This training cycle for my December marathon affair has already encountered a mini-bump of sorts. After my speed workout on Wednesday afternoon, I started feeling tired and achy all over, as if I was on the verge of a flu. Even my husband noticed that my body temperature seemed to be pretty hot. It remained so until Friday, when I decided to investigate why only the left side of my throat felt sore. I took a look, and I discovered something new: tonsil stones. So if you're a little squeamish, I advise you to skip this paragraph. Basically, it's a small lump that collects in the back of your throat, and it can sometimes cause irritation, including swelling. With me, apparently, it was also inducing flu-like symptoms because once I took two of these stones out, I almost immediately began feeling better.
My planned long run on Saturday got curtailed to 3000m on the rowing machine, and 2 miles on the treadmill. Not bad, actually, considering I'd also spent the first half of the day outside at an event, in really hot temps, walking around with bags. For some reason, those kinds of activities (low-key but lengthy in time) just leave me feeling really beat up. Maybe the free spareribs that I ate yesterday morning while at the fair made things seem easier than they were, who knows.
Alrighty, with that, I hope to kick things off tomorrow with a 6-mile loop around Ft. Leavenworth. It'll be the same hilly route that I'll have to take for the Great Escape 10K later this month - hope I make it in under an hour!
Showing posts with label marathon training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marathon training. Show all posts
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Tapering
My last long run before this whole May 2nd deal happens is now complete: 23 miles were done and over with as of April 10. Didn't feel any ill effects afterward, and while my hips and legs are still a bit tight, I think I can handle an E-Z recovery run tomorrow.
So now, it's taper, taper, taper 'til May! I'm so thrilled. And based on yesterday's time, while I can't do a 4-hour marathon now, I think it is within reach for next year. I'll just have to, ahem, train for a much longer period of time than say, 3 months. :P
So now, it's taper, taper, taper 'til May! I'm so thrilled. And based on yesterday's time, while I can't do a 4-hour marathon now, I think it is within reach for next year. I'll just have to, ahem, train for a much longer period of time than say, 3 months. :P
Monday, March 15, 2010
Blow-Up
This past Saturday, my hubby and I ran in a St. Patrick's Day 5K in Temple, TX, that also served as a fundraiser for Scott & White Hospital in the area. However, my purpose for the race was purely selfish: I just wanted to do a short and simple race, and since it fit perfectly into my training schedule, I registered, and also signed up DH, just because.
I also wanted this 5K to be a PR opportunity. But as we got closer to the gun firing off, I got increasingly pessimistic and nervous. I don't know why - maybe I was feeling tired, and just not properly warmed up... And once we were on the move, I just knew then I wasn't in a good frame of mind at all. At the first half mile, I came to an abrupt stop, and said to DH that I just couldn't do it, I didn't want to finish the race and that I wanted to just drop out. He quickly set me straight and told me to just get myself together and continue running. After a few minutes, I got back on the road.
I ran solidly for the last 1.5 mile of the race, and I wish I'd started a new lap for the last mile on my Garmin; I suspect that was my fastest split.
Once everything was done, my chip time was 27:46, and my time back was 5:37. This wasn't my proudest moment because I still cannot believe that I'd let my mind mess with me so horribly in this instance, and it produced a very un-fun race in the end. It really could've been a lot more entertaining if I'd just gone with the flow. So for now, this is simply another race result to file away - that's that. I will try not to get choked like this again sometime down the road.
I also wanted this 5K to be a PR opportunity. But as we got closer to the gun firing off, I got increasingly pessimistic and nervous. I don't know why - maybe I was feeling tired, and just not properly warmed up... And once we were on the move, I just knew then I wasn't in a good frame of mind at all. At the first half mile, I came to an abrupt stop, and said to DH that I just couldn't do it, I didn't want to finish the race and that I wanted to just drop out. He quickly set me straight and told me to just get myself together and continue running. After a few minutes, I got back on the road.
I ran solidly for the last 1.5 mile of the race, and I wish I'd started a new lap for the last mile on my Garmin; I suspect that was my fastest split.
Once everything was done, my chip time was 27:46, and my time back was 5:37. This wasn't my proudest moment because I still cannot believe that I'd let my mind mess with me so horribly in this instance, and it produced a very un-fun race in the end. It really could've been a lot more entertaining if I'd just gone with the flow. So for now, this is simply another race result to file away - that's that. I will try not to get choked like this again sometime down the road.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Training Notes and Whatnot
This past Saturday I went the farthest I've ever run yet - 17 miles, in 3 hours. I'm really far from being a speed demon, obviously, but I was really stoked about it nonetheless because I did negative splits on the last 9 miles of it.
It took me forever to warm up, so I felt less-than-stellar in the beginning. Then as I got into a groove, I got sidetracked by a stupid chihuahua. While I was passing a row of houses (maybe at around mile 7?) a puny chihuahua came running up to me, and started barking furiously and trying to nip at my heels. Since the dog was a shortie and I could've easily shaken him off, this was nothing. All I had to do was ride it out for a half mile. I also found some wood along the road, and threw a piece of it to distract him. Still, I realized that I definitely need to buy pepper spray. Heaven forbid this was a bigger dog - then I would've genuinely been in deep shit.
The rest of the run was uneventful. I got back to my starting point, and downed my protein shake. The town was starting to wake up from its Saturday morning slumber. So I knew that was my cue to head back, clean up, and join the rest of the citizenry in doing typical Saturday activities, such as yard sale perusing. :)
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Sundays are almost always rest days for me, and the only thing I do is go to church with the hubby. And have post-Mass coffee. Today was no exception. However, we also went to a nearby lake this afternoon for a special treat. An organization called All-American Beef Battalion decided to treat my husband's brigade to a steak luncheon that was being held at the recreation area on Fort Hood. Honestly, who can resist a good steak? (By the way, there was enough variety that the non-beef-eating or vegetarian soldiers that were in attendance had a good meal, too).
Hospitality is fading in a lot of places, and to see something like this was truly welcome. I'm thankful that there are still folks who take the time and effort to show their appreciation of others. It absolutely made this past Sunday a nicer one for many people.
It took me forever to warm up, so I felt less-than-stellar in the beginning. Then as I got into a groove, I got sidetracked by a stupid chihuahua. While I was passing a row of houses (maybe at around mile 7?) a puny chihuahua came running up to me, and started barking furiously and trying to nip at my heels. Since the dog was a shortie and I could've easily shaken him off, this was nothing. All I had to do was ride it out for a half mile. I also found some wood along the road, and threw a piece of it to distract him. Still, I realized that I definitely need to buy pepper spray. Heaven forbid this was a bigger dog - then I would've genuinely been in deep shit.
The rest of the run was uneventful. I got back to my starting point, and downed my protein shake. The town was starting to wake up from its Saturday morning slumber. So I knew that was my cue to head back, clean up, and join the rest of the citizenry in doing typical Saturday activities, such as yard sale perusing. :)
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Sundays are almost always rest days for me, and the only thing I do is go to church with the hubby. And have post-Mass coffee. Today was no exception. However, we also went to a nearby lake this afternoon for a special treat. An organization called All-American Beef Battalion decided to treat my husband's brigade to a steak luncheon that was being held at the recreation area on Fort Hood. Honestly, who can resist a good steak? (By the way, there was enough variety that the non-beef-eating or vegetarian soldiers that were in attendance had a good meal, too).
Hospitality is fading in a lot of places, and to see something like this was truly welcome. I'm thankful that there are still folks who take the time and effort to show their appreciation of others. It absolutely made this past Sunday a nicer one for many people.