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February 28, 2006

You Know It's Cold When You Wear Your Winter Jacket on Your Run!

Last night I got a slight reprieve from the frigid weather. Mark and I went to Johnson College to do our second workout. It was nice to be inside. I ran an easy five miles on the treadmill at 8 minute pace. I was tempted to run 7 minute pace but my cold unfortunately lingers on and I really don't want to push it especially just when my legs and body are starting to feel stronger. After the five miles on the treadmill I did gravitron and knee ups, three sets of each. I then did my mini weight routine with free weights in the gym. This takes about fifteen minutes to do bench press, arm curls, sit ups, lat pull downs, and a few other things depending on which machines or weights are free. I just do three sets of each. Mark and I finished with 18 minutes in the pool of water running. I am going to call it a ten mile day. I felt good by the end of the day.

Unfortunately I was up for much of last night coughing. The room that I sleep in is really dry. In fact on Thursday we are going to get a humidifier to help the cause. I think the dryness of the room may be one reason why my cold is lasting so long. Anyway, I did feel a bit better when I woke up. I had to tutor this morning and after tutoring I ran about 3 miles with the girls that I tutor. It was freezing. It was so cold that I had to wear my winter jacket and I still felt cold. After running with the girls I ran an additional seven miles on my new favorite road. It is the road in Stowe that has great mountain views and is gently rolling. Again I had to wear my winter jacket and I wore my $40 gloves which I thought were silly to buy. I no longer think the glove purchase was silly. I really need them, without them I would be freezing. Actually if I am running too slowly I still can get cold wearing those gloves so I know I need to pick up the pace. I ran about 9 miles total this morning. Tonight I will do a mini dog run, probably 4-5 miles. It's good to get back to some decent training. Now I just need my cold/cough to disappear completely.

Posted by mary at 12:03 PM | Comments (2)

February 27, 2006

Frigid Temperatures have Arrived

On Sunday morning Mark and I drove to Bolton to do our respective runs. Mark ran on Bolton Mountain with his snowshoes in preparation for snowshoe Nationals which will be held there at the end of March. Meanwhile, I ran at the base of the Mountain along River Road. I ran out and back for a total of thirteen miles or so. WIth the wind at my back it was not too bad because the sun was out and it was very bright. I had two layers of everything on and was not sweating so I knew it was quite cold. I was also blowing my nose constantly. The way back was really tough. I was running into the wind. I am glad I did not know the real temperature. It turned out to be about 7 degrees out with a negative windshield factor. The return trip was slower due to the wind than the way out. I would definitely like to run in the area again because it is a nice relatively flat road with the river on one side of you and trail heads and forests on the opposite side. I saw two entrances to the Long Trail so I can't wait for warmer weather to explore that trail while running. I am actually very excited about it. It will be a forty minute drive but I think it will be worth it. At the end of my run I was waiting at a store for Mark to pick me up and I met someone who had done their long run in Burlington with a group of people. Apparently a group of people meet every Sunday morning at 8 a.m. for a long run so I may start to meet up with them for some company. For the rest of the day I relaxed and watched a bad movie, the Weatherman.

This morning I tutored at the hockey academy and then bundled up and ran five miles in Stowe. I ran out and back on a very hill street but it had excellent views. I could see the Stowe mountain with all of the ski slopes and again it was a very bright day. I was glad I only went five miles because the wind on the way back was very cold and I felt like I was getting wind burnt. I will work out again this afternoon at the college and run on the treadmill and then lift. Now I am going to do some errands.

Posted by mary at 11:02 AM | Comments (3)

February 25, 2006

Town Farm Run and Snowy Six Miler

Last night I ran an easy five miles with Jen to the town farm and back. It is an out and back course which I am usually opposed to, however; our time was limited and it gave us the option to do less if we needed to. When I finished running with Jen I ran an extra two miles with the dogs. I felt pretty good and wanted to run more but I was actually quite cold. By the time I finished running with the dogs my hands were white and numb. I relaxed in the evening watching the Olympics and doing some preparations for Saturday's class.

Every other Saturday I teach anatomy and physiology at the local community college. It is a challenge because I have to do my best to cover three chapters in three hours. I try to high light the most important aspects and cover as much as I can with as much detail as I can in a non overwhelming way. This morning was the axial and appendicular skeleton and joints so I was able to use pictures and give everyone copies and we took notes on the pictures. The time flew by. I always leave feeling underwhelmed because there are always more topics I wanted to cover or more detail that I wanted to go into. I also feel like I do all of the talking and the students are the sound board. With some pratice I hope to change my style a bit. I do most of the work for the class on line with quizzes, blackboard discussions, and various assignments during the two weeks in between our class time. This keeps me most busy but I really like it but I really want to improve.

When I finished class around 1:00 I went to Radio Shack and got a memory card for an MP3 player. I have never run with music before but I am breaking down. The thought of another lonely three hour run has eaten away at me and I am now ready for a musical companion. I am going to spend the next hour down loading music so I can try it out tomorrow. After going to the store I had some cold pizza for lunch, bad idea. I am not a big fan of left overs and I still had not run. I then waited an hour and then met my friend Jen for a run. She was supposed to be in Hawaii today but her flight was overbooked. I felt badly for her but she got two free tickets out of the deal. I spent much of the run trying to convince her to take a trip to CA with a friend to explore the trails. We did our Fitzgerald loop in the snow. It has been snowing all afternoon but it is a very light snow that is coming down in a thin layer. It is very fluffy. The run was tough because the roads have not been plowed yet. I felt horrible for the first half because I could taste the cold pizza but I felt better in the second half. I ideally wanted to run an hour but I'll take fifty minutes in the snow.

Tomorrow I am going to aim for thirteen miles and am going to try a new area to run in. Mark is heading over to Bolton Mountain to run on the snowy trails and I think I'll run at the base along the river road for an easy flat run. I am nervous to run too far because unfortunately I am still sniffling and coughing away. I am excited for a flat run and some new scenary, and hopefully some musical entertainment thanks to the MP3 player. Now I am off to attempt to download some music.

Posted by mary at 5:39 PM | Comments (0)

February 24, 2006

Seb Waiting for Us

This is what our dog Seb looks like when he is waiting for me or Mark to come home from a run. Seb was named after Sebastian Coe.

Posted by mary at 3:57 PM | Comments (4)

Four Corners Run

Last night I ran somewhere between six and seven miles with my friend Jen. We did the Morristown Four Corners run. The run is pretty nice except for the one out and back section. The out and back section is actually nice but in general I am not a big fan of running out and then turning around and heading back in the same direction, unless I am on an amazing trail and it will look really different in reverse. The run that we did begins by running through the town, this only takes about a half mile. We then run along a local reservoir which is nice and then we run out on the out and back road for a little over a mile and it is all uphill but sort of a gradual uphill. It is the type of uphill where you have to work to keep the same pace but it is not so steep that your pace drops off a lot. When we turn around the run is great because it is a mile downhill and then we go back through town in another direction and hit the same little downtown area that we began our run in. I felt pretty good and was happy to get a second run in for the day. By the end of the run I realized my back was filled with knots. Today it is really tight and I can tell exactly where the knots are located. Due to my quad injury I tend to get really tight in my hips and back. Sometimes it is more bothersome than others. I am still congested and cough when I run and at night I wake up two or three times for water and to clear my nose. I definitely feel better but am still anxiously awaiting the day when I do not need a tissue. Today is the last day of school before winter break so I am excited about that. We have a winter carnival for the second half of the school day. It will be my first time at this type of event since I have not really lived in a winter climate like this before. It should be fun, however, I brought lots of warm cloths. And today it is actually snowing which is quite nice. I have a run planned with Jen again tonight at 5 p.m. I'd like to run a few miles before we meet but it will depend how I feel when I am done with school. I am definitely looking forward to getting back to some serious training next week. I am tempted to do a long run this weekend but the last long run I did got me really sick so I think I'll stick to a 13 miler on Sunday. More soon.

Posted by mary at 8:54 AM | Comments (1)

February 23, 2006

Another Mild Winter Day

Yesterday was another mild winter day with a terrific sunset. I ran around 4:45 last night with my friend Jen. We ran our usual Fitzgerald Loop and ran a decent pace. I was pretty tired in the first half. My quad was sore and cramping up. However, once we reached the half way point where the course gets considerably easier I felt better and did not have to think about running. The sunset was amazing last night. It was bright pink and for a few moments the sky was filled with a glowing color. It was really beautiful. I added another mile on at the end with the dogs to make it a seven mile day. I am still congested and still have a cough. This cold is really beating down on me. I feel ok running and am not feeling as badly as I did last week. Yet, I am not feeling superbly motivated or anxious to do a lot more than I am currently doing. I hope with some time off from a full day of work next week that I will be feeling better and back to my "healthy" self.

This morning after tutoring at the hockey academy I ran three miles with two of the hockey students. It was very nice and it was great to catch up with the student outside of the classroom setting. The pace was very easy but I enjoyed being outside. It was very mild out again. This evening I will run with Jen again for the last time for a week or so. She is going to Hawaii for the next week. I am very envious because I could use some warm weather and some rest and relaxation now. I however, am going to try to make the most out of my vacation. I do have a huge list of things to do so I am not thrilled but it's always a relief to get things out of the way. More tonight.

Posted by mary at 10:00 AM | Comments (1)

February 21, 2006

Easy 7 miler

I ran the Fitzgerald 6 mile loop today and added on an extra mile or so at the end with the dogs. It was snowing for the first mile and a half and it looked quite nice. The sky then opened up and I saw blue skys for the first time in a long time. The uphills I felt really tired and felt like I was dragging but the downhills and flats I felt like I had a bit more life in me. The run went by quickly but I am still really congested and my cough is still present so that is frustrating. I finished the run in one of my faster category times so that is interesting. I should note however, that the road conditions are quite good. Today's snow fall was really just a flurry. Apart from that we have had very little precipitation so the roads are quite runnable. My times for most of the winter have been unmentionable because of all of the slippery icey roads. I was pleased to see a sub 8 minute effort today. I have come along way to acknowledge this because I always wish I ran 7 minute pace all of the time. Oh well, these days I take any effort I can do and I try to appreciate it because I find some days so hard to get myself out the door because of the dreary sky and frigid temperatures. When I got home I attempted doing a half hour of rowing but I gave up after ten minutes. I had no energy and felt unmotivated. I took this as a sign that I am still sick and recovering. I will take it slow this week. I am looking forward to a week off from full time teaching next week.

Posted by mary at 7:59 PM | Comments (1)

February 20, 2006

Back on my Feet

After four days off from running I returned for an easy run today. I was hit with the worst cold. I can not remember the last time I have felt so miserable. Some bits of the cold still linger, my chest is still a bit sore and raw but my congestion, aches and pains, and feber are gone. For the past four days I have felt miserable. It was good to get back outside today. Winter is hard enough but not to go outside during these dark gray days makes the days seem even longer.

I am frustrated that I lost a week of training but I can't complain because I've got only a week to go before I am on vacation for a week. I also have only two weeks to go before I will have my mornings free. I have been tutoring at the hockey academy each morning for two hours since October but the students return home the second week of March. This means that I do not have to be at the high school until 10:30. I am excited because that means I can do my major workout in the morning and anything I do after school is bonus. I will really need to do this to get fit for the 100 mile race.

Today I ran an easy five miles. I ran the Copley Loop and then ran two miles with the dogs. I felt horrible for the first three miles, my chest and my lungs. However, my legs felt fresh. The last two miles I felt a bit better but the pace was slower.

Tomorrow I hope to get up and do an easy half hour on the rowing machine.

Posted by mary at 7:54 PM | Comments (1)

February 14, 2006

Achy and Sore

Today I am taking the day off and enjoying the couch. I did go to school but I can't imagine running. My head pounds when I move and I am sore all over. My body aches everywhere. I hope with rest I will get better. I am not congested at all but I have no spring. I am hoping to be well tomorrow and back to running. Happy Valentine's to everyone. Even though it is a consumer driven holiday, it's still nice to take the time out to remind those around you that you love them in your own way. Thanks to everyone who supports me and my blog!

Posted by mary at 4:54 PM | Comments (1)

February 13, 2006

Sickness Setting In

This morning I had to drop the car off to get the check engine light looked at by the car dealership. I had to run about 3.5 miles back to the house. It was an achy sore run. I was very stiff. I thought it was from my long run yesterday but as the night wanes on I realize I am getting what most likely is a flu. I am extremely stiff and sore. All of my joints ache and when Mark puts him arm on my back it is so sore. I hope I don't get too terribly sick because I have a lot to do in the next week. I am trying to be mellow tonight but I always find something else to do. I was going to run again this evening but my aches were too noticeable so I called it a day with the morning run. I hope I feel ok tomorrow. I was going to do a morning run but if I wake up achy I'll take the extra sleep.

Low mileage day: 3.5 miles
Total for the week: 23.5 miles
Tomorrow: ? Depends how I am feeling

Posted by mary at 9:06 PM | Comments (2)

February 12, 2006

Adjusting to Our New Reality

The town of Morrisville and the school community at large is now confronting our new reality which lacks two great individuals physically but whose spirits are alive and present in many individuals. After a week of ceremonies, services, counseling sessions, and get togethers we are just getting back into our new routine. It was a very tiring week and one that I never want to repeat. The tremendous loss felt by the community was huge but the strength of the community was very present and extremely overwhelming and powerful. While I wish the tragedy had never occured I can't imagine having to deal with it somewhere else. Every where you turned someone was available to give you a hug or to just have a conversation with you. The student's at the high school where I teach are amazingly strong and talented individuals. This tragedy has only reinforced my faith in them as being able persons who are extremley capable.

I was able to run about 3 miles on Wednesday with a friend which was nice and then ran six miles on Friday and Saturday. Today I returned to my training.

22 weeks to go before the 100 mile race!

I ran 20 miles this morning at about an eight minute pace. It was about 20 degrees. Dark, gray sky and sort of a quiet air with no breeze. I ran the first ten miles with my friend Jen which was a great start. We chatted the entire way and got to catch up. I then ran one of my favorite eight mile loops and added on an additional two miles at the end. I wanted to run for three hours but while I was running with my friend Jen I had some sharp pains in my right foot. It felt like pins and needles where my metatarsals are and the pain appeared each step I took. It only lasted for a half mile and I forgot about it until the last three miles of my run when I realized the achilles of that foot was very tired and fatiged and I felt like that shoe was loose. The shoe was not loose but I did realize that my toe was landing and pointing slightly to the right rather than straight ahaed as it usually does. I was surprised I did not notice this sooner. It could have been the cold weather and my achilles getting really cold. I did not want to risk any injury so I stopped at twenty miles. I feel fine now but am pretty stiff from not stretching.

This afternoon I practiced skate skiing for an hour. This entails hardly any effort for me because I have very little coordination. I look really funny because I have tons of clothes on and am hardly moving. I am just trying to get that skate motion down, off one foot and then the next. I thought the Olympics would inspire me because the skiiers look amazing. However the osmosis power did not work and I still was a novice when I went out to practice. I do have a better idea of how I should look if I could practice as much as an Olympian. I don't expect to ever be very good but I'd like to be good enough to just go out and skate around for an hour or so. The school has about 3k's of groomed trails and the school is only 400 meters away so when the weather is decent I try to take advantage of it. I do usually have to be encouraged by someone however because I am so horrible at it that I usually don't willingly go on my own.

Total Mileage: 20 miles
Weekly Goal: 75 miles

Posted by mary at 9:57 PM | Comments (1)

February 7, 2006

Tragic Report

I took today off of running after working out at Johnson College yesterday. I ran five miles on the treadmill yesterday averaging 7:10 pace and then did gravitron and leg lifts and ran in the pool for 30 minutes.

Last night we had a tragic accident happen to three of the students at our school. They were involved in a car crash during a snow storm that came on suddenly last night. Two students died almost immediately and one has a fractured arm and is at the hospital. Mark and I know all students invovled because they are on the cross country, ski, and track teams. It has been a horrible past two days since we learned the news. The entire community is mourning. The students who passed away were full of the most amazing light and spirit you could imagine. They alone could fill a room and everyone at the school was touched by them. The girl was a junior and the boy was a freshmen. The boy who survived was dating the girl and best friend's with the boy. It is going to be very hard for everyone. The girl's Mom also works at the school. Everyone who knows these children are deeply affected and everyone in the community has come together.

Today I took the day off to visit with the family. Tomorrow I will be back into my routine but today did not feel right to go out and "train" for me.

Posted by mary at 7:35 PM | Comments (7)

February 5, 2006

Tired Legs Have Finally Arrived!

This morning as I was heading down the stairs for my run I got a charlie horse in my calf. This was not a great sign. I know I drank a lot of water yesterday. I was worried that my bad leg would be sore the entire run. Agh.. and it was.

I met with my friend Jen and we drove to Lake Elmore to do my favorite 7 mile lake run. It was quite the adventure as we had to run in the snow for about a mile unexpectedly. The weather was extremely mild, around 40 degrees and occasionally a patch of blue sky would make a tease appearance for us. The first mile was downhill and I felt pretty good. However, the next two miles was rolling and ended with a steep hill. My left leg felt the work it had done on Friday with the 20 miler and the snowshoe running yesterday. It got really sore on the uphill and I had to stop and stretch and knew my body was tired. We ran much easier for the remaining four miles and enjoyed the warm weather. We had to run through snow between mile 4.5 and 5.5 because the road was not plowed. This part was difficult because some patches were deep and some were thin and icey and some were just streams of ice water. I felt badly for making my friend get her feet all wet. The last mile and a half were nice and flat and on the dirt road along the lake. I finally felt better there.

I dropped my friend off at her car and ran another 1.5 miles to the cabin for a pancake breakfast. I wanted to get 10 miles in for the day but seeing how tired my legs are I am ok with 8.5 miles. I am looking forward to some pool running tomorrow and plan to drink a lot of water this afternoon, do school work, and rest. I also had two bananas for breakfast which should help the cramping. I would love to run another three miles this evening but I should listen to my body.

Total mileage: 8.5 miles

Posted by mary at 1:17 PM | Comments (0)

February 4, 2006

Hawley MA Northeast Regional Snowshoe Qualifier!

This morning we were up at 5:30 to go to Hawley, MA - western MA - pretty much the only place around with at least a foot of snow to compete in the Northeast Regional Qualifing Snowshoe race for Nationals. This is the race where I first met Mark last year in person. We had known of each other and talked on the phone for about a month prior but this was the first sightings!

It took us about three hours to get to the race. We brought two athletes from our school to compete in the junior division. The race was at Hawley State Forest which turns out to be quite nice. The course was five miles and was a lollipop course. The first mile was downhill on a snow mobile trail which is the same thing as a fire road or just wide trail where four or five people can fit across. The snow was icey and thin in patches but still present and runable on snowshoes. The next three miles was great. It was a single track trail through the woods, up and down big ravines and along windy paths. There were beautiful pine trees covered with snow that we ran by. We had to go across two streams that were not frozen so that was cold and a bit scary on snowshoes and some of the downhills were really slippery because the ground was exposed and it was rocky. Somehow I managed not to fall. The last mile was a repeat of the first mile only in reverse and uphill.

I knew three athletes there. One was an athlete I coached at Smith and two are athletes I coach at People's Academy here in Vermont. I ran with the Smith athlete for the first mile and caught up with her. I then ran with the senior I coach and for the last mile I ran with the freshmen boy I coach. I felt really good despite my three hour run yesterday. My time was slow, 57.10 or so compared to the first place time: Kelli Low (awesome runner/athlete/mountain runner) of 52 and change. I was happy that I felt good and could definitely go faster if I wanted. I did not do a cool down or run extra because I was satisfied with the run. The senior girl was first for her age group, the freshmen was third for his age group, and the Smith athlete was third for her age group.

Mark finished a disappointing third. He lead the entire race until the last mile. He had to break trail on the single track and found himself very tired by the last uphill. Richard Bolt was first and Paul Low second, both extremely good trail/mountain runners. However, Mark was only about 15 seconds behind Paul in the last race and has beaten some of Paul's times this year. Leading a snowshoe race is really hard work so I think that had an effect on Mark as well as the onset of a cold. Mark has already trained for Nationals in another race so really this was just a practice run for Nationals in March.

Total Mileage for the week: 71 miles! Made my goal!
Upcoming: Sunday I plan to run 10 miles and I would like to begin some regular ab work next week. My mileage goal for next week is 75 miles and I would like to do a 3 to 3.5 mile long run next week. I may go to Johnson tomorrow in the afternoon for some pool running if it works out.

Posted by mary at 5:02 PM | Comments (1)

February 3, 2006

Tough 20 miler!

As planned I got up and was able to do my long run because I do not have to teach classes on Friday until 11 a.m. It was slightly raining when I got up and I suspected it could get a lot worse or it could clear up. I was hoping to run for three hours but I really don't think I could have been out there any longer than I managed.

I started the run by taking our dog Seb for his morning run. We ran five miles together and I was really happy I had my wind jacket and gloves and hat on because it was damp and cold and the rain was picking up. We did our Copley Hospital Run which is an out and back course and then I dropped him back off at home. I had to stop and dry him with a towel and shut the door to the bedroom becuase he was soaked.

This took me about five minutes and I was already cold. I was dreading another 2 hours and 20 minutes in the rain by myself. I could not decide if I would do two loops twice or just try to do one big loop. As I was heading up Elmore Mountain, the two mile up hill that leads to my longest runs the rain turned into snow and wind. It was really pretty but I was anxious to get on the side road which would be dirt and have less traffic. After two miles I got to the dirt road. It was really beautiful and peaceful because there was a light snow and it had already covered the roads so the road was not slippery. I decided to go all the way down this street which is about 8 miles long and then I'd have six miles to go at the end which would bring me close to my goal or twenty miles or 3 hours which ever I could bare.

After running on this nice road for about two and a half miles I came upon some mean dogs. This is a big pet peev of mine about running here in VT. If you are running out on the dirt roads none of the dogs are tied up. I have been bite once and that was enough to make me weary. The dogs were protecting the road in front of their house and the road started to get slippery. I chickened out and decided to turn around and go down another road to an equally nice but shorter road. The next three miles however, were trecherous.. the roads were so slick but it was the kind of slippery roads that are invisible to the ice because as I was going downhill the conditions were changing from snow to sleet and then to rain leaving everything a mess.

I decided to head to the one paved six mile road that I know at a low elevation and decided to run out and back on that for five miles because by the end of that I would have at least twenty miles in. On this paved road I felt good and really relaxed on my way out. I was running quite easy, an eight minute pace. The mail boxes are given numbers according to the mileage so it is easy to determine pace because you just check the mail box numbers.

The way back began to get really tough. The rain was picking up and my clothes were beginning to get drenched and enough cars had gone by to splash me that there was not one part of my body that was cold. I really had to focus for this final four miles and just think it was only a half hour left, twenty minutes left, ten minutes left. By the time I got home I could barely take off my clothes and turn on the shower. I was freezing. I am still really cold so I am going to go and get a coffee and then I have to teach.

I should have brought some water with me on the run. I did not. I just had a lot and some orange juice and left over stir fry. Mm... hits the spot. I have a meeting around lunch time so it is good to eat early and it will help me recover.

Running long runs alone is very hard and it is even harder when the conditions are miserable. There are not a lot of days that I am really proud of my running because I just take it for granted and know that it is there and I am doing it. Today I am really proud of myself for adding on those extra miles on the road. Today I am just counting down.. 23 more long runs to go before the 100 mile race! Once I can get on the trails again the runs will go by much faster.
I have to go to school now.

Total Mileage: 66 miles
Tomorrow: We are going to a snowshoe race in MA. Western MA I believe with some students that we teach at the high school. It is the regional qualifier for Nationals. They changed the course from Northfield MA because it was all ice. The race could be canceled tomorrow. We'll see. I plan to run it easy as my easy day. I wish I could run it hard but it just bothers my quad too much.

Posted by mary at 10:20 AM | Comments (2)

February 2, 2006

Mild Winter Weather for Groundhogs Day!

I have to admit it has been a very mild winter here in Vermont. I have had a few days where I have struggled with freezing wind and icey roads but for the most part I really can not complain. Today was quite nice, the sun was out for my run because I had the chance to run before 5 p.m. and the temperatures were just about 40 degrees. I did my first four miles with our dog Seb. I was very sympathetic towards him because he had just gotten a hair cut today and had to spend the entire day inside. He was happy to be out running with me. We ran out and back for two miles for our total of four. I then dropped him off at the house and met my friend Jen at her house. The two of us did our usual Fitzgerald loop which is 6 miles. I felt great and was able to vent about my last period class which I was frustrated with and I was disappointed in myself for getting upset with them. Lots of overwhelmed athletes of all students who can't finish their work! Ah.. I was happy that I felt fresh for the run and mentally felt better when I was finished. At the end of our run we were chatting in front of my house and I suddenly felt the fatigue from the week's work and the week's mileage. I was really beat and could tell I was really famished. Dinner is on the stove so I have to cut this short to eat my stir fry with Mark. Mmm.. can't wait! I hope to report on the completion of my three hour run tomorrow!

Total Mileage for the week: 46 miles

Posted by mary at 7:08 PM | Comments (2)

February 1, 2006

Wednesday Workout!

I have deemed Wednesday's as my workout day and at least for the last month I have stuck to it which provides me with nice consistency. Workouts do not scare me nearly as much as they used to since my goals have changed so much. Training for a 100 mile race and having a huge limitation with my quad muscle and it's major fatigue when I run prolonged distances at faster than 6.30 pace have given my workouts much more perspective. I have made my workout training pace range between 6:30 and 6:00 minutes per mile and nothing scares me about that, except if someone told me I had to do four mile repeats at 6 minutes because that would be really hard for me right now.

While the roads are icey and the temperatures are cold I will be doing my workouts on a treadmill which definitely makes the workout easier so I try to do a lot less recovery than usual. Today I did a two mile warm up with the first mile and a half at 8 minute pace and the last half mile at 7:30 pace. I am really trying to train myself to get used to that 8 minute pace so I can run that on trails later in the spring and feel really relaxed. I then did 6 x 800 with 400 meters of jogging at 8 minute pace in between each repeat. My splits for the 800's were:
3:20
3:16
3:14
3:12
3:10
3:08
I felt really good and very relaxed. When I finished I wanted to run two miles for cool down. I felt really bored with the eight minute pace so I set the pace at 7.03 and ran that pace for a mile and a half and then ran the last half mile at 6.30 pace. When I finished I felt good and was glad to have the workout finished.

Light Lifting
After the treadmill workout I did 3 sets of ten dips and 3 sets of 10 pull ups on the gravitron machine. My favorite strength machine because it allows you to do assisted pull ups by yourself and you really feel like you are getting a good workout in. I then did 3 x 10 knee ups to work my abs and finished with 3 x 10 lat pull downs. My arms were very tired by the end of that set.

Pool Running
I met some students that I coach at 5:10 and pool ran with them for a half hour. We jogged for 10 minutes and then did 10 minutes of drills, high knees, butt kicks, and quick feet, we then jogged for another 5 minutes and finished with 5 minutes of short sprints in the pool. Mark met me unexpectedly for the second half which was nice and we did another half hour together. Even though I did an hour of pool running I can't tell. I really enjoy pool running and feel like I could be in there all day. It is the one sport in which I feel like I am not holding Mark back. When he is pool running he is struggling and breathing quite hard which is how I feel the rare times I try to run with him. The company in the pool made the workouts for the day go by quickly.

Total Weekly Mileage: 36 miles
Tomorrow's Plan: Meet with Jen to run 6-7 miles and then add an additional 3 miles for a total of 10 miles. I'll run easy tomorrow to recover from today's running and to prepare for Friday's long run. I don't have to be in school Friday until late, 11 a.m. so I am going to do my three hour run Friday which is going to be so cool! I will be excited at the end of the day Friday knowing school is finished for the week and I have finished my long run! I hope the weather is decent.. at least the roads semi clear!

Posted by mary at 8:34 PM | Comments (3)