In Training: Marathon Weekend 2013 (Dopey Challenge)! 1/17 - LINK TO TRIP REPORT!

[Ariel484]

Ok, *SOLD*! My hips are the ONLY place that still bothers me after a run. I assumed it was because I'm never able to stretch it enough. I will be seeking out a foam roller stat!

I hope it helps you! I definitely think it's made a difference for me.

 

[Ariel484]

Week 4: Rest Day
Saturday, September 22, 2012

Very nice rest day. Will and I met in college and this weekend was homecoming weekend, so we went back to campus! I love it there...lots of good memories. He played on the tennis team and they were having an alumni tennis match (alumni vs. current players) so I watched him play for a bit. He and his partner whooped the current players! Oh yeah.

We got home around 3, picked up the monster pup from camp and headed out to the Melting Pot for a little date night dinner. YUM! What a lovely day.

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

Week 4: Run #4 (9 mile loop)
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Weather: All over the place!


19 miles completed/19 miles planned for the week
58 miles completed so far in training

Such a great run today! With my having missed the 7-miler a couple of weeks back and having such a crappy 6-miler on Labor Day, I feel like I really needed a good long run...and this was it!

I had my normal pre-run meal (bagel with peanut butter and a cup of coffee) and then proceeded to get distracted by trying to put up a listing on eBay. As a result I waited about 2 hours between eating and starting my run...normally I like to wait more like an hour. Oh well. This was enough time for the clouds to roll in and the rain to start. Blech! So basically my options were to skip the run (which I knew I shouldn't...so this really wasn't an option), move it to a different day (impossible and really unattractive to run during the work week!), go on the treadmill crazy2:) or just suck it up and head out in the rain.

Option #4 won out! The temperature stayed in the mid-low 50s the entire time, so I wore a tech t-shirt under a Nike running jacket, Brooks running tights and a hat. I don't normally wear hats when I run, but it saved me today...without it running in the rain would have been torture.

The rain was pretty steady for the first 5 miles:

Mile 1: 10:13
Mile 2: 10:09
Mile 3: 11:07
Mile 4: 9:57
Mile 5: 10:45

The splits are pretty funny to me...everything that happened in the run is definitely reflected in them. I took a water/Gu chomps break (1/2 bag of the strawberry flavor...yum!) at the beginning of Mile 3 and another water break at the beginning of Mile 5, so those are slower. At Mile 4 the rain turned to hail, and without thinking of it I just picked up the pace so I'd get done faster...haha. It really wasn't so bad running in the rain...actually I think it helped my mental state, because instead of constantly thinking "OMG, I have to run 9 WHOLE MILES" I just kept telling myself "You're running in the rain! You're such a bada**!" Running is just so mental.

The sky suddenly cleared and the rain stopped for the last 4 miles! By them I was completely soaked and my jacket was a little heavy, but I felt okay otherwise.

Mile 6: 10:05
Mile 7: 11:03
Mile 8: 10:14
Mile 9: 10:19

My second water/Gu chomp break was at the beginning of Mile 7, and my last water break was at the beginning of Mile 9.

At the beginning of mile 7 my hip started acting up a bit and I instinctually shortened my stride. This helped A LOT, and I remembered later on that this technique was actually suggested in this video that I posted the other day. Dude knows his stuff!

At the end of the run I was freezing and drenched, but I felt great otherwise. I was mostly proud of myself for getting out there in crappy weather, because I know I wouldn't have done this a year ago. I also feel like I paced myself pretty decently. Woohoo!

After the run I had some chocolate milk (supposed to be great for recovery), took and ice bath (more on that in a bit) and had some waffles. Yum!

Stats from the run:

Total time: 1:33:52 for 9 miles
Average pace: 10:26/mile
Numbers of dogs seen: None
Number of other runners out there braving the ran: 1!
Number of times I got splashed by a car driving through a puddle: None...shocking.

And week 4 is done! Enjoy your Sunday!!

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

Running Stuff I don't really like but do anyway: Ice Baths

Ice baths are exactly what they sound like: run a bath with water as cold as you can stand it (even add ice!) and sit in it for a long as you can.

I had some hip and knee soreness today (curse you, IT band!) and decided that it was time to bring back the dreaded ice bath. I actually dump ice into mine and managed to sit in it for about 10 minutes before I couldn't take it anymore. I feel like this is more affective than separately icing my hip and then my knee - I get everything in one shot. I think this works for some people and not others, but for me I can tell a difference...my legs feel pretty good now.

I'm definitely planning on taking ice baths after the half and full marathons and Disney, and probably after each of my long runs from now on. They aren't very enjoyable, but to me ice baths are another thing in addition to foam rolling that keeps my legs healthy. So it's worth it.

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

Drying out wet running shoes

This probably doesn't deserve its own post, but I'm putting it here so I can find it quickly in the future (since I seem to always forget this and I know I'll need it after running in snow).

Here's a tip my local running store gave me to get running shoes to dry out quickly. It works great! I'm off to do this right now (my shoes are still soaked after today's run ):

Stuff newspaper into the shoes for 1 hour.
Take that newspaper out and replace it with new newspaper. Leave it in for 2-3 hours.
Take that newspaper out and replace it with new newspaper. Leave it in overnight.

And that's all I've got for today. TTFN!

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

Week 5: Strength training
Monday, September 24, 2012

Good Monday morning to you all!

Not much to report on my end, except that I was really dragging by the end of the day yesterday, yet I went to bed about an hour later than I should have. I wasn't even doing anything important or productive, just messing around on the iPad. ARG!

So I've been dragging a bit this morning, but strength training still went okay. I think my legs felt a little tired, but they aren't sore. I have a teeny bit of soreness here and there, but overall I'm pleased with how I feel.

No yoga today, as this week is an off-week for all classes.

Have a great day!

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

Week 5: Run #1 (3 miles on the treadmill)
Tuesday, September 25, 2012

3 miles completed/21 miles planned for the week
61 miles completed so far in training

I don't know if I can adequately explain how much I didn't want to run today. Not sure what the deal was, but starting last night all I could think was "man, I do NOT want to get on the treadmill in the morning." Sometimes when I really don't want to run I end up having a great run...I wouldn't say that was the case today, but it was fine and I got it done. Just one of those days where I can check it off the schedule and move on, I guess.

One really good thing that happened is that I completed the run with zero hip pain! I haven't foam/Stick rolled every day over the past week but I think I've done it more often than not (last night included) and it seems to be helping.

Small rant (boo, what a way to end my post! ): I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that one of the nice things about treadmill running is being able to watch a TV while doing it, if there's a TV around. Well, I live in Ohio, which is a swing state - I am SO SICK of seeing political ads. I'm not trying to make this into a politically divisive issue - I'm talking ads from both parties, local and national elections, etc. I'm an equal opportunity annoyed TV watcher (if that makes any sense ). I feel like we've been getting slammed with them since the spring...they were definitely going on before the Olympics. UGH...just stop already!

Anyhoo...that's it for me. Enjoy your Tuesday!

Stats from the run:
Total Time: 29:59 (just squeaked in under 30 minutes!), 10:00ish/mile average pace

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

Week 5: Run #2 (3 miles on the treadmill)
Wednesday, September 26, 2012

6 miles completed/21 miles planned for the week
64 miles completed in training so far

Second day in a row that I have not wanted to run, but I did it anyway. Hooray? I guess it's not reasonable to expect to be completely motivated 100% of the time over the course of a 20-week training plan. I do think I can somewhat attribute it to my awful sleeping habits this week. My husband coaches tennis and I like to wait until he's home to have dinner with him, meaning that we've been eating around 8 or 9 at night, and it's hard to just get done with dinner, clean up the kitchen and hop right into bed at 10 (when I'd like to get to bed...this week it's been more like 11). Oh well. At least the season is over after next week!

I AM looking forward to my other 2 runs this week. This is going to be my first Goofy-like experience of training, running 5 miles on Friday and 10 miles on Saturday. The weather forecast is good right now (low-mid 60s and no rain both days) and I'm really looking forward to having Sunday off instead of Saturday this weekend. Woohoo!

Stats from the run:
Total Time: 29:35 for 3 miles, 9:50ish/mile average pace

Continued in Next Post

 

[tiffrobyn]

One really good thing that happened is that I completed the run with zero hip pain! I haven't foam/Stick rolled every day over the past week but I think I've done it more often than not (last night included) and it seems to be helping.

Small rant (boo, what a way to end my post! ): I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that one of the nice things about treadmill running is being able to watch a TV while doing it, if there's a TV around. Well, I live in Ohio, which is a swing state - I am SO SICK of seeing political ads. I'm not trying to make this into a politically divisive issue - I'm talking ads from both parties, local and national elections, etc. I'm an equal opportunity annoyed TV watcher (if that makes any sense ). I feel like we've been getting slammed with them since the spring...they were definitely going on before the Olympics. UGH...just stop already!

Hooray for no hip pain!

I hear ya! I don't live in a swing state and I'm sick of political ads! Don't even get me started on the political drama on Facebook...

 

[Ariel484]

Hooray for no hip pain!

YES...knock on wood that it stays that way!

I hear ya! I don't live in a swing state and I'm sick of political ads! Don't even get me started on the political drama on Facebook...

That's annoying...who wants that stuff clogging up their newsfeed?! Makes me glad I quit Facebook last year (the constant privacy stories began to freak me out...and then I turn around and post trip reports on a very public forum...I'm smart. )

But seriously, doesn't it seem like those ads are everywhere? I see them on TV, hear them on the radio, and we have been getting fliers in our mail. ENOUGH ALREADY!

 

[Ariel484]

10 Running Things

This little questionnaire has been floating around the 'nets lately, and I think it's originally from AnotherMotherRunner.com. Why not!?

1. Best run ever: I can’t say any of my training runs stand out in my mind, so that leaves races to choose from. Is that cheating?

I began running in 2008 and my first-ever race (a 5K run by my employer) was a little over a year before my wedding. By May 2009 (wedding month) I was 20 pounds lighter thanks to my “bride diet”, I’d shaved 6 minutes off of my 5K time from the previous year, and I was looking to run longer distances. I ran a 10K in September of that year and set my sights on a local 10-mile race the following spring.

In January we moved into our house. I have a history of back problems, and after a week straight of hard work to clean the place up I was feeling tense. I’d just cleaned our hardwood steps and was bounding down the steps in socks – big mistake. I slipped and fell down the last 5 stairs and couldn’t get up without my husband helping me. My back had gone from tense to just plain injured.

The next 3 months were depressing. I could barely walk for the first week and couldn’t go back to work just yet because, despite my trouble walking, sitting in one spot for too long would cause my back to stiffen up to the point where the pain was excruciating. It was so bad that Will had to take sick days to stay home and help take care of me. Needless to say, running was out of the question for weeks afterward. Through a combination of little to no exercise and emotional eating I could feel myself gaining back the weight I’d worked so hard to lose and was just so…sad. It was horrible.

Eventually the injury healed and I (stupidly) decided to sign up for that spring 10-miler I’d had my eye on the previous fall. This race takes the title of worst race ever – I felt sluggish and self-conscious being so undertrained and out of shape. As this was my first long race and I hadn’t trained much beforehand, I had no concept of how important it is to eat and drink while running long distances, so I didn’t do either. I was one of the last runners to finish the race (not that finishing last or close-to-last is the end of the world, but I finished way behind those I'd come to the race with - 10-20 minutes after they were already done - which was embarrassing), and I felt sore, weak, and nauseous. In my post-race haze I somehow drove myself home and spent the rest of the day in bed, exhausted and fighting the urge to throw up.

I really think that this run changed me. I quickly realized how stupid I’d been when it came to this race. I’d had almost zero training, run a positive split (56 minutes for the first 5 miles and 1:04 for the second 5 miles) and hadn’t eaten or drank anything the entire time, resulting in my feeling like death when it was over. It was an awful day - I hadn’t enjoyed myself at all - but I really learned a lot from this experience. I promised myself that I WOULD return to this race in 2011 and it would be different – I would finish faster, stronger and happier.

I ran the 2011 Princess Half (so much fun!) two months before the 2011 10-mile race.

Look at that! A picture in my PTR!

This 10-miler went better - my time didn’t improve much (6 minutes faster) but I was in a better mind-set, had managed to somewhat follow a training plan and had learned when to eat and drink during a run, so I felt much better when I finished. Again, I vowed to come back the next year and have an even better race than 2011.

This (finally) brings me to the 2012 10-mile race, the one that I think is, at this point, my best run ever. The 10-mile race lined up perfectly with the training I was already doing for a local half marathon, so I signed up for the 3rd year in a row. There were three huge differences between this year and the previous years:

1. I’d run the WDW marathon that January and was still on a post-marathon high – I totally had a “I love running!” mindset:

2. I had lost the weight I’d regained after injuring my back, plus 10 more pounds

3. Running was now a regular part of my life – there were few weeks where I ran less than 4 of the 7 days, and if that happened I ran 3, so I was much better trained compared to 2010 and 2011.

Despite the fact that I ran that race in the snow and had trouble getting my Gu packet open around mile 2 (I actually had to completely stop moving for, I think, about 2 minutes to work on it! ) this was a wonderful race. I just felt happy the entire time. It was the polar opposite of the 2010 race – a negative split (50:51 for the first 5 miles, 48:16 for the last 5 miles) in which I felt confident and strong throughout and finished with a smile on my face…21 minutes faster than I’d run the exact same course in 2010.

2. Three words that describe my running: Disciplined. Enjoyable (most of the time). Proud (does that make sense? Like…I’m proud that I get my butt out there and do it!).

3. My go-to running outfit is: ALWAYS: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11 or 12, Balega hidden dry socks, some kind of Compression bra (*see rant below) and (unless on the treadmill) RoadID Elite Sport and Garmin Forerunner 305 (seen in the Princess Half finish picture above).

Everything else varies depending on the weather…(lists below go from warmer weather clothes to colder weather clothes). Please note that for the most part I did NOT pay the prices listed here. I either got stuff from my local running store during a big 30% off sale on winter running clothes, found stuff at TJ Maxx or ordered other things from RunningWarehouse.com. Also keep in mind that I have been "building my running wardrobe" (for lack of a better term) for 3-4 years now, so it's not like I bought all of this stuff at once!

Tops: Nike Fast Pace tank tops (my fave! I'm wearing them in both of the above pictures), old racing tech shirts (long-sleeve or short-sleeve), Nike running jacket, North Face running jacket (for colder days – blocks the wind) which I can't find online.

Bottoms: Moving Comfort momentum shorts, SparkleSkirt SparkleTech (LOVE), Nike dri-fit capri pants (can't find them online), Brooks running tights

Other: Oakley Minute sunglasses (from 2002! I wish they still made this style - I'm wearing them in both of the above pictures), Nike dri-fit visor (rarely wear this, can't find online), Nike dri-fit hat (rarely, mostly in colder weather, can't find online), Brooks (?) ear warmer under the Nike hat (can't find online...arg!), Pearl Izumi gloves

And lastly, I don't always wear them, but I LOVE Sweaty Bands! (Wearing one in each of the pictures above, and have already purchased more for Marathon Weekend 2013 using a discount code I got via email! )

*RANT: Recently bras have become the bane of my existence when it comes to running clothes. Nike dri-fit compression bras worked fine for me until I lost weight this year. Without going into too many – ahem - revealing details my rib cage size has gone down while the cup size has not, so bras that come in S/M/L sizes, such as my Nike guys, aren’t cutting it anymore. The part that is supposed to stay on my rib cage just doesn’t, resulting in some painful chafing on longer runs (they seem to do okay with shorter runs of 3-5 miles if I’m generous with the Body Glide beforehand). After trying on and researching LOTS of options I bit the bullet and bought an Armour Bra from Under Amour. It wasn’t cheap (by a long shot ) but man, you get what you pay for – that thing was GREAT during my 9-miler on Sunday. I’ll probably end up buying another one at some point….the big selling point for me is that they come in real bra sizes – rib and cup size as opposed to the general S/M/L sizes – and I’ve found that buying bras like this just is not cheap. All of the ones with good reviews seem to start at $50, and this is one of the only compression ones I’ve found. ARG…the things we women have to deal with!

Another thing about the above list...I think I said this somewhere else (either this thread or somewhere else around the boards)...but it's funny when you hear people say that to run "you just need a good pair of shoes." Uh...take a look at the above list. A lot more than shoes there! Not that all of the above are NECESSARY, but...well, you get what I mean.

4. Quirky habit while running: Counting how many dogs I spot and reporting back to Will (and my PTR readers!) when I get home. Also – and I wouldn’t really say this is a quirky thing, but still something I like to do - I LOVE waving at other runners. It’s like I’m in some secret club!

5. Morning, midday, evening: Morning…a great way to start the day, and I don’t have to worry about losing motivation to get it done later on. I definitely think that could have happened this week since I haven’t been too pumped to get on the treadmill yesterday and today.

6. I won’t run outside when it’s: I used to think I wouldn’t run in the rain or hail, but I did it this past weekend, so I think we’re just on to extreme weather conditions (lightning, etc.) at this point.

7. Worst injury—and how I got over it: Besides the back injury I mentioned above (not sure if I would count that, it was totally a freak thing), I'd say my case of Runner’s Knee in 2009 that developed when I was training for my first 10K (which I talked about a bit in this post). Initially a pair of $25 Powersteps in my shoes solved the problem. Recently I stopped using the Powersteps, because I think a combination of losing weight and strength training have gotten me to the point where I don’t need them anymore! Take that, knee pain!

8. I felt most like a bada** mother runner when: Hmm…not a mother, but I will say that I did feel like a bada** during my rainy/hail-y 9-miler this past weekend!

9. Next race is: Most likely my town’s fall 5K race. I'm also thinking about registering for the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot downtown, which is a 5-miler that I've always wanted to do but have never had the chance - normally we go to my in-laws for Thanksgiving but this year they'll be out of town so we're staying local. It would work perfectly with my training schedule, so who knows...this may be the year for Turkey Trotting! And then of course the WDW 5K/WDW Half Marathon/WDW Marathon…the Dopey Challenge! It still seems incredibly far away at this point.

10. Potential running goal for 2013: Finish the Dopey Challenge alive and run my first-ever non-Disney marathon in May (I cannot begin to explain how nervous I am for this!)

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

Week 5: Strength Training
Thursday, September 27, 2012

Getting so buff over here!

...

Yeah, right.

I had a little mishap this morning in the weight room. One of the exercises I do is called a weight row with planks. Basically you grab a set of dumbbells and get in the push-up position with your hands on the weights instead of the floor. You then bring the weight up to do a row, and then put it back down, alternating arms:

(source)

So at one point early in my second set I didn't quite get the weight flat on the floor after the row. My wrist turned (sort of like when you're running and you roll an ankle) and I almost totally face planted. Luckily I ended up landing on my knee instead of my face, and while my knee looked slightly banged up at first (it looked like it had a bunch of tiny blood blisters) it looks much better now. Just a bit sore to the touch. WHEW! I have no idea if anyone saw me do that, but man was that embarrassing. Mostly I'm just glad I didn't bash my face up, break my wrist or seriously bang up my knee. Strength training is a risky business...apparently.

Almost FRIDAY!! Wahoo.

Continued in Next Post

 

[camandjacksmom]

Waiting in line for the magical express! Tower of terror race here I come!!! I'll give you a full report after the race!!

 

[Ariel484]

Waiting in line for the magical express! Tower of terror race here I come!!! I'll give you a full report after the race!!

AHH! So jealous!!

Have a wonderful time, I cannot WAIT to hear about it!!

 

[Ariel484]

Week 5: Run #3 (5 mile out-and-back)
Friday, September 28, 2012
Weather - mid-low 60s and sunny

11 miles completed/21 miles planned for the week
69 miles completed in training so far

Not a ton to say about this run, except that I can't believe these Friday runs are already up to 3 miles. Yikes! This was a good one overall, I think. I remember feeling a bit rushed because I was on a time crunch to get done, showered, and out the door in time to head into work for a conference call. And because I knew I needed to be somewhere I was feeling the pressure during the last mile and ramped up the pace a bit...my legs were feeling tired so it was a bit of a struggle, but I got it done!

Stats from the run:

Total time: 49:34 for 5 miles
Average pace: 9:55/mile (10:10, 9:59, 10:05, 9:46, 9:34)

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

Week 5: Run #4 (10-mile loop)
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Weather - mid-low 60s, sunny with a few clouds

21 miles completed/21 miles planned for the week
79 miles completed in training so far

WOOHOO! For all intents and purposes, Week 5 is done!

As usual, I got up later than I wanted to this morning and launched into my normal pre-long run routine. I had a cup of coffee followed by a plain bagel with peanut butter about an hour before the run. My outfit today was a running skirt, my 2011 Princess Half marathon shirt , and one of my newer Sweaty Bands along with a generous amount of sunscreen...quite a contrast compared to how bundled up I was last week. The skirt I wore today is the one I plan on wearing for the WDW half, and the Sweaty Band is probably the one I'll use for the full. Both were very comfortable...woot!

I headed out for my run at about 11:30...BEAUTIFUL weather today. Loved it.

Here are the splits:

Mile 1 - 10:17
Mile 2 - 10:09
Mile 3 - 11:02 --> Gu chomp/water/walk break at the beginning of this mile
Mile 4 - 10:14
Mile 5 - 10:45 --> water/walk break at the beginning of this mile
Mile 6 - 10:03
Mile 7 - 10:50 --> Gu chomp/water/walk break at the beginning of this mile
Mile 8 - 10:11
Mile 9 - 10:30 --> water/walk break at the beginning of this mile
Mile 10 - 9:59

Total time: 1:44:02 for 10 miles
Average pace: 10:24/mile

So this was my first Goofy-like weekend with back-to-back longer runs. I know this is nowhere near what I'll be doing during Marathon Weekend, but I am glad to have gotten through it! My legs definitely felt tired during the second half of today's run and I got a painful side ache partway through Mile 8...something to keep in mind. But I feel pretty good and would consider this weekend a success.

Enjoy your Saturday!

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

Week 5: Rest Day
Sunday, September 30, 2012

I gotta say, I really liked having Sunday as my rest day this week. It was so nice to get my run done on Saturday and still have an entire weekend day left. I can see myself doing the Friday/Saturday runs more often purely for this reason alone...though I think it would be a bad idea every week since it might lead to fatigue/injury.

Anyway, a friend of Will's had tickets from her uncle for the Indians game, so that was our activity. The tickets were in the Club Level - free food! We didn't eat ourselves stupid or anything, but we had fun. And we actually saw a good game - the Tribe clobbered the Royals 15-3. We've been to some pretty awful Indians games over the past couple of years (not surprising since they always seems to have a great start followed by an awful second half...) so it was fun to see a good one.

I did notice that my legs were feeling a bit tired, but I felt great otherwise! I'd consider my first weekend with back-to-back runs a success.

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

Week 6: Strength training/yoga
Monday, October 1, 2012

Happy October!

I gotta say, I think October may be my favorite month of the year. I love fall, and I love the anticipation of the upcoming holidays (excluding, like...hearing Christmas carols in stores or stuff like that ).

So yeah. Strength training went pretty well - I added a couple of burpees to what I was already doing. Planks continue to be horrible, but I know they're good for me.

Yoga, on the other hand, was not fun today. There were 3 things I did not enjoy, all pretty much my fault:

1. After almost face planting last week, I have a pretty dark bruise on my knee. Thankfully it never bothers me, but today we did a lot of lunges and other poses involving putting a lot of weight on our knees...YEEEOOUUUCH! That did not feel good!

2. I work at a hospital, and they take flu season very seriously. All employees are required to get vaccinated or sign a form stating that they are refusing the vaccination for religious/personal reasons. I always get the vaccine, and this morning was the first day they were giving it out. I am SO appreciative that we get the vaccine for free and that I can get it done right at work. I especially appreciate this during marathon training - how horrible would it be to not only get the flu in general, but get it during training or right before marathon weekend?! Anyway, the shot itself didn't hurt, but boy, I forgot just how sore it makes my arm. I think being forced to move it around at yoga really helped the soreness, but at the time it didn't feel good.

3. In the room where today's yoga class was held, there is a wall of windows. I stupidly placed myself very close to the wall, so I was in the blazing sun the entire time. I was constantly squinting and felt very hot. Boo!

So...whine whine whine. I'm a baby! Maybe next time I'll be a little smarter, eh?

In other, less whiny news...it's someone's birthday today!!!

The little man turns 3 today! He already got his gifts over the weekend - a new version of his most favorite toy (the old one lasted about 2 months before he cracked it in half) and some carrots - his favorite people food. Yum?

Ack, is it Friday yet?!

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

Week 6: Run #1 (3 miles on the treadmill)
Tuesday, October 2, 2012

3 miles completed/18 miles planned for the week
82 miles completed in training so far

When I first began running, I would hear people talk about how running made them feel so good - like, during the run they felt great, and after the run was over they felt even better. This used to be such a foreign concept to me...I mean, running is hard, ya know?! And most of the time when I was done my butt was on the couch shortly afterward and would stay there for most of the day (post-shower, of course ).

I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but running DID begin to feel good, and I began to have days where I would find that I did indeed feel better after the run was done than I did before starting it. Today was one of those days.

I've been doing a good job keeping up with the strength training, yoga (well, a decent job with yoga) and running portions of my training plan, but I'm definitely falling short in a few others areas - namely drinking water and getting a good amount of sleep. I think the sleep thing is really catching up to me...I felt like I was in such a fog driving in this morning - NOT GOOD! Bad Shannon! But man, the run really woke me up and I feel pretty good now. MUCH better than I did earlier. Talk to me again around 2:30 and you might get a different story.

Stats from the run:
Total time: 29:48 for 3 miles
Average pace: 9:56/mile

Hmm, what else...oh! My arm is feeling much better from yesterday's flu shot. I rolled over onto it a few times while I was sleeping last night, which didn't feel great, but it didn't bother me at all while I was running. It seems to only be an issue when I am lying down on it or when I raise my arm above shoulder level. I'm pretty sure the pain will be gone by tomorrow.

Also, I'm going to be out of town all day Saturday and all day Sunday next weekend, so I'm debating switching this weekend's long run (7 miles) and next weekend's long run (12 miles). Whichever run I do next weekend is going to need to be done on Friday either way. Hmm...

AND LASTLY...despite the fact that this pre-trip report has largely been a running journal, we are talking about a Disney trip here, yes?! Well I've been lurking on the marathon thread in the WISH section of the boards, and people are celebrating the fact that they'll be checking in at Disney in less than 100 days. So I logged into our vacation online to see that I am 100 days from checking in!! (Meaning Will is 101 days from checking in!) I truly think I won't feel like the trip is *almost here* until Marathon Weekend is the next runDisney event coming up...currently Wine&Dine is next. But we're getting closer!! WOOT!

Continued in Next Post

 

[annabanna]

I am still at that point where I understand what people are saying when they talk about enjoying running, but I am still not there yet. I hope to be someday!
But, in the meantime I am trying to wrap my head around running 12 miles, or 13.1 for that matter!