammer Gel: $33.95
Nailing week 5's long run of 18 miles through wind, rain, and hills...and still feeling strong at the end: Priceless
And it's too bad I don't have a photo of us after our run. I've got to get a cheap little digital camera that I can carry easily while I run. Yesterday was The Long Run - 18 miles. Ofcourse I was worried about it after what happened Sunday, but I was glad to get another chance to redeem myself, too. I met Michele at 6:00 a.m. at the rec center. We complained a little to each other, stretched, talked to Amy who is training to do her first triathlon next season, and then took off. We ran the Star Triathlon bike route with a couple of detours. We ran through Whispering Winds, Fredonia Village, and Hunter's Landing instead of staying on Fredonia road. We crossed Fredonia Rd to get to Gowen Rd around mile 5.7, and then Gowen Rd to Old Woodbury Hwy at mile 6.6. On Old Woodbury Hwy, we saw another local triathlete, Joe, as he was heading to work. As we got to the end of Old Woodbury Hwy and crossed Hwy 53 quickly to beat the traffic, we heard HONK!! - and it was our friend Laurie. The other side of Hwy 53 is Pomroy Rd(mile 7.8). As we were running down Pomroy Rd., I told Michele that I was really needing a bathroom. We laughed about it, and soon after, she had the idea to run through a subdivision that is just now beginning to be developed. As we turned into the road, we saw the bright orange Port-a-Potty, and I was extremely excited!! I got some relief there, and we continued to run. I hated to mess up our pace with a bathroom stop, but boy did I feel better. I knew we had been under a 10 minute pace, but saw that we were back over it after the stop. There were headwinds, crosswinds, hills - you name it. Michele even rescued a turtle on Maple Springs road. I never realized that Maple Springs road was a steady uphill until you get to the elementary school, but after 12 miles the inclines become extremely apparent!! We got back to Old Woodbury Hwy, finally came to the short, steep uphill behind Cracker Barrell, and ran up it without much problem. Michele gave me "Five" as we got to the top, and we knew the hard part was over. We were at about mile 16.1, and about a mile from our starting point. When we got back to the rec center we kept going and got on the greenway for an out and back to finish the 18 miles. During the last half mile, rain was pouring from the sky, but we didn't care because we were FINISHED!!! 18 miles in 2:57:51. Average Pace: 9:52/mile.
Elevation and Pace:
Splits:
And I think I did everything right afterwards. I went to sonic and got a Power Aide Slush and drank as much as I could - which wasn't much because it was just too syrupy...so I ate a banana, drank lots of water, mixed up a scoop of my vanilla protein powder and poured it down my throat, then took an ICE BATH!! And the ice bath wasn't that bad - I wore a sweatshirt and drank a cup of coffee while sitting in the ice for about 7 minutes. I took a nap a couple hours later and felt fully recovered the rest of the day. I got out this morning and did an easy 15 mile bike.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Missing my Oly Tri Sunday, gorgeous weather, and better nutrition...
Am I seeing things?!?!? Did I just get UNDER the target of
I still felt good. My heart rate was up there pretty high but nothing else was complaining…so I kept the pace…kept turning over the legs…and kept telling myself how foolish it is to get so down on myself when I have a bad day or two – because the good days far make up for any bad days. I went over a couple of rolling hills without much of a pace change and realized that I was going to get the third mile under the target as well. Third tempo mile –
YESSSSS!!!! I love FIRST!!!
Yes, I know…I’ll probably be cursing the very likes of FIRST come Friday’s long run. But that’s okay…I know it’s making stronger. And faster. And more prepared for
I slowed it back down for the final mile which was supposed to be easy, and finished it in 9:50. A total of 6 miles in 53:24, average pace of 8:54/mile.
Now, since I never posted about my intervals which were done at
Well good grief, what’s he doing here??? Oh well…I’m not doing anything wrong…I don’t have to jump the fence now that I have the combination to the lock…I guess if there’s an escaped convict out here or something he’ll let me know…
So I got out and walked on over to the track. I unlocked the gate with the combination my Dad got for me and proceeded to start my warm up. I was a little nervous that he might try to tell me I shouldn’t be there, but I just acted like I knew what I was doing and had every right to be doing it. After 3 of my warm up laps he pulled out and left. I don’t know what the deal was. It’s not everyday you have an audience at the track at
FIRST said I was to make my second attempt at 3x1600m Intervals @7:16/mile w/1 min RI…with a 10-20 minute warmup and a 10 minute cooldown. Here are the results:
2 mile warmup:
3 x 1600m Intervals w/1 min RI:
1.7:24
2.7:29
3.7.29
I had to cut the cooldown short because I was out of time, and I had kinda sorta messed up my Garmin workout trying to get it stopped, so I just jogged a 400m and took it the house.
My interval times are not as good as when I did them in week 1, and I have a good explanation for that. In week 1 I had just gotten my Garmin and was letting it determine the distance on the track. That proved to be inaccurate as the 1st and 3rd intervals of that workout were really short of the true distance. I think Garmin has issues with the turns on the track. All that being said, I wasn’t happy, but I wasn’t too disappointed with these times. I didn't feel all that great doing them, and was pretty spent by the time they were done.
And I think I have written enough for a single post.
Over and out.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Answers
I want to be steady.
I want to establish myself as a marathoner. I want to knock out several century rides. I don't want to have any doubt in my mind that this is a fad. It is part of who I am, and I want to absorb this evolving part of me slowly. I am notorious for diving head first into things and then getting burned out. I've told you before - I am all or nothing. But this is a chance to change that.
There are many other reasons to run a marathon besides "achieving the next level". I can, as I am doing now, try out a new training plan and compare the results. I can enjoy what it feels like to become an experienced runner. I can work on my speed. I can work on my body composition. I can enjoy the scenery. I can take time to consider raising money for charity - I have several friends and relatives who are enduring or recovering from cancer right now. I can relax a little because this is not new territory.
And so what if I had to miss the triathlon yesterday. So what if I didn't make it through my long run yesterday. The important thing is that I came back today with a good cross training effort. I set out on my bike at lunch, and about 8 miles from work the flood gates opened up in the sky...I was remembering why I do this stuff as I climbed the "3 Steps" (3 stairstep hills out in the countryside where my coworkers and I ride), and it was like celebration from Mother Nature. I took in the rain with open arms and absorbed the experience. And I vowed to do the same with my new marathon journey.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...
There have been times in my life when I have sincerely felt I was "walking through the valley of the shadow of death". That being said, this time in my life does not come close to qualifying as so. However, on a very small scale, I will attempt to use it comparitively. These are not the best of times for TriLana (I think I just made myself a new name)...but I will not fear...and I'll come out stronger. I hope.
So the last time I posted, I was changing some things:
The Diet: check! The diet is better. I feel better. And I haven't had too much of a problem with it. I just can't handle junk food on a daily basis. I have been eating grilled chicken, grilled tilapia, grilled shrimp, lots of broccoli, spinach, almonds, fruit, etc. And NO DESSERT.
Commitment: Well, I can't really give a full check mark in good conscience, but it is improving. I will explain in more detail later.
I did my cross training Thursday, and did it well. I rode 18 miles averaging 19.1 mph. Friday, the plan was an open water swim with Michele after we dropped the kids off at their schools. Briar and I decided we were going to ride our bikes to school that morning - the first time ever. So we got dressed and made the 3 mile ride to his school. It was so fun! I think he really enjoyed it. We even saw my Dad as we turned the corner at the red light. Michele picked me up afterwards at the rec center and drove me out to the lake for our swim. The swim did not go well for me - I swam too far out because I site about as well as a blind person. And I had no time for another workout that day, as I had to hurry back to get Bo from J.T. because he had many appointments to keep. I ended up catching J.T. before I left to pick up Briar, and he kept Bo with him for a few more minutes while I rode my bike to Briar's school. Briar was happy to ride back, and we made our way home safely. I really enjoyed that, and I hope we can do it more before it turns too cold.
Saturday was packed with baseball practice and a friends birthday party, so I took it easy in anticipation of the Music City Triathlon the next day. Which didn't happen for me afterall. :( Last night, Bo was running a temperature of 102 degrees, and I was up most of the night with him. After 2 doses of Motrin and washing his face with a cool cloth, he finally went to sleep at 5:00 a.m. This was the time I was suppose to meet Michele to head to Nashville. Instead, I called and told her I couldn't make it. I felt like I couldn't leave him not knowing what was wrong, or if he was feeling better. I knew I'd be out on the course between 2 1/2 and 3 hours, and unable to be reached. I debated and debated, and finally decided at 4:45 that I had to make a decision. And the fact that Bo was hanging on my arm tightly, pretty well sealed the deal. Maybe that makes me a less committed triathlete, but a mother's got to do what a mother's got to do. Even it means $80 down the drain. And even if it means another knock on my struggling commitment and motivation issues.
And speaking of knocks on motivation, after Bo got to feeling better this morning I did get to go out for a run. I was suppose to run 20 miles, but I knew that would be quite ambitious in the midday heat and on less than 3 hours of sleep. So I decided I would take it easy on myself and go somewhere between 15 and 17, depending on how I felt. I took off at 10:30 a.m. and didn't feel all that great. I was keeping about a 9:45 pace...until mile 8, when I noticed my fuel belt bottles were getting pretty low...and by mile 10, I was out of Gatorade nauseated. I thought I could make it back home, and I actually climbed the very steep hill behind Cracker Barrell with not much trouble...but by mile 11, my legs were weak and I was too light headed to keep running. I walked a mile and a half, then barely jogged the last half back home. I felt horrible. I could barely even talk. And I was so discouraged. I decided that "marathons were not for me" and that I needed to retire. I asked myself a million times "why do you do this?". Nine hours later, I've had time to reflect upon successful runs that I've had. And successful races. And in the mix of all of them, I've had several other unsuccessful runs like this one. I really don't understand why I had such a breakdown during this run. I felt like I was drinking enough. It was fairly warm, but nothing like we've seen this past summer. Sure, I didn't have sleep....but there's lots of times I don't get the right amount of sleep. I haven't been overtraining. So I'm not very sure what's going on, but we'll get through it. I don't still want to retire.
Although today's run was a total bummer, I did come to a conclusion along the course. That conclusion is that I need to define in detail to myself "Why I do this". Months ago when I was training for my first marathon, I think my main motivation was to achieve the "next step". But instead of pressing on quickly to something more, I really feel the need to kind of "level out". To be steady for a while and to improve my performance at the distances I have already acheived. I don't want to rush out and say "I'm doing an Ironman next year!" without knowing that I can hold steady at the level I am currently on and enjoy doing so. Atleast for a while. For a couple of years. And I have a lot of obligations in my life that do not care what kind of race I'm doing next or what kind of pace I run it in. There is something in the back of my head that also reminds me that these obligations will pass quicker than I want them to, but there will always be races, marathons, and running. I know there is a happy median, and I know I will find it soon enough...I'm just having trouble finding it right now. In the meantime, I will do my assigned crossed training workout tomorrow and continue on my plan. I will pray, and I will tell God how much I love to run. How much I love to swim and bike. And how much I love to race. And how much more I love my family. And I'll ask him for some answers. And I'll wait patiently as I press on toward the goal.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 3:14
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
There will be hard days...
Here's the deal. I've been struggling lately. Struggling with time management, struggling with motivation, struggling with my diet, and for the past couple of days, struggling with a fussy stomach. I've been taking shortcuts. I've been eating too much pizza and way too much ice cream, which has probably caused my stomach to shout the profanities I've been hearing. I've had my priorities out of line.
The good news is, I admit it. The first step to recovery is admission of the problem, right?
My name is Lana and I've been a lazy triathlete lately.
There. I said it.
I've been skipping cross training workouts. I've not been going to Yoga. I haven't been getting enough sleep. And I already mentioned the pizza and ice cream. So early Tuesday morning I awoke to terrible stomach problems, and I haven't felt well since. I didn't go to the pool or yoga Tuesday like I had planned. I haven't been on my bike in over a week.
I got up at 4:50 a.m. to meet Michele this morning for our 6 mile tempo run. I knew I didn't feel well, but I couldn't just not do the run. And let me tell you, it was HARD. I knew I was in trouble when the 1st "Easy" mile was hard. FIRST said I was to run Miles 2-5 @ 8:06/mi pace. I didn't get there, not even close. Those 4 tempo miles averaged 8:30/mi pace. I finished out the 6 miles in 54:09.
Let me remind you, I have an Olympic Distance Tri this weekend, The Music City Triathlon. And it's a tough, hilly course. I am not sure how that's going to work out. I am doing that in substitution of my first 20 miler in the FIRST plan. It's a little late to worry about it now, though.
So, back to getting myself in gear. I'm starting with 2 things: 1)Renewed Commitment, and 2)My diet. Lately, I have been settling for mediocrity. How ironic, because that is what I am constantly preaching to Briar not to do.
DON'T SETTLE!!
I am going to have to plan out my workouts better. After all, they don't just fall in to place - ever. And no more skipping cross training days, no matter what.
My diet - UGH. I so struggle with my diet. I am such an all or nothing person. I have got to regain control. I have to keep the toxins out of my body. It does not respond well, it does not perform well, and it does not look good, damnit when I consume them. Bottom line - just do it. I've just got to do it and know that I will be happier for it soon enough.
On that note, I'm going to find a healthy, low-fat lunch...wish me well.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Starting the week with intervals...
10 - 20 min warmup
5 x 1k @ 4:25 w/400m RI
10 min cooldown
To my delight, when I approached the track I noticed that the soccer goals, which were previously in my way, had been moved. I have my awesome dad to thank for that - he always takes care of me. So I took a sip of Gatorade Rain and got started. Here's the result:
1.53 mile warmup in 15:22
1k Interval: 4:40
400m RI: 3:59
1k Interval: 4:26
400m RI: 3:58
1k Interval: 4:36
400m RI: 4:33
1k Interval: 4:32
400m RI: 4:09
1k Inteval: 4:29
200m RI: 2:39
1 mile cooldown in 8:58
I didn't ever actually hit 4:25, although I got close with the 4:26. I'm not sure what went wrong here, but something did. I programmed what I thought was the correct pace into my Garmin last night, and I kept it within the "beeps" that alert me when I'm off pace. One thing that I'm concerned with is the way the track is marked at Westwood. I've never run 600's or 1000's, where I had to add an extra 200 there - and I found out it is marked different than the one I use at lunch time in the town next door. My Garmin actually said ".66" for each 1k I did, so perhaps the distance was off some? I don't know...but I felt good during each interval, and really could have pushed harder if I had known I was that far off pace. Nevertheless, Week 4's track session is in the books and done. That's all I need to know right now. Let's hope I can get through Wednesday's tempo run as smoothly as I did the intervals today.
On to I Run For The Party...man - we had an awesome time!! I haven't got the pictures off of J.T.'s camera yet, but I will hopefully have them tonight. Let me just say we had a blast and everyone did great. And to top it off, I think I have some friends who have caught the...yep, that's right....they've caught the running bug!!! Stay tuned for details soon...
On another note - I haven't seen a post from TriSaraTops yet - but IM Wisconsin results indicate that she battled her way through the horrible conditions and finished in 5:32:32!!!! Magnificant! How awesome...I can't wait to hear the story. And warm thoughts go out to IronWil who suffered from circumstances beyond her control and barely missed the halfway point cutoff in the marathon. I can't imagine how she feels, but I'm sure she'll bounce back and be stronger as usual.
And ofcourse, my prayers and thoughts go out to all families of 9/11 victims on this day. You guys know what real sacrifice is about.
Friday, September 08, 2006
LVM Training: Week 3 Long Run
It looks like there is going to be no Elk River Ride for me tomorrow...just the I Run For the Party 5k.
Best wishes to TriSaraTops and Wil - who will be burning up Wisconsin this weekend at IM Moo!! Good luck girls!
Thursday, September 07, 2006
LVM Training Week 3: Intervals
Yesterday was intervals, since I did the 10k Monday (substituting the 7 mile tempo run). Below is what was planned, and what really happened:
Planned Interval | Target Time | Actual Interval | Actual Time |
10-20min warmup | No Target | 1.24 miles | 11:52 |
1200m | 5:28 | 1200m | 5:24 |
200m RI | No Target | 200m walk | 2:39 |
1000m | 4:25 | 1000m | 4:24 |
200m RI | No Target | 200m walk | 2:47 |
800m | 3:31 | 800m | 3:33 |
200m RI | No Target | 200m walk | 2:37 |
600m | 2:34 | 600m | 2:37 |
200m RI | No Target | 200m walk | 2:33 |
400m | 1:43 | 400m | 1:40 |
200m RI | No Target | 200m walk | 2:25 |
200m | :45 | 200m | 0:45 |
200m RI | No Target | 100m walk | 1:00 |
10min cooldown | No Target | 1 mile | 9:26 |
I am finally hitting some targets!! That is good news. I did this workout during my lunch break this time, instead of 5:15 a.m., so maybe that had something to do with it.
The bad news is that I did not get out of bed this morning for cross training. Ugh. And I may just have to write it off, as the rest of my day is completely full with work, cooking for a friend whose grandmother passed away, Briar's basketball tryouts, and all the other stuff that consume a normal day. I guess the bright side of that is fresh legs for Friday's long run. It's 17 miles, so I'll need them.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Labor Day Weekend
It doesn't get any better than the weather was Monday morning, Labor Day. Michele, Leslie and I met at 5:10 and headed to Franklin for The Franklin Classic 10k (Leslie actually ran both). We all got registered, and Michele and I walked around and watched the 5k runners come in. I was amazed at some of the younger kids running sub-20 min 5ks...wow! I saw my friend Ross and his wife, Jenny. Ross and I talked for a few minutes about what kind of time we wanted, and he introduced me to one of his friends who was running his first 10k. This was actually my first 10k race also, if you don't count the 10k during an Oly Tri. But we finally got lined up and the gun went off. Michele and I were together, and we took it easy during the beginning. My first mile was 8:16. During this mile, we saw David!! And this time it really was him (you'll have to read Michele's report to understand this-hehe)! We chatted with David for a while, and then I pulled out a little and tried to bump up the pace some. I saw Ross out in front of me several yards and tried to keep him in sight. He would get quite a ways in front of me, then I'd get back close to him. This went on pretty much the entire distance, and I don't think he had a clue that I was back there. I felt good pretty much the entire way...I got into a groove where I knew I couldn't go much faster, but it was a pace that I felt I could keep for the distance. Around the end of mile 5, I finally caught up with Ross. He informed me of a slight incline on the last mile, which was much appreciated. I pulled out away from him for a while, then made the turn into the final stretch. I could see the finish line way ahead, and was giving all I had left. It seemed like I would never get there!! About 20 yards from the finish, I saw a streak of orange fly by me....It was Ross, who had an awesome kick at the end!!! I crossed the finish line in 50:14. A PR, ofcourse, since I don't have one for this distance, but it was exactly where I wanted to be. I have hoped for a while now that I could run a 10k somewhere close to 50 minutes. Now I know where the bar is for the future. We didn't hang around too long afterwards...we grabbed some food, chatted with friends and headed back to the small town.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
LVM Training: Week 2 in da books
Friday morning I met my mother at the gym for some strength training. We mainly concentrated on shoulders, arms and chest. I didn't want to do legs since I had a long run the next morning. I struggle with that conflict a lot...I want to do lunges and weight exercises for my legs, but then they leave my legs sore and tired for my next run. Any advice out there? I just simply do not like the way my legs look when I am just running or cycling. I feel much better about them when I am doing toning exercises a couple times a week. After the strength training Bo and I took a short jog on the greenway and then played in the park.
Saturday morning I got a late start on my long run of 15 miles. I had intended on starting at 6:30 a.m., but I didn't actually start until 7:30. It was a great morning to be running, though - cool and overcast. Around mile 5 I notice some knee pain again in my left knee. I remembered that I had forgotten to stretch my IT band, but it didn't really feel like that afterall. It stayed pretty low key, though, not hindering me very much. The only real problem that I had was that I ran too far away from my house, and ended up finishing my 15 miles about a mile too short. Ugh. I finished the 15 miles in 2:28:45 - 9:55/mile pace. My pace, according to FIRST, was supposed to be 9:45. I was pleased with my effort, though, so no beating myself up over it. I used that last mile as a walking/jogging cool down. My knee felt very sore and tight the rest of the evening. I iced it twice and took some naprosen. We took the boys to the batting cage and to see "How To Eat Fried Worms" to finish up the evening.