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October 30, 2004
Is it November 7 yet?
I am so ready for it to be next Sunday-and not even because it's the day of the marathon (although of course that's a big part of it). Mostly I just want my work weeks from h**l to be over. Getting ready for our huge annual conference, which starts on the 8th, has been a nightmare, and will get worse-12 hour days, and way more stress than I need right before a marathon. At least I'll be busy enough in the coming week that I'll be forced to really taper!
I mention work as an excuse for being a terrible blogger this week-I don't have a free second during the day, and when I get home the last thing I want to do is turn on my computer. So my apologies to everyone who has been biting their fingernails waiting for my next entry. Settle in for a novel-length entry!
Tues: I ran an easy 6 on dirt in the morning, and did an hour on the elliptical at night. My hip was okay, but definitely not 100%. I iced and stretched a lot, and kept it from feeling any worse.
Wed: I had a great workout Wednesday night. I like doing Yasso 800's close to the marathon. I don't think I believe in their predictive quality--that 10 x 800 in 3:10 equals a 3:10 marathon, 3:00 equals 3 hours, etc--but I do think it's a good workout for judging fitness. I had planned to do them pretty comfortably, in 3:20, for the sake of my hip. I did my first one in 3:17, and kept dropping from there; the last 3 were in 3:10. I felt really good the whole time, and ran every interval in negative splits. So I was feeling pretty good about where I am going into New York.
I also saw my regular PT Wednesday morning--she's back from being sick for a couple of weeks. She does a much better job than the guy I had seen in her absence, and she thinks the hip problem is my SI joint. She worked me over pretty good, and said I should take it easy with the cross training. So I'll give it a try--I am supposed to be tapering, right?
Thurs: I took Thursday off to give myself a rest after the workout. I did only 40 minutes on the elliptical, and then did 40 minutes on the bike because it doesn't stress my hip the same way.
Fri: I met my friend C. for our regular 10-miler, mostly on dirt. I had a good run; the hip wasn't too bad.
Sat: Our regular long run leader was out of town, so I filled in for her this morning-which meant I got to choose the route. I chose one of my favorites-it goes through the woods, and then along a road with a gorgeous view of the river and fall foliage (although it was too foggy this morning to appreciate it), and comes back on a bike path. It was a little shorter route than the group usually runs, 11 miles, but when the leader is tapering that's what you get! Actually a lot of other people are tapering too, or coming off of the Army 10 miler last weekend, so it was a good distance for this week. I felt really good-ran about a 7:30 pace the whole time-but by the end my hip really hurt. Not as much as last, but more than earlier in the week. I'm shutting it back down, and I see the PT again before the race, so I'll be fine. At least that's what I keep telling myself!
The Marine Corps Marathon is tomorrow, and the place where my club meets for long run is also the start/finish area of the Marine Corps Marathon. It's exciting even the day before the race-the tents and barricades are all set up, volunteers are scurrying around, nervous runners are scoping the scene...I'm really excited for tomorrow, and I'm not even running! All the participants from our marathon training group are running tomorrow, and I think they're going to do great. We're setting up a DC Road Runners water stop at mile 21, complete with sound system and Halloween costumes, which should be a lot of fun. There are some good runners in the field tomorrow--three Hansons runners and some local elites, so we could get a bunch of guys under 2:20, which is pretty fast for a race with no prize money. The women's field isn't very deep, but they're still so much faster than I am, so it will be fun to watch.
The only thing I'm worried about tomorrow is that it will get me so psyched for New York I won't be able to stand it. It finally hit me this week that the marathon is SOON. I wish I had a little longer to get my hip in shape, but since I don't, I can't wait! The weather should be okay-showers and a high of 55. I'd prefer no rain, but as long as it's not torrential, I won't complain. Better rain than 75 degrees. Right now I'm limiting myself to one weather-check a day--starting Monday I'll let myself check more compulsively.
Posted by jessie at 2:02 PM | Comments (1)
October 25, 2004
Hooray!
I ran for 40 minutes today! The hip was twinge-y (I don't think that's a word, but it should be) but didn't progress to actual pain. It took all my willpower to not run for longer, but feeling good enough to run tomorrow is more important than 10 or 20 minutes today. I'm so excited to spend less than 2 hours on the elliptical today!
Work is crazy, so more later.
Posted by jessie at 4:19 PM | Comments (4)
October 24, 2004
Insomnia
Is it still called quitting if you don't start? That's right, no race for me today. I expected to feel a lot worse about it than I do, but the truth is, it just is not that big a deal and I think it was a good decision. I'm disappointed, but not terribly. When I made the decision, I was actually more upset about missing the pre- and post-race camaraderie, because a lot of my friends were running, but it was raining both before and after the race so I didn't miss much!
So, why didn't I run? The hip was definitely a factor, but the actual trigger was lack of sleep. I think I've written before about how much trouble I have sleeping; I have had problems with insomnia for years. I take over the counter sleeping pills on nights when I really need to get a good night's sleep, like before races or long runs, and usually I'm okay. But last night was not one of those times. At about 3:30 a.m. I decided that there was no way I was going to get up in 2 hours to run a bad race on a bad hip.
I felt like a big slacker, and now, seeing it written down, I feel like a slacker again. Being tired seems like such a lame excuse for skipping a race. I've certainly run on very little sleep before--everyone has. Not sleeping the night before a big race is so common it's a cliche; how many times have you heard that it's the night BEFORE the night before that matters? When 8-hour nights (even 6- hour nights) are few and far between, though, it's hard to overcome a 2-hour night. I just felt so exhausted; I could not imagine dragging myself through 10 miles at any kind of decent pace. And knowing that I didn't have a chance of running well, I couldn't justify risking my hip. So, I pre-quit the race. And decided that it's finally time for me to go see a doctor, because I just can't continue like this anymore. I've read every book and tried every tip, but there has to be something else I can do.
I did manage to get to sleep eventually, and got about 7 hours. I went to the gym for 1:50 on the elliptical, and did some upper body weights. I can tell I've been lazy about lifting the last few weeks--it was hard! Tonight, my hip is finally feeling like I can run on it again. Maybe the insomnia was my body's sneaky way of not letting me push too hard. I'm going to do a few easy miles tomorrow morning, although I think I've said that a few times already this week. This time I mean it though, I hope!
Posted by jessie at 6:38 PM | Comments (2)
October 23, 2004
Okay, one more day...
I'm not sure I recognize this new me--smart, responsible, looking at the big picture...and spending one more day on the elliptical trainer. I intended to run today, but when I woke up I decided that my hip just wasn't there yet. It wasn't bothering me too much just walking around, but I could tell that it was ready to flare up. It's how I felt on Wednesday, when I went ahead and ran, and wound up being in a lot of pain again. So I'm hoping that one more full day off, with lots of stretching and Stick-ing, will get me from "almost" to "healthy." I'm pretty nervous about the race since I've only run once this week, but if I've lost any fitness running 6 easy miles today wasn't going to bring it back. More likely it would just make me hurt, which would slow me down a lot more than not being as sharp as I would like to be. I'm practicing telling myself today that one race doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, so that I have my pep talk ready for tomorrow. Plus, I don't think I'll run *that* badly--I ran (limped) a 70 minute ten-miler on a stress fracture, and tomorrow has to be better than that!
I just hope the rain holds off--they're calling for scattered showers, but not until noon. I've already had one soaking wet race this fall, and I'm not looking forward to another one. Of course it's absolutely gorgeous today, crisp and cool and sunny, perfect running weather. At least I got to enjoy it while I was biking over to the gym. But even if it rains, I'd rather have that Jen and Meghan's heat and humidity.
Posted by jessie at 3:40 PM | Comments (3)
October 22, 2004
Progress, I think
I took yet another day off from running today, thinking that 2 days in a row would be more likely to actually let the IT band calm down again after Wednesday. I did 1:20 on the elliptical and then 20 minutes on the bike, just to do something different. It was the right decision, because my hip is feeling much better. I've also been doing a ton of stretching. My coworkers already think I'm a little crazy--I keep ice packs in the freezer and sit on a stability ball instead of a chair--so I didn't mind having them walk by and see me contorting on the floor of my office several times a day. Actually, this has been my week for embarrassing myself in public, so I'm getting used to funny looks. On Tuesday, it was pouring rain and dark and cold when I left the gym, so I decided to take my bike on the metro instead of ride home (bikes are allowed when it's not rush hour). I tried to lift it up through the turnstile, but of course the thing closed on me while I was going through, and I got stuck. DC metro station managers are famous for being rude and unhelpful, so I shouldn't have been surprised when the manager yelled at me for being stuck, and then took five minutes to get the turnstile released. I stood there like an idiot, kind of feeling like I was going to cry, while lawyers working late in nice suits tried to avoid the clumsy sweaty girl. On Wednesday, I stopped at the grocery store on my home from the track to buy milk and a few other things. As I was leaving the checkout, I noticed a cute guy walking out in front of me. So I was a little distracted when I picked up the bag with the milk. Or more accurately, failed to pick up--I dropped it and it exploded. Literally exploded. Everywhere. I stood there dripping milk, with everyone staring me, watching an enormous puddle spread across the floor, for what seemed like minutes before someone came over with a mop and paper towels. At least the store was very nice, and accepted my many apologies for making such a mess, and let me get another gallon of milk for free. The cute guy left.
Anyway, running--I'm going to give it a try tomorrow. I think I'll bike to a dirt trail, so I don't spend any time on pavement, and quit as soon as it starts to hurt (which I hope is never). If it does start to hurt, I'll bike over to the gym for yet another elliptical session, and with any luck I'll be fine for the race on Sunday. I have to remind myself that if I'm not fine, I shouldn't push it. I care about this race, but not enough to really hurt myself and risk the New York. I have two weeks, which is plenty of time to get healthy if I'm smart. I have gotten some very encouraging comments about people taking weeks off before marathons and having great races, so I'm not freaking out. Yet.
Posted by jessie at 9:53 PM | Comments (2)
October 21, 2004
Frustrated
...and tired of the elliptical trainer. I wish I could consider it a relaxing part of my day, like Alison, but I consider it a chore. I do enjoy having the time to read, but I would much rather be reading on my couch having just come home from a run. That said, exercise on the whole is not a chore, and I'd much rather be doing the elliptical than nothing.
I'm griping because I had hoped to be doing less ellipticalling, but my hip hurts again after running last night. Not as much as before, so there is progress, but enough to worry me. I'm trying not to worry--the marathon is more than two weeks away, and one of my friends ran his PR in Chicago last year after having to take off almost the two entire weeks prior to the race. But I really want this to get better already--I've spent enough time being injured!
Other than my hip, I had okay workouts yesterday. I spent an hour on the elliptical in the morning, and went to the track at night. At track I warmed up for 20 minutes, did 6 x 800, and cooled down for 15 minutes. We were supposed to do 8 x 800, but I was starting to feel some pain, and decided that 2 more would do me more harm than good. My times were 3:16, 3:14, 3:13, 3:15, 3:12, 3:12. I could tell I hadn't run in a few days--I didn't feel bad, I just felt kind of choppy and tight. I'm a little nervous about Sunday's race, because choppy is not how I want to feel, but hip pain isn't something I want to feel either. So I'll just keep taking days off as necessary and hope for the best. Hey, if the Red Sox can win, anything can happen! (including the Redskins making it to the playoffs--who says you can't have two sports miracles in one year?)
Posted by jessie at 9:52 AM | Comments (2)
October 19, 2004
Fine, I'll take a day off!
I admitted defeat on Sunday, and decided to cross train for a few days. Of course before my admission, I stubbornly set out on my usual 10 mile Sunday run, because I really wanted to finish out my plan for the week. About 5 miles in I was seriously starting to regret my stubborness, but at that point I didn't have any choice but to finish the run. When I got home, I decided that I was sick of running through pain. After a week of playing "ignore it and it will go away", I felt like it was starting to affect my stride, and I have come too far to be an idiot now. If it weren't for the pain, it would have been a good day--gorgeous weather, my favorite route, nice relaxed pace to recover from the long run.
I don't know how people who don't read on the elliptical can stand it. I always have a book or a magazine, something trashy and entertaining, and I still get so bored. I've tried just listening to music, and as much as I love music I can't spend more than half an hour on the machine without additional stimulation. I guess the answer is that most people at the gym don't spend more than half an hour on the machine--we're the only crazy ones logging hours on the darn thing! I suppose, too, that I'm just lucky I don't get motion sick--if reading made me nauseous I'd probably have to choose boredom.
Anyway, yesterday I did 1:30 on the elliptical, which was as much as I could bear, and then did some abs work. Today I broke it up, which made it better--an hour in the morning and then an hour at night. Tomorrow I'm going to do an hour in the morning, and then go to the track and give running a try. Surprise surprise--a few days rest and my hip feels a lot better! I also saw my PT again on Monday, have another appointment tomorrow, and have been doing a lot of stretching and foam-rollering on my own, which has made a big difference. I feel confident that I'll be okay to race this weekend, and more importantly, on Nov. 7.
Posted by jessie at 9:52 PM | Comments (16)
October 16, 2004
Taper Time
I ran my last 20 miler today, so I guess it's that time. Lots of people say "taper time" with relish, but I hate it. Not because I feel like I'm losing fitness, because I do believe that tapering improves my marathon performance, but because I have no outlet for my energy. I don't know what to do with myself when I'm not working out a lot--I feel jittery and at loose ends and a little panicky. I know that I am going to be tempted to increase the cross training as I decrease the running, but I need to resist the urge--the whole point is to rest! Maybe I will take up knitting, or something.
Normally I would start tapering two weeks out, but this year I'm starting three weeks out because the Army Ten Miler is next Sunday. It's one of the largest races in the area, and I'd like to run it well, so I'm taking it fairly easy this week. I debated the wisdom of doing 20 the weekend before this race, but decided that the marathon is much more important, and that running another 20 would at the very least give me a psychological boost. When I first mapped out my training for the fall, I wasn't sure how much I would actually be able to run, so I only planned for two 20+ runs. But I'm feeling stronger than I expected to so I decided to tack on one more. I have now crammed one 20, one 23, and one 21 into 4 weeks. Hmm...maybe that's why my IT band hurts.
As of yesterday, I'm not really that concerned about the IT band. It started hurting during the long run last week, and has been more and less painful throughout the week. I wasn't sure what the problem was--it felt like my hip was popping in and out of my socket, which I found slightly disturbing--but I saw a PT yesterday (my regular PT was sick so I had to see someone else) and he diagnosed IT band. I got some electric stim and active release, which helped. And now that I know what it is I can treat it correctly myself--I had been concentrating on icing and massaging my hip, but now I'm working the whole IT band and it feels a lot better. He told me to just run easy this weekend, but I made the decision to go ahead and do my long run, because once I got through it I could start taking it easy. With three weeks to go before New York, I have plenty of time to get it fixed. So much for my post-injury wisdom...
I had a good run today. As Leilani wrote, we had a very beautiful but very hilly journey through Rock Creek Park. I ran 6 miles before meeting up with the group, since the route was 14. Although a guy with a GPS informed us at breakfast that it was actually 15, so I ran 21 instead of 20. Lei and finished in 2 hours even, which was kind of slow 14 but I figured that the hills were a factor. If we actually ran 15, though, our time was right on. Go us!
Posted by jessie at 8:29 PM | Comments (1)
October 14, 2004
Tongue Tied
Cute track guy wasn't at the track last night-but he did show up to Dr. Dremos, the dive bar we always go to after workouts. It was a perfectly reasonable place for him to show up--he doesn't run with our club, but a lot of groups share the track and cross-socialize--but I thought I was going to choke on my drink (water) when he walked in. He is really, really cute close-up. I now have a bona fide crush without ever having said a word to him. I wanted to talk to him, but I felt kind of nervous and clammy like it was junior high school. I did manage to make eye contact and smile, and he smiled back, but that was the extent of our interaction. Driving home I entertained myself by imagining that after I left the bar he immediately demanded to know who that charming, intelligent gorgeous girl was. He would have been able to tell that I was charming and intelligent simply by looking at me.
Yea. So. Back to reality. I had a really good workout last night. I warmed up for 18 minutes, then did 2x15 minutes at tempo pace, then cooled down for 18 minutes. Total I got in about 8.5 miles. I started the first interval at 6:40 pace, which I held for 10 minutes and then took down to 6:35 for the last 5 minutes. We only had a minute rest between intervals, which actually was good because it didn't give me time to lose the feeling of the pace. I started the second interval at 6:40 also, slowed to 6:45 for a few minutes, and then picked it back up to 6:35, and ran the last lap in 1:34. I felt really good--I was getting tired at the end, but I never lost my form and I never felt like I was dying. I'm psyched I had a good workout-I'm hoping it bodes well for the Army Ten Miler next weekend. I'm not really sure what I want to try for. My 10 mile PR is 67:11 on a really tough course; I'm definitely not aiming for a PR, but I'll be disappointed if I don't run below 70 minutes. It may be a spur-of-the-moment decision--I'll see how that week goes.
Tuesday's run was 8 miles on a hilly course. It marked my official end of summer-I wore long sleeves and gloves for the first time. It was really cold-I could see my breath. I was still fine in shorts, but I was very glad I opted for some upper body covering. Of course this morning I thought it would be as cold as Tuesday and was wrong, and wound up tying my shirt around my waist after 20 minutes. I kept my gloves on, though, because my hands get freakishly cold. I wear layers on my hands in winter--at least 1 pair (sometimes 2) of gloves under mittens--and my hands still get so stiff and painful I have to sit on them in the stairwell of my building to warm them up before I can turn my key in my door. I've tried those handwarmer packets people use skiing but they make my skin burn--I think it's something in the chemicals. I'm sure you'll get to hear me complain about my hands many more times before the winter is over, so I'll stop for now.
Other than looking foolish in a sports bra, gloves, and shirt around my waist (it would have been just my luck to see cute track guy!) I had a good run. C. and I ran 10 miles in a modified version of my Sunday Run. I was glad I was running with someone because I was pretty tired, both from the track and from not sleeping well last night, and if I'd been alone I think my movement would have been more accurately described as "trudging." After work I dragged myself to the gym--I didn't want to go but once I was there I was glad I went. In my nod to laziness, though, I took the metro to work instead of biking.
Posted by jessie at 8:47 PM | Comments (2)
October 11, 2004
Sundays
I love Sundays. I especially love Sundays in the fall; there's just something about the way the day feels, something about the particular blue of an autumn sky and the way the light makes everything crisp. Yesterday was one of those days, and I did my favorite Sunday run. It's a 10 mile route on one of the dirt trails that sneaks through DC and connects with a park, one of the city's hidden green spots that makes you forget you're in the city. Since it's almost all on dirt, it's a great route for the day after a long run, plus it's just so pretty, it makes me so happy to be outside.
I wasn't sore at all after the 23 the day before; in fact I felt pretty fresh. I owe it all to The Stick--I would like to take this opportunity to declare publicly my undying devotion to this device. I use it after every run, even short ones, and I almost never have post-run stiffness of soreness (Stick manufacturers, if you're reading this, I would be happy to accept endorsement money). I even take it with me when I travel, which has led to some interesting situations at airport security when I try to explain to the guards what the heck it is. After I demonstrate they look at me like I'm crazy and then let me go.
Today kind of feels like a Sunday; it's just as gorgeous a day as yesterday and I have the day off from work. I have a lot of work to do, but sitting on my balcony with SportsCenter on TV in the background is much preferable to the office. Or will be preferable; I have yet to get motivated to actually start doing work. I just got back from the gym; it's about 3 miles from my apartment, so I ran there, ellipticaled (thanks to Becky for the invention of the verb) for 40 minutes, lifted, and then ran home. I promise I am going to get up and take a shower and start accomplishing things...soon. Very soon.
Congratulations to everyone who ran Chicago yesterday. I think the wind in the last few miles that Evans Rutto talked about must have been a factor for everyone: I had four friends running, all of whom trained hard and well, and only one got the time she wanted. It's always awkward when someone misses their goal. You want to say something, but they don't want congratulations when they're disappointed and upset, and you can't say, wow, looks like you sure had a bad day! But we've all been there; I just hope my friends aren't too upset.
Posted by jessie at 2:35 PM | Comments (2)
October 9, 2004
Consistency
Good luck to everyone running Chicago tomorrow!
I’ve been a delinquent about posting this week. I have had an incredibly busy week at work—I’ve left the office by 6 every night, but I’ve been bringing my computer home and working until 11 or 12 most nights. Things won’t calm down until next month, unfortunately. We’re putting on a huge (5000+ attendees) conference and expo the second week of November, so we’re in serious crunch time. I know the world is on pins and needles waiting for my next entry :-) but for the next few weeks I may only be to post a few times a week. I’ll just have to make each entry extra long! Anyway, on with it:
Wednesday
I had a good workout Wednesday night, 16 x 400. I wasn’t excited about running 400s but it went well. It’s funny-we did the same workout about a month ago, and I wasn’t excited then either, but wound up having a good night. What’s more significant about having done this workout a month ago, though, is that this week, I ran several seconds faster. Yay, progress! Not that my spits were “fast” by any means (the first 400 was 1:36, the majority were 1:33-1:34, and the last three went 1:31, 1:29, 1:28) but I felt really strong and consistent. I finished feeling like I could do more, instead of like I was dying, so I was happy with the workout. I’ve decided to look at this entire fall as base building for next year, so my objectives are consistency and consistent progress. With that mindset, the workout was definitely a successs. I failed in my cute-guy mission, though—he wasn’t there! I’m gearing up for a second attempt this week.
Thursday
I had a nice solid recovery run Thursday morning. It’s always tough running less than 12 hours after a workout, but once I got warmed up I felt good. It was a gorgeous morning—I ran along the Virginia side of the Potomac River and saw the sun come up behind the Washington Monument. The river and sunrise are always beautiful, but today was especially so—the view along the river in the early morning is one of my favorite things about living here.
After work, I went to the gym and lifted and did 30 minutes on the ellipitcal. I can tell I’ve been a slacker about lifting the last few weeks—I struggled with weights that were fine a few weeks ago. Oh well.
Friday
I cross trained (30 minutes on the ellipitcal and 30 on the bike) to rest up for a 23-miler on Saturday. This taking-days-off thing is new for me—I used to pride myself on almost never taking a day off. In that respect, getting injured was a very good thing for me—it taught me that the world doesn’t end if I cross train, and that in fact it might even be good for me. Who’d have thunk it? Of course fitting in a day off is easy when you’re running 60 miles/week; it’s a little more difficult to manage at 85 or 90. But I’ll worry about when I get back to that mileage.
Saturday
The day off was a great move, because I had a great run this morning. I ran 23, and I never felt bad; I was certainly happy to finish, but I never had that “oh-my-god-I’m-never-going-to-make-it” feeling. I was a little worried before we started because the people I usually run with weren’t there, and I thought I would be alone the entire time. But I fell in with a couple of guys and we ran together almost all they way. They picked it up at the end and I didn’t go with them (I assuaged my ego with the fact that I had run 3 miles before the group met, so they were at the end of only 20 miles and I was at the end of 23) but since I was feeling good I didn’t mind running the last few miles on my own. I kept a 7:45-7:50 pace the entire time, and it felt very comfortable. I’m thinking I might be in 3:15 instead of 3:20 shape, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.
Posted by jessie at 8:04 PM | Comments (4)
October 5, 2004
My Love Life
Or, to be honest, the total lack thereof. I won't embarrass myself by admitting how long my dry spell has lasted, but suffice it to say long enough. Don't get me wrong-I am perfectly comfortable and happy being single, and don't think I *need* a boyfriend. But it would sure be nice to go on a date, and maybe even meet someone I wanted to keep dating (my last few encounters have not made it into this second category). I am nursing a huge crush on a coworker, which I think I need to abandon, because the potential for trouble is so great. A better bet is the very cute guy in my apartment building who also happens to be a really talented runner. I see him in the mornings and at the track, but I haven't gotten up the courage to say anything to him. Maybe my mission for tomorrow night (after I suffer through 20 x 400) will be to make eye contact and smile.
I relate my dating woes because I was thinking this morning how funny it is that in the last month I have gotten two phone numbers, but both have them belonged to girls (my guy friends are jealous!) Both of them were girls I met running, and at least one, I hope both, is becoming a friend. I met Ch. at the track a few weeks ago, and we've started meeting on Tuesday mornings to run. I run with a group for track and long runs, but every other day of the week I run by myself. I cherish my time alone in the morning, but I've had a great time running with Ch. I'm usually not a chatter when I run, but she and I were talking nonstop this morning. Maybe it's a sign I need to socialize more :-)
The second set of "digits" I got from a girl I actually first met at the pool when I was stuck aqua jogging this spring. Ca. teaches water aerobics, and she would let me use one of her classes lanes when the pool was crowded. We pegged each other as (injured) runners, and would chat about our plans for the fall. I hadn't seen her in a few months, but we ran into each other at the race on Saturday. It turns out we live a block away from each other, so we traded numbers and are planning to meet up to run. I may wind up with running partners every day of the week! And maybe one of them will be that cute guy...
Oh yea, my workouts:
Sunday-easy 10, all on dirt trails. It was a gorgeous day, and it was so nice to be out in the woods. It was a "this is why I love to run" day-which was a great boost after Saturday's disappointment.
Monday-day off from running. I realized that I hadn't taken one in a while, and I'm still trying to be conscious of not overdoing it. But it's so easy to slip back into never taking days off-I have to remind myself that I got into trouble that way. I did 45 minutes on the elliptical and 45 minutes on the bike. I had planned to lift but I was running late for work (which I wasn't too upset about-lifting is my least favorite activity).
Tuesday (today)-10 w/ Ch. at a pretty decent pace, mostly on dirt. It's downright chilly in the mornings now. I finally conceeded that it's no longer sports-bra-only weather, at least not first thing in the morning. I almost wanted long sleeves when I stepped outside, but after a few minutes I was glad I was in a tank. I am in between Becky and Alison on the temperature scale-I'm always freezing when I'm indoors but I wear shorts until it gets below freezing outdoors.
Wednesday-tomorrow is track night. The workout is 16-20 x 400. Ugh.
Posted by jessie at 9:14 PM | Comments (2)
October 4, 2004
Oh well...
I wanted to delay my race write-up until I could get a little perspective. Now that it's been a few days I am okay with it not going the way I wanted--I was hoping for a 1:32 (or below) and I ran 1:35:54. Actually, I was pretty okay with it by Saturday night, but my depression about the Redskins' third loss in a row prevented me from posting :-(
The day started out well. It was pouring rain when I woke up but it stopped by the time we got on the road, which I decided to take as a good sign. It was a fairly cool day, not too humid, overcast--all in all pretty good racing conditions. I had gotten a good night's sleep, and was excited. My legs were still a little tired from the 20 miler and from my workout Wednesday, but I was hoping that race-day magic would make up for it. I started at 7-min pace, but within 2 miles it became clear that it wasn't going to last. I just couldn't get comfortable. I kept hoping I would get warmed up and feel fine but by mile 4 I could tell it wasn't happening. Then, the bigger problem became that I lost focus. I couldn't make myself push through it; I just wasn't willing to feel bad for 9 more miles. I don't want to say I gave up, but I kind of did. I managed to pull myself togther for the last 3 miles and finished stronger than I thought I would, but the middle was pretty bad. Finishing strong would have been an accomplishment even if I'd been feeling great--2 miles away the rain started again. It poured. Buckets full. Bathtubs full. It was raining so hard it hurt, and I couldn't see--I was worried my contacts were going to pop out. Within 30 seconds my shoes were soaked and my shorts were see-through (thank goodness for the built-in undies!) Then there was a dip in the road about 100 meters from the finish, which filled with water. Sloshing through an ankle-deep puddle sure takes the oomph out of a kick (and provides an excellent excuse for not having much of one)!
The truth is, I am not in 1:30 half-marathon shape right now, as much as I want to be. I am in 1:35 shape. If I'd acknowledged that before the race, I would have started slower, felt better, and probably finished a little faster (ah, the perennial "started too fast" excuse.) And I shouldn't be upset about being in 1:35 shape, because it's a heck of a lot better than being in no shape, which I was a few months ago. Right now I'm looking at probably a 3:20 marathon, and I've said all fall that I don't care about my time; I'll just be happy to make it to the starting line. So I can't take it back now! Although of course I find myself thinking, "Well, I've still got another month..."
Here are my splits from the race:
6:58
7:02
7:03
7:02
7:02
7:12 slowing down...
7:18
7:33
8:20 ENORMOUS hill
7:43
7:14
7:10
7:25 the flood
0:45 the puddle
Posted by jessie at 8:26 PM | Comments (3)