9ish Miler - I ROCK!

As much as I was dreading it, I went out on week 4's long run of the Higdon program - 9 miles. I definitely haven;t done all of the training required to even deserve to be running the week 4 portion, but that's my own damn fault and I have to start somewhere...I have to start feeling like a runner. After last night's 5 miler (which is now posted with an official time of 58 minutes! My watch said 56...wtf), I set out at about 230 to run it and damn was it hard!? I originally started out running 12min and walking 2 just so I wouldn't get too tired, but that got all effed up when I ended up going hard and stopping at every freaking traffic light from here to Georgetown. I probably ended up walking like 1.7 miles in total, which is still good. I am HOPING and praying that the 5 miles less than 24 hours ago was a major contributor to my suckage, but I hate making excuses! The long and short of it was that I got the 9 in, I did it in 1:42, which is still less than a 12 min/mi pace and I am proud of myself. Tuesday I start week 5!!

Twilight 8K

After a few strong runs on the TM, I was feeling good about maybe running the Twilight 8K at 10:00/mo and finishing it in just under 50 minutes. After getting annoyed with the gym in general, I moved my runs outside and have been struggling a little bit due to heat, humidity and hills. Tonight was no different. I ran mile 1 in 10:15, and was slight peeved that I didnt kick it in gear when I was at 9:50 and could see the mile marker up ahead. The course lopped 1.5 times around a HILLY ass neighborhood before finally kind of flattening out and detouring. I haaattttteee rerunning sections. I ran to Marine Corps cadence the whole time but for some reason wasn't as pumped up as I usually am when that stuff comes on. It did help me keep pace for a bit, but after the first of 3 hills I started slacking of a bit. I got a mean side stitch that dulled and came back with avengance 3x, but finally got through that. Thoughts of defeat as I saw my split times getting further and further apart also contributed to slowing down a little bit. I only took water at one station and walked maybe 5x, for about 30s each. I refused water at the final 2 stations b/c I knew it would make me walk and b/c I was over half full on my Camelbak. Speaking of which, I think I took 4 sips period from the damn thing. I originally bought it b/c I couldn't run more than 1 mile without getting cotton mouth.Maybe I have learned how to run more efficiently and/or breathe a little bit better? It could also be the 4 cups of water I drnak in the hour before the race that made me have to pee 4 times before the race, including the time where I waited in line, hit the porta-potty, got out and got right back in line. Nervous bladder much? Long story short, I finished in 56 minutes and I am disappointed with that. That's essentially zero improvement over my 1st 8K in March. I feel slightly better knowing that I sprinted the last 0.2 miles and that some guy on the sidelines said "whoa look at that girl take off!". I felt good passing people who has been exchanging positions with me all race.

Gotta get in 9 miles tomorrow. I have an out and back course planned that shouldn't be too too bad. Hopefully my legs feel good tomrrow!

Paprazzi do Not Belong in the Gym...and Neither do I

After what I now deem a semi decent run last night, I was ready to go for a 5-6 miler today. It's hot as balls outside, so I was waiting until nighttime, then decided I needed to weight train as well, so I may as well run at the gym. AT least there I can control my pace a little better and it might be a tad bit cooler than outside...right? WRONG. Shittiest run ever!!!! True it IS warmer outside than inside but at least it is fresh air and there is a little breeze. I do not understand why the gym insists on keeping the A/C at 75. People are working out, if they are cold, they can bust their ass a little more and break a sweat. I have NEVER been so drenched while running EVER...not even that day I did the 10K on the freeway in the 95 degree mid-day sun. I set the TM on "10K Boulder Run" and ran about 2 of the 6.2 miles. I did it at a decent pace, 10:30 the whole way through but I was dying of heat exhaustion. That was bumming me out and then...ohhhh then.....this stupid lady was taking pictures of her kids in the pool and that was just it for me. How many pictures do you need of your stupid kid with her stupid goggles on, in her stupid bathingsuit, at night in an indoor pool in a GYM!? (Note: my gym is on the 3rd floor of a hotel....so we share it with hotel patrons) The pool is separated from the gym by a long plexiglass divider, so she can clearly see there are about 15 people working out on the other side of the TWO WAY plexiglass who are probably just as pissed off as I am about all of this friggin flashing going on. Not to mention I don't think you should take pictures if I am in the background sweating like a hog b/c the gym staff likes to be warm and stuffy while they watch tv at the front desk. UGH. So much for that. I have GOT to do my runs outside. If I had been on my 5 mile route today, even if I wanted to stop at 2 miles, I would still have to get back home and in that process I would still have to run another 3 miles to do that. It's just too easy on the TM to be like eh, I am getting off. SO now I am going to TRY to wake up early tomorow and go for 4. I suppose 2 is better than zero right?

Tag You're It

I am not much for blogs, but since Overpronator tagged me, I will bite. I guess I have to tell you 6 things you didn't already know about me. Since I am an anonymous blogger, that should be pretty easy right?

1. I am petrified of spiders
2. I actually graduated from college 1.5 years after everyone else in my life thinks I did.
3. I <3 beer with all my heart and soul
4. I have never been in love (exception #3)
5. I clean my ears AND my nose several times a day with Qtips
6. Often times if I run at night I go to bed gross and wake up for my AM run without showering AND putting the same clothes back on.

Speaking of running....5 miler here I come

Let's Get It Started...

Okay boys and girls...102 day until the marathon...it's crunch time in the training logs and that means I have GOT to blog about it. The drop-dead date for the Higdon plan came and went and I was a week behind before I even realized it. Shit...BUT good thing I have essentially been doing weeks 1-2 since oh don't know...January perhaps? I rolled right into week 2, doing 3/3/3, skipped my 6 miler b/c I had a soccer triple header in 100 degree heat, then did 3/3/3/5 the following week. So I cheated a little bit, sue me. I was up and running while the rest of the world was sleeping and or boozing ( evening HH runs) so I win, they lose. Plus I have been having lots of soccer games, those sprints up and down the field kiinnnddd of count like fartleks yeah? Okay I know they are not but shut up.

I had been running a mix of TM runs and my default, outside 3mile loop, but last week opted to run my 4 miler ( week 3 is 3/4/3/5) on the Mall. I had my watch and NO IDEA where mile markers were. I had to google pedometer my route when I got home and lo and behold I was running 9:45 ish for miles 1-2, then slowed up and ended up with 11 min/mi splits. Not half bad for it being 90 degrees out and 10pm and up hill both ways to and from the Mall. I was kind of pissy b/c I had been running on the TM and jacking the speed up as fast as I could take it. I was doing 7:00 pace for about 1/3 of every other mile and was settling in at a flat 10:00, which is my ATM goal pace. Previously I had never pushed myself and though 11:00 was as fast as my fat ass could go.

Fast forward to week 4. Here it is, Tuesday and instead of doing 3/4/3/9, I am going to do 4/5/4/8K4.9mi)+4.1 miles, as I need to "catch up" on mileage and prepare myself for a Twighlight 8K I have this Saturday. That will be a hoot....I can't decide if I wanna run my 4.1 Saturday AM or hold off and run a full 9 on Sunday. I am thinking I will be pretty used to my 4 mile course and pace by then so I will do it in the AM and rely on energy and nerves to get me through the nighttime run. Plus there is beer at the end of this race AND a few people I know are running it, so the competitive beast in my will be out, pushing me to beat their times, even if it is only by 1/2 a second.

Just got back from my 1st of the 4 milers, on the course that was "unfamiliar" to me last week. Started off slightly slow, at a 10:15 pace, got a wicked side stitch ( I am still struggling with how to breath without sounding like I am in labor), and slowed it down a bit. Around mile 1.75 a boatload of negative energy found it's way into my brain.... I am thinking...'wow I can't even run 4 freaking miles, how am I going to run 26.2. Why am I doing this...I only have a 100 days...I CANNOT do this!! My family is coming to watch me...how embarassing!" That just slowed me down even more and I ended up finishing at 10:50min/mile. I keep finding myself stopping for no reason. I won't be winded or sore.... I'll just be lazy and bored. I have downloaded some Marine Corps Cadence and have found those boys are jogging at about a 10min/mi. Hearing their footsteps and being able to repeat back what the SGT or whomever is barking out cadence, is saying helps me slow down and get into a groove. Other music either pumps me up and tires me out or is too slow and makes me angry.

Okay enough ranting and raving from me for one day....until tomorrow!

Inaugural 10K!

I ran my 1st ever 10K on Saturday, at 8am on a 95 degree, humid, Washington DC morning. I really had no business running it, as I have only been back to running for 2 weeks, and I only ran once this past week. But I did it, and I finished it, even though it took me 72 minutes. I didn't finish last though, and not even last in my group. I mist say that between that and all of the biking and other sports I did this weekend, my quads are jelly. I think this means I am back on track and ready to kick some marathon ass

AAannnnn We're Back

A combination of being lazy + a broken metatarsal HAD slidelined me for a while, but I am back in the saddle and actually have been training at a faster pace than I was running at previously. The do or die date for the 18 week program is rapidly approaching, so I have to HAVE to HAVTE TO stick with it. I'll be the first to admit I sleep way too late and drink way too much beer, and both of those have got to stop.

I was afraid to run my 3mi outside b/c I didn't want to be too far from home when my foot hurt, and I wanted to try running with my Camelbak...both worked out A-OK, but it's a little cooler in the gym, so I have been doing 3 miles on the TM at a 10min/mi pace and 1.5-2% incline. I think I am going to run again tomorrow and then start AM running this weekend.

I have also been in a pissy mood the last few weeks, so hopefully running will be my stress reliever!!