As I crossed off today on my running schedule, I realized we have been in the formal marathon training for 3 weeks now. Amazing how fast time flies. During the month of July, I ran 95 miles. That's more miles that I probably ran all last year!!!!
Today, we ran 6 miles. Usually Fridays are our day off training and exercise. But the weather yesterday prevented our run, so we made it up today. It was humid but cool so it wasn't too bad. I am ridiculously stressed out today (I have too much work to do this weekend!) but I'm not letting that get in the way of my runs. Maybe just my sleep :)
On Sunday we're running 13 miles. I got special prizes for Lindsey, Jennifer, and I to celebrate this milestone. 13.1 miles = half marathon!!! Many people from our 101 and 301 classes are just training to get to 13.1 miles and we got there in three weeks.
The mileage is really going to ramp up in August. It'll be interesting what my total miles will be in August.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Stupid Storm
We were supposed to do 6 miles today. But a huge thunderstorm hit Dallas right at about 5:30 - when we run, so it was cancelled. Not until 5:20, mind you, when I was already up and at the store. But I'm more disappointed I didn't get to run today. I look forward to the runs - because I know I need them to prep for the long runs. But we're making the run up tomorrow, and I did get to go back to bed, which was a good thing because Kelly was a little scared of the thunder and lightning and needed to cuddle.
On Saturday, Lindsey and I are doing a relay with our friend Kristin. It's the Dallas Running Club 6-mile relay. Each leg of the relay runs 2 miles (which is less than we're supposed to run, but we'll run it all out, so that should make up for the lower mileage). It's supposed to be a really fun event. I'll take pics to post, so stay tuned.
On Saturday, Lindsey and I are doing a relay with our friend Kristin. It's the Dallas Running Club 6-mile relay. Each leg of the relay runs 2 miles (which is less than we're supposed to run, but we'll run it all out, so that should make up for the lower mileage). It's supposed to be a really fun event. I'll take pics to post, so stay tuned.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
17 More Miles
Sunday, Jennifer and I ran 11 miles. That's the most mileage I've ever run at one time! Of course, next week, it'll be 13. But for now, that was pretty cool to me. We merged the 12:30 pace group with the 12:00 pace group for the Sunday runs. At first, I was apprehensive - I thought I couldn't keep up with the 12:00. But I did! They were a great group. For example, Peter gave everyone who ran the opposite direction of us (you know, the faster runners on their way back) high fives.
The weather was perfect. It started out at 86 degrees - ick. But it cooled off dramatically. I was feeling really good after the first 2 miles (I hate those first miles) and by 6 I was feeling great! Reminded me of last week. The miles between 7-9 were all uphill, which took a lot out of me. And that last mile, really kicked my butt. But Jennifer and I came in really strong ahead of the whole group! And we were supposed to be the slow ones :) I think it was the excitement about how long I ran and that I could do it that pushed me on.
But the rest of Sunday was pretty much a wash for me. I went to brunch with friends, but pretty much spent the rest of the day on the couch watching True Blood and icing various parts of my legs.
Today we ran 6 miles. The beginner marathon schedule had us at 5, but intermediate had us at 6. Being the ridiculous type-A personalities that we are, Lindsey and I opted for that extra mile. I think that I could really feel the fact that I ran 11 miles two days ago today. It seemed harder than usual for me. But we did it at about a 12:15 pace. Feels great now of course. So we've got 6 more on Thursday, 3 on Friday or Saturday, and then 13 on Sunday! That's a half-marathon pace. Does that mean we're half way there?
The weather was perfect. It started out at 86 degrees - ick. But it cooled off dramatically. I was feeling really good after the first 2 miles (I hate those first miles) and by 6 I was feeling great! Reminded me of last week. The miles between 7-9 were all uphill, which took a lot out of me. And that last mile, really kicked my butt. But Jennifer and I came in really strong ahead of the whole group! And we were supposed to be the slow ones :) I think it was the excitement about how long I ran and that I could do it that pushed me on.
But the rest of Sunday was pretty much a wash for me. I went to brunch with friends, but pretty much spent the rest of the day on the couch watching True Blood and icing various parts of my legs.
Today we ran 6 miles. The beginner marathon schedule had us at 5, but intermediate had us at 6. Being the ridiculous type-A personalities that we are, Lindsey and I opted for that extra mile. I think that I could really feel the fact that I ran 11 miles two days ago today. It seemed harder than usual for me. But we did it at about a 12:15 pace. Feels great now of course. So we've got 6 more on Thursday, 3 on Friday or Saturday, and then 13 on Sunday! That's a half-marathon pace. Does that mean we're half way there?
Friday, July 24, 2009
Can't Believe the Monthly Mileage
I'm tracking my runs and workouts on this awesome site www.mapmyrun.com. As I entered our 6 mile run in today, I noticed that I have run 71.5 miles this month! And by the end of the month, if I get all my runs in, it'll be a total of 93.5 miles!!!!!!!! That's crazy, but totally cool.
The run this morning was awesome. We were supposed to take today off and run 6 miles tomorrow, but Lindsey will be out of town this weekend and neither of us wanted to do this "on your own" run by ourselves. Kelly decided to join us too. It was the longest I've ever run with the Kellinator, but she kept up just fine. Which makes me think she'll be able to run the Turkey Trot 8 mile with (on my birthday! So fun!).
This time, I met Lindsey at her place - we usually meet at mine. She lives in uptown, so there were tons of new roads to explore. We ran along Turtle Creek into Highland Park. First, the creek run is beautiful (once the sun comes up of course - which is half-way into our run). Second - the house in HP are ridiculously gorgeous and huge. But very nice eye candy to run by. Good run all around.
We're doing 11 miles on Sunday. This will be the most I've ever run so far. Until next week, that is.
The run this morning was awesome. We were supposed to take today off and run 6 miles tomorrow, but Lindsey will be out of town this weekend and neither of us wanted to do this "on your own" run by ourselves. Kelly decided to join us too. It was the longest I've ever run with the Kellinator, but she kept up just fine. Which makes me think she'll be able to run the Turkey Trot 8 mile with (on my birthday! So fun!).
This time, I met Lindsey at her place - we usually meet at mine. She lives in uptown, so there were tons of new roads to explore. We ran along Turtle Creek into Highland Park. First, the creek run is beautiful (once the sun comes up of course - which is half-way into our run). Second - the house in HP are ridiculously gorgeous and huge. But very nice eye candy to run by. Good run all around.
We're doing 11 miles on Sunday. This will be the most I've ever run so far. Until next week, that is.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Today we had a six-mile run and it was fabulous! The weather was GREAT - a nice and cool 75 degrees! our route took us through Highland Park, so the scenery was almost as beautiful as the weather. It was really neat to run through that part of town. I love how every new route shows me a part of town I have never really taken in before. Its so much nicer than driving through because while you run, you really get to take in everything around you. I have never seen Dallas this way before - and I love it!
This afternoon, Shannon came up with a great idea - a Book-Running Club. Same as a book club, but you run while you discuss the books. I think it is brilliant. There is always stuff to talk about on the run, but it will be cool to add yet another thing. So, we have decided to read "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." I can't wait :-)
This afternoon, Shannon came up with a great idea - a Book-Running Club. Same as a book club, but you run while you discuss the books. I think it is brilliant. There is always stuff to talk about on the run, but it will be cool to add yet another thing. So, we have decided to read "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." I can't wait :-)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Runner's World
Our Tuesday run was cut short due to thunder and lightening. So instead of doing 6 miles, we only did 4.5. The funny thing was that I really didn't want to cut short my training - so I ran at a much faster pace than usual to try to beat the storm to the store. Didn't work - we had someone come pick us up to avoid the dangerous weather (although I still think we could have completed the run - we only had a mile left at most).
I got my first Runner's World magazine yesterday. I was so excited that I went outside, sat down (tried to throw the ball for Kelly but she was being stubborn and refused to run in the wet grass) and proceeded to devour the mag. I loved it! So many great ideas and inspiration stories. This running stuff is definitely changing my likes and dislikes in reading material. I'd never have dreamed I'd find Runner's World so interesting.
Today, the weather in the morning was GORGEOUS. I think it's pretty telling that I was super disappointed that today was a workout day with the trainer instead of a run. Let's hope tomorrow morning is just as nice - another 6 miler. We also have 6 miles on Saturday and then 11 on Sunday! That will be my highest mileage yet. And next Sunday we run 13. Crazy! That's a half-marathon!!!
I got my first Runner's World magazine yesterday. I was so excited that I went outside, sat down (tried to throw the ball for Kelly but she was being stubborn and refused to run in the wet grass) and proceeded to devour the mag. I loved it! So many great ideas and inspiration stories. This running stuff is definitely changing my likes and dislikes in reading material. I'd never have dreamed I'd find Runner's World so interesting.
Today, the weather in the morning was GORGEOUS. I think it's pretty telling that I was super disappointed that today was a workout day with the trainer instead of a run. Let's hope tomorrow morning is just as nice - another 6 miler. We also have 6 miles on Saturday and then 11 on Sunday! That will be my highest mileage yet. And next Sunday we run 13. Crazy! That's a half-marathon!!!
Monday, July 20, 2009
This Weekend - Too Hot, and Recovery Run
Hi all,
This weekend, Lindsey, Jennifer, and I ran in our first 15K (a.k.a. 9.3 miles). It was AWESOME! I was worried about it because last week's 5 mile runs were hard for me, but I loved and enjoyed every second of the 15K on Saturday.
It's called "Too Hot to Handle" because it takes place in mid-July and doesn't start util 7:30 am (remember, we've been running at 5:30 am). Luckily, the weather was fantastic. It's amazing the difference of 5 degrees and humidity makes. There was water about every 2.5 miles along the course and sprinklers set up for the runners! They were cool because they sprinkled water from above, rather than below, so our shoes were kept dry.
We ran all the way around White Rock Lake - my first time ever. It was a great location to run - the scenery was really pretty and it was fun passing all the points I had driven to (or run to) in the past - like the dog park, or the area of the lake down the hill from my house.
After the run, I hopped in my car and drove to Livingston, Texas for Melanie's bachelorette party. That was really fun, but I was super tired and passed out by midnight. But the party didn't keep me from my running schedule! On Sunday, Desiree and I walk/ran 4 miles for the "recovery run." It was so fun running with Des! She is going to sign up for the Vegas half marathon and I'm going to sign up for Houston's half in January.
I'm feeling a little tired physically today. But it's back to normal and we run 5 miles tomorrow.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Too Hot To Handle
Well - yesterday the three of us ran in the Too Hot To Handle race around White Rock Lake. It was fantastic!
First - the weather more was perfect - a cold front came through late this week and made the high a "chilly" 93 degrees! It was MUCH better than we had expected, as just two days earlier we hit highs of 100+.
I decided it would be easiest to park at the in-laws, as they live merely a block away from White Rock. However, it ended up being over a mile to the start line. i was runnig late (as usual) and had to run almost a mile to get to the start in time!! But - I guess that was a good warm up :-) I finally got to the start line and luckily found our group only 2 minutes before the race!! That was a close call!!!
We started the race at a pretty decent pace - just around 12 minutes per mile. I was excited about this because I was very curious to see how it felt to run at our "race pace" as opposed to our training "easy" pace. And frankly - it felt good! we stayed at this pace for the first 5 miles or so, and then ended up increasing to close to an 11 minute mile. Jennifer and I averaged at 11:30/mile!! I am so proud of us. Around mile 5 we sped up to follow the coach of the 12-minute group, Ken. He was cracking us up - singing and shouting the whole race! It made for some great entertainment!!
So, the last mile was pretty tough. I am doing really well breathing throughout the runs (which used to be my biggest problem), but my legs get very heavy towards the end. I guess that will build up as we build mileage...
Right before the finish, I saw my dad and my husband. They are so supportive of my running - it is wonderful to have my family cheering me on! Jennifer's husband and son were also there to watch her finish. Seth was so cute - he tried to run out onto the track when he saw his mommy crossing the finish line.
After the race I was pretty tired - but I felt great! We accomplished a lot yesterday, and I am so proud of Shannon, Jennifer and myself!! Great job ladies!!!!
~L
First - the weather more was perfect - a cold front came through late this week and made the high a "chilly" 93 degrees! It was MUCH better than we had expected, as just two days earlier we hit highs of 100+.
I decided it would be easiest to park at the in-laws, as they live merely a block away from White Rock. However, it ended up being over a mile to the start line. i was runnig late (as usual) and had to run almost a mile to get to the start in time!! But - I guess that was a good warm up :-) I finally got to the start line and luckily found our group only 2 minutes before the race!! That was a close call!!!
We started the race at a pretty decent pace - just around 12 minutes per mile. I was excited about this because I was very curious to see how it felt to run at our "race pace" as opposed to our training "easy" pace. And frankly - it felt good! we stayed at this pace for the first 5 miles or so, and then ended up increasing to close to an 11 minute mile. Jennifer and I averaged at 11:30/mile!! I am so proud of us. Around mile 5 we sped up to follow the coach of the 12-minute group, Ken. He was cracking us up - singing and shouting the whole race! It made for some great entertainment!!
So, the last mile was pretty tough. I am doing really well breathing throughout the runs (which used to be my biggest problem), but my legs get very heavy towards the end. I guess that will build up as we build mileage...
Right before the finish, I saw my dad and my husband. They are so supportive of my running - it is wonderful to have my family cheering me on! Jennifer's husband and son were also there to watch her finish. Seth was so cute - he tried to run out onto the track when he saw his mommy crossing the finish line.
After the race I was pretty tired - but I felt great! We accomplished a lot yesterday, and I am so proud of Shannon, Jennifer and myself!! Great job ladies!!!!
~L
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Thursday - 5 Mile Run
Today was our second weekday run. It was 5 miles again - and hard again! It was so hot and humid this morning. I was really having a tough time of it today, and felt pretty sick to my stomach in the last mile. I was talking with another runner and she said that you have bad and good weeks - so I'm hoping that this is a bad week.
The good news is that it's probably as hot as it's going to get. Hard to believe that the temperature is at 85 at 5:30 in the morning!
We have the "Too Hot to Handle" on Saturday. The exciting part is that there is a "cold" front hitting Texas tomorrow!!!! YIPPEE!!! This means that even though we are starting at 7:30 on Saturday (which is late for us), it probably won't be above 80. The high on Saturday is 92. Now I know that doesn't sound much like a "cold" front, but given the over 100 weather over the last 2 weeks, it's a very welcome change.
Saturday should be fun. There's apparently going to be sprinklers available for us to run through and water stops every 2 miles. I'll try to bring a camera to take a pictuer of our group (maybe a before pic).
Ciao!
The good news is that it's probably as hot as it's going to get. Hard to believe that the temperature is at 85 at 5:30 in the morning!
We have the "Too Hot to Handle" on Saturday. The exciting part is that there is a "cold" front hitting Texas tomorrow!!!! YIPPEE!!! This means that even though we are starting at 7:30 on Saturday (which is late for us), it probably won't be above 80. The high on Saturday is 92. Now I know that doesn't sound much like a "cold" front, but given the over 100 weather over the last 2 weeks, it's a very welcome change.
Saturday should be fun. There's apparently going to be sprinklers available for us to run through and water stops every 2 miles. I'll try to bring a camera to take a pictuer of our group (maybe a before pic).
Ciao!
5 mile run - Thursday
Today's run was to be 5 miles at an "easy" pace. Unlike Shannon and Lindsey, I am doing my weekday runs in McKinney, Texas because I live in Allen- nearly 25 miles from Dallas. The downside to training in McKinney is that the pace groups are more condensed. This morning we had 2 marathon groups: those running an 8:30 mile and those running an 11:00 mile. Thus, I had no choice but to go with the 11:00 group. The pace actually fluctuated between 11:10 and 10:40, but truthfully, I felt ok. I am not sure I can maintain that pace when we increase our distance to 7 and 8 miles, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. So far, so good and it feels so great to be completing a 5 mile run at 6:30 a.m. Makes you feel productive all day.
On an unrelated note, I was looking online for some running mantras, and I found one of interest: "There is no finish line, just a starting line." I love it.
On an unrelated note, I was looking online for some running mantras, and I found one of interest: "There is no finish line, just a starting line." I love it.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
5 Mile Run - Tuesday
Today we met at 5:30 am to run 5 miles. It was only brutal because (1) the heat; and (2) I didn't sleep well because...the heat. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year - 104. Today should be about the same. Even at 5:30 am, it's 85 degrees outside. The upside is that it won't get any hotter.
Lindsey and I have the same coach we had in running 301. She's really great and has a lot of encouragement. There were only two other people in our running group - a couple who have been training/running on a treadmill, not in the classes as we have. They had a really hard time today, again because of the heat, because they are used to running in air conditioning. And running on a treadmill is completely different on your stride and joints than on roads. I think Lindsey and I were a little better conditioned for the run.
Lindsey is crazy and wants to move up from the 12:30 pace group to 12:00. This is because the couple in the end had to walk the last mile or so. I don't want to walk either, but moving up to the 12:00 pace group means running our "easy" runs at a pace that is not easy for me - between 11:30 and 12:00 rather than 12:00 - 12:30. I don't want to hold Lindsey back, but I most enjoy the runs when we get to chat about stuff. For now, I'm going to stick with the 12:30 pace. I'm withholding judgment until Thursday to see how that "5 Mile EASY" run goes.
On Saturday is our first 15K - that's 9.3 miles. It's called "Too Hot to Handle." It doesn't start until 7:30 am which is worrisome. But I am really excited to do it nonetheless. I'm going to my friend Melanie's bachelorette party late just to run this race. It's funny how greedy you get about your weekends and your feelings about skipping long runs - you don't want to do it! So wish us luck!
Lindsey and I have the same coach we had in running 301. She's really great and has a lot of encouragement. There were only two other people in our running group - a couple who have been training/running on a treadmill, not in the classes as we have. They had a really hard time today, again because of the heat, because they are used to running in air conditioning. And running on a treadmill is completely different on your stride and joints than on roads. I think Lindsey and I were a little better conditioned for the run.
Lindsey is crazy and wants to move up from the 12:30 pace group to 12:00. This is because the couple in the end had to walk the last mile or so. I don't want to walk either, but moving up to the 12:00 pace group means running our "easy" runs at a pace that is not easy for me - between 11:30 and 12:00 rather than 12:00 - 12:30. I don't want to hold Lindsey back, but I most enjoy the runs when we get to chat about stuff. For now, I'm going to stick with the 12:30 pace. I'm withholding judgment until Thursday to see how that "5 Mile EASY" run goes.
On Saturday is our first 15K - that's 9.3 miles. It's called "Too Hot to Handle." It doesn't start until 7:30 am which is worrisome. But I am really excited to do it nonetheless. I'm going to my friend Melanie's bachelorette party late just to run this race. It's funny how greedy you get about your weekends and your feelings about skipping long runs - you don't want to do it! So wish us luck!
Hey everyone! So, Shannon has been bugging me to write something - and if you know Shannon, you know I won't hear the end of it until I contribute! (kidding Shannon! :-) So, here goes...
Today we had our first weekday "easy" run. We ran 5 miles starting at 5:30 a.m. I still can't believe I am getting up that early! It was a little hot, but the run was great. We ran with our coach from 301 - Laura - who we really enjoy running with. We were also lucky enough to run with a second coach as well - Barbara. She was supposed to run with a faster group, but no one showed up for her class, so she joined us. And I am very glad she did.
One thing I have enjoyed about these classes is the people we meet - people from all walks of life. Its very cool because no matter how different we are, we all have one thing in common - running. When I signed up for the classes, I never considered that it would be a place to make new friends, but it has been. The runs actually provide a great forum to get to know one another. There is really nothing else to do on the runs but chat with one another... and I do LOVE to chat :-) I look forward to meeting all the runners in our new class this weekend!
Great run this morning girls! Keep it up!!!
~L
Today we had our first weekday "easy" run. We ran 5 miles starting at 5:30 a.m. I still can't believe I am getting up that early! It was a little hot, but the run was great. We ran with our coach from 301 - Laura - who we really enjoy running with. We were also lucky enough to run with a second coach as well - Barbara. She was supposed to run with a faster group, but no one showed up for her class, so she joined us. And I am very glad she did.
One thing I have enjoyed about these classes is the people we meet - people from all walks of life. Its very cool because no matter how different we are, we all have one thing in common - running. When I signed up for the classes, I never considered that it would be a place to make new friends, but it has been. The runs actually provide a great forum to get to know one another. There is really nothing else to do on the runs but chat with one another... and I do LOVE to chat :-) I look forward to meeting all the runners in our new class this weekend!
Great run this morning girls! Keep it up!!!
~L
Sunday, July 12, 2009
First Day of Marathon Class!
Today was the official start to our marathon class. We only went 4 miles, but it was really difficult. That's because we didn't start to run until 6:45. Now that may sound early to some of you, but we've been training to get to this class by running at 5:30 and 6:00. By 6:45, it was over 85 degrees out and really humid - the worst weather to run in.
We started with an easy warm up and then went on to do what's called the "Miracle Mile." This is a flat out run, as fast as you can without throwing up. The goal is to take your fastest mile pace to determine where your probable marathon pace and training pace should be. I'm thinking I'm going to stick with the 12:30 pace group because it's been working for me on the 8 and 9 mile runs. But it'll be interesting to see what my Miracle Mile pace will be. Two months ago when we started the Running 101 class, I could only do a mile in 12:06. My time was 9:00 minutes flat! I improved by 3 minutes over 2 months. So cool (although of the 34 people signed up for the full marathon class who did the magic mile, I was 33rd).
The energy in the group of 100 people or so was really high. Everyone looked excited and nervous at the same time. But everyone was also really friendly - runners are a friendly bunch! Really excited to start the training. Next run is 5 miles on Tuesday. Wish us luck!
We started with an easy warm up and then went on to do what's called the "Miracle Mile." This is a flat out run, as fast as you can without throwing up. The goal is to take your fastest mile pace to determine where your probable marathon pace and training pace should be. I'm thinking I'm going to stick with the 12:30 pace group because it's been working for me on the 8 and 9 mile runs. But it'll be interesting to see what my Miracle Mile pace will be. Two months ago when we started the Running 101 class, I could only do a mile in 12:06. My time was 9:00 minutes flat! I improved by 3 minutes over 2 months. So cool (although of the 34 people signed up for the full marathon class who did the magic mile, I was 33rd).
The energy in the group of 100 people or so was really high. Everyone looked excited and nervous at the same time. But everyone was also really friendly - runners are a friendly bunch! Really excited to start the training. Next run is 5 miles on Tuesday. Wish us luck!
Friday, July 10, 2009
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