I got yelled at for my Facebook status! HA HA!
I have not had anything nice to say about my training on Saturday, so I won't blog about it except to say it was not what I set out for it to be.
I don't have the patience right now to grab all the usual info from the nike site. Perhaps another time.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
I'm pretty sure my coach is trying to kill me
I think my coach is trying to kill me, and I told him so.
Usually on Monday nights, I get to training early, and my coach is already there. He usually gets there around 430 and runs for an hour or so. Training begins at 630. I tend to get there around 6. I always have these grandiose ideas that I'll run a little before training begins, and it never happens. Tonight, coach was not running, which is highly unusual. He told me he wasn't feeling well, head ache, sore throat, general malaise. I told him about the migraine I had all day yesterday, and the residual headache I have had all day today was not great, but endurable.
Coach: That's okay, we'll take it easy today.
Me: ::laughing:: Riight. Your idea of taking it easy and my idea are completely different. You'll be all oh, we'll do an easy six mile run tonight and I'm more of a oh hey, there's the bar, let's go get a drink kind of girl.
Take it easy. Pshaw!
Coach doesn't want me to rely so heavily on the timer on my iPod. So, tonight, I put my iPod into the pocket on my fuel belt and trusted my coach. He said I would be surprised at how far I am actually able to run. I was skeptical; the trail has markers every quarter mile. I was certain my brain would know when I hit 1 mile and tell my legs it was time to walk. But, with my coach at my side the entire time; only one other person made it to training tonight, and he was taking it easy -- his easy is my agony -- so coach was with me the entire time. Five minutes into the run, coach told the other guy to walk for five minutes (he's just starting back after 2 weeks nursing an injury) while I kept running. Let me tell you how much I wanted to walk for five minutes! But coach kept me running. It was lightly raining, but the rain provided zero cooling relief; I was sweating like crazy. We reached the one mile mark and turned around (the trail ends at one mile, as the entire trail is only two miles long, and we started at mid-point). Coach kept me running, you know, because he's trying to kill me. According to the markers on the trail, coach let me walk just after 1.5 miles. It was 16 minutes of running.
Coach gave me five glorious minutes of walking. It felt like five seconds. Then, he decided to mix things up... for fun... because he's trying to kill me. We slow jogged for two minutes and then did fifty steps at a much faster pace. Two minutes slow jog, fifty steps fast. Ugh. The man is trying to kill me. After only two reps, I stopped being able to keep jogging, and started walking for two minutes. Coach was disappointed, I could tell, but I was beat.
At the end of the evening, coach told me he is seeing improvement in me. And I am trying to do better. For him. Because he believes in me, even though I don't. He's trying to get my head in shape, because my brain is holding me back. It is. But I guess I'm just not as concerned about that as he is. It's not as important for me to improve my pace as it is to my coach. So, I'll try to do better for him. Even though he's trying to kill me.
Usually on Monday nights, I get to training early, and my coach is already there. He usually gets there around 430 and runs for an hour or so. Training begins at 630. I tend to get there around 6. I always have these grandiose ideas that I'll run a little before training begins, and it never happens. Tonight, coach was not running, which is highly unusual. He told me he wasn't feeling well, head ache, sore throat, general malaise. I told him about the migraine I had all day yesterday, and the residual headache I have had all day today was not great, but endurable.
Coach: That's okay, we'll take it easy today.
Me: ::laughing:: Riight. Your idea of taking it easy and my idea are completely different. You'll be all oh, we'll do an easy six mile run tonight and I'm more of a oh hey, there's the bar, let's go get a drink kind of girl.
Take it easy. Pshaw!
Coach doesn't want me to rely so heavily on the timer on my iPod. So, tonight, I put my iPod into the pocket on my fuel belt and trusted my coach. He said I would be surprised at how far I am actually able to run. I was skeptical; the trail has markers every quarter mile. I was certain my brain would know when I hit 1 mile and tell my legs it was time to walk. But, with my coach at my side the entire time; only one other person made it to training tonight, and he was taking it easy -- his easy is my agony -- so coach was with me the entire time. Five minutes into the run, coach told the other guy to walk for five minutes (he's just starting back after 2 weeks nursing an injury) while I kept running. Let me tell you how much I wanted to walk for five minutes! But coach kept me running. It was lightly raining, but the rain provided zero cooling relief; I was sweating like crazy. We reached the one mile mark and turned around (the trail ends at one mile, as the entire trail is only two miles long, and we started at mid-point). Coach kept me running, you know, because he's trying to kill me. According to the markers on the trail, coach let me walk just after 1.5 miles. It was 16 minutes of running.
Coach gave me five glorious minutes of walking. It felt like five seconds. Then, he decided to mix things up... for fun... because he's trying to kill me. We slow jogged for two minutes and then did fifty steps at a much faster pace. Two minutes slow jog, fifty steps fast. Ugh. The man is trying to kill me. After only two reps, I stopped being able to keep jogging, and started walking for two minutes. Coach was disappointed, I could tell, but I was beat.
At the end of the evening, coach told me he is seeing improvement in me. And I am trying to do better. For him. Because he believes in me, even though I don't. He's trying to get my head in shape, because my brain is holding me back. It is. But I guess I'm just not as concerned about that as he is. It's not as important for me to improve my pace as it is to my coach. So, I'll try to do better for him. Even though he's trying to kill me.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
6 miles and an alligator
Today's run was located in the same place our Monday night runs are. It's a path along a rather large lake. The trail is only two miles long, end to end, but there's a half mile extension away from the lake that we added on. So, we parked at one end, began the run, when we got to the extension thing, we turned onto it, half mile out and back, then back onto the lake trail. Turn around, come back, added the extension again, and finish. Six miles.
I slow ran the first mile, as has become the norm, before settling into a run 2 walk 1 ratio. Coach ran with me, and said something to the effect of, "I want to run with you and have you not use that thing (referring to my iPod, which I use to time my ratio)." He said he thinks the iPod is holding me back. Running is a mental sport, and I have trained my brain to think that my body is only capable of running for 2 minutes before it needs to walk. And that's what I do. He said he wants me to run more. He believes in me. I countered with telling him thatit's all his fault he can take the credit for the fact that I will now run a full mile before walking. He laughed, and told me he's certain I can do more.
He's probably right.
And so, for my coach, this morning I tried to maintain a run 3 walk 1 ratio. And I did it for about two miles before I started feeling really tired. About that time, it was time for me to get onto the half mile extension. This path has very helpful markers every 1/8 of a mile. And so, for my coach and to challenge myself, I decided to run 1/8, and then walk 1/8 for that mile long extension (up and back equals a mile). But I didn't slow run it, I forced myself to run it at a faster pace than I normally would for the 1/8. I pushed myself, and flat out exhausted myself.
When my coach met back up with me, about .3 away from the finish, he wanted me to run to the end. I tried. I honestly tried. But I just couldn't make it, and ended up walking the final .15 or so. But I told him about the ways I had tried to push myself for the duration of my run, when he was not running with me. Because I did push myself.
I am tired now. Tired like I was after 10 mile runs last year. I need a nap. And it's because I pushed myself harder than I normally do.
He asked me to start emailing him my times for my runs during the week. Um... someone has been totally slacking, so hopefully that will be the kick in the butt I need to get my training in gear. Shame on me for not being good at training this season.
I just noticed my title, so I suppose I should comment about the alligator I saw at the turn around point. It was approximately three feet long, a little gator. Still, I get so excited seeing wild life!
It should be noted, last week's six miles took me 1:31. This week's six miles took me 1:27 (because I'm counting when the 6 miles ended, not when I turned off my iPod). So I improved my time. Hooray for that!
I'd also like to mention the gorgeous sunrise this morning. It's such a pretty area to run.
I slow ran the first mile, as has become the norm, before settling into a run 2 walk 1 ratio. Coach ran with me, and said something to the effect of, "I want to run with you and have you not use that thing (referring to my iPod, which I use to time my ratio)." He said he thinks the iPod is holding me back. Running is a mental sport, and I have trained my brain to think that my body is only capable of running for 2 minutes before it needs to walk. And that's what I do. He said he wants me to run more. He believes in me. I countered with telling him that
He's probably right.
And so, for my coach, this morning I tried to maintain a run 3 walk 1 ratio. And I did it for about two miles before I started feeling really tired. About that time, it was time for me to get onto the half mile extension. This path has very helpful markers every 1/8 of a mile. And so, for my coach and to challenge myself, I decided to run 1/8, and then walk 1/8 for that mile long extension (up and back equals a mile). But I didn't slow run it, I forced myself to run it at a faster pace than I normally would for the 1/8. I pushed myself, and flat out exhausted myself.
When my coach met back up with me, about .3 away from the finish, he wanted me to run to the end. I tried. I honestly tried. But I just couldn't make it, and ended up walking the final .15 or so. But I told him about the ways I had tried to push myself for the duration of my run, when he was not running with me. Because I did push myself.
I am tired now. Tired like I was after 10 mile runs last year. I need a nap. And it's because I pushed myself harder than I normally do.
He asked me to start emailing him my times for my runs during the week. Um... someone has been totally slacking, so hopefully that will be the kick in the butt I need to get my training in gear. Shame on me for not being good at training this season.
I just noticed my title, so I suppose I should comment about the alligator I saw at the turn around point. It was approximately three feet long, a little gator. Still, I get so excited seeing wild life!
It should be noted, last week's six miles took me 1:31. This week's six miles took me 1:27 (because I'm counting when the 6 miles ended, not when I turned off my iPod). So I improved my time. Hooray for that!
I'd also like to mention the gorgeous sunrise this morning. It's such a pretty area to run.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
finally feeling good-ish
This morning's run was in Celebration. It was a beautiful course, but no bathroom, which meant my bladder screamed my entire run. Stupid bladder. The route started at the movie theater and wound around several bodies of water, over several boardwalks, through conservation areas, and past million dollar homes. An absolutely gorgeous run. It would have been even better if it were less hot, but whatcha gonna do in Orlando? Two loops equalled six miles.
I ran the first mile without walking, which was approximately fourteen minutes. Then, my running buddy Laura kept running while I walked with her. Yes, like my cousin, she is good at the slow and steady run that I suck at. Laura is awesome and did her four required miles without walking. She rawks! It took us 47 minutes to do the first three miles. You know I always shoot for the elusive 38 minute 5K, so I was a little disappointed in my time and decided I needed to step it up for the second loop. This meant ye olde standby run/walk ratio.
I started my second loop with a run 2 walk 1 ratio but was only able to keep that ratio for maybe a mile before I settled into a 1:1 ratio. My second three took me about 43 minutes, so I did shave four minutes off, and gave me a negative split, which is awesome! But I wish I had been a bit quicker.
Let's talk about my coach. I love my coach. I love my coaches from last year, too, but I get way more one-on-one time with this coach. He only has a total of nine people to coach whereas my other coaches have something like thirty people to coach, so it makes sense that he would have more time to devote to each of us individually. It's nice to have him running beside me, encouraging me, and offering me advice on breathing and posture and pace. It makes having to drive so much farther to train worth it because I am getting so much more out of my training this year than I did last year.
I've been pretty pain-free during my runs, which is fantastic. But in the car on the drive home this morning, my left foot seized up something fierce. I stopped at a store, and cried out in pain when I tried to stand on my left foot. I walked the pain off. I think it has to do with my shoe laces. I need to get new shoes sooner rather than later; I'm pretty sure that will help solve some of my foot pain. Tonight, twelve hours after my run, my left foot hurts again. I have it elevated and have been massaging it. It'll get better.
I'm pretty pleased with the run from this morning.
Oh! In my last mile or so, as I ran across a boardwalk, a giant owl flew across the boardwalk not two feet directly in front of my face. It was awesome! I called out to two bicyclists who were standing a few feet ahead to see the owl. They then pointed out a young two-point buck standing down in the conservation area staring up at us. And me without my camera! It was so awesome! I couldn't stop for long, though, as I was racing my clock and didn't want to break stride.
Best part of my run this morning, aside from the wildlife sightings, was at the start of my second loop. I was on a boardwalk, and it was during my two minutes of run time. There were two older ladies walking a dog on the right side, and three bicyclists approaching from the other direction on the left side. The bicyclists very kindly yielded to me, and I thanked them as I ran past the two ladies, and past the bicyclists. One of the older ladies said, "oh, there's a runner coming through."
A runner.
She called me a runner!
Because that's what I am. Funny how something so trivial can ameliorate my mood!
I ran the first mile without walking, which was approximately fourteen minutes. Then, my running buddy Laura kept running while I walked with her. Yes, like my cousin, she is good at the slow and steady run that I suck at. Laura is awesome and did her four required miles without walking. She rawks! It took us 47 minutes to do the first three miles. You know I always shoot for the elusive 38 minute 5K, so I was a little disappointed in my time and decided I needed to step it up for the second loop. This meant ye olde standby run/walk ratio.
I started my second loop with a run 2 walk 1 ratio but was only able to keep that ratio for maybe a mile before I settled into a 1:1 ratio. My second three took me about 43 minutes, so I did shave four minutes off, and gave me a negative split, which is awesome! But I wish I had been a bit quicker.
Let's talk about my coach. I love my coach. I love my coaches from last year, too, but I get way more one-on-one time with this coach. He only has a total of nine people to coach whereas my other coaches have something like thirty people to coach, so it makes sense that he would have more time to devote to each of us individually. It's nice to have him running beside me, encouraging me, and offering me advice on breathing and posture and pace. It makes having to drive so much farther to train worth it because I am getting so much more out of my training this year than I did last year.
I've been pretty pain-free during my runs, which is fantastic. But in the car on the drive home this morning, my left foot seized up something fierce. I stopped at a store, and cried out in pain when I tried to stand on my left foot. I walked the pain off. I think it has to do with my shoe laces. I need to get new shoes sooner rather than later; I'm pretty sure that will help solve some of my foot pain. Tonight, twelve hours after my run, my left foot hurts again. I have it elevated and have been massaging it. It'll get better.
I'm pretty pleased with the run from this morning.
Oh! In my last mile or so, as I ran across a boardwalk, a giant owl flew across the boardwalk not two feet directly in front of my face. It was awesome! I called out to two bicyclists who were standing a few feet ahead to see the owl. They then pointed out a young two-point buck standing down in the conservation area staring up at us. And me without my camera! It was so awesome! I couldn't stop for long, though, as I was racing my clock and didn't want to break stride.
Best part of my run this morning, aside from the wildlife sightings, was at the start of my second loop. I was on a boardwalk, and it was during my two minutes of run time. There were two older ladies walking a dog on the right side, and three bicyclists approaching from the other direction on the left side. The bicyclists very kindly yielded to me, and I thanked them as I ran past the two ladies, and past the bicyclists. One of the older ladies said, "oh, there's a runner coming through."
A runner.
She called me a runner!
Because that's what I am. Funny how something so trivial can ameliorate my mood!
Monday, September 21, 2009
monday night, ankle be damned
Monday nights always start out with crazy ab exercises.
My ankles are both still hurting from Saturday's hill run. And I didn't sleep last night. So tonight's run was a bit rough for me. In fact, I just didn't have enough get up and go inside me to do as well as I would have liked to.
We kept up a pretty decent run/walk ratio of like run 8 walk 1.5 or something like that. But I just didn't have it in me tonight.
My ankles are both still hurting from Saturday's hill run. And I didn't sleep last night. So tonight's run was a bit rough for me. In fact, I just didn't have enough get up and go inside me to do as well as I would have liked to.
We kept up a pretty decent run/walk ratio of like run 8 walk 1.5 or something like that. But I just didn't have it in me tonight.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Tackling "Big Bertha"
This morning the Orange/Seminole and Osceola teams met up out in Lake county to tackle a hill we call Big Bertha. Now, last year, I always skipped the Bertha runs because I was unemployed, gas was nearing $4 a gallon, and I couldn't afford to drive that far. So this was a, um, treat? for me.
The run starts in the parking lot for the Target in Clermont. I've been to the plaza many times, and should know how to get there since we have family that lives in Clermont. But, apparently in the dark, I get lost even more easily. I somehow completely missed the Clermont exit off the Turnpike, and didn't realize it until I exited at the next exit (way far away) and found myself on Route 27 outside the Lakeridge Winery. Leave it to me to find wine when I needed to find the run! When I finally found the meeting place, I had missed group stretching, and the team was just beginning their run.
Laura and I jogged out of the parking lot and immediately encountered an enormous hill. Surely that must be Bertha. Alas, a mile later, we encountered the real Bertha, and Bertha was intimidating. How the heck did that mountain sneak into flat central Florida?!
This might be on my third trip up Bertha:
I had to do three trips up and down Bertha. I walked up. The second time up, we were instructed to walk up it backward. Let me tell you how farookin difficult that was! Holy Toledo! I had no idea something could be so daunting! Remember that bridge I ran in Panama City? Yeah, that's like a speed bump compared to Bertha.
Here's four of the six Team Osceola members who climbed Bertha this morning walking backwards up the mountain:
The guy in purple is my Coach. The girl is "Laura". I'm back there, and the other guy had the misfortune of calling me this morning because he was lost, only to discover I was lost!
Anyway, Bertha was conquered and we only have to do her one more time this season. Brutal, beastly Bertha.
The run starts in the parking lot for the Target in Clermont. I've been to the plaza many times, and should know how to get there since we have family that lives in Clermont. But, apparently in the dark, I get lost even more easily. I somehow completely missed the Clermont exit off the Turnpike, and didn't realize it until I exited at the next exit (way far away) and found myself on Route 27 outside the Lakeridge Winery. Leave it to me to find wine when I needed to find the run! When I finally found the meeting place, I had missed group stretching, and the team was just beginning their run.
Laura and I jogged out of the parking lot and immediately encountered an enormous hill. Surely that must be Bertha. Alas, a mile later, we encountered the real Bertha, and Bertha was intimidating. How the heck did that mountain sneak into flat central Florida?!
This might be on my third trip up Bertha:
I had to do three trips up and down Bertha. I walked up. The second time up, we were instructed to walk up it backward. Let me tell you how farookin difficult that was! Holy Toledo! I had no idea something could be so daunting! Remember that bridge I ran in Panama City? Yeah, that's like a speed bump compared to Bertha.
Here's four of the six Team Osceola members who climbed Bertha this morning walking backwards up the mountain:
The guy in purple is my Coach. The girl is "Laura". I'm back there, and the other guy had the misfortune of calling me this morning because he was lost, only to discover I was lost!
Anyway, Bertha was conquered and we only have to do her one more time this season. Brutal, beastly Bertha.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Back to the waterfront
Vacation is over. And I'm glad. It's so much easier to train when you have people keeping you accountable. You know, not that my cousin and CIL didn't try to keep me accountable while I was up there for eight or nine days, but training with my team is different.
It began with the torturous crunches that get easier and easier the more I do them. Imagine that! Then, Coach wanted us to do a fifteen minute run. My coach ran with me and another girl (let's give her a name... Laura) the entire time. He kept me at a slower pace, and we ran seventeen minutes without stopping and without walking, which added up to 1.23 miles. Then, we took a bit of a breather as we walked over to another part of the park.
Coach had drawn two lines on the pavement, approximately 150 meters (?) apart. He had us do fartleks. This was my first time doing fartleks, and I'm not sure I'll ever be a fan, but I understand the value of them. Laura, Coach, and I would run a slow pace from line to line, then turn for a faster pace back, and slow again, and fast again, and slow. Then, Coach let us walk for a minute or two before starting the second set. Walk some more, and a final set of fartleks.
They were so hard. I was okay for the first two sets, but that third set, OMG, I thought I'd die. Thank goodness Coach and Laura were there to offer me encouragement, or I promise I would have quit. It was hard.
I am so proud of myself and of Laura. We totally rocked our training tonight. The other team mates that were there tonight are much more in the "runner" category than I am. Must not compare myself to others.
I left training feeling very positive. Oh, and I talked to Coach before training began (I got there half an hour early and planned to get in 2 miles to make up for being short on miles last week, but Coach was also there, and so we talked) about my leg issues of last week. I'm thrilled to tell you that my left leg had no issues tonight. Yay!
I'm still not sure I really want to do the full marathon, but I have a month before I have to recommit and make that decision. If Coach keeps riding my ass like he's doing, I'll really have no excuses to not do the full marathon.
It began with the torturous crunches that get easier and easier the more I do them. Imagine that! Then, Coach wanted us to do a fifteen minute run. My coach ran with me and another girl (let's give her a name... Laura) the entire time. He kept me at a slower pace, and we ran seventeen minutes without stopping and without walking, which added up to 1.23 miles. Then, we took a bit of a breather as we walked over to another part of the park.
Coach had drawn two lines on the pavement, approximately 150 meters (?) apart. He had us do fartleks. This was my first time doing fartleks, and I'm not sure I'll ever be a fan, but I understand the value of them. Laura, Coach, and I would run a slow pace from line to line, then turn for a faster pace back, and slow again, and fast again, and slow. Then, Coach let us walk for a minute or two before starting the second set. Walk some more, and a final set of fartleks.
They were so hard. I was okay for the first two sets, but that third set, OMG, I thought I'd die. Thank goodness Coach and Laura were there to offer me encouragement, or I promise I would have quit. It was hard.
I am so proud of myself and of Laura. We totally rocked our training tonight. The other team mates that were there tonight are much more in the "runner" category than I am. Must not compare myself to others.
I left training feeling very positive. Oh, and I talked to Coach before training began (I got there half an hour early and planned to get in 2 miles to make up for being short on miles last week, but Coach was also there, and so we talked) about my leg issues of last week. I'm thrilled to tell you that my left leg had no issues tonight. Yay!
I'm still not sure I really want to do the full marathon, but I have a month before I have to recommit and make that decision. If Coach keeps riding my ass like he's doing, I'll really have no excuses to not do the full marathon.
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