catching up

Saturday, August 1, 2009

We set out on Saturday for our group run. We drove about 30 minutes to Salem Lake and got running pretty much as soon as we got there. We started out FAST.

So, I got all annoyed and pissed off because I could feel that we were running to fast and I was mad at myself for allowing it. Basically, I was just discouraged the entire time and had a crappy attitude about it. I shouldn't have let my mind be negative about the run!

My problem is that when I'm in a new place, running a shorter distance, or when I'm on a trail, I think that the run should be quick? Like, that it's no big deal to run 7 miles when I've been running 8 and 9 for several weeks? But 7 miles is a big deal and I needed to treat it as a big deal.

I didn't dislike the trail or certainly the company.. it was just that I was having a bad day. My knee was hurting, my back was aching a little.. blech.

At the end, there's a monster hill that like Susan has said, "You really need a ladder to get up that hill". I walked most of it because really, it was STRAIGHT UP. On the down part of it, we had to walk because if we ran too fast, we would have rolled right down it!

So whatever it was done. I was glad it was done and was ready for it to be done at mile 2. That's never a good thing.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

This run, I feel better about writing about. I definitely feel like a runner again and have restored my confidence after the crappy run on Saturday. Yesterday, we got an email from our coach that said something about blah, blah, blah, need to work on pace..blah, blah, blah, on a 5-mile run this week, do 1 mile warm up, 1/2 mile at race pace, 1 mile normal (easy) pace, 1/2 mile race pace and finish the run, blah, blah, blah.

So, I made sure my running partners knew what to do because I was a little worried about running hard knowing how 5 miles has been treating me lately. Well, we did the 1 mile run through GA and when we got to the "little park" (I'm sure there's an offiicial name for it, but that's what I call it) we kicked it up and RAN. Susan's Garmin said that our best pace was what? 8:45 and I am pretty sure it was while we were in the little park. We were kicking arse.

Then, we slowed it down and kicked it up again after almost a mile. (I didn't want to hit a hill at a hard pace, so I convinced the girls to start earlier than after a mile.) That was not as hard of a run as we did in the little park but we still had a good pace.

After that was done we were ON the big hill in MP so we slowed a bit.. Then, I don't know what happened to me. I just got the feeling of LET'S GO! SO I did. I really didn't want to kick ass on those hard runs and STILL come in at the normal time at the end. I wanted to improve SOMETHING with all that tiredness I was feeling and we still had 2 miles left to do.

So I just went with it. The second hill in MP was hard but I slowed a bit at the top to get my breathing right again. It never quite got all the way back down but once we hit GA, I was ready to step it up again.

After the big hill for GA, I looked at my watch and saw that we were at 52 minutes. I totally wanted to set a goal at that point to beat 55 minutes. So I looked at Debbie (who I never run with because she's speedy all the time) and said, "think we can finish before 55 minutes? This is the best time I've ever had this summer and I'm ready to kick ass." So we did. We ran hard and finished in 54:48. And, we did 5.19 miles according to Garmin. That means my pace was 10:34!!

WHOO HOO! I've been SO ready for a 10 minute mile all summer and while it wasn't 10 minutes, it was close, right?!

Maybe I can do this 1/2 marathon??

YAY! We have our MOJO BACK ladies!!!!!

Now that I'm 4 hours post-run my knee is hurting and my muscles are sore.. I need to be better about stretching afterwards. I think I might start bringing a towel to lay on the ground so I can stretch. There's something about those public parking lots that totally gross me out.. hehe.

I'm going to ice that knee tonight and keep taking the Glucosamine to see if I feel better. Knee pain sucks.

longest 3 miles ever

oh good lord, that was crazy.

i met two runnin' girls for a quick 3-miler on the trails. No biggie, right? wrong.

the trail was 1.85 even though the sign says 2.2.. (what will i ever do when i run without someone who has a garmin?) so we had to make up 1.2 out of the trail and for some reason when you don't have a set route, it ALWAYS feels like it takes 100 times longer. maybe because you are just waiting and waiting for the mileage to flip by instead of just knowing where you are going to stop? does that make sense?

so anywho, it was hot and muggy and we finally finished after 36 minutes. 36! 12 minute miles! yikes. in our defense though, you do have to run trails slower so you don't bite it on a tree root AND there were a TON of hills in the woods, so it's slower anyway.

tomorrow morning, it's 4.5 miles at 5:45.. i expect that to be a much better run.

6 miles

Sorry I haven't posted yet about our long run on Saturday.. KT and I left town on Saturday not long after our group run. We've been here way too much lately. We needed to pack it up and enjoy some family time in VA.

So, Saturday was fun. I was very nervous in the beginning about running 6 miles since I haven't done 6 in YEARS, years as in BW (Before Will). Coach Liz had it all worked out that we would run Greenway and Trails ... we ended up doing 2.5 on trails and the other 3.5 on the greenways.

The trails were great except the stopping and starting that you sometimes had to do to get around mud or go down a steep hill. And it's definitely a bit nerve-wracking thinking you are going to bust your butt at any minute on a root or rock. I loved getting muddy though and I LOVED how cool it was inside the woods.

At mile 4, Liz had GU set up for us since there were several ladies who'd never done it before, we just all stopped and did it together. Yum! It really does put a little pep in your step for those last miles.

After getting off the trails, it was hard running on the pavement. Naturally, your legs are a little wobbly because the ground is so much different. But I made it, didn't die, and have felt good ever since. No soreness or abnormal tiredness at all!

I finally finished my 6 miles in 1:13. Not too bad, I guess.

KT and I just signed up for the Freedom Run on June 27. I'm doing the 10k and he's doing the 2-miler. Now, I just need to find a babysitter... hm...