Roxymama's 5k to Marathon, Time to Collect Another Castle

[SarahDisney]

Thing roxymama learned last night: My tech shirt from my last race is actually a glow in the dark shirt!

That. Is. AWESOME!!

So I guess...does that count as 4 or only 3.5 with a .5 mile cool down? I dunno, don't care really. My gps said 4 at the end of the day and it's never said that before.

I'd say count it as 4 ... what the GPS says counts. Congrats!!

I may need some hints from you all on what you like to do for "cross train" as I pretty much have only been just walking and running lately. I'm thinking maybe bike or elliptical at my gym. Does that count?

I'm pretty terrible with the whole cross-training things, but I've done a bit of research on it, and from what I've heard, both of those are good options! People also like swimming as cross-training ... but to do that you'd need access to a pool.

 

[Kriii]

Hello Roxy mama- I'm new to this thread and have not read through it but wanted to cheer you on in your endeavor! Not a runner myself so I can't offer advice, but I admire your spirit in tackling this challenge! Seems like you have what it takes!

 

[Kriii]

Hello Roxy mama- I'm new to this thread and have not read through it but wanted to cheer you on in your endeavor! Not a runner myself so I can't offer advice, but I admire your spirit in tackling this challenge! Seems like you have what it takes!

Edited to add: Sorry about the accidental double post.

 

[roxymama]

@SarahDisney the only pool I have access to is a baby pool, haha. I'm picturing doing laps in that!

@Kriii thanks for stopping by! I wasn't a runner really until this year so it's nice to have you along in the thread. im following your thread too!

 

[roxymama]

Tonight I start back onto my running kick after too many days off, too much mac n cheese, two cupcakes, some bbq nachos, and two hours of bachelor in paradise last night, but also a whole lot of quality time playing with my daughter.
Day 1 of my new Nike+ coach session is tonight. I read the following quote online and I do not know who to attribute it to since it was just on one of those motivational posters. But I really liked it and I think it is a good thing to keep in my head because it's kind of why I started this whole "journey." Yes, I want to PR at my next race because I'm super competitive with myself, but I'm still so happy I just decided to Start in the fist place.

'Finished Last' will always be better than 'Did Not Finish' which always trumps 'Did Not Start'

 

[SarahDisney]

'Finished Last' will always be better than 'Did Not Finish' which always trumps 'Did Not Start'

I've seen this quote in a few different places - I really love it!

 

[roxymama]

Had a good run last night. I went from being a little sad about not working out for several days (coming from a girl who NEVER worked out for a couple years, what has happened to me?) to being super geeked out excited to start a new training program. I feel like I need "missions" on my way to "goals" to get me excited/motivated. Just "hey go running" doesn't quite do it for me as much as "today you get to complete this specific task and check it off your list." Guess that's just how I am wired.
I was able to head out a little earlier than normal because my hubby is a hero for playing with the kiddo so I could get out. Weather was so perfect, warm but with a cool breeze and not humid. Another day running in a tank top from a girl who used to buy sweaters and shrugs just to avoid showing her shoulders (another, what is happening to me moment.)
I was supposed to run 3 miles. 1 mile comfortable pace, 1.5 miles with speed work and .5 miles light cool down.

Mile 1: Started off around 11:00 min/mile pace. Found myself comfortably hanging a bit lower than that and I think my avg pace at the end of the mile was 10:42. It was comfortable and my breathing was good. This seems to be my comfy range. I was holding back from going too fast too soon which is one of my goals and that mindset has been having a positive effect on my later miles.

Mile 1-2.5: My app said to run 3 min at faster pace and 3 min at slower pace for 1.5 miles. I really was surprised how much I liked this approach. I thought I'd hate it. I felt like a super hero for my 3 min "speed jogs" and knowing I was just a few min from getting to slow down helped me mentally plow through them. I really find jogging slow then speeding up much easier than flat out walking then trying to jog again. Turns out my app won't let me flat out walk during speed runs...I had to stop at a busy intersection and when I stopped to wait to walk across the road it paused my workout entirely until it felt me jogging for real again. I guess that will keep me honest. Wonder if it is a setting I can turn off when I'm at a real run. Maybe I should leave it on as incentive not to stop.
My pace surprisingly stayed right at the high 10's. Seems my slower and faster segments balanced each other out. I'll be hones that I was too busy watching my clock that I did not pay enough attention to pace. Just went by what "felt slow" and "felt speedy"

Mile 2.5-3.04: Here's my Oops. The workout instruction was to cool down for .5 miles. My brain told me I was supposed to go fast for .5 miles. I guess it's good that my fitness was enough that I could do the last .5 at a pretty quick clip. But it's not what my program wanted me to do. I kind of wish the lady in my ears who tells me how far I've gone/speed/etc would also tell me what I'm supposed to do next. It seems you have to memorize what to do...I even had to use my clock to count out the three minutes speed runs. In the end its probably best that it is making me rely on being self-aware so that during my races I can be self-aware. I'm pretty sure a lot of the runs aren't as complicated as this one anyways.
I ran 3.04 instead of 3.0 because I am a BEAST! Haha, not really...it was because it took my .04 miles to realize I had to press down the stop button.
Time was 33:23 which I think is pretty good for me slowing down on purpose for 1.5 miles.

BONUS: My husband saw me running my last few blocks and said he did a double take because I looked like a super sleek runner girl and he did not realize at first it was me. He said I am looking very sleek and powerful lately and said that it's not a dig on how I looked before. And that is why I love this fella.

Tonight is my first cross-train night. I think I've set my sites on biking at the gym. I haven't used my gym membership almost all month because the weather has been holding up for outside runs. And I would be lying to say during the early days of my treadmill running that I was always jealous of the people sitting on the bikes doing what seemed like easy workouts while watching tv. Silly I know. My big decision is what makes a good cross train amount of time and effort??

QUESTION: How long do you think I should bike and what is the intensity. I'm thinking 30 minutes at comfy speed and then I'll see if my body wants to do another 15 or call it quits???

 

[Kriii]

Your husband sounds like a real sweetie! Hope the cross train is great!

 

[roxymama]

Slight change of plans last night. I didn't bike, but I did cross-train!
My baby decided to be a 2 year old and had a full on panic/tantrum/fit over not wanting to take her bath. So I was up much later than normal with her. She's such a good kid and these happen so rarely that I just have to grin and bear it and be thankful for how often she does bath and bed time so nicely.
But I was determined to get some cross-training in so I went to plan B.
I did two workouts in my basement. A "sexy arms" workout that is supposed to be good for your core, back and arms. I really liked it and I feel confident enough to add the 3 lbs weights to the end part of the routine next time. I just wish I had not watched the snapchats my hubby playfully took of me waving my arms about. Where did all that upper arm jiggle come from? I guess that's the whole point in getting in shape...gotta firm up that wiggle. I was laughing about 70% of the time while doing it because I definitely did not feel "sexy" during some of the funnier looking movements. I felt the burn big time though so I know they were working. (I get the giggles in yoga sometimes too...I'm not very zen.)
My other workout was a 10 min standing abs routine that involved legs too. Wooooo boy. I powered through that one. I'll get better at it. I forgot I had things called obliques or abs. I think these will help me with running even though I wasn't using my legs too much...good to have a strong core right?

Tonight REST! Which means cleaning my makeup brushes and doing laundry. A mom's version of resting.
Then 3 miles Thur and 4! miles Friday.

Big ups to my better half who finished week 7 day 2 of C25k today on a track at work that's like 13 laps for a mile. Super proud of our little running family. Almost makes me forgive him a little for recording my flaily arms last night.

 

[roxymama]

3 miles today. 2 miles comfy then 1 mile faster.

And I did that!

I decided to see if I could make a lap in the blocks right by my house. I ran .25, turned the corner, ran .25, turned the corner, etc. and made a big ol' box. Weirdness was I made a mile lap, then my next mile went over by a block and my next one by 3. I think my first lap was wrong or my gps is just off.
32:40 total.
Mile one was about 11:00
Mile two avg at 11:05
Mile three avg at 10:45

Not a huge jump, but that counts as faster! I'll take it. Felt good too.

Tomorrow is 4. Gonna probably put a water bottle on my porch and not focus on speed at all. Just get through it.

 

[roxymama]

I just realized that I was looking at my avg. 5k pace at the end of each mile and I had my run set 3.1 instead of 3.0. And so my whole runs avg was 10:45, hence the 32:40 final pace for a 5k. I need to figure out how to read my stats better before posting!!! Still feel good about my run...just a complete newbie about setting up my app.

I'm going to try to pay better attention to my actual time per mile tonight. I have a bad habit of when I'm exherting myself I kinda go mind-blank even when the app is talking in my ear.

Trying to work my work down to that magic (in my head) 29 minute 5k time. Even if it is 29:59:59, haha.

 

[roxymama]

Had some ups and downs this weekend. The new schedule of trying to run more than just three days a week has been difficult. Not because I don't have the energy to do it, but more having the balance my time and time it right to fit it into my schedule. Big ups to everyone out there who is running almost daily or several times a week. I see that it is really a commitment.

Friday I was super disappointed. I was supposed to run 4 miles at easy pace and I felt very capable and looking forward to it. By the time I got out the door it was after 8:20pm and somehow the sun just wasn't as bright during sunset as I'm used to. I made it 1.5 miles before I was having a very hard time seeing the sidewalk. If you live in southside Chicago you will understand the insanity that is sidewalk cracks here. So I had a great idea to go run on one of the most heavily populated big streets and it was lit very well. Only issue was that cars turning into the side-streets have no stop signs and it got a little treacherous for me. I'm not joking when I say these cars put on their turn signals at the last second and take the corners like they are at a Nascar event. Even my husband later said "Yeah, don't run on that street." To add insult to injury I was low on laundry and wore my cotton socks and blister was coming. I went back inside with the plan to A) laundry!!! and B) just make up for it somehow this weekend. and C) I may have to suck it up and run before I'm used to waking up OR go out before my baby goes to bed...or combo

Saturday: Rest day...but I decided to add in some cross-training instead of resting. I took my daughter to the zoo on my own and we walked the equivalent of at least 3-4 miles. We were there for several hours and if you've ever been to Brookfield zoo, you know how expansive it is. I should have had my gps going to see how far we got. It made me feel kind of better for coming up so short the day before. And zoo with my baby is the most fun ever anyways I was feeling better.

Sunday: 3 mile run. This was more of an interval of faster and slower running. I ended up going 3.26 miles. The last .26 was just walking home from where I ended up. But my app counts it so I will too. I was at about a 10:49 avg. pace for my first two miles. And the last was kind of intervally, fartleky, however you want to call it. I like those types of workouts. 11:50 was my avg pace by then end which included my Slooooooow walk (I'm talking like in the 16's+ for the last .26 miles home.) So you can say my mood was better by Sunday than it was on Saturday.

I will post next this week's Coach plan. To keep me honest.
It thankfully includes a couple cross-train days which are easier to work into my schedule than the long runs.

I'm hemming and hawing about adding one more race to my schedule. There's a Great Pumpkin race in the town I grew up in (also the town my hubby grew up in) at a corn maze. And it's a 5k but definitley seems to be a fun run. You get a medal for finishing, but if you carry a pumpkin (they have all different weights, I'd probably try to find like a 3lber!, you get a second medal for being a Tough Pumpkin!) I carry my 30+ lb child all the time. I figure I'd take this one super easy. Since it would be "trail/farm" running. I'm talking like not fast at all! It lines up with my training of doing 3 easy miles because the week after is my PR attempt. I may have talked myself into it.

 

[roxymama]

Ok, here is this week's plan per my Coach app. I really want to do better about pre-planning my run schedule ahead of time even if it means some nights at the gym.

Sun 8/9 Run 3 miles - done!

Mon 8/10 Run 3 miles.
1 mile warm-up, next 1.5 miles alternate 4 min fast and 1 min slow, .5 mile cool down

Tue 8/11 Cross train - I'm thinking core/arm exercises again in my basement this time with light weights.

Wed 8/12 Cross train - I'm thinking bike at the gym

Thur 8/13 3 miles
2 miles easy pace, 1 mile faster

Frid 8/14 4 miles
All at easy pace

Sat 8/15 REST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[roxymama]

3 miles last night went fairly well. I stuck with the plan and didn't deviate. Took about 34 min. I wasn't sure exactly what brisk cool down meant. Fast walk or steady jog or slow jog? I just kinda jogged super easy and fairly slow for it.

And I did it in daylight! The hubs and kiddo were cuddling so I snuck out early. Was home by time I normally go out. Was kinda bummed to miss out on prime kiddo time, but today she woke up sick so I've been home and she's been glued to me all day.

Weird thing that happened: I got almost dog dive-bombed. I ran past a fellow talking to someone whose door was open and I hear "noooooo" and see this big hairy thing with its teeth all out and angry and growling and I totally froze. The man in the doorway basically quasi-tackle/yanked the dog back. I had no idea what to do. It was actually just a medium sized Lassie dog, but seemed like a monster at the time. They said sorry and I thought it best to just keep running....I moved to next street though. I'm used to hearing dogs going crazy through windows but this kinda rattled me. Thank you tackler guy!!

Now onto more fun topics. I posted in the Tink Half thread that I was super tempted but ultimately decided to put it on hold. Too much with WDW race this Jan.
But I did register for the Chicago women's mag mile 5k on 9/6 and I'm running it with my hubby! Apparently they mail you a swag bag in the mail ahead of time so I'm looking forward to that.

My cross training tonight will be doing dishes and picking up toys and then flailing my arms about (aka arm toning) while watching horrible tv (aka bachelor in paradise.)

 

[SarahDisney]

Finally taking some time to catch up on your journal.

It's definitely hard when you have to cut a run short because of bad conditions (and I totally get what you're saying about sidewalk cracks ... we have that problem here too sometimes, which is why I hate running on sidewalks). But you did a great job going back out there on Sunday and getting in a great run!

The Chicago mag mile race sounds awesome (because let's face it, getting the swag ahead of time is way easier), and I think you should do the pumpkin race too!

 

[roxymama]

The Chicago mag mile race sounds awesome (because let's face it, getting the swag ahead of time is way easier), and I think you should do the pumpkin race too!

Thanks for reading through all my ramblings. I tend to over-write even about the most mundane runs. I'm chatty.

I think I'm on board for pumpkin thing once I realized there are two days they are offering the 5k race. A Saturday and a Sunday! So I can work it out to whichever day my current coach plan has for me to run about 3 miles. (I know you appreciate when races have multiple day options based on what I've read in your journal.) It's a lot of runs in Sept for me, but I figured it out like this.
Chicago mag mile race: I'll be with my husband, that race is more about doing it together than PRing.
Pumpkin run: I'll be carrying a pumpkin and its on trails and inside a corn maze (that is roped off to show you where to go thankfully)...that one will not be about speed AT ALL. Just silly fun.
Cougar Run: My goal is to run for a PR. It's in my neighborhood and it is flat and shady. There is no cool swag or medal or theme...it's just a school by my house hosting it. Perfect to just try to run fast and that's it.
And my church has a run on 9/10 that is Thursday night. UGH...BUT I had the idea of maybe I'll just go back to my "walker" days and pick up the baby from school, put her in a stroller and just walk the thing. It would still count towards my "I Run Evergreen Park" medal for the end of the year. (I need to do 4 races and I've done 2 already and the Cougar would be 3 and then I just have to do one more. Oh and I also get a Jimmy Johns card...haha)

See...more ramblings. Did I mention I'm chatty?

 

[roxymama]

Another 3 miles checked off the list last night. They felt really good but I can't shake the feeling that my app is calculating miles kind of funky. I did a "lap" or big square in my neighborhood that calculated as a mile. Then my second mile was a farther distance than the first by about 3+ blocks. And my last one was about only 1.5 blocks more than the first lap. Hrmmmmm. Well, if I am running more than 3 that just means I'm getting some extra mileage in right?
It took me 33:57 but I felt like it should have been less because my two "comfy pace" miles were at what I felt was a pretty good clip. Oh well, I still did it.
First two miles were at comfy pace and the last mile was at a "faster pace." I feel like I'm still so bad at comfy pace. The last several runs I felt like I was trying too hard to run slow and therefore my form was suffering (like I'm holding myself back.) But I can't maintain super speedy pace for 3 miles without feeling super out of breath by the end. So I still am struggling to find that middle ground. My body just wants to run forward and not shuffle, but I'm not so physically fit that I can maintain "running" real fast for that long. Well, I can do it. I'm just a sweaty huffy puffy mess.
QUESTION: How do you all figure out what comfortable, easy pace means? I mean, is running really ever totally comfortable or easy?

My playlist was fun though. I picked a random playlist on Itunes radio and it gave me some hot jazz, blues, marching band music (weird, but fun) and some ragtime piano. It was really fun and I'm having a good time messing with music choices. My pop radio mix was just getting to the point where it was too much of the same.
Oh and a fun upbeat version of Very Merry Unbirthday actually was the last song as I was "sprinting" to my finish line. How fitting because it was my un-birthday yesterday (and today!)

 

[LSUlakes]

Another 3 miles checked off the list last night. They felt really good but I can't shake the feeling that my app is calculating miles kind of funky. I did a "lap" or big square in my neighborhood that calculated as a mile. Then my second mile was a farther distance than the first by about 3+ blocks. And my last one was about only 1.5 blocks more than the first lap. Hrmmmmm. Well, if I am running more than 3 that just means I'm getting some extra mileage in right?
It took me 33:57 but I felt like it should have been less because my two "comfy pace" miles were at what I felt was a pretty good clip. Oh well, I still did it.
First two miles were at comfy pace and the last mile was at a "faster pace." I feel like I'm still so bad at comfy pace. The last several runs I felt like I was trying too hard to run slow and therefore my form was suffering (like I'm holding myself back.) But I can't maintain super speedy pace for 3 miles without feeling super out of breath by the end. So I still am struggling to find that middle ground. My body just wants to run forward and not shuffle, but I'm not so physically fit that I can maintain "running" real fast for that long. Well, I can do it. I'm just a sweaty huffy puffy mess.
QUESTION: How do you all figure out what comfortable, easy pace means? I mean, is running really ever totally comfortable or easy?

My playlist was fun though. I picked a random playlist on Itunes radio and it gave me some hot jazz, blues, marching band music (weird, but fun) and some ragtime piano. It was really fun and I'm having a good time messing with music choices. My pop radio mix was just getting to the point where it was too much of the same.
Oh and a fun upbeat version of Very Merry Unbirthday actually was the last song as I was "sprinting" to my finish line. How fitting because it was my un-birthday yesterday (and today!)

I would say a "comfy pace" is a pace in which you can hold a conversation with someone. Not full blown conversation, but where you can get a sentence or two out without it causing much of a problem. The only time you should run and not be able to speak at all is during short sprints or up to 800m. Longer runs in which you are at a higher intensity, you should be able to get a phrase or two out at a time. Hope this helps out some.

Sorry to hear about the dog coming after you. I have had little dogs run at me, but they don't cause much trouble other than being loud. A large dog would have me concerned though.

 

[roxymama]

That's good advise about being able to talk. I always run solo with headphones in and even at races I'm just running by myself. Maybe I'll try talking to myself (when there aren't people around to think I'm a bit nutty.)
I've been using my yoga breathing methods as a baseline to make sure I'm not holding my breath during the fast intervals. But I never thought about trying a conversation.
Tonight or tomorrow morning is 4 miles and are all supposed to be easy pace.

 

[LSUlakes]

Talking to yourself could be interesting, plus most people who aren't running and see you running either in crazy weather or strange hours already think runners are crazy, so lets not try to change the stereotype here. j/k Good luck and let me know how it goes.