Not-so-fast-running-blog

Pace: 9.41 (rolling hills)

Conditions:

• 41° (feels like 35°)
• Winds NW 8 mph

Today's Running Goals:

• Hydrate every 2 miles / Food every 5 miles -  (probably need food more often)
• Complete 16 miles by 2:40:00 - (2:37:34)
• Increase speed with final 6 miles to go - (final 12 miles were continuous hills making the last 6 miles really hard to increase my speed / mile 21 turned into splits / it was the only way that I could convince myself to finish

Take Aways:

• Even though I bonked on mile 21, my overall pace improved from last week (10:00 last week to 9:40 this week). Plus, I ran an additional 2 miles this week.
• Here are my 5 mile splits: 5 miles - 9:49 / 10 miles - 9:49 / 15 miles - 9:51 / 20 miles - 9:45 / 22.02 - 8:30
• I'd like to see what my pace for a long run is like on a flat course, but it is probably best that I stick with this hilly course. Pushing myself now on the hills hopefully works to my advantage on race day since the course is flat. My fingers are crossed that I won't be physically spent on the final 6 miles of race day. One can always dream!

Pace: 9:47

Conditions:

• 39°
• Winds ENE 6 mph

Running Goals for Today:

• Practice with some new food (CLIF Bar/cut into bite-size pieces)
• Drink every mile
• Run at prescribed slow easy pace - 10:15
• Increase pace for the final 2 miles

Observations:

• Chewing a CLIF bar while running and breathing is an art form - I am not gifted!
• Worth the practice; the higher nutrition value may be beneficial on my long runs
• Drinking every mile was manegeable
• Here are my 2 miles splits: 2 miles - 10:16 / 4 miles - 10:18 / 6 miles - 9:40 / 8 miles - 9:40 / 10 miles - 9:01/ 10.06 - 8:23
• Proud of myself for running this morning - I did not recover well yesterday from my 22 miler. I have no appetite. I need to force myself to eat. Grocery shopping was a blur. We have a lot of strange food in the refrigerator and pantry now!

Pace: Strength Workout (treadmill)

• 4 x 1.5 miles/500 recovery
• Strength - 8:49
• Recovery - 9:22

Pace: 9:34

Conditions:

• 48°
• Winds E 12 mph

Running Goal for the Day:

• Easy, slow pace for the first 4 miles (10:00)
• Run final 2 miles at marathon pace (9:30)
• Try putting my drink and food pack facing the front - pack has been digging into my spine and I usually have to stop to put my drink containers back into the holders

Observations:

• Split pace - Mile 1 - 10:00 / Mile 2 - 10:09 / Mile 3 - 9:46 / Mile 4 - 9:20 / Mile 5 - 9:11 / Mile 6 - 8:55  For the love of Pete, I just can not pace myself!
• Moving the pack was GENIUS!!!

Pace: Tempo (treadmill)

• Warm-up - 9:22
• Tempo - 8:56

Pace: 9.38

Conditions:

• 36° (feels like 28°)
• Wind: WNW 10mph

Goal for the Day:

• Just run something

Observations:

• I was not interested in running this morning. My mind crabbed for the first 2 miles. I told myself to complete 1 more, then another, and finally 1 last mile. It was not pretty outwardly or inwardly, but this might mimic how I feel toward the end of my upcoming marathon. It was probably more beneficial than I want to believe!

Pace: 9.39 (rolling hills)

Conditions:

• 33°
• Wind S 0 mph

Running Goals for the Day:

• Eat nutrition and take in fluids every 2 miles - see if it helps with my energy level toward the later mileage
• Run at a faster pace than last weeks long run - finish between 9:35 - 9:39

Observations:

• Nutrition and fluid goal worked well. I also practiced walking while taking in my nutrition to mimic what might  happen on race day
• I would have liked to finish my overall pace at 9:35, but I had a fair amount of left knee pain. I've never had that so I did not want to injure myself by pushing my speed.

Pace: 9.39

Conditions:

• 49°
• Wind SSE 10mph

Running Goal for the Day:

• Just run, no worries about pacing
• Ensure that knee pain from yesterday was a fluke - pulled my knee wrap up onto my calf just in case I need it

Observations:

• Surprised that I was not fatigued from yesterday's long run - yeah body!
• I pulled my knee wrap up to my left knee around mile 5, slightest tinge of discomfort, chose not to risk any type of injury
• Once again, I overdressed - I really need to get this correct on race day
• Happy that I finished with the same pace as yesterday
• Splits - 2 miles - 10:12 / 4 miles - 9:40 / 6 miles - 9:36 / 8 miles - 9:41 / 10 miles - 9:36 / 12 miles - 9:28 / 13.04 miles - 9:08

Pace: 9:18

Conditions:

• 64°
• Wind S 11mph

Goals for the Day

• Run withou knee pain - 2 tynenol
• Increase speed with each mile

Observations:

• No knee pain!
• Splits - 1 mile - 10:17 / 2 miles - 9:35 / 3 miles - 9:18 / 4 miles - 8:45 / 5 miles - 8:38 / 6 miles - 8:23

Pace: Strength workout (treadmill)

• 6 x 1 mile (8:45)
• 400 Recovery (9:22)

Pace: Tempo (treadmill)

• Warm-up/Cool-down - 9.:30
• Mile 2 - 6 / 8:45
• Mile 7 - 9 / 8:34

Pace: 9:11

Conditions:

• 54°
• Wind N 1 mph

Goal of the Day:

• Easy pace since tomorrow is mylast long run before my tapering of two weeks
• Easy Pace - 11:00 (B) or 10:10 (A) / See how I feel after starting

Observations:

• Decided to do Easy Pace A since my first mile was 10:04
• Once I hit my stride, every thing goes south mentally - "I am not ready for a marathon." "Why am I running another mararthon?" "Every one else on this blog is incredibly fast even when they lament it was a slow, bad day." Yada. Yada. Yada.
• Here are my splits - Mile 1 / 10:04 - Mile 2 / 9:32 - Mile 3 - 9:24 / Mile 4 - 9:09 / Mile 5 / 8:52 - Mile 6 / 9:19 (marathon intersection stop light) Mile 7 / 8:47 - Mile 8 / 8:20
• I don't like when I beat myself up mentally. Comparison is a silly foe. Thank goodness for tomorrows. Back at it with a clean slate!

Pace: 9:31 (rolling hills)

Conditions:

• 62°
• Wind SW 10 mph
• Brief downpour around mile 2

Goal of the Day:

• Run!

Pace: 9:03

Conditions:

• 63°
• Wind SW 9 mph

Goal for the Day:

• This is the week leading up to my marathon so everything is about keeping my legs loose, avoiding injury, and preparing myself mentally

Pace: 9:04

Conditions:

• 49°
• Wind ENE 4 mph

Goal of the Day:

• Run - Don't worry about pace

Observations:

• Splits - Mile 1/9:31 - Mile 2/9:18 - Mile 3/9:04 - Mile 4/9:06 - Mile 5/8:50 - Mile 6/8:37

Pace: 9:35

Conditions:

• 64°
• Wind S 6 mph

Goal of the Day:

• Run easy an pace, push a little with the final mile

Observations:

• Splits - Mile 1/10:14 - Mile 2/9:47 - Mile 3/9:46 - Mile 4/9:21 - Mile 5/8:58 - Mile 5.50/9:04

Pace: 10:42 (ouch)

Observations:

• Worst marathon finish EVER!
• Pneumonia
• Physically rundown by mile 16
• Don't even recall crossing the finish line

Pace: 9:35

Conditions:

• 70°
• 79% humidity
• Misting rain began around mile 7

Running Goal for the Day:

• Just see what my body is able to do following my disastorous marathon

Observations:

• Stepping out for the first time in a week brought to my mind a quote from the Virginia Woolf classic: "The beauty of the world... has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder." This pretty much summed up how I felt about my first few miles: overjoyed and petrified.