I am running so good this week!

I am running so good this week!!!! I can't believe it!
Monday it rained all day so I decided to do the speedwork that was on schedule for Wednesday. I went to the Y and ran it on a treadmill. I did 8 quarter-mile repeats with a quarter- mile slow jog in between for 4.5 miles total. I did the repeats at 7:30 pace.
Tuesday was target tone class and an easy 3 mile run in the evening. Wednesday I did a 5 mile tempo run, it went really well, after 20 minutes easy I began picking it up every 5 minutes and held the fastest pace for 6 minutes. I was really surprised that this run went so well because my daughter and I had went to an afternoon movie and had popcorn and after the movie had ice cream!! I felt like I had a bowling ball in my stomach after the ice cream. I didn't get started running until almost 7:30pm and when I was walking home after finishing I realized that it was almost dark at 8:30. I guess summer is almost over. I think the best part of summer is being able to go running so late in the evening! I love the time of year when I can go on a run at 9pm and it is still daylight! Of course, the opposite is also true, you can go for a run at 5am and it is already fully daylight!! (not that I ever go running at 5am!) I like getting out of work at 6am and needing sunglasses for the drive home!! I guess those days are over for this year. The worst is when I drive to work in the dark at 5:30pm and drive home in the dark at 6am. Did I ever get off subject! LOL
Today was target tone again. I went very light on weight since I was sooooo sore after last Thursday and was still sore on the weekend. I am doing a 14 mile training run on Sunday and do not want to be sore from weights. This evening I ran 3 miles. I meant for it to be an easy run but I just started running and ended up running it at 8:32 pace!! I didn't mean to, it just happened!! I will take it! I felt great too. I felt like music tonight so used my mp3 player with 70s heavy metal music! Nothing makes you run up a hill fast like Van Halen screaming in your ears!!!! I haven't been using it lately because I cannot use it in the half marathon and wouldn't want to anyway. After that I didn't feel so bad about slacking in target tone class. I am sure I would not have run that good if I had been as sore as I was last week. I still felt like I did something, I didn't slack that bad! LOL Right now I want to concentrate on my running not my muscles so I am going to stay at lower weights until after the half marathon then I will go back to what I was doing before and be sore all weekend! It won't matter all winter.

Soooo, that's how training has been going this week. I will be running tomorrow, resting Saturday and doing the 14 mile training run put on by the running store on Sunday. After that I will come home, shower, change and head up to Mackinaw City!!!!!!! I have to check in at 5pm for the Mackinac Bridge run!! I am so excited, I can't wait! I love the Mackinac Bridge and cannot wait to be running across it!

I saw the strangest thing today. I stopped at a gas station convience store for a little bag of sunchips (one of my weaknesses) and the clerk was standing outside the door smoking a cigarette. I went in, got my chips, and headed up to the counter. The clerk came back in and put a lighter back into a display box that was set up on the counter. He used a cigarette lighter that was for sale to light his cigarette then put it back.

Another week of training

I am not doing a very good job of keeping a blog! It's been a whole week and 25 miles since I last posted. Monday I did a 5 mile tempo run, Tuesday I started a 3.5 run on trails in a park and it started raining so my run got cut short at 2 miles and I got soaked. Wednesday I did a hill workout for the first time. A few weeks back while riding my bike I found a nice hill about 2 miles from home. It is a long uphill climb. I went there on my bike and with my Garmin found out that it is a quarter mile from the bottom to the top. I ran up the hill fast and jogged back down very slowly 8 times. I am going to need these hill workouts for a portion of my half marathon that I hear is a long uphill climb and the hardest part of the race. Thursday I was not able to run but did go to target tone class. I was really sore Friday morning. Friday I ran 4 miles, the first half mile was an easy warm up, then 3 miles below race pace, then an easy cool down the last half mile. Today I ran 10 miles. It was a very slow 10 miles. Tomorrow I am planning on trying to get around the trails at the park without getting soaked!

Also this week I took my son to college to talk with his academic advisor, get his ID, parking permit, bus pass and books. He starts classes Monday.

running in Traverse City

Today I had a really nice run around a lake on trails in Traverse City. I had to come here for the weekend to watch my daughter perform at a music camp. I stopped at a bike rental store to ask if there were trails for biking, running, walking, etc... They showed me a map and got me pointed in the right direction (they even let me leave my car right there while I ran!) I ran 5.6 miles around a lake, it was a really nice trail, parts were paved and parts were dirt like a dirt road. Tomorrow I may get up early and run the section of trail that goes around the bay. I have to be at the camp at 10:30 so I have plenty of time.

My job really interfered with my training this week! LOL I only have 20 miles. Monday I did a 5 mile tempo run, tuesday was target tone class and a 3 mile run in the evening. Friday I ran twice, 3 in the morning and 4 in the evening.

When I made my hotel reservation I asked if there was internet access and was told yes, free high speed wireless internet access. Well, yes, there is free high speed wireless internet access.....in the LOBBY only and there are no outlets to plug into. I walked toward my room with it connected and lost the connection as soon as I walked in the door. I can sit in the hallway and it will pick up the signal and there is even an outlet!!!!!! So, here I sit in the hallway of a hotel typing on my laptop!!! I look quite silly but no one has said anything. I guess from now on I will have to ask specifically if there is internet access in the ROOM!!!!!

Happy Birthday to my little sister.

Laura
sitting in a hotel hallway somewhere in Traverse City

5K race

Yesterday I ran a 5K. It was a very small race. I was the 3rd woman finisher and won the masters division. After the awards I ran the course again because I haven't run much this week. I only have 13.5 miles for this week. Now that this race is over I am going to concentrate on the half marathon training. Today I rode my bike 5.5 miles after sitting on a lawn mower for almost 2 hours. I spent quality time with my washer and dryer and my lawn mower today! I am not running any races until Sept. 17 which is an 8K race.

cross training

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I take a class at the YMCA called target tone. We use handweights and do different exercises such as squats and lunges, chest press, arm curls, etc... Sometimes we use rubber bands and balls too. It is different every time. I really like the trainer who leads the class. He is a year older than I am and does triathalons and dualthalons. I enjoy the class and miss it if I have to miss for work or some other reason. On Wednesdays I take a spinning class taught by the same trainer. I really enjoy spinning class too. I was talked into trying spinning by my niece about 6 years ago. If I remember right, she went 3 times and didn't like it and here I am still doing it!! I may have to give up the spinning class during my half marathon training if I can't fit it in. I am planning on Wednesday being my speedwork day so a spinning class on the same day might be too much. I will have to see how it goes.

Today was target tone. My training program has 2 days/week with strength training and a short run so this fits right in!! Today I went a little light on weight because I have a race this weekend and this is one that I REALLY want to do good in!!
This evening I ran 3 miles.

The journey begins

Today starts my 12 week training program for my half marathon. Since I ran 10 miles yesterday I didn't run much today. I got a new toy today! I got a water bottle carrier. It has 2 10 oz bottles on a belt. I ran a mile to try it out.

sore feet

My feet swell after I run. My shoes will start to feel tight on my feet right after a run. As usual that happened today after my run. I drove home with no shoes on. My feet are still swelled. We went out for dinner and I put on my shoes and they were very tight on my feet the whole time, I wanted them off of my feet so bad! Hopefully they will feel better after sleeping.

10 mile training run

Tomorrow is the day my 12 week training program starts! Today I did a 10 mile training run that was put on by a running store. They have several of them between now and October for people training for marathons or half marathons. They have a 10 mile course starting and ending behind the store. You can run it once or twice for 20 miles or there are also shortcuts for 4 and 6 mile distances so the options are 10,14,16,20 miles. They have the miles marked and water 2 places along the course. It was a nice course, alot of it on dirt roads. There were some hills here and there, one that slowed me right down to a crawl! I ran it in 1 hr, 31 min which is 9:09 average pace! I am aiming for 9 min/mile to break 2 hours for my half marathon so this was very encouraging!! I felt good when I finished too! I hope to do another one in Sept. and do 14 miles.
I had 25 miles for the week. Next Saturday I am running a 5K. I won the masters division in this race last year. Hopefully I will be able to again. (it's a very small race!)

I am really glad I did this training run today. Lately I have been having alot of doubts about running a half marathon. Now I feel confident that I can do it.

Laura