Another little trick I've been using out of my trusty guide book to keep negative thoughts at bay is adding the phrase "but it doesn't matter" at the end of any/all of my complaints. Ideally I will learn to not think them at all eventually, but for now "but it doesn't matter" is working pretty well. This week I am forcing myself to snap back into training mode, and that started yesterday. This week of training is going to particularly challenging; not only because I'm coming back from a vacation, but because it's going to be in the 90s and 100s everyday this week, which means I will probably have to wake up even earlier than normal to run while it's cool (ish). My 4 mile run last night was stiff and slow and it was still really hot even though it was after 9 pm.
I decided to get up early and do today's 6 miles, so I woke up at 5:50 and hit the pavement. Here's a little rundown:
I'm really sleepy and it hasn't even been 8 hours since my last run...but it doesn't matter.
My legs are stiff and my neck is sore...but it doesn't matter.
My headphones just died...but it doesn't matter.
My feet feel like cinder blocks...but it doesn't matter.
I'm dehydrated...but it doesn't matter. (this actually does kind of matter, but I knew 6 miles wouldn't kill me.)
It's hotter than hades...but it doesn't matter.
So yeah...I have some positivity and serious rehydration to work on.
On the upside...last night I got to see a beautiful sunset, and this morning a gorgeous sunrise. Those are the things that relax me and remind me why I'm doing this.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
i'm a slacking marathoner
I'm trying not to panic too much...it's just one lazy week of training. I blame it on Michigan. We are having SO much fun here, it's pretty hard to stay so focused on running when there are so many other distractions: playing with little Aayla all day long, not having a regular sleeping/eating schedule...not drinking enough water, not paying close enough attention to how many calories I'm taking in. All that is a lot of work. I think the time change and staying up so late is what's doing it...waking up and feeling drugged. I've been trying to set my alarm for around 730/8ish to go running...but that is 430 pacific time...yikes. So that hasn't been working out very well.
Good thing in my marathon book I just read that in the grand scheme of things, several months of training, having an off week isn't that big of a deal. So I don't feel so bad.
I'll snap back into it when we get home. Promise. :)
Good thing in my marathon book I just read that in the grand scheme of things, several months of training, having an off week isn't that big of a deal. So I don't feel so bad.
I'll snap back into it when we get home. Promise. :)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Week 5: check.
I just finished week 5 of my training with a fantastic 10 mile run! Even though I wasn't really looking forward to doing it this morning, it turned out pretty well and I'm glad I put in all the effort I did. I can tell that I'm getting in better shape because I'm not nearly as sore or tired as I have been in the past, or thought I would be today after 10 miles. Yay for progress!
The other thing that made me really happy is that I shaved off 30 minutes from the last time I ran 10 miles, which was mid May.
In order to have a good run this morning I decided to pay closer attention to my trusty marathon book...and I think it worked. It says to start drinking gatorade 2 hours before the run, during the run, and for 3 hours after the run. (8 oz per every 2 miles ran after the first hour of running). I had to wake up extra early this morning to start running before it got too hot, and my plan was to start running at 6:45. So I woke up at 5:30 to drink a bunch of gatorade, in hopes of getting it out of my system before leaving. (I am absolutely paranoid of the feeling of having to go to the bathroom while running. It's amazing the things you will consider/actually do when miles away from a bathroom...) Waking up so early is reeaaally not very fun, I was sitting on the side of my bed at 5:30 this morning drinking gatorade thinking "this is ridiculous." But it worked.
I also made it up my Doomsday Hill again! I was perhaps a little more optimistic this time hoping it would be easier, but it wasn't. Maybe next time. :)
Somewhere between miles 6 and 8 I decided to try a little mind game to pass the time: the abc game. I think everyone has played some sort of version of this but today I picked things I'm thankful for: Aayla, Ameira, Books, Bottles of water, Coby, Cups of gatorade...etc. (can ya tell I was thirsty...?)
After mile 8 I ran by the house to grab a drink of gatorade, and then finished the last 2 miles nice and strong. This is only the second time I've ever ran 10 miles before, so in just a couple more weeks I will start running further than I ever have before. Exciting!
The other thing that made me really happy is that I shaved off 30 minutes from the last time I ran 10 miles, which was mid May.
In order to have a good run this morning I decided to pay closer attention to my trusty marathon book...and I think it worked. It says to start drinking gatorade 2 hours before the run, during the run, and for 3 hours after the run. (8 oz per every 2 miles ran after the first hour of running). I had to wake up extra early this morning to start running before it got too hot, and my plan was to start running at 6:45. So I woke up at 5:30 to drink a bunch of gatorade, in hopes of getting it out of my system before leaving. (I am absolutely paranoid of the feeling of having to go to the bathroom while running. It's amazing the things you will consider/actually do when miles away from a bathroom...) Waking up so early is reeaaally not very fun, I was sitting on the side of my bed at 5:30 this morning drinking gatorade thinking "this is ridiculous." But it worked.
I also made it up my Doomsday Hill again! I was perhaps a little more optimistic this time hoping it would be easier, but it wasn't. Maybe next time. :)
Somewhere between miles 6 and 8 I decided to try a little mind game to pass the time: the abc game. I think everyone has played some sort of version of this but today I picked things I'm thankful for: Aayla, Ameira, Books, Bottles of water, Coby, Cups of gatorade...etc. (can ya tell I was thirsty...?)
After mile 8 I ran by the house to grab a drink of gatorade, and then finished the last 2 miles nice and strong. This is only the second time I've ever ran 10 miles before, so in just a couple more weeks I will start running further than I ever have before. Exciting!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Well, the last couple training runs haven't been going very smoothly... I think it's mostly because I haven't been getting enough sleep. I'm starting to really be able to feel the difference when even just one of the variables is off. Yes the running can be exhausting, but it's also all the other stuff I have to do that gets to be a lot of work: sleeping a lot, drinking a TON of water constantly, stretching whenever I have a free minute to sit down, eating way more than I'm used to, eating VERY different things than what I'm used to, etc. Also during my run yesterday I got a blister on my right ankle and kind of had to suffer through it because I was ways away from the car, so today while I was running I think I spent a lot of time worrying that my bandaid was gonna come off and ruin me.
Tomorrow I have a rest day, so Friday during the long run I'm turning over a new leaf. Fresh attitude, rested legs. It'll be 10 miles of pure fun. And a lot of sweat. That is for sure one thing I'm trying to get used to...all the sweat. I'm fairly adjusted to waking up early to do the runs before it gets too hot, but the humidity here is something else. Even on short distances, by the time I get back I'm sweating profusely, even when it it's not that hot. Gross.
Tomorrow I have a rest day, so Friday during the long run I'm turning over a new leaf. Fresh attitude, rested legs. It'll be 10 miles of pure fun. And a lot of sweat. That is for sure one thing I'm trying to get used to...all the sweat. I'm fairly adjusted to waking up early to do the runs before it gets too hot, but the humidity here is something else. Even on short distances, by the time I get back I'm sweating profusely, even when it it's not that hot. Gross.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Training for a marathon? What?
Yes, yes I know. Looking at me probably doesn't cause you to think, "she's a marathoner." But it's the truth!
A few months back I began running just to get some more cardio in my life...and for some reason this time around I actually enjoyed it...unlike a few attempts I've made in the past. I think this time I enjoyed it because I stuck with it long enough to actually start seeing real improvements: my distances got longer, my pace picked up, I didn't hurt as much, my body toned up, my muscles got stronger and I just felt better overall. Sometime in April I began reading a book about how to train for a marathon and this book I will largely give due credit: "The Non-Runner's Marathon Training Guide" by David Whitsett. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who wants to try running distances without dying. I am absolutely not a distance runner by nature, but this book truly gave me the confidence to get out there and try! And not die!
I just began week 5 of the 16 week training program, and decided that somehow I need to document these efforts. During the last couple of weeks of training I've begun to realize how this just may be the most physically demanding challenge I've ever tackled, and I think a mental outlet will be a fantastic element to add to my training. The training program calls for running 4 days a week: 2 shortish days, 1 average day, and 1 long day. Each week gradually increases the number of miles ran by 2 or 3 miles and that usually takes place within the average and long training run days.
Last week during week 4 consisted of: 3 miles, 5 miles, 3 miles, and 8 miles.
This week, week 5 consists of: 3 miles, 5 miles, 3 miles, and 10 miles. (But actually I'm upping this week a bit because I'm going to Michigan during week 6 and don't expect to be able to get all the miles in. )
I won't go back and recap all my most recent runs except for last Saturday's 8 mile run. On this run I discovered my personal Doomsday Hill...this baby is the mother of all hills. HUUGE. As soon as I started running down it I began thinking "ohhh nooo"...knowing that I was gonna have to run back up it. On my way back I hit the hill...and soon enough it was over! I made it up! When it was over I realized what a mental barrier this stupid hill had created in my mind. The miles leading up to running back up the hill were labored and slow, but as soon as I crested the hill, my run got easier! I accomplished so much during that quarter of a mile or so, I was super proud of myself for doing it, it made the last couple miles seem like cake.
I'm beginning to really learn the significance of mental imaging, and positive thinking: today during my 4 mile run I practiced some positive mental images ( I know it sounds super dumb, but it's not) and I think it worked! The mental aspects of running take just as much practice as the physical aspects; I know I've heard that a gazillion times, but I think I'm actually starting to experience what it feels like.
A few months back I began running just to get some more cardio in my life...and for some reason this time around I actually enjoyed it...unlike a few attempts I've made in the past. I think this time I enjoyed it because I stuck with it long enough to actually start seeing real improvements: my distances got longer, my pace picked up, I didn't hurt as much, my body toned up, my muscles got stronger and I just felt better overall. Sometime in April I began reading a book about how to train for a marathon and this book I will largely give due credit: "The Non-Runner's Marathon Training Guide" by David Whitsett. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who wants to try running distances without dying. I am absolutely not a distance runner by nature, but this book truly gave me the confidence to get out there and try! And not die!
I just began week 5 of the 16 week training program, and decided that somehow I need to document these efforts. During the last couple of weeks of training I've begun to realize how this just may be the most physically demanding challenge I've ever tackled, and I think a mental outlet will be a fantastic element to add to my training. The training program calls for running 4 days a week: 2 shortish days, 1 average day, and 1 long day. Each week gradually increases the number of miles ran by 2 or 3 miles and that usually takes place within the average and long training run days.
Last week during week 4 consisted of: 3 miles, 5 miles, 3 miles, and 8 miles.
This week, week 5 consists of: 3 miles, 5 miles, 3 miles, and 10 miles. (But actually I'm upping this week a bit because I'm going to Michigan during week 6 and don't expect to be able to get all the miles in. )
I won't go back and recap all my most recent runs except for last Saturday's 8 mile run. On this run I discovered my personal Doomsday Hill...this baby is the mother of all hills. HUUGE. As soon as I started running down it I began thinking "ohhh nooo"...knowing that I was gonna have to run back up it. On my way back I hit the hill...and soon enough it was over! I made it up! When it was over I realized what a mental barrier this stupid hill had created in my mind. The miles leading up to running back up the hill were labored and slow, but as soon as I crested the hill, my run got easier! I accomplished so much during that quarter of a mile or so, I was super proud of myself for doing it, it made the last couple miles seem like cake.
I'm beginning to really learn the significance of mental imaging, and positive thinking: today during my 4 mile run I practiced some positive mental images ( I know it sounds super dumb, but it's not) and I think it worked! The mental aspects of running take just as much practice as the physical aspects; I know I've heard that a gazillion times, but I think I'm actually starting to experience what it feels like.
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