| Location: Snoqualmie,WA, Member Since: Jan 31, 2008 Gender: Female Goal Type: Boston Qualifier Running Accomplishments: Marathon PR: 4:17 at Portland Marathon, Oct. 2007 5K PR 24:37 2009 10K PR 52:58 2010 Have run 22 marathons to date. No injuries, ever. :)
Short-Term Running Goals: Qualify for Boston (4:05 for my age/gender) - or, perhaps, to use my desire for a BQ as a way to get in the hated speed work so I don't just get slower and slower over the years. This goal is "under (re)construction" right now, until I figure out whether it is truly what I want. :)
Long-Term Running Goals: To continue learning about myself and about running, and to enjoy being a fit, happy runner for life. To always know why I am running and the best way to get the most (both mentally and physically) out of my runs. To keep a sense of humor and remain optimistic about myself as a runner. To enjoy running more and more with every passing year. Personal: Baby boomer generation. Jogged a little in my 20's and 30's. Started running seriously in 2002. Low-carb runner since January 2010. I love long runs and cold, cloudy weather. I don't believe in "junk miles." I am an optimist. I adore dark chocolate, fog, my family, and knitting -- not necessarily in that order. "As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are." -- Joan Benoit Samuelson
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 50.87 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 2.50 | 53.87 |
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| Red Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 53.87 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 18.36 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 18.36 |
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Objective: endurance/moderate (Meant to be a progression workout, but just didn't have it in me today.) Conditions at 7 AM: 32F, occasional light snow, some fog. Windy at times. 1/2 to 1 inch of new snow, streets mostly bare but icy in spots. Sidewalks covered in some areas. Not a very good run today. I had a problem with my energy level to begin with and I might be fighting a cold. Then about mile 8 I decided to try working (mentally) through a personal conflict I've had the past couple of days. Instead of the usual running-inspired flash of genius and resolution, it ended up with a private pity party and a drain of what little energy I had left. Ah well. That can sometimes happen. The goal of the run then became: "finish the miles," and I'm pleased that I was able to do it.
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| Red Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 18.36 |
| | Comments(3) |
| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 3.10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3.10 |
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Objective: just get out the door. Conditions at 5:45 AM: 23F, wind ch. 18F, wind 4-9 mph, clear. Very icy. 15 min. strength work
I was so stiff this morning. Around mile 2 I started feeling good, but still glad to come in. Just a wee three this morning. Like yesterday, lots of snot. (Excuse me.) I don't think it's a cold exactly, but maybe there is a bug I'm fighting. To get better footing on the icy streets, I've been running in the sand and gravel at the edge of the road, that was left from the snow plows back at xmas time. My shoes were starting to make a lot of noise, so I took a look at the bottoms and all the little grooves are filled with tiny rocks. Studded tires! lol
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| Red Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 3.10 |
| | Comments(5) |
| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.18 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.50 | 8.68 |
| Objective: VO2 improvement - warm up + 6 x (4 min hard, 4 min jog) + cool down miles Conditions at 5:00 AM: 31F, light wind (2-10 mph), snowing lightly. Pavement went from bare and dry to white within 1st 4 miles, then snow stopped falling. I'm just guessing at the number of VO2 miles. I went by time and by effort level but I think I was pretty slow for a VO2 session due to the snow and the tiredness. Nevertheless, I feel really happy with this workout because I pushed myself.
There is an interesting discussion about cadence on the Running Times marathon forum. Lots of points of view & lots of things to mull over + some links to drills videos but I haven't watched them yet.
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| Red Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 8.68 |
| | Comments(6) |
| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.45 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.95 |
| Objective: easy, w/ fast finish Conditions at 5:20 AM: 39F, light breeze (2-10 mph), something between a light rain and a heavy mist coming down. After run, 20 min strength work
Not much to report today. Pleasant, uneventful run.
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| Red Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 6.95 |
| | Comments(12) |
| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 9.13 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.13 |
| Objective: 4 easy, 4 moderate, 1+ easy, with hill sprints (sort of; see below) Conditions at 4:50 AM: Same as yesterday: 39F, heavy mist, SE wind 5-10 mph After run: 15 min strength work OK.
About those hill sprints... With apologies to Mr. Brad Hudson, I
decided to sprinkle them throughout my run, seeing as how I get a steep
grade hill at least once every mile in this neighborhood, and "rollers"
in between. I'll admit, I have a very hard time following rules. Not
to say that I won't do it "right" in the future, but I really liked
just throwing the sprints in here and there when a short, steep hill
presented itself. I have an addition observation about arm swing, to continue the discussion from last week.
Thomas Miller recommends the arm swing that Deena is using, where the
forward motion brings the hand up and in, close to the heart. The Chi
Running guy says to keep the arm at a 90 degree angle. Both recommend
(along with other coaches) that the elbow come backwards pretty far
(for speed anyway). Sooooo... I did an informal experiment with both
methods to compare them today. I believe the Miller/Deena Way felt
easier and more natural. It seems like the concept of centrifugal
force is at work here: that the arms require less energy to swing when
they are kept close to the body. What do you think, bloggers? And by
the way, I am equally preoccupied with the whole push off vs. heel lift
motion, but I just don't have anything to say about it. haha Special treat today. A guy on Ravelry (that's my virtual knitting community) posted a link to his wonderful photo essay of his Boston Marathon, here. (Surprised at guys who knit? Don't be!) Hope you're smiling by now. :) Sno
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| Red Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 9.13 |
| | Comments(5) |
| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 7.65 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.65 |
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Objective: easy to moderate w/ form drills Conditions at 5:15 AM: 33F, clear and calm. Bare pavement except icy in Stellar Pk. area (as usual). This was a very sluggish run. I just couldn't get going. Since tomorrow is my (much anticipated) day off, that's it for January. I'm over 200 miles for the month, so I am pleased. In February I hope to add more fast paced runs and concentrate on staying consistent. Regarding my battle with Winter. I guess I have 1-2 months left for potentially harsh weather, but really I feel like the main victory is complete. I no longer look out at the street in the morning and wonder if I can stand to run in whatever is out there. I don't question it. For the first winter ever, I just assume I'll run. There is a little voice of doubt in my head that tells me I've been lucky, and that the weather just hasn't been that bad. Probably true. I've had some great days for my long runs, and the winds have really not been too bad most mornings. Still, I feel confident that I am going to emerge victorious. :)
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| Red Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 7.65 |
| | Comments(6) |
| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| No run today. I'm just posting so that you all can see that little number under "sleep time." Nine. Niiiiiine... This feels really good. Could someone please remind me later, when I'm posting a crappy run and the number says seven? I would also like to share this little celebration with my blogging friends: I mentioned yesterday that I'm very pleased with my January mileage, but here is the gold medal to make it real. I was going through my old running logs to see how this winter compares to my past Battles With The Elements. It looks like I didn't keep mileage records until 2004 (funny, I don't remember why I didn't, or what made me start doing it). But we can assume that 2002 and 2003 were in the 50 to 60 range at the most. I don't believe I ever even ran in the rain in the early days.
Jan. 04: 87.8 miles
Jan. 05: 127.9 miles
Jan. 06: 95.7 miles
Jan. 07: 111.9 miles I was going to end my post with a snappy quotation about perseverance. But I can't choose, they're all so good! Go ahead and have all of them...
| | Comments(2) |
| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 50.87 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 2.50 | 53.87 |
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| Red Nike Structure Triax 11 Miles: 53.87 |
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