I have been reading a lot of blogs lately that have talked about mileage goals. The most common mileage goal seems to be 1000 miles. It struck me this morning that I have no idea what my total mileage for the year is. This is odd considering my obsession over feedback on my running (pace, distance etc.) I feel lost running without my Garmin and log each run diligently on Daily Mile. The problem is that I didn't join Daily Mile until mid-April. Prior to that, I didn't keep track of my runs in one place.
So... today I went through my old blog entries and my SportTracks for Garmin. I didn't write about every run and I didn't have my Garmin every time, either*. I am sure I missed a few runs, but none of any significant distance. I put together a spreadsheet of my mileage. It turns out that I can account for 966 miles!!!! I am pretty happy with that, especially when I only ran 27 miles in all of September.
In looking at my overall mileage, I am surprised at how low my mileage was leading up to the marathon in May. During my marathon training, I was fighting shin splints and did a lot of bike riding. I ran 71 miles in March and 86 miles in April. I didn't up my mileage until after my RRCA training in June. I ran 124 miles in July while training for the AFC Half Marathon..
Hopefully, the rest of my runs this year end up better than this morning's run. It started out so good. It was a clear, brisk morning. I had my gloves and hat and good tunes. I was feeling good. I ran the first few miles at a quick pace. I turned up a very steep hill and powered up it, only walking for a little bit. I ran down towards my house, thinking I would add another couple of miles in the area around my house. Right around four miles, my stomach started to hurt. I was getting pretty good cramps and started feeling very "icky." I really just needed a restroom, but the nearest one was at home.** I ran another quarter mile or so and then walked the final quarter mile home, taking a shortcut back to the house.
In one week, I need to run 34 miles. It is entirely possible, but not a foregone conclusion. Wish me luck!
*Remember the unfortunate lost Garmin? It wasn't gone long, but it is one example of why I didn't have it at times.
**In retrospect, I think I could have stopped at the gas station to use the restroom and kept going. But I never even thought about it... I just wanted to get home.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Holidays and fitness
We are smack dab in the middle of "the holidays.*" This is the biggest time for excuses when it comes to exercising. I was talking to a friend a couple of weeks ago who is on a weight loss journey who said that her goal is to maintain or only gain a pound or two during the holidays. I told her that she is setting her sights too low and that she shouldn't expect to fail.
There are a few tips to keeping on track during this busy time.
1) Have a Goal-
It needs to be a specific goal. Stating that you will exercise during the holidays probably won't get you up in the dark or during a storm. A race goal in January or February is a great way to get motivated during the holidays. Two years ago, I had thought about running my first half marathon in January. I printed out a Higdon training plan and half-heartedly started training. Excuse after excuse kept me from running. I didn't even sign up for the race and so it was easy to let it go. Last year and this year I signed up for my January races to keep myself on track. Even simple goals like "run 20 miles per week" or "go to Pilates every Wednesday" is better than no goal at all.
2) Have a Plan-
A schedule is my way of making sure I get my mileage in. The best way to get your exercise in during busy time is to make it a planned part of the day. I know that right now if I ran when I felt like it or had time, I wouldn't do it at all. I have to get up early to do it before my kids get up and my husband goes to work.
My plan is not set in stone, however. I overslept a day last week and didn't have the time to get in a run before the activities of the day had to begin. If my schedule didn't have wiggle room, it would have sent me into a tailspin of stress. Instead I told myself I would just have to run another day. If that didn't work out, I knew that it would all work out in the end. If an exercise schedule causes stress, it is not doing the job it is meant to do.
3) Watch the Treats-
Duh, right? This seems pretty obvious. However, this time of year, holiday treats are EVERYWHERE. When you have plates of Christmas cookies from the neighbors staring you in the face and you have five million things to do, it is so easy to have a lunch of shortbread and brownies instead of a salad or a pita. Try to keep some easy meals on hand. Even a Lean Cuisine or pre-made salad** will work for a quick grab during this chaotic week.
The good news is that the more you are exercising, the more you want the healthier food (most of the time), although this time of year that gets harder and harder. I think that many diets have it backwards. They start with the food and calorie counting and add the exercise as almost an afterthought. If you focus on the exercise, you will find that you can't do it well if you are eating nothing but junk. My friend Kelly had a pretty rough run on Saturday. She realized that it was due to eating crappy all week and having several meals consisting of holiday treats. She was really bummed because that long run is the only time all week she gets to herself and she ruined it by failing to fuel properly. This week she is thinking about everything she eats and how it affects her long run, one of her favorite parts of the week.
But what about the parties? The best way to keep from pigging out at a party is to eat a small, healthy meal before going. One of the mistakes I make is not eating all day before some sort of event (because I am usually running around like a crazy person trying to find something to wear or cooking something to bring to the party). If you aren't starving, you can pick and choose what you want to eat instead of shoving anything into your face. It is ok to indulge a little. I mean, what is the point of running hundreds of miles if you can't enjoy good food? The key is moderation.
I hope that you all enjoy the next week or so. I hope you are able to spend it with friends and family. In all the chaos of the next couple of weeks, I hope you are able to squeeze in a little time for yourself to run, swim, ride, do some yoga etc.
Happy Running...
*I actually meant to write this post before Thanksgiving, but have barely had time to keep up on regular posting. Sorry these tips are so late in the season.
**Careful... some of those pre-made salads are loaded with fat and calories.
There are a few tips to keeping on track during this busy time.
1) Have a Goal-
It needs to be a specific goal. Stating that you will exercise during the holidays probably won't get you up in the dark or during a storm. A race goal in January or February is a great way to get motivated during the holidays. Two years ago, I had thought about running my first half marathon in January. I printed out a Higdon training plan and half-heartedly started training. Excuse after excuse kept me from running. I didn't even sign up for the race and so it was easy to let it go. Last year and this year I signed up for my January races to keep myself on track. Even simple goals like "run 20 miles per week" or "go to Pilates every Wednesday" is better than no goal at all.
2) Have a Plan-
A schedule is my way of making sure I get my mileage in. The best way to get your exercise in during busy time is to make it a planned part of the day. I know that right now if I ran when I felt like it or had time, I wouldn't do it at all. I have to get up early to do it before my kids get up and my husband goes to work.
My plan is not set in stone, however. I overslept a day last week and didn't have the time to get in a run before the activities of the day had to begin. If my schedule didn't have wiggle room, it would have sent me into a tailspin of stress. Instead I told myself I would just have to run another day. If that didn't work out, I knew that it would all work out in the end. If an exercise schedule causes stress, it is not doing the job it is meant to do.
3) Watch the Treats-
Duh, right? This seems pretty obvious. However, this time of year, holiday treats are EVERYWHERE. When you have plates of Christmas cookies from the neighbors staring you in the face and you have five million things to do, it is so easy to have a lunch of shortbread and brownies instead of a salad or a pita. Try to keep some easy meals on hand. Even a Lean Cuisine or pre-made salad** will work for a quick grab during this chaotic week.
The good news is that the more you are exercising, the more you want the healthier food (most of the time), although this time of year that gets harder and harder. I think that many diets have it backwards. They start with the food and calorie counting and add the exercise as almost an afterthought. If you focus on the exercise, you will find that you can't do it well if you are eating nothing but junk. My friend Kelly had a pretty rough run on Saturday. She realized that it was due to eating crappy all week and having several meals consisting of holiday treats. She was really bummed because that long run is the only time all week she gets to herself and she ruined it by failing to fuel properly. This week she is thinking about everything she eats and how it affects her long run, one of her favorite parts of the week.
But what about the parties? The best way to keep from pigging out at a party is to eat a small, healthy meal before going. One of the mistakes I make is not eating all day before some sort of event (because I am usually running around like a crazy person trying to find something to wear or cooking something to bring to the party). If you aren't starving, you can pick and choose what you want to eat instead of shoving anything into your face. It is ok to indulge a little. I mean, what is the point of running hundreds of miles if you can't enjoy good food? The key is moderation.
I hope that you all enjoy the next week or so. I hope you are able to spend it with friends and family. In all the chaos of the next couple of weeks, I hope you are able to squeeze in a little time for yourself to run, swim, ride, do some yoga etc.
Happy Running...
*I actually meant to write this post before Thanksgiving, but have barely had time to keep up on regular posting. Sorry these tips are so late in the season.
**Careful... some of those pre-made salads are loaded with fat and calories.
A quick post about a giveaway that ends tonight!
This looks like a great giveaway. It is a signed copy of The Runner's Rule Book: Everything a Runner Needs to Know -- And Then Some.
It is a book I have been meaning to pick up anyway, so it would be cool to win it!
Check out the giveaway on The Beginning Runner's Blog.
It is a book I have been meaning to pick up anyway, so it would be cool to win it!
Check out the giveaway on The Beginning Runner's Blog.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Another record week!
So much for the ten percent rule...I went from a mileage PR of forty miles two weeks ago to forty-seven miles last week! I think I need to take it a little easier this week so I don't over do it. But as I take an inventory of how I feel, I think I am recovering pretty well.
Here is a recap of the week:
Monday- Six miles. A nice run in the rain. It was a hilly route and I took it easy. It was my first inclement weather running in a while. Since the hard stuff didn't come down until later in the day, it was quite enjoyable.
Tuesday- Ten miles. I usually don't get this long of a run in during the week, but I used my free time during preschool to make up for the lack of long runs over the weekend.
Wednesday- Rest. I normally don't rest on Wednesdays, but I was feeling tired and starting to get a sore throat Tuesday night and didn't want to push it. I feel like I did the right thing listening to my body.
Thursday- Five miles.
Friday- Rest.
Saturday- A nice run in the rain. Kelly and I set off to run between ten and twelve miles. We both had a deadline to be home. Neither one of us got into a groove right away. We met up with some of our running buddies and ran with them for a couple of miles before having to head back. We ended up running ten miles. I made it back around 8, showered, got the kids dressed and headed out to have breakfast with Santa.
Sunday- My husband had to work all weekend and had to be in very early on Sunday. There was no way I was getting in a long run. I asked my brother and sister-in-law if my kids could hang out with their cousin for a few hours. They were happy to host a playdate for the cousins and I headed off along the Santa Ana River for a fifteen mile run. It takes a village.
I already had a lot of miles for the week, but I had yet to do a real LONG run during this training cycle. I wanted to push it past thirteen miles (my threshold between long runs and REALLY long runs). It wasn't easy, but it was a nice run. I spent the first hour or so listening to the end of an audiobook.* After that, I just zoned out to some good music.
I wanted to test my fitness level a bit, so I decided to run a couple of miles at a quicker pace. I did mile twelve at half-marathon race pace and mile thirteen at marathon race pace. I miscalculated my route and hit a steep hill at the end of mile twelve. Where I had hoped to run under 8:30, it ended up being closer to 8:35. I felt pretty toast at the end of that mile pushing up that hill. However, the next mile felt pretty easy and it ended up faster than marathon pace at 8:56. The rest of the mile splits were between 9:30 and 10:00, which is right where I wanted to run. I felt pretty good that my 44th and 45th miles of the week (and 22nd and 23rd of the weekend) could be pushed like that.
It was a good week. This week, on the other hand, is starting out pretty slow. But that's ok. I know I'll make it up along the way.
Happy Running.
*I listened to Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. AWESOME book. I loved every minute of it. I will probably be buying it in paperback, just to reread down the road. I highly recommend this book.
Here is a recap of the week:
Monday- Six miles. A nice run in the rain. It was a hilly route and I took it easy. It was my first inclement weather running in a while. Since the hard stuff didn't come down until later in the day, it was quite enjoyable.
Tuesday- Ten miles. I usually don't get this long of a run in during the week, but I used my free time during preschool to make up for the lack of long runs over the weekend.
Wednesday- Rest. I normally don't rest on Wednesdays, but I was feeling tired and starting to get a sore throat Tuesday night and didn't want to push it. I feel like I did the right thing listening to my body.
Thursday- Five miles.
Friday- Rest.
Saturday- A nice run in the rain. Kelly and I set off to run between ten and twelve miles. We both had a deadline to be home. Neither one of us got into a groove right away. We met up with some of our running buddies and ran with them for a couple of miles before having to head back. We ended up running ten miles. I made it back around 8, showered, got the kids dressed and headed out to have breakfast with Santa.
Sunday- My husband had to work all weekend and had to be in very early on Sunday. There was no way I was getting in a long run. I asked my brother and sister-in-law if my kids could hang out with their cousin for a few hours. They were happy to host a playdate for the cousins and I headed off along the Santa Ana River for a fifteen mile run. It takes a village.
I already had a lot of miles for the week, but I had yet to do a real LONG run during this training cycle. I wanted to push it past thirteen miles (my threshold between long runs and REALLY long runs). It wasn't easy, but it was a nice run. I spent the first hour or so listening to the end of an audiobook.* After that, I just zoned out to some good music.
I wanted to test my fitness level a bit, so I decided to run a couple of miles at a quicker pace. I did mile twelve at half-marathon race pace and mile thirteen at marathon race pace. I miscalculated my route and hit a steep hill at the end of mile twelve. Where I had hoped to run under 8:30, it ended up being closer to 8:35. I felt pretty toast at the end of that mile pushing up that hill. However, the next mile felt pretty easy and it ended up faster than marathon pace at 8:56. The rest of the mile splits were between 9:30 and 10:00, which is right where I wanted to run. I felt pretty good that my 44th and 45th miles of the week (and 22nd and 23rd of the weekend) could be pushed like that.
It was a good week. This week, on the other hand, is starting out pretty slow. But that's ok. I know I'll make it up along the way.
Happy Running.
*I listened to Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. AWESOME book. I loved every minute of it. I will probably be buying it in paperback, just to reread down the road. I highly recommend this book.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Fall back week
Last week I didn't plan to have a fall back week, but I only ran twenty miles. Like I have said before, sometimes life gets in the way. You have to be able to embrace it. I have no regrets, because we had a great weekend.*
It may have been a good thing. The last few days I have felt pretty tired. I might be fighting a virus or I might have been on the verge of over training. I'm not going to worry too much about it. Stressing out over my training schedule isn't going to prepare me better for the marathon in February. I am going to move forward and try to run smart to get up to where I need to be.
By now, I should have run a sixteen mile run. The longest run I have done (since the half marathon in August) is twelve. Once again, this next weekend, life is getting in the way of my long run. My husband has to work some pretty crazy hours over the weekend, which will make running nearly impossible. I may see if my brother and his wife will have my kids over to play with their cousin for a few hours on Sunday so I can try to run fifteen or sixteen miles. As a busy mom with an even busier husband, I need to fit in my runs where I can.
On a bright note... yesterday I was able to take advantage of both kids being in school and went for not one, but two runs. I met some friends for an easy six mile run on the river trail. It was a slow pace, but it was nice to run and chat. It was relaxing. Afterward, I still had forty minutes or so until I had to pick up my son so I decided to run four more miles at a more aggressive pace. It felt good to run a bit faster after such a pleasant warm up. I tried to keep my pace at or below 9:00. The first mile was easy. The second was a bit more work due to the fact that I was running on a soft shoulder of a street the day after a heavy rain. Between dodging puddles and slogging through soft grass, my pace was 9:15. Ironically, that mile is the flattest of the route. The last two miles were a stead incline. I worked hard to keep my pace up, rather than taking it easy like I normally do on hills during a casual run (as opposed to hill repeats). I averaged 8:56 for the entire run.
So hopefully I'll be able to put in a decent amount of miles this week. It will definitely be a balancing act.
*Disneyland was wonderful. It was everything we had hoped it would be. While I missed both my Saturday and Sunday runs because of weekend activities, we definitely were not sedentary. There was a LOT of walking around Disneyland, so I did get some time on my feet. It was worth missing half my mileage for the week.
It may have been a good thing. The last few days I have felt pretty tired. I might be fighting a virus or I might have been on the verge of over training. I'm not going to worry too much about it. Stressing out over my training schedule isn't going to prepare me better for the marathon in February. I am going to move forward and try to run smart to get up to where I need to be.
By now, I should have run a sixteen mile run. The longest run I have done (since the half marathon in August) is twelve. Once again, this next weekend, life is getting in the way of my long run. My husband has to work some pretty crazy hours over the weekend, which will make running nearly impossible. I may see if my brother and his wife will have my kids over to play with their cousin for a few hours on Sunday so I can try to run fifteen or sixteen miles. As a busy mom with an even busier husband, I need to fit in my runs where I can.
On a bright note... yesterday I was able to take advantage of both kids being in school and went for not one, but two runs. I met some friends for an easy six mile run on the river trail. It was a slow pace, but it was nice to run and chat. It was relaxing. Afterward, I still had forty minutes or so until I had to pick up my son so I decided to run four more miles at a more aggressive pace. It felt good to run a bit faster after such a pleasant warm up. I tried to keep my pace at or below 9:00. The first mile was easy. The second was a bit more work due to the fact that I was running on a soft shoulder of a street the day after a heavy rain. Between dodging puddles and slogging through soft grass, my pace was 9:15. Ironically, that mile is the flattest of the route. The last two miles were a stead incline. I worked hard to keep my pace up, rather than taking it easy like I normally do on hills during a casual run (as opposed to hill repeats). I averaged 8:56 for the entire run.
So hopefully I'll be able to put in a decent amount of miles this week. It will definitely be a balancing act.
*Disneyland was wonderful. It was everything we had hoped it would be. While I missed both my Saturday and Sunday runs because of weekend activities, we definitely were not sedentary. There was a LOT of walking around Disneyland, so I did get some time on my feet. It was worth missing half my mileage for the week.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Through the fog
This morning I woke to thick fog and the temperature in the mid forties. Brrr... I really don't know how people in cold climates do it. I wore tights, a long sleeve tech shirt with arm warmers under it, gloves and a fleece vest. I didn't go for the knit hat yet, just my trusty Nike running hat; I think it needs to be a few degrees cooler for a knit hat.
Where last week I set a mileage PR, this week I'll be lucky to hit the mid thirties. Life has a tendency to get in the way of training. I have had to cut some runs short due to my husband's work schedule (in addition to my not getting out the door early enough). I have to be back by seven in order to get our day started. It is hard to get longer runs in with a deadline. I am also missing my long Saturday run. I am not complaining, however. We are taking the kids to Disneyland!! They have only been once three years ago and my daughter was only six months old. At six and three, they are the perfect age for the Magic Kingdom. All through the move, I had promised them that we would go. My friend's son (my son's best friend) is turning six tomorrow and we are all going to celebrate with Mickey (and Jack Sparrow and Sleeping Beauty).
So I ran today, my regular rest day. I ran six miles, which is a decent distance during the week for me, but it won't make up for the ten I would have run tomorrow. I had done a lot of hills this week, so I ran down to the river trail, which is flat. The fog was really eerie. I could see the water and tons of ducks, geese, herons and egrets. I couldn't see across it, so I couldn't even see the headlights from the freeway. I could almost convince myself that the traffic noise was a distant waterfall. The fog really helped me feel like I was escaping. It was really relaxing.
I want to wish a bunch of runners good luck this weekend on marathons and half marathons. If I forget someone, please forgive me!
AKA Alice-Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll Half
Irene-Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll Half
Jill-Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll Half
Jimmy-Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll Half (Jimmy has been coaching the Team Challenge group. Yeah, Coach!!)
Kristen- California International Marathon (this is Kristen's first marathon!! She is going to do great!)
Aron- California International Marathon (this may be Aron's Boston Qualifying run!!)
Danica- California International Marathon (this race qualifies her for the Marathon Maniacs!)
Gigi- Santa Barbara Marathon
Happy Running, everyone. I'll be sure to tell Mickey hi!!
Where last week I set a mileage PR, this week I'll be lucky to hit the mid thirties. Life has a tendency to get in the way of training. I have had to cut some runs short due to my husband's work schedule (in addition to my not getting out the door early enough). I have to be back by seven in order to get our day started. It is hard to get longer runs in with a deadline. I am also missing my long Saturday run. I am not complaining, however. We are taking the kids to Disneyland!! They have only been once three years ago and my daughter was only six months old. At six and three, they are the perfect age for the Magic Kingdom. All through the move, I had promised them that we would go. My friend's son (my son's best friend) is turning six tomorrow and we are all going to celebrate with Mickey (and Jack Sparrow and Sleeping Beauty).
So I ran today, my regular rest day. I ran six miles, which is a decent distance during the week for me, but it won't make up for the ten I would have run tomorrow. I had done a lot of hills this week, so I ran down to the river trail, which is flat. The fog was really eerie. I could see the water and tons of ducks, geese, herons and egrets. I couldn't see across it, so I couldn't even see the headlights from the freeway. I could almost convince myself that the traffic noise was a distant waterfall. The fog really helped me feel like I was escaping. It was really relaxing.
I want to wish a bunch of runners good luck this weekend on marathons and half marathons. If I forget someone, please forgive me!
AKA Alice-Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll Half
Irene-Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll Half
Jill-Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll Half
Jimmy-Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll Half (Jimmy has been coaching the Team Challenge group. Yeah, Coach!!)
Kristen- California International Marathon (this is Kristen's first marathon!! She is going to do great!)
Aron- California International Marathon (this may be Aron's Boston Qualifying run!!)
Danica- California International Marathon (this race qualifies her for the Marathon Maniacs!)
Gigi- Santa Barbara Marathon
Happy Running, everyone. I'll be sure to tell Mickey hi!!
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