FIT:
Day b/f yesterday (monday), 40 min gym: 3 min plank, 45 pushups, tough 6 inches b/c of bigger calves and leg muscles from 20 quarters?
Today: 57ish temps. Nice in black coolmax tee and shorts. Brought 20oz water. ATe banana before. Ate 2 Cola Shot Bloks and 2/3 Chocolate Outrage Gu during. Saw many baby geese. Had to stop to stretch a/b 5 times b/c knees pounded up. Took 2 aspirins in the next 12ish hours, plus ice and stretching. Shuffle Podcasts.
Splits> 9:48 t, 3:59 p, 4:08 h, 4:26 b (22:22), 4:55 x, 2:29 w (30:17), 15:43 d (46:01), 4:28 b1, 5:06 b2, 4:03 g (59:39), 8:48 o (1:08:28), 8:51 g, 4:07 b2, 5:01 b1, 4:32 d (1:31:10), 16:13 w, 3:02 x, 4:59 b, 4:38 h, 4:16 p, 4:21 t, 9:41 2. Total: 2:18:23.
Pace: 8:33/mi.
I may need to switch to a moderate consistent training plan until my knees somehow adjust. I don't even know if it's possible for knees to adjust to pounding like that.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
April 25
My second to last day of frisbee... yes, I was counting down the hours during the tournament. Too bad I'm ending my time with the sport like this. No more, though. Well, I guess the sport itself is good. My skills probably aren't enough to take me to a competitive club team, and the financial expenses and time involved in a traveling team are just too much. It's not that practices would be time consuming. It's that travel to the practices would be time consuming.
I do appreciate getting to play more than I did at sectionals. I do love the fact that I could run enough to get tired and sore out in the 88 degree heat. What is unique about today is the food I ate, though.
FUEL:
Breakfast: Lentil and Pureed Veggie Soup; Yogurt w/ Wild Berry Fruit Spread and Granola; Hummus
Snack: 1 Pickle (salt was soooo good after sweating so much. I love the very unblandness of it, too, and that it's a bit refreshing liquid-wise. I usually don't eat pickles because I think it might turn you into a mummy or something drying you out and preserving your insides with all the salt and vinegar... delicious.)
Snack: 1/2 Orange; 3/4 Protein Bread w/ Hummus Sandwich
Snack: 2 Pickles... I was craving moer the whole game; 1/4 Protein Bread w/ Hummus Sandwich
Snack: 1/2 Orange; BBQ Chips... more delicious salt and unbland crunchiness
Snack: Apple; Assorted Gourmet Cheeses (only at Princeton do I eat Brie and other unknown aromatic cheeses on the sideline of a tournament. and only at Princeton do you ride to tournaments in your friend's Porche... those are two things that I thoroughly enjoyed about frisbee. there were other enjoyable things, for sure, but man, that was sweet).
Snack: Pickle
Mini-meal: Starbucks sample coffee w/ Skim Milk and Sugar in the Raw; Lentil and Pureed Veggie Soup
Summary: many pickles, full-fat savory cheese, fruit, soup, dairy, and hummus sandwiches.
Oh yeah, ended up not doing the 5K.
Injury Report: I think I have minor case of Posterior tibial tendonitis. I've had it since about the epic 20 quarters workout. It was bothering me this morning, but I don't feel it now. Also, I did a number on my knees doing the worm last night on concrete for the arch sing. It didn't help having to lay out or catch peoples' too-low throws today. I felt very unsteady in the latter part of the tournament, when the muscles that usually provide control were getting more fatigued and the joints just seemed to be barely holding everything together.
GEAR: At Communiversity, I got $40 Saucony ProGrid Guide XT-900 shoes. Regular price is $95, although RR sports has it for $60+ship. They're a lighter weight (although still 9.6 oz) mild stability shoe. It has breathable mesh. Now that I have 2 Gel Evol3's plus a Brooks Trance 8, this will be my fourth new running shoe. Excessive? Yes. But all the good deals unfortunately came at once. The deals got progressively better, so I felt like I had to keep going. And the new ones were brands or models I've never tried before, so I couldn't pass it up. Well, I'll be set for a while. And considering I'll probably go through 2 pairs a year, this seems okay.
Something I learned recently: One reason that it's good to have two pairs of shoes going at a time: by alternating, you'll give the shoes time to re-puff their cushioning. I didn't know it was that dramatic, but it does seem possible. From personal experience, it may also be a good idea to have sport-specific shoes. I guess I take it more to an extreme with workout-specific shoes. I want something lower to the ground for plyos, where there's a risk of turning an ankle if I'm too top-heavy, making something like the Brooks Trance Good. I want something lightweight for the track, which would mean the 9.4 oz Progrid is better than the 11 oz Gel Evols. Lighter means less durability and less support, though, making the Evols better for when I do my bulk mileage, like my long and tempo runs. I may have one I wear to walk around in, which I guess cheaper, less supportive and more flexible shoes would be good for.
Within the past week, I've paid $70 for Gel Evol 3's (I won my first pair, which were 2's, at a race; I bought 4's for $90 - retails at $120), $37 for Trance 8's (I bought my first pair, 7's whose cushioning/stability support didn't last that long, for $100), and then I got these Progrid's for $40 today. I guess $40's not bad, considering it's $150 for three shoes when sometimes one shoe costs about that much. I do have a lot of shoes now. It's kind of funny. Most girls collect endless amounts of pretty sandals and heels and stuff. I have one pair of nice close-toed heeled shoes I wear to work (and they hurt after a while). I have a pair of Old Navy shower sandals that I wear on a regular basis out in public, as well as an extravagant $10 (although regular price is more) suede Adidas rainbows-like pair of sandals. And then, I have my six pairs of running shoes. How will I explain all the shoes to my parents? The Evol4's look okay but need to be retired from regular running use. The Trance7's I use to walk in when I'm forced to wear something other than sandals (which means it's raining - otherwise, like at Church and class and everything else, I wear sandals). I also use the 7's when I go to the gym, since I don't want to mess up the wear patterns from running that I've established in the Evol's. And now there are three brand new shoes. Woo hoo.
Speaking of spending, I've also bought a $25 tech shirt (which unfortunately I think now may be available for something more like $10 on Ebay), and five running books (Once a Runner - $16ish, A 3-book Sheehan compilation - $5ish, Running with the Buffaloes - $7ish, Lore of Running - $20, and Daniels' Running Formula - $13ish) that total up to about $60 oh my... I'll need something to entertain me when I leave Pton and have all that free time, though. And I've spent much more than that in terms of opportunity costs (from missing work shifts) due to frisbee. It's time running gets something.
I do appreciate getting to play more than I did at sectionals. I do love the fact that I could run enough to get tired and sore out in the 88 degree heat. What is unique about today is the food I ate, though.
FUEL:
Breakfast: Lentil and Pureed Veggie Soup; Yogurt w/ Wild Berry Fruit Spread and Granola; Hummus
Snack: 1 Pickle (salt was soooo good after sweating so much. I love the very unblandness of it, too, and that it's a bit refreshing liquid-wise. I usually don't eat pickles because I think it might turn you into a mummy or something drying you out and preserving your insides with all the salt and vinegar... delicious.)
Snack: 1/2 Orange; 3/4 Protein Bread w/ Hummus Sandwich
Snack: 2 Pickles... I was craving moer the whole game; 1/4 Protein Bread w/ Hummus Sandwich
Snack: 1/2 Orange; BBQ Chips... more delicious salt and unbland crunchiness
Snack: Apple; Assorted Gourmet Cheeses (only at Princeton do I eat Brie and other unknown aromatic cheeses on the sideline of a tournament. and only at Princeton do you ride to tournaments in your friend's Porche... those are two things that I thoroughly enjoyed about frisbee. there were other enjoyable things, for sure, but man, that was sweet).
Snack: Pickle
Mini-meal: Starbucks sample coffee w/ Skim Milk and Sugar in the Raw; Lentil and Pureed Veggie Soup
Summary: many pickles, full-fat savory cheese, fruit, soup, dairy, and hummus sandwiches.
Oh yeah, ended up not doing the 5K.
Injury Report: I think I have minor case of Posterior tibial tendonitis. I've had it since about the epic 20 quarters workout. It was bothering me this morning, but I don't feel it now. Also, I did a number on my knees doing the worm last night on concrete for the arch sing. It didn't help having to lay out or catch peoples' too-low throws today. I felt very unsteady in the latter part of the tournament, when the muscles that usually provide control were getting more fatigued and the joints just seemed to be barely holding everything together.
GEAR: At Communiversity, I got $40 Saucony ProGrid Guide XT-900 shoes. Regular price is $95, although RR sports has it for $60+ship. They're a lighter weight (although still 9.6 oz) mild stability shoe. It has breathable mesh. Now that I have 2 Gel Evol3's plus a Brooks Trance 8, this will be my fourth new running shoe. Excessive? Yes. But all the good deals unfortunately came at once. The deals got progressively better, so I felt like I had to keep going. And the new ones were brands or models I've never tried before, so I couldn't pass it up. Well, I'll be set for a while. And considering I'll probably go through 2 pairs a year, this seems okay.
Something I learned recently: One reason that it's good to have two pairs of shoes going at a time: by alternating, you'll give the shoes time to re-puff their cushioning. I didn't know it was that dramatic, but it does seem possible. From personal experience, it may also be a good idea to have sport-specific shoes. I guess I take it more to an extreme with workout-specific shoes. I want something lower to the ground for plyos, where there's a risk of turning an ankle if I'm too top-heavy, making something like the Brooks Trance Good. I want something lightweight for the track, which would mean the 9.4 oz Progrid is better than the 11 oz Gel Evols. Lighter means less durability and less support, though, making the Evols better for when I do my bulk mileage, like my long and tempo runs. I may have one I wear to walk around in, which I guess cheaper, less supportive and more flexible shoes would be good for.
Within the past week, I've paid $70 for Gel Evol 3's (I won my first pair, which were 2's, at a race; I bought 4's for $90 - retails at $120), $37 for Trance 8's (I bought my first pair, 7's whose cushioning/stability support didn't last that long, for $100), and then I got these Progrid's for $40 today. I guess $40's not bad, considering it's $150 for three shoes when sometimes one shoe costs about that much. I do have a lot of shoes now. It's kind of funny. Most girls collect endless amounts of pretty sandals and heels and stuff. I have one pair of nice close-toed heeled shoes I wear to work (and they hurt after a while). I have a pair of Old Navy shower sandals that I wear on a regular basis out in public, as well as an extravagant $10 (although regular price is more) suede Adidas rainbows-like pair of sandals. And then, I have my six pairs of running shoes. How will I explain all the shoes to my parents? The Evol4's look okay but need to be retired from regular running use. The Trance7's I use to walk in when I'm forced to wear something other than sandals (which means it's raining - otherwise, like at Church and class and everything else, I wear sandals). I also use the 7's when I go to the gym, since I don't want to mess up the wear patterns from running that I've established in the Evol's. And now there are three brand new shoes. Woo hoo.
Speaking of spending, I've also bought a $25 tech shirt (which unfortunately I think now may be available for something more like $10 on Ebay), and five running books (Once a Runner - $16ish, A 3-book Sheehan compilation - $5ish, Running with the Buffaloes - $7ish, Lore of Running - $20, and Daniels' Running Formula - $13ish) that total up to about $60 oh my... I'll need something to entertain me when I leave Pton and have all that free time, though. And I've spent much more than that in terms of opportunity costs (from missing work shifts) due to frisbee. It's time running gets something.
Friday, April 24, 2009
April 24
FIT:
It's been 3 days since the epic 20 quarters run. The first day was a necessary rest day, the second day I think I would've tried a little recovery run except I was gone all day for an interview, and then the third day was filled with classes and other obligations. Tomorrow's either a 5K race plus a tournament, or just a tournament. I wanted to get my muscles used to moving again, training the new muscles to work (I think I gained some muscle mass after the run, either that or fat... fat's definitely a possibility, since I was eating until I was uncomfortable in the days following that run, either because sprinting does that to you, or because I was stressed about the interview, or just in need of energy because I was tired). I needed to get a binder from walmart and wanted to take a look at chocolate and workout clothes, too, so it was a good day for a junk miles shopping trip. 7.5 miles may be a bit long the day before a 5K if I do it, but at this point, it's been so long that I'm concerned about losing fitness if I don't do it.
Temps: 72ish. Tolerable during the run in a cotton tee and shorts, although I needed water at Walmart.
Splits> 9:59 t (slow!), 4:11 p, 4:01 h, 4:16 b (22:29), 4:37 x, 2:39 w (29:46)... started slow but sped up a bit... summertime times are slow, ran a/b a qurter mile here untimed, 4:53 wf, 4:24 b, 4:30 h, 4:13 p, 4:09 t, 9:45 2. Total: 1:01:44 for the 7.5 maybe a bit moreish miles, plus another 0.3ish untimed.
It's been 3 days since the epic 20 quarters run. The first day was a necessary rest day, the second day I think I would've tried a little recovery run except I was gone all day for an interview, and then the third day was filled with classes and other obligations. Tomorrow's either a 5K race plus a tournament, or just a tournament. I wanted to get my muscles used to moving again, training the new muscles to work (I think I gained some muscle mass after the run, either that or fat... fat's definitely a possibility, since I was eating until I was uncomfortable in the days following that run, either because sprinting does that to you, or because I was stressed about the interview, or just in need of energy because I was tired). I needed to get a binder from walmart and wanted to take a look at chocolate and workout clothes, too, so it was a good day for a junk miles shopping trip. 7.5 miles may be a bit long the day before a 5K if I do it, but at this point, it's been so long that I'm concerned about losing fitness if I don't do it.
Temps: 72ish. Tolerable during the run in a cotton tee and shorts, although I needed water at Walmart.
Splits> 9:59 t (slow!), 4:11 p, 4:01 h, 4:16 b (22:29), 4:37 x, 2:39 w (29:46)... started slow but sped up a bit... summertime times are slow, ran a/b a qurter mile here untimed, 4:53 wf, 4:24 b, 4:30 h, 4:13 p, 4:09 t, 9:45 2. Total: 1:01:44 for the 7.5 maybe a bit moreish miles, plus another 0.3ish untimed.
Monday, April 20, 2009
April 20
FIT:
Yesterday: 35 min strength. 2.5 min plank, 1.25 min 6-inches. 6-inches getting easier.
Today: 45 degrees and rainy. What a change from two days ago when I was moaning about the heat. I started out in warmups and ended up going to shorts and my philly tee, which continued to feel dry even in the rain - the magic of tech shirts. I'm glad I bought another $25 tech shirt yesterday on eBay. Pricey, but I don't buy that much stuff, and I'm sure to get lots of use out of it, since I wear that kind of stuff as opposed to pretty stuff, haha. My shorts and warmup pants ended up getting soaked through. My visor did well to keep the rain out of my face.
It was windy, too, so I only heard about 1/3 of the podcasting I was listening to on my Shuffle, which I kept under my shirt to protect it from the rain. When I was going against the wind on the back straightaway, there was only ;lfja;lsdjf;asejohsqikhse of the wind. It made for tough running, too. You only notice the wind when it's going against you and not so much when it's helping you along. Kind of applies to life, too. You take for granted the good times but freak out when stuff is against you.
Speaking of freaking out, I've been so anxious about my interview on Wednesday. It was hard to sleep last night, and I just feel tense, like my heart rate is up. This is even after encouraging a friend about getting through a tough time by remembering that through God's strength, she can do it. Gotta live out what I say. She unknowingly helped me out with this today during DP - "Lord, we put our trust in you." Lord, we can't handle this stuff. We're weak and scared. But we know you are strong. We throw ourselves before you, knowing you are gracious and mighty. Help us, Lord. Our trust is in you, not ourselves.
So for today's excellent workout... I'm excited to report on this. I read Once a Runner this week, for the first time (it's like being inducted into a special club), since I finally finished my thesis (yay). Cassidy did a workout of 20 quarters (which Denton made him do two more times after that as a surprise), but that was the original workout, and I did a modified version of it today. He ran 220's after each quarter and then a 440 after each set of 5 quarters, I think. I just plain stopped and rested for about a minute, but I was glad to get in the 20. It's good training for me to try to get some speed back. I haven't decided whether I'll go through with the 5K this weekend, since I should maybe stick with my team for regionals. I don't know. If I do run, this will help. If I don't, it's still good to help me get back some speed I lost during my month off.
Splits> 1:26, 1:28, 1:29, 1:30, 1:30, 1:31, 1:28, 1:30, 1:31, 1:31, 1:29, 1:31, 1:34, 1:33, 1:34, 1:34, 1:34, 1:34, 1:34, 1:34. Not bad, I'd say. I'm satisfied. Oh yeah, I did an 800 warmup and an 800 cooldown, too. That's about 6 miles. The 20 quarters / 5 mile part of it was done in 30:37. Probably not 5 miles.. the track is a 400 and not a 440, I think. Oh well, don't care today.
Oh man, afterwards, I was so cold. My shoes (it was the 3's again) were soaked. I was cold. I went to 2D and had Miso Soup, Mixed Greens w/ Balsamic and Soy Feta, Yogurt w/ Sour Cherry Fruit Spread, and a bit of Banana Bread. I had to refuel, since I had frisbee practice in less than an hour! Yup, that's my schedule. Today's econ class was rescheduled, hahahahahahahaa. Yay.
My knees are clearly bruised now, probably from doing the worm on concrete. The bruises didn't appear until days later, it seemed. JG was right. I probably won't do it again Friday, then. Worth it, though (at least for now). And my right knee was in some pain during the last mile or so, but I really wanted to get in the 20 quarters, since at around 16, I didn't feel too drained. It was fairly easy to take on one at a time, especially with the rest. I'm so cold right now, even after having changed into dry shorts. I think I ended up getting a good workout, though, since for the latter quarters, my hamstrings were numb-ish from the strain. My quads were also numb-ish. My calves are already a bit sore, too. It was a good day. All the praise and glory to God.
Cumulative mileage: 245.2 + 7.5 + 6 = 258.7
// and then an hour after I refueled, frisbee practice. i skipped the warmup, but i scrimmaged okay, taking it easy because of my knee. it was nasty windy and rainy.
// kinda big news - the MCM ended up selling out in 16 days. who would've thought. that means i'll have to look for another one. i can try to get into the nyc through the lottery. it's ranked the #2 best marathon behind boston. the mcm was #9. (from http://www.americasbestonline.net/marathon.html). so maybe it's for the best. if i'm in north jersey, it'll be even more convenient. i like dc better than nyc, but #2... must be good. i'll save the mcm for next year, then. now, the big day is no longer oct 21st but nov 1st. an extra 10 days to train! Another top 10 list (this was actually a top 100 list) had completely different rankings, though. Maybe I'll do the Oct 10 Baltimore marathon - I already have a shirt for it. I liked the Inner Harbor when I visited JHU, too. Dunno what to do! Maybe go for NYC (they don't do the lottery until mid-summer) and hope that the BM is somehow still open then if I don't get into NYC?
Yesterday: 35 min strength. 2.5 min plank, 1.25 min 6-inches. 6-inches getting easier.
Today: 45 degrees and rainy. What a change from two days ago when I was moaning about the heat. I started out in warmups and ended up going to shorts and my philly tee, which continued to feel dry even in the rain - the magic of tech shirts. I'm glad I bought another $25 tech shirt yesterday on eBay. Pricey, but I don't buy that much stuff, and I'm sure to get lots of use out of it, since I wear that kind of stuff as opposed to pretty stuff, haha. My shorts and warmup pants ended up getting soaked through. My visor did well to keep the rain out of my face.
It was windy, too, so I only heard about 1/3 of the podcasting I was listening to on my Shuffle, which I kept under my shirt to protect it from the rain. When I was going against the wind on the back straightaway, there was only ;lfja;lsdjf;asejohsqikhse of the wind. It made for tough running, too. You only notice the wind when it's going against you and not so much when it's helping you along. Kind of applies to life, too. You take for granted the good times but freak out when stuff is against you.
Speaking of freaking out, I've been so anxious about my interview on Wednesday. It was hard to sleep last night, and I just feel tense, like my heart rate is up. This is even after encouraging a friend about getting through a tough time by remembering that through God's strength, she can do it. Gotta live out what I say. She unknowingly helped me out with this today during DP - "Lord, we put our trust in you." Lord, we can't handle this stuff. We're weak and scared. But we know you are strong. We throw ourselves before you, knowing you are gracious and mighty. Help us, Lord. Our trust is in you, not ourselves.
So for today's excellent workout... I'm excited to report on this. I read Once a Runner this week, for the first time (it's like being inducted into a special club), since I finally finished my thesis (yay). Cassidy did a workout of 20 quarters (which Denton made him do two more times after that as a surprise), but that was the original workout, and I did a modified version of it today. He ran 220's after each quarter and then a 440 after each set of 5 quarters, I think. I just plain stopped and rested for about a minute, but I was glad to get in the 20. It's good training for me to try to get some speed back. I haven't decided whether I'll go through with the 5K this weekend, since I should maybe stick with my team for regionals. I don't know. If I do run, this will help. If I don't, it's still good to help me get back some speed I lost during my month off.
Splits> 1:26, 1:28, 1:29, 1:30, 1:30, 1:31, 1:28, 1:30, 1:31, 1:31, 1:29, 1:31, 1:34, 1:33, 1:34, 1:34, 1:34, 1:34, 1:34, 1:34. Not bad, I'd say. I'm satisfied. Oh yeah, I did an 800 warmup and an 800 cooldown, too. That's about 6 miles. The 20 quarters / 5 mile part of it was done in 30:37. Probably not 5 miles.. the track is a 400 and not a 440, I think. Oh well, don't care today.
Oh man, afterwards, I was so cold. My shoes (it was the 3's again) were soaked. I was cold. I went to 2D and had Miso Soup, Mixed Greens w/ Balsamic and Soy Feta, Yogurt w/ Sour Cherry Fruit Spread, and a bit of Banana Bread. I had to refuel, since I had frisbee practice in less than an hour! Yup, that's my schedule. Today's econ class was rescheduled, hahahahahahahaa. Yay.
My knees are clearly bruised now, probably from doing the worm on concrete. The bruises didn't appear until days later, it seemed. JG was right. I probably won't do it again Friday, then. Worth it, though (at least for now). And my right knee was in some pain during the last mile or so, but I really wanted to get in the 20 quarters, since at around 16, I didn't feel too drained. It was fairly easy to take on one at a time, especially with the rest. I'm so cold right now, even after having changed into dry shorts. I think I ended up getting a good workout, though, since for the latter quarters, my hamstrings were numb-ish from the strain. My quads were also numb-ish. My calves are already a bit sore, too. It was a good day. All the praise and glory to God.
Cumulative mileage: 245.2 + 7.5 + 6 = 258.7
// and then an hour after I refueled, frisbee practice. i skipped the warmup, but i scrimmaged okay, taking it easy because of my knee. it was nasty windy and rainy.
// kinda big news - the MCM ended up selling out in 16 days. who would've thought. that means i'll have to look for another one. i can try to get into the nyc through the lottery. it's ranked the #2 best marathon behind boston. the mcm was #9. (from http://www.americasbestonline.net/marathon.html). so maybe it's for the best. if i'm in north jersey, it'll be even more convenient. i like dc better than nyc, but #2... must be good. i'll save the mcm for next year, then. now, the big day is no longer oct 21st but nov 1st. an extra 10 days to train! Another top 10 list (this was actually a top 100 list) had completely different rankings, though. Maybe I'll do the Oct 10 Baltimore marathon - I already have a shirt for it. I liked the Inner Harbor when I visited JHU, too. Dunno what to do! Maybe go for NYC (they don't do the lottery until mid-summer) and hope that the BM is somehow still open then if I don't get into NYC?
Saturday, April 18, 2009
April 18
FIT:
77 degrees. Today was a rude awakening. Hotter temps are here. I've had it good so far since "real" training started in February. Oh, to go back to the days of 30 degree runs. It's time to buckle in now, time to show what you're made of mentally. Me, I stopped 5 times during my 7.5-mi run today. Two were shorter b/c they were to drop off and pick up my shirt (that Nike track t-shirt, by the way, that I wore in sub-freezing temps on its own, so it's reasonable that at 50 degrees hotter, I take it off. It's kind of a thick shirt anyway, wicking as it is. I think I should go with a singlet next time.)
Splits> 8:27 t, 3:39 p, 3:41 h, 3:59 b (19:48, stopped once during to drop off but not too long), STOP, 4:19 x, 2:39 w (26:47 tot, which isn't actually great considering the stop, but considering the heat, maybe it's not so bad, 6:58 for the 0.95 mi b to w),STOP, 2:37 x, 4:20 (6:57 for the 0.95 w to b), STOP, 4:01 h, 3:51 p, 3:56 t, 9:37 t (slowed down lots on the uphill, eh? so thirsty for this last interval). Total: 55:12. My record is 54:41, without cheating like I did today.
I was debating what to call this in my excel supersheet. I had set out to do a tempo but had to stop. I wasn't going terribly fast by the time I got to b, but it had been so long since my last real training week (like a month), and it was so much hotter today. I decided speedwork may be a better name for it. It's not even like my usual speedwork, though, since I stopped completely between the intervals, as opposed to jogging the same distance. So this pace should be faster than the usual speedwork, although the legs of it are a lot longer, too.
To take a look at paces: 7:16 for the first 2.72 miles - about how I ran the 5K. I should be able to do the 5K faster than that, if I can run another 5ish miles after that. I need to do more speedwork with shorter distancse to achieve that. 7:20 for the next two legs, each of 0.95 miles. And it only gets worse. I won't even bother calculating it. It was uphill anyways. Uhh. I'll be stronger next time for it.
I decided to switch to my Asics Gel Evolution 3's, which so far I've only been using for the track to keep them clean, while I've used my 4's for the dirty tow path. I'm getting up there in mileage for the 4's, though. 200 miles since January, plus whatever I did from July-ish until January (which wasn't too much, perhaps a weekly 6 on average at best, maybe 3 weekly? And I ran pretty much zero over December. So that'd be maybe 5 months x 4 weeks x 3 miles = 60 miles. I want to play it safe, knowing my body. 260 isn't even on the low end of the suggested 300-500 miles, but given my injuries in the past month, I think I should play it safe. Time to pretty much retire the Evol 4's. 4's, it's been a good journey with you. Thanks for taking me through the first stages of my marathon training. You're a great shoe. 3's, I have about 45 miles on you so far. Looking forward to many more. I'll need to start looking for new cheap 3's or 4's to buy to use on the track or use as backup if the 3's get wet or something.
After the run, I downed a bowl and a half of water, plus about half a bowl of milk. Then, I ate about a third of a proteiny PB&J sandwich and about a forth of a grapefruit. Dinner's coming in 2 hours, so I'll be okay. I also made some attempts to stretch (learning from the last run), although probably not enough. My lower right quadrant (lower from ground's perspective, right from my perspective) of my right knee was feeling pounded a bit after the run again, but it's probably just the remenants of the damage I did on the 16 four days ago. I'm glad it's not feeling too much worse. It was probably good that I switched to the more cushiony 3's for this run. I gotta be careful.
Wow, that was like an essay.
77 degrees. Today was a rude awakening. Hotter temps are here. I've had it good so far since "real" training started in February. Oh, to go back to the days of 30 degree runs. It's time to buckle in now, time to show what you're made of mentally. Me, I stopped 5 times during my 7.5-mi run today. Two were shorter b/c they were to drop off and pick up my shirt (that Nike track t-shirt, by the way, that I wore in sub-freezing temps on its own, so it's reasonable that at 50 degrees hotter, I take it off. It's kind of a thick shirt anyway, wicking as it is. I think I should go with a singlet next time.)
Splits> 8:27 t, 3:39 p, 3:41 h, 3:59 b (19:48, stopped once during to drop off but not too long), STOP, 4:19 x, 2:39 w (26:47 tot, which isn't actually great considering the stop, but considering the heat, maybe it's not so bad, 6:58 for the 0.95 mi b to w),STOP, 2:37 x, 4:20 (6:57 for the 0.95 w to b), STOP, 4:01 h, 3:51 p, 3:56 t, 9:37 t (slowed down lots on the uphill, eh? so thirsty for this last interval). Total: 55:12. My record is 54:41, without cheating like I did today.
I was debating what to call this in my excel supersheet. I had set out to do a tempo but had to stop. I wasn't going terribly fast by the time I got to b, but it had been so long since my last real training week (like a month), and it was so much hotter today. I decided speedwork may be a better name for it. It's not even like my usual speedwork, though, since I stopped completely between the intervals, as opposed to jogging the same distance. So this pace should be faster than the usual speedwork, although the legs of it are a lot longer, too.
To take a look at paces: 7:16 for the first 2.72 miles - about how I ran the 5K. I should be able to do the 5K faster than that, if I can run another 5ish miles after that. I need to do more speedwork with shorter distancse to achieve that. 7:20 for the next two legs, each of 0.95 miles. And it only gets worse. I won't even bother calculating it. It was uphill anyways. Uhh. I'll be stronger next time for it.
I decided to switch to my Asics Gel Evolution 3's, which so far I've only been using for the track to keep them clean, while I've used my 4's for the dirty tow path. I'm getting up there in mileage for the 4's, though. 200 miles since January, plus whatever I did from July-ish until January (which wasn't too much, perhaps a weekly 6 on average at best, maybe 3 weekly? And I ran pretty much zero over December. So that'd be maybe 5 months x 4 weeks x 3 miles = 60 miles. I want to play it safe, knowing my body. 260 isn't even on the low end of the suggested 300-500 miles, but given my injuries in the past month, I think I should play it safe. Time to pretty much retire the Evol 4's. 4's, it's been a good journey with you. Thanks for taking me through the first stages of my marathon training. You're a great shoe. 3's, I have about 45 miles on you so far. Looking forward to many more. I'll need to start looking for new cheap 3's or 4's to buy to use on the track or use as backup if the 3's get wet or something.
After the run, I downed a bowl and a half of water, plus about half a bowl of milk. Then, I ate about a third of a proteiny PB&J sandwich and about a forth of a grapefruit. Dinner's coming in 2 hours, so I'll be okay. I also made some attempts to stretch (learning from the last run), although probably not enough. My lower right quadrant (lower from ground's perspective, right from my perspective) of my right knee was feeling pounded a bit after the run again, but it's probably just the remenants of the damage I did on the 16 four days ago. I'm glad it's not feeling too much worse. It was probably good that I switched to the more cushiony 3's for this run. I gotta be careful.
Wow, that was like an essay.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
April 15
FIT:
Back on the road after about 10 days w/o running workouts. I did 16.2 in a record slow time of 2:18. The previous two times were 2:14 and then 2:16. It's okay, though. I'm just getting back into it, and I was glad just to finish. I got the 7th mile chills at mile 8 when I stretched at the turning point. At somewhere btwn 3 and 2 miles left, the outside of my right knee felt strained, like it was being twisted in a bad direction. Feels mostly okay now, though. My lead/numb legs set in with about a mile to go. It was tough pushing my way through the final hill.
I ate 4 shot bloks, cola flavored w/ 50mg of caffine per 3 bloks. It gave me energy, which was much needed since I ate below average today. However, the sugar seemed to make the hunger and emptiness in my stomach more noticeable. I'd rather eat something big and substantial, I think, even fibery, proteiny stuff, like a big turkey burger on a ww roll. Mmm... Yeah, the cola bloks kind of made my stomach uneasy, too, and it didn't taste like cola. Plus, with the cold, the bloks were hard at first, and I feared choking on it or something, and it took a while to soften. Once it did soften, it was way too gelly and got stuck everywhere. I think I prefer Gu gels. After the run, I had to cook for 2 hrs. I was so hungry and downed a cup of milk and a monster bowl of black bean chili with brown rice, plus half a grapefruit.
Splits> 9:36t, 4:o9p, 4:06h, 4:17b (22:10 at this point), 4:36x, 2:45w (29:32 here), 15:03d (44:36 here), 4:10r1, 4:56r2, 3:06g (7 mi mark - 56:50 here), 9:18o (many exposed roots from rain - 1:06:09 here), 9:40g, 3:16r2, 5:11r1, 4:29d (1:28:47 here), 16:30w, 3:09x, 5:07b, 4:39h, 4:28p, 4:37t, 10:582. Clearly slowed down all the way through the way back.
Cumulative mileage: 229+16.2 = 245.2.
I'm so tired.
// the next day... lower right quadrant of right knee = misery. took an aspirin, it was so bad. at times, feels like something in there is hanging on by a string. left butt also hurts, like it needs a good massaging. the right knee felt a bit better after something popped in it when i twisted my body a bit at one point, but still not great. oh, man. going from 0 to 16.2 maybe not a great idea. is this kind of pain normal for distance runners? i've heard cs and jk talk about injuries and needing to take a bit of time off before, so it's probably something at least kind of commonplace. i did forget to stretch well after yesterday's run, though. how stupid of me. i gotta listen to the advice of the track star.
i'm inpatient. i like to push hard to get results. i end up sabotaging my goals by going past what i can handle, though. steady is tough.
Back on the road after about 10 days w/o running workouts. I did 16.2 in a record slow time of 2:18. The previous two times were 2:14 and then 2:16. It's okay, though. I'm just getting back into it, and I was glad just to finish. I got the 7th mile chills at mile 8 when I stretched at the turning point. At somewhere btwn 3 and 2 miles left, the outside of my right knee felt strained, like it was being twisted in a bad direction. Feels mostly okay now, though. My lead/numb legs set in with about a mile to go. It was tough pushing my way through the final hill.
I ate 4 shot bloks, cola flavored w/ 50mg of caffine per 3 bloks. It gave me energy, which was much needed since I ate below average today. However, the sugar seemed to make the hunger and emptiness in my stomach more noticeable. I'd rather eat something big and substantial, I think, even fibery, proteiny stuff, like a big turkey burger on a ww roll. Mmm... Yeah, the cola bloks kind of made my stomach uneasy, too, and it didn't taste like cola. Plus, with the cold, the bloks were hard at first, and I feared choking on it or something, and it took a while to soften. Once it did soften, it was way too gelly and got stuck everywhere. I think I prefer Gu gels. After the run, I had to cook for 2 hrs. I was so hungry and downed a cup of milk and a monster bowl of black bean chili with brown rice, plus half a grapefruit.
Splits> 9:36t, 4:o9p, 4:06h, 4:17b (22:10 at this point), 4:36x, 2:45w (29:32 here), 15:03d (44:36 here), 4:10r1, 4:56r2, 3:06g (7 mi mark - 56:50 here), 9:18o (many exposed roots from rain - 1:06:09 here), 9:40g, 3:16r2, 5:11r1, 4:29d (1:28:47 here), 16:30w, 3:09x, 5:07b, 4:39h, 4:28p, 4:37t, 10:582. Clearly slowed down all the way through the way back.
Cumulative mileage: 229+16.2 = 245.2.
I'm so tired.
// the next day... lower right quadrant of right knee = misery. took an aspirin, it was so bad. at times, feels like something in there is hanging on by a string. left butt also hurts, like it needs a good massaging. the right knee felt a bit better after something popped in it when i twisted my body a bit at one point, but still not great. oh, man. going from 0 to 16.2 maybe not a great idea. is this kind of pain normal for distance runners? i've heard cs and jk talk about injuries and needing to take a bit of time off before, so it's probably something at least kind of commonplace. i did forget to stretch well after yesterday's run, though. how stupid of me. i gotta listen to the advice of the track star.
i'm inpatient. i like to push hard to get results. i end up sabotaging my goals by going past what i can handle, though. steady is tough.
April 14
Long time no see!
FIT:
Last week, the usual Monday and Wednesday field ulty's. Sat stank due to boo subbing. Sunday was a bit better, but only a game's worth of playing at best over the course of 3 games. Oh well.
Today, 40 min gym. My clothes are looser after a week of sleeping only every other night (and even on those nights that I did sleep, it was only 3-8 hours), eating not so often and not so much, and basically no exercise. I had essentially 5 rest days last week, if we don't count the lackluster Sunday of sectionals. On the bright side, maybe all of that rest time will help cure me of the plateau/ burnout/ overtraining that led me to run a worse than predicted 5K. I think that when I get back into running, there's going to be soreness. It's been so long. I registered for a 5K 2 weeks from now. Although I've gotten good rest, I think I've probably lost some fitness, so that race may even be worse than the previous one. Oh well, we're looking long term here. Hopefully the rest was a sufficient reset for me to restart training. And thesis is over, so I have more time for running.
FIT:
Last week, the usual Monday and Wednesday field ulty's. Sat stank due to boo subbing. Sunday was a bit better, but only a game's worth of playing at best over the course of 3 games. Oh well.
Today, 40 min gym. My clothes are looser after a week of sleeping only every other night (and even on those nights that I did sleep, it was only 3-8 hours), eating not so often and not so much, and basically no exercise. I had essentially 5 rest days last week, if we don't count the lackluster Sunday of sectionals. On the bright side, maybe all of that rest time will help cure me of the plateau/ burnout/ overtraining that led me to run a worse than predicted 5K. I think that when I get back into running, there's going to be soreness. It's been so long. I registered for a 5K 2 weeks from now. Although I've gotten good rest, I think I've probably lost some fitness, so that race may even be worse than the previous one. Oh well, we're looking long term here. Hopefully the rest was a sufficient reset for me to restart training. And thesis is over, so I have more time for running.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Race Report: 5eeK Justice Run
The 5K turned out to be more like a 4K because of race planning errors. I'm not complaining, though ;)
I ran the 2.52 miles (according to the Garmin) in 18:15, which is a 7:15 pace, far slower than the sub-7 I was hoping for. I'm not sure what happened. If I had kept up that pace for another 0.6 miles, I would have finished a 5K in 22:27. Yeah... not sure what happened. It's sub-23, though, so I'm happy. Last year, I did the 5K (it was actually 5K last year, I think) in 25/26ish, so this was an improvement. I slipped going onto the second loop in that clay type of mud. It was kind of exciting. I also had Jeremy Camp on. The winds did end up coming in strong from the west. Temps were good in spandex and the Nike tee. No splits, since miles weren't marked. I got fourth, about 50m behind the third place finisher. I don't think I could've caught up to her, so no regrets. It was a fun run.
Afterwards, some festivities: A strong wind blew lots of Booster Juice fliers everywhere, in a really dramatic fashion. There's no better place for that to happen than at a race, since volunteers started sprinting after them and collecting them. We picked them all up pretty quickly, and it was kind of amusing. Also, the KS performance got canceled since the winner's circle got moved up. Since Molly was sad to not get to hear us, NK and I sang the Be Thou duet for her, and then LD and I sang for her again.
/ Side note, today is Saturday. I took Friday off to taper, and on Thursday, I did 35 min strength, which included a 4 min plank, which left my arms a bit sore the next day. I felt good physically this morning, although a bit physically tired, even though I had a good 9 hours on Thursday and 5-6 last night. Probably just the morning - not used to running then, and it takes a bit to warm up.
// I just plotted the new point on my pace vs. distance graph... I've done a 7.5 milers at nearly the same pace than this... man. Oh well, tried my best. I thought other biological functions might've had something to do with it... so I checked this article: http://www.runtheplanet.com/trainingracing/training/women/menstruation.asp ....yeah I'm talking about that. And this is supposed to be a time of peak performance compared to other times, so it's not that... maybe.
/// It's kind of cool how Phedippidations has so many topics that I can fill my iPod with whatever I need more info about at the time. For example, when I started increasing the length of long runs, I listened to a few about long runs. When I was going for the sub-6 mile, I listened about the mile. For the 5K, I listened to ones about race strategies and running rituals. After my sub-optimal performance today, I'm filling it with ones on periodization and the burnt-out syndrome.
I ran the 2.52 miles (according to the Garmin) in 18:15, which is a 7:15 pace, far slower than the sub-7 I was hoping for. I'm not sure what happened. If I had kept up that pace for another 0.6 miles, I would have finished a 5K in 22:27. Yeah... not sure what happened. It's sub-23, though, so I'm happy. Last year, I did the 5K (it was actually 5K last year, I think) in 25/26ish, so this was an improvement. I slipped going onto the second loop in that clay type of mud. It was kind of exciting. I also had Jeremy Camp on. The winds did end up coming in strong from the west. Temps were good in spandex and the Nike tee. No splits, since miles weren't marked. I got fourth, about 50m behind the third place finisher. I don't think I could've caught up to her, so no regrets. It was a fun run.
Afterwards, some festivities: A strong wind blew lots of Booster Juice fliers everywhere, in a really dramatic fashion. There's no better place for that to happen than at a race, since volunteers started sprinting after them and collecting them. We picked them all up pretty quickly, and it was kind of amusing. Also, the KS performance got canceled since the winner's circle got moved up. Since Molly was sad to not get to hear us, NK and I sang the Be Thou duet for her, and then LD and I sang for her again.
/ Side note, today is Saturday. I took Friday off to taper, and on Thursday, I did 35 min strength, which included a 4 min plank, which left my arms a bit sore the next day. I felt good physically this morning, although a bit physically tired, even though I had a good 9 hours on Thursday and 5-6 last night. Probably just the morning - not used to running then, and it takes a bit to warm up.
// I just plotted the new point on my pace vs. distance graph... I've done a 7.5 milers at nearly the same pace than this... man. Oh well, tried my best. I thought other biological functions might've had something to do with it... so I checked this article: http://www.runtheplanet.com/trainingracing/training/women/menstruation.asp ....yeah I'm talking about that. And this is supposed to be a time of peak performance compared to other times, so it's not that... maybe.
/// It's kind of cool how Phedippidations has so many topics that I can fill my iPod with whatever I need more info about at the time. For example, when I started increasing the length of long runs, I listened to a few about long runs. When I was going for the sub-6 mile, I listened about the mile. For the 5K, I listened to ones about race strategies and running rituals. After my sub-optimal performance today, I'm filling it with ones on periodization and the burnt-out syndrome.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
More 5k Predictions
My linear regression of my bests predicts a 5K of 19:47. I haven't been sure what the function is supposed to be. Linear seemed okay. Online race finish time calculators seem so suggest longer times, though. I think what's most interesting is that my longer runs predict longer 5K times. It's hard to say whether I should be able to run those long ones faster, or if the functions used by these calculators just aren't made to apply to such distances. It's also interesting that my 5.25er predicts a slower time than my 7.5er. It makes sense, since the 5.25 is run as an interval workout, so is a less efficient way of covering the distance. Steady's better. Clearly, at least the Runner's Web one doesn't take into account the glycogen depletion threshold at around the 20th mile. I had been looking forward to possibly breaking 20, but it looks like I may need to adjust my expectations. The heat's going to be a bother, too. All my bests were run at ideal temps.
Runners World Calculator:
For a 6 min miler, a 6:38 pace for 5K means a 20:36 finish time.
For a 38:19 5.25er, a 7:04 pace means a 21:55 finish time.
For a 54:41 7.5 miler, a 6:55 pace means a 21:28 finish time.
For a 2:14:47 16.2 miler, a 7:31 pace means a 23:19 finish time.
Runners Web Calculator:
[ using T2 = T1 x (D2/D1)^1.07]
Using the mile, 20:18.
Using the 5.25er, 21:51.
Using the 7.5er, 21:18.
Using the 16.2er, 23:05.
Well, I guess I should expect something in the 21's. It's like 2 minutes slower than what I had been aspiring for, but I can live with that. I'll be happy if it's below 23. Oh man, the weather... I don't know how much of a wrench that'll throw in my plans.
// Weather update: it'll be "feels like 41" - sweet! I should be perfect in shorts and a tee. I'll go for tight clothes to reduce drag. Race conditions will mean slowing down because of traffic, but going faster due to drafting and adrenaline. There will be eastward 19mph winds, though, which means the last leg of the first loop and the last leg of the loop right before the final stretch will be a bit slower, since that leg (which we go over twice), is westward. 19mph is pretty substantial.
I'll think about taking a bit of caffine (new studies show its good effect on performance), and I may bring music (studies also show its benefit). I probably will wear the Garmin to track my pace. I don't know... it's heavy. We'll see.
Runners World Calculator:
For a 6 min miler, a 6:38 pace for 5K means a 20:36 finish time.
For a 38:19 5.25er, a 7:04 pace means a 21:55 finish time.
For a 54:41 7.5 miler, a 6:55 pace means a 21:28 finish time.
For a 2:14:47 16.2 miler, a 7:31 pace means a 23:19 finish time.
Runners Web Calculator:
[ using T2 = T1 x (D2/D1)^1.07]
Using the mile, 20:18.
Using the 5.25er, 21:51.
Using the 7.5er, 21:18.
Using the 16.2er, 23:05.
Well, I guess I should expect something in the 21's. It's like 2 minutes slower than what I had been aspiring for, but I can live with that. I'll be happy if it's below 23. Oh man, the weather... I don't know how much of a wrench that'll throw in my plans.
// Weather update: it'll be "feels like 41" - sweet! I should be perfect in shorts and a tee. I'll go for tight clothes to reduce drag. Race conditions will mean slowing down because of traffic, but going faster due to drafting and adrenaline. There will be eastward 19mph winds, though, which means the last leg of the first loop and the last leg of the loop right before the final stretch will be a bit slower, since that leg (which we go over twice), is westward. 19mph is pretty substantial.
I'll think about taking a bit of caffine (new studies show its good effect on performance), and I may bring music (studies also show its benefit). I probably will wear the Garmin to track my pace. I don't know... it's heavy. We'll see.
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