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!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Cold
... in more ways than one. I'm sitting here trying to remember the last few workouts I've had and my brain feels like its filled with mush. Okay, its slowly coming back to me now.
Two Saturdays ago, we met at Crossroads in Oakley. It was a cut back week as I mentioned before, so we were only running 6 miles. According to the coach's e-mail, it was a "flat" course. After that run I would beg to differ. It was pretty tough and I pushed myself hard. Lindsay was there and had brought here sister along, so they were going more slowly and chatting with a guy named Tony who Lindsay met when she was at the store buying shoes. If I may digress for a moment, I was taken back to my high school days, when my "best" friend seemed to get every guy I had a crush on. Okay, so now I am married and I hadn't even met this Tony guy, but I was annoyed. Why can't I get over it? I have a lot more self confidence since I started running and lost a lot of weight, but the echoes of doubt are still there in my head, telling me I am fat and unattractive. On top of that, I am a naturally introverted person, so making friends is just not my forte. As hard as it is for outgoing people to understand, it is really difficult for me to talk to anyone that I dont' know. But anyway, I don't want to psychoanalyze myself (I've spent plenty of time doing that already.) I ran ahead of those three and spent most of my run asking myself why I needed this validation from someone else - why do I really care if men notice me or not? I'm married, it shouldn't matter. I never came up with a good answer, but I shared those feelings with my mom who seemed to think it was because of the deep hurt I experienced when I was in high school. Who knows... at least I think I am over it now.
So, things were going well last week, except for getting to the gym for Sunday spinning only to find out that the class was already full even thought I was 15 minutes early. Seriously, when are these people going to lose their resolve and leave? Maybe I underestimated them. I was really logging the miles last week. Monday 5.5, Wednesday 5.7, Thursday 3, and this past Saturday was scheduled to be 9. That would have put me at about 23 miles last week, but my body had other plans.
Last Wednesday we did a negative split run from the Running Spot. I was feeling tired and the weather was so cold, and I almost convinced myself to skip the workout, but I went. I felt terrible. My negative split workout turned into positive splits. I had to stop and walk on the way back because I felt nauseous and just generally not good. Overtraining... the word kept bouncing around in my head, but it didn't jive because I've been working out hard and continously since November. On Thursday I dragged myself to the gym and did three miles on the treadmill, once again feeling like my legs were made of stone. I looked forward to Friday - a rest day, and a day I would also be working at home. By Friday afternoon my throat was hurting I was just feeling bad all over.
By the time I went to bed that night, I had accepted the fact that I was sick, and a nine mile run was out of the question. I spent almost all weekend on the couch feeling depressed, because I had to get sick on a weekend with perfect running weather - sunny and 40 degrees. Today I am feeling somewhat better, but still not good, so I think I am going to rest tonight. Even though I am in denial about overtraining, that could have something to do with catching a cold (can cause a weakend immune system. I also got sick after the C-bus marathon.) Hopefully I will be in good shape to work out on Wednesday. I hate missing workouts. For now, I'm popping some prescription decongestants and Zicam, and occupying my mind with contemplating whether or not to sign up for the Chicago marathon again this year. This cold is definitely getting to my brain.
Two Saturdays ago, we met at Crossroads in Oakley. It was a cut back week as I mentioned before, so we were only running 6 miles. According to the coach's e-mail, it was a "flat" course. After that run I would beg to differ. It was pretty tough and I pushed myself hard. Lindsay was there and had brought here sister along, so they were going more slowly and chatting with a guy named Tony who Lindsay met when she was at the store buying shoes. If I may digress for a moment, I was taken back to my high school days, when my "best" friend seemed to get every guy I had a crush on. Okay, so now I am married and I hadn't even met this Tony guy, but I was annoyed. Why can't I get over it? I have a lot more self confidence since I started running and lost a lot of weight, but the echoes of doubt are still there in my head, telling me I am fat and unattractive. On top of that, I am a naturally introverted person, so making friends is just not my forte. As hard as it is for outgoing people to understand, it is really difficult for me to talk to anyone that I dont' know. But anyway, I don't want to psychoanalyze myself (I've spent plenty of time doing that already.) I ran ahead of those three and spent most of my run asking myself why I needed this validation from someone else - why do I really care if men notice me or not? I'm married, it shouldn't matter. I never came up with a good answer, but I shared those feelings with my mom who seemed to think it was because of the deep hurt I experienced when I was in high school. Who knows... at least I think I am over it now.
So, things were going well last week, except for getting to the gym for Sunday spinning only to find out that the class was already full even thought I was 15 minutes early. Seriously, when are these people going to lose their resolve and leave? Maybe I underestimated them. I was really logging the miles last week. Monday 5.5, Wednesday 5.7, Thursday 3, and this past Saturday was scheduled to be 9. That would have put me at about 23 miles last week, but my body had other plans.
Last Wednesday we did a negative split run from the Running Spot. I was feeling tired and the weather was so cold, and I almost convinced myself to skip the workout, but I went. I felt terrible. My negative split workout turned into positive splits. I had to stop and walk on the way back because I felt nauseous and just generally not good. Overtraining... the word kept bouncing around in my head, but it didn't jive because I've been working out hard and continously since November. On Thursday I dragged myself to the gym and did three miles on the treadmill, once again feeling like my legs were made of stone. I looked forward to Friday - a rest day, and a day I would also be working at home. By Friday afternoon my throat was hurting I was just feeling bad all over.
By the time I went to bed that night, I had accepted the fact that I was sick, and a nine mile run was out of the question. I spent almost all weekend on the couch feeling depressed, because I had to get sick on a weekend with perfect running weather - sunny and 40 degrees. Today I am feeling somewhat better, but still not good, so I think I am going to rest tonight. Even though I am in denial about overtraining, that could have something to do with catching a cold (can cause a weakend immune system. I also got sick after the C-bus marathon.) Hopefully I will be in good shape to work out on Wednesday. I hate missing workouts. For now, I'm popping some prescription decongestants and Zicam, and occupying my mind with contemplating whether or not to sign up for the Chicago marathon again this year. This cold is definitely getting to my brain.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The Hillz that Killz
Last Thursday, Garmy and I went to the gym to calibrate. It turned out to be a relatively painless experience, and I thought the instruction booklet explained it well. After 1 mile on the treadmill, my Garmin was showing 1.3 miles. I guess that's not quite so much when you are looking at just one mile, but over several miles, that extra 0.3 really adds up and ends up making it look like I ran much farther than I truly did. So, I did another couple miles after calibrating and called it a night.
On Saturday the group met at the Running Spot. When I say group I mean the whole group, not just the half that I belong to now that we are divided by pace. Luckily, I was able to get a parking spot. It was really cold (I think about 25 degrees) when we started, and it only got colder as the day progressed. Maybe our coaches are trying to thin the group out a little and get people to quit, because they sent us on one of the worst runs ever. It was about 8 miles through Eden Park and Mt. Adams, the two most hilly areas in the city. I was feeling kind of tired that morning, but I still managed a 9:50 average pace. (Which is really quite good considering the hills/mountains we had to traverse.) Lindsay was in Chicago for the weekend, so she was not there. I started out with Holly but soon ran out ahead of her and lost her at a traffic light after about 1 miles. So, I ended up running most of the run alone. When it comes to longer runs, I always prefer to run with others, but it was so cold and I was so out of breath on Saturday, I don't think it would have made that much of a difference. I was pretty wiped out after that run, so I skipped spinning on Sunday and spent the day cleaning.
I was off for MLK day on Monday and I promised myself that I would get a run in. I set out with the intention of doing one of my ususal 5.5 mile loops. After about 1 mile, though, I was feeling pretty good. Since I didn't have anything else going on that day, I decided to add on and ended up running 7. I was pretty proud of that, but I did use it as an excuse last night to skip working out once again. Oh well, not every week can be a hard week. I have only been resting one or two days a week since December, so I decided since we are cutting back on mileage this week, I will take it easier on the workout front as well and next week I will be back in full force.
Tonight's group run is at the Running Spot (again... for some reason the other group gets to meet in the more fun and different locations while we are stuck at the same place ever week.) The e-mail says we we have an "enjoyable" hill workout. Hm, sounds like an oxymoron to me. We'll see how it goes. I need to get a good workout in to make up for skipping yesterday. I just wish it wasn't so cold.
On Saturday the group met at the Running Spot. When I say group I mean the whole group, not just the half that I belong to now that we are divided by pace. Luckily, I was able to get a parking spot. It was really cold (I think about 25 degrees) when we started, and it only got colder as the day progressed. Maybe our coaches are trying to thin the group out a little and get people to quit, because they sent us on one of the worst runs ever. It was about 8 miles through Eden Park and Mt. Adams, the two most hilly areas in the city. I was feeling kind of tired that morning, but I still managed a 9:50 average pace. (Which is really quite good considering the hills/mountains we had to traverse.) Lindsay was in Chicago for the weekend, so she was not there. I started out with Holly but soon ran out ahead of her and lost her at a traffic light after about 1 miles. So, I ended up running most of the run alone. When it comes to longer runs, I always prefer to run with others, but it was so cold and I was so out of breath on Saturday, I don't think it would have made that much of a difference. I was pretty wiped out after that run, so I skipped spinning on Sunday and spent the day cleaning.
I was off for MLK day on Monday and I promised myself that I would get a run in. I set out with the intention of doing one of my ususal 5.5 mile loops. After about 1 mile, though, I was feeling pretty good. Since I didn't have anything else going on that day, I decided to add on and ended up running 7. I was pretty proud of that, but I did use it as an excuse last night to skip working out once again. Oh well, not every week can be a hard week. I have only been resting one or two days a week since December, so I decided since we are cutting back on mileage this week, I will take it easier on the workout front as well and next week I will be back in full force.
Tonight's group run is at the Running Spot (again... for some reason the other group gets to meet in the more fun and different locations while we are stuck at the same place ever week.) The e-mail says we we have an "enjoyable" hill workout. Hm, sounds like an oxymoron to me. We'll see how it goes. I need to get a good workout in to make up for skipping yesterday. I just wish it wasn't so cold.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Garmin in a Fog
Last Saturday we met for our group run at Lunken. Rather than the boring, flat run I had half hoped for and half dreaded, we ran way from the airport down Eastern Ave and then up Delta. I think we ran about 6.5 miles, and about 1.5 of those miles were uphill. My memories of Delta were of trying to make it up during mile 17 of a 20 mile run last year. It was not easy. This time, though, it felt easy and my legs felt light. Thankfully, it was at the beginning of our route. Once again, I somehow managed to run some pretty fast miles and I pulled away from my running buddy, Holly. Apparently, my increase in speed even caught the eye of our head coach who asked me if I had picked up my pace. I think my fastest mile during that run was 8:42. For me, that is blistering.
However, that is my Garmin Forerunner time, and after last night's run, I have realized that "Garmy" has a little problem. (Garmy is the name I gave my device. The computer program that uploads that data from the Garmin asks you to give it a "friendly name.") I bought the foot pod separately after getting the watch and heart rate monitor as a birthday gift. The instructions say it is about 97% accurate without calibration. Well, why would I spend the time calibrating. 3% plus or minus was not going to bother me. Last night our run called for 5 miles in O'Bryonville. Lindsay and Holly were both there, and I did manage to keep my pace to a more reasonable level so we could all run together. When we got back to the store, though, Garmy said I had run 5.4 miles, and Lindsay's Garmin Forerunner 305 said we had run 4.9. The Forerunner 305 uses GPS technology rather than a foot pod, so it is more accurate. Apparently my foot pod was a half a mile over?? After doing some online research, foot pods can really vary from person to person depending on your form and stride. So, I guess I am going to have to take the time to calibrate, after all. Tonight my plan is to go to the gym and use the treadmill to calibrate. Hopefully that will resolve my problems and I will get more trustworthy data from now on.
As I said, Last night was a group run. On Monday I got 5.5 miles in on my own. Tuesday I rested. So far, so good. If I can just get Garmy to cooperate, I think I'll be right on target.
However, that is my Garmin Forerunner time, and after last night's run, I have realized that "Garmy" has a little problem. (Garmy is the name I gave my device. The computer program that uploads that data from the Garmin asks you to give it a "friendly name.") I bought the foot pod separately after getting the watch and heart rate monitor as a birthday gift. The instructions say it is about 97% accurate without calibration. Well, why would I spend the time calibrating. 3% plus or minus was not going to bother me. Last night our run called for 5 miles in O'Bryonville. Lindsay and Holly were both there, and I did manage to keep my pace to a more reasonable level so we could all run together. When we got back to the store, though, Garmy said I had run 5.4 miles, and Lindsay's Garmin Forerunner 305 said we had run 4.9. The Forerunner 305 uses GPS technology rather than a foot pod, so it is more accurate. Apparently my foot pod was a half a mile over?? After doing some online research, foot pods can really vary from person to person depending on your form and stride. So, I guess I am going to have to take the time to calibrate, after all. Tonight my plan is to go to the gym and use the treadmill to calibrate. Hopefully that will resolve my problems and I will get more trustworthy data from now on.
As I said, Last night was a group run. On Monday I got 5.5 miles in on my own. Tuesday I rested. So far, so good. If I can just get Garmy to cooperate, I think I'll be right on target.
Friday, January 11, 2008
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.
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.
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