Today the weather was blah. It wasn't raining, but it was wet and humid. I decided to stay in and run. I rather like having that option. My plan had me down for a 4.5 miler. That seems like a long way to go on a treadmill, but since Bill has done longer runs on the hamster wheel, I thought I'd give it a try. When I got on I set it for 6.0 (10 min/mi pace), After three laps I bumped up to 6.3. Three laps later I went to 6.6 (just shy of 9 m/m). After three laps I went back to 6.3 and then down to 6.0. So instead of doing the 4.5 miles, I did 3.1 at a good, speedy pace --about a 9:35 pace -- in 29:45, which is right around my race pace. I thought that was a better workout that doing the 4.5. I'll save that for Thursday.
I like having a plan. I use that as a point from which to deviate. That's my life story. I always have a plan, but I don't think anything ever goes according to plan. I am pleased with today's run. My back hurts a little bit, but I rolled it this evening and it feels better. I didn't get much sleep last night. For some reason I was wired when I got into bed and Tawny's incessant snoring didn't help. Yesterday and today I woke up with a sore throat. I am hoping that it is just something to do with the wacky weather and not some crud coming on. In the past four days we have bounced from highs near 80 and lows in the mid-60s to highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s. Tomorrow morning is supposed to be 39 degrees. This morning it was 69. I don't mind either weather; I just want it to be consistent. But this is NW Fla, so I shouldn't be too surprised.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Long run today
It was a good long run. I felt like keeping going. The weather was an optimal 55 degrees or so. However, there was a strong wind coming off the water, so it was a little chilly initially. I had my jacket, gloves, and hat, all of which were necessary the first mile or two. After that, I didn't need them.
I started up the north loop of Navy Point Park, which is one mile. Then I went and did the south loop, which is 3.5 miles, and did one more north loop. Then I took a two minute break to put the jacket and stuff in the car and get a drink of water. Then I did the south loop again and the north loop one more time to get my 10 miles in. Wow! Ten miles! I can't believe I'm doing ten miles, barely eight months after I started running. I'm pretty impressed with that. And the fact that it didn't take everything out of me and I thought I could do more bodes well for the big race.
Here's the breakdown: 10:46, 10:40, 10:57, 11:17, 11:42, 11:34, 11:18, 11:33, 11:38, 11:43, 0:50/0.07mi. The total is 10.07 miles in 1:53:58, for an average pace of 11:19. I am really happy with that! If I can maintain that pace for the entire half, that will get me through in 2:30, which is what I want.
Dan and Vicki have been training with run/walk. They run 5 minutes and walk one minute. That averages them to 11:30 pace, which is great, but I'm wondering if I want to do that with them or if I want to run it, taking walk breaks as I need them. I will have a good time running with them, and I'm doing this to have run, not to break or set any speed records. The other part of me says that if I can run 13 miles straight, I should run 13 miles straight. I'll figure it out in the next 40 days.
Then I came home and Tawny didn't last the whole three hours. Cleaning up dog pee brought me back to reality. Yay.
I started up the north loop of Navy Point Park, which is one mile. Then I went and did the south loop, which is 3.5 miles, and did one more north loop. Then I took a two minute break to put the jacket and stuff in the car and get a drink of water. Then I did the south loop again and the north loop one more time to get my 10 miles in. Wow! Ten miles! I can't believe I'm doing ten miles, barely eight months after I started running. I'm pretty impressed with that. And the fact that it didn't take everything out of me and I thought I could do more bodes well for the big race.
Here's the breakdown: 10:46, 10:40, 10:57, 11:17, 11:42, 11:34, 11:18, 11:33, 11:38, 11:43, 0:50/0.07mi. The total is 10.07 miles in 1:53:58, for an average pace of 11:19. I am really happy with that! If I can maintain that pace for the entire half, that will get me through in 2:30, which is what I want.
Dan and Vicki have been training with run/walk. They run 5 minutes and walk one minute. That averages them to 11:30 pace, which is great, but I'm wondering if I want to do that with them or if I want to run it, taking walk breaks as I need them. I will have a good time running with them, and I'm doing this to have run, not to break or set any speed records. The other part of me says that if I can run 13 miles straight, I should run 13 miles straight. I'll figure it out in the next 40 days.
Then I came home and Tawny didn't last the whole three hours. Cleaning up dog pee brought me back to reality. Yay.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Running again
Went out this morning covered from head to toe! The temp was 43 at 7am and the windchill made it feel like 34. Brrr! I had my tights and a long sleeve tech shirt. I wore a windbreaker, which was good because it really did cut the amount of wind I felt, but bad because it was really loose and blousy. I also had a hat and gloves. I was good for most of the run, but then I felt a little warm. When I finished the run and took my jacket off, I was freezing. I picked up a running jacket at Target this morning. I think that will work better. I hope tomorrow morning will be a little warmer.
I did the two neighborhood loops for four miles. Splits were 10:49, 10:17, 10:20, 10:48. I counted my cadence today once during each mile. I came up with 83 to 84. I thought that was an improvement over the 80 I told Coach Mark I was. But today I started wondering about that. I think the last time I counted my cadence it was 70 to 75. Regardless, I concentrated a lot on leg turnover this morning. I wanted to take shorter strides and more steps per minute. I am not at the 90 Coach Mark wants me at, but I will get there. Tomorrow I am going to just concentrate on stride and distance. I'll try to take shorter steps and more steps, but I just want to get the long run done.
I talked with my friend Dan today, the one who convinced me to do this half marathon. Six weeks from tonight, it will all be over. Five weeks of training left. That's it! Whew!
I did the two neighborhood loops for four miles. Splits were 10:49, 10:17, 10:20, 10:48. I counted my cadence today once during each mile. I came up with 83 to 84. I thought that was an improvement over the 80 I told Coach Mark I was. But today I started wondering about that. I think the last time I counted my cadence it was 70 to 75. Regardless, I concentrated a lot on leg turnover this morning. I wanted to take shorter strides and more steps per minute. I am not at the 90 Coach Mark wants me at, but I will get there. Tomorrow I am going to just concentrate on stride and distance. I'll try to take shorter steps and more steps, but I just want to get the long run done.
I talked with my friend Dan today, the one who convinced me to do this half marathon. Six weeks from tonight, it will all be over. Five weeks of training left. That's it! Whew!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Black Friday
Well, it was not enough to put us in the black this year, but it was one of the best days we've had in a while. It was busy from the open at 9 through about 3 this afternoon. I'm quite pleased. I hope we can have more days like that!
There isn't a whole lot more to say. I did get the opportunity to work on Thurston's blanket some and I realized I'm a little farther along than I thought. Two more repeats and then the end loops. That's encouraging. It is really turning out beautifully. I'll definitely post a picture before I gift it to the little guy/gal.
The weather was about 70+ degrees when I woke up this morning. The forecasters all said that the highs would be at midnight and the temps would plummet throughout the day. Sure enough, while I was driving home the rearview mirror registered 49. Tomorrow morning's run will probably be a little chilly.
There isn't a whole lot more to say. I did get the opportunity to work on Thurston's blanket some and I realized I'm a little farther along than I thought. Two more repeats and then the end loops. That's encouraging. It is really turning out beautifully. I'll definitely post a picture before I gift it to the little guy/gal.
The weather was about 70+ degrees when I woke up this morning. The forecasters all said that the highs would be at midnight and the temps would plummet throughout the day. Sure enough, while I was driving home the rearview mirror registered 49. Tomorrow morning's run will probably be a little chilly.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
I like Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for that sometimes I'm overwhelmed when I think about it. As a vegetarian I don't like the fact that this holiday has become all about the turkey, but I am trying not to focus on that much.
I received several invitations to dinner today. I am thankful to have so many friends and customers who were concerned that I would be alone today. That means a lot to me! I was also invited to my in-laws, but that would require closing the shop. While that sounds like a great idea, and it would have been fun, with all the upcoming closings, I figure it wouldn't be the smartest business move to make.
So I will be spending the holiday at my friend Angela's house. She has also invited Sock Amy and her husband as well as Cherryl and Karl. They were a little hesitant, but I think I talked her into going this morning.
I ran this morning for the first time in a while. My legs were resistant at first, but seemed to get into the groove. I tried to concentrate on all the things Coach Mark and Coach John told me. I focused a lot on increasing my cadence. My stride was not very long today, but my pace seemed relatively steady. I could feel when my cadence had increased, even if I didn't have any numbers to back that feeling up.
I ran through the Zachary neighborhood and then followed part of my cycling route from the other day. I continued on Bellview across Blue Angel and then went south on East Fence Drive. Then I headed east on Saufley, went north on Blue Angel and the turned on Green Acres. I joined up with my original neighborhood loop at that point. All together it was 5 miles. I had considered doing 6, but I didn't want to push it. I wanted to run partly because it was nice out, partly because I haven't in a while, but mostly because of the food this afternoon. I know Angela will have a great spread. The clouds have rolled in, so now would be a better time to run. The temps are still in the mid-70s, but now there's not as much sun and more breeze. Such is life. I just hope the rain will hold off until I get back from dinner. My splits today were 10:24, 10:26, 10:31, 10:39, and 10:48. I think that is a good training pace. I'd like to maintain 10:30 or so.
I'm thankful for a lot of things today. My husband, who is awesome, is at the top of the list. He is so supportive and encouraging. He never tells me I can't, even when I don't think I can. He lets me be me and encourages me to be the best person I can be. He's incredible. I'm thankful for my family, even with all of its drama. There's just nothing quite like family and by family I mean both sides - my family and my in-laws. I'm thankful for my friends, both near and far. They care about me, encourage me, challenge me, and support me. And they make sure I'm not spending the holidays alone. I'm thankful for the pets. Rava and Tawny are awesome dogs. They are so well behaved and they are great company. They were happy for the Jumbone earlier today. Marco and Abby are great cats (especially since we have fixed the litterbox issue - 50 days and counting!). They are thankful for the sparkly ball and the fake mouse they got this morning. I'm thankful for my health and being able to run the distances I have been. I'm thankful for the job that Bill has, not only because it allows us to live comfortably and lets me experiment with entrepreneurship, but because it challenges and stimulates him. He may not always love his job, but he is challenged and he does develop new skills. I'm thankful for the military members who are deployed this holiday season for putting the safety and liberty of this country and its citizens selflessly ahead of themselves and their families. Without their sacrifices this world would be a very different place.
I could probably go on for a while, as my list is quite long, but I will spare you. I have a lot to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
I received several invitations to dinner today. I am thankful to have so many friends and customers who were concerned that I would be alone today. That means a lot to me! I was also invited to my in-laws, but that would require closing the shop. While that sounds like a great idea, and it would have been fun, with all the upcoming closings, I figure it wouldn't be the smartest business move to make.
So I will be spending the holiday at my friend Angela's house. She has also invited Sock Amy and her husband as well as Cherryl and Karl. They were a little hesitant, but I think I talked her into going this morning.
I ran this morning for the first time in a while. My legs were resistant at first, but seemed to get into the groove. I tried to concentrate on all the things Coach Mark and Coach John told me. I focused a lot on increasing my cadence. My stride was not very long today, but my pace seemed relatively steady. I could feel when my cadence had increased, even if I didn't have any numbers to back that feeling up.
I ran through the Zachary neighborhood and then followed part of my cycling route from the other day. I continued on Bellview across Blue Angel and then went south on East Fence Drive. Then I headed east on Saufley, went north on Blue Angel and the turned on Green Acres. I joined up with my original neighborhood loop at that point. All together it was 5 miles. I had considered doing 6, but I didn't want to push it. I wanted to run partly because it was nice out, partly because I haven't in a while, but mostly because of the food this afternoon. I know Angela will have a great spread. The clouds have rolled in, so now would be a better time to run. The temps are still in the mid-70s, but now there's not as much sun and more breeze. Such is life. I just hope the rain will hold off until I get back from dinner. My splits today were 10:24, 10:26, 10:31, 10:39, and 10:48. I think that is a good training pace. I'd like to maintain 10:30 or so.
I'm thankful for a lot of things today. My husband, who is awesome, is at the top of the list. He is so supportive and encouraging. He never tells me I can't, even when I don't think I can. He lets me be me and encourages me to be the best person I can be. He's incredible. I'm thankful for my family, even with all of its drama. There's just nothing quite like family and by family I mean both sides - my family and my in-laws. I'm thankful for my friends, both near and far. They care about me, encourage me, challenge me, and support me. And they make sure I'm not spending the holidays alone. I'm thankful for the pets. Rava and Tawny are awesome dogs. They are so well behaved and they are great company. They were happy for the Jumbone earlier today. Marco and Abby are great cats (especially since we have fixed the litterbox issue - 50 days and counting!). They are thankful for the sparkly ball and the fake mouse they got this morning. I'm thankful for my health and being able to run the distances I have been. I'm thankful for the job that Bill has, not only because it allows us to live comfortably and lets me experiment with entrepreneurship, but because it challenges and stimulates him. He may not always love his job, but he is challenged and he does develop new skills. I'm thankful for the military members who are deployed this holiday season for putting the safety and liberty of this country and its citizens selflessly ahead of themselves and their families. Without their sacrifices this world would be a very different place.
I could probably go on for a while, as my list is quite long, but I will spare you. I have a lot to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Almost made a complete fool of myself
I didn't run today. I took the bike out instead and I really enjoyed it! The weather was beautiful. I took the road bike and had to practice clipping in and out again. But then I got going and all was well until I had to slow down. I forgot how to downshift! I really had to push to get myself going again since I was in the higher gear, but I just couldn't figure it out. I rode through the neighborhood next door while I tried to remember. Just when I was about to call someone and feel like a COMPLETE IDIOT for doing so, it came to me. I had to push both the brake lever and the gear shift lever! Ah. It was a much more pleasant ride after that. I ended up doing 5.76 miles in 30 minutes.
The Garmin 405 is multisport, but you can't change the settings with the push of a button like you can on the 301. You have to go through a bunch of menus to change from running to cycling, but it can be done. It wouldn't be the thing to have during a duathlon, as you would spend some time trying to switch between them. However, I think if I knew what to push it wouldn't take long.
My rump is feeling pretty good. Better than I thought. I figured I'd have trouble sitting today since I have been out of the saddle for a long time, but so far so good. I hope that won't change. I will try to ride more often, as it was quite enjoyable this morning.
The Garmin 405 is multisport, but you can't change the settings with the push of a button like you can on the 301. You have to go through a bunch of menus to change from running to cycling, but it can be done. It wouldn't be the thing to have during a duathlon, as you would spend some time trying to switch between them. However, I think if I knew what to push it wouldn't take long.
My rump is feeling pretty good. Better than I thought. I figured I'd have trouble sitting today since I have been out of the saddle for a long time, but so far so good. I hope that won't change. I will try to ride more often, as it was quite enjoyable this morning.
Monday, November 22, 2010
I'm an Athlete
Today was my appointment at MPI and I sat down with Coaches Mark and John. It was a really neat session, since both coaches offered advice. We talked for a while about how I got started running, what happened 15 years and more ago with my knees, my training plan, what's going on with my back now, and a bunch of things. Then we went upstairs to the fitness center and they showed me the Trigger Point Therapy kit. Wow! What a neat thing! I tried out the rollers on my legs and found some knots I didn't realize were there and worked them out. Then Mark showed me the massage ball and he worked it in my back. To my surprise, the pain lessened drastically in jut a few minutes. I worked it again a little later and I felt such relief. I imagine that Cherryl will be able to make a huge difference when I get to see her. She had to cancel on me today.
Then Mark started talking to me about running and proper form. He mentioned cadence and I told him mine was 80. He was impressed that I knew mine. He said that I should work at getting to 90. We talked about how the foot should strike the ground, how the upper body should be loose, and several other features of running posture. Then he got on the treadmill and I got to watch his feet and form as he ran at different paces and cadences. Then I got on the treadmill and they had me just walk for a while. When they were behind me I heard some comments about how one knee rolled in more than another, but I really couldn't hear them and I don't think they wanted me to. It isn't something they wanted me to focus on; they just wanted to see what I do naturally. Then we picked up the pace into a jog. They commented that my foot lands just forward of my hip, causing a slight overstride. When they asked me to try and quicken my cadence that disappeared and I was hitting in the right spot. Interesting. Then the other interesting thing was that my arms tend to swing a little across my body rather than straight back and forth. When I tried to adjust, they said that it didn't look natural, so I should just keep doing what was natural. Their concern was whether it was causing any rotation at the waist which would put some strain on the back. They decided that it wasn't, or at least wasn't appreciably twisting, so they were OK with it.
So my task, when I'm up to it, is to increase my cadence (and "shorten my stride") so that my feet land under my hips in the proper location. They both recommend staying away from the run until I can see Cherryl and get some of these muscles loosened back up. They are on board with me doing cross training and showing the bike some love this week rather than running. After the massage they recommend not going whole hog and getting back into it nice and easy. Mark also revised my training plan. Instead of a steady increase, he put in a recovery week. He also suggested that I do a 10 to 15 minute -- no more than that --- run the day before the race to keep loose.
It was a really great session. I learned a lot. Mark and John were impressed by my new PR from Saturday and the fact that it was 6:11 off my first 5k time, barely 6 months ago. They said that I am now an Athlete. One who trains in a sport, pays money to enter a race, and then deals with pain from an overuse injury.
After that session I went to Running Wild and purchased a Trigger Point Therapy kit. I wanted at least one of the massage balls, but thought the foot roller was a good idea. I didn't get the leg roller. I figure if I find that I need it I can go back and get it. There are two massage balls in the kit. I think I'm going to put one in my purse so I can use it as I need it.
Then Mark started talking to me about running and proper form. He mentioned cadence and I told him mine was 80. He was impressed that I knew mine. He said that I should work at getting to 90. We talked about how the foot should strike the ground, how the upper body should be loose, and several other features of running posture. Then he got on the treadmill and I got to watch his feet and form as he ran at different paces and cadences. Then I got on the treadmill and they had me just walk for a while. When they were behind me I heard some comments about how one knee rolled in more than another, but I really couldn't hear them and I don't think they wanted me to. It isn't something they wanted me to focus on; they just wanted to see what I do naturally. Then we picked up the pace into a jog. They commented that my foot lands just forward of my hip, causing a slight overstride. When they asked me to try and quicken my cadence that disappeared and I was hitting in the right spot. Interesting. Then the other interesting thing was that my arms tend to swing a little across my body rather than straight back and forth. When I tried to adjust, they said that it didn't look natural, so I should just keep doing what was natural. Their concern was whether it was causing any rotation at the waist which would put some strain on the back. They decided that it wasn't, or at least wasn't appreciably twisting, so they were OK with it.
So my task, when I'm up to it, is to increase my cadence (and "shorten my stride") so that my feet land under my hips in the proper location. They both recommend staying away from the run until I can see Cherryl and get some of these muscles loosened back up. They are on board with me doing cross training and showing the bike some love this week rather than running. After the massage they recommend not going whole hog and getting back into it nice and easy. Mark also revised my training plan. Instead of a steady increase, he put in a recovery week. He also suggested that I do a 10 to 15 minute -- no more than that --- run the day before the race to keep loose.
It was a really great session. I learned a lot. Mark and John were impressed by my new PR from Saturday and the fact that it was 6:11 off my first 5k time, barely 6 months ago. They said that I am now an Athlete. One who trains in a sport, pays money to enter a race, and then deals with pain from an overuse injury.
After that session I went to Running Wild and purchased a Trigger Point Therapy kit. I wanted at least one of the massage balls, but thought the foot roller was a good idea. I didn't get the leg roller. I figure if I find that I need it I can go back and get it. There are two massage balls in the kit. I think I'm going to put one in my purse so I can use it as I need it.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Brunch with the Master Chief
Finally! I got to meet up with Troy! I've been looking forward to seeing her for a while. She only lives about two hours away, but with her schedule and mine, we never seemed to make it work. Until today. I had a really great time with her and wished I could have spent more time. Unfortunately, she has to pack and get ready to deploy right after Thanksgiving.
It was funny, because it was almost like no time had passed. It was just like the old days of the Tuesday Night Supper Club, but without Bill and Doogie. We had talked all summer about going camping together. We've postponed that until next summer. Tentatively, of course, as it all depends on when Bill gets back and we leave.
It appears that life is treating her well and I am really glad to hear that. I gave her a little gift I made, my third sewing project. Sorry the picture is blurry, but you get the idea.
It's a pillowcase. I figured that it would decorate her tent a little for the holidays, yet be useful at the same time. I had a lot of fun picking out the fabric. In case you can't tell from the picture, the main body is red with ornaments, the accent strip is poinsettias and the cuff has stockings. It was fun to make and she seemed to appreciate it. What surprised me is that she told me that she still has the can coozie I knit her years ago and sent to her when she was in Iraq. She said she takes it with her on her deployments. I was really touched by that.
In other news, I finally put the foils on the Malbec I bottled a while back and put the bottles on their sides. I really hope that turns out well. I was going to start the Barolo tonight, but I decided to postpone to just before Christmas for a few reasons. First, I am not lifting heavy stuff, as my back already hurts. Yes, I know you are supposed to lift with your legs, and I try to do that, but there is no need to push it. Second, I'll let it ferment during Christmas and clarify while I'm gone for the marathon. I can turn down the heat in the house and let it "brew" in a cooler environment.
I got to talk to Bill briefly today. He looks great! Seeing him always puts a smile on my face no matter how much in pain I am or how terrible my day was. Hearing his voice makes my heart beat faster. It's more like I'm a teenager hearing from my first ever boyfriend than a mature woman hearing from my husband of almost 15 years. And you know what? I hope that feeling never goes away!
It was funny, because it was almost like no time had passed. It was just like the old days of the Tuesday Night Supper Club, but without Bill and Doogie. We had talked all summer about going camping together. We've postponed that until next summer. Tentatively, of course, as it all depends on when Bill gets back and we leave.
It appears that life is treating her well and I am really glad to hear that. I gave her a little gift I made, my third sewing project. Sorry the picture is blurry, but you get the idea.
It's a pillowcase. I figured that it would decorate her tent a little for the holidays, yet be useful at the same time. I had a lot of fun picking out the fabric. In case you can't tell from the picture, the main body is red with ornaments, the accent strip is poinsettias and the cuff has stockings. It was fun to make and she seemed to appreciate it. What surprised me is that she told me that she still has the can coozie I knit her years ago and sent to her when she was in Iraq. She said she takes it with her on her deployments. I was really touched by that.
In other news, I finally put the foils on the Malbec I bottled a while back and put the bottles on their sides. I really hope that turns out well. I was going to start the Barolo tonight, but I decided to postpone to just before Christmas for a few reasons. First, I am not lifting heavy stuff, as my back already hurts. Yes, I know you are supposed to lift with your legs, and I try to do that, but there is no need to push it. Second, I'll let it ferment during Christmas and clarify while I'm gone for the marathon. I can turn down the heat in the house and let it "brew" in a cooler environment.
I got to talk to Bill briefly today. He looks great! Seeing him always puts a smile on my face no matter how much in pain I am or how terrible my day was. Hearing his voice makes my heart beat faster. It's more like I'm a teenager hearing from my first ever boyfriend than a mature woman hearing from my husband of almost 15 years. And you know what? I hope that feeling never goes away!
Half
I got up this morning, ready to do my nine mile long run. Mentally ready, that is. I was meeting Shelly and Caroline at Navy Point Park. The weather was perfect. High 50s and sunny. PERFECT. What wasn't perfect? My body. My back and knees. I went halfway with them and had to bow out. I just couldn't go any longer. We were taking it nice and slow, which was great. And running with other people is fun! I enjoyed the time.
Now my body is really mad at me. I'm taking the ice packs with me and icing my knees and back on the drive to Mobile. I'll probably ice them again tonight. I am going to see Coach Mark tomorrow to see if he has any insight and I'm going to see Cherry tomorrow in the hopes that I can get some relief. I think next week's training will be modified somewhat. I think I should rest instead of run on Tuesday, so I may take the bike out for a spin.
The worst part is, I really think I could have done the long run. Mentally. I really felt we were at a good pace and I could have done it. I really wanted to and I am a little mad at myself because I didn't. Maybe mad is not the right word. I am frustrated that my body held me back, because if my back didn't hurt, I am sure that I could have done it.
Today I did a Garmin to Garmin comparison. I wore the 405 on my left wrist and the 301 on the right. Here are the totals:
405 301
mile time time
1 11:16 11:13
2 11:22 11:12
3 11:18 11:20
4 11:28 11:10
5 0.54mi 6:14 0.6mi 6:38
total 4.54/51:38 4.60/51:36
It was interesting to hear the mile beeps at different times along the route. If I had thought about it at the time, I would have asked Caroline to check hers. One time I heard the 301 beep and the 405 still had 3/100ths to go.
Final verdict? I guess the 301 is not off in accuracy like I thought. It does have occasional blips. I remember one day it recorded my lap at 1.45 miles but the other two times I ran the same lap it recorded 1.15. So I think it can still be a good training tool and I hope Bill enjoys it out there.
Now to get ready to go to Mobile.
Now my body is really mad at me. I'm taking the ice packs with me and icing my knees and back on the drive to Mobile. I'll probably ice them again tonight. I am going to see Coach Mark tomorrow to see if he has any insight and I'm going to see Cherry tomorrow in the hopes that I can get some relief. I think next week's training will be modified somewhat. I think I should rest instead of run on Tuesday, so I may take the bike out for a spin.
The worst part is, I really think I could have done the long run. Mentally. I really felt we were at a good pace and I could have done it. I really wanted to and I am a little mad at myself because I didn't. Maybe mad is not the right word. I am frustrated that my body held me back, because if my back didn't hurt, I am sure that I could have done it.
Today I did a Garmin to Garmin comparison. I wore the 405 on my left wrist and the 301 on the right. Here are the totals:
405 301
mile time time
1 11:16 11:13
2 11:22 11:12
3 11:18 11:20
4 11:28 11:10
5 0.54mi 6:14 0.6mi 6:38
total 4.54/51:38 4.60/51:36
It was interesting to hear the mile beeps at different times along the route. If I had thought about it at the time, I would have asked Caroline to check hers. One time I heard the 301 beep and the 405 still had 3/100ths to go.
Final verdict? I guess the 301 is not off in accuracy like I thought. It does have occasional blips. I remember one day it recorded my lap at 1.45 miles but the other two times I ran the same lap it recorded 1.15. So I think it can still be a good training tool and I hope Bill enjoys it out there.
Now to get ready to go to Mobile.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Wild Turkey Trot 5k
Ran my best 5k today! My previous best was 29:19 on a 3.04 mile course. Today I ran 29:14 on a 3.13 mile course! I am really pleased! I was hoping to be in the 28 minute, but I got stuck a little at the beginning. Too many slower runners in front of me and I was not as close to the front as I should have been. But that's OK. At least they held the walkers for two minutes. It makes me mad to have to dodge walkers who put themselves at the front of the pack.
Many thanks to Chris G and his wife Jackie. I met Chris on Daily Mile. He and Jackie didn't run today; they came out to be my cheering section! How awesome! Chris took some pictures and said he'd email them to me when he got home. I hope I don't look too exhausted in them.
My splits were: 9:23, 9:21, 9:28, 1:03 (7:54 pace for 0.13mi!). Average pace was 9:20! That's not bad at all! It's awesome! I felt good about the run the whole time. My back hurt, but I ignored it. I just focused on the people I wanted to pass.
I am delighted to see the effect of my training. Sometimes I feel discouraged because I am running between a ten and an eleven minute mile. Sometimes even slower. I tell myself that I am focused on endurance now, not speed, but I can't help wonder if I'll get faster. Today showed me that I am faster -- in a race environment. So now I understand race pace and training pace. I think I could do a 10k in under an hour now. I may just squeak it out, but I think I can break that barrier.
Many thanks to Chris G and his wife Jackie. I met Chris on Daily Mile. He and Jackie didn't run today; they came out to be my cheering section! How awesome! Chris took some pictures and said he'd email them to me when he got home. I hope I don't look too exhausted in them.
My splits were: 9:23, 9:21, 9:28, 1:03 (7:54 pace for 0.13mi!). Average pace was 9:20! That's not bad at all! It's awesome! I felt good about the run the whole time. My back hurt, but I ignored it. I just focused on the people I wanted to pass.
I am delighted to see the effect of my training. Sometimes I feel discouraged because I am running between a ten and an eleven minute mile. Sometimes even slower. I tell myself that I am focused on endurance now, not speed, but I can't help wonder if I'll get faster. Today showed me that I am faster -- in a race environment. So now I understand race pace and training pace. I think I could do a 10k in under an hour now. I may just squeak it out, but I think I can break that barrier.
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| I see the finish line and the clock! |
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| Yeah, baby! |
Friday, November 19, 2010
My day
It was a painful day for the shop and me (shopwise, that is). People came in, but few sales. It has been like that most of the week. I dislike these kinds of days. I am hoping that people are waiting for our Doorbuster Sale on Friday, but I fear that Unwind's PJ party tomorrow morning will steal a great deal of business from us. Oh well, all I can do is my best.
My knees and back were hurting today. Still are. I'm concerned about whether I should keep running or back off a little. Cherryl will be back this weekend, so I am going to try to get with her and see if she can help.
Rava is doing well. She has kept food down since her vet visit. I have been concerned since I haven't seen her poop, but I believe she did just a little bit ago when I let her out. She was at the far side of the yard and it was dark, but it looked like that was what she was doing. She still seems a little low-key, so I'm keeping an eye on her.
I had been trying to figure out what to have for dinner all day. I briefly thought about picking up some Italian take-out, but decided to cook in. I started some water boiling for ravioli and then had an inspiration. I made a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich. It was really good! I had some smoked gruyere cheese in the fridge and I added a little mozzarella to it to help cut the severity of the cheese. I buttered the bread and the pan and cooked it. I grilled it to perfection! The bread had the right amount of crispiness and crunch and the right amount of butter. The cheese was melted. It was really good! I had a side of peas and carrots and a class of cab sauv. Not exactly great pre-race food, but over-the-top tasty!!
Before I went to work this morning, I dropped by A&E to pick up some fabric. I am going to meet my friend Troy for brunch Sunday and I wanted to make her something before she deploys next month. I had a fleeting thought when I left there, and that was "I wonder if I should try to get a job there after I close the shop." Woah. Weird. I'm already making post-shop plans? It wouldn't be a bad job, and I would only be there a few months. But I need to see what is going to happen with my shop first before I get too far ahead of myself. I have plans to talk to the two people who expressed interest in purchasing the shop in mid-December.
Tomorrow is the Turkey Trot and Sunday I'm meeting Troy in Mobile as well as doing my long run, if my back allows. I am going to try to get to sleep early tonight. The forecast is for 61 degrees and no rain at race time, so it should be quite pleasant. I plan to push may hardest and put to bear all the training I've done in the past few months. Then I'll celebrate a little, go to work, and have a great sales day (I hope).
My knees and back were hurting today. Still are. I'm concerned about whether I should keep running or back off a little. Cherryl will be back this weekend, so I am going to try to get with her and see if she can help.
Rava is doing well. She has kept food down since her vet visit. I have been concerned since I haven't seen her poop, but I believe she did just a little bit ago when I let her out. She was at the far side of the yard and it was dark, but it looked like that was what she was doing. She still seems a little low-key, so I'm keeping an eye on her.
I had been trying to figure out what to have for dinner all day. I briefly thought about picking up some Italian take-out, but decided to cook in. I started some water boiling for ravioli and then had an inspiration. I made a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich. It was really good! I had some smoked gruyere cheese in the fridge and I added a little mozzarella to it to help cut the severity of the cheese. I buttered the bread and the pan and cooked it. I grilled it to perfection! The bread had the right amount of crispiness and crunch and the right amount of butter. The cheese was melted. It was really good! I had a side of peas and carrots and a class of cab sauv. Not exactly great pre-race food, but over-the-top tasty!!
Before I went to work this morning, I dropped by A&E to pick up some fabric. I am going to meet my friend Troy for brunch Sunday and I wanted to make her something before she deploys next month. I had a fleeting thought when I left there, and that was "I wonder if I should try to get a job there after I close the shop." Woah. Weird. I'm already making post-shop plans? It wouldn't be a bad job, and I would only be there a few months. But I need to see what is going to happen with my shop first before I get too far ahead of myself. I have plans to talk to the two people who expressed interest in purchasing the shop in mid-December.
Tomorrow is the Turkey Trot and Sunday I'm meeting Troy in Mobile as well as doing my long run, if my back allows. I am going to try to get to sleep early tonight. The forecast is for 61 degrees and no rain at race time, so it should be quite pleasant. I plan to push may hardest and put to bear all the training I've done in the past few months. Then I'll celebrate a little, go to work, and have a great sales day (I hope).
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Evening three
Since I took Rava to the vet this morning, I postponed my run to this evening. I really don't like running after work. I'm just too tired and mentally out of the game. I even put on some music, but that didn't help much. I did three miles in 30 minutes not including a five minute warm up and a five minute cool down. What also made the run hard was that I had the crockpot going all day and the house smelled great. I had a pretty small lunch, so I was jonesing to eat!
But I ran and I feel pretty good about it. My knees and back still are not great, but I am hoping Cherryl can fix me when she gets back. (She is the massage therapist I would go to, as she specializes in sports massage.) We'll see how the long run goes on Sunday and what Coach Mark has to say Monday.
OK, let's talk about Coach Mark. He used to work with Bill. Now he is one of the owners/founders of the Multisport Performance Institute, a triathlete training facility. I called to set up an appointment so that he could check my running form. If my form is causing me to have back and knee trouble, I want to fix it immediately. I think I still have time before the half marathon to learn new form. But Coach Mark thinks that muscle tightness and microtears from the higher intensity of training may be causing a good part of the problem and massage is the answer. In fact, he said I should get a massage weekly ideally during this training. Every other week at least. While I really like this idea (it sounds so relaxing and pampering ... can I get a pedicure on the same schedule?), we'll have to see. I know it is starting to get hard on Cherryl. I think her last week at the salon is coming up or may have just passed. Coach Mark also recommended Trigger Point Therapy. He said that Running Wild has kits for this and can show me how to properly use them. Mark believes in them so much, he says he carries one of the rollers in his car so he can work out the kinks. Maybe I'll drop by there Monday after our meeting and check them out.
In other news, after talking about it for months, I signed up for the Double Bridge Run, a 15k in February! I've been looking forward to it for a while. I just had to make the commitment. So now I'm in. I have something big to look forward to each month: a 12 mile training run in December, a half marathon in January, the Double Bridge Run in February, and seeing Bill for R&R in March. That should make the next several months fly by, which is just fine by me!
It is funny how the distances of the runs have changed in my mind. Once a three mile run was HUGE! Now it is the minimum I do. As in, "I'll just do a quick three miles this morning to get the blood flowing." Then I was nervous about the 15k. I was training for a 10k and thought that was long. I was running for a WHOLE HOUR! This past Saturday I did eight miles and felt good enough at the end that I could have done another mile if it wasn't getting dark. My long run this week is nine miles. A 15k is 9.32 miles. After this Sunday and for sure after next Sunday (a ten mile day) I won't have to worry whether I can do 15k; I'll have my answer. In the beginning, I was running 4 or 5 miles a week. Now I'm at almost 20. Wow! That is pretty crazy. I never thought I'd get there!
Saturday is the Wild Turkey Trot 5k at Seville Quarter. It's perfect since Saturday is a three mile day in my training plan. I would like to push myself to a new PR. I'll let you know how that goes.
Bill has been running quite a bit. I dare say he's following my training plan. No surprise, I knew that he'd do that when he asked for it (as he said "to keep me honest"). Now he's looking for some new shoes, as his are pretty old. I have heard from many people that you should replace your shoes every 350 to 500 miles, or every 12 months, depending on what your training is. If he wants to keep running, he should get new shoes. I hesitate for him to buy them online, but I know there is no alternative at this time. If we remain serious about running, the next time he gets shoes we'll go to a place where we can try them on and get them fitted to his gait.
Update on Rava: she hasn't thrown up tonight so far. I'm hoping to see her poop tonight, so I can know the food is going through her. Maybe it was a little stomach bug and not anything else.
But I ran and I feel pretty good about it. My knees and back still are not great, but I am hoping Cherryl can fix me when she gets back. (She is the massage therapist I would go to, as she specializes in sports massage.) We'll see how the long run goes on Sunday and what Coach Mark has to say Monday.
OK, let's talk about Coach Mark. He used to work with Bill. Now he is one of the owners/founders of the Multisport Performance Institute, a triathlete training facility. I called to set up an appointment so that he could check my running form. If my form is causing me to have back and knee trouble, I want to fix it immediately. I think I still have time before the half marathon to learn new form. But Coach Mark thinks that muscle tightness and microtears from the higher intensity of training may be causing a good part of the problem and massage is the answer. In fact, he said I should get a massage weekly ideally during this training. Every other week at least. While I really like this idea (it sounds so relaxing and pampering ... can I get a pedicure on the same schedule?), we'll have to see. I know it is starting to get hard on Cherryl. I think her last week at the salon is coming up or may have just passed. Coach Mark also recommended Trigger Point Therapy. He said that Running Wild has kits for this and can show me how to properly use them. Mark believes in them so much, he says he carries one of the rollers in his car so he can work out the kinks. Maybe I'll drop by there Monday after our meeting and check them out.
In other news, after talking about it for months, I signed up for the Double Bridge Run, a 15k in February! I've been looking forward to it for a while. I just had to make the commitment. So now I'm in. I have something big to look forward to each month: a 12 mile training run in December, a half marathon in January, the Double Bridge Run in February, and seeing Bill for R&R in March. That should make the next several months fly by, which is just fine by me!
It is funny how the distances of the runs have changed in my mind. Once a three mile run was HUGE! Now it is the minimum I do. As in, "I'll just do a quick three miles this morning to get the blood flowing." Then I was nervous about the 15k. I was training for a 10k and thought that was long. I was running for a WHOLE HOUR! This past Saturday I did eight miles and felt good enough at the end that I could have done another mile if it wasn't getting dark. My long run this week is nine miles. A 15k is 9.32 miles. After this Sunday and for sure after next Sunday (a ten mile day) I won't have to worry whether I can do 15k; I'll have my answer. In the beginning, I was running 4 or 5 miles a week. Now I'm at almost 20. Wow! That is pretty crazy. I never thought I'd get there!
Saturday is the Wild Turkey Trot 5k at Seville Quarter. It's perfect since Saturday is a three mile day in my training plan. I would like to push myself to a new PR. I'll let you know how that goes.
Bill has been running quite a bit. I dare say he's following my training plan. No surprise, I knew that he'd do that when he asked for it (as he said "to keep me honest"). Now he's looking for some new shoes, as his are pretty old. I have heard from many people that you should replace your shoes every 350 to 500 miles, or every 12 months, depending on what your training is. If he wants to keep running, he should get new shoes. I hesitate for him to buy them online, but I know there is no alternative at this time. If we remain serious about running, the next time he gets shoes we'll go to a place where we can try them on and get them fitted to his gait.
Update on Rava: she hasn't thrown up tonight so far. I'm hoping to see her poop tonight, so I can know the food is going through her. Maybe it was a little stomach bug and not anything else.
Sick dog
So Rava threw up Tuesday night. A big heap of undigested kibble. That was odd. She seemed to be feeling OK, so I didn't think much of it. I gave her breakfast yesterday with no issues and fed her dinner last night. That's when it got weird.
She didn't eat it all. In the ten years (almost to the day) that we've had her, she has never turned away from food. Especially not her own. I tried to hand-feed her a little kibble but she turned up her nose at it. I switched foods a week or so ago, partly because I wanted to see if the grain-free would help her stop itching and shedding and partly because PetsMart was out of her usual. I blended the two for several days before switching over completely, so I don't think that it is that she doesn't like the new stuff.
So back to last night. I fed her a handful of kibble when we got home. She threw up around nine thirty. Two big piles of undigested kibble. Probably breakfast as well as dinner. Since the kibble was undigested, I first thought blockage.
We went to the vet this morning. He didn't feel any blockage, which doesn't necessarily mean it's not there. We tested her lipase to see if it was pancreatitis and that came back a little into the high range (2100 and the upper limit of normal is 1800) but Dr. Knight wasn't convinced that was it. So we opted to give her a shot to calm the stomach and wait. If she still throws up today or tonight, I should bring her back for a barium series x-ray.
I'm hoping we won't have to go that route. They didn't get breakfast this morning and the vet said not to feed her until lunch. Oddly, she doesn't seem to be too upset by this. She's not huffing at me to feed her as I would expect, so I'm still concerned. I did feed Tawny when we got home and she was relieved.
I missed my morning run today to do all this, so I plan to run this evening. I soaked some beans last night with the plan to make bean soup in the crockpot today. I hope it will turn out well. It's my first attempt! The weather is cooling off (high in the 60s, low in the 40s) so bean soup sounds good. I really enjoyed it when I had it at dinner with Cookie Amy a few weeks ago.
I left the shop last night without grabbing the checkbook and the bill that's due today. So I'm going to head out a little early, get that, go to the bank and pay it, and try to get back to the shop in time to open. That means leaving here early, which affects the amount of time I'm cooking the soup. Oh well. Such is life. I'm sure the extra 30 minutes isn't going to completely ruin the soup.
She didn't eat it all. In the ten years (almost to the day) that we've had her, she has never turned away from food. Especially not her own. I tried to hand-feed her a little kibble but she turned up her nose at it. I switched foods a week or so ago, partly because I wanted to see if the grain-free would help her stop itching and shedding and partly because PetsMart was out of her usual. I blended the two for several days before switching over completely, so I don't think that it is that she doesn't like the new stuff.
So back to last night. I fed her a handful of kibble when we got home. She threw up around nine thirty. Two big piles of undigested kibble. Probably breakfast as well as dinner. Since the kibble was undigested, I first thought blockage.
We went to the vet this morning. He didn't feel any blockage, which doesn't necessarily mean it's not there. We tested her lipase to see if it was pancreatitis and that came back a little into the high range (2100 and the upper limit of normal is 1800) but Dr. Knight wasn't convinced that was it. So we opted to give her a shot to calm the stomach and wait. If she still throws up today or tonight, I should bring her back for a barium series x-ray.
I'm hoping we won't have to go that route. They didn't get breakfast this morning and the vet said not to feed her until lunch. Oddly, she doesn't seem to be too upset by this. She's not huffing at me to feed her as I would expect, so I'm still concerned. I did feed Tawny when we got home and she was relieved.
I missed my morning run today to do all this, so I plan to run this evening. I soaked some beans last night with the plan to make bean soup in the crockpot today. I hope it will turn out well. It's my first attempt! The weather is cooling off (high in the 60s, low in the 40s) so bean soup sounds good. I really enjoyed it when I had it at dinner with Cookie Amy a few weeks ago.
I left the shop last night without grabbing the checkbook and the bill that's due today. So I'm going to head out a little early, get that, go to the bank and pay it, and try to get back to the shop in time to open. That means leaving here early, which affects the amount of time I'm cooking the soup. Oh well. Such is life. I'm sure the extra 30 minutes isn't going to completely ruin the soup.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
In pain
My lower back and knees were killing me all day yesterday and this morning. I decided to use the treadmill today so I would 1) have a somewhat cushioned surface and 2) not be too far from home if the pain was too much.
I did 2 miles in 23:08. Not stellar, by any stretch of the imagination, but I did work through the pain. It got less throughout the day, but it isn't gone yet. My DM friends suggested cross training, rest, and a change of shoes. My coach suggested a massage. Too bad Cherryl is on reserve time this week!
More to follow on my Coach. We have our first official meeting Monday.
In other news, I did my second sewing project yesterday, a gift for Bill. I'm not going to post any pictures or describe it here until after he gets the box. I am really proud of myself for figuring it out. I did have a little help from Liz at A&E. I showed her the finished project this morning and she was very pleased. Cool!!
I did 2 miles in 23:08. Not stellar, by any stretch of the imagination, but I did work through the pain. It got less throughout the day, but it isn't gone yet. My DM friends suggested cross training, rest, and a change of shoes. My coach suggested a massage. Too bad Cherryl is on reserve time this week!
More to follow on my Coach. We have our first official meeting Monday.
In other news, I did my second sewing project yesterday, a gift for Bill. I'm not going to post any pictures or describe it here until after he gets the box. I am really proud of myself for figuring it out. I did have a little help from Liz at A&E. I showed her the finished project this morning and she was very pleased. Cool!!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Eight down, 5.1 to go
Since I worked the marathon this morning, my long run had to wait until this afternoon. I was a little concerned about the dark clouds, but I figured that since tomorrow's rain chance is 70%, I should risk it today or I'll end up on the treadmill tomorrow. Not that the treadmill is bad, it is just tough for eight miles. I think it will be awesome for some of the shorter runs. The dark clouds were no where to be found once I set out.
Anyway, I decided to go to Navy Point Park today, and that was a great decision. The park is beautiful. i ran the long section first, which was 3.5 miles and then did the north section, which is a mile. I stopped at the car and had some water and grabbed the GU Chomps. Then I redid the south section and got my eight miles.
I stopped once more somewhere around 5.5 miles to take this picture.
It was so neat; I didn't want to pass up the opportunity. The sunset was pretty too, but I wanted to make sure I could get back to the car before it got dark. I think this will be my place for the long runs.
Splits for this run were 10:20, 10:25, 10:38, 10:50, 11:15, 11:14, 11:28, 11:25.
I think the GU Chomps helped. Maybe not physically, but mentally I think I could have gone another mile or more! That was kinda cool. They were also tasty. It was nice to have a flavor in my mouth other than bleh.
I hope my knees will be OK tomorrow!
Anyway, I decided to go to Navy Point Park today, and that was a great decision. The park is beautiful. i ran the long section first, which was 3.5 miles and then did the north section, which is a mile. I stopped at the car and had some water and grabbed the GU Chomps. Then I redid the south section and got my eight miles.
I stopped once more somewhere around 5.5 miles to take this picture.
It was so neat; I didn't want to pass up the opportunity. The sunset was pretty too, but I wanted to make sure I could get back to the car before it got dark. I think this will be my place for the long runs.
Splits for this run were 10:20, 10:25, 10:38, 10:50, 11:15, 11:14, 11:28, 11:25.
I think the GU Chomps helped. Maybe not physically, but mentally I think I could have gone another mile or more! That was kinda cool. They were also tasty. It was nice to have a flavor in my mouth other than bleh.
I hope my knees will be OK tomorrow!
Inspiration
I volunteered for a few hours this morning at the Pensacola Marathon. What a great experience! I was assigned to the finish line to hand out trail mix packs. The difference in people as they came across the line was interesting. There were those who were exuberant and looked like they had barely run a 5k and then there were those who looked like they had run a few hundred miles. There were smiles and tears and high-fives. Couples crossing the finish line hand in hand and even some mothers running in with their kids.
The first half-marathoner came in around 1:19 I think. He looked fresh as a daisy! He thanked all of us volunteers and then went on to tell one of them (who was instrumental in putting the whole thing together) how great it was, the course was well marked, and the people at the water stops were friendly. It was almost surreal! The first woman came in about three minutes later I think. (My memory is a bit faded, as I wasn't really paying attention. I was too caught up in the excitement.) I saw the first male and female full marathoners come in, too, to much fanfare. There was a guy who was raising money for the wounded warrior project. He raised $13,425. That was $13,100 for the run and $325 for bench-pressing 325# immediately after crossing the finish line. That was a sight to see! I will have to watch the news tonight to see the whole thing.
This was a pretty small marathon as far as marathons go. There were fewer than 2000 participants, but they came from 33 states and three countries (Afghanistan was one of them). The weather was absolutely beautiful. Nothing would have been better, well except if it didn't heat up quite as much as it did. I was inspired to see all those runners giving it everything they had. I know I can do that in January.
There were some dark clouds rolling in a little while ago. I am still planning to do my long run this afternoon. I plan to go to Navy Point Park. I hope it won't be raining. I am in such awe of these athletes. I am so glad that I volunteered.
The first half-marathoner came in around 1:19 I think. He looked fresh as a daisy! He thanked all of us volunteers and then went on to tell one of them (who was instrumental in putting the whole thing together) how great it was, the course was well marked, and the people at the water stops were friendly. It was almost surreal! The first woman came in about three minutes later I think. (My memory is a bit faded, as I wasn't really paying attention. I was too caught up in the excitement.) I saw the first male and female full marathoners come in, too, to much fanfare. There was a guy who was raising money for the wounded warrior project. He raised $13,425. That was $13,100 for the run and $325 for bench-pressing 325# immediately after crossing the finish line. That was a sight to see! I will have to watch the news tonight to see the whole thing.
This was a pretty small marathon as far as marathons go. There were fewer than 2000 participants, but they came from 33 states and three countries (Afghanistan was one of them). The weather was absolutely beautiful. Nothing would have been better, well except if it didn't heat up quite as much as it did. I was inspired to see all those runners giving it everything they had. I know I can do that in January.
There were some dark clouds rolling in a little while ago. I am still planning to do my long run this afternoon. I plan to go to Navy Point Park. I hope it won't be raining. I am in such awe of these athletes. I am so glad that I volunteered.
Friday, November 12, 2010
I have to smile
There were several reasons to smile today. Seeing Bill and talking to him via Skype is reason number one. Fun at work is reason number two. Reason number three takes a little longer to describe.
I went to Running Wild after work tonight to check out the "Expo" and pick up my volunteer shirt for the Marathon. There were some nice things on sale I thought about getting, like running tights and capris and a jacket, but I didn't get any. I think I can get them a little less expensively at other places. When I went in the back room and asked for my shirt the lady asked me if Medium would be OK because they were out of Smalls. I can't help but smile at that. Wow! I don't feel like I look any different, but I guess I do.
I went to Running Wild after work tonight to check out the "Expo" and pick up my volunteer shirt for the Marathon. There were some nice things on sale I thought about getting, like running tights and capris and a jacket, but I didn't get any. I think I can get them a little less expensively at other places. When I went in the back room and asked for my shirt the lady asked me if Medium would be OK because they were out of Smalls. I can't help but smile at that. Wow! I don't feel like I look any different, but I guess I do.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Treadmill Three Thursday
The treadmill came yesterday! Yay! I have been resisting Bill's suggestions, hints, and not-so-subtle urgings to get one. I've been looking the past few weeks and caved and bought one. The weather out this morning was beautiful, but since I had spent an arm and a leg on the treadmill, I thought I'd see what it was like to run with only the remaining arm and leg.
It wasn't bad. In fact, I didn't mind it. There are two things I'd do differently for next time. First, I wouldn't let the heat come on in the house before I ran and second, I'd open a window or two in there, especially if it is as nice out as it was today. That being said, I decided to let the treadmill force me to run faster. So I set it at 6mph, or 10-minute mile. I ran three miles in 30:10, following a quarter mile warm up walk. I didn't feel exhausted running at that pace, so next time I would like to push it a little more. I have a 5k coming up on the 20th, so I'd like to be able to do well then. Maybe even set a new PR!
The treadmill screen shows a track on it and shows you where along the quarter-mile loop you are and which lap you are doing. It was nice to have that. I think it will come in handy if/when I do interval training, fartleks, and speedwork. While I was running the cats were nowhere to be found but the dogs hung out with me. Rava tried to get on the belt behind me at one point early on but realized that was a bad idea. Luckily neither of us got hurt. They just laid around and watched me.
I didn't mind the run so much. I'm not sure I will like a long run on it, but if I get the radio out or get an audiobook or podcast it might make the time go by a little faster. I don't run with music because I like to hear my environment (remember the day I got run off the road by a school bus?). Inside I'm not worried about that, so I should take advantage of the opportunity and "read" a book.
If only I could figure out how to knit while on the treadmill...
It wasn't bad. In fact, I didn't mind it. There are two things I'd do differently for next time. First, I wouldn't let the heat come on in the house before I ran and second, I'd open a window or two in there, especially if it is as nice out as it was today. That being said, I decided to let the treadmill force me to run faster. So I set it at 6mph, or 10-minute mile. I ran three miles in 30:10, following a quarter mile warm up walk. I didn't feel exhausted running at that pace, so next time I would like to push it a little more. I have a 5k coming up on the 20th, so I'd like to be able to do well then. Maybe even set a new PR!
The treadmill screen shows a track on it and shows you where along the quarter-mile loop you are and which lap you are doing. It was nice to have that. I think it will come in handy if/when I do interval training, fartleks, and speedwork. While I was running the cats were nowhere to be found but the dogs hung out with me. Rava tried to get on the belt behind me at one point early on but realized that was a bad idea. Luckily neither of us got hurt. They just laid around and watched me.
I didn't mind the run so much. I'm not sure I will like a long run on it, but if I get the radio out or get an audiobook or podcast it might make the time go by a little faster. I don't run with music because I like to hear my environment (remember the day I got run off the road by a school bus?). Inside I'm not worried about that, so I should take advantage of the opportunity and "read" a book.
If only I could figure out how to knit while on the treadmill...
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Consistent today
It was a good four-miler today. I did it in 41:08, a 10:17 average pace. Mile splits were 9:52, 10:25, 10:26, 10:24. I am much happier with that consistency than with the consistent decline in pace on Sunday's run. I still want to get to a 10 minute mile, like my race pace, but have it be my regular training pace. I guess I just have to keep at it. Practice, practice, practice.
So Bill asked for my training plan. So he could encourage me from afar, or so he said. I had a feeling he wanted to train with me. He mentioned that he did a seven mile run the other day, so I guess I was right. Of course he did his seven miles way faster than I did mine. I'm glad that he is doing it, but I don't want him to feel pressured to. I am doing this half marathon for me, not to shame him into anything. If he wants to run distances, that's great! I just don't want him to feel like he has to.
I enjoyed the run this morning. I tried to mix up the neighborhood loops so they don't get routine. I am thinking about going to Navy Point Park for Sunday's long run, weather permitting. I called to volunteer for the Pensacola Marathon on Sunday. If they call me back, I would like to help with that, so I don't know when I'll do the run.
The treadmill comes tomorrow. Yay! I think I'll do my Thursday Three on it ... just because I can! I'll keep you posted.
So Bill asked for my training plan. So he could encourage me from afar, or so he said. I had a feeling he wanted to train with me. He mentioned that he did a seven mile run the other day, so I guess I was right. Of course he did his seven miles way faster than I did mine. I'm glad that he is doing it, but I don't want him to feel pressured to. I am doing this half marathon for me, not to shame him into anything. If he wants to run distances, that's great! I just don't want him to feel like he has to.
I enjoyed the run this morning. I tried to mix up the neighborhood loops so they don't get routine. I am thinking about going to Navy Point Park for Sunday's long run, weather permitting. I called to volunteer for the Pensacola Marathon on Sunday. If they call me back, I would like to help with that, so I don't know when I'll do the run.
The treadmill comes tomorrow. Yay! I think I'll do my Thursday Three on it ... just because I can! I'll keep you posted.
Monday, November 08, 2010
I have a new skill
One I didn't know I had!
Today I went to Derrel's and bought the sewing machine I have been thinking about for several months. Mary was quite helpful and taught me a lot. She asked what projects I had in mind, and I told her that I wanted to line the bag my Italian swap partner made for me. I also came up with a project late last night. Since Big Rhino messed up and gave me a 5XL (I didn't know shirts came that big!) instead of the 3XL I had ordered, I was stuck with this shirt. I thought, why not make it into a throw pillow? So that was the project I worked on today.
I learned how to thread the machine, change needles (I need a ballpoint needle for sewing knit fabrics like a t-shirt), make a bobbin, hem, and sew. I also learned how to add stabilizer fabric. Amazingly enough, I made the pillow!
We started in on making the lining for the bag. It has a unique shape that is hard to reproduce, so we are going to put gathers in the fabric near the handle. My homework, if you will, is to finish the seams at the top. Then Mary will show me how to make the pleats and I'll hand sew it in to the bag.
I'm pretty excited at how it went today. I was really intimidated at first, but I got to feel a little more comfortable. I know I am going to have to practice a lot on keeping the hem in the right place as I go around curves. Even the hem guide didn't help. My curves were all over the place. I made some practice buttonholes and I learned how to adjust the tension to make the stitching look right. I think it would be worthwhile to practice anything I want to do on some scrap, just to make sure it is coming out right. For example, it took several different tries to get the decorative scallop stitch to come out the way it was supposed to.
I really got a lot out of my time there and I am looking forward to doing more. I mentioned to Cookie Amy and her mom that I had a stuffed dog growing up that I am sure one of the neighbors made for me. Cathy had a similar one. I wonder if Mom would remember who made them for us and I wonder if I could ever find the pattern. It would certainly be a challenge, but I usually seek them out. I remember telling my mother-in-law that I most certainly could make the Estonian Lace Baby Blanket as my first real knitting project. Turns out I couldn't, and I still have the start of it in a bin in the garage. I don't think I'd try to make the dog just yet, but it would be fun to make it for "Thurston Janeway" sometime before he/she goes to college.
Other than that, it wasn't too exciting a day. I did finally make myself sit down and figure out why the checkbook was out of whack. It hasn't added up since June or July, but I just figured I forgot an entry. I went back to May and rechecked all the statements against the ledger. Everything was in there, so I set out to check the math. There were two errors. One at the end of July and one at the end of August. The first one was the biggie. The second one was only 31 cents off. After I made those corrections, the ledger was back to the same three cent difference we have had for over a year. I am not too concerned with that discrepancy, and since that has been there for a while I knew that everything else was right. Since I was in a fixing mood, I went ahead and added three cents to the balance in the ledger. I also made a big mark indicating that if I every have to do this again, everything from the mark and before is correct. I hope that will save me some time. I don't want to have to do that all over again.
Today I went to Derrel's and bought the sewing machine I have been thinking about for several months. Mary was quite helpful and taught me a lot. She asked what projects I had in mind, and I told her that I wanted to line the bag my Italian swap partner made for me. I also came up with a project late last night. Since Big Rhino messed up and gave me a 5XL (I didn't know shirts came that big!) instead of the 3XL I had ordered, I was stuck with this shirt. I thought, why not make it into a throw pillow? So that was the project I worked on today.
I learned how to thread the machine, change needles (I need a ballpoint needle for sewing knit fabrics like a t-shirt), make a bobbin, hem, and sew. I also learned how to add stabilizer fabric. Amazingly enough, I made the pillow!
We started in on making the lining for the bag. It has a unique shape that is hard to reproduce, so we are going to put gathers in the fabric near the handle. My homework, if you will, is to finish the seams at the top. Then Mary will show me how to make the pleats and I'll hand sew it in to the bag.
I'm pretty excited at how it went today. I was really intimidated at first, but I got to feel a little more comfortable. I know I am going to have to practice a lot on keeping the hem in the right place as I go around curves. Even the hem guide didn't help. My curves were all over the place. I made some practice buttonholes and I learned how to adjust the tension to make the stitching look right. I think it would be worthwhile to practice anything I want to do on some scrap, just to make sure it is coming out right. For example, it took several different tries to get the decorative scallop stitch to come out the way it was supposed to.
I really got a lot out of my time there and I am looking forward to doing more. I mentioned to Cookie Amy and her mom that I had a stuffed dog growing up that I am sure one of the neighbors made for me. Cathy had a similar one. I wonder if Mom would remember who made them for us and I wonder if I could ever find the pattern. It would certainly be a challenge, but I usually seek them out. I remember telling my mother-in-law that I most certainly could make the Estonian Lace Baby Blanket as my first real knitting project. Turns out I couldn't, and I still have the start of it in a bin in the garage. I don't think I'd try to make the dog just yet, but it would be fun to make it for "Thurston Janeway" sometime before he/she goes to college.
Other than that, it wasn't too exciting a day. I did finally make myself sit down and figure out why the checkbook was out of whack. It hasn't added up since June or July, but I just figured I forgot an entry. I went back to May and rechecked all the statements against the ledger. Everything was in there, so I set out to check the math. There were two errors. One at the end of July and one at the end of August. The first one was the biggie. The second one was only 31 cents off. After I made those corrections, the ledger was back to the same three cent difference we have had for over a year. I am not too concerned with that discrepancy, and since that has been there for a while I knew that everything else was right. Since I was in a fixing mood, I went ahead and added three cents to the balance in the ledger. I also made a big mark indicating that if I every have to do this again, everything from the mark and before is correct. I hope that will save me some time. I don't want to have to do that all over again.
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Seven miles down, 6.1 to go
Today was my long run for the week, and my longest to date. I ran seven miles. The only time I stopped was to take off my fleece, hat, and gloves, and stash them. It started out chilly at 44 degrees, but it warmed up quite a bit in the sun. I was comfortable in a long sleeve tech shirt and tights. I hope the weather for the half will be like that.
I ran the seven miles in 1:15:14, for an average pace of 10:45. Splits were 9:52, 10:20, 10:48, 10:58, 10:57, 11:14, 11:11. I realize that isn't the fastest I've done, but I am happy with it. Had it been a race I think the excitement would have me going a little faster. In good news, I spent 1:11 in HR Zone 4, so I should have burned off most of the fat from last night's chocolate cake!
I wanted to try bringing the GU Chomps (little energy cube things) with me on this run to see if they would help. The problem is, I don't have any pockets, so I couldn't figure out how to carry them along. My cycling jerseys have pockets in the back, but none of my running gear has any pockets. I am hoping my DM friends have advice for me about that.
Well, I'm off to the Arts Festival and then the Old Farmhouse Craft Show. I'll probably end up walking another seven miles today and getting a great workout!
I ran the seven miles in 1:15:14, for an average pace of 10:45. Splits were 9:52, 10:20, 10:48, 10:58, 10:57, 11:14, 11:11. I realize that isn't the fastest I've done, but I am happy with it. Had it been a race I think the excitement would have me going a little faster. In good news, I spent 1:11 in HR Zone 4, so I should have burned off most of the fat from last night's chocolate cake!
I wanted to try bringing the GU Chomps (little energy cube things) with me on this run to see if they would help. The problem is, I don't have any pockets, so I couldn't figure out how to carry them along. My cycling jerseys have pockets in the back, but none of my running gear has any pockets. I am hoping my DM friends have advice for me about that.
Well, I'm off to the Arts Festival and then the Old Farmhouse Craft Show. I'll probably end up walking another seven miles today and getting a great workout!
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Baby it's cold outside
When I woke up to feed the dogs this morning, I saw that it was 39 degrees out. That is cold! So I went back to bed. It was a two cat night. Both of them were snuggled up with me all night. When I got back in bed, both of them got on top of me.
I got up at 7, figuring the sun would help some. I put on my tights, a long sleeve shirt, a hat, gloves, and a fleece. I needed them all. Well, I started to feel a little warm about 2.5 miles in, but since it was a three mile run, I didn't worry about it.
Today was the first day with the new Garmin. I got the Forerunner 405. I like it a lot, but it is taking some getting used to finding where information is. I did 3.01 miles in 29:58 for an average pace of 9:59. Splits were 9:51, 10:04, 10:01. The extra two seconds are because I didn't stop the timer right at the third lap. My heart rate was in Zone 4 for 21:29 and Zone 5 for 9:17. I'm not exactly sure what that tells me, but I'll look it up later.
Now it's off to the shower and then to work.
I got up at 7, figuring the sun would help some. I put on my tights, a long sleeve shirt, a hat, gloves, and a fleece. I needed them all. Well, I started to feel a little warm about 2.5 miles in, but since it was a three mile run, I didn't worry about it.
Today was the first day with the new Garmin. I got the Forerunner 405. I like it a lot, but it is taking some getting used to finding where information is. I did 3.01 miles in 29:58 for an average pace of 9:59. Splits were 9:51, 10:04, 10:01. The extra two seconds are because I didn't stop the timer right at the third lap. My heart rate was in Zone 4 for 21:29 and Zone 5 for 9:17. I'm not exactly sure what that tells me, but I'll look it up later.
Now it's off to the shower and then to work.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Catching up
I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted. I guess since I hit the magic number of 100 posts I didn't have to blog any more.
I finally got to run today. I had planned on doing Tuesday's run as a run to the polls and then a run home, but the hospital called and said the only time they could fit me in was 8:40. That precluded that run. So I voted, went to the hospital and completed the screening. Then I went to work early on my long day. I was able to accomplish a lot that morning. I balanced the books and got caught up on everything except cleaning my desk.
The rains came on Tuesday afternoon and would not let up. I didn't have a great turnout Tuesday night or even the sweater class yesterday afternoon. I didn't do a makeup run on Wednesday because it was pouring out with thunder and lightning.
That brings me to the Thundershirt. I put the Thundershirt on Tawny. She seemed to be calmer. Not 100% relaxed, but she was calmer. After an hour or so it was time to let them out so I took the Thundershirt off and tossed it on the crate. When Tawny came in I dried her off and she went immediately to the Thundershirt and sat! Then she went in the crate to lay down. Wow! I was super impressed. I will consider this a success. I imagine I will have another opportunity to try out the Thundershirt later today.
I finished the beret I was test knitting. I didn't believe that it would block to the right size, but it sure did. I was really amazed. It fits, although if I were to do it again I would want to do another repeat before starting the decreases to make it a little more slouchy. I did run out of yarn about a yard short, but Jen had a color that worked so I was able to complete the crown.
The skinny jeans I bought the other day are a little big! I am really excited about that!
I got my run in this morning. I did three miles in 31:15 for an average pace of 10:24. Splits were 10:09, 10:23, 10:40. It was quite windy, but the temps were reasonable. I think the winds were North at 15 mph and the temp was around 60 degrees. The forecast has the temps plummeting to 40 tonight and into the 30s Friday night. Brr. That's cold. I felt overdressed in a long sleeve tee today. I'll have to really bundle up Saturday morning.
The treadmill has been purchased but a delivery date needs to be set. That will help me run on the stormy days. I also ordered a GPS; a Garmin Forerunner 405. It should be delivered today. I got a really good deal on it, that I wonder if it is too good to be true. That's all for now.
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