16 posts tagged “training”
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?
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.
It's a little over a week until the Tower of Terror 13K race down in WDW! I'm so excited. It's going to be a great weekend trip, and I'll see a lot of my friends from California. We're also going to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on Friday night. I'm still mulling over costume ideas. I bought a few small items to incorporate during the run, including an orange Champion C9 running shirt I found at Target! Score! I might pick up some more glow items for the race and/or post-race party. I can't wait to see the glow in the dark race shirt!
I checked the race day weather today, and they are predicting rain. I'm hoping it will change, since we're 11 days out, and if it doesn't then maybe the rain will just be one of those quick Florida afternoon storms.
In other news, my marathon training is going well. I have only missed a couple of runs so far. Last night I was at work later than expected, so I ran on the treadmill at the work gym. It felt pretty good, and thankfully I was able to change the nearby TV channel away from Fox News! Ick.
Today's accomplishment was getting my run in before I left for work! I'm not a morning person, so this is always something to celebrate. It's also more important on Wednesdays, because I'm still doing my women's indoor soccer league and our games are at night. I may have to give soccer up at some point along the way, but for now I seem to be handling it okay.
My fundraising is going well, and I'm planning another wine tasting event in November. It was so much fun last year. Maybe I'll do one in Albany too if I'm feeling ambitious. I'm not sure how easy it would be to get the wine donated, but I have an idea of someone I might be able to ask...
Despite fighting off a cold/cough I'm sure I caught from my germ-bearing bundles of cuteness (aka nephews), I had a pretty good running week. I kept to my schedule, although I did swap the Thursday run for a Friday one, so I ended up running 3 days in a row. That could be why I was so tired. My ankle continues to bother me occasionally, and that is a little worrisome. Hopefully it will just continue to be a nagging ache.
I ran 9 miles on Saturday in Mendon Ponds Park. There were a fair number of deer and Canada geese out, and the leaves are turning nicely, so at least the view was good. My energy level was low however, so it was more of a slog than usual.
Also, my headphones finally seem to be on the way out. They are Nike Vapor earbuds, and the plastic earpiece on one broke a few months after I got them. The other earpiece finally broke and now the one on the left doesn't play sound at all. I'll have to get a new pair, so I'm trying to decide what to get. I like the earclip feature of the Flights, so I might try the metal version. Hopefully they wouldn't break as easily.
I went 10 miles today, and did pretty well finishing in 1:43'40". The weather was sunny, but not too hot. I made sure to get an early start to avoid the later -day heat and storm that the weather people were predicting.
I met up with the Team in Training group who are pretty early in their Fall season. People are getting ready for the Marine Corps, Chicago and the Adirondack marathons. The group is a big one. I was able to say hi to coaches Dan and Meg and some other people I knew from m previous training. Unfortunately there wasn't anyone going at my pace, so I was pretty much alone. I did keep in sight of others, and I really appreciated the water that was set out at 3.5 miles.
I had decided to go out 4 miles and back, then add on 2 more depending on how I was feeling. I had packed a Clif shot and some gummi bears in my Race Ready shorts to eat along the way, knowing that I would definitely need something along the route. Unfortunately, when I reached for the gel at the water stop I noticed that it was gone. I'm not sure where I dropped it. I looked for it on the way back but never saw it. Hopefully someone else picked it up. At least I still had the bears, so I ate some of those. I felt pretty good after the turnaround and tried to pick up the pace on the way back, but my legs were feeling a bit tired at mile 8 when I passed the parking area. I kept going though, taking only a short walk break after I turned around at mile 9.
I was happy that I finished and didn't take any big walking breaks. I think it's a good prep run for the 15K that I have in 3 weeks. I am dreading the hills that I've heard about in Utica, but I've been working on my form running uphill, visualizing a rope attached to the middle of my chest that is pulling me up the hill. Sounds weird, but it seems to be a good technique.
Today was a good running day. It rained all day yesterday, so I planned my long run for today. I didn't get as early a start as I was intending, but that turned out fine as it had warmed up to short-sleeve weather by the time I got to the river trail.
My training program had me at 8 miles today, but my hip is still a little uncomfortable so I decided to go a little shorter. I ended up going about 7 miles, and did it almost nonstop! No walk breaks except at the top of the long hill right before I turned around.I noshed on a few gummi bears and stretched out my calves before heading back down the hill.
I was even able to step up the speed toward the end and finish strong, which was a great accomplishment for me. I'm working on being able to run a good time for my 13K in October. The Boilermaker 15K in July comes first, but I think due to the heat and the hills, I will not plan to run that all the way through. I will do a run/walk after the first 5 miles or so.
Let's see, I got a little off schedule last week. Didn't get in a run on Tuesday due to a visit to the podiatrist.
I had soccer on Wednesday night, and started to feel a pain in my right hip. It's still there. I'm not sure what it is. Bursitis? Does the IT band problem only hurt in the hip and not down the leg? I don't have any other pain near my knee.
Didn't end up running on Thursday, but got in a morning run on Friday as I worked from home. I am going to try to get up earlier this summer to run before the temps get too hot, but so far I haven't been too successful on this front.
I was back in Rochester for the weekend, and so ended up doing a nice run along the Erie Canal on Sunday morning. It was great weather, not too hot and sunny. There were a few other people out on the path but it wasn't too crowded.
We are having thunderstorms today, but I managed to find a gap and squeeze in 4 miles. Not too shabby, but I'm still slower than I'd like.
Finally, does anyone know how to get the funk out of shoes? Mine are still smelly from all the sweat that poured into them during the marathon.
