Week 4 - On a Scale of 1 to 10

I'd say my training this week was a 4 and it was significantly boosted by the fact that Lisa invited me to do the long run together this morning in the 10 degree weather. Hey, at least it was sunny out; we got to enjoy a great sunrise!

Bringing the average down would be the fact that I simply skipped some workouts. My workout plan was set so that I could do some running in the morning and some either yoga or stability ball in the evening, but with the long hours at work, finding the time to do two workouts a day has proven to be a challenge. But, most days I've done at least something, whether that be yoga/stability ball or running.

The long run was fantastic this week! The tempo run, ah, not so much. I delayed it until Friday evening this week and it was a frigid night. I went out with that mentality, of "Go at least a mile and if its that horrible, you can turn around." Well, after a mile, I actually took myself up on that offer, so I only did two. The "track" workout was supposed to be 6 x 800. I'm thinking I really need to map out my neighborhood in 400 increments so that I can really measure this. I'm totally guessing when I do this workout and I'm sure I was short. Again, it was freezing (and by freezing, I mean MUCH below freezing) and I gave myself a bit of a break.

Highlight of the week - running with Lisa
Difficult part of the week - the cold

True Confessions

After not going out yesterday since it was 12 degrees and I had to get some things to the post office first thing, I knew that I HAD to run today. Unfortunately, it actually was colder today than yesterday. Fortunately, Megan has been running on Sunday mornings, so I cajoled her into running with me. I had it all planned out, since she was doing 10 and me 14, that we could run 7.5 together and then split at Forbes. Megan would head back to the Strip District and I would head up Forbes into Oakland. Well, it was just too cold. My to layers of pants just weren't cutting it and I didn't know how smart it would be to keep going. The other issue was the GU that I took on our water stop. It was in an outer pocket on my coat so that I wouldn't have to disturb my layers to get it out. Turned out that GU was as frozen as it could be. Not quite a solid, but close to it. Of course I swallowed the lumps anyways, which my stomach quickly decided it hated, causing some stomach pain for the last three miles. I stopped four streets early at the 16th st McDonalds to use the restroom while Megan kept running to get her car and camera (see FBook for photo...). So here's my confession: I was so preoccupied with getting all my layers back on that I'm almost positive I didn't flush the toilet. Gross. And I was going to comment that those restrooms are a lot cleaner than they used to be. Oops! I'll have to pay more attention next time. Even with skipping the last four miles and the ridiculously cold temps, the run was a success. Megan and I were able to meet up for a run and we actually got out the door in this weather!

Night at the Track

In the third week of running, I finally made it to the track for the first time. It was definitely motivation that the temps were pushing 40 and the sun was shining - probably the only nice weather all week. It was also motivating that the workout was a measley 4x800. Totally doable, even if not totally recovered from said stomach flu. I took advantage of a middle aged man run/walking around the track and made him my rabbit. I had to use him since there were more people at the ice rink than the track (3). I was surprised at my relative consistency, now to increase speed next time: 3:39, 3:36, 3:35, 3:36.

I am hoping the track stays clearer than last year...

Week 3 - The Night Runner

Other than my long run, all of my runs this week were at night and I really enjoyed it! I got into a nice routine of coming home late from work (ah, busy season), putting on a one-pot meal of something that takes awhile to cook (jambalya, soup, etc.) or staging Nathan to get dinner prepped and then heading out the door into the dark. I figure its going to be dark no matter what time I'm running during the week (the wee hours of the morning or the late hours of the night) and it is much less of a rush if I go in the evening. Granted, this means that I pretty much then go to bed after eating dinner, but, hey, I'll take it. Bonus - chocolate milk is sometimes a recommended recovery drink and I figured why not make it hot chocolate in the winter, so I've totally enjoyed that!

The long run of nine miles worked out okay this week - really nothing to report. The weather report accurately predicted that rain would start at 9 am on Sunday, so I got out the door in time to be finished by about that time. Sure enough, the rain started on my last half mile of the run. Helped me pick up the pace to get home!

Highlight of the week - Listening to (and heeding) the weather report
Difficult part of the week - Trying to do a speed workout in the dark and cold (hard to look at a watch because its so cold that I don't want a draft to come in at my wrists); I end up trying to count seconds in my head - very accurate

Third Time's a Charm

I've been attempting this same 13 mile long run for the last three weeks (Beechwood loop, past CMU, up Ellsworth, loop through Point Breeze...) but have been having difficulty getting it done.

Week 0 (thought it was Week 1 but miscounted): The week when Pittsburgh received more snow in one week than any time since college. I set out at 6am to run on the roads since I knew sidewalks would be impossibly frustrating. Well that didn't go so well, since Pgh decided not to plow or salt until 8am that day. By the time I hit the "fork in the road" (Murray & Forbes) where I could either be home in three miles or go out for the rest of the long run, I was exhausted and decided that 9 was plenty since it was taking as long as 13 and I honestly felt much more tired than if I did 13 on clear roads.

Week 1: Set out in the sunshine with last week's snow mostly off the sidewalk. I was one.five miles from home when my ankle pain from the MCM returned and I knew that it was not a good idea to try for 12 more miles. I am learning that my ankle pain is directly related to my flexibility. On a normal/bad day, I can touch the ground with at least one knuckle. When I stopped in agony, I couldn't get closer than six inches from the ground. ouch. So I took a lovely walk through Frick Park and went home and did Jillian and Bob tapes for a few hours to make sure I kept my heart rate up for a good two hours.

Week 2: Caught the Stomach flu on Monday. Didn't eat for three days, lost 8 pounds. Some of that might have been brain cells as I thought it would be fine to try 13 miles again today. And why wouldn't I want to do this when it involves two Gu packs on an already weak stomach!?!? At the same point of no return (6 miles), I was feeling tired but good. So I went on for more. CMU finally shut off the water fountains outside the parking lot so I had to go inside the building for some quick water. It seems like forever since I've run the length of Ellsworth and it was a nice trip down memory lane as I passed all our old houses and stomping grounds. And then I hit 10 miles. And utter exhaustion. I was not surprised that this happened since I really have no energy stores for that kind of endurance. For the next three miles I had to walk more frequently than I would like, but I was happy to be completing the run that seemed to be starting to be a mental block.

I'm glad to see that I've learned a thing or two about limitations over the last couple decades of running (am I really that old to be able to say that?? gross). I'm also happy that I can be content with my ability and performance as it relates to all the twists life throws my way. I am striving for drastic improvement this year (Boston in 2011, anyone??), but am not going to kill myself to get there. It has to be fun, or there is no point.

P.S. The beechwood crappy blue car with the window covers roped on was gone today! I had to do a triple take to make sure that I just hadn't missed it because I was so used to seeing it there. I wonder if it was being used, had been sold...or had been towed!

P.P.S. I witnessed another accident today. Not as scary as the one we ran passed on Murray, but some guy tried to park on Beechwood at 40ish mph and when he hit some leaves he couldn't stop fast enough and popped a Grand Caravan. He tried to blame it on the leaves, but the screech and the pop were too loud and long for him to be going anywhere remotely close to the speed limit.

P.P.P.S. Sorry for the novel. I will try to write less, more frequently. Welcome back to spring marathon training!

Week 2 - My Friend, the Treadmill

Week 2 was not such a successful week of training...I worked no less than an eleven hour billable day this week, so that made it a bit difficult to get in much training. On top of that, I was out of town in an area where running outside isn't really an option, so the one run I got in during the week was done on the hotel treadmill. It was actually really fantastic, from a running perspective. It was the night of the Haiti earthquake, so I was beginning to see some of the first images that were coming in from the mainstream media.

I am a little embarassed to admit that my long run was only scheduled to be a five mile run this weekend. I thought it was supposed to be eight and wanting to enjoy some sleep on Sunday morning, I figured I'd wait until the afternoon to do it. It was raining cats and dogs when I was originally planning on running and it didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon, so I moved on to Plan B and figured I could convince myself to do my "long" run on the treadmill. At this point, I still thought it was eight miles, which I thought was WAY too much to do on a treadmill, but also WAY too much to do in 35 degree rain. Then I checked my schedule and saw it was only five miles and there was much rejoicing! Not much of a long run, but given the week I had, I'll take it!

Highlight of the week - Discovering the treadmill isn't as horrible as I always make it out to be
Difficult part of the week - Finding time to run

Week 1 - Successful Kickoff

Finished up week one of training for the Pittsburgh Marathon! I'm doing a training schedule that I mixed together from Hal Higdon's beginner level (being realistic about time constraints during busy season) and the FIRST program and I've worked in some yoga and stability ball workouts at home and hopefully can get in some cross-training too.

My first long run was seven miles, which seemed achievable even though I hadn't been doing that good of a job in keeping up with running after the half marathon in the fall. The morning of my long run the temperature was a chilly 3 degrees (windchill of -10), but I took it as a challenge and headed out. (Bonus - there was a nice, light snow as I headed out - very beautiful!) I had that thought that every runner has on a morning like I was facing, "Get through the first mile and if its that horrible, you can turn around and go back." After mile 1, I wouldn't say I was warm, but I was willing to keep going. By the end, though, I was freezing and glad that I could cut it off at seven miles.

Highlight of the week - completing my first long run
Difficult part of the week - people who don't shovel their sidewalks

Pgh Marathon Training Schedule

OK, so I mapped out my training schedule...guess this means I'm committing now!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Whoever was the genius that decided cross-country season should be in
the fall really had it figured out! The hot, sticky days of summer are
over and the best days of running are upon us.

Fres and I attempted to go for a run at Fern Hollow in Sewickley, but
I couldn't exactly find it. Instead we headed over to the Montour
Trail and had a great run!

Sent from my iPhone

Luzerne

Luzerne was an easy enough place to run. There's a huge lake and there's a trail around it...pretty hard to get lost here. This is the view into town from the furthest point that we ran out to.
Mt. Pilatus in the background.
Crisp, Swiss mountain air in perfect running temperatures!
We even got to see a rainbow on our run!

Venice

Running on vacation is one of my favorite things! Not only is it a form of exercise, but its the quickest way to do a speedy site-seeing trip. One of the things they caution you about in Venice is getting lost, so probably you should multiple the chances by ten if you plan to go for a run. It happened. We got lost. But it was lots of fun to explore!
Water stop!
Running down the steps of the Rio Alto Bridge - it is VERY empty here. At midday you can barely make your way across this bridge; it is so crowded with people. That was the other good thing about doing an early morning run in Venice - no crowds!
View of the Grand Canal from atop the Rio Alto Bridge
An empty Rio Alto Bridge at 7:30 am.

Another great day at the track...

It took forever for me to get to the track tonight - it was almost 7 and the sun was about to set. I was not looking forward to my 12 400s... The workout started out pretty well. Point Park's CC team (??) was there again doing the same workout as me (same as last week too!) but by the time I finished my warm up they only had 2-4 repeats left. I never ran with them but would use them as something to chase or not get caught. That got me through my first six all between 1:30 and 1:32. Not bad...and pleasantly consistent. The plan called for a longer break halfway through, which turned out to be a mistake. My times tanked as my legs became lead. I struggled through four more (1:33-1:35) before I called it quits. Now that I'm writing this, I'm realizing that my times weren't that much slower - doofus. Oh well.
And as reported on FB - the coach who called me old left me alone today. But there was a big oaf watching his friends play soccer - and apparently was watching me too.... He said I was a strong runner (ha - he didn't know that I just skipped two laps!)...and then suggested we keep in touch. So I must not look that old afterall...

So things learned from tonight:
1) Arrive earlier so as to run with PPCC
2) Wear rings even with the phobia of falling will damage them more
3) Scam someone into coming too!

Run Around the Square

Do I need more junk food?

I actually got out of bed 'early' this morning to go for a run. 1) We are completely in the Dog Days of August and all the humidity that goes with it 2) Had my locks of love haircut this evening and want to try to preserve the style until tomorrow.
I attempted to run to the start of the Run Around the Square, run the course, and then run home for a five-ish mile run. I try to take advantage of "home-court" when I can. Well I took a wrong turn in the initial neighborhood which added a few blocks and a few minutes of time. But the worst part of the run was that I had ZERO energy. It took me 30 minutes just to do the 5k+ portion! I couldn't even lift my legs on the downhill part.
It was extremely frustrating because it was a simple five miles, no big deal. What made it worse was the last two runs (a track work-out and a very hilly 10.5 mile loop past Magee the morning after Claire was born), I felt the same way. There was nothing left in my tank.
I started to analyze what differences might have occurred that would be depleting my energy sources. And then it hit me - on August 1, I started my first 'diet' ever.
And by 'diet' I mean:
*no bagels/donuts in the morning from work
*no afternoon trip to the vending machine
*no fast food
*all 'rules' are out the door if it's a social event
So as you can see, it's hardly a diet - just a little bit better moderation of fats and sweets (my favorite food group). Regardless, my body depended on those calories for years and now I'm depriving it of its usual energy! Now I have to work in some better foods and fast because these bad runs are killing me!
I don't know if I'll be able to figure it out by Saturday but at least I'll be able to beat today's pace, if by only staying on the correct streets!

I'm Back! ...Finally!

So fortunately, I've been running fairly consistently since I last posted. I had an interesting time training solo for the first time for the Pgh Marathon. I was having a great week followed by a down week, pretty much the entire time...and I only got in three speed workouts (and rarely replaced them with another run). Somehow, on basically two runs a week and some cross-training I ran a sub-4 marathon. I don't think I'll be selling that plan to anyone.... But here's a photo from my long run on super bowl sunday (17 miles starting at the corner and running through the strip, past heinz field, south side, oakland...my shirt was quite popular in every neighborhood!)

So back to the heat and humidity of the summer....Things I've 'learned' this summer:

* I assumed training for a 5k would leave me unmotivated to get out the door for short/easy runs. It actually is much easier and enjoyable since I'm no longer intimidated by the long runs!

* When the humidity rises, always use Body Glide, no matter how short the run

* When the goal is a lazy Saturday morning, it is better to get up twenty minutes early to go run a quick 5k than to lounge around and end up doing 8 miles

* 5ks can be delightful at a run/walk pace - but ONLY with friends to enjoy the LONG time it takes to get to the finish

* My best runs happen after my worst work days (that one always amazes me)

* After June 20, the days get shorter. Going out for a run at 9 pm through Frick Park is still dark. Even though it seems ridiculous, I should consider bringing my head lamp.

*Even 1/2 marathon have long training programs. I should consider this well in advance before I'm more than a month late starting it!

That's it for now! Hopefully I'll be back soon!

A Run at Eaton Reservoir

We did a muggy loop around Eaton Reservoir this morning in North East.

Northville has Sidewalks!

Attempted to run at Maybury State Park where there is an old asylum
but the gates were closed when I got there. But Northville is full of
subdivisions with luxury estate homes and they are all connected by
convenient walkways - genius! Here is a photo of a model home that I
snapped. While there are some gorgeous new homes, most of the
subdivisions have lots of vacant lots.

The Great Allegheny Passage

Last weekend we embarked on a new endeavor - an overnight bike trip on the Great Allegheny Passage! Ian scoped out the landscape and did a lot of the logistics prep work (including biking an additional 22 miles, along with Grant, before the rest of us even started on Saturday). OK, we weren't quite hard-core enough (or quite light-weight packers) to do a true overnight biking trip, since we had a car waiting for us at the campsite loaded up with a cooler, air mattress, tents, etc., but we were all sore the next day and it was an accomplishment!

Pittsburgh Half Marathon

What a fantastic race in our hometown! We were very gracious for the Mylar blankets at the finish line. At this point it was rainy and breezy, so they helped keep our body heat in a lot!
We're almost at the finish line when we spot our fans Mom Troxell and Maggie.

Marathon Sleepover!

Want to…

Cheer on the Marathon Runners Sunday morning?
Encourage SPC’s Youth Director Tres Adams as he vies to qualify for the Boston Marathon?
Serve as part of the SPC team distributing orange slices to the runners who pass by Amberson Avenue on Fifth Avenue?

Wondering how you will get here with all of the traffic?

Join us for a Sleepover Retreat Saturday night at the church!

Bring sleeping bags, pillows, flashlights, snacks, and be ready to slice oranges.

Who: Church members and guests of all ages.
What: A festive time to gather and get the best parking spaces for the race!
When: Saturday May 2, 7:30PM until the roads open again so you can go home (probably around noon Sunday).
Where: Shadyside Presbyterian Church.
Why: Because we’re a fun-loving group of people and want to support the Marathon runners.
How: Email Ellen Allston indicating you’d like to participate and then show-up at the church Saturday evening.

We will be locked-in. The guys will sleep in the Richards Room and the girls will sleep in the Babcock Room. We’ll be able to watch movies, heat-up snacks in the kitchen, play flashlight tag in Parish Hall, have a flashlight tour of the church, and just have fun.

Sunday morning, we’ll join many other SPC volunteers (about 30!) to slice oranges and then set-up our distribution station on Fifth Avenue at Amberson.

All participants will receive a special SPC t-shirt. We will cheer the runners along Fifth Avenue and will give orange slices to those who need them.

We should be finished by 11:30 AM with the surrounding roads scheduled to open at 12 Noon.

“Run the straight race through God’s good grace. Lift up thine eyes and seek his face. Life with its way before us lies. Christ is the path and Christ the prize.”

I am so bummed that I a) can't do the Sleepover Retreat and b) won't even be running past the Church...next year either calls for not running at all and going all out on the spectating OR doing the full!