Initially I planned on keeping up with my long runs during the summer because I really didn't want to lose all the endurance I built during half marathon training. But as the days get hotter and the humidity gets thicker, I've realized that I'm just not going to be able to do that. I'm not going to get out of bed at 7am on a weekend to go for a run - I'll save that for when I have children and I have no other choice.
Instead I've decided to devote my summer training to getting faster in 5Ks. In order to do that I'm going to incorporate intervals into my training. The plan is to do three interval runs a week, and then hopefully a long(er) run of about 5 miles.
Short intervals: 3 to 6 x 3 minutes at faster than 5K pace
Long intervals: 2 to 4 x half mile at 5K pace
Tempo run: 10 minute warm up, 15 to 25 minutes tempo, 10 minute cool down
I'm just in my first week of this training plan but I'm hoping I'll be able to see a difference in my 5K times by the end of the summer. I'm determined to break 30:00 - I'm so close I can taste it!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
The day running became more than exercise
Tonight I had one of the best runs I've ever had. I didn't run super fast or super long, or achieve some big goal, but I noticed for the first time how good running makes me feel.
I had a bad week and have just been feeling angry and somewhat depressed for the last several days. I never felt like doing much but sleeping and I couldn't muster up the desire to go for a run. Tonight my husband has some friends staying at our house and I sucked it up to go be social, but I knew I wanted to run while the boys went out to dinner. I planned on it being a 5 mile run and I planned on taking it at a slow, comfortable pace.
As soon as I got out there I felt the weight lift from my shoulders. My head cleared and I could think straight for the first time in days. I found perspective for my troubles and also found hope. I found the courage and the strength to put a smile back on my face and to relax.
I suppose I knew that running could do this for people, but I never imagined it would do this for me. Running is becoming more than just a means of exercise or losing weight. Tonight's 5 mile run, done in 57:57, might just be my favorite run ever.
I had a bad week and have just been feeling angry and somewhat depressed for the last several days. I never felt like doing much but sleeping and I couldn't muster up the desire to go for a run. Tonight my husband has some friends staying at our house and I sucked it up to go be social, but I knew I wanted to run while the boys went out to dinner. I planned on it being a 5 mile run and I planned on taking it at a slow, comfortable pace.
As soon as I got out there I felt the weight lift from my shoulders. My head cleared and I could think straight for the first time in days. I found perspective for my troubles and also found hope. I found the courage and the strength to put a smile back on my face and to relax.
I suppose I knew that running could do this for people, but I never imagined it would do this for me. Running is becoming more than just a means of exercise or losing weight. Tonight's 5 mile run, done in 57:57, might just be my favorite run ever.
Beach Tri
This past weekend I got to enjoy a nice weekend at the beach with my hubby because he was participating in the Bridge 2 Bridge Triathlon at Oak Island! So far he's only done and signed up for sprint triathlons, but this one was longer - 600 yard swim, 18 mile bike ride, 4 mile run. He's been nervous about it but he did outstanding, finishing in 1:51:51! He had done a practice run the weekend before with the same distances and it took him about 2:15:00, so he was thrilled with his time. And he actually enjoyed it than all the other shorter triathlons - I think it had to do with the ocean swim! That boy does love the ocean.
We left after lunch on Friday and arrived Saturday evening. We stopped by the beach to pick up Pete's race packet and go check out the beach. Neither of us had ever been to Oak Island before and we were stunned to see that when the tide was in the ocean came right up to the dunes! It was beautiful though, so quiet and less crowded than the beaches we usually visit.
We had dinner that night with Pete's law partner, Earle, and his family. Earle is the one who really got Pete started doing all of these triathlons. He is super fast though, he always wins his age group and usually the Masters category as well at our local races! He cooked his traditional pre-race meal - whole grain pasta with chicken, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. It was delicious!
Friday was an early night to be up early for the race. Pete left before me and then Earle's wife, Laura, picked me up so we could go spectate together and not have to leave quite as early...but we still left at 7:15am! Another lawyer from Salisbury was also participating so we hung out in a big group waiting for the race to start. I brought my sign, which is going to be a staple at any race Pete and Earle participate in together!
The participants were assigned to waves by age group, so Pete went out first. I knew as soon as I saw him go into the water that he was going to love it and do awesome! Swimming is his strong point in any tri but I knew the ocean would be great for him...he will ride waves all day long if you let him.
Since the bike ride was long and I knew I'd only be able to see Pete at start and finish, I went for my own run on the beach during that portion of the race. It was my first ever beach run and I was nervous about how the sand would feel. It was certainly a challenge and it took me about a half mile to feel warmed up to it, but after that it was amazing. The sand was packed hard and the tide was out so I had plenty of space to run. Oak Island is a pretty non-crowded beach in general, but at that hour there was hardly anyone out and I felt like I had the beach all to myself! It was beautiful, perfect temperatures with a light breeze, and I wish I'd had time to do more than just 3 miles!
After the race, Pete and I hightailed it back to the hotel to clean up and then we headed straight to the beach for some relaxation. I brought a book to read but ended up just talking with Pete and enjoying the views.
We had dinner that night with our little group at a delicious restaurant called the Provision Company. I had grilled tuna and Pete had crabcakes, and it was just a great evening of hanging out with friends and talking about races and training strategy. The other 2 couples had kids about the same age so they all sat at the end of the table and played card games together. Afterward we took a walk out along the pier and enjoyed the weather and the sunset. A wonderful end to a wonderful weekend...just wish we could have stayed longer!
We left after lunch on Friday and arrived Saturday evening. We stopped by the beach to pick up Pete's race packet and go check out the beach. Neither of us had ever been to Oak Island before and we were stunned to see that when the tide was in the ocean came right up to the dunes! It was beautiful though, so quiet and less crowded than the beaches we usually visit.
We had dinner that night with Pete's law partner, Earle, and his family. Earle is the one who really got Pete started doing all of these triathlons. He is super fast though, he always wins his age group and usually the Masters category as well at our local races! He cooked his traditional pre-race meal - whole grain pasta with chicken, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes. It was delicious!
Friday was an early night to be up early for the race. Pete left before me and then Earle's wife, Laura, picked me up so we could go spectate together and not have to leave quite as early...but we still left at 7:15am! Another lawyer from Salisbury was also participating so we hung out in a big group waiting for the race to start. I brought my sign, which is going to be a staple at any race Pete and Earle participate in together!
The participants were assigned to waves by age group, so Pete went out first. I knew as soon as I saw him go into the water that he was going to love it and do awesome! Swimming is his strong point in any tri but I knew the ocean would be great for him...he will ride waves all day long if you let him.
Since the bike ride was long and I knew I'd only be able to see Pete at start and finish, I went for my own run on the beach during that portion of the race. It was my first ever beach run and I was nervous about how the sand would feel. It was certainly a challenge and it took me about a half mile to feel warmed up to it, but after that it was amazing. The sand was packed hard and the tide was out so I had plenty of space to run. Oak Island is a pretty non-crowded beach in general, but at that hour there was hardly anyone out and I felt like I had the beach all to myself! It was beautiful, perfect temperatures with a light breeze, and I wish I'd had time to do more than just 3 miles!
After the race, Pete and I hightailed it back to the hotel to clean up and then we headed straight to the beach for some relaxation. I brought a book to read but ended up just talking with Pete and enjoying the views.
We had dinner that night with our little group at a delicious restaurant called the Provision Company. I had grilled tuna and Pete had crabcakes, and it was just a great evening of hanging out with friends and talking about races and training strategy. The other 2 couples had kids about the same age so they all sat at the end of the table and played card games together. Afterward we took a walk out along the pier and enjoyed the weather and the sunset. A wonderful end to a wonderful weekend...just wish we could have stayed longer!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Week off
Other than going to 2 yoga classes, I've taken this week off from working out and running. My leg cramps were such an issue last week that I knew I needed to take a few days off from running, but I've actually felt so tired I've just given myself a rest from everything.
I've been struggling a little feeling guilty, panicking I'm going to get fat, or that I'll lose all my endurance, but I'm trying to put those feelings aside and embrace the rest. I've gotten to catch up on sleep this weekend, get some things done inside the house and outside, and it really has felt good. The previous couple of weeks I was going pretty hard with 3 yoga classes a week, running a lot immediately after yoga class, plus making it to work and other obligations. I've gotten to sleep in 3 days this week and it's felt AMAZING!
I was supposed to run a 5K on Saturday morning, but we actually ended up being in Mooresville until midnight on Friday because my husband's grandma wasn't doing well. Even though I could have still had 7 hours of sleep before the race, I just wanted to sleep. Pete got up and made it to the race and came in at 27:53. Yesterday afternoon my husband's grandma passed away so this week we'll have the visitation and funeral. She was 91 and not doing very well so we're all happy that she's not in pain anymore.
Because of family events next week, I'm probably not going to make it to all 15 yoga classes for the month of commitment. I've been to 11, but the studio is closed on Monday (which aggravates me that they would have this challenge during a month when they're closing for a day, but oh well), so unless I go to 2 classes in 1 day a couple of times I probably won't make it. I'm still really proud of myself for going to as many as I have, but I do hate leaving the challenge unfinished when I've come so close. More guilty feelings.
Workout guilt is such a difficult thing. It reminds me of being in law school when I had some kind of homework to do but I was doing something fun rather than working on it - sometimes I couldn't stop thinking about the work I should be doing and couldn't enjoy myself because I was so preoccupied. I had to just accept that I wasn't going to my homework at that moment and put it out of my mind so that if I was going to procrastinate, at least I could have fun! I think rest days (and especially rest weeks) are the same. So I've been telling myself that it's okay for me to rest and it will actually be good for me because I'll be ready to work out hard next week, and to enjoy the rest time while I can!
I've been struggling a little feeling guilty, panicking I'm going to get fat, or that I'll lose all my endurance, but I'm trying to put those feelings aside and embrace the rest. I've gotten to catch up on sleep this weekend, get some things done inside the house and outside, and it really has felt good. The previous couple of weeks I was going pretty hard with 3 yoga classes a week, running a lot immediately after yoga class, plus making it to work and other obligations. I've gotten to sleep in 3 days this week and it's felt AMAZING!
I was supposed to run a 5K on Saturday morning, but we actually ended up being in Mooresville until midnight on Friday because my husband's grandma wasn't doing well. Even though I could have still had 7 hours of sleep before the race, I just wanted to sleep. Pete got up and made it to the race and came in at 27:53. Yesterday afternoon my husband's grandma passed away so this week we'll have the visitation and funeral. She was 91 and not doing very well so we're all happy that she's not in pain anymore.
Because of family events next week, I'm probably not going to make it to all 15 yoga classes for the month of commitment. I've been to 11, but the studio is closed on Monday (which aggravates me that they would have this challenge during a month when they're closing for a day, but oh well), so unless I go to 2 classes in 1 day a couple of times I probably won't make it. I'm still really proud of myself for going to as many as I have, but I do hate leaving the challenge unfinished when I've come so close. More guilty feelings.
Workout guilt is such a difficult thing. It reminds me of being in law school when I had some kind of homework to do but I was doing something fun rather than working on it - sometimes I couldn't stop thinking about the work I should be doing and couldn't enjoy myself because I was so preoccupied. I had to just accept that I wasn't going to my homework at that moment and put it out of my mind so that if I was going to procrastinate, at least I could have fun! I think rest days (and especially rest weeks) are the same. So I've been telling myself that it's okay for me to rest and it will actually be good for me because I'll be ready to work out hard next week, and to enjoy the rest time while I can!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Wonderful Saturday
I started off the day by attending my 9th yoga class of the month! I got up bright and early to head to the studio for the 8am Hot Vinyasa class. My last hot class was actually the last yoga class I went to before finding out I was pregnant and I've definitely been wary to go back. I had forgotten how wonderful I feel after hot yoga...so clean and warm and open! The teacher started class by telling us about her sons and their fascination with superheroes and super powers, and how her family often had discussions about what their own super powers would be. She told us to think of the possibilities if our super power was the ability to unconditionally, unequivocally love. What things could we accomplish in the world if we had the power of that kind of love?
Following the superhero theme, the class involved lots of balancing in "flying" postures like airplane, stork, and standing splits. It was challenging and I could see the sweat dripping off my arms but it felt amazing! After class I stopped by Starbucks for an iced green tea, but the barista placed my order incorrectly and made me an iced passion tea. He realized his mistake immediately and was going to make me the green tea, but I told him I'd try the passion tea. It was tasty, but I think green tea is still my favorite! I'm going to have to try an iced chai latte soon because chai is the best ever, but it's getting too warm outside to keep getting hot drinks!
When I got home I went for a quick run with the hubs. My leg cramps/shin splints/whatever they are have really been bothering me this week and today was no exception. I wonder if it's connected to all the yoga I've been doing, but I would think that yoga would be good for me because it builds strength and stretches me out. I hope I can shake them because tomorrow I'm hoping to go for a 10-miler in the morning!
We made plans to have dinner with my parents so I decided to whip up a few things. First were the Strawberry Nutella Muffins I read about on Peanut Butter Runner! They were surprisingly simple to make and I had all the ingredients except fresh strawberries and buttermilk on hand. The verdict: delicious and very light!!
We went to the produce market around the corner to get the strawberries and picked up a few other things to make a salad as well. I wanted something different for the salad, so I got some potatoes, okra, tomatoes, and corn. I sort of pulled things from various recipes I've pinned on Pinterest and created my own little concoction. I cut red potatoes into bite-sized pieces and tossed them in olive oil and one ranch dressing seasoning packet along with about a pound of okra and a small package of grape tomatoes. I roasted the potatoes for about half an hour before adding the okra and tomatoes, and then roasted for an additional half hour. I put spinach in a salad bowl and then topped it with the roasted mixture and some grated parmesan cheese! I was nervous since it was kind of an experiment but it turned out delicious! We had a great night of food, wine, beer, and Wii Tennis.
Following the superhero theme, the class involved lots of balancing in "flying" postures like airplane, stork, and standing splits. It was challenging and I could see the sweat dripping off my arms but it felt amazing! After class I stopped by Starbucks for an iced green tea, but the barista placed my order incorrectly and made me an iced passion tea. He realized his mistake immediately and was going to make me the green tea, but I told him I'd try the passion tea. It was tasty, but I think green tea is still my favorite! I'm going to have to try an iced chai latte soon because chai is the best ever, but it's getting too warm outside to keep getting hot drinks!
When I got home I went for a quick run with the hubs. My leg cramps/shin splints/whatever they are have really been bothering me this week and today was no exception. I wonder if it's connected to all the yoga I've been doing, but I would think that yoga would be good for me because it builds strength and stretches me out. I hope I can shake them because tomorrow I'm hoping to go for a 10-miler in the morning!
We made plans to have dinner with my parents so I decided to whip up a few things. First were the Strawberry Nutella Muffins I read about on Peanut Butter Runner! They were surprisingly simple to make and I had all the ingredients except fresh strawberries and buttermilk on hand. The verdict: delicious and very light!!
We went to the produce market around the corner to get the strawberries and picked up a few other things to make a salad as well. I wanted something different for the salad, so I got some potatoes, okra, tomatoes, and corn. I sort of pulled things from various recipes I've pinned on Pinterest and created my own little concoction. I cut red potatoes into bite-sized pieces and tossed them in olive oil and one ranch dressing seasoning packet along with about a pound of okra and a small package of grape tomatoes. I roasted the potatoes for about half an hour before adding the okra and tomatoes, and then roasted for an additional half hour. I put spinach in a salad bowl and then topped it with the roasted mixture and some grated parmesan cheese! I was nervous since it was kind of an experiment but it turned out delicious! We had a great night of food, wine, beer, and Wii Tennis.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Girls on the Run 5K
On Saturday my husband, brother-in-law, and I ran the Girls on the Run 5K in Mooresville. I picked out this 5K a long time ago because I love the Girls on the Run organization and wanted to support them. For those that don't know, Girls on the Run is an after-school program for pre-teen girls to help teach them about fitness and promote self esteem. Volunteer coaches guide the girls through a 12-week training program leading up to their big 5K. Almost every girl has a running buddy, either a friend or family member or another volunteer, who runs with them and motivates them through the 5K.
I expected there would be a lot of young girls running the race with their running buddies, but I also thought there would be many people like us - non-affiliated people running the race just for another 5K and to support the organization. Well, I was wrong. I think we were the ONLY people there who were not running buddies, coaches, or connected to at least one of the girls in some way. I didn't let it make me feel awkward, but I think Pete and Kevin felt very out of place amongst all the 10-year-old girls!
The race was two laps around a 1.5-mile loop at Lowe's Corporate Headquarters. I was surprised at how hilly it was! I did a lot of speed work earlier in the week and I was feeling like this could be the 5K where I finally broke 30 minutes. Unfortunately, right before the race started as we were standing at the start line I started to get a little hot flash. I'm slightly claustrophobic and sometimes when I'm in big crowds or small spaces I'll get very hot and a little bit dizzy. It was pretty minor but I wasn't able to shake it before I started running, so it affected my run a little bit. I did the first mile in 10 minutes and finished the first lap before I had to stop and walk for a little bit. I actually started getting really awful stomach cramps and had to take another couple of walk breaks, but when I was running it was at a 9:40 pace.
I finished at 32:53 which was disappointing sine I know I can go faster, but it's still much faster than I used to be able to go even without walk breaks, so I didn't give myself too much of a hard time. Hubby finished at 27:09 and Kevin at 26:43, so they were pretty close!
The best part of the race was actually listening to dads who were running with their daughters try to motivate them. "We can get water when we're done!" "You're a swimmer, you can go faster than that!" "Power up this hill, we'll walk at the finish line!" It was a really great experience to be around all these young girls achieving their goals, but I'm not sure if we'll do this race again. I think I might volunteer as a running buddy next year and participate in that way!
I expected there would be a lot of young girls running the race with their running buddies, but I also thought there would be many people like us - non-affiliated people running the race just for another 5K and to support the organization. Well, I was wrong. I think we were the ONLY people there who were not running buddies, coaches, or connected to at least one of the girls in some way. I didn't let it make me feel awkward, but I think Pete and Kevin felt very out of place amongst all the 10-year-old girls!
The race was two laps around a 1.5-mile loop at Lowe's Corporate Headquarters. I was surprised at how hilly it was! I did a lot of speed work earlier in the week and I was feeling like this could be the 5K where I finally broke 30 minutes. Unfortunately, right before the race started as we were standing at the start line I started to get a little hot flash. I'm slightly claustrophobic and sometimes when I'm in big crowds or small spaces I'll get very hot and a little bit dizzy. It was pretty minor but I wasn't able to shake it before I started running, so it affected my run a little bit. I did the first mile in 10 minutes and finished the first lap before I had to stop and walk for a little bit. I actually started getting really awful stomach cramps and had to take another couple of walk breaks, but when I was running it was at a 9:40 pace.
I finished at 32:53 which was disappointing sine I know I can go faster, but it's still much faster than I used to be able to go even without walk breaks, so I didn't give myself too much of a hard time. Hubby finished at 27:09 and Kevin at 26:43, so they were pretty close!
The best part of the race was actually listening to dads who were running with their daughters try to motivate them. "We can get water when we're done!" "You're a swimmer, you can go faster than that!" "Power up this hill, we'll walk at the finish line!" It was a really great experience to be around all these young girls achieving their goals, but I'm not sure if we'll do this race again. I think I might volunteer as a running buddy next year and participate in that way!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Fast run, slow yoga
I recently wrote about how I suddenly noticed a big boost in my speed. The speed I've noticed improve, though, is my comfortable pace. I'm a fan of distance running because I love the comfortable pace...just running along, feeling good but not pushing too hard. While that's all fine and dandy for long distance races, it's not helping me any for 5Ks. This summer is going to be full of 5Ks so I've decided it's time to get my butt in gear and learn how to run fast.
For today's run I wanted to do three 1-mile repeats, with a .25 mile warm up and a .25 mile recovery walk/jog between each repeat. When I do repeats like this, I generally do laps around my cul de sac because it's relatively flat compared to the rest of my neighborhood. I did my nice little warm up at an 11:00 pace, and then I beasted out a whole mile in 8:40. Lesson learned: I CAN RUN FAST.
However, at the end of that mile I wanted to fall over. I did my .25 mile recovery walk...and then walked some more. I knew doing that two more times would kill me, so I opted to just do an easy 1.5 mile run to get to an even 3 miles for the day. The nice part was that my mind and body obviously had gotten into a rhythm with the fast running and I maintained very close to a 10:00 pace for the rest of the run. I was hurting, though...legs were aching, had minor side stitches. But overall I really enjoyed it and I'm actually blown away by the fact that I can run an 8:40 mile! Now if I could only maintain that pace for a whole 5K...something to work towards!
After my run I headed to yoga for a Long Slow Deep class. This was class 5 out of 15 this month. I'm doing great with my month of commitment! This week's focus was hip openers, which I love, but my hips are really feeling it! It was a great practice and I'm making a lot of progress towards letting go of my fears. I've tried to focus on living life this month and enjoying myself, drinking wine when I want and doing tons of yoga. My body feels so good!
For today's run I wanted to do three 1-mile repeats, with a .25 mile warm up and a .25 mile recovery walk/jog between each repeat. When I do repeats like this, I generally do laps around my cul de sac because it's relatively flat compared to the rest of my neighborhood. I did my nice little warm up at an 11:00 pace, and then I beasted out a whole mile in 8:40. Lesson learned: I CAN RUN FAST.
However, at the end of that mile I wanted to fall over. I did my .25 mile recovery walk...and then walked some more. I knew doing that two more times would kill me, so I opted to just do an easy 1.5 mile run to get to an even 3 miles for the day. The nice part was that my mind and body obviously had gotten into a rhythm with the fast running and I maintained very close to a 10:00 pace for the rest of the run. I was hurting, though...legs were aching, had minor side stitches. But overall I really enjoyed it and I'm actually blown away by the fact that I can run an 8:40 mile! Now if I could only maintain that pace for a whole 5K...something to work towards!
After my run I headed to yoga for a Long Slow Deep class. This was class 5 out of 15 this month. I'm doing great with my month of commitment! This week's focus was hip openers, which I love, but my hips are really feeling it! It was a great practice and I'm making a lot of progress towards letting go of my fears. I've tried to focus on living life this month and enjoying myself, drinking wine when I want and doing tons of yoga. My body feels so good!
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