Slow & Steady Wins the Race :-)

Feeling tired and sluggish after yesterdays 9 miler, and my calves were burning from all the hills yesterday.  Plus had a few too many beers at the bowling alley last night (spent the night at the Winters') and was feeling that too.  You can tell because my 4 mile average was slower than my 9 mile average yesterday! 

9:13 average, with splits of:

9:19, 9:22, 9:07, 9:06.  Total ascent of 516 feet. 

4 @ 6.7, 1 walking cool-down at 4.0

All walking at 4.0, was feeling still some calf tightness and just not feeling it today!

Ran 4 at 6.7 mph, then walked a cool-down of .67 at 4.0. 

Outside!  how I miss running outside every day.  I cannot wait until daylight savings, longer days, and warmer/drier times.  Summer hurry! 

Ran the 9 miles a full 2 minutes faster than I ran last weekend's 9 miles, though last weekend's was substantially hillier.  Hopefully that just means my calves won't suffer as much this week.

Total Time: 1:19:08, 8:47 min miles. Yippee!  I need to keep this up so I can break 2 hours in the half marathon I'm running the first weekend in April.

Splits:

9:06, 9:20, 9:01, 9:01, 8:40, 8:22, 8:37, 8:33, 8:23.

Total Ascent: 925 feet

I realize now how this is the distance I need to be going just to train for a 10k.  I could feel myself get substantially tireder, my legs starting to grow heavy, right at around 7 miles.  But on the other hand, it also shows me the importance of warming up properly, and I guess I really need to warm up with 2-3 miles, as my last fiive miles were all faster than the first 4.

Outside again, yippee!  I love my Garmin SOO much.  It makes running so much more fun, motivating, and I get to know ACCURATELY how far I have gone/fast I've gone, which I love.  I think it will me so much with getting faster.

Total time: 41:51, 8:21 miles average, yippee!  Love that.  Even better, my last mile I really tried to pick it up and I did a 7:28 mile!  Granted, it was a little uphill, but still!

Splits:

8:56, 8:40, 8:24, 8:19, 7:28.

Total Ascent: 466 feet.

3 @ 6.5 (yeah yeah, wasn't feeling my new6.7 routine!) - still a little sore in the quads/calves from the weekend runs.  .3 walking cool-down.

5 on treadmill at 6.7 (last .25 increasing up to 7.5). 1 mile walking cool-down at 4.0.

3 miles at 6.7, .3 walking cool-down. I waited so late, until after Lost, it was already 10:15 by the time I started, I just felt too guilty not to.

Got up early this morning to work out since I have class tonight and I'm not sure I'll be up to it tonight.  I'm tired of always working out at 10pm because I've put it off all day.  I think if I can get up early (Fridays are obviously out because I already get up for class at 6) 3 days a week and work out in the morning, at least 3 miles, then I can also try to work out a few nights a week as well.  Maybe I'll try to do 3 more miles tonight.

But this morning I did 3.1 or so at 6.7, the last .25 increasing to 7.5.  Walking .2 cool-down.  Apparently the Olympics start exactly a year from today at Whistler so watched a little special on that on the Today show.  What an indulgence!  The Today Show!

On the TM.  Probably at 6.7, I don't remember now, it was so long ago!

On the beach in Lincoln City with Rachael and the dogs - it was a surprisingly gorgeous day, and the dogs were having the best day EVER.  Cooper loovveessss freedom and to leave that leash behind, and then to be able to run in the water too - AWESOME!  Felt like we were running pretty slow, maybe 10 min/miles, and my legs were feeling that sand running later.  Wind in our face the whole way back (south wind for once, so we ran the wrong way!).  I wish I could run on the sunny beach with Cooper every single day.

Running around LO, 5 laps around the dog park (about 1.6 miles each lap) plus a mile+ there and back.  

Total time: 1:33:40, getting a little nervous about being able to run less than 2 hours in the half in 5 weeks or so.  

Average time of 9:21 min/miles.  Total Ascent: 1286 feet.  I wonder what an average total ascent is in a half marathon?  That would be useful information to post on those elevation maps, they never put that information. 

Splits: 9:36, 9:08, 9:28, 9:17, 9:32, 9:22, 9:06, 9:12, 9:24, 9:24

Was feeling kind of sluggish today, plus felt like I was constantly running into the wind, which was rough.  My shins were killing me for the first 3 miles or so, but then that let up. Shin splints?  How do I remedy that? 

5 miles running on TM @ 6.7, last .25 @ 7.0, 1 mile walking cool-down while watching Biggest Loser, my fave motivational TV. :-)

Walking on the treadmill.  Only had 45 minutes or so before I had to run to class and intended to run, but started running and intense pain started in my ankles.  Made me a little nervous, but I think its just because I had been sitting in the car all morning and I tried to rush into it since I was worried about lack of time, so ended up just walking 3 miles, lammmmee.  I am doing a bad job of working out this week. 

Did the Resolutions Series 15k this morning.  Woke up in the middle of the night with the worst calf cramp EVER, this is the 3rd time recently I've gotten this, it feels like the muscle is snapping in half or something and I want to pass out from the pain.  Granted, I don't have too high of a tolerance for pain, but still.  Why does this happen?  It was terrible and my calf is SO sore today because of it and I never want that to happen again.

Back to the race, very small, well-run, I was surprised that they had 3 water stations, which made me happy.  Point and back, it was a 15k or a 15 mile, and I guess most of the people were doing the 15 miler.  Ran a 1.5 mile warm-up or so, mostly just because I wanted to get 11 in today and I knew I wouldn't do any more after the race, so I was able to start pretty fast.  But after mile 2 or so I found 3 other people that I ran with for a couple miles, the pace felt pushed but good, so I was SHOCKED when I looked at the Garmin and saw we were running about 7:45 miles.  Who knew?  I was expecting about 9 min mile averages for the race, so I was very happily surprised/impressed that I managed 8:04s.  Actually, I think because I started a little ways back, my Garmin said 9.42 at the end, and this ended up actually being averages of 7:59 miles, which I love just because its under 8, even if just by 1 second!

Anyway, unfortunatley, at the KM turnaround all of my group I had been sticking with kept going, and I was pretty much alone for the rest of the race, which was the worst part.  I passed one girl going up this steep hill (which I felt like I never recovered from, this was right at mile 6 when I started really wishing it was a 10k and felt like I would never make it to the end), and I really wanted to stay with her just to be with someone but I also wanted to keep trying to push it.  There was another group of 3 (2 girls and a guy) waaaay ahead of me, probably 1/3 of a mile or something and going the same speed as me, so I knew it was practically hopeless of catching them, but I made the effort.  So no one else passed me the rest of the time, and coming on to the track for the last quarter mile I passed the guy, but knew I could never get to the girls, but then I was SO dead from pushing that whole last mile to try and catch the guy that he then passed me in the last sprint to the end, so that was a waste of effort! :-)

Splits: 8:24, 8:05, 8:09, 7:42, 7:47, 8:13, 8:04, 7:42, 7:52, last .42, 7:32 pace. 

Total Ascent: 776 feet.

Overall, I'm glad I did it, it was a great tune-up and gives me lots to think about before the Half Marathon (in which I would LOVE to break 2 hours) on April 3.  First of all, I cannot run that fast.  I was dead at Mile 6 and there's no way I could have run 4 more miles at the end of this race.  With the warm-up I guess I only would have had 2.5 more to go, but still.  I need to take the beginning slower or not get sucked in to running under 8 min/miles so early.  Though I am very very proud, because I didn't even think I could run miles under 8 in any sort of long run like this!  Second, of course I felt nauteous again after this race, why is that?  The lactic acid or something?  I don't know how to avoid this.  They did have some good baked potatos to take advantage of! 

Anyway, I think I'm on the right track!  Just need to keep working hard and getting faster!

Golfed 9 holes later which probably adds another 2 walking miles on, though didn't add those in.

Feeling a little sore/tight after yesterday's race (though surprisingly not bad, not as sore as I usually feel), my left calf was still pretty tight after that weird cramping on Friday, so took it really really really easy.  Felt like I was practically walking, which I guess was encouraging since I averaged 9:30 min/miles, thanks Garmin!

Played an hour and a half of tennis later, played HORRIBLY, felt so sluggish and couldn't move around, plus I was just plain horrible on top of that.  Blahhh.  Felt really bad for my two partners. 

Wanted to run 5 miles today, but just wasn't feeling it.  Bumped it up to 6.8 mph today (8:48) so maybe that was why?  Anyway, only ran 3, then walked 2.  

Got up early to run before work because I knew I wouldn't be able to run after work since we're going to see... THE LION KING!  I'm so excited.

Ran 5 miles, first 4 at 6.7 (8:57), 1 at 7.0 (8:34) with the last .25 at 7.5 (8:00).  

Same as yesterday - got up and worked out early before work.  I really like this idea for when its possible.  I wish I was more of a morning person and I could make it possible everyday.

Ran 5 miles total, 4 @ 6.7 and 1 @ 7.0 with the last .25 at 7.5.

Later, did 90 mins of "Hot Yoga" with Jord - they aren't kidding about HOT.  They say its 105 degrees in there!  I have never sweated as much in my life.  EVER.  Felt good though and I think it will make me stronger and more flexible!  Its really expensive though, but at least for my 10 workouts for $10 I can enjoy it for the next 30 days. :-)

Same exact workout as the last two days.  5 miles total, 4 miles at 6.7, 1 mile at 7.0, last .25 miles at 7.5.  I'm proud for pushing myself today to do 5 when I wanted to stop at 3.  I'm really trying to do 5 at least 4 days a week plus the long run to up my mileage.  Next week I'll add in at least 1 or 2 6s. 

Lost 1.5 pounds since yesterday - which I'm sure is 100% all of that sweat I left on the 105 degree yoga floor yesterday!  Need to make sure to drink a lot of water today (as I'm drinking my coffee as I write this!).

2 miles on treadmill - rest day. 1 at 6.7 and 1 at 7.0 $ith last .25 increasingup to 8.0"

later, 1.5 hours of hot yoga - im starting to get addicted!!

11 mile run around Lake Oswego.  My legs felt sooooo heavy and sluggish, I wanted to stop at 3. I planned to run 12, and was already convincing myself immediately that I would only run 8, then 10, then 11, then I finally just stopped.  Blah, not that good. I think it was from the 90 mins of yoga the night before - it was a lot of leg work and I wasn't sore but I think thats why my legs just had no energy.  Ended up running to Starbucks where we met Laura and her fiancee Jon!  So that was great, and then had Hilary's baby shower afterwards.  

Runs like this make me doubt my ability to run 9:00 min/miles or less in the half marathon next month!  Just need to have a good, energy-filled, not lead-filled legs, day that day!

Average Pace: 9:20, Total Time: 1:42:50, Total Ascent: 1,320 ft

Splits: 9:06 (ALL downhill from his house down to the town, which is why Justin came and picked me up so I wouldn't have to go back up!), 9:20, 9:40, 9:16, 9:17, 9:31, 9:25, 9:25, 9:26, 9:05, 9:12.