56 posts tagged “running”
So, I'm in France right now for work, trying to adjust to the big change in pretty much everything: work schedule, eating schedule, diet... I am still amazed at how people here eat the amount of butter and bacon that they do and not fall over dead in the middle of the street.
I decided that I need to try and get in as much exercise as I can so that I don't have to deprive myself of too much of the food that's available, so in that vein I finally went running on Sunday. The area where I am is not really a huge city, but definitely more urban than I'm using to running, so I headed for the path (randonnée) along the river that runs through town then cuts over to a park area. It was just a short out and back 5K, but I did it in 37 minutes without stopping to walk, except at road crossings. Pretty good for having essentially done no running since the marathon! I have still had some pain in my knee even without running, so I was a little worried. It was a short run though, and I didn't push the pace so my knee seemed to weather things just fine.
I've been trying to keep active by walking, going to some fitness classes with my coworkers, and practicing with a soccer team once a week. Since pretty much everything is closed on Sundays, doing outdoor things like walking, biking or running is about your only choice besides stay home. I don't have a scale, so I guess I'll know I need to cut back when my pants stop fitting!
Well, I kept intending to write a really good race report on the marathon. You know how that goes... So here we are, over a month later and I still haven't posted one. Things got a little crazy after the race, including a move overseas for work.
In a nutshell, the race went well. The weather was better than last year, giving more overcast skies to shield us from the sun. It was misting at the start, but we didn't have any other rain during the time I was on the course. It started pouring rain soon after I got back to the hotel from the finish area.
My knee didn't bother me too much during the race. I did have problems with blisters on the inside edge of my big toes. One of them ripped while I was running at about Mile 16. That was painful, but I kept going and the pain subsided. I was doing pretty well until the dreaded Mile 19 stretch with the few hills on the course. My quads were really starting to bug me by the time I passed the Upstate NY Team in Training support crew at Mile 22. I was about ready to break down in tears. Looking at the Nike+ record, this was the low point in my pace. However, after making it through Disney Studios and seeing my mom and another friend at the exit I resolved to pick up the pace a bit. I had pretty much negative splits from the Mile 22 to the finish. Just as I was making my way around the World Showcase at Epcot, I got a calf cramp! I kept going though and it subsided. There was no way I was stopping at that point. My final chip time was just over 5:34, nearly 30 minutes off my time from last year. I was pretty happy with that.
Here's a photo of me and my mom at the TNT victory party. I'll upload some race pictures soon (hopefully!).
13 - The date of the race, and the number of days until the race. I had a pretty good running weekend. I decided to give up on the Asics Nimbus 9s. A seam at the front was rubbing a spot on my big toe and they seemed to be causing me bruised toenails on the longer runs. I think they will still work for shorter runs, so at least I won't have to ditch them completely.
That means that I am now the proud owner of a new pair of my former shoe in its new incarnation, the Saucony Trigon Ride 5. Of course they had to go and change something, so they aren't quite the same, but I laced them differently in order to avoid the new loop that was substituted for the traditional eyelet.
But the best thing about them? They're PINK! And not just any pink, the kind that makes me want to put on my tiara so I can be a pretty princess. They're so obnoxious it's actually funny, so I embrace their pinkitude. I am running at Disney World after all.
I also scored a good deal on some things at Marshall's. I got the Nike+ Sport Kit Case for $12.99 and I got two pairs of Nike anatomical socks and a pair of Patagonia ultra lightweight endurance socks, each pair for just $2.99. I'm still considering trying out the Nike Elite socks for the marathon, but I'm not sure I want to spend $12 on one pair of socks. Anyone tried those before?
So, the curtailed mileage schedule continues. I only ended up doing 10 miles on Saturday, as instructed by the TNT coaches. It is very hard to get my brain to accept that this is the right course of action, especially when presented with others going 20 miles etc. Thankfully we have entered "The Taper" so now it won't be as obvious that I am hobbled. I did put in a couple of short runs on Sunday and today. I plan to do some elliptical work tomorrow so that I don't have too much pounding on my legs.
I had a wonderful massage yesterday though. I told her to go to town, and she really cranked it up on my legs. It really seemed to help, so I think I will have another about a week before the race. Hopefully I can find someone just as good in Albany.
On the fundraising front, I am still waiting for my corporate matching to come through, and when that does I will be above my goal. However, I have to fret in the meantime. It's still not too late to donate! If you want to contribute and help fight leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers, you can still do so online at my website (http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyvt/SWien) and if you do it this year, you can take the deduction on your 2007 taxes! :)
Dink... Dink... Dink... Dink...
24 days until the marathon!
This saturday is supposed to be our last long run before the 3 week taper. I am not sure how far I will go. I may try for 16 or 18. I'll listen to what the coach has to say and do that. I don't want to push too hard, although I'm getting nervous now only having gotten to 16. I am slightly better than last year though, and definitely at a much better level of fitness.
I've been going to PT, which seems to be helping the knee and IT band/hip, but I still have some discomfort. Of course I slipped on some ice yesterday and slightly tweaked a muscle on my left side (lower back/glute)! Any little thing now is like major drama though, so I'm trying not to let it bother me. I may bring it up to the PT today.
Tonight I'm going running with some other women through the Christmas lights in a local park. Should be much more enjoyable than sitting in a car, and the temperatures aren't as bad as they have been recently.
So that's what I'm doing right now. Maybe not to the true freak out stage, but getting close. We'll see how the run goes tomorrow. The therapy seems to be helping, although I have also reduced the mileage at the same time. I'm starting to become concerned about getting in a longer run (18-20 miles). I figure I will probably not make it to 20, but hopefully 18 next weekend.
Tomorrow we are scheduled for a 12 miler, although I'm not sure what I'll manage to do. The predicted temperature at 7 AM is 12 F. TWELVE freaking degrees! We also got 8 inches of snow yesterday. So 12 miles in 12 degrees. Makes me think of that old Sesame Street song. I bet you hear it in your head right now...
Yes, I am a walking cornucopia of diagnoses. I went to my GP today and it appears I have runner's knee, bursitis and a slightly tight IT band so I'm going to get going with PT this week. Right now the earliest appointment was for Thursday morning, but I'm going to try to get in earlier if I can. My doctor was reassuring, saying that the problems are treatable and he didn't seem too concerned that I should cut way back on mileage.
I did take Sunday and today off after running 10 of the scheduled 12 miles on Saturday. The cold was brutal. I wore my new shoes, and I wonder if they're going to work out. I hope so and that the blisters are just from the cold and shoes needing to be broken in a bit. I have worn them a handful of times now.
I think I'll try to mix in some cross training this week to break up some of the remaining mileage. I have been getting the low battery indicator in my Nike+ sensor. I suppose I should order one. I guess that's the only way to get a replacement. I wish they sold them at Apple Stores.
Only 44 days until the WDW marathon! It seems like such a short time! How did the time pass by so quickly? Last night was probably my penultimate soccer game for the time being. I have been trying to find a substitute for the team but I'm not having much luck. I need to stop though. It's getting too hard to get the running mileage in and I'm worried about possible injury close to my event. I have enough problems just with the running part!
I did happen to go shopping on Black Friday, but it was not to a typical BF store like Target. We hit Medved in Pittsford because I needed a new pair of running shoes. Also, shopping for running gear is always fun!
I tried on a few different pairs of shoes, but ended up with the Asics Gel Nimbus 9. Apparently they were recently voted the "World's Best Shoe." Something of a ridiculous title, but okay! They feel a little more cushy compared to the Saucony Rides that I have been using. My most recent pair of Sauconys seem to be giving me some trouble though, so I decided I might try a different brand.
I also picked up a new Smartwool beanie for cold weather and some new Gu.Mint chocolate flavor for the holidays! Ho ho ho! I used it on my run today,and it is super yummy. Tastes a lot like a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie. They also come packed six to a gift box, which is very cute. Might make a good stocking stuffer! :)
Today's run was a 16 miler. It was a tough one too. The temperature was about 25 F during the run, so it was hard for me to decide what to wear. I ended up settling on the new Sugoi Speedster top I bought on sale as the base layer, with a vest over that, then my lighter weight running jacket on top. On the bottom I had some heavier weight running pants over a pair of spandex shorts. I was afraid I might get too hot, but I'm glad I wore the extra shorts because they kept my thighs and butt warm. I also wore my new wool beanie and gloves along with some SmartWool running socks. I didn't get overheated, but I was definitely sweaty by the end of the run. My hat had little ice crystals on it!
I ended up doing the run in about 3:02, which works out to an average pace of about 11:22 per mile. Not bad considering the cold weather. My body felt pretty good, but I had some twinges in my right knee just below the kneecap and on the left side as well. No doubt it is due to the knee injury I suffered a long time ago playing soccer in high school. I've iced it a couple of times today. I have a feeling that I'll be getting to bed early tonight, even with my nap.
After taking the week off to let my toe heal, I hit the trail again yesterday morning with the Team in Training group. It was cold cold cold! There was some wind, but again we are blessed with the trail being mainly shielded from wind as it is surrounded by trees along most of the route. The temperature at 7 AM when we headed out for our 10 mile run was about 28 F. As usual, it took me the first couple of miles to warm up.
When we go more than 8 miles, we get into a part of the trail with more hills. One of these had some iced-over puddles on it, so I had to watch my step. Don't want to slip! I felt a twinge in my knee on a couple of the uphill sections. That cold air makes them a little bit stiff.
On the way back from the 5 mile turnaround the running went a little more smoothly. I had a Double Espresso Clif Shot at the water stop (about mile 6.5). Not the tastiest thing in the world, so I may go with other flavors over that one. I'm not sure that the caffeine is really what helps me the most. I like the Mocha flavor, which has one "shot" of caffeine, so I would probably choose that one.
Hunting season is over, so there were geese back in the fields on either side of the trail. I also saw a great blue heron take off from a tree, giving a very loud call as he flew down toward the water. I'm not sure I've ever heard a heron's call before. It was a cool moment. I'm glad I decided to run without my headphones on. I've decided to try to do that more. I still have my iPod with me to record the data with my Nike+, but am trying to get used to going distances without headphones since the rules for WDW do state no headphones. I know there are a lot of people who will still have them, but there's so much external sound at WDW, I will just absorb the atmosphere and pull out the 'phones only when on the desolate stretches if necessary.
I was able to keep a good pace over the whole route, so I'm hoping to keep up with the 5:30 Clif Bar pace team this time around. I signed up online, and I'll probably visit the table at the WDW Expo. I figure if I can at least keep them in sight, I should be good. A good pace for me on the training runs has been 11 min/mile, but I'm not sure I can keep that up over the whole 26.2. That would give me a finish time of 4:48. I would be stunned if I finish in under 5 hours. Entering some of my recent race times, the Nike pace calculator gave me a goal time of 5:17. It would be awesome to smash my first marathon finish of 6:02:29. We'll see how the next few long training runs go. It may also depend on the weather on race day. Another hot and humid forecast would definitely not be favorable.
