August 26, 2004
It's the Olympics' fault ...
that I haven’t done Pilates in over a week. Even though this week’s games have been pretty boring since I’m not much into diving or soccer or the sprints all that much, last week was so good I’m just pretty much addicted. I can’t turn it off. I miss Michael Phelps, though. Crooked smile and doofy ears and all.
I had actually been making some progress with the Pilates, too, which was good since we’ll be on the beach in Cancun all next week. The Pilates combined with the new-found running form Gilbert has helped me acquire – hips pulled under more and less butt sticking out – had my posture and midsection looking a lot better. Not to mention that my lower back is a lot less sore after I run.
Fortunately, the Pilates is really the only thing that’s suffered. I’ve been able to do yoga and watch t.v. at the same time and I’ve been getting my miles in like I’m supposed to. I even got a massage last week. Oh wait … my sleeping’s suffered quite a bit, too, since the coverage here doesn’t end until 11p.m.. So next week – I mean, the following week, when we get back from vacation – it’ll really be back to business. Seriously.
Seriously.
So how many miles do I think I’ll run in Cancun? Not too many. (How many margaritas will I drink? Too many.) I have to run there on Sunday since by my calculations it’s still in this week and I’d like to hit 80 miles this week. I’d thought we were leaving Sunday afternoon and that I’d be able to run here before we left, but we’re actually leaving pretty early. So I have to run when I get there. Booooo.
Tonight’s run was real good, ex-specially when compared to this morning’s swim – I mean run. When I left the house this afternoon the local news station reported 98 degrees, but there was a breeze so it ended up being pretty enjoyable. There’s a cool front coming in this weekend just in time for us to head to Cancun (did I mention I was going to Cancun?) where the predicted highs next week are in the mid- to upper-90s. Sweet.
Posted by jenandmats at 10:03 PM | Comments (1)
August 25, 2004
Semi-long Wednesday
Well I made it through another Wednesday morning semi-long run. Fortunately I had company the whole time, so it went pretty well. I even duked it out with an older (than us) dude who wasn’t going to let Julie and me pass as we were finishing up our run. He “won,” but it was fine with me. Once I knew for sure that he was resisting us I laughed out loud and he started laughing too. It’s just so typical for middle-aged guys to resist having a woman pass them!
I went and had my usual big breakfast afterward, and I was so sleepy I actually caught a quick 10-minute nap in my car in the work parking garage! Pretty gross considering how humid it was and how soggy my clothes still were. It would have been so nice to be able to come home to shower and nap after the run. I’d really like to call it a night early tonight, but the Olympics are just way too much of a distraction.
Posted by jenandmats at 9:33 PM | Comments (4)
August 23, 2004
Shaking out the kinks
I think my body was pretty happy to be running this morning after being hunched over in that canoe for two days. Even though it was extremely muggy, for most of the run I felt like I was just cruising along really comfortably.
Last night Andy and I were taking stock of ourselves after our outing. We both have really sore shoulders and backs, I have a nasty bruise on my knee from knocking it on the side of the canoe every time we hit the rapids, Andy's got scratches all over the place from tipping in his kayak, AND ... he lost his wedding ring.
Man, but it was fun.
Posted by jenandmats at 9:04 AM
August 22, 2004
Summary - week 6 of 31
Week 6 of 31 (8/15-8/22)
Monday – 6am w/8x strides; 8pm hilly
Tuesday – 7pm EZ
Wednesday – 13am
Thursday – 5am EZ; 9pm EZ
Friday – 7am EZ
Saturday – 17 somewhat hilly
Sunday - OFF
TOTAL - 72
Posted by jenandmats at 9:21 PM
Canoe Trip!
We just got back a little while ago from canoeing down the Guadalupe River out in the hill country with the in-laws and the San Antonio runners. Having spent many years in Central and Northern CA, outdoor activities here in Texas just don’t thrill me all that much. Most of Texas is just not nearly as pretty as most of California. But being on the Guadalupe is a different story. It didn’t hurt that we had fabulous weather, too. It rained off and on, but never enough to make us miserable. My wet clothes dried by the campfire last night and were ready to go this morning!
I was disappointed to have to miss the women’s Olympic marathon but so happy to hear the result!
Posted by jenandmats at 9:19 PM
August 20, 2004
High mileage ...
is confusing me. I wish it were agreeing with me, like it did Barb! On Wednesday night I typed up, but decided not to post, a post about how tired I was. And I was tired on Wednesday night. I’d done 13 on Wednesday morning by just (somewhat) randomly running on Town Lake Trail, and I’d had to do the last 3 on my own. Because I’ve been running more than most of my friends, I’ve been running a lot of additional loops after everyone else is finished. It’d probably be better if I started early and finished with them, but that would require running in the dark on the trail on my own, which I’m not all that thrilled about. So on Wednesday I was feeling particularly sorry for myself, having to run the extra 3 on my own when I was already pretty tired from the night before. All day Wednesday I felt like poo – just tired and sore. So Thursday morning I just knew my runs were just going to be awful, but after 2-3 miles I started to feel ok. And then last night I felt pretty good (despite the fact that it was 97 degrees!)
The mileage I’m running is actually not new territory for me. But in the past I’ve been near the end of my marathon training when I’ve gotten up this high, and I expect to be tired and I know I’ve just got a few weeks to go. I think part of my being overwhelmed on Wednesday had to do with the fact that I’ve got so far to go!! So this morning I resolved to try to go with the flow more – not worry about the days I feel tired (I’ll feel better the next day) and enjoy the loops I do on my own. I get to set the pace when I run on my own anyway! It’s just way too early for the marathon training emotional roller coaster. You know, “I feel awesome, I’m going to kick ass!” one minute and then “somebody stick a fork in me – I’m done” the next and then “was that a twinge?” and then “8 by 800 all under 3:00 – I rock!” to “when did 15 miles become so long?”
Not … gonna … do it. I'm just gonna run.
Posted by jenandmats at 9:06 AM | Comments (2)
August 19, 2004
Shoes
I have bunions, ok? There, I’ve said it. They’re ugly. I shouldn’t wear strappy shoes (but I do sometimes.) My brother thinks its funny to call me “Paul” (as in Bunyan) and ask me where my ox, Babe, is.
So shoes can be tricky. The toebox needs to be wide and the heel narrow. The heel is almost never narrow enough, so I have to lace the shoes in a certain way to reduce slippage. For the most part, I think I’ve just gotten used to shoes that slip a little on the heel. A friend who is a Fila rep had outfitted our Beach to Bay relay team with Fila gear, and I’ve been wearing the Flows I got and am loving them. They fit better than any shoes I’ve worn in a long time. And they’re really light, too.
I’m really good (or bad, depending on how you look at it) at switching out my shoes long before they get worn out. Plus, I rotate out shoes and will have three or four pair going at one time: lighter shoes for faster and longer stuff and more cushiony shoes for easy days. Still, when you live in swampy and occasionally run twice a day it’s hard to keep the nasty factor down. There are times I’ll put on shoes that haven’t dried out from the day before, which magnifies the nastiness. We have a heap of shoes in the garage that you can smell sometimes as you’re pulling the car in.
Keeping in mind the nastiness of my shoes consider this story from earlier this summer. I had run in the morning and then showered at work, leaving my wet shoes and clothes in the locker in the locker room there. I decided to leave at lunch that day, and when I went down to retrieve my clothes my shoes were missing. I thought maybe I’d left them right outside the shower so I walked around the corner to check. As I was coming back around into the main area of the locker room this woman walks in - wearing my shoes! She’d just gone out for a workout in them. Although we worked in the same building I didn’t know her – I don’t even think I’d seen her before. All I could think to say after we established that she was, in fact, wearing my shoes, was “That’s so gross!” She was embarrassed and apologized, but I was so stunned I really couldn’t think of anything other than how yucky it was for both of us. I had some stranger’s sweaty feet in my shoes, and she had just worn some stranger’s still-wet shoes for a workout. She had reached into that locker with all my sweaty nasty stuff. Un-believable. Some friends who traveled to Lubbock for the Buffalo Springs Half Ironman in June (and who are headed to Pike's Peak today!) bought me a sticker at a roadside shop somewhere in West Texas that says:
“If you walk a mile in my shoes … keep on going. I’ve got more shoes.”
Posted by jenandmats at 8:37 AM | Comments (1)
August 17, 2004
Too Social
I've been too social the past few days to do any serious blogging (or Olympics watching for that matter. Boo.) I imagine there are legions of sorely disappointed people out there. I apologize.
I followed my usual Monday and Tuesday running routines - yesterday morning EZ with the girls, last night with the ARC group and then this evening I ran EZ on the trail by myself (no Andy, unfortunately.)
Last night we caught a pre-screening of Without a Paddle out at Zilker Park with our "weird friends." Tonight was a coworker's birthday party at the bowling alley. I bowled 108. I'm always happy to get up over 100.
5:30am is going to roll around way too early tomorrow.
Posted by jenandmats at 10:17 PM
August 16, 2004
Sign Me Up
Sweet! I like the new look. I think that the image at the top compliments the sentiment conveyed by the title. The title comes from a line from a Patty Griffin song, Mad Mission, from Living with Ghosts, that I designated my marathon song (I know … don’t laugh) before Motorola in ’03. The chorus, I thought, was just about perfect for marathoning:
It’s a mad mission
Under difficult conditions
Not everybody makes it
To the loving cup
It’s a mad mission
But I got the ambition
Mad mad mission
Sign me up.
And I signed up yesterday, by the way. They were offering an “early bird special” to get in for $65 that expired at the end of yesterday. And I qualified for a sub-seeded number, too, which was kinda cool. Now I can line up with all the fasties and spaz out for the first mile.
I don’t have a designated marathon song for this year yet, but on the way home tonight I was listening to a Bob Schneider song that I had thought was perfect a few weeks ago when I first started my base building and my 7-month training plan:
I’ve got a mountain to climb before I get over this hill
I’ve got the world to unwind ‘fore I ever sit still
I’ve got a hard row to hoe before my seed is sown
I’ve got a long way to get before I get back home.
- from Long Way to Get on I'm Good Now
Posted by jenandmats at 11:22 PM | Comments (1)
August 15, 2004
Summary - week 5 of 31
Week 5 of 31 (8/9-8/16)
Monday – 7am w/7x strides; 5.5pm hilly
Tuesday – 5pm EZ
Wednesday – 12am (w/ 1mi 10K; 4mi marathon pace; 1mi 10K)
Thursday – 5am EZ; 7pm hilly + up-tempo
Friday – 5am EZ
Saturday – 18 somewhat hilly
Sunday - 4EZ
TOTAL - 68
Posted by jenandmats at 9:31 PM
August 14, 2004
Freescale Marathon Kickoff Party
I accidentally ran 18 this morning. I only meant to run 17. We added a little one-mile loop in the middle of our regular loop, but I had extra to do when we finished up the regular loop and that’s where I messed up. I forgot about that extra mile early on. Oh well. I felt good the whole time, although I was a little worn out at the end. And it got a little warm.
For the past few weeks we’ve been running with the same group of guy friends. They’re really fun friends, so you’d think running with them would be fun. They have a tendency to push the pace and string out, though, so we’re really not running together. It’s a little frustrating. And then this morning one of them started razzing me about how I train. He made a comment about how often and how much I run adding that I “always get hurt.” I didn’t even know what to say. He’s so wrong. I’ve been running for 7 years now and I had one minor shin injury and then the stress fracture last year for which I was out all of 8 weeks. But I actually got the stress fracture months after the marathon and after I’d had a rough few months of work - when I hadn’t been running that much. The high mileage he’s thinking about was before Motorola. Anyhow, when I pointed that out they started teasing me about getting defensive. I guess I am. When I first tried higher mileage two years ago I had to deal with a lot of criticism and negativity and I guess I’m just preparing for it again. I don’t know why I should be defensive now, though – it worked for me last time!
After the run Andy and I hit the Freescale Marathon kickoff party. Alberto Salazar was there to talk and to do a little group run on the trail. We were actually right at RunTex when they were supposed to start the run, and we waited around for a little while, but then realized it was going to be a zoo and took off without the group. But we did hear a good portion of his talk afterward. Most of what I heard emphasized a long-term marathon preparation and the importance of including speed – even some shorter repeats – in a marathon training program. I’m looking forward to adding speed to my training, even though it’ll be several months before I get there. Before Boston I did some track work, but not very much, and I was tired while I was doing it. I’m hoping that this time around by the time I get to the speedwork I’ll be used to the higher volume and it’ll actually be fun (and worthwhile!)
I wimped out of going to the Lance Armstrong welcome home party at the capitol last night, but I heard it was fun. I wore my yellow shorts as a little tribute this morning.
Posted by jenandmats at 4:55 PM
August 12, 2004
Good run gone bad
Relating the full story of tonight’s run will require pushing the boundaries of what’s considered “too much information.” But because it might be instructive to someone I’m going to go for it.
I met Al’s Ship of Fools again tonight for their hill workout. It would have been perfect – we did longer (one mile) intervals, which are good for just running rather than doing a workout. I did the first two and a half repeats with my friend Pete, nice and relaxed. Somewhere in the middle of the third interval I realized that all the downhill pounding was taking its toll on my insides and I had to go to the bathroom. So I had to leave my running partners and head back to the store. Unfortunately, we were in the middle of the neighborhood and the store was a half mile away. I had to walk. I was so annoyed.
I remembered that I’d had a similar problem two summers ago while doing hill workouts, and a friend suggested that in my efforts to stay hydrated I was drinking to much water. Her theory, if I understood it right, was that I was drinking more water than my body could absorb and that it was hanging out in my intestines causing problems rather than being absorbed by my tissues. Regardless of whether her theory was right or not, I found if I drank more Gatorade, which has more electrolytes to help with absorption, than water, I could manage to stay hydrated in the summer without having these “problems.”
Anyhow, after my problem was resolved I was still annoyed and ran on the trail rather than re-joining the group. I ran faster than I’d intended, so already this week I’ve had more up-tempo than I’d planned. Part of my up-tempo had to do with the fact that as I was starting, running over the bridge, there was a girl right on my tail, making all kinds of noise. She stayed on my tail nearly all the way across the bridge, which is approximately 300 yards. Finally when we got to the other side of the bridge she blazed by me. She ran a little less than a half mile and then pulled over and quit. I wonder if she ever started up again.
This morning's run with the girls was really nice. We had perfect temperatures and the pace was really relaxed. I can only hope tomorrow is as good!
Posted by jenandmats at 9:35 PM
In the Beginning ...
I wasn’t much of a runner before meeting Andy in the summer of ’96. In May of ’95 I ran Bay to Breakers with a friend and her husband. What a trip that was. I’m probably fortunate that that was my first road race; I don’t think I’d find the soggy tortilla shower so funny if I were actually trying to run a race now. I remember my one and only 5-mile training run before that day: I’d run out to Lake Yosemite from my parents’ house in Merced, and when I got home I spent probably 20 minutes at their kitchen table just staring out into space. I know now that my runner’s high usually follows the run rather than helping me get through one. But that first one was unbelievable. I was so impressed with myself.
When Andy and I started dating in the fall of ’96, he was training for the Houston marathon in January ’97 – his first. His dad and sister and brother-in-law were all serious runners and he’d finally been sucked in. I decided to bandit and see how far I could go – I made it 13 miles. Looking back, I’m impressed I made it that far. I had on cotton everything – shorts, socks, bra, shirt and sweatshirt. Problems with the wardrobe were compounded by the fact that the temperatures were below freezing and we were running in a rain/sleet combo. I was soaked to the bone and freezing. Andy’s dad was so miserable he pretty much quit running after that day, after an adult lifetime at it. Andy ran about 4:30, stopping once in a gas station to buy two snickers and share a basin of hot water with another freezing runner. (Poor dude. His last marathon was Boston, where he suffered from acid reflux from all the Gatorade he was drinking to beat the heat and thought it was a heart attack. He walked the last 4-5 miles.)
So Memorial Day weekend after the Houston fiasco we’re sitting around in my (future) sister- and brother- in law’s place, drinking beer, and the brother-in-law says to a group of us “Wouldn’t it be fun for us all to run the New York Marathon?” I didn’t say a word. Andy and I had been dating less than a year at that point, and I was still in the “man I don’t want him to think a weenie” phase. Of the 8 or so of us there at the time only 2 of us hadn’t run a marathon before. I had recently witnessed, and experienced to some extent, some of the worst marathon conditions ever. I was hoping someone would talk him out of it, but no one did. When someone pointed out how difficult it would be for us all to get in, I thought to myself that if even one of us didn’t get in the plan might all fall apart anyway. If we were all “lucky” enough to get in I would take it as a sign that it was meant to be.
I guess I’m a lucky girl.
Posted by jenandmats at 9:01 AM
August 11, 2004
10K pace, marathon pace, 10K pace
This morning I ran with Ruth and Steve’s fall marathon training group. I’m planning to join their group officially when they start their Freescale training group in a few weeks. This morning I ran with two guys, one of whom is a friend, who are trying to qualify for Boston at Chicago and Marathon to Marathon. Their workout this morning was to run a mile at 10K pace (6:36 for me), 4 miles at marathon pace (their goal pace of 7:15), and then another mile at 10K pace. It all went fine; I was dead on for my first 10K mile and we were a little fast on our marathon pace – 7:10, 06, 14, and 6:55 – and then we were a little fast on our last 10K mile (about 6:24.)
I’m pretty sure that if I were to have to do the middle 4 at my marathon goal pace I would have been able to do it, but it would have taken some real willpower. I’m always amazed at how a pace as “slow” as 7:15s can still be so uncomfortable.
By chance I ran into some other friends after the workout who helped me get through the additional 5 miles I had planned. Running in this town is so great.
Posted by jenandmats at 8:51 PM | Comments (3)
And
My husband Andy is the “and” in the jenandmats. He’s the reason I started running. When we first met he was training for his first marathon in Houston in January of ’97 (mo’ on that later.) We’ve been running together for the past several Tuesday nights, but he was working last night so I was (kinda) on my own.
We haven’t always run together. When I first started running I complained a lot, and I always felt so much more free to complain when I ran with him than when I ran with others, so he didn’t really enjoy running with me all that much. Then, once I started running more seriously (and he didn’t really – he’s always been primarily a social runner) I think he worried that running with me wouldn’t be fun because I’d run too fast. Now that I complain a lot less (while running, that is) and we both really enjoy easy running when we’re not doing a workout, we really enjoy running together. Plus, now he knows he’s faster than I am. For now.
I always knew he could be a good runner if he put a little effort into it, and I told him so every time he’d talk about being impressed with other people’s running – like when his sister and brother-in-law and I all qualified for Boston, and when his brother-in-law ran his sub-3. He’d just laugh at me. Then last spring he was laid off from his job and had all kinds of free time, so he started digging through my copy of Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathoning and spent a good chunk of his free time out on Town Lake Trail. In Houston last January he ran a 3:07. He was shooting for a 3:10, and ran his last few miles at a sub-7 pace. He made it look so easy.
So now whenever we discuss running and I give him ideas for training or give him an idea of what I’d like to do with my training, he counters with “*ahem* … well, you know … when I ran my 3:07 …”
Oh WHAT-evah.
So I missed running with him last night. I ran with James instead, which was fun. We ran a good pace. James has a tendency to run out in front of me while we’re running, but I’m getting used to it. I know that if I just keep on talking he can’t get too far ahead of me without being just downright rude.
Posted by jenandmats at 8:50 AM | Comments (2)
August 10, 2004
ARC Monday Night Jam
The Austin Runners Club is one of the free groups I’ve been training around with. I’ve only run with them twice now but they’re a fun group. They run a 5.5-mile loop that includes one helluva hill about two-thirds of the way through. Last week we ran at a nice leisurely pace, which was really nice in the heat. This week, however, the group’s leader recruited a “fast person” to run with me, despite my protestations that I really didn’t want to run hard. But when the guy showed up, how could I not run with him? It turned out that we ran most of the run with a group of about 6 of us, and they were all very chatty and fun. But we did finish up at a good clip. It wasn’t too bad, though; I’m not sore or anything this morning!
I ran with W for 7 easy yesterday morning and added 7 strides (I ran into some other friends on the 7th one and decided 8 wasn’t necessary.) Maybe that’s a good way to start the week – lucky 7 miles with lucky 7 strides!
Posted by jenandmats at 9:36 AM
August 9, 2004
Marathon history
I started running in the late summer of 1997, at the age of 26, to prepare for the New York City Marathon. Before then swimming (slowly) had been my primary means of staying in shape. Since then I’ve run 15 marathons, ranging between 3:10 and 4:08.
Beginning phase
My first marathon, in NYC, was the 4:08. I was just so happy to finish. Soon after coming home I signed up for Motorola in February, where I ran a crash and burn 3:42 and was amazed at how close I’d come to qualifying for Boston.
The quest for a Boston Qualifier
Don’t ever run the San Antonio marathon for time. Maybe don’t ever run it. Nine months after the 3:42 in Austin I ran a 3:56 (or so) in San Antonio. I actually doubted whether I’d ever run a marathon again. I ran Houston in January (3:52?) as a training run for Austin where I finally ran the qualifier. It was amazing to run it on my home course, and I ran different parts of the course with different friends. I ran in to the finish with my friend Danny, whom I hadn't met before mile 21 that day. He was one of the 3:40 pacers, and taking note of how excited and chatty I was at mile 22 (I couldn’t believe how good I felt at that point) he asked if I wanted to run a 3:35. We did. Even better, my sister-in-law came in behind me at 3:39 or so. We were both going to Boston!
Chicago Surprise
My sister- and brother-in law had moved to San Antonio in ’98 and had quickly become part of the running community there. I ran with them in the summer of ’99, when they were all planning to run Chicago, so Andy and I decided to go, too. There was a pretty good-sized group of the SA crowd who were shooting for sub-3:30, which sounded like a good idea to me. We got a great day – 29 degrees at the start and low humidity (Khannouchi ran one of his world records that day) – and I shocked myself with a 3:20. I felt amazing the whole way. At times I wanted to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming, but I was so numb with cold I wouldn’t have felt it if I had.
Can I go 3:15?
After 3:20 in Chicago in the fall of ’99 my marathon improvement was far less dramatic. It was somewhat frustrating. Beginning at Motorola in ’00 my goal was to go 3:15. Given how great I’d felt in Chicago I didn’t think it’d be that big a deal. Motorola was a 3:19. I ran Boston that year for fun in 3:36 or so. Then Dallas crash and burn to 3:47. Then Tucson crash and burn 3:17. Then Motorola crash and burn to 3:22. Then Boston for fun again in 3:26. I had two friends at Motorola that year (’02) who had wanted 3:15 and none of us got it. I promised them that the next year we’d all be sitting on the other side of the finish line drinking a beer by the time 3:15 rolled around.
Motorola ’03 – 3:10:31
Well I didn’t actually see the clock turn 3:15 in ’03, but that’s because I was inside Palmer Auditorium, yes, drinking a beer, when it rolled around. Unfortunately my other two friends didn’t run the race that year, but one of them rode his bike and hollered at me for the last few miles.
It was never the smooth sailing I’d had in Chicago. The first bad sign was at the first water stop when a volunteer handed me a mini Powerade bottle with the lid still on. WHAT?! First I had to take the lid off, then drink the stuff with no way to limit the flow into my mouth (so that it was going all over my face, shirt, and shoes), then put the lid back on and either carry the leftovers or throw to the side of the road a nearly perfectly good bottle of Powerade. Fortunately, I’d started with my friend Mary who was running the half, and we shared bottles and bottle-opening duties.
Then at mile 6 I had to leave Mary for an emergency potty break (which I’d never done before in a race.) I managed to calm down about the loss of time from the potty break by the half, just in time to hit the freezing headwind as we headed west at about mile 14. I’d started to sob pathetically, feeling like all my training was being blown backward down Lake Austin Blvd. What was worse was knowing that I’d have to face that same wind as we headed in for the last stretch – from 22 or so to the finish.
By the time we hit the turnaround between 16 and 17 I’d gotten myself together and had decided that my goal time was out the window and that I just needed to run as best I could. I stopped looking at splits and just ran. I ran on cramps into that headwind in the last stretch just putting one foot in front of the other. When I saw the clock as I headed into the driveway at Palmer Auditorium I started to sob again, but this time they were happy sobs. I must have looked so funny sobbing with all that red Powerade all over my face. Actually, I know I did. We have pictures.
Stress Fx and Boston ‘04
After a downhill 6-mile Hood-to-Coast relay leg left me with a stress fracture last fall, I was really disappointed to miss out on Motorola this year (where they had perfectly gorgeous weather, by the way.) I decided to give marathoning one last shot, telling myself I’d train hard for one last marathon, in Boston. The only way I’d do another one would be if something really unforeseen happened – and I’m not talking about just a badly run race or less-than-ideal conditions. I was thinking along the lines of something happening that would make even attempting to run a good race a bad idea. As we sat in Hopkinton in 84 degree weather there was no doubt in my mind that this was the kind of thing that I’d had in mind. I would have one more chance at “one more marathon.”
Motorola/ Freescale ’05
Given my marathon history I’m aware that sub-3 is a really optimistic goal. I look at my quest for the 3:15 and know that it took me 3.5 years (Oct. 99 to Feb. 03) to take off 10 minutes, and now I’m hoping to take off another 10 minutes in just two years. It’s definitely not out of the question, but it may just take the perfect combination of training, luck, and "race day magic."
Posted by jenandmats at 8:30 AM | Comments (6)
August 8, 2004
Summary - week 4 of 31 (+ weeks 1-3, too.)
After Boston I took a little time off and then came back, running for fun with some regular speedwork thrown in throughout the late spring and early summer, averaging 35-40 miles each week. In early July I came up with my plan, and decided to take the week after the 4th of July completely off - no cross training, no nothing but sitting on my butt. "The plan" started on 7/12:
Week 1 of 31 (7/12-7/18)
TOTAL - 45
Week 2 of 31 (7/19-7/25)
TOTAL - 52
Week 3 of 31 (7/26-8/1)
TOTAL - 61
Week 4 of 31 (8/2-8/8)
Monday – 4am EZ; 7pm hilly w/8x strides
Tuesday – 4pm EZ
Wednesday – 7am EZ w/ 8x strides
Thursday – 4am EZ; 7pm hilly
Friday – 4am EZ
Saturday – 13 somewhat hilly w/ last 2 hard
Sunday - OFF
TOTAL - 50
Posted by jenandmats at 11:20 AM | Comments (3)
August 7, 2004
Marathon pace? Hahahahaha (*sigh.*)
We had decent weather this morning! Yay! Since it was an easy week I just ran 13, but we included Bonnell again, so it wasn’t necessarily “easy.” And neither was the finishing pace. Danny was keeping track of our quarters for the last mile or so and called out our per-mile pace at every marker: 6:56, 6:52, 6:40, and 6:29. Left on my own I never time anything other than intervals and some tempos. This was a good reminder of why. When he called out the 6:56 all I could think was that my goal marathon pace would be 3 seconds per mile faster than that. Sure wish I’d been more comfortable! By the last quarter I was definitely whistle-wheezing.
My plan is to remain completely (hopelessly?) optimistic until I see my Houston half results in January. If I haven’t done anything by then that indicates sub-3 is possible then I’ll re-think things. Shoot. Even then I still might go for it anyway. Until then I plan to just run happily along, keeping track of progress but stubbornly refusing to get discouraged.
Posted by jenandmats at 3:46 PM | Comments (1)
August 6, 2004
Big Breakfast
I go to Austin Java pretty regularly after my runs. It’s right near work and has wireless internet access. It has a nice AHM-bience, too, and friendly service. But the food is expensive, so I generally stick to just coffee or some chai tea. This morning I wanted real breakfast, though, so I got a ham and cheese omlette. I’m feeling very decadent. And guilty. Mangia Pizza delivers to our building on Fridays; I’m thinking I may even skip it today. Maybe this guilt thing will pass before then.
Just ran 4 easy with some of the girls. I was sore from the hills last night even though I didn’t do the actual workout.
Posted by jenandmats at 8:48 AM
101
Last night wasn’t pretty. For anyone. We had a high yesterday of 101 degrees. The trail at 5:30 was more deserted than it’s been in a long time. Nobody looked very happy and there was a lot less socializing at the stretching rock than there usually is. Andy and I swapped bad run stories – he got chills about halfway through his run; I was stopping for water every half mile or so on my 7-miler. He’d passed our friend Mark who was looking pretty worn; I’d passed our friend Phil who’d been reduced to walking, his face bright red. Making matters worse were a few packs of mountain bike riders kicking up clouds of dust that got in your eyes and nose and stuck to your skin. It reminded me of the way I felt in Boston after pouring nearly 25 cups of water and Gatorade over my head, then having the wind pick up at the end, covering me with grime.
I ran with one of the free groups last night – they call themselves “Al’s Ship of Fools.” They ran hill repeats while I did repeat hilly loops. Like yesterday morning, it was much better just running and offering support to those doing the workout than actually doing the workout. My time will come, though! A lot of those guys are running a marathon in Nebraska next month.
Although we didn’t run together, Andy and I both parked over at Shady Grove and started and finished our runs there. Thursday nights in the summer Shady Grove has “Unplugged at the Grove,” which is a series of concerts held outside on their patio. Last night was The Resentments. There’s a grassy area where we can sit in our folding chairs and enjoy the music without really bothering anyone with our sweaty selves. They have wait staff for the grassy area, even, so I had some dinner out there, too. We’ve gone regularly after Thursday running for the past three summers; it’s one of the few things I miss about summer once the fall rolls around.
I will not miss highs of 101.
Posted by jenandmats at 8:41 AM
August 5, 2004
training around
This morning I hit the trail with W for an easy 4. It was quite a bit less humid than it’s been this week, which was nice. One of my former training groups was running a tempo out there. I gotta say it’s much more fun to be running easy and offering encouragement to them than to actually be tempo-ing. Especially this time of year, when it feels more like a swim workout than a run. In the winter it’s possible to have a tempo run where you feel like you’re floating; like you're running the way you were born to run. Not so much in August …
Even though I call the group a “former” training group of mine, I still feel like I’m part of the group. Austin has an unbelievable number of training groups – some free and others paid – and I’ve been trying to take advantage of all of them before committing to one group and settling down for the long haul to the marathon. I call it my “training around” phase. (When I was in college, as a female who actually enjoyed playing softball had some skills, my friends took to calling me a “softball slut” – I’d play with any team who asked. To some extent this training around phase is similar.) So far they’ve all been great, and I anticipate that even once marathon training begins in earnest I’ll continue to train around with the free groups, although not as frequently, since I like the variety, and it’ll give me an element of flexibility which I find necessary for getting through the long months of training.
Posted by jenandmats at 8:23 AM | Comments (2)
August 4, 2004
The PLAN
So here’s the reason for this blog: I’d like to run under 3 hours at the Freescale (formerly Motorola) marathon in February. I have a broadly outlined plan that looks like this:
July-September: base building with lots of EZ running, strides, and hilly running. I’d like to have a few weeks at 85-90 mpw by the end of September. I am violating the 10% rule to get there.
October-November: adding tempos and hill workouts (as opposed to just running hilly courses.) Toward the end I’ll add a longer marathon-pace run.
December-January: fewer hill workouts and more interval/track work. More long marathon-pace runs.
February: taper and race!
I’ll probably do a few of Austin’s marathon buildup series races; there’s a 10K right at the end of my base period, in October, which will be perfect to get a starting point. And then in January, right before I start my taper we’ll head to Houston like we do every year and I’ll do the half to really get an idea of how far-fetched the goal is.
So here we go!
I’ve gotten through one three-week cycle of mileage buildup and am taking an easier week, although I feel more tired this week than I did during the peak week last week. Could be because on Saturday I ran 17, the longest I’ve run since Boston, on the hottest, muggiest day we’ve had this year, with some friends (and my husband!) who ran a little faster than I’d like to be running right now. And the route included Mt. Bonnell, which is never easy. And then on Monday I ran Ladera Norte – another one of Austin’s notorious hills. Maybe this weekend I’ll stick to the trail and run easy on my own. I hate missing out on company, though!
This morning I ran with some of “the girls” for an EZ 5 and then headed to the track for some strides.
Posted by jenandmats at 9:11 PM
well hello ...
I'm going to admit upfront that I'm a complete rookie at this blogging business. I'm happily surprised that I've made it this far and am actually typing an entry. (Thanks for making it easy, Alison!) But now that I've made it this far I'm faced with the more subtle complications of blogging: What will my running friends think? Will they be mad if I mention them on an internet blog? What about my coworkers and acquaintances? What about people in my training groups? How much to share? Will people think I'm obnoxious to be posting on a site called eliterunning when I have a hard time running faster than a 20 minute 5K? What if I train my ass off and fail miserably and everyone knows? Should I use that "a" word on Alison's site?
I guess I'll figure it out. Just call it first-post jitters.
Posted by jenandmats at 6:48 PM | Comments (2)