Wk of March 15th - WISH Team Walkers and Runners

[deekaypee]

Tracy: You just had to go and mention ice cream, did you? Someone is supposed to be on a diet. x(Just ignore that whole Pi day post--that was DOOD's idea.) Oh, and have I mentioned that my local Coldstone Creamery has M-F specials if you support the downtown area. Friday is "show your library card." Does it get any better than that--pick up a book, eat some ice cream, and read? You're conspiring with Coldstone, aren't you?

You're one of the few people I know that seems to look forward to the hill training. It must be the allure of Mt. Trashmore and maybe the picture-taking opportunities. That, or you're strange. Great picture of the shuttle take off, btw. I envy that you and JimB got to see the sight in person.

Jim: So sorry about your respiratory infection--hope it's not too painful. Are you feeling any better?

Kristi: Great job on your 10K run. I'm always so impressed that you can do laps like that, not to mention stick to your intervals so well. And then laps with the roller skating, too. Ikay, if you're regressing back to the 80s with the roller skating, did you wear a spandex costume with a headband? Or at least stonewashed jeans?

Joan: Good luck on the TM. I hope spring comes your way soon.

Aloha Jeff: Pictures of tasty malasadas! Harumph! And you must be conspiring with Tracy. Diet. That's die with a t. I know, I know, run to eat.

Judy: Great training on the TM! I, too, have Princess regret. On the other hand, I didn't need to agonize about "does this tiera make my head look big." (Hey, I look for those consolations where I can find them.) Tell me, oh Evil Queen, can you do that fabulous eye-narrowing stare she does? Ooooh, makes me shudder every time. (Not that I believe you're an Evil Queen for a second, but I can see you as a smokin' femme fatale.)

Sharon: So happy for you and the 80 degree weather--share some with me, huh? Better yet, share with Joan. Consolation on the January event is that it's so big and exciting--non-stop party action. (At least at the back of the pack!)

Kim: Only 42 weeks? Okay, so I'm a little behind schedule on some of my maintenance goals. Yikes! This was supposed to be the year of the biceps for me. Hmmm. Your goals, btw, sound reasonable and do-able. I'm glad you're back here so we can trade training stories and tips.

TM Tracy: Hello and welcome! You've got a great schedule coming up to help you train for the Goofy. Everyone raves about the Pig--I haven't done it yet, but hopefully Krista or Stephen will weigh in--and I know some WISHers will be there. I'm looking forward to learning more about you. And I must say I'm honored that you chose WISH to be your first post on the DIS.

As for me: Near bonk today...on my XT day, of all things. In a gym. Gym was incredibly hot and I thought I was hydrating correctly. But no. Now I've been fuzzy and headachy all day. Knew I was bonking because I was getting unreasonably cranky at some of our regulars' behavior. Which is so unlike the reasonably cranky I normally am.

 

[FireDancer]

The first run of the year went quite well. It is a hilly run but my times dropped almost 30 seconds from my training time. Gotta love the added adrenaline from the race atmosphere.

I am all signed up for my first full marathon FINALLY. I was supposed to run Baltimore but it turns out I have a wedding that weekend. It came down to the Space Coast marathon in Cocoa beach or the Niagara Falls International. As much as I wanted to do the space coast the Niagara is so much closer (read: cheaper) so that will be it.

I'll be heading out for a run after the gym this evening. It is so nice not having to bundle up just to get in a run...come on spring!

Deb, are you going to do the Pittsburgh marathon or half? I see you guys have one again after a couple year hiatus. It looks pretty tough though.

 

[wellesleyprincess]

Hi everyone,

Debra, I have noticed that about my long runs. I think it's good as I don't really feel tired after that pace for a long run. I'm guessing it's more of a I could really push myself on the shorter runs thing. I've also noticed my long run pace is staying the same (or even decreasing) as the length increases.

As for me,
Today is crosstraining so a 90 minute dance class followed by an hour long strength training class.

Best,
Jennifer

 

[Hockeychic]

HI Debra, yup I am back just got back from a quick 5K, well more of a stroll, right shin was a bit sore but OK now.

Yaaa another Man U fan. My mom was born in Manchester. What happened on the weekend.....WOW....never thought I would see Man U lose, nevermind 4 - 1...

 

[FireDancer]

Yaaa another Man U fan. My mom was born in Manchester. What happened on the weekend.....WOW....never thought I would see Man U lose, nevermind 4 - 1...

Well, what I HOPE happened was that Man U had one day less rest after beating the Serie A leading Inter in the Champions League, Liverpool had to win where Man U didn't (they'll still have a 7 point lead when they beat Fulham), and the best defender in Europe had the worst game of his life.

As long as it's a one off I'll take the embarrassment and hope it makes them realize they can't just finish the season on auto pilot, they still have to win their 4th and 5th trophy this year...come on quintuple.

 

[chimera]

Welcome TM Tracy!! That's a pretty nifty race schedule you got there! Do you follow a particular training program?

Gettin' ready to get our Irish on tomorrow! My ancestry is Scots-Irish (mom is a McGrew) so it's a good excuse to celebrate, though I can't say I've ever had green beer.

Starting my new training plan for the summer. I'm starting with MFM, then switching over to higdon to focus on the higher mileage.Tonight I went out for 30 min. I started with walk 5, then ran 20 (no intervals!!), then walked 5 to cooldown. Yay! We'll see how far I get without intervals. I'm also going to try to add a 4th running day, but I tend to flare the PF when I do that.

I may try to get DD16 to do the IronGirl 5K in Clearwater in a couple weeks. You get a medal and a plush duck for all finishers!

Ride n Roll was cool! I did 11 miles on the bike yesterday. Jeff and I don't travel together much, but when we do, he does about 12 to 13 mph on 'blades. I think we could design some kinda relay duathlon race thingy.

 

[Hockeychic]

I agree Frank, maybe it was the kick in the pants they needed and will come out stronger next game. Still wearing my Man U shirt proud

Hi Mel, DH's grandparents are Irish so I am wearing my green today.

 

[jmasgat]

Happy St Pat's day all! Coming from a long line of Donnelly's, Connolly's, Riley's, and then some, you'd think I'd be out pushing back a pint of Guinness. But no, today I have to work late due to some teleconferences with Korea & Australia. And tomorrow, I have to start early (5:30) to get more countries, so no celebrating today. Made my corned beef, boxty and fried cabbage on Sunday.

Started a new round of speedwork today. Re-calculated my paces based on my latest 5k result, gasped , adjusted them downward a little and gave it a try. Had I stuck to the original pace, I would have been running at 7:08!!! Not wanted to go flying backwards off the TM, I readjusted to 7:18 and did a 6x400 set. It was hard. We'll see if I can keep up the prescribed paces.

Jeff Happy 50th birthday!......for the State of Hawaii, of course. You, on the other hand, don't look a day over 30.
And those malasadas look yummy!

Tracy Adding my welcome to everyone else's. You have quite an ambitious schedule lined up. Hope yur training goes well.

Kim, Kristi, Mel Keep up the good workouts

Debra Sorry about the stonker. So do your gym regulars have any particularly annoying habits you care to share? or interesting quirks? That could be a good, pithy, although slightly rude, thread--"Name your favorite gym character". Mine would be the guy who used to sing out loud and throw his hands up in the air while running on the treadmill. Not sure what he was listening to, but it must have been motivating to him!

And finally, here's an old friend that I met during Princess weekend (Gonzo, that is. But I did meet Dave Goelz, the Muppeteer beind my favorite Muppet.)

Maura

 

[TMGirl]

Welcome TM Tracy!! That's a pretty nifty race schedule you got there! Do you follow a particular training program?

No, just been kind of making it up as I go along. This is what I was doing to prepare for the Princess:
Sun - Long run (alternate weeks 14 mi and 9.5 mi) in the afternoon
Mon - Spin class 1 hr in the AM, 35 min weights in the PM
Tues - 8 mi run after work
Wed - Spin class 1 hr in the AM, rest PM (LOST night on TV!)
Thurs - 8 mi run after work
Fri - Spin class 1 hr in the AM, rest PM
Sat - 35 min weights in the PM

I've tried running intervals on the treadmill but I can't stand it, so that's why I started up with the spin classes (makes interval training more tolerable).

 

[deekaypee]

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone! I don't drink of the green beer, but I will be enjoying soda bread, plus farmhouse cheese, and tea. Later, well, I might have some Jameson's, which I prefer over Bushmill's.

Frank: I want to do Space sometime, too, and hadn't considered Niagara. It'll be a beautiful course, I'm sure. The Pgh mary and 1/2 mary will have some great sights, but yeah, I think the course will be tough for people not used to hills. I'm not doing it--gasp--because I'm lazy. Nawwwww, really, I'm not doing it because I'm working on some core issues before I start to train for the Dopey. So late Autum-Fall will be my race season, I guess, capping in January. So thanks for putting Niagara on my radar--closer is cheaper indeed! And can you believe Pgh is FULL as of yesterday? They've got a wait list for the 1/2 and full. I'm hoping they open more spots, as DOOD's relay team hadn't gelled and now he's shut out of the race. He's not quite heart-broken, but he's not happy.

Re: Man U. Oh, they'll man up. They will. They just needed Liverpool to remind them of what it's like to really want something.

Re: Your first race. Holy Smokes! A 30-second drop in time? That's fantastic! How did you feel after--strong, I presume. You're pretty fast, so I need to pick your brain. What's the difference between your SR pace and your LR pace? How does that play out on a 1/2 race? I'm curious in part because Jennifer (WellesleyPrincess) is training now for her first 1/2 in May and asked about this a couple of weeks ago. You're pretty experienced and could give her better advice than I did. What do you think?

I did 8 miles in 1 hr 10 (8:45 pace). It was nice and easy. I have a question for all of you more experienced marathoners. My first half is in May and my long runs are at somewhere between an 8:30 and 9:00 mpm pace. What should I expect it to run it in? I was originally aiming for 1:55, but now I'm not sure. I usually run my 10ks and 5ks faster than my training pace, will the adreneline last through the half-marathon?

Jennifer

Jennifer: Yes, I think that there's very little difference in your SR and LR paces is an excellent thing. And it bodes well for your race, meaning that you might well be able to come closer to your SR pace during the event. I took the liberty of re-posting your training question to Frank because I really respect the advice he gives.

Kim: A 5K "stroll." Yeah, right. It stopped being a stroll once you started referring to it by race distance. You're one tough cookie.

Mel: Are you wearing a kilt while drinking Guinness? Congrats on starting your summer training--why the focus on higher mileage, may I ask? Related to duathlon training? I'd never heard of IronGirl events. Plus, the Aflac duck. Should be fun! Will you be participating?

Maura: Wow, your speedwork. It's so...speedy. Apparently the figures have left me breathless. Do you do your speedwork mostly on the TM? I do, mostly because the belt keeps me moving when I don't want to.

About my gym regulars....now, you know perfectly well I love to share stories.... I love the idea of "Name your favorite gym character." I have "Pajama Bottom Guy," who annoys me for his self-centered behavior when it comes to the stationary bikes. There's "The Immovable Object," "Superfreak," "The Lunging Lady," "Napster," and "Feely McFeelster." But today I'll go with "Dancing Queen." She started working out, oh, about 1 1/2 years ago, and has progressed from being fairly slow and low-intensity to some moderate workouts. She always dances: on the TM, between sets on the free weights, moving from machine to machine. And she's lost 50-75 pounds! I look for her whenever I'm at the gym because she always makes me smile. I think this could definitely be a thread...or a mixer. But then again, I do snarky well.

P.S. Did you know JenB (JBucci) is a huge Muppets fan? Me, too, of course.

TM Tracy: That's an ambitious schedule, WO 7 days a week. But it looks well-balanced, especially since you've done the most important thing. You've schedule rest nights in that coincide with Lost. A lot of Losties here, so you're in good company!

For Mel, Kim, and Maura: I'm wearing orange today, thanks to my Dutch (and Protestant) heritage. Take that. Nothing else to report, yet.

 

[jmasgat]

Debra California Grill has a lovely 15 yr old Bushmill's "3 Wood" Single Malt Irish Whiskey. So before you swear off Bushmill's, give it a try. Especially lovely to sip while watching "Wishes"

Maura

 

[FireDancer]

Debra: Yes, I think Man U will win the EPL and FA Cup. I am a little more worried about the Champions League but I think there are only 3 teams that can win it, Man U, Liverpool, and Barca. I am hoping Barca and Liverpool draw each other in the Quarters.

I was looking for a flat full for my first full. I am running it with one of my friends so we had to get weekends we were both available. I would also suggest looking at the Columbus marathon. I did the half last year and the course is flat and fast and the support was very good. Plus you get to run through THE Ohio State University.

My LRs are usually around the 7:15/mile pace with the SR's being a little faster, usually just below 7. My half PR is 90:23 and my 5K average is around 19:10. It depends on the time of year and course profile. The thing I suggest to get faster is to run out of your comfort zone. I too often find myself too comfortable on my training runs which usually slows me down 10 to 15 seconds per mile.

I went out last night and did just under 7. I am currently trying to get slowly up to the 13 again for the half in Nashville. I am still trying to get rid of those last 23 seconds and get below 90 for a half.

As far as my favorite gym character, I have to go with throw the weights for no reason guy. I mean, if you just can't get that last rep of flys up and have to drop them, fine, but throwing the dumb bells after your last rep every time is just silly.

I love the Muppets, Kermit is my second favorite after Mickey.

 

[mkymsehi]

Happy St. Patrick's Day Team Green

From St. Oh'loha

 

[wellesleyprincess]

Debra, Thanks for reposting the question.

Frank, Thanks for posting your times. I have a similar difference in paces but with LR at 8:15 ish and SR at righ around to just under 8. I love that you mentioned the Ohio State. My sorority big sister is currently at law school there.

I did 5 miles today in just under 40 minutes. I'm so ready for spring break. I finished my last midterm today.

Best,
Jennifer

 

[Kristi1357]

I'm not sure who mentioned the Niagara race, but that is pretty darn cool! I told Chad today that he has to do that one. He says I only want him to do it so I can stalk Johnny Goo in Buffalo while he's running! Too bad the half doesn't cross the border. I am not ready to try a full just yet. I also have been wanting to do a Niagara Falls trip sometime in the next year or two...

Walked a couple miles around downtown today while Chad had a doc. appt.
Nothing spectacular, but beats sitting on the couch!

 

[ImMarcik]

Debra, for me the TM is the easiest. I think it's because I don't pace as well outside but my garmin is helping. I am going to have to make a point to make myself run outside at least once a week now that it's getting warmer.

 

[mkymsehi]

8 1/4 miles in 1:15:45. Warm and humid, I wasn't loving the run, but I got it done.

Here's what it looked like when I was done.

 

[TMGirl]

Checking in with 7.75 mi yesterday in 1:21 (that's a little slower than normal for me). Hamstrings and everything else just felt kind of tight.

Killer 1 hr spin class this morning and some ab work.

 

[bunnyfoo]

Went for a 3 miler after work. It was kind of meh... lots of walking breaks and I couldn't seem to go much faster than 11:30 m/m. I'm back out for a quick tempo run tonight. Hopefully that will be better.

 

[Kristi1357]

Just back from the Y.
5 miles in 1:10 - w4/r1.