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January 30, 2007
Day Off at Home
By the time I finished teaching last night at 9 I was completely congested and feeling most of the symptoms of a flu. I went home and tried to go right to sleep and had a very restless night. I thought about going into work but then decided I will never get over this flu if I don't take a day to rest. I tried to rest today but unfortunately have spent half of my time at the computer getting work done. I can't really say I am caught up, I am just maintaining. I did not try to run at all today. It's strange because my legs feel good and my arm feels good. I am mostly just super congested and my chest is sore. The part of my chest that is sore is pretty deep. It's strange because I don't have a cough at all but when I try to sleep my breathing is quite irritated. I did make a point to take a break for lunch and I had some soup and then fell asleep for a long time on the couch. When I woke up I realized I had slept for three hours. That made me really happy because I thought I had only been napping for about five minutes. I am hoping I can sleep soundly tonight and I hope I can run easy tomorrow. I may do an easy run on the treadmill tomorrow morning and do my tempo run on Friday. I am tempted to do it tomorrow but if my chest is still sore it really won't be worth it. I hope I can get rid of this quickly and get used to my new schedule. In the meantime, I can't wait until the last week of February. The last week of February Mark and I will be going to CA to visit Liz. I can't wait to visit with Liz, Carl, and Sage and all of my CA friends. I am also really looking forward to tons of great trail runs. I want to be 100% healthy that week so I can maximize my training in the great weather. I was happy not to be outside today as I don't think it ever got above zero. Brr.. I am going to try to rest a bit more.
Posted by mary at 6:13 PM | Comments (3)
January 29, 2007
Workout Accomplished
Thanks to Meghan and Mark and Liz and Alison I managed to get up and do my morning workout at 6 this morning on the treadmill. It was -6 degrees out so running outside in the dark really was not a consideration. I ran a progressive 5 mile workout and ran the first mile at 7.30 pace, the second mile at 7.00 mile pace, the third mile at 6.48 pace, the fourth mile at 6.40 pace, and the last mile at 6.30 pace. I felt comfortable running those paces but overall my legs and body were tired. I felt strong but I felt a bit sleep deprived because I had a very restless sleep last night and my legs were a bit sore from yesterday's run. I was really happy to do the workout so early. After the workout I did a half hour of lifting. On Wednesday morning I plan to do a 7-8 mile marathon pace run on the treadmill. Now I feel like I can relax the rest of the day and focus on my teaching. Thanks to everyone who was supporting me in this early morning endeavor. I felt accountable.
Posted by mary at 10:07 AM | Comments (4)
January 28, 2007
Beautiful Long Run
This morning I wanted to arrive at the Richmond Town Greene early so I could get a few miles in before our long run. However, it did not happen and I did not really mind. We ran a great 16.5 mile run. A few people met earlier, at 8:15 and did about 6 miles before the rest of the group met at 9. It was a beautiful day, about 27 degrees which felt really nice and the roads were relatively clear. The first three miles and last three miles were on roads and the middle miles were on back roads which were dirt and covered with snow. We ran in a big pack for the first three miles and then hit a mile long very steep hill up the dirt road. I backed off a lot and just took the climb one step at a time. While running up the hill Kasie Enman passed me which I was waiting for as she is very tough. I met up with another runner at the top of the hill and we caught up to Kasie. She was one of the people who had already run six miles before the rest of the pack started. For the rest of the run Kasie, myself, and Beth all ran together. The rest of the course was beautiful, terrific views of mountains and hills in the distance, very few houses, and soft dirt roads with a light covering of snow. It will be really nice to see these roads in the summer. It felt good, we were running a good pace but it wasn't too fast. I thought about adding on at the end but I decided I already had a really solid run and my chest was pretty sore by the end that I better prevent any prolonged colds and be happy with the quality of the run that I had. This should set me up well for the next week of training. Tomorrow will be my next test to see if I can get up early to do my Mon. and Wed. morning workouts at the gym. I also need to write my official Boston Marathon plan tonight so I can make good use of my time tomorrow. For the rest of the day I plan to catch up on work even though the bright blue sky which is extremely rare in VT especially this time of year is tempting me to go outside and play.
Posted by mary at 1:47 PM | Comments (3)
January 27, 2007
Easy Run and Some Snowmobiling?
Today I was definitely dragging but I took it very easy and don't feel as bad as I thought I might. I think I basically have a cold. I have spent much of the day getting paper work done and house hold chores. I went on an easy seven mile run and was surprised that I felt very energetic and my cold did not hold me back. When I returned the congestion returned but I felt much better.
Tonight we went to the camp on the lake for a family get together. Mark's brothers all have snow machines and I was invited to go for a ride. I have been opposed to them even though I have never been on one. The exhaust and the noise all seem to be a problem to me and the speed at which some people travel on them. I have been on trails that were non-snow mobiling trails and have been quite scared to hear one coming behind me. So when invited for the ride I agreed but figured it would only be a short ride. As it turned out I really enjoyed it. We went for about an hour on some amazing trails that I have never been on because they are usually swampy and wet in the summer and not open to running. Going at night with the moon light and the snow capped trees was really beautiful. Mark drove so I felt safe. We had a few scares as the machine lifted us into the air a few times. We went over the lake and then hit the trails. By the end my knees were cold and even though I had a helmet with a mask on my face was still cold. Yet, I thought to myself it would be fun to go again and explore some new trails. The only other problem was the smell of the exhaust when we followed another snow mobiler. It is not something I want to do everyday nor every week but I think every now and then it might be fun to explore a new area on the machine.
Tomorrow I have a long run planned with the group out of Burlington. I hope to run a very easy pace and get there early to run a few extra miles and get myself warmed up. I'd like to run about 18-20 miles. The group is planning to run 16 miles.
Posted by mary at 8:56 PM | Comments (0)
January 26, 2007
Sub Zero Temperatures and a cold settling in...
Thursday and Friday have been very cold, sub zero degree days. All running partners canceled plans on both days so I opted for the gym in fear of getting frost bite. I am not quite as tough as all the other runners out there who can brave this type of weather. My defensive mechanisms at the moment are also not that great right now as a cold has finally emerged. I had a feeling I was fighting one all week and shrugged it off as being busy and being fatigued. Now that I am sneezing, achy, and sore I realize it was the early signs of a cold. I am glad that it is "just" a cold because I was afraid I was just getting unmotivated and suffering from being over trained. Tonight I have been wiped out.
On Thursday I went to the gym in the morning and rode on the bike for twenty minutes and then lifted for forty minutes. That evening I attempted a workout on the treadmill and felt horrible and ran a funny interval run of 0.5 miles at 7.30 pace and 3 x 2 miles at 6.50 pace with water breaks in between each 2 miles. I was so distracted, I did not want to run at all and each time I got off the treadmill for my one minute break I wanted to just end the workout but I did not. I stuck it out for six miles and was relieved to finish. I then lifted for another twenty minutes and then biked hard for twenty minutes. For some reason it was much easier to bike and lift compared to running.
Tonight I went back to the gym and tried another treadmill workout. I ran the first 4 miles at 7.30 pace and ran the last three miles at 7, 6.40, and 6.26 pace. It felt good and was much better than yesterday. The long warm up helped a lot. I then lifted for a half hour afterwards.
Since getting home I have gotten very congested and grown more sore. As I said before I am actually glad to see it is a cold and not just boredom with running or frustrated with the cold weather. I can sleep in tomorrow which I think will help my cold. I can also get a lot of rest and work done this weekend as I have no plans set in stone. Off to rest.
Posted by mary at 10:32 PM | Comments (2)
January 24, 2007
Another Day Off :(
I am going to have to start to do my running in the morning on Monday's and Wednesdays. There is just not enough time to run in between teaching at the high school and the community college. I have two hours but I am too distracted cleaning up at the high school and trying to make sure all of my materials are prepared for the night classes. I think I will make Monday's an easy day and maybe just bike and lift because it will be the day after my long run on Sunday. Wednesday can then be my workout day and I can do that on the treadmill when it is very early in the morning. We'll see if I can put this into action next week. Tomorrow I have two runs planned. It is supposed to be quite cold.
Posted by mary at 9:58 PM | Comments (2)
January 23, 2007
Rest Day and Easy Day
On Monday I took the day off from running. I simply did not have enough time. I did get up early and go to the gym. I was able to bike for about twenty minutes and then did a half hour of lifting. I began teaching my evening classes on Monday night at the local community college. Monday's and Wednesday's will be long days for me now as I will have to teach all day and then teach at night from 5:30 - 9:00. I am hoping that most of the time I will be able to squeeze a run in between 3 and 4.
This morning I got up and went to the gym again. I did about 15 minutes of biking for a warm up and then a half hour of lifting. This evening I did my favorite ten mile loop, the Bliss Hill Road Loop with my friend Jen. We ran relatively easy for this run mainly because the dirt roads were slick and snowy. Once we made it to the road the pace was better. It felt nice to get in the easy run. I have some new sneakers that I am not that happy about. They are loud, I can hear them with every step that I take. I am not sure I'll actually be wearing them running again. I wanted to start speed workouts this week but due to the start of the college semester it may have to start until next week. I am procrastinating because I am really dreading doing workouts on the treadmill but that is my best beat right now because the roads are just not very clear or fast. I may end up doing a speed workout on Thursday or Friday if the temperature is below 0. We'll see.
I just found out that my twin sister is training for a spring marathon, Portland, I think. I had a feeling she would get the marathon bug after she ran with me for the last few miles of Cal International. I also suspect she is really going to surprise herself in the marathon and really blow her marathon pr away. She just had a baby girl in September, her first child, and I do think it has made her more focused and helped her prioritize her training. I am excited for her.
Posted by mary at 9:16 PM | Comments (2)
January 21, 2007
Boston Prep 16 miler and Week in Summary
This morning we drove three hours to Derry, NH. I was not really looking forward to the drive or the race. The drive seemed long and getting up early seemed tough. It was not hard to get up early as neither Mark nor I slept well despite going to bed quite early. The drive was ok, time flew by, Mark was driving, and I was dozing on and off.
It was very cold in Derry. At 10 a.m. when the race began it was about 14 degrees with a breeze so it felt much colder. I was prepared ahead of time to know that the course was hilly and I was not let down. Surprisingly the highest point on the course is only 605 feet above sea level. Yet the course never gives you a break, you are either pounding down a hill or gradually going up hill. In the few places where you do get a break you can see a hill in the near future.
I was not very optimistic going into the race. I did not feel like racing and I did not want to put any pressure on myself. The marathon I ran in December seemed to feel so comfortable until mile 20 or so when my quads cramped and some how I managed to run 6.48 to 6.52 pace up until that point. After running in snowy cold conditions for a week I was not feeling very peppy. My first mile was dismal and my only consolation was that the people around me felt the same way. I ran an 8.00 min. first mile. Upon seeing that I decided maybe this should just be an easy long day for me. Then I decided to just try to push one more mile because maybe the first mile was long. I hit the second mile in 15 minutes and decided to try to maintain the 7 minute pace until mile 10 and then evaluate from there. Despite the hills I was really happy to hit each mile within a 7 min. pace +/- 5 seconds. My splits got erased by I know I went through 8 miles at 57 minutes and I went through 10 miles at 1:11. I don't know what the seconds were.
The hardest climb is between miles 10 and 12. The hill goes on and on and there are sections that are quite steep. I backed off a lot on the uphills to give my quads a break. I then opened it up a lot on the downhills. I had been following a big pack ahead of me with two girls in it for much of the race. I realized despite my backing off on the uphills I was still catching them. I made it my goal to catch them by the end of the race. I caught up to them at my 14 and was not sure if I should pass them with two miles to go. I decided to go for it and maybe I would open up some ground on them. I realized one of the girls was pacing the other girl. So one girl was much stronger. We said good job and I moved ahead hoping the pacer would not abandon her pacee. With a mile to go I could hear the pacer coming towards me. She had a football jersey top on with Brady's name on for tonight's football game. For some reason I did not want that football jersey top to beat me. I stepped it up and focused as much I could and hoped for a downhill finish. With about 300 meters to go I knew she was coming and the last little bit of an uphill was at 200 meters. My quads were pretty beat and she took me at that point, she flew right past me - full of energy. Even though I felt like I was flying for this last mile my pace was only 6.55. I finished the race in 1:55:03 which comes out to a 7.12 pace. In my mind I thought if I had a good day I would be somewhere between 7 and 7.10. I think 7.12 is close enough to consider it a good day. I am happy I did the race and I think the course was very challenging.
Mark finished fifth in the race. He ran in third the entire time until the last two miles when his body fell short and he hit the wall. His time was 1:35.00. He was pleased with this but frustrated about the last two miles. Considering he took four days off due to sickness and a tight hip I was pretty happy for him. I was afraid I might find him off the course somewhere because his hip flared up.
Last week I ran a total of 66 miles - I did a bit less due to the previous week's high mileage and the cold weather. Here is the summary:
Sunday: 10.5 mile group run
Monday: 5 mile run and 3 mile run
Tuesday: 6 mile run
Wednesday: 6 mile run and 3 mile run
Thursday: 8.5 mile run and 6 mile run
Friday: 9 mile run and 3 mile run
Saturday: 6 mile run
Posted by mary at 6:11 PM | Comments (2)
January 20, 2007
Windy and Cold
This morning it was snowing lightly and the wind was blowing snow everywhere piling up the snow. I got up and did some household chores. I then went to Trapps Family Lodge with some friends and did some cross-country skiing for a little over an hour. We would have stayed longer but our hands were so cold and so were our faces. When we got into the woods it was much better but it was still pretty cold. My skiing is improving. We realized that part of the problem is that my skis are not properly fit for me. A friend of mine gave them to me and he is bigger and weighs more so I am not really getting any kick from the ski. I hardly know what that means but I know that when I traded skis with my friend who is my size and had some great wax on their skis I suddenly felt like I was working a lot less. I am looking forward to going out again to ski when it is a bit warmer.
Tonight I ran an easy six miles in the windy cold weather. It was 11 degrees when we ran by the town clock but the wind shield made it feel less than 0 degrees. The first ten minutes were tough but then I felt ok. I would have run farther but I decided to take it easy for tomorrow's long run/tempo run. I am doing the Boston Prep 16 miler tomorrow but I have a feeling I won't be running very fast. The course is very tough and hard hills on pavement are tough on my quad so I'll just see how it goes. I am looking forward to getting some mileage in and seeing some new territory but I am not looking forward to the three hour drive to get to the race which feels more like a training run. I am sure I'll be feeling much better when I am finished tomorrow. Can't wait! Off to relax now.
Posted by mary at 6:14 PM | Comments (1)
January 19, 2007
Slippery and Snowy
Today was a pretty easy day. It was snowing all day long, a nice soft snow with big huge flakes. I ran after school with my friend Katy. We ran about 9 miles and the road was runnable because the snow was at the crunchy level. It was really beautiful with all of the snow falling. My legs were definitely tired from all of yesterday's running but our pace was just right so that I really did not feel very taxed.
When we returned I took Seb on a very slippery three mile run. The road conditions had changed quite quickly. You know it is slippery when your four legged friend is slipping and sliding on the roads with you. This three mile run I should barely count as mileage because our pace was so slow. My main goal was not to crack my head. I fell backwards once right in the middle of the road. I am glad that I have never seen a car on that road. The roads were covered with a thin layer of snow which made it very greasy. After that fall I decided to just jog home. I probably should have walked but I am not that patient and I was cold so I wanted to get home to shower. I made it home with only a few minor slips and Seb also made it home with a few small slips and slides. Tomorrow should be an easy day with some running and skiing.
Posted by mary at 9:29 PM | Comments (0)
January 18, 2007
Busy Day!
Happy Birthday to Alison today! My blog inspiration and my running friend extraordinaire. I hope you are having a fabulous day!!!
Today was a full day and now I am quite tired. The weather was back to normal today, about 22 degrees which felt good for running.
This morning I got up to go to the gym in the morning. I biked for a half hour easy. I just concentrate on cadence and put the bike at a really easy effort level. After spinning I lifted for twenty minutes. I just do upper body work and occasionally I do lunges if I am working with an athlete that I coach. I do the lunches to look more well rounded. However any leg work really tires me out for my runs. Getting up was hard but once I was up and eating my hot english muffin in the car with grape juice I felt good.
After school I ran with my coworker Mike. We have decided to try to run together every Thursday. We did the 8.5 mile loop that starts with a two mile up hill. The two mile up hill is tough but once you get to the top of the hill, the rest is all dirt roads with amazing views of Mt. Elmore, Mt. Mansfield, Hunger Mt., and maybe you can sometimes see Camel's Hump. It's really beautiful on a clear day. I felt sluggish on the uphill but after about three miles the run felt effortless. We ran a good pace and the conversation was good.
About a half hour later I met up with my friend Jen and we did the six mile route. My legs were beat from the first run but my energy was still good. We ran pretty easy but by the time we did this run I was much colder. After the run I surprised myself and actually went skiing for about a half hour. I did some classic skiing which is much easier for me than skate skiing. I am really horrible at skiing but I think I can improve greatly in classic skiing. I went skiing on the trails at school with my head lamp on. It was nice to be able to ski in the tracks. Now I am pretty tired and I really hope I won't be too tired for my runs tomorrow. We'll see!
Posted by mary at 9:47 PM | Comments (2)
January 17, 2007
Getting the Miles In
Well it was cold today but not as cold as I expected. It was about 5 degrees when I went for my run but there was no wind which was a great relief. I ran six miles with my friend Katy. We did the usual loop. The roads were icey and snowy but we still made good time. My quads were sore for the first few miles but felt better towards the end. As soon as I finished I picked up our dog and did another three miles with the dog and my friend Jen. On the last downhill portion of the run I slipped on some ice and landed flat on my face. Meanwhile, our little cocker spaniel Seb managed to pull me along the ice, all 25 lbs of him! I guess he is getting ready for the Iditarod. Luckily there was some snow to cushion my landing otherwise my knees would be pretty beat up right now. I also had my good thick pants on to protect my legs. I will be getting up to go to the gym tomorrow morning so I'll have to get to bed early tonight. Warmer weather is supposed to arrive tomorrow, 30's! Should be nice.
Posted by mary at 8:32 PM | Comments (3)
January 16, 2007
It's Only Getting Colder!
I knew I had to grin and bare the weather today because it's only getter colder! Today when I ran at 4 it was 11 degrees and tomorrow we are supposed to see temperatures below zero. I know some people can run when it is that cold and I know I will but it is not fun at all. I procrastinated so much today. I ate a half a pack of saltines waiting to run today and I put on at least three different variations of warm attire. I was meeting people to run but I had a short warm up run in mind before I met my two friends for a run. The warm up run never happened. It was more of a drag session that I was having as I got ready to brave the outdoors. I have been really spoiled this winter. This is the only really cold weather we have had so far.
Once I did make it outside I was actually surprised to find I really was not that cold at all. I have a great pair of Swix pants that Mark gave me for Christmas that felt great. My legs were never freezing or even cold which was great. Sometimes I scowl at the high prices of good clothing but these pants are worth every penny. I had four layers on top but surprisingly they were the right match even though I felt like it was a desperate line up that I was going through while I was waiting to run.
I was complaining to my two friends about the cold weather and I admitted that I really did not want to run today. I told them how I was procrastinating and they both commented that they could never imagine me not wanting to go for a run. Believe it or not it happens at least once or twice a week. Bad weather is an easy excuse and sometimes just fatigue or a work overload can make me too distracted to not want to go and run.
We did the six mile Fitzgerald run and I was happy because there was a light covering of snow on the dirt roads which made it very runnable. If that snow had not been there the roads might have been slushy and icey and slippery. Less than two miles into the run I was very happy that I was running. One of the girls that I was running with has decided to do a spring marathon, probably The Holyoke Marathon. I have offered to help her train for it and pace her. She wants to qualify for Boston. I am excited to help her with this goal. I think she is very capable.
This morning I went to the gym and biked for a half hour and lifted for a half hour. It did not feel very hard but on the uphill portion of today's run I could feel the lunges that I had done in the morning. It was nice to remember that I had actually already worked out that day, nothing is really like running though.
On a side note: I am really impressed by Hall's new American Record in the 1/2 marathon that he ran at the Houston Marathon. Under 1 hour for a 1/2... wow! I am very excited for him!
Posted by mary at 9:37 PM | Comments (1)
January 15, 2007
Winter Storm
It has been snowing all day today. Despite the constant flow of snow we have not accumulated that much total snow fall. We probably have about 4-6 inches. Right now there are small snow pellets falling. We had meetings all day at school and I was able to walk to work so it was not a difficult commute at all.
I had two snowy slow runs today and took it as my easy day. It was in the low 30's to high 20's when I ran so it was relatively mild. The first run was five miles with my friend Jen. We ran on the roads and they were quite slippery and it was not fun to run by the cars. The second run was much more pleasant. I ran three miles on the golf course with Seb through the snow and did not have to worry about cars or slippery roads. I really enjoyed this run. I feel tired, I think from a cold that I may be fighting off, but my legs don't really feel as bad as I expected. I'll take one more easy day tomorrow and then do a workout on Wednesday. We are expected to get more snow until 7 a.m. tomorrow morning.
Posted by mary at 5:10 PM | Comments (0)
January 14, 2007
Snow Has Arrived!
We woke up to falling snow this morning. Everything was covered with about an inch of snow. I could not decide if that would be good or bad for my run. Mark and I were meeting the same group of people in Williston for a new 10.5 mile route. I had no idea how I'd feel as my legs were very sore and tired when I got out of bed. I decided all I could do was try and I could always slow down or I could turn around if I was too tired. A great thing about the run besides the good size of people is that the run always starts off very easy. The entire groups run together for the first 1/2 mile to 1 mile of the run at about an 8 minute pace or slower. It is great. I am so used to starting out faster and this reminds me that I can actually warm up into my run. Mark is not feeling very well so he also was not sure how far he would go in the run. I decided if I saw him turn around I would also turn around since the snow was continuing to fall. We both finished the run and had a good time. Mark ran with a group of four faster men in the front of the pack and I was lucky enough to run with Amy Vile, a fast VT runner. She had a workout yesterday so our pace was sort of meshing. We ran an easy pace and it was so nice to get to know Amy. I think she slowed down for me on some of the hills and she might have run faster if I was not with her. I felt better than I thought I would for the run. It was snowing the entire run and by the end of the run my eyes and face were covered with a snow mask. The temperature was not very cold which was nice. We ran up at least three major hills. The first was the hardest. It was at least a mile long and there were many turns in the road so you never really knew when the hill might end. Amy was great and would give me a preview of the next part of the course. I actually felt pretty good on the flat sections and the downhills. However, the uphills my legs just felt beat. Even though I thought I was dying on the uphills we were still making up distance on the two runners in front of us so that made me feel better. Now I am going to rest and get work done for the rest of the day. If for any reason I feel like I have some energy I may try a little ski or hike later in the afternoon with Seb at the golf course. The walk with Seb will definitely happen but we'll see about the ski. Tomorrow we have meetings in the morning for school but the afternoon is free so that may be the best day for a ski. I'll be flexible and see what happens.
Posted by mary at 12:46 PM | Comments (2)
January 13, 2007
Lots of Running
This was a big week of training. I am tired and hope I have not done too much. This morning I ran 2 hours, probably somewhere between 15-16 miles with my friend Beth in Waterbury, VT. We ran along the River Road. It is a dirt road that is up and down. The hills are not too long but you never get a long stretch to relax. The weather was pretty mild, about 40 degrees and the sky was absolutely grey. My quad was really sore and tired for the first 4 miles and finally it felt better. By the second half of the run I felt much better. The last two miles of the run I felt like I had less energy but my legs still felt ok. Later this afternoon I did an easy four miles with one of the girls who goes back to college tomorrow. We ran on the golf course with the dog. I warned the athlete that I would be really slow because I was quite tired. We ran very easy. My good quad was sore and I was talking a lot to distract myself from the fatigue in my legs. I have a long run scheduled with a group for tomorrow. I think I'll just do the 10.5 mile loop and run with the back of the pack. I hope it does not hurt too much. I need to take a few easy days after tomorrow's run. This past week I ran:
Sunday: 15 miles
Monday: 10 miles
Tuesday: 10 miles
Wednesday: 8 and 6 miles
Thursday: 6 miles
Friday: 8.5 and 6 miles
Saturday: 15 and 4 miles
Total Mileage: 88 miles (This is a lot for me during the school year. Usually I only run this much mileage over the summer when I can rest a bit more.)
Posted by mary at 5:14 PM | Comments (0)
January 12, 2007
Mild Weather
Today was relatively mild for my runs. It was about 40 degrees. It was very cloudy and the scenary was almost entirely grey except for the few white spots on the mountain views. I ran after school with two coworkers. We did an 8.5 mile loop that is one of my favorites. We ran uphill for two miles and then ran flat for two miles along the Upper Elmore Road that has fantastic views and then we ran downhill for two miles and finished it up running relatively flat on the golf course. The run went by quickly and the conversation was great. We ran an easy pace.
About a half hour later I did another six miles with my friend Jen. We did the Fitzgerald run at an easy pace. I have a long run scheduled for tomorrow. I will meet my friend in Waterbury. We usually run a pretty good pace but I am not sure how fresh I will be feeling tomorrow. We'll see. I hope I have some life in my legs.
Posted by mary at 7:46 PM | Comments (0)
January 11, 2007
Easy Run
Since I woke up this morning I really did not want to run. I had a sore throat when I awoke but it felt better as the day went on. I was just not thrilled about running in the cold and I also knew I would not get to run until it was dark out. I emailed a friend to be sure I got the run in and she agreed to meet me at 5. I could have used the day off but I decided my legs were not tired it was just my mind and attitude. I decided to shut my mind off and take it really easy. We ran an easy 10k course and when I finished I felt refreshed and was happy I ran. That is all I did today because I really wanted to make it easy. I will have two long runs this weekend so I want to be sure to run nice and relaxed today and tomorrow. I have not been to the gym as much as I wanted this week but hopefully next week I'll be back in the routine. I've got a great group run planned for tomorrow afternoon at noon while it is still light out which will be nice. Today we were dodging cars and trucks as we ran on the busier streets. Stressful!
Posted by mary at 6:32 PM | Comments (0)
January 10, 2007
Brrrr......... Chilly weather is here!
Baby it's cold outside!
However, Mark just said it's not really cold.. it just feels cold!
Yeah, it's cold, the temperature was 14 degrees for my run today. That is a 30 degree difference from the average temperature of all of my runs in the last two months. That to me is CHILLY!
I did two runs today. The first was much colder than the second mainly because I was not prepared for the 14 degree weather and 0 degree wind chill factor that swept in today. I was deceived by the sunlight that was shining as I left for my first run at 1 p.m. today. We have finals this week so I have time in the afternoon to go for a run in between grading. I met up with two former athletes who are both on the ski team at the moment at their respective colleges. We ran an 8 mile course that is uphill for the first half and downhill for the second half. We ran a very easy pace since neither of them has been running much. Although, one of the girls just qualified for the World Cup Ski Championships in Italy so she is very fit. She is a great sprinter, and that is the area she qualified. The second half of the run I was so cold, my ears and arms were frozen. I had two layers on but it was not enough. It was good to catch up with the girls but I felt like the old lady in the crowd since they were gossiping a lot about college issues and made a lot of comments to each other such as I'll fill you in later.
I did another run two hours later and remained cold until I got about two miles into this run. My hands never fully warmed up even though I changed my clothes and had sweats on. I did not want to shower because then I would never want to head outside again. I met a coworker for a run, Katy. We did the Fitzgerald, six mile loop. My quad was very sore for the first three miles and I had to stop twice to stretch. I hate stopping but sometimes it helps a lot. The second half I felt great and felt like I could have run a lot longer. I was much better prepared for this run. I had four layers on my top layer, very warm ski gloves, and an especially warm hat that keeps my ears warm. I probably looked really funny running with all of those layers but I sure did feel comfortable and never really felt cold. Although, by the end of my run my eyes were glazed with snow and ice. Winter has finally arrived! Time for some hot cocoa and some grading of final exams!
Posted by mary at 6:08 PM | Comments (1)
January 9, 2007
Great Day For Running
This afternoon I was able to run at about 3:30 and do my entire run almost all at once. I ran the first four miles with my coworker, Mike. We ran around the Ox-bow and over to the golf course. We ran an easy pace and then I went home and picked up our dog Seb. I ran a three mile road loop with Seb and then added an extra 4-5 miles on the golf course and school fields. It was probably about 40 degrees with no wind. The golf course is so nice to run on right now. The ground is nice and soft but not at all soggy. It feels so good on my legs. It is about 1.4 miles around the perimeter of the golf course so I just do loops in different directions. There are nice views and I never really get bored. It's a good break from the roads and traffic and I never have to worry about the dog since he gets to be off leash and he just runs along side of me. The last mile or two of my workout I ran over to school and cheered for Mark while he did his super hard workout. He did 5 x mile at 5.15 pace with a minute recovery. I ran some of his cool down with him and then went home. This morning I did a half hour on the elliptical and about 20 minutes of lifting.
Posted by mary at 8:00 PM | Comments (0)
January 8, 2007
Mini Workout
This afternoon I met a former athlete who is skiing at St. Lawrence. She wanted to do a speed workout so I decided to join her. Unfortunately, I had just eaten four Newman's Own cookies so it took about half the workout until I started to feel better. We did a fartlek type workout where we ran 2 x 400, 2 x 800, 1 x mile, 2 x 800, and 2 x 400, with 1/2 lap recovery after the 400, a full lap after the 800, and two laps after the mile and it was all run continuously without stopping. We ran the 400's at 95 - 90 seconds and ran the 800's and miles at 6.50 to 7.00 minute pace. It felt nice and relaxed. We were able to talk during the harder portions which was nice. We then ran a mile and a half cool down.
After the mini workout I picked up our dog Seb and ran an extra four miles on the golf course. It has been so warm that it has been great to run on the soft grass. It feels really great on my legs. One lap around the golf course is about 1.2 miles so I ran about three laps. Mark met me for the last two miles which was nice because we could catch up on our day. Monday is poker night for Mark so I appreciate all the extra Mark time I can get on Mondays.
Posted by mary at 6:21 PM | Comments (0)
January 7, 2007
Weekend Running
I had a nice weekend of running. I feel like I am fighting off a cold but so far I am holding it off which I am very happy about. On Saturday Mark and I went to Stowe to run. We were supposed to meet a few people in the morning but they could not meet us. We ran later than we wanted to at 10:30 ish. We would have loved to have started earlier but it was so warm out by the time we ran that we really could not complain. We had shorts on and were running in 60 degree weather which is so strange and odd for January in Vermont. We ran the first two miles together doing a loop in the village of Stowe. We then separated and I ran the Stowe 8 mile course backwards and added on two extra miles on the bike path. Mark meanwhile ran on the bike path. I ran an easy/medium pace. We then lifted in the gym for about 20 minutes. We were both too tired and hungry to do any more lifting than that, we wanted food. We left earlier than we expected and went to the local bagel shop. We spent the afternoon getting school work done and then saw some friends for dinner which was nice.
This morning we drove to Williston and met a big group of people for a run. The count was 20 people for the run. It was a great mix of fast and medium paced runners. I started out with the faster group which included Mark for the first twenty minutes but then had to go to the bathroom. When I finished I was with the second pack and talked the entire run. I got to meet a lot of new people which was awesome. I ran 13 miles with the group, we did a 10.5 mile loop and then did an out and back. I decided to run an extra two miles when I returned to get a total of 15 miles in for the day. I felt good for the run except around mile 10 I got a cramp right underneath my ribs on my right side. I can still feel the area in my stomach where I got the cramp. This is now the third time that I have gotten a cramp while running. I got one while doing a long run in Richmond in November. Then I got another cramp around mile 15 in the Cal International Marathon and then again today. It bothers me for about a mile almost to the point that I want to stop or at least I have slowed down quite a bit. Today I just ran through it but had to stop talking. I wish I could predict what is causing the cramps. Mark suggested it was a change of pace or terrain such as going up and down hills. This could be a possible cause as each time I have been running uphill but it has not been super steep. It's odd but mostly I want to figure it out or learn to run right through it. It has happened a few times in ultra races but I usually know it happens when I get excited and think about finishing. Yet the last few times it has happened I can't say I have been excited. I hope to figure it out. Last week I ran 60 miles with one day off. This week I'd like to hit 70 miles again. I need to start to write my own marathon plan and training program.
Posted by mary at 9:10 PM | Comments (1)
January 5, 2007
Feeling Tired
My lack of sleep a few nights ago is catching up with me. I am dragging right now but it also does not help that I ate my lunch around 10:45 today. I have had a few snacks, oranges and some chocolate that is very good, but I really can't wait for dinner which is right around the corner. I ran the Fitzgerald loop with my friend Katy today. We ran nice and easy. I felt good but by the time I did my second run of 4 miles I was absolutely dragging. I think I am really tired and need some food. It is very mild here in Vermont, about 50 degrees. The dirt roads are muddy and hard to run on. It is really ironic because I was slipping and sliding on those same roads on Tuesday which were then covered with ice and now I am slipping and sliding and sinking in mud. I was hoping to do some nordic skiing this weekend but the warm weather is supposed to persist. I will have to settle with some muddy hiking. Tonight we are going to see A Night At The Museum and tomorrow I have a morning run scheduled with two friends at 10. I am looking forward to sleeping in a bit. Now I am off in search of food. Well, I know we have some fresh Elmore Mountain Bread that was baked at 3 p.m. today so I think I'll go nibble on that to keep myself satisfied.
Posted by mary at 6:06 PM | Comments (0)
January 4, 2007
Full Moon Running
Last night I had the BEST FULL MOON hike! I hiked up Elmore Mountain with a friend. The entire hike was on snow but it was at the right density that we did not need to use snowshoes or cramps on our shoes. We hiked up without our head lights and enjoyed being in the bright glow of the moon. Every now and then I'd forget that it was a full moon and turn around to see if there was a car with their head lights on following us. The scenery was beautiful. Snow was covering the trees and limbs as well as ice and the mountain side was glowing with bright light in between the shadows. The temperature was perfect; it must have been about 35 to 40 degrees which made the conditions terrific. It was actually probably closer to 40. We saw a few other people on the mountain as well. One couple was having a picnic dinner at the base of one of the ledges and another couple was hiking up with their child. I loved it and really wanted to camp out there all night long but unfortunately had a BIG pile of work waiting for me at home. When we got to the top we gazed at the stars, the moon, Elmore Lake, and the mountain slope for what seemed like a long time. We then ran all the way back down (2 miles, it was a very quick and slippery way down). We both fell down twice but it was so soft we just laughed and got right back up and started running again. Tonight the moon is still almost full and the sky is just as clear but unfortunately, my body is saying no even though my heart is saying yes! I was up until 2 a.m. getting some necessary work done last night and up again at 6 a.m. so I don't think another late night would be very healthy. But I am really looking forward to my next night hike.
Today I went to the gym this morning to meet an athlete. We biked for twenty minutes and then lifted for another twenty minutes. It did not feel that hard because I felt like we hardly had anytime. This afternoon I ran with my coworker and a former athlete. We ran the Fitzgerald Loop and despite my fatigue ran a good pace. We talked the entire time and the run flew by. My friend has a pedometer and watch that records distance and pace and he always challenges me to guess the time and distance. I always give him a hard time for looking at his watch every 1/2 mile or so as we are running. I always tell him it makes me run faster every time he checks his pace. He argues with me that he needs the watch to keep him on track and help him to know his pace and distance. I argue with him that an experienced runner can always guess pretty accurately the distance and pace. I argue that the experienced runner has the best internal clock ever known and should be able to read their body better than any instrument and if you really tune in you'll know if it is a day you should push or not. As always, at the end of our run he asked me to guess the distance and pace on the very hilly run that we did. I guessed the distance as 6.2 and the pace as 7.25. I was pretty close, according to his watch the distance was 6.18 and pace was 6.30. I told him my guess was great considering I used my internal clock. I have a good time giving him a hard time about his gadgets. He is great company and I enjoy hearing about the latest inventions in technology in our running realm as he is sure to always keep me abreast of the latest gear and he is bound to own it. After my run at school I went home and ran another 4-5 miles with Jen. I wanted to get 10 miles in for the day so I was happy to meet that goal. We ran the 4-5 miles around the neighborhood at an easy pace. I'm giving an internal estimate of an 8 min. pace :). Now it is time to get some sleep.
Posted by mary at 7:08 PM | Comments (2)
January 3, 2007
Running in the New Year
I did not start my New Year off running. That was quite depressing. We had a very long night in New Haven for New Year's Eve. We were at a party at my brother's house and tried to go to bed at 1:30. We were planning to get up and do a 5k on New Year's Day. (On New Year's Eve I ran with one of my friends who lives in Brooklyn who spent New Years with us. We did an easy trail run in New Haven.) We never got any sleep on New Year's Eve. The house was too loud and Mark and I both felt as if we were getting bad colds. Neither of us had a lot to drink so we could not use that as an excuse. Finally at 6 a.m. we decided to drive back to VT. It was raining out so we knew it would only get worse as we drove North. It took us about five hours to get back to VT. We saw two cars off the road in Western MA and about three cars off the road in VT due to the slick icey roads. The rain had turned to ice and sleet once we hit Western MA. It was a long and stressful ride home. When we got home we slept for three hours and when we woke up Mark was motivated enough to go for a 14 mile run and I stayed home and did a ton of school work which should have been done much earlier. I regretted not running but was really glad I was prepared for school on Tuesday.
On Tuesday I ran 11 miles with my friend Jen in Elmore. It was almost a full moon evening so we did not need to use our headlamps. The roads were very slick and icey so we ran quite easy. On Tuesday morning I went to the gym and did twenty minutes on the bike and lifted for about 30 minutes. This afternoon I am about to run four miles with our dog and then plan to meet two friends for a six mile run. After the run I am going to go on a Full Moon hike with another friend. I can't wait!
Posted by mary at 3:11 PM | Comments (0)