Training for a Belt Buckle

Didn't want to risk slipping this close to the races, so went out to the Oval.  For a while I was the only person in the track/rink area, so ran in the dark.  After a mile or so, about 20 or so other runners started piling in and they turned on the lights.

As I was leaving, saw this really short lady and really tall lady coming in to the track, so visited with them.  One of them was going to 'lose her marbles' today as a way of tracking laps, so I passed on my lap counter as an easier method.

Went to the gym.  One mile warmup on the treadmill followed by two miles of various intervals and speedwork followed by one mile cooldown.

Anxious to get out of this cold and get the races over with.

Just a final 3 mile run and hacking spell in the sauna before heading off on vacation on Wednesday.

Ran the Disney World Half Marathon with my daughter. This was the first race in the two day Goofy Challenge. I will be posting a full race post on Tuesday when I have internet access.

 Race Report with pictures is up on my other blog at http://adventures-in-running-with-maurine.blogspot.com/2011/01/disney-world-half-marathon-and-packet.html

Second day of the Goofy Challenge. Ran the races with the thought that they needed to be treated as an ultramarathon. I'll write up a full race report on Tuesday. Legs are trashed. Probably shouldn't have wandered Downtown Disney last night and done Harry Potter today. Kind of sad - but I have made the decision to take a year off from marathons or longer. Going to focus on speeding up my pace.

Updated by blog post on my personal blog.

Needed some cleaning supplies - so ran to the store where my daughter works and back.  Legs are feeling pretty good, so will try 4-5 miles tomorrow.

Taking a forced break.  Started getting sick on Tuesday and by Wednesday afternoon I was totally miserable.

On Thursday I did some phone calling and found an Urgent Care Center here in Richmond Hill, Georgia and got in to see a doctor.  Diagnosis - I am crazy.  Loved the bugged out look the doctor had after I mentioned all my symptoms and then said, "It might help to realize I ran a half marathon on Saturday and a marathon on Sunday."  She used to run marathons and asked me why I did them back to back. 

Actual diagnosis - upper respiratory infection, sinusitis, and neck/upper back muscle swelling and stiffness. They gave me a breathing treatment to get my O sats up to 98 and a steroid injection.  Plus put me on an inhaler every 4 hours round the clock for the first day or so, flonase nasal steroid, mucinex, muscle relaxants, antibiotics & cough medication. Unfortunately, the round the clock inhaler treatments did not allow me to fall asleep until 5:30 a.m. (even with sleeping pills at 3:00 a.m.).

Took an enforced leave of absence from running since I had been sick for a month and really wanted to get over it.  I think I am almost there now.  The turning point was my boss recommend a neti pot or the equivalent to clean out my sinuses.  I couldn't believe the amount of stuff oozing out of me the first night.  Two days later and my face is not hurting - so the sinusitis must be healing.

One mile walk with the dog.  Later, to the gym and did 3 miles on the treadmill. .5 mile warmup at 5 mph, followed by 2 miles at 6 mph, followed by 1/2 mile cooldown.  Then 30 minutes on the recumbent stationary bike just to be moving.  10 minute session in the sauna cleaned out more gunk.

1st day of speedwork this year. I have a lot of mental barriers I intend to conquer in 2011.

1 mile warmup at 12:00. Stopped to do some of the hip opening swings from the latest Runners World. The plan was to try and do .25 intervals at 7 mph but the brain mentally called it quits the first interval at .2 and at .18 the next interval. Changed up to 125 paces at 7 mph with reat intervals jogging at 4 mph for 100 paces. Repeat for 1.5 miles. Cooldown at 12 mm for .5.

10 minutes in sauna to clean out sinuses and lungs.

While cooking dinner for my son who was over doing laundry threw in 40 minutes of lower body and core training.

1 mile warmup.  Then I set out to do some miles at below 11 mm pace (my plans for January and February).  Mile 1  10:24   Mile 2  10:37   Mile 2 felt a lot harder than mile 1.  

I know it is supposed to be beneficial to take a couple of weeks off from running each year to let your body heal, but I really hate going through the muscle adaptation and stiffness when I start up again.

Picked up my Muir Fresh Harvest bundle this afternoon.  Great stuff!  $35 for about $80 worth of fresh food.  And - I got a groupon today for $20 for $50 worth of food from Winder Dairy.

Plank:  :33   Side Plank:  :32  - long way to go to catch up to Allie.

Easy run this afternoon with the dog.  I about had to drag her yesterday to do one mile in the snow - guess she remembered the pain from one of her earlier runs when she got salt in her paws continuously.  Today, I had to remind her we were doing a recovery run and slow down.

Managed to fit in Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred level 1 before hitting the shower and going to work at the temple. Still feel pathetically unfit and am using 2.5 pound weights (although it is only the first of her 3 interval sessions that beats me up). Wish the stupid video didn't have a long introduction you have to listen through each time.

Another tempo day. (Actually - I don't know what to call these days that I focus on working on getting my overall speed down, but am not doing intervals or pushing super hard).

1 mile warmup with the dog. 2 miles tempo work. .5 mile cooldown.

Mile 1:10:20      Mile 2: 10:10

The miles were definitely easier than on Tuesday. Don't know if that was because Monday was speedwork day or because I went a couple of blocks farther down 7th before turning around. 

Stretched and worked on opening up my leg flexibility post run. Core work.

3 easy miles on the treadmill at 4.5 mph.  Followed immediately by 11 minutes walking at 15% incline.  30 minutes upper body and core training.  Visited with an old co-worker from back in 2004 when I worked for the LDS Church.  15 minutes sauna.  Homemade cocoa monkey protein shake. It was delicious.

Long run day.  Decided to brave the air crap and set out from home.  9.5 miles total.

Splits (nothing to be proud of): 12:41, 12:23, 13:37 (uphill), 12:13, 1241, 13:06, 12:17, 1308

Last week I completed a full week of planned workouts.  Today is my last day at 3 miles on my speed/tempo days. I'll go up to 4 miles per day for February.

I hate intervals, so dragged my butt getting out of bed. 1 mile warmup at 5 mph. Quick session of stretching and opening up my hips.  1.5 miles running 30 seconds+ at 8 mph (once the treadmill got up to speed) followed by 60 seconds recovery at 4 mph.  Last interval was at 8.5 mph. .5 mile cooldown.  .4 miles on the moving stairmaster.

Starting the 100 pushup challenge again today.