Planned, Unplanned

I had great intentions coming into this week. I was going to get back into the routine of working out 6 days, resting one. Life got in the way once again, though, and things did not really go according to plan.
I thought about trying to get into the spinning class again on Sunday but in the end I decided to rest. My legs were tired after last Saturday's run and honestly I was just feeling lazy. I don't know what has happened the last few weeks. I was really into the routine and now that I am out of it, I find it so much easier to make excuses.
Monday's plan was 5 miles. I thought it might be possible to run outside, too, but then Leo got sick. He wanted me to come to his doctor's appointment, which was at 5:50. We didn't get home until 7:00 and by then running was pretty much out. On Tuesday I did go to the gym. I was going to do 20 mins elliptical and 20 minutes on the treadmill with intervals. I got through the 20 mins on elliptical and was about 7 minutes into the treadmill part when Leo started bugging me to leave. Once again, laziness kicked in and I cut the work out short.
Wednesday the group met at Lunken. I was really hoping we would not run on the bike path because usually I find it so incredibly boring. Not only that, but there is a stretch of the path that is several miles long and always seems to be never ending. So, I got there Wednesday and not only were we running the bike path, but it was way colder than I thought and I under dressed. The schedule said we were going to do 7 miles, but the plan was changed to 30 minutes out and then turn around, so that is more like 6 miles for me. Lindsay and Holly were there so I stayed back with them for the first 30 mintues. It was so cold, though, no one was really saying much. Once we hit 30 minutes and turned I had run out of patience and decided to haul it back to the terminal because I was freezing. I didn't have my head gator which I usually put around my neck and pull up over my chin on really cold days, so the bottom half of my face was turning numb. I guess cold is a good motivator for me, because I just started passing everyone. The pace felt hard to me, so I started counting my steps to help myself from thinking about being tired. Eventually I made it up to another small group of people who I have been running with when Lindsay and Holly aren't there or I feel like picking up my pace. One of the women is a coach. The two of us broke away from that group and continued the hard pace. I have to say, if I had been alone I would have slowed down. I wanted to slow down, but having someone with me always helps. We ended up being the first people back, and I ran the last mile in 8:57. I think that is probably one of my fastest miles ever. Aside from my numb face, I was pretty happy. Running the bike path at night was kind of fun, too. I would never do it alone, but it was fun to look out and see all the lights of the airport and city.
Last night I went to the gym. I was going to the treadmill/elliptical combination again, but the gym was packed, and there were no elliptical machines with TVs open, so I just got on the treadmill and did an easy 3 miles. I felt like I was being kind of lazy again, but I was tired and not in the mood to push myself for the second night in a row.
Tomorrow the group is doing a 10K at Lunken (again!) I did this race last year and had a 10K PR which I beat in the Thanksgiving Day race. I am tired of Lunken and also feel like I need to get some more miles in, so I am going to be running with two girls from work who are also training for the Flying Pig. They live in Kentucky and we are meeting over there. I am not very familiar with that area, so it should be a nice change of scenery. The only thing that kind of makes me sad is that they sent me an e-mail saying that they both wear their I-pods the entire time and don't really talk. I like to have music when I am running alone, but not when I am with others. I feel like it kind of defeats the purpose of being with other people if you are just going to run as if they aren't there and not talk at all. I've never done more than 6 miles with music, so I need to beef up my playlist tonight to make sure I have enough songs to last that long.
Leo still isn't feeling well, so we are going back to the doctor this afternoon. Hopefully he can get some antibiotics and feel better, because honestly I am tired of hearing him whine. Why do men turn into gigantic babies whenever they are the least bit sick or hurt? I don't mind taking care of him sometimes, but its been a week now and I am losing patience. Oh, the joys of marriage.

Thaw Out

I am tired of this ice. Seriously. Tomorrow is supposed to warm up but then there is more snow predicted for Tuesday. While I have been dreading my trip to Argentina, I would be lying if I said I'm not looking forward to some summer weather. That's the beauty of going to the southern hemisphere - its winter here and summer there. If I can manage to get some good runs in, I will be very happy.
The ice this week made running a challenge, but I couldn't take the treadmill. Our group met downtown on Wednesday and did two 2.5 mile loops. We ran mostly in the street and it really wasn't bad. I really pushed it and did 9:15 miles almost the entire way. The only uncomfortable moments were running across the purple people bridge where there was still lots of snow and ice, and also freezing wind. I was happy just to get out. I will do just about anything to avoid the treadmill.
I skipped out on a "wine and cheese" event after my training at work to go running. The CEO of the company came to speak, but after I had already been sitting for 9 hours listening to people talk, I had to get out of there and get moving. Maybe not the most career savvy decision, but it was for my sanity. I had two more days of talking to sit through. Who knew that listening could be so exhausting? Luckily, we wrapped up early on Friday afternoon and I was able to get to the gym and do 40 minutes on the elliptical. When I found out this training was in Cincinnati, I was kind of sad. Another girl in my department go to go to Montreal for this same thing last year, and I thought that sounded kind of fun. On Friday, though, I was so happy to be able to get in my car and drive home. The rest of the people who had flown in were mostly all stuck here for another night because of all the cancelled flights due to weather.
Yesterday there was still plenty of ice and snow on the sidewalks, so I was kind of curious about how the coaches were going to pull of the group run. We met at Crossroads in Oakley and the plan was to run 11.5 through Mariemont back to Oakley. The coaches actually drove through the streets earlier that morning to check on the road conditions and modified the route so that we would only be running where there is decent footing. Sometimes I question the motives of the training group (I'm sure they make tons of money and get tons of free advertising on top of that because everything they give us has a gigantic store logo on it.) Yesterday, though, I thought they really showed that they cared about our safety. Our head coach has a big mouth and loves to hear himself talk, but I think he is a good person at heart. My efforts to dislike him are failing. I can't hate a good guy.
The run went well, although none of the friends I usually run with showed up, so I ended up running most of the way alone. I took advantage of the time alone to clear my head of all the work stuff my brain had been filled with during the past week. Running through Mariemont is fun, too, because it is such a cute neighborhood. I had one strawberry banana GU left, which I used about 4 miles into the run. The group also supplied some Clif products. The gels are not my favorite because of the thick consistency (even thicker when they are cold) but as bad as it tastes, I can't deny the effectiveness of the double espresso Clif Shot. I think it has 100 mg of caffeine. I had one of these at about mile 7 of the run and I felt so energized for the last few miles. That's not the first time that has happened either. Last year on our 20 miler during fall marathon training the same thing happened. I guess I will keep choking them down because nothing beats the wave of energy. My average mile pace was 9:40 for that run. Very good for me. I am happy. I am thinking that a 4:30 marathon might actually be possible if I can pace myself well. That and if I can keep up with my training while I am away for a few weeks.
Hopefully some of this ice will melt tomorrow so I can get a run in after work. If not, I guess its treadmill time once again. This Thursday I will be two weeks away from leaving for warm and sunny weather. Woohoo!

Free Day

I was off work today for President's Day, but Leo had to work, as did almost everyone else I know, so I was pretty much on my own for the day. I had this great plan to get some shopping done and get some warm weather clothes for Argentina, but as usual the day did not go as I planned. I managed to drag myself out of bed at 7:30 to do a 5.75 mile run through Delhi (= lots of big hills.) I felt pretty good, but I sometimes I can't shake the brain fog when I haven't had any coffee in the morning. There were some flurries falling, but the weather was not too bad. I was glad to get my run in earlier since later this afternoon the snow was falling hard and sideways. I met a friend for lunch and actually drove to the mall and turned around and went home. I was so tired, I knew shopping was out of the question. I did stop by the Running Spot to see if they had anything good left at the clearance sale. I got a sweet Triks running skirt that is actually quite flattering for 50% off. I really resisted the running skirt when they first came out, but after trying one I really liked it. They are really comfortable and cuter than most of my running shorts.
As predicted, there was tons of ice last Wednesday, and I had to forgo the group run for a fabulous six miles on the treadmill at the gym. Even with my person TV, MP3 player, and lots of people to look at, I still spent most of the time staring at the clock wishing I could just stop. I managed to force myself to do the miles, but only at 5.8 to 6.0. Its so weird, because I can do a 9:30 mile without thinking about it outside, but on the treadmill I'm doing 10 minute miles and its excruciating. Who knows, I got it over with and got the miles in. Last Saturday, the group met at Lunken. We ran down Eastern and back. Eastern is not my favorite place to run, but I will take that over the Lunken loop. It was a gorgeous morning and I felt good enough to push myself a little. It was a cut back week, so we were only doing 7 miles. (Of course, there was an optional add on at the end, but I have a mental block about adding miles on at the end of a run when I see everyone stopping.) I averaged a 9:15 mile, which I am really happy with. I also got to meet a few new people. Lindsay didn't show up and Holly wasn't feeling well enough to keep up, so I got to chat with a few new people. It was one of those runs that makes me remember why I started running. I ended feeling great physically and mentally.
On Sunday I was determined to get into the spinning class at the gym. Since 15 minutes early wasn't enough last time, I drug myself out of bed at 8:30 slightly hung over so I could get to the gym by 9:20. That's 40 minutes before the class starts, and I thought there was no way it would be full. Once again - wrong. Seriously, the peole must get there at 8:00 a.m. Either that, or someone is letting them sign up ahead of time and not sharing that information with the rest of the gym members. I was pissed but made myself stay to do 30 minutes on the elyptical and lift weights.
In all, it was an okay weekend. At least now I feel 100% healthy again and ready to resume my normal training schedule. Hopefully that will still be possible this week since I have a training for work that lasts Wednesday - Friday and is off site. We'll see.

Lost and Found

It's been a rough week, most of which I've spent recovering from this nasty cold. I am finally feeling relatively normal again, but I had to cut way back on my training. Still in denial about being sick, I decided to run last Wednesday with the group. As if that idea wasn't bad enough, earlier that evening we had a happy hour after work for someone who was leaving the company, and I decided to drink a coke and rum. Hmm, alcohol plus illness plus a six mile run. Why did I ever think this would equal feeling better?
We met at Newport for a run across the bridge and through downtown. After one mile I did experience a strange phenomenon and felt better for a brief period. It didn't last, though, and by the end of the run I was dragging. I got home and could barely keep my eyes open before falling into bed. I woke up on Thursday feeling worse than ever and broke down and made a doctor's appointment. The doctor said a had an upper respiratory infection secondary to the cold virus, so no antibiotics for me. He did give me a nasal spray and decongestant, though. I was slightly disappointed not to get an antibiotic. I wanted a guarantee that I would feel better for Saturday's run, but I did not get one. When I woke up on Friday I was still feeling pretty sketchy and needed more rest, so I took a sick day and stayed in bed. The extra rest helped a lot, and on Saturday morning I was ready to attempt a long run.
On Saturday we met at the store in O'Bryonville. I was happy to see both Lindsay and Holly were there also, and the weather was not too bad (upper 30's.) The head coach for this group was out of town, so one of the other coaches, Joe F, who headed up the fall marathon training last year, was filling in. During the fall marathon training, it seemed like every other run was in Norwood. What do you know, Saturday's run took us through Norwood also. It wasn't too bad, though. We got to run all the way down Erie as opposed to up Erie, which is always a plus. The worst thing about the run was the last 1.5 miles involved running past the store and then coming back. Maybe if I had been feeling 100%, I could have overcome that temptation to stop, but I was not. I made it 10 instead of 11.5, but all things considered, I think that was pretty good. I averaged a 10:30 mile the whole way, which is only 30 seconds off my goal pace.
Today is Tuesday and I haven't worked out since then. I had thoughts about spinning on Sunday, but I also had a lot of cleaning to do, and I didn't want to spend all my energy at the gym and then not clean. I think cleaning counts as a semi-workout anyway, and a full workout if it involves scrubbing the floor. Yesterday again I had every intention of doing my regular 5 mile loop from home, especially since they were predicting nasty weather for today which meant no outside workout. It was bitter cold, though, and I have let myself get out of the groove. Leo and I went out for Indian and then hit the grocery store where the rest of the world was preparing for armageddon/white death.
White death did come last night, with lots of ice. I could have made it to work on the bus, but the freezing rain was coming down hard, and there was a coat of ice over everything. I didn't really feel like ice skating to the bus stop, and I knew the bus wouldn't be on time, so I decided to work from home. My plan is to go to spinning tonight. Hopefully the weather will keep some of those people in so I can get a spot in the class. Tomorrow is a group run at the store again. I am hoping some of this ice will melt before then, otherwise I am condemned to the treadmill, and I haven't come up with a playlist yet that can get me through 6 miles inside.

3 hours 40 minutes

That's what my marathon time would have to be in order to qualify for Boston. So, I'm only looking at shaving about 1 hour off my current time. While its fun to fantasize about qualifying for Boston, its not something I'm really set on. If it ever does happen, that would be great, but if not, there are lots of other fun marathons all over the world that don't require a fast time.
So, I've been slacking pretty badly with this new blog. However, I have not been slacking with my runs. This past December was much better than December 2006. I was able to run on a fairly regular basis, and I definitely worked out on a regular basis. I'm into spinning now, so I'm going to try and keep going once a week. January has arrived, though, and last week I got the last bike (i.e. the worst bike that is pretty much broken next to the 300 lb man that may have go into cardiac arrest at any minute.) I forgot that January is "resolution month" for most of the world, and all those people that stopped going to the gym suddenly crawl out of the cracks and invade group fitness classes.
Last Saturday was the official start of the Flying Pig training group. I was really excited to get an e-mail from Erik (training buddy from the fall marathon group) asking if Lindsay and I would be running with the Spot again. We both said yes, but I never got a response from Erik, and I didn't see him last week. I was really excited though, because Lindsay and Holly, friends from the last training group, were both there. We had a timed five mile run to help divide the group into two more manageable parts.
Okay, a brief rant about the group size: last year, the training group had a cap, and once that number was reached, no one else could sign up. This year, though, it looks like someone is getting greedy, because there seemed to be over 200 people that showed up last Saturday, and it was ridiculously crowded. Also, I don't know how safe you can really be with a group that size. I think that if it would have been my first training group, I would have quit after seeing how many people were there. Its mean to think it, but I can't deny that I hope some people will drop out. I just think the giant group is unmanageable.
Anywho, the cut off for the timed run was 47:00 minutes. If you were under that time, you would be in one group (the "faster" group.) Over that time, and you're in the slower group. As I've said before, I'm not fast. Ten minute miles are my friend. Somehow, though, while training for the Thanksgiving 10k, I really got speed into my brain. I don't know if its that, the spinning classes, or a combination, but somehow I have trimmed about 30 seconds off my mile time. I doubt my marathon pace is going to be 9:30, but I think it will be faster than my 11 minute miles last year. The down side to my new found speed - my buddies in the group fall behind me and I find myself running alone. This is kind of defeating the purpose of running with the group. I need to adjust my mentality back to "marathon" and hopefully I will be able to run this Saturday without going all out (like I did last Saturday and again this past Wednesday when we ran another 5 miler.)
Tomorrow we meet at lunken for 6-8 miles. I used to love Lunken because of its flatness, and the positive connotation I had with it being the first place I ever ran five miles without stopping to walk. The more I run there, though, the more I hate it. Its just boring, and I've come to learn that flat run does not always equal enjoyable run. We'll see how it goes.
I got a Garmin Forerunner for my birthday. It tracks speed, distance, heart rate, and calories burned, which I think is pretty sweet. You can then upload your workout info online. I think there is a way to link it, so I will try that next time and see if I can connect it to my blog.
Well, I think that's all for now. I will try to be more diligent about my blogging in the future, and I'm sure I will have more to write about now that Flying Pig training has officially begun.