Running Renaissance: One Skip Ahead of my Doom

[GollyGadget]

Run to Exile 10K Training - Week 2/20
What an interesting week. I spent pretty much all of my free time in interview prep mode which meant no strength training happened. Apparently my approach of do it when I have the time is not going to cut it and I need to schedule it into my life just like running.

In job news, the technical interview went well so now I have two behavioral interviews. Do other companies do this? I've worked at the same place my entire adult life and I'm always curious if it's just an us thing. Anyway, second interview is in a couple of hours and I can no longer focus so I'm posting this delayed journal update

Scheduled
Monday - Off
Tuesday - R 2 sets 6x200
Wednesday - Easy 4 miles
Thursday - R 4x200 + 3xT + 4x200
Friday - Off
Saturday - Easy 5 miles
Sunday - Easy 10 miles

Completed
Monday - Off - We completed our community impact project at GOTR so no activity there. When I got home, my partner and I went for a short bike ride. We're just out there to have fun so we never ride at a challenging pace but I was surprised to feel the effort in my quads. I'm guessing it's a combination of my lack of using those muscles for that purpose combined with my new dedication to squats & lunges.
Tuesday - R 2 sets 6x200 - First R workout. I debated running before work when it would be cooler out but I always struggle to do anything more than easy in the morning so I decided to wait until my typical lunch time run. Worked out fine but my pacing was tough. My watch kept me my pace was either 6 or 8, and mostly 6. I'm surprised my paces were as close to 7 as they were. I was conciously trying to slow down and looks like I went too far. Next time I'll use a different screen on my watch to see if that helps. Also when I was finished my watch asked me if I wanted to calibrate so I think I may have accidentally done a treadmill workout instead of run with gps.
Wednesday - Easy 4 miles - run was fine. I decided to go a different route then usual and I probably won't be doing that again any time soon because I also called the cops for the first time in my life. I was not harmed but did feel extremely unsafe about the situation. That pretty much distracted me for the rest of the day.
Thursday - R 4x200 + 2xT + 4x200 - it was going to be a hot one. I had the technical interview in the am and I didn't really want to figure out how to run, shower, and look presentable by 9:30 so I stuck with my usual lunch time run. Unfortunately T+D was already 140 and being my first week with these workouts, I have no idea what the paces should feel like. I knew I should slow down but I didn't know by how much. As you can see, I didn't make it. I went too hard in the first R portion and fell apart during the T. I also didn't bring any water which was a major mistake. To avoid this in the future, I'm going to try the treadmill next time it's warm and I have a quality session. At least until I learn what the paces should feel like.
Friday - Off
Saturday - Easy 5 miles GOTR 5K - I had the privilege of being a running buddy for one of my participants and it was a lot of fun. The running was a bit of a challenge though. We try to teach them how to pace and use intervals but really most girls end up sprinting, walking, repeat until done. My girl was no different. Sprint 50m, walk 5 min. I managed to keep her in my sights during the sprinting but it was faster than I would normally run and I ended up with terrible shin splints. I haven't had shin splints since high school (which was quite a while ago) and that part was not fun at all.
Sunday - Easy 10 miles - See above about shin splints. I also had terrible cramps, much worse then usual and spent most of the day on the couch. At one point, my partner asked if he could get me anything and apparently wasn't expecting my answer to be a hysterectomy .

Not really how I wanted the week to end, but no reason to dwell on it. Onwards and upwards!

Happy running my friends!

 

[SheHulk]

What's a "behavioral interview"???? Also congrats on making it to them I guess!

 

[GollyGadget]

What's a "behavioral interview"???? Also congrats on making it to them I guess!

exactly. It’s an interview based solely on how you’ve behaved in past situations. The questions will each focus on a specific area. For example, I just got asked about a time when a coworker was not offering ideas and I encouraged them to contribute. This question was asked to understand how well I work with others and seek out diverse perspectives.

It can be really difficult to think of those examples in the moment so I usually spend a lot of time reflecting on recent challenges at work before any interviews. The other tricky part is that there has to be a tangible result so it can't just be "I met with them 1x1 and asked for their input". You have to explain how that input lead to a success. This leads to an interesting balance of using recent examples but something old enough to understand the results/impacts.

Glad it's over

 

[GollyGadget]

Run to Exile 10K Training - Week 3/20
Running this week went much better than last. I still had to shorten a few workouts, but I got out there every day I was scheduled and managed 3 strength workouts.

Scheduled
Monday - Off
Tuesday - R 3 sets 200 + 200 + 400
Wednesday - Easy 5 miles
Thursday - T 3x1+ R 6x200
Friday - Off
Saturday - Easy 6 miles
Sunday - Easy 8 miles

Completed
Monday - Off - my shins were still bothering me so I took the rest day as scheduled. We had our final GOTR practice and it was bittersweet. I will appreciate the break but I'll miss the girls and some of their antics
Tuesday - R 3 2.5 sets 200 + 200 + 400 - Weather was seasonable so I went outside before the rain started. Used a different screen on my watch and my pacing was much better. After last week's ordeal, I'm sticking to well traveled paths so I altered my planned route a bit which added a couple of small hills at the end but I think their effect was negligible. Not negligible however was a sharp pain in my right shoulder at the end of my last 200. I have no idea what caused it but it was unbearable. I tried to go for the last 400 but could not figure out how to hold my arm to avoid the pain so I decided to end the workout and head home. The shoulder pain was not there at slower speeds so I was able to run the cool down. I also completed my strength workout later in the day without issue so I'm hoping it was just an anomaly and won't happen again. .
I also finally stopped to take a photo of these signs. They've been up for a few months. Clearly a case where one person isn't taking to the other. Is this a detour or is the route closed?

Wednesday - Easy 5 miles - tried to time out the rain the best that I could. Still got a little wet but that was inevitable. I commented to my partner how it was weird there weren’t many others out and he just looked at me like I was an alien and pointed at the rain Could feel Tuesdays run and workout in my legs so kept it extra easy. Saw a cyclist get attacked by a goose and I’m starting to wonder if the universe is telling me to stop running.
FYI, this is why the geese are so protective. I bet there's at least 30 goslings in the immediate area.

Thursday - T 3x1+ R 6x200 - I was a bit anxious about this run. I was nervous my shoulder would not behave and that I hadn’t successfully run the Thursday run the week before. I started wondering if I should try that one again but by that point I was already in my first mile repeat so I just went with it. My biggest issue with pacing continues to be my nonstop daydreaming. I can focus on pace for the shorter stuff but anything over 800 and I’m starting to wonder about evening plans or what's for lunch or really anything but running. Anyone have any tips? I find if I count down the seconds it keeps my mind on task a bit longer but not for the 480 seconds it takes me to run a mile at T pace
Friday - Off - fit in another strength workout here before we hit the road for the long weekend. Originally I was going to do it on Thursday but my legs were still a bit sore from Tuesday so I pushed it out a day.
Saturday - Easy 6 5.5 miles - got started later than I wanted but the run was good. I could feel the heat coming off the grass in places but luckily I was finished just after 10a. The sun was noticeably impacting my heart rate so I tried to stick to the shade and when I couldn’t just reminded myself it was good training for the half next weekend where I’m sure it will be warm.
Sunday - Easy 8 6.4 miles - we were in Indy for the weekend and I have a pretty strict rule to not run before sunrise in unfamiliar places. That meant not heading out until 6:15 which inevitably meant that I wouldn’t have time for the full 8 before I had to return at 7:30 so I just ran what I could. The run itself was nice. Noticeably fewer people out at 6a vs 9a the day prior. Why did I have to be back at 7:30? To ride a bike 6 miles to the Indy 500 so maybe that makes up for some of the missed miles? FYI, the canal walk is a really nice place to get in a few miles if you ever find yourself in Indy. It's not very long but it's away from car traffic and has a few interesting sights.


Coming up this Saturday I have a half marathon. Still not sure about my exact strategy. I'm leaning towards not racing it and may just run with a friend if she'll let me.

Finally, I got the job! I'm excited to do something new and have some local coworkers. Not as excited about going into an office again. It sounds like I'll only be expected to be there Tues-Thurs which isn't terrible but I'll definitely want to rethink my current Monday/Friday rest day strategy. I'm really bad at running after work and not super excited to wake up at 5a just to run before work. I'll miss my lunch time runs for sure.

Happy running friends!

 

[GollyGadget]

Run to Exile 10K Training - Weeks 4-6ish/20
Hi there strangers, I've been dreading this update for a while. Training has been going pretty close to plan but it's just been so long since I updated. I can barely remember what I ate for lunch yesterday so going by memory isn't exactly my strong suit. Luckily, my Garmin has a pretty good idea what I've been up to. Good news for you is that since I can't remember, it's going to be pretty brief unless I start to ramble.

Scheduled
Monday - Off
Tuesday - R 3x200 + 3x400 + 3x200
Wednesday - Easy 5 miles
Thursday - Easy 3 miles
Friday - Off
Saturday - Dam to DSM Half Marathon
Sunday - Off
Monday - Off
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Off
Friday - Off
Saturday - Off
Sunday - Easy 3 miles
Monday - Easy 4 miles
Tuesday - Easy 5 miles
Wednesday - R 3x400 + 3x400
Thursday - Off
Friday - Easy 6 miles
Saturday - Easy 9 miles
Sunday - Off

Scheduled
Monday - Off
Tuesday - R 3x200 + 3x400 + 3x200 - bit warm out so ran on the treadmill. It was a whole ordeal getting the TV setup but eventually I got Disney+ logged in and started watching the new Rescue Rangers movie. I was a big fan of the show as a kid and the movie was a good distraction although it's now over two weeks later and I still haven't finished it The intervals were tough but manageable. I also forgot to setup the workout on my Garmin so there's no splits but since it was in the treadmill I feel pretty confident about the pacing
Wednesday - Easy 5 miles - I have no idea what my excuse was but I did not do this run. I think I thought I could just postpone everything a day but that didn't happen.
Thursday - Easy 3 4 miles - Does one extra mile count for missing 5 the day before? No... But at least it's something. I also volunteered at packet pickup after work. These were some of the fanciest "packets" I've ever received. There was also the obligatory shirt but I didn't take a photo of it. It's white which I thought was an odd choice but I'm warming up to it.

Friday - Off
Saturday - Dam to DSM Half Marathon - Honestly had no plan here. I didn't really feel like racing so I just took it easy and ran with a friend. The weather was pretty good but the sun did come out near the end and I wasn't too impressed by it. The course was net downhill which had me debating running it next year for time. However, January is a really dicey month weather wise. We're extremely lucky it wasn't warmer. Also, even though the shuttle pick up was only 3 blocks from my house, I'm really not a big fan of waking up before 5am to catch a shuttle unless Mickey will be there.... So right now I'm planning to skip next year but things could always change.
Sunday - Off
Monday - Off - I flew to DFW for work and was glad to have this week break pre scheduled. Even though I didn't race the half, my body and mind appreciated the break. Plus, it was 95 degrees out. Little did I know that would be the temperature of my life for the next two weeks.
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Off
Friday - Off
Saturday - Off
Sunday - Easy 3 miles - I was itching to get back to running. It's always good to have this reset and get excited about running again.
Monday - Easy 4 miles - Went running before 7a which isn't my favorite thing but the weather necessitated it. I decided to run past a playground that my grams used to take me to. It was one of my favorite spots as a kid but as an adult I'm wondering why we were playing in sewer tunnels?

Tuesday - Easy 5 miles - woof, even at 6:15 it was warm. We've been hitting record warm lows most of the week so there's been very little relief. Glad I thought to freeze my water bottles!
Wednesday - R 3x400 + 3x400 - I knew there was little chance this run would happen on account of the weather and no access to a treadmill. However, I was planning to at least get in some easy miles. Well, I just couldn't pull myself out of bed this morning.
Thursday - Off Easy 5.5 miles - I have to leave for the airport at 6:30a on Friday so I did the easy thing and moved the run up a day. I still struggled to get out of bed but I told myself I had to at least get a few miles in. Actually surprised I got all the way to 5.5. This took me ~65 minutes which is just a smidge longer than how long it would take me to run the full 6 given cooler weather so I'm considering this a success.
Friday - Easy 6 miles - see above
Saturday - Easy 9 miles - well, it's currently Thursday and I haven't learned how to predict the future so you'll have to stay tuned. I just had to write an update while I had the time before I fell even further behind.
Sunday - Off

A pretty easy 3 weeks. Things will ramp up next week, but not too quick. Just fewer easy runs and off days since there's no racing until September. I adjusted my schedule to give myself a rest day on Thursday now so I can go into the office without too much hassle at least once a week. It's kind of weird that now I have a rest day on Sunday and I'm not used to that but I didn't want to disrupt the days between the speed workouts and the long run. I did consider doing the long run on Saturday followed by a medium run on Sunday but I prefer the medium run the day before. It won't matter in a month or so anyway because I'll be increasing to 6 days a week and Sunday will be back to runday

Happy running folks!

 

[GollyGadget]

Run to Exile 10K Training - Week 7/20
Well, I learned one thing these last two weeks... Saturday long runs are not for me. Not to spoil the training recap, but I didn't run my long run on the previous Saturday or this past Saturday. I volunteer at the zoo on Saturdays at 8:30a and I thought that I could manage waking up early to run but after waking up early all week for work, I just can't. If it wasn't summer, I could run after my volunteer shift but it's too warm for that nonsense this time of year unless I wanted to run for hours on the treadmill and I do not. Oh well, lesson learned and now my training plan has been adjusted yet again.
Not running related, but I also learned that I can't handle 3 days in the office in a row. I was absolutely exhausted on Friday from it. Thank heavens my workplace has finally learned we can be productive from home.

On with the show!

Scheduled
Monday - R 3 sets 200 + 200 + 400
Tuesday - Easy 6 miles
Wednesday - R 4x200 + T 3mi + R 4x200
Thursday - Off
Friday - Easy 6 miles
Saturday - Easy 10 miles
Sunday - Off

Completed
Monday - R 3 sets 200 + 200 + 400 - A bit warm so ran this on the treadmill after work. There was a large discrepancy and I ended up with an extra half mile per the treadmill. The run itself was good though and I snuck in some strength training afterwards
Tuesday - Easy 6 miles - had to go into the office so I did this at 6am. It was already hot a humid but I survived to tell the tale. Hattie was very suspicious why I was running so early

Wednesday - R 4x200 + T 3mi + R 4x200 - I tried to use my new running belt and that was a complete disaster. The bottles fell out at least 3 times. I've since devised a plan for a quick stitch that should make the bottles more snug but I need to find the time to give it a try.
Thursday - Off - Day 2 of strength. I know that I should do it on the same day as my hard runs but this was when I had time and there were still two days before my long run.
Friday - Easy 6 miles - My typical route was closed for construction. I'm not really sure why because it doesn't seem like anything has been repaired on the bright side, it meant I had to run somewhere different so I headed for the art festival which at least gave me something to look at.
Saturday - Easy 10 miles Off - see earlier comments. I was way too exhausted from work to wake up at 5:30a to sneak this in. I thought I would run afterward but I was still tired and took a nap instead
Sunday - Off Easy 9 miles - I had predecided I would cap this at 9 since I skipped the long run completely the week before. The run felt great. I had so much energy when I finished that I did another strength session making it 3 on the week . Also, I spotted a turkey. We don't really get a lot of wildlife since moving to a city so I definitely stopped to take its photo.


Woo hoo! I'm really proud of this week. All runs completed and 3 strength sessions . Now to figure out how to keep this up!

Happy running friends!

 

[striker1064]

I tried to use my new running belt and that was a complete disaster. The bottles fell out at least 3 times.

Which one did you end up with? I read back through your previous posts so I apologize if I missed where you already said it! I went through this myself recently.

 

[GollyGadget]

Which one did you end up with? I read back through your previous posts so I apologize if I missed where you already said it! I went through this myself recently.

I believe it's a Nathan TrailMix hydration belt. I didn't intend to get a new belt but one of my bottles was leaking on my old belt and when I went in to ask about buying a new bottle, I ended up with an entire belt instead. In addition to the leaking, my old belt is of the age that modern smartphones do not fit in the zipper pouch. Luckily, I'm still using an iPhone 8 and it just barely fits. Anyway, I was pretty jazzed about the new belt because it meant I could carry more things. Unfortunately, the bottles bounce uncontrollably. This looks to be because they're mostly supported by elastic. I think if I tack down the elastic with a quick stitch on my sewing machine it should help (it certainly won't hurt ). Until then, I've been using my old belt with the new bottles. Were you able to fix the issue on yours?

 

[lookingforsunshine]

Hattie

 

[striker1064]

I believe it's a Nathan TrailMix hydration belt. I didn't intend to get a new belt but one of my bottles was leaking on my old belt and when I went in to ask about buying a new bottle, I ended up with an entire belt instead. In addition to the leaking, my old belt is of the age that modern smartphones do not fit in the zipper pouch. Luckily, I'm still using an iPhone 8 and it just barely fits. Anyway, I was pretty jazzed about the new belt because it meant I could carry more things. Unfortunately, the bottles bounce uncontrollably. This looks to be because they're mostly supported by elastic. I think if I tack down the elastic with a quick stitch on my sewing machine it should help (it certainly won't hurt ). Until then, I've been using my old belt with the new bottles. Were you able to fix the issue on yours?

I had a Trail Mix that I bought years ago and used sporadically - mostly because I don't like it! This time around I bought a Nathan Peak belt. I like the single bottle a bit better, plus it fits better around my back (the Trail Mix only ever seemed to work on the front). The Peak has an elastic band supposedly for holding gels, but I found if I tighten that, it keeps the water bottle from bouncing. I like it! I can't speak to carrying my smartphone though, I never bring that with me.

 

[GollyGadget]

I had a Trail Mix that I bought years ago and used sporadically - mostly because I don't like it! This time around I bought a Nathan Peak belt. I like the single bottle a bit better, plus it fits better around my back (the Trail Mix only ever seemed to work on the front). The Peak has an elastic band supposedly for holding gels, but I found if I tighten that, it keeps the water bottle from bouncing. I like it! I can't speak to carrying my smartphone though, I never bring that with me.

I am a bit worried about this model fitting correctly. My old belt is just fine but the larger pocket on the new one forces the bottles out wider and my arms definitely hit them a few times. I'll give it at least one more try though.

After my medical emergency on my run last year, I'm not allowed to run without my phone. The doctor actually told me not to run alone anymore and running with my phone was the compromise so I really need a place to put it. Most of my running bottoms have pockets but not all of them.

Good to know about the single bottle! I have a friend who also uses that style and says she prefers it. I'll keep that in the options list.

 

[JAMIESMITH]

I have a flip belt that I use to carry my phone, a small wallet with a credit card and a little cash, and either a water bottle or small hand gun. Have you tried one of these belts?

 

[GollyGadget]

I have a flip belt that I use to carry my phone, a small wallet with a credit card and a little cash, and either a water bottle or small hand gun. Have you tried one of these belts?

I appreciate the suggestion. I actually have a flip belt but not the water bottle. Do you notice it bouncing around at all?

I don't prefer running in mine but I can't remember why at the moment. It only makes an appearance if I have no pockets and I don't need to carry any water. I'm typically nervous the entire run that my epinephrine will fall out. It hasn't yet but maybe that extra unnecessary stress is why I avoid it.

 

[GollyGadget]

Run to Exile 10K Training - Week 7/20
Another solid week of training. Moving my long run back to Sunday was a success and I completed all of my runs. Only one strength workout but I'll get back to it this week. I'm officially done with phase 1 and will start phase 2 this week. Phase 2 runs mid August and builds upon the threshold runs but replaces the faster & shorter repetition runs with slightly longer and slower intervals. I'll miss the short speedy bursts but it will be fun to do something different for a few weeks.

Looking ahead, phase 3 starts August 15 and Daniels encourages races during this time. So far I've only registered for one race (run to Exile 10K). There was another one I was eyeing a couple of weeks before but when I went to register this week they had changed the date to mid July! It was organized by some national race company that hosts the same race themes across the country. Because it wasn't local, I was a bit suspicious and now I'm really glad that I didn't register. So now I'm on the lookout for another option. My biggest constraint is that I'll be traveling 3/6 weekends so that only leaves 2 and I haven't found anything local for those weekends. I might try racing on one of my travel weekends but I haven't decided yet. One of those weekends, I'll be in Chicago for a music festival. There is a 5K pretty close to where we're staying but I'll be spending a lot of time in the heat and on my feet before the race so it wouldn't be a top performance. However, it could still serve as a good tuneup. The other weekends I'll be out of the country and I still need to research what those options might be.

Scheduled
Monday - Easy 6 miles
Tuesday - R 7x400
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - T 4x1400 + R 4x200
Friday - Off
Saturday - Easy 7 miles
Sunday - M 7 miles

Completed
Monday - Easy 6 miles - this run was really good. One of those runs where everything just falls into place.
Tuesday - R 7x400 - I could still feel the squats in my legs from Sunday's workout so I was nervous about this one. It wasn't an issue though and my paces all looked good. I later realized that Garmin gps was off though so now I'm not sure. Skipped the strength workout because my legs were still so sore.
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - T 4x1400 + R 4x200 - this run was really tough. I had to really focus on my breathing during the last 1400. However my paces were shockingly good. Also did my strength training this day. I'm sure no one else can tell but I can feel that I have more muscle which is a big encouragement.
Friday - Off - no training to report but it was my birthday and I'm now 5 min closer to a BQ . My dogs threw me a birthday party, well, maybe I just put them in hats and called it a party

Saturday - Easy 7 miles - this was a rough morning. I had to wake up early to get the run in before the heat and my volunteer shift at the zoo. My birthday celebrations the night before made it more difficult than usual to get going but the run itself went pretty well.
Sunday - M 7 6 miles - another run that I was nervous for but this one did not go as well as the others. After my 1mi warm up, I was meant to run 7 miles at 8:33 pace. Despite my efforts, I could not get anywhere near that. Most of the miles were over 9. I'm sure the heat & humidity had something to do with it but I wasn't expecting such an impact. My right hip started hurting around halfway which I attributed to the road camber. I switched to running on the right side of the road which I never do but it was a park road with few cars so safety was not much of an issue and I hoped it would help my hip. The pain didn't get any worse but it also didn't go away. Finally, after 6 miles of trying to hit marathon tempo, I decided to call it and move on to the cool down. Afterward, I realized Garmin was off again. It thinks my cool down was an 8:52 mi pace and I assure you it was 2 minutes slower. Now I'm left wondering what paces I was actually running during the tempo portion. It was my first go at marathon tempo so I have no idea what the effort should feel like but I'm wondering if I was actually going too fast? Oh well, I don't have any marathon plans until January so it's not super crucial I nail the pace. Regardless, I hope Garmin resolves the issue before my next marathon tempo session.

Happy running y'all!

 

[SheHulk]

Happy birthday!

 

[striker1064]

Happy birthday! It's so funny you mentioned the BQ - at my birthday this year I had the same thought! "2 more years until I get another 5 minute buffer." Not that I'm anywhere near that!

 

[GollyGadget]

Happy birthday!

Thank you!

Happy birthday! It's so funny you mentioned the BQ - at my birthday this year I had the same thought! "2 more years until I get another 5 minute buffer." Not that I'm anywhere near that!

Thanks! I'm also not that close. My current marathon PR would qualify me if I was twice my age . My estimated marathon time based on my recent half is only 10 min off but even that would require perfect training, fueling, course, race conditions, etc. I think I'll get to Boston eventually but I may just have to age into it so now my focus is on staying healthy and consistent.

 

[DopeyBadger]

 

[HangWithMerida]

Happy birthday! Cute puppies!!

 

[GollyGadget]

Thanks!

Happy birthday! Cute puppies!!

Thank you! The yellow one definitely knows it