Emily's training blog

I warmed up a mile and a half to Millrace Park.  I ran 12 x 3 minutes hard 2 minutes easy.  I wanted to do thousands today on the track, but my calves are giving me trouble, and it was really windy today.  So, I decided to keep off the track.  I did 4 sets around Millrace Park.  Then, I got bored, so I ran 4 more sets out on the Jordan River Trail, and then turned around and did four back.  ( I ran 20 minutes out  for three miles into the wind, and came back in 18:53.)  Then, I ran a mile and a half home.   The top of my right calf was twinging.  I hope my body stays in one piece.

5 miles easy today. I am not recovering from last week at all. I have twinges is my achilles and pain in my right hip.  I need to get it under control.

AM:  I'm trying to make up some mileage since I did not run yesterday, even though I did cross train.  I ran 4 miles this morning, SLCC route.

PM:  15 minute warm-up, 20 x 90 seconds on, 90 seconds off.  15 minute cooldown.  13 miles

I felt pounded again today.  Everything hurts.  I ran 6 miles easy in the morning.  I ran down 2200 W to 4100 S, over to 2700W, up to 5400 S, down to Redwood Road, through the neighborhoods and home.

P.M.  I was going to run again, but opted for 1 hour on the bike.

I was going to run an 11 mile tempo run today.  I warmed up about 2.5 miles.  I started out well at 5:47 through the first mile, and 5:50 through the second mile.  I didn't feel like I was pushing that hard, but my right hip kept hurting and was not warming out.  Right before the 2.5 mile mark I felt shooting pains from my hip down my leg that caused me to stop. 

I'm not recovering, and I'm pretty sure that I have bursitis in my hip.  It's been bugging me since I started marathon training, but the pain kind of comes and goes, and doesn't usually bother me while I'm running.  It's usually a couple hours after my run that I notice.  It has really flared up since Wednesday.  The pain is right on the trochanter (is that how you say it?)  I don't think it's anything too serious, but the fact that it is getting worse is not good.    

I decided to take the rest of the weekend off, and see if the flare up will calm down.  I can't afford to take any significant time off, so it's just going to be pain management until the marathon.  I know I need the mileage, but I don't feel like I recovered well at all after the half marathon last week; especially when you add in traveling. 

I'm going to change my training a little.  It's important for me to get mileage, but I know I'm doing too much at high intensity.  A middle of the week fartlek workout seems to be too much, especially followed by a long tempo and a long run on Friday and Saturday.  I think I'll  either run intervals Monday or Tuesday, take two days recovery, and run tempo on Thursday or Friday.  I think if I take out the third workout in the middle of the week I will feel better. 

On happy news, the race director for PF Chang has talked with my agent, and they are paying my travel, hotel, and race entry.  Yay!!  I am nervous now that training has taken a bit of a nose dive this week.  I need to get right back into the swing of things next week.  It is not very long until the marathon.

The hip is hanging in there, though sore. 

A.M.  5 miles on the treadmill.  I added one minute of 3% incline every five minutes for a little variety. 

P.M.  It was snowing, so back to the treadmill.  I ran 8 miles, increasing my pace every five minutes for the first twenty minutes, every four minutes for the next twenty minutes, and every half of a mile after that.  51:54 for 8 miles.

Went out to the Olympic Oval for a track workout.  I warmed up 3 miles.  I ran 12 x 1000 meters with 2 minutes rest.  I found out that the last time I did this workout, I started in the wrong spot, so probably ran 3 seconds short.  I wanted to run around 3:30 pace, but they were faster.  I felt really relaxed the whole workout.

1. 3:23.39

2. 3:25:06

3.  3:27.36 ( I was trying to slow my pace back to 3:30)

4.  3:29.00

5.  3:26.96

6. 3:24.14 (Figured I'm feeling good, so keep them around 3:25)

7.  3:25.16

8.  3:24.71

9.  3:23.17

10.  3:24.87

11. 3:23.41

12.  3:22.20

I cooled down 1.5 miles. 

I met Bill down on the river trail for an easy ten miler.  We ran1:11.49.  It felt pretty good, even though my legs were tired from yesterday's workout.  There was a beautiful full moon that kept it from being too dark. 

AM I ran 4 miles very easy on the SLCC loop.  It is cold and dark in the morning!

PM  My right hip flared up, so I rode the spinning bike for an hour and a half.  That's probably worth 7.5-8 miles of running.  I'm trying to keep myself healthy. 

Today's threshold run was a good learning experience.  I struggled through the whole thing.  I don't think I fueled well enough before or during the run, because I felt like I was on the verge of passing out the last couple of miles.  I was definitely running on empty.  I learned that I did not go into today's run with a very good attitude.  I was dreading doing it, and it showed on my run.  More important than the outcome of the run is how mentally tough I stay during the run, and I defeated myself today.  Marathon training is teaching me that I'm not always going to feel wonderful during a workout, but that it's still important to give my very best.  I admit I had an emotional breakdown after the workout.  I cried and swore that I was done marathon training.  But, I have a better perspective now, and I'm ready for the next couple of weeks.   The first challenge is 20 miles in the snow tomorrow!!!   Total time for run: 1:07:29  Goal pace: 1:06:00.

Two mile warm-up and 2 mile cooldown.

Today was a crazy weather day.  Bill and I met at 6 a.m. to try to beat the storm.  We ran the first twenty miles of the Salt Lake Marathon Course.  The first 13 miles were mostly straight into the wind.  I thought that when I ran on Van Winkle it would finally be at my back, but it switched directions.  I didn't know you could do almost an entire run straight into the wind.  A little after mile 13 it began to snow.  Then, it began to snow harder.  The aforementioned wind blew that snow right in my face. 

It was good to have the weather distractions.  It helped me work on the mental part of my running.  When you run in conditions like that, you feel so tough; like you can handle anything.  It's fun doing what normal people wouldn't.  I just kept telling myself "Arizona in the sunshine."  No matter what the weather conditions at the marathon, it can't be as bad as it was today. 

I would record my time for the run, but I don't remember.  I was so distracted by the weather, I didn't stop my watch.  I think it was somewhere close to 2 hours and 20 minutes.