Tag: Training

Training Thoughts

Alright, time to be honest. It’s been a long time coming, I’ve hinted at it but let’s be real here. The training I did for 17 weeks for City to the Sea was a mess. I phoned it in. I knew I was phoning it in but I kept on running in denial. But actually, let’s look at all the half’s (halves?) I’ve run this year.

Surf City- 2:19:00
Wine Country- 2:06:05
SLO-2:15:06
Shoreline- 2:14:29
City to the Sea- 2:12:40

Surf City was the very beginning of my training cycle so it really was just a very well supported, expensive long run. Also the 25K trail race seven days prior made for some sore legs. The race was a bucket list race, you could say just running it was checking it off the list. That said, the 2:19 isn’t bad.

Wine Country was in the middle of SLO training. I was using a McMillan training plan for SLO and Wine Country was built-in as a tune up race. I went into it with zero expectations but had my best race of the year. Which I hadn’t expected as I was having some issues with my legs, achy knees and super tight calves.

I was best trained for SLO but even that was mediocre. I would say I followed 75% of my training plan, my very nice, designed just for me McMillan plan. What a waste. I still believe I could have PR’d that race had I not eaten asphalt at mile 5. Throw in the gnarliest stomach issues I’ve ever had running for the last 5 miles and I am still damn proud of that race.

Shoreline was a last minute decision to add a race in the middle of July. It fell on my birthday so why not? Under trained and 75% humidity- why not? Shockingly, I met the goal I set for the race- sub 2:15:00.

City to the Sea was supposed to be my goal race, my time to shine; I was finally going to run a sub 2:00:00 half marathon. Except yeah. A few weeks ago I wrote a post about how I wasn’t in PR shape and a sub 2 just wasn’t in the cards right now. But why not? A hill in mile 9 kicked my ass and I didn’t recover, but why? It was 200 ft, not a mountain, why?

Let’s talk about that training plan. 17 weeks, right? Running 3x a week with one easy, one speed and one long run. In theory it was just what I needed. 3 days was what I could handle having to deal with some serious stress at work and my stupid stomach. On a side note, it has occurred to me that all the stress at work is exacerbating my stomach issues but that’s not the point. So what was wrong with my training?

Choosing quality over quantity means those runs actually have to be quality runs. They weren’t. They were time fillers. Speed work was rare. You can’t race faster if you don’t run faster. Want to know how many double-digit runs I completed in those 17 weeks? One. One lonely 10 miler on a random Friday afternoon. 9 milers? Maybe 2. So how was I expecting to meet my goal when I wasn’t putting in the work for it? Yeah, I have no answer for that. I was more than a slacker, #slackerindenial.

So it’s time to buckle down. Once I figure out what that means. And what it will look like for a Slacker. I know I will never be one to throw down 50 mile weeks and it’s not about the miles, it’s what I put into them. I’m pulling out my dusty running books and looking at that McMillan plan again. I don’t have any races planned for the beginning of 2016 but I’d like to have a solid start to an actual decent base with good running workouts by the end of the year. Can I do it?

I have one half marathon left this year. 23 days away to be exact. I thought about trying to make it another goal race attempt but I think that might make me pissed off at running. Right now I am mad at myself and it should stay that way. Plus, this a travel race and I really just want to enjoy the scenery. It’s Monterey and Big Sur!! And I may be ~~stalking~~ fangirling Kara Goucher the day before. Or trying to. I may be distracted. 😃

The sad thing is that as I write this, I have only attempted 1 mile since Sunday’s race. Unfortunately, I got sick this week. I actually left work early yesterday I felt so crappy. I’ve gone to work with a concussion, so going home sick is kind of big for me. My goal is get in a couple of solid runs this weekend.

So tell me, can a slacker get real? #slackergetsreal

Training thoughts you want to share?

Any books you can suggest?

Week16-Redux/ So Long September

Will the real week 16 please stand up? 😉 I am not crazy, well maybe a little, I really did miss a week. I knew I couldn’t be at 16 yet so I went back and checked. It looks like I went straight from week 6 to week 8 a while back. Oops. So let’s recap week 16 and then see how September went.

Monday – Rest

After 2 races the day before, I knew this was going to be a rest day. I was also taking my car to the body shop and getting a rental so I wanted as little as possible to carry so it kind of worked out. I was so excited that the previous weekend was my last busy one that it didn’t occur to me that I had the work week to get through before the coming empty weekend. Doh! 😋

Tuesday- 3.5 miles

I was so damn tired and just not feeling running still. I headed to the lake for a few laps aiming for 4 miles. It wasn’t a fantastic run but it wasn’t bad. I visited a little too much with lake cat on the backside of the lake so I ran out of daylight. But he wouldn’t get out of the street!

Wednesday- 3.5 miles stationary

This probably shouldn’t count. I wasn’t feeling well, my neck and my head have hurt for the last month or ever since my car accident, so I was thinking a rest day. I had to get my race recap up for the HOB Fun Run so I figured I would do that. Until I hit a button and installed Windows 10. I told it to wait!! While I was waiting for the computer to be usable again I got on the bike. It was after 9 and I didn’t want to be up all night so it’s not like I was pedaling all that hard. 😐 Oh! Look what I finally registered for!

Thursday- 1.6 miles

Yeah, it says that. I was still feeling rough and all the vitamin C and Airborne I had been taking all week wasn’t helping. I headed out for a run but had to call it before I got a mile out. My chest hurt- like the kind of pain you have with a really bad chest cold. I turned around and headed back to the car. It wasn’t totally unproductive though, I felt like something moved or popped and some of the neck pain eased.

why do my grimaces look more like smiles than my smile?

Friday- Rest

Race day is too damn close to be pushing things. I would rather go into race day having missed a few workouts than get sick so close to race day. Been there, done that. Bring on the vitamin C and Airborne. I also started a new medication for my stomach which has the side effect of drowsiness. It’s no lie. I was in bed by 11 that night. For me that is freaky early.

Saturday- Rest

Sensing a pattern? No lie, I didn’t get out of bed until 10. I was feeling better but not great so I stuck close to home. I rearranged some furniture and managed to knock myself loopy. I was lying on the ground trying to move something and smacked the left side of my head into my dresser. As I rolled away in pain, I slammed my right temple into the bed frame. Yes, I am that talented. At least I didn’t give myself a concussion this time. 😞

Sunday- 7 Miles

My training plan called for a 60 minute long run with 20 minutes at pace. Smart runners follow the plan… I on the other get lost on a mountain. Truthfully, I needed to get lost and spend some time in the dirt. But more about that next post. 😄😄

Overall it wasn’t great but it wasn’t horrible and I am ok with that. I was feeling really rundown and stressing about it wasn’t helping. My mileage may not look pretty but the rest helped. That weekend with no plans was kind of awesome too.

September Wrap up!!!

Adios September- you kicked my ass. But let’s look at the numbers-

Miles Run- 69.6

Stationary bike- 36.2

Hey, I got over 100 miles if you add those! Grr.

Races-

Central Coast Cancer Challenge 5K- 27:10
HOB Fun Run 10K-58:54
HOB Fun Run 5K-37:49

While the numbers aren’t where I want them to be, they are headed in the right direction. Yes, that .4 missing in the running mileage bugs me but it is what is. I would like to see that mileage number grow in the coming months. I looked at my calendar and noticed that October and November are equally busy months and contain 3 races so I need to stay on top of things. Hopefully laying out there will help. 😁

How was your September? Did you have a good weekend?

Is anyone else accident prone? I should be wrapped in bubble wrap.

What are you looking forward to in October?

2015 HOB Fun Run 10K/ 5K

This was my 9th year participating in the HOB Fun Run. It was my 8th time volunteering and my 6th time running. Breaking it down even further- this would be my 6th time running the 5K and 3rd time running the 10K. Also the 3rd time running both races. As much fun as I have at this race, it’s also one of the most stressful. So many people I know! It kind of freaks me out. Throw in team shirts and you can’t even blend in anymore. 🙂

The Scene-

The race starts and ends downtown. I could walk to the start if I wanted to. I have yet to do that though. The course is a loop around the city park and down the main drag. The 10K is 2 loops and the 5K is one. It’s one of the few races I’ve ever run that is a completely closed course. A kids 1/2 mile race, a 75 yard dash and a diaper dash are also offered. It’s a race known for being flat, fast and still offers prize money. The baby who wins the diaper dash wins a washer and dryer.

The 10K started at 8, so I arrived a little before 7:45. I knew we were attempting a group photo with whoever was there before the 10k. C and C-hub were there- race buddies!!! I haven’t run a race with them since last year’s fun run. I miss my buddies. 😞 There were 6 of us for the first shots. After the standard shot, the race photographer decided he wanted one of the back of our shirts. It was the most awkward picture ever. It’s a total butt shot and I was thankful I was wearing a skirt. 😏 The plan was to race the 10K and just have fun running the 5k. I was still feeling my running funk so I had very basic goals for the 10K-

A- Sub 55- PR- I knew it wasn’t happening but I could dream right?
B- Sub 60
C- Better than last year’s blow up

10K- The one where I was beat by a 30lb dog.

30 seconds to the start I realized I left my water in my bag with my bib change for the 5k. Crap! C rocks, I texted her and she grabbed it and tossed it my way when I ran past. I felt like I started out too fast but I really didn’t. However it was my fastest mile of the race. My stupid headphones refused to play and then wouldn’t stay in my ears so I ran the first loop with them wrapped in my hand. I stayed steady and tried to increase my turn over but it wasn’t happening. I rounded the corner to finish lap 1 and was able to toss my headphones to C-hub. I also saw my time at the 5K mark- 28:something- ouch. Miles 1-3: 9:08, 9:23, 9:23

I tried to pick it up on the second loop but I just couldn’t find another gear. I never felt like I was running hard but I didn’t feel like I could run any faster either. It was odd but I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be a banner day so I was ok with how I was running. Seeing a less than 30lb dog with little legs outrun me was a little disheartening though. 😃 Seriously, the dog ran the entire 10K with his owner and didn’t even seem phased. Miles 3-6: 9:13, 9:40, 9:31

Finish- 58:54

Goal B successfully accomplished. Time for a quick bib change and the main group shot before the 5K.

5K-

C, C-hub and their daughter E were planning on run/ walking the 5K and I was going to join them. C and E bolted from the starting line leaving C-hub and I in the dust. We eventually caught up around .5 mile in when E need a walk break. I could tell C just wanted to bolt so I suggested she and C-hub dash off and E and I would follow along behind. I didn’t have to twist her arm. 😄

It was E’s first race so I let her set the pace. We ran when she wanted to and walked when she needed. There are 3 water stations along the course and you pass 2 of them twice so that means there are 5 water points for a 5K. This was needed as it was very warm morning. I made sure that E got water at each stop. At the second stop, I hung on to my water cup for some reason. That station didn’t have a trash can and I didn’t want to toss onto the clean street so I hung onto it. I’ve never done that before but it turned out to be a good thing. As we were coming up on the third water station I saw that no on was manning it anymore. Where did they go? There were about 100 runners behind us! Once at the table, I realized there were no cups but there was still water in the 5 gallon jugs. Good thing I held onto my cup! I had E hold the cup while I hefted the water. We were able to get water this way here and on the way back. We continued run/ walking until 1 block before the finish and then it was a sprint to the end. E hauled ass and finished strong! Woo hoo!

Finish- E-37:37/ Me- 37:39

We got our medals and headed for water. We also met back up with C and C-hub. They finished just over 30 minutes. Awesome! We chatted a bit while waiting for the kids races. Seriously the kids are so stinking cute when they run. Some of them were so enthusiastic they were literally kicking themselves in the butt. The 75 yard dash was broken into 3 heats since there were so many kids. Unfortunately I had to leave before I could see the diaper dash. 😦

Overall, it was a fun morning and a great way to see a bunch of people I don’t see on a regular basis. I miss my running buddies, hopefully it’s not another year until we race together again. 😃 Water station 3 snafu aside, it was a great race, and always runs smoothly. I’m looking forward to next year.

Week 16?- Blah

I really have to go back over these posts, I think I am a week off somewhere. I shouldn’t be on week 16 until next Sunday. Hmmm, maybe I can’t count?

If you read Thursday’s post, you know I got a little emotional last week. I’m still feeling a out of sorts but I’m going to just keep smiling and fake it til I make it. Thank you to everyone who commented. 🙂

Monday- Rest

Harvest Marathon meeting. Where did the time go? Race day is only a month away? Well, crap that’s soon. Unfortunately numbers are down. I’ve noticed that at a lot of races this year. I run a lot of the same races and they all seem smaller this year. Has anyone else noticed that?

Tuesday- 3.8 miles

I really wasn’t feeling a run. I couldn’t really pinpoint why so I made myself change into my running gear. I headed to the river path for an easy run. My mother texted me as I parked and I was hopeful she wanted to meet for dinner and I could ignore the run. I was half right. She did want to meet for dinner but was still at a tennis match. So I went running. Despite my weird funk it was a pretty solid run. It started out slow with a nice progression to a faster finish. I fit in 3.8 miles before I went to meet her.

Wednesday- 11.5 miles bike

Today was rough. I think the bad news about the potential job was the final push and I got a little emotional. At least I made the right choice that night and turned to exercise instead of food. My legs felt a little rubbery when I was done with those miles. 😄

Thursday- 4.77 miles

Once again, I just wasn’t feeling my run. The plan called for speed work but I was having troubles talking myself into even running 2 miles. I headed back to the river path and just figured I would run whatever my head wanted to. I kept it easy and tried to just shut my brain up. I don’t know how well it worked but I feel like it was a solid set of miles. While our temps have been very un-fall like- we have had some amazing sunsets. It’s hard to be mad when you see this-

Friday- Rest

More like chaos. Due to some scheduling issues and a late summer illness, there was only myself and 2 other people at work. Being down 50% of your crew is painful. I knew we could do it, but there were some logistical issues that had me concerned. We did get a some help from other locations for portions of the day and thankfully it was a slightly slower than normal Friday. We got through the day and I have never been so glad to close the doors. 😖 But hey a customer told me I had an amazing attitude so score!

Saturday- Rest

I planned to ride the bike but I was so damn tired I chose a nap instead. Wish it could have been longer. I also worked the registration table for my favorite race of the year. HOB Fun Run! This was the first race I’d ever run. And it turns out it was 5 years ago Saturday and this showed up on my Timehop-
Sunday- 10K and 5K

I love this event but it does stress me out. It’s a race where I am guaranteed to know a ton of people. Performance anxiety!!!! Plus the last two years we’ve had a running team with matching shirts. You can’t hide when you’re wearing matching clothes. 😉 Race recap will be up Wednesday.

Oddly enough, for a week when running was the last thing I felt like doing, I turned in one of my highest mileage weeks in months. Which is partially cool and partially sad because I would love to see a higher number. But it is what it is. Despite my funk, I feel like they were all solid miles and solid miles help build a stronger runner. Right? Can’t complain about solid miles.

Paleo– Oh hell, I don’t even want to grade myself. Lunch and breakfast were still good but other choices were not. Let’s just say donuts and pizza happened. Way more often than they should have. Oddly enough it was my nice healthy salads that made me feel sick. I’ve been experimenting with various types of lettuce and some are not winners. But now I know I can add kale to the list of things I can’t eat. I’d never eaten it before so luckily it’s not something I’ll miss.

So yes, last week was rough but I am going to try to look on the bright side. I got all my miles in plus a solid cross training workout. I had a fun (busy) weekend and got to see a bunch of people. Oh and I dyed my hair again. 😏 My boss is back this week- woo hoo!- and I am looking forward to a weekend of nothing. And then taper! Or am I in taper now? How did I mess up my damn race plan so much?

How was your weekend?

What’s your favorite race?

Is taper the week before race week of the week of the race for a half? My brain has turned off.

Week 15 Recap- Extremes

Week 15?! My race is almost here? How did that happen? I haven’t even registered for it yet! Well, crap, I better get on that. Right after this damn heat wave leaves.

Monday- Rest

Lugging one less bag to work on Mondays is kind of nice. Think I’ll stick with this Monday rest thing. I was going to come home and ride the back but I decided to dye my hair instead. #byebyeblonde

Tuesday- 4.51 Miles

Holy speed, Batman, I ran a 7:49 mile?!?!? Awesome! I’m still kind of stoked about that. If you missed me shouting it from the rooftops, you can read about it here. 😃😄

Wednesday-Rest

Day from hell. For reasons I can’t say, the day went south real fast in the afternoon. If there was ever a day to drink, it was this day. But the only alcohol in my house is Patron and I wasn’t feeling shots. 😏 So I ate pizza instead.

Thursday- 4 Miles

It was in the low 80’s when I started my run and it was so nice. There was a nice breeze too. It later turned into a pretty strong headwind but that’s not the point. The cooler temps were amazing, this run actually felt comfortable. I wanted to keep running for a few more miles. But the downside to the cooler temps is the quicker setting sun. And the river bed is not really the place for a post twilight run. But it was a 4 solid miles. ✅

Friday- Rest

Day 10 of 11 in a row working. Stick a fork in me, I’m done. I really did think about getting on the bike when I got home but just couldn’t make myself do it. Plus the heat had come back and my house wasn’t much cooler than outside.

Saturday- 7.5 miles bike

Day 11! With a projected high of 100 I knew I wasn’t running after work. Unfortunately I am just not fast enough to pull off a long run before work on Saturday’s. Even with it being a later start, I still have to be on the road before 8. So errands, laundry and biking was it for the day.

Sunday- 6 Miles AM, 3.2 Miles PM

Shot myself in the foot on this one. I needed to a run a 12 miler. Needed it for this training cycle and mentally because I have as serious mental block with a 12 mile training run. It was also predicted to be 101. My alarm was set for an early morning run, I even managed to go to bed around the 11:30 on Saturday. I was going to do this. Then my alarm went off.

So, the average hours I sleep every night run around 6. And those aren’t a good 6. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in so long I can’t even remember. Until Saturday night. When that alarm went off, I didn’t even think about it, I turned it off. I was in such a good spot sleeping, I wasn’t wasting it. I had a back up alarm an hour later anyways. Except it was turned off in the same way. The sleep was seriously awesome. I did eventually make myself get up and got ready to run. I was out the door by 9:15. It was already warm so I knew I wasn’t finishing 12. So I planned to get in as many as I could before I felt too hot and then do the remainder at the gym a little later. Not ideal but better than nothing.

I pulled off a slow, hot 6 miles before calling it. After a few more errands I was on my way to the gym. I was taking my mom to the movies later so I wasn’t sure I had the time for 6 anymore. Thanks to some stupid shorts and some horrible stomach cramps I only pulled off 3 miles. I started to feel better around 2.5 miles but the first part took so long I wasn’t getting much farther. So I called it and went home to shower for the movies. 9 miles for the day- not what I wanted but not too bad either. I don’t regret the extra sleep at all. I needed that. 😏

The movie- The Scorch Trials– was awesome and the popcorn was a yummy consolation prize. Oh and that temp? We broke records and hit 105*.

Paleo- C

Honestly, this might be a B. I was pretty behaved last week even with all the stress. I didn’t binge on chips or cookies and after Wednesday, I could have rationalized it. But I didn’t. However, I did eat pizza twice and had the popcorn and some candy at the movies. So I am sticking with the C.

Considering the chaos of last week, I am actually content with the training I got in. They were all solid miles that will only help me grow as a runner. I am thinking more long term than short term here and that’s what counts- running for a long time to come. Not just for my upcoming races. 😊 And there was that fast mile! Yeah, I’m going to hang on to that for a while.

Now this week- My boss is on vacation still so one more week with little breaks is on tap. That’s ok, I can do it. Then this weekend is my favorite race of the year! Woo hoo! I will be racing a 10K on Sunday and running a 5K right after. 😜 Oh and volunteering the day before. Love it.

How was your weekend?

Tell me all about your fall weather- I need to live vicariously right now.

Ever run double races?